CABINET SHAKE-UP

...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 61885

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ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

N150

MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013

STATE OF EMERGENCY: IMF okays PIB; 3 soldiers, 14 insurgents calls for early Who killed; 20 arrested •P.8 passage •P.7 should be

CABINET SHAKE-UP

the next CBN 2 .2 P Gov? •

Orubebe, three other ministers to go

BY SONI DANIEL, REGIONAL EDITOR, NORTH

•Maku, Odua, Bala Muhammad to be affected •More ministers warm up for guber election in 2015

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BUJA—INDICA TIONS emerged, last night, that President Goodluck Jonathan might have concluded plans to offload four ministers from his cabinet in a reshuffle that is about to take place this month.

The four ministers; Elder Godsday Orubebe,

Continues on page 5

COLUMNISTS:

DELE SOBOWALE •P.34

LES LEBA •P.40

OCHEREOME NNANNA •P. 44

PAUL BASSEY •P.54

Mr & Mrs

SERVICE FOR ACHEBE—

Primate of All Nigeria Anglican Communion, The Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh, flanked by Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Member Achebe Burial Committee, Prof. Uzodinma Nwagi, while Information Minister, Mr. Labaran Maku (R); Wife of former Senate President, Senator Magery Chuba-Okadigbo (L); Anambra State Deputy Governor, Mr. Emeka Sibeudu (2L) and former FCT CAN Chairman, Rev. Williams Okoye (2R) join in a group photograph after the Commendation Service in honour and Memory of Prof. Chinua Achebe at the National Christian Centre, Abuja, yesterday. Inset: The choir during the service. Photos: Abayomi Adeshida. More pix and story on Page 13.

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Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013 — 5

POCKET CARTOON

DANCE COMPETITION—From left: CMO, MTN Nigeria, Larry Annetts; CTO, MTN Nigeria, Lynda Saint-Nwafor; popular actor and comedian, (Saka) Hafiz Oyetoro and GM, Consumer Marketing, MTN, Kola Oyeyemi, at the MTN “I Don Port" Dance Contest presentation, held at the MTN Office, Ikoyi.

CABINET SHAKE-UP: Orubebe, three other ministers to go Continues from page 1 Mr. Bala Muhammad, Stella Odua and Labaran Maku, are said to have indicated interest in the 2015 election and had obtained the tacit approval of the President to proceed with the process of contesting the gubernato-

rial elections in their respective states.

Minister of State for Education, Mr Nyesom Wike is also believed to be leaving the Federal cabinet to actualise his political ambition.

A competent source told Vanguard that the cabinet reshuffle, the first major one to be un-

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

If you genuinely love someone, don’t ever decorate their eyes with tears, their ears with lies and their heart with wounds. Love genuinely and genuinely love.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

We can save ourselves a great deal of grief by doing or giving purely for the joy of doing. With no expectation of reward or return, our giving and doing becomes a blessing to us. It’s called a service when we serve with joy; the universe, not people, pays us in abundance — Iyanla Vanzant Do you love yourself? Are you in harmony with you? Do you treat yourself with respect? Are you generous and kind, and supportive of you? Do you trust yourself and treat yourself as though you can be trusted? Do you accept your weakness and celebrate your success? Do you radiate love or are you just looking to find love. Until you love who you are, not just say it, but do it and believe it, you will never find the love you are or the love you believe someone else has to give you.

A relationship is not just a place we go to find love and companionship. It is a place we go to heal, to grow and work on ourselves. A relationship is an environment which gives the opportunity to see how much we are capable of giving, how strong we are, and flexible we can be. The key to successfully living through issues of a relationship is one’s ability to keep the heart open to do the work that is required for your growth.

dertaken by President Jonathan since coming into office after the 2011 election, is planned to mark the second anniversary of his administration and to pave the way for those with higher political ambition to actualise their plans.

2015: More ministers warm up for guber posts The source said that there might be more ministers who are interested in taking over from the current set of governors across the country but that the picture would emerge in the next few days as the President was set to unfold the shape of his cabinet that would enable him to deliver dividends of democracy to the nation and win reelection in 2015.

The source hinted that it was as a result of the subtle blessing given the Niger Delta Minister by Jonathan to begin the process of taking over from Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State that made Orubebe publicly announce his gubernatorial ambition to the people of the state during a recent visit.

Although, the declaration of his political interest to rule Delta State has pitted him against his godfather, a source close to the Presidency said that the apparent difference would be resolved in Orubebe’s favour since Clark could not disagree with Jonathan’s interest.

“The most important development in the Delta situation is that Orubebe has got the endorsement of both President Jonathan and Governor Uduaghan. At the appropriate time, Clark who brought Orubebe into the ministerial seat, will calm down,” the source explained.

It was also learnt that the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Mr. Bala Muhammad, had also pleaded with the President to allow him contest as the gubernatorial candidate of the PDP in Bauchi State so as to take over from his former boss, Mallam Isa Yuguda.

The major snag in Muhammad’s case, however, is that an influential female player in the administration of Jonathan described as Bala’s godmother might not be favourably disposed to allowing him to leave the crucial FCT ministerial post for the murky water of politics.

The woman, it was gathered, was instrumental to Bala’s choice in 2010 and re-appointment in 2011 and would therefore grudgingly acquiesce to his ‘untimely’ exit from the cabinet.

Maku, Odua eye Nasarawa, Anambra govt houses In the case of Labaran Maku and Stella Odua, the source explained that political strategists believe that they have what it takes to wrestle power from the opposition governors in Nasarawa and Anambra states and give the PDP an edge in the next election.

Maku, an Eggon, the

largest tribe in Nasarawa State, may, however, have to contest against Solomon Ewuga, another strong politician, who recently won a court victory to represent the area in the Senate.

Odua, a strong campaigner for Jonathan, is also said to have the ears of Governor Peter Obi, who is enjoying his second term in office and is seen as the arrow head of support for President Jonathan in the South-East.

A cabinet member, who spoke in confidence to Vanguard confirmed that there were permutations around 2015 and that the President being a democrat would not stand in the way of any member with political ambition.

Emergency rule yielding results — Jonathan

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BUJA—PRESI DENT Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, thanked Nigerians for the overwhelming support they gave to the state of emergency which he declared last week in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states.

The President also noted that efforts of the Armed Forces have already started yielding positive results.

A statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe said: “President Goodluck Jonathan has expressed gratitude to all Nigerians for the overwhelming support they have given to the declaration of state of emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States.

"The President also thanked the leadership of the National Assembly and many of its members, who have through

calls and personal visitations, given solidarity and support for this extraordinary step taken by the President to halt the mindless killings, bombings and general insecurity that had prevailed in that part of the country."

The statement also noted that "available information confirms that the insurgents have been dislodged from their previously safe havens and camps while many have been apprehended, and their activities in the affected states have been brought to a total halt.”

The President thanked the "Governors of the federation, especially the Northern states governors Forum; Leaders and Elders in the North, traditional rulers, religious leaders, cultural and political groups nationwide including opposition political parties, civil society organisations and the Media”.

6 — Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013

One dies as building collapses in Badagry

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ADAGRY — ONE person is suspected to have died in a collapsed building located at Godo Blocks Estate, Ibereko in Badagry, weekend.

The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, learnt that the victim, Kehinde Williams, 28, a carpenter, was working in the building when it collapsed.

The building was said to have collapsed about 10 a.m.on Saturday but the rescue work did not begin till 12.24p.m.

An eyewitness said the deceased was trying to remove the planks from the deck of the building when it collapsed.

“From our observations, it appeared that the blocks used for the construction were not of high quality and the cement was not yet dry before he started removing the planks from the deck. It was while removing the planks that the building collapsed,” the witness said.

Why we returned rape victims to orphanage —Ogun

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

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BEOKUTA — THE Ogun State government has explained that the decision to return the two children who were allegedly raped by a pastor to the orphanage where the incident took place was in the best interest of the children who had known no other place than the Home.

State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Elizabeth Sonubi, in a statement, yesterday, explained that the victims of the alleged child abuse were returned to the Light of Hope Orphanage, Akute, run by Pastor Olutayo Atunde, who is currently remanded in prison for allegedly raping them, because the home is the most conducive place for them.

Pastor Atunde who has been accused of luring the two children before having the carnal knowledge of them was subsequently arrested by police and then charged to court which remanded him in prison.

Explaining why it took the action, the government said: “A Non Governmental Organisation, Project Alert, which petitioned the Police over the allegation against Atunde, demanded money to accommodate the children and relatives who were invited to take them into custody outrightly rejected the offer to take up such responsibilities."

BY EMMA AMAIZE

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SABA — POLICE in Delta State have arrested and detained four police officers, including an Assistant Superintendent of Police, Sergeant and Corporal, for allegedly aiding the escape of a kidnap kingpin from police cell in Asaba, weekend.

Delta State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ikechukwu Aduba, confirmed the detention of the police officers when contacted

by Vanguard, yesterday.

This came as the Joint Task Force, JTF, in Sapele, arrested four suspected kidnappers and razed the shrine of a native doctor, who prepared charm for the gang.

Investigations showed that soon after he escaped, the kidnap kingpin from the South-East region called the complainant in the case to inform him that he had paid his way out of police cell and he should get ready for him.

Our source said: “The complainant and his family fled their location to an unknown place, same night the escapee kidnap suspect called him. You can imagine what some greedy police officers have caused the man and his family.”

Commissioner Aduba in a terse SMS said: “Detention and investigation ordered, appropriate sanction will be applied.”

He later told Vanguard on phone: “The stand of the Inspector General of Police is very clear: any police officer involved in any criminal matter is on his own. The matter is being investigated. You know me, I do not condone non-

A sewage truck discharging waste at a roadside in Oppolo Epie, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, yesterday. Photo: NAN.

Police nab ASP, 3 others over kidnap kingpin’s escape As JTF arrests 4 suspected kidnappers Razes native doctor’s shrine sense and we will remain focussed in our fight against criminals in the state.”

A police officer, who spoke to Vanguard said: “What happened is a shame. Police officers collected money from the kidnapper, brought by members of his gang and they brought him out.

A person who was on handcuffs, they unchained him and one of

Hardened kidnappers behind Judge’s family abduction — Security men

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

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ENIN CITY — ABDUCTORS of the wife, daughter and driver of Justice Bode Rhodes-Viviour, of the Supreme Court, have been ranked as ‘hardened kidnappers’ by security agents and are suspected to have international links.

They are described as such due to their doggedness in keeping the family of the Supreme Court Judge in an unknown destination two weeks after they were abducted around Okada area while travelling from Lagos for a wedding in Edo State, despite the pleas by Nigerians for their release.

Vanguard learnt that the search for the family has intensified in the three states of Edo, Ondo and Delta. It was also gathered that the suspected kidnappers are insisting on a ransom of N200 million.

It was also gathered that the suspected kidnappers operate in a sophisticated form by ensuring that they are not traced to any particular area.

However, security operatives are working 24 hours to ensure

that the victims are freed safely.

The Edo State government had last week appealed to the kidnappers to release the victims unhurt so that they would be able to rejoin members of their family.

Meantime, the Nigerian Bar Association in Edo State has reiterated its appeal for the release of the victims and urged the kidnappers to see them as

them claimed he was going to cut his hair or do something upstairs.

“I even heard that they gave him police uniform to wear and he walked out of the police station in Asaba and they are there telling cock and bull stories that they do not know he was a kidnapper. This is not the first time this kind of thing is happening, but I know the Commissioner will not spare anybody. That is their own cup of tea.

JTF arrests 4 suspected kidnappers The four suspected kidnappers were nabbed by the JTF in conjunction with the Delta Waterways Security Committee, DWSC, Warri, after the rescue of Mr. Enye Edema, father of the Head of Department, Security, Delta State Oil Minerals Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, Mr S.

Edema, a lawyer, who was abducted about five days ago.

Our source said: “One of them, Great, was arrested between Adeje and Oviri Court, Sunday morning, when he came to pick up N500,000 ransom placed on a culvert, not knowing that security agents had laid siege to the place.

“He came out of hiding to pick the ransom and was promptly arrested. He confessed that Precious drove the vehicle the day Pa Edema was kidnapped which led to the driver’s arrest.

“The leader of the gang, Marcus, was also arrested in Sapele with the assistance of a vigilance group.

“However, two other members of the gang, Lawrence and Peace are at large, while the shrine of the native doctor, who they took Pa Edema to was razed.

“Three motorcycles were reportedly used by the kidnappers in the operation,” he added

Top prisons officer arrested for operating illegal varsity ...600 illegal schools uncovered

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

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SABA —A SENIOR official of the Nigerian Prisons Service in Delta State has been arrested for allegedly running an illegal university in the state.

This came as no fewer than 600 illegal schools have also been uncovered.

A team of officials of the National Universities Commission, NUC, accompanied by men of the ICPC had, last Thursday, in Asaba, stormed the illegal university where

the prisons official who is the Programme Director was whisked away along with other staff.

The illegal Imo State University, Asaba satellite campus began operation in 2008.

The Programme Director of the illegal university (names withheld) admitted that they were asked to close down since last year but insisted that they were no longer admitting fresh students but only keeping on to graduate the old intakes.

Meantime, the State Commissioner of Education (Basic and Secondary), Professor Patrick Muoboghare shocked reporters, weekend, when he announced that a total of 600 illegal schools operated by private owners had been uncovered.

The commissioner said the discovery followed “my ministry’s surveillance which is aimed at establishing the correct and current operational and official status of institutions.”

Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013 — 7

BY CLARA NWACHUKWU

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LOBAL financial watchdog, the International Monetary Fund, IMF, has commended Nigeria’s Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, saying, it “would boost investment, government revenue, and fiscal transparency.”

The commendation was given in spite of varied criticisms by oil majors and other interest groups against some of the fiscal propositions in the bill. It was the first international endorsement for Nigeria’s economic reforms, in which oil and gas is the bedrock.

The IMF in a Public Information Notice, PIN, released on March 28, and obtained by Vanguard, also called for early passage of the bill saying, “directors welcomed reforms underway in the energy sector, and looked forward to an early passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill.”

The IMF said its appraisal followed the conclusion of consultations between its Executive Board and Nigeria under the 2012 Article IV, on February 6, 2013.

The PIB is one of Nigeria’s most important pieces of legislation, which proposes massive reforms in the petroleum industry.

As such, the IMF pass mark comes at a time the Bill is going through critical appraisals under public hearings in the lower house of the National Assembly.

IMF okays PIB; calls for early passage ...declares macroeconomic performance positive

However, the directors agreed that “widespread unemployment and poverty remain key challenges for policymakers,” and called for renewed efforts to make economic growth more broad-based and inclusive.

The directors also supported government’s strategy to consolidate the fiscal position while opening up policy space for needed investment in infrastructure and human capital.

“To this end, they underscored the need to improve tax administration, prioritise public expenditure, strengthen public financial management, and improve the fiscal framework.

Reduction of fuel subsidy

ARRIVAL—From left: Princess Olabisi Sangodoye; Dr Alex Ekwueme; and Chief Ebenezer Babatope at the Southern Nigeria Peoples Assembly at the Eko Hotel in Lagos, yesterday.

Photo: Shola Oyelese.

At the recently concluded Offshore Technology Conference, OTC in Houston Texas, USA, Commendation the lawmakers who attended the conference like the IMF, agreed counterweighs IOCs that the bill will institute greatcriticism er transparency in the system The IMF’s endorsement, ana- and maximise government’s lysts believe, will provide a revenues. counterweight to the trenchant criticism coming mainly from the N-Assembly reiterates International Oil Companies, commitment to passage IOCs, regarding the Bill. of PIB Although the fate of the Bill rests with the legislators, the Speaking on behalf of his colIMF’s remarks is expected to leagues, Senator Emmanuel present an important interna- Paulker, also Committee Chair tional perspective on the Bill for on Upstream, and his counterthe benefit of the lawmakers who part from the House of Repreare daily fed with disparaging sentatives, Samson Osagie, remarks on the document.

Deputy Committee Chair on Surprisingly, the IMF’s en- PIB, reiterated the commitment dorsement, which is yet to be of the National Assembly to publicised, is a welcome devel- passing the bill before year end. opment, especially as the global They maintained that unlike agency is constantly criticised for its predecessor, the new bill will its “conditionalities” in saving not suffer from undue political developing countries, including manipulations, but will protect Nigeria, from economic woes. national interest.

The IOCs have continued to insist that the passage of the Bill will force operating companies to exit Nigeria for countries with more generous fiscal terms, but the legislators gave the assurance that the fiscal regime will not be too harsh as to drive away existing or prospective investors.

Macroeconomic observations The IMF in its notice also declared Nigeria’s macroeconomic performance as being “broadly positive over the past year”, notwithstanding that “ real gross domestic product, GDP, growth is projected to have decelerated slightly to 6.3 percent, reflecting the effects of the nationwide strike in early 2012, floods in the fourth quarter of 2012, and continued security problems in the north.

“Annual inflation increased from 10.3 percent (end-of-period) in 2011 to 12.3 percent in 2012, owing mainly to the adjustment of administrative prices of fuel and electricity; large increases in import tariffs on rice and wheat; and the impact of floods in Q3.

“The external position has strengthened while international reserves rose from US$32.6 billion at end-2011 to US$44 billion at end-2012 (5½ months of prospective imports), driven by sustained high oil prices, stricter administration of the gasoline subsidy regime, and strong portfolio inflows.”

Furthermore, the agency noted that the country’s fiscal policy stance was tightened in

2012, and fiscal buffers are being rebuilt. “The non-oil primary deficit of the consolidated government is estimated to have narrowed from about 36 percent of non-oil GDP in 2011 to 30.5 percent in 2012, mainly due to expenditure restraint.

“Monetary policy remained tight in 2012 in response to inflationary pressures. The Central Bank kept its policy rate unchanged during the year but raised the cash reserve requirement for banks from eight percent to 12 percent and lowered allowable open foreign exchange position for banks. Financial soundness indicators point to continued improvements in the health of the banking system.

"It also noted that “in 2013, growth is expected to recover to above seven percent. Inflation is projected to decline below 10 percent, supported by the tight monetary policy stance and ongoing fiscal consolidation.

“The key downside risks are a large drop in world oil prices; and slow progress in building consensus around key fiscal reforms.

FG macroeconomic policy "In view of the foregoing, the IMF Executive Directors commended the Federal Government for its “prudent macroeconomic policies that have underpinned a strong economic performance in recent years.”

“In particular, they encouraged the authorities to reduce poorly-targeted fuel subsidies, adopt a rule to set the reference oil price in the budget, and fully operationalise the Sovereign Wealth Fund as soon as possible.”

They added that efforts to mobilise public support for these reforms should be intensified.

Furthermore, the Directors considered the current tight monetary stance to be consistent with the authorities’ objective of reducing inflation to single digits, adding that the exchange rate in real effective terms is broadly in line with fundamentals.

Other commendations and observations of directors were: "Commended Nigeria’s success in restoring financial stability after the 2009 banking crisis.

"In light of this achievement, they recommended winding down the operations of the asset management company to curb moral hazard and fiscal risks.

"Welcomed the Central Bank’s commitment to address supervisory and regulatory gaps identified in the financial stability assessment update, particularly the need to strengthen cross-border supervision and the regime against money laundering and terrorism financing.

"Concurred that wide-ranging reforms are key to make growth more inclusive. Agreed on the importance of supporting sectors with high employment potential, not through protectionist measures or tax incentives but rather with initiatives to improve governance, the investment climate, and competiveness.

"Encouraged the authorities to promote market-based access to credit for small and medium sized enterprises".

8—Vanguard , MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013

Aviation workers insist on strike

State of emergency: 3 soldiers, 14 Boko Haram members dead

BY KINGSLEY OMONOBI

BY DANIEL ETEGHE

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AGOS—WORKERS in the nation’s aviation sector, yesterday, insisted on going ahead with planned strike today, dismissing statement from the management of Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, that the strike had been suspended.

This came as the workers, under the umbrella of National Union of Air Transport Employees, NUATE, Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association, ATSSSAN, and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineer, NAAPE, are, however, said to be meeting with the officials of the Aviation Ministry, tomorrow, for possible resolution of the issue.

A joint statement by Mr. Olayinka Abioye, Mr. Abdulkareem Motajo and Mr. Aba Ocheme, leaders of NUATE, ATSSSAN and NAAPE, urged the public to discountenance the statement by the General Manager of Public Affairs of NAMA, Mr. Supo Atobatele, that the strike had been put on hold.

Lagos salvages N139bn property

BY MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO

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AGOS—LAGOS State government, weekend, said N139 billion worth of goods and property, that could have been lost to fire in the state last year, were saved through the intervention of the state fire service.

Commissioners for Transportation and Home Affairs and Culture, Mr. Kayode Opeifa and Mr. Oyinlomo Danmole, respectively, disclosed this during the 2013 ministerial briefing, to commemorate the 6th anniversary of Governor Babatunde Fashola’s administration.

Danmole said that they were saved from the 2,342 fire incidents recorded, saying “larger percentage of the fire cases recorded in the year under review occurred in residential buildings in the state.”

He lamented that the number of fire incidents recorded in the state was outrageous.

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BUJA—AS the military offensive to dislodge the Islamist sect, Boko Haram, from the Northern part of the country continued yesterday, Defence Headquarters said its mop-up operation had revealed that three soldiers were killed, one missing, and 14 terrorists confirmed dead.

The mop-up operation also revealed that seven soldiers were wounded, 20 terrorists apprehended, while seven vehicles and 13 handsets, belonging to the sect members, were recovered.

The wounded soldiers were being treated in a military facility.

Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Chris Olukolade, who disclosed this in a statement,

said: “Troops have continued the advance and attack on identified terrorist camps in the Northern part of the country.

“Patrols are also ongoing to secure towns and villages from infiltration, while curfew on identified flash points is being enforced.

“Dislodged terrorist have been noted to be in disarray with a large number of them heading backwards to vari-

ous borders. Their bases are being deserted but they are making efforts to evacuate most of the large stock of logistics, including scores of vehicles in their holdings.

“In the course of Special Forces pursuits and operations, a number of encounters have ensued since yesterday.

“After a mop-up of scenes of battle, 14 terrorists were confirmed dead, while seven vehicles and 13 telephone handsets were recovered. A total of 20 terrorists were apprehended as they fled.

“Altogether, three soldiers died, seven wounded and are being treated in military medical facility, while one soldier is missing.”

Strategy

PRESENTATION: Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State(4th right); Professor Itse Sagay, the author(3rd left); Professor Ben Nwabueze (2nd left); Mr. Lawal Pedro, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice (left); Mr. Ade Ipaye, Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice (2nd right) and his Ogun State counterpart, Mrs. Abimbola Akeredolu (right), at the public presentation of Professor Sagay's book entitled The Enforcement of Electoral Laws and Case Law of 2007 Election Judgments in Lagos.

Agbakoba asks court to quash N976.7bn subsidy suit

BY INNOCENT ANABA

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EFENCE counsel to O l u w a s e u n Ogunbambo and his co-defendants in two of many fuel subsidy trials before a Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja, Mr. Olisa Agbakoba, has asked the court to quash the charges against his clients.

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC,

preferred a 10-count charge against Ogunbambo for allegedly using forged cargo and freight documents to obtain N976.653 million as subsidy claims from the Federal Government.

Agbokoba, in the application, raised the issues of jurisdiction and constitutionality of the court to hear the matter, including Miranda Rights, which are rights of persons arrested or de-

tained, to have legal representation immediately on arrest and before making any statement.

The court is being called upon to determine the issue of nonadministration of Miranda Rights by law enforcement agents which, Agbakoba argued, were contained in Section 35(2) of the Constitution and Section 3(2) & (3) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos State.

Flood: Ejigbo disburses N5m to CDAs

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

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AGOS—EJIGBO Local Coun cil Development Area, LCDA, has called on residents and community associations to complement government's efforts at checking flood and its negative effect in the area as the rainy season intensifies.

The council had already disbursed N5.72,000 million to 74 Community Development Associations, CDAs, as grants to clear their drainage to enhance free-

flow of water.

A total of N2,760,000 was disbursed last year to 69 CDAs, with each receiving N40,000, while N2.960,000 was last weekend disbursed to 74 CDAs, with each getting N40,000.

Chairman of the council, Kehinde Bamigbetan, while presenting cash in the second phase of the programme at Ejigbo Town Hall, explained that the token was to serve as an encouragement to the residents to initiate moves on the clearing of drains.

He noted that the measure had been yielding results as the perennial flooding in the area had reduced.

Vanguard learnt that the strategy of first deploying heavily armed soldiers, backed by air force reconnaissance aircraft to the bordering towns and storming terrorists’ camps along the borders with Cameroon, Chad, and Niger, made it impossible for the terrorists to escape across borders.

A military source said: “I can tell you authoritatively that the so-called insurgents’ are caged. They can’t run anywhere.

“Even when they try to run and discover it is suicidal at the borders, they come back and try to muscle their way but we are ready for them. We are, however, conscious that they could have surprises up their sleeve.”

Vanguard was told that the decision of the Commanders of the troops on ground to brave the dangers of launching a direct confrontation with the insurgents in their den, followed obedience to instructions from the military high command in Abuja, who insists that rules of engagements should be followed and the rights of combatants in such operation respected and protected.

Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013 — 9

Ekiti guber aspirant faults zoning

Customs, firm disagree over scanner contract

BY GODWIN ORITSE

BY GBENGA ARIYIBI

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DO-EKITI—A gubernatorial aspirant under Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ekiti State, Otunba Femi Olaosebikan, has advised politicians from the South Senatorial District of the state against dissipating energy on zoning the 2014 gubernatorial election.

Olaosebikan said they should rather focus attention on how the party can produce a strong candidate that would dislodge Action Congress of Nigeria.

Olaosebikan, said in Ado-Ekiti, yesterday, said: “We have had governors from Central and North, when we believed in zoning, but nothing has come out of it except cosmetic solutions to problems.”

Ajayi faults tricycle ban in Lagos

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AGOS—A chieftain of Alliance for Democracy, AD, in Lagos, Chief Kola Ajayi, yesterday, decried the banning of commercial tricycles on major highways in Lagos.

Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa, had on May 10 announced the ban in Lagos.

Opeifa said that operation of the tricycles, popularly called Keke Marwa, constituted a nuisance on Lagos roads.

Ajayi, who is the Chairman of AD in Lagos State, said that the ban was unnecessary.

VISIT: From left— Mrs Annie Hawkins, wife of United States of America, USA's Consular-General; in Nigeria, Mr. Jeffrey Hawkins, US Consul-General, and Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, Alaafin of Oyo, during the US envoy's visit to the Alaafin in Oyo, yesterday.

Alaafin urges US to assist Nigeria on security

BY OLA AJAYI

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BADAN—THE Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, has called on the United States of America, USA, to intervene in the security challenges in Nigeria.

The call was made, yesterday, when he was receiving the US Consul-General to Nigeria, Mr. Jeffrey Hawkins, in his palace.

Oba Adeyemi said: “Nigeria is facing serious challenges in the area of security. I want to use this occasion to ask you, formally, to get the American government to assist Nigeria in terms of security.

“We appeal to America, as a strong ally of Nigeria, to rise and help. Time is ripe for America to help us. A part of the problem is that our country has porous borders. That is one of the reasons why Nigeria is being invaded.”

On culture, the monarch said: “We live in a fast changing world. While things are changing, we have kept vital aspects of our culture alive. As

human beings, we have to preserve our culture to know where we came from.”

Earlier, Hawkins said: “I do not know how to play the talking drum. But we appreciate the Yoruba culture and your kindness. We are here to explore and understand your culture.

We understand that at a time this kingdom spanned across many countries in Africa.”

The American also told O b a Adeyemi that he and his entourage were also interested in knowing the roles of traditional kings in modern Nigeria.

Ogun guber: ACN, PDP factions join LP

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

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BEOKUTA—AHEAD of the 2015 gen eral elections, factions of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, and Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, in Ogun State, led by the state’s former Deputy Governor, Chief Rafiu Ogunleye, and Chief Ladi Adebutu, respectively, have defected to the Labour Party, LP, in the state.

Also, Peoples Party of Nigeria, PPN, has joined LP in a bid to wrest power from Ibikunle Amosun-led government in the coming governorship election.

Vanguard gathered that Ogunleye decided to dump ACN following the unresolved crisis in the party, which reportedly led to his loss of hold in some parts of Ogun East Senatorial District.

Announcing his defection to LP in his

Iperu homestead, weekend, Adebutu, son of multi-billionarie businessman, Chief Kessington Adebutu, said he, along with 5,000 others from PDP, and the ruling ACN, had to defect to LP because the main opposition party had become “prostrate” in the state.

Welcoming the defectors, the LP Secretary in the state, Mr. Sunday Oginni, said that the party would continue to welcome defectors from PDP and other parties in Ogun State.

In a swift reaction, PDP said that those defecting to LP were members of PPN, led by former governor of the state, Otunba Gbenga Daniel.

PDP's state Publicity Secretary, Mr. Waliu Oladipupo, said that Adebutu had always been a member of PPN.

Retired Methodist Archbishop, Ayo Ladigbolu, described the Alaafin as a leading Yoruba monarch, adding that it was the Alaafin that signed a peace treaty on February 3, 1893 as the representative of the Yoruba.

HERE is a sharp disa greement between the firms contracted to install a scanner at the Seme Border outpost of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS. Contrary to reports, Managing Director of the company, Global Scansystems Ltd, Mr. Fred Udechukwu, has said the scanners are now fully installed, tested and are working at the Seme border post.

Public Relations Officer of NCS, Mr. Wale Adeniyi, had recently alleged that the firm had defaulted in its obligations to install the scanners at Seme border.

Udechukwu said the new installation at the border brings to eight the number of scanners currently operated by the only indigenous company executing the Federal Government’s ongoing destination inspection contract.

10—Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013

Daewoo: Labour Ministry summons Delta NLC

BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG

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ARRI—MINISTRY of Labour and Productivity, has summoned the leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Delta State Council and the management of Daewoo Construction Limited, to its office in Warri, Delta State, today, to find solution to the brewing industrial unrest in the state over Daewoo's alleged refusal to allow its workers belong to labour unions as guaranteed in the Nigerian Constitution.

This came as the state NLC called on the state governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, and other well meaning individuals and organisations to call the management of Daewoo to order to avoid industrial upheaval in the state.

Chairman of the state NLC, Mr. Williams Akporegha, who confirmed the summon to Vanguard, however, said NLC would no longer guarantee industrial peace in the state in the next few days, should the government fail to call the management of the company to order, noting that workers in the state had been put on red alert on the issue.

NLC in the state and the management of the company had been at loggerheads over Daewoo's alleged refusal to allow its workers join the National Union of Civil, Engineering and Construction Wood Workers, NUCCEUWW, an affiliate of NLC.

FG wades into NIMASA, NLNG rift

BY SONI DANIEL & EMMA UJAH

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HE Federal Government has intervened in the face-off between the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA and the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas Company, NLNG, over unpaid levies amounting to billions of Naira.

The face-off between the two government agencies arose following what NIMASA described as the expiration of the ten-year tax holiday granted NLNG by the law establishing the firm. Under the Act, NLNG was exempted from paying 3 percent of its gross freight on all international inbound and outbound cargo to the government.

However, NIMASA is insisting that the condition that warranted the exemption of NLNG from paying the levies terminated over ten years ago and that the latter should have started remitting its taxes and levies to the Nigerian government since 2004.

The non-payment of the levies, which are believed to have hit billions of Naira, forced NIMASA to move against NLNG, disrupting its exports for many days.

However, the Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Patrick Akpobolokemi, said yesterday,

that the Federal Government had waded into the feud and resolved that the matter should be sorted out amicably.

Although the DG did not say how much the NLNG was owing NIMASA, he stated that the government had asked the gas firm to pay arrears of its indebtedness with effect from 2009.

He said: “We had to enforce our laws relating to the payment of levies by the NLNG. The compa-

ny refused to pay its indebtedness to us and that act emboldened others not to pay.

But as at today, the government has seen reason with us and has asked NLNG to pay the debt. We should have started the calculation of what they are owing us from 2004 when they hit over 3 percent in gas price sales but we will start the calculation from 2009 and whatever it comes to, they

have to pay us.”

Throwing light on the operation of NIMASA, Akpobolokemi said the agency had not committed any form of infraction in its recruitment and retirement policies as alleged in some quarters but added that Nigeria did not have enough Master Seafearers and surveyors, making it impossible for all the states to be represented in the agency.

COMMISSIONING: Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan (2nd right); H.R.M. Noble Oyibo Eshemitan, the Orefe of Oghara Kingdom (right); Elder Ekeoma Ekeoma, Chairman, Nepal Group and his wife Ngozi, MD/CEO, Nepal Group (left), during the commissioning of Nepal Tank Farm and jetty, by the governor in Oghara, weekend.

UPU leadership crisis resolved

Wike charges Rivers PDP to see Amaechi as party leader T

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

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ORT HARCOURT— MINISTER of State for Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike, has charged the leadership of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Rivers State to reconcile with aggrieved members of the party.

Wike, weekend, at a thanksgiving service organ-

ised by the party in Port Harcourt, the state capital, also tasked the new leadership of the party to accord the governor of the state his rightful place in the party. Describing the governor as the leader of the party in the state, Wike noted that power had come back to the original owners of the party in the state.

He said: “Power has returned to the original owners. The people who just lost out in the process will be angry and they will

show anger in their behaviour towards you. It is only natural because they are human beings also.

“However, we should not allow ourselves to be drawn into unnecessary feuds because they are abusing us.

We must be abused. The chairman of our party should see himself as a father and make sure he reconciles all aggrieved party members.

He must have a large heart and now proceed to bring back his children.

“I must state this again, I am a minister and not the governor of the state and the governor of the state is the party leader and must be respected as such.”

On his part, the state Chairman of the party, Mr Felix Obuah, assured that the party would support President Goodluck Jonathan to run for a second term.

HE leadership crisis that had rocked Urhobo Progess Union, UPU, was yesterday, resolved.

At a well attended meeting of the Council of Representatives, an organ of the UPU, at Uvwiamuge – Agbarho, in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, all issues relating to the crisis were amicably resolved.

After a briefing by the President-General, General Patrick Aziza, on the cause of the crisis, Chief O. C Majoroh, First Deputy President, requested that all issues relating to the misunderstanding be laid to rest, to enable Urhobo nation move forward. The SecretaryGeneral, Mr. John Onojakpor, tendered an apology and asked to be forgiven for what he had done.

The high point of the meeting was when Chief Steve Sokoh, President-General of Udu Kingdom, moved a motion to pass a vote of confidence on General Aziza as President-General and the executive. The motion was seconded by Chief Emmanuel Okumagba, President-General of Okere-Warri, and thereafter adopted.

Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013 — 11

Jonathan fulfils campaign promise to S-East Approves take off of Akanu Ibiam In’tl Airport, Enugu To make Enugu a Free Trade Zone

By TONY EDIKE

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NUGU—PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has fulfilled his campaign promise to Ndigbo of the South Eastern zone of the country by approving the take off an international airport and the proposed establishment of a Free Trade Zone in Enugu to boost the economy of the zone, The President commissioned the remodelled terminal of Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, weekend, with an assurance that the first international flight by Ethiopian Airline would take off from the airport next month.

Jonathan, who also addressed Igbo stakeholders and political leaders at a forum held at Government House, Enugu, said he would continue to protect the interest of Ndigbo, having enjoyed tremendous support from the zone since he ventured into national politics.

He said the upgrade of Enugu airport was one of the key requests he received from the people of the South East during his campaign in 2011, adding that he promised to bring about the transformation of the economy by opening up the international wing of the airport.

The President said: ”This is the fulfillment of that promise. I am grateful that this promise is be-

ing fulfilled through key interventions not only here at the Akanu Ibiam international airport, Enugu, but also at the Sam Mbakwe Cargo Airport in Owerri and other major sectors. We shall not relent until every promise we made is fulfilled. ”With Enugu hosting a brand new runway and a newly remodelled terminal, the South

East region of Nigeria will be saying to the world we are open for business.”

Laying the foundation of the new international terminal of the airport, a project expected to be completed in December 2014, the president said when completed, the airport would lift about 500,000 international passengers each year as well as fa-

cilitate the export of farm produce from Nigeria.

He said the South East was a land-locked area, stressing that “if there is any zone in this country that really needs international airport, it is the South East because most other zones have access to the sea but the South East is land-locked, even when the people of the zone are more in commerce, industry and are the most travelled.”

AWARD: Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Chairman, Presidential Amnesty Programme, Mr. Kingsley Kuku (left), with former Presidents, National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, Comrades Daniel Onje, Dennis Inyang, Daniel Oladele (pioneer president-second right), serving president, Comrade Yinka Gbadebo (right), former and current leaders of the association, during the conferment of Meritorious Life Membership Award on Kuku in Abuja.

Priests’ protest: Okpalaeke to be ordained outside Mbaise

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

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WERRI—THE Vatican has, in collaboration with the Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri, concluded plans to ordain the largely rejected Monsignor Peter Okpalaeke as the new bishop of Ahiara Diocese.

Archbishop Anthony J.V. Obinna disclosed this yesterday, while delivering the homily during a Pontifical Sung

Mass at Maria Assumpta Cathedral, Owerri.

The Archbishop said: “Barring any unforeseen circumstance, the Bishop-elect of Ahiara Diocese, Monsignor Okpalaeke, will be ordained next Tuesday, at Seat of Wisdom Seminary, Ulakwo.

“We decided to organize the ordination away from Mbaise so as to give peace a chance” adding that Okpalaeke will stay outside Mbaise until the situation be-

comes clear for him to resume duties.

“Where it is not possible for him to resume in Mbaise, the Pope will decide on the next line of action. It is sad that what we are experiencing is a war between Catholics and Catholics.”

The cleric was visibly worried that some supposed Catholics brought a coffin and inscribed “Okpalaeke rest in peace” on the coffin, pointing out that it was the least thing anybody expected from a practicing Catholic.

He recalled that he had an opportunity to discuss the nagging Ahiara Diocesan with Pope Francis for about 25 minutes, adding that the Pope said he could not change the appointment.

“This is a test of our faith.

Owerri Archdiocese is currently passing through a difficult time now. The world is watching us. I prefer to be abused by people than seeing myself doing the bidding of man,” Obinna said.

Group backs Jonathan on emergency rule

BY GBENGA OKE

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AGOS—THE Nation al Think-Tank, a non profit advocacy group, weekend, supported the declaration of emergency rule in the North-East

by President Goodluck Jonathan-led administration.

The group also urged Nigerians regardless of tribal, ethnic, religious or political affiliation to rally round the latest action by the Federal Government to restore law and order in the troubled spots in the North Eastern part of the country.

In a statement by the National Director of Media of the group, Mr. Dele Agekameh, the group maintained that the security situation in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe state necessitated the declaration of a state of emergency by President Goodluck Jonathan because the states were gradually turning the entire North-East to a theatre of banditry, arson and mindless killings which no responsible government would tolerate.

He said: “The situation was so bad that the entire government apparatus in the affected states were in serious jeopardy while economic life there had almost collapsed, a situation which has collateral effect on the state of the economy, security and well-being of Nigerians all over the country.

The group cautioned the military high command to adhere strictly to the rules of engagement as emphasised in the declaration by the President.

Why morning flights are delayed at Lagos airport

BY KENNETH EHIGIA-

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AGOS—SPACE con straints on the apron of the General Aviation Terminal, GAT, of the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos may have been responsible for the delay in the early morning flights operated out of the airport.

Vanguard investigation revealed that spaces on the apron meant for parking for airlines on scheduled operations had been taken up by cargo aircraft, which op-

erations are not regular, aircraft on ground, AOG, private jets and aircraft with technical problems.

Delays resulting from the space problem had over time set airlines against their passengers who complain of missing their appointments.

But Head, Corporate Communications of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, Mr. Yakubu Datti, said airlines alleging this as cause of delay in their morning flights were only looking for an excuse but noted that

in the spirit of the Transformation Agenda of the present administration, plans were on to expand all aspects of airports across the country, including runway, taxiway, apron, amongst others.

Some airline passengers who bared their mind on the issue, spoke of the need for the aviation authorities to urgently expand the airport’s apron or evacuate particularly aircraft on ground to create enough space on the apron.

A passenger, Chuks

Ukachi said: “It is unfortunate that airlines’ operations in Nigeria are still dogged by delays. On my way to Abuja last week, our flight was delayed for sometime and by the time I accosted the officials of the airline, they told me the delay was caused by space constraint on the apron.”

Reacting to the development, FAAN’s spokesman, Yakubu Datti, said airlines should not use inadequate space on the apron as an excuse to delay flights, noting that the area aircraft not on dailyoperationswerepackedwas anextendedportionoftheapron.

12—Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013

Tax remittance: Reps begin hearing on role of banks today

BY OKEY NDIRIBE & EMMAN OVUAKPORIE BUJA—THE House of Representatives will today start a full scale investigative hearing on commercial banks’ tax remittances to the Federal Government’s coffers.

House Committee on Finance said the investigation became necessary due to alleged sharp practices by some of the 23 designated tax-collecting banks on collection and remittance to government.

The committee had investigated some federal government-owned agencies on Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, which led to additional remittance of N100 billion into federal coffers.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, has, however, continued to defy the committee on the presentation of the account of individual subsidiaries of the corporation, insisting that it was a joint account.

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Pending Bills to receive accelerated hearing —Mark

BY HENRY UMORU

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BUJA—SENATE President, David Mark, has promised that all pending bills before the Senate will be given accelerated attention to meet the yearnings of Nigerians.

Speaking at the weekend in Abuja, while responding to a request by the Minister of Women Affairs, Hajia Zainab Maina, Senator Mark assured a speedy passage of the Violence Against Persons (prohibition) Bill into law, adding that it was part of measures to stop domestic violence or harmful practices against women in Nigeria.

The Bill seeks to eliminate violence in private and public life, prohibit all forms of violence, discrimination and provide maximum protection and remedies for victims as well as punishment for offenders.

Senate debates State of Emergency proclamation tomorrow zACN, CPC senators may disregard party directive to oppose North Central who spoke but preemergency declaration backdrop of increased senseless

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By JOSEPH ERUNKE

the states affected by the state of emergency, why would one not embrace it? “It is a good development, given that all elected structures are in place. We should sit and pray that the desired peace is achieved in the affected areas at the end of the day. I can’t speak further than that.”

On his part, Senator Ademuyiwa Adeniyi, ACN, Ekiti South, said: “In as much as I support the President’s action against the

killings of innocent people in the affected states, I will advise that the state of emergency should not be used as instrument of oppression of perceived political opponents.

“Again, the President who has the power and authority to control the military must ensure that they strictly follow the rules of engagement.”

One of the senators elected under the platform of CPC from

ferred anonymity, said: “Given the spate of violence that we have so far witnessed in these affected states, we can’t afford to go against the action of Mr. President.

“I believe everybody is affected in one way or the other in what has happened in these states in the past. The violence that enveloped the North East for some time touched everybody, irrespective of political, religious and cultural affiliations.”

BUJA—THERE are strong indications that senators elected under the platform of Actrion Congress of Nigeria, ACN, and some within Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, may disregard the earlier directives of their respective parties not to support the imposition of a state of emergency on three states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, as the debate comes up tomorrow.

The action of the senators may be in connection with the widespread anger and condemnation that had so far greeted the statements from the two parties, calling on their members in the National Assembly not to support last Tuesday’s action of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Some senators of the affected parties, who spoke with Vanguard on the issue, said there was need for all members to support the President’s action, given that it was done in the general interest of the nation.

Senator Ganiyu Solomon, ACN, Lagos West, told Vanguard that although he was awaiting full detail of the proclamation, he believed it was done primarily to restore peace which had eluded the three states.

AWARD: From left: Ms. Kadaria Ahmed, member, panel of judges; Keith Richard, ManHe said: “Until I go through the aging Director, Promasidor; Ambassador Partick Dele-Cole, Chairman, panel of judges details, I cannot say anything and Mr. Jide Ologun, Chairman, NIPR, Lagos State chapter, at the Promasidor Quill Awards much. But I think if the action of in Lagos, weekend. Photo: Akeem Salau. the President will bring peace in

2013 Budget amendment: We’re not in a hurry to pass it —Senate

By HENRY UMORU BUJA—THE lingering cri sis between the executive and legislature has deepened, with the Senate boasting that it was not in a hurry to pass the 2013 budget amendment Bill currently before the National Assembly.

Strong indications have also

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emerged that a new phase in the problem is the fact that the executive may have rejected the budget which was passed last year by the National Assembly.

According to the Senate, it will take time to go through the document thoroughly and will take its time to go through all aspects

of the budget that had already being passed thoroughly as well as the amendment being requested by the executive arm of government.

Speaking with journalists weekend, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Ahmed Muhammad Maccido, PDP, Sokoto North, explained that the amendment

14 S-East roads fail Reps standard test

BY EMMAN OVUAKPORIE

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NUGU—FOURTEEN of the sixteen roads inspected during an on-going inspection of federal roads by the House of Representatives House Committee on Works failed all standard tests.

When analysed in percentage, 87.5 per cent of the on-going federal road projects inspected in the South-East failed the standard tests conducted by members of the committee who were mainly professional engineers.

Only 12.5 per cent of the 16 federal projects inspected met the required standard as specified by the Federal Ministry of Works.

The tests were carried out through the use of rebound ham-

mer and coring machines.

Rebound hammer was used to test the strength of completed culverts and drainage, while the coring machine was used to ascertain the thickness of asphalt used by contractors.

The tests conducted during the committee’s oversight visit to some on going federal road projects in Imo, Abia, Ebonyi and Enugu states, were based on job specifications as contained in the contractual agreement of the Federal Ministry of Works and various contractors.

All road projects inspected in Imo State failed the standard test, while the only road which passed the test in Abia State was executed

by Abia State Government on behalf of the Federal Government.

In Ebonyi State, the already completed drainage and thickness of the road between Abakaliki and Afikpo which is ongoing passed the standard test.

In Enugu State, the drainage on the Enugu-Abakaliki road rehabilitation, under theWorldBank’sRoadSectorDevelopment Team, failed the test, while the thickness of the asphalt on the completed section met the required standard.

Some lawmakers who spoke to Vanguard, described this development as unholy and unacceptable “because in engineeringpractice,thereisnothinglike half measures only 100 per cent compliance is acceptable.”

bill gave the impression that all the inputs made by the National Assembly into the earlier budget had been rejected by the executive arm of government.

He said: “The amendment we are working on is just like another budget altogether. It seems as if the whole input of the National Assembly into the earlier budget has not been agreed to by the executive. ”They want us to look into our input as a whole. So, we have to sit down again and re-examine it. It is not something we are going to rush because we are going through the whole of the budget again.”

Senators Maccido, who noted that the lawmakers were still studying the document, a situation that will make the passing of the bill delay a great deal, said: “So, it is going to take us a lot of time, like three weeks or more. In any case this is its third week “I think most Senators are still not prepared for the amendment bill yet because they are still going through it. Until such a time when they are through, we cannot just put the bill in the Order Paper.”

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Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013 — 13

Achebe was an important African — Okonjo-Iweala

Late Prof. Achebe’s commendation service

.Name National Library after Achebe —Nwala .Body arrives Nigeria tomorrow, burial Thursday

BY UDUMA KALU

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BUJA — THE burial rites for the eminent novelist, Prof.

Chinua Achebe, who died on March 21 in the U.S. began yesterday in Abuja with a commendation service at the National Christian Centre.

Some of the personalities at the service included the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, Information Minister, Labaran Maku, former Anambra State governor, Jim Nwobodo, Primate of the Anglican Church, The Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh.

They eulogised the eminent novelist as one who fought to restore the dignity of the African and a role model for the youth.

Chairman of the Achebe National Transition Committee, Prof.

Uzodinma Nwala asked the Federal Government to name the National Library after the departed novelist.

According to the former president of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) and member of the Achebe National Transition Committee, Dr. Wale Okediran, Achebe’s body will arrive from the United States tomorrow at 8 a.m. and will be received at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport by government officials, writers, cultural organisations and other associates.

At 10 a.m. today in Abuja, ANA will hold a lecture at the International Conference Centre (ICC) for Achebe under the chairmanship of

CJN vows to sack unproductive, indolent judges

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

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BUJA — IN her bid to cleanse the judiciary, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Mariam AlomaMukhtar, weekend, maintained that henceforth, the National Judicial Council, NJC, would use its performance evaluation report to weed out incompetent and indolent judges from the bench.

The CJN who stated this while receiving ‘Nigeria’s Judicial Performance Evaluation 2008 – 2011,’ compiled in seven volumes by the Nigerian Institute of Advance Legal Studies, NIALS, said it was ridiculous for her to discover that some judges cannot deliver up to two judgments in a quarter.

Stressing that such judges not only constitute a drain on the economy, the CJN insisted that such ineptitude contributed to the reason Nigerians complain about the slow pace of justice delivery in the country.

Justice Mukhtar said she never knew how bad the situation was until she directed all judges to seek for permission through their heads of courts before travelling abroad.

According to the CJN: “We are now thinking of looking at the performance evaluation of the judges for the purpose of discipline. If a judge cannot deliver three to four judgements in a year, there is no use keeping him on the bench other than to be shown his or her way out.

“The Nigerian Bar Association have also been complaining about the attitudes of judges to work these days. Many will leave their work and travel abroad for days.

“This is why I insisted they must obtain approval before travelling abroad. Until this directive, I never thought things were all that bad, because some of the judges will be seeking for permission to travel abroad while the courts were in session.”

Niger State governor, Dr. Babangida Aliyu, while a day of tributes also will hold today at the same venue at 3. 30 p.m.

The body will then depart for Enugu on Tuesday and will be in Awka on Wednesday. He will be buried on Thursday in Ogidi, Anambra State.

Okonjo Iweala in her comment said Achebe was an important African figure and that the Federal Government was working with the Achebe family, the NTC and the South East governors to give the late writer a befitting funeral, adding that President Goodluck Jonathan, who would be attending the funeral, personally received Achebe’s son, Ike, in Abuja recently.

Maku, echoing Okonjo Iweala’s comments, described Achebe in superlative terms, saying the writer ranked alongside William Shakespeare, Homer, among others and that he wrote from Afrocentrist perspective.

Maku said the fact that he wrote from Afrocentric perspective denied him the Nobel prize. He added that “the prize is not the most important thing. The most important thing is to write. Achebe put Africa in the bookshelves and restored the dignity of the African which had been abused.”

Former vice chairman of the Nigerian Communication Commission, Ernest Ndukwe, said Achebe was a great patriot young Nigerians should emulate.

In his commendation service, the Anglican primate, Most Rev Okoh, said Achebe was God’s gift to Africa, Nigeria and the Igbo.

Thanking God for Achebe’s life, Okoh said “Achebe is great because he spread his God’s gift to the world, thus exposing the cultural conflict in Igboland in early colonial period in Nigeria.”

Senator Jim Nwobodo, former Enugu State Governor (left), exchanging pleasantries with the wife of former Senate President, Senator Magery ChubaOkadigbo, after the Commendation Service in honour of late Prof.

Chinualumogu Achebe, at the National Christian Centre, Abuja, yesterday.

Photo: Abayomi Adeshida.

Chief Ogbonnaya Onu, ANPP National Chairman (right) and Dr. Andrew Uzoigwe

From right: Engr. Ernest Ndukwe, former NCC Vice Chairman; Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Finance Minister; Senator Magery Chuba-Okadigbo, wife of former Senate President, Chuba Okadigbo and Mrs. Nkasiobi Okoh, wife of Anglican Primate, singing a hymn during the service

From left: Prof. Uzodinma Nwagi; Prof. Nat Aniekwu; Navy Capt. Jerry Ogbonna and Chief Ifeanyi Iloegbunam

Cross-section of the congregation

14— Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013

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Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013—15

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16 — Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013 NIGERIAN party politics since civil rule in 1999 has been dominated by factions, internal crises, irreconcilable differences, open disagreements among members of the same party, especially those in high public offices.

Three parties at the starting line - Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the All Peoples Party, APP, later All Nigerian Peoples Party, ANPP, and the Alliance for Democracy, AD in 1999 have morphed to more than 50 parties, and so have challenges of their politics.

The main parties in the First Republic were the Northern Peoples Congress, NPC, the United Middle Belt Congress, UMBC, the Northern Elements Progressive Union, NEPU, the National Convention of Nigerian Citizens, NCNC, and the Action Group, AG. Their leaders Sir Ahmadu Bello, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Joseph Tarka, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, and Chief Obafemi Awolowo had firm grip on their affairs.

In the Second Republic, from 1979, the National Party of Nigeria, NPN, Unity Party of Nigeria, UPN, Nigeria Peoples Party, NPP, Great Nigeria Peoples Party, GNPP, Peoples Redemption Party, PRP and Nigerian Advanced Party, NAP, had their leaders Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Alhaji

Needed: P ar ty Par arty Discipline Waziri Ibrahim, MallamAminu Kano, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, and Alhaji Shehu Shagari, Alhaji Chief Augustus Meredith Akinloye, Maitama Sule, Mallam Suleiman Takuma, Chief Tunji Braithwaite in control.

NPN wooed voters with qualitative education and agricultural revolution; UPN promised free education at all levels; NPP emphasised social justice and reduced dependence on oil revenue.

GNPP was mainly known for “politics without bitterness”, PRP championed the cause of the poor, the talakawa while NAP was renowned for bombast. Ideologically, the parties had identities.

Internal party discipline was strong enough that disagreements were settled mostly internally,

dissenting members sought their interests elsewhere. Everyone knew who led the parties.

Today, candidates campaign on their own manifestoes, not their parties’. Parties are now ordinary platforms through which personal desires can be actualised, rather than vehicles for articulating delivery of services to the people.

No single party today has a programme, or manifesto that identifies it.

Parties have members with divergent views, people of disparate ideological leanings who are in the same party for the potentials of the platform to provide electoral success. We have a dysfunctional political party system. If the parties had clear-cut programmes, politicking would be saner. Political leadership development would be systematic; unlike the present chaotic system where politicians in the various parties grow leadership by co-option. Co-opted members owe allegiance to their principals rather than to the party, and by extension, the nation suffers the impact of the rumpus.

There is need for a return to genuine, workable, political party system where party discipline would enhance the nation’s political growth and save it from needless political crises.

OPINION

BY GABRIEL ZOWAM Continued from Pg 17

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HE real question is: Do we need a new world-class regulatory agency (as Ms Oteh is midwiving) capable of not just driving the kind of capital market needed for Nigeria’s development, but also preventing a re-occurrence of the 2008-type of disaster? Or do we sustain an indolent civil-service kind of SEC, which will not even understand the language of the wizkids in our globalising banks and other players in the capital market? Such a SEC will be nothing but another stock market disaster waiting to happen! Therefore, by appearing to take sides with the protesters, the Committee effectively emboldened the forces against reform, which was an outright national disaster!

Finally, the Committee misled its colleagues and the respected Speaker by sensationalising bogus figures of wastes and corruption against Oteh without duly crosschecking them! What happens now that those wild figures (N2 billion, N850,000 hotel bill daily, etc) have proved to be unfounded? The respected Speaker should ask for the report by Price WaterhouseCoopers, PWC, an international firm of consultants, which did a more competent investigation. Ironically, it was SEC’s Board that engaged PWC, after suspending Oteh, in a bid to nail her decisively. But PWC, very remarkably, ended up vindicating her, and acknowledging the positive impact of her reforms on the capital C M Y K

Nigeria and the cross of reform(2) market!

The respected Speaker can also try to speak to the over 50 young professionals, recently recruited by SEC (to help drive Oteh’s emerging regulatory environment) - and confirm the unthinkable: young Nigerians were able to get into Nigeria’s present-day public service (yes, Nigeria) without godfathers!

It is a national tragedy that only the public officials trying to change and improve things in this country get hounded and castigated, while all the others that are doing absolutely nothing, are left to have their peace! That’s why Nigeria ranks among the world’s most retrogressing nations, in practically all developmental indices (poverty, healthcare, infant mortality, unemployment, education, etc) despite having some of the most endowed minds in the world! Why not, since we always stand by while our vested interests frustrate every national programme that tampers with the status quo! Notice that this is again what is happening to our capital market reforms! The Financial Times of London was already forecasting (based mostly on Oteh’s reforms) that Nigeria’s capital market would record one of the fastest recoveries worldwide in 2013; but the present stand-off between the House of Representatives and the Executive branch

(on Oteh) has practically crippled those reforms!

That is why I must strongly appeal to the respected Speaker of the House of Reps to promptly call off this standoff. The House can find a more patriotic arena for tackling the Executive! Anything that slows down the ongoing capital market reforms is not in our nation’s interests!

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n her part, Ms Oteh, who has just received our nation’s baptism, must not lose the inspired enthusiasm with which she has worked. One of the ironies of reform is that the larger public, who will benefit from it are silent (often, even uninformed) while those who will lose from it know themselves, and are quick to come together to fight it! Ms Oteh can take solace in the highly commendable, steadfast support she has received from President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. That kind of support is the only way to create progress in a nation hostaged by vested interests! If not that President Olusegun Obasanjo defied all opposition in 2004 to stand by his reformer, Prof. Charles Soludo, our bank consolidation (and all the economic benefits that came with it) would never have seen daylight!

Finally, and most importantly, the time has come for our political leaders at all

levels to begin to focus their energies on the real issues that matter for Nigeria! It is ridiculous that our leaders could be dissipating energy on SEC and Oteh, when their counterparts in other emerging nations are racing their countries towards the huge opportunities that globalisation is creating for all nations! Look at how Korea and fellow Asian nations (backed by visionary national policies) are now taking over the game-changing global market for smartphones and tablet computers (which are the next ICT frontiers)! It is unprecedented, but Samsung Electronics of South Korea has just dethroned all Western firms to become the market leader (32.7% of the global market share), while America’s Apple comes a distant second at 17.3%! This same South Korea, just a few decades ago, was a poor, underdeveloped country, devastated by civil war, with a mere $87 as GNI per capita (equivalent to that of Ghana at that time)!

In the same way, it was only a few decades ago that Indian professionals (both men and women) flooded this country, teaching even in our secondary schools. Today, while our leaders are bickering about SEC (and an oil-driven federal budget under N5 trillion), India’s export revenue in 2011 (without oil) exceeded N45 trillion! Let us please call off this distracting standoff, and start focusing on things that matter for Nigeria!

Concluded.

Mr. Zowam, a social critic, wrote form Abuja.

Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013—41

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42—Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013

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Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013—43

Is’haq Modibo Kawu, Northern irredentists and the appropriation of Nigeria I

WAS amused at the almost physical pain exhibited by Is’haq Modibo Kawu in his column in the Vanguard Newspaper on Thursday, May 2, 2013, whilst reacting to a recent speech in the U.S.A. by Mr. Kingsley Kuku, the President’s Adviser on the Niger Delta. Mr. Kuku had apparently stated that there would be dire consequences if President Jonathan is not re-elected in 2015. My amusement stemmed from the fact Kingsley Kuku had simply taken a leaf from the Northern irredentists’ political play book.

Memories are not so short that we have forgotten the threats emanating from this group about what would happen in 2011, if the PDP zoning arrangements were not adhered to and the candidate did not come from the North. And it was not just the issue of a candidate of Northern (Arewa) extraction but a candidate selected

by Arewa and presented to Nigeria as such. The question of a record of his achievements, character, programme, merit, capacity, etc, did not arise. The sole qualification was to be Arewa North by birth - a term which embodies a clearly understood language and religion. All the big guns of Arewa North were resolutely committed to this project, Malam Adamu Ciroma, Professor Ango Abdullahi, Alhaji Lawal Kaita, Dr. Junnaid Mohammed, Mallam Tanko Yakassai, etc, etc.

In addition to these gentlemen, the Northern Governors and virtually all the political elite of the Arewa North, believe that only

PR OF ITSE SA GA Y PROF SAGA GAY one of themselves is entitled to be the President of Nigeria, based on where they come from; and as a group representative, regardless of merit, quality, qualification or track record. Let me state clearly at this stage that I do not support the call of those who insist that Jonathan must be given a second term just because he is from the South South. On the contrary, it C M Y K

is my view that Jonathan should contest the 2015 elections based on his record in office between 2010 and 2015. It is futile, puerile, infantile and is evidence of political and social immaturity, to base the choice of political leadership on zonal or ethnic origins.

A leader must be chosen on the basis of character, track record, integrity, discipline, principles, intellect, level of enlightenment, commitment to service, political and social programme, etc. not place of origin, language or religion. But the Arewa leaders and elite have never believed in these principles.

Infact they are registered owners of the patent called “Rule by tribal, ethnic, religious and zonal origin” to ensure dominance indeed monopoly, without recourse to quality merit or qualification.

Their current cry is “power must return to the North” as an entity and Nigerians have no right of choice, once this representative of the ruler zone is presented.

This is democracy, Is’haq and Arewa style.

Point of appropriation The mind set of Arewa North has always been to dominate Nigeria politically to the point of appropriation. This proprietary air is evident in Is’haq’s writing.

According to him Kingsley Kuku is not grateful for what the Nigerian State (substitute Arewa North) has done for the Niger Delta. Let me quote him. “Never mind what the Nigerian State has done for the Niger Delta in recent years, with the 13 percent Derivation, NDDC, Ministry of the Niger Delta and the Billions of Naira that Kingsley Kuku expends as chair of the presidential amnesty programme.”

There you are! The great Nigerian State has done wonderful things for the Niger Delta, by returning to it, 13 per cent of Niger Delta’s 100 per cent owned oil and gas proceeds. Niger Delta should be grateful for being forced to surrender only 87 per cent of its assets to Big Brother. It is clear from Is’haq’s writing that someone else other than the Niger Delta, owns the Niger Delta oil and gas. Could that be Arewa North? Should Niger Deltans now be grateful for the 13 per cent they are allowed to keep? Nigeria today, is being funded by Niger Delta oil and gas proceeds (about 80 per cent), Lagos State VAT and Customs duties from the coastal States. Ni-

Map of Nigeria

geria can continue to be in a state of denial about it, but this cannot change a mathematical fact. That the Federal Government appropriates all these States’ resources to itself does not change the fact of true ownership.

My question to Is’haq then is, who is the benefactor and who is the beneficiary? Niger Delta or Nigeria? As recently as April, 2013, Governor Kwakwanso of Kano State attributed the undeveloped condition of his State to lack of equal access to Niger Delta oil proceeds with the Niger Delta States. In other words, he cannot bring any improvement to the lives of the people of Kano State without having an equal right to Niger Delta oil and gas proceeds, as Niger Delta States.

Apart from this being a remarkable case of total amnesia about the identity and geographical location of Kano State, Governor Kwakwanso was admitting that he lacks the capacity to organize Kano State to generate its own funds for the running of the State, and that he is completely dependent on Niger Delta oil and gas proceeds.

Derivation provision In calculating the proportion of Niger Delta oil and gas proceeds being enjoyed by States, there has been total fixation with the 13 per cent derivation provision for Niger Delta States based on what each state produces, but nothing has been said so far about local government allocations from the Niger Delta oil and gas proceeds.

Every year at least 20 per cent of the amount in the Federation account is shared amongst local governments all over the country.

There are 776 local government councils in Nigeria, with 419 in the North and 357 in the South.

So it is clear where the bulk of the 20 per cent goes. Kano State,

a non-oil producing State, has 44 local governments gulping their shares of the 20 per cent. Bayelsa, a major oil producing State has only eight local governments.

And so the proportion of the share of the 20 per cent collected by Kano, compared to what is collected by Bayelsa is 44-8 or 11-2.

In other words for every N200 worth of oil and gas proceeds collected by Bayelsa local governments, Kano State local governments collect N1,100. Kano produces no oil and gas. Bayelsa is a major producer.

Again only recently, a curious thing happened. It was reported that the Arewa Consultative Forum was interested in collaborat-

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BY ITSE SAGAY, SAN

taken by the ACF to be so naïve and clueless that they must have been waiting for the ACF to crown their efforts with a presidential candidate.

There is thus a mind-set, which has continued unabated since 1914 when Lord Harcourt, the British Colonial Secretary announced that “the promising and well conducted youth” without means would be joined in “an alliance with a southern lady of means.” Thus in this Nigerian marriage, the Arewa North, right from the beginning was the “man” and “husband” and the South the “woman” and “wife.”

The use of the term “youth” (man) for the North and “Lady”, (woman) for the South was not an accident, nor an exercise in humour.

Permanent control It was a deadly serious matter, with the game plan being to bring the two together in order to give Arewa North, political power over the South together with permanent control over Southern resources. In the England of the time of Lord Harcourt, the British Colonial Secretary and matchmaker, under the common law, married women had no independent legal right over their own property. Once a marriage was contracted, all the women’s property automatically became her husband’s property. The woman could not enter into a contract in her own right. Her husband had to conclude all her contracts on her behalf. This peculiar Nigerian arrangement imposed by the Colonial Masters, has with minor exceptions, continued up till today.

Clearly, instability, tension and crises will continue to bedevil Nigerian politics, as long as the Federal Government continues to control and disburse States’ resources

ing with the yet to be registered All Progressive Congress, APC. What is the basis of the ACF interest in APC? It is not for the purpose of seeking to know its programmes, manifesto or ideology, or contributing to its growth and popularity. No! It is to negotiate using the APC to sponsor an Arewa presidential candidate.

Such is the lust of the Arewa elite for power that ideology and programme, are irrelevant to them, as long as an Arewa of their own choosing, gets the top political slot. You will never hear of ACF negotiating for the vice-presidential position. Never! It has to be the presidency. It is the duty of non-Arewas to be subordinate and to accept the spare tyre position.

The audacity of the ACF is unbelievable. It is as if those who formed the APC and groomed and natured it to its present state have no idea as to who to give leadership positions. They are

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The logic and mode of operation is simple. Handover all State natural resources to the Federal Government. Then those who habitually and by imperial authority, control the Federal Government, also control and dispose of such resources as of right.

Therefore, the revelation that Arewa North elements own 83 per cent of Niger Delta oil blocs came to me as no surprise. Clearly, instability, tension and crises will continue to bedevil Nigerian politics, as long as the Federal Government continues to control and disburse States’ resources. Introduce fiscal federalism, and allow States to retain their resources in return for payment of taxes for the operation of the Federal Government and immediate peace will descend on the Country and everyone will head for his State for the generation of revenue and for the promotion of development.

To be concluded

44—Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013

F

Emergency: late, or too late?

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INALLY, he got moving. Following the mass murders of innocent Nigerians and security forces in Borno, Yobe, Adamawa and Nasarawa States within the past one month, President Goodluck Jonathan cut short a state visit to Southern Africa and returned to a series of meetings with top military advisers. He declared a state of emergency in three flashpoint states of the North East: Borno, Yobe and Adamawa.

Some argued he should have also included Kano, Nasarawa, Bauchi and Plateau. Perhaps, the president does not want to spread the forces thin. Perhaps, he wants to tackle the border states first.

He has superior information and advice from our security chiefs who should know better than the rest of us. Let us go along with the presidential decision.

Since the Boko Haram menace resumed in 2011 shortly after the general elections, we, on this page, have piled pressure on the president to go tough on the terrorists. We urged him to ignore the media noisemakers, political blackmailers, parasitic sectional “elders” and regional boasters and hit the terrorists hard.

We asked him to bring them to their knees before considering the option of “dialogue”. That is the only bitter medicine fit for terrorists. All over the world, that is the medicine they are being fed. That was the pill the late President Umaru Musa Yar’ Adua forced down their fundamentalist throats.

But our president chose to play Mr. Please-all. He wasted precious time, pandering to blackmailers and sending former President Olusegun Obasanjo (when the going was still good between them) to go and offer financial gratification to the family of the slain leader of Boko Haram, Mohammed Yusuf. He allowed himself to be blackmailed into considering the extrajudicial killing of Yusuf of higher national interest than arresting the resurgence of his re-armed successors.

The president came out to inform us, in a resigned tone of voice, that Boko Haram supporters and financiers were all over the place, even in his cabinet and the Presidency! Prodded further to

President Goodluck Jonathan take action, our Commander-in-Chief threw his hands into the air and informed us that he was “no Pharaoh” or “army General”. I wondered what Pharaoh had to do with it when the country’s territorial integrity was being threatened by paid foreign terror agents.

Before you knew it, our leader suddenly buckled to regional pressure and decided to set up a committee towards granting unsolicited and undesirable amnesty to defiant terrorists!

While we wasted valuable time, the terror groups proliferated. They gradually abandoned the option of suicide bombing and settled for gunfights, targeting police and army barracks, as well as prisons and other

AS Nepal Tank Farm opens in Oghara

I

WISH to congratulate an ebullient Elder of my Presbyterian Church, Elder E. E. Ekeoma and his wife Mrs. Ngozi Ekeoma, on the commissioning of the Tank Farm and Jetty of their Nepal Oil and Gas facility in Oghara, last Saturday (18TH May 2013) by Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State.As they grow in the Lord so they are growing in their business. I wish them greater heights and more success!

A leader who appears indecisive when faced with tough decisions is a danger to himself and the entity he leads. So also does a leader who wants to please everybody.

Failure to take decisive action and on time when faced with a tough challenge such as terrorism is like incubating a vicious virus or cancer

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security facilities. The lives of our people in uniform, especially the Police, became cheap. Every aggrieved group in Bayelsa, Kogi, Nasarawa, Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States took pleasure in killing our policemen and taking potshots at our army troops.

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his delayed reaction exacted a heavy toll on the image of the president. It appeared as if he was afraid of wielding the powers of his office. The opposition, especially the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) talked about him without reverence or regard to his person or office.

A leader who appears indecisive when faced with tough decisions is a danger to himself and the entity he leads. So

also does a leader who wants to please everybody. Failure to take decisive action and on time when faced with a tough challenge such as terrorism is like incubating a vicious virus or cancer, or any other life-threatening affliction which Niccolo Machiavelli calls “a wasting disease”.

In his timeless letter to the Magnificent Lorenzo de Medici, in his book: The Prince, (translated by George Bull, Penguin Books) Machiavelli warned about the dangers of delaying action in the face of a rising peril: “When trouble is sensed well in advance, it can easily be remedied; if you wait for it to show itself any medicine will be too late because the disease will have become incurable … political disorders can be quickly healed if they are seen well in advance (and only a prudent ruler has such foresight); when, for lack of diagnosis, they are allowed to grow in such a way that everybody can recognise them, remedies are too late”.

Of the nineteen states of the North, only Benue, Kwara and Kebbi have so far been spared of Boko Haram violence.

Kabiru Sokoto bombed St Theresa’s church in Madalla, Niger State and bolted to Nasarawa State. When he was caught and detained in Abuja, he escaped and was finally caught in far away Taraba State. That is how mobile wanted criminals can get. The armed forces are conducting operations in three north eastern states. The terrorists, not known for fighting pitched battles, could be anywhere before the military contingents arrived.

It is going to be that much more difficult to achieve a total grip on these enemies of the nation at this point than that outset in 2011 when the president chose to use kid gloves and declared emergency in a few local councils without real emergency measures to go with it.

I am hoping that we have not left it too late. Happily, majority of Nigerians are pleased, even relieved, that the president has decided to act. The military must be allowed to perform their professional duties with minimal distraction. They must be decisive without caring whose political ox is gored, in the handling of culprits and their sponsors.

It is when people see that all terrorists and their backers, no matter how big or small, are being dealt with as befits the crimes they have been committing against innocent Nigerians, that confidence will gradually return in the ability of Nigeria to protect its citizens.

OPINION

BY GABRIEL ZOWAM

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ORMER Chief Justice of Nigeria, the Honourable Justice Alfa Belgore, once reminded us of how the German government in 1962, came and set up our Defence Industries Corporation, DIC; and how in the same 1962, the same German government planted the same seed in Brazil, the Brazilian Defence Industries.

While the Brazilians have since blossomed their own seed, such that Brazil now produces a wide range of military and civilian equipment (including fighting vehicles, assorted military and civilian aircraft, trucks, luxurious buses, and so on), DIC in our national retrogressive environment, ended up being known for the salt it produced (DIC salt)! We are today gleefully importing manufactured products from Brazil! This example illustrates how terribly our nation has retrogressed, and why we must urgently start changing things!

In 2009, President Umaru Yar ’Adua brought Ms. Aruma Oteh to help clean up the mess in our Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC and the capital market it regulated. The previous Director-General of SEC, Mr. Musa Al-Faki, had been forced to resign, following the collapse of our capital market in 2008 (which had wrecked thousands of investors) and SEC’s poor performance. Ms. Oteh, with an Ivy-league background, embarked on numerous reforms of both the capital market and the regulatory agency. Many

Nigeria and the cross of reform people may not know that these reforms (and the many toes that had to be stepped on) could actually have been her original sin!

Last year, the House Committee on Capital Markets and Institutions launched a public inquiry “into the near-collapse of the Nigerian capital market in 2008”.

Although this inquiry was somehow belated, many investors hoped that the people who had wrecked them were finally on their way to where they belonged- in jail! Unfortunately, the Committee bungled this vital national assignment, which misled the respected House of Representatives and its Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal.

First, the Committee from the very first day, beamed an inquiry that was supposed to be on the nearcollapse of the Nigerian capital market in 2008 on Ms. Oteh, who was not even there during the collapse! It was particularly bizarre how the Committee gave VIP treatment to the principal characters in the collapse (from the CBN, SEC, and NSE), who should have been asked hard questions! No wonder the Committee’s work cannot today be said to have provided any solace to those who were ruined by the collapse, nor even seriously served to discourage a

re-occurrence!

The Committee also failed to read the reform environment that drove SEC’s staff and Commissioners to testify against their DG! It was like bringing education-sector workers to testify against Oby Ezekwesili, or power-sector workers against Prof Bart Nnaji! Poor SEC staff! They had every reason to protest because SEC’s indolent, civil-service world was giving way to Ms Oteh’s vision of a new world-class regulator, capable of driving a capital market in our globalising economy! They suddenly found themselves on their toes! Many traditional comfort zones for easy staff enrichment (travels, training estacodes, sundry allowances, etc), were giving way to value-driven programmes of a serious-minded regulatory agency!

What SEC’s staff union did was therefore not different from what our power sector union (or any union for that matter) would have done! But the Committee seemed to miss this completely!

Continues on pg 18

*Mr. Zowam, a social critic, wrote from Abuja.

Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013—45

AS a resident in Delta State, one development that has impressed me greatly is transport. The administration of Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan has no doubt given transportation uncanny attention deserving of some mention. Part of this transformation agenda has made Delta Line buses, with their white and blue colour, a common feature in towns and villages of the state and many cities in Nigeria. This leads me to conclude that across Nigeria, Delta State comes tops in such well-organised, integrated transportation structure with public buses almost outnumbering privately operated buses.

Because of what I observed, I decided to research further the extent and impact of Delta government transport policy. The intervention in transportation became prominent in 2008 with the establishment of the Delta State urban mass transit scheme and the launching of 168 brand new Toyota Corolla cars by Governor Uduaghan. Some of the Toyota set of cars were given out to interested drivers as part of government empowerment programme; others were allocated to the Delta Line

Transport Company for commercial purposes.

In 2009 and 2010, the state government further increased the fleet with the purchase and commissioning of 100 and 200 brand new Hiace buses. This wholistic approach in transportation should be recognised as a major infrastructure development, a critical component of the threepoint agenda of the Uduaghan administration. It is also a demonstration of the administration’s total commitment to opening up the state to attract tourists and investors.

By the acquisition of 800 vehicles, comprising Hiace buses, Toyota taxi cars and Marcopolo buses, the Governor has stemmed the hitherto crisis that greeted the transport sector during the deregulation of the petroleum downstream sector early 2012.

Similarly, in marine transportation, hundreds of 19U speed boats have been acquired, while several jetties have been built in the coastal communities.

Over 21 of such landing jetties were provided between 2008 and 2010. The Delta publics, who are mainly the beneficiaries, have shown great enthusiasm and gratitude to their loving governor for this intervention, particularly,

with the regulated fare. The downward review of the fares has had tremendous impact in the State as it has put private operators in check.

In a random poll which I conducted across Delta State over several months, I found many respondents reacting differently to the state government’s programme, especially after the introduction of tricycles, popularly called Keke, in addition to the buses and the regulated use of motorcycle in certain communities in Delta communities.

For example, a tricycle operator in Asaba, the state capital, Mr. Jonathan Ator, believes that the regime of tricycles and buses has been very beneficial to both the operators and commuters. To the operators, it has restored sanity in the sector and reduced frequent accidents occasioning limbs and leg fractures. “I feel a lot safer driving

Periscoping Seriake Dickson's restoration agenda and the BDIC initiative

BY ONORIODE AKPE

W

HEN Bayelsa State was created 16 years ago, carved out of the previous Rivers State, it became obvious from inception that the fledgling state will face great challenges on the path of attaining the growth and development that autonomy had bestowed on her.

Those who reason that states creation should be guided by certain existing and potential economic indices for sustaining the existence of that state, including the unhindered possibilities of benefitting from internally generated revenue, IGR, to complement that from the federation account, will find out that the Bayelsa State example has survived against all odds.

It needs no repeating that over the years, Bayelsa State has experienced growth and development of monumental proportions which of recent within the last 12 months, with Seriake Dickson on the driving seat, has been accelerated to embrace some promising economic initiatives that show that the Bayelsa of tomorrow is now beyond being just a dream.

The reality of this dawned on the very august gathering of Bayelsa’s best brains, great and eminent sons and daughters of this great state, when at the inaugural board retreat that held in The Castle , Government House, Yenagoa from April 22-27, 2013, Governor Dickson, in a keynote address, opined that indeed Bayelsa had the world’s best economists and investment gurus ever assembled by any one state in Nigeria, brainstorming on the economic future of a state with a vision to create for our future generations an economic miracle based on diversification beyond the ebbing oil wealth of today. To this extent, the Governor, as he has always done at similar occasions, drew

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the attention of this eminent audience to the Oloibiri oil well experience, Nigeria’s first crude oil exploration location, which today has dried up and no longer gushing out oil.

He emphasised that there is now, than ever before, an urgent need, in this regard, to diversify the economy of Bayelsa beyond oil.

Speaker after speaker identified the potentials of non-oil activity in the economy of Bayelsa State if the government maintains the tempo of the current enthusiasm to increase the opportunities inherent in self-development and enterprise in the state. Most of the papers presented pointedly addressed attention towards citizen participation with the government and, in that respect, the dedicated contribution, collaboration in synergy with government’s efforts to stimulate the economic environment for the good and wellbeing of the people of Bayelsa State.

In identifying areas of citizen participation and collaboration with government and in addressing the challenge of poverty and youth unemployment, it was noted that much attention is needed to be focused on and agro-allied activity in the communities and other interest like the aqua tourism and related investment by government which will alleviate poverty and the pressure on job creation and youth engagement in the state.

The seriousness, with which Governor Dickson viewed the organisation of the inaugural board retreat of the Bayelsa Development and Investment Corporation, was clearly demonstrated by his practical involvement in the deliberations and crosscutting discussions he engaged with the members. Prior to the keynote address he presented, and the interactive session, he went further to conduct, during the retreat, a novel approach in good corporate

my tricycle, and the daily turnover is mouth-watering”, says the unemployed Sociology graduate who prefers it to Okada for the safety it offers. Another commuter, this time a house wife and civil servant, Mrs. Ruth Okuns, said, even though, it is yet to reach the door steps of many homes, it guarantees more safety for her and her little kids who daily employ the services of tricycles for school runs. She commended Uduaghan’s initiative in this direction. Jaros Jarikre, who combines work and schooling and traverses Asaba where he works and Abraka, his school location, described the revolution as God’s intervention.

A ride to Abraka from Agbor, he said, is one of comfort. “All of us on this route have called the bluff of these shylock private operators, which hitherto have made travelling a nightmare. At the moment, those private buses hardly exist. I doubt if they still exist.

Deacon Aburi Adams, said members of the public have embraced the revolution as society and government are dynamic.

There is nothing wrong with the innovation. He lauded the state government for its policy directives in the transport sector, describing it as wonderful.

However, he called on the government to make the roads more motorable so that more tricycles can reach the door steps of the commuters.

A public analyst in Warri, the

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BY EJIRO IDAMA

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Uduaghan's revolution in transport restores sanity

What is not lost on me is that this revolution which the Governor brought into the transport sector of the state underscores the government’s commitment to good governance

Every Bayelsan could see in him the drive, the energy with which he wanted to use the BDIC to create the enabling environment for inflow of investments and creating a haven for investors to thrive in the planned industrialisation of the state

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governance, every member of the BDIC, who sat through all the sessions with His Excellency, experienced the passion burning within the man, as he showed vividly his determination to leave behind a legacy as one of the builders of the new and modern Bayelsa State; a clear vision, a mission now embedded in the mandate of the BDIC which is vested with the task of becoming the strategic enabler of economic prosperity in the new and emerging Bayelsa State.

Even in the content of the keynote address of the Governor, every Bayelsan could see in him the drive, the energy with which he wanted to use the BDIC to create the enabling environment for inflow of investments and creating a haven for investors to thrive in the planned industrialisation of the state.

According to His Excellency: “The new Bayelsa that we all crave for, the new Bayelsa that we actually deserve, that new Bayelsa can only be founded on prosperity and security. Government is building roads and bridges, schools and so on, but in vain do we do all of this, if these activities do not translate to economic prosperity and opportunities for our people”.

The presentations and comments ranged from those made by seasoned consultants and by members of the Advisory Council

commercial city of Delta State, Mr. Richards Achums, described the Uduaghan revolution in the transport sector as novel. He said in Delta State, commuters feel very comfortable with government intervention. The visibility of Delta Line buses, now popularly known as Uduaghan Buses in every part of the state has made transport fare very competitive. The masses now have alternative.

What is not lost on me is that this revolution which the Governor brought into the transport sector of the state underscores the government’s commitment to good governance.

The mass transit programme, though remarkably a populist programme, has helped to ease the burden of the people greatly.

The economic vision did not only cushion the hardship of the deregulation of the downstream sector, it also provided jobs for youths in commercial transportation and today it is a success story.

At the last count, Governor Udaughan administration has procured 800 vehicles comprising Toyota taxi cabs, 500 Hiace buses, 60 Marcopolo buses, 10 Tata buses and 130 boats deployed to various communities in the state.

This has immensely improved the transport sector and reduced the stress associated with daily movement of Deltans. *Mr. Idama, a public affairs commentator, wrote from Asaba, Delta State.

and board, who gave their all in the contents of the papers, with which every listener was inspired to envision the dream of Bayelsa, and indeed that of an emerging oil-rich state, preparing to confront the future with a diversified economy well beyond its oil wealth.

It turned out that the banking community are also determined to partner with Bayelsa State as was succinctly expressed by the articulate Group Managing Director/CEO of a prominent bank Mr Kehinde Durosinmi-Etti, who said that much in his paper, as he gave an in-depth analysis of the advantages and serial benefits of PublicPrivate Partnership initiatives which are capable of stimulating growth and development in Bayelsa State.

The comparative analysis by Mr Joseph Tegbe of KPMG dwelt copiously on practical case studies of publicly run organisations some which succeeded and some which failed, examining also the pitfalls and the lessons to be drawn from those instances. It was a good thing to hear and learn so that the future can be thus guided from repeating those mistakes in the planning by government for opening up the economic space and creating the enabling environment for enterprise to succeed in Bayelsa State. While the programme lasted, the ventilation of ideas and the contribution from very successful Bayelsa born entrepreneurs like Ben Murray Bruce of the famed Silverbird Group, esteemed speakers like Mr Iheanachor of the Lagos Business School and the group of eminent members of the board, constituting the likes of Mrs Diezani-Alison-Madueke(CON);HRM King Alfred Papapriye DieteSpiff(OFR,JP);HRM King Dr Edmund M a d u u a b e b e Daukoru(ARSM,FIC,CON);HRM King Ebitimi Banigo (OFR) among many other prominent names coupled with the enduring presence of other well-articulated members of the Nigerian corporate and business community. *Mr. Akpe is SSA on Electronic Media to Governor Dickson of Bayelsa State.

46 — Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013

They've made Nigeria ungovernable for Jonathan — Ezeife Former federal permanent secretary, governor of Anambra State, and presidential adviser, Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife in this interview with Vanguard responds to issues arising from the Boko Haram insurgency, the 2015 presidential contest among others. Excerpts:

BY LEVINUS NWABUGHIOGU

W

HAT is your reaction to Dokubu-Asari’s war threat that there will be no peace if President Jonathan is not returned in 2015?

You have to put that statement in the context of Nigerian history. I wouldn’t want war. We have had more than enough war now. But he has a point he is making.

The point he is making is that we have had well above 50 years of Independence and out of those years, thirty-eight and half, the North supplied the headship of Nigeria. It is not that everybody was happy, but nobody made war.

threat. It is not an idle threat and people should think. I had said before that each month Boko Haram remains active, it will mean one year of the north being out of power.

And let’s us calculate the months and see how many years the North is already pushed out of power.

Are you ruling cattle? We are human beings. At a point, we will say, “eji ndu eme gini, what is life for?

Some allege Asari’s statement was a response to earlier comments by Lawal Kaita in 2011 of making Nigeria ungovernable for

,

A number of prominent Northerners not just Lawal Kaita said the country will be made ungovernable if Jonathan wins and he won and what are we getting? The country is being made ungovernable. Blood all over the place

Nobody tried to make the country ungovernable for Shagari, not the talk about the military people. But now, a southern person from the eastern part is president.

Before his election, we heard talks of making the country ungovernable if he wins. In fact, he won, and; look at what is going on. Blood flowing everywhere. Don’t you think that people from the southsouth even south-east will think that this is going on because somebody from that part of the country is President?

There is something Igbo people say “Eji ndu eme gini?

(What is the use of life)? There is a situation you may say “what is the use of life?” Let’s fight to the end. Death is welcome. So, it is a bitter statement made by Asari Dokubo and it will not be advisable to take it as an idle

,

Nigeria if Jonathan won in 2011?

That is what we are talking about. A number of prominent Northerners not just Lawal Kaita said the country will be made ungovernable if Jonathan wins and he won and what are we getting? The country is being made ungovernable. Blood all over the place.

Are calls to arrest Asari justified?

Well, we are idle people in Nigeria talking nonsense most of the time. This young man blows up out of accumulated tension and frustration and you say, arrest him. Start arresting from the beginning.

Do you foresee Nigeria hitting the rocks by 2015 with all these perennial problems?

My view is that Nigeria must remain a permanent Nigeria. But there are things

that must be done to make it permanent.

As for the prediction of some foreign countries, it is their own interest that they are serving. Some powerful nations on earth decided to themselves that an Islamized Nigeria, in her position, mumbled, will be *Ezeife difficult to manage and therefore they think it will be best for the country to break up into pieces.

Where does the Igbo nation stand in 2015?

I see Jonathan as an eastern person holding the office of the President and put there by principally the south-east. It is the confidence oozing out of the south-east that enabled south-south to galvanize. In 1987, we had a meeting with the Middle-Belt and they told us the moment they see the south east standing firmly on an issue, they will go with us.

What happened in 2011 presidential election?

The Middle Belt went with the south-east. South-south went with the south-east. So, we put him there, it will not be just to hound him out. But when he is looking for his second term, we are requesting for our first term.

Hausa has ruled. Yoruba has ruled.

Legitimate interest Of the major tribes, only the Igbo has not. By 2015, every zone shall have supplied leader of Nigeria except south-east.

So, we have legitimate interest in 2015 yet our man is there. I don’t think it makes sense to go and compete against Jonathan but what I have said from the beginning is that we play a game of

cooperation with Jonathan.

He would understand us fighting to be President.

We understand him fighting for second term. Before the primary election, we should meet and look at the field andask him, “Mr. President, do you think, you can win in this field without damaging everything?”

Game of cooperation If the answer is yes, we support him. But we have to convince ourselves that it is yes. But if on the other hand, it looks like he doesn’t win, we will ask him to support us.

That is the game of cooperation I mean.

Are you corroborating what Senator Ben Obi said sometime ago that Igbo should forget 2015?

Well, it is a matter of a language that is used. There is a way you can say “thank you” and it looks like you said “go away”. And if he said it blatantly like that, it is not good. But I am sure what he means by that is that ultimately, we will have to support Jonathan for 2015.

Opposition parties have gathered to form APC so as to unseat the ruling PDP by 2015. Do you see that happening?

I think that APC is red light for Nigeria. I was one of the

eight permanent secretaries who recommended two -party system for Nigeria and we found it fantastic. It worked very well. People didn’t understand how it came about.

They thought it was the military that imposed it. It was people like us. We first of all worked on it and recommended it, then IBB announced it. Every body who lived through that twoparty system knew that it’s the best thing for Nigeria.

We were bonding. A person from Sokoto coming to Anambra where I was Governor will think he is going home if it is SDP. A person from Anambra going to Sokoto where NRC was ruling will think he is going home if it is NRC. So, there was bonding along two lines. So, if any other major party is developing to rival PDP, such major party must be based on ideological ground; a little to the left, a little to the right. Any thing geo-religious is dangerous for us. And we don’t want risking the radicalization of western Muslims who are the best examples of how to live with different religions. So, APC is not the party we are looking for to make a two-party Nigeria. It is a danger signal to Nigerian polity because it is not based on ideology.

Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013 — 47

It's Jonathan or no peace — Annkio Briggs •Says Nigerian presidency is not the birthright of Kaita's family Annkio Briggs is undoubtedly one of the leading female activists to have come out from the Niger Delta region.

President of the Agape Birthright, spokesperson of the Ijaw Republican Assembly (IRA) and also the United Niger Delta Energy Development Security Strategy (UNDEDSS), Briggs in this interview responds to issues concerning the 2015 presidential election and assertions by some Ijaw activists on the sustenance of the Jonathan presidency. Excerpts:

M

UST it be violence for violence?

We are human beings and if we continue to sit down and allow a certain group of people to say certain things and laugh it over, then what is happening today is what will happen, then I too can say it and people can laugh over it.

If President Jonathan decides not to contest, then what would you do?

The decision to contest or not to contest is Jonathan’s. If for instance, the Niger Delta people agree that Jonathan should contest and he says he is not going to contest, that is his choice. It is his choice and that is the point I am making which is that it is not the choice of Kaita or Buhari or anybody to tell Nigerians who to vote for.

As a civil right activist, are you satisfied with the performance of President Goodluck Jonathan?

I am on record of complaining about so many things about Jonathan’s presidency so far, so let people go back and look at those statements.

Retraction of statement I stand by every one of my statements. I am not retracting anything. The only time I will retract anything is if the condition that led to that statement changes, then I will change my position.

Nobody is saying that Jonathan’s government is perfect. Nobody has said that.

I have criticised it and I have used the Niger Delta as a yardstick to measure his performance and I have said it very clearly.

Now, having said that, we are two years into a four year term and I am not oblivious to the fact that from the day it became clear that he was going to be the president of this country that some people constituted themselves into a sort of opposition that would make him to seem ineffective.

*Briggs: Peace in Niger Delta is cos of Jonathan People have now forgotten about Boko Haram, Boko Haram has now been relegated to the background and you now have bandits that are roaming around in some states in the north!

I am not deluded that everything possible has been done to make sure that Jonathan is perceived and is seen and actually seen not to be performing and until these obstacles are not there will I be able to say categorically that Jonathan has not performed.

But that does not mean that I should say that Jonathan should not exercise the right and indeed, he should exercise the right that Nigerian voters have given to him. No matter how we fight for Jonathan, the final decision is Jonathan’s and when it comes to criticising Jonathan, I will not shy away from crticising him.

But why has Jonathan with the apparatus of government

in his hand not been able to identify those who are sponsoring the violence?

We would not know and that is what we are calling on him to do. I do not work with government so I would in no way know.

What is your take on the amnesty plan for members of the Boko Haram insurgents?

It is not a matter of amnesty.

Even the amnesty that was offered in the Niger Delta what has it been able to achieve in terms of time line and what it was expected to achieve? We expected it to create the avenue where development will come to the Niger Delta, but that has not happened.

But it has stopped violence?

Let me tell you why Niger Delta is no longer violent is because Jonathan is the president. Let me tell you the truth and anybody that does not know that is fooling himself. The reason why the

oil production has gone up is because Jonathan is the president. That is just the truth and that is the point that must be made and must be understood and if anybody else thinks that why the oil production is gone up and the Niger Delta is calm, then that person should reassess the whole scenario.

Are you saying if P r e s i d e n t Jonathan is defeated in a free and fair election that violence will spring up in the Niger Delta?

It doesn’t matter who is the president as far as Niger Delta people are concerned, our demands remain our demands. We want to control our resources, we want to develop ourselves, we own the resources that are in the Niger Delta, it is on our land. These are the things that we are talking about. The issue of the Kaiama Declaration still stands.

The things that Adaka Boro fought for still stand. The

,

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, POLITICAL EDITOR

Jonathan to do now? He is one man!

What is it that we want him to do? We say he is not addressing insecurity in the north, so we now are making sure that his issue is not insecurity in the Niger Delta and people are saying that he has not addressed this and he has not addressed that.

If we also get up and put fire on Jonathan, then you will see what will happen. The output of oil will be reduced.

See, there is no point pretending, there is no point in being afraid, these are things that must be said and they are being said now.

Polluted water If Ciroma, Kaita and all these elderly people can come out and say these things about Nigeria and about Jonathan, then they should expect that we also must be allowed to express how we feel and the reality is, whether it is agreed or not agreed, the resources are in the Niger Delta, therefore it belongs to us.

We are the ones drinking polluted water. Is Kaita drinking polluted water? Is he breathing gas flared oil?

These are the things that must be said. Is Kaita drinking polluted water? When he talks like that it is very offensive,

We are the ones drinking polluted water. Is Kaita drinking polluted water? Is he breathing gas flared oil?

things that Ken Saro Wiwa died for which is that they should stop despoiling our environment; these demands are still there, they are not going to go away whether Jonathan is there or not.

But President Jonathan has not addressed them?

If Jonathan addresses the issues he would be accused of addressing his people’s issues. When he does not address it he would be accused of not addressing it.

So what is it that we want this

therefore somebody like me I will talk the way he has spoken so that we will see if it is good or bad. If he thinks that he can make Nigeria ungovernable, we too can make Nigeria ungovernable and that is what we are saying.

Is the presidency of Nigeria his birthright to be handed over to him and his family?

Which president has performed better than Jonathan? Answer me and who is he worse than? What nonsense!

48 —

Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013

After crushing Mali Islamists, France pushes deal with Tuaregs A

FTER winning adulation across Mali for a five month military offensive that crushed al Qaeda fighters, France is now frustrating some of its allies by pushing for a political settlement with a separate group of Tuareg rebels.

A standoff over how to restore Malian government authority to Kidal, the last town in the desert north yet to be brought under central control, is sowing resentment with Paris and could delay planned elections to restore democracy after a coup.

Mali’s army has moved troops towards Kidal, a stronghold of the MNLA Tuareg separatists, but missed a self-imposed deadline this week to retake the Saharan town.

France, which has its own forces camped outside, does not want Malian troops to march on the town, fearing ethnic

bloodshed if it is taken by force.

“Paris blocks army at the gates of Kidal,” read a headline in Le Matin, a weekly in Mali’s capital Bamako.

Elections are planned for July in Mali to finally restore normalcy after a chaotic 18 months that saw Tuaregs launch a revolt, the military carry out a coup, al Qaedalinked Islamists seize the north and 4,000 French troops arrive to dislodge them.

Many in government and on the streets of Bamako blame the January 2012 uprising by the Tuareg MNLA for unleashing the other calamities that nearly dissolved the country.

Nationalists now want the army to march into Kidal to disarm the rebels.

France is instead backing secretive talks being held in neighboring Burkina Faso, designed to allow

the July elections to take place, while urging Bamako to address Tuaregs’ long-standing demands for autonomy for their desert homeland.

Clashes between Arabs and Tuaregs have shown that ethnic tension remains high.

The former colonial power, France won enthusiastic public support across Mali for its decision to send troops in January to crush the al Qaeda-linked fighters.

French flags still flutter in parts of the dusty riverside capital, and President Francois Hollande was cheered as a liberator by huge crowds when he visited in February.

But goodwill is giving way to frustrations over Kidal, with many Malians questioning why France would not boldly confront the MNLA as it had done the coalition of al Qaedalinked rebels.

Syrian army storms rebel town Qusair

S

YRIAN troops have stormed the rebel stronghold of Qusair and now control the town centre, state media has said.

State TV says 70 “terrorists” have been killed while activists say 40 people have died including many rebels.

The town, near the Lebanese border, has been under siege for weeks. Its control would give the government access from the capital to the coast.

Lebanese militants are said to be involved Hezbollah siding with the government, Sunni gunmen with rebels.

For the rebels, control of Qusair means they can come and go from neighbouring Lebanon, says the BBC’s Jim Muir, in Beirut.

Syrian opposition activists said government air strikes and heavy shelling on Sunday had killed at least 40 people including 21 rebel fighters.

State TV said that troops had taken over buildings in the centre, including the town hall, and were now chasing out “terrorists” - its term for the rebels.

He denied the regime

had made any advances in the town and said that the municipality building was destroyed in fighting months ago.

“It’s the heaviest [shelling] since the beginning of the revolution,” he said, quoted by AP news agency.

Earlier, Rami Abdel Rahman, of UK-based

activist group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said troops were advancing from the south and Hezbollah fighters were “playing a central role”.

“Soldiers and tanks are trying to advance into the town, the rebel forces are attempting to push them back,” he told AFP news agency.

•French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian (C) poses for a picture with French and Malian army officers at the French military base at the airport in Gao.

Pope calls for renewal in Catholic church P

OPE Francis is calling for renewal in the Catholic church as he wrapped up two days of mass gatherings in St. Peter’s Square aimed at energizing the faithful.

About 200,000 people turned out yesterday for Mass celebrated by Francis, about the same size crowd that came to a pep rally for Catholics that the pope led the night before in the square.

Francis urged his church to be more welcoming and avoid closing in on itself. But he warned that faithful should avoid “dangerous

Obama to discuss al Qaeda, drones, Guantanamo Bay RESIDENT Barack prison has been P Obama, under fire dramatized by a hunger consistent with U.S. law.

A White House official for security lapses at a strike among many of the U.S. mission in Libya, will in a speech on Thursday lay out his wide-ranging counterterrorism policy, from the controversial use of drones to efforts to close the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Obama’s use of military drone aircraft to attack extremists has drawn fire and increased tensions in countries like Pakistan and been criticized by human rights activists in the United States.

His inability to follow through on a 2008 campaign pledge to close the Guantanamo Bay

terrorism suspects being held there.

And the resurgence in recent weeks of questions surrounding the deaths of U.S. ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens and three other Americans in an attack on a U.S. facility in Benghazi, Libya, last year has put Obama on the defensive.

In his State of the Union speech early this year Obama pledged to work with Congress to make certain that the U.S. targeting, detention and prosecution of terrorism suspects was

said Obama would address these issues in a speech on Thursday at the National Defense University in Washington.

parallel paths” outside of doctrine.

In the pope’s native South America, many Catholics have defected to dynamic evangelical Protestant churches.

For a second-straight day, Francis delighted the crowd by riding in his popemobile beyond the confines of Vatican City and down a Rome boulevard.

N/Korea fires short-range missiles for two days

N

ORTH Korea fired a short-range missile from its east coast yesterday , a day after launching three of these missiles, a South Korean news agency said, ignoring calls for restraint from Western powers.

Launches by the North of short-range missiles are not uncommon but, after recent warnings from the communist state of impending nuclear war, such actions have raised concerns about the region’s security.

“North Korea fired a short-range missile as it did yesterday into its east sea in the afternoon, “

South Korea’s news agency Yonhap reported, citing a military official.

A South Korean defense ministry official confirmed the Yonhap report, but did not provide any details.

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he was concerned about North Korea’s launch of shortrange missiles, urging Pyonyang to refrain from further launches and return to stalled nuclear talks with world powers.

Ban, who spoke to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti during a visit to Moscow, called Saturday’s launch a “provocative action”.

Pakistani voters cast ballots after politician’s slaying

P

AKISTANIS cast ballots in Karachi yesterday , a day after the slaying of a well-known political leader who had accused rivals of vote rigging.

As voters headed to polls, accusations flew over politician Zahra

Shahid Hussain’s death.

Sources said an execution-style attack on the eve of the election killed Hussain, the vice president of the Tehreeke-Insaf party, or PTI. The party made headlines following nationwide elections on

May 11, alleging vote rigging in Karachi and elsewhere.

Amid the allegations, election officials held a revote Sunday for one National Assembly seat and two Provincial Assembly seats in Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city.

Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013—49

C M Y K

50—Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013

C M Y K

Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013—51

C M Y K

52— Vanguard Vanguard,,

MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013 YOUR LUCK TODAY

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 AQUARIUS; Although friends are willing to assist you circumstances may not allow complete help as expected.

9.46am to 12.43pm can be a bit sensitive.

PISCES; Emphasis will continue to be on career related issues. However you will not be wrong if you take mattersof-the-heart more seriously now. Be more loving.

ARIES; Mid-morning till early afternoon period may bring more promises than it can actually deliver; your being clever will see you through. Be very practical.

TAURUS; Continue to attach necessary importance to your family values. Here is a day when joint ventures can bring you under pressure between 9.46am and 12.43pm.

GEMINI; Other people will continue to feature in your activities; that is to say you will need to be as co-operative as reason permits. Watch it between 9.46am&12.43pm

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

By Richard Eromosele

W

HAT I call the old man here is not referring to any man really but it is a mere metaphor.

It represents our old ways of life, our sinful past etc.

Simply put — our ugly past.

The old man I believe everyone reading this piece desires a change in his life for the better.

If this is so, we owe it a duty to ourselves to change from our past lifestyle which has

kept us captive without positive result to the new one which is full of promise. Our past idle nature must be done away with, our dogmatic way of

TERROR MUDA in “Never say goodbye”

thinking will now give way to a more dynamic thought process.

If you desire a change in your life, pull down your old man and put on the garment of the new man.

By Lanre Kehinde

CANCER; You will be in good position to consolidate on progress made yesterday. However you will need to watch your mood from 9.46am to 12.43pm.

LEO; It is important you don’t take things for granted around mid-morning and early afternoon period so that you will not run into avoidable disappointments.

VIRGO; If you are in position to control your actions you would fare better if you can wait till after 12,43pm before you make an important move. Be family minded.

LIBRA; Your being receptive can enhance your prospects but that is not to say you have to be naïve, especially during mid-morning and early afternoon periods.

SCORPIO; Success is boldly printed on your cards and like yesterday if priority attention is given to money the scope of your success will be wider.

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in

“Princess Shii’

By Andy Akman

SGITTARIUS; Although things may be happening around you, you are the right person to make things happen and give others opportunities.. Be wise.

CAPRICORN; Take note that others may break promises made before early afternoon period; that is to say you should not take anybody for granted before 12.43pm.

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING Send yyour our dat th ttoo the As tr ological datee and place of bir birth Astr trological Counselling, PP.M.B .M.B 1100 00 7, Apapa, Lagos 007,

Who is in me?

Dear Joshua, I don’t want my data published but tell me everything I should know about myself. Sometimes I am confused the type of a person I am, especially when others misunderstand me. Thus I am asking you who is actually in me- Astrologically.

Diran-Lokoja.

Dear Diran, At face value one may be tempted to wrongly take you for a very soft person but, with the preponderance of fixed quality and fire element in your Astrological make ups here is a determined and ambitious Soul with stronger will-power (actually once your mind is made up on any important issue you rarely change). Saturn as the only planet at home when you were born pointed to a person who will always take important decision when and if his career will not be put in danger; meaning my career first.

Although, the Sun is the Centre of the Solar system and wherever is placed in any given horoscope is the heart of that horoscope, by implication placement of the mighty Sun in Cancer here means that you are mainly a Cancer born person, with more than two (there were actually four) heavenly bodies placed in Kingly Leo when you were born, you are equally a Leo born person as Leo was serving as the stellium during your birth hour.

Equally it is important to point out prominence of bold Aries in your chart as it hosted your natal Moon. Anyway equal distribution of planetary placement in push-full and non-push-full positions will ensure balanced personality with powerful LEADERSHIP skill in you. Your natal Sun, Moon and Stellium in Cancer, Aries and Leo respectively are indications of your being mainly a Cancer born person and partly Aries/Leo; meaning that basic characteristics of the three Star signs mentioned (namely Cancer, Aries and Leo) are highly pronounced in your inner-self.

VIRGINIA

Commen3

dadadekola@yahoo.com

by Lawrence Akapa

Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013 — 53

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Kojo Williams Continues from BP The Golden Eaglets were beaten finalists at the African U17 Championship in Morocco, while the Flying Eagles placed third at the African Youth Championship in Algeria.

The Golden Eaglets lost on penalties to Cote d’Ivoire after final scores stood at 1-1 in the championship final in Marrakech.

The U20s defeated Mali 2-1 in a thirdplaced match to avenge a 1-0 loss to the West African rivals.

Both teams have qualified for their respective World Cups and Nigeria can boast of a special record of having medalled in Africa at full international, U20 and U17 levels in one calendar year.

Top government and

sports ministry officials have been locked in talks over the presidential reception.

A top official informed MTNFootball.com: “The President will receive the teams on Tuesday at Aso Rock.

“All arrangements in this regard have been finalised.”

However, the Flying Eagles are to be honoured in absentia as they are currently in Germany on a training tour ahead of the U20 World Cup in Turkey next month.

Interestingly, they won the 2011 African Youth Championship in South Africa but were not honoured.

President Jonathan rewarded the Super Eagles with national honours, cash and plots of land when they won a third Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa in February.

Rangers Continues from BP later after he picked up his second booking of the day and this means he has been ruled out of the allimportant return leg match in Tunisia.

Rangers were without internationals Sunday Mba and Chigozie, who are away with the Super Eagles in Germany, while first-choice goalkeeper Godwin Ayalogu was not fit enough and so Nigeria U20 goalkeeper Emmanuel Daniel started this encounter.

Sfaxien attacked from the onset and it needed goalkeeper Daniel to scramble into a corner a goal-bound shot by the

Tunisians after just eight m i n u t e s .

Razaq Adegbite replaced injured striker Sanusi Sani after 28 minutes as Rangers fought in search of a go-ahead goal.

On the hour, Nigeria U20 striker Alhaji Gero had a chance to put the home in front but he missed a great opening off a corner.

But just when it looked like Rangers would be cancelled out by Sfaxien, Uzochukwu produced the winner late on, but he was booked for celebrating by pulling off his shirt.

He was then sent off moments later for a second booking.

Beckham Continues from BP With nine minutes remaining, the fourth official indicated that it was time for PSG’s No 32 to leave the field and nearly 45,000 Frenchmen rose as one to salute this bloke from the other side of the Channel.

Just 48 hours after announcing his retirement from the game, Beckham, 38, was handed the honour of captaining the newly-crowned French champions.

Beckham played a

small part in Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s opener and struck the corner which led to Blaise Matuidi’s second. He was a bystander when Ibrahimovic struck the stunning third before halftime.

And then it was time to leave. Beckham embraced his 10 teammates before walking off the pitch and hugging his boss, Carlo Ancelotti, and the rest of the PSG bench.

54 —

Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013

S

That associations elections

,

O much has been said and written about the re cently held elections into the various sports associations in Nigeria.

My view is laced with disappointment, shocked at a system that I thought was going to bring about a change, only to draw us back many years.

I believed in the modalities put in place by the sports ministry. I agreed that those powerful secretaries who took directives from the National Sports Commission, NSC, and undermined the board members should henceforth be appointed on merit and subjected to the boards of the various sports.

I knew that all the attention given to football was because other sports were not living to scratch. In fact, most of them were as good as dead and buried.

After the disgrace at the Olympics and the anger generated in the land, including the Presidential condemnation, I was one of those who clamoured for the complete overhaul of the NSC. That from all indications, the NSC was peopled by human beings who had outlived their usefulness, bereft of ideas and had reached a cul de sac as regards progress and productivity.

We then soft pedaled and made a case for the new sports minister who could not have been part of the rot, since he came in to inherit all the painlessness that predictably resulted in the London disaster that we all saw coming, except the leadership of the NSC. We said the minister could not have been guilty.

The guillotine was meant for those who in their false and bizarre calculations deceived that gold and other medals were going to be won aplenty.

So, we encouraged the retention of the minister and advised him to clean the Augean stable. He was to set up a machinery for the review of the Olympics from where the way forward will be charted including an emphasis on development and grass roots sports Surprisingly, whereas the Presidential sports retreat was held, ( Still awaiting the findings ) the culprits as it were, were let off.

I switched my hope to the impending elections where I was very sure that those Presidents and members who messed up at the Olympics had no chance in hell to return. I was sure they were going to be booted out and fast too...Surprise …..Surprise...When the results were announced, the same people who in the last ten years, (some of them more) held our sports by

When the results were announced, the same people who in the last ten years, (some of them more) held our sports by the jugular and hemorrhaged it have been returned

,

the jugular and hemorrhaged it have been returned.

This, is disastrous and a great draw back for our sports.

For the past three weeks I have been hooked to tennis on the DSTV Network and every time I do, I see South Africans holding their own in the circuit, I see young tennis players ages seventeen, nineteen breaking loose on the world stage and I ask why we do not play tennis in this country? Who, will revive our tennis?

Every week end I watch live boxing matches in South Africa. I do not want to talk about cricket, rugby, basketball…just name it. What ever happened to the Grass hoppers hand ball team of Owerri?….Where is Eddy Aderinokun’s type Volleyball revolution? The world is developing and practicing sports, not Nigeria. I repeat that to have returned those who over the years dragged our sports into oblivion is the greatest disservice to this country. People who should be tied to sports stakes and shot.

Sponsorship and partnership have become taboo, seminars, clinics and grass roots development programmes are not initiated. Do they even meet as boards? Pray what manifestoes did these individuals present to warrant their return to office? It may be unfair not to say that the Athletics Federation of Nigeria has had articulated programmes over time, including the hosting and winning of the 1st African Youth Championships in March. Which other sport? I stand to be corrected.

The way it stands, no hope in sight, none, even as the next Olympics looms large.

Edwin Clark Invitational hots up in Uyo Last week end another competition was added to the Nigerian football calendar when the Edwin Clark U-18 international tournament kicked off in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State with eight teams in attendance.

King Amachree Sportive of Benin Republic, Pepsi Football Academy from Lagos, Greater Tomorrow sports Academy of Akwa Ibom, Yenogoa City Football Academy, Delta Stars, Rangers Junior of Enugu, Amakson of FCT and Super Nova Academy of Rivers State were part of an impressive ceremony last Thursday that saw the attendance of ex Super Eagles players Samson Siasia and Peter Rufai.

The final is slated for Saturday May 25 a day that coincides with the birth day of Chief Clark. When it comes to age group and development, count me in.

I thank Chief Clark for initiating this competition and kudos to Governor Akpabio for bank rolling the first edition. ….OF KANU AND OKWARAJI. Last week, while lauding the exemplary offer of fifty thousand US dollars to the Super Eagles by injured Emenike, I wanted to find out whether we have had such selfless acts before by Nigerian players who have an history of insisting on their estacodes even to the point of threatening “ no show” if their conditions are not met.

Then came this text message from Toni Ekiugbo ( 08037250922) arguing that the Late Sam Okwaraji and Nwankwo Kanu should be singled out and commended, the one for selfless service, the other for putting back into the society.

I promised him his view will be published.

See you next week.

NOC congratulates Elegbeleye Nigeria Olymwarm congratulations on THE pic Committee, your appointment as DiNOC, has hailed the appointment of Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye as the new Director-General of the National Sports Commission by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan as a sure way of bringing back the glory days of Nigerian sports.

Honourable Elegbeleye replaces former DG, Sir Patrick Ekeji.

President of NOC, Engr. Sani M. Ndanusa in welcoming the former House of Representatives member and former deputy Chairman of the

•Elegbeleye House Committee on Sports to the NSC, said that his wealth of experience both in the Executive and Judiciary arms of government would bring stability and results.

“I would like to send my

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Sunshine ABS Akwa Bayelsa Wikki Pillars Lobi Dolphins El Kanemi

Kembos College Inter House Sports: Sack Race intermediate Boys which Chiyinda of Pink House won and Emeka Onoinu of Orange House came second and Chisom Anibeze of Lemon House came third at the competittion, at the 4th Bi-Annual Inter-House Sport competition of Kembos Group of Schools held at Metropolitan College Ire-Akari Estate, Isolo, Lagos on Saturday. Photo By Akeem Salau.

Presidential reception

Nigerian League Results Sharks Heartland Nasarawa Enyimba Nembe Wolves Kaduna Kwara Gombe

rector-General of the NSC. Your appointment ensures the confidence which the sporting community has put on you. Your experience will act as a helpful asset to accomplish the mission in looking after and developing the country’s sports. Your exceptional intelligence, dedication and commendable track record cast no doubt on your success on achieving this highly challenging post”, Ndanusa who is also the President of Nigeria Tennis Federation said.

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Continues from BP knowledge. The names of the players were on the list of 30 players Obuh selected for camping in Germany. But NFF officials were said to have deleted their names at the Embassy of Germany where they were submitted for visas.

Kojo added that Nigerians should not hold Obuh

responsible if the team failed at the tournament, starting June 21to July 13 in seven cities in Turkey. Nigeria play Portugal in their first Group B match on June 21 in Kayersi, Speaking yesterday to Sports Vanguard, Kojo said that Obuh has no business staying for the start of the tournament

if the NFF failed to re-list the dropped players for the World Cup. “He has no business staying for the tournament since the NFF has tampered with his list. He should resign and take the next flight back to Nigeria and allow the NFF to carry on with their plan to run the show for him.

“If Obuh truly knows his onions, he should simply resign now and

move ahead with his life, instead off allowing some persons, who do not have a clue on how to manage a national team to dictate to him. He is the coach and he has proved to be a good and capable coach. So I am shocked that the NFF can be tampering with his list for the tournament.

“It is bad how they treat our local coaches. I am appalled and baffled with this sort of treatment."

Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013—55

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VANGUARD, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013

EPL RESULTS Chelsa Liverpool Man City Newcastle Southampton Swansea Tottenham West Brom West Ham Wigan

Resign now, Kojo tells F/Eagles coach

BY JOHN IGBOKHAN

Continues on Page 53

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EMOTIONS ... Beckham in tears after his last game

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Beckham in tears in last game

A

S he staggered off the pitch at the Parc des Princes last night, David Beckham looked an emotional wreck.

Following a career spanning three decades, it was time to say a tearful adieu to Paris — and professional football.

Continues on Page 53

Team Manchester United Manchester City Chelsea Arsenal Tottenham Hotspur Everton Liverpool West Brom Swansea City West Ham Norwich City Fulham Stoke City Southerampton Aston Villa Newcastle Sunderland Wigan Athletic Reading

Confed Cup: Rangers pip Sfaxien

U

GONNA Uzo chukwu scored the match winner and then saw red as Enugu Rangers pipped CS Sfaxien 1-0 in a CAF

Confederation Cup match on Sunday.

Defender Uzochukwu grabbed the winner three minutes from full time after Tunisian club

PUZZLE

Sfaxien held their own inside the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium in Enugu. However, Uzochukwu will see red minutes Continues on Page 53

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L 5 6 7 7 8 7 9 17 14 16 14 17 14 15 17 19 17 20 22

F 86 66 75 72 66 55 71 53 47 45 41 50 34 49 47 45 41 47 43

A 43 34 39 37 46 40 43 57 51 53 58 60 45 60 69 68 54 73 73

GD 43 32 36 35 20 15 28 -4 -4 -8 -17 -10 -11 -11 -22 -23 -13 -26 -30

Pts 89 78 75 73 72 63 61 49 46 46 44 43 42 41 41 41 39 36 28

Presidential reception for Eaglets, F/Eagles

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RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan will on Tuesa y host the country’s U17 and U20 teams, offiContinues on Page 54 cials disclosed. d

QUICK CROSSWORD

Sudoku TODAY'S

Everton QPR Norwich Arsenal Stoke Fullham Sunderland Man Utd Reading Aston Villa

Final Premier League Table

F

ORMER Chairman of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Anthony KojoWilliams has condemned the Nigeria Football Federation for dropping five players from the Flying Eagles squad to next month’s FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey, without the consent of Coach John Obuh.

Obuh only yesterday raised eyebrows over the provisional 30-mam list released by the NFF, stating that he was surprised that five players, comprising Lukman Dimiyo, Moses Epele, Bobby Ikpeazu, Ozioma Maduako and Ezeugo Samson were dropped without his

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YESTER DAY'S YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 3 Spate (5) 9 Short-sightedness (6) 10 Victor (6) 11 Attempted (5) 12 Temper (4) 15 Valley (4) 17 Handled (7) 20 Moose (3) 21 Send (5) 23 Imitated (4) 25 Deficit (4) 26 Rule (5) 28 Ovum (3) 30 Retribution (7) 33 Summit (4) 35 Boulder (4) 36 Demise (5) 38 Dog (6) 39 Festival (6) 40 Pulverise (5)

DOWN 1 Sting (5) 2 Smithy (5) 3 Healthy (3) 4 Pantry (6) 5 Due (4) 6 Performed (3) 7 Fish (5) 8 Inebriated (5) 13 Dispose (7) 14 Keen (5) 16 Stretchy (7 18 Condescend (5) 19 Lubricate (3) 22 Soar (5) 24 Lair (3) 27 Tidy (6) 28 Era (5) 29 Wall-part (5) 31 Direction (5) 32 Garment (5) 34 Ale (4) 36 Delve (3) 37 Owned (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS

How to Play Sudoku

ACROSS: 1, School 5, Gratis 9, Parde 10, Agreed 11, Earned 12, Never 14, Stem 17, Net 18, Here 20, Eaten 22, Talon 23, Resided 24, Beige 26, Newer 29, Edge 30, Bow 22, Sore 33, Panic 35, Groped 36, Dabble 37, Elder 38, Evenly 39, Relent

THE VIGILANTE

DOWN: 1, Sparse 2, Hornet 3, Open 4, Laden 5, Greet 6, Rear 7, Tunnel 8, Sodden 13, Vemson 15, Tamed 16, Merge 18, Hades 19, Rover 21, Nee 22, Ten 24, Beagle 25, Ignore 27, Wobble 28, Revert 30, Badly 31, Wider 33, Peel 34, Care

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P

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

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

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

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