Why we must crush Boko Haram - ECOWAS

...towards a better life for the people

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VOL. 25: NO. 62147

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

N150

TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014

UK spy plane breaks down on way to find Chibok girls 58

Fashola condemns call for Christian successor >>10

Why we must crush Boko Haram—ECOWAS

•Says what affects Nigeria, affects West Africa •US finally agrees to share intelligence with Nigeria

•Committee on Chibok visits Borno, meets Shehu, others •Jonathan meets security chiefs 9

BY OKEY NDIRIBE, FAVOUR NNABUGWU, WOLE MOSADOMI, JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU, NDAHI MARAMA & VICTORIA OJEME

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BUJA —ASSEM BLY of Heads of State and Governments of ECOWAS, yesterday, restated its commitment to crushing insurgent Islamic sect, Boko Haram.

It also vowed to cripple its campaign of criminalising the quest for education in Nigeria and across West African countries.

Also, the United States has now agreed to share

Continues on page 5

COLUMNISTS: Aliko Dangote: The quintessential Nigerian entrepreneur •P.17

Boko Haram in US politics 5 5 .

•P

Mr & Mrs

KANO BOMBING—Several people including the bomber were killed when an explosives-laden car went off

near an open-air beer garden, destroying six cars and shattering windows of several buildings Sunday night in Kano. Above: One of the destroyed cars and another car laden with explosives uncovered in Kano. BELOW LEFT: An affected building and two survivors. BELOW RIGHT: The hotel building said to be target of the bomber.

APC set for stormy NEC meeting today C M Y K

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Forced labour generates $150bn annually — ILO 9

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POCKET CARTOON

ECOWAS—From left: Deputy Speaker, House of Reps, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha; Deputy Senate President, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu; Vice President of Ghana, Mr. Kwesi Amissah Attah and Senate President, Sen. David Mark during the opening ceremony of the First Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament, held at ECOWAS Secretariat, Abuja.

Why we must crush Boko Haram — ECOWAS Continues from page 1 some intelligence with Nigeria to bolster the search for the more than 200 girls kidnapped by Boko Haram.

ECOWAS Chairman and President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, in his remarks yesterday, during the opening of the 2014 1st Ordinary Session of the 3rd Legislature of the ECOWAS Parliament in Abuja, said “any destabilisation of Nigeria would be a destabilisation of our entire sub-region.”

Mahama, who was represented by his vice, Kwesi Bekoe Amissah, said that it was unfortunate that the insurgents have continued to un-

leash acts of violence and terror on many Nigerians, killing many and leaving several ordinary Nigerians maimed and frightened.

“The recent abduction of the schoolgirls in Chibok is reprehensible and so disheartening. No decent society will accept this.

Unless we are able to overcome Boko Haram and its ideology of criminalising the rightful quest for education, the future of our sub-region could be badly affected. We need to ensure we maintain safe education and learning environments for our children, so that our people can be fully equipped to compete successfully with others in the rest of the

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

Aristotle said: ‘We are what we repeatedly do.

Excellence then is not an act, but a habit.’ So if you want to succeed, consult God, and operate in your God-given strength.

TAKE HEART

D

BY ELLA RANDLE

O you feel trapped by the limitations in your life? Remember, you hold the key to the freedom you seek. You can unlock those limitations and set yourself free! There is always a way, there is always another open door or unlocked door. Try them all —James Murphy Michelangelo is reputed to have said: “Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.” Did he fail to discover what was hidden within those stones? Or did he see something there in his mind’s eye but was interrupted before he could reveal its beauty? In either case, what is locked inside the marble may stay there forever.

And how like so many of us that is. We have unseen potential that takes time, maybe a lifetime, to be revealed. And how terrible when we get stuck, when we live and die with so much potential unrealized. How sad when only a small part of who we truly are ever emerges. Choose how you want to live this life. You have a choice to live it purposely, no matter what is thrown at you!

world,” he said.

The chairman of the community's leaders pointed out that the abduction of the schoolgirls in Borno State is one act of terror that has created global concern, especially about the fate of the girls.

He said it was against the backdrop that ECOWAS invoked the relevant sections of its Joint Counter-Terrorism Strategy.

Mahama called on members of the ECOWAS Parliament to use their relationship with their constituents to prevent and discourage radicalisation, especially among the youth.

He urged the ECOWAS Parliament to cooperate and support the governments of the sub region in the fight against insurgency.

President Goodluck Jonathan, who was represented by Senate President, David Mark, said terrorism and insurgency are alien to African culture.

“We must, therefore, stand united against it in all its ramifications. We will continue to seek regional and international collaboration in the fight against these crimes which by their nature are transnational,” he said.

Jonathan said the crescendo of regional security challenges required member states to fortify their democratic institutions to be able to confront and overcome the threat.

On his part, President of the ECOWAS Commission, Kadre Desire Ouedraogo, said the challenge of a more inclusive, peaceful and integrated region required greater

coordinated measures to particularly combat the new threats constituted by terrorism and organised crime.

In his welcome address, Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, condemned “in strongest terms the brigandage and mindless waste of human lives and property by the renegades who go under the cover of so-called religious extremism to commit crimes against humanity.”

Ekweremadu, who is Nigeria’s Deputy Senate President, also condemned the abduction of the schoolgirls in Chibok, Borno State.

“This is the height of cowardice and depravity to take unarmed young women into forced custody. No doubt, the Boko Haram has by this affront declared total war not only on Nigeria, but also the West African sub-region and indeed humanity,” he said.

US now agrees to share intelligence with Nigeria

The United States has agrred to share some intelligence with Nigeria to bolster the search for the more than 200 girls kidnapped by Boko Haram, the Pentagon said, yesterday.

The U.S. military is flying manned and unmanned surveillance missions over Nigeria, but had been unable to directly share intelligence with Abuja because it had not established protocols with the government.

Pentagon spokesman, Col. Steve Warren said that agreement was struck over the weekend.

“We have finalized an agreement with the Nigerians to share intelligence with them - specifically intelligence relating to the kidnapped girls,” Warren told reporters.

While the agreement would allow the U.S. military to share some intelligence — including aerial imagery — with Nigeria, it did not mean that all raw U.S. intelligence gathered could be shared, Warren added.

The Pentagon’s announcement followed a meeting in Paris over the weekend where West African leaders agreed to work together to combat Boko Haram, saying the group had become a shared threat.

Committee on Chibok abduction arrives Borno, meets Shehu, service chiefs

Meanwhile, the Presidential Fact-finding Committee on the abduction of the Chibok Schoolgirls

said, yesterday, that it has entered the crucial stage of its assignment as it arrived Maiduguri, Borno State capital in continuation of its assignment.

The Committee members, led by the chairman, Brig-Gen. Ibrahim Sabo (rtd), arrived Sunday evening aboard an Air Force plane and were received at Maiduguri Airport by the Acting General Officer Commanding the 7th Division of Nigerian Army, Brig-Gen. M. Y. Ibrahim, and officials of Borno State Government.

A statement by the committee’s spokesperson Kingsley Osadolor, quoted Gen. Sabo (rtd) as saying that the committee had entered a crucial phase of its assignment.

“We are now in the main theatre where the Chibok schoolgirls were taken away against their will.

The whole world is mobilised against the abduction, and we cannot be happy while our daughters remain in captivity,” he said.

Gen. Sabo reiterated that the Committee had an open mind to its assignment.

“We are not here with preconceived notions. We are here to find facts that will lead to a resolution of the current hostage crisis involving the schoolgirls.”

He said the committee, while in Borno State, would engage a broad spectrum of stakeholders, to enable the committee have a holistic appreciation of the matter at hand, and advise the Federal Government accordingly.

He, therefore, called for the co-operation of all concerned.

During a courtesy call on the Shehu of Borno at his palace, yesterday, the Fact-finding Committee Chairman recalled that, historically, Maiduguri was a famous centre in the Trans-Sahara Trade, but regretted that the city and the state had suffered severe socio-economic dislocation as a result of insurgency in recent years.

Responding, the Shehu of Borno, Dr Mustapha El-Kanemi, described the Chibok abduction as unfortunate. He said the Kanem-Borno Empire had been in existence for

some 1,200 years, adding that the people were peace-loving.

“What is happening now is unfortunate. It’s entirely new to us. None of the leaders of Boko Haram is from Borno. They cannot claim to be from here.

The problem was brought to us from elsewhere,” the Shehu said.

The committee also held a closed-door meeting with service chiefs in Borno State, including the GOC 7 Division, Nigerian Army, Police Commissioner, Mr. Lawal Tanko, Director, Department of State Services, DSS, Mr. Abdullahi Ahmed among others.

The committee’s terms of reference are: To liaise with the Borno State Government and establish the circumstances leading to the school remaining open for boarding students when other schools were closed; To liaise with relevant authorities and the parents of the missing girls to establish the actual number and identities of the girls abducted; To interface with the security services and the Borno State Government to ascertain how many of the missing girls have returned; To mobilise the surrounding communities and the general public on citizen support for a rescue strategy and operation; and To articulate a framework for a multistakeholder action for the rescue of the missing girls; and to advise Government on any matter incidental to the terms of reference.

At its inauguration, President Goodluck Jonathan announced that the Committee was not a substitute for the search and rescue efforts already mounted by the security and defence forces.

The Committee had spent the past week in the Federal Capital Territory engaged in interactive sessions and consultations with a broad range of sources and contacts.

These include the Minister of Defence, Service Chiefs, the Inspector General of Police, and heads of Intelligence agencies.

6—Vanguard,B TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014

How bandits used monarch's car for failed robbery

BY EMMAAMAIZE

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LEH — A gang of rob bers operating in Oleh, Delta State, weekend, used a Mercedes Benz car belonging to the traditional ruler of Ase Kingdom in Ndokwa East Local Government Area, Delta State, for a botched robbery operation.

Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, DSP Celestina Kalu, who confirmed the incident, however, said the car was used without the consent of the royal father.

She said in a statement: "On 18/5/2014, one Sergeant Ugbo 'm' of 17, Tolobe Street, Oleh reported at the Police station, Oleh, that on the same date, at about 0230hrs, strange persons knocked at the door to his house and when he looked through the window, he saw one of the persons, suspected to be armed robbers with a stainless gun.

"Consequently, he phoned the vigilante, who responded swiftly with the Army patrol team.

"However, when the hoodlums sighted the security team approaching, they escaped and abandoned their vehicle, a M/Benz car with registration number EQ 442 APP. The vehicle was recovered to the police station.

"Preliminary investigation has revealed that the said M/Benz car belongs to HRH, Igwe Ifeanyichukwu, the traditional ruler of Ase Kingdom in Ndokwa West LGA of Delta State.

"The monarch was contacted and he disclosed that the said vehicle developed fault on his way to Ase from Asaba. He then left the vehicle with an aide (name withheld) to get a mechanic to fix the vehicle while he sent for his spare car with which he continued his journey.

"The said aide, instead of returning the car to HRH after the repairs, decided to use it along with his cohorts for the botched robbery operation. Detectives traced the said suspect to his house at Iyede Street, Oleh and discovered that he had left the town."

DSP Kalu informed that "efforts are on to track down the suspects who are currently at large."

Cultural display during the International Museums Day celebration in Jos, the Plateau State capital, yesterday. Photo: NAN

Court dissolves ex-minister's 29-yr-old marriage •Orders refund of N120 dowry

BY EGUFE YAFUGBORHI

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ARRI — A customary court sitting in Agbarho, Ughelli North Local Government Area, Delta State, yesterday, dissolved the marriage between former Science and Technology Minister, Mrs. Grace Ekpiwhre and her husband, Chief Peter Ekpiwhre.

President of the court, Mrs. Stella Okah, said she had to rule for dissolution of the marriage because she was convinced there has been strained love between the couple for a long time and as a result the former minister, who sought the resolution in court was no longer interested in the marriage blessed with one girl.

Mrs. Okah, supported by Chief Adadi Omosowho and Mr. Richard Onosigho, other members of the Agbarho Customary Court ordered the family of Mrs. Ekpiwhre to refund to the court's registry, the sum of N120 paid as dowry by Mr. Ekpiwhre when the marriage was contracted in 1985.

Eldest man of the Akpoguma Family of Agbarho, where the plaintiff hails from in Ughelli North Local Government Area, Chief Samuel Salubi, refunded the dowry almost immediately.

Mrs. Ekpiwhre, retired as Delta State's Head of Service before becoming Minister of Science and Technology in 2007 under late President Yar'Adua.

She was later appointed Minister of State, Works and Housing after a cabinet reshuffle, and also served as Supervising Minister, Women Affairs and Social Development.

34-yr-old man electrocuted in Delta

BY FESTUS AHON

U

G H E L L I — PA N D E M O N U I M broke out in Ohoror community, Ughelli North Local Government area, Delta State following the death of a 34-year-old man who was electrocuted in an attempt to reconnect power supply to Bomadi and its environs.

The deceased, who was identified as Kurokeme Awudu, was killed at about 6.35 pm on Sunday, according to a dependable source, is a native of Kpakiama in Bomadi Local Government area of the State.

The incident caused gridlock along the Ohoror junction for hours before the corpse was taken to the Bomadi General Hospital mortuary as commuters

Child beggars at Iyana Iba, Lagos. Photo: Bunmi Azeez

and villagers trooped to the scene to catch a glimpse of the victim.

The eyewitness, who gave his name as Okpako Bobo said: "The late Kurokeme was travelling to Ughelli and on getting to the Ohoror junction, he saw

that there was no light in Kpakiama, Bomadi and other villages around so he disembarked from the commercial vehicle he was and borrowed a ladder from somebody in Ohoror community to fix the fault but unfortunately he died in the process."

Police declare monarch wanted for ‘illegal’ coronation

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BY EMMAAMAIZE

SABA — POLICE in Delta State, yesterday, declared His Royal Majesty, Nzefili Nwadukwe, reportedly crowned as king of Abala-Obodo, Ndokwa East Local Government Area

wanted. He was crowned by a section of the community, last month.

State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ikechukwu Aduba, in a statement, said: "Delta State Police Command takes exception to the incident of April 5, 2014, when one Nzefili Nwadukwe was illegally crowned as king against the existence of a government recognised king.

"This illegal coronation was done in flagrant contravention of existing law banning the creation of parallel monarch in any community. Nzefili Nwadukwe is by this publication declared wanted and will be hunted down to face the full wrath of the law."

Aduba warned those planning to usurp government recognised monarchy in contravention of the law to have a rethink and follow due process, as the police would not fold their hands and watch them breach the law.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014—7

AKALA BOYS LATEST: Court orders CP to produce arrested kingpin

BY IFEANYI OKOLIE

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AGOS — THE Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos has been asked to order Commissioner of Police Lagos, Umar Manko, to bring before it, a Lagos businessman, Toba Ajiboye, who was arrested recently at his residence in Surulere by the Police in connection with the latest clash in Mushin area by the notorious Akala boys.

Wife of the businessman, Balikis Ajiboye, who is also the deponent in suit filed to enforce the fundamental human rights of freedom of movement and liberty for her husband, stressed that her husband had been kept incommunicado since his arrest.

She added that she is scared about her husband’s life, as he has not been allowed access to his lawyer and members of his family.

In an affidavit in support of the motion, Mrs. Ajiboye said: “On April 24, 2014, around 4 pm, I was with my husband at our 22, Karimu Street, Surulere, Lagos residence when over 25 Policemen and 30 hoodlums came in various Police patrol vehicles.

"The policemen were fully armed, while hoodlums had

several dangerous weapons with them and stormed our residence in a commando style, shooting sporadically in the air.

"My husband and I, and our four children were in grave panic as our doors, furniture and other valuables were destroyed.

"Thereafter, the Police after arresting my husband handed him over to the hoodlums who smashed over three cartons of

bottles they brought along on my husbands head and he was also stabbed on his neck, causing him to bleed profusely.

"Some of my husband's friends, who were in our house, were also stabbed and beaten up by the hoodlums.

"He was taken away, detained in an unknown location and was denied any medical attention.

"Owing to this unlawful arrest and continuous detention,

it became urgent for my husband to apply to this honourable court to intervene and hear his application to prevent further oppression, unlawful detention, gross violation of his fundamental human rights and gross abuse of court process.

"It is over 25 days since my husband who is the breadwinner of our family was arrest for no just cause."

Members of the Nigerian Association of the Blind in Kaduna protesting against the banning of motorcycles (Okada) by the Kaduna State Government. Photo: Olu Ajayi.

Tricycle operators' detention: Court awards N2m damages against Police

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AGOS — A Federal High Court, yesterday, in Lagos awarded N2 million as damages against the Police over illegal arrests and detention of three tricycle operators.

The applicants are Mr Samson Adeotan (Chairman, Owners Riders Association), Oluwole Owolabi and Oluwasegun Ogundare.

According to reports, the operators had filed the suit in December 2013, seeking an enforcement of their fundamental rights against the Police.

Joined as respondents in the suit are the Inspector-General of Police, Commissioner of Police, Special Fraud Unit (SFU), Lagos State Police Commissioner and Petra Microfinance Bank Ltd. The applicants had sought a declaration that their detention by officers of the third respondents and invitations by the second respondent over a purely civil transaction amounted to a breach of their rights.

They wanted a mandatory order of court restraining the respondents or their officers from further harassing or threatening to arrest them over their loan facility agreement with the microfinance bank.

They had also claimed N20 million against the respondents

jointly and severally for their illegal arrests and detention.

Delivering his judgment yesterday, Justice Okon Abang awarded N2 million as general damages against the respondents jointly and severally for illegal detention of the applicants.

Abang also awarded a N50,000 cost against the respondents jointly and severally.

The court held that since the transaction between the applicant

and Petra Microfinance Bank was civil in nature, the appropriate step was for the bank to have sued for recovery of debt.

The judge held that it was not the duty of the Police to act as a debt collector for the bank, adding that the original duty of the Police was for maintenance of law and order.

“The police will never learn; even if it is true that the applicant collected monies meant for the

payment of the loan facility, it is not a guarantee for the Police to step in as a debt collector and abandon their role of maintaining law and order.

He said: “The sum of N2 million is hereby awarded as damages against the respondents jointly and severally for illegal arrests and detention of applicants. A cost of N50,000 is also awarded in favour of the applicants, I so hold."

3 injured as vigilante groups clash in Ogun

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

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BEOKUTA — PANDEMO NIUM broke out, weekend, at Goshen Estate, Asero, in Abeokuta South Local Government Area of Ogun State, when two factions of the private security guards popularly called vigilance groups clashed, leaving three people injured.

An eye witness told Vanguard that the incident caused panic in the estate following the reported sporadic gun shots allegedly fired into the air by one of the factions identified as Vigilante Service of Nigeria, VSO, in the state.

Vanguard gathered that there had been supremacy battle be-

tween the Vigilante Service of Nigeria and the other faction identified as Vigilante of Nigeria since the inception of the current government which later recognised the VSO as the only authorised vigilante body in charge of security of some state institutions and private establishments in the state.

It was gathered that an attempt to dislodge members of the VGN from their duty posts in the estate turned bloody, leaving three of the VGN members injured.

The security coordinating officer in the area, Chief Olusola Fatokun, explained that the incessant robbery attacks on the people of the area prompted them to seek the service of VGN.

He, however, described the incident as unexpected and organised crime on the people, saying the VGN members were employed by the community to ensure law and order as well as security of the people.

According to him, these VSO people just came and started shooting sporadically into the air which created panic in the area and at the end of the day three of the guards were injured by VSO. “They attacked them, beat them to comma to the extent that three of them were taken to hospital where they were treated. They also attempted to whisk some of them to their office which was resisted.

Police arrest fleeing rapist's mother, 2 brothers

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

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BEOKUTA — THE Ogun State Police Command, yesterday, said it had apprehended the mother and two brothers of a suspected run-away rapist, Tosin Ojo, who reportedly raped a 14-year-old girl.

The prosecutor, Assistant Superintendent of Police, ASP, Christopher Joseph, told the court that the suspect committed the offence last month on the roadside in the middle of the night in Abeokuta.

Joseph also explained that the accused, who was facing a two-count charge of conspiracy and rape, ran away after he committed the offence.

He, however, told the court that the inability of Police to arrest the suspect had forced them to apprehend three members of his family, including his mother.

“Three family members of the suspect have been arrested due to the absence of the accused.

They are all in Police custody. We will not release them until we get the accused,” the prosecutor said.

Explaining how the suspect allegedly committed the offence, Joseph said the suspect threatened the victim with a broken bottle.

He said: “The accused met the girl at a roadside in the middle of the night in Abeokuta and raped her. He even threatened to kill her if she refused him."

The presiding judge, Justice Gabriel Majekodunmi, however, ordered that the suspect be brought to court at the adjourned date .

Majekodunmi, who did not rule on the number of days the family of the suspect who were arrested instead by police would spend in the Police custody, however, adjourned the case till June 26.

8—Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014

‘No quick resolution of insurgency’ zAs Ozekhome goes spiritual on Chibok schoolgirls, Nigeria

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU

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BUJA—THE Director of Policy Strategy in the office of the National Security Adviser, Ambassador Layiwola Lasehinde, yesterday, told Nigerians not to expect a quick resolution of insurgency in the country.

Ambassador Lasehinde, who spoke at a symposium organised by the United Nigerians Forum with the theme Nigeria of Our Dreams, said insurgency had become a virus that had entered the body politics of the country which would be extremely difficult to remove.

He explained that there were many disgruntled people supporting terrorists in the country.

Meantime, a constitutional lawyer and human rights activist, Chief Mike Ozekhome, had gone spiritual over the abduction of over 200 students of Government School, Chibok, by the Boko Haram sect, saying that he had the revelation that the girls would be released.

remove it because there are many disgruntled people all over supporting them.”

No devt in North-East until…

He stressed that there would be no meaningful development in the affected region until there was peace, adding that for instance doctors sent there were kidnapped and killed.

He said: “If you try to build anything there, you will be massacred so peace has to be returned there first to achieve meaningful development in the area.”

Besides, he said, the European Union and the Department for International Development were already involved in a comprehensive strategy to ensure transparency in the development of a blue print for the area in line with the International best practices.

The initiative, he added, had long term, short term

and medium term measures to rejuvenate socio economic activities in the region.

He said: “The prime programme will be jointly funded by the Federal Government, states and the development partners, which had pledged several billions of naira for the execution of the programme.

“The government had also put in place a victim support programme. The office of the NSA had designed two programmes to combat terrorism and to discourage young people from buying into the concept of terrorism.”

Says FG’s focused

He said that the Federal Government has remained focused despite the security challenges posed by the activities of the Boko Haram sect in the north eastern part of the country.

Lasehinde disclosed that the office of the NSA had also started a programme to

protect critical assets of the country by compiling the comprehensive list of their current locations, and condition of the assets.

He said the strategic assets including government and private buildings such as NNPC headquarters, police headquarters, secretariats, educational institutions and other facilities would be fully guided against terrorists’ attacks.

He said: “The presidential initiative for the North-East is a martial plan for economic development and the committee is working with the affected state governments and development partners for the post-state of emergency period.”

Ozekhome’s dream

Human rights activist, Mike Ozekhome, urged Nigerians to pray for the quick release of the remaining schoolgirls still in the custody of the sect, adding that God who delivered him after he was kidnapped for 21 days will

also save the students.

Ozekhome said he had been optimistic that the girls would be released alive and that their freedom will end insurgency in Nigeria.

He said: “The Nigeria of our dreams is a country that would become one of the greatest countries in the world; a country that everyone would love to come and dwell in.

“I dream of a country which would always sponsor the talented ones amongst its citizens; a country with no trace of violence.

“I dream of a time, when every citizen of Nigeria would be proud to say, I am a Nigerian. These are the dreams I have for my country Nigeria.”

Other prominent Nigerians like former Presidential spokesman, Mr. Segun Adeniyi, Mr. Umar Farouk, Dr Inusa Tanko, Hajia Ramatu Bala Usman, Hajia Aisha Bako, Dr. Kunle Fagbemi and Mr. Bankole Afilaka, also spoke on the occasion.

America's example

According to the Director, “it took America 10 years to locate Bin Laden and when you are talking of resources, American government spent huge amount of money in search of Bin Laden who was sitting in a house close to a military station.

“America cannot solve the terrorism problem in Afghanistan and they were there for years spending $1 million every day. They were also in Iraq, also spending $1 million every day. In fact, the place is worse than when they got there.

“We are not saying that we will not get to the end of terrorism in Nigeria, but do not expect a quick resolution. It is a virus that had entered the body politics of the country and it will be extremely difficult to

CIBN: From left— Dr. Segun Aina, President, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, CIBN; HRM Oba Rilwan Akiolu of Lagos; Otunba Michael Balogun, Chairman of the occasion and Founder, First City Group; Otunba Debola Osibogun, 1st Vice-President, CIBN, and Mr. Tunde Lemo, former Deputy Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, at the Institute's presidential valedictory address on Banking and Bankers, and unveilling of a book entitled The Economy of Financial Inclusion in Nigeria in Lagos. PHOTO: Akeem Salau.

NGE faults Chibok schoolgirls' kidnap, non-passage of 2014 budget, others

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HE Nigerian Guild of Editors, NGE, has expressed sadness over the abduction of more than 200 schoolgirls in Chibok, Borno State, and called on the Federal Government to live up to its promise to ensure the girls are rescued.

In a communique issued at the end of the standing committee meeting of the Guild held in Owerri, it argued that “the abduction is not only an assault on Chibok, but the entire country.”

The Guild then praised

Nigerians for rising up in unison against the abduction of the schoolgirls and further commended the international community for offering assistance to Nigeria to free them.

It urged “Nigerians to be security conscious and pass relevant information to security agents who are expected to promptly act on such information to stop terrorism in the country.”

The communique, signed by the Guild’s President,

Femi Adesina, read: “The Guild decries the acrimonious nature of the ongoing National Conference and calls on delegates to watch their utterances capable of causing more disunity in the country.

“The Guild notes the recent rebasing of the Nigerian economy. It, however, expects the new economic status as the largest economy in Africa to reflect in the per capita income and the standard of living of Nigerians as well as

infrastructure development.

“The Guild is worried that the 2014 budget has not been passed five months into the year. It, therefore, calls on both the executive and the legislative arms of government to resolve their differences on the issue and pass the budget urgently.

“The Guild calls on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, politicians and the people to ensure that the forthcoming governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun

states are free, fair and credible to act as a template for the 2015 general elections.

“The Guild notes that sports is a unifying factor in Nigeria and that the FIFA World Cup and the Commonwealth Games are coming up shortly.

“It, therefore, urges the Federal Government to ensure adequate funding for successful outings of Nigeria at these events. The Guild commends the Imo State Government for hosting the Standing Committee meeting.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014 —9

Jonathan meets with security chiefs over cooperation with US, others

BY BEN AGANDE

A

BUJA—PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, met with military chiefs and heads of security agencies to review the recent m u l t i n a t i o n a l cooperation between Nigerian security services and those of America, the Great Britain, France, Israel and China towards tackling the Boko Haram insurgency.

At the end of the meeting which held at the Presidential Villa, those in attendance kept sealed lips as it is common with such security meetings.

Those in attendance at yesterday ’s security meeting were Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh; Chief of Army Staff, Kenneth Minimah; Chief of Naval Staff, Usman Jibrin; and Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Ademola Amosu.

The Inspector General of Police, Muhammed Abubakar, and the Director General of Department of State Services, Ita Ekpeyong, were also at the meeting.

WEF MEETING: From left— Uyi Akpata, Senior Partner, PwC Nigeria; Uche Orji, CEO, NSIA; Sola David-Borha, CEO, Stanbic IBTC Holdings; Devakumar Edwin, GMD/CEO, Dangote Cement Plc, and Colin Coleman, MD, Goldman Sachs, at the PwC networking breakfast meeting to discuss Africa business agenda at the World Economic Forum in Abuja.

Forced labour generates $150bn annually— ILO zTo cooperate with govts, employers, union

BY FUNMI KOMOLAFE

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HE International Labour Organisation, ILO's latest report has revealed that forced labour generates about $150 billion annually and that about 21 million people are involved in forced labour worldwide.

The organisation is, therefore, set to work with governments, private employers and trade unions to enforce laws against forced labour.

Forced labour in Nigeria, which ILO noted generates more than three times the previously estimated profit, is illegal.

To tackle it, ILO DirectorGeneral, Mr. Guy Ryder, said the organisation will work with “governments to strengthen law, policy and enforcement with employers and strengthen their due diligence against forced labour, including in their supply chains, and with trade unions to represent and empower those at risk.

“If we want to make a significant change in the lives of the 21 million men, women and children in forced labour, we need to take concrete and immediate action.”

The repor t

The ILO report on Profits and Poverty: The Economics of Forced Labour said: “Two thirds of the estimated total of $150 billion, or $99 billion, came from commercial sexual exploitation, while another $51 billion resulted from forced economic exploitation, including domestic work, agriculture and other economic activities.”

It noted that over half of

those engaged in forced labour are “ women, and girls, primarily in commercial sexual exploitation and domestic work, while men and boys were primarily in forced economic exploitation in agriculture, construction, and mining.”

The report listed income shocks and poverty as the main economic factors that push individuals into forced labour.

Other factors, it stated, include lack of education, illiteracy, gender and migration.

Socio-economic solutions

Head of ILO’s Special Action Programme to Combat Forced Labour, Beate Andrees, suggested that “while progress is being made in reducing state imposed forced labour, we must now focus on the socioeconomic factors that make people vulnerable to forced labour in the private sector.”

Andrees called for a series of measures aimed at reducing vulnerability to forced labour including “bolstering social protection floors to prevent poor

households from abusive lending or indenture in the event of sudden income shocks.

“Investing in education and skills training to fortify job opportunities for vulnerable workers, promoting a rights based approach to migration to prevent irregular employment and abuse of migrant workers.”

She also suggested “supporting the organisation of workers, including in sectors and industries vulnerable to forced labour.”

APC set for stormy NEC meeting today

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, Political Editor

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HE stage is set for a showdown at the National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting of All Progressives Congress, APC, today, as party elders seek to bridge a widening gulf between major stakeholders in the party.

At issue is the future direction of the opposition party which has seen a new power bloc aiming to reshape its culture and power configurations.

Today’s meeting, Vanguard learnt, is expected to be very stormy given the high stakes involved as the zoning of the incoming national executive is expected to be decided.

Meanwhile, APC has raised alarm over what it claimed, yesterday, as an orchestrated harassment and intimidation of its members in Bayelsa State.

The party said that the

pressure against its members in Bayelsa was apparently aimed at ensuring that the party does not get a foothold in the home state of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Though today ’s NEC meeting has been called to deliberate on issues arising from the recently concluded congresses in some states, party insiders were yesterday apprehensive that unfinished issues arising from last Tuesday ’s national caucus would cast a shadow on the meeting.

At that meeting, the national Vice-Chairman, South-South, Chief Tom Ikimi and the national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu reportedly exchanged hot words arising from a secret memo authored by Ikimi over his concerns about the party.

That memo, which was eventually leaked and exclusively published by Vanguard had raised concerns

over the bleeding of the party in some states and Ikimi’s Edo State upon the grievances that followed the party congresses.

Of special interest to party followers at today’s meeting would be the unresolved issue of the congresses in Ogun State where two parallel executives loyal to a national leader of the party, Aremo Segun Osoba and Governor Ibikunle Amosun, respectively, were thrown up.

The party has also been under pressure in Edo, Delta and some other northern states on account of clashes between established interests in the party in the states.

Vanguard gathered yesterday that the NEC meeting is expected to deliberate on the zoning of national offices of the party ahead of the national convention of the party.

A new power bloc within the party championed by the

party’s governors, Vanguard learnt, had recommended that the new national chairman of the party should come from the South-South or the South-East.

That recommendation, it was learnt, had been seriously opposed by a powerful national leader of the party, who, it was learnt, had sought to retain the office of the national chairman in the South-west.

The party ’s governors, Vanguard learnt, had succeeded in persuading the national leadership on the necessity of pushing forward a national chairman from the South-South or the South-East.

One of the reasons, it was learnt, was to project a Christian as national chairman, a fact that would help bury criticisms against the party as being a pro-Muslim.

It would also take deliberate efforts to ensure a balance in the religious configuration of its national executive.

10— Vanguard , TUERSDAY, MAY 20, 2014

Soka den: Police yet to arrest prime suspect

BY OLAAJAYI

I

BADAN–OYO State Police Commissioner, Mr. Mohammed Indabawa said yesterday that the prime suspect in the Soka kidnappers’ den in Ibadan was yet to be arrested.

He said this while speaking with newsmen at the State Police command, Eleyele, Ibadan.

The CP also hinted that three suspects had already been arraigned before a magistrate court in connection with the incident.

He dismissed rumour that the incident had been swept under the carpet.

While pledging that the police would get to the root of the matter, he advised residents in the city not to hoard any information at their disposal but should always keep the police informed about any criminal activities in the state.

Justifying that the police were working round the clock to get all the suspects arrested, he added that it was the efforts of his men and officers of the state command that led to the arrest of seven suspects.

Meanwhile, when Vanguard visited the kidnappers’ den, the directive given by Governor Abiola Ajimobi that all structures on the land be demolished was yet to be complied with.

Vanguard gathered that since the day the police authorities ordered that the demolition be put on hold for forensic experts to collect samples, nothing concrete has been done.

When asked why the structures had not been demolished, the Special Adviser to the governor on media, Dr. Festus Adedayo said they were still waiting on the police to conclude investigations.

For fear of being turned to hoodlums’ hideouts, residents in the area have made a fresh appeal to the governor to ensure that the place be cleared.

Speaking to Vanguard, the community leader in the area, Mr. Isiaka Bello Olupoju said since the bulldozer left the scene about three months ago, there was nothing done on the land again.

“We are afraid that the place could be used by hoodlums again. As you can see," he said.

2015: Fashola condemns call for Christian successor

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI & MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO

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AGOS—GOVERNOR Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, yesterday, condemned the demand by some Christian religious groups in the state that a Christian should be his successor in 2015, saying, “do they really believe in God? It is only God that can insist.”

The state chapter of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, has recently called for a Christian to succeed the governor in 2015.

Fashola, while declaring open

an inter-faith conference in Lagos, with the theme: ‘Peace, Religious Harmony and Good Governance: Issues and Challenges’, argued that the insecurity in the nation would reduce drastically if everyone embraced religious harmony.

According to him; “People have said that they want one particular governor and I have ask myself two questions - the people who said that they want one particular governor or said that there must be this particular governor, are they still conscious that it is an election where a choice has to be made? If there are two

democrats, they should expect that citizens must have a say in who is sworn-in as the governor of their state.

“Secondly; I wonder when I heard those things. You can insist, but can you insist that you will be alive in the next one hour.

I know that things can rub off badly, you may be on the wrong side of the government policy, but we must trust ourselves.

“We have integrated more than 50 years ago rather than toying with what we are doing at the moment. The danger is too much, this cloth will not tear in one straight line; it will tear in shreds if we pull it too far and

let us restrain the pull on the cloth. It is no longer a new cloth; it is a well worn cloth and when a well worn cloth tears, it doesn’t repair well.”

The governor insisted that religion should not be made as the yardstick to determine his successor, saying “Good governance means different things to us. It may mean that there are more religion institutions of one faith than the other in the state; that maybe good governance for some people. And for majority, good governance is just food, the ability to get a job and provision of social amenities. For those people, the faith of the governor is never their problem.”

Tejuoso market: Court refuses motion for stay of execution on ownership

BY INNOCENT ANABA

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INTER-FAITH CONFERENCE: From right — Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State exchanging pleasantries with Rev (Dr.) Moses Iloh; Sheik Habiblahi Adam Abdulahi; Amir Marikaz; Rev. E.k. Oguntohin of ECWA Church and Alhaji Abdul-Lateef Abdul-Hakeem, Chief Imam of Lagos State House of Assembly, during the state government organised interfaith conference, with the theme: Peace, Religious Harmony and Good Governance: Issue and Challenges, held at Golden Tulip Hotel, Festac Town, Lagos, yesterday. Photo by Bunmi Azeez.

How ex-bank MD granted N26bn loan without security – WITNESS

BY BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

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A G O S — A N Investigating Police Officer, IPO, Emmanuel AlHassan, yesterday explained to a Lagos High Court sitting in Igbosere, how former Managing Director of the defunct Afribank Plc, Sebastian Adigwe allegedly connived with others to grant fictitious N26 billion loans without security.

Other directors involved in the alleged fraud are; former chairman, Osa Osunde and former executive directors – Jibrin Isah, Isa Zailani, Chinedu Onyia, Henry Arogundade and Peter Ololo.

The defendants were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC,

before Justice Olabisi Akinlade, on a 36-count charge of conspiracy, stealing and receiving stolen property.

EFCC alleged that the stolen money was fraudulently converted to the use of AIL Securities Limited, Asset Management Nominees Holding Limited and Falcons Securities Limited belonging to the defendants.

Led in evidence by the commission’s counsel, Dr. Ekwueme, Al-Hassan told the court that on March 2, 2009, the sum of N10 billion was granted to Petosan Property Development Company without any security.

The witness further told the court that additional N16.5 billion was taken from Afribank and lodged into Kolvey Company limited,

which belonged to the 7th defendant (Peter Ololo).

Al-Hassan pointed out that during the course of investigation, it was discovered that Petosan Property Development Company and Kolvey Company limited had no banker/customer relationship with Afribank prior to the disbursement of the money.

According to him, the first credit in the account of Petosan Property Development Company was N100, 000 and few weeks after N10 billion was disbursed into the account.

He noted that investigation further revealed that N26 billion was later transferred to the account of Falcon Securities and Property Development company allegedly belonging to the defendants.

The matter was adjourned till May 27 for continuation of trial.

AGOS—A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, yesterday, refused a motion for stay by a firm, Stomberg Engineering Limited, seeking to halt proceedings in the suit over the ownership of Tejuosho Ultramodern Market Phase 1, Yaba, Lagos.

The firm had urged the court, to stay proceedings pending the determination of its appeal at the Court of Appeal, Lagos.

Stomberg had earlier brought an application seeking to dismiss the suit by Access Bank Plc for being an abuse of court process, but trial judge, Justice Okon Abang had refused same.

The firm said it had appealed the ruling of the court, and therefore applied for a stay of further proceedings before Justice Abang.

Ruling on the application yesterday, the judge said there was no evidence before him that an appeal had been filed against his ruling, noting that what was before him was a motion by Stomberg, urging the appellate court to extend the time to enable it compile records of appeal.

The judge said he had earlier dismissed a similar application by the defendant, who is the market’s developer.

“The court had expected counsel for the defendant/ applicant to withdraw this motion since a similar one had been dismissed, but he argued it as if it was totally fresh. The application dated December 12, 2013 is a nullity and ought not to have been filed. The application is a sheer waste of judicial time,” the judge said.

Vanguard , TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014— 11

Stop blackmailing me, Omisore tells Aregbesola

BY GBENGA OLARINOYE

O

S O G B O — GOVERNORSHIP candidate of the main opposition party in Osun State, the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, Senator Iyiola Omisore, yesterday asked Governor Rauf Aregbesola to stop blackmailing and defaming his character.

But the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state said all the issues raised against Omisore in the past were not to blackmail him, but facts.

However, Omisore, in a statement by his media aide, Prince Diran Odeyemi, warned Aregbesola against further damage of his character and personality to score cheap political points.

According to Omisore “what we expect to be their campaign is what they have done to impact on the lives of Osun indigenes, and not what Omisore did not do. A performing Governor would not need to spend over three billion naira on billboards and posters for a second term, his achievements if truly there is any, should naturally be his campaign slogan.

“If Aregbesola is given 20 years to govern Osun State, he cannot achieve one tenth of what Omisore has done for the people of the state, saying that was the reason why people voted for him in 2003 while in detention, “a feat nobody has achieved in the country. The period of my stewardship at the National Assembly witnessed tremendous development that everybody could see except for those who are

myopic and have allowed their personal frustration to becloud their sense of judgment.”

He listed some of the projects he facilitated while at the Senate as the Air Force Safety School, Ipetu Ijesa, and Navy Communication School, Ile-Ife

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AGOS—THE Diocese of Lagos West (Anglican Communion), has condemned the abduction of over 230 girls from their school in Chibok, Borno State, by members of the Boko Haram sect last month.

The Diocese, in communiqué by Rt. Revd James Odedeji,

three and half years ago.

According to him, “it is a pity that all that Omisore could flaunt are the federal government institutions that are scattered all over the state. With or without him, all those federal institutions would have been in place.”

BY HENRY UMORU

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WORKSHOP: From right—Guest Lecturer/Governor State of Osun, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola; Executive Director, Partnership for Child Development (PCD), Lesley Draice and World Bank Representative, Prof. Don Bundy at the technical workshop on home grown school feeding programmes at Transcorp Hilton Hotels, Abuja, yesterday.

We sympathise with Daniel, Mimiko — OGUN GOVT

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

A

BEOKUTA—OGUN State government yesterday said

Anglican Community condemns kidnap of Chibok schoolgirls

BY LAJUARENYEKA

and Army Recruitment Centre, Esa Oke. Responding, APC ‘s Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy, Mr Kunle Oyatomi, said Aregbesola had been able to transform the entire state since he came into office about

Confab: It’s regional autonomy or nothing –YORUBA

Venerable Tope Adewumi and Mrs. Olateju Akindolire, at the end of the 3rd session of the 5th Synod at the Archbishop Vining Memorial Church, Lagos said: “We condemn these acts of kidnapping, terrorism and ritual killings as heinous senseless, ungodly and crimes against humanity.

Synod notes particularly the Boko Haram insurgency and describes it as a menace and disgrace to the nation. Synod shares the pain of the nation and sympathies with the parents and relations of the kidnapped Chibok girls.

"Synod joins the world to say 'Bring Back Our Girls, Now and Alive' and thanks the international community for joining in the efforts to locate and rescue the girls. In view of the insecurity in the Nation, Synod prays for God’s intervention on the issue."

it sympathised with former governor of the state, Otunba Gbenga Daniel over his comment on the infrastructure development and urban renewal in the state.

The government while reacting to a comment by Daniel during the commissioning of Labour Party, LP, secretariat in Abeokuta, weekend, also expressed disappointment over ‘the unguarded and uninformed statement by Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State’ at the event.

But, Daniel insisted Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s administration had accumulated close to N300 billion as debt within three years.

Speaking through Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Yusuph Olaniyonu, Ogun government in a statement said Daniel’s was merely trying to justify his failure to execute any tangible project in the state in the eight years that he was governor while the state lost billions of naira.

According to him, “In some more developed democracy where the machinery of justice move swiftly, Mr. Daniel will not be in a position to be grandstanding and making empty claims. He should be ashamed that in his lifetime, what he failed to achieve as governor is now being accomplished with ease.

“On the issue of the state debt,

the state government reminded Daniel that if he left billions of naira debt without anything to show for it, he should not believe the present administration is taking a similar devious route.

The allegation of throwing the state into debt is not only an old one but is unfounded. The House of Assembly investigated it and found out it is baseless. In any case, the executive in today’s Ogun State cannot take any loan without recourse to the House."

On Mimiko

About Mimiko’s comment, he said; “What does Mimiko know about the wishes and aspiration of the good people of Ogun State? What is elitist in having modern roads in a state with sophisticated people like Ogun State? If he is looking for a place to extend the reach of his batlike party, he should go to another place Responding to the government statement through his media officer, Ayo Giwa, Daniel said; “The reaction of the Commissioner that the accusation was unfounded and baseless is not only scanty but empty and lacks the expected explanation to the public. If anything, the inability of the Commissioner to deflate the allegation in clear terms stating the debt profile of the present administration means he is either not informed or being economical with the truth."

BUJA—AS delegates begin debates tomorrow on the reports of the 20 committees, the Yoruba ethnic nationality has said they will not accept anything short of regional autonomy, just as they calls for the establishment of Regional Police.

In a 88-page document put together by the Yoruba Assembly, Afenifere Renewal Group and Yoruba Academy, the Yoruba said there was need for a parliamentary form of government at the centre where there wiould be the right to selfdetermination and the right to secede.

They demanded for fiscal federalism and resource control where a substantial part of the proceeds accruing from every region would be domiciled in the region and an agreed percentage contributed to the centre by the federating units.

Insisting that it was “regional autonomy or nothing,” they wanted total control of natural resources within the region, development, establishment of appropriate governance structure for the South West Region as well as a devolved authority, responsibilities and span of control to manage and ensure the sustenance of the region.

Advising delegates, especially those from other geo-political zones of the country, to note that the unity of the country was negotiable and must be negotiated, they added that there must be a structured country with regional arrangements via the consolidation of the current “unviable thirtysix (36) states.’’

The document also stated that any ethnic group or groups within a state wishing to align with any other state or to belong to a new region should be allowed to do if confirmed in a plebiscite by the affected people, for instance, Yoruba people in Edo, Kogi and Kwara states.

12—Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014

Edo APC: Ize-Iyamu faction, others defect to PDP

BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

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ENIN—THE Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu-led faction of All Progressives Congress, APC, in Edo State, yesterday, announced its defection to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, along with thousands of its supporters in the 18 local government areas of the state.

Also defecting with them are four members of Edo State House of Assembly, Jude IseIdehen (Ikpoba/Okha); Friday Ogieriakhi (Orhionmwon II); Patrick Osayimwen (Oredo East) and Abdulrazaq Momoh (Etsako I). With their defection, the PDP now has eight members in the state legislature.

Some appointees of the state government also resigned from the party and the offices they held. They are the Special Adviser on Legislative Matters to the Speaker of Edo State House of Assembly, Mr. Tony Osazuwa; Special Adviser on Commerce, Industry and Investment, Mr. John Odiase; Mr. Shuaibu Elamah, Executive Director on Project Monitoring and implementation, Edo North and Mr. Joseph Osagiede, Executive Director, Sports.

Announcing the defection of

the aggrieved APC members in Benin, yesterday, spokesman for the group and former state chairman of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Prince Tony Omoaghe, said their decision to leave APC en masse was taken after extensive consultations with other members of the party across the state.

He said: “It will be recalled

that on the day of our resignation from the APC, we gave signal that as genuine democrats, we shall consult widely after which we shall deliberate and take a democratic decision on the way forward. In the last few weeks, we had taken a studied look at the political environment in the country.

“We have come to the con-

clusion that Nigeria is gradually evolving a two-party system. Therefore, common sense dictates that having left the hostile environment of APC in Edo State, the only logical option is to join the PDP. We are not unmindful of attempts by some uninformed commentators to draw an ideological line between the two parties."

BOOK LAUNCH: From left: Prof. David Okpako, contributing author; Prof. Bruce Onobrakpeya, celebrant, Masks of the Flaming Arrows; his wife, Victoria, and Prof. Ola Oloidi, book reviewer, at the public presentation of a book on Onobrakpeya at Ford Foundation, Banana Island, Ikoyi, Lagos. Photo: Akeem Salau.

20 injured as church building collapses in Bayelsa

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

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ENAGOA—RAINSTORM wreaked havoc yesterday in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, destroying property worth millions of naira, including a house of worship identified as National Apostolic Church of Nigeria, in Aguadama-Epie community.

Though no life was lost during the rain storm, no fewer than 20 persons were reportedly injured.

The rain storm, it was also learnt, pulled off the roofs of some buildings in the capital city and blew off the electricity poles on Sani Abacha expressway causing traffic gridlock in the area.

The church building, it was learnt, collapsed at 10.30a.m., causing pandemonium in the neighbourhood.

Most of the trapped victims, according to witnesses, were semi-skilled workers, who had rushed to the uncompleted church building for shelter during the downpour.

An eye witness said they

heard a loud sound, but thought it was thunder.

It was, however, learnt that by the time the Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral John Jonah (rtd) and the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hilary Opara, led a team of government officials and Julius Berger rescue team to the scene, sympathizers had

rescued those trapped in the rubbles.

Speaking with newsmen at the scene, state Commissioner for Works, Mr. Lawrence Erhwudjafo, announced that the state government will invite the founder of the church to answer questions for erecting a poor and substandard structure.

Oshiomhole re-instates 250 workers, yearly salary increase

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

commended the governor for the gesture.

E N I N — G O V E R N O R State Chairman of Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, yesterNLC, Mr. Emmanuel Adday, directed the immediate re-instatement of emokun, who addressed the over 250 workers, newsmen in Benin City, whose names were delet- yesterday, recalled that ed from the payroll of the governor had on May the state government.

Day also announced that Other approvals made “all those who had extenby the governor include sion because of their the “approval of relativi- study leave without pay, ty to the workers of Edo who were earlier reState, 10 per cent in- moved from payroll are crease in the salary of now to enjoy their servhealth workers which has ices extension; that he commenced; the re-in- will lay the foundation statement of workers of stone for the building of Edo Line into the payroll secretariat for the two laof the Edo State Govern- bour centers on June 16. ment with effect from “That from henceforth, May 1, 2014.” whenever there is salary Meanwhile the Niger- increase in any sector, he ia Labour Congress, will spread same to all NLC, in the state has the state workers; that the

B

withheld promotions of the civil servants and indeed the public service will be released.”

Commending the governor for the pronouncement, Ademokun described same as landmark that will be difficult to beat in the state.

“The fulfilment of these promises will leave no one in doubt that the governor is indeed the labour ambassador in government. It is our prayers that God will increase him in wisdom.”

APC opens secretariat in Rivers LG

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HE ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, in Rivers State has opened its secretariat in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state.

The event took place amidst praises on Rivers State governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, for his development and positive growth in the state.

Chairman of APC in the state, Dr. Davies Ikanya, said the secretariat in Obio/Akpor council will ensure victory for the party in the area, which is the council of the Supervising Minister of Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike, of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP. Accompanied by the party executive and APC loyalists, including the Government House, Chief of Staff, Sir Tony Okocha, Ikanya officially opened the secretariat on behalf of Governor Amaechi.

The party later held a rally at Akpor Grammar School, where APC stalwarts declared their support for the party and its leader in the state, Governor Amaechi, whose wife, Dame Judith Amaechi was at the rally.

Delta North leaders restate commitment to Anioma State

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OLITICAL and traditional leaders from Delta North senatorial district of Deta State have described as mischievous and wicked, attempts by some persons to mislead the national conference on the position of Anioma people on the restructuring of the federation, especially the creation of Anioma state.

In a communiqué, Anioma Congress, the umbrella body of all Anioma people in the nine local governments that make up the region, stressed “the commitment of all Anioma people to their age-long demand for the creation of Anioma state to redress the marginalisation of the ethnic nationalities of Ika, Ndokwa, Aniocha and Oshimili that make up the area."

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014 — 13

C M Y K

14—Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014

EX-IM Bank gives farmers' group N650m agric loan

BY ERIC UGBOR

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HE EXPORT-IM PORT, EXIM, bank has extended a N650m agricultural loan facility to a farmers’ group, Agbekoya Farmers Association, AFA, for disbursement to its members and establishment of farm settlements in some states of the federation.

President General of AFA, Chief Kamorudeen Aremu Okikiola, who disclosed this in Aba, Abia State, during the inauguration of the state’s executive officers of the association weekend, said the aim of the loan was to make the country to be sufficient in food production.

Chief Okikiola, who was represented by the National Publicity Secretary of the association, Chief Olatunji Bandele, said they had already mapped out strategies to disburse the loans and establishment of the farm settlements.

Obiano directs immediate overhaul of 30 general hospitals

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

A

WKA — ANAMBRA State governor, Chief Willie Obiano, has directed immediate revamping and equipment of 30 general hospitals in the state with facilities to make them more effective.

Giving the directive to the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Josephat Akabuike, weekend, the governor said the aim was to ensure that they provided medicare comparable to the levels currently available in mission hospitals across the state.

The directive was given at the

flag-off of the May 2014 Maternal, New born and Child Health Week, MNCHW, for children aged six to 59 months at Nibo, Awka South Local Government Area.

Governor Obiano pledged to ensure the extension of health services to all nooks and crannies of Anambra State to reach the poor, vulnerable and down-trodden in furtherance of the administration’s policy thrust on health.

Obiano said: “My administration has shown commitment and the greatest support for primary health care and disease control.

"We have instituted preventive

and control measures against the outbreak of diseases like Lassa fever, Cerebral Meningitis, cholera, diarrhea, among others.

“Support for immunisation will be sustained, and we will ensure that the gains made in the area of public health and immunisation will be sustained and surpassed. Already 15 per cent of the general hospitals are provided with free and safe pre-natal and post-natal services.”

Governor Obiano observed that the interventions had over the past six years, reached over one million children and 300,000 pregnant women, with antigens

Okongwu dumps APC for APGA

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

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WKA — THE chairman of Board of Trustees of Nzuko Ora Nnewi and a chieftain of All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief Mbadiwe Okongwu, has dumped the party for the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, along with many prominent politicians in the area.

Okongwu announced the defection at the country home of Chief Emeka Ojukwu Jnr at Nnewi during which he promised to team up with other prominent Nnewi indigenes to ensure the success of APGA in future elections.

He was accompanied to the declaration by prominent individuals from the town, including Chief J.C.N. Ikejiuba, John Harris Mbonu, Chief Okey Chukwendu and Otolo Ward 3 chairman of APGA, Mr. Israel Erimemena.

Okongwu’s declaration brings to two the political heavy-weights that have joined APGA in the area in recent times, the first being the one time council chairman of Nnewi, Chief Amobi Chukwendu, who had earlier defected from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to APGA. C M Y K

CONFERENCE: From left, Council member, National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria, NIMN, Mr. Sola Kolawole; President, NIMN and Chairman, Governing council, Mr. Ganiyu Koledoye, and Council member, Mrs. Modupeola Babalola, during a press conference in preparation for 2014 NIMN International Annual Conference, in Lagos, yesterday.

and intervention.

Also various pluses, sops, albendazoles tablets iron foliate tablets, biscuits, cups, bowls, were given to children and mothers as motivation; over 60,000 tablets of soaps, 500,000 tablets of albendazol, 500,0000 tablets of iron foliate and 100,0000 packets of biscuits were distributed during each programme.

He confirmed that the state government had participated in all national programmes, including advocacy campaigns in the last six years, including immunisation plus days, integrated measles campaigns, state immunisation plus days, local immunisation plus days, maternal new born and child health weeks, as well as Governor’s Forum One day quarterly Polio Eradication Campaign.

Expressing gratitude to the government’s partners, including UNICEF, World Bank, World Health Organisation, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, media and other line ministries, the governor said the use of MNCHW as a periodic preventive routine outreach mechanism, had shown internationally to improve immunisation coverage and other services.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Josephat Akabuike, said Governor Obiano’s intervention in the area of health was working, stressing that the state was moving towards the direction of medical tourism to attract visitors on health ground and boost the state's economy, given the prevailing sanity and adequate conducive security situation.

2015: No stepping down for Nnamani to return to Senate, says Nnaji

BY EMMANUEL ELEBEKE

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HE SENATOR represent ing Enugu East zone and Chairman, Senate Committee on Communications, Gilbert Nnaji, has debunked reports alleging that he was planning to step down for former governor of the state, Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani, to

return to the Senate.

He described the reports as falsehood and purely a representation of the figment of the perverted imagination of the author.

Consequently, Nnaji declared his interest to contest for a second term in office at the upper legislative chamber.

He noted that he had severally

made known his interest to submit himself to his party, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and people of Enugu-East senatorial district for their kind consideration by way of mandate renewal to continue with his people-oriented representation.

He said: “My attention has been drawn to a recent newspa-

per report alleging that Senator Gilbert Nnaji has dropped his ambition to re-contest for a second term in the Senate and may be supporting former Governor Chimaroke Nnamani whom he, Nnaji, floored in 2011 to go to the Senate. “This is a complete falsehood and purely a representation of the figment of the perverted imagination of the clearly compromised author."

Allow Nsukka people elect gov of their choice, Nwodo tells PDP

BY TONY EDIKE

E

NUGU — FORMER Minister of Information, Chief Nnia Nwodo has asked the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to allow the people of Enugu North senatorial zone

to whom the next governorship slot had been zoned to freely choose Governor Sullivan Chime’s successor, saying the people would not tolerate the imposition of any governorship candidate on them.

He also said Nsukka people would not want anybody to give them a governor as a gift, stressing that they were only interested in having a governor that would get the endorsement of the people

UNIZIK council meets to endorse new VC

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

A

WKA — MEMBERS of the selection committee appointed by the Governing Council of Nnamdi Azikiwe

University, Awka, will meet today to endorse a new vice chancellor to take over from Professor Boniface Egbika whose tenure ends next month.

Professor Greg Nwakoby of

the Faculty of Law and Professor Joseph Ahaneku of the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences of the university are the two remaining contestants in the race.

through the ballot box.

Chief Nwodo spoke during a thanksgiving dinner organised by the members representing the South East on the Board of Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund, Mr. Chinedu Onu, in honour of the Deputy Senate President, Chief Ike Ekweremadu, at Nsukka. His words: “We, the people of Nsukka want to be governor of this state, but we don’t want anybody to dash us a governor. We want to choose which of our children is fit to be governor. "

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014 — 15

C M Y K

16—Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014

VISIT: From left, Mr. Peter Igho, Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC; Mr. Yusuf Abubakar, Commissioner, NCC; Mr. Okechukwu Itanyi, Executive Commissioner, Stakeholders Management, NCC; Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State, and Mr. Mohammed Bintube, Commissioner, NCC, during NCC's visit to the governor, in Enugu.

Discos to face sanction over non-compliance with directive

BY CHRIS OCHAYI

A

BUJA — THE Federal Government has threatened to sanction electricity distribution companies, Discos, over their failures to comply with directive to furnish it with reporting and submission of data that would allow for proper assessment.

The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, Dr. Sam Amadi, who read the riot act in Abuja, requested all the companies to submit baseline statistics on distribution assets they took over.

This is the first time the commission is assessing the utilities on their key performance indicators since they took over

Security guard prevents suicide bombing of hotel in Kano

BY ABDULSALAM MUHAMMAD

K

ANO — A security guard (names withheld) attached to a newly commissioned Hotel Resort, Sunday, night frustrated what would have been a mass murder when he stopped the suicide bomber from parking at the hotel garage.

This was even as the police discovered another primed vehicle abandoned on Tafawa Balewa Road within the Central Business District of the metropolis barely two hours after the explosion.

The guard told Vanguard that, "I had a heated argument with the man who came in an bus car (Siena) trying to force his way into a space within a range of cars already parked at the hotel premises.

"In annoyance, I saw him reverse rudely and speed off and just some 200 metres away from my duty-post I heard a loud bang that sent me sprawling on the ground, only to recover and find out later that the man I had just engaged in shoutout was dead. ‘’When I came to my senses, I realised everywhere was dark and there was total confusion as I could hear wailing and sobbing of people, some scampering to safety in the ensuing pandemonium. I

saw people, many struggling to escape the scene, but could not because of the degree of injury they sustained," they guard said.

Corroborating the guard's testimony, another eyewitness told Vanguard that, "we were counting the dead in two digit today.

Thank God for the smartness of this security guard, the deathtoll would have been much higher."

"The car exploded by the Maisuya joint. The suya man died on the spot along with three customers who were with him to purchase a barbeque that fateful night."

Meanwhile, barely two hours after the explosion, the police discovered another primed vehicle abandoned on Tafawa Balewa Road within the Central Business District of Kano metropolis.

State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Aderenle Shinaba , who inspected the scene of the incident, Sunday night, said that items recovered from the abandoned vehicle included two gas cylinders, a jerry can of fuel and wires.

He stated that the purported primed vehicle might have been abandoned on Tafawa Balewa Road by the terrorists for one reason or other, adding that investigations would reveal the real motive for the action.

barely six months ago.

Dr. Amadi, however, noted that there was need for network data assessment, amongst which was to establish a data bank of all existing distribution assets to monitor, track and report performance of the distribution companies, with respect to strengthening of distribution systems and capacity expansion as well as facilitate expansion and development of the distribution networks.

With just three of the 11 distribution companies meeting up with the directive, the commission considered it a total disregard of its directives and warned that it will soon enforce the relevant section of the EPSR Act, 2005, on reporting obligation.

Amadi expressed reservations on the compliance level of distribution companies in the reporting and submission of data that would allow for proper network data assessment by the commission.

The reporting obligation as contained in part 10, section 94(2) of the Electricity Power Sector Reform Act, 2005, states that any person who fails or refuses to furnish a return or to supply information in the manner and time prescribed, or gives false or incomplete information commits an offence and is liable on conviction.

To this ends, Dr. Amadi said the CEOs had been told at their April meeting to comply with the commission’s request on submission of baseline statistics on distribution assets they took over.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014 — 17

A

lot is reported about Nigeria in the news every day. However, much of this is bad. Nigerians are people the world seems to love to hate.

When you read about Nigeria, corruption is often the preferred topic. Then there are the kidnappings and the Boko Haram terrorism. But alongside all the bad press, there is a quiet revolution going on in Nigeria.

Indeed, it could be argued that all the turmoil currently going on represent the birth-pangs of a nascent Nigeria. A new Nigeria that is vibrant, progressive and industrious. A new Nigeria that President Barack Obama of the United States proclaimed is a strategic centre of gravity in Africa and perhaps the world’s next economic giant.

Indeed, within the last three years, Nigeria has emerged as the preferred destination for foreign investments in Africa, driven by successful government policies to attract foreign investors. For the second year running, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, UNCTAD, has ranked Nigeria as the number one destination for investments in Africa, and as having the fourth highest returns in the world.

There is a face to this new emergent Nigeria. That face belongs to Aliko Dangote, a 56year-old man from the mercantilist state of Kano in Northern Nigeria. Dangote has become without a doubt Africa’s

Aliko Dangote: The quintessential Nigerian entrepreneur This is an amazing feat for an African and a Nigerian. It is necessary to put Dangote’s wealth within a framework whereby one can fully appreciate how far he has come in so short a time. Dangote is now far richer than Alisher Usmanov, the richest man in Russia. He is also richer than Mukesh Ambani, India’s richest man.

Furthermore, Dangote, who has long overtaken Oprah Winfrey on the world’s list of Black billionaires, is now nearly as rich as Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg.

Home-grown enterprise Dangote did not make his fortune the classical Nigerian

,

Dangote is remarkable because he chose a route far less travelled by his compatriots: the hard, difficult grind of manufacturing

leading industrialist and entrepreneur. His success proclaims the new Nigeria of today and tomorrow. It shows that behind all the brouhaha, Nigerians are beginning to take their rightful place as Africa’s leading entrepreneurs; thereby proclaiming Nigeria itself as a major frontier market in international relations.

Forbes billionaires The rise in Dangote’s fortunes has been meteoric. In his own words: “About 10 years ago, I bought a company for $4 million.

It is worth $21 billion today. ” Dangote made his first showing on Forbes list of the world’s billionaires in 2008, with a fortune estimated at $3.3 billion. By 2011, this had jumped by 400% to $13.8 billion. By November 2013, his fortune had jumped again to $20.8 billion. By March 2014, his fortune had jumped again, this time to $25 billion, making him by far the richest man in Africa according to Forbes Magazine; and the 23rd richest man in the world.

,

way. Nigerians become rich largely by stealing public funds while in public office; by flipping over-inflated government contracts; and by securing preferential concessions in the country’s lucrative oil industry.

Neither did he merely buy abroad to sell at home. Dangote is remarkable because he chose a route far less travelled by his compatriots: the hard, difficult grind of manufacturing. Said Dangote: “Manufacture, don’t just trade. There is money in manufacturing even though it is capital intensive. To achieve a big breakthrough, I had to start manufacturing the same product I was trading on; which is commodities.”

Indeed, Dangote started his business by mere trading in commodities and building materials in the 1970s, with a loan from a well-heeled uncle, Sanusi Dantata; a Nigerian tycoon. It soon grew into export, import, manufacturing and real estate.

Says Dangote: “It took me 30 years to get to where I am today.

Youths of today aspire to be like me but they want to achieve it

overnight. It’s not going to work.

To build a successful business, you must start small and dream big. In the journey of entrepreneurship, tenacity of purpose is supreme.”

Today, his Dangote Group mills flour, processes salt, and produces pasta and fertilizer. Its sugar refinery is the secondlargest in the world, producing 800,000 tons annually. It is the main supplier of sugar to Nigeria’s soft drinks companies, breweries and confectioners.

The Group exports cotton, cashew-nuts, cocoa, sesame seed and ginger to several countries.

It also has major investments in real estate, banking, transport, textiles and oil and gas.

But the jewel in the crown of Dangote’s business conglomerate is his cement factories. Thanks mainly to Dangote, Nigeria no longer imports cement, but is a major world producer. In 2007, Dangote commissioned a onebillion dollar cement factory in Obajana, Nigeria; the largest in Africa. Dangote Cement now employs 26,000 workers in Nigeria alone. Dangote Cement is now valued at $20.5 billion, the first Nigerian company to surpass $20 billion in market capitalisation. Indeed, Dangote Cement alone currently accounts for more than one-quarter of the total market capitalisation of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

Patriotic enterprise Since his wealth is created and not stolen, Dangote has not been constrained to stash it abroad in secret bank accounts. Instead, much of it is re-invested right here in Nigeria. Indeed, one of the things that make Dangote unusual is his patriotism; a rare commodity among Nigeria’s wealthy class. Says Dangote: “Nothing is going to help Nigeria like Nigerians bringing back their money. If you give me $5 billion today, I will invest everything here in Nigeria. I have not seen any country where you can make money like in Nigeria and I say it to anyone who cares to listen.

The opportunities here are so tremendous.”

Through the construction and operation of large-scale manufacturing facilities in Nigeria and across Africa, the

Dangote Group has been instrumental in building local manufacturing capacity and in generating employment for thousands. As a result, he was honoured in 2009 as the leading provider of employment in the Nigerian construction industry.

In his own words: “Our business strategy has been to look at the country’s imports and invest in critical areas of need. By so doing, we have helped to make Nigeria self-sufficient in some commodities such as cement, and also a net exporter of these products, specifically within the Economic Community of West African States.”

After Nigeria, Dangote is especially committed to Africa.

His interest in Africa makes perfect business sense. Says Dangote: “There are quite a lot of opportunities in terms of doing business in Africa. Anyone serious about business should not miss out on Africa. There are a billion people living in Africa today compared with China’s 1.3 billion and India’s 1.2 billion.

Africa is a huge market.

Furthermore, when we look at the projection of the world’s population in the next few years, the only place that has enough arable land to feed the world is Africa.”

Dangote’s focus on Africa has been highly profitable, especially for his growing cement business. Africa is the continent with the highest growth-rate of urbanisation in the world. This means there is high demand for housing in the cities. There is also a construction boom on the continent as it has experienced some of the highest growth-rates in the world over the last few years. This also means the demand for building infrastructure, such as rails, roads and ports has skyrocketed in recent times.

Government support Some have insisted that Dangote’s success is the result of government favouritism. There is no doubt that the Nigerian government has been very supportive of Dangote over the years. At one time or the other, Dangote was given exclusive rights to import sugar, cement, and rice. This enabled him to

do volume business and to undercut his local competitors.

Preferential tariffs also favoured Dangote in many areas of his business concerns.

However, the reason behind this is that Dangote is always careful to ensure that his business complements government policies. He makes a point of partnering with governments and their policies, rather than seeing them as adversaries and obstacles. Because of this, Nigerian governments that have been inclined to promote local business have been highly supportive of Dangote, seeing his business as a locomotive for encouraging the investment of Nigerian wealth in Nigeria.

Government support for local business has not been limited to Dangote. However, Dangote is one man who has been able to translate such incentives into selfsufficiency. His pioneering role as a serious Nigerian industrialist enabled him to win bids in the privatisation of state-owned production facilities such as the Benue Cement Company and the Savannah Sugar Company. His Midas touch has also led to his being given the permission to construct his own berth at the Apapa port in Lagos where ships with production inputs offload directly at the Dangote Group factory.

Says Dangote: “I am a friend with any government in power. I am an entrepreneur, and as a businessman you should have friends from all the places, we don’t take sides. The success of my business is affected by the stability of government.”

Accordingly, Dangote reportedly contributed a lot of money to Obasanjo’s election as president of Nigeria in 1999 and again in 2003. He also gave N200 million to Obasanjo’s presidential library. In 2008, Dangote promised to donate cement to the value of N3 billion for the construction of the national secretariat of the PDP in Abuja.

He is unabashed about such close affiliation with the governing party.

Conclusion

Within the framework of the Nigerian economy, Aliko Dangote is the man of the moment. Here is a man who not only makes money; he creates wealth.

Without a doubt, Dangote has been a major economic asset to Nigeria. With a few more entrepreneurs like him, Nigeria would be dragged kicking and screaming into the industrial age.

We would no longer be a nation of buyers and sellers of foreign goods and services, but would begin to take our rightful place as the epicenter of renascent African economic Prometheus.

This makes Dangote the new prototype of the homegrown Nigerian and African industrialist; young, brash, bold, dashing and resourceful. It makes him without a doubt, the quintessential Nigerian entrepreneur.

18— Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014 THE Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has again confirmed through its promotion of the Advance Automatic Finger Identification System, AAFIS, that things are wrong with its operations. INEC states that more than four million fake names have been taken out of the voters’ roll.

For INEC, it is an achievement to identify this lapse, more than three years after it completed the compilation of the register. The fouled register has been used in elections since 2011. The high technology Nigeria spent more than N75 billion to acquire in 2010 had capacity to display multiple registrations, once the details were linked.

About 504,818 names have been deleted from the register in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun States.

Kebbi, Zamfara, Taraba, Gombe, Benue, Kogi, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Enugu and Abia States have been

INEC Can Do More vetted. In 13 States, 4,105,215 fake names were on the register. How long would it take to check the remaining 23 States and Abuja?

INEC seems to have submitted to the wishes of politicians to use inflated voters’ register for elections. The speed of cleansing the voters’ register is a blight on any efforts at conducting free and fair elections.

In Ekiti State alone, 108,529 fake names have been removed from the list that would be used for the governorship election of June 21. The August 8 governorship election in Osun State would be without 98,824

fake names. In Anambra State, the review of the register reduced the list from 2,011,746 to 1,714,290 – there were 297,456 fake names.

Only those who lower standards to accommodate mediocrity praise the conduct of the 2011 elections.

INEC has been timid about punishing election offenders.

There are fines, jail terms for almost any conceivable electoral offence. INEC does not prosecute electoral offenders, the major reason being that its officials are among the biggest offenders.

INEC field officers who compromise elections may not be acting alone. What have their

supervisors done to deter them?

Optimism over the 2015 elections is over-stated. Without a proper account of the 2011 elections, especially how the technological advances that cost billions of Naira did not facilitate improvements in the process, INEC has moved on.It expects Nigerians to do the same.

Perpetrators of electoral fraud, INEC says, have been punished quietly.

For all the importance they bear to our future, INEC has failed to provide the transparency required to make them credible. Its plans skirt vital issues of fairness to contestants. INEC must show by its conduct that it is changing. A good start would be an account of the 2011 elections and punishments, according to the law, for those whose conducts thwarted transparency of the elections, including the inflation of the voters’ list.

OPINION

BY SUNNY AWHEFEADA

N

IGERIA is in distress. What assail the nation are consequences of the conspiracy of the ruling class against the Nigerian people. That multi layered conspiracy manifests in the socio-economic injustice perpetuated against the Nigerian masses all over the country. The rich and the powerful have been waging a socioeconomic war against the Nigerian people since 1960 through exploitation, oppression, poverty and alienation. The people have been denied access to the basic things of life such as quality education, health care, employment, electricity, water, roads, good and affordable housing and more. This programme of exploitation aimed at holding down the people for ever bred accumulated resentment in them. Right now the people are reacting through the only way they know best which is violence.

The biggest burden of Nigeria’s ruling class at the moment is the Boko Haram campaign which is currently disgracing the Nigerian armed forces in the North East.

The Boko Haram insurgents have successfully affronted the nation’s integrity as an independent nation with a commander in chief. There is hardly a day that passes without blood curdling stories of deaths arising from the Boko Haram activities. Their accomplices are on rampage in almost all the northern states and even Abuja the seat of the Federal Government! Nigeria is at war! But government apparatchiks say otherwise.

Yes, the Boko Haram jihad has taken a political colouration, but its roots run deep

Nigeria in distress in socio-economic injustice engendered by the criminal neglect of the masses by the ruling class. The agony of poverty which is a concomitant of that criminal neglect is further aggravated by mindless corruption which has become a sine qua non for Nigerian leadership.

That Nigeria is in distress is not only a function of Boko Haram. Just pause and think about the other five geo-political zones. In the South-East and South-South are the twin menace of armed robbery and kidnapping as well as economic brigandage via as crude oil theft. Armed Robbery and bloody rituals take centre stage in the South-West. The North Central is under siege by deadly Fulani herdsmen who are Boko Haram surrogates. The North-West also suffers the spasms of deadly attacks by amorphous armed men! The months of March and April have been particularly tragic and distressing for Nigeria. First, some 49 school boys were murdered in their school hostel in Yobe State. Then the Nyanya bomb blast that killed about 100 in Abuja. After that over 200 school girls were abducted in Borno at night in an operation that lasted for six hours. In between these happenings were mindless killings in Zamfara, Kano, Nassarawa, Benue, Taraba, Plateau and other places.

The attack on the Department of State Security (DSS) headquarters in Abuja which shares boundary with the Presidential Villa also took place about the same time.

There had also been attacks on military barracks which left the nation’s security

chiefs confused and embarrassed.

Early in the year President Goodluck Jonathan appointed new service chiefs with the hope of turning the tide against Boko Haram. The new Chief of Defence Staff Air Marshall Alex Badeh got over excited and became garrulous. He told the nation that the military would end the Boko Haram war by April and in another press conference he boasted that he could go to sleep with the calibre of the new service chiefs. Badeh could not walk his talk. For it was soon after those statements that Boko Haram took their campaign to higher notches to the chagrin of Badeh and his armed forces which is the largest in the Third World. Badeh’s army is helpless. Since the abduction of the girls every finger has pointed at Sambisa forest in Borno as the stronghold of Boko Haram, but Badeh’s army could hardly go near the fringes of Sambisa.

Nigeria’s distress manifests in manifold ways. From a badly run economy that has impoverished the populace to failed infrastructure, non-existent health sector, mal-functioning education system, massive unemployment, unprecedented corruption, poverty, collapse of the energy sector (electricity and petrol), to crime, majority of Nigerians now live in distress. Nigerians now have to die from a variety of causes to the extent that life no longer has sanctity and value. The killing of David Akiri on Sunday 27th April by armed robbers at his residence in Abraka besides the over 30 people kidnapped in the University town

between 2012 and 2013 can be located in this context. One of them Dr. (Mrs) Mercy Mokobia has not been found one year after.

But the army and police in Delta take delight in terrorising innocent people and escorting the rich to parties.

The political undertone of the Boko Haram concretises the view of some northern irredentists that only the North should rule Nigeria. This is unacceptable.

What Nigerians should campaign for is good leadership and not what region a president comes from. The ongoing National Conference should be seen as an opportunity to rework Nigeria. But I have my fears since majority of those at the conference belong to the class that ruined Nigeria in the first place. However, the people of Nigeria must gird their loins and be prepared to redeem the country. Trade unions, civil societies, labour organizations, youth movements, market women, students’ bodies must rethink their mission and roles in the birth of a new Nigeria. 2015 is election year and the mobilization for change must begin now. A new movement must evolve to change the present crop of inept leaders through the instrumentality of elections. It is true that Nigerians have lost faith in the electoral system and the judiciary, but if the people are well mobilised now someday the tide would change for good. Then a credible leadership that will bring about genuine transformation will be enthroned. Only then will our distress end and the likes of David Akiri would not have died in vain.

•Dr. Awhefeada teaches Literature at the Delta State University, Abraka.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014 — 19

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S our politicians continue to bicker, heating up the polity and dancing to the drum beats of the Boko Haram and other insurgents, it is right for the reasonable ones amongst us to have a critical review of the whole situation. No matter how far we have gone the whole wrong route, it is never too late to make a direct three-sixty degree turn, to the right course.

Our challenges are institutional and structural and until these are put in place, we will continue to rigmarole. The developed countries have mastered it and their democracies have continued to thrive. That is why a not too brilliant George Bush and Ronald Reagan did two full terms and a very intelligent Jimmy Carter could only manage one. That is the beauty and mystery of democracy, any body can rule as long as proper structures and institutions are in place.

What do I mean by institutions and structures? I mean established patterns, systems, laws, cultures and traditions that guide our behaviour. These acts as checks and balances to the excesses of man, in this case our present day politicians. If these structures are not put right, the way we are going, the country will implode.

What are these structures and institutions? Those that guide our existence as a people, our

foundations and interactions.

Since the military came into our body politics, the fabrics have been torn to shreds. It is time for those responsible for the formulation of policies to begin to make these corrections, from the local governments to the state and up to the federal level. It is a bold initiative that requires very courageous and principled men in the mould of late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, retired Colonel Umar, Gamaliel Onosode, late Justice Oputa et al. They may be technocrats both in the public and private sectors or even politicians, the over all goal is to build a new, focussed nation. It is not going to be an easy task but it is achievable.

Let us start from our focus or vision for the country. Some notable Nigerians led by Allison Ayida - former super perm sec- in the seventies crafted these five objectives, aimed at establishing Nigeria as a truly great nation state; A united, strong and selfreliant nation, A great and dynamic economy, A just and egalitarian society, A land of bright and full opportunities for all citizens and A free and democratic society.

These are very achievable objectives but unfortunately, successive regimes have jettisoned the above for personal and ethnic interests. That is why the nation has become so polarised, every single person who has presided over the affairs of this country is guilty of

Everyone is busy building universities, no one is thinking about channelling the efforts to the true productive needs of the country.

Without science and technology, a country's productive capacity is stunted

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this abuse, no exception.

That is to say; we have never had a truly selfless leader. An out of prison Olusegun Obasanjo was given the opportunity to make this correction, having been part of this policy paper all these while, but what happened? He flunked it and Jonathan has continued in his foot steps.

W

e will not make progress if our leaders do not redirect their interests and loyalty. If you favour your ethnic cleavages, you are rooting for a segregated Nigeria, but if you want a strong and vibrant Nigerian nation state, the leadership must be ready to take the bull by the horn by

Tragedy of massacre politics

BY KEN TADAFERUA

W

E kneel and pray for the safe return of the over 230 schoolgirls recently abducted from Chibok, Borno State by the terrorist group, Boko Haram. We applaud the pledge by foreign nations to help find the girls and perhaps stop the Boko Haram menace. Our civil societies hold press conferences to pressure the government to rescue the girls. Our politicians hurl empty broadsides at each other over the incident for political capital.

Sadly much of this populist energy is a reductionism of Chibok, a catastrophe foretold. Chibok is only a metaphor for our country’s long history of violence in the form of abductions, kidnappings and massacres. It is an allegory of the morbid harvests arising from political chicanery and corruption. To stop the bloody cycles of violence and win against terror, we must have the political will to stop corruption, organise citizens’ resistance and enforce laws to put paid to the bloodletting. But first we must do critical self-analysis.

Wikipedia lists 25 massacres in Nigeria since 1966. I think that is a conservative figure. Two of the massacres were in Southern Nigeria and executed by soldiers on defenceless citizens. On October 7, 1966, Murtala Mohammed who later became Nigeria’s military head of state, led federal troops to round up and shoot some 500 defenceless males in cold blood in Asaba, Delta State. On November 20, 1999, hundreds of men, women and children were massacred by soldiers on the orders of yet another head of state, General Olusegun Obasanjo, as retaliation for the alleged killing of some security agents by some Niger Delta militants. These are clear examples of how state power is perversely used on citizens.

The other 23 massacres are in Northern

Nigeria and executed not by soldiers but civilian religious zealots who routinely massacre Southerners, particularly the Igbos and Christians, destroying homes, schools and churches for reasons as trifling as crises in foreign Islamic countries or allegations of blasphemy against Islam. The Kaduna riots of 2000, Jos riots of 2001, Miss World riots in Kaduna in 2002, Yelwa/Kano riots of 2004, Muhammad cartoon riots in Maiduguri in 2006 and various Jos rampages have claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of innocent citizens in the name of God. In 1980, Maitatsine, a virulent Islamic fundamentalists sect led by Muhammadu Marwa, a radical preacher from northern Cameroun, embarked on one of the bloodiest religious rampages in Nigeria’s history in Kano. Some 5000 people died; churches, mosques and homes were destroyed with thousands displaced.

Marwa was killed in a confrontation with the police. His followers under his successor, Musa Makaniki went on killing sprees near Maiduguri and in Kaduna in1982, killing over 3000 people.

Another 1000 were slaughtered in Yola with 60,000 made homeless. Hundreds more were murdered in Makaniki’s home state of Gombe. He was arrested in 2004 and was allegedly set free after several years by a judicial panel of enquiry for lack of evidence for complicity in the riots.

But Maitatsine was only to give way to a more virulent monster of religious extremism in the form of the Jamat Ahl asSunnah lid-dawa wal-Jihd (The Congregation of the People of Tradition for Proselytism and Jihad) with the Hausa nickname of Boko Haram (meaning Western education is sinful). Mohammed Yusuf founded the group in Maiduguri, Borno State in 2002.

In 2009, Yusuf was arrested and killed in police custody following Boko Haram’s

pursuing all the highlighted objectives with a real sense of fairness or equity amongst all ethnic groups in the country. That is the policy the Malaysians adopted in setting the foundation for their growing economy. It must be noted that the government ensured that the rights of all ethnic groups and citizens are protected, whether settlers ( the Chinese), the indigenes ( the real Malaysians) and indeed other groups. In Nigeria, if your business is not established in the cocoon of your ethnic region, your fate is in the hands of the Almighty God, as draconian laws of the host communities can easily run one out of business. Presently, there is no southerner that is safe, doing business in the north.

When we have brave, selfless and focussed leaders, structures can easily be built, beginning from our education sector. Everyone is busy building universities, no one is thinking about channelling the efforts to the true productive needs of the country. Without science and technology, a country's productive capacity is stunted. What has happened to our various technical colleges, teacher training colleges and polytechnics? We have spent so much time rigmarolling, leaving the main issues behind.

Without a proper educational foundation, we will continue to miss it. What is the impact of our private sectors on the educational systems. There should be a symbiotic relationship between our institutions and the private sectors, researches and faculties should be endowed by big corporations, that is how it is done, that is why the standard of such

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BY SUNNY IKHIOYA

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Before the country implodes

What has the leadership, including Northern elite and elders, done to stop the carnage? Why do fanatics find it easy to raise massive followership and raise armaments in the face of security operatives?

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clash with security forces investigating allegations that the group was arming for attacks. That clash claimed over 700 lives.

The police was accused of extra-judicious killing of Yusuf whose successor, Abubakar Shekau who has since exploded the group’s activities into full blown terrorism using guns, bombs and suicide bombers. He is believed to have the support of international terror cells.

B

oko Haram has executed horrendous bestiality and war crimes. It operates with impunity and disdain for security forces in the North East region and Abuja. From 2010 until today, Boko Haram has executed over 15 horrific massacres, murdering over 5000 innocents and still counting, razing down towns, villages, schools, churches, mosques, displacing thousands of people, robbing banks and businesses as well as raping and kidnapping girls and women.

This historical recount is to put the issue of massacres in perspective and to prod questions? What has the leadership, including Northern elites and elders, done to stop the carnage? Why do fanatics find it easy to raise massive followership and raise armaments in the face of security

university as Harvards will never go down. Even in South Korea, their universities are becoming world class as a result of the support given by the private sectors. Our academicians must refocus their goals and objectives, find ways of attracting funds to their institutions. The government must go back to the foundation of teaching- the teaching institutions must be revamped and brought back to life.

When we produce credible people, from our educational factories, the society at large benefits, for example; a person who had gone through school and graduated the proper way, will most likely, not engage in cheating when he finds himself in position of trust. A situation where there is a preponderance of cheating amongst our students, is manifesting clearly in our political environment. Cheating is normal to them because they have grown up with it. Where a company will conduct interviews for two hundred applicants and not be able to get one person, calls for great concern.

Our structures must be redefined; military, civil service, economy,governance, sociocultural, religion- all of the gamuts. That way people we put in authority will not be able to cheat.

If we fail to address these issues correctly, the way we are going now, implosion awaits us, like we are witnessing in the north eastern part of the country.

*Mr. Ikhioya, a commentator on national issues, wrote from Lagos.

operatives? In the decades of bloodletting what deterrence structures have been put in place? Why have citizens from both the North and South not risen against massacres by both governments and religious extremists?

Several answers. The civil war and military rule have inured citizens to bloodshed. Leadership itself engages in massacres and citizens sometimes even applaud the massacres. Extreme poverty and deprivations among citizens that is caused by elite corruption and insensitivity has provided a huge army of young hungry, uneducated and jobless youths to enlist willingly with religious extremists. The North East has the largest swath of the extreme poor and it is no surprise that it is the most violence-prone region.

Our leaders and elders treat massacres with shrugging indifference after all they and their families are mostly immune from the blood and destruction. The Presidency’s reaction is also inexplicably unhurried. It sets up investigative committees while thousands of citizens are being murdered. Like President Shehu Shagari did with the Maitatsine in the 1980s, setting up the Federal Government commission of enquiry under the chairmanship of Justice Aniagolu, so too has President Jonathan set up a committee of enquiry over Boko Haram.

Hours after the Boko Haram bombing of Nyanyan killed 74 people and injured 124 others, President Jonathan was at a political rally in Kano. Two weeks after the Chibok girls’ abduction the Presidency offered no official statement. And it took nearly four weeks after the Chibok abduction before Northern elders visited the President in Abuja to advise against use of force to get out the abducted girls and suggest two options to secure their freedom: Payment of ransom or release of some detained members of Boko Haram as swap for the girls. Outrageous.

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

20 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014

es said some persons may have been burnt to death in the sea.

They called on the government to investigate staff of NNPC and security men deployed to protect oil facilities in the area.

Another community source called on the Federal Government to investigate the role of security men deployed to police oil facilities in the area and some staff of the NNPC. The source argued that it would not be possible for vandals to access oil facilities in the area without conniving with the security men and some staff of the NNPC. “There has always been connivance among the vandals, security men and staff of the NNPC,” the source maintained.

When contacted, the state Police Command confirmed the fire incident, saying that it could have been caused by the activities of oil thieves.

VM gathered that oil theft is a recurring act in the area, a situation community folks said was possible because of the alleged connivance.

MEND claims responsibility

*Raging oil fire. INSET: Trench dug by the oil thieves

Oil refinery explosion: NNPC, community leaders trade accusations •The MEND connection

T

WENTY four hours after the explosion at a creek close to the NNPC jetty in Okrika, headquarters of Okrika local government area in Rivers State nobody has been able to say with certainty how many persons perished in the inferno. While some community folks put the figure at about 10, others said the dead would not be more than seven.

Owner of the facility where the explosion occurred, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, said it was likely that some of the vandals may have lost their lives in the inferno.

The explosion occurred a creek close to the NNPC’s jetty in Okrika at about 1am on Sunday.

Besides those that perished in the sad incident, Vanguard Metro, VM, gathered that several others sustained various degree of burns. Chairman of the Local Government, Mr Tamuno Williams, who spoke to newsmen, said the casualties were rushed to undisclosed hospitals in the state. He further blamed the ugly development on illegal siphoning of crude oil from NNPC facilities in the area by illegal oil thieves.

Continuing, Mr Williams said it would be difficult to tie a figure

to the number of casualties because of the terrain. While appealing to the NNPC to protect its facilities in the area from attack by vandals, the Chairman said the government had continued to put measures in place to discourage acts of illegal siphoning of oil in the area.

“The number of casualties cannot be properly ascertained for now due to the nature of the terrain where the incident happened and the level of security within and around the NNPC Jetty.

Siphoning oilfrom NNPC pipelines The fire incident was as a result of oil thieves who were siphoning oil from NNPC pipelines. Those who survived were said to have been severely burnt.

A lot of things are shrouded in secrecy. We have seen the fire but the NNPC have not given us permission to go in and verify the enormity of the damage. The security there is intensive, yet no NNPC staff wants to speak with us,” he said.

Continuing, the Chairman said: “Since they are not ready to go, we chose to go there ourselves. There are, indeed, casualties but the number we cannot really confirm. We have been to

the creek and we saw the pipelines connection.”

The Council boss also passed a portion of the blame on the NNPC. According to him, the obsolete nature of its equipment was largely responsible for the sad incident.

“From what we saw, there is negligence on the part of the NNPC in the maintenance of their equipment. Their equipment and pipes are in a state of disrepair.

NNPC should take time to invest in the maintenance of their equipment,” the Council Chairman observed.

Meantime, the NNPC said the development did not disrupt its operations and that no member of its staff was involved in the act.

Executive Director, Services of NNPC, Mr. Ralph Ugwu who spoke to news men on the issue said it was disturbing that the Chairman of the Council would allege that facilities of the oil giant in the area were obsolete.

“What I want to confirm to you is that our jetty operations are up and running. Our refineries are also up and running. The incident has no impact on our operations whatsoever and on our own side as NNPC, there is no casualty. The incident has no impact on our refining operations or on our jetty operations. I don’t want

to join issues with whoever is accusing who; whether it is the PPMC or vandals because I don’t want to say what I don’t know.

The truth is that nemesis caught up with people that came to steal our product. Their boat exploded. I don’t know about the num-

,

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME, Port Harcourt

Meanwhile, the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta, MEND, has claimed responsibility for the incident. The group claimed that their target was the refinery.

A statement signed by the spokesman of the group, Jomo Gbomo said the attack on the facility was not by oil thieves or vandals as alleged by NNPC. He claimed that it was a well coordinated act by its men. ”The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, takes responsibility for the sabotage on Sunday, 18 May, 2014, on the

It would not be possible for vandals to access oil facilities in the area without conniving with the security men and some staff of the NNPC

ber of people that died, but on our own side, we have no casualty and our operations are going on smoothly,” he said.

Community sources who spoke condition of anonymity blamed some officials of the NNPC for the ugly incident. They said some persons had allegedly come to lift crude from the facility and as soon as they left, some youths allegedly went in flying boats to also help themselves.

VM gathered that the crude burst into flames killing some persons. This followed an alleged spark on the engine of one of the flying boats used by the oil thieves. “The engine of the speed boat was not covered so there was a spark that resulted in the fire.

You know crude is highly inflammable,” a source said. The sourc-

,

Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC)Refinery Jetty pipelines in Okrika, Rivers State of Nigeria.

This attack is line with our ongoing operation ‘Hurricane Exodus’, which was intended to bring down the entire refining facility.

This facility was infiltrated by a few of our fighters with the aid of our internal agents within the NNPC contrary to speculations that the sabotage was carried out by “pipeline vandals and oil thieves”, which is a very convenient phrase used in shielding the truth from the public. Thorough investigations will reveal bomb fragments are the same used in the Warri Refinery explosion of Tuesday, 22 October, 2013,” the group said.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014 — 21

Group Managing Director/CEO Designate, Skye Bank Plc, Timothy Oguntayo (right); one of the award winners, Olawale Adegbite; and Executive Director, South-East,Edo/Delta Treasury and international funding Group, Skye Bank, Amaka Onwughalu, during the bank’s award for domiciliary account mobilisation for staff.

CBN governor should be selected through competitive process — CIBN President

BY BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE

P

resident, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Dr. Segun Aina has advocated the appointment of the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria based on competitive process.

Aina also said that CBN governors should be allowed to serve for a minimum of two terms of five years each to enhance stability and policy continuation.

He made this call while delivering the 2014 Presidential Address of the Institute in Lagos.

Aina noted that the use of competitive process for appointment of the leadership of financial sector regulatory bodies is becoming the global trend.

He said, “Regulatory leadership is very essential for now and the future and various countries have in recent times appointed the Head of their financial sector regulatory institutions such as Central Bank Governor through an open, transparent and competitive process. We must continuously strive to get the best qualified

175.65

+0.44

2,930.00

-27.00

16.80

-0.03

107.20 99.90

+0.75 +0.44

CURRENCY BUYING CENTRAL SELLING DOLLAR

154.73 260.0702 EURO 211.8873 FRANC 173.4836 YEN 1.525 CFA 0.3032 WAUA 237.8816 RENMINBI 24.8206 RIYAL 41.2558 KRONA 28.382 SDR 239.0579 STERLING

155.23 260.9106 212.572 174.0442 1.53 0.3132 238.6503 24.9013 41.3891 28.4737 239.8304

155.73 261.

213.2567 174.6048 1.5349 0.3232 239.419 24.982 41.5225 28.5654 240.6029

CBN Exchange rate as at 19/05/2014

individual for such sensitive and very important positions like the CBN Governor, and Deputies, MD/CEO of NDIC etc. In future, it is recommended that we should consider drawing up a thorough job and person profile and advertising vacant regulatory leadership positions to allow internal, local and international candidates to apply for the job as is done in other jurisdictions like the United Kingdom.

“We now have a situation in the UK where its Central Bank

is headed by a Canadian national, the first time in the 319 year history that the Bank of England will be headed by a non-UK citizen. This process should surely produce the most suitably qualified candidate.

Other considerations can still be applied at the last stage of the appointment process from the short list of qualified candidates.

“Additionally, in order to enhance stability and continuity in leadership, it is recommended that a CBN Governor should be allowed to serve for a minimum of two terms of five years each as obtains in developed economies. The last three CBN Governors served for only a term of five years which does not augur well for stability and continuity.”

Aina also predicted the introduction of more reforms in the banking industry aimed at making the banks stronger. He said, “Although there have been significant major reform measures undertaken by the regulatory agencies in the country, such as the banking consolidation, establishment of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), risk-based supervision for banks, introduction of the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), transformation of the payment system through the cashless policy, adoption of a common year end, issuance of codes in corporate governance, and review of the universal banking model.”

Why PWC accepted to audit NNPC — Akpata

BY EMMANUEL ELEBEKE

T

he accounting firm auditing the controversial missing $20 million in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, PWC Nigeria, says it accepted the offer to conduct a forensic audit on the NNPC over the missing fund because of the confidence it has in the finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and President Goodluck Jonathan.

A Senior Managing Partner of the audit company, Mr. Uyi Akpata who disclosed this in an interview said 15 years ago, they would not had accepted to work with federal government because they believe government then did not mean well to try and do any business with the company. He said that there was no genuine leadership demonstrated by government before now to be able to work with the company.

According to him, the overall structure was not there in the federal government to show leadership for genuine transformation of the country, but believed that the system had changed with the present administration.

“15 years ago, PWC would not have accepted to work with federal government because we believe government was not well meaning to do any business. In all, there was no genuine leadership demonstrated by government before now to be able to work with us. The overall structure was not there to show that leadership was there to make genuine transformation. That has changed over time, like any other clime, we assessed you and determine whether we would be able to do business with you.

“We actually believe that the min-

Insecurity identified as biggest problem confronting the lates to the socio-economic, political the nation, to ritual killings in the country landscape, growing sense of insecuWest. Insecurity is now on the front

BY PRINCEWILL EKWUJURU

A

poll has shown that ninety percent of Nigerians identified insecurity as the greatest problem confronting the country today.

The poll conducted by TNSRMS Limited, a market research firm also revealed that inadequate power supply and corruption were identified as the second and third greatest problem facing the country.

Nigeria recently rebased its Gross Domestic Product, GDP to include previously uncounted growth industries like the Telecoms, Information Technology, music, e-commerce and the movie/film industry; thus making it the biggest economy in Africa valued at $510 billion.

In a finding aimed at feeling the pulse of ordinary Nigerians as it re-

rity, tagged: ‘The Pulse of The Nation,’ cast dark clouds over the nation’s positive economic outlook.

The Chief Executive Officer of TNSRMS West, East and Central Africa – Mr. Adeola Tejumola, while commenting on the findings of the survey explained that the unrest and upsurge in crime in some of the northern states and other parts of nation may be having negative impact on the psyche of the citizenry, as 65 percent of Nigerians are of the opinion that the security situation in the country has worsened compared to same time last year.

Insecurity which used to be one of the least concerns of the average Nigerian (in order of social problems facing the country); has now assumed alarming proportion. This social problem spans the entirety of the nation; from assassinations, arm robbery, militia groups’ insurgency in the north, and kidnapers in the eastern and southern parts of

burner and appears regionalized, he said.

The survey further showed that 70 percent of Nigerians are of the opinion that the growing sense of insecurity is a key driver of the bad image the country has within the international community.

Though for the first time in Nigeria’s 53-year history, the country has successfully privatized the electric power industry with the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga recently saying that the privatization of the nation’s power sector has unlocked investment opportunities (pipeline investments estimated at $50bn currently); Nigerians seem to be dissatisfied with the sector ’s performance till date, with about 70 percent saying electricity supply has worsened compared to same time last year.

Analysis of public sentiments

22 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014

VANGUARD INV Top 10 performing stocks

By NKIRUKA NNOROM

T

HE top 10 performing stocks last week were FCMB Group Plc, Portland Paints and Products Plc, Cutix Plc, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Ikeja Hotels Plc, Fidson Healthcare Plc and Transnationwide Express Plc. Others were Airline Services and Logistics, ASL Plc, Fidelity Bank Plc and Ecobank Transnational Incorporated Plc. FCMB Group recorded 16.22 percent or N0.60 price appreciation to close at N4.30 from N3.70 at the beginning of the week. Following Central bank of Nigeria’s directive that banks divest from non-banking subsidiaries, the bank had opted to adopt holding company structure with resulting five subsidiaries.

Recently, one of its subsidiaries, FCMB Capital Markets, was appointed the sole arranger for the Naira equivalent of $150 million, as part of an international group of investors and banks working on the $750 million Azura-Edo IPP. The Azura-Edo IPP project is a Greenfield, MW Open Cycle Gas Turbine, power station near Benin City in Edo State. It is the first phase of a 1,120MW power plant facility that is targeted to begin producing elec-

tricity early 2017.The project, which will lead to further economic development, is also forecasted to create over 1,000 jobs.

The first quarter financial statement for the period ended March 31, 2014 showed improvement over the previous year with the pretax profit rising by 15 percent to N5.6 billion, as against N4.8 billion in 2013. Also, the revenue for the period grew by 16 percent to N22.3 billion, while deposits rose by nine percent year-on-year to N687 billion due to a 22 percent growth in current and savings accounts. Its fixed deposits, however, declined, while loans and advances grew 50 percent year-on-year to N493.7 billion. The bank declared 30kobo dividend, to be paid to shareholders for the year ended December 31, 2013.

Portland Paints and Products Plc followed with 13.38 percent or N0.59 price gain to close at N5.00 from N4.41 per share. The company recently announced changes in top management team with the appointment of Mr. Adeleke Ibraheem Yusuff as its company secretary effective December 2, 2013. Yusuff has worked in various banks, including African International Bank Limited and Intercontinental Bank Plc where

he served as regional legal adviser respectively and in Reliance Bank Limited where he rose to assistant manager, legal. UAC of Nigeria Plc had last year acquired 51 percent stake in the company, a move that was meant to boost Portland’s competitive edge in the decorative paints industry, as well as allow it to tap into Nigeria’s real estate and building materials sectors using UACN as leverage. Available financial result for the year ended December 31, 2014, showed profit before tax of N123.6 million as against loss before tax of N199 million as at December 2012.

The company said that it is addressing its financing challenges, while comprehensive business model review is ongoing According, to the company, the supply chain collaboration with Chemical and Allied Products Plc, another subsidiary of UACN is beginning to yield benefits.

Cutix Plc advanced by 11.67 percent or N0.21 to close at N2.01 from N1.80. A cable manufacturing company, Cutix recently commissioned N300 million power cable plant in Nnewi, Anambra State. Cutix is involved in the production of cables

such as are bare stranded aluminium conductor and PVC insulated aluminum cables used in overhead power transmission and distribution; PVC insulated and sheathed round copper for household and other electronic equipment to power supply systems, and automotive wire and cable used in motor vehicles, among others.

The shares of Nigerian Breweries rose by 9.43 percent or N14.05 to close at N163.05 from N149.00 per share. Earlier this month, the company announced proposed merger with Consolidated Breweries Plc. The merger is subject to approval of the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC. Ikeja Hotel advanced by 8.62 percent or N0.05, rising to N0.63 from N0.58; Fidson Healthcare went up by 8.47 percent or N0.20 from N2.36 to N2.56; Transnationwide Express was the next with 8.45 percent or N0.18 price appreciation, rising from N2.13 to N2.31; ASL rose by 8.04 percent or N0.18 to close at N2.42 from N2.24; Fidelity Bank advanced by 7.89 percent or N0.15 to close at N2.05 from N1.90, while Ecobank Transnational appreciated by 7.69 percent or N1.00 to close at N14.00 from N13.00 per share.

Nigerian Stock Exchange Index Table

Abstinence not solution to e-payment fraud

By BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE

T

HE young man was quite in a hurry. “What is the problem? He asked the bank teller. “Nothing, just be patient, the teller responded from her cubicle. “Why not apply for an ATM card? A customer asked the young man. “No! I am not interested. Is it by force? He replied.

About five minutes later, the teller handed him cash that could not be more than N10, 000, and off he went. I pondered; he would have spent nothing less than 30 minutes, just to collect N10, 000. With an ATM card, he would not have needed to go through the stress and the time to the money.

The attitude of the young man to electronic payment (e-payment) is similar to that of many people. Such attitude is usually informed by two things. Either they have been victims of e-payment fraud, or have heard stories of people (who maybe close acquain-

WS MARKET NE

F

ORTE Oil Plc and EcoBank Transnational Incorporated (ETI) have been included in the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) Frontier Market Index, one of the world’s leading equity index providers.

MSCI is a leading provider of investment decision support tools to over 6,000 clients worldwide, ranging from large pension plans to boutique hedge funds.

The Equity Index provider which has presence in 23 countries, offers a range of products and services - including indexes, portfolio risk and performance analytics, and ESG data and research.

The recent changes were effected following inclusion of thirteen

tance) who had been defrauded through e-payment. So out of fear of been victims again, or becoming the next victim, they chose to abstain from anything e-payment.

Such attitude is quite understandable.

You have worked hard to earn your money. You have denied yourself and family of many comforts, in order to save for the rainy day. In Nigeria there is no social security, and because of the widespread unemployment and poverty, it can be difficult to rely on others to bail you out in the case of an emergency. As a result you need to protect you savings.

Waste of time and resources Having heard stories of how somebody lost money through e-payment fraud, you will naturally want to abstain in order not expose your money to such risk.

Forte Oil, EcoBank includ securities into the MSCI Frontier Markets Index, while 30 were deleted from the index. MSCI Frontier Markets 100 Index were dominated by Kuwait (30 percent from 20 percent) and Nigeria (20 percent from 13 percent), with Pakistan, Oman, Argentina, Kenya and Morocco in the five to seven percent range (from three to four percent). With the new dimensioning, Nigeria consequently added two names -ETI and Forte Oil. On the deletions, they are almost all coming from the UAE (10 names) and Qatar (13 names).

According to Analysts, the inclusion of Nigeria stocks into the index meant that investment inflow of over $200million would be redirected toward

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014 — 23

ESTORS FORUM But abstaining from e-payment because of the risk of fraud is like abstaining from air travel because of the risk of air crash.

It results into colossal waste of time and resources, in addition to severe stress on the body. To abstain from e-payment because of fraud is to abstain from the comfort and convenience it offers, as well as the opportunity to do more with less resources and stress. Abstinence can also result to loss of lives or make dear ones experience avoidable suffering.

To abstain from e-payment means you will always visit the bank, any time you need cash, or want to send money to somebody. Like in the case of the young man above, you will spend nothing less than 30 minutes every time you visit a bank for such transactions. If you do this 50 times in a year, you will spend 25 hours or one day every year just to visit banks for transactions. This is besides the bodily stress, and the money you will spend for transport on every visit. Also imagine an acquaintance in dare need of financial support due to an emergency.

Financial support

INVESTORS SPEAK

‘Nigeria capital market still possesses potential for upside movement’ AFTER a very difficult first quarter, the Nigerian stock market has maintained a moderate pace amid weak optimism. This weak optimism has put investors in a doubting mood, not very sure of the direction of the market.

Some shareholder,s who spoke with Vanguard Investors Forum on how they feel about the current status of the market, said they are taking solace in the potentials of the market as well as returns and performance of certain stocks.

Excerpt:

By WILLIAM JIMOH

•Binuyo Sarafa

potentials to flow. Today, we have 10 companies, including Dangote Cement, Zenith inuyo Sarafa, member, Global He is far from where you are. You offer Bank, Nestle, Guaranty Trust Bank among Shareholders Association of Nito help, but because you have abstained others currently accounting for up to 70 geria: from e-payment, you will have to visit the percent of the market capitalisation, which In emerging markets like South Afbank to transfer money to him, or he has is a move in the right direction. rica and some Asian countries, there are to come to you to receive the money.

If this trend persists, for a company like companies that account for about 10 perHence, the problem lingers, and the imDangote and others, I can assure you that cent of the Gross Domestic Product, GDP, pact increases. If it was a life threatening by 2018, the 10 percent tax that will be paid of their country. I am not referring to the medical emergency, life could be lost as a

by Dangote Cement to the federal governentire contribution of their capital marresult of the time it would take to access ment will be 10 times the entire money that ket to the GDP but just a single compaor receive your financial assistance. But will be in circulation by then. ny accounting for that much; even in with e-payment, this would not be so, This is a good indication for growth of some cases, they account for as much as because you will be able to instantly transthe economy because when this happens, 15 percent of the GDP. fer the money from your phone, internet it will not only tell on the economy by the But looking at what we have in Nior ATM, and thus save the situation. volume of money that is generated, but also geria today, the equity market only conIt is true that e-payment is vulnerable in terms of employment opportunities cretributes about 27 percent to Nigeria GDP. to fraud, but abstinence is not the soluated.

What this implies is that this market has tion to protecting yourself from such Still using Dangote Cement as an examnot taken its rightful position in the ecofraud. Abstaining from e-payment most ple. Today, the number of employee in nomic sphere of the country, not to talk certainly in the long run, costs more than Dangote Group is nearly equal to that of of the continent. e-payment fraud. the federal government and in few years to The good thing about the market is come, it will outdo that of the government. that it still has a lot of prospects and This is the pace of development that we need to ensure that the capital market contributes appropriately to the growth of the economy.

On the contrary, there are companies that are not doing too well in the market today. This is because aside the fact that some compathe Nigeria investment market, investment stock on the Nige- 2014. nies deals in seasonal products, ETI on the other hand, you cannot compare a company which is great for the country. rian Stock Exchange, NSE, in Forte Oil Plc achieved 1164.55 2013 and recorded YTD growth depreciated YTD by 12.75 that produces cement with one that percent share price growth to of 72.23 percent in share price percent to N14.30 per share. manufacture plastic. The demand In 1968, the Capital for cement will be in relation to the emerge the best performing and from N92.87 to N155.95 in International Indices published speed at which infrastructure is the first set of global stock market growing and you will agree with indexes for non-U.S. markets. me that we don’t have enough inIn 1986, Morgan Stanley frastructures put in place, meanlicensed the rights to the ing the demand for this product indexes from Capital will be continuous.

International and branded the The important thing here is that indexes as the MSCI indexes. government need to help those About $8 trillion is companies that deals in agriculbenchmarked to MSCI indexes. tural products by giving them long The emerging markets index, term loan of about 20 to 30 years MSCIEF, is up 2.9 percent so and not just 5 to 10 years so that far this year, while the all world they can be well rooted and then index has risen 2.1 percent. operate profitably.

B

ded in Morgan Stanley Capital International Index

•Yekini Adisa

Yekini Adisa, Governor, Focus Shareholders Association of Nigeria: Looking at the 10 companies that are currently active in the market, you see that these are companies that have been stable and focus on efforts to ensure that they grow their capacity for increased benefit for both their stakeholders and shareholders. And because they are committed to this, their efforts have begun to impact on their performance as well as on the market and the economy in general.

Managing of resources It is a step in the right direction, indicating that managers of these companies know how to manage their resources to make sure that they stand out among their pairs. We cannot doubt this since it is so clear in the performances and past records. With such a performance it is not surprising that they now control up to 75 per cent of the total market value.

What these mean to an ordinary shareholder is that we are going to reap a huge harvest, which is what we have always hope for. We want our dividend to keep increasing every year.

It is a ccustom to these companies to record increase in all indications. It is also another sign that the market is moving in the right direction, and we pray that God will continue to guide them as they make effort to develop the market.

Another important thing regarding this matter is that, those companies at the bottom of the ladder need to take lesson from the ones at the top so that they can also follow the trend.

24 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014

Nigeria loses N1.3trn over decline in crude revenue

oil companies owing to the non-passage of the PIB, corruption and incessant oil bunkering activities amongst others.

Also, analysts at Partnership Investment Company Limited expressed concerns that despite strong oil prices in 2013, Nigeria was not able to improve on its fiscal savings.

BY MICHAEL EBOH Nigeria lost N1.292 trillion in one year, as the country’s crude oil earnings dipped by 15.92 per cent to N6.825 trillion in 2013.

This, according to data obtained from the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, is against crude earnings of N8.117 trillion recorded in 2012.

In a breakdown of the figures in the gross federation account revenue, the CBN disclosed that oil revenue for first quarter 2013 stood at N1.849 trillion, while the second, third and fourth quarter oil revenue stood at N1.813 trillion, N1.623 trillion and N1.538 trillion respectively.

This is in comparison with oil revenues of N2.376 trillion, N1.982 trillion, N1.936 trillion and N1.824 trillion for the first, second, third and fourth quarter 2012 respectively.

The decline in crude earnings was attributed to a drop in crude export, arising from rising cases of crude theft, pipeline vandalism and sabotage, among others.

Oil revenue, therefore, accounted for 70.01 per cent of the gross federally collected revenue. Total revenue collected in 2013 amounted to N9.748 trillion.

A further breakdown of oil revenue in 2014, the CBN report disclosed that the country recorded crude oil and gas sales of N1.559 trillion; petroleum profit tax/royalties — N3.719 trillion, while other unlisted component of gross revenue account for N1.547 trillion.

Budget implementation Analysts at Cowry Asset Management Limited noted that the Nigerian economy encountered a number of challenges in the year 2013.

According to the analysts, as at September 2013, the implementation of capital projects

by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) were scored at between 35 per cent and 40 per cent by the House of Representatives.

This, the analysts said, is in addition to observed slow pace of reforms, particularly in the petroleum industry.

“The Petroleum Industry Bill

From left: : Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Mr. Andrew Yakubu; Chief Communication Manager, Chrome Group, Dr. Edwin Ndukwe; and consultant to the group, Dr. Njideka Kelly, when Yakubu visited the Kaztec Stand in the Nigerian Pavilion at the OTC, holding at the Reliant Park in Houston Texas.

(PIB), which seeks reforms in both regulation and fiscal aspects of the oil and gas industry, is yet to be passed.

“The country continued to witnessed sub-optimal activi-

ties in the upstream petroleum activities as multinationals divest from their oil fields even as oil bunkering activities lingered to the tune of 400,000 barrels a day,” they

said.

The analysts attributed the decline in crude revenue to supply disruptions caused by divestment and/or paucity of investments by international

The lack of fiscal savings, the analysts said, negatively affected the country’s foreign reserves accretion, especially as the huge earnings did not translate to higher reserves.

According to the analysts, considering the huge earnings from oil, which sold above $100 per barrels for much of the year, the decline in the reserves sheds more light on the country’s fiscal management and monetary policies.

On the outlook for 2014, they said, “By far the biggest challenge that will confront the country in 2014 is the management of the country ’s earnings. In 2013, despite huge earnings on the back of improved crude oil output and high prices, the mismatch in fiscal and monetary outlook took off most of the shine that would have accrued to the country.”

Nigerian oil industry attracts N53bn investments

BY MICHAEL EBOH

T

HE Nigerian oil and gas sector attracted foreign investment, totaling $330.757 million, about N52.921 billion in the last 15 months, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics,NBS. According to a report by the NBS, titled: “Nigerian Capital Importation: summary report 2007 – 2014,” the oil and gas sector recorded total foreign investment inflow of $129.621 million in 2013 and $201.136 million in the first quarter of 2014.

The report further revealed that the Nigerian oil and gas sector attracted FDI totaling $714.258 million, about N114.281 billion between 2009 and the first quarter of 2014.

A breakdown of the figure revealed that in 2009, FDI in the oil and gas sector stood at $114.356 million, dropping by 82.17 per cent from $641.266 million recorded in

2008.

In 2010, total capital importation in the oil and gas sector stood at $89.449 million, 2011 — $22.924 million; 2012 — $156.772 million and 2013 — $129.620 million.In general, the NBS report noted that total capital importation in the country for 2009 stood at $5.703 billion; 2010 — $5.996 billion; 2011 — $7.904 billion; 2012 — $16.616 billion; 2013 — $21.318 billion and first quarter 2014 — $3.905 billion.

To this end, the oil and gas sector accounted for 2.005 per cent of the total capital importation into the country in 2009; 1.49 per cent of the total in 2010; 0.29 per cent of the total capital importation in 2011; 0.94 per cent of the total in 2012; 0.61 per cent in 2013 and 5.15 per cent of the total in the first quarter of 2014.

Giving an analysis of the inflow into the country in the period, the NBS said, “Prior to the global financial crisis,

Nigerian capital importation was high and rising; it grew 16.7 per cent from $9.573 billion recorded in 2007 to reach $11.171 in 2008.

“The onset of the crisis brought a sharp decline in capital imported to half its value, at $5.703 billion in 2009. Some of the greatest declines came from the banking and shares sectors, with annual totals of $2.047 billion and $1.814 billion, representing a 43.7 per cent and 53.0 per cent decline respectively from the preceding year.

“The Financing and Oil and Gas sectors also took a large hit, declining by 69.2 per cent and 82.2 per cent respectively, translating to a decline of over $500 million in each activity from 2008.

“In 2010 the value of capital imported remained depressed, increasing by a marginal 5.1 per cent to $5.996 billion. A slow recovery began in 2011, as capital importation increased by 31.8 per cent,

yet inflows remained $3.267 billion below 2008 levels.

“It was not until 2012 that a transformational upturn took hold in Nigeria, whereby the value of capital imported increased by 110.2 per cent to $16.616 billion; 72.6 per cent greater than the pre-crisis level.

“The main driver of this was the Shares business, in which an additional $7,642.7 million was imported from 2011 levels, a 72.5% rise from the previous year. Banking also saw a recovery, with a $740.7 million, or 65.3% increase from 2011. Yet some sectors remained in decline; Financing, Telecommunications and Brewing reported lower levels of importation by $443.3 million, $193.1 million and $71.366 billion from 2011 respectively.

This may have implied less profitability of the real sector relative to the financial sector, thus reallocating investments away from the real sector.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014 — 25

Stakeholders identify challenges, opportunities in Nigerian oil companies

By SEBASTINE OBASI

T

HE emerging Nigerian in dependent exploration and production companies, in the aftermath of the frequent asset divestment by the international oil companies, IOCs, took centre stage at the workshop organised by the Association of Nigerian Petroleum Professionals Abroad, ANPPA, at the just concluded offshore technology conference, OTC, held in Houston, Texas.

Stakeholders indeed agreed that opportunities abound as there are challenges in growing truly Nigerian independent companies.

Mr. Felix A. V. Managing Director, Energia Limited, stated that the emergence of independents has led to in-

crease in national production and reserve volumes, commercialization of fallow/small sized assets, employment opportunities and indigenous capacity building.

He also said that it has contributed in economic growth (royalties/taxes), as it has provided long term domestic energy security and more intimate community relations management.

He further explained that the IOCs’ divestment of assets has enhanced growth of the Nigerian independents from marginal to major players.

He however said that challenges facing the independents include security issues, inadequate funding, low reserves/crude characteristics,

dearth of indigenous expertise, non-partnership, old infrastructure, isolated and difficult field terrains/locations.

Mr Fisoye Delano, Senior Vice President, Gas and Power, CAMAC International Corporation, stated that opportunities exist for Nigerian independent exploration and production companies and services that see value in the African continent for partnership and value capture.

“Many Nigerian E & P companies already have exploration positions in many African countries such as in Mali, Liberia, Ghana, Kenya, Equatorial Guinea, and the Gambia.

“Opportunities exist therefore for Nigerian independent exploration and produc-

tion companies and services that see value in the African continent for partnership and value capture,” he said.

He noted that utilizing the Smart Development Conceptual Framework can unlock long term synergies for both the host communities and foreign investors in the sector.

Also speaking, Mr. Oluwole Oluyole, Executive Secretary, Petroleum Technology Development Fund, PTDF, stated that there are lots of opportunities to be harnessed in every aspect of the oil sector “Under the engineering aspect, there is an appreciable $2billion size of opportunity every year but a shortage of indigenous skilled manpower to handle FEED, DEED and conceptual design jobs can be a challenge for indigenous companies.

“Under Procurement, every year there is an appreciable $11billion opportunity for procuring equipment components, parts and accessories but lack of skilled manpower required to deliver such jobs locally is also a challenge.

“Annually, there is an appreciable $1billion opportunity for drilling services but lack of indigenous skilled manpower required to execute drilling jobs is a challenge.”

According to him, there seem not to be adequate indigenous crewmen and engineers available to local service providers to enable them bid for marine services, as there is an estimated $3billion opportunity annually in this area.

He also explained that there are shortages of skilled trainers with the capacity to provide training services.

Global oil demand growth forecast raised slightly for 2014

BY SEBASTINE OBASI World oil demand growth will be slightly higher than previously thought in 2014, at 1.32 million barrels per day (bpd), the International Energy Agency, IEA, said in its monthly Oil Market Report, offering a more bullish demand outlook than other government forecasters.

In the report, the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC estimates 2014 oil demand rising by 1.14 million bpd.

It also stated that OPEC needs to pump more oil this year to reach its target of 30 million barrels per day and meet rising demand as China, builds its reserves and stocks in industrialised countries remain low.

The IEA report also stated

that turmoil in producers such as South Sudan and problems at Kazakhstan’s Kashagan field and elsewhere saw the West’s energy watchdog cut its estimate for non-OPEC supply growth by 100,000 bpd to 1.5 million bpd for the year.

That will result in demand for OPEC crude rising to about 30 million bpd this year, the IEA said, a 200,000 bpd increase on its previous estimateand in line with the exporter group’s own output target. ”Crude prices remain elevated and forecast balances call for a significant rise in OPEC production from current levels for the second half of the year. ”While OPEC has more than enough capacity to deliver, it remains to be seen whether it will manage to overcome the above ground hurdles that

have plagued some of its member countries lately,” the report said.

It was reported that turmoil in Libya and other OPEC members has hampered crude oil supplies in recent years. However, the IEA said the OPEC members produced 29.9 million bpd in April, a monthly increase of 405,000 bpd led by Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Algeria.

The agency, which advises the United States and other industrialized countries on oil policy, said OPEC was expected to keep its output target unchanged when it meets in Vienna, Austria, on June 11, a level it said would be insufficient in the second half of this year when consumption increases. ”In order to balance forecast demand, OPEC countries would need to hike third

quarter production by another 900,000 bpd from April levels,” it said. ”Whether Libya can keep its ports open and unlock its exports is unclear. Meanwhile, Iraq faces renewed security threats in the north, while outside OPEC new politically driven disruptions have intensified in Colombia and South Sudan.”

The IEA said a surge in Chinese imports suggested that the world’s number two oil consumer was building its strategic reserves of oil, which could tighten global markets.

It further said that the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) commercial stocks rose by 52.1 million barrels in April, trimming their deficit to the five year average, though those inventories remain tight by historical standards.

How SMEs can play in Nigeria’s oil sector – Falcon boss

By NKIRUKA NNOROM

S

MALL and Medium scale Enterprises (SMEs) wishing to play in the nation’s oil and gas sector have been advised to do their homework and try to understand the intricate operations of the industry locally and globally before venturing into it.

Audrey Joe-Ezigbo, author and co-founder, Falcon Petroleum Limited, who gave the advice on Fidelity SME Forum, a weekly radio programme by Fidelity Bank Plc, said though this may sound basic, but it is the truth.

Speaking on the opportunities in the oil and gas sector, Ezigbo said the industry is such a robust one that most people just missed it, pointing out that in the gas business for instance, there is opportunity for producing, distributing or retailing LNP, LPG or natural gas.

According to her, “there is opportunity in logistics and so many other aspects. The industry is not waiting for you; rather you are the one that is trying to carve a niche, so you owe it to yourself to do the research even beyond that specific field to understand the global industry.

“There are lots of opportunities because it’s a very robust industry. There’s so much going on now with the gas revolution, gas to power development etc. It’s just incredible.

“In terms of being able to operate successfully in the niche, the call for business is around gas as well as EPL. Those are the two main stream lines. It’s being a slow evolution into those two areas, but what we have made sure we have done anywhere we found ourselves is to give the very best that we can. We have a very big picture of what Falcon can be and that is because we recognise that every single multinational we are looking at all started with one or three to four people and they certainly didn’t have two heads. If they could it, we can do it too.”

Disclosing that Falcon Petroleum would have been in business for 20 years in June this year, she said though it was slow at the beginning, however, they were focused on delivering quality service all round. She stated that the oil and gas is the sector that calls for very high standards in safety, quality and service delivery.

“You just have to up your game. So, if you are expecting that being indigenous is enough for the majors to hand over the critical assignments, it just doesn’t work that way.

26 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014

Local Content: Kaztec to invest N120bn in two years

BY MICHAEL EBOH

K

AZTEC Engineering Limited, yesterday, said it will invest $750 million, about N120 billion, in the country between 2014 and 2015.

The company noted that the amount will be invested in setting up a pipe coating and pipe rolling mill facility, dry dock and logistics base at the dockyard, bringing the total amount the company will be investing in the facility since August 2013 at over $1 billion, about N160 billion.

Chairman of the company, Sir Emeka Offor, disclosed this during the tour of Kaztec facilities at the Snake Island Dockyard, Lagos, especially ongoing work on the Booster Compressor 2 on behalf of Addax Petroleum, by officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, led by its Group Managing Director, Mr. Andrew Yakubu; National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS), former senate president, Mr. Ken Nnamani, among others.

Offor, disclosed that the project will contribute in alleviating the unemployment situation in the country, by creating about 5,000 direct jobs and 20,000 indirect jobs by 2016.

He said, “Kaztec is set to become a full Turnkey onestop-shop in the area of FPSO refurbishment and new build; oil and gas large offshore modules; offshore pipelines and platforms; logistics and supply base; pipeline coating; structural steel pipe rolling

mill, dry or floating dock and oil and gas training centers among others.”

Giving a breakdown of its successes thus far, Offor said the entire 550 hectares of land

at the Snake Island facility has been cleared with 80 per cent of the land reclaimed.

He noted that dredging, sand filling and grading of phase 1A is ongoing at the site, while form work is ongoing for pre-cast of sub-assembly foundation and foundation trench for warehouse has been set up.

Also speaking, Mr. Cornelius Zegeelar, Senior Vice President/Managing Director, Addax Petroleum, said the project is a reflection of Kaztec’s capacity in the oil and gas sector, adding that it will help boost its production capacity by about 6,000 and 7,000 barrels per day.

Mr. Marc Robillard, Commercial Director, Kaztec Engineering, noted that the company is set to improve Nigeria’s position as an oil and gas Engineering design; Procurement and logistics; Construction and fabrication and Management (EPIC-M) provider.

According to him, this is possible as the company currently has 50 engineering design professional in its employ, building to over 300 in 2016, while it currently has 75 professionals building to over 200 in 2016; 500 skilled labour workforce at present, building to over 5,000 in 2016 and 30 project managers building to over 150 in 2016.

Minister insists on June deadline for improved electricity supply Stories by CHRIS OCHAYI

M

INISTER of Power, Prof Chinedu Nebo, has reassured that all the relevant agencies are working assiduously to make gas available to operators in the power sector with a view to achieving improvement in electricity supply promise made to consumers of the product in the country.

The Minister, who disclosed this while on an over-sight visit to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC’s headquarters was optimistic of

ministry’s readiness to actualise improved electricity nationwide by next month’s as directed by President Goodluck Jonathan.

Nebo, who said he has firm commitment from the Minister of Petroleum Resources; Mrs Diezani Allison Madueke that gas would be available, added, “We must ensure synergy in all our operations.”

He assured Nigerians that no one will be left in darkness, because the ministry was determined to deliver on Mr. President’s directive of appreciable

FG to bridge power supply challenge with renewable energy

T

HE Minister of Power, Pro fessor Chinedu Nebo, has reiterated the commitment of the present administration to improve electricity generation and transmission in the country through the development and utilisation of renewable energy resources.

Nebo disclosed this during a visit to the two project sites of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure, NASENI, located in Karshi, Abuja, and Gada Mada in Nasarawa State, respectively.

The minister noted that, “With the low level of electricity generation and transmission

in the country, the only way to reach the rural communities is to ensure that we deploy as much renewable technology to reach communities that are far away from the national grid.”

To this end, the minister endorsed NASENI’s research and development activities relating to power, which he said had begun to yield positive results.

Nebo commended the Agency for its giant strides in the development and growth of renewable energy sources of solar and small hydro.

He said that with what he saw on ground, the attainment of 10% target set for Year 2020, would be achieved.

improvement in electricity supply nationwide by June.

The minister said that NERC as a flagship in the new electricity regime must provide the lead in revamping the Rural Electrification policy framework that would allow private sector to participate.

He challenged NERC to devise a mechanism that would openup communities that are far flung from the grid system through rural electrification means that would include renewable energy sources.

On Gas to Power, “the June deadline is by the corner, Mr. President’s word is a bond. We must generate more power; we are prepared to assist all our agencies in making sure that the ball keeps rolling. We can’t afford to fail in our duties.”

“I have firm commitment from my colleague, the Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Allison Madueke that gas would be available. We must ensure synergy in all our operations, all in the three electricity value chain must be happy including our esteemed customers. She has even assured on gas for power that if need be, she will order that gas meant for export is diverted to power,” he said.

On the issue of overlapping function with sister

IPMAN boss promises adequate fuel distributions

T

HE newly elected presi dent of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, Elder Chinedu Okoronkwo, has pledged to put in place adequate measures that would ensure sanity in the distributions of fuel to the petrol filing stations.

Okoronkwo, who spoke in Abuja, also promised to embark on dialogue to bring together all the aggrieved members under one umbrella.

He said that his regime will concentrate on things that will improve members’ capacity and build on the achievements of the past leaders of the Association.

He said doors are open for all members of the association to contribute towards the progress of the association, urging them to feel free to register their complaints for any wrong doing they observe as the case may be.

Okoronkwo said gone were the days for crisis in the IPMAN, saying at this difficult period all members should concentrate in ensuring free flow of petroleum products at the depots especially kerosene to members.

He said with the cooperation of members, the association will ensure that IPMAN stations are always wet with products.

Oando Gas records 1m man hours of zero lost time

O

ANDO Gas & Power Limited has achieved a million industry milestone man-hours with zero Lost Time Incident (LTI) or fatality in all projects and operations, spanning a period of 2 years and 3 months.

LTI is a measure of injury sustained on the job that is capable of preventing a worker from performing or continuing with a task or resulting in downtime in the operation. It is an oil and gas industry benchmark that evaluates adherence to safety and environmental requirements in the course of operations. As a result, LTI is a critical Key Performance Indicator (KPI) for Oando’s conformity with the best practices of the oil and gas industry.

Commenting on the accomplishment, OGP CEO, Mr. Bolaji Osunsanya said: “Our managerial and operational teams, along with our partners and sub-contractors, have done tremendously well to achieve 1,001,708 LTI Free Man hours within our power projects and expanding gas pipeline grid.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014 — 27

Conoil to introduce engine oil packs Conoil is set to launch 5-litre packs of its lubricant brands of Quatro and Golden Super motor oil, as part of its strategy to live up to its promise of delivering convenience at every stop and enriching its lubricant range.

The new lubricant packs would be pocket-friendly to motorists and are tailored to suit the engine oil needs of vehicles with bigger engine capacity thereby reducing, substantially, the cost borne by motorists anytime they service their cars.

Like most lubricant brands in Nigeria, Conoil’s lubricants currently come in one litre and 4-litre packs. But with this new initiative, car owners can buy just one pack of lubricant instead of two to service their cars and this would invariably save them money.

The major petroleum products marketer said in a statement that it decided to introduce the 5-litre packs to live up to its bill of being a convenience retailer, always on the look-out for ways to make life more comfortable for its customers and keep them satisfied. “With the current automobiles that come with bigger engines, this will definitely reduce the cost of maintenance on motorists.”

The statement added, “the economic situation in the country is tough on most Nigerians so we strive to bring into the market, pocket-

… Calls for entries from journalists

friendly products, without compromising quality that most Nigerians can afford.”

The company ’s lubricant brands, Quatro and Golden Super oil are formulated to meet world set standards for automobile and industrial machines’ engines.

The Quatro brand, contains special additives that ensure minimal fuel consumption, retain oil thickness and protect car engine from rust.

Its detergent and dispersant properties clean car engines, keep it sludge-free thereby enabling it to run at its best.

On the other hand, Conoil’s other brand of lubricant, Golden Super, offers adequate engine protection for older petrol-fuelled cars. Its performance features include comprehensive additive package, good detergency, good oxidation stability and good anti-wear properties.

As one of the most innovative service focused oil marketing companies, Conoil was the first in the country to introduce mega retail outlets, which have totally redefined the entire concept of service stations in the industry.

Last year, it launched a unique initiative of wrapping its brands of engine oils in cellophane sheens to preserve the quality of its lubricants, in line with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, SON’s campaign to rid the country of adulterated products.

The company has committed substantial investments to upgrade and expand its lubricant blending plants at its depots at Apapa, Lagos, Port Harcourt, and Kano, with a view to meeting and surpassing customers’ needs.

Eleme Petrochemical to boost operations with $4.4bn

T

HE Managing Director, Indorama Eleme Petrochemical Limited, IEPL, Mr. Manish Mundra, has said the firm is planning to invest $4.4bn in its operations by 2019, to become the largest petrochemical company in Africa.

Mundra disclosed this while briefing members of the Senate Committee on Privatisation, led by its Chairman, Senator Olugbenga Obadara, who were at the plant last week in continuation of their oversight visit to privatized enterprises in Rivers State.

He said $575million had been injected into the company since privatization and that N33.9 billion had been paid as dividend to the federal and Rivers State governments since its acquisition from the federal government in 2006.

He gave the breakdown of the N33.9 billion dividend paid as N8.71billion to Rivers State and N25.2 billion to the Bureau of Public Enterprises, BPE, and the Nigerian Na-

CNN announces GE-sponsored Energy and Infrastructure

tional Petroleum Corporation, NNPC. Mundra disclosed further that the company also paid about N15.61 billion in taxes to the federal and state governments. These include value added tax, customs duty,

withholding taxes and Pay As You Earn, PAYE. He explained that the company which is currently the largest integrated olefins producer in West Africa has a work force of 1585, most of

who are Nigerians. He added that production had increased from four percent pre-privatisation to 77 percent and that the company plans to increase its production to 325,000 metric tons per annum in 2014.

DPR boss pledges to curb sharp practices by marketers

BY CHRIS OCHAYI

T

HE new Zonal Controller, Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, Abuja, Mallam Usman Mohammed, has promised to cleanse up the system saying it would no longer be a business as usual for oil marketers indulging in sharp practices.

Mohammed spoke in Abuja at a send-off party organised by the DPR for its outgoing Zonal Controller, Mr Aliyu Halidu.

Halidu had expressed concern over the unnecessary influence from some quarters on the operations of the agency.

Mohammed said he would ensure that diversion and underdispensing of petroleum prod-

ucts to consumers at the filling stations were stamped out of the zone.

He said that existing structure of the department in the zone would be strengthened and that measures would be evolved for effective check on the activities of marketers in the area.

According to him, “the issue of diversion can be easily tackled by constant check on the retail outlets and that is what we have been doing. If you have been supplied with products, you have to take it to the retail outlets.”

He therefore warned marketers against hoarding of products because DPR surveillance teams were on ground, stressing that

appropriate sanctions would be meted out to offending marketers.

He said further that said he would ensure that consumers are not short changed and they have value for their money at any given time.

In his remarks, Halidu expressed concern over the unnecessary influence from some quarters on the operations of the agency.

While speaking with newsmen shortly after the send-off ceremony, he said, “Abuja is the seat of government and any small step you take, the power that be may come in, and there are lot of influences in Abuja.”

A new category has been announced for the prestigious CNN MultiChoice African Journalist of the Year 2014 awards. It is GE Energy & Infrastructure category endowed by global Energy and infrastructure giants, General Electric (GE).

GE Africa Chief Executive Officer, CEO, Mr Jay Ireland, said sponsorship of the Infrastructure and Energy category aligns with GE’s strategic objectives on the continent.

He said GE was pleased to be part of efforts to highlight Africa’s Energy and infrastructure challenges and the laudable efforts to address them.

According to Ireland, it is important to celebrate journalists on the continent whose respective articles and coverage help to highlight opportunities, challenges and solutions to Africa’s Energy and infrastructure deficit.

“As a global Energy and infrastructure leader, we feel a sense of duty to recognise the all-important role that journalists play in highlighting the issues that affect everyday life on the continent.

Energy and Infrastructure are pivotal for Africa’s growth and those who write about it must be celebrated,” said Ireland.

The Executive Vice President and Managing Director of CNN International, Mr. Tony Maddox, said, “Since the very beginning, these Awards have discovered and rewarded superlative African journalism across the continent.

With even more of Africa’s storytellers now able to share their work with us, we expect even more outstanding entries.

On his part, MultiChoice Africa CEO, Mr. Nico Meyer, said, “…We continue to be amazed and honoured by the phenomenal impact that this initiative has had on the continent. It certainly has been a game changer for the advancement of media development and quality journalism, showcasing topclass journalists who can compete heads and shoulders with their peers on the world stage. This year promises to once again highlight Africa’s best journalistic talent.”

The competition is open to African nationals based on the continent.

28 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014 — 29

30 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014

By Theodore Opara

Ford redefines B-Segment with Ecosport T

HE all-new Ford Ecosport which went on sale in Nigeria recently is one of the most powerful cars in the B-segment.

The compact sport utility vehicle combines the versatility of Sport Utility vehicle with small car fuel efficiency. It offers attractive smart features like no other in its segment.

At a recent test drive organised

by Ford for journalists from Nigeria and Angola, the all-new Ford Ecosport stunned everyone with its all round performance in terms of road handling, acceleration, comfort and off road prowess. Though not a 4x4, the Ecosport takes the road like a wounded lion, tearing away like a typical high end sport utility vehicles on the road.

This performance has not gone unrecognised as Ford motor could hardly meet up with the high demand for the Ecosport across the globe.

Stylish and dynamic SUVs The arrival of Ford EcoSport in Nigeria, bringing a stylish and dynamic small SUV to a new generation of customers. The urban sport utility vehicle combines the agility, affordability and fuel efficiency of a compact car with the versatility and spaciousness of SUV. Based on Ford’s global Bsegment platform, the EcoSport is a stylish choice with enough space for five adults. The SUV’s blend of practicality and smart connectivity will attract young, adventurous customers who not only live life to the fullest but also love exploring the world at large.

The EcoSport’s high driving position, rugged capability, impressive fuel economy, easy manoeuvrability, and convenient features make it the right vehicle for both city streets and adventurous pursuits. The wellrounded EcoSport is just as comfortable wading through flooded areas as it is entertaining the driver through hands-free phone calls and music selection.

Giving customers the power of choice, the EcoSport will be available with two engine options, and two transmission variants.

More choices for fuelefficient power The EcoSport will be available with the global 1.5l four-cylinder petrol engine, which delivers peak power of 82kW at 6,300 rpm and peak torque of 138 Nm at 4,400 rpm. It uses an average of C M Y K

6.5l/100km* on a combined cycle.

For customers who prefer diesel, the 1.5l TDCi intercooled and turbocharged diesel engine fits the bill perfectly.

Fuel efficiency is a standout feature with a combined cycle figure of just 4.6l/100km* ensuring the EcoSport is kind on the pocket. Customers can also choose between a five-speed manual transmission or Ford’s six-speed PowerShift transmission. The advanced sixspeed PowerShift transmission combines the efficiency, optimised gear ratios and responsive performance of a traditional manual transmission with the smoothness, convenience and ease-of-use of a conventional automatic. Low-friction dry clutches are employed, combined

with six well-spaced gears to provide responsive acceleration from rest, smooth transitions between gears and optimised fuel economy when cruising.

Quality that speaks to the senses: With its signature Ford face, dramatic rising beltline and a ready-to-pounce stance, the EcoSport conveys a dynamic spirit of energy in action. The spare tyre, with an exclusively designed wheel, is mounted on the tailgate as a classic SUV cue. Inside, softtouch fabrics and the global Ice Blue dashboard illumination all convey a feeling of superior quality and craftsmanship.

Controls and knobs are ergonomically placed while seats are designed to be soft enough for comfort and firm enough for longer journeys.

Meticulous efforts to reduce

noise, vibration and harshness ensure a quite cabin. Add to this, a very effective climate control system, and the customer will be very comfortable in the EcoSport.

Power-assisted steering The EcoSport’s compact subfour metre dimensions and the electric power-assisted steering with Pull-Drift Compensation help drivers tackle the stress of city driving, be it parking in small spaces, manoeuvring in heavy traffic, or making tight U-turns.

The EcoSport’s high ground clearance of 200 millimetres also means customers won’t have to worry about driving over speed bumps and potholes. And with its exceptional ability to wade

through 550 millimetres of water, drivers can confidently drive through large pools of water.

Clever capability: The EcoSport makes driving fun and intuitive with an array of smart features. The urban SUV offers Ford SYNC®, the voice-activated in-car connectivity system powered by Microsoft. The award-winning system allows drivers to keep their eyes on the road and hands on the wheel while choosing their favourite music and making phone calls using voice commands. The cabin also has 20 practical storage spaces, including a glove box that can keep up to six beverage cans cool. Its cargo space at the back is just as versatile. The rear seats can be easily folded down for additional cargo space.

Kunle Ade-Ojo becomes Toyota Nigeria youngest MD

T

OYOTA Nigeria Ltd, (TNL) has elevated its Executive Director, Mr. Kunle Ade Ojo to the position of Managing Director. This elevation makes Mr. Ade Ojo who is in his thirties ,the youngest Managing Director of Toyota Nigeria Limited. He took over from Mr. Chandrasheker Thampy who stepped aside as the managing director of the organisation in a recent management restructuring.

Kunle is forth managing director of Toyota Nigeria Limited and scion of the founder and Chairman of Toyota Nigeria Limited, having trained in the United Kingdom, and worked in the United States of America before joining Toyota Nigeria Ltd. A statement from Toyota announcing

the elevation of the new managing director reads: Mr. Chandrasheker K. Thampy of Toyota (Nigeria) limited (TNL) steps aside as the Managing Director of the organization in a recent management restructuring. He however remains a member of the board of directors.

Mr. C. K. Thampy ’s management experience spans over three decades in the automobile business, across India, Middle East and parts of Africa and was appointed Managing Director TNL in January 2007.

During his tenure, the Toyota brand and many Toyota Models won several outstanding awards at the Nigeria Auto Awards and Guild of Motoring Journalists among others. In 2013, he won a personal award as the Managing Director of the

Year at the Nigerian Auto awards. The award was based on his outstanding contributions to the growth of Toyota (Nigeria) Limited, making the company stand out within the industry as a fore runner and number one player.

He steps aside to take up the position of Advisor and Director within the Company/ Government Relations and to be in charge of the proposed Toyota Assembly in Nigeria.

His stepping aside took effect from May 1, 2014 while the erstwhile Executive Director, Mr. Kunle Ade-Ojo takes over as the new Managing Director.

M r. Ade-Ojo is a graduate of Mechanical Engineering from the University of Reading, United Kingdom and holds an M.Sc. in Automotive Product Engineering from Cranfield University ,United Kingdom.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014 — 31

By Theodore Opara

Stallion unveils more refined Nissan Pathfinder U

NLIKE the past three generation models and the nameplate’s 28year history, the new Pathfinder casts aside its truck-like off-road roots for a more sophisticated, comfortable, carbased and family-ready crossover SUV. Better explained, the Pathfinder has traded off its previous Navara-sourced ladder frame underpinnings in favour of a bitumen-bias unibody structure with an ultra-flexible seven-seat cabin that the Stallion NMN Managing Director, Parvir Singh describes as “Perfect match for families.”

Nissan says the new Pathfinder adapts to the needs of consumers by breaking away from its “proper offroader ” status to become urbanefriendly SUV with far more refined proposition yet offering a dramatically improved ride quality and fuel economy than its predecessor launched in 2004.

The previous Pathfinder was a rugged truck-like - adept off-roader with remarkably towing capabilities but Nissan has transformed these characteristics to an SUV third row much easier.

Targeting existing family with comfortable cabin, favourites such as Toyota Prado, improved fuel economy and Ford Explorer, Honda Pilot, aesthetically appealing looks.

That is why the new and Mazda CX – 9 amongst Pathfinder is built on a unibody others, the new Pathfinder structure shared with the adopts a 260-horsepower 3.5equally new Infiniti JX litre V6, matched to a variable crossover with a sliding continuously transmission (CVT). second-row seat that can tilt And justifiably lighter than its and fold forward even with a predecessor, weighing 500 child seat in place, making access to the adult-friendly pounds – one factor in fuel

K

EWALRAM Chanrai, renowned automobile marketing company in Nigeria has added the Chery automobile brand to its portfolio. The Chery brand which was presented to the Nigerian Motoring Press recently ranges from A-segment cars to saloons and compact sport utility vehicles.

According to the Executive Director of the company, Mr. Raju Sawlani, the idea behind the brand is to provide new cars that have all the comfort, luxury, safety and economy, of today’s modern day automobile and yet affordable. The company ’s slogan is; ‘Now, everyone in Nigeria can afford a Brand New Chery Car!’ The Executive Director, who presented the cars, said, “We have brought all new Models of Chery in Nigeria; QQ3, FULWIN, E5, and TIGGO. “The QQ3 is an A-Segment Car with rich colors, appealing look and fashionable configurations.

“The QQ3 of Chery is the first car in China to cater for fashion-conscious people. It is also the first car in China that has established its own automotive culture.”

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economy estimates of 20 mpg city / 26 mpg highway and 22 combined, the new Pathfinder crossover SUV is currently ranked one of the most fuelefficient vehicles in a class that includes the Ford Explorer and Toyota Highlander.

Though the Pathfinder has given up some towing capacity to its forbear, but it can still tow 5000 pounds – an appreciable weight for a midsize, seven-

passenger crossover whose primary duty, especially in Nigeria, won’t stray from pulling a mere cruise boat.

Body Styles, Trim Levels The 2014 Nissan Pathfinder R52 crossover SUV is available in four trim levels: S, SV, SL and Platinum but only the ‘S’ (base) and ‘SV’ are available in the local market, Stallion NMN, Nigeria authorized Nissan distributor affirmed.

Kewalram Chanrai flaunts all-new Chery models

He said, “By holding four QQ3 Culture Festivals and spreading the image of QQ3, Chery has set up a positive, optimistic, fashionable and individualistic brand image for QQ3 in the Chinese automotive industry,” he stated.

According to him, “Over a short period of just five years, QQ3 of Chery has owned a dozen or so product ranges and a huge customer base of near-

ly 500,000.

“It also has won more than 80 awards from nearly 100 media and boasts over 100 auto fan associations across the country, becoming one of the most influential automotive brands in the history of the Chinese automotive industry.”

The QQ – Comfort is a 1.1 Ltr, with automatic transmission; air conditioner, power steering, power windows, dual airbags,

central locking, remote keyless entry, power mirrors, body color bumpers, body anti-theft alarm, radio+MP3+USB+CD, front disc and rear drum brakes, ABS+EBD, alloy wheels, reverse sensor, roof rail, sun roof.

The FULWIN is a B-Segment Car and, as a sports-style family car model, Fuwin 2 is a compact family car with more fashionable appearance, outstand-

Standard equipment on the ‘S’ includes 18-inch alloy wheels, rear privacy glass, keyless entry, tri-zone automatic climate control, cruise control, a height adjustable driver seat, a 60/40split second-row seat (slides, reclines and folds); a tilt-andtelescopic steering and a sixspeaker sound system with sixCD changer.

ing safety and excellent performance specially designed for the aggressive consumers, he said. It is powered by a 1.5litre engine.

The E5 is a C-Segment Car. As the pioneering model in E series, A21FL-C is positioned as “Science city sedan” for comfortable easy driving life. To maximize handling and comfort, equipped power train 1.5L MT, front Macpherson and multi-link rear independent Suspension , and 4580mm length and 2600 mm wheel base offers enough comfortable space, in addition, intensive advance applications including electronic anti-theft system, Can-bus intelligent control system, multimedia infotainment, steering wheel sound Control system, all for easy driving and easy life.

TIGGO – Luxury is a 2.0 Ltr SUV with automatic transmission; air conditioner, power steering with audio control, power windows, leather seats, dual airbags, central locking, reverse sensor, remote keyless entry, power mirrors, body color bumpers, body anti-theft alarm, engine immobilizer, radio+MP3+ USB+CD, front ventilated disc and rear disc brakes, ABS+EBD, 16” alloy wheels, and roof rail.

32 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014

By Theodore Opara

Mercedes-Benz makes statement with Sprinter coach M

UCH has already been said about the MercedesBenz Sprinter, which has found its place in the Nigerian commercial sector- thanks to the authorised General Distributors of Mercedes-Benz in Nigeria, Weststar Associates Ltd. Having already made a name in the commercial vehicle bus/vans segment, the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter is always ahead of its class. Certain key words, put together, help describe this vehicle, and least of them is Innovation. To confirm the Sprinters innovative character, Weststar now introduces the all new Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Coach into the Nigerian Automobile industry.

Not only does the MercedesBenz Sprinter Coach embody the regular Sprinter’s riding comfort and loading convenience, it also has the impressive safety features that MercedesBenz is renowned for. Its profitability due to its lower total cost of ownership, cost effective/fuel saving capabilities, as well as versatility and suitability for demanding tasks, make it a bus that is second to none. Thanks to its vehicle properties and bod-

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ywork characteristics, the Sprinter is extraordinarily wellsuited for special attachments and conversions – including those of a highly specialised kind. There’s definitely no compromising with the quality, while the exterior and interior have a lot to offer in terms of design.

The Sprinter Coach is, no doubt, bigger, longer and more spacious with 6 double seats and 3 single ones. The extremely comfortable Mercedes-Benz seats are covered in Lima black fabric, enabling the MercedesBenz Sprinter to exude the luxury and class befitting of very important passengers.

Important passengers The vehicle is particularly suited for inter-state journeys or airport pick-ups and is fully installed with meal trays at the back of 11 seats. There’s also a storage box mounted on each of the rear doors. Besides having luggage compartments, there’s a partition behind the passenger compartment which includes 3 shelves for storage of luggage, a net between shelves and passen-

gers, and lashing straps on each shelf. Additional lights mounted over the wind screen help provide a bright ambiance in the vehicle while driving at night or in the dark. Entertainment is not left out, as the Sprinter Coach comes with an impressive multi-media system which includes: a DVD player, 3 IR ear pieces and a drop down 17 inch monitor. To further cater for the needs of the passengers, a roof rack and

removable ladder come standard with the Sprinter Coach.

The Sprinter, in general, is an all-round talent, designed to cope with the most diverse, even extreme operating conditionsand that is why it has bagged numerous international awards.

From its side-wall line which extends over the full length of the side and drops towards the front, to the typical dropping line of the

windows, the Sprinter makes for a dynamic appearance.

Additional conspicuous indicators in the exterior mirrors ensure clear signal. The body side mouldings with their large surfaces also catch the eye. They prevent paint damage and minor bodywork damage and can be replaced quickly and cost-effectively on account of their modular design.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014 — 33

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34 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014 — 35

36 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014

V anguard anguard,, TUESDAY, MAY 20 , 2014 — 37 theft of public funds; aren’t there?

The people themselves are severely stressed. The more welfare they expect, the less they get. The more they are told about peace and security, the more they are harassed both by the private armies of the powerful few; and hoodlums who are the products of inequities, deprivation, and urban denials.

To save Nigeria, let's talk •A memo to the National Conference

P

REFACE: I wrote To Save Nigeria Let’s Talk in 2002 when I had monitored our return to Civilian Rule every week in the Sunday Vanguard for three years. In 2005 when the Constitutional Reform Conference was held under the presidency of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, I produced 500 copies of the booklet for distribution to the delegates.

Many of our countrymen and women who had copies of the publication are also at the National Conference now meeting in Abuja. Having monitored our outing in civil rule continuously from 1999 to 2011, now available in three volumes – Democracy Watch, A Monitor’s Diary Vols 1 -3, I have no doubt in my mind that the future of Nigeria, and indeed the fulfillment of the mission spiritually ordained for it, will be determined by how we played our part, as creatures, in the cosmic ordering.

Cosmic ordering We are a country, like America, China, France, Brazil, Kenya.

We have a road map which is our Constitution, just as other countries have their road maps, written or unwritten. Our Constitution is the supreme law of the land, and is no more and no less a documentation of delegated powers. Sovereignty belongs to the people of Nigeria, not to some of them, but all 170 million of them.

The powers itemized for performance in the Constitution are what the people have given and are clearly stated in chapter 2 of the document, section 14, which we ignore because it is not justiceable when in fact it is the chapter that spells out in detail what duties the people want performed to access welfare and se-

PRINCE TONY MOMOH curity. In this short presentation, I make a case for the decongestion of the political space which will automatically lead to economic deregulation. I even provide a framework for achieving the changes constitutionally through the Council of State and the packaging of the changes which the National Assembly will

pass into law without debate and the state assemblies will endorse.

I have sought in vain for information on a country, apart from Nigeria, where democracy preceded development. A country that wants to grow takes that quantum of freedom that will drive development and growth.

In a crude way of saying the same thing, the performance of duties in the polity determines the enjoyment of rights. Where you spend more than 20 per cent of your earnings on administering a polity, you must sit down and think. Where less than 17,500 public officers pocket more than 75 per cent of a country’s earnings, then it is time to talk. Yes, we have talked and talked, but have been consistently ignoring the outcome of the deliberations.

Can the National Dialogue make the difference?

Introduction: There is not one Nigerian today who is not worried at the amount of money we spend on the political arm of government, that is the Legislature and the Executive. Once upon a time, we had a unitary government. Later, we had three regions, then four. With the arrival of the military, we had 12 states, then 19, 21, 30, and the present 36 that constitute the federating units of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Presidential system Once upon a time, we were ruled from Britain. At independence we chose their form of government in which there is an elected parliament where the chief executive is the Prime Minister. He is a member of Parliament and is there to answer all questions from everyone and on everything. Later we chose the Presidential system, as practised in the United States of America.

In this arrangement, those who make law are separate and different from those who execute law. In choosing this path, we pushed for three levels of government in which we had a chief executive at the Federal level in an elected President; at the State level in an elected governor; and at the Local Government level in an elected local government chairman. But there is not one Nigerian today who has not complained of the expenses involved in sustaining this political arm of government.

Something has to be done. And those who say we must remain where we are, are unfair to history, and must be ignorant of the fact that the only permanent thing in the life of man and of institutions is CHANGE. So, no arrangement is permanent, and can be permanent. Where there

Map of Nigeria

are problems, the stakeholders of the system meet and discuss.

They may argue and quarrel and hit their fists on the table; but no one goes beyond the armoury of democracy, which is the dictionary where all words used can be found. It is when the weapon of argument is short-changed and abused and undermined that other ways to right wrongs are thought of, and wrought on the system.

Before the Americans chose the road they took in late 18th century, they argued and discussed and voted. The document they produced has been amended a couple of times because of exigencies and experiences of life and living.

Simple solutions We in Nigeria are overcrowding the Democracy High-way we are walking. And the way is developing bumps and manholes and craters, and these problems are yelling for attention. So, we just have to talk. We must talk.

Call the forum a Sovereign National Conference, a National Conference, a Meeting of Nationalities of the Federal call it.

But we must meet and talk. All of us stakeholders in the Nigeria Enterprise. This little presentation is my naïve appreciation of the problem, and I have simple solutions which I know can work magic. My suggestion is that we restructure Nigeria so that we can have a truly federal arrangement where the federating units are viable and cost effective. The restructure proposed here is a rearrangement of existing constituent parts as follows: Present proposed: Three-tier arrangement Three-tier arrangement •Federal Government ,Federal Government, •State Government, Regional Government, •Local Government, State Government The Local Government system as today reflected in the present three-tier arrangement should be an affair of the Regional Government which will ensure its existence, structure and funding. You may not agree with me, but I have presented herein the problem

PRESENT Three-tier arrangement •Federal Government •State Government •Local Government

and proffered solutions. Please read what I have put down, and give your own answers to the problem. Table them and discuss them with your family, your club members, your schoolmates. Take them to the church and your mosque, to your cultural meetings.

Table them at your political party meetings. Be part of seminars, workshops and outings where these problems that defy development and growth are discussed. At the end of the day, you would have discovered what you believe we need to get going fruitfully. Bring this to the Conference that must hold sooner than later, the sooner the better.

I plead from my heart that we save Nigeria by looking its problems in the face, dispassionately, and solving them so that we can say that though tribe and tongue may differ in the Nigerian arrangement, in brotherhood we can stand. For, the sacrifices we accommodate today will make the difference between joy and sorrow, for our children, and their children. Let us sow joy for posterity and our offspring shall

,

BY TONY MOMOH

Deprivation and urban denials Our law-enforcement agencies are few, ill-equipped and inadequately motivated. The society itself has not been trained to ask questions from those who make it by simple procedure of joining the political class; understandably, because government is a stranger to the people, and is a place where taking what is not yours is an achievement to be celebrated, and for which national honour can be conferred.

The laws that protect the public coffers are strict, but they are kept more in the breach than the observance. The provisions on corruption were prohibitive enough to discourage infringing them before the present anti-corruption and related crimes law was passed. But everyone laughs at the latest provisions, as they did the ones preceding them, and this will continue until the causes of stress are identified, addressed and removed.

•Unstressing the nation: We are a federation and we must operate as a Federation. The 36 states are too weak to constitute the federating units. We need another buffer between the states and the federal, and that is the present zones that have naturally emerged. They are six, and should constitute the federating units.

•The powers at the Centre are too many. The power of the National Assembly as the de facto

My suggestion is that we restructure Nigeria so that we can have a truly federal arrangement where the federating units are viable and cost effective

never reap sorrow.

Part two: A severely stressed country & a severely stressed people: The country is severely stressed because the structures to make it function are faulty.

There is too much government.

Government is a national bakery where those who work in it must share the bread they refuse to help bake. The idea of protection of what belongs to all of us has not been effectively infused into us who serve in government. But are we, who are in the public service of the governments of the Federation, not the same people who belong in religious and cultural groups? Nobody in charge of funds of a church or the cultural union of his community would touch the money without a sense of betrayal. But in government, there are massive collusive programmes of deliberate

PROPOSED Three-tier arrangement Federal Government Regional Government State Government

,

law-maker for everything both on the exclusive and concurrent lists is not healthy for the Federation.

Government is too involved in businesses, and this promotes corruption. Why would any government be the effective monopoly in the major areas of the economy? Section 16 of the 1999 Constitution even entrenches the preponderant place of government running the economy of the nation.

There is no doubt that when government is decongested, the economy will automatically be deregulated. Political deregulation must precede economic deregulation.•The people must be brought together as a nation, and this can better be done through integrative programmes. This area is addressed in a little book, Thoughts on Governance Without Tears, which I wrote in 2000.

But the political problems will focus this presentation. We should use what we have to get what we want. All the raw materials are there to make Nigeria grow into a world power if only Continues on page 38

38—V anguard 38—Vanguard anguard,, TUESDAY, MAY 20 , 2014

To save Nigeria, let's talk Continues from page 37

we are willing to use them to the benefit of the people. The key is in political deregulation through restructuring, and the acceptance of informal and cost effective governance through active use of the traditional institutions.

Part three: Where we are, where we can be •The present arrangement: There is one Central Government that is headed by an elected President who has a constitutional responsibility of appointing at least a minister from each state of the Federation. At present, there are about 50 ministers. There is also a large army of presidential advisers and assistants who themselves have personal assistants.

There are hundreds of parastatals which have hundreds of party men who are board members and constitute a heavy charge on the mean resources of the parastatals.

•There is an elected National Assembly made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Members of the National Assembly have a large army of personal staff paid for by the Government. They also are entitled to funds for opening and running constituency offices.

•The National Assembly has power to make laws in 93 areas (Exclusive List and Concurrent List), and this means that the President has 93 areas of preponderant law-execution. There is no federal arrangement anywhere in the world that is this top heavy to the detriment of the federating units.

Federating units There are 36 State Governments headed by Governors who are independent of the Centre and cannot be effectively checked

by State Houses of Assembly. It would seem that the only time they appear at the State Assemblies is when they go there to have any input from the State Assembly. Experience since 1999 has shown that they can be laws unto themselves if they so decide.

There are 774 Local Government Councils with executive chairmen who are also laws unto themselves.They appoint nonelected councilors to their ‘cabinets’. The councilors are a direct charge on the Federation Account and this charge includes drawing money for a house staff of five! This means that the emoluments of an elected councilor who has the equivalent of a school certificate and is just out of school, are higher than those of a professor in the university or a judge of the High Court of a State. Yet both entitlements come from the Federation Account!

Looking back to May 29, 1999

when we started this walk on the Democracy Highway, it is obvious that the cost of sustaining the different political arms of each of the tiers is becoming unbearable.

The President has said so, and so has the President of the Senate. Our expenditure profile shows that we spend about 92 per cent of our resources on recurrent expenditure. This means that we have very little left for funding development. It is, therefore, a question of time before we would be borrowing to sustain the system of government we have opted for. There is no doubt therefore that the present arrangement is not healthy for us.

It cannot work in any federation. Every stakeholder in Nigeria sustains a system of government that assures the best for the citizenry. We cannot eat the future in the present by imposing structures we are unable to sustain. The way out of this problem is restructuring the political arrangement to make it more manageable and less demanding on our resources. You may have your own approach to this re-arrangement of our political structures or, indeed, what you believe can replace them. A debate just has to begin and hereunder is my proposal.

Part four: My proposal: We should retain a threetier arrangement – The Central Government, the Regional Government and the State Government.

The present local government structure should be an affair of the Regional Government, and be funded by it. •The Central Government will continue to be headed by an elected President so that we may all continue to have a sense of ownership of the head of the Nigerian state. If we revert to the Westminster model, then the prime minister will be elected from his constituency and the problem of religious politics will automatically disappear.

•The law-making body should be the present Senate of 109 members. There should be a nominated Upper House of Elders, one from each state of the Federation and Abuja.

The number will thus be 37. This would be like the arrangement in the First Republic Senate.

The powers of the centre should be reduced and only those

The National Conference leadership at inauguration

powers that would mould the federating units should be retained exclusively by the centre, like defence, external affairs, citizenship and currency. Let us be advised by the experience of the United States of America over the years.

There should be six regional governments on the lines that have emerged as Zones – North-West, North-East, North-Central, South-West, South-East and South-South. These and not the 36 States should be the federating units.

The law-making bodies in the Regions should be those elected from the present House of Representatives constituencies. Each Regional Government should be headed by a Governor. He may be elected by the Region or appointed by the party that forms the majority in the Regional House. Many of the powers moved from the Centre will anchor in the Regional and State Governments.

There will be 36 State Houses of Assembly as at present. They ought to be less. But the only reason they will be retained is that no state would like to lose its autonomy. It is a fact we have to live with. The position of executive governor is unnecessary and untenable and should be cancelled. We should restore the parliamentary system at the state level. The present office of Governor should be re-designated Premier as we had in the First Republic.

He will contest elections to the House like any other member of the House, and can be appointed by his party if it wins the majority of seats in the House. 10) All members of the State Executive Council would come from the House of Assembly. If what the Governor does now can be better done in the House, the expense of electing him to straddle the state treasury and do what he likes with it, as has happened

to many state governments since May 29, 1999, can be saved and channeled to development of the state. There are at present 774 local government councils with elected council chairmen and councilors who are “working” fulltime.

This level of government is the greatest fraud that has been visited on our democratic outing since May, 1999, and has been responsible for the lack of growth in the local government area. We should have elected councilors who will elect one of themselves as chairman. Each councilor should earn a N10,000 sitting allowance, with such sittings not being more than once a month.

The chairman should earn N20,000 per sitting. The day-today running of the council should be the responsibility of the Secretary who would be appointed by the Local Government Service Commission.

To be concluded

Vanguard, TUESD AY, MA Y 20, 2014 — 39 TUESDA MAY YOUR LUCK TODAY

LEISURE

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139

TAURUS; This is not the right time to rely on promises made by others. Continue to take matters-of-theheart seriously. Reason with your reliable associates.

GEMINI; Tension within the domestic scene will start to ease off. Yet you will need to watch what you do within your base till after 10.15pm tonight.

CANCER; Both yourself and other important personalities to you are beginning to see things from same point of view making it easy for you to eliminate unnecessary rift LEO; Venus moves into a positive angle to your Star and encourages peaceful settlement. Exhibition of maturity on your part will favour you better.

VIRGO; Gradually you are dropping aggressive approach you have adopted in the last few days to the betterment of your cause. Remain practical till after 10.15pm

By Richard Eromosele

B

Y nature every human being wants to avoid a problem. It is also natural for humans to bemoan any p r o b l e m whenever they

Solve A Probem face any. Yet, everyone of us wants progress.

How can we progress when we try everything possible to avoid

TERROR MUDA

problem?

E v e r y destination has its own route and road. The road to the top is solving problems -

in “Never say goodbye”

solving your own problem and solving other p e o p l e s ’ p r o b l e m s i n c l u d i n g organisational problems.

Thinks about it!

By Lanre Kehinde

LIBRA; Better than yesterday; however that is not to say you should throw caution to the wind. Improvement on your love life indicated. Try to comport yourself.

SCORPIO; After a few days of fun you may need to settle down to serious business. Those of you working till very late evening will need to be more careful till after 10.15pm. Reason with your tried and trusted old hands(friends) SAGITTARIUS; Venus moves into a positive angle and boost your sparkling personality to the betterment of your cause. Could be a nice day for the-youngat-heart CAPRICORN; It is important you don’t allow your mind to wander unnecessarily so that minor but costly mistakes would be averted. Avoid late evening confusion.

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in

“Pretty Lunatic’

By Andy Akman

AQUARIUS; Recent tension generated by controversy over money will start to ease off. Be more vigilant if you are working late in the evening.

PISCES;. Other people will continue to have their says and if you try to indoctrinate them tensed atmosphere will be aggravated. Be patient ARIES; Entrance of romantic Venus into your Star Sign will enhance your prospects. Both financial and love related success are possible.

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,

What’s my financial standing?

VIRGINIA

dadadekola@yahoo.com

Dear Joshua, I want to know about my future, especially what I should expect from my love life both in the immediate and far future. However that is not to say I am not interested in good financial standing.

Idriss, Jos.

Dear Idriss, The challenge here is inability to hold on to your gains (profits) partially, by the contact made between your natal Saturn and Venus as stated under your career and some other times by your love of easy life. Although the Saturn influence can be mitigated as I said under your career, the love of luxury comes from your stallion Taurus which must not be totally discouraged but should not be allowed to go beyond your control. Yes envy and jealousy can creep in as indicated by the oppositions between your natal Venus/Saturn in Taurus and Jupiter in Scorpio, but that is not enough excuse for either failure or manipulation of occult powers against you. Whatever anybody says and/or does GREAT FINANCIAL SUCCESS is your portion.

The most influential planet during your birth hour is Venus-the planet of MONEY and LOVE. You are the romantic type whose magnetic personality and open handedness are sources of big trap to his members of opposite sex. As handsome as you are you truly crave stability in your love life/home. The happiness you desired will be yours.

HOME & ABROAD

By Lawrence Akapa

40 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014

BOKO HARAM: Nyako, Shettima, Ibrahim must step down — Nyiam COL. Tony Nyiam (rtd.) one of the leaders of the abortive April 1990 military coup is presently a delegate to the ongoing National Conference in Abuja.

A member of the National Security Committee, he spoke to Vanguard following insinuations that the committee was opposed to the extension of emergency rule in the three troubled states of the Northeast. He also spoke on other issues. Excerpts:

T

BY JOSEPH ERUNKE

HE committee chairman, Alhaji Gambo Jimeta projected his personal opinion against the extension as that of the Committee on National Security Alhaji Gambo Jimeta is a very experienced national security man, one of the first NSAs. I must thank him and give him credit for the way he managed our committee which is a very tough committee, given that people came there with very strong mindset which was not easy for him and his deputy to handle. I think somebody must have mistaken his own personal opinion as the committee’s. The committee at no point discussed anything that has to do with the Presidency and the ongoing state of emergency.

But some members of the committee were right there with

had in the West in those days. So you can’t be half hearted in a state of emergency, you either have it or you don’t have it. Because what we have now is that the Federal Government agencies are doing their best and their task is being made difficult by state officials.

But the constitution does not give the president the right to dissolve democratic structures in places under state of emergency?

There is nothing unconstitutional here, the prime objective of the state of emergency is to restore law and order to the society and provide security to lives and property where that is being undermined by any agency or anybody. They should be kept away from doing that. So it is not unconstitutional.

In other words, what I am saying is that it is not unconstitutional.

,

,

We require the type of state of emergency we had in Ekiti, Plateau states and the type we had in the West in those days

him when he was speaking to the media, why didn’t they kick against what he was saying?

I was there and so I wouldn’t know whether the people were members of his committee or guests who came to see him. But I know that if you were to put it to vote, I would say over 65 percent of the members would support the extension of the state of emergency. Why? Because most of them being experts and experienced military men know that they know the law and that you need enabling laws to be able to fight insurgency properly. And what the state of emergency does is that it enables the national security officers and the armed forces to be able to perform. So anybody calling for its truncation is indirectly calling for weakening the military resolve.

What exactly do you mean by your call for full implementation of emergency rule?

All I can answer is that the Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF has accused the president of being half hearted. They even went as far as saying that he was feeble. I am saying that they could not have blamed the president because the state of emergency the president declared was partial state of emergency.

We require the type of state of emergency we had in Ekiti, Plateau states and the type we

Chief Obasanjo did it during his presidency and that was not unconstitutional.

Compare the Nigerian military of today with that when you were there, would you say that the capacity of the military has eroded since leaving service?

You see, a lot of older officers are quick to claim that their era was better but let me be honest with you, that the military today is better trained than in our time.

The military needs to be better equipped and their welfare catered for considering what it suffered from. As we speak, people who retired from the military, till now, they are being owed over two years of pension arrears. Also, there is a situation where some military officers who left, for instance generals are getting less than what a lieutenant is getting in pension, in other words, a general who was retired some years ago will be earning less than what a lieutenant who retires now will get. I think there is need for that harmonization.

Military pension And all these things are discouraging for those who sacrifice their lives. In other climes, the military pension and legionnaires are really catered for and we have suggested it in our committee strongly that there must be harmonization of military pensions. Secondly, we recommended that the military should be well equipped and their welfare be catered for, the same thing with the police which is underfunded.

You are making case for the police but agitation for state police did not sail through at the committee level….(Cuts in) No, I am an advocate of state police because I strongly believe that you cannot have federalism without state police. In fact, in all modern communities, the police in those areas are owned by the

•Nyiam communities, it is the basic principle of policing. Once the police is not domesticated, it is much more an army of occupation and that is why you hear some people refer to our police as an army of occupation.

So we really need to go back to the basis of policing by ensuring that there is local participation.

We in the Community on National Security went through this and many people were against it, they had fears about what it could be turned into by certain privileged people in the society but in as much as I still stand for state policing, we came to a compromise that we will have a federal police but decentralized in its operational command and in its administrative management.

What do I mean? We suggested that the president decentralize the police and he should set up a committee that will come up with the structure of how this new structure will be. But some of us, thinking ahead, what we are saying is that there should be equivalent state and local police

councils just as it is now with the federal police.

For example, this is my opinion, that the DSP down the ladder in the Nigerian police in any state should be an indigene from those states and we also agreed that in the appointment of a commissioner of police in the state should be done in consultation with the governor.

Do you believe the demand for prisoner swap by the Boko Haram insurgents holding over 200 girls abducted from Chibok, in Borno State is to the best interest of Nigeria?

I will leave that for the government to handle. All I would add is that what is imperative is that the girls must be saved alive. Whatever it takes to achieve that, it is our prayer for the government to do. I am not in a position and I don’t have the facts to be able to answer that.

What I can pray for is that I should be seen to be helping the government to do whatever they can do and I give them that authority to do whatever they can do to save the girls.

a Muslim party is therefore not an accident but a well-laid design.

In view of that, for the APC to fall into the PDP-erected ditch will be unfortunate. What is however most irritating about the idea is the name of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu which is being associated with the Vice Presidential slot either with Buhari or Atiku.

It is better to believe that it is the enemies of Tinubu that are using that gimmick not only to blackmail him but to reduce his glowing political profile not only in the country as a whole but in the Yoruba nation in particular. Given the strides

which Tinubu has attained in the national project, it is unimaginable for him to think of second fiddle to anybody in contemporary Nigeria.

It is only reasonable and wise of Tinubu to feel more at home as Yoruba leader than as Vice President to anybody in Nigeria. It will be an insult to the memory of the great sage, Papa Awolowo as the indispensable Yoruba Leader of all times.

That the status of Yoruba leader is almost equivalent to that of President or Head of State can be proved by the fact that Awolowo was not President Continues on page 41

On the APC ticket

BY LAWRENCE KAYODE

T

HE on-going debate on the so-called Muslim/Muslim ticket for the APC in the coming Presidential election is not only diversionary but reckless. For anybody to contemplate that idea whether from within or from outside the APC is like trying to destroy the foundation of the house even before the construction is completed.

Some people had in a very misleading and erroneous circumstance cited the case of Abiola/Kingibe experiment to justify the present proposition, but such people miss the point.

At that time, religion was not a serious issue in Nigeria’s political equation. Secondly, it was at the desperate situation in which Nigerians wanted to ease out the military out of the polity. They were therefore ready to make any sacrifice in that direction.

Unfortunately, the drowning situation in which the present political ruling class of the country has reached is a situation in which it is ready to hang itself to anything in order to save it from irredeemable drowning, even if inevitable.

One hanger on which it rests itself now is religion. The current branding of the APC as

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014—41

Lagos 2015: Our plans and prospects — Ajomale ON April 29th, 2014, the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, elected a 35 member state executive committee with the erstwhile interim state chairman, Chief Henry Ajomale returning as the substantive chairman of the party in the state. A week later, Ajomale in an interview with Vanguard spoke on his plans and prospects, the zoning of the governorship to Lagos East Senatorial District and other sundry issues. Excerpts:

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

I

T is believed that you and your executive were selected and not elected?

The present EXCO to me is very solid at this time, this is because we have 14 women among the executive members of the APC in Lagos state. This is the first time we are having such high number. In the last EXCO, we had four women and that means that the party is shifting its strategy towards women and youths. First, women are the largest number of voters and this is followed by the youths. It showed clearly that without this

bad omen for this country. Then, they did not have a sense of belonging, but today we are bringing them in to be part of that revolution we are planning. The revolution is to ensure that the country becomes a better place for us all, if one is indifferent and sit akimbo looking at those who are doing it, you cannot achieve anything by that.

Allegation on hand picking of the new EXCO That isn’t true, this is because a lot of things have gone underground that someone who isn’t a member may not be privy to. APC is a disciplined party.

I had three people jostling with

,

My plan is to ensure that we win Lagos in the next election, to ensure that we have 6 million registered voters and to ensure that 45 percent of them cast their votes on the day of election

set of people, there will be problem.

Aside that, we have programmes for the physically challenged, something that has not been done by any other political party in the country. We consider them as human and whatever they do, they must contribute to the development of the country.

What is your plan?

My plan is to ensure that we win Lagos in the next election, to ensure that we have 6 million registered voters and to ensure that 45 percent of them cast their votes on the day of election. We must galvanize them, we must bring them out through sensitization to ensure they cast their votes on the day of election.

The last time, we had an average of 1.5 million out of 6 million voters, so where are the rest? This is because they weren’t convinced that they need to come out to exercise their rights to change what they consider as

,

me for the post but they withdrew before the date. But if they weren’t satisfied, they would have come out and we would have battled it out. That was what happened in Ondo and Ogun States, when they didn’t agree among themselves, they went to the polls. That is what the party constitution says.

Zoning of governorship to East Senatorial District Yes, it is obvious. Let us be human, you have three senatorial districts in Lagos and when Asiwaju finished his administration, it went to the central, so the obvious thing is that if we don’t want these people to be isolated, it is obvious that it should be their turn if one has to be fair.

In democracy, one must be fair, they have been voting since the last 16 years, it is obvious that it is their turn, certainly, if we don’t get anyone from there, who is capable to take that leadership, it can still be taken away from

•Ajomale

them to a place where we can find someone who can do the job.

Ours is to look for the best, and one who can do less than what Fashola has achieved today cannot be the governor of Lagos state.

The person must be able to perform better, and that is the promise we made to Lagosians that Lagos will continue to be developed to the extent that it can rival any countries in the next 10 years. So that when they come to Lagos, they will see the wonder of what has never been achieved before, we will continue to lead the way and allow other states to take a leaf from us.

On religious consideration for right candidate We are not considering religion aspect. Honestly, can we put someone who cannot work

On the APC ticket Continues from page 40 when he was conferred with the national honour of GCFR that is usually bestowed on the President.

The late Papa Abraham Adesanya was not Vice President before the Yoruba in unison deferred to him as their Leader. Before Adesanya, nobody could have imagined an MKO Abiola as Vice President to anybody. Yet,

Yoruba did not only defer to him but also respected him to the point laying down their lives in his defence.

The other way of looking at the Tinubu scenario is that the shoes of Yoruba leader is too big for him. Whether he himself is enjoying the debate, one may not know. But what is certain is that the whole plot could have been manufactured and ignited by the political

detractors of the potential YORUBA LEADER. For the APC to think of whether a Muslim/Muslim or a Christian/ Christian ticket will amount to helping polarize the country along political lines will be very disastrous for a progressive party like the APC. The real content of progressivism is the ability to work within the political exigency and reality of the

because of religious sentiments and lose the election? We are looking for the best and only the best is good for the state.

When we chose Asiwaju and Fashola, we didn’t consider religion, it was based on intellect.

We are going ahead with that, the flag bearer for the party may belong to any religion but what we are concerned about is getting the best from the East senatorial district, and if we don’t find, we go to another place.

What about gender Yes, are they (women) not human beings? In Lagos, we always lead the way and sentiment apart we can have a female president in the future. To me, religion is not my priority I am not in the best position to criticize any religion. I am satisfied in as much as we are at

socio political components in religion, ethnicity and geography. Awolowo made the mistake in 1979 when he picked a fellow southerner as his running-mate.

The rest of that political indiscretion on the mortal sage is now history. The APC must not fall into the same trap because it is the hope of all progressive minds in the country.

*Lawrence Kayode wrote in from Ibadan.

same wave- length when we are discussing on the way forward for the state. Residents of Lagos will not accept anything less. For me it isn’t an issue of religion, if it is a Muslim that can do it, I don’t care, the important thing is for us to choose the person first.

We need to get the best man from that side.

The procedure We will go for primaries and anyone that emerges will go. This applies to the East, for instance if the leadership in the senatorial district agreed on one person and someone says no, the person has the right to contest.

Will you be applying Ondo State formula here in Lagos The same thing is possible here. I cannot say it is not possible. If we get the best person for the job from Ikorodu or IbejuLekki, so be it. To us it isn’t the issue of where the man comes from but what can he deliver? It isn’t about religion. If because we want to field a Muslim and we introduce to the residents of Lagos a man who cannot perform, the residents of Lagos will not accept that from us.

PDF’s prediction on APC falling apart When we started the negotiation last year, I was part of the merger committee, they prophesized that we wouldn’t last three months, they said that the name will break us into pieces.

We agreed on the name and there was no problem.

Source of disintegration Later they said that the new party constitution and the flag will be source of our disintegration, during that period, they said that things were going on as God has wanted it. They begin to move against us again.

They said that the position will destroy the party, we went into the position process, and nothing happened. And someone mischievously went to INEC to register the name of the party, they did everything possible but they couldn’t hold us back. So if they are saying that, why do we believe them? We continued to wax stronger.

During the registration of the party members, our critics made several allegations against us, we did the registration even without the presence of INEC, this was better than what INEC would have done for the party, there was no problem. We went from there to ward congresses, there wasn’t any problem; except little hitches.

Our critics have been saying that before now. I believe someone has to justify the huge fund they are collecting from the Federal Capital Territory, FCT Abuja.

42— Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014

By OLASUNKANMI AKONI

A

LMOST all the houses at the Adeniji Adele Housing Estate, Lagos Island, have been rendered defective by swampy terrain Many houses in the estate, built on a reclaimed land more than two decades ago, are noticeably in very bad conditions with many of the ground floors already submerged while the walls of most of the buildings have cracked and showing signs of serious structural defect.

Many houses in the estate, particularly phases 1 to 4, fall into the distressed category of buildings.

Recurring incidence of collapsed buildings on Lagos Island have been attributed to the fact that most of the houses were built 30 to 40 years ago on swamps, white sand or lands reclaimed from the sea without proper foundation to achieve structural stability, as evidenced from houses which collapsed in

The failure, decay of Dolphin Estate

recent times.

Compensation move The Lagos State Government, through the State’s Urban Renewal Authority, LASURA, at the weekend handed out allocation letters and relocation allowances to residents of Phase I Extension of Dolphin Estate, Adeniji Adele redevelopment project consisting of the estate’s Phases I-IV. The presentation took place at Phase IV Town Hall, Adeniji Adele, Lagos. It must be stated that Phase I Extension became unhabitable and an eye sore to the allottees and the

general public. “It has also become a death trap because buildings are sinking and tilted,” according to TpI. B. Kehinde the General Manager, LASURA.

H

e said that the Phase I Extension is the pilot scheme of the total redevelopment of the entire estate, which is to be rebuilt in phases. Each of the 5 blocks contains 6’flats totalling 30 households to be affected in the pilot scheme. According to a source, an estimated N17.5 million was expended.

A total number of 30 flat owners received relocation allowances, allocation letters and keys to occupy LASURA’s

Transit Camp (block of flats) at Amuwo- Odofin and Iba Housing estates in Lagos while some flat owners accepted relocation allowance and three years’ rent.

He stated further that a study was conducted by LASURA to revalidate the earlier data collected in 2009, the study revealed that the Phase I Extension consisting five blocks had the highest degree of vulnerability, hence the cellular regeneration method.

A breakdown of the resettlement indicates that 18 flat owners opted for accommodation at LASURA Transit Camp (block of flats) while the remaining 12

requested for private accommodation of their choice at prevailing rent rate.

One of the beneficiaries, Chief Florentino Sanya, Chairman Dolphin Estate Housing Association, Phase IIV, said the gesture would go a long way in assuaging possible discomfort of relocating to another area, saying,“it is a right decision.”

He however, urged government to live up to their promise of giving them back their allocation after redevelopment of the estate.

“We will really appreciate it if government fulfills its promise of giving us back our allocation upon completion of the redevelopment project.”

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014

— 43

Makoko: A slum that refuses to dissolve

By DOTUN IBIWOYE

M

AKOKO is one of the slums that will register in anyone’s mind in Lagos.

It is located on Lagos lagoon and a stone throw from modern buildings that adore the landscape.

In this extensive slum on the waterfront, adjacent to the 12.5 kilometre long Third Mainland Bridge, tens of thousands of people live in rickety wood houses supported by wooden stilts driven deep into the waterbed.

There are no official census records, but estimates suggest that about 100,000 people live there and the World Bank estimates that the population on land is just over 85,000.

On July 12, 2012, the state government gave residents 72 hours to vacate the area. Two days later, a large contingent of mobile policemen and staff of the Ministry of Waterfront Infrastructure Development arrived Makoko and started demolishing the wooden on water. It was however made clear that the houses for demolition were those built

within 100 meters from the sea and those under hightension wire.

Nearly two years after the demolition, there is still encroachment towards the high tension cable and more buildings are being erected.

The move to relocate people

from Makoko dates back to the Yakubu Gowon era in the 1970s.There are other reasons, apart from the excuse given by the Lagos State Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Resources in its letter for the take over of the waterways. It is argued that

no nation allows its waterways to be encroached upon by the people.

The real reason for the government’s move is a subject of controversy. One is that as usual, the government wants to displace the inhabitants, sand-fill the area

and sell it to the rich.

Those who share this view alleged that some parts of Ilubinrin in Ikoyi were reclaimed and sold to the rich after the squatters were evicted.

However, the Lagos State Government has insisted that Makoko is both a health and an environmental hazard as well as being out of line with its development plans.

The residents are said to be in danger because of electricity cables that run along the shanties which constitute serious threats during high tide, thunderstorms and heavy rainfall.

Also the environment is seen to be degrading; due to waste being dumped into the lagoon and the haphazardness of the settlement.

Lagos State Government also believes that Makoko is an ‘impediment to the economic and gainful utilisation of the waterfront and it undermines the “megacity status” that Lagos is trying to achieve’.

LASU STUDENTS’ BURSARY: Govt’s failed promises

By MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO

W

ALKING to the Lagos State University, LASU Motor Park, where he was to board the school shuttle, Mr. Olaosebikan Abdulfatai gazed at the commercial bank where he had previously received his bursary and couldn’t understand why the state government was yet to fulfill its promise to him.

The promise made by the state governor, Babatunde Fashola was that the government will assist indigent students of Lagos State origin in the tertiary institutions through payment of bursary award to subsidize their tuition fees.

Olaosebikan, a 400 level student of Banking and Finance, was nursing the hope that after the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, over four months old strike, the state government would conclude necessary arrangement to pay them the two years bursary arrears.

His hopes were however dashed weeks after their resumption, with no fixed date for the payment and his creditor wasn’t making life easy either.

Olaosebikan wasn’t the only one waiting for the funds. Miss. Mariam Akanbi, a graduate of Lagos State University, LASU lamented that the state government was yet to fix a date for the payment of the bursary.

Akanbi, a graduate of English Language, said, “I wished the state government had paid the fund before our graduation.”

Explaining the effect of the unpaid bursary award, Miss. Aminat Owolabi, another graduate of Lagos State University College of Medicine, LASUCOM, said: “I had hoped that the money will be paid on time to offset my debt. But till date, the state government was yet to announce any concrete date for the payment.”

The plight of these undergraduates and graduates are few of the several pathetic stories

Lagos State University, LASU, gate

of indigenes of the state in tertiary institutions within and outside the state who were yet to receive their bursary.

Speaking to Vanguard, President of NULASS, Mr. Mademeku Abayomi lamented: “It is a known fact that bursary and scholarship are the only means for students to feel the impact of the government. But the case is different in Lagos today. Students are now being owed outstanding bursary and scholarship for over two years.”

Abayomi stated that 285, 000 students of Lagos origin in the state and outside can no longer rely on bursary or scholarship to pay their tuition fees.

He opined that despite their plea, the state government is yet to explain the delay in the payment of their bursary, adding “yearly, we are asked to buy N1, 000 scratch cards to fill our

bursary form online. Even with this, the government is not forthcoming with the payment.”

Govt react In an interview with Vanguard, Special Adviser to the Governor, Otunba Fatai Olukoga, said: “Recently, we went through the records and we discovered that certain number of students has not been paid their bursary. We have checked how much is needed to be paid and we have worked on that.

And let me inform the students that we have received approval to disburse over N498.3 million to 13,737 students as bursary. Also, over N189.674 million has been approved as scholarship for 2,519 students of Lagos origin.”

44—Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014

Explosion didn't affect our operations —NNPC zAs MEND claims responsibility

NON-OIL SECTOR:

Nigeria tasked on border control, regime trade

BY EMMA AMAIZE & JIMITOTA ONOYUME

P

ORT HARCOURT— NIGERIAN National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, has said the attack on its facility in the creeks, close to its jetty in Okrika, headquarters of Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State, did not affect operations at the refinery.

Meanwhile, Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta, MEND, has claimed responsibility for the attack, saying that its target was the refinery.

Spokesman of the group, Jomo Gbomo in a statement, said the attack was intended to destroy the refinery, adding that it was the group's way of expressing its anger with the ongoing amnesty programme for exmilitants in the region, which it described as a fraud.

NNPC's Executive Director, Services, Mr. Ralph Ugwu, who

T

HE Executive Director/Chief Executive of Nigeria Export Promotion Council, NEPC, Mr. Segun Awolowo, has said that for Nigeria to capture its share of the non-oil export in Africa, the country needs a very strong Customs Service, border control, and regime trade facilitation.

Awolowo spoke at a one-day capacity building workshop on Strategies for Penetrating ECOWAS Marketing in Lagos.

He said: “NEXIM Bank is coming up to develop the sea link programme, where you can take goods by sea along the coastal shores of Africa.

“Goods have to go by ships to Amsterdam before coming back to West Africa. But with the sea link programme, Nigerian ships will now carry made-in-Nigeria goods to African destinations.

“Nigeria needs to build its infrastructure— our roads that are supposed to link us up are constantly in bad shape.

“It is because of development of infrastructure that Europe has been able to take advantage of export because they have good network of transport facility such as rail, sea, roads and air transport, with which to freight their cargo.”

addressed newsmen, yesterday at the refinery, said vandals were responsible for the attack, adding that no staff of the refinery died in the inferno that reportedly claimed several lives.

It was claimed that some oil thieves had allegedly attacked pipelines belonging to the oil company in the area in the early hours of Sunday.

The incident resulted in an explosion that allegedly claimed the lives of some of the vandals.

Ugwu said: “What I want to confirm to you is that our jetty operations are up and running. Our refineries are also up and running.

“The incident has no impact on our operations whatsoever and on our side at NNPC, there is no casualty and the incident has no impact on our refining operations or on our jetty operations.

“I do not want to join issues with whoever is accusing who; whether it is the Pipeline Product Marketing Company, PPMC,

or vandals, because I don’t want to say what I don’t know.

“The truth is that nemesis caught up with people that came to steal the product.

Their boat exploded. I don’t know about the number of people that died.

“I cannot speak on the area that does not concern NNPC because NNPC did not record any casualty and our operations are going on smoothly.”

However, MEND vowed to carry out more of such attacks, stressing that the amnesty was an avenue for some corrupt politicians to embezzle public funds.

It said: “MEND takes responsibility for the sabotage on May 18, 2014, on the NNPC Refinery Jetty pipelines in Okrika, Rivers State of Nigeria.

“This attack is in line with our ongoing operation Hurricane Exodus, which was intended to bring down the entire refining facility.

This facility was infiltrated by a few of our fighters with

the aid of our internal agents within the NNPC contrary to speculations that the sabotage was carried out by 'pipeline vandals and oil thieves' which is a very convenient phrase used in shielding the truth.’

Pensioners flay FG over arrears

BY FESTUS AHON UGHELLI—NIGERIA Union of Pensioners (Electricity Sector), Ughelli North Local Government Area chapter, Delta State, yesterday, decried the Federal Government’s delay in the payment of their three months pensions through the Nigeria Electricity Liability Management Limited/GTE, NELMCO. The pensioners, in a statement after their

meeting, aligned themselves with that of the national executive of the body on the matter, and urged the Federal Government to fulfill its promise to stakeholders to pay their monthly pension and arrears of pensions, harmonisation entitlements, electricity rebate benefits among others.

The statement by the Chapter ’s Chairman, Mr. Andrew Okagbare and Secretary, Mr. Isaac Edegbaro, cited a NELMCO circular dated April 15, 2014.

It disclosed that the Managing Director, Dr. Samuel Agbogun had explained that the Budget Office had not released the second quarter budget allocation to NELMCO for the payment of their monthly pension for the months of March, April “and now May.” Agbogun explained that “NEPA/PHCN pension fund is domiciled in the Central Bank of Nigeria, where it is released quarterly which is making payment difficult.”

BY EMMA AMAIZE

W

ARRI—THE Warri North Youth for Good Governance, WNYGG, has called on a former chairmanship aspirant in Warri North Local Government Area, Delta State, Mr. Pius Jorka, to contest again in the forthcoming local government election.

The group, in a statement by its chairman, Mr. Clement Norgban, said: “We urge Pius Jorka, a detribalised and dynamic son of Warri North, who aspired for the chairmanship seat in the 2007/2008 elections, to consider the interest of the council and contest the 2014 election.

“We call on Jorka to contest the chairmanship election because he is honest, h a r d w o r k i n g , experienced and focused to take Warri North to the next level.”

By Bartholomew Madukwe

PEOPLE SPEAK

08102479985

Jorka urged to contest council polls

(nwamad@yahoo.com)

Should the President visit Chibok?

L

IFE has no duplicate.

I would have made 20 copies of mine, keep the original at home and join them in Chibok to see things for myself.

His visit to Chibok is not as important as the efforts of international forces on ground.— Ms. Anne Oriaku, Fashion Designer.

W

HEN Al-Shaba bombed Kenya, President Kenyatta did not just sit down and cry to France or blamed the Muslims in his country, or some tribe for his troubles. He attacked Al-Shabab and exterminated them in Kenya.— Ms Ani Chioma, Model.

F

ROM what the P r e s i d e n t ’ s spokesman, Reuben Abati, said in a series of tweets, the planned visit was a hoax. There was no announcement of the President’s trip, although majority of Nigerians expected it of him.— Mr. Opoke Onyekachi, Businessman.

I

am not surprised the visit was cancelled. I have lost confidence in the government of the day for not rescuing those innocent schoolgirls till now.

Only God knows how the girls are being treated wherever they are.— Mr. Abichele John, Communicator.

W

ILL the President’s visit make any meaningful impact than his traveling to seek international assistance in curbing the Boko Haram menace? I agree that out of emotion, sympathy and condolence, he ought to. But that is not the priority for now.— Ms. Eniola Carew, Student.

I

still cannot explain why a man with all the power and resources of Nigeria at his disposal cannot use it. We have never had it this bad. It is most unfortunate. I pray that this will be the last of this level of i n s u r g e n c y. — M s .

Josephine Agina, Student.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014 — 45

Jonathan, Tompolo commended over Maritime varsity

Group flays fraud allegation against Delta Scholarship Board

P

BY FESTUS AHON

U

GHELLI—A GROUP, Delta Youths for Qualitative Governance, DYQG, has described as mischievous and frivolous, allegations of fraud being peddled in some quarters against the Delta State Bursary and Scholarship Board.

The group, in a statement, said that the allegations were baseless “and therefore, should be dismissed with a wave of the hand.” It described those behind the unfounded allegations as blackmailers.

It said that “the unfounded rumours are only out to tarnish the image of the board because of its resolve not to compromise the laid down guidelines in determining those who are qualified to benefit from the board’s Students Special Assistance Scheme and other programmes of the board.”

The Chairman of the group, Mr. Sylvester Ugo, said: “Having carried out our investigations in some of the tertiary institutions, it was revealed that some of those disqualified from benefiting from the student’s assistance scheme were those found not to be bonafide students of their institutions. Others were either non-Deltans or have graduated long ago.”

Saying that the state Commissioner for Higher Education, Prof. Hope Eghagha and the Board’s Secretary, Mr. Peter Amromanoh, have been piloting the Board's affairs to the admiration of all Deltans, the statement added: “It is very clear that the allegations are being sponsored by those who are envious of the unprecedented achievements of the board in helping to drive the human capital development programme of the state government.”

C M Y K

VISIT: Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State (2nd right); his deputy, Prof. Amos Utuama (2nd left); Head of Service, Delta State, Sir Paul Evuarherhe (right) and Head of Service, Bauchi State, Abdon Dalla, when the Head of Service, Delta State led members of the committee set up by the National Council of Establishment to review the issues affecting the health sector in the federation visited the governor in Asaba, yesterday. Photo: Henry Unini.

We won't allow Oshiomhole choose Edo's gov — Orbih

BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

B

ENIN—EDO State chapter of People’s Democratic Party, PDP, has said that it will resist attempts by Governor Adams Oshiomhole to choose his successor in the state's 2016 election.

Edo State chairman of the party, Chief Dan Orbih, in Benin, at a rally to welcome defectors from the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area of the state to PDP, said that the

people have since realised that the government cannot be trusted to deliver on its electoral promises, hence they will resist plans by the governor to decide who governs the state after him.

“Our people have realised that he is the exact opposite of what he claims to be. Edo people will not make the same mistake again. As he is going, his party, the APC, and the hardship they have foisted on Edo people, will go with him,” Orbih said.

Also speaking at the rally, the

PDP chairman in Ikpoba Okha council, Mr. Scot Osagiede, expressed joy that leaders of PDP in all the wards of the council have seen reasoned to return home, adding that with their return to PDP, the end has come for APC in the council.

Among those who defected from APC along with their followers from the 10 wards of the council are Chief Dan Osabuohien, Mr. Nelson Edosomwan, Elder Sunday Osawe, Mrs. Rose Okungbowa and Elder Mike Ojo.

Chief Judge urged to investigate authenticity of judgment and property worth N1.2 bilBY ONOZURE DANIA

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HE Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Ayotunde Phillips, has been urged to investigate the authenticity of an enrolled judgment delivered by the state High Court on July 30, 2008.

A lawyer, Chief John Osuji, who made the call, said the judgment is in suit ID/2801/92, between Mr Farayola Ogundokun (plaintiff) and Alhaji G. Owoade. Chief Osuji added that his client’s property was demolished on the basis of the judgment after he was forcefully ejected from same.

The judgment declared the plaintiff as entitled to a Certificate of Occupancy of Plot 15, Apapa Oshodi Expressway. The property is approximately 430,849 square meters, the lawyer said.

Osuji said his client, the General Overseer of Chosen of the Lord Ministry, Prophet Martins

Oni, was in his office when people who claimed to be bailiffs from the court showed him a copy of the judgment and began the demolition of the property, in company of men who claimed to be Odua Peoples Congress, OPC, members.

“We wish to state that our client was not mentioned in the purported judgment, and was never served any hearing notice in respect of the suit that led to the judgment. Besides, the land in question legitimately belongs to our client having acquired it 17 years ago from Alhaji Owoade (the defendant in the suit).

“Our client possesses the land documents, which include survey plan, house plan, receipt of purchase, building plan, the Ijeshatedo family land receipt, and other documents from the government,” the lawyer said.

According to him, Oni’s fourstorey building, with four miniwarehouses, offices, 14 shops, a church, were all brought down

lion allegedly carted away by the bailiffs who claimed to be taking them to the court.

Osuji said Oni, the DirectorGeneral of Police Assistance Committee of Tradesmen and Artisans, had petitioned the police, which subsequently wrote the court seeking to authenticate the judgment, but he was yet to receive a response.

“In view of the foregoing which had resulted in our client suffering colossal damage over his legitimately acquired property, along with valuable items, we urge your Lordship to as a matter of urgency use your good office to direct investigation of the authenticity of the judgment of the Lagos State High Court dated October 30, 2008 and purportedly delivered by former Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Inumidun Akande and signed

by Mrs M.O Ogunewu, Registrar."

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan and Chief Government Ekpemupolo alias Tompolo, have been commended for the successful flag-off of Nigeria’s first Maritime University in Okerenkoko, Gbaramatu Kingdom, Delta State.

Ijaw businessman and maritime expert, Chief Beck Hitler, who made the commendation, yesterday in Warri, called for the speedy execution of the project by the Federal Government.

He thanked Tompolo for making the people of Gbaramatu and the entire Ijaw in Delta State proud by attracting the maritime university to Okerenkoko, adding: “I urge Tompolo to continue with his good work because he has set the pace for rapid human and infrastructural development in the area.

“Tompolo has made history by ensuring that the maritime university and the NIMASA shipyard/ dockyard in Okerenkoko, were successfully flagged off by President Jonathan.”

PDP chieftain lauds Delta lawmaker

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GHELLI—A chieftain of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Delta State, Chief Raphael Okaruefe, has described the Deputy Majority Leader of the state House of Assembly, Prince Johnson Erijo, as a credible representative of the people of Isoko South constituency II. Okaruefe, shortly after a reception in Enwhe, said Prince Erijo has given his constituents adequate representation since he was elected into the state House of Assembly.

Urging the people to give Erijo all the needed support for his reelection into the House in 2015, he said: “Prince Erijo has attracted a lot of dividends of democracy to his people as a legislator.

“We have set up an organisation known as Chief Raphael Okaruefe Door to Door Consolidation Team to work towards Erijo's reelection.”

46— Vanguard , TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014

Drama as thunderstorm exhumes, destroys charms buried in Imo community

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

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W E R R I — PALPABLE confusion and fear have gripped residents of the sleepy rural Umuderim in Ihitte Uboma local council area of Imo State, following a powerful thunder that hit the area and exhumed what the villagers considered charms buried beside the home of Nze Friday Okonkwo.

It was not clear who buried the coffin-like contraption or what the intention of the person or group was at press time, but apprehension was boldly written on the faces of the villagers when Vanguard visited the area.

A villager who identified himself as Benjamin Aligwekwe, was happy that God had really proved that nothing could be hidden from His watchful eyes.

“What happened in the community was a clear indication that God, through the thunder storm, exposed evil men,” Aligwekwe said.

Abia women pray for release of Chibok girls BYANAYO OKOLI

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MUAHIA—THE people of Abia State have joined other Nigerians to pray for the release of the over 200 Chibok school girls abducted over a month ago

by Boko Haram Islamist sect.

The people gathered at Micheal Okpara Auditorium to offer prayers for the release of the girls and an end to Boko Haram insurgency in the North Eastern part of the country.

Organized by the office of wife of the governor, in conjunction with the state branch of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, many of the people wore black attire to reflect their pensive mood.

Some, especially the women wept openly as they prayed on the security challenges in the country and possible fate of the abducted school girls.

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Parents of ‘masquerade’ shot, arrested by soldiers at Oko want his release, dead or alive

BY NWABUEZE OKONKWO

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KONKWO—ONITSHA Who shot and took away 35-year-old Chidozie Anyaene?

That is the question on the lips of parents of the victim, Mr and Mrs Linus Anyaene, who live in the polytechnic town of Oko, Orumba North local government area of Anambra State.

Chidozie, who was one of those in masquerade garb celebrating the town’s cultural festival, was allegedly shot at Eke Oko Market Square and taken away by some military men on Saturday, April 19, 2014, and his whereabouts

had remained unknown ever since. According to Chidozie’s father, Linus, life has remained miserable since the disappearance of his son as the mother is in a perpetual state of pain and anguish.

Although the military in Onitsha has denied having anything to do with the victim, the father insists it was soldiers who shot and took away his son.

Speaking to newsmen in his compound at Oko, Linus explained that before the incident, the town union executive and Igwe-in-Council had met and issued a circular banning

masquerade outing during the annual Easter celebrations.

He admitted that following the directive, he cautioned his sons, including Chidozie, never to join any masquerade group to avoid being in collision with the Igwe and town union executive.

He said on enquiry, he was told by Chidozie’s mates that he wore the masquerade garb and that as they were heading towards Eke market, some armed personnel in army camouflage suddenly appeared and allegedly opened fire on them. He said as the security men opened fire, all members of the

AWARD: From left—Chairman of the occasion, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe presenting the Grand Poster Award to Marketing Director, Nigeria Breweries Plc, Mr. Walter Drenth, and Senior Brand Manager, Nigeria Breweries, Mr. lta Bassey, at the 8th Exhibition and Poster Awards of Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria in Lagos.

Nsukka union warns Ekweremadu on Enugu guber poll ...I'm not interested in the election — Ekweremadu BYTONYEDIKE

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AGOS State chapter of Nsukka Zonal Union, NZU, has cautioned the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, over plot to destabilise the ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP, following the zoning of the governorship position to the Enugu North senatorial district by the party.

NZU stated that Ekweremadu had never hidden his hatred for Nsukka people, adding, however, that his ‘’evil machinations” against the collective will of the electorate in Enugu State will fail.

But Ekweremadu, in a swift reaction, dismissed the allegation, saying he had said repeatedly that he was not interested in the state’s governorship.

However, addressing a news conference in Ikeja, Lagos, weekend, Chairman of NZU in the state, Chief Matthias Ezema, said the postulations by Ekweremadu’s foot soldiers that

the state had always had four zones for political blocs, including Enugu, Nsukka, Agbaja and Nkanu, was untrue.

He said: “For the avoidance of doubt, the old Enugu State had three senatorial zones, including Nsukka, Enugu and Abakaliki.

Enugu then included Awgu, where Ekweremadu hails from.

Before the old Enugu State, we had old Anambra State, which Chief Jim Nwobodo governed. ‘’It is ridiculous that the Deputy Senate President is now trying to destroy the party because of his vaulting ambition of either remaining perpetually in the Senate or becoming the governor.

But Ekweremadu dismissed the union’s claims, stressing that he was not interested in contesting the governorship election in 2015.

“On the issue of governorship, I think I have said this thing severally and I recall that in June, I made it clear that I am not interested in governorship and nothing has changed since then.

“I believe that all of us will work together to ensure that in 2015, we have a governor we will all be proud of,” he said.

masquerade group fled, leaving the masquerade (Chidozie), who they allegedly gunned down, with the body thrown into the vehicle, which sped off to an unknown destination.

Linus said on getting the information, he immediately went to the police station at Ajalli to make an entry, adding that one of the policemen, who gave his name as Tunde allegedly demanded N100,000 from him to take his statement.

He appealed to the federal and state governments to prevail on the security agencies to release his son, dead or alive.

However, the state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Emeka Chukwuemeka, DSP, denied the N100,000 bribery demand allegation, adding that he had inquired from the Divisional Police Office, DPO, at Ajalli who stated that there was nothing like that.

Meanwhile, the Commander of 302 Artillery Regiment, Onitsha, Col. Auwal Jibrin Fagge, also denied any knowledge of the incident, adding that the rumour must have been planted by those threatened by the army’s role in the joint security task force currently ridding Anambra State of hoodlums and criminals.

Fagge, who spoke to newsmen in his office at the cantonment, said: “I did not send soldiers there and they were never there when the incident of masquerades clashing occurred. When I contacted the DPO, SSS and President-General of the community, they told me that there was no such incident.”

The Legal Adviser to Oko Peoples Union, OPU, Uchenna Okonkwo-Okom, who spoke to newsmen on the incident at Oko, stated that he heard from Chinedu Ezeokeke, who was one of those accompanying the masquerade when the incident occurred, that he was with Sunday Ejiofor and Chidozie’s younger brother when the uniformed men arrived.

Security agencies tasked to investigate bombing of Ohakim's house

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

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WERRI—FRIENDS and political associates of the immediate past Governor of Imo State, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, have appealed to the security agencies to painstakingly investigate the recent bombing of his Owerri private residence.

Addressing newsmen in Owerri, the State Secretary of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief George Eguh, described the incident as an assassination attempt on the life of the former governor by his political enemies.

While insisting that the bombing was aimed at snuffing

life out of Ohakim and members of his family, Eguh equally wondered why the incident coincided with the return of Ohakim and his family from a medical treatment abroad.

“If the former governor and his family had not decided at the last minute to spend the night in their Okohia country home, we would have been talking about them in the past tense,” he said.

Also reacting, former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Prince Ken Njemanze, SAN, warned that it would be terrible if Ndigbo allowed this level of hate and destruction to creep into the South East.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014—47

UNVEILLING: From left, HRM, Oba Rilwan Akinolu, Oba of Lagos; Dr. Segun Aina, President, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria; Otunba Subomi Balogun,Chairman of the occassion/Founder,First City Group, and Otunba Debola Osibogun,1st Vice-President,Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, CIBM, during CIBM's Presidential Valedictory address/unveilling of a book: 'The Economy of Financial Inclusion in Nigeria,' in Lagos. Photo: Akeem Salau

MEETING: From left, former Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Alhaji Rafiu Ogunleye; Chairman, Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Engr.

Adebayo Dayo; Chairman, Organisation and Mobilisation Committee, Prince Buruji Kashamu; National Auditor, PDP, Alhaji Fatai Adeyanju, and National Secretary, PDP, Professor Adewale Oladipo, during a stakeholders' meeting of the Ogun State chapter of the PDP, in Ijebu Igbo.

FORUM: From left, Mr. Ladipo Lewis, Chairman, Lagos State Chapter, Nigerian Institute of Architects; Olutoyin Ayinde, Honorable Commissioner, and Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Yetunde Ajayi, and Mr. Sachin Katare, Size Analyst, West African Ceramics Ltd, during the opening ceremony of the Lagos Architects Forum 2014, at Eko Hotel, Victoria Island.

AWARD: From left, Chairman, Morgan State University, MSU, Board of Regents, Mr. Kweisi Mfume; President, MSU National Alumni Association, Mrs. Jacqueline Lawson; Vice President for Institutional Advancement, Ms Cheryl Hitchook; President, Morgan State University, Mr. David Wilson, and the awardee, Senator 'Gbenga Ashafa, during the recognition award given by Morgan State University, at the 74th Alumni Awards & Class Reunion Luncheon, Maryland, USA.

ADVOCACY: From left, Dr. Yewande Adesina, Special Adviser to Gov. Fashola on Public Health, representing the Governor; Engr. Rasheed Shabi, MD, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, LASEPA; Mr. Sola Dosumu, Head of Regulatory Affairs, British American Tobacco West Africa, and Mr. Yomi Dada, LASEPA Consultant, during the One Day Advocacy and Sensitisation Campaign and Stakeholders, Meeting on Non-Smoking Law inPublic Place, in Lagos, by LASEPA, Partner with British American Tobacco West Africa, at LTV-8, Ikeja.

Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi

CONFERENCE: From left, Head, Digital Media, Etisalat Nigeria, Adia Sowho; Digital Business Development Director, EMEA, BBC Worldwide, Isla McLeod, and Head, Corporate Communications, High Value Events & Sponsorships, Etisalat Nigeria, Ebi Atawodi, at the Etisalat Sponsored 2014 Mobile West Africa Conference, at Four Points by Sheraton, Lagos, Victoria Island

ANNIVERSARY: From left, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, Lagos State Deputy Governor; Mr. Tunji Bello, Lagos State Commissioner for Environment; Mrs. Iyabo Oshifeso, Tutor General District 6, and Mr. Steen Hardjesberbery, Managing Director, Fan Milk Limited, during the 6th Anniversary of Climate Change Club, in Lagos State Shools, with the Theme, 'Children Across Boundaries Unite to Combat Climate Change', organised by Lagos State Government.

AWARD: President, Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria, ATCON, Mr. Lanre Ajayi, handing the Regulator of the Year Award won by the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, to Mr. Tony Ojobo, Director of NCC (left), at the Beacon of ICT Awards, in Lagos.

CONDOLENCE: From left, Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Senator Bala Mohammed; Director General, Narional Institute for Legislative Studies, Dr. Ladi Hamalai, and Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, during Deputy Speaker's condolence visit to the Minister of FCT over the death of his mother, Hajiya Aisha Mohammed, in Abuja,weekend.

48—Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014

Electricity pensioners protest non-payment of pensions

BY SUZAN EDEH

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AUCHI— SCORES of the retired electricity workers, yesterday, in Bauchi State, protested over alleged non-payment of their pension and gratuities by the Federal Government.

The protesters, who were in front of the state Electricity Distribution Company Plc, along Ahmadu Bello Way, said they were undergoing untold hardship as they could no longer pay their children’s school fees or feed properly due to non-payment of their entitlements.

The Chairman, Nigeria Union of Pensioners, NUP, Electricity Sector, in the state, Mallam Isa Olarewaju, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues said, “for three months now, we have not been paid salaries and gratuities.

This is unfair. We served the government for 35 years."

NBA, community laud FedPoly, Oko's rector

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HE Nigeria Bar Associa tion, NBA, and the Amaokpala community in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State have commended the Rector of the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Prof. Godwin Onu over his notable efforts in developing the institution.

The Aguata branch Chairman of NBA, Mr. Sopulu Ezeonwuka, who was in the polytechnic to felicitate with the rector on his second tenure, said they were impressed with the notable development the institution had witnessed in Onu’s first tenure.

He said the Rector had done marvelously well and must be commended, adding that he deserves an award from the Bar. Similarly, the Amaokpala community, yesterday, showed solidarity with the rector, commending him for his transformational agenda in the polytechnic.

President General of Amaokpala Development Union, ADU, Nze Philip Nwaogu, who led other executive members of the town union on a courtesy visit to the rector, also expressed joy and satisfaction on the renewal of the rector’s tenure for another four years.

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Gusau residents decry increasing cases of rape

BY SALISU MARADUN

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USAU — RESIDENTS of Gusau, the Zamfara State capital, have decried the increasing cases of rape in the state capital within the last one month.

Investigations by Vanguard in Gusau showed that victims of such cases were girls between the ages of nine and 15 years.

It was revealed that most of those raped were given between N20 and N50 to keep their harrowing experiences secret.

A father of a nine-year-old girl (names withheld) who took his daughter to Yarima Bakura Specialist Hospital, Gusau, when he discovered that she had been raped by a 46-year-old man (names withheld), told Vanguard that the rapist gave his daughter N20 so that she would not tell her parents.

Also, hospital authorities said an average of nine teenage girls were treated weekly for rape related cases.

"We are in a serious situation as raping of children has

become the order of the day.

It is not known where mature people are now raping minors," some parents, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said.

Police sources in Gusau also said 32 rape cases were recorded in Gusau in April this year alone.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, DSP Lawal Abdullahi, confirmed increase in rape cases in Gusau, saying most of the arrested in connection with such cases were usually charged to court.

From left: Mr Felix Awogu, GM, Supersports; Amb. Osita Offor (De Ultimate Commander), founder, The Ultimate Wrestling and Charity Organisation, presenting his belt to Dr Paul Orhii, Director General, National Agency for Food and Administration and Control, NAFDAC, during the meeting between NAFDAC and Ultimate Commander Foundation to eradicate the use of drugs in sports, in Lagos. Photo: Biodun Ogunleye.

IG orders security beef-up in Makurdi boarding schools

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BUJA — THE InspectorGeneral of Police, Mr Mohammed Abubaka, weekend, ordered the strengthening of security in all boarding schools in and around Makurdi.

This is contained in a statement issued by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Frank Mba, in Abuja.

The order is coming on the heel of a recent threat letter, purportedly issued by elements

claiming to be Boko Haram members to two all-boys secondary schools, Government College and Mount St. Gabriel College, Makurdi. ”Consequently, Benue State Police Command, working in conjunction with the state Ministry of Education and the affected school authorities, has strengthened surveillance in the schools and other boarding schools within Makurdi metropolis,” the state-

ment said.

It said the police had begun investigations to determine the “authenticity or otherwise of the hand-written letter (threat) now in possession of the force.”

The statement advised residents of communities where boarding schools were located to “remain perpetually on the alert and report any suspicious movement to the appropriate authorities.”

NSE traces building collapse to misapplication of cement

BY EMMANUEL ELEBEKE

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BUJA — THE Nigerian So ciety of Engineers, yesterday, said misapplication of cement in the production of concrete in building construction can lead to building collapse.

President of the society, Engr.

Ademola Olorunfemi, who stated this at a news briefing in Abuja, said a cursory look at the arrays of causes of building collapse peculiar to Nigeria revealed that only two of the 15 causes of build-

ing collapse in the world are related to the usage of construction materials.

He, however, called on Federal Government to carry the society along in any standard measurement activity like in the recent case of cement standardisation by Standard Organisation of Nigeria, SON and warned that it would be misleading and erroneous for anyone to assert that cement grade is a prime causative factor in the incessant collapse of buildings in Nigeria, when there is no experimental

basis for such an assertion.

He also called for the revamping of the Nigerian iron and steel sector, currently lying in comatose to boost local production rather than depending on importation of steel for the nation’s construction sector.

On infrastructure, the NSE President said despite Nigeria’s emergence as giant of Africa in the recently rebased country’s GDP, the infrastructure situation in the country remains worrisome and pathetic, leading to under-investment of the country.

ITF to create 2m jobs for skilled youths

BY MARIE-THERESE NANLONG

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OS — THE new DirectorGeneral of the Industrial Training Fund, ITF, Mrs. Juliet Chukkas-Onaeko has pledged to key into the National Industrial Revolution Programme, NIRP, train to create jobs for about two million skilled youths in the country.

She spoke shortly after the former director general, Prof.

Longmas Wapmuk, handed over the affairs of the ITF to her.

She said: ”My expectation is for us as an organisation to key into the NIRP and NEDEP programmes of the Federal Government and this calls for collaboration with all parties to deliver on this mandate.”

She, however, solicited the cooperation of the staff in “developing need-based training programmes that would drive the economy to create more jobs, develop competences of youths to be self-reliant and self-employed.”

Earlier, Prof Wapmuk had said that he left over N10 billion in the coffers of ITF. Wapmuk also stated that the Fund was currently focusing on Technical Vocational Training, hence the construction of two mobile workshops to boost the idea.

Global InfoSwift, TechXact hold seminar

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LOBAL InfoSwift, an in digenous Information & Communications Technology (ICT) firm, and TechXact Group of USA will on May 26 hold a data centre seminar at Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The seminar has Mehdi Paryavi, President, DCA, TechXact Group, as guest of honour; Chidi Umeano, deputy director, CBN, as guest speaker; Brian Mcleary, commercial counsellor, US Embassy, as keynote speaker, while Solomon Edun, Managing Director, Global InfoSwift, is the chief host.

The training session starts from May 27 and ends on May 30.

According to Paryavi, the seminar is targeted at anyone financing, designing, planning, managing, investing, making decision or involved in any way with data centres.

“This event is aimed to help the stakeholders understand the complexities, create awareness of the best practices, the international norms, past, present and future of data centre and data management systems, latest trends, methodologies, technologies and approach”, he said.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014 — 49

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50 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014—51

German prefab houses for super-rich in Nigeria

By KINGSLEY ADEGBOYE

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NEW generation of prefab buildings known as Huf haus or Huf houses is set to hit the Nigerian market. Described simply as a green revolution in housing, the self-sustaining insulated houses which have been around for more than 100 years, are German products being replicated across the globe.

The energy saving houses which are individually planned on every plot, are mechanically ventilated. The houses are built air-tight to centralise insulation system while occupants of the houses do not need electricity to generate hot water.

Unfolding the plans to introduce the German houses into the country atamediaforuminLagosweekend, the Director of Marketing at Huf Haus, Mr. Thomas Geiner said the key thing about Huf houses is that theyareenvironmentallysustainable.

“Every Huf Haus is now tripleglazed, fully insulated and uses re-

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newableenergysources,suchasairsourced heat pumps. “‘The innovative post and beam architecture of a HUF Haus has a fascinating as well as expressive appearance. Wooden beams teamed with generous glazing form a visual gateway to the surrounding nature; thus creating a unique living space and experience. Where we chose to live and work influences our lives and our surrounding environment can impact on our well-being, motivation and happiness’’, Geiner noted.

Motivation and happiness “With the expressive symbiosis of wood and glass, every Huf house has a distinctive character and will enhance your quality of life as sunlight and the natural world are brought directly into your living space. ‘More than simply an end-result, Huf Haus offers you the realisation of an in-

One of the Huf houses dividually planned construction project that is dealt with by competent and dedicated professionals from beginning to end. The entire process is therefore uncomplicated, swift and stress-free for you as a client because the HUF specialists not only take care of the coordination of all trades, but also ensure the highest quality with every single design detail,’’ he said.

The marketing director who noted that all devices in Huf houses can be centrally controlled, added that ‘’the house itself lives intelligently with you’’. He pointed out that ‘’you can monitor the temperature of the house wherever you are. With the house, you do not need a house help because the house does everything by itself. It is an intuitive house’’, Geiner said.

Explaining that a lot of plan-

ning and innovation is put into the construction processes of Huf houses, he said the shell of the houses is bullet proof because of materials used which include glass and prefab concrete. A Huf house, he said, can be constructed in four days because materials would have been ready.

He however noted that the shell of Huf houses takes two weeks to construct.

Corroborating Geiner, Huf Haus Africa Country Representative in Nigeria, Mr. Tunde Fagbami said Hauf houses are being introduced in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and everywhere in Nigeria.’’Our mission in Nigeria is to deliver first class housing for highly placed people,” he said. ‘’We have on offer in Nigeria, a limited number of Huf houses’’,

he said, adding that only 140 houses are produced annually across the world. Mr. Fagbami who noted that the prices of Huf houses range between two million to four million Euros, made it clear that it is meant for the super rich. ‘’Our target is people like Dangote, Mike Adenuga, Ibeto and such others.

The houses are meant for rich people and not the poor ’’.

According to him, each house is requested for before construction commences, having visited Germany head office of the company to make choices from their show houses, and having agreed with architectural drawings for the housing type chosen. He said the land on which to construct the building must have been sourced by the client.

52 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2013 — 53

By CALEB AYANSINA

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ORRIED by the dearth of artisans and craftsmen in the nation’s construction industry, the Federal Ministry of Housing, Lands and Urban Development, has unveiled plans to flag off the training of this category of workers at the proposed Craftsmanship Training Centre at Kuje in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT. The Centre which contract was awarded in 2002, is still under construction. Only the administration block and a

hostel of about 24 rooms were completed in 2007. The site which was later gutted by fire, was also encroached upon by some unidentified persons.

The Minister of Land, Housing and Urban Development, Mrs. Akon Eyakenyi who inspected the site, was displeased at the level of work and the way the project was being handled. She directed that the site should be re-surveyed and re-designed.

The Minister who cancelled the allocation of those who have not started work on their plot, ordered that a new

FG commences training of artisans at Kuje Centre in August allocation be carried out.

Eyakenyi said the government would no longer wait for the Centre to be complete before starting lectures in the school. Against this backdrop, she announced that the school will commence on the existing structures in August.

The Centre that can take about 300 artisans would be expanded to accommodate the trainers, administrators and other few staff.

“We cannot wait until the entire structures are completed; we can start the school with one building every year. I am going to ensure that the school is started in the next three months. We will put everything in place, students will be admitted, and teachers recruited,” she said.

The minister directed that a Committee to be headed by the Permanent Secretary be set up to correct the error in the allocation. ”I have also instructed that the first allocation should be cancelled and a new one done with priority attention given to those who had paid before. If you have your receipt, you will be given preference and with that we will be able to correct the error,” Eyakeny stated.

The Minister who inspected other mass housing projects in the FCT, revealed that the

government had adopted the American Building Technology System in the building of affordable housing units for the people. ”I came here to see one of the project sites of the ministry handled by the American Building System where they use special America technology to build the housing units. I have seen the construction and each block can be delivered about 10 days after the foundation would have been laid.

"I have gone round and seen the structures; I want to say that I am very impressed about the technology. The former US Ambassador to Nigeria, Robin Sanda was also here with me to give explanation of her role from the US Nexim Bank to back up the Nigerian Government on this project. We intend to replicate the technology in other states,” she stated. Eyakenyi explained that the choice to adopt the system was informed by the fact that it is cheaper to build.

Some of the houses rehabilitated by Propertygate under its advisory services scheme.

Propertygate ventures into real estate advisory services

By KINGSLEY ADEGBOYE

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UILDING on its track record of providing decent homes to prospective home owners, Messrs Propertygate Development & Investment Plc, has commenced advisory services to investors on real estate related issues.

Unfolding this at an interactive session last week, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos based company, Mr. Adetokunbo Ajayi said it has become imperative for Propertygate to diversify into real estate advisory services because real estate is a complex venture requiring specialist knowledge, multidisciplinary skills and demonstrated experience.

“Underestimating this complexity has, time and time again, resulted in huge financial losses, unrealized dreams and, in some cases, total ruin among other consequences,” he said.

The Propertygate boss who said real estate is capital intensive and requires professional services, added that buying land or property involves so much in terms of achieving the ultimate goal of a real estate transaction. He stated that individuals and corporations intending to venture into real estate, can

enhance their success by securing sound advisory services.

One of these advisory services according to Ajayi, is ‘Development Conception’.

This implies that the delivery of real estate projects must start with sound and rigorous thought process that considers proposal from ideas, through execution to management and eventual disposal before implementation is ever contemplated.

Another advisory service rendered by the company is called ‘Design and Build’.”In this case, we assist clients with existing sites. We source for those without sites by conceiving the most suitable development schemes for the location and site; undertake designs; and carry out construction to completion. In all these, our focus is to achieve total resource optimisation and client satisfaction. Our banner here is ‘don’t build on that land

until we help you determine its optimal value; while also helping you through design to completion.”

‘Other advisory products on offer include: development/ investment appraisal, development monitoring, property rehabilitation, advisory support to lenders and investor and building frameworks for real estate ventures, institutional policies

Demolition not solution to flooding, Environmentalist tells FCDA

BY EMMANUEL ELEBEKE

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N international consultant on environment, Prof. John Okoro has appealed to the Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA not to increase the pains and agony of victims of the recent flooding in Trademore Mega Estate, Lugbe, and Abuja by marking their houses for demolition.

Prof Okoro who is a Roman Catholic priest, made the appeal while assessing the level of damage caused by the flooding in the estates. He enjoined the FCDA to be more responsible in dealing with victims of natural disasters by aiding thevictimswithreliefmaterialstocushion their losses rather than escalating their sorrow by marking their houses for demolition.

Rev.Fr Okoro, who is t he vicar of St. John-Mary Vianney Catholic Church, Trademore Mega Estate, Lugbe, Abuja,

explained that marking the houses for demolition when the occupants were still scampering for safety, is totally unacceptable and against the tenets of good leadership.

It would be recalled that a heavy downpour last week left many residential houses and the Catholic church completely over flooded for hours.

“Instead of showing them (victims) a little care with some relief materials, they just came in and added to their sorrow by markingtheirhousesfordemolition.Ifthey wantedtomarktheirhousesfordemolition, they could have waited because at that pointintime,peoplewereinsorrow,crying in agony. They should have gone back to their homes to think about what really caused the flooding and not just jumping into unreasonable summation. For me, demolitionisnoteventhesolutionbecause flooding could happen tomorrow or next tomorrow.

and processes.

“Our advisory group can help achieve success and great value when we partner with you on your real estate initiatives. We have the pedigree to do this, as our personnel comprise people with deep knowledge and skills as well as extensive experience in various areas of real estate development”, Ajayi said.

54 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014—55

A

BUBAKAR Shekau must be relishing the fact that his rabid behaviour and manifested insanity are earning him the international notoriety he has been yearning for over the years. As a local warlord and mimicry of the equally notorious Taliban, Shekau and his cohorts should be celebrating that at last they have made the international community look more than casually in their direction. It was a feat they achieved with a show of unmatched barbarism and savagery.

Shekau has other reasons to shoot more rounds of ammunition in the air. If you search for his name in Wikipedia, you will see that he has been described as the Emir of Boko Haram! But that title will surely pale in significance when he realizes that suddenly his name has become a prominent feature in U.S. presidential politics. In the wake of the abduction of the innocent school girls in Chibok, well-intentioned people all over the world have added their voices in condemnation

of Boko Haram’s action. Hilary Clinton, a viable presidential candidate-in-waiting for the Democratic Party and a lady who is known for advocating for the rights of women globally, has also spoken out against Shekau and his group of bandits. She tweeted in support of the world-wide movement to free the girls. She also said in a television interview that what Boko Haram has done is “abominable, it’s criminal, it’s an act of terrorism and it really merits the fullest response possible, first and foremost from the government of Nigeria.”

Being a potential candidate with a very realistic chance of becoming the next U.S. president, Hillary’s condemnation of Boko Haram has been turned into a political weapon in the hands of the Republican Party lieutenants. Representative Peter King, a prominent face in the Republican Party, wasted no time in announcing to the world that he and a colleague had requested the U.S. State Department to designate Boko Haram as a terrorist

Boko Haram a terror group.

What is not being given prominence in the news is that the State Department under Hillary resisted branding Boko Haram as a terrorist organization partly because the Nigerian government did not want Boko Haram to be so classified. The rationale then was that classifying Boko Haram as a terrorist organization in the same register as Al-Qaeda and the Taliban, would be according the group some global recognition and elevating its status. This was done because groups such as Boko Haram seek global publicity, and anything done to internationalize their name plays right into their corporate strate-

Boko Haram could become hydra-headed if not checked. The Nigerian government has demonstrated bewildering amateurishness in dealing with Shekau and his band of renegades. The U.S., Nigeria and other nations are now in the same boat fighting Boko Haram.

But, the battle is shifting to the U.S. political terrain. What I essentially hear from the Republicans is that Hillary failed to declare Boko Haram a terrorist organization and that it is not in the interest of the U.S. to ignore such an organization that might grow in competence to later pose an existential threat to the U.S. and its citizens. Whenever the Repub-

gy.

Another reason was that the U.S. saw Boko Haram as a local affair which the Nigerian government was capable of dealing with, just as Nigeria fought and vanquished the Kamajor militia in Sierra Leone when that country was plagued by very bloody internal insurrection. In addition, Boko Haram then posed no real danger to the U.S. Time has redrawn the terrorism map. Boko Haram has shown that it has some capabilities beyond what it used to possess in its years of infancy. The U.S. has realized that

licans talk about Boko Haram, it is discussed in the context of Hillary Clinton and her ambition to run for the U.S. presidency in 2016.

If AbubakarShekau is listening to the Republicans and their antiHillary political antics over Boko Haram, he might be thrown into another fit of his trade-mark devilish laugher and be encouraged to even commit more havoc, as he watchesU.S. Republican Party demagogues use his name to attempt to score cheap political points.

,

Boko Haram in US politics

group when Hillary was the U.S. Secretary of State, but their request was brushed aside.

As with the tradition of the Republicans to latch onto anything that might taint Hillary’s credentials, Fox News soon joined in turning Boko Haram into weapon of political attack against Hillary. Newton Gingrich, former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and a commentator on CNN, was not left out of this race to besmirch Hillary. Several Republicans have now joined the train.

It has since emerged that in May 2012, the Justice Department and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had made representations to the State Department to put Boko Haram in the U.S. list of terrorist organizations but the Hillary’s office rejected the advice. Barely a month thereafter, General Carter Ham who was then in charge of the U.S. African Command warned that Boko Haram was receiving training and some sophisticated weapons from Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and urged that something be done. Again, the State Department refused to brand Boko Haram as a terrorist organization. It was only in November last year that the same State Department but now under John Kerry openly came out to declare

What is not being given prominence in the news is that the State Department under Hillary resisted branding Boko Haram as a terrorist organization partly because the Nigerian government did not want Boko Haram to be so classified

,

56 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014

N

IGERIANS were recently, thrown into the periodic panic buying of petro leum products owing to the disruption in the supply chain. The Federal Government had seen the fury of Nigerians when it tried to increase the pump price of PMS in the guise of removing the subsidy on imported petroleum products. There is an endless debate on whether or not, the existing refineries should be sold as a precursor to deregulating the downstream sector.

Cases of illegal oil bunkering persist, crude oil theft and corruption remain endemic. The security of the pipelines and construction of ancillary infrastructure, to support the supply chain of petroleum products are knotty issues to address.

During his recent visit to Namibia, President Goodluck Jonathan signed an agreement to build a refinery in Walvis Bay in Namibia, through a private sector initiative.

Coming at a time when the perennial shortage of petroleum has become national embarrassment, Nigerians saw the Namibian agreement as contradictory, insensitive and irritating to say the least.

For over 25 years, Nigeria has not done much to improve on the capacity of refineries in the country. Its existing four refineries in Port HarMr. Ladi Cole, •Mr. Bayo Olowoshile, Mr. Hugo Odiogor, Mr. Ken Ogaziechi, Mr. Babatunde Oke and Mr. Henry Boyo at the court, Warri and Kaduna have been subject of Vanguard Conference Hall. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi intense controversy and politicking.

The Turn Around Maintenance (TAM), has failed to achieve the desired result. Proponents of deregulation of the PARTICIPANTS downstream sector have insisted that the four refineries must 1. Mr. Ladi Cole, be sold as a precondition to solvExecutive Vice Chairman, Impact ing the problem of deficiency in supply of refined petroleum prodBusiness Consulting Services Ltd. ucts in the country.

2. Mr. Henry Boyo, Vanguard Columnist Petroleum 3. Mr. Ken Ogaziechi, products Publisher, Energy Digest 4. Comrade Bayo Olowoshile, Nigeria relies on importation Sec. Gen. Pengassan of its needed petroleum products 5. Comrade Babatunde Oke, which are distributed at subiPengassan Media/Information sized price, with all the inherent 6.

Mr. Hugo Odiogor, controversies and corruption .

Conference Moderator, We recall that in 2008, the Fed7. Mrs. Nkiru Nnorom, eral Government gave out 18 liConference Rapporteur, cences to those who applied to set up private refineries.

8. Mr. Kunle Kalejaiye, Eventually, 16 of them used Conference Secretary. their licences to set up tank farms 9. Kehinde Gbadamosi (Photographer) and scramble for contracts to Refinery Complex in Nigeria import fuel. In May 2011, Nigeria signed Memorandum of UnLadi Cole: We are capable of come too much discretionary of political will to get things derstanding (MoU), with Chi- and petrochemical company. building refineries. I don’t want there is tendency is for nature done. These refineries that we There are other Nigerians who nese businessmen who planned of human errors. The peculiari- talk about today were built years to set up three refineries in Bayel- want to invest in setting up pri- us to dwell too much on the histies of this environment has ac- ago with a total capacity of tory of how we got to where we vate refineries but they want sa, Lagos and Kogi states. tually made it more difficult for 445,000 barrels per day of refined are now because it is common In July 2012, the FG entered business-friendly environment. us to replicate those models that products. At the best of times, knowledge that for over 25 years In this edition of Vanguard into another Memorandum of have worked elsewhere. they have not been able to do Understanding (MoU) with Conference Hall focuses on the now, we did not build any new So, when people talk about more than 20 to 25 percent of their refinery or maintain the ones we American investors to set up six subject of: Building Local Capacwhether we have the capacity installed capacity in the last ten have.

I would not also dwell on private modular refineries with- ity for Refining crude Oil in or the competence to build, and years. how we have evolved into this Nigeria.Let me start with Mr. in 30 months at the cost of maintain refineries, I can tell you And when you aggregate this $4,5billion each. For now, it is still Cole, Sir, is it mission impossible state of helplessness because we that in my view, the competence 20 to 25 percent barrels, there is have too much government infor Nigeria to own refinery and work in progress. is not always there, and even a very high portion of what you volvement in whatever we do.

In spite of the high cost of do- locally process crude oil for dowhen you have the competence, call black oil. In refinery selecEven within government circle, mestic consumption?

What are ing business in Nigeria, Alhaji it takes a lot of discipline. If you tion, we have black oil, off-speck Aliko Dangote is committing over the problems with our down- we have people who exercise too are in government, it takes a lot much discretion and matters beContinues on page 57 $9billion to building a refinery stream sector?

We can build refineries but...

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014 — 57

Building refineries is a serious business Continues from page 56 kerosene, then little PMS, even though PMS accounts for 70-75 per cent of our consumption.

AGO accounts for 17 per cent while the others are just fractions of what is left.

So the main focus is on PMS, because that is what people see.

I don’t want to discuss kerosene here because that has become the latest scandal in town. If you look at the subsidy which they claim goes into kerosene, you would begin to ask some questions.

Let us assume that they are to give every house hold this type of Indonesian-made LPG burners which are sold for N5, 000.00, or there about, you will not spend the amount of we are talking about as subsidy. If you have a population of 170 million people, divided by six for an average house hold, you will get close to 30 million or 25 million households.

•Mr. Ladi Cole

•Mr. Bayo Olowoshile

•Mr. Henry Boyo

Power generation

Open market price

•Mr. Ken Ogaziechi bate as to whether we should have small refineries, the Niger Republic model, and they ask: why can’t we have at least 30 of that model in every state of the federation?

For instance, we can build four in Lagos area, two in the South West and then build one refinery each in the other states. If we have 45 refineries multiple by 20,000bpd then, we would have 90,000 barrels per day. But refineries don’t work like that because the cost of refineries is actually based on infrastructure, which is why countries like Saudi Arabia engaged an infrastructure company that helps them with their imfrastructure.

Ideally, if you ask me, there is nothing stopping us from dotting refineries along the West Coast right from Lagos ,all the way to Senegal, and then, we use the pipeline system within Nigeria to do our distribution but we just have to make sure that there is inter-connectivity in Auchi, Ore, and the Eastern axis. Then we move beyond Aba, Enugu, Markurdi, and to the Yola axis.

So , in reality, if you develop an infrastructure along the coast-

•Mr. Babatunde Oke al parts of Nigeria, then ,we could have refineries spring along the coast, but in a coordinated manner. Then you could rely on these infrastructures to distribute the products.

So when people cite the examples of countries like Brazil and Malaysia, with Petrobas and Petronas, I often tell them that we don’t have the same sort of discipline they have. I worked for Shell in Malaysia for four years in the late 80s up to 1992.

Good government So I know what I am talking about. We have missed it as a country. In life, when you miss a train, you have missed it.

If we had good government a long time, we would have been transforming at the same time with these other countries. But we sat back while they were transforming and making their governments and institutions to work. When I got to Malaysia back in 1998, Shell, Mobil and other majors accounted for about 85-90 percent of the exportable products. Although crude oil was

•Mr. Hugo Odiogor the number one export product, but in a period of six years, it became number six and manufacturing took over.

So, really, we have missed it.

The models that we have today

,

Even if you are to give each household a burner that is already filled with LPG, you will realise that we will spend only a fraction of what we are putting into kerosene as subsidy. I don’t know who is benefiting, I don’t want to speculate. All I know is that the open market price does not really justify such huge government expenditure.

We lose both ways, we lose through legitimate margins of people importing the kerosene, and we also lose through the distribution network, in terms of how it gets to the last consumer. If you sell at N50 and it gets to the consumer at N150, there is N100 arbitrary margin that goes within the supply chain; everybody is adding his own little profit until it gets to the ultimate consumers.

When you import, there is a marketer’s margin that people make. Let’s go back to the refineries. Building of refineries is a serious business; it is not something that we can assume that once you have crude, then you must have a refined product.

In between, you have a complex structure of engineering, infrastructure, safety and logistics When I say engineering, you start by asking what is the capacity of a refinery that you want to build? There is an ongoing de-

ty. It is this contracting mentality that is making government hold on to everything.

The argument is on whether we want big or small refineries, I think that for whatever it is worth, we should go for the big ones.

Am a little bit involved in what is going on in Orient refinery is doing in Anambra state. They are struggling because it is a refinery that is located in the hinterland. They have now gone back to say that they want some concession because they have to lay pipelines from where they would feed the refinery with crude oil.

Not too far from their location is Oguta where gas is flared, they are thinking of using the gas from Oguta and pipe it to Aguleri for power generation.

So, if you say that you want to do a refinery of 20,000 barrels per day, you would be spending 50 percent of the cost on infrastructure. Even in countries where the infrastructure is very robust, the refineries are actually given special consideration for electricity power, water supply and all the elementS that it would need.

When you deal with whether it is small or big refineries that you want, then infrastructure is the next because, it forms the whole concept of the management. I’m told that Dangote has asked for some concession to build a refinery. He wants guarantees of

Ideally, if you ask me, there is nothing stopping us from dotting refineries along the West Coast right from Lagos all the way to Senegal

do not actually call for much of government involvement in business, because all over the world, we have seen what government has done. So, you would find that these models that worked for Brazil with Petro-Brass, and Malaysia are giving way for private sector led initiative. I support private sector driven economy.

I have often asked my friends that work with NNPC if they are not tired of going to the National Assembly every year, to defend their budget and most times they would end up discussing less important issues.

Why we have continued to deceive ourselves all these while is because of our contract mentali-

,

crude oil supply. I have not seen the contract but we must ask:what is the implication of that? Does it provide a level playing field for all the parties? Is government going to be a partner? There are models that requires 49 percent or 21percent participation.

You have seen that model in Indorama, the Petrochemical plant at Eleme, which is widely acclaim to be very successful today. The PPP model was used.

Today, that plant produces over 210,000 metric tons, this is the highest the plant had ever produced. Under NNPC it was 58,000 metric tons.

To be continued

58—Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014

Expose Boko Haram sponsors, Gov Aliyu tells FG

N

IGER State Governor, Dr Muazu Babangida Aliyu, yesterday, challenged the Federal Government to expose the sponsors of Islamic extremists, Boko Haram. He spoke when he received, in audience, the Minister of State for Works, Ambassador Bashir Yuguda, in Minna, Niger State.

Aliyu said it was worrisome that the Federal Government had not been able to unmask sponsors of the violent sect five years after their destructive activities, but that with the assistance of global experts stepping into the crisis, the Federal Government should know those behind the sect and should expose them, accordingly. His words, “my argument has always been that after arresting so many members of Boko Haram for this long, what is making it difficult for us to know who are their sponsors, who are the collaborators, who are the people behind it. We could not have spent

US, Europe agree to fight Boko Haram

W

ESTERN powers have officially agreed to coordinate their efforts in reinforcing Nigeria’s campaign against the immediate threat of terrorism spearheaded by the Islamist militant group Boko Haram. The final conclusions of a security summit held in France on Saturday resolved among other things that the United States, Britain, France and the European Union will synchronize their regional cooperation through technical expertise, training programmes and support for border monitoring.

A statement on the conclusions of the summit released yesterday said participants including from those West and Central Africa committed themselves to accelerating the implementation of international sanctions against Boko Haram, Ansaru and their main leaders, within the United Nations framework as a priority.

Mechanisms for border surveillance, a system to pool intelligence to support this operation and a system for information exchange on the trafficking of weapons were some of the resolutions made at the Paris summit.

four years or five years fighting a group, that we have not been able to crush. And whatever we do, we must realize that there is need for peace for any growth in gross domestic product."

Hunters want to find school girls

M

AIDUGURI— TRADITIONAL hunters armed with home-made guns, poisoned spears and amulets have gathered in their hundreds, eager to use their skills and what they believe to be supernatural powers to help find nearly 300 schoolgirls abducted

by Islamic extremists. Some 500 hunters, some as young as 18 and some in their 80s, say they have been specially selected by their peers for their spiritual hunting skills and have been waiting for two weeks in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital and the birthplace of Boko Haram, to get backing from the military and get moving.

With Nigeria’s military accused by many citizens of not doing enough to rescue the girls, the hunters demonstrated their skills to an Associated Press reporter on Sunday. With cow horn trumpets echoing eerie war cries from the screaming and chanting men who twirled knives and swords with dexterity, occasionally stabbing and cutting themselves with no apparent harm.

Sentinel aircraft from Royal Air Force, Waddington in Lonconshire being prepared for operation in Nigeria, yesterday

RAF spy plane breaks down on way to find Chibok girls

A

ROYAL Air Force, RAF, spy plane sent to join the international hunt for schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram militants has broken down on the way. The Sentinel R1 was forced to divert to Senegal with a “technical issue” and will be grounded until repairs have been completed.

The unexpected delay is a repeat of last year ’s embarrassment for the UK Ministry of Defence when a C-17 transporter sent to help French troops in Mali was also temporarily grounded by technical trouble. David Cameron offered the

Sentinel to the Nigerian government to use its advanced ground scanning radar to hunt for more than 200 school girls abducted from a school hostel last month.

The modified executive business jet left RAF Waddington on Sunday bound for its new base in Accra in Ghana, where it will be stationed while flying across northern Nigeria. However, the crew reported technical problems midway through the flight. An RAF source said: “We had a choice of turning around and coming home, or landing en route.” It was unclear last night when the jet would be able to

Zuma condemns abduction, seeks AU force

P

RESIDENT Jacob Zuma, yesterday, called on the African Union, AU, to urgently activate its peace and security structure to end activities of armed groupings responsible for attacks on civilians. He called on the union to ensure peace and stability on the continent. Zuma also expressed concern about the kidnapped schoolgirls in Borno, just as St. John’s College and Roedean School in Johannesburg began trending on twitter to protest the 300 abducted school girls.

Zuma also denounced the bombing in Kenya on Friday

which resulted in 10 deaths and wounding of 70 people, saying that targeting unarmed civilians was deplorable.

He said, “The government and the people of South Africa condemn in the strongest terms the abduction of school children in the Federal Republic of Nigeria by the armed group Boko Haram and calls on the kidnappers to release the children without further delay. It is crucial to build a stronger and a well resourced AU to take forward the promotion of peace, security, and the socio-economic advancement of the continent.

"These worrying developments

threatened to undermine progress made by the continent on economic and other fronts.

Part of the capacity needed by the AU is the establishment of the African Standby Force for rapid deployment in crisis areas without delays.”

He called on the people of the Central African Republic to work towards peace in their country, adding, “The people of the CAR have endured enough strife and conflict. We urge all leaders in the CAR to unite the people behind a common vision of peaceful coexistence and national unity.”

Australians march for Chibok girls

A

USTRALIANS living in Auckland are joining a global movement calling for the safe return of more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped in Nigeria last month. A report from Australia said the protest march in support of the #BringBackOurGirls Campaign will take place up Queen Street in central Auckland

at midday today to Aotea Square.

“My heart breaks not only for the girls, but for their mothers, brothers, aunties and uncles, sisters and grandparents,” says protest organiser, Auckland University student Lydia Hollister-Jones. She added, "we simply can’t afford to sit idly by and wait for the rest of the world

to respond. We have to stand up for the return of these precious girls.”

Amnesty International New Zealand executive director Grant Bayldon will speak at the march, which he says is an important opportunity for Aucklanders to call on Nigerian authorities and

supporting countries to do everything in their power to secure the safe release of the girls. #BringBackOurGirls rallies have been held around the world and many people have called for the girls’ release, including US First Lady Michelle Obama and former Australian prime minister Helen Clark.

resume its flight and travel the remaining 1,300 miles to Accra.

The RAF has lost more than 8,000 airmen in defence cuts since 2010, while having to keep aircraft flying in operations in Afghanistan and elsewhere.

A recent air safety watchdog report warned the cuts and a shortage of skilled technicians were increasing the risk of accidents.

The captives are believed to have been driven into the nearby Sambisa Forest, and there are unconfirmed reports some have been forced to marry militant fighters in mass weddings and others have been smuggled across the border to Cameroon. Nigeria’s military says near-daily aerial bombardments of the forest that began in mid-January were stopped to avoid accidentally hitting the girls.

Urhobo youths flay abduction

A

YOUTH group, Urhobo Youth Leaders Association, has condemned the abduction of more than 200 school girls from Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State

by Boko Haram insurgents over a month ago. The group in a statement by its President, Comrade Francis Arhiyor, described the act as unreligious and barbaric, and called on the sect members to release the girls unconditionally.

It stated that all Nigerians irrespective of their political affiliations should rallied round Mr. President and the various security agencies to effect the immediate release of the girls, and to stop playing politics with the life of the innocent girls.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014—59

My husband will protect you, Mrs. Fayemi tells women voters

BY GBENGA ARIYIBI

T

HE wife of Ekiti State Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi has urged women supporting her husband not to be afraid of coming out on Election Day saying that her husband would use his office to protect them.

Besides, she has also assured voters in the state of her husband’s continued devotion to their welfare if elected for a second term. Speaking against the background of reports of violence on Election Day and fears of Election Day apathy, Mrs. Fayemi yesterday reminded women and all voters not to be deceived by the machination of her husband’s political rivals.

Mrs Fayemi was speaking at Iye Ekiti yesterday in Ilejemeje Local Government Area of Ekiti State during a rally for market

•Fayemi

men and women.

While noting that women would be given a pride of place if her husband is re-elected, Fayemi said her husband was running on his track record of solid achievements unlike the candidates of other parties.

“Members of opposition are threatening that they will

bombard the State with soldiers, police and other security agencies to scare the people from voting. This is a blatant lie and you have to discountenance such.

“The Fayemi-led administration will provide adequate security for you to vote that day. Nobody can harass you just because you want to perform your civic responsibility”, Mrs Fayemi stated.

She told the women to begin a house-to –house campaign with the intention to garner more supports for her husband.

Speaking at the occasion, the APC Woman Leader in the State, Mrs Funke Owoseeni, assured that women will benefit more if Fayemi is reelected to steer the ship of the state. “I am 100 percent sure that my husband will defeat other candidates in this election. He

will win hands down because he is running on a solid track records,” Mrs. Fayemi said.

“Our consistent canvass for votes is not that we are jittery but to ensure that no voter is left behind. We have to sensitize our people and increase the advocacy for voters’ education to prevent apathy. “We have gone round all the farmsteads and this is for us to be familiar with the challenges being faced in those communities.

This will form part of the strategies to tackle social and economic problems at the grassroots during the second term of this administration”.

Mrs Fayemi who had earlier visited Oye town, advised women to troop out en masse and vote for her husband on the day of election and keep vigil to ensure that their votes count.

We won’t use card readers for polls — INEC

BY DAPO AKINREFON

T

HE Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Ekiti State has ruled out the possibility of the commission using card readers for the conduct of the governorship elections.

The commission, however, expressed optimism that it is prepared to conduct a free, fair and credible governorship election in the state.

INEC’s head of public relations in Ekiti State, Mr Gbadegeshin Taiwo, in a chat with Vanguard, said “the commission is fully prepared and we have put up measures in place to ensure we have free, fair and credible elections. We have been holding series of stakeholders’ forum meeting at the state and local level to ensure that we have a peaceful atmosphere.”

Promising that the elections in Ekiti state will not end like the previously conducted polls in Anambra state and Ondo state, the commission’s image maker said “let me arrest that perception, we need to change our mindset.

We have had all arrangements in place to ensure that we have a successful elections in Ekiti State.

I am assuring you that nonsensitive materials have arrived and we have distributed same to local government offices.”

The commission, he said has embarked on voters’ sensitization programmes on radio and television.

He said “we know of logistic

arrangements and we have put everything in paper but we do not anticipate any logistic problems.

We have trained the youth corners and we are still retraining them, that does not mean when it is time for elections we will not train them, we will still train them because we do not want them to mishandle the documents. INEC has embarked on series of measures to ensure security of the

process.”

He further dispelled speculations on the possibility of the commission using the card readers to conduct the June 21 governorship elections.

He words: “Like it has been rumored that we are going to use card readers for the governorship election, we are not going to use card readers to conduct elections in Ekiti and Osun states, but we are going to use card readers

during the 2015 general elections.

These are part of the measures to arrest misconduct in the process.

We are going to get there one day. On our part, I am assuring you that we are providing a level playing ground for all political parties and candidates, we do not have any sacred cow among them. We do not have preference for any of them.”

Fayose accuses Fayemi of taking all hotel rooms

BY GBENGA ARIYIBI

T

HE PDP candidate, Mr. Ayo Fayose has accused his APC rival and incumbent governor of the State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi of seeking to block him out of the race by booking all available hotel spaces in the state throughout the month of June.

Mr. Fayose accused Fayemi of using the state’s funds amounting to more than N100 million in the exercise.

The allegation was quickly dismissed by Fayemi who described it as a non issue not to be discussed.

According to a statement issued by the Director General of Ayo Fayose Campaign Organisation (AFCO), Chief Dipo Anisulowo in Ado Ekiti yesterday, the State Government has committed the sum of N100 million of public fund to book for spaces in the hotels to the disadvantage of other political

•Fayose

parties.

The campaign organization equally alleged that the state government is owing the hoteliers a substantial sum of money, describing the government’s action as admittance of fear.

Fayose said it was wicked for the State Government that

refused to pay its hotel bills for over six months to have suddenly realised that it needed to pay over N100 million to book hotels just because of election.

“If they like, let them pay for all hotel rooms in Ekiti, let them pay for all farmlands and even vacant residential accommodations in Ekiti, they won’t survive defeat on June 21. They can also go a step further in the demonstration of their wickedness and desperation by booking the air that we breathe so that no one will be able to breathe because of the June 21 election.

“Whatever devilish actions that they take between now and June 21, they cannot escape defeat in the election because Ekiti people are tired of their government of deceit.”

But the APC’s Director of Publicity in the state, Mr Segun Dipe has dismissed the allegation,describing it as “non issue”

Accord Party frowns at violence STORIES BY DAPO AKINREFON

A

CCORD party has expressed concern over the level of insecurity in the sate saying politics is not a do or die affair and urged them to look up to God who only can set up a king.

Addressing party supporters at Ijero-Ekiti yesterday, the gubernatorial candidate of Accord party , Mr Kole Ajayi stated that the level of violence among APC, Labour and PDP supporters is embarrassing and called on security agencies to be decisive in order to apprehend the thugs of the three parties who use weapons to cause disorder.

Ajayi specifically referred to the shoot-out between APC and Labour at Ilawe-Ekiti yesterday where innocent people were trapped in the cross fire between the two parties.

Ajayi advised the contenders to see that it is only “God that crowns the King and that the electioneering campaign should be pursued without rancour. “

Voters rush to collect voters card

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ITH the Ekiti State governorship elections less than 40 days away, registered voters in the state are determined to ensure that they vote and that their votes count.

Already, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has given a deadline for the collection of Permanent Voters Card (PVC) and to ensure they meet up with the deadline, electorates have been laying siege at the local government headers of INEC to pick up their cards.

When Vanguard visited the Ado-Ekiti local government headquarters of INEC, a huge crowd were struggling to check their names and collect their cards.

Jonathan to visit Ekiti

B

ARRING any last minute change, President Goodluck Jonathan will on Thursday visit Ekiti State to present the PDP flag to the party ’s governorship candidate, Mr Ayodele Fayose.

President Jonathan is expected to lead chieftains of the PDP to the rally, expected to hold at the Oluyemi Kayode Stadium.

It will be recalled that the PDP was denied usage of the stadium, a development which drew criticisms from the party.

60 — 60—

Vanguard, TUESD AY, MAY 20, 2014 TUESDA

with their lives? So my simple message is that Nigeria should remove the restrictions and give women a choice,” Mabogunje stressed.

In his contribution, a professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Prof Brian Adinma, and President Elect of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Nigeria, SOGON, called for passage of the VAPP Bill to help minimise the complications of unsafe pregnancy termination.

Rehabilitation: Adinma, who is also Coordinator of the South East PacNet, South East zone, said the current galvanisation is now towards making the legislature pass the VAPP Bill, arguing that if Mr. President signed it, it would do a lot towards minimising violence against women particularly.

Unfortunate incident • The abducted girls.

Chibok Girls, unwanted pregnancy and the VAPP Bill F

ROM several perspectives, the abduction of over 200 girls from Government Secondary School, Chibok in Borno State, can largely be described as a major cog in the wheel of progress for the girl child, in terms of education, health and overall wellbeing.

Ahead of the girls’ anticipated release, the coalition of reproductive health partners has set in motion machinery to provide psychosocial, physiological and even psychiatric support and services to cater for their rehabilitation and reintegration into the community.

However, no one is in doubt about the indelible scars of their traumatic experience.

Sexual and reproductive health: One of the main concerns being expressed in different circles about the welfare of the abducted girls is their sexual and reproductive health.

In consideration of the high probability that most of the kidnapped girls may have been exposed to acts of sexual violence, notably rape, in the hands of their abductors, the essence of the stalemated passage of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition, VAPP, Bill once again comes to the fore.

The VAPP Bill is a proposed legislation that defines violence, seeks to eliminate violence in private and public life, prohibits

all forms of violence including physical, sexual, psychological, domestic, harmful traditional practices, discrimination against persons and provides all round protection and effective remedies as well as punishments of offenders. Although the Imo State House of Assembly was first to pass the VAPP Bill into law in the country, it is yet to really get a foothold in other states, even as its passage is pending before the National Assembly.

Last week, at a gathering of reproductive health advocates working for the protection of women’s health and advocating women’s reproductive health and rights, the calls for passage of the VAPP Bill became more strident.

Forms of violence The forum, put together by Ipas Nigeria, was yet another platform to highlight the need for passage of laws that would protect women, children and even men from various forms of violence.

One year after it was passed by the House of Reps, the VAPP Bill has scaled the first reading at the Senate. The Chibok Girls' abduction saga is yet another reason to ensure it becomes Law. Need for VAPP Law: Consensus at the forum was that, had there been a VAPP Law in place at this time, women and

girls who fall victims of rape such as the Chibok case, would automatically have the chance to choice of what to do with an eventual pregnancy from such trauma. Lamenting the limited access to reproductive health services for women and girls who are often victims of sexual violence, rape and incest, particpants at the forum reiterated the need for review of the nation’s restrictive and obsolete laws due to the Human Rights implications of unsafe abortion.

With pressure mounting on the Senate to urgently pass the Bill into Law to give every girl, woman and others, choice of keeping or safely terminating of any pregnancy that may result from acts of sexual violence, the argument for choice is carrying the day.

Call for Choice: “It is about choice. If a Chibok Girl wishes to keep a pregnancy, fine. If she does not want to keep the pregnancy, she must be allowed to make a choice,” said Ipas Country Director, Dr. Nihinlola Mabogunje, who said she has been speaking to people from Maiduguri on the issue.

“Why don’t we make sure these girls do not have added trauma to their lives? “What is happening to those girls? If they are raped and get pregnant, doesn’t it give you and I food for thought? It’s something we need to think of. Certainly if they are pregnant by rape, the parents

may not likely want them to keep the pregnancy and something would be done. What is done, only God knows.

“If they have opportunity to have information, they would probably secure safe abortion, but if they have no information, they will certainly go to quacks. In the next 5-10 years when these girls get married and they cannot have a child and they start going

,

BY SOLA OGUNDIPE

Describing the Chibok abduction as an unfortunate incident, he said the girls could be fully rehabilitated if handled right. “The Chibok Girls would require rehabilitation. We should key into the plans that the international agencies have for them. First, each of the girls should be treated as an individual because each will have various experiences and we would try to see how to debrief them.

“They have been brainwashed, so we will have to de-brainwash them as much as possible. This de-brainwashing will involve personal assessment and must be thorough,” he remarked Recently, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation,

It is about choice. If a Chibok Girl wishes to keep a pregnancy, fine. If she does not want to keep the pregnancy, she must be allowed to make a choice from one place to another, it will then dawn on us the need to have taken the right action when it really mattered.”

Message to government: Recalling that in Ghana, a woman is allowed to terminate her pregnancy if she is raped or pregnant through incest, she said that country removed the restriction on the law in 1998.

Today, Ghana’s maternal mortality ratio is better than that of Nigeria.

“My strong message is that if I can save the life of 11 women out of 100 dying of unsafe abortion, if I can remove that risk, then why don’t we embrace this same law and remove the restriction to allow women who are raped or who become pregnant through incest to take a choice on what they want to do

,

IHME, at the University of Washington reported that even though nearly every region of the world has seen accelerated rates of decline in maternal deaths since the establishment of the MDGs, in 2013, 293,000 women still died due to complications related to pregnancy and childbirth. A sizeable proportion of the deaths was as a result of unsafe abortions.

A scrutiny of the scorecards published by Africa Health, Human & Social Development Information Service (Afri-Dev. Info) in partnership with Africa Coalition on Maternal Newborn and Child Health, and Pan African Campaign Against Forced Marriage of Under Age Children also underline the impact of unwanted pregnancy on maternal health.

Vanguard, TUESD AY, MAY 20, 2014 —61 TUESDA

Drug inconsistency hampers management of hypertension

BY CHIOMA OBINNA

T

WO years ago when Joseph Egbuniwu, 35, was diagnosed hypertensive, he could afford to buy the drugs prescribed for him. However, things took a turn for the worse a year ago when he lost his job. Today, Joseph can no longer afford to buy his medication. He is dependent on Good Samaritans.

One day, he was at home when suddenly he fell on the floor. He was unresponsive and efforts to revive him proved abortive. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where doctors discovered his blood pressure was abnormally high. After further examination, doctors announced he just had a stroke.

Joseph is one of millions of Nigerians who cannot afford to buy their hypertensive drugs.

Silent killer: Latest report by the World Health Organisation, WHO, shows that one in every three adults globally is hypertensive.

A recent community-based study of rural and semi-urban population in Enugu, Nigeria put the prevalence of hypertension in Nigeria at 32.8 percent in urban areas and 12.4 percent in rural area, a situation that urgently demands massive awareness among the Nigerian people.

Hypertension is known as “the silent killer”. Many Nigerians are not aware of this silent killer and for those who are aware, they often neglect it while the cost of

managing the problem is seriously taking a toll on some sufferers.

Economic challenge: Today, many Nigerians, due to current economic challenges, are predisposed to increased stress, unhealthy lifestyles and poor physical activity.

Statistics show that the prevalence of hypertension in the country is estimated at 20- 30 percent.

Cost of Management Treatment for hypertension is the main reason for admission of persons aged 35 and above.

Unfortunately, many confirmed hypertensive patients are unable to access essential care and treatment.

Globally, approximately USD $59 billion was annually by 1999 (up from about $38 billion spent in 1991) in addressing hypertension.

While cases of hypertension are expected to rise as population ages, an estimated 75 percent of amount spent on hypertension is related to hospitalisation cost.

While this disease condition has assumed an epidemic dimension, there is an enormous financial burden associated with the disease as treatment of hypertension requires an investment over many years to ensure disease-free years among those affected.

Hospital investigations show that patients with hypertension

only during periodic hospital visits and follow advice of healthcare professionals.”

President of the Nigeria Heart Federation, NHF, Dr Kingsley Akinroye, notes that high blood pressure that goes undetected or not properly controlled can lead to heart attack, heart failure, kidney failure, stroke or premature death.

“Because hypertension has few early symptoms, many people are not aware they have it and this is why it is important to get blood pressure checked regularly.”

Interview: In a recent interview, to keep blood pressure in check, a Consultant Cardiologist, at the University Teaching Hospital Ilorin, Dr. Philip Kolo said treatment of HBP actually starts from correct diagnosis and that regular monitoring of blood pressure will prevent complications of hypertension.

are placed on a minimum of three are worried about the policy of the drug therapies, depending on the country on hypertension – severity of the disease condition. whether diagnosis, treatment or With the cost of most anti- prevention. hypertensive drugs ranging from Managing Director, New N200 per therapy, a minimum of Heights Pharmacy, official N54,750 ($342.2) is spent partner, Omron Healthcare in annually on a single drug therapy, Nigeria, Ogheneochuka aside indirect costs, in a country Omaraye, it has become a public where millions live on less than health concern as youths in their a dollar a day. early 30s are prone to Currently, about six percent of hypertension, a situation which Nigerians are covered by health not only reduces life expectancy insurance. These include civil but threatens the nation’s servants working for the Federal economic life since the productive government and women and part of the population is at risk. children under the Maternal and Risk: “The risk of developing Child Health Project, which is high blood pressure can be funded by the US government, reduced by reducing salt intake, USAID. engaging in physical activity, Research: Research shows that maintaining a healthy body urbanisation brings risks other weight; and avoiding tobacco use. than sedentary lifestyles and Adults are encouraged to check unhealthy diet. City life has their blood pressure regularly not implications for levels of stress and loss of family cohesion as well as it cuts across gender and socioeconomic status.

The Federal government in 2011 had inaugurated a Technical Working Group to come up with patriotic, articulate and cost effective framework for the country.

The Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu who is the Chairman of the Committee had listed hypertension as one of the •L-R: Abiola Abdul, Regional Manager, West; Olayinka Ebenezer, Product NCDs to be tackled, no Manager; Omaruaye Ogheneochuko, Managing Director; Olubunmi significant recommendations Omaruaye, Director of Operation; and Felix Anyanwu, Regional Manager, has been made to tackle the East; all of New Heights Pharma Ltd, the official business partner for Omron menace of NCDs. Observers HealthCare in Nigeria, at the media parley held in Lagos to commemorate with the World Hypertension Day. Photo Lamidi Bamidele

COMMON SEXUAL PROBLEMS AND THEIR NOVELTY BASED SOLUTIONS (ADVERTORIAL)

H

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C M Y K

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62 — Vanguard, TUESDAY MAY 20, 2014

Drogba leaves Galatasaray D

IDIER Drogba has confirmed that he will be leaving Galatasaray.

The Ivory Coast star took to Instagram to reveal the news and say his goodbyes to the Turkish fans.

He wrote: ‘Dear Fans, dear brothers, dear sisters, since day one of my arrival thanks to you all, I felt at home here in Turkey.

‘Sharing, seeing, feeling the passion, sincerity and warm hospitality of My Turkish people is trully unforgettable.

The 36-year-old striker could be set for a sen-

sational return to former club Chelsea with reports claiming that Jose Mourinho is keen for Drogba to return to Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea fans would surely welcome Drogba back to Stamford Bridge with open arms after his last kick of a ball for the Blues handed them their first ever Champions League title in 2012.

Whether Drogba plans to prolong his playing career is still unknown, but his success in Turkey went some way to proving that there’s life in the old Drog yet.

Man City offer Sagna £150,000-a-week B

ACARY Sagna is expected to arrive at Manchester City on Monday to hold formal talks with the Barclays Premier

•Sagna

Rooney attacks ‘disgusting’ media for following him in Portugal

W

•Drogba

Mangala set to snub Man City for Chelsea

E

LIAQUIM Man gala could snub Manchester City for Chelsea after the £35mvalued central defender stated he would prefer a move to the west London club because of its location in the capital.

City are targeting at least one top-class central defender this summer and the 23-year-old is Manuel Pellegrini’s first choice. The manager came close to buying Mangala in the January window but the deal broke down after Porto failed to agree a price with City.

With Joleon Lescott due to leave the champions and doubts over Martín Demichelis and Matija Nastasic’s abili-

•Mangala

ty to perform against elite Champions League opposition, Pellegrini believes Mangala has the requisite quality.

Yet the France defender, who is also interesting Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain, appears to favour Chelsea.

AYNE Rooney has described the English media as “disgusting” for being in Portugal to report on the England striker while he is on a break there with his family.

The 28-year-old is in the country with his wife, Colleen, and two sons, along with two fitness experts as he keeps himself fit following a groin strain that caused him to miss the last three matches of the season for Manchester United. The forward last featured on 26 April.

In a tweet he posted

on Sunday the Liverpudlian wrote: “Disgusting that English press have flew out to Portugal to follow me while I’m with my children.”

While in Portugal Rooney has been photographed with his family and he has also posted videos of himself keeping fit in which Kai, his son, has featured. He also approved the publication of a photo of Kai in an England shirt on Twitter, so his tweet regarding the press may lead to accusations of double standards.

League champions.

Just hours after attending Arsenal’s trophy parade on the streets of Islington following their FA Cup final win over Hull, the France international could conclude his anticipated deal to City later on Monday.

Sagna would hold formal discussions with City chiefs this week.

Sagna meets up with France’s World Cup party later this week and wants his future decided before the tournament to ensure he heads to Brazil with a clear head.

If everything goes according to plan, the right-back could even undergo his City medical on Monday.

•Rooney

F/Eagles star, Yahaya set for Tottenham pre-season

BY JACOB AJOM

N

IGERIA youth international, Musa Yahaya is primed for a return to his parent club, Tottenham Hotspurs before the beginning of the next season after a loan spell with Spanish club Celta Vigo.

According to the player’s agent, Babawo Mohammed, “Yahaya is a Spurs player. He will return to Spurs early enough for the pre-season because he is billed for the training tour.”

In a telephone chat with Sports Vanguard, Babawu who also manages Chidera Eze, Akinjide Idowu, Aliyu Abubakar

and Alfa Abdullahi all members of the World Cup-winning U-17 squad in UAE last year and part of the present Flying Eagles squad said contrary to media reports that the players have been given out cheap, they are all happy and gainfully engaged with top European clubs.

“Yahaya is with Tottenham, on loan with Celta Vigo, Chidera is with FC Porto U-19 team in Portugal, Aliyu Abubakar is with Swedish club AIK Djurgen while Alfa and Idowu are going to Norway to sign up with Sogndal FC.” He said he would be the last person to negotiate poor contracts for players

as he is an experienced agent who once played football at a professional level, albeit locally. “I must remind you that these kids are yet to sign professional contracts because they are still minors. However, by next year all of them will be up

to age to sign professional contracts. Indeed, Idowu and Alfa will be 18 this year while Musa, Chidera and Yahaya will be next year.”

Babawo said he never gets involved in club-toclub negotiations in the process of effecting players’ transfers. “I allow

the player ’s club to negotiate with the buying club. I only concentrate on the players’ welfare and personal terms. And I tell you all my players are happy because I involve even the parents in the negotiations. We all travel together.”

Van Gaal‘s new United coach

M

ANCHESTER United have confirmed Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal will manage the club next season.

“Louis van Gaal will take over as manager of Manchester United from the 2014/15 season,”

read a statement on the Red Devils’ official website.

The 62-year-old has signed a three-year contract at Old Trafford, and will take over the English club after leading Holland at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

•Van Gaal

Vanguard, TUESDAY MAY 20, 2014 — 63

08053068728

British coaches, referee hold clinic in Delta T HE partnership deal between Zenith Bank and the Delta State Football Association has raised the stakes in corporate governance as three Britons will jet into the country to conduct a - one week clinic for coaches, referees, match assessors and Match Commissioners in Delta State.

Expected to lead the experts from London, UK is Mark Ellis, a former assistant Coach of Arsenal Football Club and a respected UEFA and English FA Coach, Harry George Agombar, a Coach and former professional football player with Tottenham and Arsenal FC and Neil Swarbrick, a current EPL

•Okagbare

referee who was at the centre when Chelsea FC drew at home against Norwich City few weeks ago in the just-concluded English season.

The Warri City Stadium which is the venue of this year ’s edition of the coaching Clinic, hosted a similar programme last year when Mark Ellis came in company of Jeff Winter, a retired EPL referee and Andrew Douglas, Director of Arsenal International Football Academy worldwide, with Zenith Bank as sponsors.

In a chat, Mr. Amaju Melvin Pinnick, Chairman of the Delta State FA, said the training for the coaches and referees became imperative because of the

technical dynamism and depth of the game of football. Mr. Pinnick regretted that despite Nigeria’s towering status in the football fraternity, smaller footballing countries such as Seychelles and Djibouti have their referees on duty in the World Cup. “We must do all we can to train and re-train our Coaches and Referees with some of the best hands, to better their lots, for optimal performance”, he declared.

Meanwhile, the Board of the Delta FA in a press statement has expressed its gratitude to the CBN Governor-designate, Mr. Godwin Emefiele for nurturing the relationship between Zenith Bank and the FA.

Okagbare’s sterling performance excites NOC President B

LESSING Okag bare’s heart-warming performance at the IAAF Diamond League in Shangai, China on Sunday has been described as a good omen for Team Nigeria as the zero hour approaches swiftly for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

Okagbare, the reigning African Champion and World silver medalist sparkled yet again in China in the Women’s Long Jump and 200m to heighten hopes of a good outing for Team Nigeria in Glasgow to knock off the ugly outing of Team Nigeria at the London 2012 Olympic Games where Nigeria did not win any medal.

Leading the cheer group for Okagbare and Team Nigeria is President of Nigeria Olympic Committee, NOC, Engr Sani M. Ndanusa who hailed Okagbare as a true blessing for Nigeria. ‘’I could not hold back tears of joy when I watched her on TV soaring higher in the Long Jump and moments later she brought her grace and elegance to bear in the tracks’’. She was a beauty to behold and indeed her commanding

performances are worthy of celebrating. It is more so knowing that the Commonwealth Games is knocking on our doors. It is an indication of good tidings for Team Nigeria as we prepare for Glasgow

2014'’, Ndanusa who also is the President of Nigeria Tennis Federation said.

Okagbare took the Long Jump with a leap of 6.86m (+0.1) in round 1 ahead of national record-breaking Ivana Spanovic of Serbia (6.85m, +0.3) to move second on the 2014 world

•••Sports Minister hails her

M

INISTER of Sports and Chairman, National Sports Commission, NSC, Dr. Tammy Danagogo has hailed Africa’s fastest woman and Nigerian sprinter, Blessing Okagbare for her double medal effort at the 2014 IAAF Diamond League in Shanghai, China last Sunday.

The 2008 Olympics bronze medalist has by this feat set a meet record in both the long Jump and 200m where she leapt 6.86m and returned in a time of 22.36 seconds, beating Anthonique Strachan of the Bahamas who returned in a time of 22.50 seconds to the second position.

Dr. Danagogo said that Okagbare’s efforts were commendable, stressing that the feat was a morale booster for the Delta-born athlete’s preparation for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow,

Scotland.

“This is cheering news for the athletics family and Nigeria in general considering that preparation for the 2014 Commonwealth Games is on now. The result will further boost her morale to train harder for the Glasgow Games,” he said.

While urging Okagbare not to rest on her oars, the Minister said everything would be done to assist Okagbare and all other athletes preparing for the Commonwealth Games to ensure that the country places well at the Games.

list.

Two hours later Okagbare, who skipped her last three jump attempts to rest, made it two from two at the 2014 IAAF Diamond League in Shanghai with another meet record of 22.36 seconds in the women’s 200m, just five hundredths outside her personal best.

Keshi

Continues from BP he thinks his Eagles could win the World Cup as predicted by Sports Minister Tamuno Danagogo. He did not hesitate to answer in the affirmative. ‘’We can win the World Cup. Those who win the World Cup do not have two heads. If the Minister said so, I pray to God that it is so. All we need to do to win is to concentrate, be free from injuries and take the matches as they come’’.

Keshi also said that the prayers of Nigerians for his team have been a

Van Gaal Continues from BP And Van Gaal later claimed that he and his star man are on the same wavelength, both on and off the pitch.

“He is my captain,” he said. “He is my top

‘’I also salute the Governor of Delta State, Dr Emmauel Uduaghan for investing on Okagbare. ‘’As Nigerians celebrate Okagbare, we at the Olympic family also celebrate Governor Uduaghan for his tireless efforts in encouraging our sports men and women’’, Ndanusa emphasised.

scorer in the one-and-ahalf years that he has played under me. He became all-time top scorer of the Dutch team, he plays superb football and even coming back from a bad injury, he

motivation and asked Nigerians to rally behind the team to do well in Brazil. ‘’The Super Eagles of 1994 is still regarded as the best team ever for Nigeria. The team was made up of men and above all, they had the support of Nigerians.

That is what I want. The support of Nigerians.

We’re getting to that level. The players also appreciate the support of Nigerians. We need it because as they say, united we stand, divided we fall’’, he said to a rapturous applause.

On the Matchmakers scores a fantastic, unbelievable goal.

“I was happy with his performance, but he is also a fantastic captain.

I think you always make a player captain when you have the same morals and philosophy.

•Swarbrick

Pillar of sports Continues from BP

pressed happiness that the Super Eagles are going to Brazil as African champions, adding that Nigeria will excel at the soccer fiesta.

He then charged Keshi and his wards to make Nigerians proud at the World Cup. “What makes me happy is that we are going to Brazil as champions of Africa and I would be glad to reward each goal scored by the Eagles with the sum of $1 000.

“I am satisfied with Nigeria’s provisional squad and I know those that will be selected for the final list would definitely soar in Brazil,” Ejidike said.

Nigeria are in Group F and will face serious competition from Iran, Bosnia and Argentina.

Award, Keshi said that the award would spur him to greater heights. ‘’I thank Nigerians for the overwhelming support they have been giving to me. I also thank the Media because they have been supportive. My goal is to bring joy to Nigerians. I know how Nigerians react when the Super Eagles win.

There is still a lot of work to be done. This award(looking at the gold-plated award) will push me to do more for Nigeria and for Africa.

“Abeg, make we come together”, he said in his usual whimsical smile.

VANGUARD, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014

Van Gaal: RVP is my captain M

We can win World Cup — Keshi

•Van Persie

Continues on Page 63

Pillar of sports dangles $1,000 per goal reward at Eagles

BY TONY UBANI

S

UPER Eagles coach Stephen Keshi said yesterday that Nigeria can win the World Cup. ‘’Yes, Nigeria can win the World Cup. Those who win the World Cup, do they have two heads?’’, Keshi asked yesterday after collecting his award as the best Nigerian coach presented to him by Chief Executive Officer of Matchmakers Consult, Shina Philips at the Ibis Hotel, off International Airport road, Lagos.

Keshi was reacting to a question on whether Continues on Page 63

ANCHESTER United manager Louis van Gaal has given a clear indication that Robin van Persie will be handed the captain’s armband when he takes over at Old Trafford.

The striker has been Netherlands skipper for the past year and a half and demonstrated his authority with a brilliant volley in his country’s 11 draw with Ecuador earlier this week.

P

ILLAR of Sports in Nigeria, Chief Donatus Agu Ejidike has promised to reward each goal scored by the Super Eagles in this year ’s FIFA World Cup in Brazil with the sum of $1 000.

Ejidike, made the pledge yesterday while addressing members of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) in Abuja.

The businessman ex Continues on Page 63

Martínez is new Barça boss

F

MATCHMAKERS — Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi (r), Paul Bassey(l) and referee Jelili Ogunmuyiwa (m) after receiving their awards yesterday from Matchmakers Consult.

C Barcelona have confirmed that Luis Enrique Martínez has signed a contract to coach the club until June 2016.

Luis Enrique, who takes over from ‘Tata’ Martino in the Camp

Nou dugout, played for Barcelona between 1996 and 2004, and coached their B-team between 2008 and 2011.

He then went on to coach Roma, and last season, Celta de Vigo.

QUICK CROSSWORD

TODAY'S

PUZZLE

YESTER DAY'S YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 1 Die (6) 5 Torn (6) 9 Relaxed (5) 10 Ejected (6) 11 Thought (6) 12 Revolt (5) 14 Final (4) 17 Stitch (3) 18 Guide (4) 20 Go in (5) 22 Oath (5) 23 Well-liked (7) 24 Call on (5) 26 Spree (5) 29 Tart (4) 30 Wager (3) 32 Fruit (4) 33 Pattern (5) 35 Writer (6) 36 Prying (6) 37 Dissuade (5) 38 Deserved (6) 39 Sore (6)

DOWN 1 Folk (6) 2 Oppose (6) 3 Prophet (4) 4 Hell (5) 5 Renovate (5) 6 Hero (4) 7 Schoolbook (6) 8 Strip (6) 13 Perplexed (7) 15 Caper (5) 16 Lukewarm (5) 18 Enticed (5) 19 Advantage (5) 21 Decay (3) 22 Vehicle (3) 24 Empty (6) 25 Relative (6) 27 Diverse (6) 28 Account-book (6) 30 Drilled (5) 31 Principle (5) 33 Method (4) 34 Learning (4)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 4, Spite 7, Atomic 9, Fir 10, Tor 12, Local 13, Pair 15, Melon 17, Virago 19, Gate 20, Niece 22, Use 24, Hapless 27, Pea 28, Plane 31, Mood 33, Stayed 35, Actor 37, Dolt 38, Piano 39, Rip 41, Cod 42, Defeat 43, Level.

DOWN: 1, Happen 2, Motive 3, Wit 4, Silo 5, Prong 6, Traction 8, Coma 11, Regulator 14, Rich 16, Lose 18, Reap 21, Impolite 23, Espy 25, Pest 26, Sled 29, Adored 30, Estate 32, Dance 34, Arid 36, Cool 40, Peg.

How to Play Sudoku

P

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

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

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

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