IMMIGRATION TRAGEDY: Dead candidates get 3 job slots each

C M Y

...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 62104

**

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

N150

THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

US lawyers seek repatriation of Abacha loot to Nigeria 8 Budget defence: CBN overshot its •P. 48 2013 budget by N326bn

IMMIGRATION TRAGEDY:

AGM: From left, Mr Olusegun Oloketuyi, Managing Director, Wema Bank Plc; Mr Abubakar Jimoh, MD/CEO, Associated Discount House Ltd and Mr Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, Chairman at the Associated Discount House Ltd 20th Annual General Meeting, in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele

Dead candidates get 3 job slots each

BY FUNMI KOMOLAFE, BEN AGANDE, EMMA OVUAKPORIE & IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

•As Jonathan announces compensations for victims •Board disowns Interior Minister, Moro •Says he sidelined members

A

BUJA—PRESIDENT Jonathan, yesterday, directed that three job slots each be reserved for families of those who lost their lives during the Nigeria Immigration recruitment exercise.

This is even as the Continues on page 5

COLUMNISTS:

•P.17

•P.19

Mr & Mrs

A tanker with registration number LAGOS BDG 169 XJ, loaded with fuel, skidded off the road and exploded at Mobil filling station between Oba Akran road and Ogba roundabout, Ikeja, Lagos, yesterday. One of the burnt buses being evacuated at the scene of the fire. Photo: Bunmi Azeez

Fuel tanker, filling station, 5 vehicles burnt in explosion •P.6

2 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

C M Y K

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014 —3

C M Y K

4 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

Defection: Court gives ‘rebel’ govs 7 days to respond to PDP’s motion

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

A

BUJA—A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, yesterday, gave the five Peoples Democratic Party, PDP governors, who defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC, seven days to reply to a fresh motion that was filed by their former party, the Peoples Democratic Party, asking that it should be allowed to serve copies of the suit seeking to declare their seats vacant on them through their various state liaison offices in Abuja.

In the motion, which it filed through a consortium of three Senior Advocates of Nigeria led

by Dr. Alex Iziyon, SAN, PDP, maintained that, in view of the refusal of the five governors to accept previous copies of the suit that was served on them at the national secretariat of the APC in Abuja, “We have filed a motion to serve them by their liaison offices, which is also recognised by law.”

PDP insisted that the court should compel Governors Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State, Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers, Alhaji Magatakarda Wamakko of Sokoto, Alhaji Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano and Alhaji Abdulfatai Ahmed of Kwara State, listed in the suit as 2nd to 6th defendants, respectively. to vacate their offices.

The plaintiff is urging the court to go ahead and order that the Deputy Governor or Speaker of the State Houses of Assembly of the respective states, be sworn in to replace the defendants.

It will be recalled that presiding Justice Gabriel Kolawole had on 13 December 2013, granted PDP leave to serve all the relevant court processes on the governors via substituted means.

However, on 27 January, PDP, returned to the court, saying that it found it difficult to reach any of the defendants, even as it pleaded to be allowed to paste the processes at the National Secretariat of the APC situated at No 6 Guinea Bissau street, Wuse Zone 6, Abuja, as well as, publish the hearing notice on two national newspapers, an application that was accordingly granted.

Though all the governors subsequently entered their appearances in the matter, they however challenged the powers of the court to proceed with hearing the substantive suit against them, insisting that PDP failed to effect proper service of the processes on them.

Stressing that their appearances was in protest having seen the hearing notice in the newspapers, the governors, said they would not join legal issues with their former party pending when they are properly served

C M Y K

with the originating processes.

PDP had explained to the court on the last adjourned date that the court bailiff pasted the processes at the APC national secretariat at No 6 Guinea Bissau street, Wuse Zone 6, not knowing that the party had relocated to a new address at No 40 Blantyre Street, Wuse 2.

Spirited effort by PDP to serve the process on the governors through their counsels proved abortive as they declined to accept the papers, saying their clients did not give them such mandate.

The governors, through separate applications, insisted that the court must, first of all vacate the initial ex-parte order for substituted service, which they said was granted in error.

Nevertheless, at the resumed sitting on the matter yesterday, fresh argument arose between PDP and the governors over whose motion should be heard first.

Whereas PDP argued that in terms of priority, its fresh motion to serve them at their various liaison offices ought to be heard first, the governors disagreed, contending that their own ought to be heard and determined first.

After listening to all the parties yesterday, Justice Kolawole, gave the defendants, seven days within which to file their response to

PDP’s application, even as he adjourned the matter till April 7 to hear all the pending application.

PDP argued that going by the provisions of sections 177 (c), 221 and 222 (c) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the court, ought to declare that the governors are ineligible to remain in office having defected to the APC. It is seeking “A declaration that

by the combined provisions of section 177 (c), 221 and 222 (c) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) the 2nd-6th Defendants who were elected under the platform of the plaintiff cannot continue to enjoy the mandate given to the plaintiff by the people/electorate of the respective states as the 2nd - 6th Defendants have defected to the All Progressive Congress (APC).

“A declaration that in the absence of any division known and recognised by law in the

Plaintiff, the 2nd - 6th Defendants who were elected under the plaintiff’s platform have vacated or forfeited their seats forthwith upon their defection to APC. “A declaration that having combined provisions of section 87 of the Electoral Act 2011 (as amended), section 177 (c), 221 and 222 (c) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) the 2nd - 6th Defendants defection from the Plaintiff to the APC, the offices of the 2nd - 6th Defendants have reverted to the Plaintiff.

HONOUR FOR REMI OYO: From left—Registrar, Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Mr Dotun Adenijo; former Managing Director, News Agency of Nigeria, Mrs. Oluremi Oyo; Publisher, Vanguard Newspapers, Mr. Sam Amuka and Provost, Nigerian Institute of Journalism, NIJ, Dr. Elizabeth Ikem during the confirmation of Mrs Oyo as NIJ fellow, during the NIJ convocation in Lagos, yesterday.

Amuka, Bruce, others task journalists on nation building ...As NIJ honours Adefaye, Oyo

BY CHARLES KUMOLU & LAJUAREYENKA

L

AGOS—SENIOR media professionals have unanimously called on journalists to actively participate in the search for solutions to the multifaceted challenges holding Nigeria down.

They made the call yesterday in Lagos at the convocation ceremony of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, NIJ. Roll call Those at the event include; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, who was represented by Mallam Imam Imam, former Lagos State governor, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, Publisher of Vanguard Newspapers, Mr. Sam Amuka, General Manager/Editor-inChief of Vanguard Newspapers, Mr. Gbenga Adefaye, former Special Adviser on Media to President Olusegun Obasanjo, Mrs Remi Oyo, Mr Ben Murray Bruce, who was represented

by Mr. Joseph Molokwu, Provost of NIJ, Dr. Elizabeth Ikem among others.

The forum also witnessed the conferment of Fellowship Award of the institution on the duo of Adefaye and Oyo. Most of the speakers also took turns to advice the graduands on the need to act as agents of change.

Nigeria is on the verge of a rebirth—Amuka Speaking at the event, Amuka, who stood in for the Chairman NIJ Governing Council, Mallam Ismaila Isa, said: ‘’Your certificate is a testimony of academic excellence and sound character.

Your intelligence will take you to greater heights, but it is character that will keep you there. This is especially important at this time when Nigeria is on the verge of a rebirth with the ongoing national conference. That is why media practitioners, including our graduating students must endeavour to play our role in national development to the best of our abilities.”

We must help our country stay united—Oyo Similarly, Oyo said: ‘’We expect

that like those that are graduating here today, our journalists would be well educated, and seek continuous education, seek to publish and broadcast the truth and only the truth. And as much as it is important not to be bias, we must realize that we must do all we can to help our country to grow and stay united, and serve our country with our pens and our microphones.”

Journalists should embrace ICT—Adefaye In the same vein, Adefaye said, ‘’There is need to place a lot of emphasis on ICT training and knowledge. The template has changed because the people who are doing very well in the social media call themselves renegades.

They don’t have the tolerance and training that journalists have got.

Therefore those who have training as professionals should also match them for their tricks by getting adequate ICT training otherwise, they would send you out of business.”

Journalists should play developmental role—Bruce Also Bruce said:’’You are graduating into the world of

journalism at a very challenging period. If I were you, I would not even be excited about a day like this, because you are coming into journalism at a trying time. The challenges facing you are enormous because of the developmental role that you must play in our country. There are challenges of technology, society and indeed the labour market. We are in a society where violence has now become the order of the day. As for the labour market, what media house would be able to accommodate all of you? This is why you must move beyond seeking for employment to creating employment. This is where new media comes in. Your education and specifications are also available to the man on the street. But don’t be daunted by this task, embrace the challenge of journalism.”

On her part, Ikem said, ‘’This is the foremost institution of Journalism in Nigerian. And it is is known for producing the finest journalists in the country. Out of every ten journalists you see, six will be products of this institution. The NIJ has run ten hitch free sections. Presently we are in the session semester of the eleventh section. keep the flag flying and uphold the sanctity of journalism profession.’’

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014 — 5

POCKET CARTOON

IPU ASSEMBLY: Inter-Parliamentary Union, IPU, Acting Secretary, Mr Serguei Tchesnokov (left) and Senate President, David Mark, presiding as President of the 130th IPU Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, yesterday.

Photo: NAN.

Dead candidates get 3 job slots Continues from page 1 Board of the Immigration Service, National Security and Civil Defence, Prisons and Fire Service Board, yesterday, indicted the Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro, over the incident, saying the Board was sidelined.

Also, the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, disclosed yesterday that it had commenced investigation into the tragedy even as the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, NASU, joined others in calling for the sack of the minister and the Comptroller-General of Immigration, Mr David Parradang.

Jonathan

compensates victims President Jonathan has directed the immediate cancellation of the recruitment exercise. Instead, a special committee headed by the Chairman of the Civil Service Commission, Mrs Joan Ayo, will conduct the employment test to fill existing vacancies in the Nigeria Immigration Service.

The presidential directive was given at yesterday’s Federal Executive Council meeting where the President further directed that those who lost their loved ones would have automatic slots for three applicants, one of whom must be a woman.

He also warned that henceforth, ministers

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

If you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you. Friedrich Nietzsche.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something. Don’t wait for good things to happen to you. If you go out and make some good things happen, you will fill the world with hope, you will fill yourself with hope— Barak Obama.

To succeed at anything, you must try. If you try to lose weight if that’s your goal, or to improve yourself, or to love, or to make the world a better place, you have already achieved something wonderful, before you even begin.

Forget failure. If things don’t work out the way you want, hold your head up high and be assured with confidence. And try again. And again. And again!”

And from a prolific author, Jeanette Winerson is this insightful summary about moving forward: “I know now, after 50 years that the finding/losing, forgetting/remembering, leaving/returning, never stops. The whole of life is about another chance, and while we are alive, till the very end, there is always another chance.”

Thomas Edison sums it aptly: "If we all did the things we were capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves.”

and heads of government agencies where any death is recorded in the course of recruitment exercise would be tried for culpable homicide.

Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, who addressed State House correspondents after yesterday ’s FEC meeting said the President further directed that only the armed forces and the police are allowed mass recruitment exercises.

According to Maku, President Jonathan promised to personally pay condolence visits to the families of those who lost their loved ones while those who sustained injuries during the botched exercise were also to be given automatic employment.

Recruitment cancelled Maku stated: “The President also took certain measures which he announced to Federal Executive Council. The first is that the Immigration recruitment exercise has been completely cancelled and he has directed that a new exercise will be conducted by a special committee under the chairmanship of the Chairman, Civil Service Commission to conduct the recruitment exercise to fill the vacancies of the Nigerian Immigration Service.

Committee members “Other members of the committee as announced by the President are the Comptroller-General of Nigerian Immigrations Service, representatives of the Inspector-General

of Police (IGP), Commandant-General of Nigeria Security & Civil Defence Corps, Comptroller-General of Prisons Service, Director General, Directorate of State Service (DSS) and the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC).

"This committee will proceed to conduct the exercise to fill the vacancies in the Nigerian Immigration Service.

“The President also directed that for the families of those who lost their dear ones, three spaces be provided for three young people one of which must be a woman in the new recruitment exercise.

“Also, all those who were injured during the exercise across the country will be given automatic recruitment into the service.

“He instructed all MDAs never to embark on exercises of this nature in recruiting people into the public service because what happened could have been avoided.

"So, Mr. President directed that outside the armed forces and the police, who usually recruit people through this exercise, no other MDA is allowed to embark on this kind of exercise that we witnessed on Saturday.”

The minister said members of the Federal Executive Council “noted with grief and deep regrets, the tragic loss of young Nigerians who died in different centres across the country in the ill-fated Nigerian Immigration Recruitment Exercise.

“The FEC in sending condolences to the families of the deceased and also in sending special wishes to those who are injured and still undergoing treatment in hospitals in parts of the country, expressed total regrets that this tragedy took place at all.

“Council noted that it is regrettable that this took place at a time that every effort was being made by government to increase spaces available for employment. For example last year, we were able to get 1.6 million employed in the various sectors of the economy and the public service. However, this incident that took place is so painful and we will not want to see in this country young job seekers losing their lives

in the process of seeking for job after school training.

“We assure the nation today that every step will be taken to look into the various lapses in recruitment exercises into the public service to ensure that all those who are qualified get access to employment without going through this kind of experience” he said. .

We were sidelined —Immigration Board A member of the Immigration Board, Mr S. D. Tapgun, who led the Board members and Heads of other agencies under the Board to appear before the Public Accounts Committee of the House of Representatives said there was no Board approval for the failed exercise.

According to him,”only the Interior Minister and the consultant he engaged for the exercise can tell Nigerians exactly what happened.

"Even the ComptrollerGeneral of the Nigerian Immigration Service was not involved, he was not part of the recruitment at all, there was no Board resolution to recruit anybody.

“When we, the members of the Board, learnt about the recruitment,we wrote the minister that we are not in support of engaging the services of a third party to conduct recruitment for the Immigration Service but he ignored our letter and went ahead to engage the consultant named Rexel Technical Global Nigeria Limited.

"The consultant fixed everything including N1,000 fee which they claimed was administrative charge. Members of the board are ready to confront the minister any day, any time to prove to the entire nation that the Board was never part of the botched exercise.”

He said by the records at the disposal of the Board,693,000 applicants registered for the recruitment exercise and paid N1,000 each to designated banks by the consultant.

Rep. Solomon Adeola Olamilekan, head of PAC, however, summoned the Interior Minister and the consultant to appear before it and explain to the whole nation where they derived their powers to conduct illegal recruitment exercise without passing through the Board, how much was collected from the applicants and where the money was being kept.

Olamilekan said that they had summoned the Board before the unfortunate incident occurred when it was brought to its notice that applicants were being charged N1,000 each by the Nigeria Immigration Service for recruitment so that the board would account for the money so far collected.

Olamilekan said: “This is fraud, our children have been defrauded to the tune of a billion naira.

The minister and the consultant must tell us the whole truth.“

NASU asks President to sack minister, Immigration boss Meanwhile, the NonAcademic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions ( NASU) has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to sack the interior minister, Abba Moro and the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), over the incident.

NASU expressed concern that the death toll might increase in the days ahead, “ in view of the high number of those

Continues on page 48

6—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

Ghanaian authorities get 2-week ultimatum on murdered Nigerian

BY EVELYN USMAN

S

OME human rights groups, yesterday, gave a two week ultimatum to the Ghanaian government to fish out killers of the Nigerian student in Ghana, Godwin Ayogu, failure of which they would take a drastic action.

The groups gave the ultimatum during a protest at the Ghana High Commission, Ikeja, Lagos. The groups accused the Ghanaian Police and authorities of the University of Cape Coast, Ghana, of trying to shield the perpetrators of the dastardly act.

They also demanded that the deceased school fees, which was alleged to have been collected from him by his assailants, be refunded.

The victim was a 19year-old 300 level student of Economics.

His mother, Mrs. Ngozi Anyogu, who also participated in the protest, told the Deputy Consul General, Mr. Isaac Essilifie, “we have invested so much in my son and see no reason why he should be killed like an animal while his killers are parading the streets of Ghana.”

30 illegal immigrants arrested in Lagos

BY EVELYN USMAN

T

HE Lagos State Police Command, yesterday, described as untrue report that it arrested members of the Boko Haram sect in the state.

Rather it clarified that the command arrested 30 illegal immigrants around Ikoyi and Shaha metropolis.

Spokesperson for the command, Ngozi Braide, said the illegal immigrants were arrested during raids by Ikoyi and Shaha divisions.

She stated that the suspects were currently being screened.

PROTEST: Members of civil rights groups protesting the alleged killing of Godwin Ayogu, a Nigerian student of University of Cape Coast, Ghana, and slow pace of investigation into the matter, at the Ghanaian embassy in Lagos, yesterday.

NAN PHOTO.

42,000-litre fuel tanker, filling station, 5 vehicles destroyed in explosion

BY BOSE ADELAJA & MONSURU OLOWOOPEJO

A

T the popular Mobil Petrol Station on Oba Akran Avenue, Ikeja, Lagos, five vehicles that were on a queue and another truck that brought in fresh supply of fuel were, yesterday, consumed in a fire incident in which one person was critically injured.

According to eyewitnesses account, the inferno started at 6.05am when the driver of a tanker laden with 42,000 litres of petrol was trying to enter the fuel station. The truck could not go in due to a long queue of buyers waiting to re-fuel.

A metal was said to have punctured the tanker, which spilled its content leading to an explosion that completely consumed two cars, two buses and one Sports Utility Vehicle, SUV. Electrical installations of Ikeja Distribution Company, IKEDC, and the gate of the Guinness Nigeria Plc headquarters, located beside the filling station were also affected.

An eyewitness said a bystander sustained bruises when an electrical pole fell on his back some meters away from the scene.

According to another eyewitness, Mr. Surajudeen Oladele, “there was heavy traffic at the Mobil junction because vehicles were in a long queue waiting to buy fuel.

“While trying to negotiate the bend into the filling station, the tank hit the culvert at the entrance and the fuel began to spill. The fire started few seconds

later, after a loud bang.”

‘My business is gone’

Mr. Lawal Babatunde, owner of one of the burnt vehicles, said: “This is my business and all I have as a businessman is gone. I have been using the vehicle as a means of livelihood for three years now.

“I was on my way to execute a contract at the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, NIJ, Ogba, Ikeja, when the incident occurred.

“While I was trying to find my way, a commercial motorcycle operator passed beside my car and alerted me of fuel spill.

“Few seconds later, all I heard was a loud bang and the tanker went up in flames.

It spread to where my car was parked. All the cars involved were in traffic.”

Dealer's story

Mr. Segun Oyegbami, the dealer managing the filling station told Vanguard that the quantity of petrol in the tanker was 42,000 litres and it was trying to discharge the content before the fire started, adding “I don’t know the cause of the fire yet.”

Oyegbami noted that the fire affected the station’s canopy and the electricity installation in the community, saying “at the moment, the community has been thrown into darkness.”

The General Manager of Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, L ASEMA, Dr. Femi OkeOsanyintolu who was represented by the Head of Operations, Mr. Olusegun Magnus-Davies said that the

state emergency team was alerted of the disaster at 6:10 pm, adding “ we immediately activated the emergency response team.”

He said they worked effectively to ensure that the fire did not spread.

He, however, said the agency would embark on comprehensive investigation

to unravel the cause of the fire.

According to him, “this is because we are not seeing this as a spillage but as an accident and we do not blame anyone for this at this time.

It is not until the investigation is completed, that we can say this is what happened.”

Clergyman docked over half-brother's death

BY CHINYERE ABIAZIEM

L

AGOS— AN Arabic teacher, Abdulfatai Oshun, was arraigned for the alleged murder of his 26year-old half brother, Yusuf Oshun, at Kano Street, Mobil Satellite town on February 27.

According to report, the accused had a fight with his

brother and in the process held his private part and used his t-shirt to strangulate him to death.

The prosecutor, Inspector Frank Inah, requested that the defendant be remanded in prison custody pending the director of public prosecution’s advice. The magistrate, Mr. E. Ogunkanmi, fixed May 7 for further hearing.

RAZED: Survivors in front of their burnt house in Koreri, near G barracks, Tuesday. NAN PHOTO.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014 —7

One killed, scores injured in Lagos cult clash

BY EVELYN USMAN

L PROTEST: Protest at Sabon Tasha, Kaduna, led by Southern Kaduna Peoples Union, against killings in Southern Kaduna, yesterday. PHOTO: OLU AJAYI.

K

ANO— THE Kano State Government has sent 33 beggars to their states of origin as part of efforts to enforce the law banning street begging in the state. Director-General of the State Hisba Board, Dr. Abba Sufi, said in Kano that the repatriation commenced yesterday.

Governor Rabi’u Kwankwaso signed the Street Begging Prohibition Bill into law on December 19, 2013.

Sufi disclosed that the board had prosecuted one beggar in one of the Sharia courts for refusing to stop begging.

He said the affected person was sentenced to three months imprisonment with an option of N10,000 fine.

Sufi said the affected beggars were arrested last week by the committee set up by the government to enforce the law.

He said 10 of the affected beggars were from Jigawa, 15 from Katsina, while the remaining eight were from Kaduna.

“They are now on their way to these states and will be handed over to the respective secretaries to the state government, SSGs, on arrival,” he said.

According to him, seven

Kano deports beggars to Jigawa, Katsina, Kaduna z... as one bags 3-month jail term, N10,000 fine mentally-deranged persons have also been taken to Dorayi Psychiatric Hospital for proper care and treatment.

“They will be treated and taken care of until they recover

and become mentally sound,” he added.

He restated the commitment of the state government towards ensuring effective enforcement of the law.

The state government recently launched empowerment programme for the less-privileged and physically-challenged persons in the state.

FAILED KIDNAP BID: Police kill 2, arrest one

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

B

ENIN—THE Police in Edo State, yesterday, shot dead three suspected kidnappers, who attempted to abduct a pregnant woman identified simply as Mrs Ehi on Evbomoma Road, off Sapele Road, Benin.

The suspects had abducted the pregnant woman, said to

Giwa Barracks, Maiduguri, after last Friday's attempted attack on the

be from a wealthy family, into a waiting car. Unknown to them, men of the antikidnapping unit at the state Police Command got the hint and stormed the area.

Police killed two, while one was arrested.

One pump action gun, one double-barrelled cut-to-size gun, 10 live cartridges, one Nissan Sunny salon car with number plate CU 835 JJJ and a Santana salon car with number plate AA 908 DEA were recovered from them.

The suspects were identified as Brown Ogunbor, Monday and Mark. The third suspect told newsmen that somebody from the prison called him on phone to partake in the kidnap operation.

Edo State Police Commissioner, Funso Adebanjo, who displayed the dead bodies to newsmen, vowed to continue the crack down on “the remnants of kidnappers still operating in the state.”

AGOS— ONE person was killed, yesterday, and several others injured in a fierce cult war in Ijora Badia area of Lagos.

Trouble started Tuesday morning after one Niyi, popularly known as Niyi Star, an awaiting trial inmate, allegedly stormed 5, Ijora Oloye Street, accompanied by six members of his gang.

They reportedly stormed the abode of one Ade Ojora, said to be a member of a rival cult, and beat him up.

Ojora, said to also be on the command’s wanted list, reportedly died owing to loss of blood in an undisclosed hospital around the area.

Youths from Ijora Oloye, said to have been armed with dangerous weapons, were going for a revenge mission when they were stopped by policemen.

Spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, Ngozi Braide, expressed surprise over the fleeing suspect’s release from prison.

She said : “Niyi Star was arrested for murder in 2012 and charged to court. We are surprised how he returned to the streets.

“Pin-down points have been set up in the area and security beefed up.

Efforts are still on to arrest Niyi Star and others.”

SUBSIDY TRIAL: Judge imposes N5,000 fine on EFCC's counsel his absence in court without made by counsel to

BY ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH

A

N Ikeja High Court presided over by Justice Lateefat Okunnu, yesterday, imposed a fine on Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, a counsel representing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for his absence in the ongoing trial of three fuel subsidy fraud suspects.

Justice Okunnu ordered the lawyer to pay N5,000 for

reason, accusing him of wasting the time of the court and tax payers’ money.

The judge gave the order during the hearing of the subsidy fraud case involving son of Ibadan business mogul, Alhaji Azeez Arisekola-Alao, Abdullahi, Olarenwaju Olalusi and Opeyemi Ajuyah; and their companies— Majope Investment Ltd. and Axenergy Ltd. They were arraigned by the EFCC. The court’s order was sequel to an oral application

the defendants, Mr. Dare Falana asking the court to strike out the charge due to lack of diligent prosecution.

They argued that the absence of the prosecution violated Section 232 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos State 2011, which provides for speedy dispensation of criminal cases.

The judge rejected the oral applications but imposed fine on the counsel. The matter was adjourned till March 24 for continuation of trial.

8—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

Jonathan asks Senate to confirm Bulkachuwa as Court of Appeal President

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU & JOSEPH ERUNKE

A

B U J A — PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, forwarded the name of Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, to the Senate for confirmation as substantive President, Court of Appeal.

If the president’s request is granted by the Senate, the Nigerian Judiciary at the moment will be headed at both the Supreme and Court of Appeal levels by female Judges.

Jonathan, in a letter to the Red Chamber, dated March 13, 2014, and read on the floor of the Senate yesterday, by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the plenary session, said the nomination of Bulkachuwa as President of the Court of Appeal was in conformity with relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution and recommendation of the National Judicial Council for such appointment.

The letter titled: “Appointment of President, Court of Appeal”, reads in part: “In conformity with section 238, sub-section (1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended which gives the President powers to appoint a President of the Court of Appeal acting on the recommendation of the National Judicial Council and subject to confirmation by the Senate, I hereby present the nomination of Honourable Justice Zainab A. Bulkachuwa as President of the Court of Appeal…”, urging the Senate to give the request, the usual expeditious consideration and approval.

Bulkachuwa, an indigene of Bauchi State, is currently the Acting President, Court of Appeal. The first female Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mariam Aloma Muktar, from Kano State, was also appointed in 2012, through the same process

by President Jonathan.

Justice Bulkachuwa has been acting as President of the Court of Appeal since November 22, 2012.

US lawyers seek repatriation of Abacha loot to Nigeria T

WO United States, US senior lawyers and professors of law have requested the United States of America to without delay repatriate the sum of $458 million assets stolen by the former military dictator late General Sani Abacha and his accomplices.

The lawyers Alexander Sierck and Nicholai Diamond of Cameron LPP in Washington DC made the request in a letter dated 18 March 2014 sent to Eric Holder, Jr. the Attorney General of United States of America as Volunteer Counsel for Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP). In the letter titled ‘Re: Abacha Kleptocracy Forfeiture Action’, the lawyers said “SERAP respectfully requests that the U.S. Department of Justice establish a general process for the repatriation of assets seized as part of its Kleptocracy Initiative.

SERAP’s request arises in the specific context of the Department’s March 6, 2014 announcement that it has frozen more than $458 million in corruption proceeds, which have been hidden in bank accounts around the world by former Nigerian dictator Sani Abacha and conspirators, to implement the civil forfeiture complaint filed in federal district court in Washington. As the Department stated in its press release announcing the seizure, these seized funds properly belong to the citizens the kleptocrats ostensibly served.”

According to the lawyers, “Even though the Department has only recently filed the civil forfeiture complaint regarding the Abacharelated assets, SERAP respectfully submits that its

request is nonetheless timely in regard to such assets. This is because in many such cases, the kleptocrats owning the seized property do not appear in the U.S. to contest the seizure because they would then subject themselves to personal jurisdiction in the underlying criminal case that might be filed against them.

Thus, at some point, perhaps by the end of 2014, there will be a default on the Abacha asset seizure, consequently freeing up the assets for repatriation to or for the benefit of Nigeria and its citizens.”

“SERAP notes that in a September 19, 2011 interview with the Main Justice blog, Jennifer Shasky, speaking on behalf of the Department’s Kleptocracy

Initiative, stated that: the Department has no [legal] obligation to repatriate assets subject to civil forfeiture, but that the Department is committed to finding ways to repatriate or otherwise use such funds for the benefit of the victim country.

SERAP assumes that this is still the Department’s position,” the lawyers also said.

They also noted that, “on March 15, 2012, SERAP filed a letter with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Enforcement Division seeking comparable repatriation of civil fines paid in connection with Foreign Corrupt Practices Act settlements.

In particular, SERAP proposed that such fines be repatriated to or for the benefit of the people of the victim country in the event that the SEC determined not to pay such proceeds directly to the government where officials were apparently bribed. To that end,

SERAP proposed that such funds might be conveyed to a reliable U.S. or Nigerian charitable organization to be spent on health care, for example, subject to anticorruption safeguards.” The lawyers also “request that the Department publish for public comment a proposal for the disposition of such seized assets, not just in the Abacha context but in all such Kleptocracy Initiative cases. In SERAP’s judgment, the Department’s proposal ought to explain: · When and under what circumstances the Department will “foreclose” on such seized, and presumably defaulted, assets. · Whether and when the Department will provide public notice of such foreclosure.

Whether, following such foreclosure, the Department will provide public notice, of 90 days for example, for requests for repatriation to be filed.

LECTURE: Guest of honour, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina; Senator Olabiyi Durojaye; Chairman of the occasion, Chief Arthur Mbanefo; Guest lecturer, Prof.

Peter Okebukola and Executive Director of the foundation, Dr.Omolaraeni Awokoya-Adadevoh during the 19th annual lecture, award of honours and postgraduate scholarship by Stephen Oluwole Awokoya Foundation for Science Education in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Biodun Ogunleye.

FG appoints new group executive directors for NNPC

BY BEN AGANDE

A

BUJA—PRESIDENT Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has appointed new Group Executive Directors for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation to fill critical vacancies which currently exist in the Corporation.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati said Mr. Ian Gregory Udoh was appointed the Group Executive Director, Refining and Petrochemicals while Dr. Dan Iwoene Efebo is the Group Executive Director, Corporate Services of the NNPC. The statement added that Ms. Aisha Mata Abdurrahman is the Group Executive Director, Business Development while the Group Executive Director, Engineering and Technical for

the corporation is Mr. Adebayo Ibikunle Ibirogba Also, Dr. Joseph Thlama Dawha is the Acting Group Executive Director, Exploration and Production The statement added that Mr. Ian Gregory Udoh who is a native of Akwa Ibom State and has been the Managing Director of Port Harcourt Refining and Petrochemicals Company Ltd. (PHRC) since November 2012 has considerable experience of managing the nation’s refineries having previously held the position of Executive Director, Operations at both the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemicals Company Ltd. (KRPC) and the Port Harcourt Refining and Petrochemicals Company Ltd. Mr. Udoh also served as a General Manager in the Refining and Petrochemicals Directorate of NNPC.

Dr. Dan Iwoene Efebo who is currently the Group General Manager, in charge of the NNPC’s Human Resources Division was previously General Manager, Human Resources, Brass LNG. He hails from Bayelsa state.

Ms. Aisha Mata Abdurrahman is a native of Kogi State and has been the Managing Director of Nikorma, NNPC’s shipping subsidiary, since March 2011. Ms. Abdurrahman has also served as Managing Director of Hyson, an NNPC trading subsidiary, and as Executive Director (Services) of the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC).

Mr. Adebayo Ibikunle Ibirogba, a Chemical Engineer, is currently the Group General Manager, Engineering in the NNPC’s Engineering and Technology Directorate, and

hails from Ogun State. He has also served as General Manager (New Business), General Manager (Gas Development), and Group General Manager, Greenfield Refineries. In 2010, Mr. Ibirogba became the first African to be elected to the Board of Directors of the World LP Gas Association.

Dr. Joseph Thlama Dawha who replaces Mr. Abiye H. Membere as Group Executive Director, Exploration and Production, has been the Managing Director of Integrated Data Services Ltd (IDSL) since 2005. He is an indigene of Borno State and has served the Corporation diligently, over the years, in various capacities, in the upstream and downstream sectors of the industry.

All the appointments are with immediate effect.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014 — 9

C M Y K

10 —Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

Subsidy protest death: Ex-DPO fired 10 rounds, says Police witness

BY BARTHOLOMEW

MADUKWE AGOS—A prosecuting witness, Inspector Olumide Alagbe, yesterday, told a Lagos High Court in Igbosere that former Divisional Police Officer of Pen Cinema, Agege, DSP Segun Fabunmi, shot 10 rounds of his AK-47 rifle, at a crowd during protests against fuel subsidy removal in January 9, 2012.

DSP Fabunmi is charged with the attempted murder of some fuel subsidy protesters, and the murder of one Adedamola Daramola, an incident which happened at Yaya-Abatan Street, Agege.

The defendant, who looked relaxed, wearing a brown ankara as he sat among the audience, was charged to court on May 5, 2013 and had pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Led in evidence by the prosecutor, Mrs. Olabisi Ogungbesan, a Director with the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions, DPP, Inspector Alagbe told the court that the AK47 rifle used by the defendant was loaded with 60 rounds when he (defendant) and his team were heading to Yaya-Abatan.

L

Insp. Alagbe, while giving evidence, said he was in his office on January 9, 2012, when the Commissioner of Police, CP, informed him of an incident involving a policeman who allegedly shot a man.

Another witness, ASP Tanimu Jeremiah, a ballistician with the Nigeria Police Force, on his part, said that a 7.62 caliber AK-47 rifle with ID number 526309 was brought to his office for examination.

SUMMIT: From left: Mr. Bosun Jeje, Housing Commissioner, Mr. Ben Akabueze, Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget and Chairman, 7th Lagos Economic Summit, Ehigbeti 2014, and Prince Gbolahan Lawal, Commissioner for Agriculture and Corporative, during the briefing on the forthcoming 7th Lagos Economic Summit, at Protea Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Bunmi Azeez

No missing fund during Fani-Kayode’s tenure — WITNESS

BY INNOCENT ANABA AGOS—A prosecution witness in the on-going trial of former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, Mr. Bashir Abdullahi, yesterday, told the court that there was no missing funds during the tenure of the accused.

Abdullahi, the third prosecution witness for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,

L

EFCC, in his evidence in-chief, told the court that the case file of the accused was assigned to him in 2008, for investigation.

The witness is an investigating police officer with EFCC. Fani-Kayode is standing trial on alleged money laundering charge.

Led in cross examination by the defence counsel, the witness said: “Our investigations revealed that a total of N19.5

billion was released as Aviation Intervention Fund, out of which a total of N8.5 billion was released during the tenure of Professor Femi Aborishade, the predecessor of the accused.

“During the tenure of the

DO EKITI—AFENIFERE Chieftain and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship aspirant, Prince Dayo Adeyeye has said that the party Ward Congress, must be repeated in seven Local Governments, saying; “There must be a repeat of the exercise in the seven Local Governments.”

Reacting to the conduct of the Ward Congress, Adeyeye said: “Electoral Officers sent to my Local Government, Ise/Orun and four others were diverted to unknown destinations while the materials were hijacked by thugs in Ado and Gbonyin Local Governments. The Electoral Officer sent to Ado Local Government, Tajudeen Arowolo told the police in his handwritten statement that it was one Arinka,

the materials.

“Those saddled with the duties of conducting the Congress in Ekiti West, Ekiti South West, Emure and Ise/Orun Local Government areas simply collected the election materials from the party secretariat in AdoEkiti and absconded. Our party chairmen in the local governments waited for them, but they did not show up.

“This they did in connivance with former Governor, Ayo Fayose and one just imagine how anyone could want to perpetrate this kind of fraud even in Ise/Orun, my own Local Government.

“It is therefore our demand that the Congress must be held in the seven local government areas where the exercise did not hold.”

accused, the sum of N11 billion was released and out of this sum, the accused disbursed a total of N3.8 billion, leaving a remainder of N7.2 billion in the Ministry’s account. Our investigations revealed that no part of the Aviation fund was missing during the tenure of the accused, and there was also no finding that the accused made any disbursement without due process.”

LAMATA converts BRT corridors to concrete

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

Lagos State LAGOS—THE Government has No ward congress in 7 LGs commenced conversion from a known supporter of Ayo Fayose asphalt to concrete pavement —ADEYEYE that led the thugs who snatched in its entire Bus Rapid Transit

A

He said: “The rifle was brought with 50 rounds of ammunition and from my investigation, I discovered that the rifle had just been used.”

The presiding judge, Justice Olabisi Akinlade, after listening to both counsel, adjourned till June 2 for continuation of trial.

corridor aimed at ensuring smoother commuting in the state.

According to the Managing Director of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, LAMATA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, BRT lanes are

being converted from asphalt to concrete pavement in a bid to reduce the lanes’ maintenance cost, guarantee the longevity of the buses and reduce their downtime.

Mobereola, speaking at a stakeholders' meeting where stakeholders were briefed on the pavement conversion project, said: “Concrete pavement, where it is used in other parts of the world reduces maintenance cost of vehicles and the road itself.

Oral Health Day: Lagos residents get free dental check

L

AGOS—AHEAD of today ’s World Oral Health Day, Lagos chapter of the Nigeria Dental Association, NDA, yesterday said it has concluded plans to offer free oral dental check to about one million people. Chairperson of NDA in Lagos, Dr. Opeyemi Okoisor, said the association would be flagging off its activities to mark World Oral Health Day today, at the Lagbaja field within the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, Ikeja.

Police raid: Aspirant accuses Oyo govt of complicity

I

BY OLA AJAYI

B A D A N — FOLLOWING the raid on his campaign office by men from the Oyo State police command on Tuesday, Mr. Seyi Makinde, a governorship aspirant in 2015 election in the state has accused the state government of sponsoring a petition against him that he was keeping arms in his office.

Makinde, who wants to contest the election on the platform of the major opposition party in the state, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, alleged that the move was intended to discredit him.

While speaking in Ibadan yesterday, Makinde who defected to PDP during the administration of the former Governor of the state, Otunba Adebayo AlaoAkala, vowed that he would not be cowed into submission through intimidation or threat from the government.

But reacting, the Abiola Ajimobi government, through his Special Adviser on Media, Dr. Festus Adedayo, said, in close to three years, he had run a government that was outstanding in bringing peace to Oyo State.

Anniversary

A

CTIVITIES to mark the third anniversary of Season of Prayer and Praise Ministries will commence on Saturday March 22, at the church auditorium, Plot 118, Igbogbo/Bayeku Road, Femi Olawoyin bus-stop in Ikorodu area of Lagos State by 10am.

General Overseer of the church, Hon. Femi Olawoyin, said the programme with the theme; 'Let God arise, and enlarge my coasts,' will feature ordination of deacons and deaconesses, while a thanksgiving service will hold on Sunday March 23 by 7am.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014—11

Ogun directs Amosun, other workers to farm

Osun guber: Adeleke, Omisore, Olasunkanmi, Oke, pick PDP forms

A

A

BEOKUTA—IN order to give fulfilment to its Agricultural Production/ Industrialisation agenda, Ogun state government has directed all top public officers in the state, including the governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, to engage in farming and other agricultural production activities.

Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Alhaji Yusuph Olaniyonu, in a statement issued in Abeokuta yesterday said the decision was arrived at during the weekly state Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Amosun on Monday.

He said the government has therefore directed the top public officers to apply to the Ministry of Agriculture for farm lands and follow due process like any member of the public.

The commissioner added that government would monitor compliance as beneficiaries are expected to use the allocated land for only agricultural purpose.

Ekiti SURE-P beneficiaries get N300m in 10 months

A

DO EKITI— Beneficiaries of the Subsidy Re-Investment Programme, SURE-P, Community Services, Women and Youths Employment Scheme in Ekiti State have been paid over N300 million, the Chairman and Coordinator of the State Implementation Committee of the SURE-P in the State, Rt. Hon. Femi Akinyemi has disclosed.

Akinyemi, who made this known while speaking during a training programme organized for the newly inaugurated 16 Local Government Coordinators of the scheme, said the N300 million was the 10 months stipend paid to the 3,000 beneficiaries of the scheme.

The 16 Local Government Coordinators of the SURE-P Community Services, Women and Youths Employment Scheme received their letters of appointment last Tuesday, and took over the Local Government Desk Offices yesterday.

BY HENRY UMORU

B U J A — N AT I O N A L leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday commenced the sale of forms for intending gubernatorial aspirants into the election in Osun State ahead of the August polls.

Few hours into the start of the exercise, four governorship aspirants from the state stormed the PDP National Secretariat to pick their nomination and expression of interest forms for a total sum of N11 million each.

The four aspirants who picked their forms yesterday were former governor Isiaka Adeleke; former Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Iyiola Omisore; ex-Minister of Youth Development, Senator Akinlabi Olasunkanmi and a former member, Federal House of Representatives, Oluwole Oke. While Sen. Omisore picked his forms through Mr. Fadipe Felix, Sen. Olasunkanmi was personally at the National Secretariat to pick his forms.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has fixed the Osun State gubernatorial election for August 9, while the PDP primary election holds April 5.

Answering questions from journalists after collecting his forms, Olasunkanmi said: “One of the reasons Governor Rauf

Aregbesola has not performed is that he has brought controversies into the state.

“He spent the first two years of his tenure arguing over the nomenclature of the state, whether it should be Osun State or State of Osun. How does that affect the development of the state?

“When I take over, I will revisit the re-classification of schools because Osun State must not be

different.”

When asked if he would succumb to a consensus candidate, the former minister who did not disagree with the process as it was not a wrong way of choosing a candidate, advised that there must be a template that must be used if that would be the process, adding that if that would be the case, all the aspirants must agree, the eventual consensus candidate

must be a loyal member of the party who does not threaten to defect and that the person must be a financial member of the party, who must have been seen to be contributing financially to the growth of the party, adding that the candidate must also have a robust educational qualification, experience and impeccable, and the person must not be controversial candidate.

VISIT: From left: Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State, welcoming the Chairman, Board of Commissioners of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Mr. Peter Igoh, to his office when the latter paid a courtesy call on the Governor in Akure. With them is Dr. Michael Onyia, a Commissioner at the NCC.

APC disagrees with PDP over empowerment

by Aregbesola

BY GBENGA OLARINOYE

O

SOGBO—THE ruling All Progressives Congress APC in Osun State has advised the citizens of the state to shun and disregard PDP agents that are allegedly going about in Osun cities accusing Governor Rauf Aregbesola of “not empowering people since he became governor."

What they actually mean, the APC said: ” Is that Aregbesola did not allow the fraudulent access to public funds for their private use as the PDP allegedly did between 2003 and 2007.

In a statement from the party’s Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy, Mr. Kunle Oyatomi, the APC claimed that since the State was created, no governor has done as much as Aregbesola to empower citizens legitimately.

According to the APC; “People in their thousands are now engaging in business profitably like they never did since 2003.

This, has resulted in increased banking activities, which was acknowledged recently by the Central Bank of Nigeria Manager in the state.”

The party said that when the question of empowerment is

raised in Nigeria today, Aregbesola occupies prime position as a pace setter in Nigeria whose programmes designed to empower citizens, are now being replicated throughout the country.

“Aregbesola took the initiative within 100 days of coming to

power to empower 20,000 youths with employment. Today, that number has risen to 40,000, and over N400 million is being injected into Osun’s economy monthly. That comes to N4.8 billion yearly.”

The APC therefore urged all citizens to prepare themselves for the decisive statement which they will be called upon to make

in August so that Aregbesola may finish the wonderful work he started in November 2010.

“Aregbesola is working; there is no family in Osun State that has not been affected, and if anybody says this is not empowering Osun citizens, it is a pity and a shame. Only wicked people will say such things,” the APC said.

Oba of Lagos tussle: Cost awarded against Akiolu’s counsel The legal tussle over who

BY ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH

L

AGOS—ELEVEN years after Oba Rilwan Akiolu was installed as Oba of Lagos, the suit challenging his installation yesterday came up with the trial Judge, Justice A. Candide-Johnson ordering his counsel, Mr. Aderemi Bashua to pay N50,000 as cost for delaying the case.

The claimants, Prince Sammy Adedoyin Adebiyi and Prince Rasheed Modile had in suit No LD/1215/2003 prayed the court to set aside the appointment and installation of Oba Rilwan Babatunde Akiolu as the Oba

of Lagos.

Joined in the suit are Governor of Lagos State, Attorney-General of the state, Prince Babatunde Akitoye and Chief Junaid-Eko.

was the rightful person to occupy the throne as the Oba of Lagos after the passage of Oba Adeyinka Oyekan II had been on shortly after the death of the late Oba.

Ekiti 2014: Fayemi picks “good works” which his nomination form the administration started in 2010.

A

BUJA—EKITI State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, yesterday, obtained the All Progressives Congress, APC, expression of interest and Nomination form to seek reelection as governor of the state.

The governor who obtained the form at the national headquarters of the party in Abuja, stated that he is seeking re-election in order to consolidate

He was accompanied by his Deputy, Professor Modupe Adelabu, lawmakers representing the State at the National Assembly, the Director-General of his campaign organisation, Hon. Bimbo Daramola, Speaker of the House of Assembly, Dr. Adewale Omirin.

The governor’s supporters arrived the APC Secretariat in Abuja at about 11am.

12—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

ALSCON crisis: Russian managers hand over to Nigerians

BY SONI DANIEL

T

HE core investor in the Aluminium Smelter Company of Nigeria, ALSCON, in Ikot Abasi, Akwa Ibom State, BFI Group, has decried reports that UC RUSAL, the Russian firm at the plant, has sacked over 100 workers.

There were fears last night that the Russians might have quietly left the country and handed over the decrepit plant to Nigerians to manage in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision barring them from running the plant.

Vanguard gathered that the most senior Russian directors and managers, who had held sway at the plant before the Supreme Court judgment, had been surreptitiously posted back to Russia, leaving the plant in the hands of Nigerians.

But the Executive Vice President of BFI Group, Frank Shearer, has said that he was disturbed by the level of decline in both physical and human resource assets of the company since the Bureau of Public Enterprises, BPE, handed over the plant to UC RUSAL in 2006.

Shearer said “BFIG is outraged at the latest information

that no fewer than 100 workers of ALSCON were to be sacked

by UC RUSAL effective Monday, March 17, 2014. We are disturbed by the level of wastefulness and dissipation of human resources at the plant. When BFIG bid for ALSCON in 2004, we also considered the robust human resources, which we hoped to rely

on in our effort to turn the fortunes of the plant around for the economic benefit of the people of Akwa Ibom and the Niger Delta region.”

He said the value of the physical assets as at 2006 when UC RUSAL took over the plant stood at over $1.1billion, pointing out that based

on the auditor’s financial reports, the value of the assets had since deteriorated to only $89 million in 2011, adding that it was frightening that the staff strength had also declined from 784 employees in 2004 to less than 174, with latest sack threat.

SWEARING-IN: From left: Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, with the newly sworn in Chief Judge of the State, Justice Peter Agumagu, in Port Harcourt, yesterday.

Egbema Radical Group blows up oil pipeline in Delta zThreatens more attacks in 24hrs

BY EGUFE YAFUGBORHI

W

ARRI—DIBI pipeline, a major oil pipeline believed to be a facility of Chevron Nigerian Limited, was blown up yesterday, with the Egbema Radical Group, ERG, in Warri North Local Government Artea, Delta State, claiming responsibility.

ERG, in a statement, claimed it carried out the attack around 2a.m., yesterday, saying that the action was to warn Delta State Government and Chevron to address the alleged neglect and marginalisation of Egbema Ijaw, who share Warri North Local Government Area with the Itsekiri in the state.

The group’s spokesman, Ami Dada, said the state governor “has deliberately refused to implement the peace agreement in Warri North and things have continued to be lopsided. The Ijaw in the local government area are marginalised and all political positions have been passed over to the Itsekiri. So long as this injustice continues, there will

be no peace and I can assure you that there will be no election in Warri North. The governor should forget his senatorial ambition because we won’t allow it to work.

“Chevron should expect more attacks for the inequity it has been metting out in Warri North. We have graduates and well qualified people among the Ijaw in the local government area, but Chevron has ignored our people as 99 percent of its

employees and contracts have gone to our Itsekiri neighbours.

“If Delta State and Chevron fail to address the issues within 24 hours, it will lead to more deadly attacks. The next explosion could be a flow station.”

Confirming the incident, Delta State Commissioner for Oil and Gas, Mofe Pira, said: “I am aware of a situation concerning a pipeline

in Dibi, but I do not know of any agreement and have never seen or read any that government reneged on, just as I am not aware if anybody is responsible for the pipeline incident.”

When contacted, Victor Anyangbule, a media interface with Chevron in its Delta operations, said the company was putting up an official position, which had not been released at press time.

Oghara chieftaincy dispute: Claimant wants Appeal Court to unseat monarch

B

BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

ENIN—THE presentation of staff of office to Chief Noble Estemitan by the Delta State Government and his subsequent crowning as Orefe III, Ovie of Oghara, which was a subject of litigation at the state High Court, has moved to the appellate court, as one of the claimants to the throne, Chief Macaulay Akpurhi, has asked the Court of Appeal sitting in Benin, Edo State, to set aside the action of the state government in defiance of court proceedings

and in contempt of court.

Other plaintiffs in the suit are Chief Jumi (the most senior Okakuro of Ovade community), Chief Datsun Ojiamoni and Chief Fredrick Amofeye.

The defendants in the suit are Chief William Ibori (the Unugberoghodo of Ogharefe sub-clan), the governor of Delta State, Chief Estsemitan (Orefe III, Ovie of Oghara), Attorney General of Delta State, and Commissioner for Chieftaincy and Local Government and eight others.

In the appeal, the appellants expressed dissatisfaction with the ruling of Justice Okpu of the Delta State High Court, Oghara, of December 21, 2012, wherein the trial judge refused to grant an interlocutory order sought by the appellants.

In the appeal, the appellants want the court to set aside the purported Staff of Office presented to Chief Estsemitan as Orefe III, Ovie of Oghara on January 16, 2013 by the governor of Delta state in defiance of court proceedings.

NLNG to build $12m engineering laboratories in six varsities

BY CHRIS OCHAYI

A

BUJA—DETERMINED to enhance educational development in Nigeria, the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited, NLNG, has announced a donation of $12 million for the construction of modern engineering laboratories in six Nigerian universities.

Managing Director of NLNG, Mr. Babs Omotowa, at a media briefing, yesterday, in Abuja, explained that each of the universities selected from the six geo-political zones will get $2 million to execute the modern laboratory project which will be equipped with cuttingedge equipment.

Omotowa, who said the projects will be completed in the next one year, added that the NLNG will partner the benefiting universities to ensure effective joint monitoring of the projects.

Benefitting universities of the project include, University of Ibadan, University of Ilorin, University Port Harcourt, University of Maiduguri, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

He said: “No Nigerian university is ranked amongst the 500 best universities in the world today, neither is our ranking among African universities impressive."

Garden of Life Assembly holds five days fasting

G

ARDEN of Life Assembly, in Effurun, Delta State, will hold a five-day fasting programme for divine restoration.

According to the presiding minister, Bishop Orovwuje Edward, the event will hold from March 24 to 27 at 4pm while a power night is scheduled for Friday 28, at the church premises, Christ Mustering Point, 7, All Saints Lane, Okere Ugborikoko Road, Effurun.

The theme of the programme is I am what I am by the grace of God.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014—13

Bayelsa confab delegates urged to make positive inputs

Oshiomhole swears in new Perm-Sec

BY SIMEON EBEGBULEM

G

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

Y

ENAGOA—A GROUP, Nengi James Foundation, has called on Bayelsa State delegates at the national conference to propose and support resolutions that will end poverty and unemployment in the oil rich Niger Delta region.

Founder of the organisation, Chief Nengi James, made the appeal in Yenagoa.

James, who is also the chairman of the state chapter of Civil Liberties Organisation, CLO, urged the delegates from the Ijaw naton to represent the people well, noting that the objective of the conference was to set things right in the polity.

C M Y

VISIT: Chairman, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote (middle) and Founder, James Hope College, Mr. Jim Ovia, flanked by students and teachers of the institution during a motivation and inspiration visit to the school in Agbor, Delta State.

Alamieyeseigha’s loot: Court summons EFCC, Lamorde

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

A

BUJA—DESPITE controversy over the origin of the suit asking that the sum of N1.4 billion and another $1.3 million that was recovered f r o m former governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, be returned to the state’s treasury, a Federal H i g h Court in Abuja, yester-

day, summoned Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and its Chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, to appear before it on April 15.

Trial judge, Justice Ademola Adeniyi, also directed the anti-graft agency and its chairman to ensure that they entered their defence to the issues raised in the suit before that date.

The court further directed that they should be duly served with hearing notices in respect of the suit.

It will be recalled that a security expert, Mr. George Uboh, had maintained that he was mandated by the Bayelsa State Government to file the suit to help recover the funds, which were seized from its convicted former governor.

But the Bayelsa State Gov-

ernment had denied ordering the suit, insisting that it never filed such matter before the high court.

Uboh, who is the Chief Executive of Panic Alert Security System, PASS, produced a copy of the mandate as well as series of correspondences between him and EFCC in relation to the seized funds.

In the suit against EFCC and its Chairman, in the name of Bayelsa State, it applied for a declaration that the failure of EFCC to remit the complete funds recovered from Alamieyeseigha after he was investigated and prosecuted and “subsequently trading with the funds by way of funds placement/fixed deposits, is an act of corruption and an economic crime contrary to sections 6 and 7 of the EFCC (Establishment) Act, 2004.”

OVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, has assured public officers in the state that government will continue to reward merit, hard work and excellence as a morale booster to enhance productivity.

He gave the assurance, yesterday, at the swearing-in of Mrs. Vera Obadan as a Permanent Secretary and Secretary of the Board of the state Internal Revenue Service.

Speaking after administering the relevant oaths on the new PermanentSecretary, Oshiomhole, said: “This appointment is unique in some ways.

This is not one of those appointments we make on account of how many years one has put in the service. It is based purely on merit. It is merit-driven and merit-earned.

“The future of our state lies in the productivity of our public officers. From all the reports that I have received, all the evaluations by all manners of persons who have come in contact with you, say that you have put in extraordinary efforts to ensure that the revenue service performs optimally.

“I am convinced that by your elevation, we are stating that a woman can do better in any of those things a man does."

14 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

National Assembly Clerk must be appointed from

legislative staff — Senate

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU

A

BUJA — THE Senate, yesterday, passed the National Assembly Service Commission Amendment Bill, ruling out the appointment of non-legislative staff as Clerk of National Assembly, Director or any other principal officers.

The bill, among other amendments, empowers the presiding officer of the National Assembly to recommend the appointment of the Clerk of the Senate, now equivalent to the position of Head of Service to the President for approval.

Besides, the bill also recommended that the head of the medical department of the National Assembly will be called the Chief Medical Director, while the National Assembly Service Commission will play key role in the appointment, discipline and removal of all members of staff of the National Assembly, including the Clerk.

In addition, the bill also aimed at addressing the issue of stagnation of staff of the National Assembly, while the “Commission shall not be subject to the direction or control of any authority or person in exercise of its duties.”

Chairman, Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service, Senator Aloysius Etuk, said the bill “will address or minimise rivalry among core legislative staff and non-legislative staff, who work in various administrative and technical departments of the National Assembly. ”This bill, with the creation of additional four directors will expand the National Assembly bureaucracy, take care of expansion, strengthen the service and motivate staff efficiency and effectiveness.”

He said the bill would primarily create capacity, enhance professionalism, as well as encourage staff of the National Assembly to put in their best.

It stated that “a person holding the office of the Clerk to the National Assembly shall only be removed by the Commission, acting on an address supported by a simple majority of each House of the National Assembly.

C M Y

Anambra/Kogi border dispute'll soon be resolved — Nkem Okeke, Dep Gov

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

A

WKA — New Anambra State deputy governor, Dr. Nkem Okeke, said yesterday, in Awka, that governments of Anambra and Kogi would soon resolve the lingering border skirmishes between the oil rich border communities in the two states.

Despite the efforts of the National Boundary Commission and the governments of the two states to ensure that peace returned to the area, hostilities

broke out a fortnight ago during which six people who sustained injuries on the Anambra side were admitted at Otuocha General Hospital.

Property worth millions of naira were also destroyed at the site of Orient Petroleum Resources at Aguleri Otu in Anambra East Local Government Area.

The attackers were said to be from Odeke in Ibaji Local Government Area of Kogi State, who allegedly scared security operatives guarding the oil re-

finery before setting fire on equipment belonging to Nigercat Construction Company working at the refinery site.

Describing the continued hostility at the refinery site as unfortunate, Okeke, whose office oversees boundary matters, told newsmen in his office that the resolution of the matter was a top priority of Chief Willie Obiano’s administration in the state.

Okeke said it was unfortunate that the people laying claims to the oil deposits in the area kept quiet until investors from Anam-

bra State established a refinery at Aguleri Otu in Anambra State.

According to him, the present administration in the state will do everything within the law to ensure that people from both states live in peace to ensure a conducive business climate needed for the refinery to function.

He said as the deputy governor of the state, his duty was to assist the governor to succeed, adding that as a man of integrity, Governor Obiano was fully prepared to serve the people of Anambra State.

FRSC wants more centres for issuing drivers' licences

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

A

CONFERENCE: From left, Major Hamza al-Mustapha, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, National President of Christian Association of Nigeria, and Professor Muhammed Al-Amin, during the second one-day interactive Christian/Muslim conference on peace and national unity, at Ayalla Hotel, Abuja.

Quicken trial of pending court cases, Obiano tells judiciary ...pledges to give judiciary face-lift, assistance

BY NWABUEZE OKONKWO

O

NITSHA — GOVERNOR Willie Obiano of Anambra State has charged the state Chief Judge, Justice Peter Umeadi, and his team to ensure quicker dispensation of justice in all the cases pending in various law courts in the state.

Obiano, who gave the charge, yesterday, during his familiarisation visit to the state judiciary headquarters, Awka, said he would want a situation where all the judicial officers in the state gave accelerated hearings to all the pending cases and reduce them to 50 per cent as soon as possible.

He described the judiciary arm of the state government as partners in progress, adding that from his own observation so far, the state judiciary had helped in no small measure to stabilise democracy in the state.

The governor, therefore, pledged to assist in giving the state judiciary a face-lift, in terms

of infrastructure facilities, adding that he would equally give them financial and material assistance, within the limited available resources of the state.

Responding, the Chief Judge,

Justice Umeadi, commended the governor for his timely visit and assured him that the judiciary arm of the state would redouble its efforts towards quicker dispensation of justice.

WKA — ANAMBRA State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, Mr. Hyginus Omeje, has called for the establishment of more centres in the state for processing of the National Drivers’ licences.

Speaking in an interview in Awka, yesterday, Omeje said the existing two centres were inadequate for effective coverage of the state.

It was observed that those who applied for either the renewal of drivers' licences or fresh ones in the state, were facing a lot of frustrations because of the delay in processing and issuing them with temporary licences.

Also, those whose temporary licences expired since November last year were yet to get their permanent licences, which the FRSC attributed to the problem of network in the system.

Expect changes, new AIB boss tells staff

BY KENNETH EHIGIATOR

T

HE NEW Commissioner, Accident Investigation Bureau, AIB, Dr. Felix Abali, has told staff of the agency to expected changes in the system, but psyched them to take same in good faith.

Abali, as he unveiled his vision for the agency, charged the staff to be more committed to work.

Speaking at his maiden meeting with staff at AIB’s Safety House, Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Abali pledged to take AIB to a greater height and sought the cooperation of all the workers.

His words: "I want us to work as a family because we spend more time here than we spend

with our families. Let us work together. I don’t want a situation where you wake up in the morning, dragging yourself to work.

“It is better you wake up in the morning and be eager to go to work. That gives you the effect of a tail wind. Don’t bring home problems to work and don’t take home office problems.”

Abali, however, hinted that there might be some changes in AIB, which, he said, would be in the overall interest of the agency.

He appealed to the workers to embrace any change that might occur, adding that anyone affected should not take it personal.

‘There will be some changes. I will, however, study this place before embarking on any change. A lot of things may remain as they

are, but there will definitely be some changes. If any change happens and it affects you, please, do not take it personal. “ I will not treat you based on where you are from or how you look. It is going to be only in the overall interest of then organisation,” said Dr. Abali.

He assured the workers that he would operate open-door policy and encouraged them to provide him with suggestions on how to move the organisation forward.

Welcoming the new commissioner, the immediate past Director of Licensing in Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, the staff expressed their commitment to the best ideals that AIB stood for and also pledged their cooperation with the new helmsman.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014—15

ASUP, COEASU strike: Wike urges lecturers to call off strike

BY LAIDE AKINBOADE

A

BUJA — THE Supervising Minister of Education, Barr. Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, yesterday, appealed to Academ-

ic Staff Union of Polythecnics, ASUP and College of Education Academic Staff Union, COEASU, to call off their on-going strikes in the interest of the nation.

Wike made the appeal in a

statement released to journalists in Abuja, by his Special Assistant (Media), Mr. Simeon Nwakaudu.

The minister said he had led negotiations with ASUP and COEASU leaderships to resolve

has led to the Federal Government meeting about 90 per cent of the demands of the unions. ”Only one principal demand is yet to be finalised, but the Federal Government has placed before the two unions the payment of arrears of CONTISS 15 put at over N40billion for the two unions. The Federal Government has proposed two instalmental that he was never an em- payments, which the ployee of the federal gov- unions rejected.”

He said further negotiaernment, he urged the court to hear and determine tions were held last week, the issue of jurisdiction first. adding that there was hope In his submission, coun- that in the coming days, the sel to the AGF, Chief Mike outstanding issues would Ozhokome, SAN, told the be resolved.

The minister said the court that there was need Federal Government had to also counter Sanusi’s worked round the clock to claim that he was still in charge of the CBN, consid- resolve all issues presentering that he had not hand- ed by ASUP and COEASU. “It is the hope of Nigeried over to Mrs. Sarah ans that the associations Alade who, he said, was illegally appointed as the will reciprocate by calling acting CBN governor by off their strikes in the coming days,” he said.

Jonathan.

It would be recalled the “My Lord, all the defendants have filed their no- Federal Government, tices of preliminary objec- through the Federal Mintion, challenging the ju- istry of Education, set up risdiction of this court to the Needs Assessment hear this matter; it is our Committees for Polytechhumble application that nics and Colleges of Eduthe objection be taken to- cation, and the two commitgether with the main tees are in the process of concluding their reports. suit,” Awodehin said.

the on-going strike on several occasions and hoped that the two unions would respond positively to the latest efforts of the Federal Government and call of their strikes.

He said: “These negotiations

President Jonathan challenges court's jurisdiction to reverse Sanusi's suspension geria, CBN, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.

BUJA — PRESIDENT Goodluck In a preliminary objection filed against Jonathan, yesterday, challenged the suit, Jonathan insisted that the oustthe jurisdiction of the Abuja Division of ed CBN governor ought to have taken the Federal High Court to entertain a his case to the National Industrial Court, suit seeking to reverse the suspension NIC, contending that in line with secof governor of the Central Bank of Ni- tion 254 (c) (1a) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, only the industrial court had the statutory powers to meddle into any dispute between an employer and his employee.

URKISH AIR- which had grown into one Similarly, the Attorney LINES, yesterday, of the biggest challenges General of the Federation denied carrying weapons of his 11 years in office, and Minister of Justice, to Nigeria after a Twitter and which he had cast as Mohammed Bello Adoke, string of leaks in a Turk- a plot by his political en- SAN, and the Inspector ish corruption scandal re- emies to unseat him.

General of Police, Moleased a voice recording The recording, which hammed Abubakar, who suggesting it had done authenticity Reuters was were both joined in the so. unable to verify, is pur- suit by Sanusi as 2nd and The Twitter posting late portedly of a conversation 3rd defendants, respecon Tuesday was the lat- between a senior Turkish tively, urged the high est blow to Prime Minis- Airlines employee and court to strike it out for ter Tayyip Erdogan in a one of Erdogan’s advis- want of jurisdiction. government graft scandal ers.

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

A

Turkish Airlines denies carrying weapons to Nigeria

T

Earlier, Sanusi had through his lawyer, Dr. Kola Awodehin, SAN, maintained that there was never a time employer/ employee relationship existed between him and President Jonathan, adding that he was never an employee of the Federal Government.

Besides, Awodehin, SAN, urged the court to consolidate and hear together both his client’s originating summons and the three preliminary objections against the suit, a request that was vehemently opposed by all the defendants.

Though President Jonathan through his lawyer, Dr. Fabian Ajodu, SAN, expressed his intention to file an affidavit to reply Sanusi’s contention

NIGERIAN INSTITUTE OF JOURNALISM 4TH CONVOCATION & AWARDS

From left, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, Life Patron NIJ; Dr Joseph Bel Molokwu, representative of Mr. Ben Murray-Bruce, Chairman of the occasion, and Mallam Imam Imam, representing the Speaker, House of Reps, during the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, NIJ, 4th Convocation Ceremony and Conferment of Fellowship Awards, and Award of National Diploma, Higher National Diploma and Postgraduate diploma certificates, at NIJ Sports ground, Ogba, Lagos, yesterday. Photos: Biodun Ogunleye

From left, Professor Ralph AKinfeleye, University of Lagos; Mrs. Adeola Olumeyen, Legal Adviser, Channels Television; and Mr. Yusuf Ajibade, Director, Programmes, Voice of Nigeria.

Mr. Sam Amuka, Publisher, Vanguard Newspapers/Member, NIJ Governing Council (right), presenting NIJ Fellowship Award to Mr. Gbenga Adefaye, Editor-in-Chief/General Manager, Publications, Vanguard Newspapers; Dr. Elizabeth Ikem, Provost/Member, NIJ Governing Council (right), and Mr. Dotun Adenijo,Registrar/Secretary, NIJ Governing Council.

From left Mr. Dotun Adenijo, Registrar, Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Ogba, Lagos; Mr. Yusuf Ajibade, Director of Programmes, Voice of Nigeria, receiving an award from Dr. Elizabeth Ikem, Provost, NIJ, and Mr. Jide Johnson, HOD, Mass Communication, NIJ.

16—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

Guber race: Group wants PDP to conduct fresh primary in Kogi

BY BOLUWAJI OBAHOPO

L

OKOJA — CON TROVERSY over the candidacy of Capt.

Idris Wada as governor of Kogi State is yet to end with a group known as Association for Justice and Good Governance, Kogi State, yesterday calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to conduct a fresh governorship election in the State.

The association Chairman, Akuh Guyman who protested at the State House of Assembly complex, over Wada’s candidacy, urged INEC to obey the February 17, 2012 judgment of the Supreme Court ordering a fresh election in five states including Kogi, where the governors were enjoying tenure elongation.

COMMISSIONING: From left, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology, Sokoto State, Alhaji Shehu Goronyo; Senior Manager, Governmental Affairs, MTN Nigeria, Austin Iyashere; Speaker, House of Assembly, Sokoto State, Alhaji Lawal Zayyana, and Director, MTN Foundation, Alhaji Muhammadu Danlami, at the commissioning of the six workshops refurbished by MTN Foundation, at the Government Technical College, Farfaru, Sokoto.

Stop killing Nigerian students abroad, Reps warn .To investigate killings in Russia, Ghana, Malaysia, UAE, South Africa

Consequently, the House in plenary, mandated the Committees on DiaspoBUJA — THE House of Repre- ra, Justice and Foreign Affairs to consentatives yesterday, expressed duct a public hearing on the issue and angst as Chairman, Committee on Di- submit their reports within two weeks.

Dabiri-Erewa in a motion under mataspora, Abike Dabiri- Erewa, read names of Nigerian students killed under mys- ters of national importance, entitled, terious circumstances in Ghana, Rus- 'Killings of Nigerians abroad,' had enusia, South Africa, Malaysia and UAE merated and explained how Nigerian students were killed overseas. and vowed to probe the killings.

The motion was seconded by Stella Dorgu, PDP, Bayelsa State, and immediately the Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal, gave his nod, Dabiri-Erewa painted a stopped.

BY SALISU MARADUN bad picture of how NigeriHe spoke shortly before leaving Gusau, an students were being USAU — GOVERNOR Abdu the state capital for the United States, to murdered in cold blood laziz Yari of Zamfara State, has ex- attend a special security meeting along- and sent to their early pressed worry over what he described as side some northern governors. graves abroad.

The governor also assured the people of indiscriminate and rampant killings of inShe said: “The alarmthe state of his readiness to protect both nocent people in the state. ing increase in the numYari, who spoke in an interview with Van- the indigenous and other residents in the ber of Nigerian students guard, however, pledged that his admin- state, no matter the cost. murdered abroad in search Yari said there is no reason whatsoever istration would do everything possible of education has made within its reach to ensure that the evil for the continued elimination of people them an endangered speeven as he accused the cies. In Ghana four NigeFederal Government of al- rian students have been legedly folding its hands killed in mysterious cirwhen the solution for the cumstances in the last few problem were in its hands. months.”

He blamed the security The APC legislator said Muslims constitute the challenges on poverty and that in October 2013, an SS

BY LUKA BINNIYAT majority in the country, joblessness among youths, 3 student of Ideal College, Christians, who by all ac- as well as dishonesty on Ghana, 15-year-old MasADUNA — THE ceptable records are not the part of the leaders. ter Austine Ogukwe, died Ja’amatu Nasril Is- more than 40 per cent of ”I repeat what I have mysteriously.“ lam, JNI, yesterday, said the country’s population, been saying at different fora ”In November, barely 26 that Muslims were slight- ironically constitute 62 per that Federal Government is days after Ogukwe’s ed in the nomination of cent of the total delegates. to blame on this issue for death, two Nigerian stumembers of the National “We find it as a great the simple reason that it dents, Eddy and Charles Conference delegates, disregard to the con- controls the security agenof KNUS Federal Univeradding that although science of Muslims, that cies.

Muslims are more popu- out of the 20 delegates of "I once suggested that lous in the country, their the Federal Government, the Federal Government delegates were fewer in only six are Muslims. could give more powers to number than Christians.

"In fact, in the represen- the governors on the issue The JNI also decried the tation of security agencies, of security and see how violence in the north and Muslims have been so they would act,” Yari said. called for urgent solu- unimaginably shortHe, however, warned that tions. changed with only one he would not leave any Speaking at a news con- Muslims out of the six re- stone unturned towards ference in Kaduna, yes- tired military and securi- addressing the issue, espeterday, the Secretary Gen- ty personnel,” the JNI cially now that there was eral of the JNI, Dr. Kha- said. cooperation and support lid Aliyu said: “While from the people.

BY EMMAN OVUAKPORIE

A

Gov Yari decries rampant killings in Zamfara

G

Nat. Confab: Muslims feel slighted over numbers with Christians

K

sity Accra, lost their lives, during an excursion with their school, they claimed they got drowned. ”Only two weeks ago, Mr. Godwin Ayogu, a 300 level Social Science student of University of Cape Coast Central Region was brutally killed on February 20 and his lifeless body was found on campus,” DabiriErewa said.

Explaining further, she said Malaysia police killed one Tunde Adelabu from Ekiti State, a student of Lagenda University, Nilai, Malaysia, adding that more than 80 Nigerian students were currently in danger in Malaysia, according to reports, with no intervention whatsoever from the nation’s embassy in Malaysia.

She said: “Also, a group of unknown Russians last two weeks stabbed a female Nigerian, Forester Samson, to death in Russia.

“In Dubai, Toba Falode, 19-year-old son of a popular sports caster, Aisha Falode, a student of SAE Institute, Dubai, died in mys-

terious circumstances. ”In South Africa, the humiliating video of a Nigerian man stripped and beaten publicly by South African police has made news all over the world.“ After listening to the gory tales of how Nigerian students died abroad, the Speaker asked members to debate the issue.

Dabiri-Erewa in her concluding submission, said the plethora of deaths engulfing Nigerian students was fast becoming something else. ”Two weeks ago, our students were brutally murdered in Yobe and then globally, they kill our students almost every other week, this must stop,” she said.

Other speakers in favour of the motion included Toby Okechukwu, Sani Mohammed, Asita Honourable Asita, Kamil Akinlade, Uzoma Nkem-Abonta.

Abonta in his contribution, said there was need for Nigerians to be cautioned, noting tht 90 per cent of Nigerians were good at breaking laws.

Immoral content That was in fact a tip of the iceberg because it turned out that seven million young Nigerians had actually applied for the 4,000 vacancies to be filled. The immoral content of the whole process was located in the fact that those who organised it collected N1, 000 application fee each from these desperate citizens, thus raking in N7billion, most of which would be stolen anyway.

In a typical expression of official incompetence, just one gate was left open for this huge multitude. At the end of the scandalous process, eight of the 68, 000 in Abuja died; three of

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014 — 17

Dead applicants, Abba Moro and the Nigerian condition the 11, 000 in Niger State were killed; five of the 35, 000 that turned out in Port Harcourt lost their lives; of the 15,000 that showed up in Kano, seven were injured; four people slumped in Osun State; 10 of the 30, 000 fainted in Plateau; three of the hopeful 28, 000 in Edo State lost their lives; while one of the 22, 500 in Oyo State and four in Ogun State slumped on that horrible Saturday. In response to the monumental tragedy, the Minister of Interior who calls himself “Comrade”, chose to disrespect the dead and injured and insulted grieving Nigerians: “The applicants”, Abba Moro stated, “lost their lives due to impatience; they did not follow the laid down procedures spelt out to them before the exercise”. The insensitive minister was not

done: “Many of them jumped through fences of affected centres and did not conduct themselves in an orderly manner to make the exercise a smooth one. This caused stampede and made the environment insecure”.

The chap who got a ministerial appointment because of his reationship with Senate president, David Mark, could not find the comportment, composure and culture to show remorse for the loss of lives amongst desperate, young people, many of whom were home years after graduation and national service. It was clear that Abba Moro was far more interested in protecting his job and the so-called “laid down process”, which had been farmed out to a Drexel Nigeria Ltd. It was far more important

National confab and its rainbow colours

T

HE much-vaunted National Conference was finally inaugurated by President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja, Monday. I returned home on Saturday from my week’s trip to Dubai, for the registration process commenced on Sunday afternoon. It was clear to me, that we will go through some very interesting debates and duels in the next ninety days of the Conference.

I have had the privilege in these two days to see some of the old, almost fossilized fighters for various ethno-regional agendas that have overtaken the Nigerian public space in the past couple of decades. This seems their last chance to push passionately canvassed ideas that will most certainly take the dead-onarrival trip to the mortuary of Nigerian politics.

But old men must not be denied chances in the sun of the National Conference, even when their “tribal warfare” mindsets from the 1940s/ 1950s, are so far from the realities of 21Century Nigeria and the contemporary world.

Demographic realities I wonder if these old people understand the demographic realities of the country/African continent today. 75% of African population is under the age of 25 but the average age of Africa’s leadership is 65. So there is a very strong disconnect! The prominent old men at the National Conference often idealise the past; hack back to an idyllic past when “everything worked”, from their standpoint, and as part of their confrontation with mortality, hanker to take us all back to that idyllic past of ethnic and regional bliss, most of which in truth, existed only in their minds. When I see Chiefs Olu Adebanjo and Olanihun Ajayi, minding their businesses and alone in a corner of the auditorium; or the expansively attired Sarakuna (traditional rulers) from the North and South, heirs to grand old state building processes which colonialism arrested and C M Y K

distorted for new roles and whose positions have become increasingly tenuous, in the postcolonial order of things, I wonder, just what their place will look like, in the new nation Nigerians yearn for. Today, majority of Nigerians are under the age of 35. They are here alright, but will advocates of “restructuring” along ethnic lines, be open minded enough to accept that their ideas are passé and are not what the young worry about?

We will see in the next ninety days how these things will pan out or blow over!

What I feel certain about though, is that there are very entrenched positions that will be canvassed here, because people have lived with crippling prejudices about themselves and the “other” (whether the other religion or the other ethnic group), to dispassionately keep in check some of their anger. The debate about procedural issues dominated our second day of proceedings; it already gave indications of the rumbling approaches of monsters over the next couple of weeks.

People can often be inevitable prisoners of their prejudices; or in a different way of putting it, humans can often be imprisoned in their readings of their historical conditions. And the more intractable problems of the present seem to be, the more the tendency to retreat into ethno-religious laagers. A lot of time, they don’t know better.

When I saw the OPC leader Gani Adam inside the hall, as a member of the Southwest delegation; and I remember how members of the political elite in the South-south actively funded the Niger Delta militants; plus the sweetheart romance between MASSOB lumpens and leading lights of the Southeast elite; it became clearer to me why leading members of the Southern Nigeria elite strongly believe their Northern counterparts had also deliberately created Boko Haram as a weapon of politics. People judge you by what they do, as the saying goes. This National Conference will see the beautiful and the ugly! Stay tuned.

to protect the lucrative ministerial appointment that transformed the so-called “Comrade”, from a near life long lumpen sojourn on the margins of social existence, to a nouveaux riche, from his ministerial sinecure.

Individuals like Abba Moro are too desperately wedded to the

,

WHEN members of the Nigerian Collective issued an open letter at the beginning of this week, I didn’t hesitate to add my name to the long list of signatories. The petition demanded the sack of Nigeria’s Interior Minister, Abba Moro, for his insensitive comments in the wake of the tragic killing of young Nigerian applicants at the weekend.

I was returning home from a trip abroad last Saturday when I ran into a scrum and what I thought was the Nigerian traffic jam; but it was rather different and more anarchic. Sixty-eight thousand applicants had besieged the 60, 000 seat National Stadium, Abuja for placement in the Nigerian Immigration Service.

occupying those positions never see themselves as serving the Nigerian people. The people do not matter or are expendable! We have seen several examples all through the Nigerian public space. It was such irresponsible arrogance that made Abba Moro spew out some of the most unfortunate statements anyone could, faced with such a monumental tragedy. This is why the chap must be sacked!

If Goodluck Jonathan refuses to bow to the national outcry seeking Abba Moro’s sack, he would have done tremendous damage to his own presidency.

So we are on the watch, awaiting President Jonathan’s decision on that tragic event.

There is a far more fundamental matter arising from the tragedy last weekend.

About seven million young Nigerians had applied for about 4, 500 jobs. Now that expresses the seriousness of the unemployment situation in our country. The Nigerian economy

Individuals like Abba Moro are too desperately wedded to the lucre of their offices to understand that a human tragedy of the magnitude he presided over last weekend needed the greatest amount of compassion

lucre of their offices to understand that a human tragedy of the magnitude he presided over last weekend needed the greatest amount of compassion. No! DAILY TRUST of Monday, March 17, 2014, reported that the seven million applicants had actually been allocated only 240 of the 4, 556 jobs that were advertised. Reason was that most of the jobs had been distributed amongst wellconnected politicians such as governors and lawmakers. So the poor Nigerians who lost their lives or were injured or turned out, for the so-called recruitment process; Abba Moro’s irresponsible “laid down process”, had been part of an elaborate charade, a falsity and were duped!

Elaborate charade The minister was therefore rubbing salt on injury by his very heartless and irresponsible statement. It was the anger and indignation which Nigerians felt at his statement after the sadness of loss of lives and injuries that led to the national outcry for the removal of the minister.

For too long in Nigeria, those occupying positions have become unable to take responsibility for failures under them. They are always desperate to keep obviously lucrative positions which, more often than not, transform nearpaupers into stinking rich overnight. The transformation becomes almost total in a very short period, and therefore they would do everything to remain in those positions. The obverse of that position and one that reinforces it is that those

,

has been touted as growing very rapidly and as part of the worldwide delusions being bandied by the high priests of neo-liberal capitalism, Nigeria is now being described as part of a new MINT (Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey) countries that will allegedly become the next economic giants. Those who live their economic lives by the propaganda of imperialist institutions and countries are naturally delighted.

But in truth, these are elaborate delusions. The Nigerian economy is not creating the jobs that millions and millions of young people need in the world of the 21Century. Ours is a young country, with 75% of the population under the age of 35.

It is this broad category of citizens that mainly trooped out for those Immigration jobs last weekend. Nigeria is sitting on a powder keg of unemployed, desperate young citizens. The useless propaganda of MINT has not and cannot work for them. It might allow Aliko Dangote to make $10 billion in just one year, as the 2013 FORBES magazine reported, but it is not working for Nigeria’s poor and the young.

This is what should scare the ruling elite stiff! Boko Haram insurgency, kidnappings, low level warfare in many parts of the country, internet scams, ritual killings; prostitution abroad; desperately seeking greener pastures abroad and the anger all over the place, are symptoms of the injustice, inequality and hopelessness accompanying the choices the ruling class made for Nigeria.

These choices are killing our country!

18 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014 THE truth lies somewhere. We are all duty bound to find it. The positions of the contending parties may not say it all. What we know so far is that a member of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Thompson Enobong ended up in hospital. By his account, he was beaten on the orders of the Ekiti State Commissioner for Youth Sports Kayode Olaosebikan, who by his office is also Chairman of the State Board of the NYSC. Olaosebikan disputes the account. According to him, if he had not intervened, his people would have mobbed Enobong.

His benevolence included taking Enobong in his car, to his duty post. He later discovered Enobong was not posted there.

Of late, NYSC members have been victims of pre and post-election violence, rape and assaults. The condemnations that trailed the death of NYSC members on election assignments in 2011 drew empty sympathies.

Enobong was registering voters for the June 21 governorship election in Otun Ekiti in Moba Local Council Area of Ekiti State. The commissioner and his people were at the registration centre. What was

Of Civil Conduct, High Of Offfice his interest in taking Enobong, by his admission, to the centre? Did he not think a ride in his car with an INEC temporary staff had connotations in today’s charged political fields?

Olaosebikan said he found Enobong wanting in the course of the exercise. He said Enobong treated those who wanted to register shabbily. When he wanted to correct him, Enobong shouted at the commissioner and pushed him. What effrontery!

“It was true that the corps member was shouting that a lady – the younger sister to my police orderly – should not register

that day at the centre,” Olaosebikan said.

A younger sister to the commissioner’s orderly caused this. Not only are public office holders important, their relations assume the supposed importance of their office.

“As we were talking, the boy, who never knew I was a commissioner, just pushed me and my people wanted to mob him, but I was able to persuade them.” Olaosebikan was intervening for the younger sister of his wife’s orderly!

He maintains Enobong was not beaten, as if saying the beating was not enough. Is not knowing “I was a commissioner” an offence, punishable by beating in Ekiti State?

Enobong, by the commissioner’s statement, was “a boy”. The commissioner really felt insulted that “a boy” can shout at him.

He expectedly blamed political opponents and sections of the media that hate him for his woes. Should these not have been more reasons for him to be more circumspect about his conduct in public?

We expect the police to investigate the matter thoroughly and punish the guilty party.

OPINION

BY MOSHOOD ISAH

W

E are just in the third month of the year and the most challenging development to our nationhood is the issues bordering on security. From armed robber y, kidnapping, herdsmen’s attacks on farmlands and villagers, rustlers’ gangsterism and not to talk of the mother of all criminality, which is terrorism by insurgents. While most cynical critics of the Nigerian Armed Forces might shower encomiums on the security’s recent accomplishments in cracking down on the insurgents, especially in the North Eastern parts of the country, there is more to be done by the citizens.

The real cheering news in recent time is the disclosure by the Director, Defence Information,DDI, MajorGeneral Chris Olukolade that many suspected terrorists were captured from their various camps in the fringes of Lake Chad by the Multi-National Joint Task Force and other locations around Dikwa, Cross Kauwa, Kukawa and Alargarmo.

Reports have also indicated that many terrorists were either killed or arrested by a combined force of Nigerian security on a special operation while raiding Sambisa forest, which is the insurgents’ camp in Borno State. The military has also been successful in continuous tactical offensive air raid on various camps of the insurgents like the Alagarno and Ajiri satellite camps. As a matter of fact, a large chunk of the wounded C M Y K

Promoting terrorism

security

terrorists are pleading for mercy and as such divulging relevant information with regard to the reminants of their forces. Even though it is believed that most of the camps of the insurgents have been disbanded following starvation and incessant bombardment, thus inability to fulfill their sinister mission, the security are not resting on their laurels in making sure that insurgency comes to a complete end.

The herculean task of combating insurgency in the country may have diverted the minds of service chiefs and defence headquarters from other security issues in the country. There is the ongoing bloody clash between native Tivs and Fulani herdsmen in Benue State which has assumed a phenomenal status with a lot of blood shed on both sides. The crisis in Benue began in February 2011, where armed Fulani herdsmen, numbering between 200 and 500, sacked three districts in Gwer West Local Government Area of the state, with scores dead and about 20,000 people rendered homeless. According to media reports, the operation was akin to invasion of the State by members of insurgents. Basically, it starts with a Fulani herdsman or herdsmen driving their cattle into crop farms to graze.

The farmers, in order to protect their

consciousness

crops, farms and livelihood, attack the Fulani or attempt to chase them away.

The Fulani retaliate by opening fire or violently defending their cows by killing or maiming the farmers. The conflict escalates as the Fulani migrate from that scene to yet another.

The lives that have been terminated as a result of what seem to be a trivial issue is increasing in geometric progression almost on a daily basis.

The recent reports indicate another pattern in Katsina State in the NorthWest where innocent lives were also lost.

In as much as security operatives are mandated to protect the citizens from criminals and fight terrorists, the citizens too have roles to play in assisting law enforcement agencies by being security conscious.

We should always be security conscious. The recent radio jingle in some selected radio stations by INigerian Renaissance initiative is a welcome development on the basic tips in avoiding insecurity in our various communities. The relevant institutions and media should educate the populace on the need to be security conscious always. There is need to be vigilant and report any strange movement or development to the security agents. It is a known fact that marauders take time to lay siege

against

after their surveillance before they wreak havoc in our communities. As residents of our areas, we have the responsibility to identify a stranger or any strange object within and around our environment and report such immediately to the relevant authorities.

With the current security situation in the country, security consciousness is not limited to only North Eastern states but every state of the federation. This is due to the fact that the recent crackdown of insurgents in the North East may force their relocation to other states for possible regrouping for their dastard activities.

Security consciousness is not aimed at sending panic to the spines of populace but simply ginger everyone to be alert at all times. There is also a new trend of threat in most states whereby undesirable elements lure children with small things like sweets or biscuits in order to kidnap them. This why we have to be mindful of the people we entrust with our children.

A stitch in time saves nine, just as prevention is better than cure.

Therefore we must all be security conscious. *Mr. Isah, a public affairs commenator , wrote from Abuja.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014— 19

, W

E live in a world of oddities where one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter. The best time to decide whether to climb up or not is when one is yet on the ground, not after one has climbed half way. In essence, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, should by now be deciding if it is honestly prepared to conduct the 2015 general elections. We think INEC is unprepared.

How else does one explain a situation where INEC would issue a time-table for the 2015 events, in which it clearly states that political parties must not engage in campaigns until a particular date; but barely a day after that pronouncement, the big elephant party breaks that rule and INEC is looking the other way? In breaking the rule, the elephantine party, perhaps in active connivance with the supposed umpire, changes the language of engagement from campaign to sensitisation. At first, we thought that the line that

separates campaign from sensitisation was, at best, very fuzzy.

Meanwhile, a favoured group had gathered at one end of Rivers State on a particular day for sensitisation; and another group gathered at another end of the same Rivers State but theirs was quickly dubbed a campaign. While the former was tightly protected by the powers-that-be, the latter was dispersed with tear gas plus rubber and live bullets; but not before some of its members had been killed or maimed.

This is the type of duplicity that has characterised the actions of the political parties since then, with President Goodluck Jonathan and his party leadership gallivanting the entire country, sensitising but not campaigning.

If only for the records, INEC cannot even point the erring party to order for breaking its rules and yet we are under the illusion that INEC is ready to take us to the Promise Land!

,

How do we categorise the circus that gathered at the Onitsha bridgehead the penultimate week?

We shall set it out in the form of multiple choices: (a) Campaign; (b) Sensitisation; (c) Political gimmick; and (d) All of the above.

The correct answer is (d) – all of the above. They were in a familiar terrain. Since 1999, the revelry over the Niger in the name of a Second Niger Bridge has become the cheapest weapon of the PDP in trying to con and deceive Ndigbo into getting their block votes. In 2003, then President Olusegun Obasanjo mounted a monstrous carnival in the name of flagging off the Second Niger Bridge. That was the first time that the vain ceremony closed down Onitsha market and in the end, the carnival paid off handsomely – PDP collected all the votes!

T

his is where the Obalende free women are smarter than even the smartest politicians. The moment they recognised Chucks for

Who is Boko Haram?

BY MICHAEL EGBEJUMI-DAVID

N

IGERIA revels at copying. We copy a lot and add our own dimension to things. Sadly, one of our latest imported craze is the phenomenon known as Boko Haram. Some of our young men have allowed themselves to be turned into terrorists and stone cold killers. But how did we get to this sorry pass? Why did we start keeping company with Afghanistan and other such funny places? How did we get here, and who are these people?

Back in 2011, when it was looking like Boko Haram was going to careen out of control, former president Obasanjo steppedin and attempted to unravel the Boko menace.

Off went OBJ to Borno State, the capital of Boko Haram. OBJ got there on September 15, 2011 ostensibly on a condolence visit to the family of a man who was killed back in July 2009. Obasanjo had a full and useful chat with one Baba Kura Fugu who christened himself representative of Boko Haram and spokesperson for the Fugu family. Two days later, Mr Fugu was dead, cut down in the same manner his father, Baba Fugu Mohammed, and his brother-in-law, the founder of the original Boko Haram, Mohammed Yusuf, were cut down.

What was the common denominator in all three assassinations? The office of the Governor of Borno State.

When Mohammed Yusuf was arrested in 2009, he named the then governor of Borno, Ali Modu Sheriff as a major financier of Boko Haram. Very shortly after his revelation, Yusuf was taken from custody and was driven to a deserted area. With his hands still shackled, he was told to walk to another vehicle. The man knew what was C M Y K

coming and so he shuffled along inch by reluctant inch. Halfway through his trudge, bullets rained down on Yusuf. That was that.

His father-in-law, Baba Fugu Mohammed, not having learnt the lesson, went for a tête-à-tête with the Borno State government also in July 2009. Whilst there, he was reportedly asked to cede his land to the government. He refused. He was swiftly detained. A few days later, Mohammed too was assassinated. Then the government went after the Fugu family. Bulldozers were sent-in and the family house was levelled.

Moves were made to take over the family land.

The Fugu family headed to court. They sued both the Federal and Borno State governments. Some High Court judge up there awarded the family N100 million. But this being Nigeria, the family never saw a kobo.

After OBJ’s talk with Baba Kura Fugu, the very next day, September 16, 2011, Fugu was invited for a chat with the Deputy Governor of Borno, Zannah Mustapha.

Even with all their negative experience with that State government, Fugu went! I guess that is what happens when the premise of your rebellion is based on hatred for education - you don’t think properly.

Anyway, the first thing they did to Fugu and his small entourage when they got to Government House was to take their mobile phones off them. Twenty-four hours later, Fugu was gunned down in his home, sitting under a tree, amongst friends, on the phone with SaharaReporters, clearing his throat, getting ready to spill the beans.

A month before all of that, Boko Haram had struck in Abuja. The United Nations’ office was bombed. The Saudi Intelligence Chief, Prince Mughrin bin Abdul-Aziz flew to Abuja for a private meeting with Jonathan.

He handed the President a list of names he claimed were sponsors of Boko Haram.

,

Campaign, sensitisation and gimmickry

INEC cannot even point the erring party to order for breaking its rules and yet we are under the illusion that INEC is ready to take us to the Promise Land!

his over-size hammer head, none of them ever opened her door to him a second time. For Ndigbo, the same dirty tricks of the Obasanjo years have worked perfectly for President Jonathan. All they needed was to keep expanding the vain promises and Ndigbo kept falling for them.

By 2011, Jonathan’s list had grown to include the Second Niger Bridge, superlative autobahns in the South East, refineries, industries, an additional state, redressing their marginalisation and so on. Without a formal name change, Jonathan rechristened himself Azikiwe– pretending to be one of them. He then vowed that if the Second Niger Bridge was not provided by 2015, he would go on exile. He, however, did not promise that another flag off exercise was in the offing. All the promises have since ended in smoke!

Recently, it took the Obi of Onitsha to remind Jonathan of his 2011 election promises. That Onitsha bridgehead show had to be hurriedly put together.

At the sensitisation level, a lot is required to inform Ndigbo of what their so-called leaders are taking them through. They should know that the Onitsha bridgehead show was a total sell-out. What is so significant about providing a one and half kilometre bridge for a race that had been handed the short end of the stick in a nation that prides itself of being oil rich?

Without the necessity for all these futile flag off ceremonies, General Ibrahim Babangida built a 12kilometre dual carriage bridge across the Lagos Lagoon and yet, our Ndigbo brothers are being regularly insulted to roll out the drums in celebration of endless flag offs!

A lot of sensitisation is required

As government continues to battle the scourge that is Boko Haram, it will do well to round up all those young men in Borno, Bauchi, Gombe and other states who were sent for paramilitary training in Mauritania, Somalia

,

Within 36 hours, our government announced the arrest of about 150 people.

And it wasn’t long after this that Jonathan declared that his government and the Security Services were teeming with Boko Haram sympathisers.

D

oes the name Ahmad Gumi ring any bells? He is the son of the late Sheikh Abubakar Mahmud Gumi. Sheikh Gumi used to be a preacher of note. He plied his trade on the fiery side. He, it was, who once declared live on NTA Kaduna in a fit of haughtiness that Nigerian Muslims should neither vote for, nor accept a non-Muslim leader. Sheikh Gumi was also famous for his many battles with the Sufi brotherhood and the Ansar Uddin Islamic Society; but he reserved his vitriol for the Christian Association of Nigeria. One of the bloodiest religious riots in Kaduna followed a preemptive attack by some Almajirai living in the compound of the Sheikh against some Christians who had gathered to protest plans to introduce Sharia law. For all his wonderful work, Gumi received a national award – the Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic.

to locate the timing of the Onitsha show of shame. It is coming at time when Chief Olusegun Obasanjo is cutting all the red tapes, commissioning real, meaningful projects all over Rivers State and by contrast, all that our dear Ndigbo have is Jonathan commissioning shadow, empty ground breaking ceremonies for projects that may never commence.

As we speak, contractors are working 24/7 to ensure that the solid four-kilometre Unity Bridge connecting Khana and Andoni local government areas of Rivers State is ready for commissioning in the next few months. Governor Chibuike Amaechi was not fixated at any flag off level. Governor Raji Fashola did not do any flag off for the close to two kilometres suspended bridge he provided in Lagos in less than two years.

Again, why are Ndigbo so excited at the likely prospect of a bridge for which they are going to pay through the nose? This is going to be the first FG-owned toll bridge in Nigeria, which means that those who pass through it will pay its cost. Ndigbo must think twice if they cannot even get free passage to go and bring the votes!

It cannot be said that the PataniAdugbabiri and the YenagoaAmasoma bridges are any less important to the Ijaws than the socalled Second Niger Bridge is to Ndigbo. Yet, the former were provided from the common purse while Ndigbo must be made to pay for their own bridge. This is most unfair!

Jonathan knows his people.

Ndigbo must now shine their eyes well-well. Their portion must be in the commissioning of completed projects, not on vain promises.

Anyway, his son is Ahmad Gumi. Ahmad’s own teaching is straight forward call for genocide against Christians and fellow Muslims who don’t buy into his brand of Wahabist Islam. Ahmad was alleged to have some links with Farouk Abdul-Mutallab, the failed underwear bomber. So, early 2010, Ahmad was arrested by the Saudis and was thrown into jail in the town of Makkah. A delegation led by General Babangida – yes, the one and only IBB - went to Saudi Arabia to plead that Ahmad be released. The Saudis refused. Pressure was subsequently brought to bear on Jonathan, and finally his Vice, Sambo intervened. Even then, the Saudis held on to Ahmad for seven months until they extracted a lot of information from him about goings-on in Nigeria. Eventually, Ahmad was released to the comfort of his wives and 17 children.

You see why the Saudis were the ones telling Jonathan where to look as matters get ever more haram in Nigeria.

The entity known as Boko Haram as conceived by Yusuf is no more. That original idea of fighting Western education and its presumed influence on the increasing gulf between the privileged and the poor in parts of the North has since fizzled out. What obtains presently are criminal elements that are being enabled, funded, and being used

by Jonathan’s enemies. Some folks who lost out in the political scheme of things are determined to make governance and life difficult for Jonathan and for the rest of us.

Like bullies, they reckon that if they push hard enough, Jonathan would give in to them. Unfortunately for us, they have plenty of canon fodders available to them.

As the government continues to battle the scourge that is Boko Haram, it will do well to round up all those young men in Borno, Bauchi, Gombe and other states who were sent for paramilitary training in Mauritania, Somalia, etc.

These are the people currently laying to waste a portion of a whole nation.

*Egbejumi-David, a medical practitioner, wrote from the London.

20 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

WHEN PENSIONERS REVOLT: Demand payment of 40 months pension arrears

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA, OWERRI

T

HE build-up was gradual but sustained. It was equally an unfortunate spectacle to behold as frail and famished senior citizens clutched placards with varying inscriptions, sang derogatory songs and poured unprintable curses on the Imo State Government for allegedly being grossly insensitive to their plight.

The hapless and aggrieved Imo Broadcasting Corporation, IBC, pensioners started arriving the electronic media house as early as 6am. They sufficiently disrupted activities of the radio and television channels Thursday, March 13, 2014, to protest nonpayment of their 40 months arrears of pensions by the state government.

The peaceful protest almost turned sour when one of the bouncers on the entourage of the Secretary to the Imo State Government, Professor Anthony Anwuka, pounced on a journalist, Mazi Anthony Okoroigwe, who retired from IBCbut now works for an Owerri based tabloid and snatched his camera.

The tension generated by this act was however doused when Professor Anwuka quickly intervened and ordered his men to immediately produce the camera.

Anwuka personally handed the camera back to Okoroigwe.

Some of the placards carried by the frail and famished pensioners, who were clad in black attire, read: “My people, my people, is IBC pensioners among your people?”, “Our labour past shall not be in vain”, “Save IBC pensioners from avoidable pain and death”, “Rescue Mission: Is IBC included?”, “Government, release IBC/LGA publicity package of over N450 million”, “Enough is enough! Pay us our pension” and “Many of us have died. Do you want more to die before you pay us?”.

Narrating their ordeal to Vanguard Metro, VM, at the scene of the protest, the Chairman of IBC Pensioners, Comrade Chidi Madu, said that the Rochas Okorocha administration inherited only five months pension arrears but by September 2012, the arrears had risen to 22 months, which gave rise to their first protest.

“Our second protest took place May 29, 2013, when the arrears had swollen to 36 months, leading to the death of seven of our members for lack of fund and access to adequate medicare,” Madu lamented.

He recalled with grief that the Commissioner for Information C M Y K

*Some of the aggrieved Imo Broadcasting Corporation, IBC, pensioners during the protest and Strategy, Dr. Theodore Ekechi, addressed the pensioners when they staged a third protest on November 19, 2013, and gave assurances on behalf of government, pointing out that nothing positive resulted from the Commissioner’s intervention.

“It is sad to note that the Commissioner’s effort has not yielded even one month payment of pension arrears. Government must realise that during this fourth protest, we are not even talking about our unpaid gratuity and harmonisation of different salary incre-

,

Some of the placards carried by the frail and famished pensioners read: Our labour past shall not be in vain; enough is enough! pay us our pension; many of us have died; do you want more to die before you pay us?

,

mental awards overtime, which is a mirage now,” Madu fumed.

Reacting to the incident, Professor Anwuka, who was at the scene with Okorocha’s Chief of Staff, Sir Jude Ejiogu, affirmed that “the pensioners are rightly aggrieved”, adding that he would have preferred a situation where

some of their leaders would dialogue with him.

“Anybody who claims that money is everywhere in the state is a liar but we must find a way of addressing part or some of these things. I don’t believe in negative approach to things,” Anwuka said.

IBC shutdown and 3-day warning strike

The state government was still trying to grapple with the bad press generated by the pensioners when serving staff of IBC shutdown the station the next day. This followed the three-day warning strike embarked on by aggrieved staff of the establishment over a number of labour issues, including non-payment of their salaries for three months.

When VM visited the station last Friday, the gate was securely locked, while some of the workers were seen in groups bemoaning their plight.

Two of the workers, who spoke to VM on strict grounds of anonymity, lamented that IBC management and board, as well as the state government, have no regard for their welfare.

“It sounds unbelievable but we were only paid December 2013 salary last night (Thursday) when the state government and management heard that we were fully primed to embark on strike,” the staff recounted.

While saying that they are being owed January and February salaries, the aggrieved staff also disclosed that all monies deducted from staff salaries in respect of the Cooperative, Thrift and Loan Society, CTLS, and check off dues

for the three labour unions in IBC, were never remitted to the respective labour unions.

“CTLS is a registered cooperative society where the staff run to when in financial need. Reports have it that since October last year, the check off dues have not been remitted to the unions and the CTLS remains unfunded,” the worker fumed.

The workers accused the management of not only being insensitive to their plight but was also in the habit of constantly embarking on what they termed “unwarranted and frivolous tours”.

“We sleep in the studio after close down, under inhuman conditions. There are dangerous reptiles lurking around. Nobody is given any stipend for this. We do not have operational vehicles to move workers,” a female worker told VM. She equally complained about non-payment of seven months minimum wage arrears, which government agreed to pay, adding that “up till now, no responsible answer has been given to us”.

The woman said the workers were highly incensed when the IBC board Chairman, Mr. Ifeanyi Olumba, allegedly accused the striking workers of being sponsored by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. “Do we need PDP to tell us when our children are sick and hungry?

This is the first time IBC was shutdown for non-payment of workers salaries since the creation of Imo State,” the angry woman said.

Addressing newsmen outside the Corporation’s premises the Chairman of Radio Television

and Theatre Arts Workers Union, RATTAWU, Imo Broadcasting Corporation’s Chapter, Comrade Sam Eke, appealed to the state government to pay more attention to the welfare of the workers.

Also speaking, the State Chairman of RATTAWU, Comrade Eddy Anyanwu, said the council was behind the action and called on the government to address the issues raised by the union.

The Vice Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Imo State Council, Chief Chris Akaraonye, commended the workers for adopting a peaceful disposition in asking for their legitimate entitlements.

Effort made by VM to get the reaction of the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Dr. Theodore Ekechi, was unsuccessful as his mobile phone was switched off.

Addressing the leaders of the pensioners in Government House the next day, Governor Rochas Okorocha, in an apparent move to appease the angry senior citizens, said he was “developing plans to engage retirees of the state government in volunteer service to tap the wealth of their experience in the growth and development of the state”.

The Governor, who restated his love and concern for elder-statesmen, noted that engaging them in volunteer service would give them a new lease of life as they keep their minds and body active.

He regretted that IBC pension arrears accumulated for up to 40 months and blamed the development on “communication gap”.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014 — 21

By VERA SAMUEL ANYAGAFU and PRISCA SAM-DURU

O

VER twenty investors from the Republic of China who are on a business tour in the country have indicated their readiness to invest about $300 billion to boost Nigeria’s economy.

The investors, who held a business forum on Wednesday with the Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibukunle Amosun in his office in Abeokuta, were led by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Shangai Engineering Works Nig. Ltd and Blue Diamond Investments, Mr. Festus Mbisiogu, are among China’s Fortune 500 selected companies that are involved in Agriculture, Power, Aviation, Housing and Railway development.

Each of the delegates according to Mbisiogu, is expected to pump in a whopping $15billion into selected areas of interest, a situation which would fetch Nigeria over $300 billion.

His words, “The positive multiple effect of the money the Chinese businessmen are bringing into Nigeria, would reduce unemployment in the country and also ensure that the issue of epileptic power supply which is undermining industrialisation, becomes a thing of the past”, Festus stated.

Mbisiogu, who disclosed that the delegates already have strong presence in other African countries having invested much money in Ivory Coast and Ghana, decided to come to Nigeria to share China’s experience with the people. He stated that apart from ensuring steady power supply in the country as well as making positive impact in the economy, the firms would make it possible to achieve Nigerians dream of becoming one of the strongest economy globally by the year 2020 would be a reality. He further stressed that “the investment is a stepping stone towards helping the federal government to actualize its target of offering 150,000 thousand Nigerians gainful employment” Addressing the team of investors who went in the company of representatives of China-Africa Investment Club, Governor Amosun stated that, “This is almost three years I have been in office and one country that has been supportive and close to Ogun State is China. Indeed, the Chinese Ambassador and Consul General always come to C M Y K

Chinese businessmen to invest $300 billion in Nigeria us. There are areas we are interested in which are Agriculture, Railway, Airport etc. and we will like to partner with China to develop these areas.”

Ogun State Governor Amosun said “ Ogun State has the largest base of industry in Nigeria because of its proximity with our sister state Lagos and that has given us the

privilege of becoming the gateway to west Africa subregion market.” He added that “Ogun State is home for industry, while Lagos is home for commerce and we allow

private investors to enable us grow.” He expressed optimism that in the next three to six months, that the investors would have established there companies here in Nigeria.

From left: Sales Director, Nigerian Breweries, Hubert Eze; Nigerian Breweries Managing Director’ wife, Clementine Vervelde; Managing Director, Nigerian Breweries, Nicolaas Vervelde; National Champion of the Distributors awardee, Dem Joy Igwe, her husband, Sir Gabriel Igwe of Ifeoma Chukwuka Nigerian Limited and Nollywood icon, Patience Ozokwo, at the presentation of the award in Lagos.

Global Finance School launches free e-learning library

BY OLADIPO AKINYEMI OMOLE

I

n the spirit of free information and self improvement for everyone, Global Finance School, an innovator in financial and managerial e-learning, has announced that it offers free access to its online library of bestselling e-books. An enormous source of knowledge derived from 30 years of experience in publishing educational literature in finance is now available online, the school said.

Global Finance School is a pioneer in financial and managerial e- learning and it offers a new way to invest in students’ future through free access to its online library with bestselling e-books. These free e-books cover an extensive variety of subjects including titles for beginners such as Accounting, Stock Market, Finance, Economics, and Statistics among others. Any reader may attempt to take the online exams after reading the books. Global Finance School (GFS) is an international company providing interactive courses on finance, management and investments addressed to everybody and even people who have no

relative background.

As Solomon Simanovsky, founder of GFS, explains: “Tens of thousands of students from more than 65 countries are already learning through GFS. All topics are taught in simple and easy to understand language accompanied by illustrations, animations, and quizzes.”

The advanced software of GFS helps students keep track of their progress and grades and any questions students have about the content, can be addressed online using support tickets or by a private tutor in online chat, for a minimum price. In addition, there is a new forum where students can communicate and help one another, guided by GFS ex p e r t s .

M r.

Simanovsky adds “We established Global Finance School with one principal goal of providing straightforward, inexpensive financial education to anyone, anywhere, whenever. The new free learning portal helps us achieve this vision.”

191.00

+1.10

3,021.00

-9.00

17.16

+0.11

106.58

+0.34

99.58

+1.50

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

154.74 257.2398 215.5064 177.0886 1.5212 0.3091 239.1881 249882 41.2585 28.8689 239.9553

155.24 258.071 216.2027 177.6608 1.5262 0.3191 239.9609 25.0694 41.3918 28.9621 240.7307

155.74 258.9022 216.8991 178.233 1.5311 0.3291 240.7338 25.1506 41.5251 28.0554 241.506

CBN Exchange rate as at 19/03/2014

22 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

Ecobank boss lectures students on saving, investing

T

L-R: Principal, Imaguero Junior Secondary School, Benin, Mrs. Omoigberale; Group Managing Director, First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Mr. Bisi Onasanya; Principal, Imaguero Senior Secondary School, Mrs. Omoregbokhai and Executive Director, Retail Banking South Group, FirstBank, Mr. Francis Shobo at the FutureFirst Financial Literacy programme in commemoration of Global Money week which took place at Imaguero Secondary School, Benin, Edo State recently.

CBN, banks should increase awareness on agent banking STORIES BY BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE

T

he Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the banks should increase awareness on agent banking in order to enhance public confidence and acceptability of the scheme.

Managing Director/Chief Executive of Future Benefits Venture Limited, a member of the Sterling Bank agent banking network, Mr. Lawal Olanrewaju made this call in Lagos at a media briefing by the bank. It would be recalled that last year, the CBN introduced agent banking model as a means of increasing access to financial services for the millions of under-banked and unbanked Nigerians.

Agent banking is the use of agents to deliver banking services outside traditional brick and Mortar bank branches, through additional financial access points such as existing retail stores, petrol stations, post offices or via technology such as ‘Point of Sale’ (POS) devices and mobile phones.

Olanrewaju commended the introduction of agent banking as an innovation that would affect the society positively.

He noted that from the experience of his organisation, there is interest in the use of agents to access financial services.

Olanrewaju however called for more awareness on the initiative. He said that is

however need for increased awareness for this interest to be widespread and sustained “There is need for continuous awareness. We need to be involved in massive awareness around the community.

“We have started doing that as agents, but being the originator, the banks and central bank equally need to be on the streets with us so that we would make people know the benefits of agent banking and let them know it is not fraudulent. To also let them know that their monies are safe in agent banking,” he said.

On his part, Group Head, E-Business, Sterling Bank, Mr. Fatai Amoo, said that the bank is committed deploying agents across the country, in order to ensure that every Nigerian have access to financial services. He said that the agent banking scheme of the bank is been driven by the deployment of biometric Point of Sale, which allows the use of finger print to open and operate bank accounts.

He said, “We have over 30 million adults who are unlettered and whenever they want to use their ATMs they would tell anybody around their pin. We all know that, that is risky and a lot of people have fallen victim.

Cash automation solutions vital to cashless policy objectives T he use of cash automation solutions in banks will complement the ongoing cashless policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Regional Project Director for Africa, GRGBanking, a global manufacturer of cash management solutions, Mrs. Heidi Hoo, made this observation while unveiling of GRGBanking’s latest cash automation solutions in Nigeria in partnership with Avanage. Heidi Hoo, who is currently on a working visit to Nigeria, said in spite of the cashless policy, which has recorded a huge success in reducing cash management costs, the volume of cash in circulation in any growing economy like Nigeria would still increase due to inflation.

According to her, cash automation solutions increases the rate at which cash is deposited into the banking system conveniently and in a user-friendly way, making it possible to deploy the deposited funds with multiple electronic payment systems. As a result of this, she reiterated,

“our solutions are complementary to the cashless policy of the apex bank”.

While disclosing that several banks have signed up for GRG’s Proof of Concept test administered by Avanage to validate the innovative value the company offered while some banks have placed orders, she said so far the banks were seeing good results with high authentic banknote acceptance and counterfeit identification.

“On our cash deposit automation tests, we have recorded a 100% rejection of counterfeit notes and a 98 percent acceptance of authentic Naira banknotes.

While we do not rest on our current achievements, we are doubtful that any other device currently in the market has matched these milestones.”

Concerning customer support, Avanage, she explained, has provided first and second level support and local training of operators and custodians.

Where necessary, she said, the company would facilitate offshore training.

he Managing Director, Ecobank Nigeria, Mr. Jibril Aku has called on children across the country to imbibe the habit of saving and investing money now that they are still young.

Speaking at the Army Children School, Obalende, as part of the Global Money Week, Aku who lectured the children on what financial literacy entails, stated that savings is putting away money in a safe place like a box or real bank while investment is something purchased with money and expected to produce profit.

“Financial literacy means being smart about how you make money.

Talking about money is important to everybody. As a matter of fact, it is most important throughout life.

As you grow up continue to ask your parents and teachers how to save money,” he said.

During the lecture, the Ecobank boss took the students through the role of money; trade by barter; the use of cash and coins as medium of exchange and other forms of accessing cash through cheques, credit and debit cards.

He encouraged the children to open account with banks, noting that banks are trusted businesses where people can save their money, pay customers for using their money which is called interest.

“You earn money by working and that is called income. I encourage you to study hard to make it in life", he stated.

FirstBank partners NESG to chart educational discourse

A

s part of its strategic initiatives for thought leadership, First Bank of Nigeria Ltd, has lent its support to the Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG) to chart a new course for the Education sector at the 20th edition of the Nigeria Economic Summit Group Conference (NESG) The Summit themed “Transforming Education through Partnerships for Global Competitiveness” is organized to deliberate on the role of the Nigerian education sector in the transformation of Nigeria. The event which is projected to drive consciousness and a more significant involvement of the private sector in the education space, whilst gaining the attention and interest of key stakeholders on the centrality of education and learning for economic development and nation building will also focus on building national consensus on what is urgently required to rebuild, revamp and reinforce the education sector to secure Nigeria’s future and global competitiveness.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014 — 23

Time for massive cement education in Nigeria

How women can excel in workplace, home — Cadbury,

F

Accenture

ranklin Alli reviews current development in the Nigerian cement industry in the last six weeks and reports that with the availability of 32.5, 42.5 and 52.5 grade of cement in the country, it is high time for massive education of bricklayers and masons all over the country for them to know the right kind of cement for a given project and thus ensure safety of buildings.

BY ETOP EKANEM

I

D

EVAKUMAR Edwin, Group Managing Director/ CEO, Dangote Cement Plc, recently said, "Over 90 per cent of consumers are not aware of the different types of cement available in Nigeria.

Their expectations in respect A cross section of cement at a shop in Lagos. to the performance of cement Adviser to the President of Dangote between 25 and 30 blocks. are the same regardless of the types.

“More surprisingly, many Group, Aliko Dangote, described the Giving a breakdown of the different acclaimed experts in the sector are introduction of the new cement grade grades of cement available, he noted also not aware of these cement by the company as ground breaking, that 92 per cent of Portland cement varieties and standards. This low level saying “Nigeria is now one of the best produced in the United States (US), of awareness has contributed to the quality producers of cement in the are in 52.5 and 42.5 grades, while wide spate of building collapse, as world. other imported cement from China, well as avoidable hazards in the “No matter the sophistication of the Japan, Denmark and Paris are all 42.5 construction sector,” he said. structure, this is the best grade for any grade.

He explained that while the 32.5 civil construction. Dangote did not Corroborating to this, the Director grade is suitable for plastering, block create the standard. The standard has General of Standards Organisation of making and light concrete activities been there, we have only blazed the Nigeria, Joseph Odumodu, said while others (42.5 and 52.5) are trail by starting its production. It is although there are standards currently suitable for heavy concretes, flyovers good for lead bearing columns.” in operation in the country with and marine constructions, among He further noted that with this reference to cement grades but the others. development, none should complain challenge is that people do not know “The point is if you use a grade again about low quality cement in the what they buy. meant for one aspect of construction country or make excuses to bring in for another aspect, there would be imported cement into the country.

Brand and quality Devakumar Edwin added: “For the problem. And those are some of the of cement areas we are devoting attention,” he past three months we have test-run the new products and it is now said.

“People just ask for cement without The 52.5 higher grade of cement was available in the markets. In the bothering what brand and what introduced into the market barley second half of this year, we are coming quality they are buying; this problem three weeks ago by Dangote Cement out with yet another new superior is made more challenging by the fact Plc. product.” that a lot of people in the building Engr. Joseph Makoju, Honorary construction industry are illiterates.”

He said while manufacturers are mandated to comply with specifications of the standards, consumers themselves needed to play their own parts as is the HI Limited has explained that many people of all ages strive for, case elsewhere in the world why it added Chivita Active to its and with a little effort, it is entirely where consumers mandate portfolio of fruit juices in the Nigeria possible to achieve through some simple standard. life changes. Experts say, overall, it is market.

According to him, Nigeria has The company’s Managing Director, Mr. difficult to lead an active lifestyle three grades of cement with Deepanjan Roy, said “One thing we have without a healthy diet, because it will various degrees of strength always tried to do is provide our be difficult to get enough energy to which include: 32.5; 42.5 and consumer a complete and balanced range exercise,” he said.

52.5 pointing out that the public of fruit juice offerings, so that consumer Stressing on the nutritive benefits of is not even aware of the variety can make choices based on their lifestyle. the fruit juice, he said it contains six citric in grades, standards and According to him, although the brand fruits juices and vitamin C. specific applications of cement. (Chivita Active) can equally be enjoyed “The citric fruit juices are Orange, He said what most people are by all, it is targeted more at people who Grapefruit, Lime, Tangerine, Lemon and aware of brand names, whereas live active lifestyles, individuals who Mandarine. The juices contained in the the grades are equally often participate in energy-sapping juice are essential to a healthy life. For important. This ignorance he activities that include meetings, instance, limes contain unique flavonoid said has led to the recreation sports, outdoor hobbies and an compounds that have antioxidant and misapplication of cement by active social life. anti-cancer properties. While these many users, citing the point that “This is because a healthy active flavonoids have been shown to stop cell some people for reasons of lifestyle is one that includes a healthy division in many cancer cell lines, they personal gain may utilize just diet and a regular exercise plan. A are perhaps most interesting for their one bag of cement for as much healthy and active lifestyle is a lifestyle antibiotic effects,” he said. as 50 to 80 blocks rather than

Chi explains production of Chivita Active

C

t was eye-opener for most career women at a one-day seminar organised

by Accenture Nigeria on how to excel as career women at home and workplace.

Tagged, “Knowing and Growing Your Career Capital,” the event brought together women from all works of life to discuss how women at top level can remain visible while they mentor and help other young women to manage their careers well and balance their other personal commitments at home with their workplace commitments to ensure successful careers.

The event, which had young participants from all works of life, basically dwelt on women developing skills that would help them grows their careers amidst challenges.

The Finance and Strategic Director, Cadbury Nigeria Plc, Mrs. Oyeyimika Adeboye, the guest speaker of the day, who spoke extensively on the topic, “Knowing and Growing Your Career Capital”, said “our gender as women should not limit us to our abilities to do things.”

“First of all, I don’t think we should place ourselves out as because I am a woman, you have to make exceptions for me. I think it is important that we don’t do that because I see it as a way of saying, ‘I have a slight disadvantage, help me’. I think as women, we should still be able to deliver and perform professionally. It is really up to us to balance our lives but the work environment, I don’t think should go out of its way to create a balance for us.

However, in doing our jobs, we can plan ourselves better,” said Adeboye.

Career capital The Managing Director, Resource (Energy, Utilities and Natural Resources) Accenture Nigeria, Mrs. Abayomi Olarinmoye , who spoke on the significance of the event, said: “Every woman in a workplace who is interested in having a career, from the day she starts to work begins to build her career capital, just like you build your business capital.

“So the things you do, personally and professionally, all add up to build your career capital, the kind of network you cultivate, the kind of skills you build, not those skills that are directly relevant to the current role your are playing but skills that would help you in your career; you take a long term view and beginning to consciously build up that career, depositing things in it – skills, capability, networks, values and so on and that is what we encouraged with meetings like this,” she noted.

A participant, Mrs. Damilola Jons, who could not conceal the fact that the discussions for the day was eye-opener for her, said: “As women in the workplace, we often limit ourselves in terms of our goals, duties while we place our works before our families’ concerns but I have learnt that as career women, as we make conscious efforts to step forward, our family is important and should not be ignored.”

24 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

Freight forwarders raise alarm over un-cleared cargoes at port STORIES

BY GODWIN ORITSE

T

HE National Council of Managing Director of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), has said that if the current crisis rocking the port industry is not attended to, it will lead to massive port congestion.

In a letter to the President Goodluck Jonathan, the group’s President Mr. Lucky Eyis Amiwero said that the refusal of the Federal Government to intervene in the crisis caused by the new cargo policy Pre-Assessment Arrival Report (PAAR) has taken its toll on virtually every sub-sector of the industry.

He was of the opinion that the development will impact negatively on the economy such that inflation may be inevitable if the situation is not brought under control.

According to Amiwero, PAAR is supposed to be issued before the arrival of the goods, as against the current situation whereby cargoes are delievered weeks and months after arrival.

Part of the letter reads “We hereby bring to the attention of the Federal government of Nigeria the challenges associated with the issuance of the PreAssessment Arrival Report (PAAR) by the Nigeria Customs Service.

“The attention of government became necessary due to the negative impact the procedure has generated in the clearance process since its inception.

“We felt deeply concerned especially as professionals and Trade procedure expert that has been involved in the setting up Trade Facilitation measures in the economy through our professional involvement over the years as member of some Committees: “The Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) is supposed to be issued before the arrival of the goods, as against the weeks and months that it was issued after the arrival of the goods at the port, which negates the objective of the establishment of PreArrival Assessment Report (PAAR) regime and drastically slow down the activities of clearance that necessitates the build ups and tension at the ports.

“The process of the

issuance of Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) is associated with delays that has resulted in the payment of huge demurrage to Shipping Companies and rent to Terminal Opera-

tors by the importers/ Agents. It negates the concept of Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) as it takes months, weeks as reflected in the schedules attached. “The economic impact is high cost of clearance and delays,

which will eventually lead to possible closure of most factories due to inability to access the available stocks from the Ports.

“Most goods that are in the port has no Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) to clear them, a develop-

ment that has led to huge demurrage and rent being accumulated and the fact that there is no respite in sight from government making importers look for alternative through diversion of cargoes to neighbouring West African country.

HANDING OVER : The Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the Seme border Command of the Nigeria Customs Service Mr. Willy Egbudin handing over some of the seized artifacts from smugglers, to Mrs Edith Ekunke of the National Council for Museum and Monuments

Why we shut Apapa port operations — Clearing Agents

BY GODFREY BIVBERE

C

LEARING agents operating in Apapa port have attributed their protest which led to the shutting down of the weekend to activities of Customs Intelligence Unit, CIU, who they accused of conniving with their counterparts in the

Federal Operations Unit, FOU, to detain their containers.

The agents noted that the action of the CIU officials is a reaction to the Comptroller General of Customs, Abdullahi Dikko’s directive that CIU should leave the terminals.

The agents had embarked on a peaceful protest which grounded Apapa port

operations for several hours. The peaceful protest which was coordinated by the Apapa chapters of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents, ANLCA, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, NAGAFF and National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents, NCMDLCA, saw the

$3.8bn Egina FPSO: LADOL accuses Samsung of breaching court order

T

HE lingering litigation over a $3.8 billion Egina oil platform project between the Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics (LADOL) and Samsung/ Total took a fresh twist as LADOL, that the first defendant, has accused Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI), of breaching an earlier ruling

by Justice Chukwu Jeku Aneke of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, that parties maintain status quo pending the determination of the suite.

Counsel to LADOL, Professor Fidelis Oditah (QC, SAN), had told the court that despite the court order of January 24, 2014, Samsung, had on

February 27th and 28th 2014, made presentations to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), of its plans to replace LADOL with another company as its third party local content partner for the project.

The contract awarded to Samsung Heavy Industry and LADOL by Total for the integration of a Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) platform otherwise known as Egina project to be cited at LADOL base in Lagos, assumed litigation following alleged schemes

by Samsung to exclude the indigenous firm from the juicy job.

The development is

coming even as the fourth defendant in the Suite, the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Recourses, again failed to make representation at the court’s proceedings.

Others joined in the suite are, Total Upstream Nigeria Limited (Total), and the Nigerian Content Monitoring Board (NCDMB).

Justice Aneke who frowned at the alleged breach of his order for parties to maintain the status quo, was apparently not taken by the defense counsel, Wole Olanipekun (SAN), in his claim of ignorance of his client’s presentation to NNPC.

agents first blocking the Apapa Customs office before heading to the port gate.

The placard carrying agents complained about the highhandedness of the CIU officials at the Command, who now resort to taking the number of their containers and handing same to the FOU operatives for detention when such containers are to exit the port.

According to the Chairman of NCMDLCA Apapa, Ibrahim Tanko, before the directive by the Customs helmsman, CIU operatives were working and giving tags as clearance for consignments to leave the ports.

He, however said that they have resorted to giving the number of containers to FOU officials who refused to allow them leave the port.He also complained that the PreArrival Assessment Report, PAAR, introduced by the Service to replace the Risk Assessment Report, RAR, hitherto operated by the three Service Providers, is not working.

Another agent who spoke with Vanguard explained that between Monday and Friday over 200 containers are held back by both the FOU and enforcement unit of the Command.

BRIEFS

Customs sensitize community on security and anti-smuggling

I

N a bid to check mate the nefarious activities of smugglers with the Seme border area, the Seme Command of Nigeria Customs Service has moved to increase non government support against the crime through improved community relations.

Comptroller Willy Egbudin, Customs Area Controller (CAC) in charge of Seme Area Command reiterated the importance of traditional rulers and community leaders in the sensitization drive aimed at dissuading people against smuggling and other unlawful activities.

Addressing Chiefs and leaders of various communities around the border area at the first Customs Community Relations Forum for the year 2014, Egbudin reminded the gathering of chiefs that they owe the nation a duty to be patriotic.

He said smugglers will find it difficult to carry out their nefarious activities and be law abiding if their community leaders and the entire neighbourhood join the sensitization move being championed by the customs.

N A G A F F : Customs needs support of stakeholders to fight corruption BY AYOOLA

T

OLAITAN

HE National Asso ciation of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has stressed the need for stakeholders in the maritime industry to support the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, to succeed in its fight against corruption.

NAGAFF in a statement made available to Vanguard, noted that the effect of corruption on the nation’s economy is great and therefore the support of every stakeholder is needed to be tackled the issue.

NAGAFF advised the importers, exporters and freight forwarders to imbibe the culture of integrity by making genuine declaration for their imports to Customs. The Customs authority must at this point develop the professional and political will to enforce importation regulations and guidelines.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014 — 25

*The 2014 Batch 'A' corps members taking oath of service at the NYSC Iyana-Ipaja Camp,Lagos

DEATH AT NIS APTITUDE TEST:

Educationists make case for unemployed youths •As NYSC DG calls for public-private partnership

M

ORE THAN 50 per cent of the Nigerian youth population is unemployed. A recent survey puts the figure at 54 per cent. This figure was reduced by about 16 people over the weekend, not as a result of job provision but by the claws of death at the recent Nigerian Immigration Service recruitment exercise.

Blame it on unemployment, experts say, and they could not be farther from the truth.

A press release signed by the National President of Education Rights Campaign (ERC), Mr. Hassan Soweto, said that ERC was outraged at the avoidable wastage of the lives of scores of unemployed Nigerian youths during Nigeria Immigration Service recruitment test over the weekend. “The ERC believes it is the social responsibility of the

Community library will improve learning, raise education standard Pg. 26 C M Y K

government as the custodian of society’s commonwealth, to provide a decent job for every citizen. All talks about young graduates becoming employers of labour is nonsense especially in a society where public infrastructure like electricity, water and transportation needed to support self-employment, are lacking,” said Soweto.

Dr. Ifeduba Emmanuel, a lecturer at Redeemer’s University (RUN) frowned at the mishap by saying: “By now, we should have passed that stage, as there was no adequate arrangement for the exam to be written in a decent way.

Bigger picture The way the exam was conducted is primitive, it is a big shame. The bigger picture here is that of unemployment, and I believe that the Federal Govern-

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Solar-powered waterless toilet converts faeces to useful products Pg. 28

ment should be blamed for that.

"National Universities Commission (NUC) accredits courses and schools produce more people than the economy is not prepared to absorb. Government should emphasise on agriculture. The rate of unemployment in Nigeria is unacceptable in all ramifications. People in government are voted to provide solutions and not to create problems.”

Another educationist, Mr. Adelabu Omowale said: "Government at all levels should put measures in place to reduce poverty drastically, provide social security for the unemployed youths instead of budgeting and giving money only to those holding public offices who already have money. Government should also diversify the economy, reduce importation when we can create means of producing them here.

Imagine things like toothpick and matches being importd!”

In the light of the prevailing cir-

How scholarship boosted my academic performance —Scholar Pg. 30

cumstances, Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier-General Johnson Olawunmi has called for more practical solutions to youth unemployment situation in the country.

Addressing participants at a one day stakeholders’ meeting on the NYSC skills acquisition and entrepreneurship develop-

,

BY DAYO ADESULU, ABAYOMI AMAKA, LAJU ARENYEKA & CHINYERE ABIAZIEM

by local and international institutions. She said part of the measures put in place by NYSC to tackle youth unemployment in the country is the SAED programme that started in form of partnership with the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), CBN and NYSC Foundation for corps members who are not gainfully employed to start a

Government at all levels should put measures in place to reduce poverty drastically

ment programme in Lagos, Olawunmi stated that the task of refocusing of the scheme as a unifying factor in the country has become necessary in order to make it relevant to contemporary needs of Nigerian youths and address growing unemployment statistics.

In her presentation at the meeting, Director, Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED), Mrs. Mary DanAbia lamented that the era of employers giving letters of employment to graduates shortly after service year is now a thing of the past.

She said the SAED programme that commenced in March 2012 was a child of necessity to practically seek alternative employment options for the growing number of graduates turned out

,

business of their own. Speaking further, the Director explained that War Against Poverty was also one of the measures the scheme embraced to bring succour to corps members during and after national service.

Recording little or not so much as desired, she said the Bureau of Statistics' report for 2011 that put youth unemployment at 23.9 per cent and another report that says 54 per cent of Nigerian youth are unemployed, set the scheme thinking for more practical approach. Dan-Abia stated that the NYSC in line with the transformation agenda of the Federal Government set a target to empower 200,000 of the 250,000 corps members mobilised annually for gainful jobs they can do on their own as alternative to dwindling white-collar jobs.

26 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

Community library will improve learning, raise education standard — Shonekan

*From 2nd left: Dr. Ernest Shonekan,Prof. Alele Wiliams, Chairman, City Profs discussing with Gen. Mobolaji Johnson during the inauguration of Ijebu Imushin Community e-library.

the bedrock of any nation adding: “This is what helped us while growing up.” Mobolaji who charged students to make use of the library pointed out that to establish such a magnificent library is commendable.

For Professor Alele Williams, students cannot excel if they cannot find a conducive environment to learn. According to her, the idea of library initiative was introduced 15 years ago, where pupils are encouraged to read for two hours everyday.

She said,“This is a community library where we can encourage our children to read so that the community can be like Victoria Island, Lekki and big cities.”

Meanwhile, chairman of the occasion and former Head of State, Chief Ernest Shonekan who said government alone cannot provide for the citizens’ needs, noted that involvement of non-governmental organisations and individuals cannot be over emphasised.

According to him, e-libraries

17 bag MSDF scholarship

BY EBELE ORAKPO

S

EVENTEEN brilliant but indigent students drawn from JSS 1 and SS1 classes in public schools in Delta State, had their hope of getting quality education renewed courtesy of Morgan Smart Development Foundation (MSDF).

Speaking in Warri at the award ceremony, the 4th by the Foundation, the President of MSDF, Dr. Evelyn Omawumi Urhobo recalled that when the foundation was established 10 years ago, one of its primary objectives was to give scholarship to intelligent but indigent children to help put them in a position to compete favourably with children from rich homes anywhere in the world.

According to her, the passion to give scholarship to children

By AMAKA ABAYOMI

T

By DAYO ADESULU

LAST Tuesday, people of like minds in both academic and private sectors stormed Ijebu-Imushin in Ogun State and established community libraries to revamp the dwindling reading culture of its children.

The occasion was the seventh anniversary of City Profs Academy (CPA) and inauguration of Community Library Initiative (CLI), Ijebu Imushin Community e-library with the theme: Community Library in Nigeria: a vote for reading culture!

The brains behind the laudable project are Gen. Mobolaji Johnson, Prof. Alele Wiliilams, Dr. Ernest Shonekan, Mrs. Remi Agbowu, Mrs. Essie Kukoyi-the founder of CPA and other committed staff members of the organisation.

That informed the reason for the presence of Oba Oloko of Ijebu-Imushin, Oba Stephen Adedeji, Chairman, Governing Board, Prof. Alele Wiliams, Chairman, City Profs. AcademyCommunity Library Initiative, Chief (Mrs.) Remi Agbowu, chairman of the occasion, Chief Chris Ogunbanjo was represented by Dr. Ernest Shonekan, Dr. Michael Omolayole, Gen Timothy Ogundeko, Gov. Ibikunle Amosun was represented by Ogun State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Barr. Segun Odubela, Gov. Babatunde Fashola was represented by Otunba Fatai Olukoga, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu. represented by Remi Osilaja, Dame Emmanuella Fashola, represented by Mrs. Mosunmola Junaid, traditional rulers and stakeholders. Speaking at the occasion, former governor of Lagos State, Brig. General Mobolaji Johnson said education is

Minister, Pacesetters Academy make case for school sports

from poor homes was borne out of her personal experiences as her father died when she was about nine years old and with a 26-year-old mother who had to struggle to put her and a younger sister through school.

She said but for the privilege of the scholarship which saw her through secondary and tertiary schools, it would not have been possible for her to acquire the education that made her what she is today. Dr Urhobo, therefore, enjoined the recipients to give their education the priority it deserves as education will give them the opportunity to become whatever they want to be in life.

She appealed for support from individuals and corporate organisations because “while more children continue to qualify for the award, the number of children givenscholarshipislimitedbecause of limited funds.

were built in developed countries

by NGOs and wealthy individuals, stressing that similar things should be done to develop Nigeria.

The gesture, he said, would improve learning and make them better students, adding that the e-library would help to raise the standard of education. Dr. Shonekan said the impact of books on child development cannot be over-emphasised because books are next to the teacher.

In his welcome address, the Oloko of Ijebu Imushin, Oba Stephen Onafowokan said the reading culture in children today has been eroded by the keen interest they have developed in the misuse of modern communica-

tion gadgets like phones, internet and videos. The resultant effect, he noted, is the geometric decline in academic performances, noting the absence of modern libraries in most primary and secondary schools stocked with relevant materials.

The Ogun State Government has said that individual, groups or private organisations willing to become its partners in improving the standard of education in the state would be adequately encouraged.

Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Barrister Segun Odubela, stated this in a keynote address he presented at the grand finale of Mace Club 5th Annual Inter-school Essay/Debate quiz competitions amongst secondary schools in the state.

Oshiomhole’s decision on AAU is right —Inwhalomhe

BY INWALOMHE DONALD

T

HE Justice Research Centre, JRC, has commended Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole for appointing Prof Cordelia Agbebaku as the substantive Vice Chancellor,VC, of Ambrose Alli University,AAU, Ekpoma, describing it as a wise decision.

A statement by JRC said Agbebaku has so far justified her choice as the Vice-Chancellor of the state university.

The statement read: "We want to commend Edo State governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole for making Prof. Cordelia Agbebaku the substantive Vice Chancellor,VC, of Ambrose Alli University, AAU, Ekpoma.

"As acting VC she has attracted several TETFUND projects to the school such as the Construction of 3-in-1 300 capacity lecture theatre at the permanent site, procurement and supply of 969 volumes of books in 26 subjects to the university

central library among other feats.

"Having done these within a little time, it has become obvious that Oshiomhole acted wisely by appointing someone with an unquestionable pedigree. It is more interesting because some mischief makers made several efforts to politicize the appointment of a substantive VC for AAU. "They came with different tactics just to ensure that they confuse the state government but like many knows, Comrade Governor Oshiomhole is not somebody who does things in a hurry. The governor in his wisdom took his time to investigate all contending issues before making the appointment.

"And with the funds being injected into the university by the state government with a view to ensure infrastructural development, government needs an astute and prudent manager of resources to head the affairs of AAU. We are glad that justice has been done as regards the appointment."

HE Minister of Sports, Dr. Tamuno Danagogo, has called on parents to encourage their wards to take active part in school sports.

Speaking recently at the maiden inter-house sports competition of Pacesetters Academy, Gwarinpa, Abuja, the minister, who was represented by an Assistant Director, National Sports Commission (NSC), Dr. Patrick Uwagbale, said physical education can be used to raise the selfesteem of young people and give them confidence as academic learning and sports education complement each other..

The Minister said: “The passion that drives you to compete and better yourself, the discipline that forces you to maintain a schedule and balance your life; the selflessness that epitomises being a great team player, the respect you develop for each other, teammates, opponents and the games you play; the perspective and resilience you find by realising life goes on even after a big loss and that winning or losing is not only about the score in the game etc., are some of the benefits one derives.”

AUN’s smart library opens May

BY EBELE ORAKPO

I

N continuation of her role of championing e-learning as a model for higher education in the developing world, the American University of Nigeria (AUN), Yola, will in May, 2014 open its new bricks-and-mortar ‘smart’ library.

In a release made available to Vanguard Learning, President of AUN, Dr. Margee Ensign said although “the library will not be the world’s biggest university library, it will be among the smartest. ...we cannot just focus on traditional education; to make education accessible and less expensive, it has to be about technology.”

The smart library is considered as a model to control costs, while creating greater access to resources for the wider community.

Explaining what the smart library is, AUN’s Librarian, Mr. Amed Demirhan said the "thesmartlibrary is basically like a smart phone multi-functional, efficient, has more services, and since it deals with eresources, it doesn’t require much space. Instead, we have space to add more services that were once taken up by hardcopy books, resulting in greater efficiency and effectiveness. It is affordable, sustainable, and increases availability of resources for users.”

With about 210,000 e-books and e-journals, accessed using tablets, e-readers and other devices, the library is considered not just Africa’s largest but also significantly larger than that held by most universities in America.

Stakeholders expectations...

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014 — 27

,

,

Osun: Group seeks sustainable education reforms

BY AMAKAABAYOMI

E

DUCATION is not o n l y instilling knowledge, but awakening the enormous creative potential that lies within each one of us, enabling us develop to our fullest potential and better contribute to the societies in which we live.” — Dr. Frederico Major, former Director-General of UNESCO. This set the tone for the education summit organised by the Osun Movement for Peace.

Tagged: Osun Education Policy: Issues, Challenges and Imperatives, and held in Osogbo, the state capital, the summit, which had educationists and leaders from all walks of life in attendance, was to solicit support for the sustenance of the state education policy as the catalyst for socio-political and economic transformation of the state in the near future.

In her keynote address, the Deputy Governor, who also doubles as the Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Titilayo Laoye-Tomori, said the

“

policy is to produce students who can compete effectively and perform excellently in any global or local setting.

“Osun education policy seeks to empower the youths to be roundly relevant in meeting the challenges of their immediate environment and the society at large. We inherited a moribund education sector from the immediate past government as public school buildings were dilapidated, instructional materials, teaching consumables, materials and resources that could aid learning were non-existent.

“From statistics, only three per cent of products of our public school system used to move on to the next phase of their anticipated education plan. But within three years of our administration, records show that 43 per cent of our students now qualify to matriculate in any university.

“Presently, the state government has committed N14.41bn to the O’School project and has built 13 elementary, 14 middle, and 12 high schools, which

Financial Literacy: Diamond Bank adopts Caro Favoured College

BY TARE YOUDEOWEI

IN pursuance of the Global Money Week from 10 – 17 March, Diamond Bank Plc and Junior Achievement Nigeria, a non-governmental organisation, paid a visit to Caro Favoured College (CFC) in Awodiora, Ajegunle on March 13.

The visit was to educate the 100 students in attendance on the qualities of money, basic bank usage, earning money through hard work, managing money, investment, essence of money regulatory bodies and retirement plans.

Mr Jude Anele, Head, Retail Banking, Diamond Bank and the Bank’s GMD/CEO, Dr. Alex Otti, explained to the students that “Global Money Week is set aside to help children understand money; how it is made, saved and used.

CBN wants children at very early stage to begin to understand what money is all about. So CBN directed that every bank should adopt one school for the Financial Literacy

Week.”

Diamond Bank which was ably represented by Mrs Shirley Uyakonwu, Head, Customer Experience, Olumide Akindele, Customer Position and the almost 10 person team took the adoption a step further, to make CFC its model school. Anele who spoke on behalf of the bank and the team said: “It was a pleasure for us to have been appointed to partner with Caro Favoured College.

The good thing about the partnership is that it is not just about financial literacy, it is that Diamond Bank will adopt the school as a model school to partner with and whatever it is the bank wants to do school-wise, will start from the school.”

Junior Achievement Nigeria’s Admin and Finance Manager, Mrs Felicia Fakoya said the organisation had also adopted the school, noting that financial literacy, entrepreneurship and elementary environment programmes, which teaches children about recycling at an early stage, would be frequent.

translates to 1,724 classrooms. Also, N1.6bn is being expended on renovations of schools that we will not rebuild outrightly.

“Likewise, we have spent N2.5bn for the purchase of 150,000 befitting furniture for 300,000 students so that pupils and students will not be crowded into a small room without adequate sitting arrangement, which is necessary for conducive learning.”

In his presentation, Chairman, Osun Schools Infrastructure Development Committee, Chief Lai Oyeduntan, decried the attempt by ‘mischievous political jobbers’ to malign the policy and derail the execution of its noble ideals which are meant for the reorientation, empowerment and fortification of Osun children.

Attitude of objectivity Lead speaker at the event, Prof. Ayo Olukotun of the Lead City University, Ibadan, enjoined Nigerians to cultivate a fresh attitude of objectivity and pursuit of public good whenever public policies are analysed and criticised.

He advised media practitioners to resolve to maintain reasonable professional detachment from politicians who can compromise positive ideals in the quest for political offices if the integrity of the media as credible watchdogs is to be sustained.

In his vote of thanks,oordinator of Osun Movement for Peace, Comrade Temitayo Bankole, said his group chose to organise the symposium as its own contribution towards the building of an egalitarian and peaceful society where citizens are better informed about policies that shape their destinies.

“Governments come and go just as politics and political contests come and go but the only sensible permanent interest that all well-meaning citizens must hold as nonnegotiable is lasting peace and development that can make life better for future generations. Our group is driven by the desire to preserve Osun and all policies that will transform its fortunes now and in the future.”

28— Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20 , 2014

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Solar-powered waterless toilet converts faeces to useful products

BY EBELE ORAKPO with Agency reports

Shit business is serious business said a Nigerian entrepreneur; now researchers have made it a great and lucrative business too courtesy of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

It's a very common sight to see faeces along bush paths and bushes in rural areas and in open gutters/streets in urban centres. This indiscriminate defecation, is an environmental hazard as it contributes immensely to pollution of underground water and environment, leading to the outbreak of certain diseases like diarrhoea (a major cause of child mortality in developing countries) and worm infestation. Statistics show that food and water tainted with pathogens from fecal matter results in the deaths of roughly 700,000 children each year.

The Challenge:To stem this tide, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation instituted the Reinvent the Toilet Challenge, an effort aimed at developing next-generation toilets that will manage human waste and help improve the health and lives of people around the world.

A total of 16 research teams from different parts of the world took part in the challenge and recently, a team at the University of Colorado at Boulder, led by a professor of

*Innovative solar-powered waterless toilet.

Photo: timesofindia.indiatimes.com

crease crop yields and sequester carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. This means that not only does the toilet help conserve water as it does not require water, it also helps in the fight against climate change by capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide which contributes greatly to global warming.

"Each of the eight fiber-optic cables can produce between 80 and 90 watts of energy, meaning the whole system can deliver up to 700 watts of energy into the reaction chamber, said Linden, adding: "While the idea of concentrating solar energy is not new, transmitting it flexibly to a customizable location via fib-

,

While the idea of concentrating solar energy is not new, transmitting it flexibly to a customizable location via fiber-optic cables is the really unique aspect of this project

environmental engineering, Dr. Karl Linden, came up with the solar-powered waterless toilet which will be on display in New Delhi, India, from March 20 (today) to 22nd.

Mode of operation: According to the report, with a USD777,000 grant from the Foundation, the team designed and built the toilet to provide an eco-friendly solution to help some of the 2.5 billion people around the world lacking safe and sustainable sanitation.

The waterless toilet consists of eight parabolic mirrors that focus concentrated sunlight on a small spot on quartz-glass rod that is connected to bundles of fiber optic cable. The sun's energy is channeled through the cables and used to heat the human waste to a high enough temperature to sterilise it and convert it to biochar, a highly porous charcoal which can be used to inC M Y K

,

er-optic cables is the really unique aspect of this project.

"We are doing something that has never been done before."

Uses: Speaking on biochar, Linden said: "Biochar is a valuable material. It has good water holding capacity and it can be used in agricultural areas to hold in nutrients and bring more stability to soils. A soil mixture containing 10 per cent biochar can hold up to 50 per cent more water and increase the availability of plant nutrients."

The biochar, according to the report, can also be burned as charcoal and it provides energy comparable to that of commercial charcoal.

The team leader said although the current toilet has been created to serve four to six people a day, a larger facility that could serve several households simultaneously is under design as the target is to meet a cost level of five

cents a day per user set by the Gates Foundation.

Funding:"We are continuously looking for ways to improve efficiency and lower costs," he said.

"The great thing about the Gates Foundation is that they provide all of the teams with the resources they need," Linden said. "The foundation

is not looking for one toilet and one solution from one team.

They are nurturing unique ideas and looking at what the individual teams bring overall to the knowledge base."

Team work:Describing the project as 'really cool,' a team member, Elizabeth Travis, master's degree student, said: "It is a really cool research project and a great team. Everyone is very creative, patient and supportive, and there is a lot of innovation. It is exciting to learn from all of the team members."

"We have a lot of excitement and energy on our team, and the Gates Foundation values that," Linden said. "It is one thing to do research, another to screw on nuts and bolts and make something that can make a difference. To me, that's the fun part, and the project is a nice fit for CU-Boulder because we have a high interest in developing countries and expertise in all of the renewable energy technologies as well as sanitation."

Linden noted that the team had chemical engineers for heat transfer and solar energy work, environmental engineers for waste treatment and stabilization, mechanical engineers to build actuators and moving parts and electrical engineers to design control systems.

*The solar-powered toilet developed by a team from Univ. of Colorado led by Prof. Karl Linden.

NMAI Institute of Theology holds convocation

BY PRISCA SAM-DURU

THE Nigerian Ministry Aid International(NMAI) Institute of Advanced Theology, held its maiden convocation for graduates in diploma and degree in Theology, as well as its 3rd matriculation for Diploma in Theology students, last Thursday, in a grand ceremony in Ijegun, Lagos.

NMAI Institute is an affiliate of Greenhills University, Denmark, which was established five years ago to take charge of equipping ministers of God with adequate knowledge with which to pilot affairs in their various ministries.

In his opening speech, the provost of the institute, Prof. A Robinson said: “the school began five years ago as the realisation of a dream to update ministers' experience and knowledge of piloting error-free ministry.”

In order to encourage ministers of God to acquire knowledge, Robinson disclosed that NMAI “started as a tuitionfree school before it became feepaying just a way of offsetting some of the bills.”

Prof Robinson however encouraged individuals who promised to offer training of one student from any church, on a tuition free scholarship, not to relent as that would be the greatest investment they would be making for the spread of the gospel.

Also speaking, the President of NMAI Institute, Dr. Livinus Njoku charged the graduands to henceforth, see themselves as educated ministers of God who should work in a new dimension for the promotion of the gospel, stressing that, the onus falls on them to speak the truth at all times, so as to recover lost souls for Christ.

Yojus launches painting contest for pupils

BY DAYO ADESULU

I

N its bid to contribute to the growth of the education sector, Yojus has announced a painting competition amongst primary school children in Nigeria, beginning from Lagos State.

Speaking at a Press briefing in Lagos, its Brand Manager, Mrs Foluke Makinde said that the contest aims at encouraging creativity and thinking among children. She noted that it will help create healthy competition among students and schools. “We believe that this contest will play a significant role in demonstrating the imagination and fun-loving nature of children,” she said.

According to her, in this maiden edition, Yojus drinks has received over 1,200 entries from 85 private schools in Lagos only, adding that all qualified entries have been

screened and 55 students have emerged to participate in the final contest which will hold on 22nd March, 2014.

Makinde said the contest with the theme: Stories of my Holiday, will require that the contestants draw and make paintings with colour pencils of the theme within one hour of the event.

In order to determine the winners, she disclosed that the panel of judges who are fine art instructors and lovers of art and painting will rank and determine the first, second and third place winners. “The winners will go home with exciting prizes and certificates of participation,” she said, Her words: “Yojus is a brand fruit drinks for children which comes in six flavours; orange, pineapple, apple, blackcurrant, multifruit and strawberry. Beyond buying our products, we want to raise talents in Nigeria."

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014 —29

Corona Schools vows to attract best graduates into teaching via i-Teach programme

BY DAYO ADESULU

C

ORONA Schools has vowed to bring best practices into teaching by attracting best graduates into the teaching profession through its i-Teach P r o g r a m m e .

"Our mission is to deliver world class education that is in line with the current trends in the international community and which prepares students who are able to function, survive and flourish in the 21st Century, Mrs Igun Olufunto, Executive Director, Corona Trust Councils has said.

She disclosed this during the i-Teach Programme executives interactive meeting with journalists at their corporate office in Ikoyi.

Looking at the overview of the i-Teach Programme, Igun explained that the programme is a 21st Century teacher development

Foundation donates educational materials to 200 students THE president of Glorious Daily Foundation, a Christian educational supportive and good governance organisation has called for joint efforts by well-meaning individuals, corporate bodies and other stakeholders in the country to partner with it to provide facilities that could aid quality education in Nigeria.

Pastor Bassey Mbong made the call during the Thanksgiving and a N25 million foundation-laying ceremony where about 200 pupils and students were given free educational materials to support their education at the event held at the auditorium of the Redeemed Soul Chapel Mission Int’l, Ojuelegba, Surulere, Lagos at the weekend.

He said his organisation decided to celebrate its first anniversary with donation of educational materials to encourage the young ones in the society especially those in primary and secondary school as there is nothing as important as supporting and encouraging young ones to seek knowledge.

“The biggest investment anyone could make in his community, council area or state should be in the area of education."

C M Y K

.

*Executive Director, Corona, Olufunto Igun and recruitment programme intended to attract Nigeria's most promising future leaders into the teaching profession.

She noted that a significant area that has continued to pose a serious challenge to schools is the dearth of technically qualified teachers adding: “Our experience shows that the best talents are not in the teach-

ing profession where they should belong.”

According to her, Corona feels strongly that it is critical that it changes this and infuse these talents with the bright prospect of teaching as a viable, profitable and noble career.

The Director maintained that Corona will provide the platform for a wide spectrum core

teacher and personal dev e l o p m e n t training, reiterating that the i-Teach programme will cover the period of four months which will include several built-in evaluation processes.

She, however, disclosed that at the end of the training,the very best candidates who meet Corona's criteria will graduate into the trainee scheme.

Explaining the objectives of the programme, she insisted that the goal remains to raise the standards and quality for the teaching profession adding: “In the process of doing this, we will achieve the re-establishment of dignity of the teaching profession in Nigeria as we attract qualified trainable youth who will be ready to impact students’ academic achievement in a positive way.”

Lantern donates books to community library BYCHINYEREABIAZIEM AS a way of giving back to society, Literamed Publications Nigeria Limited, publishers of Lantern Books has equipped Ijebu Imusin community e-library with educative books to boost learning and reading culture in the state.

The e-library was an initiative of the City Profs Academy Community Initiative.

Speaking at the occasion, Chairman of Literamed Publications, Otunba Yinka LawalSolarin said the absence of a developed reading culture in Nigeria is one of the most visible obstacles to our national development.

He said: “Although we can say that we have passed the stage of the oral traditional culture and have even gone beyond the culture of books to the Information Age of computer and internet, we must emphasize that the door to the Information Technology age is not the computer but the book, which leads to accessibility to the computer.”

Lawal-Solarin who tasked students to spare time for reading, also urged them to have happy hour or library hour of reading, once a day. In Lagos, he added, when the kids leave schools, they spent an hour

in the library before going home.

Pointing out some of the benefits of the just equipped library, he said students do not need to go far before getting to the library as it is close to everybody in the town.

On e-learning library, he said : “It is a double sword because you can just google anything in the web and get informations.

Anybody, who would use e-book, must be able to access the internet at any time. It is frustrating if we rely on e-book alone and students get here and cannot access the internet. That is why we are making provisions for both e-

Some of the students at the library. books and library books.”

According to him, it is not enough that books are donated, stressing that every school must encourage the pupils to read by buying at least two books per term. Using a book entitled: Faceless which is now a compulsory textbook for WAEC and NECO, he maintained that adopting a reading culture will help students pass it with ease.

UNIVERSITIES CONVOCATION ADDRESSES SERIES –part2

Inaugural lecture at LEADS UNIVERSITY, IBADAN by Professor Chibuzo N Nwoke

L

ADIES and gentlemen, from Kwame Nkru mah’s work on Neo-colonialism: The Last Stage of Imperialism, I have a favourite quotation for understanding Africa’s resource endowments problems, not as a curse, but properly, in the context of the organisation and functioning of the world capitalist economic system and the specific role forcefully assigned to Africa in that system as a supplier of raw materials.

Africa is a paradox which illustrates neo-colonialism. Her earth is rich, yet the products that come from below and above her soil continue to enrich, not Africans predominantly, but groups and individuals who operate to Africa’s impoverishment. ... If Africa’s multiple resources were used in her own development, they would place her among the modernised continents of the world.

But the resources have been, and are still being, used for the greater development of overseas interests.

At least, from Nkrumah, we know the origin of Africa’s so-called resource curse. In other words, much of Africa’s underdevelopment is the result of its engagement predominantly in primary resource production, which is controlled by foreign transnational entities, merely for export to metropolitan countries. This contrived and structural development of underdevelopment is, therefore, largely externally-induced.

Nevertheless, mainstream and conservative scholarship of the neo-classical economics genre, as represented in studies put out by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, tend to leave out the role of such external factors from the explanation of Africa’s social, economic and political problems, and rather emphasise only factors that are internal to the continent. In other words, the organisation and functioning of the world capitalist economic system, and the specific role occupied therein by Africa as supplier of raw materials is totally ignored by IMF and World Bank studies.

Their answer to the crisis in Africa is for us to develop agriculture, but, again, with a view to export; and for us to abandon protection of domestic industry, to dismantle the public sector and make greater efforts to attract foreign capital. In short, they recommend policies the effect of which would be to aggravate the problem inherent in the specialisation in raw materials exports and foreign control over the economy, which are, in fact, among the major factors causing the African crisis.

Mr. Vice-Chancellor, Sir, the central thesis of this lecture is that what mainstream, conservative, scholarship now labels as a resource curse is really the euphemism for imperialism, cleverly designed, as usual, to disguise the real cause of poverty, misery and underdevelopment in Africa’s natural resource-endowed countries.

On the contrary, to reiterate, it is Africa’s forcefully assigned role of raw materials supplier in the international capitalist division of labour that mostly explains the cause of misery and underdevelopment in resource-endowed countries.

This is not, of course, to discount the colluding and compradorial role of Africa’s leadership class in this imperialist scheme.

Visit: www.delesobowale.com or Visit: www.facebook.com/biolasobowale

30—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

How scholarship boosted my academic performance – Scholar MISS Ojo Halleluyah Ebunoluwa, 20, who studied Mathematics at the University of Ibadan shares her experience with Vanguard Learning on how she graduated with the help of a scholarship when all hope was lost because her parents are retired civil servants. Excerpts:

BY TARE YOUDEOWEI

WHAT course did you study?

I studied Mathematics at the University of Ibadan, in Oyo State.

Tell us about your family?

My parents are both retired civil servants – principal and a teacher. It’s just a normal family. We are five children and I am the last born.

How do you feel now that you are a graduate at 20 ?

I feel great being a graduate at such a tender age. And I feel that I can still achieve a lot more.

How long were you on the MTN scholarship scheme?

I have been on the scheme for two years. I got it in 2010. At that time, I was in my 300 Level, first semester.

How did you hear about the programme?

I first heard from my friends. They were saying that a scholarship was out, and upon further enquiry, I was told it was being offered to science students by the MTN Foundation. I later got the confirmation on my phone – when you checked your balance you would see ‘register for MTN scholarship.’ So I

decided to register for it.

Did your friends get it too?

One of my friends got the scholarship.

How has the scholarship affected your life?

The scholarship has really done a lot for me. When I came into the school, I was naive. I came in with a secondary school mind and so I didn’t really read in my 100 Level. My first year result was just 4.6 out of 7.0 GPA, which we use in UI; 4.6 is where 21 starts from; 4.6 – 5.9 is a second class upper percentile. The MTN scholarship requires a 2.1 and so I just registered with that low 21. To my surprise, I was called to come and write the test. I was really surprised. I was like this must be God in action. After I wrote the test, I waited in anticipation for a call or a message telling me I had made the shortlist. As God would have it, I got the message that I had been selected for the MTN scholarship. I was over excited. I was so happy – just jumping up and down. I felt that it would really do a lot for me.

I had so many needs which I had written down but my parents just kept telling me to hold on till they can afford to attend to my academic needs. So I

Ojo Halleluyah Ebunoluwa

just called my parents. My mum screamed. My parents did not believe that the scholarship was for real. They had thought that perhaps it was offered to people with connections in MTN. So when I told my mum, she was excited and kept asking if the MTN scholarship was real? It made them believe that there is still something good in Nigeria, and that good things can happen to even the lowly in Nigeria.

Laptop for my studies

Differences between American and British English (3)

T

here are a few differences between British and American varieties of English in the use of certain prepositions and adverbial particles.

AmE BrE on the weekend at the weekend on a team in a team Check something out Check something Protest something Protest against something Stay home Stay at home Do something over Do something again Monday through Friday Monday to Friday Please write me soon Please write to me soon Note also that in British English, words that end in -l preceded by a vowel usually double the -l when a suffix is added. In American English, the letter is not doubled.

BASE WORD AmE BrE model modeling modelling travel traveling travelling counsel counseling counselling signal signaling signalling quarrel quarreling quarrelling The exceptions are excel and propel where –l preceded by a vowel is usually double when a suffix is added.

BASE WORD AmE BrE excel excelling excelling propel propelling propelling

So my parents were very happy that God had helped them and settled everything that had to do with my education. For the first time in my life, I was able to own a laptop. I bought a laptop for my studies and I was also able to meet all my needs. I was even able to give some of my friends that needed money to do some things. It really helped me in a lot of ways. I am now more confident about myself that I can actually set out to do something and achieve it.

Before now, I was really diffident. You know, I was the type that would say, ‘let me just stay in one corner.’ But when I got the scholarship, I became more confident. Then of course, I began to do very well in my academics, because I no longer had to worry about money issues. With peace of mind and focus, knowing that there was something in the bank, I was able to realise my potential.

Looking at the infrastructure and facilities in our tertiary institutions, how would you describe science and technology education in Nigeria?

I think we are still growing. We will get there. In Nigeria, we have intellectuals - people who can think and get things done. But the biggest challenge in the country is corruption. Even when a student is ready to study, when a

student is ready to develop things, there are no facilities to help them and where there are, they are not functional. This is because they are not maintained. Corruption is really weighing things down.

I believe that Nigeria can get there in terms of science and technology. We can move much faster if corruption can be reduced, and the change has to start with everyone, not just the leaders. We have to determine in our hearts that we will contribute our quota – like when you see everybody doing something wrong, you can decide on your own to stand out.

Everyone is after the money and is not mindful of the means by which they get the money. So if we can decide to get the best out of Nigeria, the country would develop faster and become one of the best in science and technology because we have the brains.

Now that you are out of school, what do you plan to achieve?

Right now, I want to further my education, that’s the first thing. Because when you look at the Nigerian system, the B.Sc alone is not enough. I plan to do my master’s in Financial Mathematics (FM). I did my project along this line which gave me insight into the financial world. Mathematics has a way of making things simpler. So, if we have FM in any company, their work becomes easier and simpler. Things which would take days to work out, using models from FM, you get them easily. So once I am done with my NYSC, I will start my master’s degree in Financial Mathematics. After my master’s degree, I want to get a job. It must be a very good job. Even if I don’t get it, my kind of person is very innovative; anywhere I am I try to make money. If you leave me here for five days, I will try to make money. I mean, I can’t just stay stagnant. I decorate; I make cake and so many things. As I look for a job in the financial sector, I will try to find my way around to make money. Later I intend to have my own company.

Any word for MTN? I really appreciate MTN. I want to say a big thank you to them. This is because they really helped my life; they have built me. Now, I know that there is something good that can come out of me. I can depend on me. I now have the confidence because the scholarship made me do well in my academics, and that is a solid foundation to do well in the outside world. This has given me an edge. MTNF didn’t just touch me; they touched my family and my futureMy family and everyone is saying thank you to MTN.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014 — 31

C M Y K

32—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

PENSION REFORM: Dependants of deceased workers are suffering — ENEMEGIN Pension & You met the president of Human Capital Providers Association of Nigeria ( HuCaPan), Mr. Neye Enemigin in his office. He spoke on a number of issues in the workplace, and made suggestions on how to resolve some of the issues in dispute. This edition of Pension &You shares with readers the thoughts of an experienced human resource expert for the benefit of employees, employers, managers and other readers.

BY FUNMI KOMOLAFE

D

O you think that reform is necessary at this stage of implementation?

Well, I think so. The Pension Act was signed in 2004 and it became effective in 2006 and it has been operated for seven, eight years or more, so there is a need to review. If you have done anything for a while, there is the need to review — is it in line with the objectives or can we make it better? So, I think the reform is necessary.

I would like the Pension fund to be invested in housing. For example, in the United Kingdom, it is pension fund they used to build houses for workers. Why can’t we use part of this to build for workers?

I know there is National Housing Fund and other similar agencies but its not enough.

There is a deficit of about 17 million in housing. It’s huge and governments aren’t doing enough. Lagos State for instance started something like that.

Shelter, health, education are key things for all human beings.

If somebody worked for 35 years and has no house, it is a terrible thing. If this fund can be deployed to housing at low interest rates; about six percent,

should be their primary focus.

It should not be about looking for money to do this or that.

Having reviewed the Pension Act, we feel that the pool that is available is not enough to fund the retirement benefits of employees when they leave. It can be reviewed upwards and the employer can be asked to pay more so that under this Pension Act, a lot of employers no longer pay gratuity.

Why do most employers shy away from gratuity now? Should gratuity be expressly stated in the amendment to the Pension Act? In the first place, what is the objective of gratuity? The objective is that after the person has served the employer for a given number of years, the employee should have something to fall back on retirement which is the same thing that the Pension Act is providing for so, it will look like a duplication but as an individual, I think that employers that can afford and I know a few employers still have gratutity and those who can afford it should continue to pay gratuity.

Back to pension issues, we are talking about employers contributing more. What about employees?

,

It’s a very serious matter. Workers who have died, their wives, children cannot collect their contributions. They are often asked where is the Will that your late husband left behind, where is the letter of administration it will go a long way. I hope the states, especially in the North will be involved in the contributory pension scheme. There will be enough funds to do many things for workers.

Should the employers contribute more to the fund as suggested by some stakeholders?

Well, it would be unfair on my part to say that the employer should not contribute more, even though I think employers in Nigeria are overburdened with too many contributions, too many levies, charges etc. At the end of the day, they don’t focus on the business of creating wealth, providing employment which C M Y K

,

Well, under the amendment proposal before the National Assembly, the employee contribution is supposed to move from seven and half per cent to eight per cent while that of the employer will move from seven and half per cent to twelve per cent. So, the one for the employer is really going up.

In your view, isn’t that too high for the employer?

I think it is too high. I would suggest a maximum of nine per cent. Seven and half per cent to nine per cent is still an increase but not to twelve per cent. Then you have sub-section 4b of the proposed Act which states that the employer can even bear the full responsibility for the pen-

Neye Enemigin...a lot of employers no longer pay gratuity

sion. That, for me, is wrong and should be deleted completely. When you do that, it is no longer a contributory pension. If the employer bears 100% of the contribution, then it is no longer contributory pension. That will take us back to the non-contributory scheme that didn’t work.

A major point of the scheme is payment of the entitlements to beneficiaries and I want to focus on the payment of entitlements to beneficiaries of deceased employees.

For example, in my organization, HUCAPAN which is the umbrella body for outsourcing companies in Nigeria, there is no member company whose late employees' dependants have been able to access the deceased’s contributions.

Deceased's contribution It is a serious issue. Why is this so? It is because of the conditions which states that there must be a WILL or the dependants must have a Letter of

Administration. Most employees don’t have wills, especially the junior employees.

The issue is who will bear the cost of the Will? Is it the employer? These are people who are struggling to survive. They don’t have enough to pay for the will. Will they ( employees) have the time to review the Will yearly because things can change? Most of them don’t even have wills.

Letters of administration Two, it takes a lot of effort, if not practically impossible for these workers to obtain this letter of administration. The deceased's wives and children, we have tried it, we have gone to the courts, its so difficult, bring this money, swear to this affidavit, publication in 21 days , all sorts, they ( dependants), don’t have the money , they don’t have the knowledge and at the end of the day, the money remains with the PFA. It’s a very serious matter. Workers who have died,

their wives, children cannot collect their contributions. They are often asked where is the will that your late husband left behind, where is the letter of Administration. So, for me, it’s a very serious problem.

So, what happens, the PFAs hold on to the contributions?

Of course, that is what is happening. It is immoral but they are complying with the law.

We had expected that there would be a provision that would state that the next of kin in the letter of employment or the pension form filled should be enough.

The name of the beneficiary that the employee wrote, once you can ascertain that she is the wife or the direct children, that should be enough. In companies, you look at the what the late employee has filled.

That is what you use to pay. Why can’t the same thing be done? Such persons should be allowed to claim the deceased worker ’s contributions. I feel very strongly about this.

Has there been a complaint to the National Pension Commission?

We have complained to the Pension Fund Administrators and they have said, well, our hands are tied. I know that Nigeria Employers Consultative Association ( NECA) made comments on its and made submissions in this respect to the Pension Reform Bill 2013. As a member of the Governing Council of NECA, I know that this was part of the submissions of NECA. The bill is still before the National Assembly, I think before they pass the bill, they should take this aspect into consideration so that the dependants of deceased employees will be able to access the contributions. That is the whole idea of the contributory pension scheme. What does the contribution stand for if the spouses and children of deceased employees cannot access it? Are you saying it is only when you retire at 60 that you can access it yourself? I don’t think so".

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014—33

NLC loses former Acting General Secretary

A

former Acting General Secretary of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Aloysius Morgan Anigbo, alias “organize” is dead.

Announcing his death, after its Central Working Committee, CWC, meeting in Abuja, NLC, said he died on February 26, 2014 at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu after a brief illness.

NLC said “Comrade Anigbo was the pioneer Head of Organisation of the Congress in 1978 and worked tirelessly with other comrades in extreme sacrifice to nurture and build the NLC. He was retired after the unfortunate intervention of the Abacha regime in the affairs of the NLC in 1994. Comrade Anigbo was an alumnus of the prestigious National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS).

Textile union commiserates with family, NLC

M

EANWHILE, the Na tional Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, NUTGTWN, has commiserated with the family, the leadership and members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) as well as the entire labour movement on the irreparable loss Comrade Anigbo.

In a letter of condolence to NLC, NUTGTWN recalled his contributions to NLC in particular and labour movement in general, adding “On behalf of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the union and the generality of our members, we sympathize with the family of the deceased in particular, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the entire labour movement on the irreparable loss.”

NECA loses former President

N

IGERIA Employers Consultative Association, NECA, has lost a former President, Dr. Abel Ubeku.

Also the first indigenous Managing Director of Guinness Nigeria Plc, Dr. Ubeku died at the at age of 75.

C M Y K

Trade unions crucial to organisational goals — TAKOR man Resource Management practices to try and undermine trade unions.

Human Resource Management is viewed as a consistent and productive approach towards the management of employees who are ‘valued assets’ to the organization. Managing resourceful humans requires a constant balancing between meeting the human aspirations of the people and meeting the strategic and financial needs of the business.

Are Unions still Relevant in Today’s Management of Organisation?

The question on the lips of modern day managers is, are unions still relevant? The answer is simply that in spite of the fact that many employers desire to avoid unionisation therefore discouraging their employees from joining unions, workers are still joining unions because workers have rightly associated unions with improved conditions of service, improved compensation, benefits etc.

One of the biggest problem facing labour in Nigeria today is the disparity in wealth.

You have massive divide between the rich and the poor. As the economy improves, that divide will only get wider as the poor who contribute to the wealth receive nothing because business is getting greedier.

Trade unions remain highly relevant in 21st century Nigeria, with over 40 percent of employees working under a pay agreement negotiated through union.

Non- unionised workers in the informal

In the last decade or thereabout, some employers have adopted anti union posture. Some employers are of the view that trade unions consitute are obstacles to the attainment of organisational goals. This isn't exactly true as the International Labour Organisation classifies, employers, trade unions and government as " social partners".

This edition of Labour Vanguard, shares with our readers, the presentation of the immediate past national president of the Non- Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions ( NASU) and former national treasurer of the Nigeria Labour Congress( NLC), Barrister, Ivor Takor on the role trade unions in the attainment of organizational goals.

C

OMRADE Ivor Takor began his presentation by defining organisational goals.

He said, “ Organisational goals are those ends that an organisation seeks to achieve by its existence and operation.

They include survival of the organisation, making profits, gaining market share or gaining global recognition. These are achieved by getting employees to make things happen in productive ways. Most profitable organisations point out their successes to proper management of their human resources.

Trade Unions on the other hand are formed to protect and promote the interests of their members (workers). Their primary function is to protect the interests of workers against discrimination and unfair labour practices. Unions are formed to achieve the following objectives among others: Representation; Negotiation; voice in decisions affecting workers in the organisation. Recognition of trade unions in Nigeria is compulsory.

Compulsory recognition Section 24 of Trade Union Act provides for the compulsory recognition of a trade union once it is registered by the Registrar of Trade Unions. It is an offence for an employer to refuse to accord recognition to a registered trade union.

Above all, section 40 of the 1999 Federal Republic of Nigeria Constitution as amended in 2011, guarantees the Right to form and belong to a trade union. The section provides that “Every person shall be entitled to assemble freely and associate with other persons, and in particular he may form or belong to any political party, trade union.”

How Trade Unions help in achieving Organisational goals Comrade Takor explained that trade unions have a role to play in attaining the objectives of the organization.

He said, “ Organisational goals can only be achieved in an atmosphere of

Comrade Ivor Takor.

industrial peace and harmony. Trade Unions sustain and enhance industrial peace and harmony, through collective bargaining and collective agreements with the employers. Collective bargaining takes place when the unions negotiate with the employers on behalf of the employees on matters regarding pay and other conditions of service. Therefore the existence and recognition of a trade union in an organisation, has the following advantages: *The existence of trade unions reduces the possibilities of industrial conflict At times of disagreement and conflict between employers and emAt times of disagreement and conployees, trade unions play a vital role. flict between employers and employ.*They help in resolving ees, trade unions play a vital role the conflict in a rational manner that is beneficial to both the organisation and its employees, in such a scenario that sector, rely on the National Minimum the acceptability of management’s deci- Wage negotiated by National Centres of trade unions. Social securities as we know sions by employees is greater. .*Unions not only represent employees them today are products of collective to discuss their pay and benefits, but also agreements. Moreover, employees view provide a voice for the employees to be managements as unfair, therefore they heard on various other aspects of per- distrust them, including their Human Resource Managers. sonnel policies.

Conclusion *.The focus of the union is on mutual The goal of unions is to bond together agreement between management, emto protect employees’ rights and their ployees and their representatives for imwelfare.

Many effective union represenproving employee relations. Thereby fostatives partner with management to tering co-operation and building indusachieve company goals. When union reptrial relation, peace and trust. resentatives and managers partner up, *.Unions’ help in unifying employees both parties benefit.

The first step to avoidwho are coming from diverse social and ing or overcoming an “us versus them” economic backgrounds by helping them mentality is for managers to engage get used to the work conditions in the unions as their business partners and vice organisation. versa.

Think of it this way – would you Are There Alternatives to Trade Unions rather work with the people or against The modern trend is to try to use Huthem?

,

BITS Bits

,

34—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

Our Boko Haram hell — Rep Terab •Famine imminent as farming is cut down by 80% HON. Abudlrahman Terab is the member representing Bama/Ngala/Kala-Balge Federal Constituency of Borno State in the House of Representatives. His constituency is in the theater of operations of the conflict between the Boko Haram sect and the Nigerian military. In this interview, he narrates the story of the hell tells of a horrible story of insurgents’ attacks on his Bama Community and beyond. Excerpts.

BY LEVINUS NWABUGHIOGU

H

OW has the Boko Haram insurgency affected your constitutency?

The experience is agonizing and one that is very sad. It was never envisaged before now.

These things that our people used to see on the TV happening in some parts of the world are all of a sudden around us.

But beyond that our current situation is one where schools no longer exist. Students cannot identify themselves as students.

Teachers cannot identify themselves as teachers and cannot dare go to where school locations are. The existing structures have all been completely burnt down. And our economic activities have been brought down not just because there is sense of insecurity but because specifically, market and economic hubs have been

complaints and take them up.

Every murder is considered a Bolo Haram case. None is being investigated and none is receiving attention. So, just imagine how dire our situation is. It has come to its knees and that’s the reason why we are crying out that anything beyond this is anarchy on its own.

People are losing, have lost and may never have confidence in government again. Of course, there is growing migration out of our areas to other areas, the neighboring ones and even far places.

How many casualties would you say that your constituency has recorded?

Within my constituency alone, we are already rolling into thousands, only within my constituency of 3 local governments, but of course, if we are talking about the neigbouring local governments and the whole of the state, between the

,

Beyond even the Chief of Army Staff relocating, it requires the president himself to show concern, to be there presently to see the people

targeted, burnt down, peoples’ assets have been specifically targeted and burnt down. So, clearly, it makes people that have invested a lot over a long period of time to be helpless. Now, food, all of a sudden is becoming luxury because in the last two years, farming activities have dropped down drastically to less than 20 percent, and knowing full well that the major preoccupation of the entire people of that area is farming.

Over 90% of people last year could not even farm. Those who were able to get to the farms to cultivate were not allowed to harvest at the end of the day. So, we are in the most critical stage of the crises.

The issues of hospitals and other services are luxury. In any case, I think now issues of crime are no longer reported because you can’t find a standing police station that’s ready to listen to

,

beginning of the crisis and now, I think we are running into hundreds of thousands. That’s the fact of the matter. Of course, we know that everything that is being reported even in the media is not the actual figure and we do not have such proper measures that will take the proper account of casualties and those who die in the hospitals afterwards due to the same crisis.

The fact of the matter is that millions of lives are being threatened now, first by hunger, second economy and third by the act of terror itself. You can see that the situation is in dire need of a drastic action.

To what extent has the state of emergency declared by the Federal Government helped?

Let me be frank with you. We can not laugh about corruption, joke or celebrate it. This affects the pronouncement of the declaration of the state of

the responsibility of defending the nation at the grassroots level.

These guys are performing more than wonderful because they have truly given their lives. You cannot take that away from them.

And I want to know any Nigerian that is giving his life apart from the soldiers on the ground.

These people are giving their lives with the least of equipment that they can afford to do the battle with. But what we are saying is that as a nation, we only want to believe that whatever is available to them is adequate without understanding what they are up against.

So, it is very, very important.

But my worry is not even the present onslaught but the tempo.

They will go, hit hard and then we sit down and forget.

Playing to the gallery

•Terab: Our soldiers are dying emergency. What did we do afterwards? We just stopped at the declaration. We declared and we think that by magic, declaration will solve the problem. Declaration requires some basic ingredients, commitment. As a matter of fact, declaration of emergency in any situation means suspension of everything other thing and then tackling that particular thing. If you declare emergency in education, it means you are suspending every other thing to put all of your resources, manpower, energy and time on that issue so that it is tackled before you now reverse back to

other things. We have to appreciate the meaning and context of declaration of state of emergency. We have declared state of emergency in security but we are still busy flying about, celebrating, looking at other things. So, it does not actually capture the essence of the declaration. We have not as a nation appreciated the extent of this crisis.

Are you saying that the military action so far has not paid off?

You see that’s where I have the dividing line. The military men on the ground are also ordinary Nigerians who are saddled with

This requires a concerted effort from the beginning to the end. It is not over until it is over or else we will still be playing to the gallery.

Recently, the Senate asked the Chief of Army Staff to relocate to the region. Do you think that move will help?

Beyond even the Chief of Army Staff relocating, it requires the president himself to show concern, to be there presently to see the people. Our soldiers are dying. So don’t think it is only mallams that are being killed.

No. It is every Nigerian from every part. If you go to Bama, you find soldiers from every part of this country: Lagos to Port Harcourt down to Aba. You find sons and daughters of every part of this country who are serving there. Please, we should not be so myopic to believe that other people’s lives are not as important as ours.

B/Haram war: Why security agencies 're not

winning — Newuwumi COMRADE Omolubi Newuwumi, a security expert and activist, in this interview takes a look at the renewed Boko Haram offensive in Nigeria and other security issues.

BY CHARLES KUMOLU

D

ESPITE the overhauling of the military, the rate of insurgency has escalated.

Against that backdrop, would you say that the security

agencies are winning the war?

They are not winning the war and they cannot win the war and there are two reasons why they cannot and are not winning the war. One, the political will is not

there, two; let me borrow the word of the Borno State governor, Shetima, who said that the Boko Haram insurgents are more financially motivated than Nigerian soldiers.

What I understand from this is that the Federal Government that declared a state of emergency in

Continues on page 35

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014—35

Gentleman understanding favours Delta North — Okocha 2015:

BUSINESSMAN and politician, Mr. Peter Okocha is aspiring for the Delta State governorship. In this interview with journalists in Lagos, he spoke on what informed his decision to join politics, power rotation in Delta State and how the permutations on a “gentlemanly understanding” among the three senatorial zones could give Delta North a chance to govern Delta State in 2015. Excerpts:

BY GBENGA OKE

W

HAT informed your decision to join politics and to eye the governorship seat of Delta State?

I believe I have something to offer. It is not enough to sit on the fence and complain. Of course, I made an attempt in 2007, I was excluded because I am a friend to the former vice president, Atiku Abubakar. They said I was corrupt. The El-Rufai White-paper said I was corrupt.

But interestingly, since I was born, I have never worked for anybody. So, who corrupted me?

The case went to court. By the time it was over, the elections were over. Then, we started going to court over exclusion. The present governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan, won the appeal but the good thing is that he has succeeded in completing his eight years term.

What of the issue of power rotation that some people are talking about in Delta State as politicians get ready for the 2015 elections?

In Delta State, we have what we call “gentlemanly understanding” that is also hoisted on us by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). It is that power would rotate from one senatorial district to the other.

Gentlemanly understanding The Delta Central has served under James Ibori for eight years. The Delta South also produced Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan who will by 2015 complete his eight years. If the gentlemanly understanding is respected, the Delta North has to produce the next PDP candidate.

It is an understanding, not an agreement, because any agreement will be unconstitutional. It is only an understanding in PDP. No other political party has that kind of understanding.

The people that are abreast of political development in Delta State would have read what the state PDP chairman said, what the secretary to the government said and what the governor has not said. The governor has kept quiet on it. But the truth of the matter is that there is a gentlemanly understanding.

There is no agreement. We hope

•Okocha:I have the structure and pray that they would respect that gentlemanly understanding.

If our brothers from the Delta Central and Delta South respect that gentlemanly understanding, it means that all the candidates that will emerge for screening and for primaries will be from the

Delta North. But I am not averse to competition. I believe that a country can only grow if the best and brightest is chosen.

Do you have any fear that PDP may not respect that gentlemanly agreement?

It is not an agreement because

an agreement is something you sign and seal and you are waiting to deliver. I call it gentlemanly understanding. The various senatorial districts that have enjoyed that understanding should respect it.

However, there is no law that stops anybody from those districts from contesting. But we are hoping that the governor will in time lend his voice to the gentlemanly understanding. I hope that, even the governor’s opinion will be respected, because if he says it, it is still unconstitutional.

What would you do if the gentlemanly understanding is not respected and people from the Delta South and Delta Central decide to run?

I am not one of those who believe in power allocation. The best and the brightest should be given a chance. Unfortunately, the Nigerian media and various organisations are also to be blamed for us coming up with half-baked leadership. Most of them have not been put to test.

I am glad that the chairman of the governor’s forum once said that 50 per cent of the politicians are people that don’t have anything to do. Most people come into politics because they could not find employment. They are not educated or literate to write…may be providence smiles on them, they become local government chairmen. Anybody who dares to say he wants to become local government chairman becomes an enemy. We the citizens of Nigeria have fundamental human rights. We can recall a non-performing legislator. We have not tried it to see whether it will work or not.

So, the power that is latent in us, given to us by the constitution,

has not somehow been tested.

However, I am not averse if it is thrown open, I will go the whole hog and I believe that I will get it. I believe that I have what it takes to be the next governor of Delta State.

Do you have a structure on ground that can attain that for you?

I am not a green horn in politics.

Since the inception of Social Democratic Party (SDP), I have always made the councilors in my local government.

Interest in politics I am a businessman and I am always interested in politics. I did not just move my factory from Lagos to Ibusa, Asaba Road, for the sake of it; though there is market. I moved it to empower my people as one of my contributions. Today, it stands as one of the viable industries in Delta State. It was not by chance.

It was planned.

Yes, I have the structure and I have the infrastructure. I have men and materials on ground. I have actually started consultation with various opinion leaders, gentlemen and chiefs to sell my ambition and what I stand for before the whistle on the campaign is blown. The consultation has gone wide. I am one of the founding fathers of PDP in Delta State.

What is your take on the agitation of the people of Anioma that it is their turn to produce the next governor?

Sincerely speaking, we should not actually be clamouring, because we have more local governments. There are 25 local government areas in Delta State; nine are Igbo, eight are Urhobo and out of that eight, three are Iteskiri, three are Ijaw and two are Isoko. If we play smart politics, we can take our nine and just poach from there.

Why security agencies 're not winning — Newuwumi B/Haram war:

Continues from page 34 this state does not have a proper weekly record of what is happening there. They must have a dossier/report on weekly basis to know if they are winning the war or not. Can we say or can the government say that the emergency has achieved its purpose. Of course no.

They are not winning the war.

Let us not deceive ourselves with what the military is saying that they have intelligence report on Boko Haram. We should ask ourselves what they have done so far since the emergency rule was declared in these states.

When you talk of motivation, motivation comes in different

forms, now since the deployment of troops to these state, what are the Emirs and chiefs doing to guarantee the success of the emergency rule?

Do you think there are external forces backing the sect members?

I dont think so and I don't want to agree that they have more sophisticated weapons than the Nigerian military. When the whole thing started, when they want to acquire weapons, they went to police stations and barracks to get weapons.

This is where they started. I hope you know that arms are also assembled in the North. It is a well known fact that AK47 rifles are assembled here in Nigeria.

So I do not think they are

bringing anything from outside this country. It is what we have here that they are using. And that is where the issue of motivation comes in because in a situation where you take a troop to a particular place outside his own environment and you forget that he or she needs to eat, the family he left behind has to feed, those people might look for a way to feed themselves and by so doing engage in many corrupt practices.

On amnesty for Boko Haram members?

If you give amnesty to Boko Haram and probably create a ministry for them just like the case of the Niger Delta, one day the Igbo and Yoruba will also arise and take up arms. So it is not a

•Newuwumi good practice. It just the same thing as in the Niger Delta crisis, some Niger Deltans also infiltrated the government then, it is just that it was not revealed then.

36—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

Minister tasks VCs, rectors in S-South on devt

C h e v r o n spends $1.7m to fight HIV/AIDS in Bayelsa

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

B

ENIN CITY—THE Supervising Minister for Education, Mr Nyesom Wike, has charged Vice Chancellors and Rectors of Federal Government institutions in the South South to ensure that they access funds released to them by government, so as to accelerate infrastructural

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHAHI

Y

E N A G O A — CHEVRON Nigeria Limited says it will spend $1.7million to facilitate the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS in Bayelsa State.

Chairman/Managing Director, Chevron Nigeria Limited, Mr. Andrew Fawthrop at the launch of the company’s PROMOT Project Expansion in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, said the fund was for the expansion of the PROMOT Project in all the local government areas of the state. He was represented by the company ’s Area Manager, Mr. Joe Fawthrop.

He said “The additional funding support of $1.7m will facilitate the expansion of PROMOT project in all the councils in the state.”

He recalled that a 2010 National HIV zeroprevalence sentinel survey placed Bayelsa State as the third highest in Nigeria with 9.1 per cent.

transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan by ensuring development in their respective institutions.

The minister spoke at a meeting with stakeholders in the educational sector in the South South. He said that “Mr President is taking the education sector to the highest level, therefore, every head of institution must ensure

Fola Daniel: Court rules on competence of charge April 4

BY INNOCENT ANABA

L

AGOS—A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, adjourned till April 4, 2014 to rule on whether the criminal charge preferred against the Commissioner for Insurance, Mr. Fola Daniel is valid or not.

Daniel is facing a six-count charge bordering on criminal mispresentation of facts and deliberate falsehood.

Trial judge, Justice Okon Abang, adjourned for ruling, after counsel to the accused, insisted that the charge was not served on the accused personally.

Counsel argued, “The charge was not served on the accused person, but on our office. There was no order of this court that there should be a substituted

Why we couldn't complete most projects — Akpabio

G

development in universities and polytechnics in the region.

The minister, who commended the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Benin, Prof. Osayuki Oshodin for the infrastructural development in the university and his prudent management of funds, stressed the need for all Vice Chancellors and Rectors of federal institutions to key into the

OVERNOR Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State, has attributed the inability of his administration to execute most development projects in the state to a loss of about 44 per cent revenue collection from Federation Account last year.

Akpabio at Ikot Abasi Local Government Area of the state during a town hall meeting/ constituency briefing in Ikot Abasi federal constituency, admitted to have collected about 36 per cent revenue in 2013 from the Federation Account.

He described the revenue

shortfall as a national problem caused by crude oil theft and bunkering, which adversely affected revenue accruable to the Federation Account and usually shared among the three tiers of government on a monthly basis.

The governor lamented that the revenue shortfall had stifled redemption of some of his electioneering promises to people in the federal constituency and execution of projects, especially roads listed in the 2013 approved budget, assuring to include some projects he could not execute in the handing-over note to the incoming administration.

service. Once they serve on counsel without the accused, there is no proper service. So my lord, decline jurisdiction and set aside this charge. Let them come on a clean slate.”

Counsel further contended that an unsigned and undated written address served on the accused by the prosecution “is worthless and does not have any efficacy in law. My lord, they have not served me any written address as required by law,” adding "the exhibit attached does not show any proof of service. The accused person is Fola Daniel and not the National Insurance Commission.”

Replying, prosecuting counsel, while admitting that the written address was undated and unsigned, insisted that the counter affidavit and other documents were signed, adding “its not mandatory to have written addresses in criminal matters.”

Prosecution argued, “We submit that the Criminal Procedure Act, which governs the process of criminal matters as in this case does not make it mandatory for written addresses to be made in criminal matters.

“The prosecution used Federal High Court Civil Procedure Rule in support of the prosecution. For now, we don’t have the court’s Criminal Procedure Rule that makes it mandatory for written addresses to be filed as it is filed in civil matters. If I had not filed any written address in support of

my counter-affidavit, my lord would still have looked at my counter-affidavit and the exhibits attached and do justice to this matter.”

Prosecution insisted that not signing or dating the document sent to the defence counsel does not affect the counteraffidavit filed by the prosecution since it is a criminal matter, adding that the copy in the court’s file was signed and dated.

Apapa trailer park 76% completed — Director “The scope of work has to do

BY IFEYINWA OBI

T

HE Director, Federal Highways (South-West), Alhaji Kabir Abdullahi, has said that the ongoing construction of a trailer park in Apapa, Lagos was 76 per cent completed Abdullahi said that the project, include the reconstruction of the road, a trailer park and a pedestrian bridge. “The global completion for the project is 75.85 per cent,” he said.

He explained that at the trailer park, the pavement had been constructed with the security post already built, adding that the pedestrian bridge had also been completed, though it was not open to human traffic yet.

Abdullahi said that the ongoing phase II reconstruction of the 10.8 kilometres Apapa/Oshodi Expressway, had reached 44 per cent, with the first phase of the project completed in 2013.

PEOPLE SPEAK

08102479985

that you access funds and use them prudently to develop your institution as that is the only way you can key into the President’s transformation agenda.”

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Benin, Prof.

Oshodin in his presentation, said he was able to carry out projects in the university through the TETFUND, internally generated revenue, Federal Government capital project allocation and Public Private Partnership.

“We diligently accessed these funds and utilised them for the good of the university. And we are glad to say that due process was followed in accordance with the enabling law.”

The chairman, Board of Trustees of TETFUND, Dr Musa Babayo on his part, urged beneficiaries to ensure they utilise funds made available to them to promote both human and infrastructural development in the tertiary institutions.

with reconstruction of the road pavement and construction of lined drains. Percentage completion of 43.73 has been achieved on phase II,” he said.

On phase III dualisation of Lagos/Ota Road, he said that the work was 17 per cent constructed, but that the contractor abandoned the project in 2012 due to lack of funds.

Abdullahi said that the work on the rehabilitation/reconstruction and expansion of the Lagos/ Ibadan Expressway, which was flagged off in 2013 by President Goodluck Jonathan was ongoing.

He listed projects completed in 2013 to include the Apapa/ Oshodi Section one reconstruction, rehabilitation of seven kilometres Access Roads to NNPC Depot at Ejibgo in Lagos, dualisation of 27.5 kilometres Ota-Abeokuta road in Lagos/Ogun states, construction of Sango Ota-Winners Chapel Road, among others.

By Bartholomew Madukwe (nwamad@yahoo.com)

On removal of fuel subsidy

There are still many things needed to be done.

If fuel subsidy must be removed, what are the measures put in place to reduce the suffering of the people?

The removal is good, only when the government has done the needful. Mr. Ajayi Samuel- Program Officer

Fuel subsidy should be removed because the society is not gaining anything from it, rather it is just enriching some people. Money made from its removal should be concentrated at the grassroots. Mrs Akin Danies- Social worker

If you remove fuel subsidy, you are just going to compound the problems of the common man. More so, when you think about the fact that a lot of things do not work in this country.

People depend heavily on fuel. Mr. Francis OnahorDevelopment worker

The removal of fuel subsidy is not healthy for the economy. I want to appeal to the marketers, government and stakeholders to look for a way forward. If removed, the poor masses will suffer more for it. Mr. Benjamin Nwaogu- Accountant

The fuel subsidy is not actually helping the masses because it does not get to them. People are complaining of fuel scarcity everywhere, and they are not getting it. Leaving fuel subsidy no longer make any sense. Mr. Ugochukwu Ala- Freight Forwarded

I think the subsidy should stay because if the Federal Government should remove it, things will still remain the same.

So in all, I think the fuel subsidy should be allowed to stay for now.

Ms. Oluwakemi IsmailStudent

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014—37

FG to establish crop processing zone in Edo

Uduaghan's devt strides'll earn him more awards —Mudi

A

BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

B

ENIN—THE Federal Ministry of Agriculture has said that plans were underway to provide support to Okomu Oil Palm Company Plc, Edo State, to enable it achieve its planned structured investment of N75 billion to cover mill and plantation expansion of the company in the next four years.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, in Okomu, during the commissioning of the company’s new 30 metric tons fresh fruit bunch per hour mill, said that the ministry will work towards partnering Okomu Oil Palm Company Plc and other stakeholders to determine the feasibility of establishing a Staple Crop Processing Zone in Edo State and also engage some partners to support mechanisation, infrastructure and other agro-business needs of a Staple Crop Processing Zone.

Tompolo Foundation renders free medical services to Gbaramatu indigenes

BY EMMA AMAIZE

W

ARRI—EXECUTIVE Secretary of Tompolo Foundation, Mr. Paul Bebenimibo, has called on indigenes of Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South-West Local Government Area, Delta State, to avail themselves of the Federal Government's free medical services rendered by the foundation.

The foundation is a nongovernmental organisation, set up by ex-militant leader, Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, to give humanitarian services to the downtrodden in Warri and other parts of the state.

It had donated relief materials to flood victims, equipment to schools and hospitals in the riverrine areas in the last few months.

SWEARING-IN: Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State signs the relevant documents as Mrs. Vera Obadan (right) is sworn-in as the Permanent Secretary, Edo State Inland Revenue Services, yesterday.

Amaechi swears in Agumagu as Rivers CJ

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

P

ORT HARCOURT—JUSTICE Peter Agumagu, was, yesterday, sworn in as the new Chief Judge of Rivers State by the state governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi.

Performing the ceremony at Government House, Port Harcourt, Governor Amaechi, who congratulated the new Chief Judge, charged him to discharge his duties and responsibilities in accordance with the law.

Amaechi said he was worried when there was an attempt to take over the constitutional powers of appointing a Chief Judge for the state from the governor, adding that the court judgment which restored his right was commendable.

He said: “My Lord, let me

congratulate you on your appointment. The actual phrase would be at ‘at last,’ and to say that I was a bit worried with the way people in the judiciary fought over who would be the Chief Judge of the state.

“I was more than worried when there was an attempt to take away the power of the governor to appoint a Chief Judge and rest it somewhere else and I had wondered whether there was no need to ask for the interpretation of the constitution.

“Today, we recognise and accept in totality, the judgment of the Federal High Court and we say to you, congratulations.

Don’t forget that in every office in Nigeria, not even a bishop is appointed without a contest, so I hope that you see what happened as a mere con-

test and treat everybody equally and be fair and ensure that you remain as dedicated as you have always been.

“I will, on behalf of Rivers State, thank the Federal High Court for helping us out of this bondage. I will say to the Federal High Court that our brothers, who by privilege of their position in high office, should not abuse their office again.

“They should learn to treat such things on merit not based on cronyism and I hope that this will settle, once and for all, the challenges and disagreements in the judiciary. I pray that political interference will not come in any more.”

The new Chief Judge, Justice Agumagu, said he will ensure an effective justice delivery system in the state.

N576m alleged fraud: Court quashes charges against Ereyitomi, others zRestrains IG from further arrest

BY EGUFE YAFUGBORHI

W

ARRI—A FEDERAL High Court sitting in Warri, Delta State, has restrained the Inspector General of Police and his agents from further arresting Chief Thomas Ereyitomi and four others, over alleged misappropriation of N576 million belonging to the Ugborodo Community Trust Fund, UCT, in Ugborodo, Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State.

Ereyitomi, along with Isaac

Botosan, Benson Babine, Helen Oritsemotosan and Daniel Imami, have been on trial since 2012 for allegedly withdrawing the money from the UCT Fund and converting same to personal use while serving as executives of the Governing Council of the Trust between 2008 and 2011.

In his ruling in the suit, trail judge, Justice Mohammed Abubakar, said the charge was incompetent and struck out same, having been filed in breach of an existing order of

same court by another judge, Justice Ibrahim Buba, who on June 28, 2012, restrained the police from harassing or arresting the accused over the same matter.

He said he was incompetent to vacate an earlier ruling or order of the same court on the same matter.

Meanwhile, the civil suit on Ugborodo leadership tussle between David Tonwe and Chief Ereyitomi, both factions in the current Ugborodo conflict, is still pending before the court.

CHIEF TAIN of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Delta State, Mr. Simon Mudi, has said that Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan’s developmental strides will earn him more awards even after his tenure.

Mudi, who spoke while playing host to some politicians in Ughelli South Local Government Area at his country home in Ekakpamre town, also lauded the governor for working in line with his three-point agenda.

He said: “In line with his three-point agenda of peace and security, human capital and infrastructural development, Uduaghan built bridges across the state and the state can now be compared to Lagos, Abuja and other beautiful cities in Nigeria."

Eternit donates building to flood victims in Edo

D

ETERMINED to fulfil its social responsibility to its host community, Eternit Limited, a leading building material company, has donated a building to flood victims in Anegbette, Edo State.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Adeniji Kayode, General Manager (Marketing) Eternit Limited, said: "The state government gave us this place to showcase what we can do for the flood victims.

This is obviously what we have done.”

He said that it took few weeks to put up the building, adding, “We are still going to construct more buildings in the community. The product used for the construction is of high quality and takes a very short time to build; hence the dry construction is suitable for this kind of project that requires many quality structures to be put in place in a very short time. Eternit will be willing to replicate more of such buildings with the assistance of Edo State Government.”

38—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

Why some men are coerced to donate blood —LSBTC

No automatic ticket for anybody in Abia PDP —Gov. Orji

BY ANAYO OKOLI

BY CHIOMA OBINNA

S

HORTAGE OF blood in government hospitals in Lagos State has forced husbands of pregnant women to now donate blood.

A member of Lagos State Blood Transfusion Committee, Mrs. Sherifat Lawal, who disclosed this at a blood donor drive, said the state would not force any expectant father to donate blood had there been enough in the blood bank occasioned by 100 per cent voluntary blood donation in the state.

The campaign was organised by the state government, in collaboration with Seventh-Day Adventists Church to mark its Global Youth Day. Lawal, who said the state was targeting 100 per cent voluntary donation, in line with the World Health organisation, WHO, standards, disclosed that the activities of the committee had improved the number of voluntary blood donors in the state.

According to her, the state within two years had increased the number of voluntary donors from about 2,000 to 4,800.

Okorocha reassures Ngor Okpala people

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

O

WERRI — IMO State governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha, has reiterated his administration’s commitment to provide the people of Ngor Okpala Local Government Area with more development projects.

Okorocha stated this at a town hall meeting in the area to flag off his statewide inspection of on-going projects in the 27 local government areas.

He noted that the people of Ngor Okpala had been very supportive to his administration and ought to be carried along.

“I remember the role you played during the last election. I am, therefore, here to ask what I can do for you and not what you can do for me,” Okorocha said.

While noting that the people did their bit by electing him as the governor, Chief Okorocha also said it was now his responsibility to ensure their happiness.

U

MUAHIA — ABIA State Governor, Chief Theodore Orji, has warned elected political office holders of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state that there would be no automatic ticket for

them.

Governor Orji said all elected positions would be open for contest and that a level playing ground would be provided to all interested persons.

According to him, by allowing every interested person to participate in the contest, the best candidates will emerge for the

good of the state.

Addressing an expanded stakeholders' meeting of PDP in Umuahia, Governor Orji said allowing the present elected members at all levelS to return without competition would “give room for mediocrity in the system.”

According to him, fair competition is the best way to bring out

VISIT: From left, Nasarawa State governor's wife, Hajiya Salamatu Almakura; Jasmina Mitrovic, Adviser to Serbian President; Dr. Patience Jonathan, Nigeria's Firstlady; Mrs. Dragica Nikolic, Serbian Firstlady, and Kogi State governor's wife, Hajiya Wada, during Nigeria's Firstlady's official visit to Serbia.

Old students association condemns Buni Yadi killings

BY ONOZURE DANIA

A

BUJA — ABUJA chapter of Federal Government College Ugwolawo Kogi Old Student Association, has condemned the attack and recent killing of innocent students at Federal Government College, Buni Yadi, in Yobe State, by members of the Boko Haram sect.

The association, which stated this at its monthly meeting in Abuja, said the wanton killing of innocent children not only demonstrated an act of wickedness, but also sacrilegious for the insurgents to attack school children in the depth of the night.

In a statement by the National President Lawrence Willbart, the

association noted that this development would have a negative effect on human development.

According to the group, the development will affect the education of school children.

It, therefore, called on the Federal Government not only to provide tight security in such schools across the country, but also probe the killing and bring the culprits to book.

It prayed God to grant the parents, guardians and school authorities the fortitude to bear the wanton loss.

At least 29 students of Federal Government College, Boni Yadi, Yobe State, were killed by Boko Haram insurgents on February 25.

The attackers stormed the school

on February 25, set a locked dormitory on fire and when the terrified students tried escaping through the windows, the insurgents began shooting them.

The killers also slit the throats of some unfortunate students in the raging inferno, while many students were burnt to ashes.

Rep condemns abduction of broadcaster

BY EMMAN OVUAKPORIE

A

BUJA — A member of the House of Representatives, Kingsley Chinda, yesterday, condemned last week’s abduction of an radio broadcaster, Anthony Atakakpo, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Ebonyi govt threatens communities for vandalised MDGs projects

A

BAKALIKI — EBONYI State government has warned that it would readily deal with communities which Millennium Development Goals/Conditional Grants Scheme, MDGs/ CGS, projects were vandalised.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Projects Monitoring, Mr. Felix Ota, who gave the warning at a stakeholders' meeting in Abakaliki, urged the communities to ensure that projects in-

augurated in their areas were adequately protected against vandalisation.

According to him, the government will not hesitate to sanction community leaders whose projects are vandalised.

He said the government was committed to infrastructure development in rural communities to enhance the socio-economic condition of rural dwellers.

Earlier, the MDGs/CGS focal

the best in any society.

He noted that appointing or selecting candidates for elective positions hampered growth of true democracy.

Governor Orji also warned party members not to allow money to sway their choice, but allow their conscience to guide them at all times.

He said with the achievement of PDP in the state, no other political party would take over the governorship of the state.

“There is no vacancy for any other political party except the PDP in the state, as there is no room for any other political party to survive in Abia State because we have set a very high standard which will be difficult for any other political party to beat “Since we stopped worshipping idols in the state, things have been moving on fine for the state and its people, after being in darkness for some years which made God to turn his back on the state and its people, but now we are free and doing very well,” Governor Orji said.

Claiming that Abia State was close to President Jonathan, Orji said “whenever Mr. President sees me, he will ask me, 'how are my people' and not, 'how is Abia State?' This shows the level of love and the value the Presidency has for the state.”

State chairman of the party, Chief Emma Nwaka, preached against possible decampment of members to opposition parties and urged them to be steadfast.

He said someone in a ruling party would not understand what it meant to be in opposition.

“Therefore, those of you in the ruling party should hold tenaciously to what you have, as being in opposition will not be to your benefit,” Nwaka said.

person in the state, Mrs. Ngozi Obichukwu, said the programme had covered a number of communities.

Obichukwu said that seven of the 13 local government areas in the state had been covered, adding that the remaining six council areas would be covered in 2015.

She said the programme had helped build primary healthcare and skills acquisition centres for women and youth empowerment.

Atakakpo, known mostly by his fans as Akas Baba, was reportedly kidnapped on Thursday, March 13, by unknown gunmen.

Chinda, PDP, Rivers, in a statement, said the ace broadcaster’s kidnap came to him as a rude shock, saying the incident “has clearly left Mr. Akas’ family, friends, colleagues, associates, fans and several well-meaning Nigerians in great trauma.”

He called on “the Nigeria Police and other relevant security operatives in Rivers State to do everything possible to quickly secure unconditional release of the broadcaster from the kidnappers' den. ”I hereby, for myself, my family and the people of Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency, Rivers State, join several well-meaning individuals to unconditionally condemn the sad, unconscionable, inhuman and devilish act."

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014 — 39

TOWN HALL MEETING: From right: Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State, state PDP Chairman, Obong Paul Ekpo, and former Deputy Governor of the state, Obong Nsima Ekere, at the Ikot Abasi Federal Constituency Town Hall Meeting, at Ikot Abasi, Akwa Ibom State.

Dr. Chapele Ruemu (2nd left), Ultimate Eye Clinic, Lagos, presenting a pair of eye glasses to Master Chukwuka Ogbonna, a pupil of Airtel-adopted Community Primary School, Amumara (3rd right), during the eye screening exercise organised by Airtel Nigeria for pupils and teachers of the school in Ezinihitte LGA, Imo State. With them are Stanley Chilekezie of Ezinihitte LG,(left), and Edward Gbargbar, Zonal Business Manager, South Central, Airtel.

COMMISIONING: Chief Executive Officer, Jirus Efekoha Foundation, Mr. Ejiroghene Efekoha (right) and Chief F.O. Abudu, during the official opening of the Foundation new office, recently at Ijanikin, along Lagos Badagry Expressway.

SUMMIT: From left: Vice President Namadi Sambo, Director-General, Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Mr, Frank Nweke (Jnr), Vice President, Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Issa Aremu, and Chief Executive Officer, Stanbic IBTC Holdings, Mrs. Sola David-Borha, during the opening ceremony of the 20th Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja.

SWEARING IN: Deputy Speaker Delta State House of Assembly, DTHA, Hon. Basil Ganagana (right), congratulating the new Delta State House of Assembly Speaker, Hon. Peter Onwusanya, after the swearing in in Asaba.

Photo: Nath Onojake.

From left: Mr. Adewuyi Oluwaseun, Administrative Officer, Patrick Speech & Languages Centre, PSLC, Mrs. Dotun Akande, Proprietress, PSLC, Heather MacKenzie, Autism Consultant from Canada and Mr. Bidemi Yinusa, Head of School, PSLC, during the closing of PSLC's oneweek training on autism in Lagos, yesterday.

Secretary to Somolu Local Government, Dr. Owolabi Salu, Mr. Tunji Saka, one of the beneficiaries, Mrs Rukayat Giwa and the sponsor, Senator 'Gbenga Ashafa, during the artisans' empowerment programme in the council area.

s

Chairman, Agege Local Government, Hon. Jubreel Abdulkareem (2nd left), Mrs. Olukowade (2nd right), jointly presenting a trophy to the winner of the year 2014 Spelling Bee Competition in Agege LGA, Master Isreal Jere of Iloro Junior Grammar School Agege (middle), at the Agege Local Council Secretariat, Agege, Lagos. With them are: Chairman’s wife, Mrs. Sherifat Abdulkareem (left), and Supervising Councillor for Education, Hon. Olu Otubu.

C M Y K

SYMPOSIUM: From left: Brand Manager, Nutrition, Nestle Plc, Mrs. Funmi Bankole, Category Business Manager, Nurtrition, Nestle Nigeria Plc, Dr. Mahzhar Qureshi, Professor of Paredatrics, Niger Delta University, Bayelsa State; Prof. Felix Akinbami and Scientific Expert Advisor, Nestle Research Centre, Switzerland, Dr. Kimmo Makinen, at the Nestle Nutrition Symposium for Babies in Ibadan. Photo: Dare Fasube.

40—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

NLC urges FG to reinvent school curriculum, teachers

Wammako no threat to my return to Senate —Maccido

A

BUJA — THE Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Vice President, Issa Aremu, has urged the Federal Government to reinvent the school curriculum, infrastructure and teachers to drive the education system in the country.

Aremu gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, at the ongoing 20th Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja.

The summit has the theme “Transforming Education Through Partnership for Global Competitiveness.”

Aremu, who said no school could produce best students in the worst environment, stressed the need to finance the schools to rebuild their infrastructure.

He said: “All we need to do is to return to those concrete philosophies of the past and allocate the resources to rebuild schools.

“How do we go about it?

We must reinvent our school curriculum. We have to rebuild the infrastructure because you cannot produce best student in the worst environment.

“In those days, schools were more attractive than our homes because water and toilet were clean even in the university buildings.”

According to him, infrastructure without the teachers will not work well because there is need to reinvent the teachers to get the best to go back to the school system.

“It is the frustrated ones that go back to schools. In those days when you had first class and second class automatically you will return to teaching.

“Teachers must be well paid in a way that they don’t see the need to work away from their work.

“We must finance the education because human capital is the key to development."

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU

A Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, Minister of Petroleum Resources (left) and Dr Alirio Parra, Conference Chairman and Board Member, CWC Group Limited at the 2014 Nigeria Oil and Gas Finance Seminar, in Abuja. PHOTO: AKEEM SALAU.

Kaura killings: Southern Kaduna holds prayer sessions •Accuses state govt of insensitivity •Detained leaders freed

BY LUKA BINNIYAT

K

ADUNA — Hundreds of Christians, yesterday, held prayer sessions for over 100 of their members who were killed in three Moroa villages in Kaura Local Government Area of Kaduna State last Saturday by suspected Fulani herdsmen.

The mourners who were dressed in black attires held their prayers at the Bajju Town Hall in the television area of Kaduna metropolis, as soldiers and anti-riot policemen watched, just as two armoured vehicles were stationed nearby.

After about one hour of fervent prayers, led by Pastor Mathias Yashim, the congregation trooped outside the hall with lit candles for an address by the National President of SOKAPU, Dr. Ephraim Goje.

There was a mock coffin in their front to mark the solemnity of the event even as some also carried placards with various inscriptions against the state government.

In his address, Goje said:, “SOKAPU is very disappointed with this kind of show of arms against aggrieved southern Kaduna people, who had congregated here to mourn and pray for

their loved ones killed in hundreds back home in their sleep.

"We do not know that this government has so much arms and personnel. We are, therefore, shocked that this fierce looking policemen and soldiers so well armed cannot go to Kaura and protect lives and property, but converged here against peaceful worshippers.

“There has been no fewer than 600 people killed in 54 raids on southern Kaduna villages since 2011 and it is like there is no government in place at all.

Insensitivity

"We condemn this kind of insensitivity and we call on the Federal Government to relocate a battalion of soldiers to Kaura Local Government before it is too late. The genocide in southern Kaduna must stop now.”

Former Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of Kaduna State, Mr Adamu Kish, also said: “The show of arms against a peaceful people praying to their God for intervention in what is going on against them is an arrogant violation of their basic rights to gather and worship, and even peacefully pro-

NOA lauds confab delegates over National Anthem

A

BUJA — THE National Ori entation Agency, NOA, yesterday lauded delegates to the national conference for adopting the second stanza of the National Anthem as prayer.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Director-General, Mr Paul Odenyi, made the commendation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Abuja.

Odenyi said NOA had always

advocated the adoption of the second stanza as national prayer, adding that it had the potential of uniting the country “NOA is excited about this development, we have always wished for this, and it is a laudable move by the delegates and the agency is happy with the development,” he said.

NAN recalls that the NOA had in April 13, 2012 advocated for the adoption of the second stanza of

the national anthem to replace the regular prayers made by the Muslim and Christian religions at public functions.

The agency said it was imperative for Nigerians to start adopting the second stanza of the national anthem as prayer as against the usual one offered in public places to avoid unnecessary bickering among the faithful.

test.

"This is not a mark of civility and it must stand condemned.

Our youths that were detained yesterday should be briefing their lawyers now for legal redress against their illegal detention and attendant trauma.”

Other speakers accused the state governor, Ramalan Yero of allegedly being indifferent to the plight of southern Kaduna people, saying Yero “could not even make a state broadcast when over 100 of his citizens were murdered in one night in cold blood.

"He could not even visit the place. All he does is to order the traumatised to come to his office for discussions, while the murderers are working free and planning the next havoc.”

Detained leaders freed

Earlier, the National Youth President of the Southern Kaduna People’s Union, SOKAPU, Mr Sabastine Luka, and three of his officials were detained on the orders of the Kaduna State Police Commissioner, Umar Shehu, over a planned prayer session.

Those detained along with Luka included Bavoshia Nyan, Kaboshio Paulinus and Sunday Kasai.

The news of their detention, yesterday, sparked demonstration by youths, who vowed to storm the state Police Command headquarters where they were being held, unless they were freed.

However, it took the intervention of the community leaders for the youths to call off their peaceful protest, after which their leaders were freed.

BUJA — AHEAD of the 2015 general elections, Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Ahmed Maccido, has said that the alleged aspiration of Governor Magatarkada Wammako of Sokoto State to contest Sokoto North senatorial ticket against him was not a threat.

Maccido, who spoke with newsmen in Abuja, yesterday, told Wammako to forget the ambition as his time was up politically, adding that the governor would not be able to withstand the caliphate in any election.

Maccido explained how he refused to join Wammako to defect to the All Progressives Congress, APC, advising the governor to start counting his days in the politics of the state.

He said: “If you see that your time is up in a particular place and your ideas are no longer needed, I don’t think there’s any need for you to stay there anymore.

“You have, as they say, overdone your stay. Do you understand that? As far as I’m concerned, this particular institution that is in place now in Sokoto is no longer in need of my services. So, I don’t think I need to stay with them.”

Maccido further stated that he represented the Sultanate in the Senate, an institution he said had been in existence for more than 200 years, which the governor could not sweep aside.

He said: ”I’m not here as Ahmed Maccido. I’m not sitting here as Ahmed Maccido. I have an institution that remains relevant and has remained relevant for the past 200 years.

“Even if I am not there now, that institution would still be there.

Whoever is in this position would still be relevant. So, don’t think of me representing Sokoto, as Ahmed Maccido. It’s not me.”

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014 — 41

C M Y K

42—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

New Commissioner, Accident Investigation Bureau, (AIB), Dr. Felix Abali (middle) flanked by his predecessor, Capt. Muhktar Usman (left) and Head, Public Affairs, Mr. Tunji Oketunbi during the hand over ceremony held at the AIB office, Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos

L-r: Major Hamza al-Mustapha, National President of Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor and Prof. Muhammed Al-Amin at the second one-day interactive Christian/Muslim conference on peace and national unity at Ayalla Hotel, Abuja.

APCON, BON partner on trado-medical communication

T

HE Advertising Practitio ners Council of Nigeria and the National Broadcasting Commission are jointly organising a one day stakeholders forum to re-

view activities of the traditional medical products and services and bring them in line with the regulatory guidelines of both bodies.

The forum, scheduled for today at the media centre of the News agency of Nigeria, Iganmu, Lagos, has as theme, “Regulating trado-medical packaging and

communication for a healthy society.”

Papers that will be presented and discussed at the forum include, trado-medical advertising:

what we must do; guidelines for the broadcast of trado-medical programmes; and guidelines for the production and consumption of herbal products.

Chairman of the forum’s planning committee, Mrs. Bunmi Cole noted that the forum would afford stakeholders an opportunity to review the packaging and communication of trado-medical products and services by practitioners in this sector.

She said, “all registered and yet to register traditional medicine practitioners and marketers, pharmaceutical companies, education institutions, medical bodies, Ministry of Health, relevant research institutions, advertising agencies and media were required to attend,” adding that no fee would be charged for participation.

Minister sad at immigration deaths

M

INISTER of Interi or, Comrade Abba Moro, has said he was really sad by the death of young Nigerians seeking employment during the stampede at the recruitment exercise conducted by NIS at the National Stadium, Abuja as well as in Benin, Edo State and in Minna, Niger State, weekend .

The minister who in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media George Udoh, commiserated with the bereaved families in particular and Nigerians as a whole, described the incident as a national tragedy, maintaining that he was extremely traumatized and distressed by the news of the untimely death of these young Nigerians, despite efforts to enthrone transparency and credibility into the recruitment exercise which had eluded a similar exercise in the past He said, “My heart goes out to the families and friends of those who lost their lives in the stampede."

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014 — 43

C M Y K

44—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014 a question: What is so special about Nigeria that we continue to harp on the illusory fact that its unity is not negotiable? I wish someone would give us the special reasons.

Obviously, some selfish people are singing a song that has no melody to the hearing of millions of Nigerians, in a failing country where all that they have for food is suffering. They drink the water of poverty and above all, live in perpetual fear not of tomorrow alone, but even of today! Those who are milking the country dry are set in their ways to continue to milk the goose (Nigeria) that lays the golden egg and even put the rest in the refrigerator for their subsequent use.

Who says the unity of Nigeria is not negotiable? (2) The first part of this piece was published yesterday

BY PETER AWELEWA ADEBIYI

M

ENTION must also be made of the many debilitating diseases that affect the populace and which are not reported in hospitals, simply because people cannot afford to pay for their treatments bills.

It is also a fact that millions of children still roam the major streets of the country because many of their parents cannot afford to send them to primary schools owing to lack of money.

The transportation system is still not worthy of good cheer because most commercial vehicles plying the roads are not road worthy. Our electricity power supply competes with the worst in the continent of Africa where over 80% of Nigerians work and walk in darkness more than 80% of the time. There are also millions of Nigerian children who have not had the privilege of seeing what electric poles look like, talk less of the privilege of electricity power supply in their homes!

The question is, “should we still continue to refer to this State called Nigeria as a country?” Can a country that cannot cater for its citizens be rightly or justifiably called a country worthy of mention or its name? Those who can afford all luxuries in this country provide virtually everything for themselves, ranging from generator for light, bore hole for water etc. Yet, we pride ourselves with the fact that we have a great country. Outside the shores of Nigeria, other Governments cater for the well being of their people by providing accessible motorable

fering!

In 2007, Late Nelson Mandela said that he did not know how Nigerians could survive under the inhuman conditions we live in. He had expected a revolt of a kind, such that things could get better, but the truth is that even today, things are not getting any better because Nigerian politicians and leaders have “charmed” Nigerians by using ethnicity and religion to divide them. The result is that it has become more difficult for many Nigerians to think straight, question their parlous state and demand justice and equity.

Political leader In recent times, if a political leader is from the Northern part of Nigeria and does not perform well, his people hardly see anything bad in what he does or say.

Anyone from the South West, or East or other parts of the country who criticises him is regarded as the enemy of the North. Is it not obvious then, that whenever anyone criticises President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, the people of the South South States become extremely vexed? Indeed, recently, supporters of the Aviation Minister, Mrs Stella Oduah, who was in the bad news for corruption related deals in the Aviation Ministry carried placards in protest against those criticising her!

These are indeed strange times!

,

,

Can a country that cannot cater for its citizens be rightly or justifiably called a country worthy of mention or its name?

roads, pipe-borne water, electricity, education, employment opportunities and adequate social welfare for children, the sick, and the aged. In the past, the world over, people were not bothered about whether they have children or not, because they knew that the government will do what their children would have done for them at their old age and that the government would not allow them to suffer.

As elderly, they would be provided with food, shelter, transport and other social amenities required for comfort until they are about 85 and beyond, when they would expect to naturally die because of old age and old age related diseases or sickness. In Nigeria however, one can say that death begins as soon as a child is born. This is because he or she lives his or her miserable life until death comes prematurely at about the age of 35 or relatively at about 60-70 after relative suf-

Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, a former President, is the only person, who in my opinion has been so much freely criticised and vilified by his own people- the Yoruba people, without the heavens falling. He himself is apparently not worried that his own people criticise him, because he knows that the Yorubas will not let go whenever any untoward behavior or event is observed. This is the reason why the Yorubas are not in the good books of very many Nigerians. It is believed that they talk too much, they are too educated and would readily pull anyone down. In my own honest opinion, this position may be correct, but the majority of the Yorubas that speak out, do so with good intention and well informed knowledge of what the matter is about. That is why probably the South West, though in opposition to the government for many years in the past, are still better off than other parts of the country in terms

Map of Nigeria of boldness and outspokenness concerning the ills prevalent in Nigeria.

The way forward is in two folds.

Those who preach that the unity of Nigeria is sacrosanct and NOT negotiable are the actual enemies of Nigeria. This position may sound odd and strange, but how can you remain in an entity where your grandfather had suffered, your father has suffered, and you are also now suffering, yet all indices reveal that the suffering of your children may be greater than yours. Meanwhile, you still believe that it is good to remain under such a situation in perpetuity? Is handing over pain and lack from generation to generation a grand idea? If anyone wishes such for me, I will certainly reject it and instantly too. So, I wonder why some people say that the unity of Nigeria is non-negotiable.

Time it was, when Israel, in the Bible, was a nation. Later, it was

Unpopular melody President Jonathan

divided into two when its people could no longer politically and comfortably live together. We are also aware that there used to be one India, today there is India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. They all used to be part of India before now. There was also one country known as Czechoslovakia, but today, we have Czechs and Slovak. Once upon a time, there was Ethiopia, but today there is Eritrea and there is Ethiopia. Similarly, there was a country known as the U.S.S.R. but today, there are many countries, too numerous to count that have come out of it. There was one Great Britain in the days gone by, but today, we have Ireland, even south and north are now set to go on their different ways. Already, Scotland has her own currency and parliament and is about pulling out of the United Kingdom. All of these geographical constituencies know the reasons for seeking autonomy for themselves. So, I ask

Obviously, it is them, their children and families that are singing the unpopular melody of the unity of Nigeria that is not negotiable. The poor, the weak, the dying and the weary who have no jobs, no food, no pipe-borne water, no shelter and no good medical facilities, are not members of the choir. It is time such apostles of doom who preach the inviolability of Nigeria shut up their mouths, otherwise the time is fast approaching when the poor masses will do it for them, by force!

Nigeria can save itself from disintegration, only if the proposed National Conference works out well to the advantage of the various ethnic nations who own the country and not for the greedy and professional politicians, whose business is only to govern the people and take undue advantage of their seeming ignorance.

To be concluded

Boko Haram: 10 lessons from Biafra (2) The first part of this piece was published yesterday

BY CHIEF FELIX AMADI

T

HE seventh lesson is the special role the sacrifice made by indigenes of communities in military service played in the survival of such communities during the civil war. Biafran soldiers were allowed the priviledge of electing to lead the defence of their towns and villages in the face of enemy invasion. The local communities usually collaborated effectively with their sons who would do everything to save their kith and kin from calamity. I continue to wonder how a soldier who hails from one of the Borno State villages affected by the Boko Haram attacks and serving in Lagos would feel hearing that not less than a hundred of his kinsmen perhaps including his parents, brothers and sisters have been massacred.

He certainly would have loved to play a role in saving them given the opportunity.

The eighth lesson is the necessity of seeking the collaboration and support of foreign powers. To defeat Biafra, Nigeria got the support of such countries as Britain, USSR (Russian) and USA. The propaganda oozing out of this global support helped to bring Biafra to its knees.

In the face of Boko Haram insurgency, Nigeria may seek the support and collaboration of countries that have economic ties with it.

The nineth lesson is the possibility of hiring foreign experts (war mercenaries) to assist our military in certain areas of special need. Most of the military pilots that flew fighter jets during the civil war were expatriates and since we are now faced with a special kind of enemy, people with special skills may be recruited from outside the shores of Nigeria.

The tenth lesson is the necessity of keeping discussion and negotiation with the enemy ongoing. Nigeria never abandoned any opportunity of dialoging with Biafra much as her military was on an assault mission. As faceless as Boko Haram is, the government of Nigeria should continue to seek its face. Hopefully, it would be found someday.

The above lessons from Biafra are for the authorities to consider in line with current and peculiar trends in the Boko Haram insurgency. Beyond this expectation, ordinary Nigerians together with nongovernmental, faith-based and corporate organizations should address the humanitarian fallouts of the terrorism challenge. Counter terrorism in this regard means national solidarity with victims of Boko Haram insurgency devoid of unnecessary politicization and driven by freewill gifts of cash, food, clothing and shelter. To show such concern will no doubt strengthen our nationhood which Boko Haram seeks to destroy. Meanwhile, the world is watching our behavior.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014—45

An ambulance coveying some of the victims of the recruitment exercise that went awry.

RECRUITMENT TRAGEDY:

‘NIS is liable' T

HERE is no doubt that the immigration officials responsible for the national tragedy of March 15 2014 that resulted in the death of 16 young Nigerians could be liable for the offence of manslaughter.

There is ample evidence to prove all elements of the offence.

Manslaughter is the nondeliberate killing of a person by criminally negligent action or omission. In other words, in proof of manslaughter, we need not to look for any deliberate intention to kill. In fact, there could be very good intention to do what led to death of another person, but once it is shown that there is criminal negligence, then the culprit is liable for the

offence.

There is no doubt that the death of 16 Nigerian young men and women at the Nigeria Immigration Service recruitment test grounds across the country on March 15 2014 resulted from gross negligence of those responsible for the exercise. Whether their conduct constituted criminal negligence is dependent on the degree of their failure to do the right thing in the context of their professional responsibility, knowledge and facilities available to them. In manslaughter, the motive of the conduct is irrelevant.

In examining the criminal conduct of the NIS officials in the episode, let us look at the facts of the case.

Over a period of more than

Wills are not promoting family cohesion —Utuama

P/47

,

By CHINO OBIAGWU

Most of these applicants have been out of school without income for many years, some for up to a decade. The practice of charging money to job applicants in public sector has recently become a smooth scam for officials

one year, NIS announced vacancies in its service and its intention to recruit young graduate cadet officers. The available positions were barely over 4000. NIS required applicants to apply for the job with payment of one thousand naira. Within few weeks, nearly half a million applicants have

CHINO OBIAGWU

,

paid up and applied, and by end of the year, over three quarter of a million. With 700,000 applicants paying the application fee, NIS or its officials responsible raked up 700 million naira. This does not include those whose applications were technically

Why we will enforce Delta Ground Rent Law — Nwugo

rejected. The said sum of money was said to be the recruitment management and application processing fee. In other words, the doggy fee collection was meant to provide the facilities to ensure smooth recruitment exercise. There is no basis in law for an institution like NIS to charge money for job recruitment exercise, because it has budget approved for human resources, recruitment and induction training. There is therefore clear flouting of the law in this respect. It is also callous to charge money to

Continues on page 46

EDITORIAL TEAM P/48

Dayo Benson (Editor) Innocent Anaba Wahab Abdulah Ikechukwu Nnochiri

46 — VANGUARD, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

Continues from page 45

Transparent recruitment Now, NIS claims that it wanted to run transparent recruitment exercise where it would conduct a physical head hunting of all the applicants at the same time so as to give all the applicants the equalopportunity to compete. But that is the crux of the criminal negligence of the officials. There is no doubt that the gathering of mammoth crowd of youth for the recruitment was a mere decoy to give the impression of transparency in the recruitment

David Parradang, Comptroller General of the Nigerian Immigration Service,

Abba Moro, Interior Minister

'NIS is liable for recruitment tragedy' process. There is no doubt that it is elementary in every recruitment system or basic human resource system that you must pre-screen applicants and shortlist those that meet the basic requirements set for the position.

There is no justification for inviting everyone that applied for a job to interview or test at a centre, especially in the circumstances of the opaque notices, which attracted even people that did not apply for the job to attend, was deliberately designed to be a show.

NIS did not make adequate arrangement for crowd control, despite collecting huge sums of money from the applicants. It hired the stadia across the country including the two national stadia in Abuja and Lagos.

This suggested that it was anticipating a massive crowd of young, eager unemployed youths to attend, including pregnant women. It is therefore negligent on the part of the NIS officials to carry out such exercise when they knew that without pre-planned crowd control measure there would be

chaos.

It is also a fact of negligence that NIS officials should have conducted pre-selected or assessment of the applicants to shortlist candidates most qualified. It could also conduct online test or adopt other measures to pre-test the mass of applications. It is clear that it

,

unemployed graduates before applying for such low cadre job at NIS or any job for that matter.

Most of these applicants have been out of school without income for many years, some for up to a decade.

The practice of charging money to job applicants in public sector has recently become a smooth scam for officials. Last year, another para military service charged money to job applicants and eventually did not carry out the exercise.

In 2009 and 2010, Imo state government collected thousands of naira from over ten thousand applicants for job in the state public service for nonexistent jobs. No employment was given to those that applied and the monies were not refunded.

This has become common with all agencies. Some even fix prices for each position and use employment agencies and cronies to search out applicants for payment. That this illegality has continued is the clear impact of impunity.

Once misconduct occurs and not punished, other people will follow because they know they can get away with it. This is why at this tragedy this time around Nigerians must stand with one voice to demand that this tragic incident be used as test case to ensure that those responsible are not only relieved of their jobs but also prosecuted for manslaughter or gross criminal negligence.

Nigerians, “… nothing but crass opportunism can explain this heartless scam.

A more rational and discerning recruitment process could easily have reduced the numbers by insisting on raising minimum standards.This follows a condemnable

This has become common with all agencies. Some even fix prices for each position and use employment agencies and cronies to search out applicants for payment

could not head hunt 4000 new recruits out of 700,000 applicants. I would require over one thousand of its staff working continuously for 3 months to effectively conduct a written test, mark the scripts and produce a result that it claimed it wanted on merit.

So it was clear from the conduct of the officials that its intention was far from noble.According to the Nigeria Labour Congress, in condemning the conduct of NIS resulting in the death innocent

,

pattern, which has now become common, even in the private sector, where thousands of applicants are invited in droves to compete for extremely limited opportunities.

Ordinarily objectionable, this rogue method of head hunting, must count as execrable in the extreme, when adopted by a reputable department of government.”

This is a misconduct that the government must insist

on investigating and prosecuting. Over the years, a lot of public officials have caused the death of others through sheer negligence. The several plane crashes in this country were result of avoidable human errors. In the crash of Sosoliso aircraft at Port Harcourt airport, it was reported that there was power failure at the airport at the time, and someone had the responsibility of ensuring that there is always electric power at the airport.

As a result, the control tower was not fully functional and only manual instruments could be used, even though the weather was very bad. Even after the crash, the fire service rushed to the scene with their tankers but without a drop of water.

Empty tankers Meanwhile, these service men have been in their station with empty tankers. If they had water, the magnitude of damage would have been minimized. These are examples of grass irresponsibility of those in authority without regards to the safety and security of others.

There is no doubt that impunity continues at large scale in this country because culprits are not effectively punished. This is the reason the head of the immigration service and all those concerned who planned and executed this scam resulting in multiple death of young Nigerians, should be prosecuted for manslaughter.

If the authorities to take action in this regards, we encourage families of the death to take up the issue under the right of private prosecution so that the death of their loved ones will not be in vain.

LEDAP as an organisation is available to support families that demand for justice this devastating tragedy.

Chino Obiagwu is of LEDAP – Legal Defence & Assistance Project

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

— 47

Wills are not promoting family cohesion —Utuama

BY CHARLES KUMOLU

D

elta State Deputy Governor, Prof Amos Utuama, SAN, has said that Wills as legal documents have not ensured family cohesion, noting that it is a subject of litigations as a result of complaints and rejection.

He also called for proper upbringing of children as the best way of ensuring family cohesion rather than depending on writing of Wills.

Utuama stated this while declaring open a one-day seminar organized

by Aequitas Chambers, Asaba, in conjunction with the Nigerian Bar Association ,NBA, Asaba Branch, with theme: The Role of Wills in Property Succession and Family Cohesion.”

His words: ‘’Proper upbringing of children is the best way to ensure family cohesion rather than the writing of a Will. A Will may not necessarily guarantee the cohesion of the family. A Will can only reinforce it.

He emphasized that a Will as a legal document, states who gets

what or part of somebody ’s property when such a person is no more but if a Will is not properly executed, it could lead to the disintegration, rather than the cohesion of the family. Citing several cases to buttress his argument, Utuama said the writing of a Will can be said to be an act of cowardice, stressing that a man should be bold enough to share his properties among his people in his life time.

While commending the organizers of the seminar, he noted that writing a Will and similar exercises afford legal practitioners opportunities of continuous education. He commended the efforts of Ekemejero Ohwovoriole, the Head of Aequitas Chambers and NBA, Asaba Branch, for putting the seminar together.

In his welcome address ,Ohwovoriole noted that the seminar was designed for two groups of persons; the legal practitioners and persons with children, relatives, friends and

From left: Phil Nneji, Yetunde Onyekweli, Mrs. Nnawuchi (Chief Nursing Officer LUTH), Eliana Martins (Chairperson FIDA Lagos), Ngozi Ogbolu (VC FIDA Lagos), and Abiola Laseinde at the donations of materials to FIDA Ward, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Idi Araba.

societies, and hinted that it was arranged to refresh legal practitioners’ knowledge about Wills and Estate Planning. He commended the Deputy Governor for all his support and love towards him since his youth days.

Speaking at the occasion, the NBA Chairman, Asaba Branch, Oseyenim Chukwuma, said the knowledge acquired from the seminar would no doubt assist legal practitioners in the state in the course of doing their jobs.

Court strikes out Awujale’s name from family suit

BY ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH

J

USTICE S. A. Olugbemi of an Ogun State High Court sitting in Ijebu-Ode has removed the name of the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona from a suit filed by the Fusengbuwa Ruling House of Ijebu-Ode against Otunba Subomi Balogun, Otunba Olu Adebanjo and Alhaji A.O. Sote.

The court’s order was sequel to an application filed by the plaintiffs’ counsel on February 14 praying the court to expunge the name of the Awujale from the suit asking for a perpetual injunction restraining O tunba Subomi Balogun “from parading himself or holding himself out as Olori Ebi Funsengbunwa ruling house of Ijebu land.”

The suit was filed by Otunba Lateef Owoyemi, a former president of the Institute of Chartered Accountant of Nigeria, ICAN alongside Prince Rasaki Akeju, Otunba Oladokun Ajidagba and Prince Adeleke Adeyemi for themselves and on behalf of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House.

Joined as respondents in the suit were Otunba Subomi Balogun, Otunba Olu Adebanjo and Alhaji A. O. Sote.

When the matter came up last week, the defendants were in court, however, the Judge heard the counsel representing the Claimants and ruled on their application.

Prince Adesegun Adebayo appeared for the applicants/ c l a i m a n t s , w h i l e M r. K o l a d e Otukoya, who announced his appearance for the second respondent (Adebanjo), told the court that they were not aware that the matter was coming up that day.

Otukoya said he was “surprised” to hear the case being called because he was in court for a different matter.

Justice Olugbemi struck out Oba Adetona’s name from the suit and gave the applicants a week to amend their processes.

The Fusengbuwa Ruling House is challenging Balogun’s alleg ed“attempt to impose himself as their Olori Ebi (family head).”

In their suit, they were praying

the court to declare that- “it is only Fusenbguwa Ruling House of IjebuOde of which Late Prince Fasasi Adebisi Adeyemi, of No1, Adebisi Adeyemi close, Oliworo Quarters, Ijebu-Ode was the Olori Ebi or head of ruling house, till he died on February 19 t h , 2013, that is the competent and lawful authority, for the appointment of a new Olori Ebi o r h e a d o f Ru l i n g H o u s e o f Funsengbuwa Ruling House of IjebuOde, after the death of Prince Fasasi Adebisi Adeyemi.”

The applicants also prayed for a declaration that the meeting, “convened by both 1 st and 2 nd Defendants, by their letter of 21 st March, 2013, and held in the IjebuOde residence of the 1st Defendant on Saturday, 13th April, and in which the 3rd Defendant was the Secretary, lacked the competence, authority or capacity to appoint any person including the 1st Defendant as the new Olori Ebi of Fusengbuwa Ruling House of IjebuOde in succession to the late Olori Ebi, Prince Fasasi Adebisi Adeyemi.”

ESTATE LITIGATION:

Agip Oil to sell housing units to employees

By BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

A

FTER nine years of litigation over an estate occupied by employees and former employees of Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited, a Lagos High Court in Igbosere has ruled that the occupants should purchase thirty housing units in the estate.

The suit was instituted on November 29, 1995, by Mr. James Ntui Ntui on behalf of 29 employees/former employees of Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited, who had occupied the defendant’s Satellite Town Estate, Lagos.

In the suit LD/4868/95, the claimants contended that the defendant’s estate, comprising various housing units, developed for the purpose of providing temporary official accommodation for its staff, belong to them under the “Staff

Housing Scheme by Employers of Labour ” initiated in 1977 by the Federal Government of Nigeria.

At the resumed hearing, the parties told the court that they had accepted certain terms as full and final settlement of all their respective claims and counterclaims.

The terms include: “The defendant shall sell to the claimants and the claimants shall purchase from the defendant, the thirty housing units in the Estate occupied by the claimants.

Terminal benefits ”The defendant shall deduct the purchase price payable by each claimants, the 25% terminal benefits specified in the final wage liquidation form signed by the claimants, at the time of retirement from the defendant’s employment.

”If the said 25% of the terminal benefits retained by the defendant is less than the purchase price specified in the schedule against a claimant’s name, the defendant shall waive the difference in favour of the relevant claimant.”

Counsel to the defendant, Mr. A. Anibaba, asked the court to adopt the terms of settlement as judgment in the case, while counsel to the claimants, Dr. Fred Okeke, aligned himself with the position of the defendant.

Sequel to parties’ agreement to resolve the issues in dispute amicably, the presiding judge, Justice Ebenezer Adebajo, ruled “that the terms of settlement dated February 27, 2014 duly executed by the parties in this suit and endorsed by their respective counsel is hereby entered as the judgment of the court.”

48 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

DONATION: Managing Director, Nigeria LNG Limited, Mr Babs Omotowa (middle) announcing his company's donation of N340M each to six Nigerian universities for the construction of cutting-edge engineering laboratories. He's flanked from left, by Dr. Kudo Eresia-Eke, GM, External Relations, NLNG, Prof. A. Mustapha, V-C, ABU, Zaria, Basheer Koko, Deputy MD, NLNG, Prof.

I.F. Adewole, V-C, University of Ibadan, and Dr. Noel Saliu, representing the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission.

Dead candidates get 3 job slots Continues from page 5 who are said to have sustained various degrees of injuries”.

It noted, “The Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, rather than taking responsibility for the lack of foresight and maladministration and resign his appointment, blamed the job-seekers for being responsible for their deaths and the injuries they sustained because of impatience”.

The union in a statement signed by its general secretary, Comrade Peters Adeyemi noted that “the criminal free use of tear gas against these young unemployed graduates as if they were common criminals at some of the centres contributed to some of the stampedes that led to the deaths.

“It is scandalous for these young Nigerians to have purchased their deaths with one thousand naira each.

"It was clear to any discerning mind that the whole exercise was going to be a fiasco that will end up in a tragedy. The Ministry and the NIS were aware of the high incidence of unemployment in the country, which is put at 38 per cent and even higher, if the World Bank figures are to be relied on”.

Not only that, the union stated that both the minister and the immigration department “ were aware of failures of previous mass recruitment exercises”..

Therefore, the union noted, that they should have learnt from previous mistakes and “ taken adequate measures to ensure theirs will be hitch free. It has turned out not to be the

case”.

The union condemned the use of stadia as examination centres and emphasized that “ the so called aptitude test or examination was only a scam, aimed at fulfilling all righteousness and a cover up because the va-

cancies had already been filled by applicants who have very influential connections at the Presidency, National Assembly, the Judiciary; among Ministers, other top government functionaries and captains of industries”.

FOUNDATION LAYING: From left: Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State laying the foundation of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, secretariat complex. With him are Mallam Garba Muhammed, President, Nigeria Union of Journalists; Victor Agwusiobo, Vice President, Nigerian Guild of Editors (East); Dr Abel Bamgbose, President, Radio Television Theatre and Arts Workers Union (RATTAWU); Hon Brown Onari, Chairman, House Committee on Information, Rivers State House of Assembly and Rivers State NUJ Chairman, Opaka Dokubo at the event in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, yesterday. Photo: Nwankpa Chijioke

Budget defence: CBN overshot its 2013 estimates by N326bn

By EMMAN OVUAKPORIE & LIVINUS NWABUGHIOGU

A

BUJA — Deputy Governor in charge of Corporate Services, Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Suleiman Barau, yesterday said that the apex bank overshot its 2013 budget by over N326 billion.

Barau made the revelation while defending the 2014 budget of the CBN before the House of Representatives Committee on Banking and Currency.

According to Barau, CBN budgeted N413,373.89 billion as its expenditure for 2013 but ended up spending N739,640.63 billion.

However, in a bid to justify the excess expenditure, Barau also told the committee that the money was spent on “liquidity management” of the country ’s economy.

The bank, according to the budget performance presentation earmarked N180 billion for “liquidity management?” but ended up spending N536.6 billion.

Other highlights of the

2013 budget showed that total income to CBN amounted to N600,533.65 billion, while interest on foreign investments amounted to N80,175.29 billion; interest on domestic investments, N388,208.58 billion, just as interest on domestic loans and advances

amounted to about N13,540.45 billion. Others were placed at N118,609.33 billion.

Meanwhile, the CBN in its 2014 budget projected N553 billion as income while N377.9 billion was the expected expenditure.

In his comments, the

Chairman of the Committee on Banking and Currency, Jones Onyereri ordered the bank to present the comprehensive nominal rolls of all its staff to the committee.

He also demanded the “administrative expenses” by the banks in its 2013 budget which

indicated that member subscription, subvention and donation cost N1.8 billion, Corporate Affairs and Recreation/Sport sponsorship/NYSC, nation expenses cost N495.5 billion.

CBN stated that it currently has 661 staff on its payroll.

Nigeria’s oil industry at risk over high cost — IOCs

BY SEBASTINE OBASI & MICHAEL EBOH

A

BUJA— International Oil Companies, IOCs, yesterday, warned that rising cost was threatening the growth and development of the Nigerian petroleum industry.

This is even as independent and marginal fields’ operators blamed the delay in the growth of the sector on limited assets and inadequate funding.

Speaking at the ongoing Nigerian Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition, Managing Director of one of the IOCs, Shell Petroleum Development Company, Mr. Mutiu Sunmonu, said that issues of cost inefficiency are capable of kill-

ing the oil industry, adding that it will also make it impossible for both government and stakeholders to achieve their aims for the sector.

According to him, the major drivers of costs are delay in the contracting process, the security situation and the challenges of funding.

In addition, Mr. Mark Ward, Chairman/Managing Director, ExxonMobil Companies, Nigeria, said aging infrastructure, crude theft and difficult contracting processes were other drivers of cost.

According to Ward, facilities that are used in the early days of oil discovery in Nigeria are still being used in

the sector, making it very difficult for operators to make meaningful efforts towards growing the sector.

In the area of independent, small or marginal fields operators, Mr. Victor Briggs, Managing Director, Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, NPDC, said the ability of small producers to drive sustained growth in the sector was constrained by limited assets, inadequate technical and financial resources.

Mr. Adams Okoene, Chief Executive Officer/ Managing Director, Midwestern Oil and Gas, lamented the high tax regime in the sector and the issue of limited assets.

All these factors and a number of others, according to Group Managing Director, Access Bank Plc, Mr. Herbert Wigwe, are responsible for the inability of the oil companies to get support from banks in the country.

He said banks look at a number of factors before extending loan facilities to oil companies, such as the impact of taxation on the companies, ability of the companies’ cash flow to support their spending and the governance structure of the companies.

He said companies without good governance structure and the necessary financial security will find it difficult to get funds from banks.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014 — 49

C M Y K

50—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

Groups caution Jonathan on National Health Bill 2014

By SOLA OGUNDIPE

A

CONGLOMERATION of health professionals has cautioned President Goodluck Jonathan against signing the revised 2014 National Health Bill into law.

Speaking last week at a media gathering organised by the Foundation for African Cultural Heritage, FACH, in association with the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria and the Nigerian Society of Physiotherapists, the group unanimously described the current health bill as it stands, as a threat to the physical and moral fibre of the nation. The groups condemned the permission for collection of human tissues, human eggs, sperm,blood plasma etc., for experiments through donor programmes.

Further, they denounced what they described as "Eggxploitation" in which the egg cells will be removed from young girls through the facilitated egg donor programme and creation of embryos for research from poor uneducated African women. The groups also frowned at the underrepresentation in the Bill of other stakeholders in the sector at the National Council on Health which is the highest policy making body in the health sector.

Speaking, Executive Secretary and Public Relations Officer, FACH, Mrs

.I. Awagu and Ms. Uzoma Ijeoma, respectively, accused the Senate of passing the NHB 2014 which is essentially a replica of the NHB 2008/ 2012.

Alleging betrayal of the Nigerian people, the established that FACH is seeking that Articles 48, 49, 51, 52, 53, and 1 should be expunged from the National Health Bill 2014 because they contain issues bordering perilously on trafficking of human tissues from Nigerian citizens. "To pass NHB 2014 as it is will be to leave a loophole for trafficking to occur under government permission issued by the Minister of Health. "Nigeria is in need of a health Bill that will reflect the reality of our lives, beliefs, morals and culture and not one which will

legitimize a Biological Colonialism of Nigeria. Thus, articles 51and 53 must be expunged. The National Health Bill 2014 should explicitly declare that the sale and/or trafficking of human ovarian eggs, embryos, embryonic tissues and cloning of human beings are banned under any conditions.

Describing the NHB 2014 as "a recipe for the total collapse of the Health Sector", Dr. Philip Njemanze, Chairman, Global Profile Alliance, GPA, described the contents of Section 51 as “highly treasonable”. “The Senate and National Assembly have shown incompetence and have failed Nigerians. They need to answer to Nigerian judicial states over this bill and we are ready to drag the matter before the International Criminal Court.”

•Anthony Village residents receiving free medical attention during the Comforter's Companions Fellowship medical outreach in Anthony Village, Lagos, weekend. Photo Lamidi Bamidele.

Vanguard, 54 others nominated for healthcare awards

V

ANGUARD Newspapers, 54 others organi sations and individuals have made the final nomination of the Nigerian Healthcare Excellence Awards, NHEA, billed to hold tomorrow at Eko Hotel & Suites, Lagos.

The other nominees are; University of Benin Teaching Hospital, University College Hospital, Ibadan, UBA Foundation, Phillips Healthcare, JNC International, Biostadt, Sproxil, Swipha, Fidson, Greenlife, Crest View, Pathcare, Lagoon, Reddington, Obio Cottage Hospital, Rivers, Providian Medical Diagnostic, Kano, Total Health Trust, Flying Doctors, Smart Health, The Guardian, Channels, MiTV, NigerianInfo FM, MTN Foundation, Diamond Bank, GE Healthcare, MeCure, Lagos State, Kano State, Ondo State, Lilly Hospitals, Warri, etc.

According to the organisers of the award, the nomination exercise was a thorough exercise.

In the views of Dr. Enoma Alade, Anadach Group, USA, “It was a very thorough exercise that was made by the selection committee following over 1,200 nominations forms received from the public”.

According to Pharm Bisi Bright member of the Advisory, “We have ensured that those nominated are organisations and individuals who by every measure of global best practice have demonstrated their professionalism and commitment to healthcare delivery service in Nigeria.”

NHEA is aimed at recognizing the rapid growth in the healthcare sector, and the capacity of individuals and corporate organisations to influence and set new performance standards in Nigeria and beyond. The event is part of a 2-Day MediPharma Africa Conference & Exhibition programme. The Minister of Health, Prof.

Chukwuma Onyebuchi is expected as Special Guest of Honour.

NHEA is organised by Global Health Project and Resources (GHPR) in collaboration with Anadach Group, USA.

COMMON SEXUAL PROBLEMS AND THEIR NOVELTY BASED SOLUTIONS (ADVERTORIAL)

I

have a 19 year old daughter and she will be going into the university this year. She has a lot of boys in her life and I am worried that she might be promiscuous. So I am thinking of buying her a vibrator to take with her to campus. Is it some how for a mother to buy a vibrator for her daughter?

Mrs Rose Dear Rose, it is not strange for a parent to want their adult children to be sexually responsible. First of all, your daughter is an adult now so she is old enough to have sex, own a vibrator and even get married. I don’t see why you can’t guide her or help her in making better choices in her life. It is all part of sex education and it is a parent’s job to guide and educate their children. We all know that she is going to have sex anyway. Rather than being pressured into having sex with all types of people, a vibrator can help a woman meet her sexual needs to some extent and be less promiscuous – Uche Good day sir. Last week, I read your article on oral sex habits and diseases related to it and it was very enlightening. Thankfully, I am married and my wife and I are clean and don’t have sex outside. I enjoy oral sex and so does she. We also enjoy nipple play and if you have novelties along this line, we are very interested – Oluwole I am glad you take your sexual safety seriously. There are two new gels for both oral sex and nipple play that will interest you. The first is called the Nipplicious Nipple Arousal gel. It is edible, fruit flavored and wonderful for nipple and clitoral stimulation. The second one is the Comfortably Numb oral Sex Lotion-Mint Chocolate. What is unique about this oral sex gel is that it numbs the man to prevent premature ejaculation and numbs the woman giving the oral sex to prevent gag reflex (the tendency to choke or vomit). So you will like these two. You will also like the new Pink Nipple Pump and the Mini Nipple Plunger. These are all part of an

exciting new collection of novelties for the month of March – Uche I am 24 and I have a problem of weak erection. My erections are not strong enough for penetration. I want to know which of your products that will help me – Chuka That is odd for a 24 year old. Erectile dysfunction occurs in middle aged and older men. You should go for tests to find out the cause. As for the products that can help you, supplements such as Stiff 4 Hours and Red Lips Premium will make your erections and sexual performances much better – Uche I have every sexual problem that men complain about.

My penis is rather small in size, I ejaculate too early and sometimes I cannot get an erection when I need it. Is there hope for me? Alfred Of course there is hope and I will recommend just one product that will solve all three problems. Get Red Lips Premium or Rhino 5 enhancer. Any of these two supplements will stop your premature ejaculation, enlarge your penis and give you strong erections whenever you need it – Uche Are there love dolls for women and do you have good quality vibrators? Ann Sure. For love dolls, there is the Nick Hawk Gigolo love doll and for the vibrators, the 8” Vibrating Emperor and the Daffy Deep Stroker Rabbit are of very high quality – Uche I have used your products before especially the lubricant for vaginal dryness and they really helped my marriage. I am glad we have you in this country – Bolanle You are welcome. The names of the people featured here have been changed for their privacy. Adults in need of these treatments/novelties can call 08191978308 or 08027901621 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.

V anguard anguard,, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014 — 51

NEWS ON BRIEFS

NATO chief warns Russia against renewed aggression

Boko Haram: Niger republic fears domino effect A

PROVERB in the Hausa language, spoken on both sides of the border between Niger and Nigeria, warns: “When your neighbour’s beard is on fire, fetch water and soak your own.”

With conflict in Nigeria’s north between the army and the Islamist militants of Boko Haram killing hundreds every month, many in southern Niger fear that enoughis not being done to stop it spreading.

To the north, Niger is at the heart of international efforts to tackle Islamist groups in the Sahara, following a French-led offensive last year against al Qaeda-linked militants who occupied neighbouring northern Mali.

In the south, though, the potential spillover from Nigeria’s Islamist uprising has attracted far less attention, despite 40,000 refugees flooding across the border into Niger.

Yet a growing number of incidents, including foiled kidnapping of officials, the seizure of arms and arrests of militants, suggest Boko Haram increasingly sees Niger’s remote southeast not just as a rear base but as a potential target.

With oil-rich regional heavyweight Nigeria failing to quell the uprising, many fear that impoverished Niger would struggle to contain a serious attack.

“Of all the towns in Niger threatened by terrorism, we are on the frontline,” said Inoussa Saouna, central government representative in Diffa, a regional capital lying on the eastern end of the 1,500 km (940 mile) border with Nigeria.

A dusty market town of 50,000 people, Diffa sits just 170 km north of Maiduguri, the capital of Nigeria’s northeastern Borno state which has borne the brunt of Boko Haram’s bloody campaign to impose sharia law in Africa’s most populous nation.

Residents in Diffa say they are worried about infiltration by Boko Haram within the town and don’t call the Nigerian group by its name to avoid drawing attention when they speak of it. Instead, they refer to its members as “Yayani”, which means “my brother” in a local language,

Onlookers at a market bombed by Boko Haram in Ajilari-Gomari area in Maiduguri, Borno State. Photo: REUTERS Kanouri.

“On the Nigerian side, there’s virtually no state,” Saouna said, warning the focus on battling Islamists in the Sahara was leaving Niger’s southern flank exposed. “The day it explodes in Diffa, it’ll be more serious for us than in the north.”

Boko Haram - whose name means ‘Western education is sinful’ in Hausa - has had links with Islamist groups in the Sahara for several years and has dispatched fighters to train with al Qaeda’s North African arm (AQIM), security officials say.

It is not clear to what extent these ties continue or whether the sect has ideological interest in spreading its fight beyond Nigeria. While its smaller splin-

ter group Ansaru adopted the rhetoric of global jihad, Boko Haram has generally been regarded as a locally focused, grass-roots organisation.

Boko Haram has, however, infiltrated northern Cameroon, which borders its zone of operations in the hilly Gwoza area. It claimed responsibility for the kidnapping of a French family there last year and uses the area as a launchpad for attacks.

In Niger, the head of the military, General Seyni Garba, said several Boko Haram members trained by militants in Mali were arrested last year after returning with weapons and orders to lie low in the southern town of Madaoua.

So far, there have been no major attacks in south-

ern Niger, and the government in Niamey, nearly 1,400 km away, has played down the threat. Unlike its hawkish stance on Islamist activity in neighbouring Mali and Libya, Niamey’s cautious approach appears to be an attempt to avoid provoking the Islamists.

In Nigeria, Boko Haram’s brutal campaign of violence against authorities only sprang into life after a 2009 crackdown that killed 800 people, including the sect’s founder Mohammed Yusuf.

Niger’s Defence Minister Karidjo Mahamadou insisted that Boko Haram posed no imminent threat as its focus remained within Nigeria. “We will not provoke them, but if they attack, they will regret it,” he told Reuters.

Iran, West clash over nuclear reactor I RAN and world pow ers locked horns yesterday over the future of a planned Iranian nuclear reactor that could yield plutonium for bombs as the United States warned “hard work” will be needed to overcome differences when the sides reconvene in April.

The meeting in Vienna was the second in a series that the six nations the United States, China, Russia, Germany, France, Britain - hope will produce a verifiable settlement on the scope of Iran’s nuclear program, ensuring it is oriented to peaceful ends only, and put to rest the risk of a new Middle East war.

This week the two sides endeavored to iron out

R

USSIA’S advances in Ukraine are the greatest threat to European security since the Cold War, NATO’s chief was expected to argue, in a speech yesterday making clear the international military alliance must refocus on risks closer to home after years of fighting in far-away war zones.

“This is a wake-up call,” NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said in remarks prepared for a Washington think-tank. An advance copy was obtained by The Associated Press.

He lambasted Moscow’s annexation of Ukraine’s strategic Crimea Peninsula as illegal and illegitimate, and repeated NATO’s decision to suspend a joint maritime escort with Russia for the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons. Additionally, Rasmussen was expected to outline bolstered military measures under preparation for NATO states, if needed, to respond to Russia, including surveillance flights over Poland and Romania, and additional assets for an airspace protection mission over Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

“This is the gravest threat to European security and stability since the end of the Cold War,” Rasmussen said in the prepared afternoon speech at the Brookings Institution.

Captain retracing Malaysia flight says ‘Pray for 370’

R

ETRACING the flight of the doomed Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 is a quiet and eerie trip.

The half-full flight, a red-eye to Beijing, has been renamed flight 318, but its routine and route were the same — providing a sense of what the passengers on the missing plane likely experienced before it disappeared. It left Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, at 12:35 a.m. the same as the ill-fated plane did on March 8.

That first hour when flight MH370 was heading to the moment where it vanished would have been busy.

Within minutes of takeoff the seat belt sign went off, allowing passengers to move around the aircraft.

Drinks were served and the captain made the usual announcements, including a welcome in English and Malay. The flight crew was bustling through the plane attending to passengers.

Flying through the night, hearing only the drone of the plane, flight MH318 reached a point after 40 minutes where someone in the cockpit of flight MH370 said “All right, goodnight” to air traffic control in Malaysia. That was the last time the plane was ever heard from. A few minutes later was the time someone turned off MH370’s transponder. The Boeing 777-200 was now over the Gulf of Thailand, heading towards Vietnam’s airspace. Vietnam’s air traffic controllers never made contact with flight MH370.

Two hours before landing in Beijing a hot breakfast was served on flight 318, a meal passengers of flight MH370 likely never saw. Upon landing in Beijing, the pilot’s usual announcement had a somber twist.

“Welcome to Beijing and please pray for 370,” the captain said.

Israeli PM vows to hit Syria again

I EU Foreign policy chief Ashton and Iran's FM Zarif at a conference in Vienna. their positions on two of the thorniest issues: the level of uranium enrichment conducted in Iran, and its Arak heavy-water reactor that the West sees as a possible source of plutonium for bombs.

They appeared to reach no agreements and said only that they would meet again on April 7-9, also in the Austrian capital.

However, Tehran’s for-

eign minister voiced optimism that their July 20 deadline for a final agreement was within reach.

The broad goal is to transcend ingrained mutual mistrust and give the West confidence that Iran will not be able to produce atomic bombs while Tehran - in return - would win full relief from economic sanctions hamstringing the OPEC state’s economy.

SRAELI warplanes unleashed a series of airstrikes on Syrian military posts early Wednesday, killing one soldier and wounding seven in one of the most serious clashes between the countries in the past four decades.

The airstrikes came in retaliation for a roadside bombing a day earlier in the Golan Heights that wounded four Israeli soldiers on patrol along the tense frontier with Syria. The overnight raids marked a sharp escalation of activity for Israel, which largely has stayed on the sidelines during Syrian President Bashar Assad’s battle against rebels trying to topple him.

It is unclear which of the many groups fighting in Syria may have planted Tuesday’s bomb. But Israel has said it holds Assad responsible for any attacks emanating from his country, and accused his forces of allowing the attack to take place.

“Our policy is clear. We hurt those who hurt us,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said Assad would “regret his actions” if attacks continue.

52 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

C M Y K

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014 —53

C M Y K

54— Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

Mourinho: We’re among the best and fear no one

J

OSE Mourinho claimed Chelsea were back “among the best eight clubs in the world” after last season’s Europa League winners eased beyond Galatasaray to ensure there will be at least one English team participating in a Champions League quarter-final this season.

The Portuguese praised his players for outclassing their Turkish opposition to force passage into the next round.

Mourinho has never lost a quarter-final tie in the Champions League and will await Friday’s draw for the last eight in Nyon with relish after beating Galatasaray 2-0 on the night and 3-1 on aggregate.

“We are there [in the last eight] but it’s different from last season because, then, that was the Europa League and at a different level,” he said. “To come from the Europa League to the quarter-finals of the Champions League is important for the club, important for the players. We are a Champions League club and now we are among the best eight, the best clubs in the world, and we are there.

The players deserve to be there.

•Mourinho

C M Y K

AERIAL CONTEST . . .Galatasaray’s midfielder Felipe Melo ( R) challenges Chelsea’s striker Samuel Eto’o (L) during their UEFA Champions League match at Stamford Bridge in London,Photo: AFP PHOTO

Ronaldo: We can win treble C

RISTIANO Ronaldo believes Real Madrid can win the treble this season after taking another step toward Champions League glory by beating Schalke.

The Spanish giants beat the Germans 3-1 last night in the second leg of the last 16 tie, which took them through 9-2 on aggregate after winning the first leg 61.

Ronaldo scored two goals against the Bundesliga outfit taking his tally to 13 in this season’s competition and the attacker believes his side can win every tournament they are in this season.

Drogba, Sneijder flop at Stamford Bridge

I

F Galatasaray signed Didier Drogba and Wesley Sneijder to help them make a greater impact in the Champions League, they will have been massively disappointed with their performance against Chelsea last night. The highly-paid pair may have combined to send Gala through to the knockout stages at Juventus’ expense, but both were utterly anonymous as Chelsea strolled to a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge.

Drogba won the Champions League with his last touch as a Chelsea player, and was met with a vociferous hero’s welcome that dwarfed his quiet performance. At one stage he blasted a free-kick so high over it hit a banner featuring his own face in

the upper reaches of the stadium. He also completely failed to connect with a free-kick in the second half that just needed a slight touch at close range.

He was the lone striker Gala were relying on to provide the spark in the final third. However, the loss in pace he has suffered at 36, and his physical style, played into the hands of John Terry and Gary Cahill, two physical centrebacks who prefer a battle against strikers of a similar stature rather than quick forwards with a low centre of gravity.

Ironically, the two provided more goal threat than Drogba, as Cahill scored the second after Terry ’s header was spilled by Gala keeper Fernando Muslera.

•Ronaldo

. . . wants to be top scorer C

RISTIANO Ronaldo is never one to rest, even less so in this year ’s Champions League. The Portuguese is competing with Zlatan Ibrahimovic to be this season’s top scorer in the tournament.

PSG’s Swedish striker, who has already qualified for the quarter-finals, has notched up 10 goals, whilst Ronaldo has scored 11.

The Portuguese now has a golden opportunity to put some distance between himself and the

Swede at the top of the goalscoring charts, as PSG played its last sixteen return leg against Leverkusen last Wednesday.

Ronaldo is also looking

to break the record for the most Champions League goals scored in a single season, currently held by Messi, Van Nistelrooy and the Brazilian Mazzola with 14 goals each.

•OLD F RIENDS— Drogba and Terry

Ghana FA hires placenta healer for World Cup

T

HE Ghana Football Association has re-engaged the services of Serbian placenta healer Marijana Kovacevic for the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals Brazil.

The Serbian is

renowned for her horse placenta treatment which heals injured players quicker than stipulated time.

The Ghana FA first engaged her services during the 2010 World

Cup after a recommendation by then coach Milovan Rajevac.

She was also at the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations where Ghana finished fourth at the tournament co-hosted by

Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

Gyan, then hamstrung, made a quicker-thanexpected recovery and featured in the tournament which Ghana finished fourth.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014 — 55

WTF Youth Olympics qualifiers: Team Nigeria gets tough draw T

EAM Nigeria’s duo of Esther Godwin and Ogeh Ogochukwu has been handed a tough challenge as the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF)-organised 2014 Youth Olympics Qualifiers kick off on today in Taipei City, Chinese Taipei.

After their weigh-in on yesterday, Godwin and Ogochukwu will take to the ring on today at the Taipei Arena for their encounters against some experienced athletes.

Godwin, who will be competing in the female -63kg, may likely confront World Junior Champion, Korea’s Park Bo-eui in match 16 of the tournament.

The National Youth Games gold medalist is making her first international appearance and she will face a Herculean task against the favoured Korean who is expected to beat Russia’s Turutina Yulia in her preliminary encounter.

Also, Ogochukwu will also be jostling for honours in the female -49kg and she is expected to tackle the winner between Peru’s Huaman Georgina and Chile’s Rios Francisca.

The nine-man team is supported by the National Sports Commission (NSC) will be guided by the new national coach, Jin Beom Kim.

On Friday, the trio of Iniobong Ekong, Isah Adamu and Bashir Mohammed will take to the king for their ties.

C M Y K

S

OUTH Africa have named the team of Legends that will take on Nigeria’s former Super Eagles stars in an international friendly in Kano later this month.

The list includes legendary stars, goalkeeper Andre Arendse, defenders Aaron Mokoena and Neil Tovey, midfielders Linda Buthelezi Zane Moosa and Macbeth Sibaya.

Fani Madida and Phil Masinga and Shaun Bartlett are also included in the team.

The other Bafana

•Tovey Bafana legends that will make the trip are John ‘shoes’ Moshoeu, Doctor Khumalo, Augustine Makalakane and Benni MacCarthy.

Murray, Lendl split

A

•Action recorded during the Zenith Women's basketball league

NDY Murray has brought his coaching partnership with Ivan Lendl to an end, two-and-a-quarter years after the unlikely pair were brought together.

Both parties described the split as mutual and amicable, with the Czech wishing his charge all success for the future and declaring that he wished to pursue other projects, such as playing on the Seniors Tour and running his tennis academy.

Basketball: Zenith Bank women’s league dunks off

T

HE first phase of the Zenith Bank women’s basketball league dunks off this Friday in Abuja with 16 teams drawn in two groups of eight teams just as the Nigeria

Jamboree Continues from BP mentary proposal submitted by the Nigeria Football Federation even as the committee was aware of the federal government’s World Cup grant of N1.29 billion to the NFF. Apart from that, Gaiya said the NFF will also get FIFA grant. Said he, “ we are also aware that they have participation fee and appearance fee from FIFA. It is a grant given to all participating federations.”

The committee chairman said, “they said from their own working calculation, they still have a shortfall of N800 million.

Ekong has been drawn to face the winner between Croatia’s Ivina Babic and Canada’s Jerom Andrea in the female -55kg, while

Mohammed will confront Cote d’Ivoire’s Aaron Fran in the male -55kg.

Adamu, who will be competing in the male -63kg, will battle Peru’s Oblitas in the first round on Friday March 21.

South Africa name team for Nigeria friendly

But of course it is a proposal. We are looking at items we can trim down.

We don’t expect it to be a jamboree; we don’t want frivolous expenses.”

The lawmaker said his committee would step up its oversight function and ensure every kobo spent - from May 26 to the final of the World Cup - is accounted for.

“We must be there when bonuses are given, we want to know how many people would go for the tournament; all the figures, cost of the hotels and so on. So we will go through it all because of accountability,” he said.

Basketball Federation, NBBF signed a new three year deal with its sponsor valued at N90 million.

President of the NBBF, Tijjani Umar who disclosed this in Lagos said the Opening games will run from Friday, March 21 through Tuesday March 25 while the closing games comes after the March 26 rest day and will run from March 27 to 29.

He added that the the second phase which holds in Ilorin, Kwara

State begins in the first week of May while Lagos will host the Play-offs with the best eight teams at a date to be determined later.

He commended Zenith Bank for sponsoring the competition for 10 years and stressed that the NBBF was looking forward to running a full blown league on a home and away basis.

“We are happy about this development; it is a good sign for our basketball. It used to be a year-

Amadu Continues from BP gression at the world showpiece.

In a chat with Brilafm, Amadu reiterated the importance of getting a win against Iran saying the result will put the Eagles in a better position to progress.

“It is critically important that we win our first game against Iran that

will indicate to us whether we will move forward or not.” Amadu stated.

Nigeria are in Group F at the World Cup with Iran, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Argentina.

The Eagles face Iran in their opening match on June 16, then BosniaHerzegovina on June 21 and Argentina in the final group match on June 25.

ly deal, but we are happy to have a three-year partnership with our sponsors -Zenith Bank.

It is their 10th year of being with us, it is also a clear indication that they want to do more for our league,” Umar said.

Murray found the perfect foil in Lendl, who like him had struggled to win Grand Slams early in his career, and his bolstering presence soon helped him win the US Open, the Olympic gold medal and Wimbledon.

Murray, who is preparing to defend his Sony Open title in Miami over the next 12 days, said: ‘I’m eternally grateful to Ivan for all his hard work over the past two years, the most successful of my career so far.

•Murray

Echejile Continues from BP represent Nigeria and it could not be any bigger to do that than at the World Cup. “We have a great team and great players and will hope to make millions of Nigerians happy with our performance at the World Cup.” Monaco defender Elderson featured at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and even though Nigeria failed to go past the first round, he said it was a thrilling experience.

“It was a great experience to play at the World Cup because I played

against world-class players, some of the best players in the world,” he recalled.

He also revealed that he struggled in his first few years in Europe but his self-belief took him through.

“I lacked some of the basics when I first moved to Europe. But I was ready to learn, work harder every day and with my self-belief I was able to manage the situation,” he said.

He has featured at Stade Rennes (France) and Sporting Braga (Portugal) before his recent switch to Monaco.

V anguard anguard,, THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

World Cup ‘ll make or mar Eagles — Echiejile

E

House Committee warns NFF...

•Echejile

No jamboree in Brazil World Cup •Every kobo must be accounted for •Maigari

•Gaiya

BY JACOB AJOM with agency report

C

CELEBRATION: Super Eagles players mob Brown Ideye in celebration of a goal.

Sudoku TODAY'S

PUZZLE

YESTER DAY'S YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

HAIRMAN of the House Committee on Sports Honourable Godfrey Gaiya has assured Nigerians that it will not be business as usual for members of the Nigerian delegation to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

Speaking in Abuja during the week, Gaiya who said he sponsored himself to Atlanta, USA to

watch the Super Eagles take on Mexico in an international friendly March 5, disclosed that his committee was still studying the supple Continues on Page 55

LDERSON Echie jile has said a good showing at the World Cup in Brazil could further boost the careers of Nigeria stars.

“A good performance at Brazil 2014 will help our various careers,” Elderson said on a special Airtel Football TV interview, which was published on his official w e b s i t e www.elderson3.com “It’s a great honour to

Continues on Page 55

P.54 Mourinho: We’re among the best and fear no one

Amadu: Beating Iran vital at WC

N

IGERIA Football Federation General-Secretary, Musa Amadu, believes that

beating Iran in the opening game of the 2014 World Cup will set the tone for their pro

Continues on Page 55

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 3 Enquired (5) 9 Bird (6) 10 Purify (6) 11 Conceit (5) 12 Sea-eagle (4) 15 Own (4) 17 Perusing (7) 20 Fixed (3) 21 Glory (5) 23 Flat (4) 25 Acid (4) 26 Thick (5) 28 Employ (3) 30 Save (7) 33 Require (4) 35 Always (4) 36 Diminish (5) 38 Ice-spike (6) 39 Obliterate (6) 40 Apply (5)

DOWN: 1 Guide (5) 2 Stadium (5) 3 Serpent (3) 4 Shrivel (6) 5 Whirlpool (4) 6 Expire (3) 7 Map-book (5) 8 Swift (5) 13 Back (7) 14 Bordered (5) 16 Trace (7) 18 Estimate (5) 19 Drunkard (3) 22 Ointment (5) 24 Novel (3) 24 Novel (3) 27 Festival (6) 28 Unfastened (5) 29 Weird (5) 31 Of birds (5) 32 Strayed (5) 34 Goat (4) 36 Beer (3) 37 Newt (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Demure 5, Spoken 9, Angle 10, Relent 11, Eluded 12, Greet 14, Step 17, Yak 18, Cast 20, Sited 22, Puppy 23, Tattler 24, Relay 26, Refit 29, Idol 30, Wry 32, Data 33, Mined 35, Detain 36, Ailing 37, Learn 38, Earned 39, Newest.

DOWN: 1, Duress 2, Mallet 3, Rang 4, Entry 5, Sleek 6, Pelt 7, Kidnap 8, Nudity 13, Eastern 15 Tired 16, Petal 18, Cured 19, Split 21, Day 22, Per 24, Riddle 25, Loiter 27, Famine 28, Target 30, Wined 31, Yearn 33, Mile 34, Dine.

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: 01-4544821; 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.

C M Y K