NATIONAL CONFAB: Ekwueme, Nwabueze decline to lead Igbo

C M Y

...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 62084

**

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

N150

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014

AUCTION: From left, Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Dr. Eugene Juwah; Chairman, NCC, Mr. Peter Igoh; PermSec, Ministry of Communications Technology, Dr. Tunji Olaopa and Executive Commissioner, NCC, Mr. Okechukwu Itanyi at the auction of 2.3GHz spectrum licence in Abuja, yesterday. STORY ON PAGE 8.

NCAA sanctions British Airways, 3 others 8

NATIONAL CONFAB

Ekwueme, Nwabueze decline to lead Igbo •Ekwueme plans three-month trip next week •Northern states endorse 30-point agenda •S-West monarchs want delegates increased to six •Why APC will participate in confab — Fayemi

BLACKOUT SHAME @ MMIA, LAGOS

BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE, WOLE MOSADOMI, OLU AJAYI & GBENGA ARIYIBI

L

AGOS—SECOND Republic Vice President, Dr Alex Ekwueme and iconic constitutional lawyer, Professor Ben Nwabueze (SAN) have declined to lead the Igbo delegation to the forth-

Continues on page 5

•P.25

COLUMNISTS: Is'haq Modibbo Kawu•P.17

Josef•P.19 Omorotionmwan

Mr & Mrs

Images of the total blackout at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos on Tuesday night. Photo: Citizen reporter.

Fuel not scarce, says DPR; clamps down on hoarders 9

2015: Permanent voters' cards ready — INEC 9

2— Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014

C M Y K

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014 —3

C M Y K

4— Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014

C M Y K

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014—5

POCKET CARTOON

YORUBA MONARCHS—From left: Olojodu of Ojodu, Oba Sikiru Adelani; Secretary, Oba Saliu Oyemonla Azeez; Chairman, Yoruba Obas Peace and Conflict Resolution Committee, Oba Frederick Obateru Akinruntan; PRO, Oba Adeniyi Ajayi and Ahaba of Ajagba, Oba Thomas Olawale Adesayo, rising from a meeting held in Ibadan on the proposed constitutional conference, yesterday. Photo: Dare Fasube.

Confab: Ekwueme, Nwabueze decline to lead Igbo Continues from page 1 coming National Conference.

Igbo leaders mounting pressure on the two leaders said the duo, who are intellectual giants and vastly experienced in the act of constitution making would, apart from marshalling the Igbo position, also help hammer out an equitable and workable grundnorm for the country.

Professor Nwabueze, who is chairman of The Patriots, a group of eminent Nigerian statesmen, played pivotal roles in the making of

the 1979 Constitution.

He was also part of the 1989 experiment.

On the other hand, Dr Ekwueme led the Igbo to the late General Sani Abacha 1994 conference, where his contributions led to the emergence of the six geo-political zones in the country.

Confirming the issue, yesterday, Evangelist Elliot Uko, founder of the Igbo Youths Movement (IYM) and Deputy Secretary of the Nwabueze-led Igbo Leaders of Thought, said Ndigbo would like the two elders to lead them to the confab but

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

When you create a vision of what you truly want, your actions will automatically propel you closer to your dream.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

I

F you don’t like the scene you’re in, if you’re unhappy, if you’re lonely, if you don’t feel that things are happening, change your scene. Paint a new backdrop - Leo Buscaglia You are the best thing that has ever happen in your life, when you see and consciously know how very special you are, you will understand fully that only you can do the best with what you have. Those special gifts, skills and talents given to you. If you try to be anyone else, it is the worst thing that can happen because you cannot ever be them - and then you give up being you.

The majority of us lead quiet, unheralded lives as we pass through this world. There will most likely be no ticker-tape parades for us, no monuments created in our honour. But that does not lessen our possible impact, for there are scores of people waiting for someone just like us to come along; people who will appreciate our compassion, our unique talents. Someone who will live a happier life merely because we took the time to share what we had to give.

Buscaglia in his writings, says it perfectly. “Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have a potential to turn a life around. It’s overwhelming to consider the continuous opportunities there are to make our love felt.”

unfortunately they have resisted the pressures.

He disclosed that Ekwueme, in particular, will travel out of the country next week for a two-and-a half months trip. The conference, if things go according to plans, will begin early next month.

His words: “Contrary to reports that Dr Ekwueme will lead Ndigbo to the national conference, there will be no such thing. Ndigbo have tried to convince Dr Ekwueme to be a delegate to no avail. All the pressures on him in the last couple of weeks are to no avail. He said he has done his best that he will travel out of the country next week and will be away for at least two-and-a half months.

So talks about Ekwueme attending the conference are not true. Both Ekwueme and Nwabueze have resisted pressures to lead the Igbo delegation to the confab.”

This came as Northern governors endorsed a 30-point agenda they will canvass at the conference, just as Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti gave reasons the All Progressives Congress (APC) states, which had dismissed the confab as diversionary and waste of scarce funds, resolved to participate in the exercise.

Meanwhile, traditional rulers in the South-West have called on the government to increase the number of delegates of monarchs in each of the six geopolitical zones from three to six.

Northern govs adopt 30-point agenda

To protect the interest of the North at the conference, the 19 northern

states have articulated about 30 points that would be presented at the conference. The agenda was hammered out at their two-day meeting concluded in Kaduna on Tuesday.

This is part of the legwork of the governors to ensure that the North speaks with one voice at the conference.

Speaking in an interactive session on the National Conference with major stake holders at Government House Minna, yesterday, Governor, Babangida Aliyu of Niger State said the northern governors took a bold step at their just concluded meeting in Kaduna on the points to be presented at the conference but assured that the points articulated would not in any way tamper with the unity and development of the country.

“In our last meeting, we took a principled position to send our best and experienced people to the conference and this will include those who will be able to defend and discuss the issues without fear or favour but which will not tamper with the unity and development of the country,” the governor remarked.

The adopted points to be presented at the conference as reeled out by Secretary to the Niger State Government, Alhaji Idris Ndako, who is also the secretary of the Northern States Governors Forum, include fiscal federalism, structure of government, state police, labour matters with regards to wages and salaries, with emphasis on whether salaries should be uniform or based on the financial capability of each state, electricity as a major weapon of economic growth, especially on whether states should be allowed to generate power independently.

Other points include tenure of president and governors, devolution of power, traditional institutions, immunity clause for governors and president, independence of the legislative arm and the judiciary, onshore and offshore dichotomy, resource control.

Others are social security, including health, housing, electoral law which include how elections should be conducted, system of government — presidential or parliamentary, security, creation of more states and local governments and transformation of the agricultural sector as the mainstay of the northern region.

A committee, it was gathered, has already gone round the 19 states to mobilize and sensitize the people on the need to participate in the conference.

Niger State delegates

In line with the agenda, Niger State has nominated her delegates for the confab. They are Alhaji Abubakar Chika Adamu, a former member of the state House of Assembly from Zone B; Halidu Ibrahim from Zone C and Hajiya Dije Bala, a one-time Commissioner for Education in the state.

Why APC will participate –Fayemi

Governor Fayemi, yesterday said the APC governed states would participate in the forthcoming national conference to take care of the interests all citizens.

The governor, who spoke in Ado-Ekiti, explained that the decision of the governments of the APC-controlled states to participate in the national conference should not be seen as going against earlier position to boycott the conference.

His words: “There is no sudden change of mind. The national conference in its constitution has slot for political parties as well as states. APC is well within its rights as a party to decide on what its position is as far as the national conference is concerned. But APC also has states being governed by its members bearing in mind the fact that governors are governors of all. Without prejudice to the position that our party has taken, we preside over both members as well as non members of our party and it would be wrong for us to decide unilaterally as governors not to allow our citizens to

air their views as far as the national conference is concerned.

“Take Ekiti where I can speak authoritatively for example. Ekiti people are very particular about the nature of federalism that we are practising.

The citizens have interest in whether we continue to run this kind of feeding-bottle federalism or not or a co-operative federalism within a regional context. They also have a range of interests for economic prosperity and how will agriculture thrive and why should primary education be the right of Federal Government?

Should we then suggest that as governors of our individual states, which are federating units within the Nigerian states, arrogate to ourselves the position that because our party is not participating we should not participate?”

S-West monarchs want delegates increased

Meanwhile, traditional rulers in the South West have called on the presidency to increase the number of traditional leaders’ representatives from three to six in each of the six zones of the country.

This came as they distanced themselves from the call for regional police, saying it would be counter-productive for the corporate existence of the country.

These were part of a communiqué issued by Yoruba Obas Conflicts Resolution Committee at the end of a three-hour deliberation in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

Held at the Alakia residence of Olugbo of Ugboland, Oba Obateru Akinruntan, who is the chairman of the committee, the meeting was attended by five monarchs, who also canvassed for two out of the expected six slots that would be allotted to the South West.

6—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014

Customs arrests Nigerien drug kingpin in Katsina

K

ATSINA — THE Ni geria Customs Service, NCS, have arrested a notorious Nigerien drug kingpin, Abubakar Woru, 45, with a car loaded with 681 rolls of tramadol capsules in Katsina State.

The Customs Area controller, Alhaji Yerima Abubakar, said at a press conference, yesterday, in Katsina, that the suspect had been on the Customs watch list for a long period.

According to him, Woru was arrested on Monday on Katsina-Jibia road after attempting to bribe Customs patrol officers with 435,000 CFA or (N136,764).

He said the officers turned down the offer and arrested the suspect.

Abubakar said the suspect was alleged to be the gang leader behind the smuggling of prohibited drugs in the country.

The controller said the suspect would be charged to court after investigations.

He commended the officers for their efforts and also warned Customs officers to shun all forms of bribery and corruption.

The Katsina Customs boss said the command had also arrested five persons for smuggling related offences in the state in 2013.

Abubakar urged members of the public, particularly border communities, to continue to cooperate with the Customs in the fight against smuggling.

Motorcycles impounded by Kwara Road Traffic Management Agency in Ilorin, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN.

Ex-banker bags 115-year jail term for stealing N8.8m

BY IFEANYI OKOLIE

L

AGOS — AN Igbosere High Court in Lagos has sentenced a former banker, Jamiu Seun Odunayo, to a total of 115 years imprisonment with no option of fine, over a case of fraud, stealing and obtaining money by false pretence.

The convict was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, before Justice Adebisi Akinlade on 39-count amended charge for fraudulently obtaining money by false pretence, stealing and suppression of funds to the tune of N8.8 million belonging to a customer and diverting it to personal use.

One of the counts read: “Seun Jamiu Odunayo, sometime on March 7, 2011 in Lagos within the Ikeja Judicial Division whilst being a staff of Skye Bank Plc stole N848,690.00 property of Skye Bank Plc.”

The convict had earlier pleaded not guilty to the 39count charge that was preferred against him but later changed his plea following a plea bargain.However Justice Akinlade, in her ruling, sentenced the defendant to a total of 115 years in jail - three years on each of the 39 count charge.

The sentences are, however, to run concurrently, starting from the date of his arrest.

Odunayo's journey to prison

P

ORT HARCOURT — THE Police in Rivers State, yesterday, paraded an interstate kidnap kingpin alongside a gang of six robbers terrorising parts of Port Harcourt.

The new Police Commissioner, Mr Tunde Ogunsakin, told newsmen at the Police headquarters that the kidnap kingpin was traced to a new generation bank at Trans

Amadi area where he went to withdraw ransom paid for a kidnap incident in Akwa Ibom State.

He said the kidnap suspect later led policemen to their hideout to arrest one other member of the gang.

On the gang of six robbers, the state police boss explained that they were overpowered and arrested during a gun battle with his men at Ogbunabali area of Port Harcourt.

statement stated that he started stealing from the customer's account in November 2010 due to delay in payment of his salary.

According to him, "I started with N50,000 and later increased it till it reached N848,690."

The convict confessed that he used part of the money for his wedding, built a four-bedroom bungalow in Mowe, Ogun State; bought a car, and used the rest for clubbing.

Kelvin kidnap gang member arrested

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

A

SABA — THE Delta State Police Command said it has arrested a member of the notorious kidnap gang led by Kelvin Oniarah.

The newly caught member is said to have implicated a lawyer, declaring that “although he has not given the name of the lawyer but in course of our

... Another kidnap kingpin, 6 robbers nabbed in Rivers

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

started on May 19, 2011, when the EFCC received a petition from a bank, alleging that one of its staff, who was a cashpick-up officer to one of its customers, did not credit the customer’s account.

The customer alerted the bank when she discovered that the said sum was not credited into her account. The convict consequently absconded from his duty post to evade arrest.

However, Odunayo in his

He said: “The gang opened fire on a police patrol team, this prompted us to immediately engage them in an exchange of gun fire.

"The gang was, however, overwhelmed by the superior fire power of our men who displayed their resilience in the course of the gun exchange.”

The Police CP also said he had directed the various Area Commanders in the state to intensify patrols and manhunt for criminal elements in the state.

investigation if the lawyer is found to be, yes we (police) will go and get the lawyer arrested.”

Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, in Delta State, Celestina Kalu, in a statement in Asaba, yesterday, said the arrested Kelvin's gang member, whose name was given as Enueme Ogaga "confessed other members of the gang in possession of their firearms and operational vehicles, including a lawyer who is on their payroll for legal services.

"The suspect is helping the police in investigation while efforts are on to arrest the mentioned members of the gang and recover their arms.”

Recall that the gang kingpin, Kelvin who hails from Kokori in Ethiope-East Local Government Area of the state was nabbed sometime in September last year in an undisclosed hotel in Port Harcourt, Rivers State along with five of the gang members by a combined team of Army and Department of

State Services, DSS, operatives.

“On 12/2/2014 at about 1600hrs”, the statement went on, “operatives of special anti-kidnapping squad, Asaba, in collaboration with detectives from Area Commander's office, Ughelli, acting on a tip-off arrested a suspected notorious kidnapper, one Enueme Ogaga 'm' of Igbokwu Road, Ashaka in Ndokwa East Local Government Area of Delta State.

"The suspect has confessed that he is a strong and loyal member of the notorious kidnap gang headed by the arrested kidnap kingpin, Kelvin Oniarah, which was a terror to Delta State and neighbouring states.

"He has equally made startling revelations about their criminal escapades which included the kidnap of the son of the incumbent Secretary to the Delta State Government, Mackson Macaulay, a serving judge in the state, two women out of which one was kidnapped at Ellu town and the attack on the Nigerian Prison Service escort van at Warri last year during which two prison officials were killed."

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014 —7

Union officials beat tricycle operator to death in Delta

BY EMMA AMAIZE

W

ARRI — SOME mem bers of the Motorcycle and Tricycle Union, Uvwie chapter, in Delta State have allegedly beaten a 24-year-old commercial tricycle operator from Ebonyi State, Friday Igwe, to death at Effurun community, near Warri.

Five of the 15 suspects, reported to be officials of the union's task force, who carried out the act supposedly on the orders of their leaders, have been arrested by the Police from the Ebrumede Police Division in the state.

The suspects were said to have on February 10, in Effurun, pounced on the tricycle operator, a school certificate holder and prospective Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, student, who hailed from Amoffia Ngbo, Ohaukwu Local Government Area, Ebonyi State.

There was no answer from the Delta State Police spokesperson, DSP Celestina Kalu, when Vanguard called him severally on phone, yesterday, for comment on the incident.

However, counsel to the Igwe family, Oghenejabor Ikimi, told Vanguard: "The deceased was plying his trade in Effurun when he was accosted by members of the task force, who menacingly demanded from him, both his

•The late Friday Igwe daily welfare ticket and his Delta State Motorcycle and Tricycle Union identity card,

while carrying out the directives of the executives of the Uvwie chapter.

"We were further informed by an eye witness and relation of the deceased, Stephen Ali, that upon the deceased producing his welfare ticket for the day and his identity card, the said task force alleged that the identity card had expired.

"In the process, the deceased was dispossessed of his tricycle and in the melee that ensued, he was clubbed to death by members of the said task force, numbering 15."

According to reports, the remains of the deceased were deposited at the morgue of the General Hospital, Agbarho.

The police were reportedly making frantic search for the

fleeing suspects.

He said: "The remaining assailants and the executives of the Delta State Motorcycle and Tricycle Union, Uvwie chapter, are walking the streets of Effurun and its environs freely as the men of the State Criminal Investigation Department, CID, Asaba have failed to effect the arrest of the remaining culprits and the executives of the said chapter."

He called on the Inspector General of Police to carry out comprehensive investigation into the gruesome murder in a bid to apprehending the remaining members of the task force and its union executives involved in the dastard act, as justice delayed is justice denied.

2 ex-staff of PHCN docked over impersonation

L

AGOS — Two men, Isaac Efuba and Sunday Olalekan, yesterday, appeared before an Isheri Magistrate's court in Lagos for allegedly impersonating employees of Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company.

Efuba, 39 and Olalekan, 35, whose addresses are unknown, are facing a two-count charge of conspiracy and impersonation.

Both pleaded not guilty.

The prosecutor, Inspector Nurudeen Thomas, told the court that the accused committed the offences on January 27 at Olaleke Taiwo Street, Ikeja.

According to him, the accused conspired and impersonated employees of Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company to defraud residents of the area.

He said: “The men, who were ex-staff of PHCN, went

about clearing electrical faults in the area and charging fees."

Thomas said the offences contravened Sections 57 and 409 of Criminal Law of Lagos, 2011.

The Senior Magistrate, Mrs A d e j u m o k e Olagbegi-Adelabu, granted the accused bail in the sum of N50, 000 each with two sureties each in like sum and adjourned the case till March 19.

Guard docked for raping 24-yr-old returning from vigil

BY CHINYERE ABIAZIEM

L

AGOS—ONE Kelly Ochuko, a security guard, was, yesterday docked in an Ebute Metta court for rape.

The accused, 27, forcefully had intercourse with one Tivere Ashebenoma at 5, Mutiatu Street in Ikotun area of Lagos.

Ashebenoma, 24, was on her way back from a vigil around 2 am when she was attacked with a cutlass by the security guard.

She was taken to an uncompleted building where the alleged act was carried out.

According to reports, after the crime, the accused confessed his admiration for the victim, promised to marry her and saved his number on her phone.

The victim later narrated her ordeal to policemen who were on patrol. There after, the policemen arrested Ochuko, the prosecutor CPL Cyriacus Osuji said.

The magistrate, Miss B. Okusanya, after hearing the prosecutor and the accused who pleaded not guilty, granted him bail in the sum of N50,000.00 with two sureties in like sum and adjourned the matter till March 24, 2014.

Police arrest 13 robbery suspects in Osun

BY GBENGA OLARINOYE

O

Kaduna-Katsina Area Comptroller of Customs, Alhaji Yerima Abubakar (left) briefing newsmen on the seizure of a car loaded with Tramadol capsules in Katsina, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN.

Be our eyes Are you an eye to an accident, robbery, fire outbreak, kidnap, building collapse, etc? Share it with Vanguard readers. Send pix, text or e-mail to our News Editor on 08023145558, kayodematthew@yahoo.com. Be our star on scene reporter today.

SOGBO — The Osun State Police Command has arrested 13 robbery suspects in different locations in the state.

The suspects, who were paraded by the new state Commissioner of Police, Mr Ibrahim Maishanu, before newsmen at the command’s headquarters in Osogbo, yesterday, were arrested between January and February this year.

Also, various items, including motorcycles, money, charms, handsets, handset accessories, cutlasses, axes and guns were recovered from the suspects by the Police.

According to the CP, four of the suspects, Omoniyi Mufutau, 34; Fowomo Tolu, 24; Adeniyi Dele, 22 and Peace Friday, 28, had confessed to be members of a robbery gang terrorizing motorists along Ilesa/ Akure express road.

He informed that the suspects had also confirmed to have robbed in various locations in the state, adding that the suspects would soon be arraigned before the court.

Also, the police boss disclosed that three of the suspected robbers; Adeyemo Sarafadeen, 29, Babatunde Ramoni, 37 and Darosa Olamide, 21, were arrested in Ede after carting away N190,000.

He stated that various items including a Toyota Camry car with registration number AAA185BJ, a locally made gun and a cutlass were recovered from the suspects.

He also informed that two of the suspects, Ibrahim Abiodun, 30 and Aluko Bola, 24, were arrested along Osogbo/Ede road where they allegedly snatched motorcycles.

The Police boss further disclosed that four of the suspected robbers were members of a robbery gang in Ibadan, Oyo State but were arrested in Kosere via Ile-Ife where they allegedly stole N170,000 from the villagers.

8—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014 PRO;

EU, APC condemn Borno killings

B

RUSSELS—THE European Union, EU and the All Progressives Congress, APC have condemned, in very strong terms, the latest massacre of 121 persons in several communities in Borno by Boko Haram.

The EU, in a statement released yesterday by its Commissioner for Foreign Policy, Catherine Ashton, described the attack as despicable.

Ashton called on the Nigerian authorities to unmask those responsible for the massacre and make them face the full weight of justice.

The APC in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, described the insurgents as cowards for targetting unarmed civilians, especially women and children, in their dastardly attacks.

The party insisted that nothing in the world can justify the senseless slaying of innocent civilians by a band of marauding insurgents, and reminded the terrorists that they cannot win the ill advised war they have levied against their fatherland.

It condoled with the government and people of the affected states, especially Borno which has borne the brunt of the attacks, over the killings as well as the destruction of houses and other property.

APC said while the Nigerian military has undoubtedly recorded some successes in its battle against the terrorists, it is time for it to rev up its strategy for preventing the kind of mass killings which the insurgents have been perpetrating in recent times, especially in the remote areas.

The party urged the military to increase its intelligence gathering capability with a view to nipping in the bud the attacks on civilians and military targets, including barracks. ‘’However, we make bold to say that successful intelligence gathering cannot be possible if the stakeholders are not carried along; when soldiers have not taken the pains to win the hearts and minds of the local communities and where decision making on key and pressing problems centres around Abuja,'' the party said.

NCAA sanctions British Airways, others over abuse of passengers’ rights I

K E J A — T H E Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA has sanctioned British Airways and three other airlines operating in the country over alleged abuse of passengers’ rights.

The Director General of NCAA, Capt. Fola Akinkuotu, disclosed this yesterday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ikeja.

Akinkuotu said that the authority sanctioned the airlines over alleged “unfair deals” with their passengers.

He said that the affected airlines were British Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, Aero Contractors and an unnamed airline.

According to him, “On the passengers’ bill of rights, once we receive complaints, we address them and we have had to write to some of the airlines on several occasions.

“I urge airline passengers to always fill the complaints form, because the authority has staff actually in all airports in the country.

“There are four airlines that have been sanctioned recently over unfair deals with their passengers. A lot of the airlines we have written to or sanctioned and some of them have had to pay compensation.

“I remember last year that we had issue with the British Airways for overbooking and we got compensation for the

passengers.

“There was a passenger who was overcharged by the Ethiopian Airlines for a flight that was to have an oxygen backup and we got some compensation for the person.

“An Aero Contractor aircraft was sanctioned by us recently and they did pay compensation to the passengers.

“The passengers’ bill of Rights is to protect all

stakeholders,” Akinkuotu said.

The NCAA DG also said that four airlines had applied for Airline Operation Certificate (AOC), to operate in the country in 2014.

He explained that the certificate requires operators to have personnel, assets and systems in place, to ensure the safety of their employees and the general public.

“As we speak, l believe there are four airlines now processing their Airline Operation Certification.

“The processing of AOC certification is in five steps, starting with a letter from the airline showing its intention and it ends with the demonstration flight and the signing off,” he said.

Akinkuotu said that the agency’s focus was to get a fair deal for airline passengers, in other to be able to retain them for continuous patronage.

WORLD UNDERSTANDING DAY: From left— Rotn Kehinde Ayo-Kasumu,President Rotary Club Lagos; Prof Akin Mabogunje, Guest Speaker; Amb Olufemi Ani, Moderator, during the 2014 World Understanding Day celebration with the theme; Peace & Conflict Resolution organised by Rotary Club of Lagos, Chris Ogunbanjo Foundation and Nigerian Institute of International Affairs in Lagos yesterday. Photo by Shola Oyelese.

Bitflux floors Glo, wins 2.3GHz spectrum license with $23.251m bid

BY PRINCE OSUAGWU &

EMMANUELELEBEKE

A

BUJA—IT was like the biblical fight between David and Goliath yesterday in Abuja as a relatively unknown company, Bitflux Communications Limited, floored Nigeria’s second national carrier, Globacom, to acquire the license for the remaining slot in the 2.3GHz spectrum band.

Bitflux offered twenty three million, two hundred and fifty one thousand dollars ($23,251,000) to win the license as against Globacom’s offer of twenty three million, fifty thousand and one dollars ($23,050,001 million) in a keenly contested licensing round that attracted information and communications technology experts around the world to the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, Nigeria yesterday.

The spectrum is necessary for the provision of broadband services as it helps internet services providers, ISPs, provide requisite wholesale wireless access and bandwidth that can take services round the country.

This means that having won this license, Bitflux has become the country ’s wholesale wireless broadband provider, if it pays the bidded amount within 14 days.

At the first round of the

bidding, NCC had pegged the price at $26,450,000 which comprises the $23 million reserved price and a 15 percent addition. However, the two bidders refused to bid on the price, sending the process to a second round.

In the second round of the bidding process, the bidders were asked to bid anything above or equal to the reserved price of $23 million or a little

below the total price of $26,450,000.

It was at this point that Bitflux, a consortium of three small-time Nigerian companies, knocked off Nigeria’s Second national Carrier, Globacom to clinch the coveted license.

Globacom however reacted that it felt the license price was too high and may not fit into its business plan at anything beyond what it bidded.

Announcing the result of the auction, Executive Vice

Chairman of NCC, Dr Eugene Juwah said that “ what happened here today was simple but highly technical. We put the take off price at $26,450 million. Unfortunately, the two bidders did not bid. ''But because the bidding process is electronic, the system spotted their silence and immediately took them to a tie breaker. In the tie breaker round, Glo bidded $23, 050,001 million while Bitflux bidded $23, 251,000 million to make it the winner,'' he said.

Mark urges speedy passage of oil sector bill

BY JOSEPH ERUNKE

A

B U J A — S E N AT E President, David Mark, yesterday, charged relevant Senate committees handling the Petroleum Industry Bill,PIB, to expedite action towards its passage.

This came on the heels of Senate resolution to probe the controversial kerosine subsidy in the country.

To this end, the Senate will today begin debate on a motion to probe payment of subsidy on kerosine by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC. The development followed a point of order raised by Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi, seeking explanation on the fate of the PIB pending before the Senate.

Adetunmbi (APC, Ekiti North) said delay in treatment

of the PIB was responsible for what he described as “large scale abuses and illegalities being witnessed in the nation’s oil sector.”

He expressed dissatisfaction with the handling of the pending PIB in the National Assembly and appealed to the Senate to urgently revisit the bill in the interest of Nigeria and her peoples.

He also tasked the Senate to resume investigations into the $1.1bn proceeds allegedly paid to Malabu Oil Company from the sale of the oil block OPL 245 on March 25, 2011.

Senator Adetunmbi said he was seeking explanations on the current status of the PIB which he noted, had since March 2013, passed second reading in the Senate, noting that Nigerians were worried that the oil sector cannot be properly regulated for the benefit of the country without

putting in place an effective legislation.

His words:”As a matter of privilege, I need to know the status of the PIB pending before this Senate long after it was committed to the relevant committee.

“Nigerians are worried that the non-passage of that bill is responsible for many of the terrible things happening in the very important oil sector.

“The PIB after debate in this chamber was committed to the appropriate committee on Thursday, March 7, 2013. It would be one year next month and up till now there seem to be nothing going on,” the Senate President lamented.

He observed that investigations into the Malabu oil scam was still inconclusive after it was committed to a committee for necessary action since July 2013.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014 —9

2015: Permanent voters’ card ready — INEC ...Commences distribution for Ekiti, Osun guber Feb 25

BY CHIOMAGABRIEL

L

AGOS—SPURRED by the catalogue of criticisms trailing its 2015 elections time table, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, yesterday revealed that permanent voters’ cards for 2015 general elections are ready and it would begin the distribution of same for Osun and Ekiti gubernatorial elections from February 25.

The commission explained the reasons the 2015 elections would be staggered and not held in one day as earlier agreed with the political parties.

The commission also answered some of the questions that trailed the faulty conduct of elections in the past and the efforts it is making to ensure hitch free elections.

In an interactive section with Editors yesterday in Lagos, the INEC Chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega revealed that in line with constitutional provisions on conduct of elections, the commission has scheduled February 25 to March 12 to commence distribution of permanent voters cards for Ekiti and Osun gubernatorial elections and March 12 to 17 for the display of voters register for Osun governorship polls.

Represented by Dr Chris

Iyimoga, the INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Publicity Committee, Jega said permanent voters cards for 2015 general elections are ready.

On why the polls would be staggered, he said holding all the elections in one day as earlier agreed will be too tasking, coupled with the high level of illiteracy among voters.

“ We learnt lessons in the last general elections and this time we hope to take another look at the structure and processes involved. The key thing in any general elections is to have a credible election.

We are committed to achieving the best and perfect voters’ register. We have gone through the biometrics since 2011 elections and we want to get it right.

“The nationwide process for distribution of permanent voters’ cards will commence as soon as all is ready and the logistics and every detail is in place. We want the permanent voters’ cards to be swiped by the card reader to determine their authenticity so we would avoid what we passed through in the past¼ and certain parts of the Electoral Act which posed

PUBLIC PRESENTATION: From left —Elder Folarin Coker, Prof Adeyemo Elebute, author of the book, Arc Ade Laoye and Mr Kunle Elebute during the public presentation of the book The Life of James Pinson Labulo Davies by Adeyemo Elebute, took place at the Metropolitan Club, Kofo Abayomi Lagos, yesterday. Photo by Shola Oyelese.

Fuel scarcity: DPR clamps down on filling stations hoarding products BYKUNLEKALEJAIYE

T

HE watchdog in N i g e r i a ’ s petroleum industry, Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, declared yesterday that unscrupulous marketers are hoarding Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, also known as petrol thereby creating artificial scarcity of the product which has been responsible for the fuel queues witnessed in Lagos and some parts of the country in the last two days.

The DPR which insisted that there was enough fuel in the country sent out its team which went round some fuel stations and discovered some stations which had the stock but refused to sell to customers.

Aside from hoarding, DPR, through the use of Sarafi Can (a measuring

a hinderance in 2011 would be reviewed by the National Assembly by July 3rd this year,” he said.

On the issue of security, the INEC said it was putting everything in place to control snatching of ballot boxes and other forms of electoral violence.

“We are putting everything in place to improve security at polling units and we are involving the police, and the army to work as a team and put intelligence together to curb electoral violence. it

scale), uncovered some filling stations which were under dispensing fuel.

In an inspection of petroleum retail outlets in some parts of Lagos, DPR team discovered that Rain Oil at Okota area was under dispensing of fuel. However, to ensure availability of fuel the station was not sealed.

Similarly, Feroselina Oil also at Okota Isolo was caught by DPR officials for hoarding of fuel. The DPR team uncovered about 8,500 litres of fuel within the station which the station refused to sell thereby creating artificial scarcity and hardship among Nigerians.

To further reduce tension of fuel scarcity in the country, DPR ordered the station manager and attendant to commence immediate sale of fuel.

Conoil along Ago Okota road in Lagos was also discovered to be hoarding over 19, 500 litres of fuel. When confronted, the manager of the station said they had no intention to hoard adding that they stopped selling as a result of a fault with their generating set. He was however ordered by DPR to commence immediate sale of fuel to motorists in the area.

Capital Oil Plc located along Ago Okota road by Lakeview phase 2 estate was also caught by DPR official for hoarding 13,000 litres. Due to lack of cooperation and refusal to accept responsibility for the offence, the station was sealed.

Commenting on the exercise, DPR Lagos Zonal Head of Operation, Mr. Adekunle Soyebo said the objective

of the exercise was to check hoarding of PMS, under dispensing and stations selling above the official regulated price.

“A lot of filling stations are hoarding fuel and we have enough fuel at the depot that can go round the nation, but most of them are hoarding it, that is why we have come out to force them to sell.

“We are going to penalise them for their action. This exercise is a continuous one until the situation improves. “ There are punishments for defaulters. DPR gave them the license to operate and we can revoke the licence,” he said.

The routine inspection exercise of petroleum retail outlets according to the DPR boss, was to ensure availability of fuel in the country and strict compliance of best practices in the industry.

FG gives N200bn to MDAs ....for capital projects

BY EMMA UJAH

A

BUJA—THE F e d e r a l Ministry of Finance, yesterday, released the sum of N200 billion for the execution of various capital projects of its M i n i s t r i e s , Departments and Agencies, MDAs, across the country.

Mr. Paul Nwabuikwu, Special Adviser to the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, said in a statement that the decision to release the money very early in the year, “signposts the determination of the Federal Government to ensure that clear and measurable progress is achieved in the execution of capital projects”.

According to him,” this first release of capital expenditure for the year and will be followed by others”, although he did not say when the next tranche would be released.

10—Vanguard , THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014

Blame Lagos infrastructure decay on Obasanjo —Akiolu

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI & MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO

L

AGOS—THE recent political shuttle by President Goodluck Jonathan seems to be yielding fruits as the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu I, one of the monarchs he visited in the South West, yesterday, said that residents

of Lagos should desist from blaming the president over infrastructure deficit in the state, rather, former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo should be held responsible.

Meanwhile, Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State and former ProChancellors of Bauchi and Abuja universities; Mrs.

Gbolahan Abisogun-Alo and Professor Adeyemo Elebute respectively stressed the importance of history in national development.

They spoke at the public presentation of the book titled; "The life of James Pinson Labulo Davies: A colossus of Victorian Lagos and Worthy in

character and learning," authored by Prof. Elebute at the Metropolitan Club, Lagos.

Akiolu lamented that the eight years administration of Obasanjo which begun in 1999 and ended in 2007 denied the state of its due rights.

According to the Oba, “I

told the President about six days ago that no one should play politics with development.

“Many of the problems for which we are blaming him, although he has his own challenges, were created by the Obasanjo's administration.”

Arowolo, slain banker's husband knows fate Friday

BY ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH

L

AGOS—Three years after he was accused of killing, Titilayo, his banker wife, Akolade Arowolo, a pastor will know his fate this Friday.

Already, the trial judge, Justice Lateefa Okunnu of an Ikeja High Court has served judgment notice on both parties after the case was closed late last year.

Arowolo was arraigned on December 21, 2011, before Justice Okunnu, on a one- count charge of murder, which he pleaded not guilty.

The court subsequently remanded him in Ikoyi prison, Lagos.

The Lagos State Director of Public Prosecution, DPP, Olabisi Ogungbesan, who personally conducted the case, had alleged that the accused murdered Titilayo, a banker, on June 24, 2011 at their residence, No. 8, Akindeinde Street, Isolo, Lagos.

The deceased relatives, in-

cluding her father, George Oyakhire, and her stepmother, Adetoun, had testified that Mr. Arowolo’s marriage was characterised by domestic violence. These evidences were corroborated by the police investigators who buttressed the position before the court.

Also, the state brought Professor John Obafunwa, a Consultant Pathologist and Chief Medical Examiner of Lagos State, to testify that Titilayo was stabbed 76 times.

The accused, who opened his defence on May 22, 2013, however, denied the allegation, blaming his in-laws for the trouble in his marriage.

He maintained that he had no hands in Titilayo’s death, insisting she died after she accidentally fell on a knife during a quarrel on his birthday.

Lagos smoking law: NMA tasks LASG on full implementation

BY CHIOMAOBINNA

L

AGOS—NIGERIA Medical Association, NMA, the umbrella body for medical doctors, yesterday urged Lagos State Government to put in place measures required for full implementation of its new law that prohibits smoking in public places.

The bill which was passed by the Lagos State House of Assembly last month was signed into law, by governor Babatunde Fashola on February 17.

The law seeks among others, to ban cigarette smoking in public toilets, tertiary institutions, public transportation vehicles, shopping centres, stadia, and restaurants.

It also compels management of public places to conspicuously display ‘no smoking’ sign at appropriate places within

their premises; and criminalise smoking before minors.

The medical doctors expressed concern over the poor public awareness and health education on the dangers associated with tobacco smoking.

President of NMA, Dr. Osahon Enabulele while commending the state, said members were worried because commodities like nicotine patches and e-cigarettes that mitigate the withdrawal symptoms in smoke quitters were not readily available in Nigeria.

According to him, “We are worried over the absence of cigarette smoking withdrawal programmes, particularly as it affects the fate of citizens who have not been prepared for the drastic withdrawal from the highly addictive and cancer inducing substances contained in cigarettes.”

INSPECTION: From right: Lagos State Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello, Manager, Drainage Maintanance and Operation/Emergency Flood Matter, Lagos State Ministry of Environment, Mr. James Oyedele, aide to the Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Daini Olusesan, and Director, Public Affairs, Research and Communications, Pastor Fola Adeyemi, during an inspection to Ayeke Achakpo channel encroachment and canals, in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi.

Vanguard , THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014 —11

2014: Osun CP reads riot act to politicians zWarns against illegal rallies, campaigns

BY GBENGA OLARINOYE

O

SOGBO—AHEAD of August 9 governorship election in Osun State, the Commissioner of Police, CP, in the state, Ibrahim Maishanu, yesterday, warned politicians against any act capable of disrupting the peace of the state.

He also warned against organising illegal rallies and campaigns, stressing that any politician found wanting would face the full wrath of the law.

The commissioner at his maiden briefing in Osogbo, told politicians and the general public who might be supporting political parties of the need to always brief the police before embarking on processions, assemblies, campaigns or rallies to make necessary security arrangement that would prevent any breakdown of law and order.

Maishanu further warned politicians of the need to ensure that their activities were legal and assured them of a level playing ground throughout the election period.

He said: Politicians should

play by the rules of the game and allow themselves and their activities to be guided by the provisions of the Electoral Act. I want to assure the political parties of a level playing ground before, during and after the election. I also want to assure the entire people of the state that the police will leave no stone unturned in ensuring security of lives and

property during the election period.

“To this end, it is imperative for me to say politicians and other members of the public should follow due process. It is also necessary to warn politicians and other people in the state to avoid taking law into their hands and always trust that the police will do the right thing if properly

briefed. All processions and rallies must be peaceful and respect the right and safety of other people. The idea of blocking roads during rallies and procession, and attacking innocent citizens including security men will no longer be tolerated. Anyone who breaches public peace would be dealt with and punished according to the law.”

Professor Olasunbo Boroffice, Mr. Idowu Ajanaku, Mr. Femi Akande, Chief Bisi Akande, Dr. Wura Akande, Mrs. Omowumi Akande, and Prof. Karmal Adeleke, and others, at Brighton University, United Kingdom, where Akande's daughter bagged a Ph.D in Pharmacy.

Fayemi vows to conduct council elections A

BY GBENGAARIYIBI

DO EKITI—DESPITE the fact that he is facing election on June 21, Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, yesterday, said he would conduct election into all the 16 local governments before the end of this year.

The administration of the councils in the state is currently being run by caretaker committees.

Speaking while swearing in members of the newly appointed caretaker chairmen of the councils where 11 old members were returned, Fayemi said he was not oblivious of the fact that the leadership of the councils should be democratically elected.

Fayemi however warned the newly appointed council chiefs to live up to expectations, threatening to remove any of them found wanting.

The governor lauded the party members for their large turnout during the just concluded nationwide membership registration of the All Progressive Congress, APC, saying this had further confirmed their commitments to change in the Nigerian polity.

He appreciated the out gone

caretaker chairmen for their laudable contributions to the development of the rural dwellers.

Fayemi, however, urged the new council chairpersons to bring their experiences to bear

in driving development that would increase the dividends of democracy at the grassroots level.

Lamenting that no woman was appointed among the council bosses, Fayemi promised

that “this is the last time you will see a set of council bosses without women. I want you to realize that your appointment was not based on party patronage but on your past records of achievements."

Olubadan angry over exclusion from Jonathan's visit the permanent Chairman of the

BY OLAAJAYI BADAN—LAST week’s visit to the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi by President Goodluck Jonathan has created ripples between the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Samuel Odulana and Governor Abiola Ajimobi.

Olubadan is particularly angry that the President by-passed him.

The monarch was waiting to receive the president in his palace not knowing he had already gone to Oyo town.

Oba Odulana interpreted Governor Ajimobi’s action as recognising the Alaafin as the Chairman of the State Traditional Council.

The Olubadan, through a statement said the visit was selective.

The statement said: “While he and other members of the council awaited the arrival of the President, he breached the protocol of visiting him as the Chairman of the Oyo State

I

Council of Obas and Chiefs and instead visited the Oyo State governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, who went with him to visit the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III.” He said that the development indicated that Governor Ajimobi recognised the Alaafin of Oyo as

State Council of Obas and Chiefs, contrary to the existing Chieftaincy Law as amended in 2011 in Cap 37 Laws of Oyo State, 2000, which makes the Chairmanship title rotational between the Alaafin, the Olubadan and Soun of Ogbomoso every two years.

Mimiko hails President's Chief of Staff choice of the Nigerian Army.

A

BY DAYO JOHNSON

KURE—ONDO State governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, has applauded the choice of Brig-Gen Jones Oladehinde Arogbofa as the new Chief of Staff to President Goodluck Jonathan.

He thanked the President on behalf of the people of the state for the appointment.

Brig-Gen Arogbofa who hails from Akoko South Local Government of Ondo State is a retired officer of the signals Corps

This was contained in a statement by the state’s Commissioner for Information, Mr. Kayode Akinmade in Akure yesterday.

The statement said: “Dr. Mimiko on behalf of the people of the state, thanked President Goodluck for the honour done them by appointing an indigene into what he described as “such a sensitive position in his cabinet.”

Mimiko said the President could not have made a better choice than Arogbofa.

Customs denies money-for-rice import allegation

S

EME—SEME Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, NSC, has denied media report that despite Federal Government’s ban on importation of rice, that operatives of the command collect N2.5 million per truck of rice to allow same into the country.

The Command’s Public Relations Officer, Mr Ernest Olottah in a statement, yesterday, said: “The report is either a figment of the reporter’s imagination or the reporter is working for smugglers to blackmail the command into softening its sustained stance against rice importation and smuggling through the land border in line with the Federal Government’s directive.

"Whereas the reporter is not unaware of the strides and efforts made by the command against rice smuggling, she chose to blackout the command’s achievement in the fight against rice smuggling.

The reporter’s bias came to the fore when a recent attempt to smuggle rice into the country resulted in a single seizure valued at N7.5 million.”

IG's wife lauds LASG over new edifice

BY ESTHERONYEGBULA

L

AGOS—NATIONAL president of Police Officers Wives Association, POWA, Zahra Abubakar, who is also the wife of the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, yesterday in Lagos said policing could not be effective without the cooperation of the citizens.

She spoke at the official commissioning of Lagos state POWA secretariat/ multipurpose hall in Ikeja, Lagos.

Commending governor Babatunde Fashola and the entire people of Lagos State for the donation of a building to be used as state secretariat by POWA, Abubakar said: “This kind gesture is not only a manifestation of the love his Excellency's administration has for POWA, it is also a demonstration of your commitment to the welfare of the families of our husbands- officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force and our children”

12—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014

Ugborodo crisis: Itsekiri group warns principal actors

BY EGUFE YAFUGBORHI

W

ARRI—IWERE Development Association, IDA, an Itsekiri interest group, has warned key actors in the conflict rocking the oil-rich Ugborodo community in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State to amicably resolve the matter or face the wrath of the Itsekiri people.

In a statement in Warri, yesterday, by its acting President, Mr. Ogbe Eke, the group warned that those who do not want peace restored in Ugborodo should reconsider their actions and interests.

It noted that some persons were taking undue advantage of the situation and fuelling the crisis, promising to react to same at the appropriate time.

“We believe that irrespective of the extent to which the politics of leadership succession in Ugborodo community has degenerated, it can still be amicably resolved,” it said On the crisis rocking the Itsekiri National Youth Council, IDA said it supports the David Tonwe leadership, noting that there was no vacuum in the youth body.

It urged those involved in the

genuine resolution of the crisis to change their strategy and look at its root causes and explore all options in

resolving the crisis.

It also warned those who are cleverly positioned to take undue advantage of the

crisis in order to fan the embers of war and to insult constituted authorities/elders to have a rethink.”

A

SABA—DELTA State Chairman of the ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Peter Nwaoboshi, yesterday, faulted the proposed arrangement by Anioma Congress to screen all the governorship aspirants of Anioma extraction at the palace of the Asagba of Asaba, Obi Joseph Edozien, next week, describing the move as uncalled for.

Speaking to Vanguard in Asaba, Nwaoboshi said: “I have just read a copy of your newspaper this morning (yesterday) on this matter. Firstly, I don’t know the Anioma Congress as a political party. The candidate we are going to produce is going to be a candidate chosen by the whole people of PDP in Delta State and he must be one who will be chosen by the whole of Delta State, not by Anioma Congress. So, I don’t know who they are choosing the candidate for.

“As far as I am concerned, it does not concern the PDP, of which I am the Chairman. When the time comes, PDP Delta State will sit down together and choose its candidate. If the candidate that will emerge is going to come from Anioma, it is the people of PDP Delta State that will choose that candidate and not a group of persons from Anioma. So,

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

B

INSPECTION: Delta State Commissioner for Water Resources, Dr. Chris Oghenechovwen (middle); Zonal Manager, Water Board, Mr. Franklin Awala (left) and Special Assistant to the Commissioner on Water Resources, Mr. Sylvester Oru, during the inspection of Ebrumede Water Scheme, in Warri South Local Government Area. Photo: Nath Onojake.

2015: Delta PDP Chair faults screening of guber aspirants at monarch’s palace

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

APC chieftain laments poor female representation in Edo Assembly

those who are going there probably have their reasons for doing so, but all I know is that when the national headquarters calls for primaries, we will go to the primaries and choose a candidate that will represent our

party.”

Reacting, Secretary of Anioma Congress, Mr. Dan Okenyi, said: “We are not a political party and we are not in partisan politics. We, however, as community leaders have a moral obliga-

tion to ensure that our sons and daughters do not kill themselves because of lust for power. Where more than 20 persons are vying for seat from the same family, there is need for an internal mechanism to trim the number, so as not to lose out.”

Two-party system best for Nigeria—APC

W

ARRI—CHAIRMAN of All Progressives Congress, APC, Registration Committee for Delta State in on-going exercise in the state, Chief Ben Orunasi, has said that the best thing to happen to Nigeria politically was a two-party system.

He added that APC was set

to take over Delta State from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as over 70 percent of Deltans have registered for the party.

Orunasi, in Warri, while on a tour of wards across Delta State to monitor the registration exercise, said that the best thing for a multi-ethnic

society like Nigeria was the two-party system, adding that “the multi-party system will only lead to a situation where we start having ethnic political parties that will culminate in ethnicism.”

Orunasi, a former council

Delta 2015: Be wary of self-seeking politicians —Oyibode

BY FESTUS AHON

U

GHELLI—DELTA State gubernatorial hopeful, Ambassador Gabriel Oyibode, has advised the people of the state to be wary of selfseeking politicians and businessmen in the forthcoming 2015 governorship election in the state.

Speaking in an interview with newsmen, Oyibode charged the people to allow God guide their votes, adding that “people should avoid

making the wrong choice by committing the same mistakes made by some people in some states of the country.”

As part of his vision for the governorship job, he said: “I have plans to put in place a government that will transform improve and consolidate on infrastructure as well as continue with the good works and achievements of the incumbent, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan.”

ENIN—AHEAD of the 2015 national and state Assemblies elections in Edo State, a United Kingdom-trained midwife and chieftain of All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state, Mrs. Sandra Imaghodor, yesterday, lamented the poor representation of women in the state and National Assemblies.

She appealed to Governor Adams Oshiomhole and the leadership of the party in the state to support more women in the forthcoming elections.

Mrs. Imaghodor, in Benin City, while declaring her intension to run for the state House of Assembly seat for Egor Local Government Area, regretted that enough had not been done to check the trend of breast cancer and other ailments associated with women, adding: “It is only when women are given opportunities in the polity that they can fight for themselves healthwise.”

Commending the efforts made so far by the Oshiomhole administration in the health and education sectors as well as infrastructural development, she pointed out that more could be achieved in the state if women were given the opportunity to compete with the men. chairman in Anambra State and Campaign Director of former national Chairman of PDP, Alhaji Bamaga Tukur, said that the party was ready to take over Delta State.

He noted that the crowd APC had garnered in the state and the scores of party faithful at the registration centres in the wards, underscored this fact.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014—13

Court orders Amaechi to comply with Constitution in appointment of acting CJ …as NBA tells Amaechi to obey judgment

BY INNOCENT ANABA & JIMITOTA ONOYUME

P

ORT HARCOURT—A FEDERAL High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, yesterday, ordered Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers to comply with the provisions of the Constitution in the appointment of an acting Chief Judge for the state.

Trial judge, Justice Lambo Akanbi, in his ruling in the suit challenging the appointment of Justice P. Agumagu as acting Chief Judge of the state, noted that the appointment of an acting Chief Judge for a state was a matter the Constitution was clear on, adding that the appointment of Justice Agumagu was unconstitutional.

According to him, the constitution stipulates that the most senior judge in the state High Court should be appointed.

NBA, state govt commend judgment

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, yesterday, commended the judgment, calling on the state governor to comply with same.

On its part, the state government, commended the court, for refusing to compel the state governor to appoint and swear in Justice Daisy Okocha as the acting Chief Judge, as prayed by the applicants.

The state Commissioner of Information and Communications, Mrs Ibim Semenitari, in a statement, said: “The Rivers Government intends to seek further clarification on the rather contradictory position of the judge that the appointment of Justice Agumagu as acting Chief Judge was illegal, from the higher courts.”

NBA President, Mr Okey Wali, SAN, in a statement, said: “We welcome the judgment of the Federal High Court, on the appointment of the most senior judge in Rivers State Judiciary as the acting Chief Judge of Rivers State.

“We do not intend to dwell on the legalese and merits or demerits of the matter before the Federal High Court, but we are concerned with the order of the court, which we believe, not only presents the solution, but will also ameliorate the hardship occasioned by the absence of a Chief Judge in Rivers State.

“The NBA therefore, appeals to Governor Ameachi

to, in the interest of the litigating public, the bar and the bench, swear in the most senior judge in Rivers State Judiciary as the acting Chief Judge of the state without prejudice to whatever his reaction might be to the judgment, while putting in motion the machinery to appoint a substantive Chief Judge for Rivers

State.”

Justice Agumagu was appointed acting Chief Judge of the state while he was president of the state Customary Court.

The suit by Boma Goodhead and three others had among other things, challenged the appointment of Justice Agu-

magu as acting Chief Judge of the state.

Justice Akanbi was, however, silent on who among the judges should be appointed as acting Chief Judge, saying that it was the responsibility of the governor and the National Judicial Council.

The court said: “The ques-

tion as to who qualifies to be appointed as acting Chief Judge of the state has generated a lot of needless controversy. The provision of section 271, sub-section 4 of the Constitution is very clear, explicit and without ambiguity.

“It says the governor shall appoint the most senior judge of the High Court."

Delta Assembly passes N450.7bn budget for 2014

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

A

SABA—DELTA State House of Assembly, yesterday, passed the state's 2014 Appropriations Bill by increasing it with N59 billion from what Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan earlier presented, bringing the total sum passed to N450.7 bil-

lion.

The state’s budget as passed is made up of N162 billion representing 36 percent as recurrent expenditure, while N289 billion, representing 64 percent as capital vote.

Chairman of Finance and Appropriations Committee

of the House, Mr. Daniel Mayuku, later explained to reporters that “the increase is to enable better completion of ongoing capital projects in the state as this is the last full year budget of the current administration. If this administration must finish strong, then ongoing cap-

ital projects must be better funded.”

Uduaghan had presented a N391.51 billion budget proposal for the 2014 fiscal year, comprising N159.78 billion or 48.8 per cent for recurrent expenditure and N231.72 billion or 59.1 per cent for capital expenditure.

14—Vanguard,THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014

Group seeks probe of Imo speaker

Okorocha tasks security group to ensure crime-free state

A

GROUP, Youths Against Human Rights Violations and Corrupt Practices, YAHVCP, has called for a panel to probe allegations of corruption against speaker of Imo State House of Assembly, Chief Benjamin Uwajumogu.

The group in a statement by National Coordinator, by Mr. Kenneth Uwadi, and National Media Affairs Director, Miss Amaka Didanda, said the panel should invite its members and a former aide of the speaker, Samuelson Iwuoha, to testify.

“This panel must invite Ikenna Iwuoha and key members of YAHCP to testify. As a prelude to the above, YAHVCP is planning a peaceful demonstration tagged 'Uwajumogu Must Go' to press home this demand.

“This peaceful demonstration is a collective effort of civil society groups in Nigeria. This protest is expected to be participated by not less than 10,000 people, mostly human rights activists, students, sacked 10,000 job beneficiaries, lecturers, market women, civil servants, Keke riders.

“We are embarrassed by the level of filth oozing out of Imo House of Assembly. Therefore, we urge the people of Imo State to come out en masse for this rally, while efforts are made to get Police clearance as required,” the group stated.

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

O

MEETING: From left, members of Igbo Leaders of Thought, Sen. Anyim Udeh; Professor Chiweite Ejike, and chairman, Professor Ben Nwabueze, at a committee meeting, in Enugu, yesterday.

S-East businesses lament poor power supply •Pipeline vandalism in Niger Delta responsible — EEDC

BY TONY EDIKE

E

NUGU — THE people of Enugu State, es pecially the business class, have continued to lament the epileptic supply currently being experienced in South East states.

Vanguard investigations revealed that several communities had been thrown into darkness for some time now, while residents of the urban towns had experienced unprecedented power outages.

Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, EEDC, the firm licensed to distribute and market electricity in the five South Eastern states, comprising 18 business units, has ,however, blamed the shortfall in power supply on the recent vandalisation of pipelines transporting gas to the power generating stations as well as breakdown of power transformers.

Investigations revealed that power supply in many states of the South East, especially Enugu, dropped drastically since January this year, with some urban residents experiencing total blackout for about three to four days in a week, while some in the state capitals receive supply less than five hours per day under the load-shedding scheme of the distribution company.

Several businesses have been paralysed on account of the poor power supply, while business operators who could afford generating sets, increased prices of goods and services.

For instance, over 50 per cent of small scale business operators within Nsukka town said they were forced to close their shops due to epileptic power supply.

Members of the the Allied Business Community in Nsukka during the week, expressed deep concern over the worsening power situation in the town and other neighbouring communities.

In a statement by its President, Mr. Okagu Augustine, the group said poor power supply had crippled their businesses, adding that most of their members had already closed shops.

The business community lamented that the power project at Nru Junction, which would have solved the acute power problem in the area, had long been abandoned. ”As we talk to you today, over 50 per cent of our members have either quit their businesses or retired to their villages owing to untold hardship occasioned by lack of power.

"We are all aware of the high cost of diesel and the implication of using it constantly,” Okagu said.

Principal Manager, Public Affairs, EEDC, Enugu

Headquarters, Mr. Eugene Aniowo, said when contacted on the hardship being experienced by electricity customers in the state, that the shortfall in power supply was not peculiar to the state as the problem was caused by vandalisation of pipelines

WERRI — IMO State governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha, has charged Imo Civil Guard Corps, ICGC, to collaborate with all the security organisations to ensure a crime free state.

Okorocha gave the charge when men of the Corps called on him at Government House, Owerri.

“I expect men of the Corps to promptly give information on any suspicious character to law enforcement agents, as well as urged them to remain focused and hard working,” Okorocha said.

He also advised them to be sober in all they did and avoid unnecessary use of brute force as the first option, promising that he would decorate the first 50 of the deserving members with ranks.

“I must also tell you that your subsequent promotions would only come as a result of hard work,” the governor said.

Responding, the Director General of ICGC, Chief Don Ejifugha, promised that with the body now in place, issues like street trading and illegal motor-parks would be a thing of the past.

Anambra: Tribunal dismisses Ngige’s motion for additional exhibits

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

T

HE GOVERNORSHIP Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Awka has dismissed a motion filed by Sen. Chris Ngige which sought additional exhibits and witnesses to prove his petition against Chief Willie Obiano.

It also adjourned till February 24, for Akeredolu to reply on motions filed by counsel to INEC, Obiano and APGA seeking to strike out some paragraphs of Ngige’s petition for being vague, imprecise and generic in nature.

The tribunal in its ruling delivered in Awka, yesterday, by a member of the panel, Justice Akintola Akiniyi, held that the documents sought to be added were sourced outside the designated INEC office.

Counsel to INEC, Obiano and Chief Victor Umeh’s faction of APGA, Mr. Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN) and Mr. Patrick Iweto (SAN) respectively had opposed the motion.

“All the computer generated documents from the law office of the applicant

sought to be added by counsel to Ngige, Chief Olarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) were produced outside the order of the tribunal.

“This however, has affected the credibility of the documents and cannot be accepted. Accordingly, the application to file, serve and rely on the additional witness statements cannot be granted and hereby dismissed,” the tribunal held.

The tribunal held that the dismissal would not affect the validity of other evidence to be relied upon by the petitioner.

Ngige of the All Progressives Congress, APC, is challenging the election of Obiano of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, in the governorship election held in Anambra in 2013 on grounds of electoral mal-

practice.

In another ruling read

by Justice John Viko, the tribunal dismissed, for lack of merit, consolidated motions which sought outright striking out of the petition at the pre-hearing sessions.

It held that the motion which sought the striking out of specified paragraphs of the various petitions would be heard and determined during pre-hearing.

“Those seeking outright dismissal of the petition will be heard and determined along with the substantive petitions. This tribunal views the innovation introduced by paragraphs 12 (5) of the First Schedule to the Electoral Act, 2010 as a step towards promoting peace, substantial justice and ultimately enhancing a healthy policy."

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014—15

KASHAMU: US official doubts sincerity of extradition requests

BY VICTORIA OJEME

A

BUJA — THE United States Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Affairs, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, yesterday, expressed scepticism over extradition request on any Nigerian facing corruption charges by the government of her country.

Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, had claimed that Chief Buriji Kashamu, a Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, stalwart in Ogun State, was indicted in the United States on corruption charge, saying the US government had demanded for Kashamu’s extradition for prosecution.

The allegation was, however, denied by Kashamu.

At a press briefing, yesterday, in Abuja, ThomasGreenfield said though there could be such a request by the US, she was not aware if there was any.

Boko Haram invades JTF commander's home as scores die in fresh Borno attacks

BY NDAHI MARAMA

M

AIDUGURI — GUNMEN suspected to be members of deadly Boko Haram terrorists, yesterday, evening invaded the residence of the Commander, Joint Task Force (JTF), Niger Delta, Major General Tukur Buratai at his country home, Buratai District in Biu Local Government Area of Borno State, killing two persons including a security personnel on guard suspected to be a soldier, and injured others.

Although, according to a lo-

cale of Buratai, Musa Abubakar said, the other person killed was a Chadian nationale (name withheld) who was doing construction work at one of the houses owned by the Army General, before they set ablaze another family house where the father of General Buratai, Alhaji Yusuf Buratai resided.

Abubakar stated that the gunmen also set ablaze a primary school in Buratai before they fled into the bush, but did not touch nor injure other neighbouring residents.

This is even as another group of terrorists invaded Bama Coun-

cil Area of the state,Tuesday evening, which caused heavy exchange of gunfire between them and the security operatives, a situation that led to the killing of several people and burning of houses, shops and vehicles on the main road and other streets in the town.

The Bama incident is coming barely few hours when Governor Kashim Shettima with his convoy passed through the town at about 8p.m., Tuesday from his way to Maiduguri where he had gone to Madagali, the headquarters of Gulak Local Government Area of Adamawa State to sympathise with the victims of Izghe who are

FG threatens clampdown on media houses advertising fake drugs

BY VICTORIA OJEME

A

BUJA — THE Federal Government has vowed to clamp down on any media organisation that advertised pharmaceutical products not duly registered by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration, NAFDAC. Minister of Health, Onyebuchi

Chukwu, stated this at the inauguration of the reconstituted federal and state task forces on counterfeit, fake and unwholesome processed foods in Abuja, yesterday.

While describing the attitude of the media organisations as embarrassing to government, Chukwu charged the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, to regulate the advertise-

ment of regulated products for the good of all Nigerians. ”We will soon use some media organisations as example for others to know that the government is serious,” he threatened.

He said the reconstitution of the task forces was to enable government attain zero tolerance declared by the President on fake drugs.

now taking refuge at the council.

The attacks claimed over 150 lives, weekend.

Some residents of Bama told our correspondent that the gunmen invaded the town at about 4a.m., Wednesday with Hilux vehicles, Improvised Explosive Devices, IEDs, petrol bombs and started shooting sporadically before the security operatives engaged them in a shoot-out.

The gunmen, according to a source, “equally succeeded in torching some portions of a house belonging to one of the highly placed traditional rulers (name withheld) in the town.”

According to an eye-witness, Baba Bulama, the gunmen came in various vehicles with IEDs, and petrol-bombs at the dawn prayers; and started shooting sporadically at houses, while chanting, 'God is great' in Arabic language for over six hours, before the soldiers rushed to the scene.

He said the insurgents, numbering about 150 continued to attack and shoot at any houses right from the Shehu’s palace down to the motor-park in which no less than 15 vehicles were set ablaze, including the market, adjacent to the park.

16—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014

Kaduna frees 46 in-mates

K

ADUNA — THE committee set up by Kaduna State Government to de-congest prisons in the state, Wednesday, freed 46 inmates.

The committee, led by the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Shehu Garba, freed the inmates serving at the Kafanchan, Kwoi, Kachia, Manchok and Gwantu prisons.

Fielding questions from newsmen in Kafanchan, the commissioner said the decision to embark on the exercise was informed by the government’s desire to free inmates unnecessarily kept in prisons.

“We have assessed the prisoners and based on the their offences, we granted some of them pardon.

“The exercise is on-going and it is the government’s desire to de-congest our prisons and allow quick adjudication of justice,” he said.

A cross section of the inmates that gained freedom expressed gratitude to the state government for being magnanimous to them.

Gov Suswam raises alarm over violent clashes between farmers, Fulani herdsmen

By Peter Duru

M

AKURDI — GOVERNOR Gabriel Suswam of Benue State has raised alarm over what he described as the deteriorating security situation in the state following the incessant violent clashes between farmers in the state and nomadic Fulani herdsmen.

Suswam spoke against the backdrop of Monday’s attack by suspected Fulani herdsmen on the ancestral home of the paramount ruler of the Tiv kingdom, Ochivere Akawe Torkula, killing several people.

He spoke at a news conference in Makurdi, yesterday. ”The security situation in Benue State is fast deteriorating and becoming unbearable. The attack on the ancestral home of the Tor Tiv is an affront on the Tiv nation. ”I gathered reliably that heavily armed Fulani mercenaries numbering over 700 invaded and attacked the affected communities, and I must state clearly that this is totally unacceptable, because the people doing this are not the Fulani we used to know. ”I have spent so much money

on security since I assumed office, I have held meetings with the Sultan of Sokoto, the Governor of Nasarawa State and everybody that matters. I have done everything humanly possible, but we are not making progress. ”My fear is that this might degenerate to an ethnic crisis because no tribe will sit down and watch while the home of its paramount ruler is sacked and destroyed by heavily armed invaders. ’’That is why I am pleading with the Federal Government to step

into this matter before the situation gets out of hand because there is palpable tension everywhere following this latest attack, but I am doing my best to calm the people down. ”We cannot allow the people to resort to self-help in defending themselves because if that is done we will be faced with a situation where arms will be everywhere , thus causing more serious and dangerous problems,” he said.

Suswam added that he was helpless in the face of the unending bloodbath, adding that the

security agencies in the state have been overwhelmed by the attackers.

According to him: ‘’The truth is that the situation we have found ourselves in Benue is overwhelming; the security personnel have also been overwhelmed by the situation.’’

He, however, pleaded with the Federal Government to take urgent steps to create grazing reserves for herdsmen in the country in a bid to check the persistent killings across the country by the herdsmen.

Nasarawa Police arrest 7 armed robbers

By Peter Duru

L

AFIA — THE Nasarawa State Police have arrested seven suspected armed robbers that had been terrorising residents of Karu and Mararaba communities.

Mr. Idrisu Kennedy, the Public Relations Officer of the command, stated this in a statement issued in Lafia, Wednesday.

One of the suspects, Adeji Ocheme, was arrested, week-

end, in Masaka after he snatched a bag containing N105,000 from a woman.

It also said that two other suspects were arrested at Gudi over alleged robbery and snatching of a Toyota Corolla saloon car belonging to a resident of Kubwa, Abuja.

Items recovered from the suspects included two AK47 rifles, 17 rounds of live ammunition, vehicle number plates, one laptop and an ash coloured Toyota Corolla saloon car.

The statement appealed to the public to assist the police with useful information to enable it track down criminals in the state.

It said information provided by the public would be treated confidentially to protect the informant.

It urged the public to be vigilant and report suspicious individuals in their localities, adding that security of lives and property was the responsibility of all.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014 — 17

E

C M Y K

The heightened insurgency in Borno of the country. Millions of our compatriots who needed the reassurance of their leader get an impression that they do not count, in the scheme of things.

On the other hand, there have been reports much earlier in the insurgency, that political circles around the president, often from his neck of the wood, are happy that killings are taking

not be surprised! Goodluck Jonathan broke from the panAfrican resolutions of the African Union (AU), in 2011, to support the imperialist Western countries, when they launched a war against Libya in support of the Islamist rebels that finally overthrew Muammar Ghaddafi. So eager was Jonathan to play the toady of

,

ARLY this week, the Borno state governor, Kashim Shettima was in Abuja to brief President Goodluck Jonathan on the heightened insurgency in his state. It was coming against the background of the massacres perpetrated by Boko Haram insurgents in a huge swathe of the state. So alarming has the situation become that the Northern Governors’ Forum convened to explore issues of the widening insecurity in the region as well as efforts to find solutions. These are the worst of times indeed for innocent, often very poor people eking out a desperate livelihood in ecologically challenged environments. They have been at the receiving end of killings that have increasingly taken a most incomprehensible pattern, especially in the past one year.

It was instructive that Governor Shettima blamed the nation’s leadership for the inability to stem the insurgency. He underlined the efforts of the Nigerian armed forces, but stories from theatres of operation indicate that insurgents are better armed and motivated than our troops who have the will to do their job but lack the necessary equipment. In many instances, troops flee operational areas when they run out of ammunition! The insurgents seize the opportunity to stay for hours to kill as many people as possible and destroy infrastructure.

It is equally worrisome, that President Jonathan, as Commander-in-Chief, has never visited his troops to get first hand accounts of problems facing troops or to shore up flagging morale in a very difficult war. When France lost two soldiers in Central Africa, the French President Hollande flew from Nelson Mandela’s funeral in South Africa, to Bangui, to commiserate with his troops and show that he is a caring leader. There are regular reports of the British Prime Minister dropping in on his troops in the theatre of war in Afghanistan. That is how real leaders behave. In June 2012, during the PRESIDENTIAL MEDIA CHAT, I asked President Jonathan why he had not visited Borno; he said he was informed that the Maiduguri airport was out of order. I couldn’t tell our president that he had been lied to, because I had flown into and from the same airport, a few weeks before the interview. I think there is a sense in which the president has been held captive and blocked from a thorough appreciation of the issues in the insurgency. Those making a huge fortune from spending on the counterinsurgency war do not want the war to end. They are the people in cahoots with international arms dealers and security organisations to become billionaires. It is therefore in their interest to continue to paint doomsday scenarios for a captive president, about the situation, just as they deprive the troops of adequate weaponry and provisions.

When the president was told that the Maiduguri airport was not functional for example, he probably cannot verify the veracity of that position. But what they do is paint the president as uncaring about the plight of the people in a region

Neo liberal capitalism might record dizzying heights of growth and handsome returns in the speculative world of stock exchanges, but it is not creating jobs; it is deepening poverty and has not trickled down prospects of development for millions of the Nigerian people. It is in the nature of contemporary capitalism to take a few to great levels of prosperity and trap millions in the ghettos of the modern world

place in the North. They have a “na dem dey kill demselves” attitude and so cannot be bothered!

Remnants of Ghadaffi's troops

A

recent media report also indicated that remnants of Ghadaffi’s troops from Libya have joined the insurgency and the ferocious killings and pillaging of recent times are attributed to this new element.

If this is true, then we should

,

imperialism, that he probably did not and could not even, have thought through the consequences of his playing the role of imperialism’s “House Nigger”. Huge volumes of arms from Libya have today appeared in theatres of war in Mali; Central Africa; South Sudan, maybe Congo and now, Northern Nigeria! There are also highly trained but embittered ex-soldiers and mercenaries from many parts of North-west Africa, formerly in the employ of Muammar

Ghadaffi, who lost their livelihoods in Libya and are now sowing destruction in African theatres of war, including those said to have joined the Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria. Our man, Goodluck Jonathan, desperately wanted to be in the good books of the imperialist western countries and as the proverb goes, brought home an ant-ridden faggot and in the process, invited the visit of lizards. The inability of a dimwitted administration to see the interconnectedness in social and political phenomena is surely costing us far more today in Borno and many parts of the North and by extension, the whole country. Libya is not as far from Nigeria, as the man from the creeks probably imagined; the tragic consequences of his choice in 2011 are now haunting us big time! The chickens are home to roost, with the spike in the insurgency in Borno. But we have to help ourselves, by helping Goodluck Jonathan to be more decisive in provisioning the troops; improving the levels of armaments; to motivate the troops better; secure advanced technology and NOT BEG Americans to “dash” us attack helicopters, as we hear they are doing (monies being stolen at NNPC will be enough to adequately make these purchases which will reinforce national sense of pride instead of the groveling beggarly posture in the presence of Washington!); work more harmoniously with the

Further to the water supply situation in Kwara State I

N this column last week, I pointed out the fact that scarcity of water has remained a major social problem in Ilorin. A succession of military and civilian administrations has fleeced the state of billions of naira, under the guise of providing solution to water problem in Ilorin. Muhammed Sha’aba Lafiagi, a senator today, was the first governor who misappropriated money meant for water supply in Kwara state. His conduct became the subject of a judicial inquiry headed by Hon. Justice Isa Ayo Salami. Sha’aba Lafiagi was indicted and told to return a significant sum of money to the state, even though he went to court and the courts disputed the right of the state to set up a tribunal. Much later in his political career, Sha’aba Lafiagi had shown interest to become PDP chairman, after Obasanjo removed Chief Audu Ogbeh; not in the good books of Bukola Saraki at the time, it was the report which indicted Sha’aba Lafiagi, that Bukola Saraki presented to Obasanjo to scuttle Sha’aba’s ambition.

Saraki and Lafiagi in cahoots

Today, the two of them, Bukola Saraki and Sha’aba Lafiagi are in cahoots, and late last year, they had tried and failed in senate to stop Prof. Shuaib Oba Abdulraheem’s re-appointment as Chairman of the FCC. Another significant point of water scams came under Khalil Bolaji who was commissioner for water resources, during one of the military administrations. Bolaji’s tenure saw a controversial disappearance of an alleged sum of $11Millions that was meant for water supply. They ensured that our people didn’t get water to drink! Incidentally, but not surprisingly, Khalil Bolaji has also become one of the sidekicks of Bukola Saraki and very much a part of the political machinery which has been singularly responsible for the underdevelopment of our state. It was under Bukola Saraki, that water supply contracts took a life of its own; it became an endless nightmare for the people of the state! Billions of Naira went down the drain, but the supply of water in Ilorin remains a nightmare and a mirage!

governments of the states suffering from the killings; provide succour to the people and pay regular visits to the troops and the areas of operation. Those are the remits of a responsible president and commander-in-chief!

On a final note, the Northern Governors and the various levels of the elite in the North have a special responsibility to re-examine their ways and how such ways have contributed to the emergence of the insurgency. The worst indices of underdevelopment in our country are located in Northern Nigeria. Infant and maternal mortality; the poorest levels of educational attainments and schools enrolment; the worst levels of urban and rural decay; troubling indices of poverty and underdevelopment; the greatest levels of obscurantism and near-absence of rational scientific levels of inquiry; environmental degradation and serious inter and intra communal crises; a very young population and some of the highest fertility rates in Africa where there is despair and hopelesseness. Yet, in the midst of these contradictions, we have a ruling elite that pillages resources and as I noted in my piece last week, we have seen the emergence of individuals becoming richer than the states they have ruled, as a result of brazen theft! These are the socio-economic and political roots of the insurgency in Northern Nigeria. It is the African peasantry that used to say that our broth will cook only in our pot. The Northern Nigerian elite must make very enlightened choices to turnaround the phenomena which facilitated the insurgency.

Wrong choices

W

e cannot continue with socio-economic and political choices depriving millions of our people opportunities and making them as hopeless as they are today, and expect that there will not be trouble in the land. The Nigerian ruling class has created one of the most unequal and unjust societies in the world today. Neo liberal capitalism might record dizzying heights of growth and handsome returns in the speculative world of stock exchanges, but it is not creating jobs; it is deepening poverty and has not trickled down prospects of development for millions of the Nigerian people. The truth is that it will never! It is in the nature of contemporary capitalism to take a few to great levels of prosperity and trap millions in the ghettos of the modern world.

In Nigeria, the ruling class has pillaged the state system and transferred huge assets and resources into private hands. In Northern Nigeria, its worst manifestations dog society so totally, a huge army of insurgency has emerged. It has become very sophisticated and more dangerous at a time when the capacity of the state has been sapped by corruption and barefaced theft and the underlying incompetence. If we do not do things in a radically pro-people, pro-poor manner, in our socio-economic choices, things might get even more desperate in our country, but especially in Northern Nigeria!

18 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014 REVOLUTION evokes images of forceful change with dire consequences for those who resist it. If we are to see the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan, NIRP, which was launched last week in that light, we should be applauding the arrival of a programme that could change Nigeria from a net importer of most goods to a manufacturing nation that could at least meet some of its domestic needs.

The NIRP holds promises in this regard. It is meant to create a broad platform for the domestic industrial sector by integrating various sources of ideas, resources and providing the linkages among micro, small and medium enterprises to generate jobs.

According to President Goodluck Jonathan, who at the same event also launched the National Enterprise Development Programme, NEDEP, the two policies, “will accelerate inclusive growth and job creation and save the drain on our reserve caused by importing what we can produce locally.

“The Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan, the National Enterprise Development Programme will also impress impetus for our National Transformation Agenda by ushering in a new era of value addition, enterprise

Nigeria’s Industrial Revolution Plan development and industrialisation.”

In launching what he called, “the most ambitious industrialisation programme ever pursued in Nigeria”, the President listed the priority areas as food and agricultural products processing, metals, solid mineral processing, and construction. The aim is to leverage comparative advantage in these areas to attain number one status in Africa and top ten ranking globally.

The teeming population of unemployed youth cannot wait to see the implementation of the programme. Industrialisation at the level of a revolution can make a lot of difference in the economy and gently steer

oil and gas has on it.

Mass industrialisation is desirable. It would generate demands for new skills, entrepreneurship, training and business development services to meet the needs of industries. Both programmes would face challenges of competing for relevance as economies are globalising rapidly.

Manufacturers must have markets abroad where issues of quality and timely delivery of orders are critical to success.

Government should also deal with domestic factors that raise the cost of manufacturing which results in Nigerian goods not being competitive. One of those factors is epileptic electricity supply and high costs of alternative energy. The others are transport infrastructure to serve the demands of a modern industrial revolution, affordable access to finances and security.

The President alluded to efforts at addressing them, but it would soon be seen if the revolution can result in other ways of tackling these challenges. The NIRP and NEDEP are laudable programme. If they are implemented with the zeal and passion that drive revolutions, they would change Nigeria.

OPINION

BY TAMUNO WEST-GREENE

O

NE of the first major challenges that confronted President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, when he assumed power, was how to deal with the mass protests of January 1, 2012, following government’s sudden hike of petrol pump prices from N65 to N141 a litre. The explanation for the increase was that scrapping the fuel subsidy would save $8 billion a year, the bulk of which was falling into the hands of corrupt middlemen.

Not persuaded by government’s reasons for the price hike, Nigerians stormed the streets of our major cities in protest. The demonstrations posed a severe threat to national security, compounded by the Boko Haram insurgency which was already ravaging some parts of the North. It was an occasion to test Jonathan’s ability for conflict resolution. In unmistaken terms, he told Nigerians that he would always listen to them, but without abandoning policies and actions that he thought were good for the nation. So, he decided on a compromise by reducing the cost of a litre of petrol from the proposed N141 to N97.

And the protests stopped.

For some political analysts, the President’s decision was nothing but capitulation, a weak leader’s failure to carry through a policy of deregulation that would have resolved a major economic challenge in the country. Many others interpreted the compromise as a sign of strength and the mark of a listening President. Of course, that singular event was not sufficient to declare Jonathan as either a democrat or a weakling.

C M Y K

Jonathan:

A

liberal

Since the fuel protests, Jonathan’s leadership style has remained a puzzle to political analysts. When in 2013, violence by the Boko Haram insurgents reached its peak in the Northern parts of the country, Jonathan was forced to declare a state of emergency in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states. By law, the President had the powers to remove the governors and state assemblies of the affected states and take over their administration. He did not exercise these constitutional powers.

Instead, he left the state governors in control and allowed the houses of assembly to function. Some Nigerians interpreted the President’s decision not to go the whole hog as evidently lacking in courage, while, for others, it was yet another instance of his democratic liberalism.

For almost a year now, the Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has been displaying all kinds of impunity. He has, on countless occasions, challenged Jonathan whom he accused of failing in his constitutional duty of protecting the lives and property of Nigerians. The most brazen of them all was when the Governor accused the President of posting Police Commissioner, Joseph Mbu, to Rivers State for the ignoble intention of oppressing and repressing the people of the State.

Ironically, at the last time of making this point, the Governor was under the heavy protection of armed policemen deployed

by Mbu. In what has become a routine, Amaechi has now got used to speaking,

democrat

contemptuously and in disparaging manner, about the President and his immediate family, especially the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan. But the Rivers State Governor is just one of many others who do not show any regard for the person of Jonathan. Imagine the impudence of Assistant General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Alhaji Denja Yaqub who, in 2011, described President Jonathan as “too dull to understand the complexity of Nigerian problems.” If not out of utter disrespect, what possible reason could a politician of Chief Bisi Akande’s calibre have for describing the Government of President Jonathan as “a kindergarten administration” or for someone like Sam Nda-Isaiah saying that “Jonathan is not capable of being a local government chairman”? Read any material written by people such as Lai Mohammed, Nasir elRufai or Femi Fani-Kayode and you would almost get the impression that President Jonathan was some nonentity.

Somehow, Jonathan’s critics appear to misinterpret his character and social mien.

By upbringing, he is a humble person who is considerate and respectful. Rather than see strength in these moral attributes, many perceive them as weaknesses. These, as it has turned out, are the sources of Jonathan’s strength. His opponents underrate him, thereby easily playing into his hands. Ask James Onanefe Ibori, former Governor of Delta State!

Is it not curious that soon after receiving Obasanjo’s letter of December 2, 2013, in

or

weakling?

which the former President violently criticised his (Jonathan’s) administration, the President immediately warned all his aides against any criticism of Obasanjo; he even travelled to Otta to greet the man?

Recall also that the former National Security Adviser, NSA, the late General Owoye Azazi, once told reporters that President Jonathan had stopped him from inviting General Muhammadu Buhari for interrogation on some security issues (NigeriaWorld, August 12, 2012). That much is Jonathan’s respect for his elders and predecessors in office.

Overall, Jonathan’s success in office may turn out to be a consequence of his being misread by his political opponents. Those who have described him as “dull”, “juvenile” or “naive” have found themselves outwitted all round - in political wisdom and in practical living - by a man they think does not possess any of these qualities.

It was William Shakespeare who wrote in his Macbeth: “There is no art to find the mind’s construction in the face.” What this eternal truth means is that we cannot tell, merely by looking at a man’s face, what he has in mind, his character, strengths or weaknesses. This should be a note of caution to Nigerians who underrate President Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan.

*Mr. West-Green, a commentator on national issues, wrote from Port Harcourt, Rivers State

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014 — 19

, F

OLLOWING the emergence of Alhaji Adamu Muazu as the new National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, a stampede of goodwill visitors to his Wadata Plaza, Abuja office started. One of the stakeholder groups that paid him a visit was the delegation from Abia State led by the Governor, Chief Theodore Orji.

Among those that accompanied him were former warring party leaders in the state, including Ambassador Ojo Maduekwe, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Dr Onyema Ugochukwu, Dr Vincent Ogbulafor, General Ike Nwachukwu, and others. All of them who made speeches harped with emphasis on one theme: The party in Abia State is now a united family, and nothing should be done to unsettle or upset the apple cart. In particular, Senator Nwachukwu cautioned that a “virus” should not be allowed to come in and infest the party and undermine its unity.

Even though Governor Sule Lamido of Adamawa State was the

first to use the expression “virus” to describe the reign of Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, it was obvious who was being referred to this time: former governor of Abia State, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu. Since Kalu abandoned his own political party, the Progressive Peoples Alliance, PPA and sought to return to his original party, the PDP, he has been encountering stiff and sustained opposition from other leaders of the party in his state.

They don’t want him back in their midst.

After this visit, most of the columnists in Orji Kalu’s newspaper, The SUN, took on members of the delegation, calling them names and asserting that their stiff-arming of their publisher amounts to a violation of Kalu’s constitutional right to freedom of association. For the sake of clarity, Chapter IV Section 40 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 specifies as follows: “Every person shall be entitled to assemble freely and associate with other persons, and in particular, he may form or

Sanusi’s inconsistent consistency E

VIDENTLY, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has been quite loquacious. Since his ascendancy to the position of CBN Governor, there has been no holding the parrot’s mouth. He has made his opinion readily available on every topic, including those vexatious political issues that had nothing to do with his role as the CBN Governor.

He soon appeared to have talked himself into irrelevance and not many were still prepared to keep listening to his monologue.

Incidentally, talk-talk is not the stuff of which Central Bank Governors are made, the world-over. On the very rare cases where Central Bank Governors spoke, it was like the great oracle descending from a height to commune with earthly mortals. People listened with rapt attention and sometimes, the weight of their pronouncement sent shivers through markets across the world.

Such was the weight of the utterances of people like Allan Greenspan, Ben Bernanke, Paul Volker and Mervyn King. Even back home, we remember men like Clement Isong, Adamu Ciroma, Addulkadir Ahmed, Joseph Sanusi who were of the conservative bent, not given to too much talking. But with the entry of Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, the space for outspokenness and a bit of radicalism soon began to open up.

The only way to be fair to the new entrants is to see them as people who would not keep their mouths shut at the sight of evil and Nigeria has since become one place where scandal and miscellaneous malfeasance are so common-place that they have lost their shock values. While they may be speaking to satisfy their propensity for voicing out the ills of society, the rest of us may have fallen so long into the latrine that the stench no longer makes any meaning to us.

C M Y K

,

belong to any political party, trade union or any other association for the protection of his interests…”.

The question before us here is this: Does the refusal of the leadership of the PDP in Abia State to readmit former Governor Kalu amount to a violation of his constitutional rights? To provide a valid answer to this question, two other questions need to be asked: Can Orji Kalu go to court to assert his right to belong to any political party, PDP inclusive? Can he ask a judge to impose sanctions on anyone or group for denying or refusing him membership of any political party?

T

he answer to both questions is, clearly, no. A person’s right of association depends whether the group he seeks to join is willing to have him as their member. If, for any reason, a group does not consider you worthy of being their member, you cannot impose yourself on them, and I don’t think

The Jonathan administration is so stuck in its ways that it would see no evil, fear no evil and hear no evil. But Sanusi would not stop blowing the whistle. In more civilised climes, Sanusi’s shouts would have been sufficient to trigger off a quake that could pull down any government.

In the process, Sanusi has been most inconsistent in his application of figures but most consistent in his approach, which is now code-named an attack on the government in which he serves.

Nigeria we hate (oops, hail) thee. This is one country where the head of the Apex Bank would make the most explosive allegation of the most serious financial impropriety on the richest parastatal in the land and the head of that parastatal would simply dismiss the allegation with a wave of the hand and life continues.

Sometimes, Sanusi has attempted to cast the proverbial stone on the roof with a view to determining the exact location of the house owner. He started by writing a letter to the President that the sum of $49.8 billion was missing from the public till. At reconciliation, he climbed down to $12 billion “unaccounted for”. It was at this point that the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, accepted that the actual amount unaccounted for was “only $10.8 billion”. Take note, we are not talking of N10:80K but $10,800,000,000! This is what the NNPC has frittered away into illegal kerosene subsidy and nobody should talk!

Quite often, people blame Sanusi for what has become known as his inconsistency and not waiting to cross-check his figures before rushing to the public domain. But would this not also depend on how much cooperation he gets from the agencies?

Sanusi is a one-man riot squad. He has

any court can force you on them.

The two sides must be willing to cohabit. If a group decides you do not possess the qualities worthy of their membership it has the right to keep you at bay, your constitutional rights notwithstanding.

The truth of the matter is that Orji Uzor Kalu is undergoing political ostracism in a state he ran like a branch of his Slok business empire. He is still on trial for alleged looting of the treasury.

When a good leader completes his tenure of service to his people, politicians use his name to win elections. Perhaps the only place in Abia State where Kalu’s name can win elections is his native Igbere town, where he used state funds to tar all the roads, including roads to farms which vehicles hardly set foot on.

The fear of the political stakeholders is valid. When Kalu was in power, PDP was splintered into so many groups. When he abandoned the party and formed his own PPA, he was still able to defeat the PDP and install his successor, Governor Theodore Orji, who was his Chief of Staff.

The Kalu family enslaved not just Governor Orji but also the people of the state as a whole, and for about 30 months, development was simply impossible. It was Orji Kalu and his Mother Excellency, Mrs Eunice Kalu all the way.

Nobody seemed able to do anything about the situation until Kalu pushed his luck too far: he started shopping for Governor Orji’s replacement rather than grant him a second term ticket for the 2011 elections.

Governor Orji finally left PPA, first for the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, and later on back

told the N a t i o n a l Assembly where it pains them; he has told the President where it hurts him; and he has told all those in the petroleum industry where it injures them.

Who on earth will cooperate with such a person? Does he even require your

,

Orji Kalu’s ‘right of association’

A person’s right of association depends whether the group he seeks to join is willing to have him as their member; you cannot impose yourself on them

Why is the FG trying to run away from the needful?

Rather than running from pillar to post, they should prove Sanusi wrong by flooding the entire place with the audited accounts of the NNPC

,

cooperation? For him, the truth must be told, even at the edge of doom.

S

hould we not listen to such a man who has now thrown a fresh bombshell – that $20 billion (over N3 trillion), being part of the proceeds from the sale of crude oil for the period January 2012-July 2013, has vamoosed from the treasury? He even went ahead to inform us of the specific period during which NNPC did not make any remittance to the CBN. Rather than do the needful, the Federal Government and its NNPC have devised various smear tactics and mudslinging, all

to the PDP. He was able to unite all the splinter groups in the PDP that could not stand up to Kalu and together they were able to return Governor Orji in 2011. Since then, the Governor has doggedly struggled to escape the tag of nonperformer which he acquired while under the Orji Kalu political grip. The right foundations are now being laid in the state more than 20 years after its creation.

There is no basis for Kalu being part of the political mainstream in Abia. They feel happy without him in their midst. They know the peace and harmony they are enjoying will come to an end if Kalu takes his seat among them once again. This is because Kalu would like to take control. Even though most of his loyalists have joined camps with Governor Orji, some of them who are not very satisfied with their lot under Orji might return to their old master, who still commands a lot of financial clout. The door is likely to remain shut on Kalu’s face in the PDP in the foreseeable future.

The options he might wish to explore are to either return to his PPA where he will be in full control, or join the All Progressives Congress, APC. I believe they will regard him as a big catch and give him the ticket for the Senate he is looking for. It is unlikely to favour him in PDP because the minds of the stakeholders, the way I see it, are made up against him.

What a pity for a politician who, at a time, had two states under his belt as the leader of PPA. He had seemed the South East version of Chief Bola Tinubu. But due to his lack of sense of proportion, he lost everything! He has to pay the price of greed.

reminiscent of the dirty politics of yesteryears, on the man. He has been called all sorts of disparaging names and the Group Managing Director of the NNPC has poured invectives on him, describing him as ignorant because “CBN is a banking outfit and NNPC is a petroleum outfit… Sanusi lacks the understanding of the technicalities of the oil industry”. What technicalities does anyone require to know that money received is not remitted to the appropriate quarters?

Finally, they have fallen back on their usual tactic – a rented crowd has now appeared on the scene, threatening to occupy the CBN if Sanusi is not arrested and prosecuted. What a clever innovation in accounting for our common wealth! And the world is still watching us!

They under-rate us, perhaps oblivious of the fact that to Nigerians, two native clichés are still relevant: the only language that the taxi driver understands is: “See passenger make you carry” and if a man wants to make love to a dumb and deaf woman, his best approach is to expose his hammer head to her. Why is the FG trying to run away from the needful? Rather than running from pillar to post, they should prove Sanusi wrong by flooding the entire place with the audited accounts of the NNPC. That would not be all. Even granting that all the “missing sums” have been spent on the most laudable programmes in the world, where are they located in the 2013 appropriations? Herein lie the illegality and unconstitutionality that Sanusi is talking about and they cannot be ignored! No amount of bold-face or finger-pointing at the opposition can vitiate this!

20—Vanguard, THURSDAY,

FEBRUARY 20, 2014

Chieftaincy tussle tears Prof. Ben Nwabueze’s community apart

BY NWABUEZE OKONKWO

O

NITSHA - Crisis is now brewing in Atani community in the Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State following an alleged selection and presentation of Mr. Anthony Ngodi of Umudaike Village to officials of the Local Government as the new Igweelect (traditional ruler-elect) of the community.

A section of the community known as Atani Group ‘B, led by the incumbent President-General of Atani Development Union, ADU, Dr. Nwike Okwuosa, was alleged to have visited the Local Government Secretariat in Atani a forth night ago and presented Ngodi to the Council officials as their new Igwe-elect.

But the visit and presentation of Ngodi did not go down well with another section of the community identified as Atani Group ‘A’.

Within one week of the presentation of Ngodi, their elders mobilised themselves and stormed the Local Government secretariat to protest what they described as an illegal selection.

During the counter visit, the placard-carrying elders and people of Group ‘A’, who were led by the Deputy PresidentGeneral of ADU, Chief Okeluwa Amamchukwu and Sir Francis Ugbaja, accused Okwuosa and his B group of going contrary to the acceptable norms and procedure recently adopted by both groups on the election of

*Chief Victor Nwachukwu Agolue, Chairman Ogbaru LGA (right) listening to Chief Francis Ugbaja (in red cap).

attended by chiefs, elders and youth from both groups, they resolved all the lingering disagreements over the town union amicably to the satisfaction of all. The meeting was allegedly presided over by Prof. Ben Nwabueze, SAN. The group recalled that part of the resolution was that every leadership position in the community should be rotational among the A and B groups, adding that with the latest presentation of Ngodi as the new Igwe-elect, the PresidentGeneral and his ‘B’ group have violated the arrangement.

,

Within one week of the presentation of Ngodi, their elders mobilised themselves and stormed the Local Government secretariat to protest what they described as an illegal selection

the Igwe and town union leaders.

Some of the placards read: “Atani has no Igwe-elect”, “We say no to imposition of Igwe ton Atani people”, “It is the turn of Group ‘A’ to produce Igwe of Atani”, “Our P-G has betrayed Atani people”, “We urge Governor Peter Obi to intervene before Atani will be on fire”. The elders and people of Group ‘A’ numbering over 200, told the Council boss, Chief Victor Nwachukwu Agolue, to disregard any presentation made

by Group ‘B. They alleged that at a meeting held at the Central School Hall, Atani on November 2, 2009 and C M Y K

,

They lamented that Group B is presenting the Igwe-elect from their own group without considering the fact that the past Igwe and incumbent P-G are from Group ‘B’.

In a six-page petition dated February 3, 2014 and entitled: “ Protest against the presentation/ recommendation of Mr. Anthony Ngodi as Igwe-elect of Atani community ” which was presented to the Council boss, the Group recalled that as far back as 1941, when crisis erupted in the community, the colonial masters set up a panel led by D.P.J. O’connor and the committee came up with a

resolution that the town be divided into two groups namely Group ‘A’ and ‘B’. In the petition jointly signed by Chiefs Joseph Ohanwuba, Nkodi Ojini, Ben Obi Ukadei, Emezina Umunna and Nwabunwanne Nwadukwe, they maintained that in present case, the community instead of taking laws into their hands,

decided to openly register their dissatisfaction to the Council.

They told the Council chairman that the entire Atani community could be going into unimaginable crisis if the State government does not look into the current crisis brewing in the community.

Responding, the Council boss

commended them for their peaceful protest instead of taking the laws into their hands. He pledged to invite both parties as soon as possible so that an amicable settlement could be brokered. He urged the protesters to return to their homes and wait for his invitation.

Reacting to the development in a telephone chat, Okwuosa who is the community’s president said he is neither the traditional primer minister of Atani nor a king maker. He claimed that he was just invited by the stakeholders to accompany them to the Local Government secretariat for the presentation of the new Igwe-elect.

Also reacting, the President of Atani Aborigenes and NonAborigenes Resistance Frontiers, Comrade Arinze Awogu, said the Igweship issue should not arise in the community for now because there is no peace yet.

“How can a community presently enmeshed in crisis and is currently sitting on a keg of gun powder be talking of producing an Igwe? It wouldn’t work. The best for now is for the State government to pursue peace first and thereafter, talk of having an Igwe,” he said . He advised both parties to drop the issue of Igweship for now and begin the process of genuine reconciliation. after which the Igweship case can come up on a platter of peace and tranquility.

Efforts to contact Prof.

Nwabueze who comes from the B Group proved failed.

FERMA denies training 5,000 youths in Lagos

BY FAVOUR NNABUGWU

T

he Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, FERMA has denied allegations that 5,000 youths are currently being trained in Lagos State as political thugs in preparation for the 2015 general elections.

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Raji Babatunde Fashola, had expressed concern over the emergence of the illegal task force in a recent interview with Vanguard.

But FERMA has denied having anything to do with the youths. Assistant Director/ Head (Communications and Public Relations Unit), Mrs. Maryam M. Sanusi said the agency has been very disturbed since it learnt about

the existence of the fake FERMA youths and has reported the matter to the appropriate authority.

“Specifically, upon learning of the existence of a group last year, which goes by the title “Federal Task Force”, using the name of FERMA to defraud members of the public, the Management of the Agency wrote to the Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG in charge of Zone Two, Commissioner of Police, Lagos State as well as the Executive Governor of Lagos State, through the Commissioner of Works, to dissociate the Agency from the said group,” she said.

“The Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, FERMA, therefore wishes to state categorically that the

Agency has operations in all 36 States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, with the objective of maintaining and keeping all federal roads and highways in the country in good, safe and motorable condition as well as check against indiscriminate road abuse. Our vision and mission in Lagos State is the same as everywhere else in the country and we have not at any time set up a scheme under the name of FERMA Trainees in our Lagos operations or anywhere else in the country, nor have we commissioned anybody or bodies to do so on our behalf, as FERMA is not involved in any form of militancy,” she said.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014 —21

CABOTAGE: Stakeholders reject fresh guidelines on waivers ...as ship owners demand removal of waiver clause

By GODWIN ORITSE

I

NDIGENOUS ship operators in Nigeria have rejected the fresh guidelines presented to maritime stakeholders by the Minister of Transport and demanded for a total removal of the waiver clause.

The local ship owners, under the aegis of Nigerian Ship owners Association, (NISA), lamented the ineffective nature of the Shipping and Coastal Act, (Cabotage), noting that the current admin-

istration does not have any plan to develop the maritime sector. The ship owners who spoke through their Chairman, Chief Isaac Jolapamo, demanded that the waiver clause be expunged from the Cabotage Act, pointing out that the fresh guideline is not a priority.

It would be recalled that the Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar, last week, presented the new policy guidelines to maritime stakeholders in Lagos. He

explained that it was meant to correct the numerous anomalies observed in the Cabotage Law, especially as regards the powers of the Minister in granting waivers.

Apart from the compulsory payment of the two percent Cabotage contract surcharge, the new guideline also stressed the mandatory employment, training and utilization of Nigerian Seafarers, as well as the maintenance and repair of vessel in Nigeria during the

period covered by the waiver.

The Transport Minister had earlier appealed to stakeholders, saying that even though the powers granted to the honorable minister were clearly spelt out in the subsisting laws, certain inadequacies have been noticed which needed correction. “We do realize that in the cause of implementing this Act, a number of inadequacies have been observed and recorded, therefore we felt that it was necessary to call the attention of stakeholders, to come and rub minds and look at a draft policy guideline that we have brought out, so that together we will have a better working document. I have however considered it imperative to increase, substantially, the

tariff payable particularly for the manning waivers as a means of discouraging ship owners engaging foreign crew to man Cabotage vessels while local seafarers are left to wallow in penury,” he said.

In his explanation on critical aspects of the new guidelines, the Executive Director of Cabotage Services of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Barr.

Calistus Nwabueze Obi, pointed out that, contrary to what obtains before, any ship that needs a waiver must have applied for it sixty days ahead of the arrival of the vessel. ”The Cabotage services department shall within a period of 48hours of receipt of waiver application, cause a notice of Cabotage waiver application to be published in the agency ’s website. The said publication shall request for notifications of objections to be made within 7 days,” he said.

But in his reaction, NISA Chairman, Chief Jolapamo whose opinion was shared by majority of the stakeholders, pointed out that issuing a new guideline is not the priority.

NGO chides NASS over port and harbour bill

By GODWIN ORITSE

A

Head of Marketing, Nutricima Limited, Mrs. Wande Oluwasegunfunmi (middle) receiving the NAFDAC’s award for Nutricima Limited, as Most Compliant in Food Export Sector, flanked by Director, Drug Evaluation and Research, NAFDAC, Mrs. Titilope Owolabi (left) and Director, Ports Inspection Directorate (PID), Mrs. Maureen Ebigbeyi (right) at the 2013 End of Year Party/Performance Recognition Award by NAFDAC, Tuesday.

A

RRANGEMENT has been concluded by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, NESG to dialogue with President Goodluck Jonathan on improving the education sector of the economy.

The Supervising Minister, National Planning Commission, NPC, Amb. Bashir Yuguda, who disclosed this during the inauguration of the Joint Planning Committee, JPC, for the 20thNigerian Economic Summit (NES 20) in Lagos said, “ The education system is not performing as expected, so there is going to be presidential dialogue on the education system. The NES is a public private partnership arrangement that has been adopted and has yielded positive results over the years. In particular, the introduction of Transformation Agenda and the Nigeria Vision 20.2020 are living testimonies of this collaboration.”

He stated that the summit has grown to become the largest and most prestigious annual economic forum for policy makers and

NESG, Presidency to dialogue on education sector

By PETER EGWUATU captains of industry from the public and private sectors of the Nigerian economy, as well as representatives of the academia, civil society organizations and development partners.

According to him, “The summit will provide a unique opportunity for the participants to discuss key issues and challenges facing the Nigerian economy, with a view to evolving a common strategy and policy framework for addressing it. The previous one, which was on agriculture, was very successful as the sector has been doing well.

During the summit, issues were discussed on specific terms.

About 10 million farmers were registered, method and means of

getting seeds, funding options such a longtime financing were all discussed. Dry season farming was flagged off by Mr. President after the summit.”

Director General of NESG, Mr. Frank Nweke, said the 20thsummit to be hosted in Abuja from March 18 to 20, 2014, is of particular significant as it would be focusing on the education sector.

According to him, “Education is without a doubt, the sector that holds the key to transformational national development and our ability to compete in the global marketplace and it is singularly the sector that has experienced the worst type of decline in ration to standards, quality and value.”

Harbour Bill is still in the hallowed chambers, obviously counted as unimportant. Or could it be that the lawmakers do not understand the import of the Bill? This cannot be, but we cannot understand why, after spending so much public fund to organise public hearings and after committing so much fund to overseas travels, all in the name of wanting to see how such bills are handled in other climes, the law makers will still be foot-dragging,” the group stated.

GROUP, the Maritime Industry Advocacy Initiative (MAIN) has condemned what it called deliberate attempt by the National Assembly to stunt the growth of the maritime industry in Nigeria.

The non-government organisation (NGO) accused the lawmakers of failing to attend to maritime industry bills that have been undergoing the process of passage for more than five years. It specifically chided the maritime transport committees of the two chambers of the legislature for al10.35 150.25 legedly working against the interests of the in2,910.00 -24.00 dustry that they were created to serve and 16.13 0.5 oversee.

In a statement issued in Lagos and signed by 110.04 +0.86 its executive director; Mr Sesan Onileimo, the advocacy group accused the marine transport CURRENCY BUYING CENTRAL SELLING committees of both 154.75 155.25 155.75 chambers of the Nation- DOLLAR POUNDS 258.2932 259.1278 259.9623 al Assembly of deliber- EURO 212.5027 213.1893 213.8759 ately delaying the pas- FRANC 173.8373 174.399 174.9607 1.5098 1.5146 1.5195 sage of the Ports and YEN CFA 0.3044 0.3144 0.3244 Harbour Bill.

WAUA 238.1839 238.9535 239.7231 “It is sad that more RENMINBI 25.5034 25.5863 25.6691 than four years after the RIYA 41.2623 41.3956 41.5289 28.4739 28.5659 28.6579 Bill was subjected to a KRONA 238.9495 239.7215 240.4936 well-attended public SDR hearing, the Ports and CBN Exchange rate as at 19/02/2014

22 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014

BR IEF S

IFRS: FRC readiness test reveals widespread non-compliance F

BDAN cautions CBN on increase of CRR

By JONAH NWOKPOKU

INANCIAL Reporting Council, FRC readiness test for the implementation of the International Finance Reporting Standard, IFRS, has revealed widespread noncompliance among public and private organisations.

The Chief Executive Officer of FRC, Mr. Jim Obazee, disclosed this to newsmen at a media briefing in Lagos on the review of IFRS readiness test that was carried out by the council.

He said that the IFRS readiness test conducted by the council in 2013 revealed a widespread noncompliance among the organisations that participated in the test. He said that only 72 out of 190 listed entities, 38 significant public interest entities and three government business entities submitted requested documents to the council. He added that the level of non-compliance maybe repeated in the phase two of the national road map for 2014 in the implementation of the IFRS in Nigeria.

According to him, “We have just finished collecting relevant documents from entities in phase two in the national road map. It is sad to report that only 345 entities submitted requested documents. All government business entities are expected to submit their financial reporting documents under this category, however, only ten government entities submitted their documents to the council.”

He listed the companies to include: “Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Commission, NDIC, Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON, National mmediate past Deputy ICentral Governor, Operations, Bank of Nigeria

(CBN), Mr. Tunde Lemo, has called on the public to support the policies of the apex bank.

He made this call while addressing journalists at the sidelines of a farewell dinner organised for him by the Bankers Committee. Lemo noted that though CBN’s policies are sometimes not appealing to the public, they are however designed for the growth and development of the country.

He said, “The central bank is an effective tool for development, and the central bank has played a key role in the growth of the economy.

Few weeks ago, we saw how the privatisation of the power sector was conducted, and for the first time in the history of Nigeria, you saw the Nigerian banks playing a key role in a major reform of that nature. It is because of the central bank’s policy that ensured that the banks were not big but strong.

T

L-R: Retail Sales Manager, Infinix Mobility, Mr. Israel Ajiboye; winners, at the Infinix Share the Love Promo, Mrs. Omolayo Odukoya; her husband, Mr. Lanre Odukoya; and Network Operations Manager, Infinix Mobility, Mr. Bayo Adekanbi, during the prize presentation in Lagos.

Insurance Commission, NAICOM, Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas, NLNG, and NLNG Manning Ltd. Others include: Niger Delta Petroleum Resources Limited, Niger Delta Properties Ltd, Niger Delta Gas Ltd, and Niger Delta Exploration and Production Plc.” He however attributed the widespread non- compliance by government agencies to poor monitoring of financial reports.

He noted, “Government Business Entities’ financial reports are poorly monitored and that is what is giving room for poor financial reporting

amongst a large number of them. The council is requesting attestation of the financial statements of all Government Business Entities and the resultant sanctions shall assist the country in keeping faith with the ongoing fight against corruption.”

He explained that the council has started, “to review the submissions and sanctioning non-compliance with IFRS readiness test,” noting that following the expiration of the official date for submission which was January 31st, 2014, all the other entities under the phase

Lemo appeals to public to support CBN’s policies

By BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE

“Looking ahead, the Nigerian economy would soon become the largest economy in Africa after the rebasing and central bank will continue to support the Nigerian economy. Now we are numbered among the MINT economies after BRICs, and I believe our march to 2020, for Nigeria to be one of the twenty biggest economies. Of course lots of the responsibilities rest on the shoulders of the Central Bank of Nigeria, and they are playing that role well.

“So I expect that the public

will continue to support the central bank’s policy. It is not all the time that the policy will appear as something that is welcomed by the public, but if you do something for the public good, it may hurt temporarily, but we should be strategic enough to look at the overall benefit. And Central Bank of Nigeria is one institution that ensures it delivers growth and development through its policies. And I am sure that they will ensure that Nigeria’s economy continues to grow in leaps and bounds.”

Lemo who was the managing director/chief

would be given a 30 day ultimatum to submit the documents or face severe sanctions.

He further disclosed that, “Other than Deposit Money Banks, other financial institutions have weak financial reporting as a significant number of them did not pass the IFRS readiness test.”

He also said that except for NAICOM’s effort, not more than twenty insurance companies would have been able to submit their 2012 financial statements, prepared using IFRS, to NSE.

executive of Wema Bank for four years, before his appointment in 2003 as Deputy Governor, Financial Sector Surveillance, advised bankers to focus on helping customers and their businesses to grow strong. He said, “ When you are a banker, it is a position of trust and the public expects so much from you. Not just to be honest, but to be seen to be honest. And you must always bear in mind that the interest of the customers, the people you serve, is so important, much more important than the profit, because it is only when they are there, and they remain stronger and stronger, can your banker be stronger. But if you conduct banking to maximise profit to their detriment, when their businesses go down, it would only take time before your own business will go down.

So it is important that you support the customer, you support the business community such that they grow in leaps and bounds and that is the only guarantee that you will also grow.”

he Bank Directors of Ni geria (BDAN) has expressed concern at the decision of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to increase the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) on public sector deposit from 50 to 75 per cent.

In a press statement, BDAN observed that raising the ratio by 25 percent, just six months after it was jerked from 12 to 50 per cent, would adversely affect the banking sub-sector and the economy.

The association noted that the increase would weaken the ability of banks to lend to economic agents and thus slow down the robust growth rate the country has enjoyed in the past few years. It noted that as the economy slows down, the poverty rate and incidents of social upheavals, which have constituted serious hindrance to national development, could worsen.

“Since banks do not have much liquidity to lend, they will increase interest rates.

Two consequences could naturally evolve from this. The first possibility is that many people will shun bank loans because they cannot afford it, while those who bear the excessive cost of funds will pass it to consumers of their products and services.

FCMB partners TUC, firm to provide housing for workers

F

irst City Monument Bank (FCMB) Limited has partnered with the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Rock of Ages Properties Limited to build 100,000 housing units for workers across the country. The Bank was selected based on its track record in projects financing in all sectors of the economy.

Under the arrangement, which is to be executed under a public-private partnership, FCMB is to play a key role in financing the project and also act as a collecting Bank. As a collecting Bank, FCMB is to provide funds to workers interested in owning any of the housing units upon completion. The first phase of the 100,000 units, involving 20,000 housing units to be constructed at the Lugbe and Deidei areas in Abuja, was flagged-off recently at the Federal Capital Territory.

Commenting on FCMB’s involvement in the project, Mr. Ola Olabinjo, Divisional Head, Corporate Banking said that, ‘’FCMB will always support good initiatives that will ensure that the overall development of the economy particularly in critical areas such as housing is achieved.”

24 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014

We will deal with NPA in our own way — Senate C’ttee STORIES BY GODWIN ORITSE HE Senate Committee on Marine Transport has said that it will deal with the Management of the Nigerian Ports Authority,NPA, for the shabby treatment it meted to members of the committee when it visited the authority ’s Headquarters in Lagos over the weekend.

In an exclusive chat with Vanguard, the committee’s Chairman, Senator Zainab Kure, said that she was yet to understand why the Managing Director of the authority, Alhaji Habib Abdulahi, could not receive them despite the two weeks notice given to them.

She said that the NPA boss will have to come with a very convincing reason to assuage the anger of the committee, adding that the irresponsible action of Mr. Adbulahi is unacceptable.

The Senate Committee on Marine Transport over the weekend paid an oversight visit to the agency over 2014 budget, but was surprised to witness the absence of the Managing Director, Mallam Habib Abdullahi, who was represented by the Executive Director, Finance & Administration, Mr. Olumide Oduntan .

This is even as the committee vowed not to pass the agency’s 2014 budget until the agency has satisfactorily revealed to it all ongoing projects and their stages.

She said: “On behalf of my distinguished colleagues, I want to express my disappointment and displeasure, and of course embarrassment at your MD’s inability to receive an esteemed committee made up of distinguished Senators that have come on an oversight function to the NPA.” “This honorable committee wrote about two weeks ago to NPA that we are coming on a constitutional and statutory assignment. If for any reason the MD, who must have received the letter, knew he won’t be around to receive us, he should have written back to us that he has another assignment that he feels is much more important than receiving this committee”, she lamented .

“But there was no communication. I only got a call from the NPA MD on my way to the airport, by which time all

T

my other colleagues have even boarded the aircraft, informing me that he won’t be able to receive us.”

“I did not tell my other colleagues because I thought that if I had done that, I won’t be doing justice to what has brought us here. I

wanted everybody to come and see things for themselves. Except for one of us, every other member of this committee is here for this oversight visit.”

“We are all here because we take our job so seriously.

“Most of us left other

important assignments back home because we want to discharge our responsibilities as a committee that is concerned about the maritime sector of this country.

“But for us to get here and the MD is not here, I must tell you that the

committee is seriously disappointed and we are not happy at all. We want you to communicate same to your MD. “We know that you are working as a team but the MD has no right whatsoever, to have treated us the way we are treated today. We should

have known that he won’t be here and would have possibly rescheduled our trip.”

Corroborating her view, another member of the committee, Senator Ben Ayade described the action of the NPA MD as an absolute disrespect to the National Assembly.

Onitsha Port: Indian firm wins ‘Transaction adviser’ bid

I

N a bid to put the new ly rehabilitated Onitsha River port into proper use, the Federal Government through the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has commissioned an Indian firm, Messrs Green Stratus Consulting, as Transaction Adviser for the concessioning of the

port.

Disclosing this to participants at the 2014 NIWA’s stakeholders conference, Transport Minister, Senator Idris Umar, said that the Transaction Adviser is billed to meet with a Project Delivery team by mid February to work out the modalities for facilitation of the

concessioning process of the port.

The minister, who was represented by Engr Nebolisa Emordi, urged importers and other businessmen in the Eastern region to tap into the opportunity of having the the port in the area with a view to reduce the cost

of transporting their cargoes.

He explained that the initial process employed by government to concession the port had to be canceled and after that the World Bank met with the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) to re-design the

AWARD: Deputy Comptroller General of Customs, Mr. John Atte (left) assisted by Deputy Public Relations Officer of the service presenting an award of exceptional service to Chief Superintendent of Customs, Mr. Steve Okoma (right) at the just concluded World Customs Day celebration in Abuja

process so as to accommodate other River ports across the country.

Explaining further, Emordi disclosed that out of the 19 firms that bid to be Transaction Adviser, only six were shortlisted for the bid and Green Stratus of India won the bid.

Emordi said “In view of this, the World Bank in consultation with ICRC cancelled the initial process since an agreement has not been signed.

“It then initiated a Traffic Demand Study to determine the viability of the Onitsha River Port; this was concluded in 2012 and the findings showed that the Port is viable.”

“Consequently, the ICRC in conjunction with the World Bank re-designed the PPP process which now includes the other ports under construction at Baro, Lokoja, and Oguta with each taking its turn on the PPP platform as soon as it is completed starting with the commissioned Onitsha port.”

NIMASA gives N5bn grant to 4 universities for maritime education

T

HE Nigerian M a r i t i m e Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has given a total of N5billion to four universities across the country for the development of maritime studies with a view to enhancing human capacity development.

The institutions that got the grants are the University of Nigeria

Nsukka,University of Lagos (UNILAG), Lagos. Niger/Delta University and the Ibrahim Babangida University , Lapai, Niger State.

Disclosing this in Lagos, Director General of the agency, Mr. Patrick Akobolokemi, said that three of the universities are now in full swing except for the UNN which its take-off was being delayed be-

cause of its internal crisis.

Akpobolokemi, who said this during the visit of the Senate Committee on Marine Transport to NIMASA, also said that besides the four institutions that got the grants, other maritime academies and institutions are also springing up in other locations across the country.

The breakdown of the

grants to the universities showed that the NigerDelta University got a total of N1735billion; the University of Nigeria got N1.190billion; IBB University got N1.072billion, while the University of Lagos got N957mllion.

According to the NIMASA boss, “The funds are earmarked for the four selected universities for the establishment of Maritime insti-

Delta Port: Stakeholders slam FG, Intels

BY GODFREY BIVBERE & THELMA OGBU

S

TAKEHOLDERS in Warri Delta State , over the weekend, accused the Federal Government, Delta State government, management of the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, as well as Intels for the neglect of the Delta ports in the state.

The stakeholders, who spoke to Vanguard at the just concluded election

into the Board of Trustees, BoT, of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents, ANLCA,said that the Federal Government has refused to continue with the dredging of the channel at the Escravos end, using the youth restiveness as an excuse.

They noted that before now, little volume of business still come to the port despite the shallow nature of the channel.

They pointed out that the port was still marketable

then but stressed that the Delta State government seems not to be interested in its revival.

Prince Val Johnbull Oribhabor, National Financial Secretary of ANLCA blamed the lull in business at the port to the state government’s insincerity to market the port despite the shallow draft.

Oribhabor said that another hindrance to vessels calling at the port is the fact that ships that call there presently do not get

cargoes to load on their return trip. He pointed out that there is need for the state government to properly market the port to make it attractive.

Similarly, Peter Oghenekevwe, said the state government should forget the media hype about the port and work at truly marketing it while looking at ways to curb attempts of Intels to monopolise oil and gas cargoes at the port.

According to Oghenekevwe, “the state

tutes through the budgetary provision under the Maritime Fund” Other maritime institutions that the agency has embarked include: the NIMASA Science and Technical College in Bomadi, Nigerian Maritime University, Ekerenkoko, Gbaramatu in Delta State. as well as a ship yard in an area Vanguard could not ascertain. government has no interest in reviving the port.

The state government should market the port like Lagos State is doing with Lekki port.”

He noted that Intels is gradually extending its monopoly in Onne to other ports in the southern south area, to Warri port.

Oghenekevwe said that Julius Berger terminal has better cargo handling equipment and effective clearing process that ensures faster goods delivery and cheaper charges.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014 — 25

*From 2nd left: Executive Secretary, LASTVEB, Engr. Olawunmi Gasper; Chairman, House Committee on Education and Technology, Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Alawiye-King; leader of the UK Team, Jane English; the Lagos State Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye; and the Permanent Secretary (Education), Mrs. Omolara Erogbogbo at the hosting of teachers and principals from the United Kingdom.

Experts proffer solution to failures in Mathematics, English

BY DAYO ADESULU

A

LL over the world, edu cation is considered as a human right that should be accorded. It is the reason why many international human rights bodies consider education a fundamental human right. Given the central importance of formal education, it soon became the largest social programme of the three tiers of government. However, over the years, Nigeria’s educational sector has experienced a lot of rot which has also contributed to students’ performance. One can therefore imagine what the future holds for this very important sector of the nation’s economy.

The poor performance in external examinations, especially in Secondary Schools Certificate Examination (SSCE) and the General Certificate of Education (GCE) examinations by students, has become a source of worry to stakeholders in the education sector, especially in view of the nation’s goal to be one of the world’s top 20 economies by 2020. Recent statistics released by the two examination bodies

show that the standard of teaching and learning in schools have continued to wane at an alarming rate.

The poor performance of students in WAEC and NECO exams in recent times, has resulted in an average failure rate of 72 per cent, 74 per cent, 74 per

cent and 75 per cent in 2008,2009, 2010 and 2011 respectively.

Similarly, the May/June SSCE 2010/2011 examination results show that only 451,187 candidates of 1,351,557 who sat for the exam obtained credit in English Language while 560,974 ob-

tained credit in Mathematics.

The results of 77,168 candidates who sat for the exam were withheld for their alleged involvement in examination malpractice. While NECO 2010 reveals that a total of 1,143,169 candidates registered for the examiContinues on page 26

Educationists blame govt for mass failure in NECO, WAEC

S

BY AMAKA ABAYOMI & LAJU ARENYEKA

TAKEHOLDERS in Nigeria’s education sector have said that government’s inability to alleviate the fundamental challenges in the sector is responsible for the poor performance of students in the qualifying examinations organised by the National Examinations Council (NECO) and the West African Examination Council.

Leading this call was the WAEC Chairman, Professor Pai Obanya, who was the lead discussant at a forum for stakeholders in Lagos last weekend.

At the forum, themed: Education: Building

Viable Frameworks for Sustainability, Obanya insisted that, “there should be an assessment of the education sector as a whole as a way of ensuring appropriate policies, programmes and processes. Examination failure is a surface manifestation of system failure, this is why constant system assessment is paramount.”

According to the don, it requires good politics to have good education, because good politics would provide good policies, which would result in good programmes and in turn compel good processes.

Continuing, he said: “Strategic planning means indepth - not cause - analysis to adContinues on page 30

LASU Senate ratifies Feb 24 for re-opening Pg. 31

Covenant Univer sity ur ges University urges new science of Nutrobiotics Pg. 34

NBTI launches multi-crops thresher Pg. 37

26 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014

Experts proffer solution to failures in Mathematics, English Continues from page 25 nation, 1,132,357 actually sat for the examination. A breakdown of the results shows that only 244,456 candidates passed English Language at credit level while 279,974 passed Mathematics.

The Registrar and Chief Executive of NECO, Professor Promise Okpala, who exonerated the examination bodies of the mass failure, blamed it on the quality of teaching in schools, saying unless there is improvement in teaching and learning in schools, there is little the examination bodies could do to salvage the already bad situation. According to him, less than average of 30 per cent out of the candidates passed at credit levels in the two core subjects — Mathematics and English Language — for the past five years. The Minister of Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, equally expressed displeasure at the students’ poor performance, noting that less than 30 per cent of over a million students, who sat for the examinations within the last six years, obtained credits in five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.

Toying with the jewel: Many have described the rot in the education system as toying with the nation’s priceless jewel. “Education is everything; the jugular vein of any nation is the education sector.

Once the sector collapses, the collapse of the entire system is imminent,” said an economist.

He blamed the all-pervading system failure across all sectors on the failure of the education system. “The ill-educated engineers construct bad roads.

Likewise, the ill-educated medical doctors are not doing well in the health sector,” he said.

The Solution: Speaking at the presentation

of Project 3600 held in Ikeja, Project Manager for E2DMC, Mrs Olatunji Olajumoke said, “There has been a lot of buckpassing on who is to blame on the falling education standard; the Government, school system, parents or even the student.”

According to her, amongst other causes, a major factor attributed to students’ poor performance is the lack of conducive teaching and learning environment, no knowledge of our children’s specific learning difficulties, inadequate or non-existent teaching aids and lack of infrastructure."

Olatunji maintained that the key to educational success lies in student assessments in English Language and Mathematics, which is the concrete on which education is built. She said: “In the United Kingdom and United States, students are assessed for

their specific strengths and weaknesses twice a year, allowing educators to identify if a student will fail before they fail. Student assessment software such as The Profiler, can provide the much needed support in education by providing not only the assessment but step by step instructions for the teacher to address the student’s specific learning difficulty.”

The GIS specialist with vast experience in Project Management disclosed that E2DMC (Education Electronic Data Marketing Company) is the first datadriven educational marketing company in West Africa. According to her, E2DMC’s goal is to intelligently use technology to position education for global competitiveness as it opens up vast opportunities accessible in Nigeria and its growing network of emerging economies in Africa.

Her words: “Our core business model is to bridge the huge gap between education products/service providers and a growing market of educational institutions."

Worried by the wane in the sector and the need to salvage a seemingly bad situation, Project 3600 was initiated. “A project designed to set up a minimum of 100 Talent/ Learning Centres per state and it’s a platform with the objective of encouraging students to learn in dynamic and interesting ways and increase their knowledge of basic subjects i.e. Mathematics, English and Basic Science, particularly amongst the less privileged students in public schools where the impact would be greatly felt. "“The idea is to have school"friendly organisations sponsor learning centres for learning at very subsidised rates with various brand visibility and consumer engagement opportunities."

Mrs. Ayodele Oyekanmi, Proprietress of TAADEL private school [right] with pupils working on Okota road, as Ehiannata Ezeokoye, head teacher primary[left] and Mrs. Itam Okoi, head teacher nursery[middle] look on during the A community service project and repair of Okota road by TAADEL private school, Okota, Lagos. Photo: Bunmi Azeez

Educationists blame govt for mass failure in NECO, WAEC Continues from page 25 dress the challenges from their very roots. There must also be situational analysis, policy planning, action planning and an in-built monitoring and evaluation framework.”

Stressing that quality is about inputs and processes, Obanya lamented that social recognition for teachers and professional support for them are lacking.

“Yet, education is about producing the human-ware that will produce the hardware and the software,” he added. The WAEC boss declared communal involvement in education as another imperative for the revival of the sector.

In his words: “The popular term: Public-Private Partnership (PPP) must now be ‘Public-Private-Community Partnership as far as the education sector is concerned. Until this

is done, we will keep talking grammar.”

Also speaking at the forum organised by ThistlePraxis Consulting, a Professor of Counselling and Psychology, University of Lagos, Professor Ngozi Osarenren, said continuous development of teachers is very critical.

Teachers, she stressed, must be aware of updates in the sector, especially as it affects teaching. They must be aware of new teaching methods and provided with teaching materials, she advised. Osarenren declared that 95 per cent of teachers in public schools do not have the syllabus.

“How can a teacher be teaching without copies of recommended textbooks?” she asked.

She also challenged the Organised Private Sector to begin to show interest in teachers and the teaching profession, even

as she commended Etisalat Telecommunications firm for sponsoring the event.

For the Chief Academic Officer, Kepler University, Kigali, Rwanda, Chrystina Russell, no efforts should be spared in support of education because of its impact on employment and productivity.

T

he Lagos State Team Leader of Education Sector Support Programme in Nigeria (ESSPIN), Mr Olabode Oyeneye, said that a shift of focus from certification to functionality is an imperative in the quest for viable frameworks for sustainability in education.

In his words: “Certification has been so much glorified to the detriment of ability, capability and performance.”

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO), West Africa Vocational Education, Misan Rewane,

canvassed some measures to boost education.

According to Rewane: “Can we use idle pension funds to train and empower students if they will come back to teach?

Because access to education is key, can we have students’ financing models? Can we leverage on technology to provide more education opportunities?

And how do we encourage entrepreneurs to do what government is not doing?”

Earlier in the forum, ThistlePraxis’ CEO, Mrs Ini Onuk, in her welcome address, said the organisation’s latest initiative was targeted at feasible and workable solutions to meet the nation's educational needs.

“The Millennium Development Goals are due in 2015. So, how can we fastrack our progress in this critical sector?

This is part of our concerns,” Onuk said inter-alia.

AISEN partners Lagos to support 60 public schools

BY MICHAEL EBOH & LAJU ARENYEKA

A

SSOCIATION of International School Educators in Nigeria, AISEN, has entered into a partnership with the Lagos State Ministry of Education to assist 60 local public schools in the state.

Mrs. Ekua Abudu, President, AISEN, who disclosed this at the association’s Speaker Series, organised in conjunction with KPMG Professional Services, stated that AISEN lays emphasis on exposure to best practices and on raising standards all round to improve the education of the Nigerian child.

She noted that Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR, is at the core of AISEN’s existence and will continually guide its future progress.

“As a matter of fact, a precondition of joining AISEN is that all member schools must engage in one form of community service or the other by adopting local government schools or supporting various charities,” she noted.

Abudu noted that AISEN will play a crucial role in the forthcoming Nigerian Economic Summit for 2014, especially as the theme for the summit is focused on education.

She noted that AISEN, which is an association of heads of International Schools, is represented on the Planning Committee of the Nigerian Economic Summit and will continue to foster understanding and mutual support amongst international schools, ensuring that they are schools of global quality.

She stated that the association, which is also part of a standing committee at the Lagos State Ministry of Education, is carrying out its task of ensuring that schools in Nigeria are of global quality through four working policy groups.

The groups, according to her, are : Quality and Professional Standards, Teaching and Learning, Student Activities and Development and Influence.

She said, “The committees organise principals workshops and teacher training, cultural, sporting and intellectual programmes, festivals and competitions amongst all member schools and liaise regularly with the government schools and other associations abroad.”

Continuing, Abudu said, “2014 is a special year for us as we celebrate 10 years as an association. Celebrations commenced with the AISEN Secondary Sports Festival which was hosted by Olashore International School in Ilesha.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014—27

BY IKENNA ASOMBA & OLASUNKANMI AROWOLO

F

INALLY, normalcy seems to be underway in the crisis-ridden Lagos State University (LASU), as the university Senate, Friday, ratified Monday, February 24, 2014 the official re-opening of the school, which has been shutdown for the past three weeks.

After several hours of heated deliberations on the floor of the Senate made up of provosts, deans and directors, it was directed that the university be re-opened to allow final year students to sit for their 2012/2013 academic session second semester examinations.

The university said that this was to enable them get ready for deployment in the June 2014 Batch B of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), having missed the February/ March 2014 Batch A. Meanwhile, the decision contained in an extract with REF: LASU/SEN/COPD/ST. 73/008/014/01 and titled: LAGOS STATE UNIVERSITY REOPENS AS SCHEDULED, stipulates that the university will be re-opened on February 24 for final year students and stragglers; commencement of registration of fresh students and lectures on March 17, as resumption of other students (300 to 100 level) is on April 1.

The announcement of this restructured calendar has since stirred mixed feelings among students and lecturers.

While some, especially final year students, lauded the calendar, others, mainly students from 300 to 100 levels, labelled it a ‘divide and rule’ strategy by the authorities to gag the aggrieved students and other stakeholders who had in the last few weeks commenced the ‘Save LASU’ campaign aimed at making the state government to reduce the university’s tuition fees. ”With the new calendar, a clumsy examination time table where students have to sit for between two and four courses in a day has been

LASU Senate ratifies Feb 24 for re-opening ... As new calendar tears students apart

averted. Thus, final year students who have carry-overs in their previous levels now have adequate time to prepare,” averred a lecturer who pleaded anonymity.

However, the calendar reads thus: “The university will be re-opened for final year students and stragglers only on February 24, 2014; registration portal opens on February 24 and closes 12 midnight of February 25; capturing and production of exam dockets will run between February 25 and 26; collection of exam dockets will be on February 27, while commencement of exams for final year students will be on March 3. ”Screening exercise for fresh students will run between March 10 and 13; indigeneship verification exercise will run between March 13 and 14; fresh students registration and lectures will commence March 17; orientation pro-

gramme will hold between March 26 and 27, while matriculation will hold on March 28.”

Confirming the re-opening date to Vanguard Learning, the university spokesperson, Dr. Sola Fosudo said: “Yes, it is true and authentic that the school will be re-opened on February 24. The Senate just met this afternoon (Friday), and it was ratified that the university be re-opened for examination and other administrative activities, while the committee set up by the Lagos State House of Assembly continues with its findings to ascertain the root and remote causes of the students’ rampage.”

Students react

For Fatimah Abdul, a final year Mass Communication student, “the February 24 reopening date is a welcome

11.

12.

Choose the British English word/spelling in each of the following sentences: 1. There is a (tin/can) opener in the kitchen.

2. A new (bar/pub) just opened at Malomo street.

3. The Chief Executive Officer of the Company was at the (centre/cent-

Similarly, a final year student of the Department of Banking and Finance said: “The new calendar is hazardous.”

Asked why, he expressed concern for final students who have carry-over courses to sit for in previous levels.

“This new calendar is a huge delay for some students who have carry-over in various courses. So they have to wait for this long. I am aversed to this calender.”

Also reacting, Oladipo a 300 level student of Mass Communication said “this new calender is enmeshed in favouritism for final year students. I thought LASU is one, so why do we have this kind of calender.”

Itanola, a 200 level Faculty of Arts student seem very aggrieved with the new calendar. She however drummed for another showdown with the authorities.

From middle left: Commissioner for Special Duties who doubles as Chairman, NYSC State Governing Board, Dr Wale Ahmed, Lagos State NYSC Coordinator, Mrs Adenike Adeyemi cutting the cake produced by the corps members during the 2013 Batch 'A' passing-out ceremony held at the Iyana-Ipaja camp, Lagos. Photo by Dayo Adesulu

10.

EXERCISE (1)

development. I feel elated that I will eventually write my final exams and become a graduate. I used this few weeks of shutdown to acquire more skills on audio and video editing, while also studying ahead for the forthcoming e x a m s . ” However, for a 300 level Faculty of Science student who does not want her name in print, the decision as irrational.

Her words: “I am confused.

This decision of the Senate is irrational, because I don’t agree with whatever reason they may want to give for the final year students to write exams before us; for freshmen to matriculate before we resume. This is a waste of time. Since June last year, we have been at home. I can’t afford to sit at home this long.

I am appealing that this decision be reviewed for the sake of peace in the school.”

er) of the scandal.

4. Our teacher (advised/ adviced) us to leave Facebook and face our books.

5. The speed limit on the road was 100 (Kilometres/ kilometers) per hour.

6. Is he crazy/mad?

7. Which period of the year is fall/autumn?

8. He lives at the (ground/ first) floor of the house.

9. She was going through a

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

fashion (catalog/ catalogue) when I saw her.

Prof. Dora Akunyili is a woman of (honor/honour).

Students’ (enrolment/enrollment) in the University has dropped.

How many people go to the (theatre/theater) to watch plays these days?

Not every house has a pre-paid (meter/metre).

The Library is the place to find (Encylopedia/ Encyclopaedia) Britannica.

He promised to be of good (behaviour/ behavior).

Blue is my (favorite/ favourite) (colour/color).

Niyi Osundare’s poetry has (aesthetic/esthetic)

and communicative effects.

CORRECTION 1. There is a tin opener in the kitchen.

2. A new pub just opened at Malomo street.

3. The Chief Executive Officer of the Company was at the centre of the scandal.

4. Our teacher advised us to leave Facebook and face our books.

5. The speed limit on the road was 100 Kilometres per hour.

6. Is he mad?

7. Which period of the year is autumn?

8. He lives at the ground floor of the house.

9. She was going through a fashion catalogue when I saw her.

10. Prof. Dora Akunyili is a woman of honour.

11. Students’ enrolment in the University has dropped.

12. How many people go to the theatre to watch plays these days?

13. Not every house has a pre-paid metre.

14. The Library is the place to find Encyclopaedia Britannica.

15. He promised to be of good behaviour.

16. Blue is my favourite colour.

17. Niyi Osundare’s poetry has aesthetic and communicative effects.

28—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014

By MUSBAUDEEN SHEKONI

E

XPERT Microbiologist from the Covenant University (CU), Professor Louis Egwari, has urged man to desist from calculations and activities aimed at eradicating the microorganisms and dwell with them in harmony instead of fighting them antibiotics and other harmful agents.

Furthermore, he said they have beneficial activities,their harmful aspects too can be regulated and harnessed to become beneficial.

Egwari, who is also the Director, Covenant University Centre for Research and Development, while delivering the 4th Inaugural Lecture titled: Microbial Life in the Presence of Carbon and Oxygen: Consequences for Man, examined the importance of oxygen and carbon to life and the roles of microbes to the sustenance of life on earth.

He argued that microorganisms (classified into bacteria and fungi) which constitute more than 90 per cent of recycling of matter on earth are very essential to life on earth "because all the processes that cover life on earth basicallyphotosynthesis, respiration, formation of atmospheric acids are all due to microbial activities.”

Egwari said it is only one component of photosynthesis, respiration, pathology, fermentation, corrosion etc. that is, Pathology- that is harmful or causes disease and spoilage of articles, as the others help to maintain the integrity of the earth, yet the economic, social and psychological burdens are unquantifiable.

Even so, the Director opined: “What we are saying is: how can we manage effectively the activities of these microorganisms? We can regulate the harmful aspects and harness those harmful aspects to become beneficial notwithstanding, this depends on our knowledge – our deep understanding of what microorganisms do in our lives; only then can we harness them effectively for photosynthesis, for biodegradation, for composition like acid manure, and also for bioremediation.”

Covenant University urges new science of Nutrobiotics

... sues for government intervention in activities risking ecological disasters Egwari said that one way of achieving this is “nutrient replacement technology (NRT)the synthesis of organic nutrient (a placebo) with high affinity for microbial cells which he added will usher in the New Science of Nutrobiotics that is,the use of specific high affinity synthetic nutrients to satisfy microbial growth requirements in order for man to live happily in harmony with microorganisms.”

More so, he wanted government to facilitate how these microbes can be cultivated and to also make laws that will terminate the incessant killing of the two components of existence on earth – the plants that carry out photosynthesis and also the bacteria and algae that stay in aquatic environment and carry out photosynthesis as a result of daily jump in population and industrial revolution.

He noted: “We can also

make governmental legislations, (and place global) restrictions that are going to be international treaties to help preserve these organisms.”

Continuing, Egwari said: “We are saying that we should reafforest wherever we have felled a tree. Also, we should try as much as possible to maintain some environment where there should be no vessels or marine activities so that we don’t pollute the aquatic environment just as we are not supposed to be degrading the terrestrial environment.

“So if we destroy these nature components as is happening presently as a result of industrial revolution, then obviously, temperature is increasing, rainfall pattern is changing, so you begin to see there would be increased ecological disasters and is as a result of perturbing the balance of nature because microorganisms play very signifi-

cant roles.”

Speaking at the occasion, the Chancellor of CU, Dr. David Oyedepo, who maintained that the topic of the lecture was well captured, said: “God revealed it to me,” noting: “What our biologists are doing is research into the depth of nature and when the researchers learn to be creators, then they have an express access to the things that are hidden inside nature." He believes that “the inaugural lecture will raise more researchers who will be more interested, get more committed to finding more and more benefits and values of this vast nature," which he described as the "most vast platform in learning.”

Congratulating Egwari on the scholarly lecture, he said: “God takes the center stage in academics because those who know Him will far excel and

From left: Secretary General, Nigerian University Games Association (NUGA), Mr. Bola Oridele; Chairman, LOC, NUGA OAU, 2014, Prof. Bayo Amole; Business Manager, Diamond Bank PLC, Ile-Ife, Mr. Kayode Makinde; and Bursar, OAU, Mrs. J.A. Akeredolu at the opening ceremony of the 24th NUGA Games holding at OAU Ile-Ife.

UK delegates forge links with UK, Lagos schools

By AMAKA ABAYOMI

T

HE team leader of delegates from schools in the United Kingdom, Mrs. Jane English, has expressed their preparedness to forge links between schools in the UK and Lagos, especially in the area of technical education.

Speaking at the hosting of the delegates by the Lagos State Ministry of Education, English, the Principal of Paignton Community & Sports Academy, UK, who was im-

pressed with the level of technical education in the state, said the links would help share good practices among teachers in both countries.

“I have travelled to many parts of Africa but this is the place I feel most welcomed.

Really impressed with the level of technical education you have going on here and really wish UK students have this kind of passion and zeal to learn like their Nigerian counterparts.

“We would like to bring col-

leges from the UK and develop links between UK and Lagos schools so as to enable them to share good practices and facilities among teachers.”

Expressing delight, the state Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye, said technical education is the only way to get Nigeria out of the unemployment challenge it is facing.

“Technical and vocational education is not an inferior education or certificate and

we urge parents to allow their wards who are technically inclined to attend technical schools so as to properly equip them for the future.”

Pointing out that what is being witnessed is work in progress, the Executive Secretary, Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board, L ASTVEB, Mr. Olawunmi Gasper, said the state government’s intention is to lead in the area of providing quality technical education.

because you cannot be working along with the Only-Wise God and not be wise and be working with the All-Knowing God and not be insightful, this I believe is an expression of the quality of your work with God.”

Call for dissolution of university governing council uncalled for — DVC FUPRE

V

ICE-Chancellor of the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, FUPRE, Ugbomro, Delta State, Professor Olatunde Damisa, has said that the call for the dissolution of the Governing Council of the premier Petroleum University by the Coalition of Urhobo Youth Organisation, CUYO, was uncalled for and most uncharitable.

He said the call stems from crass ignorance from the group as it has no knowledge about the running of a university and the procedure for the selection and appointment of principal officers of higher institutions.

In a statement signed by the DVC and made available to newsmen in Warri, he stated: “After due screening and assessment of applications received for the positions of Vice-Chancellor, Registrar, Bursar and Librarian as advertised by FUPRE, Prof. John Ovwata Etu-Efeotor was appointed the VC while other candidates for the various positions were found not appointable as they failed to meet the required criteria in line with the mandate of the university.”

He therefore debunked insinuations in some quarters that the Pro-Chancellor, Senator Nimi Barigha-Amange is grooming someone somewhere to take these unfilled positions as a distraction by disgruntled applicants that failed the interview. He charged the general public to disregard the publication by CUYO in the Vanguard of Thursday, 13 February, 2014 at page 44.

Prof. Damisa who said the university has been very meticulous in handling its affairs and currently enjoying maximum peace and tranquility, urged the public to support the institution that has achieved great strides since the inauguration of the Governing Council.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014—29

Bad leadership, bane of national transport policy — Don ...proffers solutions

By OLASUNKANMI AKONI

T

HE Dean of Faculty of Social Sciences and former Lagos State Commissioner of Transportation, Professor Bamidele Badejo has attributed bad leadership as a major factor affecting national transport policy, which he said forms the cardinal challenge facing the country’s transport sector in the last 100 years of her existence.

Badejo affirmed this at the inaugural lecture titled: Transporting the Future Today: Portrait of Nigeria which he delivered at Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, noting that the sector had witnessed missed opportunities.

“Transport is potentially engine of growth and development that can add stimulus to the Nigerian economy. Nigeria has not innovated nor invented the right approach towards tapping the full benefits of the transport sector,” he maintained.

According to him, there is a nexus between a visionary leadership and comprehensive national transport policy as the roadmap to salvaging Nigeria from the current dysfunction of the transport sector. Nigeria cannot make progress without improved transportation system. Also, the sector cannot advance without a well-planned public transportation system.

Badejo explained that “in the last 25 years, the warning has insistently been given of the dilemma Nigeria is likely

to face if mobility and accessibility questions are not sincerely, constructively and pragmatically addressed.”

The lecturer pointed out that between 40 and 80 per cent wages “are currently spent on transportation of which the road mode is the dominant.

Again, 50-60 per cent cost of freight is consumed by transportation.”

He said as Nigeria would be deciding political leadership in 2015, transport “must be one of the key issues of the electorate’s demands. The paradigm must change to accord it with the national aspiration demanding a better country.”

Badejo continued: “We canvassed that transport, and in this context, efficient and effective national transportation agenda, must become one of the issues that the electorate should demand from the country’s political leadership in the next election.”

He explained that Nigeria’s transport and mobility quagmire “must be effectively settled. At macro or micro societal level and even not excluding individual family existence, mobility has truly become a herculean need.”

Given the deplorable state of public transportation system in the country, the don asked: “To what extent can we say that those bestowed with leadership and governance have evolved credible mechanisms

-enduring policy, pro grammes and projects - to resolve the multifarious challenges?”

As a result, Badejo reeled out some recommendations, which he said were critical to resolving crises of public transportation in the country, thereby citing the compelling need for the Nigerian governments “to conduct an inventory or survey of all existing constituent parts of the public transport system along with the evaluation of the potentials.”

He explained that such an evaluation “is to determine what is available, establish the areas of their weakness and strengths, their potentials and prospects in designing a coherent, coordinated and com-

*From left:Dr Pascal Anosike(snr. lecturer, University of Wolverhampton); Dr Anthea (Dean, University of Wolverhampton Business School); Mr Tunde Ogunsakin (Commissioner of Police, Rivers State); Mrs Ajoke Ogunsan (CEO, Executive Trainers) and Dr Ayo Ogunsan (Chairman, Executive Trainers) at a leadership training in England recently.

Wellspring College donates recreational facilities to public school to mark 10th anniversary

BY DAYO ADESULU

F

OR Wellspring College, Omomle, Lagos, the best way to celebrate its 10th anniversary was to affect a less privileged public school positively by building and donating recreational facilities to Olowoira Primary School, Lagos.

At the colourful hand-over ceremony of the recreational facilities to the school management, many pupils who were excited and couldn’t wait for the hand-over, went on to have a feel of it before the representative of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Mrs. Olubunmi Popoola received it on behalf of the state government.

The representative of SUBEB chairman,Mrs. Gbolahan

C M Y K

Daodu,Mrs. Olubunmi Popoola Popoola, applauded Wellspring College for the gesture, saying that the move would help boost the education of pupils.

She said, " The Olowoira Primary School pupils would continue to bless Wellspring College management each time they use the recreational facilities and foresee a situation where it would encourage regular class attendance."

On her part, the Head teacher, Mrs. Margaret Adebiyi, described the commissioning of the recreational facilities as memorable for the school and in particular, for the pupils stating,"Wellspring College has demonstrated the spirit of love and sharing as stated in

the Bible."

In his remark, the founder of the college, Mr. Daniel Isimoya, told the gathering that there is a special reason God directed the management to the primary school and that God would use the facilities to bless the pupils as well as motivate them to learn.

He noted that many adults did not get such facility while schooling and predicted that he sees among the primary school pupils presidents, governors, lawmakers and captains of industry even as he hoped they would make judicious use of the recreational facilities.

However, the Principal of

Wellspring College, Mrs. Oluwayemisi Oloriade, said thatthe donation was made in the spirit of the 10th anniversary and in pursuit of the college’s avowed corporate social responsibility adding “the college and its management decided to provide recreational facilities to Olowora-Ira Primary School. Today, I really thank God for the realisation of this drama.”

She said the college takes cognizance of the needs of the people in her immediate environment and stressed that it is the culture of the college to cater for the needs of people at the Orphanage homes, old people’s homes and people at the rehabilitation centres.

St. Charles’ Grammar School, Osogbo old students meet

BY DAYO ADESULU

T

HE Old Students Asso ciation of the prestigious St. Charles’ Grammar School, Osogbo, Osun State, is set to hold its bi-annual convention which is slated to hold between Friday, February 21 and Sunday, February 23, 2014 at the school premises.

According to the Social Secretary of the association and the Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of Keskese, a Lagos-based Experiential Marketing firm, Mr. Tade Adekunle, the 2014 convention promises to be very exciting and interesting, as it would afford the old students the opportunity to reunite after a long time.

Mr. Adekunle noted that the convention will discuss among other things, issues affecting their alma mater with a view to providing solutions and interventions by the old students as part of their contribution to the betterment of their great school.

“It will be a thing of joy for the old students from the 1965 set to meet and join the current set of students to ‘jaw jaw’ and contribute in their own way to the alma mater that laid the foundation for most of them. This February convention is a prelude to the 8th International Convention of St. Charles Grammar School, Osogbo Old Students’ Association that will hold in the United States of America in August, 2014,” he said.

He announced that the convention will open formally with a welcome re-union cocktail that will hold at the Regina Suites, Osogbo by 6.00pm on Friday, February 21, 2014 while the convention proper will hold on Saturday, February 22 at the main auditorium of the school from 9.00am.

Speaking further, Mr. Tade Adekunle noted that the activities of the convention will include the report of the last two years by the Central President, Charlean Tayo Orekoya, reports of the other various committees as well as the election of new executive council.

Adekunle added that the convention would climax with the Gala and re-union dinner on Saturday, February 22, by 6.00pm which will feature speeches by invited dignitaries as well as the investiture of the new executive council.

30—Vanguard, THURSDAY,FEBRUARY 20, 2014

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

NBTI launches Multi-Crops Thresher (MCT)

By EBELE ORAKPO IGERIA cereal farmers can now smile as the days of manually threshing cereals with sticks and clubs seem to be coming to an end, thanks to a new product, Multi-Crops Thresher (MCT), developed by the Technology Incubation Centre, TIC, Kano, one of the centres established by the National Board for Technology Incubation (NBTI).

In an earlier interview with Vanguard, the Ag. Director-General/ Chief Executive Officer of NBTI, Dr Mohammed Jibrin, said that the whole idea of Technology Incubation Centres is “to identify researches that are target-driven and specifically needed for the development of Nigeria so they can be initiated to become new knowledge-driven sustainable businesses. The mandate of the programme is to commercialise researches from our universities and research institutions so that knowledge-driven businesses can evolve. This will discourage unnecessary importation of what our talents can produce.”

According to a release from NBTI, “the multi-crops thresher is a technology innovated at the Technology Incubation Centre, Kano to facilitate threshing of massive quantities of hygienically-produced and clean grains with ease, saving farmers a lot of energy and harvest-time losses of grains and useful crops residues. The unique innovation is, at present, the latest technology on cereals threshing.

er. The grains are collected through sieves, which are changeable, depending on the crop to be threshed. Extra fan cleans the grains."

Advantages:

Components: “The high-capacity machine capable of threshing millet, sorghum and maize has as its components - cropfeeding chute or hopper, threshing cylinder having stud-type beaters/blades blowers, set of sieves, sieve casing, flywheel, pulleys, main shaft high-quality bearings, grain and straw outlet, among others."

he Proprietress, Pampers Private School, Surulere, Lagos, Mrs. Oludolapo Odunlami, has reiterated the need for government at various levels in the country to promote grassroots sports through adequate funding and other forms of encouragement.

Odunlanmi, who made this call at the 22nd Annual InterHouse Sports Competition of the school, held at the Sports Complex of the University of Lagos, Tuesday, said, the call became pertinent as the promotion of grassroots sports will help project and redeem the image of the country across international borders.

She said: “Today ’s interhouse sports competition is highly interactive and competitive. We put up this 22nd edition in line with our resolve to develop the child in totality. It is to balance them so that they will be aware that life is not all

How it works: "Specific quantity of the seed-laden peduncle/straw is fed through the hopper, after which the blades and beaters separate the grains from the straw/peduncle by impact. Beater studs further separate the grains and the blades of the threshing cylinder.

"Chaff and dust, along with other impurities, are winnowed away by the blow-

scribed as the latest technology on cereals threshing in Nigeria, the farmers can now produce cleaner grains. “MCT apart from drastically reducing human labour in grains threshing, also enhances the production of neat and hygienic grains. Reduces losses of grains during threshing, leads to ready availability of crops residues for animal feed production through crushing, increases the processing and production of various grains at reduced cost."

The thresher, according to a statement by NBTI, has the capacity to thresh 100 bags of maize per day; 45 bags of sorghum per day; and 15 bags of millet per day.

The Hammer mill: To h e l p c u r t a i l t h e incessant fights between Fulani herdsmen and farmers in different parts of the country due to the migratory nature of cattle rearing, Dr. Jibrin while at the Kano Centre, developed the Hammer

*Multi-Crops Thresher

,

N

Although Nigeria’s local grains are believed to be more nutritious and tastier than the imported variety, the imported variety sells more because it has no sand/stones unlike the local variety. So, with the MCT which has been de-

*Hammer Mill

mill, a crop residue crushing machine, said, "This will settle the issue of cattle destroying farmlands and farmers clashing with cattle rearers. Cattle should not be left to scavenge if they are required to produce good quantity of meat or milk.”

"Crop residues could serve as feed for animals but for the fact that they cannot be processed in that part of the country, they become waste as the animals cannot even consume 30 per cent of it, so for that reason, the machine was fabricated and developed and is now into operation. Farmers having realised the value are really buying it and it has made most cattle rearers to stay in one place since the feed can be made available to the cattle in one place," Jibrin noted.

Last November, the Federal Government donated these crop residue crushing machines to 10 farmers’ cooperative societies in Kaduna State.

The thresher has the capacity to thresh 100 bags of maize per day; 45 bags of sorghum per day; and 15 bags of millet per day

*Hammer Mill

,

Proprietress urges govt to promote grassroots sports

By IKENNA ASOMBA

T

about academics alone.

There should be a balance between academics and sports. This platform also helps nurture the children to learn how to serve and contribute immensely to the growth and development of the nation.

“We strongly believe that what is important in life is the foundation and that is what we are giving them today. We are also doing this so that when they grow up in life, they will become useful to the country, not only in academics but in other social activities. No doubt, for the fact that grassroots sports of this nature help project and promote the image of the country across national and international borders, there is need for government at all levels to promote grassroots sports through adequate funding and getting involved in it.”

At the end of the mind-pul-

sating sporting competition, Yellow House also known as the Topaz retained the title which they won last year as winners in the match-past competition, beating Blue House (Sapphire), Green House (Emerald) and Red House (Ruby), which came first, second and third runners-up respectively. This is even as Blue House (Sapphire) toppled Red House (Ruby) as the overall winner for this year’s competition.

Also, sharing the same view with Odunlami was the chairman of the day, Mr. Alozie Chinakwe, who stated that grassroots sports help check juvenile delinquency in any given society, pointing out that when young people engage in sports, they certainly re-direct energies that would have been used for delinquent behaviours into useful purposes. His words: “InterHouse sporting activities have and been very essential espe-

cially in the current reality of obesity. It’s very pertinent that our children are exposed to sports at this tender age, which is in line with building the body. Parents should encourage their children to engage in exercise, to keep them fit and in shape. This inter-house sports event is advantageous in so many ways.

It creates healthy competition, sportsmanship and encourages friendship among our children. It encourages the winning spirit in them, check delinquent behaviours among young people thereby helping them redirect such energy into useful purposes, to improve self esteem.”

Meanwhile, the pupils coloured the day with competitive events such as match past, field and track events like picking the lego, 25 metres race, bursting the balloon, 50 metres race,100 metres race, 200 metres race, shuttle relay, 4x100 metres race, etc.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014—31

Our pioneer leaders went to public schools, and did well, says Aregbesola ...commissions Baptist School

Baptist Central Elementary School, Ilare, Ile-Ife

BY DAYO ADESULU

G

his

overnor Rauf Aregbesola has stated that he will not renege on

efforts to restore the glory of public schools in Osun state and make it the citadel of learning. “Our pioneer leaders went to public school and they did well.”

He said that work is still going on in Osun and will not stop until his administration achieve her goal of making public schools in Osun places where pupils can get the kind of education that will place them at par with the very best in the world. “This is our ultimate aim, and by the grace of God, and your support and understanding, we will realise this objective to the greater future of our children and our state,” Aregbesola told the people of Osun at the official commissioning of Baptist Central Elementary School, Ilare, Ile-Ife. He said, “What we have brought to education in Osun, if we will not sound imodest, amounts to a revolution. Critics who will be honest should compare this new school and its facilities to what obtained when they went to school and what public schools have become of recent. “ I am sure very few, if any private school can compare favourably with the schools we are building. Yet we are not competing with private schools.”

According to him, the role of private school is to complement and not displace government in the provision of certain essential services, stressing that our society has to do away with the notion that the government must necessarily fail in certain endeavours which must then be yielded to the private sector. Moreover, while insisting on quality education and conducive learning environment for students, the governor reiterated that pioneer leaders who went to public schools did well in its ramifications.

He noted that preparing our children for the future is a responsibility that we must fulfill, adding that leaders will never be forgiven if they fail in their responsibilities. According to him, the world around us is moving on; and at a pace that leaves no room for lack of seriousness or half-measures, especially with regard to education.

The education of our children, he warned, should not be a subject for petty squabbles or unhealthy politics about our narrow interests, adding, “if we are genuinely interested in the future of our children, we should bury our narrow concerns of today in order to assure for them a glorious tomorrow.” Upon this, he stated, “we will not be distracted from this objective even if it means stepping on toes, we are unstopable” For the benefit of doubt, Aregbesola, however disclosed that the new school buildings are not for Muslims or for C M Y K

Christians, neither are they for adherents of any other religion, adding that they are for all children of Osun, regardless of their circumstances of birth.

On issue of religion, the governor said his efforts at revamping education never had a religious motive, but that he is motivated by the highest ideal of developing a complete personality who will be an asset to society as he would be for himself. "We are clearly neutral on religious observances," he added.

Recalling his administration’s investment in education, Aregbesola said, “We have added 10,407 new teachers to the list of public school teaching staff in Osun. Thus, we now have 12,715 teachers in our primary schools and 7,848 teachers in our secondary schools. This amounts to a 54.8 per cent increase in the number of public school teachers we inherited. The same applies to non-teaching staff whose number has also increased by 564.

“As a result, the salaries and pensions of our primary and secondary school teachers now cost the government N16.8 billion and N10.3 billion respectively on an annual basis. On the free school uniforms, we expended N900 million, while the elementary school feeding programme costs N3.6 billion every year.

“On the supply of furniture to our schools, we have committed N2.5 billion so far, while we have spent N503 million on instructional materials which were not part of public school education before we assumed office. We have similarly increased school grants from N122 million to N856 million. Under our administration, WAEC fees have also shot up from N38 million to N400 million. We have also expended N1.2 billion on our pace-setting elearning tablet, Opon-Imo. “Along with building new schools, we are also renovating and upgrading some of the existing ones. On this we have spent N1.6 billion. On the new schools, we have committed N14.4 billion on capital projects, while our recurrent annual expenditure is N21 billion on elementary schools, and N13.43 billion on secondary schools. This amounts to per capita spending of N84,000 per elementary school pupil, and N30,000 per secondary school pupil. The total capital expenditure on all schools in the last three years outside new schools is N31.31 billion.”

32—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014

Niger poly vows to continue strike indefinitely

BY WOLE MOSADOMI

Private one-man universities can also fold up-2 Continues from last week

W

E have been told that our world now generates more knowledge every 10 years than in the first 50,000 years of human history. Many of these end up in the curriculum.

Sometimes, it costs a fortune to acquire them and make them available to the students. The best Nigerian example, for me, is still the E-library established by the American University of Nigeria, AUN, Yola.

I have also visited other private universities which are splendid – Elizade, Babcock, Madonna etc – and the enormous investment made by their founders are astonishing and frightening. Frightening in the sense that, once, during my 10 years stay in the United States, a university in the state of Maine, in the Northeast of America, was threatened with closure for lack of adequate funds to operate it.

That was my first time of learning that universities do close down. Like most young people in those days, in the 1960s, I had assumed that university, once established, was there to stay until the world ends – if it ever does. The world, for me, looked different from that day; until another shocker came two years after. A Church in one rural area of New York State was closing for lack of congregation.

Since then, I had paid close attention to the matter of private universities and their sources of funding. Even the wisest of men cannot predict 20 or 30 years into the future. Yet, investment in a university by any individual amounts to placing a bet that the legacy will be maintained for, how long?

If you ask any of the founders of the private universities in Nigeria today why they think the dream will be sustainable long after they are gone, (incidentally none of them is less

Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Niger State Po l y t e c h n i c , Zungeru, has vowed never to return to class even if the ongoing nationwide strike embarked upon by all polytechnics in the country is called off, until all the contending issues affecting the institution are addressed by the state government.

Addressing journalists in Minna, chairman of the union, Comrade Kasim Ibrahim Mohammed, said the state government has in the past five years grossly underfunded the institution and that this has led to braindrain of lecturers from the institution to other places. ’’The Niger State Polytechnic is in worrisome state with zero funding from the state government to execute capital projects and for the day-to-day running of the institution,” the ASUP chairman remarked.

According to him, “If we look at the budgetary provision of the state government, N20 million has always been budgeted for the polytechnic in the past five years with no single kobo being released to the insti-

tution by government except payment of salaries.”

Comrade Mohammed noted that with the development, it is very clear that the polytechnic had minimal prospects for improvement because the authorities in the state have continued to gamble with the future of the youths who have chosen to pursue careers in the technical sector. ”In fact, the refusal of the state government to implement the CONPCASS/CONTEDISS salary package apart from the poor funding of the institution, has led to massive brain drain and low morale of staff in the polytechnic thus lowering the rating of the institution in the comity of its peers in the country,” the chairman declared.

He said, “as a vital stakeholder in the polytechnic, we must rise in defense of the system; it is a position of our union at the chapter and NEC that the on-going strike will be sustained until the Niger State Government and the Federal Government address all contending issues raised and also take appropriate steps towards repositioning polytechnic education in Niger State and Nigeria.”

,

Some of the present generation of university students might, by the end of their days, have attended a university which no longer existed.

,

than 60), they expect the university to last. The answer will probably be “for ever.” If you are polite, you will not laugh.

Just ask the next question: who will ensure that the university stays open for long after his departure. Then, you will receive an answer about a Board of Trustees, Governing Council and perhaps a son or daughter. An answer such as that prompted me to take a quick look at the people on the Board and Council; and predictably, they were all in their late 60s and middle 70s. Undoubtedly, they are all solid citizens, either of Nigeria or other countries. But, none of them will be around 20 years from now, and, if alive, will need wheelchairs to get to meetings. It is doubtful if a growing university needs people who are at death’s door for it to thrive.

Meanwhile, the inheritors i.e. sons and daughters of the founder of a Nigerian university, will face problems which their counterparts in the US don’t even contemplate. When the BIG man dies, a great war starts among the children, born to him by different wives, over the estate. Funding the university might be the last thing on their minds for years.

Yet, a university is like the rascal called stomach, it must be fed daily – non-stop. Otherwise trouble starts. Who among today’s founders can look down the road and guarantee that the second generation will hold the investment long enough to pass it on to the next generation? Surely, nobody will attempt to state what a grandchild will do with it.

Some of the present generation of university students might, by the end of their days, have attended a university which no longer existed.

Visit: www.delesobowale.com or Visit: www.facebook.com/ biolasobowale C M Y K

*From right: Project Manager, E/2DMC, Mrs Olatunji Olajumoke, a staff and the Account Manager, Gabriel Swatzell during Project 3600 presentations held in Ikeja.

Bank donates 33-seater bus to NYSC

BY DAYO ADESULU

T

HE Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier-General Johnson Bamidele Olawunmi, has commended Diamond Bank Plc for supporting the NYSC through the donation of a 33-seater bus to the organisation. Diamond Bank is a leading player in the Nigerian retail banking space.

Mr. Oladele Akinyemi, Executive Director, Northern Business, Diamond Bank Plc, who made the presentation on behalf of the bank, said that the gesture was made in demonstration of Diamond Bank’s support for the NYSC in fulfilling its mandate of empowering future leaders as well as fostering unity in the country.

Speaking at the official handing over event of the bus which was held at the NYSC headquarters in Maitama, Abuja, Akinyemi said: “Diamond Bank is very interested in contributing its quota towards national development. One of the ways in which we have chosen to do this is by supporting the NYSC. We have done our homework and we have noticed several

areas where we can assist the NYSC and one of the areas is in providing a means of transportation for the staff and corps members.

“Another area that we intend to look closely into is empowering corps members. This is not a one-off event as we will continue to look for ways in which to partner the NYSC to ensure that the scheme continues to empower the future leaders of this country,” he added.

In his response, Brigadier-General Johnson BamideleOlawunmi, thanked Diamond Bank, noting that the donation was a fitting response to President Goodluck Jonathan’s call to the private sector to support the NYSC scheme.

According to him, “The idea of corporate social responsibility is for corporate entities to give back to society. That is exactly what Diamond Bank has done today. We are especially appreciative because they have risen to the challenge from President Jonathan for the private sector to support the NYSC. This gesture will help the NYSC especially in conveying corps members and staff whenever they need to transit from rural areas. We are grateful to Diamond Bank for this wonderful bus and we also call on other corporate bodies to emulate the bank.”

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014 — 33

C M Y K

34—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014 —35

36—VANGUARD, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014

Court acquits Businesswoman of stealing N650m

P/56

NIALS Upgrades Legal Education with on-line learning

Our laws are not responding to contemporary issues —Delta AG Charles Ajuya, a senior advocate is Delta State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice. In this interview he appraised the judiciary independence and suggested that the running of the affairs of the third arm of government be entrusted into the hands of judicial officers. He also assess the criminal justice system, the need for judges to be protected from petitioners and other sundry issues. Excerpts:

By WAHAB ABDULAH as a tool, particularly on political matters. I think the bottom line is that the judges are experience and I believe they would be able to see between the lines and dispense justice accordingly.

An Abuja High Court held recently that the funding of the judiciary should be entrusted into that tier of government. What is your reaction to this and the independence of the judiciary?

Well, I have not read fully the judgment it was delivered. I am aware that no state governor in this country set out deliberately to violate that provision, which recognises the independence of the judiciary. In fact, I will tell you that each arm of

Well, the judges have been trying, but I think the challenge we have is that the law is not developing fast to deal with contemporary matters

,

, Charles Ajuya (SAN)

What is your evaluation of the judiciary in 2013 and what is your projection for the sector in 2014?

M

y appraisal of the judiciary in 2013 is that under the democratic government, they have come of age , they had gone through a lot of challenges before that time and by 2013, they geared themselves up in the dispensation of justice in an outstanding manner.

Right from the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, down to the trial courts judges, they have been very efficient and hardworking. But that does not suggest that we don’t have few that have called for concern, but generally,

the judiciary is health and strong. It has helped to sustain the democratic government in this country, particularly by upholding the provisions of the constitution that bind all of us together and ensure that the three arms of government work in accordance with the rule of law.

About my projection, I know there are going to be challenges certainly.

We are moving towards another election period and of course, we are going to have challenges in some months to come for people who for genuine reasons want to air their grievances through the court and some who will want to use the judiciary

government has the same problem. You talked about the independence of the judiciary. Yes, judges are not interfered with but the question of funding goes beyond what we see.

For us in Delta state, we are already working on a bill to that effect., even before this judgment. But going through the process of making the bill, there are challenges and I think every state governor appreciates that and even for the states that have that law, its operation is also not the problem, but the bottom line is funding and the misconception that most people have, is that when a state submits its budget to the House of Assembly, the

Lawmakers deliberate on it and it comes out as a bill, an appropriation bill and of course you have some money allocated to the judiciary and other sectors. Most people just think the money is available in the treasury and it is available to be handed over to the Chief Judge.

Most states either rely on their Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) or the federal allocation and what they budget might not be what they have.

So, if you talked about money meant for the judiciary and if for a particular month, all that a state earns is budgeted for the judiciary, and you suggest we give that to them then what about other sectors? As a lawyer, I agreed that the judiciary should be well funded but the process depends on the money available for the state at a particular given time.

So, what we have been experiencing from the middle of last year that funds from federation account dropped drastically, states have not be getting what they are entitled to, then how do you now talk about giving to the judiciary what isn’t in the budget.

So it’s a matter of what the priorities need are at that particular point in time. Otherwise, we would have a serious deficit problem which is not good for the country. I think the areas the Chief Judge and the heads of various governments would look at it and see what is practicable and feasible. It might be there in the law

Continues on page 37

EDITORIAL TEAM Dayo Benson (Editor) Innocent Anaba Wahab Abdulah Ikechukwu Nnochiri

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014—37

Our laws are not responding to contemporary issues —Delta AG but what is there in the provisions of the constitution might be very difficult to operate and sometimes their face value becomes a serious problem.

We are prepared to fund the judiciary and that we have been doing. The state government understands and appreciates the need to fund the judiciary.

The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta has warned Judges to be careful about how they grant injunctions, especially as the election year is drawing nearer. How do you see this directive?

I think what he said is a word of advice. The honorable CJ is a man of experience, with his position, there are lots of things which he sees that many may not know, the information he has, which many may not have and like a leader or like a father he has a duty to guide those under him, because if anything happens to any of the judges of the Federal High Court of course, he will be touched. As a person and like every father having children, he has a duty to guide them, not to interfere and dictate in the way they handle matters, but just to put them on their toes. I think he has a duty to do that.

At the valedictory court session in honour of Justice M. Awokuleyin, who handled James Ibori’s case, he stated that Judges must be protected from petition writers. What is your take on this?

You know as sitting Judges of the court, they don’t have the opportunity to respond to these petitions except they are required to do so officially, and the protection he seeks is that judges should be allowed to do their work and to dispense justice without interference.

When you talk about interference in the wheel of justice, interference comes

from people, such as going to the press to present their case in public opinion before coming to court. And I think any sensible lawyer who has a genuine case and goes to court should not subject such cases to public opinion until after judgment.

One can criticize a judgment, no doubt but there are better ways of doing it professionally. You can take it up in newspapers, articles and write-up, but it must be constructive for the purpose of developing the law and not for the purpose of ridiculing the judge. I think that’s what the protection he seeks. We need protection not to ridicule the judges but to advance the law.

How would you evaluate the level of criminal justice in the country?

Well, the judges have been trying, but I think the challenge we have is that the law is not developing fast to deal with contemporary matters. You see, society develops everyday, you have new forms of criminality, you have new forms of things which in the law they are either made provisions for but made no adequate provision for punishment and that is where we are lacking. An instance is the issue of kidnapping. Of course, in the laws, the prescribed punishment is between 7 and 10 years, but it has become a heinous crime now and of course, people want stiffer penalties which we are advocating for, stiffer penalties not necessarily death penalty.

Of course, you can have a longer term of imprisonment to keep such people away from the society.

When you take someone who is 17 or 18 years getting into crime by the time he’s getting to 20 or 25 years in jail, and he comes back after 25 years in jail. I don’t see him going back to that crime, he would have learnt a lot, he would have been remorseful and of course, sometimes giving up

P/56

Ajuya (SAN)

,

Continues from page 36

Election tribunal should be on ad-hoc basis. The reason is that after the election petition tribunal, what will the Judges be doing? Because we know that elections don’t come every day, they come once in four years

such crimes.

Some people have been advocating for special election petition tribunal to deal specifically with election matters. As 2015 election year approaches what is your view on this?

I think I differ. Election tribunal should be on ad-hoc basis. The reason is that after the election petition tribunal, what will the Judges be doing?

Because we know that

,

elections don’t come every day, they come once in four years and so when the elections are offer they become idle. I don’t agree with such view.

What are the challenges you have as the Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice in Delta state?

The challenges that we have are like every other sector in the country. Funding is a challenge. What we try to do

is to work within the available resources that we have. The perception of the people over what the government is doing matters a lot. There is this negative perception that things are not there. I tell you, in government you find people telling you that what is this government doing?

They are not aware and sometimes when they see it they don’t want to appreciate it because of the negative perceptions.We do our best. In this country generally people think politicians are there for themselves but I do not think so even though we have one or two politicians that are doing so. There are politicians who are there to work and serve.

Coming to the Ministry of Justice, the challenges that I had initially was that of mindset. People think this is how things were been done years back and there is no need for a change but having regards to economy and the type of system we run, there’s need for accountability, getting officers of the Ministry to also feel accountable became initial problem. In fact, for six months I had to work hard to change the mindset. When I got to the ministry, I found that a lawyer assigned a file would not feel obliged to conduct the matter and report back. He would conduct the matter sometimes and keep the file away so government would not know what is happening and that is why sometimes you find people say oh government is violating certain laws or order.

It is not that government decides to do that but you find out that people who are entrusted these matters for advice are not sending the advice forward and that I had to tackle to ensure that every lawyer handling a matter at every given point in time must account for that matter he is handling, he must report to the relevant ministry and report also to the AttorneyGeneral. That is the only way we could have control, the only way government can be law abiding.

Apart from that, I do not think we have other challenge. We have the total support of Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan in handling the Ministry of Justice so far so good.

There is suggestion that the retirement age of Federal High Court judges should be extended from 65 to 70 years.

What is your reaction?

I think the retirement age should be fluid, even if we increase it, not many people will have that strength to work up to the age of 70. I think usually the worries of people is that what will they do after retirement. At 65, they have paid their dues, for those that have the strength perhaps, they may wish to continue in other areas. So for me, I would not want to hold the bar that it must be 65, we have very bright judges who can still go beyond 65 years but not all of them can do that.

38—VANGUARD, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014

Court acquits Businesswoman of stealing N650m

By BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

R

espite has come the way of a Businesswoman, Mrs Clara Otoki, as an Igbosere Magistrate Court, Lagos, discharged and acquitted her over allegation of stealing N650 million, being proceeds realized from the sale of property of Nojovo Farms and Fisheries Company Limited without remitting same to the company.

Chief Magistrate, Mrs O.O. Oshin, upheld a no case submission made by the defence counsel, Mr Ladipo Johnson, pursuant to Section 286 of the Criminal Procedure Law of Lagos State (Cap. C18) 2003.

The Magistrate held that, from all the evidence before me, there were no facts established in the claim that the defendant allegedly took or converted either to her own use or to the use of any other person the sum N650 million belonging to the Company.

She said: “The prosecution has failed to establish how they arrived at the N650 million and even the PW 1 and PW 3 did confirm that they did not use any valuer or auditor in reaching or arriving at what I can only just refer to as an imaginary amount.

“From the evidence before ( the court) both oral and documentary, the prosecution has been unable to establish a prima facie case of the amount

allegedly charged to have been stolen by the defendant.

The prosecution is under a duty to prove that the exact amount N650 million in the charge was stolen by the defendant and this they have failed to do.”

On the prosecution’s evidence, Magistrate Oshin held that it has been so discredited as a result of crossexamination, saying “and is also manifestly unreliable that

no reasonable tribunal can safely convict the defendant.”

Concluding her ruling with the remarks of Nikki Tobi, Magistrate Oshin reads: “The Nigerian polity, more than any one known to me, is one of suspicion and suspects. It is one society where the slightest aberrant conducted of an individual, however mala fide, is construed with all suspicion and so much malice read into it. Suspicion is the hobby of the

average Nigerian. He does not only vegetate on it, he enjoys it, particularly if the end result of that suspicion is to damage or destroy the character of another person.”

Aligning herself with Justice Tobi’s position, the Magistrate ruled; “I uphold the defendant’s No Case Submission and accordingly the defendant is hereby discharged and acquitted.”

During trial, the prosecution

called three witnesses. The first prosecution witness (PW1) had informed the court that the defendant is her late father, Chief Babashola Rhodes SAN, half-sister.

Abiola Babalola (PW1) told the court that her late father incorporated Novojo Farms and Fisheries with which he purchased land from the Lagos State Government, land measuring 5 hectares.

(L-R) Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Enugu State, Mr Anthony Ani, Delta State Deputy Governor, Prof Amos Utuama, SAN and Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, at the public presentation of a book, ABC of Land Law in Nigeria written by the Chief Judge of Enugu State, Hon. Justice Innocent Umezulike last weekend in Enugu.

e-learning: We'll surpass international standard — NIALS DG

BY DAYO BENSON and CHINYERE ABIAZIEM Lagos

A

s part of efforts to expand

the frontiers of legal education and upgrade its services delivery, the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies NIALS, has introduced on-line learning to its curriculum. The Institute Director-General Prof Epiphany Azinge SAN at the launching of the On-line learning in Lagos stated that NIALS has to improve on its facilities and emulate what other institutions outside the country are doing in order to remain relevant. The event which took place at the University of Lagos Campus of the institution witnessed live demonstration of the on-line learning. According to Prof Azinge the essence of the concept is: “To upgrade and update our facilities and the techniques of teaching that will obviously stand the taste of time.

We are in a modern era and like

I said; the only way we can compete favourably with institutions outside this country is for us to do some of the things that is obtained outside or even better.” Speaking further he added :”It is unfortunate that in Nigeria we dont have any university among the first 100 or even more than that 200 or 300. But the challenge is that, with little drops of water a lot can be achieved, in the past we have boasted that we have the best law library in Africa, but that seems to be in the past, and if we continue living in the past then the future will be bleak for the institute.” “We have conceptualised the idea of broadening our horizon and then our catchment, in the sense that more often than not, only people who can find time out of their crowded schedule in the office can find time to be in the institute for continued legal education, whether it is post graduate studies or may be trying to look at some specialised courses. So we deemed it necessary that the

Prof. Epiphany Azinge only way we can reach to our teeming participants or would be participants wherever they maybe in Nigeria even beyond Nigeria is to devise a means whereby the idea of electronic learning or distance learning as the case may be will be introduced so that we can capture interested participants from Ghana, from Senegal and some other parts of the world.”

He said. Prof Azinge stated further that: “ Happily we were

able to get in touch with people from cyberspace who are experts in their own right and who are knowledgeable enough because they have done similar thing for National Open University,and here we are with them trying to drive the process at a cost that we consider very very affordable and reasonable in this circumstance.But with the window of opportunity to beam us to all the nook and crannies and outside this jurisdiction to people who are interested in knowing what we are doing, for us it is something that will internationalise us and open us up to the whole world, so that people can get to terms with exactly what we are doing, see our publications, see our research products, see most of our teaching curricula and of course get to know exactly what the institute is all about. “ He pointed out that: “ Most significantly is also an opportunity for people to avail themselves of some of the post graduate facilities or opportunities that are in here in

the institute, especially the legislative drafting aspect of it.

People can study and pursue a degree from Sokoto, Maiduguri from Enugu and so on and so forth. So we feel that this is the best thing that can happen to the institute at this point in time. Been able to do all what we are doing to all parts of the globe more importantly to Nigerians so that people can access what we are doing and at a very very cheap rate. So we are happy that we have been able to introduce this, we believe it is the way forward, we believe it is also an opportunity for most Nigerians to also sign unto whatever is happening in the institute. I know that it will just be a matter of time before we can also make sure our virtual library is fully operational to a very large extent work is in progress by the time we are able to achieve this synergy between the library and the learning process, we will be able to open up Nigerian publications to the external world.

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014—39

LAWYERS MARK 20 YEARS AT THE BAR Some group of Lawyers that were called to the Bar 20 years ago held a reunion get together in Ibadan

L-R: Prince Bamidele Abolarin, Abiola Olagunju and Adebayo Kareem.

Some of the Lawyers called to the Bar 20 years ago

L-R: Moses O. Oladejo, Hon. Justice Lekan Owolabi, Babatunde Aiku(SAN) and Mrs. K. Y. Urosaro-Tijani

L-R: Omolara Adeyemi, Yemi Aduloju and Oluseun Abimbola

Bill of Lading: Rights and Liabilities A bill of lading is an evidential document, evidencing that merchant shipped their goods on carrier vessels in good condition. It can also be said to be a receipt issued to a merchant by a carrier to evidence, receipt by carriers, in good condition of cargoes shipped on board their vessels.

The Black Law Dictionary defines “Bills of Lading” as “A document acknowledging the receipt of goods by a carrier or by the shippers’ agent and the contract for transportation of those goods; a document that indicates the receipts of goods for shipment and that is issued by a person engaged in the business of transporting or forwarding goods. UCC S1-201(6).A negotiable bill of lading is a document of title. “A bill of lading may be regarded in three several aspects.

1. A receipt issued to a merchant by a carrier acknowledging the receipt of goods by the carrier or by the shipper ’s agent and that the goods were received in good condition on board their vessels; 2. It is a receipts showing that, there is a contract for transportation of those goods or put another way it is a document that contains terms of the contract for the carriage of the goods agreed upon between the shipper of the goods and the ship owners whose agent the master of the ship, and; 3. As a document of title to the goods which, it is the symbol. And it is through or by this means of the document of title that the goods may be dealt with by the owner of them while they are still on board ship and upon high sea.

This is the true position of the law regarding Bill of Lading whether it is in the electronic form or hardcopy which is the traditional form, a bill of lading cannot be said to be one if it lacks one of the element mentioned above.

A bill of lading as a receipt answers and solves the following problem: 1. An evidence, that a shipper, shipped goods in a vessel of a carrier vessel; 2. That these cargoes or the goods were shipped on board the carriers vessel in good condition; 3.

That the quality and quantity on the receipt where correct and; 4. It also answer such question as to description and weight or volume of bulk cargos to the dimensions, numbers and seal numbers of containers. In the case of containerized cargoes these are entered, generally in numbered boxes.

One of the requirement of the receipt is provided for in Article III rule 3 of the Hague and Hague -Visby Rules (and, similarly, Article 15(1)(b) of the Hamburg Rules, with the word “ shipped on board in apparent good order and condition”. Bill of lading are prepared by a carriers on the information supplied to him by the shippers. This has led some to say that, the bills of lading are prepared by shippers and carriers. Due to the nature of the business, carriers do not always have enough time to check the information supplied to them by shippers in preparing Bill of lading, and this has put them at risk of issuing clean Bills of Lading, whereas what is on board their vessel is either not in

BY PRINCE ADU-ODOGWU good condition or below quantity or even contrary or not fit to the description of the goods on board the vessel.

The bill of lading is more or less a conclusive evidence between the carriers and the receiver and as at least prima facie evidence as between the carrier and shipper as to the numbers, weight or quantity and apparent order and condition of the cargo on loading on this point see, the carriage of goods by sea Act 1971, section 1(6); Hague and Hague- Visby Rules Article III , rule 4; One more thing to note is that , contract of carriage of cargos as evidenced by bills of lading is not always negotiated by the holders of them. The Hague Rules has made attempts and still making attempts to ensure fair and reasonable commercial terms on bills of lading. See also the Hamburg Rules.

It is not feasible for intermediate or subsequent transferee, or transferee for limited purpose of a cargo that is dealt with afloat each to take physical possession of the cargo for the duration of their interest. However, it is both feasible and desirable for each of those transferees to control disposition of the cargo for a period of time, or to an appropriate degree, through control of a document representing an entitlement to the cargo. Thus, by mercantile custom, both “received for shipment”and “shipped on board”bill of lading have come to be treated as documents of title to cargo Bills of lading made out to a consignee whose name is left blank or to “bearer ” or to “order ”or so “assigns”are transferable. In this wise, the delivery or endorsement and delivery of which can transfer property in or rights and liabilities concerning the cargo covered. And again a mere delivery of a blank or bearer bill of lading, or of a bill of lading “endorsed in blank”,can transfer property in or rights and liabilities concerning the cargo covered by that bill of lading whereas both endorsement and delivery are required to transfer property in or rights and liabilities concerning the cargo covered by a bill of lading made out to a named consignee or “endorsed in full”.A bill of lading is said to be “endorsed in blank”if the name of the shipper or consignee is barely inserted on the reverse of the bill, while a bill of lading is said to be “endorsed in full”by the shipper or consignee signing on the reverse of the bill for example an order to “deliver to S order ”

40—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014

Sanusi’s Kerosene politics F

BY IBRAHIM BIU

OR nearly two months, altercations between the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, over allegations of missing billions of dollars have re-ignited an impassioned debate over the issue of transparency in government.

Trouble started when, in a letter to President Goodluck Jonathan, the CBN Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, claimed that the NNPC was yet to account for the sum of $49.8 billion, an amount it claimed, ought to have been remitted to the Federation Account.

The claim led to a rebuttal by the CBN, forcing Alhaji Sanusi to climb down to $10.8 billion. In the NNPC’s subsequent account of the $10.8 billion, it turned out that the NNPC deployed $8.7 billion towards taking care of subsidy on kerosene, a claim that the CBN has rejected, insisting that subsidy on kerosene had been eliminated since 2009. Curiously, in spite of the NNPC providing ample evidence to buttress its case that it acted within the law, the CBN has upped the figure to $20 billion.

Before going into the merits or demerits of both positions, it will serve some useful purpose to clarify the purpose of public policy. As almost everybody is aware, the CBN is the government’s bank with responsibility for warehousing Federal Government’s money and aligning monetary policy to achieve the economic goals of the government and, overall, the economic advancement of the country.

In spite of its independence, in most cases, it is expected to work in tandem with the government of the day. The world over, because of its pivotal position in the economy, pronouncements of the key officials of any country’s apex bank are considered very seriously by a cross-section of local and international businessmen.

Nigeria is not an exception. For many, releases from the CBN represent the barometer by which the country’s economic health is measured. Such is the great score placed on the position of the CBN governor that even if he just sneezes in his bedroom, the economy is bound to go into immediate convulsion. You can therefore imagine what happens when the CBN governor coughs in the public. It is against this background that the unending statistical feud between the CBN and the NNPC should be considered.

In making its case, while not disputing that there was indeed a directive by late President Umaru Musa Yar’ Ardua to the effect that subsidy on kerosene be stopped, the NNPC argues that the directive was neither turned into a government gazette nor communicated to it by Alhaji Rilwanu Lukman, who was the Nigeria’s oil minister at the time.

It is not clear why Rilwanu Lukman, for a long time Nigeria’s oil czar who commanded global respect as a leading technocrat, failed to do the needful with respect to the directive. However, watchers of government may want to find out why President Yar’Adua directed, at the same time, that the withdrawal of subsidy should never be made public.

Contradictory; isn’t it? It was like approbating and reprobating at the same time! Did the President ask Lukman to eat an omelet without breaking an egg? Impossible! That was, and remains the big challenge as far as this matter is concerned.

To gazette the directive implied that it

had become a public document. That would have flouted the President’s directive. And without a gazette, the minister couldn’t direct the NNPC on the subsidy removal. Curiously, although Section 6 of the Petroleum Act had given the minister the powers to fix prices of petroleum products, rather than proceed with deregulation, an inter-ministerial committee was set up on the issue whose report could not be considered by the President who, for all practical purposes, was no longer active in office.

With the status quo retained, importation of kerosene became so unattractive that the private sector bailed out leaving the NNPC as the last resort. That was the classical dilemma; the NNPC was left between the devil and the deep blue sea. But the corporation made a wise decision: rather than allow a situation where kerosene shortage threatened to throw the country into cyclical instability, and rather than heed an ambiguous and contradictory directive, it chose to obey the law by virtue of the Petroleum Act thereby eliminating the supply gap.

The way I see it, if there are still any questions on this matter, they should be directed to the Ministry of Finance, the government institution that should have appropriated for subsidy on kerosene. I know that the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, is a very distinguished economic expert.

I also want to believe that the officials of the Ministry of Finance are not politically naïve or heartlessly insensitive. I do not know if they were out of the country during the debilitating fuel riots/strike of January 2012. I doubt that anybody in his or her right senses would want to create a throwback to the subsidy strikes of early 2012, a most trying period for the country.

That is what an unannounced withdrawal of subsidy on kerosene will lead to. It is such insensitivity that fuels the armory of reckless officials like Sanusi whose penchant for selective whistle-blowing threaten the stability of government and throw our collective well-being into jeopardy.

For any honest Nigerian, I am of the opinion that the leadership of the petroleum sector and the NNPC in particular should be commended for acting patriotically instead of being vilified by those who ought to know the grave danger posed by the acute scarcity of a commodity that the well-being of over 70 per cent of Nigerian families depend on.

My final take on this is simple: whistleblowing as Sanusi has done is not a crime.

Remember that it takes only for good (and I add honest) people to do nothing, for evil to grow. To that extent, Sanusi was acting within his limits if he genuinely pointed out incongruous activities in the NNPC. The challenge before Sanusi is to prove that in this instance, his motive is both good and honest.

Unfortunately, the facts don’t seem to add up in his favour. Both the timing of his disclosures, on the eve of the 2015 political season and the grotesque somersault he is making with statistics, point to a man who seems to be desperate to hurt the system before his exit in four months time, someone who is playing politics with kerosene, the life-wire of Nigerians.

Ibrahim Biu, a veteran journalist, is a commentator on public affairs.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014 — 41

Nasri: City can win in Barcelona S

Zabaleta: We need Nou Camp ‘belief’

M

ANCHESTER City ’s players put on a brave face as they assessed the damage inflicted by Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League tie.

City’s hopes of reaching the quarter-finals appear in ruins after the Spanish champions claimed a controversial 2-0 win at the Etihad Stadium.

•Zabeleta

AMIR Nasri took heart from Manchester City ’s victory against Bayern Munich in the Allianz Arena to declare that they can go to the Camp Nou, beat Barcelona and stay in the Champions League.

City approach the second leg with a 2-0 deficit after losing Tuesday’s match at the Etihad Stadium, thanks to goals from Lionel Messi and Daniel Alves.

But they lost 3-1 to defending champions Bayern in their group-stage match in Manchester, only to go to Bavaria and triumph 3-2 with a weakened team.

France international Nasri told reporters after the match: “It is a different game but why not? We went to Munich and we won. We could do the same. I think it is not over.”

Barcelona centre-back Javier Mascherano echoed Nasri’s sentiments, saying his side are still wary of City and believe they could face a tough tie in the second leg.

Hyypia: Early concession spelt trouble for Leverkusen

B

AYER Leverkusen coach Sami Hyypia denies it ‘all went wrong’ for his side in a 4-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s brace, and goals from Blaise Matuidi and Yohan Cabaye, saw the Ligue 1 leaders all but secure their place in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.

Emir Spahic was sent off for Leverkusen on the hour-mark at the BayArena, with Hyypia’s side needing a miracle in the second leg.

Hyypia unsurprisingly wanted the focus to be on how good PSG’s performance was rather than his own side’s display.

“You can’t say that it all went wrong. You also have to look at what kind of team we faced,” the former Liverpool defender said.

“Paris are a top-class opponent and they were excellent. If you fall behind after three minutes it is always difficult to fight back.”

*Hyypia Laurent Blanc’s men only needed three minutes to go ahead as Matuidi clinically finished Marco Verratti’s pass.

Ibrahimovic doubled the lead six minutes before half-time from the penalty spot, and the Swede made it 3-0 with a stunning left-footed effort from 20 yards soon after.

Substitute Cabaye’s neat finish on 88 minutes completed the scoring and ended Leverkusen’s chances.

Hyypia felt his side performed better after Spahic’s red card and lamented conceding so early in the tie.

We need to finish the job — Ibrahimovic

Z

DAZZED . . . Manchester City’s Fernandinho Luiz Roza and Vincent Kompany fight for the ball with Barcelona’s Lionel Messi (Centre), during their Champions League first knock out round soccer match at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester on Tuesday.

Valdano: Bale is struggling F

ORMER Real Ma drid coach and sporting director Jorge Valdano has told El Larguero that Gareth Bale has looked “downcast” in recent games due to fitness issues, the expectations generated by his world-record transfer fee and competition from youngster Jese Rodriguez.

Bale has been a peripheral presence in Madrid’s latest matches, while many fans and pundits in the Spanish capital have been wowed by the zip and confidence of youth product Jese, 20, on the other wing.

Los Blancos coach Carlo Ancelotti maintains that he will not be swayed by Bale’s fee in deciding whether to start Jese ahead of the Welsh star on current form, and Valdano believes the former Tottenham talisman is not yet showing his true worth.

“Bale has a strange anxiety because you do not notice it in the intensity of play,” media pundit Valdano said. “When someone is anxious, they play at a speed above what suits them, but it is like he is somewhere else. That is the strange sensation you get from him.

“The team are saving him.

CONTEST . . . Leverkusen’s defender Emir Spahic (R) and Paris Saint-Germain’s midfielder Lucas vie for the ball during their UEFA Champions League match Bayer in Leverkusen, western Germany.

Photo: AFP

LATAN Ibrahimov ic has urged Paris Saint-Germain to finish off Bayer Leverkusen after their 4-0 victory in Germany left them on the verge of the Champions League quarterfinals.

The Sweden star scored two goals in three first-half minutes as the Ligue 1 leaders ran riot at Leverkusen’s BayArena in Tuesday’s last-16, first-leg clash.

Bayer were reduced to 10 men for the final half an hour when Ibrahimovic’s marker Emir Spahic was sent off for a second yellow card.

Ibrahimovic’s two goals left him as the competition’s top-scorer with 10 Champions League goals in six matches, one more than Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo.

This was a five-star performance from PSG, but Ibrahimovic was forthright when asked if this Parisian side was the best team he has played in.

Ibrahimovic

We gave Barca too much respect — Kompany dismissed in the inci-

M

ANCHESTER City captain Vincent Kompany has said his side gave Barcelona too much time and space on the ball in the 2-0 Champions League defeat on Tuesday, ESPN has reported.

City went down to a Lionel Messi penalty and a Dani Alves strike, both in the second-half, with Martin Demichelis

dent that saw Messi awarded the spot kick.

Kompany however feels City didn’t make enough of a game of it when the sides were level.

The centre-back added that City now face a very difficult proposition to qualify for the next stage, needing to go to Camp Nou and score at least twice, but Kompany doesn’t feel it’s an impossible task.

*Kompany

42—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014

Confab: Yoruba leaders rally round YORUBA elders from different political shades put aside beliefs and beefs to articulate a common agenda for the forthcoming national conference in an unprecedented summit last Monday. The elders reconvene today in Ibadan to ratify the decisions adopted at that encounter.

BY DAPO AKINREFON

M

Tinubu’s associates The presence of close associates of Asiwaju Tinubu such as Mr Ayo Afolabi, Afenifere Renewal Group, ARG Chairman, Wale Osun led many to believe that the APC leader may have changed his mind on the dialogue.

Leaders sheathe sword At the Isara-Remo meeting which had Afenifere leader Chief Reuben Fasoranti, as chairman, the leaders decided to sheathe their swords as they adopted a common agenda for the conference. It was also an avenue for them to reconcile and adopt some of the positions taken at meetings held in Ibadan, Abuja and Asaba, Delta State.

At the same time, other farreaching decisions were also taken.

Delegates Tongues had been wagging over the mode for selection of delegates to represent the region, but the issue was, however, resolved last Monday with the decision that each of the six states should produce two delegates each, while the remaining three delegates would be conceded to the Yoruba leaders to decide.

ROLL CALL

•Adebanjo: We cant afford to fail Notable personalities at the meeting included former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Olu Falae, members of the Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG) which organised the Ibadan, Oyo State capital meeting, some prominent members of the APC, including its Interim National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande.

Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi; former Ekiti State

,

ANY would have been shocked at the sight of some of the most politically opposed Yoruba leaders chatting last Monday.

Their summit at the IsaraRemo, home of Chief Olaniwun Ajayi in Ogun State, overrode the initial mutual disagreement by Yoruba leaders over the planned national conference.

A national leader of the All Progressives Congress, Senator Bola Tinubu had led the pack of those that opposed the initiative and he was easily followed by almost all APC leaders from the region.

Tinubu and his coterie of APC admirers were opposed by mainstream Afenifere leaders and others in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP who saw the conference as an opportunity to address and redress historic issues that have been canvassed by some of the region’s leading lights.

Adebanjo, Senator Iyiola Omisore and Chief Rafiu Jafojo.

Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi, Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko and former Ogun State Governor, Gbenga Daniel, were represented at the event.

Some of the decisions taken, which would be subjected to ratification by the Yoruba National Assembly during a meeting scheduled for today in

Their summit at the Isara-Remo, home of Chief Olaniwun Ajayi in Ogun State, overrode the initial mutual disagreement by Yoruba leaders over the planned national conference

governor and Interim Deputy National Chairman - South-west of the APC, Chief Niyi Adebayo also attended.

Others that were present included former Managing Director of Punch Newspapers, Chief Ajibola Ogunsola, Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye, Dr. Kunle Olajide, former Minister for Power and Steel, Sarafa Ishola, Chief Dapo Durosinmi, Mr. Tokunbo Ajasin, Oladipo Olaitan, Prof. Kunle Ade Wahab, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, Mr. Fola Adeola, Erelu Abiola Fernandez, Supo Sonibare and Gen. Alani Akinrinade.

Chief Gani Adams, former Lagos State Governor, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, Chief Ayo

,

Ibadan, Oyo State, include the right to secession proposed by the ARG, which was adopted.

Besides, it was also agreed that the Yoruba federation should maintain its six state structure with boundary adjustment to accommodate Ekiti in Kwara to join Ekiti State, Igbomina and Ibolo in Kwara to join Osun State.

Leaders at the meeting, also proposed the Westminster parliamentary system of government, power devolution from the central to federating units, resource control and revenue allocation to be reviewed in accordance with the devolution of power, and that derivation should rather be

•Tinubu: Originally opposed participation based on the total revenue accruable to the Federation Account and not based on a single product as it is currently practised.

Furthermore, it was proposed that immunity for elected officials should be limited to civil cases only.

On the issue of regional police, it was resolved that it should be given clearly defined roles and relationship with the federal police, “ while defence is to remain the exclusive responsibility of the central government.”

But military commands, which are to consist mainly of indigenes of the region, are also to be headed by the indigenes of the region.

To harmonise the Yoruba position, the leaders will reconvene in Ibadan today during whcih a pan-Yoruba position on every segment of the region, is expected to be taken ahead of the conference.

We must not sell out— Adebanjo A bigwig of Afenifere, Chief Adebanjo, who has been in the forefront for the agitation of a national conference, said, “We cannot afford federal character as a modality to choose the delegates to represent us at the conference. It is not possible, the minorities we saved during the days of Chief Obafemi Awolowo

cannot come and enslave us now.

Should we go for another election on the basis of 20 local councils in Lagos and 40 local councils in Kano State? The Yoruba have more advantages on regionalism.”

He, however, sounded a note of warning that any delegate that betrays or sells out on the interest of the Yoruba at the conference “would be exposed'' Our position must be firm— Falae Chief Falae, stated the need for the Yoruba to take a concrete position over what they want to achieve at the conference, saying, some minority groups who are still eyeing the Presidency are determined to ensure that the present presidential structure continues.”

We must fight together— Durojaiye On his part, a chieftain of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye, urged more Yoruba people to support the conference. “It is now a common cause we must all fight together.”

Durojaiye said the Yoruba people must not be afraid to assert their position at the conference. “Those who planned this conference now have their

Continues on page 43

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014 —43

Abia 2015: Unending permutations

•Nwaogu: Counting on Abia Charter of Equity

BY CHARLES KUMOLU

I

N less than fourteen months voters in Abia State, will file out to vote for their next governor. The question on who and where the next governor of the state would come from has reawakened political permutations in the state.

At the centre of the controversy is the eligibility of the Abia Charter of Equity, ACE originally penned by the state’s first set of elder-statesmen and the senatorial zoning that is the vogue in almost every other state in the country and is approved by the constitution of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Remarkably, almost everyone in contention is in the PDP which dominates the political sphere in the state.

At the centre of this unfolding political calculation in the ACE are the two power blocs, known as the old Bende and Ukwa Ngwa divisions. Of the two zones, the old Bende bloc has produced the state governors since 1999. It is based on this that agitators of using the framework of the ACE as the basis of zoning the governorship are now pushing for Orji’s successor to come from the Ukwa/Ngwa bloc.

The old blocs The quest by the Ukwa Ngwa population for the governorship has been helped by assertions

by Governor Orji that he will hand over power to Ukwa Ngwa.

In pushing for the Ukwa Ngwa, the governor had declared: ‘’I am the first governor that openly declared that the governorship seat will be rotational. I am here to install equity and fair play in governance. I want to leave here (Government House) peacefully”. Pointing out that he would avoid any political

•Abaribe: Leading contender

decision that would plunge Abia into crisis after the expiration of his tenure,he maintained that he will make sure that all forms of equity were observed in the next governorship election.

He made this known when traditional rulers from Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area paid him a visit at Government House.

Ever since the governor made this known, divergent reactions have been trailing the decision, particularly from those, who are supposed to be beneficiaries of the pronouncement.

The promise also reignited about a debate on which part of Ukwa/ Ngwa zone would produce the governor in 2015.

It would be recalled that the Ukwa/Ngwa zone comprises nine council areas of which Obingwa, Aba South, Aba North, Ugwunagor, Ukwa West and Ukwa East, Osisioma Ngwa, Isiala Ngwa North and Isiala Ngwa South.

Complaint and opposition The fact that Ukwa-Ngwa people are found in three Local Government Areas in Abia Central has not helped issues.

Among the gubernatorial contenders from the three local government areas are Senator Nkechi Nwogu, Acho Nwakanma, Chief A.C.B Agbazuere, Chris Akomas.

This is why some analysts, believe that power sharing in the state remains between the old Bende bloc and Ukwa/ Ngwa bloc an argument that has been helped by agitators who say that zoning should not overwhelm competence.

To this group, the best man, who could be trusted for continuity should emerge from any part of state.

But that postulation, does not appeal to the Ukwa/Ngwa Grassroots Youth Forum, UGYF. The group, at the end of its recent meeting, urged political stakeholders in the state to uphold the tenets of the ACE as envisioned by the state’s founding fathers.

•Wogu: Will he heed the call?

The group’s National President, Mr. Okey Nwachukwu called on stakeholders particularly those from the old Bende bloc to uphold the principles of the charter drawn up by the founding fathers of the state at creation.

The group does not hide its preference for Senator Nkechi Nwogu to replace Orji.

That is, however, countered by strong arguments by others who say that the governor has lately given the nod for the governorship to Abia South based on the principle of rotation.

That scenario fully captures one of the leading political figures to come out from Abia South and nay, Abia, Senator Enyinninya Abaribe who it is generally believed would be contesting the election on the platform of the PDP. Abaribe a former deputy governor of the state also has a number of rivals to contend with, but there is no doubt that among those presently setting up structures

that he is arguably the leading contender of all the aspirants having marshalled the opposition to the immeidate past governor of the state and drawn support from all parts of the state.

One other possible contender that could pose a problem for many is the minister of labour and productivity, Nwadiala Emeka Wogu. Though entreaties have reportedly been made to him to contest, Wogu who has parental linkage to the North, has yet to throw his hat into the ring and is presently occupied with his job in Abuja.

Other names that have been mentioned include the present deputy governor of the state, Chief Emeka Ananaba, Rep. Uzor Azubuike of the House of the Representatives, a former banker, Chief Marc Wabara, the State Accountant-General, Chief Gabriel Onyendilefu whose mother was recently kidnapped and released, leading lawyer Paul Ananaba, SAN and Ambassador Okey Emuchay among many others.

Confab: Yoruba leaders shock all, adopt common position Continues from page 42 reason. It is not possible to finish the conference within three months. In this wise, if the situation arises, we should press for adoption of the 1960 Constitution.”

“We must look out for quality, educated and tested representatives, it must not be based on religion and we must emphasise that the delegates must swear to an oath they would not betray our collective interest”, Durojaiye stated.

We want self-autonomy— Gani Adams Also lending his support, National Co-ordinator, Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), Gani

Adams, said it did not matter whatever any other region wants, “what is critical to the Yoruba is self-autonomy and others.”

But spokesman for Afenifere, Mr Yinka Odumakin, said “ if the minorities want the presidential system to continue, two things have happened to us.

We have been lumped up together for too long, which has been impeding our development. From the report I am hearing, it is most likely the Yoruba alone will be strong on regionalism and parliamentary system. We must therefore be determined and this is where the issue of who and who will represent us matters.”

Odegbami wants delegates selected circumspectly Meanwhile, the Conveners of the Yoruba Constitutional Conference have urged all stakeholders who are to nominate delegates to the forthcoming National Conference to be cautious before endorsing anyone as a delegate.

In a letter signed yesterday on behalf of the conveners by Nigeria’s former national team captain, Chief Olusegun Odegbami, the group advised that would-be delegates must not “trivialize the forthcoming National Conference or reduce it to a platform for canvassing esoteric interests at the expense of all-inclusive national interests.”

Falae: Demands firmness

44 —Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014

‘Why NDDC performed poorly in the past'

BY CHARLES KUMOLU

T

HE commissioner representing Delta State on the board of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Chief Tom Amioku, has said that poor funding and infighting, were responsible for the poor performance of the commission in the past, adding that the current NDDC board would avoid past mistakes.

He also called on Nigerians to give the commission the needed support, to enable it deliver on its mandate.

Amioku, in Warri, Delta State when the leadership of Niger Delta Patriotic Initiative, NPDI, visited him, said that the newlyconstituted NDDC board, led by Senator Bassey EtaHenshaw and Mr. Bassey Dan-Abia, was committed to the ideals, which led to the setting up of the commission. ‘’I can assure you that President Goodluck Jonathan constituted the current board with the conviction that we will not disappoint him in the task assigned to us. What is truly exciting to me is the fact that the Federal and state governments are by and large finally synchronising their statutory obligations for optimum developmental results.”

Commending Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State for the infrastructural strides his administration has recorded, Amioku called on youths of the region to eschew violence and borrow a leaf from the intellectual orientation of groups like the NPDI.

Esan LG poll: APC to appeal judgment

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

B

ENIN CITY — THE All Progressives Congress, APC, in Edo State, yesterday, said it will appeal the judgment of the Edo State Local Government Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Benin, which ordered the re-run of the chairmanship seat of Esan North East Local Government Area election on Tuesday.

Delta community swears in new exco

T

HE Ugborhen community in Sapele Local Government Area of Delta State, has sworn in a new executive to pilot the affairs of the community for the next three years.

Performing the swearing-in ceremony, the oldest man in the community, Pa David Ekuku, warned members of the new executive to avoid acts of criminality and corruption, because the community has entrusted its affairs onto them.

He appealed to SEPLAT Oil Company, government at all levels and the general public to continue to work with the new executive as they did with the past executives.

The President of the new exco, Mr. Anthony Amitaye, thanked the community for finding them worthy of such responsibility and promised to attract more projects to the community.

Other members of the executive include Mr. Friday Okokoro (Vice Chairman); Mr Peter Awe (Secretary), Mr Lawrence Ladu (Asst.

Secretary); Mr. Robert Abayigbobi (Spokesman).

It will be recalled that the chairmanship candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr John Yakubu, had asked the tribunal to declare the APC candidate, Mr Sam Oboh, was not the winner of the chairmanship election held on October 22, 2013.

The tribunal in its judgment

by Justice Alero Eruaga, held that the evidence by petitioners’ witnesses proved that there was no collation of results at the local government election collation centre, adding that the testimonies of witnesses called by the APC candidate failed to aid his case, especially the disappearance of the 6th respondent, who was the local government collation officer.

On the request by Yakubu, to be declared winner based on results from the fields, Justice Alero held that there was no evidence to justify the declaration of the first

petitioner as the winner of the poll.

“We are unable to do that.

The result relied upon is selfproduced by the petitioner.

This is not allowed. Not even a tribunal can put on the toga of an electoral officer to collate and declare results.

The same illegality cannot be allowed.”

Reacting, however, the state

Group lauds Kuku, FG over increased crude oil production

A

Niger Delta youth group, Niger Delta Youth Peace Initiative Movement, NDYPIM, has commended the Federal Government’s amnesty programme under the headship of Mr.Kingsley Kuku, for the increase in the country ’s crude oil

Ex-LG boss asks court to annul Delta APC memberhip registration

BY EGUFE YAFUGBORHI

W

ARRI — FORMER Ethiope East Chairman of defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Delta State, Erubu Siakpebru, has asked a Federal High Court sitting in Warri, Delta State to annul the All Progressives Congress, APC, membership registration exercise in the state.

He is also asking the court to restrain Jones Erue from parading himself as Chairman, Interim Committee of APC in Delta State as well as the conduct of the registration exercise in the state pending determination of the suit

challenging the validity of his (Erube) chairmanship.

The plaintiff also want the court to declare Erue unqualified as Interim Chairman of Delta APC on basis of an election/selection held January 3. He also wants the court to declare Sir Olisaemeka Akamukali unqualified as Auditor, National Interim Committee of the party, alleging that the 2nd and 3rd defendants in the suit were not members of APC at the time of their appointments.

The suit also has as defendants, the All Progressives Congress, APC and Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

PEOPLE SPEAK

08102479985

Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mr Godwin Erhahon, said that “as a law abiding party and promoter of the rule of law, we will abide by the final judgment after the final determination by the appellate tribunal. We shall appeal the judgment at least for the development of the law because we need to exhaust all the legal processes.”

production to the present 2.5 million barrels per day.

The group in a statement by Edon Ebikabowei and Donald Etiete, President and Secretary, respectively said Kuku deserves commendation for ending militancy in the region, adding that the mono– economy of Nigeria suffered a great setback during the days of militancy, bringing crude oil production down to about 700,000 barrel per day.

The group, meanwhile called on the Federal Government to compliment Kuku’s efforts, who brought an end to militancy in the region by providing the desired infrastructure for the people, enjoining youths, who are still engaged in pipeline vandalism and crude oil theft to turn a new leaf.

It said that the amnesty office being managed by Kuku means well for youths of the Niger Delta region and was making efforts for their wellbeing. It also commended Kuku for sending thousands of youths from the region for study and acquisition of vocational training within and outside the country, noting that in no distance time, the youths would occupy the position being headed by foreigners.

By Bartholomew Madukwe (nwamad@yahoo.com)

On Valentine celebration

As we celebrate the commitment of Saint Valentine to true love, I pray that God will grant Nigerians a sustained true love that money cannot buy. I wish all lovers a happy val. This is just the message I have for Val Day. Mr Tony Muonagor - Musician

May this season of love draw us closer to our source of love. Let us love, share and live like our Lord Jesus Christ. God’s love is the greatest love and let love lead you to do the right things. Ms. Loretta Atse - Worker

The day is meant to show real love and care for people who need it. It is not a day for sexual immorality and other unholy acts. Let us find time to visit the less privileged and give them something garnished with love. Mr. Nelson Nwamara - Communicator

Val or no val, the heart knows where it belongs.

Do not be carried away by the drama of February 14 because true love is not a once-in-a year affair. I strongly believe that love is an everyday thing and one’s lifestyle. Ms Cynthia Duru- Businesswoman

Is it only on valentine day one should love his/ her partner? Africans keep losing their values and cultures. Until we get back to our roots we will remain confused with alien cultures that impact negatively to our existence as a people. Ms. Ebereke Kelechi- Student

There is nothing wrong in celebrating February 14, but how we understand it determines how we celebrate it. Val Day is a day to go out and show some love to the less privileged and make the world a better place.

Mrs Christy Ntembi - Businesswoman

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014—45

Delta PDP passes vote of confidence in Jonathan, Uduaghan, others

Group urges Edevwie to join Delta guber race

BY FESTUS AHON

U

GHELLI—Delta Grassroots Mobilization Forum, DGMF, has urged former Commissioner for Finance and Economic Planning in Delta State, Chief David Edevwie, to join the governorship race in the state in the 2015 election.

Speaking in Ovu, Ethiope East Local Government Area of the state, during the inauguration of an 11man steering committee of coordinators from the various wards in the council for the Edevbie 2015 Project, Chairman of the group, Mr. Francis Onobruchere, described Edevwie as a sellable candidate, whose pedigree was an asset to all Deltans.

He noted that there had never been a time in the history of the state when Deltans agreed that the governorship position should be zoned among the three senatorial districts.

He said: “As far as I know, from 1999 till date, there has been no zoning in PDP in Delta State and that is why no senatorial district in the state has been passive in the governorship race.”

Deltans express support for Okocha

BY TOMMY ANADUAKA

D

ELTANS from the three senatorial districts of the state have expressed their support for the governorship aspiration of a Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, chieftain and community leader, Chief Peter Okocha.

The leaders of the group, Olorogun Abel Umukoro, Chief Israel Dukumor and Ogbueshi Nnamdi Mekwunye, including some Yoruba, Hausa and Ndigbo, who were part of a solidarity visit, said though campaigns for political office seekers were yet to commence, they decided to come out to consult and let Deltans know their stand on whom to support as the next governor of the state in 2015.

They described Okocha as not only a detribalised leader, but a man that has used his wealth to touch many lives.

C M Y K

M

FEDERAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEETING: From left: Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke; Minister of Women Affairs, Hajia Zainab Maina; Minister of Works, Mr. Mike Onolememen and Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, at the Federal Executive Council meeting, in Abuja, yesterday.

Kelvin's kidnap gang member arrested, implicates lawyer

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

A

SABA—DELTA State Police Command says it has arrested a member of the notorious kidnap gang led by Kelvin Oniarah, who had implicated a lawyer, adding “although he has not given the name of the lawyer, but in course of our investigation, if the lawyer is found to be culpable, we (police) will have him arrested.”

Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, in Delta State, Celestina Kalu, in a statement in Asaba, yesterday, said that the arrested gang member, whose name was given as Enueme Ogaga, “gave up other members of the gang in possession of their arms and operational vehicles, including a lawyer, who is on their payroll for legal services.

“The suspect is helping the po-

lice in investigation while efforts are on to arrest the other members of the gang and recover their arms.”

It will be recalled that the gang kingpin, Kelvin, who hails from Kokori in Ethiope East Local Government Area of the state, was nabbed in September last year in an undisclosed hotel in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, along with five other members of the gang by a combined team of Army and Department of State Services, DSS, operatives.

“On February 2, 2014, at 1600hrs, operatives of Special anti-kidnapping squad Asaba, in collaboration with detectives from Area Commander ’s Office, Ughelli, acting on a tip off, arrested a suspected notorious kidnapper, one Enueme Ogaga

‘m’ of Igbokwu Road, Ashaka in Ndokwa East Local Government Area, Delta State.

“The suspect has confessed that he is a strong and loyal member of the notorious kidnap gang headed by the arrested kidnap kingpin, Kelvin Oniarah, which was a terror to Delta State and neighbouring states.

“He has equally made startling revelations about their criminal escapades, which include the kidnap of the son of the incumbent Delta State SSG’s, Mackson Macaulay, a serving judge in the state, two women, one of whom was kidnapped in Ellu town, and the attack on the Nigerian Prison Service escort van in Warri last year, during which two prison officials were killed,” it added.

Stakeholders commend Customs over 2013 performance

BY IFEYINWA OBI

S

TAKEHOLDERS in the country’s maritime sector have commended the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, for performing well in 2013, calling on the management of the service to do more this year.

Maritime operators, under the aegis of Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria, STOAN, said the Customs' initiative, the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report, PAAR, has been a huge success.

While STOAN leader, Princess Vicky Haastrup, commended the Nigeria Customs Service on the

implementation of the Destination Inspection Scheme, DI and the PAAR, the National President of Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, ANLCA, Prince Olayiwola Shittu, observed that the Customs has implemented all the decisions reached at the presidential maritime retreat held in Abuja, recently.

“Others have refused to implement their side of the decision and nobody has done anything about it,” ANLCA said.

Haastrup, in Lagos, also expressed confidence in the

ability of the NCS to ensure success of the PAAR scheme and operations of scanning machines at the sea, air and border posts.

She said: “The takeover of the DI and introduction of PAAR by the Comptroller General of Customs, Alhaji Dikko Abdullahi, is commendable. As patriotic Nigerians, we support government’s decision on the importation regime and we will give the Customs our support by ensuring that it succeeds in this onerous task entrusted to it."

EMBERS of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Ughelli South Local Government Area Ward 7, have passed a vote of confidence on President Goodluck Jonathan, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, and Prof.

Amos Utuama, SAN, deputy governor, Delta State.

Also commended were Mr. Taleb Tebite, member, Delta State House of Assembly and Dr. Chris Oghenechovwen, Commissioner for Water Resources, Delta State.

The vote of confidence, which was passed during a meeting of the party hosted by Mr. Simon Mudi, in Ekakpamre community, had Chief Patrick Okitiakpe, leader of the party, Mr. Isaiah Awherhurho, PDP Chairman, Ughelli South Ward 7, Chief Newman Ighedo, Elder Solomon Ala and others in attendance.

Moving the motion, Chief Matthew Ofioguma, said that Jonathan's transformation agenda in road construction, and other areas was enough to pass a confidence vote on him.

He explained that Uduaghan’s three-point had paved the way for the development of the health sector, microcredit scheme, youth empowerment programmes, among others had scored him high, adding that the support for Tebite, and Oghenechovwen was unquantifiable.

Princess Adelugba for burial

T

HE remains of Princess Rachael Adelugba, aged 73, will be laid to rest this weekend in IpotiEkiti, Ijero Local Government Area of Ekiti State.

Christian wake keep will hold on Friday at her residence, Oke Isokun IpotiEkiti, while church service will take place at Our Saviour ’s Anglican Church Ipoti- Ekiti on Saturday followed by interment at her residence (Sabo).

She is survived by many children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Late Princess Adelugba

46—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014

We're on top of Abia shooting — police

National confab: Gov. orji tasks royal fathers to make input

BY ANAYO OKOLI

U

BY ANAYO OKOLI

U

MUAHIA — ABIA State Police Command said, yesterday, it had recovered the rifles of three policemen who were in the immediate vicinity of the shooting incident last Saturday in Umuahia which claimed the life of Mr. John Ndubuka, a personal aide to the first son of Abia State governor, Engr.

Chinedu Orji.

The Command said it was on top of the matter and that the three policemen had been arrested and under-going investigation.

In a press statement by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Geoffrey Ogbonna, the police promised to make public the result of its investigation.

“The incident which resulted in the death of one John Ndubuka, a personal aide to the Governor’s son, Engr. Chinedu Orji has attracted a lot of comments and insinuations in the social and other media.

Two old men dragged to court for defiling little girls

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

O

WERRI — TWO old men, 65-yearold Johnson Nwosu, and Okechukwu Onuoha, 75, have been arraigned in Magistrate's Court, Nwaorieubi, Mbaitoli local council area of Imo State, for allegedly defiling three under-aged primary school children (names withheld) Nwosu, who is a physically challenged cobbler and his accomplice, Onuoha, are facing a six-count charge slammed on them by the Commissioner of Police.

The duo were alleged to have on February 4, 2014, at about 11a.m., at Afor Otis Market Square, Alaenyi Ogwa, in Mbaitoli Magisterial District, did conspire among themselves to commit the offence.

They were also accused of having carnal knowledge of the three little girls and on different occasions, between the months of September last year and February this year.

C M Y K

COMMISSIONING: Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State, cutting the tape to commission a 16-classroom block, at Ogbor Central Model School, in Umuahia South Local Government Area. With him, from left: Chief Joseph Ogwo, Chairman of the local government; Engr. Emma Nwabuko, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, and Chief Jerry Uzosike, TC Chairman, Umuahia South.

Photo: Anayo Okoli

MUAHIA — AS preparations for the national conference intensify, Abia State governor, Chief Theodore Orji, has urged traditional rulers to take advantage of the parley to make input and canvass a position that would enhance their status in the scheme of things in the country.

According to him, the conference has provided the royal fathers a good opportunity to position themselves towards contributing more towards nation building.

Orji, who spoke while inaugurating the seventh Abia State Council of Traditional Rulers, called on them to support the conference and make meaningful contributions that would provide insight on ways to enhance their status and accord them rightful place in the scheme of things.

Governor Orji described the traditional institution as “prestigious” and advised the royal fathers to carry themselves with dignity so as to earn respect.

Safety inspectors’ shortage threatens Nigeria’s Category 1 status ...As NCAA fails to release result of interview

BY KENNETH EHIGIATOR

A

HEAD OF the safety audit of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, concerns are high that inadequate inspectors in the agency may militate against its ability to retain the Category 1 certification achieved by the Federal Government about five years ago.

Safety inspectors, which come

under human capital, is one of the critical elements the FAA would look at when its auditors come calling in two months.

Investigation revealed that the NCAA is currently faced with acute manpower shortage in the area of safety inspectors, to the extent that at present, there are not more than 10 inspectors covering all 22 federal government’s owned airports across the country, and this is exclusive of airports owned by states.

It was also gathered that much of that number is concentrated at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, though other airports play host to flight operations daily.

Vanguard learnt that management of the NCAA, conscious of this inadequacy, conducted an interview for cabin safety inspectors, aircraft captains and engineers last October, with a view to boosting the number of safety in-

APC faces serious exodus in Imo

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

O

WERRI — ALL Progressives Congress, APC, is currently facing serious exodus in Imo State, following the number of chieftains that had announced their intentions to return to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. At the last count, former governor of Imo State, Chief Achike

Udenwa, Chief Mike Ahamba, SAN, Senator Ifeanyi Araraume, Chief Uju Madu, Chief Chukwudi Eze, a veteran journalist; Dr. Nnamdi Olebara and former speaker of Imo State House of Assembly, Sir Noel Chukwukadibia, have declared their intention to unconditionally return to the PDP family.

While Chukwukadibia described their decision as “return of the natives,” Dr. Olebara

Kashamu hails Jonathan over appointment of Chief of Staff

T

HE CHAIRMAN, Organisation and Mobilisation, Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the South West, Prince Buruji Kashamu, has hailed President Goodluck Jonathan for heeding his plea and that of other leaders in the zone to give more strategic appointments to the zone.

He described the appointment of Brig.-Gen. Jones Oladeinde Arogbofa, who hails from Akoko South West Local Government Area of Ondo State,

as timely and strategic.

Kashamu said: “I am elated that our truly democratic and listening President hearkened to the pleas of well-meaning leaders and elders of our party in the South-West to appoint one of our own.”

He appealed to the Yoruba to continue to support the PDP-led Federal Government, saying, “ with this appointment, it is clearly a sign of better things to come our way.”

told Vanguard that “it is sacrilegious for an orator to bear a dumb child.”

Dr. Olebara, who was a chieftain of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, and later APC, lamented that what they anticipated in going into the union with other parties had been bastardised by a few people.

“I have noticed lots of impunity and monumental fraud in the former party. Our collective dream in forging the merger had been systematically bastardised by a few individuals in APC,” Olebara said.

He wondered how APC would simply hand over the party to runaway governors from Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on the grounds that they would fund the party with state funds.

Majority of the defecting politicians, who spoke to Vanguard at various times, explained that they were returning to PDP to add value to the party and promote policies that would ensure that people were properly taken care of.

spectors.

Vanguard, however, gathered that five months after the interview was conducted, the result is yet to be released and more inspectors engaged.

It was also gathered that this development remained one of the reasons the aviation authorities pleaded with the FAA to shift date for the audit to enable the regulatory agency put its house in order.

The audit, which was meant to have taken place in the last quarter of last year, is now to come up in the next two months.

Although there are eight critical elements FAA safety auditors would look at during the forthcoming audit, the issue of safety inspectors remains one of the most critical as inspectors are expected to be individuals who are very vast in their areas of calling, ranging from pilots, aircraft engineers to cabin officers and also very knowledgeable about aircraft operations.

Stakeholders’ concern is further heightened by the fact that India only recently lost its Category 1 certification and had its aviation sector downgraded to Category 2 after the last audit of its aviation industry by the FAA last month.

Efforts made to get the Director-General of the NCAA, Capt.

Fola Akinkuotu, to explain why the agency has yet to employ more safety inspectors proved abortive as call pulled through his mobile number was not received. This is beside the text message sent to his phone, which was also not replied to.

A similar message sent to the mobile phone of the agency’s General Manager, Public Affairs, Mr. Fan Ndubuoke, also yielded no response, after efforts made to speak with him failed.

Vanguard , THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014 - 47

INAUGURATION: From left: Director General, Nigerian Economic Summit Group, VISIT: HRM, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, Alaafin of Oyo (left) and Mallam NESG, Mr. Frank Nweke, Supervising Minister, National Planning Commission, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, during a Ambassador Bashir Yuguda, Chairman, NESG, Mr. Folusho Phillips, and Co-chairman, courtesy visit to the monarch in his palace, at Oyo, Oyo State, yesterday.

Joint Planning Committee, JPC, representing Privet Sector, Mrs. Alero Ayida-Otobo, during the inauguration of the JPC, for the 20th NESG, in Lagos.

From left: Mr. Ayodapo Shoderu, President, Nigeria Council of Registered Insurance Brokers, Hon. Tunji Bello, Lagos State Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Ashish Desai, Acting MD, Wapic Insurance Plc, and Mr. Sunday Thomas, DG, Nigeria Insurance Association, at the Wapic Insurance ground breaking/foundation laying ceremony, in Lagos. Photo: Akeem Salau.

From left: Mr. Chigozie Anagu, MD, Chigotex Royal Link, winner of the Amarula star prize of a Toyota SUV and his wife, Blessing, receiving the keys to the vehicle from Mr. Richard Lucas, Country Manager, Nigeria Distell International, makers of Amarula Cream drink, at the prize presentation to dealers, in Lagos.

Chairman, Stallion Group, Mr. Sunil Vaswani (right) and Mr. Tom Lee, Vice President, Hyundai Africa & Middle East, after the signing of the MoU to produce Mitsubishi vehicles in Nigeria.

BIRTHDAY: From left: Binta Adeogun-Umaru, Mrs. Kehinde Adeogun, celebrant, Mr. Segun Erewa, and Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, at the 60th birthday of Mrs. Kehinde Adeogun in Lagos.

TRAINING: From right: Mr. David Brown, a trainer with dbrown consulting, Director, Administration and Finance, West African Institute for Financial and Economic Management, WAIFEM, Mr. Euracklyn Williams, DG, WAIFEM, Professor Akpan Ekpo, Director, Debt Management Department, Mr. Baba Musa and Opeyemi Muili, during the regional training on data analysis for research, organised by WAIFEM, in Lagos.

C M Y K

LAUNCHING: From left: Mr. Cosmos Maduka, Chairman, Coscharis Group, Mr. Oba Otudeko, Chair man, Honeywell Group, Mr. John Obayuwana, MD, Polo Ltd, and Mr. Ade Adefuye, Nigerian Ambassador to the United States, at the official launch of Polo Avenue Store in Lagos.

HANDOVER: Hon. Henry Eyarefe, former President, Ugborhen Community, Delta State, handing over to Anthony Amitaye, the newly elected President of the community, at the community Town Hall.

AWARD: From left: Analyst, Mobile Financial Services, Etisalat Nigeria, Adesina Adeyanju, MD, Digipact International Ltd, Kenya, Sabine Some-Mensah, Specialist, Mobile Payments, Etisalat Nigeria, Olamide Ogundero, and Geek Intern, Etisalat Nigeria, David Alozie, after Etisalat Nigeria received the 2014 Kalahari Award for "Best Industry Collaboration in the Mobile Money Space in Nigeria" at Day Two of the 4th Mobile Money Expo in Lagos.

48—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014

Benue ex-speaker warns politicians against violence

2015: Why we endorse Jonathan –Group

BY MARIAM EKO

BY PETER DURU

O

M

AKURDI— F O R M E R Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly and governorship aspirant in the 2015 general elections, Mr. Terhemem Tarzor, has warned both politicians and political office seekers in the state against instigating violence in the course of their electioneering campaigns.

Tarzor spoke, Tuesday, when he addressed the Makurdi Local Government executives of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to mark the formal flag off of his consultations with party leaders across the state.

He also cautioned supporters of the PDP to desist from actions that could trigger bloodbath in the state stressing that, “the aspiration of any politician is certainly not worth the blood of any Benue man or woman."

Bauchi SUBEB distributes N26m items to physically challenged pupils

B

AUCHI—THE Bauchi State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, Tuesday, distributed items worth N26 million to physically-challenged pupils spread across various schools in the state.

Alhaji Abdullahi Dabo, the Executive Chairman of the Board, said in Bauchi while distributing the items, that the effort would assist the pupils pursue education with less difficulties.

Dabo said150 wheel chairs, 100 crouches, 20 sewing machines, 20 knitting machines, 20 Perkins brail machines, three brail computers, four desktop computers and sewing materials were distributed.

C M Y K

BRIEFING—The new Commissioner of Police, Kaduna State Police Command, Alhaji Usman Umar Shehu (R) with the Command Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Aminu Lawal (L) at his maiden press briefing in Kaduna on Tuesday. Photo: Olu Ajayi.

More tributes pour in for late Isaiah Balat

BY PROVIDENCE OBUH, WITH AGENCY REPORT

L

AGOS—NIGERIANS, yes terday continued to mourn the death of the Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Special Duties, Vice President’s Office, Senator Isaiah Balat.

The Vice President, Mohammed Namadi Sambo, yesterday expressed grief over Balat’s death at the National Hospital, Abuja, Tuesday afternoon.

The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah; former Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Ahmed Makarfi; Senator Caleb Zagi and textile workers in the country also mourned the death of Balat, who was a one time Minister of Works.

In a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Umar Sani, Sambo said that Balat was "a great politician that would go down in history as someone who took giant steps to stabilise the Nigerian polity through his numerous contributions and selfless service to the nation."

Sambo further said that Balat would be greatly missed by the Presidency, Kaduna State and Nigerians in general.

Bishop Kukah, also described the death of Sen. Balat as “a greatly shocking development.

“I received the news with great shock; I woke up with him in my mind on Tuesday and was to call him later,” Kukah told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in a telephone interview, yesterday.

He described Balat as a “selfmade man, who literally pulled himself up by the bootstraps through hard work and discipline.

‘’Balat is one man, who preferred the long, tough and rugged road of sacrifice, dedication and hard work to the much travelled, but less rewarding path of short cut and dubious connections which has ruined our nation,” he said.

In his reaction, Sen Zagi, who succeeded Balat in the senate in 2007, described his death as “incredibly shocking”.

He said that the death had created “another huge vacuum in the political landscape of Kaduna State, particularly the southern part” Also reacting, Mr Barnabas Bala, immediate past member of the House of Representative, who represented Kaura in Kaduna State, said that Balat’s passage marked the end of a group of southern Kaduna political leaders.

Describing Balat as a leading member of that group, he expressed sadness at the “very short span of time within which the leaders all died”.

“The speed with which these leaders died makes a succession plan a difficult task for the area, but we believe that God will do it for us,” he said.

Meanwhile, the General Secretary of the textile workers union in the country, Comrade Issa Aremu, also lamented the death of Balat, saying it was shocking.

In his condolence letter to Governor Ramalan Yero of Kaduna State, Aremu said, "late Senator Balat was industry and labour friendly, patriotic politician, grassroot mobiliser, organizer and astute public administrator."

WERRI—THE Imo State chapter of the Goodluck to Goodluck (G2G 2015) Project has explained its decision to endorse the candidature of President Jonathan for the scheduled 2015 presidential election.

Speaking at the launch of the programme in Owerri, the group’s Coordinator, Chief Felix Amadi, said that the Jonathan administration had laid the foundation designed to propel Nigeria to greater heights from 2015 and beyond.

“This campaign for the continuation of Jonathan in office was borne out of the need to re-sensitize our people on the achievements made so far under the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the Transformation Agenda of Mr. President,” Amadi said at the rally which held at the MCC Hall, Owerri.

Participants at the ceremony were drawn from state and local government areas as well as women leaders and students groups from across the state.

According to Amadi, “the G2G 2015 project is a platform to launch specific projects and programmes of the Goodluck administration which have qualified him to continue with the leadership of the country come 2015."

Hyundai partners Stallion Group to manufacture vehicles in Nigeria

BY EMEKA MAMAH

L

AGOS—HYUNDAI Mo tor Company, one the world’s foremost vehicle manufacturers has said that it would collaborate with regional conglomerate, Stallion Group to manufacture Hyundai vehicles in the country from April, this year.

Vice President, Hyundai Africa and Middle East Headquarters, Tom Lee, made this known in a statement, yesterday.

According to him, Hyundai’s foray into this criti-

cal sub-Saharan market follows the announcement of a new auto policy in Nigeria, which is intended to spark a major advancement of the country’s automotive industry, and see it emerge as a key regional player.

“This agreement with Stallion Group represents a major step forward for Hyundai Motor Company’s expansion in to Africa, and our ability to cater to the needs of customers, not only in Nigeria, but around the country as a whole.

“The Stallion Group has a

rich heritage and a reputation for quality when it comes to its automotive offering – something that mirrors Hyundai’s brand values – and we are looking forward to a long and successful relationship.

"Grand Sedan, ix35 SUV and the Elantra will be assembled in Nigeria by Stallion at its world class facilities from April 2014. With regards to the Korean manufacturer’s commercial segment offering, assembly of models including the Hyundai County Bus and the Mighty Truck has already started,’’ he added.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014 —49

C M Y K

50—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014

Experts seek to end surge of hypertensive disorders

P

BY CHIOMA OBINNA

HARMACEUTICAL’S Healthcare professional Forum on “Innovative Approach to Tackle the Upsurge of Hypertension” have called for end to the threat of the disorder in the country.

At a one –day Neimeth International Pharmaceutical’s Healthcare professional Forum on “Innovative Approach to Tackle the Upsurge of Hypertension” they observed that with a prevalence of 40 percent, there is need to declare the disease an emergency.

The Forum which comprises medical doctors, pharmacists, nurses and other stakeholders stressed that to reduce deaths occasioned by hypertension, there is need for an increased awareness on prevention, availability, accessibility of treatment and affordability of drugs.

Chief Executive Officer of Neimeth, Pharmacist Emmanuel Ekunno, who spoke on the company’s programme tagged: “Fight the Good fight Against Hypertension” (FITGAH) lamented the scourge of hypertension which he said has taken a toll on Nigerians and currently ravaging communities across the nation.

The Fight the Good Fight Against Hypertension launched last year by Neimeth, was a reversed innovation aimed at tackling the upsurge of hypertension, particularly now,the prevalence of hypertension in Nigeria is placed at about 40 percent.

Ekunno explained that the FITGAH, fights hypertension using four pronged approach; awareness, affordability, availability and action. “Of these, affordability is our greatest weapon. This has necessitated our reduction in prices of antihypertensives Amlovar, Miniplus and

normoretic by 50 percent of the price.

Though this will certainly erode profit, it is however our own corporate social responsibility.” Ekunno who was represented by Pharmacist Roselyn Oputa stressed the need for awareness, availability of drugs, action and affordable drugs.

He said affordability has remained a global issue which necessitated Neimeth action to initiate FITGAH as a weapon against hypertension. Under the programme, Neimeth has initiated a 50 percent price slash of its anti hypertensive drugs with a view to ensuring affordability.

In her lecture entitled: “The black hypertension Story”, a Consultant Cardiolo-

•Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, President, Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, Dr. Osahon Enabulele and Commissioner for Information, Kogi State, Dr. Omede Idris during the NMA Games in Akwa Ibom last Sunday.

gist from the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, Professor Jane Ajuluchukwu who traced the history of high blood pressure in Nigeria explained that the World Health Organisation, WHO, described a person with Blood Pressure of 140/90 consistently for a period of time is hypertensive.

Ajuluchukwu who noted that studies have shown that hypertension was more in blacks and common obese, urban settings and smokers blamed the high incidence on the environment.

Stating that nine million Nigerians have high blood pressure from a 1999 study with prevalence of 10 percent using 140/90mm/ mg, she noted that hypertension crisis started after the 2nd world war and since then it has continued to rise. “Something in our environment tends to unlock the key” Also in her lecture: Hypertension: The Normoretic Experience” Associate Professor Medicine and Consultant Cardiologists, Dr. Amam Mbakwem stressed that hypertension remain an important public health issue, adding that controlling the disease is key to prevent organ damage Chief Medical Director, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, Professor David Oke observed that Nigeria cannot fight the goodfight against hypertension without tackling those habits that expose people to the disease.

Oke, said there is need for every Nigerian to fight the good fight and take the battle to hypertensive disorders. “The fight should be fought harder and there is need to get everybody involve. There is need to adopt the global approach of reducing our salt intake.”

COMMON SEXUAL PROBLEMS AND THEIR NOVELTY BASED SOLUTIONS (ADVERTORIAL)

G

OOD morning Zee Virtual Media. Thanks for the Stiff 4 Hours I bought from you last time. It works for me. Now I can go two rounds of sex with my wife so I enjoy it. My question now is since I have started using Stiff 4 Hours, my wife will discharge two or three time when we have sex. In every discharge she makes two noise and cry. So I want to know if this is good for her health or not. Thanks from Chibuzor Hello Chibuzor, during intercourse, the way women express pleasure makes it sound as if they are in pain. I know you find it weird and maybe even scary but this is normal. The reason for this is that in women, the part of their brain that responds to pain is the same part that also responds to sexual pleasure. So when women are sad, they cry and when they are enjoying sex, they also make noises that sound as if they are crying. So don’t worry, your wife is not in pain. If the intercourse was painful, she will let you know and she won’t be able to continue. Besides, if like you say she has two or three orgasms every time you have intercourse, then she is DEFINITELY enjoying herself and you are also doing all the right things – Uche Hello sir. I need a bit of advice if you don’t mind. I want to buy an instant penis enlarger but I cannot decide which one. Between the Extreme Dick Plumper Cream and the Liquid Sex Dick Plumper Cream, which one is better? Donatus The Extreme Dick Plumper Cream is twice the quantity of the Liquid Sex Penis Enlarger so it lasts longer. That is the main difference. They are both good instant penis enlargers – Uche My husband and I decide to try a bit of S&M months ago out of boredom and we liked it. So far we have bought the red furry hand cuffs and facial masks and we are interested in similar products if you ever have them again. We know that they are not very poplar here in Nigeria – Doris C M Y K

Actually more and more Nigerians are trying out similar products especially with the hand cuffs, feather teasers, masks and whips. So we are gradually developing that line of products for interested persons and right now we also have Neoprene ball Gag, the Deluxe Fantasy Door Swing, Pink Passion Bondage Kit, Collar with Chain and Leather Leash, Closet Cuffs and many others. They are actually good and comfortable props for kinky intercourse. They offer something different to the sexual experience and are safe to use. So I am not surprised you like them. The 50 Shades of Grey Book really popularized S&M – Uche Ever since I started taking the Rhino 5 Enhancer, my performance has sky rocketed and I can have sex for hours. But it makes me horny and I always want to have sex. How do I control the urge? Femi Femi you control the urge by not taking the pills. Rhino 5 Enhancer is for people who have difficulty getting an erection and getting in the mood and also for men who suffer from premature ejaculation and want a bigger penis. It is a very powerful aphrodisiac and it is supposed to make you want sex – Uche I never believed these your products worked until I tried the vibrating bullet which my husband gave me for valentine. I actually had an orgasm and ejaculated lots of fluid like water. I thought I was in heaven – Maureen This is just the beginning. There are much better vibrators that can take you to Mars and Jupiter – Uche That’s all for today. The names of the people featured here have been changed for their privacy. Adults in need of these treatments/novelties can call 07086754515 or 08051924159 or any other number here to order or they can order online at www.zeevirtualmedia.com. Zee Virtual Media delivers to you wherever you are in Nigeria. For enquiries, send your emails to custserv@zeevirtualmedia.com - Uche Edochie, MD, Zee Virtual Media.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014—51

SUPPORT: Sports Minister, Mallam Adbullahi Mohammed (left); President-General of the Nigeria Super Eagles Supporters Club, Alhaji Rauf Oladipupo (right); presenting a trophy to President Goodluck Jonathan after decorating the President as the Grand Patron of the club at the State House, Abuja, yesterday. State House Photo.

Centenary celebration: 28 World leaders to attend security summit

BY BEN AGANDE

A

BUJA — NO fewer than 28 World leaders have indicated their intentions to attend a security summit being organised by the Federal Government as part of activities commemorating the centenary celebrations.

Similarly, a Board of Trustees which will be headed by former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (rtd) to manage funds to be realised from a centenary dinner to be deployed to the health sector has been set up by the Federal Government.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, who addressed State House correspondents after yesterday’s Federal Executive Council said the theme of Nigeria’s centenary celebrations is designed around the key concepts of unity, indivisibility, virility, progress and promise of the Nigerian federation.

Anyim, who was joined by the Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku; the FCT Minister, Bala Mohammed; Minister of State (Foreign Affairs) Viola Onwuliri; Minister of Labour, Emeka Wogu; Minister of Mines and Steel, Musa Sada; Sports, Bolaji Abdullahi and Internal Affairs, Abbah Moro, as well as the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Abbah Aji, said that the international conference

C M Y K

which will hold on February 27 with leaders from 28 countries was aimed at refocusing Africa’s attention on the need to tackle insecurity on the continent.

He said President Jonathan was expected to present the lead paper at the security conference which will focus on how to secure the continent against activities of terrorists.

Speaking on the relevance on such a celebration at a time that the country was facing serious security challenges, Minister of Information, Labaran Maku said: “We are not just celebrating. It will focus on the impact of insecurity because these challenges are being experienced all over Africa. This celebration will also sell Nigeria to the world by exposing opportunities for investments in agriculture, power, manufacturing and all other areas, to show hope to investors that this country is worth investing in.”

Other highlights of the centenary celebration include the conferment of honours on 100 Nigerians who have distinguished themselves in various fields, out of which about 40 per cent of the awards will be given posthumously.

He said government made the process for the selection of awardees “very objective by advertising the call for nominations through newspaper adverts and letters written to states and Local Govern-

ments.

“Jonathan will on the 28th honour 100 Nigerians 40 per cent of which will be post hummus for people who had made landmark achievements in the last hundred years. Government will also use the occasion to present his administration’s achievements in the last few years” He added that the awards are in various categories, including political leadership category for those who midwifed the coming together of Nigeria as a nation, pioneers of Commerce and Industry, trade and businesses, promoters of democratic transitions.

“Other include heroes and heroines in the sporting sector, accomplished pioneer civil servants, accomplished entrepreneurs, renowned Nigerian academicians, internationally acclaimed artists and literary icons, some of who have been honoured internationally,” adding that those Nigerians who also run international organisations are also billed to be honored.

He said: “I am sure that at the end of the event, Nigerians will be happy with those who have been selected for these awards.”

The Information Minister further stated that “there is going to be a centenary lottery and the proceed will go to support this celebration and all the telecom companies and every Nigerian are being encouraged to be part if this programme.”

52—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014

Foreigners for campaign: APC plans to throw Nigeria into imperialism — PDP

BY HENRY UMORU

A

BUJA—NATIONAL leader ship of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday, described the engagement of the services of a foreign firm, AKPD Message and Media by the All Progressives Congress, APC, to boost its electoral chances in the 2015 elections as shocking, saying the opposition party plans to throw Nigeria back into imperialism.

In a statement yesterday by PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, the party noted that with such moves, the APC was anti- Nigeria, adding that it has inner contempt for Nigerian professionals, even as it urged Nigerians to resist what it said was an attempt by “the party to throw the nation back to imperialism, 54 years after independence.”

Metuh noted that this was not only a clear justification of its stand that the APC was anti-Nigeria, but another insult on the hard-working citizens of our dear country.

He argued: "In engaging the services of a foreign firm, the APC has shown that it does not have faith in our people, our indigenous

C M Y K

consultancy firms and the teeming well qualified, world acclaimed Nigerian professionals and technocrats.

"Just as the leopard cannot change its spots, so also is the APC unable to hide its true colour as an anti-people organisation, tied to the apron string of foreign interests in utter disdain for fellow Nigerians and the age long clamour for local content.

"That APC has an inner contempt for Nigerians is no longer hidden. Its latest action is not only an affront to nationalism but a weird embrace of neo-colonialism at a time national pride and assertiveness have assumed a rule of engagement in global politics.

"We are afraid that neo-colonialism is the guiding ethos of the APC’s quest to rule Nigeria. It is now apparent that the leadership of this opposition party may have perfected plans to use same foreign interests to siphon national resources and reverse the pro-national socio-economic foundation laid by the founding fathers of Nigeria.

“There is no way the APC can justify this crime against our people. Nigerians are discerning enough to see the clever attempt to cover this monumental insult by dropping the name of President Obama, who was duly re-elected by the popular votes of the people of the United States as a beneficiary of this consultancy service.

“This ulterior motive of the

APC explains the reason it has mindlessly been opposing and attacking all the people oriented projects and policies of the PDP-led Federal Government which have enthroned an unprecedented empowerment of indigenous firms, an economic agenda strongly embedded in the manifesto of our great party, seeking the transfer wealth from public institutions of the private sector.

“Unlike the APC whose ideological thrust is to relegate Nigerians and their indigenous firms, the PDP believes in Nigerians and will continue to work with them and to create the enabling environment for hardworking private individuals and indigenous firms to thrive in all fields of endeavor including media, manufacturing, trade, commerce and other critical sectors of the economy."

Ex-EFCC operative remanded in Kuje Prison for forgery

BY SONI DANIEL , REGIONAL EDITOR, NORTH

A

BUJA— A sacked op erative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Femi Michael Ajibade, was yesterday sent to the Kuje Prison for alleged certificate forgery.

His former employers, the EFCC, had dragged Ajibade before Justice Olasumbo

Olarenwaju Goodluck of the FCT High Court, Abuja on a two-count charge which borders on forgery and prayed him to jail accordingly.

The commission accused Ajibade of forging the Bachelor of Science degree certificate of the University of Ilorin with which he secured employment into the commission.

The commission, however, discovered the forgery dur-

ing a verification exercise to ascertain the educational qualifications of its staff and decided to charge the man to court.

The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Upon his plea, counsel to EFCC, Charlotte Dennis, urged the court to fix a date for trial.

Justice Goodluck adjourned the case till March 25 and 26, 2014 and ordered that the accused be remanded in Kuje Prison.

V anguard Vanguard anguard,, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014 — 53

NEWS BRIEF

Obama mulls action in Syria

F

Pope harps on poverty, plan financial overhaul of the Vatican

P

OPE Francis penned a new missive on the injustices of poverty yesterday amid indications he was eyeing a major overhaul of the Vatican’s financial house by creating a finance ministry to better serve the church.

Honduran Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga, a key adviser in Francis’ Group of Eight cardinal cabinet, told the French Catholic newspaper La Croix that creating a “finance secretariat” was needed to better organize the diverse financial departments.

He said a cardinal would probably head it, assisted by a permanent advisory body of lay experts.

The development came as Francis and his “G8” cardinals ended three days of meetings to hear proposals for reform by experts who have been studying the Vatican’s financial institutions. Based on the experts’ reports, the G8 cardinals made their own financial reform recommendations to Francis, but no decisions were immediately announced Wednesday.

Francis was elected with

•Pope Francis reading a letter a mandate to reform the antiquated and inefficient Vatican bureaucracy to make it more responsive to the needs of the 21stcentury church and to help,

rather than hinder, bishops trying to spread the faith.

He has paid special attention to the scandalmarred Vatican bank, long accused by Italian

Gambia’s President pledges to fight gays like mosquitoes

G

AMBIA’s President Yahya Jammeh has called homosexuals “vermin”, saying his government would tackle them in the same way it fought malaria-causing mosquitoes.The latest comments from Jammeh, who last year branded gays a threat to humanity, coincided with a renewed crackdown on same-sex

relationships in Africa, where homosexuality is taboo and illegal in 37 countries. In recent months, Nigeria has outlawed same-sex relationships and Uganda has voted for life imprisonment for some homosexual acts.

“We will fight these vermins called homosexuals or gays the

Former News of the World boss begins defence Once feted as a rising Corp.’s British subsidiary,

R

EBEKAH Brooks, the former boss of News International, begins her defense yesterday against allegations that she was part of a conspiracy to intercept the voicemails of high-profile figures in Britain.

Dubbed the phone hacking trial, it has ensnared big names, including Andy Coulson, a former Downing Street communications director.Brooks faces three counts of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice linked to claims she plotted to remove boxes of documents from News International offices, and hide computers and documents from police.

She denies any wrongdoing.

She resigned as chief executive of Rupert Murdoch’s News International in July 2011 amid outrage over claims of widespread hacking by staff at its News of the World newspaper.

authorities of being an offshore tax haven, and the half-dozen independent Vatican finance offices that do everything from managing the moneymaking Vatican Museums to administering the Holy See’s vast real estate holdings.

Francis has called for his church to be particularly attentive to the needs of the poor, and has railed against the injustices of the global capitalist system. On Wednesday, Italian daily Corriere della Sera published the preface Francis wrote for a book by his chief doctrine czar on the mission of the church: “Poor for the Poor.”

star in British media, she was the youngest person to edit a national British newspaper.

She held the top job at News International, News

for two years after editing the country’s best-selling daily tabloid, The Sun, and its best-selling Sunday tabloid, News of the World.

News networks call for release of Al Jazeera journalists

N

EWS networks around the world have signed a joint letter that calls for the release of Al Jazeera’s jailed journalists in Egypt.

The letter was signed on Tuesday by senior staff at the BBC, NBC, ABC, Reuters, ITN and Sky News, adding to a growing number of international calls for the release of the incarcerated journalists.

James Harding, the BBC’s director of news and current affairs, John Ryley, Sky’s head of news, and Jon Williams, the ABC’s managing editor of international news are among those who signed the letter.

“We think the Egyptian authorities are profoundly

mistaken in their actions,” the letter states. “We think Egypt’s move is deeply damaging to the future of impartial journalism in the country and that its actions are unjust, and unacceptable.”

same way we are fighting malaria-causing mosquitoes, if not more aggressively,” Jammeh said in a speech on state television to mark the 49th anniversary of Gambia’s independence from Britain.

While, Britain and some other Western nations have threatened to cut aid to governments that pass antigay laws.

Jammeh said his country would defend its sovereignty and Islamic beliefs, and not yield to outside pressure on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues.

“We will therefore not accept any friendship, aid or any other gesture that is conditional on accepting homosexuals or LGBT as they are now baptised by the powers that promote them,” he said.

“As far as I am concerned, LGBT can only stand for Leprosy, Gonorrhoea, Bacteria and Tuberculosis; all of which are detrimental to human existence,” he added.

OR the United States, Syria’s civil war is threatening to start hitting closer to home. Peace talks between the Syrian government and opposition are faltering. President Bashar Assad’s military is on the offensive and the rebels are in disarray. Most distressing to the Obama administration, U.S. officials say al-Qaida-linked militants are squeezing moderates out of the insurgency and carving out havens for potential terrorist plots against the United States.

The accelerating U.S. national security threat is leading the administration to take a fresh look at previously shelved ideas, including more robust assistance to Western-backed rebels.

They are also are looking at newer, more far-reaching options, including drone strikes on extremists and more forceful action against Assad, whom President Barack Obama told to leave power 30 months ago.

Mubarak denies corruption charges

H

OSNI Mubarak, the former Egyptian president, has appeared in court and denied charges that he stole public funds in one of the four cases against him.

The former president, who was removed from power •Mubarak in 2011 following a popular uprising, appeared in a Cairo court yesterday with his two sons, who are accused of taking bribes.

The session was broadcast live on Egyptian television, and Mubarak and four other defendants appeared in court in the same glass panelled cage that the former president Mohamed Morsi and other Muslim Brotherhood leaders appeared last week.

All of the defendants in the case pleaded not guilty.

Mubarak, 85, and his sons Alaa and Gamal are accused of taking more than $14.37m originally allocated for presidential palaces, among other charges.

Ukraine’s security forces begin anti terrorist checks on protesters

U

KRAINE’s security agency chief says it has launched a nationwide “anti-terrorist” operation against “radicals” and “extremists” as opposition leaders urged their supporters to remain on the streets of Kiev.

Oleksandr Yakimenko yesterday said the National Security Service and the Ukrainian Anti-Terrorist Centre was taking action to restore order in the country, claiming protesters had seized over 1,500 firearms in the past few days.

The statement came after a night of chaos and violence in the capital, Kiev, which left a total of 26 people dead and hundreds injured. Opposition leaders urged protesters to remain on the streets to push for the removal of the president, Viktor Yanukovich.

“Radical and extremist groups are posing a real threat to the lives of millions of Ukrainians with their actions,” Yakimenko said, adding that Yanukovich had been informed of the operation.

Nuclear talks: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warns

I

Editors from News Network around the world protesting the detention of Al Jezeera staff in Egypt

RAN and six powers held nuclear talks for a second day yesterday as the commander of the powerful Revolutionary Guards warned against damaging “national pride” but predicted a “victorious” outcome.

Speaking in Iran, Revolutionary Guards commander General Mohammad Ali Jafari warned against crossing “red lines” that would damage the country’s pride. He has previously indicated his opposition to any dismantling of nuclear facilities, even though the chief US negotiator, Wendy Shermann, said Iran “does not need” the Fordo site or a new heavy-water reactor at Arak.

54—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014

arrival in Nigeria. He formed the first Nigerian political party on June 24, 1923, known as the Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP). He was popular with the Nigerian masses such that he won all the seats in the popular elections of 1923, 1928 and 1933. Subsequent nationalists like Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo, Raji Abdallah, Aminu Kano, and Tafawa Balewa got inspiration from Macaulay to commendably achieve independence in 1960.”

BITS Bits ASCSN tasks FG on unpaid benefits

A

Fashola pays printers outstanding salaries

A

N elated employee of the Lagos State Printing Corporation put a call to Labour Vanguard last week to announce that the Lagos state government has finally paid five months salaries owed employees of the state owned printing corporation.

Labour Vanguard had exclusively reported that the workers were being owed five months salary as a result of which they had a bleak Christmas and New Year.

An appeal was made to Governor Babatunde Fashola to pay the employees who complained that the corporation has everything to make it viable but that it wasn't as viable as it should be because, major jobs have been awarded to contractors who do not patronize the state corporation.

A source who would not want to be named thanked the governor for responding promptly and Labour Vanguard for reporting their plight.

Nigeria, once a country with uninterrupted power supply “Winston Churchill, once said “Study history, study history. In history lies all the secrets of statecraft”. Some of the BIRTHDAY: Hajiya Hamdalat Aremu, wife of the celebrant, Vice President NLC, Comrade achievements of Nigeria’s Issa Aremu with the first Executive Governor of the old Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa founding fathers apart from inand the President, NUTGTWN, Comrade Oladele Hunsu, at the Keeping Fit for Better Nigerdependence are worth celebratia and Greater Africa to mark the 53rd birthday of Comrade Aremu . ing. One notable achievement was massive investment in electricity generation to propel industrialization. It is a sad commentary that Nigeria of 1960s and 70s relatively generated and distributed electricity than Nigeria of 2014. Indeed in the 60s up to 80s, manufacturing and industrialization contributed about 24 per cent of Nigeria’s GDP compared with today when manufacturing contributes less than four per The planned centenary celebration of Nigeria’s “nationhood” has continued cent. This was because there was relativeto elicit mixed reactions from Nigerians and groups. Proponents of the ly better uninterrupted electricity supply celebration hinge their argument on the 1914 amalgamation of the Southern compared to present day power outages. and Northern Protectorates by the Lord Lugard led-colonial administration in Nigeria in recent times has witnessed Nigeria, while some of the opponents argue that Nigeria existed before the unacceptable massive industrial divestamalgamation. Still, others insist Nigeria’s nationhood truly began in 1960. Follow ment due to factories’ closure because of abysmally unstable, expensive power supthe debate. ply and in many cases non-supply at all.”

BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG 1914 by the British. For instance, the first official trade union, Nigeria Civil Ser- No industrialization, development NE of the opponents of the amal vice Union, NCSU, was formed in 1912. without electrification gamation centenary celebration beNUTGTWN recalled that President That was two years before the British ading organized by the Federal Government Goodluck Jonathan had stated that ministrative amalgamation of the North is the General Secretary of the National and Southern protectorates. So, simple his plans for Nigeria in 2014 included Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring common sense shows that there was in- minimum of 18 hours electricity supply Workers of Nigeria, NUTGTWN, and deed a country called Nigeria before Lord daily, saying “this is refreshing but not Vice-President of Nigeria Labour Lugard and his amalgamation. No won- reassuring. For a country that has for over Congress, NLC, Comrade Issa Aremu. der that Nigeria has so far For the likes of Aremu, who is also outlived the British coloChairman, IndustriALL Global Union, Afnialism which terminated rica Region, those planning the centenary President Jonathan should avoid in 1960 after indepencelebration are not only misinformed, d e n c e . ” the pitfall of presenting Lord they are also distorting Nigeria’s ”Of course, 1914 is a landLugard as the founding father of history. mark in colonial exploitIn a speech titled “Keeping fit for a modern Nigeria. Lord Lugard (and ative campaign in NigeBetter Nigeria and Greater Africa” to mark indeed none of the British colonial ria. However President his 53rd birthday celebration in Kaduna, Jonathan should avoid the masters) was not the founding faComrade Aremu recalled that President pitfall of presenting Lord ther of Nigeria!

Goodluck Jonathan, in his New Year mesLugard as the founding sage to Nigerians, devoted a great deal to father of modern Nigeria. the 100 years of Nigeria’s amalgamation Lord Lugard (and indeed by the British colonial authorities. none of the British colonial masters) was 30 years witnessed unacceptable power According to Aremu, the President not the founding father of Nigeria! The outages leading to massive closure of promised a centenary amalgamation celfounding fathers of modern Nigeria are factories, job losses and poverty, 18 hours ebration in 2014 but he asked “is Nigeminimum electricity supply is token, Nigerians themselves.” ria indeed 100 years old? Is amalgamunambitious, patronising, unhelpful and ation worth being celebrated?”

Macaulay, not Lord Lugard development-blind. What Nigeria and The NLC Vice President contended Nigerians want and are prepared to pay President must come to terms with that a notable founding father of Nige- for is not another promissory notes or dayNigeria’s history ria was Herbert Macaulay, declaring that dreaming promises but immediate “I agree with the legendary Reggae “Macaulay (not Lord Lugard) was one uninterrupted electricity service delivery star Bob Marley who in the popular of the first Nigerian nationalists who to propel Industrialization, productivity, track; Buffalo soldier sang that; ‘If you fought British imperialism for which he create decent jobs and eradicate poverknow your history, then you would know was jailed twice. As far back as 1908 he ty.” where you are coming from’. The point “The truth is that today power supply started the struggle to expose Europecannot be overstated that Nigeria was in an corruption and exploitation and free- despite the much taunted privatization, existence well before amalgamation of dom for Nigerians well before Lugard’s has gone from bad to worse.

Centenary celebration: Nigerians founded modern Nigeria, not Britain —Unionist …says Nigeria existed before amalgamation

O

,

,

SSOCIATION of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, ASCSN, has called on the Federal Government to pay its members in the Federal Ministry of Education, FME, and the 104 Federal Unity Colleges, FUCs, across the country their unpaid benefits in the interest of industrial peace.

ASCSN listed some of the unpaid benefits to include payment of 2007 to 2010 promotion arrears, non-payment of salaries to some officers in FME since July 2013 and non-payment of Duty Tour Allowance, DTAs to deserving officers.

A communiqué by leaders of ASCSN in FME including FUCs and the six zonal co-coordinators of the schools held in Kano, said “The meeting in session frowned at the attitude of some principals of the Colleges who have formed the habit of denying workers their entitled Duty Tour Allowance as enshrined in the Public Service Rules. It then urged the Principals to settle all outstanding DTA of members that are due for it in line with the agreement entered into between the Union and the Management of the Federal Ministry of Education.”

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014—55

Pensioners now better off in Kwara, says NUP scribe CHIEF Omoniyi Bidoja is the secretary of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, NUP, branch in Kwara State. In this interview with Pension and You Correspondent in Ilorin, Kwara State, DEMOLA AKINYEMI, the septuagenarian spoke on the

living condition of pensioners in the state among other related issues. Excerpts:

W

What about the local government pensioners?

As far as payment of pensioners in local governments is concerned, it has just reached 2008 and because of a shortfall in the money the state government gave the local governments to pay pension. These days, pension is high because emoluments of retired officers are high. In particular, pension to retired primary school teachers is high because primary school teachers now reach up to level 15 or 16. They equally spend about 35 years in service and so their pension is on the high

Chief Omoniyi Bidoja

,

,

HAT is the state of pen sion payment now in the state?

Money for the pensioners is not readily available from the federation account to the states and local governments. The money they gave in December which was shared in January was very small. The amount available to the 16 local governments was not enough to pay pensions and meet other social responsibilities of the retirees. So, to bail them out of the predicament, the state government gave the local governments N300million to be able to pay workers salaries, pensions, and primary school teachers. It directed that the money should be paid immediately.

We have witnessed people dying on monthly basis without taking their gratuity. That is a very pathetic situation

side where an individual can earn between three to four million naira as gratuity.

How many pensioners are we talking about at the state and

local government levels?

Well, as of January last year, they were 5,441 for the local government primary school teachers. The state is also high, it is over 5,000. The secretary

of the pension board should be able to give exact figures because retirees are coming in every month so the number keeps increasing. But because of better health facilities, the death toll is not as high as the number of people retiring every month.

So, you have reduction in the death toll now because of better health services?

Yes. Are no other benefits awaiting payment?

There is no other problem, monthly pension is paid as at when due. For sometimes now since the days of Senator Bukola Saraki as the governor, the longest delay we have had since 2003 is not more than one week as far as state pensioners are concerned. The local government pensioners have been having problems because of the nature of their own.

W

hen the federation mon ey is received, the local governments do not have their cheques given to them immediately because there is a committee that sits to decide how much to be given to them. They call that Federation Account & Allocation Committee, FAAC or something like that. The 16 local government chairmen are part of the committee, then the commissioners for finance and his counterparts in local government and others. So, all these people have to meet and talk about these things. We have been holding some meetings

Uduaghan advocates stronger pension supervision

BY CHARLES KUMOLU

G

overnor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, has advised the Delta State Bureau for State Pension to put in place stronger regulatory and supervisory framework aimed at securing and ensuring compliance with the overall goal of empowering the workers on retirement.

Dr. Uduaghan who gave the advice during the 2014 Annual Lecture Series of Delta State Bureau for State Pension in conjunction with Premium Limited, NLPC Pension Managers and OAK Pensions, at Asaba, noted that the embezzlement of funds at the federal level, had made glaring that the contributory pension scheme, CPS, also had its unique challenges to contend with and urged the bureau to make the CPSa success and to inspire excellence and qualitative performance.

Represented by his deputy, Professor Amos Utuama, SAN, the governor asserted that the Theme of this year lecture, Contributory Pension Scheme in the Delta State Public Service: Its Myths,

Realities, the Prospects was most apt selected to address the knowledge gap about the new pension scheme, that it would deal with issues affecting a very special group of the citizenry who happens to be the retirees.

He highlighted that the CPS was established in the state through an Executive decision in 2007, which was later reinforced by the passage of a Pension Reform Law in 2008.

He added that the law came into effect with government’s decision to move from the old pension scheme Pay As You Earn- to the contributory scheme, where both employer and employee were to contribute a specified percentage of the employees’ total monthly emoluments towards their retirement.

According to him; “Before 2004, the Nigerian Pension system was characterized by myriads of operational inadequacies and constraints. But with the enactment of the Pension Reform Act of 2004, public service pension has become standardised with the objectives of

ensuring that every worker receives his retirement benefits as and when due, assisting workers to save in order to cater for their livelihood during old age and establing a sustainable and transparent system”. In a keynote address, the Delta State Head of Civil Service, Sir Okey Ofili, noted that the change to the CP S involving the joint contribution by both employee and employer with promulgation of the Pension Reform Act of 2004 was done with a good cause and urge all to join hands together to make it work.

Ofili highlighted the objectives of the scheme as contained in Section 2 of the Pension Reform Act, 2004 among others which includes ensuring that every person who worked in the Public Service of the Federation or private sector receives his or her benefits as and when due.

He said it also established a uniform set of rules, regulations and standard for the administration and payments of retirement benefits for the Public service of the Federation, Federal Capital Territory and the Private Sector.

and it led to an announcement recently that the state government has augmented the payment of Local Government pensioners by N300 million.

Will this development have any effect on pending court case?

I cannot talk about the court case because we are not involved and government is not telling us anything about it. Let me tell you, we were party to the agreement that was signed with the state government when this money was paid far back in 2008. The people who went to court did not involve us in the court case. Even up till now we have not been called as witnesses or any other thing either by the people concerned or by government.

Any issue of non payment?

As far as the state pensioners are concerned, their gratuity is not delayed like that of the local government. Now the concern we were having before both the state and local government pensions board was that people used political patronage to side-track and that is still happening, though not as much as it was.

The pension union came on board and we wrote memos that when somebody retires, perfect his or her papers and pay his or her pension immediately after retirement. We have appealed to the secretary that when people retire , let them line up according to their years of retirement so that even if you are going to favour some people, it would be minimal. So, you won’t leave out someone who retired in 2010 or 2011 and pay someone who retired in 2013 that will be injustice. We were able to sort that out with the state government and the local government service commission.

So there are no serious challenges now?

The challenges we are having is that we are appealing to the state government to increase the amount of money being set aside every month for payment of gratuity so that the payment can be accelerated. It is quite unfortunate but there is nothing we can do about it. We have witnessed people dying on monthly basis without taking their gratuity. That is a very pathetic situation.

I retired 24 years ago. When I was retiring at that time the gratuity was not much. I retired on level 15 after 35 years of service and my gratuity was less than N50,000, my monthly pension was less than N2,000.

What advice can you give your members?

If government can increase the subvention from the present N50million to N100million, it would help. For example sometime last year198 people were retiring and their gratuity amounted to N251million.

56— Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014

Shonibare’s Magic Ladders explores childhood education, enlightenment Stories by JAPHET ALAKAM

T

Yinka Shonibare's monumental piece, Scramble for Africa enlightenment, race, identity and authenticity, all through installations of vividly adorned sculpture and large paintings.

It is his first major exhibition in Philadelphia, since his residency at the Fabric Workshop and Museum in 2004.

Shonibare’s sculptures offer a provocative examination of European colonialism and European and African identities. The artist also investigates the idea of the outsider, intrigued and perhaps drawn to a dominant culture yet remaining distinct from and peripheral to it.

S

honibare, who was nominated for the Turner Prize in 2004, was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2005

by Queen Elizabeth II. He uses his title professionally, if ironically, to highlight the ambiguous nature of status, identity, and belonging.

The Foundation’s

collaboration with Shonibare pays homage to Barnes’s interest in contemporary art and artists. The centerpiece of the exhibition is the Barnes commission Magic Ladders, which explores childhood learning and the opportunities that education can create. In consid-

,

HE year 2013 was a very busy year for the Nigerian visual art scene, as artists both in the country and outside exhibited widely in many galleries all over the world. And this year, it has started with several exhibitions in Nigeria, and in far away Philadeiphia, Yinka Shonibare, a British artist of Nigerian descent, opened his year with a unique exhibition tagged Magic Ladders. The award winning artist, who has exhibited extensively in the United States and Europe with notable exhibitions including a monumental public sculpture in Trafalgar Square and a midcareer retrospective at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art creates works that cites the artistic and intellectual history of Europe.

The exhibition which is put together by The Barnes Foundation opened on Friday, January 24, at the Barnes’ Parkway home, Philadelphia, US and will remain on view in the special exhibitions gallery through Monday, April 21. It features approximately 15 sculptures, paintings, photographs and a room installation, the primary displays are life-size (or larger) mannequins dressed in colorful Dutch-wax fabrics, that are produced in Europe but closely associated with African prints and patterns. The work alludes to European art and intellectual history and explores race, slavery, authenticity, politics and commerce.

The show focuses on weighty themes including education,

Look for Big Boy, an androgynous, headless and racially ambiguous figure that symbolizes the mythological trickster and references the characterization of the Victorian-era dandy, Just beyond Big Boy, The Age of Enlightenment series depicts famous philosophers

The show focuses on weighty themes including education, enlightenment, race, identity and authenticity, all through installations of vividly adorned sculpture and large paintings

ering the exhibition and commission, the artist reviewed the complicated and decades-long correspondence between Barnes and Leo Stein, a fellow collector and an important advisor and friend as Barnes built his art collection and educational foundation.

Some of the works includes,

,

working at their craft, Scramble for Africa comments on the historic Berlin Conference, when the African continent was divided into countries.

But perhaps the most exciting aspect of the installation is the brand-new work, Magic Ladders, a three-sculpture series commissioned by the Bar-

Yemisi Shyllon Professional Chair UNIPORT unfolds plans for 2014 I

N line with the cardinal vision of deepening the culture of research and development initiative in the arts to its fullest form as envisioned in other well established universities in the world, one of Nigeria’s foremost patron and the highest art collector in Africa, Prince Yemisi Shyllon last year instituted The Prince (Engr.) Dr Yemisi Adedoyin Shyllon Professional Chair in Fine Arts & Design, Faculty of Humanities, University of Port Harcourt.

The professorial chair is the first of its kind in any Nigerian University’s Art department is chaired by Prof. John T. Agberia and assisted by other notable art scholars.

Briefing art writers about the importance of the professorial chair, the chairman, Prof.

Agberia stated that the relevance of the thrust of the chair lies in its research targets for development purposes in the University of Port Harcourt in partnership with the donor and the society in general in any Nigerian University ’s Art department where teaching and research are carried out.

Agberia also disclosed that in line with the vision and as part of plans to make sure that the masses benefit from the project the body has lined up activities for the 2013/2014 academic year.

Part of the programmes include; To organise an art workshop for secondary schools’ students in Rivers State and beyond with the aim to catch them young;

Hold an annual Niger Delta secondary schools art and drawing competition; Organise a national conference with theme: Art and the question of professionalism in Nigeria. The conference is proposed to hold in August 2014. he body will also orgainse an In ternational Art Exhibition and Conference, the programme is slated for April – June 2014 at The Brunei Gallery, SOAS, University of London. Organise quarterly Art Exhibitions on specialised theme and organise a Legacy Lecture titled Collecting Art for Posterity in Nigeria: The challenges and Prospects. Set up a research journal entitled: Journal of Research in Art and Development.

T

nes Foundation, and supported by the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage. In Magic Ladders., three children ascend ladders constructed of books written or read by Albert Barnes. Other recent sculptures in the exhibition, Planets in My Head, Philosophy (201 1); Planets in My Head, Physics (2010); and Pedagogy Boy/Boy (2011), echo the theme of the magical, transformative discoveries of childhood learning.

The exhibition invites viewers to reflect upon Barnes’s collecting practice, particularly in terms of its connections to colonialism. One of the first American collectors to regard African sculpture as fine art rather than ethnographic curiosity, Barnes displayed African masks and figures alongside paintings by Pablo Picasso and Amedeo Modigliani. A champion of education for African Americans, Barnes made his collection of African art broadly available to black readers through Opportunity magazine.

I

ronically, his acquisition of African art was made possible by the imperialist colonization of Africa, a theme explored in Shonibare’s monumental Scramble for Africa (2003).

Speaking about the exhibition, Judith Dolkart, Deputy Director of Art and Archival Collections at The Barnes Foundation said. “I think it’s a pretty magical exhibition. This show, in many ways, touches on the core mission of the Barnes.”

Shonibare has created a brand new piece for the show that has a personal connection to the foundation -the magic ladders that give the exhibit its name.

“For this work, Shonibare was very much interested in themes of enlightenment and education, opportunity and social mobility, all issues which were of interest to Dr. Barnes.

He created a work that really relates to Barnes himself. The rungs of these ladders are constructed of books, and the titles of the books are all derived from Barnes’ own library. So most of them have titles related to art history, and each ladder has a child climbing up, furthering the idea that education brings opportunity, an ability to rise. That’s something that Barnes very much believed in. This show, in many ways, through its exploration of identity and social mobility, enlightenment, touches on the core mission of the Barnes,” she said.

Ymka Shonibare MBE: Magic Ladders has been organized by Judith F. Dolkart, deputy director of art and archival collections and Gund Family Chief Curator.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014 —

57

Raymond Obieri's testimony in print

By MORENIKE TAIRE ing the largest share issue in its hisestimony of Divine Grace reads like tory following the recapitalization of a work of fiction from the very first banks imposed by the former CBN page, catapulting the unwary into Governor, Prof Chukwuma scenarios thereby evocated. Its flavour Soludo(page 117). is immediately reminiscent of literary Another seemingly latent works of that genre set in the 1940s, significance is the peek afforded by 1950s and 1960s, a period that the book into a controversial and still represented a phase of our nation’s contemporary episode in the Nigerian development that straddled the old and economy: government’s takeover of the new; the known and unknown five Nigerian banks in 2008, worlds. spearheaded by Central Bank Little Raymond grows up in a rural, Governor Mallam Sanusi Lamido agrarian society in South-eastern Sanusi and which saw to the eventual Nigeria, where value was placed on acquisition of Intercontinental Bank by western education, but not so much that Access Bank in October 2011; a most it was regarded as being affordable. tenuous period of our national life.

Schools were mainly missionary efforts, The book’s value as a documentary as they were in other parts of the work is also enhanced by his country at the time. To these humble description of how the Nigerian Civil beginnings, the first two chapters are War affected his career, and indeed, devoted. life on the whole.

Socio-political Relevance Those first two chapters were to set the tone for the rest of the book in more Testimony of Divine ways than one, most Grace is as rich a social prominent of which is commentary as an the unabashed honesty exposition in the with which the author author’s idiosyncratic recounts events, style of critique. One conversations and subject the book even thoughts both addresses in this subtle involving himself and way is heathen practices, acquaintances first in the earlier throughout his chapters (page 59-60) lifetime. when the author ignored the village soothsayer’s Sometimes, he is a opinion in the choice of little too honest. Later a wife, sticking to his on ( page 133), he choice of the beloved writes in his account of Bethy; and then in the the Central Bank’s last section at the burial attack on of Ebele, the author’s Intercontinental Bank mother (page 218), whose board he where he shunned maschaired: the fact querade displays as beremains that the CBN Testimony of Divine governor succeeded Grace; Raymond Chukugo- ing “heathen”.

He critiques certain because our bank did zie Obieri; Lanterna Bookgovernment institutions have liquidity shop; PP. 256 including the Economic problems and there and Financial Crimes were questions about Commission, which refused to comply the mismanagement of the bank.

In addition, the author’s trust and faith with a court order with “impunity”; and in the superiority of God’s plan is the the judiciary, which did nothing about thread that runs through the entire it. In page 137, he identifies our nanarrative, where his hopes of gaining tion’s biggest problem as the dearth grammar school admission were dashed of the rule of law It was only natural that he would for not presenting a birth certificate, an then take up the role of a kingmaker, event which was to work out in his favour as it were, in the politics of his home in the near future.

Anambra state, backing the candidate Raison D’être The story of Raymond Obieri’s life is he believed to most credible, while of essence for more than one reason. By ensuring as much as he was able that far the most obvious and acknowledged the state’s funds were used for the is that it is a proverbial grass-to-grace state’s development during the tenure story, wherein the author rises from a of Governor Peter Obi. The way the book is organized is a testarural, limited circumstance of life, to one ment to the author’s organized lifestyle. of renown, privilege and honour.

Prefaced by Dr. Emma Okey Udoye, the

T

US Consul General Jeffery Hawkins, Jetta Amata & daughter

Filmmaker Jeta Amata begins Reality show on Niger Delta N

OLLYWOOD filmmaker, Jeta Amata has concluded plans to commence the filming of a reality TV show that focuses on the Niger Delta titled, “Dawn In The Creeks”.

With the support of the United States government, the filming of Amata’s “Dawn in the Creeks” wiil include visits to different communities in Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta states to form a seven-person team of local youths with inspiring stories to tell. The stories are billed to be recorded into episodes for the reality show.

Addressing newsmen at a press conference held at the residence of the Consul General of US, Amata disclosed that the essence of the project was to find lasting peace in the Niger Delta region, by distracting the youths from restive tendencies and getting them positively engaged so as to tell positive stories about the region as filmmakers.

He said, “I tell you one reason I want to do this… It’s the first time I’m coming home with my daughter. She is five.

What kind of Niger Delta do we want to leave for our kids? Do I want to bring her home in another 10 years and hope that it’s going to be safe? The responsibility now rests with us. It’s no longer time to play the blame game. If tomorrow it goes bad, it is us; our children will blame us. So, I’m doing this so that we can have a better Niger Delta and a better people for my daughter.”

“Dawn in the creeks: A Niger Delta Legacy”, Jeta noted further, is a reality TV series that will follow teams of Niger Delta youths as they embark on a journey to create films in the Nollywood style, showcasing stories of non-violent transformation in their communities.”

He also disclosed that the effort is being guided by a board composed of distinguished Nigerian thought leaders, with support from the U.S. State Department, adding that Dawn in the Creeks is the centerpiece of the wider Niger Delta Legacy engagement aimed at forging a legacy of peace and transformation.

Explaining the modalities of the show, Amata said: “We will choose 21 people

who will be flown to Lagos to be part of the school called Nollywood Academy. There, they will be taught how to make films the Nollywood style. It sounds crazy but I have just a couple of weeks to teach them how to make these films.

After that, we are giving N1million to each group of seven, and also give them state-of-the-art equipment which they will take back to their communities and make these films.

This way, Nigerians can see the process of bringing people up from the creeks and transforming them into filmmakers in a couple of weeks.”

The films according to the Nollywood filmmaker, would be premiered in cinemas adding that we will “get them to attend film festivals around the world.

They will transform from just local peo-

,

By PRISCA SAM-DURU & VERA SAM ANYAGAFU

What kind of Niger Delta do we want to leave for our kids? Do I want to bring her home in another 10 years and hope that it’s going to be safe

,

ple into celebrities. That was how Nollywood grew and that is how these people will grow,” he assured. xpressing optimism that the re ality show would go a long way in helping to solve the challenges Nigeria is facing in the Niger Delta, the US Consul General, Jeffery Hawkins, Jr. said the “US had a strong interest in supporting the country’s peace, prosperity, and security, especially by stabilizing the resource-rich Niger Delta – an economic engine of the country, but a region historically prone to violence.”

He noted that the Niger Delta is still vulnerable to renewed conflict and that “reducing that vulnerability is in the interests of both the US and Nigeria.” adding that “US is delighted to support Nigeria, knowing Nigeria also plays a critical role in Africa .”

E

Secondly, this rise does not come on a platter of gold, as the protagonist, it is recorded, has had his own share of disappointments, betrayals and tragedy. The author recalls in heart-wrenching accounts, the loss of his beloved younger brother, friend and first daughter.

Obieri, as portrayed in the book, is as much a technocrat as an entrepreneur, a thinker as much as a doer; one of the Nigerians that made the transition effortless, from banking of the colonial era to banking by Nigerians for Nigerians.

For the outsider to the financial world, the book is a peek into the fascinating processes which constitute banking and finance in Nigeria. A rare insight is afforded, in chapter 15, into the inner workings of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), where Dr. Obieri was president from 2003, oversee-

print is clear and readable, though the ‘devil’ shows up now and then; and there is more than enough pictorial illustration.

Indeed, without ever meeting the protagonist in person, Testimony of Divine Graceleaves the reader in no doubt as to the personality of the author: Raymond Obieri is a detribalized Nigerian. His marriage to his wife, Bethy, is a classic example of this. Recounting the recruitment of the single founding shareholder from the north for Intercontinental bank (page 110), he writes of how he instinctively ‘fell for’ Alhaji Isyaku Umar at first contact. Up till today, he stresses: Isyaku has remained one of the mostsupportive family friends I ever had.

Testimony of Divine Grace might constitute a redeemer for the dying art of the autobiography.

58

—

Vanguard Vanguard,,

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014

YOUR LUCK TODAY

LEISURE THOUGHT FOR TODAY

SCORPIO: Even if you continue to work under pressure via increased workload, you will have good results to show for your efforts today. Be steadfast.

SAGITTARIUS: Better than yesterday. And the more cooperative you are today the better for you. Those of you travelling for love are in for an exciting day.

CAPRICORN: Those of you willing to let go hard feelings at work are for a progressive day to the betterment of your finances. Let go yesterday, move ahead.

AQUARIUS: Once again, you’ll have the needed opportunity to assert yourself to the administration of others. Both love and financial success can be yours with efforts. Reason with your tried and trusted friends.

PISCES: You can make it a successful day with positive approach on your part. You will be in a better position to defuse tension within your working arena. Try to be more ambitious.

By Richard Eromosele

I

LISTENED to a motor mechan-ic being interviewed in a radio programme sometime ago and this was what he said: “I went to a would be customer in his house sometime ago, and im-

Do you see yourself less? mediately I got to his compound and he saw me in my Jaguar car he shouted ‘mogbe” meaning simply ‘I am in trouble’ in apparent reference to how he would pay a big man

TERROR MUDA

mechanic”. And this attitude runs through every of our national life. We expect the mechanic to be a wretched person, living a miserable life.

That should not be so.

in “Never say goodbye”

Are you a mechanic? Are you a trader? Or you are a housewife? You are not less human than the lawyer, the engineer, the accountant etc.

Think about it!

By Lanre Kehinde

ARIES: Yes! You’re not scared a bit even, when opposition and/or competition come your way but, if you give in to diplomatic approach, you’ll fare better today.

TAURUS: Pressure that came your way suddenly will give way unexpectedly, today, to the betterment of your course. The more financially ambitious you are today, the better for you.

Be steadfast.

GEMINI: You sincerely believe in intelligent argument or discussion. And if you allow your ability to be diplomatic come to play today, you’ll be better for it. Enjoy your love life.

CANCER: You’ll tend to become both creative and persuasive to the administration of others. Then those who’ve been resisting secret love may slip suddenly and become excited.

LEO: Even if opposition persists, supports you are getting from the influential people will be enough to see you through.

Yet, the more cooperative you are the better.

VIRGO: Your creativity quotient within your working arena will today be enhanced. You’ll be blamed if you keep official issues secrets from your challenges at work.

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in

“Pretty Lunatic’

By Andy Akman

LIBRA: After a few tension soaked days, you’ll have the needed opportunity to look through windows of the world and have your way as well. Magnetic and/or magic days is predicted for lovers today.

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING Send yyour our dat th ttoo the As tr ological datee and place of bir birth Astr trological Counselling, PP.M.B .M.B 1100 00 7, Apapa, Lagos 007,

Basic characteristics of Taurus RULER = LOVE AND MONEY RELATED VENUS. QUALITY =FIXED. ELEMENT=EARTH. SYBOL = THE BULL. GROUP = FEMININE. ZODIACAL NUMBER = 5TH Taurus although, second sign of the zodiac, is the first of the earth signs, and that means leadership ability especially when it comes to reckoning with who is who among people that have staying power and those that can be regarded as serious minded (hard workers) and practical set of peop1e.Through Venus — its’ ruler, Taurus rules money, movable possessions, and steadfastness. That is why Taurus born people hate whatever can lead to or be regarded as insecurity and they are good managers of both money and other material related resources.

You appear cool headed and like true Taurus, you can exhibit ability to be patient and the degree of perseverance in your inner—self is truly high. However, if anybody takes you for granted or try to take undue advantage of you, he/she will be surprised with the level of resistance and/or resentment you will show.

With the influence of Taurus in you, you are more of a person with powerful personality with strong determination to wear both oppositions and obstacles out of your way via renewed struggle and consistency. You see, people that do not really understand you may label you as an obstinate and excessively stubborn person. In fairness to them, there is some degree of stubbornness in you, however, if you rightly or wrongly think that failure is starring you at face, the bull in you can induce you to act like all head no heart type of a person.

Taurus element is earth, its’ quality is fixed and its’ symbol is the bull. That is why they (Taurus born persons) attach importance to money and security. In fact, financial crisis can lead to despondency for Taurus born people.

Earth connection makes you a practical person who will work very hard and patiently too. Native, of earth signs are cautious and reliab1e and they will rarely day dream. The quality of Taurus which is fixed makes it easy for you to always see your important projects to logical conclusion. Because of your unwillingness to change your mind unnecessarily, some people will call you a rigid person, but nobody can rightly accuse you of laziness. In-fact, fixed quality of Taurus is another indication of reliability in your horoscope.

As Venus— the planet of ARTS, music, beauty, money and elegance, rules Taurus, you are endowed with artistic and creativity talents. These can manifest through appreciation of good music, fine appearance and everything that symbolizes beauty, elegance and comfort.

VIRGINIA

HOME & ABROAD

dadadekola@yahoo.com

By Lawrence Akapa

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014 — 59

Ameobi’s future unclear L

*Ameobi

Dike’s injury rankles Keshi S

UPER Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi was practically in tears on Tuesday evening when he learnt of the injury to power playing Toronto FC of Canada forward, Bright Dike. He has already instructed team doctor, Ibrahim Gyaran to get in touch with the medics of the player ’s club to know the extent of damage done to a potential World Cup debutant.

“No, no, this is very sad. I can’t believe this is happening to a player with such enthusiasm to play for Nigeria at the highest level, we will surely miss him, if it’s

true he would not be ready on time for the World Cup. I can’t think of any replacement for now until we get to the real facts of the matter”, Keshi said in

unclear.

“Basically, I’ll do what I’ve always done. Like I’ve always said, I’ve never taken it (playing for Newcastle) for granted. Every time I step on that pitch, I relish it.

“When it does finally end, it’ll be a sad moment, but at the

P

*Dike

“It is going to be a tough game, Mexico are no small team and will give us good test. We as a team love winning and that is what Nigerians love too, we will go there to do our best to achieve that,” Musa told MTNFootball.com Ogenyi Onazi also said they hope for a good result. “Nigerians want good result in every game we play and that shows they love the team, that is exactly what we will try to do against Mexico. It is going to be a tough game no doubt.”

The previous two meetings between both nations ended in draws with the first being in 2007 in Mexico and the last was in Houston, USA, in 2013.

RESIDENT of Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Aminu Maigari, will be a special guest of CAF President, Alhaji (Dr.) Issa Hayatou in Cairo, Egypt on Friday.

The CAF President has invited Maigari and presidents of four other federations whose teams would be representing Africa at this summer’s

World Cup finals to a special meeting in the Egyptian capital.

Hayatou is expected to inform them on the need to prepare well and make Africa proud.

No African team has made it to the semi finals of the FIFA World Cup in the past 19 editions, with only eight countries having lifted the trophy - Brazil, Italy, Germany, Uruguay,

Mexico

Continued from BP European-based players for the World Cup qualifying playoffs, has called in eight “Europeos” for the March 5 friendly against Nigeria.

Herrera, who took over El Tri, first on an interim basis, after Mexico dropped to fourth in the final Hexagonal standings, recently returned from a whirlwind tour of Europe where he met with many of Mexico’s stars.

Five of the players had started in the USA’s 2-0 win over Mexico in Columbus. For the playoff series against New Zealand, Herrera, Mexico’s fourth coach in five qualifiers, went solely with Mexicanbased players, the

majority from Club America, which he coached.

The one player not returning for the game against Nigeria will be Real Sociedad’s Carlos Vela, who has been at odds with the Mexican federation and did not take part in qualifying.

The Europe based players include 1. Javier Hernandez (Manchester United) 2. Andres Guardado (Bayer Leverkusen) 3.Giovani dos Santos (Villarreal) 4. Hector Moreno (Espanyol) 5. Javier Aquino (Villarreal) 6. Hector Herrera (Porto) 7. Guillermo Ochoa (Ajaccio) 8. Diego Reyes (Porto)

moment my focus is trying to help this club.

“That’s what I’ve always tried to do, and that will never change.”

Ameobi was an unused substitute in Newcastle’s last two games after starting the 3-0 derby defeat against Sunderland at the start of this month.

NFF condoles Falode

T

*Falode

World Cup: Hayatou invites Maigari to Cairo

Eagles Continued from BP approaches,” the Lille star said.

Juwon Oshaniwa told MTNFootball.com that he expects a tough match from Mexico and Nigeria will be up for it.

“A friendly match is not usually about winning, but how the team play, how we have improved and to know where to work on, but that is not saying we are not taking the game seriously,” said the Israel-based left back.

“Personally, I will put in my very best in the game, which I know others in the team will do.”

CSKA Moscow forward Ahmed Musa said, adding that Nigeria will aim for victory against Mexico.

Florianopolis, Brazil, where he is presently attending the FIFA seminar for Mundial 2014 along with coaches of other qualified nations and their officials.

ONG-SERVING Newcastle United striker Shola Ameobi is in the dark as to whether he will remain at the club beyond the end of the season.

The 32-year-old Nigeria international has spent his entire career at St James’ Park aside from a loan spell at Stoke City back in 2008, but his contract expires at the end of the current campaign.

Ameobi, who made his Newcastle debut against Chelsea in 2000, knows there is a chance his long stay at the club could be coming to an end, but has vowed to give his all for Alan Pardew’s side.

He told The Shields Gazette: “After the summer, my future is

Argentina, England, France and Spain.

Only Cameroon, in Italy in 1990, Senegal, in Korea/ Japan in 2002, and Ghana, in South Africa in 2010, have flown Africa’s flag into the last eight of the FIFA World Cup, with Cameroon narrowly beaten by England in 1990 and Senegal eliminated by Turkey in Japan 12 years later.

Ghana lost to Uruguay four years ago.

HE Nigeria F o o t b a l l Federation on Wednesday condoled Member of the CAF Media Committee, Aisha Falode, on the death of her son, Toba Falode.

News of the unfortunate incident made the rounds on Monday, and it was learnt that the young man died at the weekend.

The screen diva, a former Chairperson of the NFF Media and Publicity Committee, has been a telling figure in Nigeria sports journalism and sports administration for decades, through her rare passion, diligence, keen attention to details and sense of duty.

NFF President Aminu Maigari was dumbstruck when he learnt of the sad news.

President Jonathan Continued from BP He said the donation was from the federal government to assist the supporters club for a hitch-free support for the Super Eagles at the World Cup in Brazil.

The President was also decorated as the Grand Patron of the Supporters Club, just as he promised to be in Brazil to cheer the Super Eagles.

Jonathan said he would assist in mobilising the private sector to support the Supporters Club, with a view to ensuring that many Nigerians attend the World Cup in Brazil.

Pe n u l t i m a t e w e e k , President of the Club, Dr Rafiu Ladipo had appealed to well spirited Nigerians to assist the club in fulfilling its dream of going to Brazil to support the Super Eagles in their World Cup campaign.

Ladipo said the club’s budget for the World Cup project was N150million.

With the President’s pledge to intervene in the club’s search for funds, by way of luring the private sector to support them, the club’s hierarchy will be highly motivated for the Brazil project.

60— Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014

C M Y K

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014 — 61

Ochei Wheelchair Basketball Tournament: Team Delta in Sparkling form

BY INNOCENT IDAMA

D

ELTA State wheel chair basketball team yesterday defeated their Imo state counterparts 38-7 in a match they victors dominated from start to finish.

The Deltans had earlier defeated Rivers 54-3 in their first match. The Delta State team has now scored a total of 92 points making them the highest scoring side so far in the competition.

Speaking to Sports Vanguard, captain of the Delta State team, Saheed Adebayo said” with the form we are in right now, we can win the competition. With this form, nobody can stop us”.

The Delta state team will now face Taraba in their last game of the

group today.

Saheed said ”our next opponent Taraba is not a threat because we have

beaten the strongest teams of the group so right now, I see us already in the semi-final.

NBBF/DStv confirm payment of All-Stars prize money

T

HE Nigeria Basketball Federation, NBBF and DStv, sponsors of the men’s Dstv Premier Basketball League have announced the payment of all prizes to players who participated in the All-Stars game decided in Lagos September last year.

According to a top official of the federation, the prize money was paid into the GTB Savings Account of the All-Stars Atlantic Coach, Ogoh Odaudu

while that for winners in the Savannah Conference was paid into the Unity Bank account of the coach, Sani Ahmed.

The total prize money, the federation stated, amounted to N1,886,330 out of which N1 million went to the Atlantic AllStars team while the Savannah Conference team got N500,000. The MVP got N250,000 while the rest went into other sundry payments including transport allowances.

*Serena

Showtime for kid boxers T HE boxing gym of the National Stadium, Lagos, is the place to be Saturday, February 22, as young pugilists will take centre stage to show their skills in a boxing talent hunt programme tagged “Potential 2014.”

Scheduled to be on the

ring side to guide and motivate the youngsters are Olympian and Commonwealth champion cum former national coach, Jeremiah Okorodudu, and Yomi Idowu of NASCOM. The kiddies boxing talent hunt is a programme

of the Child Dignity Foundation (CDF), a non-governmental child protection, development and advocacy charity dedicated to the “total well-being of children with special attention on kids from disadvantaged backgrounds.”

2014 Lagos Polo: Unity, Valkyrie win, Ibadan teams lose Unity Polo on a 5-3 win under enormous pressure,

G

LORY Ebano scored the goal of the day after making a dozen of touches with all parts of the mallet to set Lagos

over Lagos Sao Paolo as the Lagos International Polo Tournament gallop-off yesterday.

The classical goal, scored

Serena eager for Dubai title challenge

W

ORLD number one Serena Williams hopes to shake off the rust in time to mount a serious challenge for the Dubai Duty Free Women’s Open trophy on Saturday.

Serena opened her Dubai campaign with a secondround win over Russia’s Ekaterina Makarova 7-6 (8), 6-0 on Tuesday night.

A back injury had kept

Serena out of action for the past few weeks, including the Qatar Open in Doha.

The 32-year-old, who last year became the oldest world number one, had opened the year with her 58th singles WTA title in Brisbane and reached the fourth round of the Australian Open, where she lost to former world number one Ana Ivanovic.

underlined the high reputation of the tournament which also saw Lagos Valkyrie edged Lagos Bonhams 7-6.5 in the opening match of the doublephased event which falls under the Dansa Cup. Handicap player, Ebano(+2) was on fire scoring two more goals to seal victory for Unity despite Ahmed Umar-led late rally by Sao Paolo. Umar had opened score for Sao Paolo with a spectacular reverse shots from 30 yards which could not match Ebano’s first chukka brilliance which drew an allround applause.

62— Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014

C M Y K

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014 —63

C M Y K

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014

President Jonathan backs supporters club with N50m

R

ELIEF came the way of cashstrapped Nigeria Football Supporters Club yesterday when President Goodluck Jonathan announced a donation of N50m to the Club at the Presidential Villa.

Continues on Page 59

•President Jonathan

What Mexico match means to us — Eagles N

READY FOR MEXICO: Ahmed Musa

IGERIA stars have said next month’s World Cup warm-up match against Mexico will be taken very seriously as it could determine their fate.

The Super Eagles face fellow World Cup finalists Mexico on March 5 in Atalanta, Georgia, USA, as they step up their preparations for the World Cup in Brazil in June.

Eagles first-choice goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama said a favourable outcome would lift team confidence.

“The game will be a good one for us, it will boost our confidence level as the World Cup Continues on Page 59

Ameobi’s future unclear — Pg 59 City can win in Barcelona — Nasri — Pg41

•Chicharito

Mexico pick 8 Euro-based stars for Eagles MANCHESTER United star, Javier Hernandez will lead seven other Europe based players in the

Mexican team that will take on the Super Eagles in a 2014 warm up match coming up in Atalanta, USA on March

5.

Mexico coach Miguel Herrera, who went without any of El Tri’s Continues on Page 59

QUICK CROSSWORD

Sudoku TODAY'S

PUZZLE

YESTER DAY'S YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 4 Poetry (5) 7 Slumbering (6) 9 Counter (3) 10 Lump (3) 12 Staid (5) 13 So (4) 15 Yielded (5) 17 Clank (6) 19 Flat (4) 20 View (5) 22 Consume (3) 24 Swung (7) 27 Meadow (3) 28 Stadium (5) 31 Cease (4) 33 Nuclear (6) 35 Change (5) 37 And (4) 38 Wire (5) 39 Barrier (3) 41 Finish (3) 42 Liniment (6) 43 Begin (5)

DOWN 1 Succulent (6) 2 Charm (6) 3 Novel (3) 4 Urn (4) 5 Wear (5) 6 Framework (8) 8 Treaty (4) 11 Deputed (9) 14 Beach material (4) 16 Trade (4) 18 Duck (4) 21 Bargain (8) 23 Side (4) 25 Tidy (4) 26 Ooze (4) 29 Cake (6) 30 Agreement (6) 32 Fainter (5) 34 Spoken (4) 36 Loaned (4) 40 Crowd (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Soft 4, Air 6, Sham 9, War 10, Building 11, Edge 14, Car 16, Steer 19, Repeated 21, Devil 23, Devalued 24, Hardy 27, Lid 31, Stir 33, Evidence 34, Ore 35, Bred 36, Run 37, Sent.

DOWN: 2, Onus 3, Tall 4, Agitated 5, Rage 6, Sweat 7, Had 8, Argue 12, Brush 13, Spear 14, Cad 15, Revel 17, Ennui 18, Rowdy 20, Division 22, Lad 25, Actor 26, Dared 28, Beer 29, Mess 30, Scan 32, Ire.

How to Play Sudoku

P

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

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

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

Printed and Published by VANGUARD MEDIA LIMITED, Vanguard Avenue, Kirikiri Canal, P.M.B.1007, Apapa. Phone: Newsroom: 018773962. Deputy Editor: 01-8944295. Advert Dept: 01-7924470; Hotline: 01-8737028; Abuja: 09-2341102, 09-2342704. E-mail: editor@vanguardngr.com, news@vanguardngr.com, letters@vanguardngr.com. Advert:advertproduction@yahoo.com Website: www.vanguardngr.com (ISSN 0794-652X) Editor: MIDENO BAYAGBON. Phone: 01-7742861, All correspondence to P.M.B. 1007, Apapa Lagos.