SUBSIDY PAYMENTS: Oil marketers dare FG

...towards a better life for the people

**

MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 2012

VOL. 25: NO. 61691

Ocean surge tragedy: Death toll rises

N150

Prison bombed in Edo, 10 inmates escape •Pg.7

•P.3

SUBSIDY PAYMENTS:

Oil marketers dare FG •Wait for court verdict, they challenge •Over N2 trillion claims outstanding •Oando, Conoil react; fuel scarcity imminent

BY CLARA NWACHUKWU

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AGOS—THE faceoff between the Federal Government and some major oil marketers over subsidy claims

deepened, yesterday, with the marketers challenging the federal government to publish the names of marketers and traders they paid subsidy claims to in 2012.

Two of the marketers, Oando and Conoil in-

Continues on Page 5

Shareholders' apathy, NUBAN policy escalate value of unclaimed dividends •PG.17

OCHEREOME NNANNA •P.41 DELE •P.33 SOBOWALE LES LEBA •P.40

Mr & Mrs EID-EL-FITR —Crowd at the Emir's Palace in Bauchi during Durbah to celebrate Eid-el-Fitr, yesterday. Inset: Police security alert at the palace during the celebration. Photos: NAN.

SPECIAL REPORT:

100 years of trade unionism in Nigeria

•The serial on Owei •Pgs.46&47 Lakemfa's latest work C M Y K

CRISIS IN AWO'S HOUSE:

Battle for Ondo tears Afenifere apart •Pgs.43-45

2—Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 2012

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Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 2012—3

The surge at Kuramo Beach, Lagos, yesterday.

Ocean surge tragedy: Death toll rises z3 more bodies recovered, 12 still missing zRescue team searching C M zLagos begins demolition of structures Y on Kuramo beach K zFun seekers shun Bar beach, others

BY OLASUNKANMI

AKONI,KINGSLEY ADEGBOYE,EVELYN USMAN, EBUN SESSOU & MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO

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AGOS—THE deathtoll in the Atlantic ocean surge which occurred at the Kuramo Beach, Victoria Island, Lagos, last Saturday has risen as the rescue team yesterday recovered three more dead bodies from the ocean, including a six year old girl, Miss Bisi Kolawole who reportedly got drowned alongside her mother and her siblings. This bring the total number of the bodies recovered so far to four out of the 16 people declared missing even as 12 persons are still missing .

One of the bodies was reportedly found Saturday night while two were found yesterday at the shore of the beach. So far, only the body of the local diver earlier found on Saturday has been identified. The local diver identified simply as Olurunwa lost his life in his attempt to save the drowning victims.

Survivor, residents recount experience Some relatives who claimed not to have seen their loved ones since the incident happened, thronged the area to ascertain whether the recovered were their relatives but left disappointed.

One of them who gave his name as Mr Salami said his brother -in-law identified as Saidi Afoju, only came to Lagos two months

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ago .

He said: “He told me he was going to Kuramo beach with a friend on Saturday.

He left about 8am. When he got to the beach , he called to say he had reached there.

And that was the end I heard of him. I have been trying his line but it is not going. He did not get back home until I left home for work that night. When I came back yesterday morning, my wife told me he had not come back. Initially, I was angry because he never told me he would not be coming back. I was still fuming when news of the ocean surge filtered in. I came here to find out if he was among those swept away. But the bodies I saw did not look like his.”

Police spokesman Spokesman for the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide said search would continue, assuring that by today more bodies would be recovered.

“As you know, it takes three days for drowned bodies to be afloat. Hopefully, by tomorrow, we hope to recover more bodies. Policemen will be there until work ends there”.

Another resident in one of the shanties who gave her name as Dupe also recounted his experience. He told newsmen that the surge, “happened very early in the morning when so many people were yet to wake up. We are still looking for some people now as we speak. We just pray that they have not been washed away by the surge”.

Consequently, the state government ordered the immediate evacuation of the state’s Waterfront residents to prevent further possible disaster from the seven days of high waves accompanied by a strong ocean surge.

One of the occupants, Akin Bayode said, the incident was sad and capable of ruining lives of Lagosians especially those who have been carrying out their businesses in the Kuramo beach.

His words: “Despite the fact that the country is rich, yet the people are suffering. The government is used to pushing people around without an adequate alternative provision."

Secretary of the Association, Mr. Micheal Onuwaje, however, faulted the number released by the government, saying “the number of those who were drowned can only be ascertained in the next few days when the ocean would have dumped the bodies on the shoreline.”

On the number of the structures that were affected by the surge, Onuwaje noted that the surge affected over 28 carbins along the shoreline.

Speaking on the directive of the state government, Chairman of the Kuramo Tourism Investors Association, Chief Zubair Alashe said they were in support of the government action, adding “it is the government of the people.”

According to Alashe, “the fact is that the government

has given us a directive that we should evacuate the beach and we are ready to do that.”

The vicious current first attacked Kuramo Beach near Goshen Estate and later spread to Alpha Beach, Mayegun and Badagry waterfronts sweeping away scores of people in the process.

Vanguard gathered that the ocean surge swooped on inhabitants of the shanties in the early hours of the day when they were still indoors, causing confusion along the coastlines.

The state government has also commenced immediate demolition and evacuation exercise of occupants in the nearby cabins and structures at Kuramo Beach to prevent any further possible loss of lives as well as allow for free movement for the reclamation process.

Over 100 of such structures were pulled down as hundreds of people have been rendered homeless and property running into millions already lost in the process.

When Vanguard team visited the scene of the incident, it was observed that the entire place had been levelled to the ground.

Decision to demolish structures Commissioner for Waterfront and Infrastructure, Mr. Adesegun Oniru, who led the state government demolition team at 12 noon, yesterday, said that the decision to demolish the entire structures at the beach was decided by the govern-

ment to save lives and property in the state.

According to Oniru, “What is happening here is nothing to panic about.

There is global warming over the world and Nigeria is not exempted.

“As the situation is now, the people who were residing here before cannot do that anymore. Kuramo beach is now a thing of the past. And until we put it back to its natural form no one should come closer to this area. It is not free for anyone to trade or live here again.”

“Anyone who was here yesterday will know that the ocean surge required quick intervention of the state and Federal Government. But as a state government, we have brought in a palliative measure to cushion the effect. We have earlier given warnings to occupants on the possible ocean surge due to climate change effect.”

“And one of the palliative measures adopted by the state government was that, we brought in heaps of sands from the ongoing construction site of the Eko Atlantic City, on Saturday, to sandfill some parts of the Beach that were submerged. And with this, we were able to vacate the owners of the structures.

“And this morning, (yesterday) in order to reduce the loss, we allowed the occupants of the structures to move into the place before we completely demolish the shanties to remove their property.

“After the demolition, major work will commence immediately before anyone can return to this place for recreation purpose in the nearest future.” He added that no one will be allowed to come closer to this place.

Oniru had earlier explained that the state is experiencing the extreme of this weather condition due to the location of Lagos State, noting that other coastal waterfront areas badly affected from which people would be expected to move include Badagry and Ojo Waterfront areas, Bar Beach, Goshen Estate, Maiyegun and Alpha Beach.

He added that the State emergency services have already been mobilized to continue to monitor the situation and respond accordingly.

Oniru then urged residents to remain calm as the government was doing everything possible to protect lives and property from the surge Also speaking, the General Manager of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Dr. Oke Osanyintolu said that the aim was to put a stop to the encroachment of

the coastline in the state by the residents.

He said the place will be cordoned-off totally, adding “We have advised those who were displaced from this place to move inward and search for better places within the state to carry out their businesses."

Environmentalist’s point of view Reacting to the surge, an environmentalist, Mr Chike Chikwendu, an engineer, noted that the surge was an annual phenomenon that had nothing to do with rainfall. He, however, attributed the surge to the distortion of the Kuramo Lagoon Chikwendu who is the General Secretary of the Friends of the Environment, FOTE, stated that nature provided the Kuramo Lagoon to act as a reservoir for such overflow of water from the ocean, but regretted that human interference with the lagoon and the massive developments around the beach, must have played a key role in the ocean surge.

According to him, water from the ocean would have been “warehoused” by the lagoon during tidal waves but noted that the distortion of the Kuramo lagoon, has made it impossible for water to percolate there.

He said: “The surge is part of human interference with nature. I can not also exonerate the ongoing development at the Eko- Atlantic City. But by and large, this is a natural phenomenon that happens every year.”

Causes of storm surge According to a recent publication, a storm surge is an offshore rise of water associated with a low pressure weather system, typically tropical cyclones and strong extratropical cyclones. Storm surges are caused primarily by high winds pushing on the ocean’ssurface.Thewindcauses the water to pile up higher than the ordinary sea level. Low pressure at the centre of a weather system also has a small secondary effect, as can the bathymetry of the body of water. It is this combined effect of low pressure and persistent wind over a shallow water body which is the most common cause of storm surge flooding problems. The term “storm surge” in casual (non-scientific) use is storm tide; that is, it refers to the rise of water associated with the storm, plus tide, wave run-up, and freshwater flooding.Whenreferencingstorm surge height, it is important to clarify the usage, as well as the reference point. National HurricaneCentrerefersto stormsurge as water height above predicted astronomicaltidelevel,andstorm tide as water height above NGVD-29. Most casualties during a tropical cyclone occur during the storm surge.

4 — Vanguard , MONDAY MONDAY,, AUGUST 20, 2012

Assange urges Obama halt “witch-hunt” W

IKILEAKS founder Julian Assange called on President Barack Obama to end a so-called “witch hunt” against his secret-spilling website, appearing in public Sunday for the first time since he took refuge two months ago inside Ecuador’s Embassy in London to avoid extradition to Sweden on sex crimes allegations.

The 41-year-old Australian, who has fought for two years against efforts to send him to Sweden for questioning over alleged sexual misconduct against two women, addressed several hundred supporters and reporters as he spoke from the small balcony of Ecuador’s mission,

watched by dozens of British police.

Ecuador ’s President Rafael Correa on Thursday granted Assange asylum and he remains out of reach of British authorities while he is inside the country’s embassy. Britain insists that if he steps outside, he will be detained and sent to Sweden, as by law it must meet the obligations of a European arrest warrant.

Assange and his supporters claim the Swedish case is merely the opening gambit in a Washington-orchestrated plot to make him stand trial in the U.S. over his work with WikiLeaks — something disputed by both Swedish

dissolve its FBI investigation. The United States must vow that it will not seek to prosecute our staff or our supporters.”

He said that in purportedly targeting WikLeaks,

Australia prepares for extradiction to US •Assange authorities and the women involved.

“I ask President Obama to do the right thing. The United States must renounce its witch hunt against WikiLeaks,” Assange said as he read aloud a written statement.

“The United States must

Australia confirmed Saturday that its diplomatic post in Washington had been preparing for Julian Assange’s possible extradition to the US but played it down as “contingency planning”.

Trade Minister Craig Emerson said the Australian embassy in Washing-

Syria: Assad makes appearance as war cripples economy

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YRIAN President Bashar Assad attended prayers in a Damascus mosque to mark the start of a Muslim holiday yesterday amid reports that Vice-President Farouq alShara tried to defect to neighbouring Jordan last week. It was Assad’s first public appearance in public since the bombing last month that killed four of his top security officials.

The July 18 rebel bombing of the state-security headquarters in the capital was a major blow to Assad. His brother-in-law was among the four killed officials.

president had been working since the start of the uprising to reach a political solution to end the bloodshed. Shara welcomed the

ITT Romney ’s campaign released two years of vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan’s tax returns Friday, which show that he and his wife paid a 15.9 percent effective tax rate on an adjusted gross income of $215,417 in 2010 and a 20 percent rate on $323,416 in 2011—a weighted average of just over 18 percent for both years. The documents were posted Friday on Romney’s campaign website alongside Romney’s financial disclosures.

On top of Ryan’s $174,000 annual salary as congressman, he reported earning dividends of $29,987 in 2011 and $26,052 in 2010, the doc-

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appointment of veteran Algerian diplomat Lakhdar Brahimi as a new international mediator for Syria, it added.

ton had been “getting prepared for the possibility of an extradition” but stressed that there was nothing unusual in diplomats bracing for all eventualities.

“The embassy is doing its job, just to be in a position to advise the government if it believed that an extradition effort was imminent. There is no evidence of such an extradition effort,” Emerson told ABC television.

“All that was happening is that the post in Washington was doing some contingency planning in the event that such an eventuality arose.”

US Naval ship visits Nigeria

BY EVELYN USMAN

•Assad A cousin of Shara’s announced his defection last week, saying that he called on the army to join the “revolution” against Assad. But state media said the vice

As part of the collaboration efforts between the United States Navy and the Nigerian Navy, a United States Ship, HSV2 SWIFT is scheduled to pay a port call to Nigeria from August 20 to August 25, 2012.

The Ship will arrive and berth at Apapa port today.

Romney’s VP nominee releases six tax returns

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the U.S. risked “dragging us all into a dark, repressive world in which journalists live under fear of prosecution.” The White House declined comment.

uments show. The Ryan family gave $15,591 to charity over that two-year period, most of which— $12,991—was donated in 2011. According to financial disclosure documents filed earlier, Ryan’s net worth ranges between $2 million and $7.7 million.

A statement issued by the Western Naval Command of the Nigerian Navy, Apapa and signed by the command’s spokesman, Lieutenant Commander Jerry Omodara , explained that the ship Company would be involved in professional training programmes with the Nigerian Navy in various areas which included Port Security Assessment Methodology, Basic Infantry Leadership Training, Hydrography, Marine Corp Martial Arts among others. Other activities according to the statement, included a visit by the Commanding Officer of the Ship to Oba Riwan Akiolu of Lagos, the Flag Officers Commanding, Western Naval Command and Naval Training Command.

Meanwhile agency reports yesterday said the U.S. Navy’s oldest commissioned warship will sail under its own power for just the second time in more than a century to commemorate the battle that won it the nickname “Old Ironsides.”

The USS Constitution, which was first launched in 1797, will be tugged from its berth in Boston Harbor on Sunday to the main deepwater pathway into the harbor. It will then set out to open seas for a 10minute cruise.

The short trip marks the day two centuries ago when the Constitution bested the British frigate HMS Guerriere in a fierce battle during the War of 1812.

•Romney

Russians sue Maddona for supporting gay rights

S

OME Russian activ ists have sued Madonna for millions of dollars, claiming they were offended by her support for gay rights during a recent concert in St. Petersburg.

Anti-gay sentiment is strong in Russia. In St. Petersburg, a law passed in February makes it illegal to promote homosex-

uality to minors, and the author of that law has pointed to the presence of children as young as 12 at Madonna’s concert on Aug. 9. Russian news agencies quote Alexander Pochuyev, a lawyer representing the nine activists, as saying the suit was filed Friday against Madonna.

Embattled South African miners

Lonmin orders striking miners back to work

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TRIKING workers at the world’s No. 3 platinum producer Lonmin, where 44 people have been killed in a week of violence, face possible dismissal if they do not return to work on Monday, a company spokeswoman said.

Last week, 34 people were gunned down by police in a hail of bullets from automatic weapons when authorities moved in against 3,000 striking workers armed with machetes, spears and handguns who were camped on a hill at Lonmin’s Marikana mine, about 100 km (60 miles) northwest of Johannesburg. “The final ultimatum has been extended to Monday, the 20th following Thursday’s events,” spokeswoman said. Gillian Findlay said yesterday. “Employees may be dismissed if they fail to heed the final ultimatum,” she said.

London-based Lonmin accounts for 12 percent of global platinum output. It is already struggling with low prices, weak demand and may miss its annual production target of 750,000 ounces as the quarter to the end of September is typically its best.

The strike was sparked by a turf war between the powerful National Union of Mineworkers and the upstart Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union, which has accused NUM of caring more about politics than workers in mine shafts.

NUM has been a breeding ground of leaders for the ruling African National Congress party and one of the union’s former top officials now sits on Lonmin’s board as a non-executive director.

Vanguard, MOND AY, A UGUST 20, 2012—5 MONDA AUGUST

Subsidy payments: Oil marketers dare FG Continues from Page 1 sisted yesterday that they have nothing to hide. Over N4.2 trillion is allegedly owed marketers and traders for the importation of refined petroleum products this year.

The marketers also dared government to institute and wait for the outcome of legal proceedings against the marketers and traders, they claimed had committed some infractions in their reimbursement claims.

Meanwhile, investigations have revealed that except drastic measures are taken, products scarcity may not be averted because the amount government is willing to pay can barely cover the cost of the products import.

The challenge by the oil marketers came against the backdrop of claims and counter claims over subsidy payments between the ministries of Finance, and Petroleum Resources on the one hand and the oil marketers and traders on the other.

The marketers and traders have threatened to shut down their tanks this week if government did not pay them out-

standing claims running into trillions of Naira, even as government said on Friday that it was investigating about 21 companies under investigation on “suspicion of fraudulent activities.”

A statement signed by the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, on Friday read in part: “Following the work of the Presidential Committee on Fuel Subsidy Payments led by Mr Aigboje AigImoukhuede, the following firms (21) are being investigated based on evidence that they may have engaged in fraudulent activities under the fuel subsidy regime.”

However, the chief executive of one of the 21 companies told Vanguard that what Government was doing was “tantamount to witchhunting.”

He asked: “Over 170 companies were indicted in the AigImoukhuede’s report, why are they (government) singling out 21 for criminal investigations?”

He further challenged, “if they are sure of their claims, let them go to court to prove their case against the marketers. That way we will know that they are truly

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

"I FLOAT like a butterfly and sting like a bee, your hands cannot touch what your eyes cannot see”. Calcius Clay. You can do the impossible if you really think it is possible.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

I place a high moral value on the way people behave. I find it repellent to have a lot, and to behave with anything other than courtesy in the old sense of the word - politeness of the heart, a gentleness of the spirit — Fran Lebowitz

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HERE is an old German fable about porcupines that need to huddle together for warmth, but are in danger of hurting each other with their spines.

When they find the optimum distance to share each other’s warmth without putting each other’s eyes out, their state of contrived cooperation is called good manners.

When you acknowledge other people politely, the signal goes out, “I’m here. You’re there. I’m staying here. You’re staying there. Aren’t we both glad we sorted that out?” When people don’t acknowledge each other politely, the lesson from the porcupine fable is unmistakeable. “ There is a saying that civility is the charm that attracts the love of all men; and too much is better than to show too little”. Jean Bruyere made and interesting observation about the virtue of being polite. “For every man is valued as he shows through this attitudes and conduct.” This thought is a reflection to ponder on if a person acts like a snob. It is only logical that this will become the trade mark by which he will be known. Politeness comes from within, the state of a beautiful heart.

serious with what they want to do.”

Oando not indicted The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Oando Group, Mr. Wale Tinubu, in a telephone interview with Vanguard, noted that no member company of his Group was indicted for any wrong doing.

Although Oando is among the companies listed for further investigation, Tinubu, however, argued that there was nothing wrong with the move, saying, “the investigation is a step in the right direction.

Those who are found to have committed some infraction should be made to pay the penalty; this way, government can recover some of the monies that were misappropriated.”

Tinubu, who insisted that Oando has nothing to be afraid of, also said that the Group has over the years proven to be a responsible corporate citizen, with billion dollar investments in both the upstream and downstream sectors of the economy.

He added that his company was listed because, “ we seek payment for products delivered. All the marketing companies were told to verify their imports for the year and Oando has recently concluded its own verifications. So we are not in any way indicted for any wrong doing.”

The Oando boss further observed that the companies that AigImoukhuede’s report indicted have been referred to for criminal proceedings and Oando is not one of them.

Outstanding payments The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, top the list of outstanding claims with $7billion, while the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association, DAPPMA, is owed about $4billion.

Tinubu revealed that based on verifications, Oando is being owed about N60billion for product imports during the year, but nothing has been paid to his company The Executive Secretary, Major Oil Market-

ers Association of Nigeria, MOMAN, Mr. Obafemi Olawore, during a Vanguard Conference on subsidy with the theme: “Fuel subsidy and the ethical deficiencies in public office in Nigeria,” said, member companies, which also include Oando, are owed over N200billion.

“Only one member has been paid in MOMAN. About N200billion is what is outstanding but they have paid only N14billion,” he said.

The Chairman of DPPMA, Mr. Dapo Abiodun, also told Vanguard that no member company has been paid any claim since this year.

The Finance Minister said in its statement that government paid 31 oil marketers the sum of N42.67billion between April and August, and another N17billion to 14 oil marketers with a claim of between April and May. As a result, the Managing Director/ Chief Executive of another company also listed for further investigation, challenged government to “publish the names of the marketers they claim to have paid.”

The oil chief, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, noted that “practically every marketer was indicted in the subsidy reports either by the House of Representatives or the Presidential Committee’s.”

Why scarcity is imminent

POCKET CARTOON

Vanguard investigations reveal that except drastic measures were taken as soon as possible, products scarcity may not be averted. This is because the amount government is willing to pay can barely cover the cost of the products import.

A Presidency source revealed that government is willing to pay only N21billion every month as subsidy claims.

However, the source noted, “This amount can only cover the cost of about six cargoes per month. Nigeria needs to import about 30 cargoes of fuel every month, so if government pays for only six, leaving an outstanding of 24, it means that there will be scarcity.”

Depot operators, many of whom are under throughput arrangement for government have warned that their products stock will be exhausted by this week.

“If they (government) don’t do something very

fast, we are definitely going to run into scarcity because no marketer is willing to import until payments have been made."

We don’t know what govt is doing — Conoil Conoil Plc, one of the companies listed for further probe, said it was not sure what government was up to.

A top management of Conoil, told Vanguard: “The Ministry of Finance demanded for additional documents, which we have submitted. While waiting for them to get back to us on the matter, they now published our name in the paper”.

The source added that Conoil has not done anything wrong and that the company intended to take up the issue after the Sallah holidays.

Subsidy scam: Punish my son if..., says Tukur

BY BEN AGANDE

A

BUJA—THE Na tional Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur whose son is standing trial for allegedly collecting subsidy payment without supplying the products, yesterday, said his son should face the consequences of his actions if he is found guilty by the court of law.

Alhaji Tukur who spoke with State House correspondents after paying Sallah homage on President Goodluck

Jonathan stated that though the accused is his son, he is an adult.

“He is my son, never disowned. My son is an adult, I can assure you it is only the court of justice that will determine it. It is not justice by public opinion, it is justice by the court that is it. As I have said we must follow justice, whoever is found guilty will be so dealt with, if he is not we will know,” he said.

The PDP chairman emphasised that he is not disturbed by the opinions and criticisms expressed on the issue

by the public, saying “let’s wait for the outcome of the court decision”.

Speaking on the EidEl-Fitri celebration, Tukur said the year was unique because the Ramadan month had five Fridays and the celebration was also unique because the day fell on a Sunday, a day when both the muslims and the Christians set aside to offer prayers for peace, unity and progress of the nation.

“This is very unique and we pray to Almighty God for this country to have peace and unity,” he said.

6—Vanguard , MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 2012

Communal clash: 4 policemen still missing

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU

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The fourth bridgade, Nigerian Army, Edo State paraded fake soldiers in Benin City. Photo: Barnabas Uzosike.

Eid-el-Fitri: Jonathan harps on peace, unity

BY BEN AGANDE

A

BUJA—PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan again has emphasised the need for unity and peace for Nigeria to make progress, noting that “what we are passing through as a nation can be overcome with prayers”.

He spoke yesterday when the Vice President, Namadi Sambo, led a delegation of prominent Muslims resident in Abuja to pay him the traditional Sallah homage at his residence after prayers to mark the end of the Ramadan fasting and to celebrate El-Fitri.

According to the President, “we must unite, for us to progress, there must be peace”. He underscored his administration’s commitment to the implementation of the transformation agenda, adding that for this to be achieved, there must be peace and unity in the country.

He described the eid celebration as “a great day, it is a moment not just for muslims but all Nigerians to reflect on the unity of Nigeria”.

The President praised the Vice President and other government functionaries for their commitment to the transformation process and promised to build on the effort of founding fathers of the country to an enviable level.

“This is a forum to tell Nigerians that we are one” he emphasised.

Earlier in his remarks,

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Vice President Sambo thank Jonathan for all he was doing for Nigeria to move it forward, praying for good health and wisdom for you to transform Nigeria.

Sambo, others pledge support for Jonathan Sambo recalled his visit to Saudi Arabia for Lesser Hajj, pointing out that Nigerians have been praying for the President, peace and stability of the country.

“We will continue to support you Mr President

to deliver the transformation agenda. We assure you of our loyalty and we pray that this country will be transformed under your leadership,” he said.

Some of the personalities that accompanied the vice president were the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Bamanga Tukur, Senator Philip Aduda, who represented the Senate President, Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Bala Mohammed, Minister of Police Affairs, Caleb

Olubolade, Minister of State for Finance, Yerima Ngama, Minister of State for FCT, Olajumoke Akinjide, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Bello Isa, Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Mohammed Dikko Umar and Inspector General of Police, Muhammed Abubakar.

Also in attendance were the former Speaker of House of Representatives, Ghali Na’Abba, former Minister of State Foreign Affairs, Salamatu Ibrahim and former PDP Chairman, Ahmadu Ali.

Telecom investments in Nigeria now over $25bn

BY PRINCE OSUAGWU, LAIDE AKINBOADE & AMINAT AMUDA

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AGOS—EXECU TIVE ViceChairman of Nigeria Communications Commission, NCC, Dr. Eugene Juwah, has revealed that investments in the telecommunication sector of the economy have now risen to over $25 billion from about $18 billon in 2009.

According to Juwah, this is good news enough for Nigeria to take to the forth coming International Telecommunications Union, ITU, Telecom World event in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to woo

investors.

Juwah stated that the country has concluded plans to woo as many investors as possible into the broadband sector to be able to measure up among other countries of the world that have used broadband growth to grow their economies.

He noted that since the ITU Telecom world is a meeting point of who is who in world telecommunications business; it would be the ideal place to take Nigeria’s broadband investment campaign to.

Nigeria has already booked a pavilion and would make presentation on the broadband opportunities in the country to top echelon of the global ICT industry

at Leaders Lunch slated for October 15, 2012.

ITU telecom world is an event that features highquality, influential mix of participants drawn from across the global ICT industry and since inception, Nigeria has always been a major participant.

The conference is expected to run through October 14-18, 2012 and according to Juwah, Nigeria will also feature prominently with a theme ‘Nigeria Broadband: Towards a connected nation’.

Explaining the reason Nigeria is harping on broadband to woo investors, Juwah said that “the trail of technology is to provide one-on-one communication".

ALABAR——THREE months after the communal clash between Ntan Obu Ukpe community in Odukpani Local Government Area of Cross River State and its neighboring community of Ikpanya in Ibiono Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, the whereabouts of four mobile policemen that were sent to quell the conflicts are still unknown.

The two communities had been engaged in a perennial communal clash over ownership of land and collection of royalties from the Fulani Herdsmen allegedly brought by the Ikpanaya community for grazing of their cattle at the flood plains of Ntan Obu Ukpe Island.

On May 23, 2012, the Ikpanya people at the dead of the night, allegedly attacked the Ntan Obu Ukpe destroyed property including buildings in the community, beheaded the Village Head, Chief Mfom Asanya and also adopted four mobile policemen who were sent to the area to maintain peace.

Although it was reported that over 30 persons lost their lives in the conflict, investigations revealed that only the Village Head that was beheaded was the casualty from the community but nothing had been heard of the policemen.

When the Cross River

State Police command was contacted on the position of the missing police officers who were from Mopol 11, the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Osita Ezechukwu said the case file of the matter had been transferred to Akwa Ibom State Police Command, including the suspects arrested.

Ezechukwu disclosed that after investigations, it was gathered that only the Village Head that was beheaded lost his live, but was silent on the missing police officers, though he said investigations of their whereabouts were still going on as at the time the matter was transferred out of his command.

However, efforts made to reach the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner of Police yesterday, Umar Gwadebe could not yield any result as he neither picked his calls nor replied the text message sent to him, but the command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Etim Dickson, said the case had been referred to the zone six police headquarters.

DSP Dickson said investigations were ongoing over the fate of the police officers who he said came from Mopol 11, Calabar and that it was after the investigations were concluded that the police would make statement .

But a police source said the “gallant police officers may have paid the supreme price,” adding that it was after a specific period that the police could declare them dead.

Hang on train, face suicide trial — NRC

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LLEGAL passengers caught hanging or sitting on train coach risk trial and imprisonment for attempted suicide, the Nigeria Railway Corporation has said.

The Assistant Director, Public Relations, NRC, Mr. David Ndakotsu, who disclosed this, said the corporation was collaborating with law enforcement agencies to arrest and prosecute defaulters.

He said their officials would be deployed in all rail stations, especially along the Lagos-Ogun axis where the disorder was rampant, to ensure enforcement.

“There are measures

put in place. There is a five-year-old law that prohibits anybody from hanging and standing on train coaches; it allows their arrest and prosecution. About 23 of those arrested are being tried for attempted suicide because what they did was suicidal.

“Passengers must obtain their tickets to allow them sit in the cabins; that is only when insurance can cover them. However, it is unfortunate that these law breakers usually join a moving train just after it departs a station.” he said.

Currently, 23 of such illegal passengers are standing trial.

Vanguard , MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 2012—7

Eid-el-Fitri: Govs, Sultan, CAN, others task Muslims on peace, security

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA, ANAYO OKOLI, ABDULSALAM MOHAMMED, OLASUNKANMI AKONI, DAUD OLATUNJI, ABDALLAH ELKUREBE & UMAR YUSUF

A

S they celebrate Eid elFitri, Muslims across the country, have been enjoined to use the festivity to pray, work for peace and enthrone stability in the country.

Making the appeal yesterday, a host of governors, leading Muslim and Christian clerics and politicians said there was need for Muslims to join forces with other wellmeaning Nigerians to address the insecurity challenges Nigeria is facing.

Among those who made the appeal were Governors Babatunde Fashola (Lagos), Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta), Theodore Orji (Abia), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun).

Also the Sultan of Sokoto, Sultan Saad Abubakar; Lamido Adamawa, Alhaji Barkindo Aliyu Mustafa; Chief Iman of Modibbo Adama Central Mosque Yola, Ustaz Abubakar Ahmadu Bobboi; Chairman of Kano State Chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Bishop Ransom

Bello; former Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Prince Bola Ajibola; and Executive Secretary of Ilesa East Local Council of Osun State, Olanrewaju Balogun.

How to ensure peace – Wammako, Sultan, CAN In a broadcast in Sokoto, Governor Wamakko said concerted prayers by all Nigerians backed by dialogue were needed to end the current security challenge in the country.

“What is happening in this country is a test of faith and a challenge to us all. It signifies the need for us to emphasise prayers for God to bring this to an end. Let us continue to pray sincerely to bring this challenge to an end,” he said.

Speaking in his Palace, the Sultan of Sokoto said understanding and respecting the differences existing among Nigerians would help ensure peace in the country.

“When leaders and scholars help in creating awareness in order for the people to discard differences, the nation will move forward,” Sultan Abubakar said adding, that “ignorance or the lack of positive application of the knowledge we have is the bane of progression.”

Relatedly, Kano State Chairman of CAN, Bishop Ransom Bello, in a Sallah message, tasked Muslims

on co-operation with Christians to foster the unity required for nation building.

“Only a consolidated unity between the two major religions can move the nation to greater heights. This is, however, achievable if the leadership of both religions worked out a platform for dialogue on issues agitating the minds of their followers. “I want to on behalf of Christians in the state commend our Muslim counterpart for the successful completion of the Ramadan and joyous Sallah celebration; that it ended on a sound note with no significant record of conflict bordering on religion is a healthy development,” he said.

Uduaghan, Amosun, Orji, Ajibola sue for peace In Asaba Governor Uduaghan felicitated with Muslims and called on them to see the growing cases of violence in the country as a challenge. He appealed to them “to look beyond all artificial social, political and economic divisions including minor ethnic and religious differences in the society and abide strictly with the teachings of the Koran and Holy Prophet Mohammed.

“Dear believers in the Islamic faith”, he went on, “I enjoin you to see the growing cases of violence leading to wanton

destruction of lives and properties as a challenge, which calls for greater dedication to the wishes of Allah that we should live in peace and prosper together.

I implore all Muslims and indeed all Nigerians, to ensure that peace, which is one of the cardinal principles of all religions, continues to reign and is reflected in all your dealings even after Ramadan.

In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Mrs Funmi Wakama, Governor Amosun said the celebration of this year’s Eid el fitir should mark a turning point for all Nigerians.

According to him, “The lessons of piety, self discipline, spiritual awareness, brotherliness, love and compassion imbibed during Ramadan, if allowed to guide our future private and public conduct, will bring within our reach and attainment the dreams of our founding fathers for a peaceful and prosperous nation.”

Also, in his Eid message, former Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Prince Bola Ajibola called for peaceful co-existence among Muslims and nonMuslims in the country.

Ajibola also called for increased show of charity to the less privileged ones in the society.

On his part, Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State called on Muslims in the

IBB MARKS 71st BIRTHDAY—Former Military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (left) admiring a birthday card presented to him by the Acting Governor of Niger State, Alhaji Ahmed Musa Ibeto on the occasion of his 71st birthday anniversary in Minna on Friday.

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country to use the period of Ed-El-Firi celebration to pray for the stability of the nation.

In a Sallah message by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Ugochukwu Emezue, the governor urged them to use the period to reflect on the nation and pray especially about the current insecurity the country was experiencing.

Mimiko, Fashola, Lamido Adamawa, others speak In Akure, Governor Olusegun Mimiko, in a message by his campaign organization saluted Muslims and enjoined them to pray to God to heal Nigeria He appealed to them to imbibe the lessons of Ramadan, which he noted include personal sacrifices, piety and self denial at all times rather than during the holy month of Ramadan a l o n e .

In like manner, Fashola stressed the need for restoration of the virtues of

good neighbourliness and re-orientation to respect law and order among the citizenry.

Fashola, who spoke during a Tasfir and prayer session for the nation organised by the Lagos State Pilgrims Welfare Board in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, said the citizenry needed a lot of reorientation about how to be their brother’s keeper and be more sensitive to the well being of one another, which he said were currently missing.

In Yola, Lamido Adamawa, Alhaji Barkindo Aliyu Mustafa cautioned Muslims to adhere strictly to the teachings of Islam as the only way to solving the security challenges facing the country, especially in the northern states.

Also speaking, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), a non governmental organisation urged Nigerian leaders to use the country’s resources for the benefit of the people by providing them adequate infrastructures.

Edo prison bombed, 10 inmates escape

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

B

ENIN-CITY—NO fewer than 10 inmates were reported to have escaped yesterday in a violent jail break at Oko Medium Security prisons, Edo State, after some armed men stormed the prison with dynamites. It was gathered that 12 prisoners were subdued after a serious gun battle.

The gunmen, who were said to be armed with sophisticated weapons apparently came to forcefully free some of their colleagues in a commando style and engaged a combined unit of the warders and the police in a shoot out.

Vanguard learnt that the invaders came in a Coaster Bus and were about 15 in number. The armed men stormed the prison at 1:30a.m., and threw dynamite thrice at the entrance of the prison while the explosion was followed by intense shooting by the gunmen, it was said.

The explosion caused

panic in the area as residents of Oko community started making frantic efforts to get the attention of the soldiers in Joint Task Force code named “Operation Thunder Storm” to come to their rescue.

An eyewitness told Vanguard that not less than 10 inmates escaped and some were rearrested by the warders and policemen.

It was said the dynamites blew open the prison gate, through which the inmates escaped. Some of the fleeing inmates were shot while part of the prison’s internal barricade was damaged.

It would not be confirmed if there was any casualty, though it was observed that armed security operatives were combing the vicinity.

An eyewitness, who spoke told Vanguard said, “it was like a war. The people looked like militants, as the first thing they did was to throw dynamites to the prison gate. Though some of warders ran away, they later regrouped and started shooting at the people.”

8— Vanguard , MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 2012

OCEAN SURGE/DEMOLITION OF KURAMO BEACH SHANTIES Officials of Lagos State Ministry of Waterfront Infastructure Development and those of LASEMA, yesterday, demolished shanties in Kuramo Beach on Victoria Island, Lagos, where ocean surge wrecked havoc on Saturday. No fewer than 16 persons were reportedly swept away by the high waves. Pix: Biodun Ogunleye.

The Atlantic Ocean... yesterday.

One of the shanties wrecked at the Kuramo Beach...yesterday.

...After the demolition of the shanties

LASEMA officials at work.

BY EVELYN USMAN

Ladoja accuses Ajimobi of L breaching accord

BY OLA AJAYI

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BADAN—FORMER Oyo State governor, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, said, yesterday, that Governor Abiola Ajimobi was yet to honour the gentleman agreement he entered with him.

He stated that it was some leaders of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, who mounted pressure on the governor to renege on his promise.

As a gentleman, he said, he was hopeful that Ajimobi should live up to the promise.

Ladoja, who spoke in Ibadan after the Ramadan prayer at Agodi Praying Ground, also disclosed how President Goodluck Jonathan, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Chief Richard Akinjide, SAN and Chief Dejo Raimi made entreaties to him to join the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. The discussion, according to him, was stalled because the PDP leaders were yet to fulfil the conditions he put before them.

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WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? Illegal occupants with their belongings after the demolition.

Ladoja, who said he remained in his Accord Party, stressed, “For now, we are open to discussion on terms that will be acceptable to all parties. We are happy to be free in our party and we encourage other people of likeminds to come and join us. We will be happy to receive them.”

Contrary to expectations of many people in the state that his party, Accord Party, was in working alliance with ACN, he said, “Let us get it straight away that we, in Accord

Party have no working relationship with ACN. Ladoja said: “We were invited by the ACN governor to stabilise the state so that he can be able to run a safe government.

He has not yet told us that he doesn’t need that again. I am not unaware that some leaders are not happy with him and that they have even been mounting pressure on him by making things difficult for him to make him fulfil the agreement he had with us. I sympathise with the governor.''

LAWMA launches 'waste-forfood' initiative

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

L

AGOS—THE Lagos Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, in collaboration with private partners, weekend, launched the waste-for- food campaign programme for children and adolescents aimed at catching them young by inculcating healthy habit in the beneficiaries.

Through the initiative, LAWMA with its partners are offering pupils and other children to buy into its waste removal, recycling and reuse advocacy early in life by exchanging waste collected for food. For any pupil who turns in a kilogramme of recyclable waste, LAWMA will give a voucher that will entitle the kid to good meal from one of the eatery partner, Tastee Fried Chicken outlets.

AGOS—A three-man robbery gang which attempted to rob occupants of a building in Aibu Street, off Bode Thomas Street, Surulere, Lagos, engaged a team of policemen in a gun duel , in its bid to escape.

However, at the end of the shoot-out, the suspects were all arrested.

Report said the armed men stormed the building at 9 a.m, but a team of policemen led by the Divisional Police Officer, Bode Thomas, after a distress call, stormed the compound.

On sighting the policemen, the robbers, opened fire. But one of them, said to have been hit by a bullet from the policemen, was arrested while his colleagues jumped through the fence.

The fleeing robbers, according to reports, jumped into one of the buildings in the street, where they accosted the occupants and stripped them of their clothes which they changed into, to disguise themselves.

Eyewitnesses said they thereafter strolled out of the building, with the occupants locked up in a room. But unknown to them, policemen had con-

Police arrest 3 robbery suspects in Lagos doned off the area.

Confirming the incident, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, said they were arrested by the policemen .

“A gun with live cartridges, including some expended ones were recovered from them,” she said.

The identities of the robbers, said to have been transferred to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Ikeja, were given as Dare

Johnson, 22 years; Lukeman Bioku, 22, and Lekan Jamiu, 24.

About five hours later, attempt by another robbery gang to snatch a Toyota Rav 4 Sports Utility Van from its owner in Adisa Basua Street,Alhaji Masha area of Surulere, was also reportedly foiled by policemen attached to the Bode Thomas division.

The black vehicle with number-plate NT 427 KJA, according to Braide, was taken to the division.

30 new ambulances for LASUTH

BY CHIOMA OBINNA

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KEJA—LAGOS State Government, yesterday, commissioned five new ambulances valued atN150 million at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, Ikeja, as part of efforts to further reduce morbidity and mortality in the state.

Commissioning the ambulances which have topped the number of functioning ambulances to 30, Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris,

who explained that each of the ambulances cost N30 million, added that the procurement became necessary following the sharp rise in road traffic and domestic accidents across the world including Lagos.

The procurement of the ambulances would further forestall the lives of victims of road traffic and domestic accidents who most times lose their lives due to lack of ambulances to immediately convey them to hospitals.

Vanguard , MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 2012 —9

Mimiko, Oke disagree over LP's performance

zOndo commissions 225 houses

BY DAYO JOHNSON

A PRESENTATION: From left, Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Mr. Emeka Ihedioha; Provost, Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, Owerri, Dr. B. Ijioma; Chief Osita Nwaneri and President, Safari Recreation Club, Owerri, Mr. Law Uzowuru, at the presentation of award of excellence to Ihedioha by the club, in Owerri, Imo State.

KURE—WHILE the Ondo State Government is thumbing its chest over its achievements, particularly on housing, the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate in the October 20 election, Chief Olusola Oke, has said those claims were mere ruse.

The government, how-

Ogun ex-LG bosses in financial scandal

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

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BEOKUTA—PRE LIMINARY reports of investigation into the financial activities of the immediate-past transition committee chairmen by Ogun State auditors have indicted some of them in financial scandal running into several millions of naira.

Vanguard reliably gathered that Governor Ibikunle Amosun had ordered the probe of the former transition chairmen few days after the swearing in of their successors.

A member in the team of the auditors, who pleaded anonymity, told Vanguard that some of them allegedly embezzled millions of naira on dubious and non-existent projects.

According to the source, the immediate past transition chairman of Obafemi Owode Local Government, Alhaji Jamiu Balogun, allegedly looted N10 million in a very suspicious manner while in office.

It was gathered that alleged discrepancies were noticed in the account of Obafemi Owode Local Government which reportedly forced the auditors to embark on verification of receipts and claims by the last administration

in the council.

The source added that the Audit Committee, after investigation, discovered forged receipts through which 10 projects were funded.

The receipts, it was gathered, were mostly not original and that the amount was about N10 million.

Further investigation also revealed that the committee could not find some addresses quoted on other receipts as they were said to be not-existing.

The owner of the company through which the scandal was allegedly perpetrated Sola Bakare of Sholebo Art Studio told Vanguard that he knew noting about the contract and that he approached the local government to seek for contract but the offer was turned down.

Bakare said he was shocked when the receipts were presented before him by the state auditors who said the contract was under probe.

According to him, ''I had noticed missing receipts in my office since May last year, but I did not take it seriously, only to find out that same were used to loot huge money from the local government.''

Ajibode/Apete road ready Sept — Oyo govt

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BY OLA AJAYI

BADAN—OYO State Government has promised to deliver the Ajibode/Apete Road next month.

This is coming a year after last August 26 flood disaster cut off over two million residents of Apete, including students of The Polytechnic, Ibadan.

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Owing to the difficulties experienced as a result of the collapsed bridge that links the town to other parts of Ibadan, the authorities of the institution had to cancel lectures for a week. The news of the commissioning of the 2.5 km road was confirmed by the project manager of the construction firm, Wole Adebola.

Bakare, however, called on the appropriate authorities to unravel the mysery in the alleged scam, adding that he was ready to go to court should the government fail to produce the person behind the receipt forgery.

It was, however, gath-

ered that the report has been submitted to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and Independent Corrupt Practice and other related Offences Commission ICPC, for further investigation and appropriate sanction.

Gowon lauds Fayemi

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DO-EKITI— FORMER Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (rtd), has lauded the efforts of Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, in developing the state; describing him as an agent of change, who should be supported and encouraged to do more.

The former Head of State, who said he was impressed by the massive infrastructure development activities in the state, particularly the roads and the urban renewal projects and the huge investment in health and education sectors, urged Ekiti citizens to rally support for the governor so that he can take the state to a lofty height and make it the envy of other states.

Gen. Gowon, who spoke with newsmen after a prayer session for the governor and the state at the Government House Chapel, yesterday, urged Ekiti residents to support Fayemi’s developmental efforts with prayers and also support him electorally if he indicated interest for a second term in office.

The former head of state recalled that Fayemi was particularly prayed for at the “Nigeria Prays” programme in April 2007, when he contested the gubernatorial election. He stated that though it took three and half years for the prayers to manifest

(through his inauguration as governor), the plan of God to transform the state through him is gradually being fulfilled.

ever, inaugurated over 225 housing units completed at Sunshine Gardens, Oba-Ile, Akure.

Governor Olusegun Mimiko, at the inauguration, pledged to make housing affordable for the people of the state irrespective of their social and economic status.

He added that his administration was committed to alleviating the suffering of the people in getting affordable houses.

Gov. Mimiko said the state had committed N734 million for the provision of land, roads construction, electrification, water, adequate security and fencing of the estate.

He, however, regretted that the state had not been able to implement the housing project for the people after the one done in 1976 by the administration of Wing-Commander David Ita-Ikepeme in Ala and Alagbaka in Akure.

Mimiko noted that housing, which was one of the 12-point developmental agenda of his administration, had been given top priority due to the natural and funda-

mental fact that housing is a basic need of human existence.

PDP disagrees However, PDP, weekend, said all the “cosmetic projects'' initiated by the Labour Party, LP-led administration in the state, would be scrapped if voted into power in the October 20 election.

Oke, who spoke with newsmen in Akure, declared that such projects were not sustainable.

He listed some of the projects to be scrapped if voted into power to include the construction of the Mega schools in the three senatorial districts of the state, the beautification projects which include the water fountain and the dew spinners constructed in two roundabouts in Akure metropolis, among others.

Oke said: “The mega schools concept is antithetical to the policy of education in the country because there was no provision for mega secondary schools and mega universities in the system.''

Mimiko group alleges ACN's plan to rig poll zIt's cheap blackmail — ACN

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KURE—THE Olusegun Mimiko Campaign Organisation, yesterday, alleged of a grand plan by the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, to import political mercenaries into Ondo State ahead of the October 20 gubernatorial election to rig the election.

According to the organisation, ACN, held a meeting recently in Ado-Ekiti, allegedly at the instance of ACN Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, who allegedly presided over the meeting.

The organisation, in a statement by its Director of Publicity and Media Relations, Mr. Kolawole Olabisi, alleged that the ACN Chairman in company with some of his party officials, including Mr. Rotimi Agbede, the Publicity Secretary of the party in Ondo State, assembled in an hotel owned by an ACN Senator in the state to perfect the act.

He alleged that the meeting's sole agenda which was the “capturing of Ondo State” at all costs,

I submitted nomination form to INEC — Akeredolu

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KURE—THE Akeredolu Campaign Organisation, ACO, has described the rumour going the rounds that the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN’s flag- bearer in the October 20 gubernatorial election in Ondo State, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN, did not meet the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, deadline for the submission of nomination form for the election as not only wicked but false.

In a statement, the organisation’s Director of Media, Publicity and Strategy, Mr. Idowu Ajanaku, said: “This is part of the wicked plot by the Labour Party, LP, to confuse the people because they know that they will be rejected at the poll.

“Instead of them to showcase their achievements after almost four years in office, all they do is spread malicious rumour about the ACN standard bearer.''

dwelled extensively on what was described at the meeting as “looking for the best fool-proof and perfect formula to push Mimiko out of office despite his immense popularity.”

It added that the Ekiti State Chief of Staff, Mr. Yemi Adaramodu, a chief from the Okitipupa area of Ondo State as well as some members of the party from the riverside area were at the meeting.

In a reaction, Akeredolu Campaign Organisation, ACO's Director of Media, Publicity and Strategy, Idowu Ajanaku, said: ''This is a cheap blackmail.

The Labour Party has failed as a government that has collected over N660 billion and has not built one single road including the dome that they promised. What law states that ACN leadership cannot meet to deliberate on issues? This is democracy. We don’t need to import people to Ondo State, the people will vote them out. He will go. He is the one that has embarked on illegal registration of voters.''

10—Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 2012

Delta community alleges extrajudicial killing by soldiers

BY EMMA ARUBI

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ARRI—THE Oko rowhe community in Okpe Local Government Area of Delta State has petitioned the National Security Adviser, NSA, over the killing of one Mr. Ovo Ezewu, allegedly shot dead by men of 3 Battalion of the Nigerian Army and buried at an unknown place.

President-General of the community, Mr. Lucky Okpini, in a statement, said the late Ezewu was a recognised vigCONVOCATION: Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State (2nd right), being received by management of Rivers State Polytechnic, Bori, at the institution's convocation, in Bori, weekend.

Court dismisses objection to suit over Uvwie stool

BY EMMA AMAIZE

Youths flay Mobil’s reaction to oil spill W …as lawmaker urges oil firm to clean up affected areas

BY EMMAN OVUAKPORIE & TONY NYONG

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YO—YOUTHS of Atia community in Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, have slammed Mobil Producing Nigeria, over its reaction to Monday’s oil spill that affected the community.

Mr. John Cyril, leader of the youths, reacting to a statement credited to the head office of Mobil on the spill, said same was unacceptable by the community.

Meanwhile, the lawmaker representing Eket/ Esit-Eket/Onna/Ibeno, Mr. Bassey Dan-Abia, has urged Mobil to immediately clean up the oil spill from its Idoho platform in Akwa Ibom State, which he said had devastated the environment.

The spill which occurred at Atia community in Ibeno council, had polluted the fishing communities on the axis.

He also urged the oil company to begin immediate payment of compensation to the affected communities, adding that the spill extended from Esuk Ikimi, to other fishing communities, like Ekeme, Esuk Ikim Akwaha, Ndito Eka Iba, Itak Idim Ekpe, Itak Ifaha, Etio Esek, Atia, Okposo 1 and Okposo 2.

Similarly, Mr. Cyril, leader of youths of Atia community, accused Mobil of speaking from both sides of their mouth, noting that the statement contradicted the verbal comC M Y K

mitment the company made to members of the community, when the incident occurred.

He said: “We cannot believe that the same company that caused the spill from Idoho platform will turn around and deny the source of the spill. It shows gross dishonesty for a company that presents it-

self as having high ethical standards.

“We are not going to take this lying low. It is unacceptable that Mobil officials in Qua Iboe Terminal engage in deceiving the community while their head office in Lagos is misinforming the world of what is happening in Akwa Ibom.

“There is no way they can escape liability because the times are changing. You can see that the oil spill agency recently fined Shell Petroleum Development Company of $ 5 billion over poor handling of the Bonga oil spill, they should read the handwriting on the wall and wake up."

Delta NUJ alleges police brutality

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GHELLI—NI GERIA Union of Journalists, NUJ, Ughelli Correspondents Chapel, Delta State, yesterday, condemned the unlawful detention of one of its members, Mr. Matthias Ogbagah, by the police in the Ughelli ‘A’ Division, decrying the spate of police brutality on journalists in the country.

The chapel, in a statement by its Chairman, Mr. Festus Ahon and Secretary, Mr. Sunday Apah, urged the police authorities in the state to warn their officers, particularly the rank and file, who often take delight in harassing journalists, to desist from doing so.

Lamenting the growing spate of brutalization of journalists in the country, the union said it would not hesitate to institute legal actions against the police, should the trend continue.

Noting that Ogbagah was currently receiving treatment at Ughelli Central Hospital, the union said he was on official assignment when

he was brutalized by overzealous police officers.

Ogbagah, a correspondent of a local tabloid, Urhobo Times, was on his way from an accident scene at Amekpa Junction on the EastWest Road, last week, when the commercial motorcycle he boarded was blocked by a vehicle occupied by plainclothes police officers at Adagharagba Street at 8 a.m, forcing the motorcycle to veer into a drain.

It said: “Despite identifying himself as a journalist, Ogbagah was mercilessly beaten up, handcuffed and driven round the town by the police officers before he was taken to the police station where he was locked up in a cell.”

Recalling that another member of the chapel, Mr. Polycarp Orosevwotu of The Nation newspaper was also brutalised sometime last year by men and officers of the division while carrying out his lawful duties, the union noted that “the actions of the police of-

ficers was wicked, dehumanising and falling short of their responsibility of protecting lives and property of citizens.

“Journalists in the area will not be intimidated by anyone in the discharge of their duties no matter whose ox is gored,” it said, enjoining the state Commissioner of Police to wade into the issue before it gets out of hand.

ilante member of the community but was allegedly tagged a cultist by some persons who invited soldiers from the Battalion. He said the soldiers allegedly shot Mr. Ovo and arrested other persons, including an 85 years old man.

It was learnt that the business of sand dredging in the community had drawn the irk of some persons leading to acrimony until the death of Mr. Ovo on August 1, 2012 when the soldiers invaded the place.

ARRI—A DELTA State High Court sitting in Effurun has dismissed the preliminary objection by the Eruowho royal family in Uvwie Kingdom, Uvwie Local Government Area of the state, claiming there was only one ruling house in the kingdom, which had exclusive preserve to the Ovie stool.

Trial judge, Justice Onajife Kuejubola, in her ruling, said: “The

grounds enumerated upon, which the notice of objection is predicated, cannot stand, as they are devoid of merit. Consequently, the notice of preliminary objection lacking in merit is overruled and dismissed accordingly.”

Plaintiffs in the case are Mr. Philip Tutubu, Mr. Stanley Misoni and others, while the defendants are Imedo family, represented by Chief Oboride Akvwia, Chief Izobo Dabone and Ajayi Okoroduwa.

Amaechi pledges improved facilities at Rivers Poly

BY EGUFE YAFUGBORHI

P

ORT HAR COURT— GOVERNOR Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State, has said that the state Polytechnic at Bori, was set to witness major infrastructures upgrade aimed at positioning it to meet its set objectives.

Governor Amaechi at the school's graduation of 9,000 students during its 14th – 17th convocation, weekend, said the planned upgrade of the institution would enable it produce graduates whose technical and professional competence would not be doubted anywhere in their areas of specialisation.

96 families in Rivers allege harassment by soldiers

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

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ORT HARCOURT— THE Federal Government has been enjoined to urgently prevail on the Nigerian Army to release houses allegedly seized from 96 families in Ogodoni/Lugbo axis of Rumuomoi community in Obio/Akpo Local Government Area of Rivers State.

Mr. Goodluck Chinwo, Obiorah Kingsley, Ademola Omisola and other property owners, who spoke to newsmen in Port

Harcourt, yesterday, said they were all forcefully thrown out of their houses on July 14, 2012 by about 30 soldiers from 2 Brigade, Bori Camp.

They said they were denied access to their homes and enjoined the Federal and Rivers State governments to come to their aid.

Ademola said: “We are helpless; we don’t know where to go. We are all crying out as we have lost all we have laboured to acquire in our entire lives.”

They noted that Justice S. Amadi of the state high

court, had in a ruling on July 8, last year, restrained the Army from harassing them, adding that their eviction amounted to violation of their right to liberty and dignity of their persons.

When contacted, spokesman of the 2 Brigade, Bori camp, Major Michael Etete described the property owners as trespassers on a land belonging to the Army, adding that it was not true that the property owners were forcefully evicted adding that, “notice was issued to them.”

Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 2012—11

Call for Okotie-Eboh's removal laughable —Delta ACN

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FUNERAL SERVICE: From right: Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State; the Deputy Governor Mr. Nsima Ekere and Chairman of Oron Local Government, Mr. Orman Esin, during the funeral service in honour of the immediate past Commissioner for Youth and Sports in the state, Pastor Oyong Asuquo, at the Oron Township Stadium.

Police gun down four suspected kidnappers of Delta judge

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

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SABA—FOUR members of a kidnap gang, suspected to have kidnapped a Delta State High Court judge, Justice Marcel Okoh, two weeks ago, have met their waterloo, a day after the judge was released.

The suspected kidnappers were gunned down the next day, after they were trailed to a hideout in Benin City, Edo State, shortly after kidnapping a Director in the state Ministry of Economic Planning as he was returning home from work.

State police command’s spokesman, Mr. Charles Muka, in a statement in Asaba, yesterday, said: “Suspected kidnappers of the judge were gunned down on August 16, 2012 at 7.30p.m., a day after kid-

napping a Director in the State Ministry of Economic Planning.”

The police spokesman added that the command was not in a hurry to release the judge's driver following alleged mounting evidence on complicity against him.

He said: “One Mr. Benson Ojoto, Director of Ministry of Economic Planning reported on August 15, that while

driving into his residence at Ezenei, Asaba, in his official Hilux pick-up, five armed men trailed and kidnapped him.

“However, he escaped from them and they drove away with the Hilux.

Through information, the gang was trailed to Benin City by men of Operation Storm, where four unidentified suspected kidnappers were

Rep backs Bayelsa emblem, flag, anthem

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

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ENAGOA—THE member representing Sagbama-Ekeremor Federal Constituency, Dr. Stella Dorgu, has defended the action of Bayelsa

State Government in having its flag, coat of arms and anthem, saying it was in tandem with the provision of the Nigerian constitution.

Dorgu, who replaced Governor Seriake Dickson at the National Assembly,

Edo Election Tribunal: Oshiomhole files premilinary objection

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

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ENIN—GOVER NOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State and the state chapter of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, have filed their preliminary objections to the petition by the governorship candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the just concluded governorship election in the state, Gen. Charles Airhiavbere (rtd), before the election tribunal.

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gunned down while one escaped with bullet wounds.”

Muka noted that the Hilux was recovered along with one AK 50, 4 live ammunition, one locally-made revolver pistol, two cartridges, one military jacket, one Volvo and one Toyota car.

He added that efforts were on to track down the fleeing members of the gang.

Airhiavbere is challenging the declaration of Governor Oshiomhole as the winner of the July 14, governorship election in the state by Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. Oshiomhole and ACN, in their objection and reply to the petition by Airhiavbere, argued that the Electoral Act (as amended) did not prescribe the qualification to be met “by a candidate seeking to contest election to the office of the governor of

state,” and urged the court to disregard Airhiavbere's claim that Oshiomhole did not have the educational qualification to contest as governor of the state.

Airhiavbere had argued in his petition that despite the non-update of voters register and the agreement that the voters register used for the 2011 general elections be used, amended voters register was used for the election, which according to his petition contributed to his defeat at the poll.

said Bayelsa was not the first state to embark on having its symbols and anthem and as such the attack on the state government was uncalled for.

He said it was a right which Bayelsa State cannot be denied, since several other states with the same rights had equally exercised same.

The decision by Bayelsa Government in this regard, she noted was as “a result of its commitment to the propagation of Ijaw culture, language, history and ideals as well as create a platform for the government to rally its people for positive development in the context of a united, egalitarian and democratic Nigeria.

“I believe that we are just making mountain out of nothing. You know what the provisions of the constitution are. You also know Bayelsa is not the first state to embark on that and you will appreciate it is also because of where Bayelsa is coming from."

ELTA State Chap ter of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, yesterday in Asaba, described as laughable, the call for the removal of its chairman, Chief Adolo Okotie-Eboh, by the party's candidate for the Uvwie, Okpe and Sapele constituency in the 2011 election to the Federal House of Representatives, Dr. Veronica Ogbuagu.

A statement by the party's Publicity Secretary, Mr. Frank Eghomien, said the exemplary and participatory leadership style of Chief OkotieEboh, made an enlarged meeting of the party in Asaba, a few months ago, to unanimously pass a vote of confidence on him, pointing out that Dr.

Ogbuagu was in attendance at the said meeting.

It said: “It is laughable for any true member of ACN in his or her right senses to dream of the removal of the current Delta state chairman. This is a man who has taken ACN in Delta State from point zero to the enviable height it occupies today.

"We quite agree with Ogbuagu that it was time we flushed out all Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) agents masquerading as members of ACN in Delta state. The state executives are already compiling names and Ogbuagu and her handlers top the list of such PDP impostors in Delta ACN to be flushed out soon.”

Jonathan won't convert to Islam, group tells Boko Haram

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ARRI—NIGER Delta Indigenous Movement for Radical Change, NDIMRC, has promised to defend President Goodluck Jonathan and made it clear that the President would neither convert to Islam nor resign his position for peace to reign in the country as demanded by the Boko Haram sect.

The group described the demand of Boko Haram as laughable and a huge joke, warning the sect to stop frustrating President Jonathan and put an end to the ‘senseless’ killings in the Northern parts of the country.

NDIMRC, in a statement by its President, Nelly Emma, noted that

Boko Haram's demand that President Jonathan should convert to Islam or resign, was a cheap blackmail that must be ignored by the good people of Nigeria.

It implored the sect to stop the killings and give the President the needed peace to discharge the mandate freely given to him by Nigerians in the 2011 general elections.

It said: “President Jonathan has the mandate of Nigerians to rule this country and he will not succumb to any blackmail. The President cannot be intimidated; he will not resign because he is the custodian of a mandate given to him by Christians and Muslims alike."

Impeacment threat against Jonathan, unholy—Aginighan

BY BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

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ORMER Acting Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Pastor Power Aginighan, has described the impeachment threat against President Goodluck Jonathan by some elements in the House of Representatives as an unholy act championed by ill-informed minds.

Aginighan, in a statement in Warri, Delta State, weekend, said it was illogical for the legislators to give the President a September deadline to implement 100

per cent of the budget when, according to him, 100 per cent of the revenue would not have been received.

Questioning the capacity of the legislators, Aginighan called on the leadership of the House to call the legislators involved to order so as not to give a negative impression of the House.

He said: “A motion threatening impeachment against the President for not achieving 100 per cent implementation of the Budget by September raises fundamental questions on the quality of representation offered Nigerians."

12—Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 2012

NERC boss assures consumers of protection charged the commission to

BY ANAYO OKOLI

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MUAHIA—THE Chairman of Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, Dr. Sam Amadi, weekend, assured that the commission would protect the interest of consumers in the post privatized electricity industry.

This came as Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State

WEDDING: Delta State Deputy Governor, Professor Amos Utuama, SAN (middle); former Minister of Information, Prof. Sam Oyovbaire (left) and Prof. Bright Ekuerhare, at the wedding of Prof.

Oyovbaire's son, Stephen to the daughter of Prof. Ekuerhare, Stella in Abraka, weekend.

Police begin investigation into ESUT VC, doctor's kidnap in Enugu

BY TONY EDIKE

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NUGU—THE Enugu State Police Command said yesterday that it has commenced full scale investigations into the kidnapping of the Vice-Chancellor of Enugu State University of Science and Technology, ESUT, Professor Cyprian Onyeji, and the Administrative Director of Niger Foundation Hospital, Enugu, Dr. Jonah Ndubuisi Abah.

The command said serious manhunt was in progress to fish out the abductors of the two persons but it could not be ascertained if their locations had been identified.

It will be recalled that Professor Onyeji was ambushed and abducted while driving into the permanent campus of ESUT at Agbani last Wednesday while Dr. Abah was abducted by unknown gunmen while driving with members of his family to St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Trans-Ekulu for early morning mass at about 5 am last Friday.

Sources close to Prof.

Onyeji family had revealed that the kidnappers demanded payment of N200 million ransom before he would be set free but no further contact had been made with the family after the phone call last Thursday.

The State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu told Vanguard yesterday that operatives of the Anti-Kidnap Squad were already handling the two cases with utmost care, stressing that what was important to the command was to ensure the safety of the victims.

He said that the police was not aware of whatever negotiation going on between the families of the victims and the kidnappers, as that had not been

brought to the knowledge of the command.

“What we (police) need most now, is the cooperation of their family members and the members of the public. All vital information that will enable us secure the release of the affected persons should be made available without delay,” Amaraizu said, adding that the command had beefed up security within the capi-

tal city.

Deputy Vice Chancellor of ESUT, Professor Aloysius Uzoagu, who briefed newsmen on the abduction of the VC at the weekend, confirmed that a N200 million ransom demand had been made to his family and not the university.

He said that ESUT would not be involved in the negotiation for the release of the VC as that

would be handled purely

by Prof. Onyeji’s family and relatives.

Prof. Uzoagu noted that in the past when some government officials were abducted in a similar manner, the state government was not involved in the negotiation with the kidnappers, saying the university community would therefore continue with its prayers for the safety and release of the VC and leave the negotiation to his family.

develop the right attitude to work to ensure that the new electricity industry succeeded for Nigerians to enjoy increased electricity supply.

Amadi who spoke in Umuahia during Power Consumer Assembly, organised by the commission, described the consumer as “very important stakeholder that must be informed and heard loudly and clearly.”

Enugu to build N13bn new secretariat complex

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BY TONYEDIKE

NUGU—THE Enugu State Executive Council has approved N13. 6 billion for the construction of a new secretariat complex for ministries, departments and agencies in the state.

The State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Chuks Ugwoke, who disclosed this while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the State executive council meeting presided over by Governor Sullivan Chime, explained that the new Secretariat if completed would consist of four functionally connected office building complexes and annexes.

He said that the new Secretariat would address acute shortage of office accommodation at the present Secretariat explaining that most of the existing office buildings were old and in deplorable states of dilapidation.

Ugwoke assured that the new Secretariat would ensure improved and functional office accommodation which would engender improved productivity and service delivery.

In another development, the Commissioner disclosed that the council had also approved the recruitment of 28 consultants for the seven district Hospitals in the state.

5000 Anambra residents get free eye care

BY VINCENTUJUMADU

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AWARD—Chief Patrick Keku, Chairman, Ijaw National Congress, INC, Lagos chapter (right) receiving honorary Doctor of Philosophy in Security Management from the Pacific Western University, Denber, State of Colorado, United States. Left is Prof. Emeka Umendu of the university.

Nkerehi/Umuchukwucommunal crisisdeepens

BY ENYIMENYIM

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NITSHA—THE pro tracted Nkerehi/ Umuchukwu community in Orumba South Local Government crisis has deepened following alleged incessant cases of kidnap of prominent persons and other criminal activities by youths suspected to be opposed to the name change of the community.

Nkerehi community was changed to Umuchukwu through a Referendum conducted on January 7, 2008

by the Anambra state government.

Subsequently, the official Gazette on the name change was released by government in April 2008.

But since then, the community had known no peace as a section of the area vehemently opposed the change and insisted that the old name be retained.

At a briefing weekend, the public relations officer of Umuchukwu progressive union, Mr Nnaemeka Onwusoronye, called on the state and federal governments to as a matter of

urgency intervene to bring a lasting peace to the area.

He recalled that trouble started in 2007 when majority of the people in the community at a crucial town meeting supported the name change from Nkerehi which was said to have been named after a totem, elephanttoUmuchukwu,meaning children of God. Onwusoronye said there had been incessant attacks on the community by the group opposed to the name change, alleging that the attacks had claimed two persons, wounded many people and property destroyed.

WKA—ANAMBRA people residing in the United States of America, USA, have provided treatment to no fewer than 5000 persons with various eye problems in communities in the state.

The exercise is an annual event organised by Diaspora Anambrarians under the auspices of Anambra State Association in USA (ASA-USA).

Coordinator of the medical mission, Dr John Obegolu said yesterday in Awka that the mission was devoid of any economic

gain or political under tone, noting that it was purely a decision of the organizers to give back to their people in dire need of assistance.

Those treated in various communities the organization visited in the state were those whose cases were said to be very bad.

Among communities that benefitted from the scheme include Nri, Nibo, Nnokwa, Eziowelle and Abba, while the newly commissioned Anambra State University Teaching Hospital, Awka provided facilities where 10 persons underwent successful operations.

....As Rotary moves against infant mortality tional area of focus in MaBY AKOMA CHINWEOKE

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AGOS—WORRIED by the high rate of infant mortality in the country, especially in rural areas due to lack of good healthcare facilities, the Rotary Club Lekki Phase 1, Lagos has donated incubators and generator to Akodo community in Lagos to curb the ugly incident of death of babies at their cradle.

Presenting the items in Lagos, the president of Rotary Club Lekki Phase 1, Mr. Wilson Akhator-Eneka said the club decided to equip the Hospital in fulfilment of Rotary Interna-

ternal and Child Health Improvement Programme.

He said: “This is the case in Akodo community in Lagos with over 250,000 persons who are low income earners. They can not afford the high cost of health care provision by private hospitals. To resolve these problems, the Club was contacted with a view to providing intervention albeit through the provision of support equipment.”

The hospital medical director, Dr. I. O. Ganikale, who thanked the club and promised that it would be judiciously used for the benefits of the community.

Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 2012 —13

Soldiers foil kidnap attempt, rescue bizman, son in Onitsha

BY ENYIMENYIM

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NITSHA—SOL DIERS attached to the 302 Artillery Regiment have foiled a kidnap attempt and rescued a business man and his son (names withheld) in Onitsha.

The armed kidnap suspects were said to have trailed their victims to a filling station along Obodoukwu road, Onitsha where they finally got him and his son before the soldiers rescued him.

An eyewitness, who pleaded anonymity, said the suspected kidnappers on sighting the soldiers from 302 Artillery abandoned their victims and fled, leaving behind their victims and their operational vehicle.

Though no arrest was made, the Assistant Director Public Relations, 82 Division, Enugu, Lt. Col. HA Gambo said the gunmen on sighting his men fled leaving behind a 4x4 Sports Utility Vehicle, SUV alongside the business man and his son.

He said the build-up to the incident started around February/March when the kidnappers threatened the businessman with series of text messages after seizing his phone months earlier which they used in extorting money from the victim.

Lt. Col Gambo said: “they were accosted and blocked by the gang with a 4x4 Runner Jeep near ACAP filling station along Obodoukwu road in Onitsha. The hoodlums on sighting the soldiers who were on patrol took to their heel”

”In view of this ugly development, the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army hereby advise the general public to be wary, alert and report anyunusualandsuspicioustrailing by motorists and report same to security agencies.”

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WKA—GOVERNOR Peter Obi of Anambra State, yesterday said the State had concluded arrangement to name the gate way to the South East, the Niger

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BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

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WERRI—THE Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Chief Emeka Ihedioha, weekend said the Federal Government had spent over N1 billion for the construction of the Owerrinta Jetty.

Chief Ihedioha, who disclosed this while speaking at Safari Club, Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, Owerri, noted that work on the project was more than 80 per cent com-

pleted.

“After this exercise, what remains to be done is the channelization of the water so that vessels can move with ease from the core Niger Delta creeks to Owerrinta”, the Deputy Speaker said.

Although he said that construction of the river port in Oguta, which is equally being constructed by the federal government, was going on, Chief Ihedioha however lamented that it was moving at a very slow speed.

Uduaghan charges Ika people on unity said the call became necesBY VICTORAHIUMA-

YOUNG GBOR—GOVERNOR Emmanuel Uduaghan has called on the people of Ika ethnic nationality in Delta State to use the annual gathering (Ogwa Ika) as a platform for promoting greater cohesion, understanding, love and amity among the different communities in Ika land.

Uduaghan spoke weekend while giving a goodwill message to people of Ika nation on the occasion of the 14th ‘Ogwa Ika’ and 13th ‘Ika Ka Mma’ annual lecture at the Ika National Hall, Agbor.

The governor who was represented by the Chief of Staff, Government House, Asaba, Dr. Festus Okubor,

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From left: Mr. Chidebere Ugbaja, Accounts Executive, MTN, Mr. Faustino Njoku, Logistics/Operations Manager, MTN; HRH EZe Chidume Okoro, Deputy Chairman, Imo State Council of Traditional rulers and Chairman, Mbaise Council of Traditional Rulers, John Ezeifedi, Trade/Marketing Consultant, MTN and Kester Enwereonu, CEO, G& E Associates at the Iriji Mbaise Festival in Imo State.

Anambra to name Niger Bridge Head/Upper Iweka Road after Ojukwu

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

FG spends N1bn on Owerrinta jetty construction

Bridge Head - Upper Iweka road in Onitsha, considered the most important road in the South East, after Ojukwu.

Obi said the ceremony would be performed by President Goodluck Jonathan during his visit to

the state later this month and called on Nigerians to keep the memory of the late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu alive by emulating his virtues.

The governor said the late Odumegwu Ojukwu lived a life devoid of greed and unbridled acquisition of material wealth.

Speaking during a memorial service in honour of the late Ikemba Nnewi at St. Michael’s Catholic Church, Nnewi, Obi said Nigerians would be doing the ideal thing if they embraced the virtues of selfless service to the people as exemplified by the late Eze Igbo Gburugburu.

According to the governor, Nigerians should start the immortalization of Ojukwu since the mourning period for his death had ended.

In his sermon during the service, the Vicar of Saint Michael’s Church, Rev. Fr. Lawrence Anoyiba tasked Ndigbo to uphold the legacy of sacrifice of the late Ikemba.

The cleric observed that in spite his wealthy background, Ojukwu chose to live a humble life of selfless service and patriotism and recalled that he used

his personal wealth to fight for justice, equity and fairness to save Igbos from forces of oppression and suppression.

He reminded Christians that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ earned them the privilege of salvation and eternity, while stressing the need for dialogue in resolving differences.

Ojikwu’s widow and Nigerian Ambassador to Spain, Mrs. Bianca Ojukwu commended Nigerians for giving her family a tremendous support and encouragement since the death of her husband, adding that it made the experience of the loss less traumatic.

sary in view of some worrisome developments within Ika land, lamenting that “there is growing intra-community differences and that of kidnapping in the area.”

He said: “With the annual gathering of Ika people, differences should be narrowed, better understanding should be firmly agreed upon, methods of making youths in Ika to engage in more purposeful and productive ventures and becoming watchdogs of good conduct among themselves should be worked out while elders in individual communities could have a mechanism to leverage on this unity that ‘Ogwa Ika’ and ‘Ika Ka Mma’ annual lectures are all geared to attain.”

Award for Delta marine officer

BY EMMAARUBI

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ARRI—THE Delta State Marine officer, DSP Prest Udueyin has been conferred with the Leadership Merit Awards by the Nigerian Movie Practitioners Initiative, NMPI, Delta State.

Chairman NMPI, Mr. Jude Unabor, said members of the association who are also members of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, AGN, decided to confer the award on Udueyin for his ability to keep peace around

the state inland water-ways in the state.

“We the members of NMPI came together and decided to give DSP Udueyin a Leadership Merit Award for the marvellous job he is doing in maintaining peace and order around the Inland waterways in the state."

In his acceptance speech, Udueyin, said was humbled with he dedicated to the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse II, for his fatherly advice and support.

Rain sacks 15 communities in Ebonyi

BY PETER OKUTU

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BAKALIKI—NO fewer than 15 communities in Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State were weekend displaced as a result of a two-day heavy down in the area The affected communities include Alike, Achara, Inyimagu, Akunakuna, Igbudu, Ndieche, Ndinkoshi, Okwerike, Ekahufu, Obegu, Ekpomaka among others.

Briefing at a briefing Urban Secondary School, Ndufu Achara in Ikwo LGA, Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, Elder Igboke Umunna, explained that property worth millions naira were equally destroyed, noting that the state had a record of 332,938 victims of natural disaster and about 50,000 victims who were yet to be attended to.

Umunna who monitored

the distribution of relief materials to victims of the flood disaster by a Non Governmental Organization, Chinedu Ogah Foundation, COF, enumerated the property destroyed by the flood to include, household appliances, buildings, crops, lives stock and other valuables.

He lamented that many had been rendered homeless since the flood disaster that ravaged the affected communities.

14—Vanguard , MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 2012

EID-EL FITR PRAYERS NATIONWIDE Muslim faithful celebrated the conclusion of the Eid el-Fitr Ramadan fast with prayers nationwide, yesterday. PHOTOS: Olu Ajayi, Dare Fasube, Biodun Ogunleye, Abayomi Adeshida, Shola Oyelese and Lamidi Bamidele.

From left— General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd); Alhaji Farouk Bahago, Emir of Minna; Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar; Alhaji Musa Ibeto, Deputy Governor Niger State, and others during prayers at the Central Mosque, Minna, Niger State.

Muslim women at the Central Mosque, Minna.

From right— President Goodluck Jonathan, Vice President Namadi Sambo and Senator Bala Mohammed, during a Sallah homage paid the President

by Abuja residents led by the Vice President at the State House, Abuja.

Master Waris Shittu at the National Stadium Praying Ground, Lagos.

Kafilat Ogbori, Kafayat Lawal, Latifat Lawal and Rawaketitu Lawal during prayers at the National Stadium, Lagos.

Vice President Namadi Sambo (middle) flanked by Senator Mohammed (left) and Mr. Abubakar MoSheik Daniyalu Shitabey, Chief Imam of Muslims Council hammed, Inspector General of Police, at the Eid of Nigeria, leading prayers at Ahmadu Bello Stadium PrayPrayer Grounds, Airport Road, Abuja. ing Ground, Kaduna.

From left— Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State; Sheikh Mustapha Ajisafe, Chief Imam of Osogboland, and Mr. Adejare Adebisi, Assistant Chief of Staff to the Governor, during the Eid-el Fitr prayers at Osogbo Eid Praying Ground, Oke-Baale, Osogbo, Osun State.

From left— Alhaji Adamson Jamiu, Baba Adinni of Itireland; Alhaji Mukaila Odubiyi, Asalu of Itireland; Chief Tajudeen Odubiyi, Otun Oba of Itireland; HRM Oba Lateef Dauda, Onitire of Itireland; Alhaji Chief Sanni Idowu, Ajiroba of Itireland and other worshippers at the Itire Praying Ground.

From right— Mr. Shamsudeen Aro-Lambo, Chief Tajudeen Okoya, Alhaji Adigun Osho, Mr. Lanre and Bolaji Okoya at Idiat Abeke Memorial Mosque praying ground, Ajah, Victoria Island, Lagos.

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Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State addressing members of the Ansar-ul-deen Society of Nigeria, Akure Branch, during their visit to the Government House after the Eid-el prayers in Akure.

Alhaji Lam Adesina, former Governor of Oyo State (right) and Alhaji Taofeek Oyerinde, Chairman, NURTW, at the Agodi prayer ground.

Members of the Muslims Council of Nigeria at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium praying ground, Kaduna.

Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 2012—15

FG/Boko Haram dialogue: NOA tasks Nigerians on tolerance

BY BEN AGANDE

A TOURISM: From left— Mr. Paul Cohen, Partner Concepts, USA; Mr. Robert Brumer, Vice President, Arik Air International; Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, DirectorGeneral, Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation; Mr. William Maloney, Partner Concepts, and Mr. Stephen Richer, Public Affairs Advocate, National Tourism Association, after a meeting on US-Nigeria tourist traffic, in Washington DC.

NCE ratifies PCN's powers

BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG

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BUJA—INDICATIONS have emerged that National Council on Establishments, NCE, has taken steps to correct its earlier vesting of the authority to regulate Pharmaceutical Technologists and Pharmacy Technicians in the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, PCN, to avert industrial restiveness in the health sector.

It will be recalled that Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, MHWUN, had protested to

the Head of Service of the Federation and also taken PCN to a Lagos State High Court over the matter.

The Head of Service, in a letter to Secretary-General of MHWUN, dated July 26, 2012, said: “There was no mention of a subsisting court ruling on the matter(s) when they were presented and considered at the last National Council on Establishments meeting, which took the decision.

“Accordingly, steps had been taken to expunge the said items from the communiqué of the last NCE meeting.”

Laureates records 100% pass in SSCE

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ESPITE the string of poor results recorded

by Nigerian students in the just-released Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations, SSCE, results, students of Laureates College, Lagos, recorded 100 percent pass at distinction and credit levels in all subjects.

The school’s last Senior Prefect, Miss Oluwasefunmi Oshoro, recorded a straight distinction in seven subjects, and is in

serious contention for the WAEC best result award.

Analysis of the result showed that all the students, who entered for the examination had distinctions in Mathematics, Physics, Geography, Food and Nutrition, Government and Commerce, while 75 percent passes at distinction level were recorded by students in English Language, Chemistry, Economics, Biology, Further Mathematics, among others.

BUJA—FOLLOWING the revelation that the Islamist sect, Boko Haram, has indicated its willingness to negotiate with the Federal Government, Director-General of National Orientation Agency, NOA, Mr. Mike Omeri, has called on Nigerians to support the move for the sake of peace.

Omeri,whospokeinAbuja,

said the agency had offered to mediate in the dialogue.

It will be recalled that the Islamist sect had, in a recent statement, said it decided to initiate the peace move in response to numerous public appeals for peace in the country.

Omeri said: “In an atmosphere of peace, our differences can be better understood. As Nigerians, we are our brothers’ keepers and good neighbours.

Bloody Sallah averted in Plateau

BY AKANINYENE EZEKIEL OS—THE timely intervention of security personnel, yesterday, averted another bloody Sallah celebration in Jos, Plateau State.

Eyewitness account said some Muslims youths, while returning from the prayer ground in FarinGada area of the town, threw stones at houses in the area and smashed cars parked at the premises of some churches and attacked motorists.

The youths were said to have gone to the prayer ground with vehicles filled with stones. On their way back, they were alleged to have brandished dangerous weapons and chanted war songs, which created tension in the area.

The action angered some youths in the area, which is predominantly occupied

by Christians. They came out to the major roads ready for a show-down but for the timely intervention of security personnel, who shot into the air to disperse them.

It will be recalled that vio-

J

lence broke out during last year’s Sallah in the city, during which, some persons lost their lives.

Police reaction, warning

Confirming the incident, state Police Command in a statement by the Command’s Deputy Police Public Relation Officer, Mr. Danjuma Azikiti, said it was disheartening to note

that despite series of parleys with religious leaders and youths, and the warnings to stop the use of abusive and provocative languages, and ban on carrying of dangerous weapons, some misguided youths still went ahead to foment trouble during the celebration.

The statement condemned the act, describing same as unfortunate. He

thanked God that no life was lost and no church or mosque torched. It urged Christian and Muslim leaders, as well as parents, to call their followers, children and wards to order as the police will not condone any breakdown of law and order.

However, normalcy had returned to the town as residents were seen going about their businesses.

... as bomb scare causes confusion in Kogi

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BY BOLUWAJI OBAHOPO

OKOJA—KOGI State Police Command, yesterday, recovered a vehicle found to contain six AK-47 rifles and 11 live magazines.

The car was parked in Oboroke Ihima of the area by unknown persons.

Passersby informed the Ohi of Ihima, Alhaji Abdulraheem Ogido, on noticing the car, who later alerted the police. They promptly responded and took the car.

The ensuing confusion led to people fleeing for

safety, thinking there was a bomb in the car.

Meanwhile, Governor Idris Wada of Kogi State has restated his government’s commitment to rid the state of crime and criminals, promising to bring to justice all those arrested in connection with the Okene killings.

Speaking, yesterday, in Lokoja, when journalists in the state paid him a Sallah visit, Wada vowed to work with the security agencies to ensure that those found culpable were punished.

He expressed sadness

over the church killings, noting that the act was alien to the people of the state.

Vanguard gathered from a source that the car was parked beside a lady, who sells recharge card. The source said trouble started when a man came to pick the car but was resisted by the lady, who then alerted residents of the area.

State Police Commissioner, Mr. Muhammed Kastina, who confirmed the incident, said the car was abandoned by some criminals after a confrontation with his men.

By Bartholomew Madukwe

PEOPLE SPEAK

08102479985

“We have shared in the breaking of fast and have extended solidarity both ways. The call for dialogue at this hour is a manifestation of the efforts we have been making.

“I appeal to Nigerians from all shields of opinion and religions to guide against their comments, work towards peace and say only positive things that will lead us to lasting peace and brotherhood as one nation.”

(nwamad@yahoo.com)

Nigeria's performance at London Olympics

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IGERIA'S representatives at the London Olympics really tried. Just that their failure to come home with any medal is not justifiable. Maybe they will do better in the next Olympics. Probably it was not just their day.—Ms. Peace Udoyoh, Student.

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T

HE athletes were their own prob lems. Some of them trained abroad like their foreign counterparts. If there is another word beyond ‘failure’ one would use it to describe them. In fact, there is nothing to write home about them.— Mr. Mikevine Paul, Actor.

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E didn’t have much impact, though Nigeria tried in weight-lifting. I feel there was not enough investment in the games.

Some of our representatives had to invest their resources in preparing for the games.—Mr. Samson Robinson, IT Engineer.

I

F the government had done well in sports administration, then they would have planned ahead of tournaments. It is not just about overnight preparation for such a big event. Other countries had been preparing long before then.—Mr. Kunle Olajorin, Engineer.

I

T was a display of the level of our unpreparedness. I felt ashamed to see some Nigerians represent other countries and do well. If they had represented Nigeria in London, who knows, they would have done well.—Mr. Vitus Ekenomeouin, Musician.

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IGERIA’S participation in the London Olympics was a perfect flop. However, I must commend the President for the decision he has taken. The whole sport sector needs reform because nothing is happening in there.—Mrs Ifeoma Anyambuba, Businesswoman.

16 — Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 2012

UNSET of Saturday, August 18, S 2012 marked the end of the monthlong Ramadan fast in the Muslim world.

The Federal Government of Nigeria has declared today and tomorrow as public holidays to enable the celebrants, their friends, well-wishers and other Nigerians enjoy full four days of relaxation and merriment.

The month of self-denial and penance, during which practising Muslims curbed their intake of food and drinks and stayed away from mundane pleasures was a period of spiritual rejuvenation from which they have emerged stronger, more committed and focused on serving Allah and humanity.

We congratulate all Muslims. You all deserve to celebrate, and we join you in body and spirit.

We, however, use this opportunity to draw attention to the need to carry the lessons of the fasting and Sallah forward, especially at this critical juncture of our history where religious intolerance has

Happy Id el Fitri reached unprecedented heights around the world, with Nigeria mired in a series of orgies of violence and bloodshed.

These agents provocateurs are bent on destabilising our secular country, rupturing the peaceful co-existence of its multi-religious community. They aim to undermine the efforts of the government and people of this country to march together in brotherhood to actualise the lofty dreams of our founding fathers. They wish to impose on us their own fanatical ideas which run counter to the constitution of our country which binds us as a people.

Muslims and Christians as well as adherents of other faiths must band together to resist, expose and overwhelm

these agents of disunity and reclaim our country from them. Islam is a religion of peace. No religion supports terrorism and the forceful conversion of people.

Both Christianity and Islam have, through history, pioneered great civilisations and have contributed to the advancement of humanity.

Nigeria must tap into the strengths of these and other faiths to build a greater nation, rather than allow evil people masquerading as soldiers of religious groups to make us turn against one another. No terrorist is a defender of any faith.

We are gratified to note that despite provocative murdering of people while worshipping God, well-meaning Christian and Muslim leaders have continued to work together, joining together to break fast and defend places of worship in some cities. We encourage this.

Congratulations for a successful Ramadan, and Happy Id el Fitri!

OPINION

BY PETER OJO

A

GAINST the backdrop of the low level development of the nation and attendant problems, not a few Nigerians have condemned the situation. In fact, renowned preacher, Pastor Tunde Bakare, in the heat of the nationwide strike and protest over the removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government on January 1, this year, described Nigeria as hell on earth. Bakare blamed the failure of our economy on ‘’our bad leaders”. He noted that ours is a country so richly blessed with resources that it could be one of the leading countries in Africa and, of course, the world. It would be an understatement to say that Nigerians are going through untold hardship despite the fact that our nation is rated the number six oilproducing country in the world. It is an indubitable fact that while the masses live in abject poverty, the leaders are living in opulence, driving exotic cars and buying mansions all over the world.

Since the nation’s independence in 1960, Nigerians have been going through untold hardship, notably under the democratic dispensation. We can list a plethora of problems facing the citizenry. Today, millions of graduates are roaming the streets looking for elusive jobs. In the '60s and '80s, undergraduates were given jobs in companies and the civil service even before their graduation from universities. The most pathetic aspect of our predicament is that the country is still in darkness just as obtained during the military regime. Today, please hold candle Nigerians, sorry Power Holding Company of Nigeria Plc, PHCN, bring bills for services not provided. The erratic power supply in the country has made most of the industries to shut down and relocate to Ghana, South Africa, etc.

It is saddening that the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo (1999-2007), after it had spent billions of dollars on energy, the masses still live in darkness. Our educational system is in shambles. It is often argued that most of our graduates cannot compete with their counterparts from other African countries, including Ghana. Recent reports indicated that total failure were recorded by Nigerian secondary school candidates who sat for the West African Examination Council Examination, WAEC, which brought concern to the Federal Government and other stakeholders.

The security challenges facing the country is worrisome, with

C M Y K

13 years democracy: So far, so bad almost daily bombings, especially in the Northern part of the country by suspected Boko Haram bombers. Indeed, the serial bombings have made it near-impossible for the country to attract foreign investors.

The hope of Nigerians was that the 4th Republic will bring in dividends of democracy after a long period of suffering during the military regime. In the last 13 years, the nation has had four general elections, that is 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2011, which produced three presidents from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP: Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Yar ‘Adua and Goodluck Jonathan.

T

oday, the nation’s economy is in a bad shape. The masses are facing a lot of challenges in terms of unemployment, food shortage, transportation, health and housing, etc. Though the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2001 brought Global System for Mobile Communications, GSM, to the country to improve our communications, but at what price? There's no gainsaying the fact that the telephone firms are ripping off Nigerians with their high charges and epilectic services.

Indeed, last month’s Edo State governorship election won by Governor Adams Oshiomhole of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, was a testimony of the rejection of PDP that has been at the centre of affairs in the country for the past 13 years. PDP has been described as a party inimical to the progress of democracy in the country. In his inauguration, Obasanjo promised to tackle corruption in the country, stressing that no society can achieve its full potentials if it allowed corruption to strive. But did he tackle the corruption monster? The eight years of Obasanjo caused so much pains for the masses. The former president increased fuel price from N20 to N75. Also, the country witnessed unprecedented total collapse of infrastructure. The Obasanjo regime spent trillions of naira on energy yet the country is still in darkness. Recall that during Obasanjo’s watch, a former minister allegedly spent N300 billion for road maintenance yet our roads are death traps.

The inauguration of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua on May 29, 2007 was welcomed wholeheartedly by Nigerians, being the first time the nation would produce a graduate. In his speech, Yar’Adua promised in his seven-point agenda to build our physical infrastructure and human capital that will make the country to move forward as a great nation, to create more jobs, lower interest rates, reduce inflation and maintain a stable exchange rate, have comprehensive plans for mass transportation, especially rail-road development.

T

he three years of Yar’ Adua from 2007-2010 achieved little, in the areas of energy, infrastructure, road and transport, health, education, agriculture and housing, etc. After the death of President Yar’ Adua on May 5, 2010, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan was sworn in to take over. Jonathan was able to complete the first term of the late President Yar’ Adua. Unexpectedly Nigerians had hoped that the new president will turn things round, especially when he is from the South-South zone. One of the áchievements of President Jonathan in his first term in office, was the approval of N10 billion to mark the nation’s 50th independence anniversary, which was criticised by Nigerians. This was done when the nation suffered a setback in term of decaying infrastructure, collapse in every sector of the economy, including energy, education, health, housing and transportation, with unemployment and insecurity seemingly ever present to threaten the polity.

The inauguration of Dr. Jonathan as the elected president in 2011, made him the third president from PDP since 1999. The then Ijaw shoeless schoolboy promised a total transformation of the country. But today, the Nigerian people are blaming themselves for electing into office.

Nigerians received the shock of their lives from the President when on January 1, 2012, he removed the fuel subsidy, which made fuel price to increase from N65 to N141 per litre. The increment of the fuel price came as a rude shock to most Nigerians, especially the Christians, who were still mourning the bombing of a Catholic Church in Madalla, Niger State, in which no fewer than 20 people, including children were killed.

•Ojo is a staff of Vanguard Newspapers

Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 2012—41

H

ERE'S my opinion: President Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan cannot, should not and WILL NOT resign. My reason is simple. The call for his resignation is part of an old script written by sectional hegemonists, announced to Nigerians in the upswing of the 2010 and 2011 political season, and orchestrated since their plots failed.

Those calling for his resignation want to obtain through the backdoor what they failed to achieve through the democratic process. Jonathan must complete his term which ends in 2015. If he wants a second term he should approach his party. If they grant him the ticket he should submit himself again to the Nigerian electorate to decide.

And if they give him another mandate he will complete his second term in 2019 and go home.

Before I expatiate this, let me make it clear that I preferred the Jonathan candidacy to those of Muhammadu Buhari and Nuhu Ribadu during the presidential poll of last year. One year later, I am one of those dissatisfied with many things that have happened. If any of the opposition parties comes up with a better candidate in 2015, I will settle for that alternative if Jonathan continues with his uninspiring approach to leadership.

Confronting corruption I am not convinced that Jonathan wants to confront corruption in the system.

Otherwise, there is no earthly reason for Mrs. Diezani Allison Madueke to remain in office after it came out that departments under her Ministry of Petroleum Resources allowed unscrupulous oil marketers and politicians to fleece this nation of billions of dollars through the subsidy scam. Perhaps, apart from Kingsley Kuku, who supervises the post-amnesty programme, most Ijaw officials in this government have not done more than give the impression it is their time to enjoy the spoils of power.

Oil-related criminality in the

Jonathan should resign? No

President Goodluck Jonathan creeks is on an upsurge, and few of the vocal Ijaw activists are talking. It is officials from other parts of the country that are helping the President to succeed.

Back to the issue of resignation: to be or not to be. I ask the question again: why should GEJ resign? Because of the security situation? Or because of poor performance?

If the call is based on the security situation, then there are two segments of the society making the call. The first are those feeling the pain of daily loss of lives and property; those outraged that innocent Nigerian lives are being wasted by agents of darkness. Most of these victims are innocent Nigerians worshipping God in church and causing no harm to anybody.

Some of them, especially people on the Plateau, are being sneaked upon at night by Nigeria’s version of Omar Al Bashir’s Janjaweed

militias with a view to driving them off their land.

Some of the victims are also innocent Nigerians whose only crime is that they live in Maiduguri, Damaturu, Potiskum, Bauchi, Gombe, Kaduna, Suleija, Sokoto, Kano and even Abuja.

Since Jonathan is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the expectation for him to annihilate the terrorists right now is both legitimate and well placed.

Calling on him to resign out of anger and frustration is also understandable. But if he resigns because of terrorist attacks he will be setting a precedent in the history of mankind. He would be doing the unthinkable. None of those calling on him to resign would do the same in his shoes.

People are free to sound off, but that is not the solution. The

solution remains in our closing ranks as a people, cooperating with the security forces, exposing the enemies in our society and forsaking the laughable notion that terrorists are soldiers of our religious or political cause.

Then there are those who are making the call motivated by bitter politics. These were the people who boasted that their part of the country was born to rule; that they are the majority. They concoct funny population and voter registration figures and base t h e i r prognostication of victory on bogus factors. When it came to practical application in last year ’s elections their calculus registered catatonic failures. They had boasted that if GEJ did not “give power back” to them, they would make the s y s t e m ungovernable.

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and his political buccal bazookas, Alhaji Lawal Keita and Professor Ango Abdullahi, were several times on record saying this.

Jonathan is still governing and will continue to govern.

Those behind the wicked acts of sabotage will wear themselves out with time, and the north will come out weaker and less able to act together

OPINION Constitution amendment and devolution of powers

BY LAW MEFOR

Continued from page 42 FEDERALISM is also a system based upon democratic rules and institutions in which the power to govern is shared between national and state/local governments, creating what is then called a federation.

Instructively, in 1999, the government of Canada established the Forum of Federations as an international network for exchange of best practices among federal and federalizing countries. Headquartered in Ottawa, the Forum of Federations partner governments including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Ethiopia, Germany, India, Mexico, Nigeria and Switzerland. It is not known what Nigeria has learned from that forum C M Y K

as a federation, assuming the nation learned anything at all.

Yet the fact remains that none of these federal nations is unitary or confederal and all have survived as exemplary nations and flagships of both democracy and development by abiding by truly federal principles and precepts.

Those factors that therefore make Nigeria unitary need to be picked out with a fine comb and the Federal Government divested of such powers that can be better handled at the state levels or shared concurrently by the National Assembly for country to stand firmly and make progress.

Examples of such overbearing concentrations of powers at the centre are many: Single police force, national grid for power/electricity supple (no state can

The violence and terrorism in the north are big headaches for and Jonathan, but the truth is that the north is wearing the pinching shoe primarily. It is the economy and development of the north that are primarily being devastated.

Northerners have turned their region into a theatre of war, waged by misguided northern youth with the financing supplied by some ill-motivated northern leaders. Jonathan is still governing and will continue to govern. Those behind the wicked acts of sabotage will wear themselves out with time, and the north will come out weaker and less able to act together. The longer this terrorism goes on the less likely the north will be able to produce the president of this country.

And if the call for resignation is based on allegations of poor performance, it will still not stick. This is 15th of 48 months GEJ has to work. It is natural for a regime to enter the stage of lower rating within the first year after election. Let us wait and see what will happen by the 30th month. Then we can judge. Thank God, we can judge with our votes by the 46th month.

I am of the firm belief that the Jonathan administration is moving Nigeria in the right direction economically. He has put world-class competent hands on the job. Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala in Finance and the Economy, Dr. Olusegun Aganga in Investments, Prof.

Barth Nnaji in Power and Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina in Agriculture are very promising.

An editor of a British comic magazine was fond of saying: “every artist draws his salary”. Same applies to GEJ. Noisemakers take note.

generate electricity and distribute), one Appeal Court/Supreme Court and more importantly, the abrogation of the right of states to the natural resources found in their soil. The 1999 Constitution has barred states in Nigeria from tapping the natural resources abounding in virtually all states of the federation. This has left such natural resources in the hands of illegal miners and bandits who are feeding fat on them, while the Federal Government concentrates on the exclusive mining of the crude oil.

For the Nigerian federation to survive, therefore, the National Assembly needs to open up the space for constructive engagements of the states in development according to their inherent competences and desires. The practice where the states wait for the end of the month to report to

Abuja for handouts from the Federal Government needs to stop. It is an aberration of democracy. We cannot continue to pretend that the multiplicity of nationalities that make Nigeria can be well administered as a unitary entity. To avoid a situation where the country is forced by circumstances beyond its control to embrace such measure, the National Assembly, as the only statutory body vested with powers to restructure the country, should move now to mobilize stakeholders to key into this agenda as listed by the Senate in Asaba.

More importantly, the nation will also lay to rest the cry for Sovereign National Conference, SNC. After all, all such agitators are only saying is: Restructure the country into a workable, true, fiscal, equitable, federation, not necessarily dismember her.

Concluded

•Mefor wrote from Abuja.

MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 2012

BY AKEEM ‘KOLA ADEBAYO

NIGERIANS should pay a very close attention to the on-going mediation efforts of President Goodluck Jonathan on the Jos crisis. He has met with the representatives of both the Afizere, Anaguta and Berom, who are recognised as the indigenes of Jos, and the non-native Hausa-Fulani community. The President personally waded into the matter ostensibly on the advice of the National Security Adviser and this unprecedented intervention has given the issue a much-needed national dimension.

The issues at stake in Jos are very fundamental to the very consensus that is responsible for peace in the country before the advent of Boko Haram terror campaign. What are these issues? Indigeneship and land ownership, emotive issues that can cause mayhem if not handled with care.

The two major protagonists in the Jos war are the non-native HausaFulani community in Jos and the indigenous peoples of Jos and the region surrounding it – Afizere, Anaguta and Berom. (Although the Hausa and Fulani are two distinctive ethnic groups in Nigeria, but the two have historical antecedents that often pitch them together as one, especially within the context of politics).

Now what is the problem? Most newspapers and magazines simply describe the war as arising over the dichotomy between the indigenes and the settler HausaFulani. And they stop at that. Why should a mere dichotomy cause so much hatred and bloodshed?

The truth is that there is no constitutional discrimination against the Hausa-Fulani in Plateau State in the exercise of their civic rights. There is nothing

that prevents a Fulani man from becoming a senator or governor of the state. If a popular political party today puts forward a Fulani candidate and the majority of the voters in the state freely vote for him or her, nothing will debar the Fulani from becoming governor.

In fact, there have been members of the Hausa-Fulani community who have sat in the House of Representatives. Alhaji Ibrahim Dasuki Nakande, a prominent leader of the community and a central figure in the murderous crisis, once represented the state in the federal cabinet as a minister just as there is a Hausa man who is a commissioner in the present government of Governor Jonah David Jang, a Berom.

Why then do the HausaFulani feel marginalised as non-indigenes?

Indeed the source of tension in the Jos settler/indigene relationship stems from the Hausa-Fulani claim to the indigeneship of Jos, a chieftaincy stool and political offices. They would like to create a chieftaincy institution in Jos which no reasonable government, under whose powers the right to appoint one rest, will agree to.

Creating a Fulani emirate in Jos will mean that there will now be two traditional rulers in a single domain since the Gbong Gwom Jos, a Berom, is recognised as the paramount traditional ruler of the city! It is precisely because of chieftaincy that there is a necessary dichotomy between the indigenes and non-indigenes which for the sake of peace we have to accept in Nigeria. There may be more than one million Igbos in Lagos, the Oba of Lagos remains the chief institution of traditional rulership in Lagos and only the indigenes of Eko, who

Now the President must be very careful in his ongoing mediation efforts as any attempt to force an unjust solution on Jos will open the doors to similar agitations in other parts of the country

,

may number only a few hundred thousands, have access to the royal stool. The same goes for every town and village in Nigeria.

Outside of chieftaincy there is nothing in our Constitution that prevents an Igbo man who is resident in Lagos from enjoying citizenship rights, including even becoming the governor of the state, if the majority of the voters of the state want him or her.

Another area of contention is land. The Fulani, many of whom in fact are non-indigenes or even non-Nigerians, say they want grazing reserves to be created for their herdsmen. This is a demand that is not based on any law in Nigeria. Land in Sokoto belongs to the indigenes of Sokoto. If a Yoruba man desires the land for farming or to build a house, he will have to buy it from the indigenes.

The clamour for grazing reserve as desirable as it is to avoid the constant conflict between herdsmen and farmers should not be a cause of bloodletting in Nigeria. Where have grazing reserves been created in the North?

Nowhere, not even in states in which these Fulani herdsmen are indigenes, including Sokoto, Kano, Jigawa, etc. Why then must thousands of Beroms and other indigenes and non-natives of Plateau State be killed because Fulani herdsmen want a grazing

Constitution amendment and devolution of powers

BY LAW MEFOR

T

HE legislative list exclusive to the Federal Government in the 1999 Constitution is intolerably skewed in favour of the Federal Government. Nigeria is clearly a federal environment with three major ethnic groups, each with over 30 million people, populations that are singly more than half of countries of the world.

This, in addition to 250 other smaller ethnic groups, all bunched together, no doubt informed the choice of federalism by the nation’s founding fathers. Yet, the country, though not the most complex in the world, is almost run from a central source. This is the nation’s undoing because the states have since become amorphous and run as cash-cows of governors and their godfathers, while the local governments are kept in perpetual abeyance since the return to democratic rule.

In theory and practice, the 1999 Constitution conceives Nigerian federalism as almost unitary. The military mentality that Nigeria can only be kept together by

force is what may have made those who guided the nation at critical moments to break away from federal principles that were already very preponderant at independence.

The governments of Argentina, Australia, Brazil, India and Mexico, among others, are also organised along federalist principles but none of them is unitary as Nigeria.

Where the National Assembly, therefore, needs to start in delivering or restoring enough federal features to the Nigerian practice is taking position to dilute the centre so as to allow the states to play a greater role in determining their future happiness and development.

The argument has been that before the war, regions were too powerful to the point that the Eastern region could secede and hold the country to civil war for three years.

This claim is not essentially true. What led to the collapse of the First Republic was the inability of the founding fathers to agree on a nation and their covert and overt desires to take over the country and subjugate the rest of the country.

,

Jonathan, Nigerians beware of Jos!

,

42—Vanguard,

reserve? From the foregoing, it is very clear that the objective of the Hausa-Fulani community in Jos is unjust and actually amounts to an expansionist drive to dominate the Beroms and other indigenous peoples of the state.

Now the President must be very careful in his on-going mediation efforts as any attempt to force an unjust solution on Jos will open the doors to similar agitations in other parts of the country.

If you can create a Fulani emirate in Jos, why should the Hausa-Fulani community in Agege (Lagos State) not agitate for one? They will tell you that they know no other home outside of Agege and they do not want to submit to the traditional rulership of the Olu of Agege because of their religious belief. And how can you prevent the Yoruba from establishing a parallel chieftaincy institution in Ilorin since most hold no allegiance to the Emir whom they regard as an impostor?

O

r why should Fulani not demand for the creation of a grazing reserve in Ogun State, if you create one in Plateau? On whose land should a grazing reserve be arbitrarily created?

Every land even when fallow is owned by a community in Nigeria.

Just as gari makers cannot demand that a farming reserve be created for them in Yobe so that they can plant cassava and process gari, the demand of the Fulani for grazing reserves in Plateau State should be rejected.

Behind this clamour is a suspicious attempt to create by fiat Fulani villages in the state by seizing the territories of the Afizere, Anaguta and Berom.

Again an expansionist move.

In fact, the crisis, which assumed its present violent form in 1994, centres on the ownership of Jos since issue of indigeneship is connected with its ownership. In an advertorial by a so-called Coalition of Jasawa Elders published in the Daily Trust of Monday 12 January 2009, the

I sincerely believe that Nigerian independence should have been delayed to about 1962, or even later, to avoid the bloody scramble for the control of the country that followed by the regional powers

,

For example, the Willick Commission had made it very clear that the young nation (Nigeria) must deal with the issue of minorities’ fears of domination by the major ethnic groups before it could settle down into full nationhood. But rather than create the minorities in the North, East and West into separate regions, the colonists folded the union jack and left Nigeria. The succeeding government of NPC/NCNC (Tafawa Balewa/Nnamdi Azikiwe) created only the Midwestern region obviously to deal with Awo/Action Group and failed to create the South-South and Middle belt regions.

Hausa/Fulani contended that they are founders and owners of Jos town. They claimed they founded Jos even before the advent of the British colonialists.

However, three judicial commissions of inquiry have established without any doubt that the city belongs to Afizere, Anaguta and Berom as indigenes. The Justice Aribiton Fiberesima and Niki Tobi Commissions of Inquiry set up to investigate the civil unrests of April 12, 1994 and September 7, 2001 respectively considered and resolved the ownership of Jos in favour of Afizere, Anaguta and Berom.

The Justice Aribiton Fiberesima Commissions of Inquiry said in its report: “In the light of careful thought, we concede to the claim of Berom, Anaguta and Afizere tribes and to declare that they are “indigenes” of Jos but as to the Hausa/Fulani people’s assumption, we make bold on the evidence at our disposal to advise them that they can qualify only as “Citizens” of Jos” (1994).

The Justice Bola Abdul-Jabbar Ajibola Commission of Inquiry, which sat in 2009 following the 28 November 2008 killings in the city, while reiterating the claims of the Jos indigenes even noted that it received evidence that there were other Nigerian non-indigenes, such as the Yorubas who have been living in the city since 1850, who came to Jos even before the Hausa/Fulani but are not claiming indigeneship of Jos but rather still trace their roots to their respective states of origin. And Sir Ahmadu Bello confirmed in his autobiography that the Hausa/ Fulani never conquered the indigenes of Jos. In conclusion, the Jos conflict really has nothing to do with religion; please leave Islam out of it. The source of the bloodletting in Jos stems from the Hausa-Fulani expansionist design over Jos. Their aim is the chieftaincy stool; they want to appoint a Fulani Emir in Jos. •Mr Adebayo lives in Dublin, Ireland

Even if for mere academic exercise, one can fairly state that if Nigeria was carved into six regions by the departing colonial powers or those who succeeded able to do so immediately after independence, and democracy allowed by those who introduced rigging into Nigeria to take over the entire country undemocratically, there wouldn’t have been the need for the military to overthrow the First Republic or Nigeria going into the civil war to force Biafra back into the fold.

So, essentially, the British left Nigeria in a hurry and should have dealt with the minority factor before handing over power.

If you ask me, I sincerely believe that Nigerian independence should have been delayed to about 1962 or even later, to avoid the bloody scramble for the control of the country that followed by the regional powers.

For the avoidance of doubt, the term “federalism” is used to describe a system of government in which sovereignty is constitutionally divided between a central governing authority and constituent political units (such as states and local governments as should be the case with Nigeria).

Continues on page 41 •Mr. Mefor, an author, wrote from Abuja.

Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 2012—43

governors, who went along with Afenifere’s decision, were decisively beaten at the polls and Tinubu was left as the only AD governor.

From thence, Tinubu became a rallying point of sorts for the AD and younger elements of Afenifere. In no time, they formed the Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG), to protect the political and economic interests of the zone. Things took a turn for the worse following the death of the Afenifere leader, Abraham Adesanya death in 2008. The body became factionalised with Senator Ayo Fasanmi, who deputized for Adesanya after Ige’s death leading a faction and Chief Fasoranti leading other.

While Fasanmi insisted he was the authentic leader, Fasoranti countered saying that Pa Adesanya asked him to hold fort while alive.

Fasoranti had the backing of Afenifere elders while Fasanmi had the endorsement of Tinubu. It took a long time before the matter was resolved in favour of Fasoranti but then Afenifere was no longer a close-knit organization as it used to be.

Afenifere leaders

*Fasoranti: Afenifere leader

*Awolowo: Stood for principle

CRISIS IN AWOLOWO’S HOUSE:

Battle for Ondo tears Afenifere apart THE forthcoming gubernatorial election in Ondo State has reignited the battle for the political soul of Yoruba land. Nothing, not even dignity is being spared in the battle

BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE & DAPO AKINREFON

F

OLLOWERS of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo never had it as bad as they did penultimate week.

In spite of widening fissures in their rank, the leaders never descended to open abuse of one another on the pages of newspapers. But all that gave way when National Chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Chief Bisi Akande, described top leaders of Afenifere -Chiefs Reuben Fasoranti (Leader), Ayo Adebanjo and Olu Falae as political jobbers, after they endorsed Governor Olusegun Mimiko’s re-election bid. The trio responded in equal measure and the polity is C M Y K

awash with their exchange of brick-bats and mud-slings.

Mimiko is running on the plank of the Labour Party, the only party that diluted the ACN’s dominance of the Southwest. ACN is bent on stopping Mimiko and the aim could be jeopardised by the endorsement and support the governor has got from Afenifere.

In the beginning The Awolowo political family has always had its enemies within the South-West but had always managed to remain the dominant political force right from the pre-independence era. The only hiatus was in 2003 when a political tsunami unfurled by the Peoples

Democratic Party, PDP, threw overboard all the Alliance for Democracy, AD, governors with the exception of Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Lagos.

The six AD governors then Segun Osoba (Ogun), late Adebayo Adefarati (Ondo), Bisi Akande (Osun), Lam Adesina (Oyo), Niyi Adebayo (Ekiti) and Bola Tinubu (Lagos) rode on the back of pan-Yoruba socio-economic and political organisation, Afenifere, to get to power.

Their re-election bid also had the nod of Afenifere, which was led by staunch and diehard followers of the late sage, Awolowo.

Afenifere’s misstep: What could arguably be regarded as a blunder on the part of Afenifere leaders happened in 2002, a few months to the 2003

elections.

Olusegun Obasanjo, who won the presidency without the votes of his native S o u t h -We s t , sought the backing of Afenifere and got it. AD did not field a presidential candidate in line with the agreement.

Tinubu warned the leaders against the arrangement saying that it would back-fire but he was ignored. But alas, Tinubu was right.

The other five

There was also a battle for the soul of AD among these contending forces, which Tinubu’s camp won. Afenifere leaders had to form a new party, Progressive Action Congress, PAC, and later Democratic Peoples Alliance, DPA. Meanwhile, the PDP governors, led by Otunba Gbenga, who took over from the AD men in the South-West moved closer to late Pa Awolowo’s family alongside Afenifere leaders. They held a series of meetings at the Ikenne, Ogun State home of Awolowo. Most of these meetings were boycotted by the Tinubu camp.

Ahead the 2007 elections, Tinubu led the mainstream AD into an alliance with other political parties to from the Action Congress, AC, which is now Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN. The ACN through the ballot box and law courts recovered all the South-West states except Ondo in the 2007 polls.

The intense battle for Ondo: With Ondo being the only South-West state that is not witnessing the broom revolution, ACN leaders are bent on adding the state, the only oil-

The three of them, Akande declared, are glorious political beggars who have lost relevance in the nation’s politics

Continues on page 44

44—Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 2012

*Adebanjo: Staunch Awoist

*Tinubu: ACN national leader

*Akande: ACN national chairman

Battle for Ondo tears Afenifere apart Continues from page 43 producing state in the zone to their kitty and Afenifere leaders are saying ‘no’ to this quest with their endorsement of Mimiko for second term.

Thus, when the likes of Fasoranti, Adebanjo and Falae endorsed Mimiko it was not surprising that it angered Akande, who described them as political jobbers. Their offence was that they openly supported the second-term bid of Governor Mimiko.

Akande’s attack: “The three of them”, Akande declared, “are glorious political beggars who have lost relevance in the nation’s politics.”

He said: “The so-called leaders are only looking for what they will eat. Of what relevance are they? They cannot point to any individual as their followers even in their home state. Falae, for instance has always brought bad luck to any political party he belongs to. He brought bad luck to the Alliance for Democracy in 1999.”

Acceptability of a politician On Fasoranti, Akande quipped: “Fasaronti on his own was the man who single handedly ruined the pan Yoruba socio-cultural group; Afenifere and Ayo Adebanjo has never contested any election in his life. He only prides himself as a Yoruba leader without any follower.

How do you rate the acceptability of a politician C M Y K

who has never contested any election in his life?”

Akande, a former governor of Osun State said “we don’t pray to have such politicians in the ACN because we don’t want bad luck in our party. We are happy with where they are and we wish Mimiko the best as they take their bad luck to him and his political party.”

Adebanjo chides Akande Countering, Adebanjo, a strong Awoist, lampooned the ACN national chairman for his utterances.

Adebanjo described the remarks that the Yoruba group’s support for Governor Mimiko’s second term bid on the platform of Labour Party, LP, was because the leaders are out to collect crumbs from the governor’s table, as irresponsible.

“If Bisi Akande, the figure head chairman of the ACN (which the Yorubas will call Ologomugomu chairman), had confined his criticism of me in his interview to my not being an electoral asset because I have never contested any election in this country, I would have ignored him and would not have bothered to dignify his ignorant and ill-informed statement, which has become his sing-song criticism of me without any response.

“The reason for this is simple. He is too junior to me politically for me to enter into political disputation with him.

But when he opened his

mouth so wide to call me, his plum political office of deputy political leader, who was the governor because he comes chairman of the from the same party AD on whose constituency as platform he Chief Sunday contested and won Afolabi otherwise the election to his senior become the members of the governor of Osun party like Senator Awoists have Mojisola Akinfenwa, State in 1999-2003, a fake Awoist, I existed in the Hon. Lere believe Bisi Adebayo, Chief Akande is indeed 50s long A b a y o m i what the Yorubas Morakinyo, who before the late will call Omo Atiro were already in to lo ra bata fun Chief Bola Ige Chief Bola baba e, oro lofe I g e ’ s c a b i net, gbo (the son of a recruited him would have been lame father who from the considered. thoughtlessly T h e s e bought a pair of NCNC into gentlemen, in shoes for his the UPN in spite of any father, he needs to p o l i t i c a l be reminded the 1979 and disagreement, physical position made him an will not refer to of his father). me as a fake “In the first emergency Awoist.” place, where is deputy Who an Awoist Bisi Akande is: Shedding coming from to be governor to more light on qualified to define who truly is an replace the who is an “Awoist”?

Awosit, Adebanjo Because Awoists late Chief enthused: “Now, have existed in the who is an ‘Awoist’ Sunday 50s long before the and when did the late Chief Bola Ige Afolabi, who term “Awoism” recruited him from enter Nigeria the NCNC into the had decamped political lexicon?

UPN in 1979 and from the party The populist made him an p o l i t i c a l emergency deputy to join the philosophy of governor to NPN Chief Obafemi replace the late Awolowo, which Chief Sunday encompasses Afolabi, who had w e l f a r e decamped from the party to programmes among which are join the NPN. Bisi Akande free education, free medical was the beneficiary of the services, integrated rural

development and full employment with which he painstakingly administered in the old Western Region from 1952-1959, acclaimed worldwide, was termed Awoism.

“He was acclaimed the leader of progressive politics in Nigeria and his members and believers in these combined attributes are known and called “Awoists.” I was a known leading member and mobiliser of the party during this period. I ask, where was Bisi Akande during this period and what role did he play to be in a position to pontificate on who is an “Awoist”?

Pastime criticism “The pastime criticism of me

by Chief Bisi Akande is that I have no electoral value and that I have never contested and won an election. If this is the criteria of judging an “Awoist” from the jaundiced eyes of Chief Bisi Akande, I plead I am happy to be in the good company of past leaders of the party like Chief S.O Shonibare (one of the founders of the A.G), Chief Afred Rewane, Chief S.O Lanlehin, Dr. J Akanni Doherty, Chief Ladipo Amose all of blessed memory who laboured faithfully to popularise the Action Group with the philosophy of Awoism and never contested election.

“But let me state for the record and political education Continues on page 45

Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 2012—45

*Gov Mimiko: Can he break the jinx in Ondo State?

*Map of Ondo State

Battle for Ondo tears Afenifere apart Continues from page 44 of political neophytes like Bisi Akande who was only brought to political relevance by the late Chief Bola Ige of blessed memory. I contested and won election to Ijebu-Ode Local government from my ward in Ogbo/Okelamuran/ Ikoto in 1976 under a zero party election following the ban of political parties by the military.

“The election was more on the candidate’s individual popularity, since political party platform was banned. It was an election that did not allow an unpopular candidate to be elected under a popular political party platform. The late Chief Bisi Onabanjo of blessed memory also won from Ijebu-Ode ward and was elected chairman of the council.

Support for declaration “While justifying his decision to throw his weight behind the second term bid of Governor Mimiko, he said he had no regrets whatsoever. I have no regret that I with other Afenifere leaders visited Dr Olusegun Mimiko to demonstrate our open support for his declaration for second term election as governor of Ondo State. His performance in the last three and a half years in Ondo State should be a pride to any lover of good governance. His achievements are consistent with the ideals

and philosophy of Awoism.

"Those who have been regular visitors to Ondo State in the last three and a half years would testify to the fact that the tenets of his administration have been to the betterment of the masses of Ondo State in all its ramifications.

Political programmes “Don’t forget Mimiko was himself a member of the AD before he had occasion to disagree with some individuals in the party that made him to leave for another party - the Labour Party. His political programes show he is still keeping faith with the ideals and philosophy o f Awoism. And for this he deserves our support; just as I would have supported Governor Babatunde Fashola if Asiwaju Bola Tinubu had jettisoned him for his second term as he had threatened to do although I am not a member of ACN. “It is cheap blackmail and gratuitous insult for Chief Akande to allege that our support for Mimiko was to collect crumbs from his table.

Chief Akande should tell the whole world what crumbs I collected from his table when he was governor of Osun State and I was the chairman of the party. Such unguarded and irresponsible statement is least expected from somebody who is a chairman of a national party however

figurative he may be holding the post. Afenifere stands behind Mimiko for his second term as solidly as the Rock of Gibraltal.”

Afenifere comes hard on Akande: Rising to the defence of its elders, A f e n i f e r e d e s c r i b e d A k a n d e ’ s statement as regrettable. Its G e n e r a l Secretary, Chief Seinde Arogbofa, said Akande’s action “smacks of disrespect for elders, which is a core Yoruba culture.”

Arogbofa said “the decision to support the second term bid of Governor O l u s e g u n Mimiko of Ondo State which drew the ire of Akande and his ilk was taken in the best interest of Yoruba and not because of inducement from any quarter.”

He, therefore, d e s c r i b e d A k a n d e ’ s statement as regrettable and an insult to his elders.

The group’s scribe expressed regret over the comment saying: “I do not expect Chief Akande, a former state

governor and once a jolly good Afenifere brother, to have gone to town to call his elder brothers unprintable names. I expect that even if his public relations officer went out of his way to insult and be rude, he should have called him to order.”

While accusing the ACN chairman of denigrating the leaders of the group by his statement on their support for Gov. Mimiko’s second-term ambition, the group’s scribe said: “One wonders why an elderly man like him should always resort to venom and bitterness in times of crisis, especially at this late hours of his life. We wonder what legacy he is leaving behind and what time he has left to redeem himself and have a change of heart.

Where is the Omoluabi thing they profess they are, when they go out of their way to pour abuses and insults on their elders and impugn the integrity of their superiors?”

S p e a k i n g further, he noted that “In so far as those of us in core Afenifere are concerned, our voice cannot be bought. Our stand cannot be compromised or negotiated. We are on the side of history and are mindful of tomorrow and aware that the hostility of today can

The Ondo battle in October, will show which side has been able to win the heart of the people, it depends on what you have been able to do

tomorrow give way to mutual understanding. How can someone in his right mind say that Chiefs Fasoranti, O. Ajayi, Ayo Adebanjo and Olu Falae, are political jobbers and beggars and that we took money from Mimiko before we supported his second term bid?

“Chief Fasoranti runs one of the best private secondary schools in Ondo State and one of the best nursery and primary school and has on his pay role well over 100 people.

Both Chief Ajayi and Chief Adebanjo run some of the best legal firms in the country while Chief Falae is more than 90 percent a full time farmer employing well over 100 people in his farm. Apart from this, each of them is blessed with children who can take full care of them. Apart from Lagos governor who has performed to the satisfaction of the elders, it is only Mimiko that has done creditably well among the committee of governors in the southwest geo-political group.”

It’s an ideological conflict —Odumakin In a telephone chat with Vanguard, a former National Publicity Secretary of the group, Mr Yinka Odumakin, said it was an ideological conflict. He said: “The election coming up in October where Mimiko is squaring up, has brought an opportunity for the old guard to enact their differences with the Tinubu tendencies by giving support to Mimiko, who was to them loyal to Adefarati. And of course, they have also anchored it on the fact that Mimiko has performed well in office.

"So, that is the basis of what has happened and of course ACN’s strategies is to anchor their campaign on the fact that the Labour Party is not a Yoruba party or that he (Mimiko) remained in the opposition because he has not joined them. But I think by and large, it is a battle for the soul of Yoruba nation in terms of whether you are an Awoist or whether you a re a progressive, which party you belong and what you have done for the people.

"It is sending a signal to the South west that some issues are not yet settled and that it is an ideological conflict. It is a question of whether you are an Awoist or not, it is not about deeds, it is not about words.

The Ondo battle in October, will show which side has been able to win the heart of the people, it depends on what you have been able to do.”

As the battle for the soul of Ondo State gains momentum, observers of political events are watching to see which side would emerge victorious at the end of the day.

C M Y K

46—VANGUARD, MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 2012

ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF TRADE UNIONISM IN NIGERIA

•Com •Mobile policemen on duty during the Joint Action Front, JAF, led fuel price hike protests in Lagos, last January.

How police battered the 1964 TUCN march This is the eighth edition of the serial on OWEI LAKEMFA's latest work: "One hundred years of trade unionism in Nigeria". The seventh part was published yesterday.

Adebola had thought that with the successful mass rally and the subsequent militant demonstration, workers would disperse to plan and prepare for the general strike planned to hold fortyeight hours later. But Imoudu had other plans

,

W

ORKERS’ Power: The 1964 Uprising

1964 was a momentous year for the Labour Movement; it was the year multiple general strikes were held. Labour leaders openly called for the overthrow of the TafawaBalewa government, with some trade unionists actually planning a coup d’etat. Within two years of Nigeria’s 1960 political independence the country was on the boil. The Federal Government which had not been a disinterested party in the crisis that engulfed the Western Region in 1962 imposed an administrator, Moses Adekoyejo Majekodunmi, on the region.

Majekodunmi, an obstetrician and gynaecologist was a senator and Minister of State for Army, and later Health before his appointment. He brought no solution to the crisis which was further exacerbated by the trial and conviction for treason of the Action Group leaders led by Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

Chief Awolowo’s conviction came on September 11, 1963. The Federal Government which had demonstrated incompetence by its handling of the controversial 1963 census showed where its sympathy laid when it helped to

and break down in morale. This was compounded by an austerity programme by the government in which workers were called upon to make sacrifices.”

The workers response to these was to demand justice, recognition of human right, a rescue of the economy and wage increases in line with the cost of living. The United Labour Congress, ULC, at its May 1963 Annual Convention mandated the executive to press for a general upward review of salaries. In July 1963, the ULC

enthrone Awolowo’s rival and chief antagonist, Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola, as Premier of the troubled region.

Akintola was Federal Minister of Labour between 1952 and 1953: Workers complained about growing graft in the country and conversely, their deteriorating working and living conditions. Uzodinma Nwala, a lecturer at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, wrote on this: “There was a fierce competition to amass wealth by the ruling class.

Most of them played a comprador role to foreign capital.

Foreign trade missions, financed by the state and undertaken on behalf of the country, were often occasions for contracting private business relation- Labour protest in Kaduna ships. Enviable government agencies were created to wrote all political party leaders provide jobs for political allies and and legislators protesting the inclients. While these develop- troduction of the Preventive ments were going on, the lot of Detention Act, and attempts to the working class deteriorated form a so called “National owing to inflation, unemployment Government” where opposition

Photo: Bunmi Azeez

will be absent, and the low wages paid workers.

The letter signed by Lawrence Borha its general secretary warned that ignoring the workers plea for a living wage was an “...unnecessary provocation and an unenlightened invitation to industrial strife and discord of a magnitude that could portray the body of the nation’s economic growth disastrously.” While ULC was engaged in these protests and getting its members prepared for a possible industrial action, the leaders of the Nigeria Trade Union Congress, NTUC, had come to the conclusion that a general strike was inevitable if workers were to win any concession on the issues at stake.

On August 19, 1963, the ULC and the NTUC formed a joint wages committee. When the Nigeria Workers Council (NWC) the Nigeria Union of Railway men,

Federated and other smaller unions joined the ULC and NTUC in September 1963 on the wage issue, a new body, the Joint Continues on page 47

,

VANGUARD, MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 2012—PAGE

47

How police battered the 1964 TUCN march ies have been forced on the govAction Committee (JAC) of all ernment through trade unions was born. The JAC workers agitation, which had Haroon Popoola Ade- quite often backed bola the ULC president as chair- by the threat of, or man also had the NTUC General actual work stopSecretary Samuel Udoh Bassey pages. Also, while as scribe. Other main leaders of these commissions the JAC were Michael Imoudu are often confined and Wahab Goodluck. to specific or broad The JAC gave a general strike industrial relations notice. The government did not issues, many of as much as take a side glance of them have had all the JAC; to it, JAC was a phan- embracing tasks.” ton that existed in workers imagA seven man Soldiers clearing boulders on the road during the protests ination. The JAC called a light- Commission was ing strike on September 27, 1963. put together on this occasion, it 1, 1964 the government had not “The stoppage was complete and was headed by Justice Adeyinka given a favourable response to was in 1945. Adebola who knew brought all economic activities to Morgan, the Chief Justice of the the Morgan Commission Re- this story too well was not willing a stand-still. This brought it in- troubled Western Region. The oth- port. To further show their dis- to allow history repeat itself. By stant government recognition. er members of the Morgan Com- pleasure, the mass rally decided the time Imoudu, clad in a tradiLabour Minister, Joseph mission were Abdu Gusau, C. O. that workers should stage a dem- tional war dress started his popModupe Johnson, JMJ, and the Nwokedi, O. I. A. Akinkugbe, T. onstration from the Surulere ven- ular sing song in faulty Yoruba “T Labour Ministry’s Permanent E. Salubi and T. M. Yesufu, a po- ue to the Herbert Macaulay, a lo ni ile yi?” (Who owns this Secretary, M. A. Tokunboh who litical economist who within a Yaba, Lagos headquarters of the land?) and the workers were rewas the founding General Secre- year of his call to service was ULC whose president Haroon sponding “Awa lo nile yi” (We tary of the country’s first labour made professor of applied eco- Adebola was also the JAC own this land) Adebola knew Imcentre, the 1943 Trade Unions nomics at the University of Lagos. chairman. The workers were en- oudu had carried the day. This Congress of Nigeria, TUCN, met Mr. S. O. Sodipo was appointed thusiastic and what followed was sing song was initially used in cothe JAC leaders to agree on ways the Commission’s Secretary. The a mass demonstration with work- lonial times against the British, of solving the crisis. Both sides Morgan Commission sat for sev- ers heading for Herbert Macaul- now Imoudu was using it in post agreed that a high-powered com- en months from October 14, ay. The march, despite the ban independence Nigeria which was suggestive of his thinking on public meetings, that the country was still being went off peacefully. run by the British but through Adebola who was at their lackeys. the head of the marchRather than allow Imoudu hiers was satisfied; the jack the rally and the impending workers wanted a strike, Adebola announced that strong, militant lead- he would lead the workers in the ership and he had giv- protest march against the seat of en them that. But he government. Wahab Goodluck, did not contend with one of the JAC leaders who the man called Micha- emerged as a folk hero following el Imoudu, the ‘Num- this 1964 uprising narrated what ber One’ Labour lead- happened next: “A two-kilomeer. Adebola had tre long march of workers began thought that with the with six people abreast. They Joint Action Front led strike in action successful mass rally were marching to parliament mission be set up with the follow- 1963. and the subsequent militant dem- buildings at Race Course (now ing terms of reference.

By the time it ended its sit onstration, workers would dis- Tafawa Balewa Square).

1. to investigate the existing tings in April 1964, it had received perse to plan and prepare for the wage structure, remuneration and memoranda from 258 persons and general strike planned to hold Armed riot conditions of service in the wage organisations and took oral evi- forty-eight hours later. But Im- policemen earning employment in the coun- dence from fifty five individuals. oudu had other plans. He argued try and to make recommendations The commission had public sit- that although the demonstration At the Iddo end of the Carter concerning a suitable new struc- tings in Lagos, Enugu, Kaduna had been successful and the ban bridge (which linked the Lagos ture, as well as adequate machin- and Ibadan. It then submitted its on public processions defied, it Mainland and Island) were ery for a wage review on a con- Report. would be more effective were amassed armed riot policemen tinuing basis. workers to march on the seat of and army auxiliaries. Information 2. to examine the need for (a) a he Bloody Battle On Cart government on the Lagos Island. soon spread that H. P. Adebola general upward revision of salaer Bridge: After the Mor- He said if the official leaders of who was at the head of the march ries and wages of junior employ- gan Wage Commission had fin- JAC were developing cold feet, was having second thoughts ees in both government and pri- ished its work, workers were vis- he was ready to lead workers in about the entire affair. vate establishments. (b) the abo- ibly expectant. Following per- the march.

Workers broke ranks and rushed lition of daily wage system (c) the ceived delays in releasing the Back in 1945, the official lead- to tell him either to lead or they introduction of a national mini- Morgan Report, JAC on May 25, ers of the Trade Union Congress would be nasty to him. At the othmum wage. The culture of set- 1964 issued a general strike threat of Nigeria, TUCN, had decided er end (of the bridge) were ting up wage commissions was unless the Report was published. to postpone a general strike for massed anti-riot policemen in full inherited from the British colonial- Two days later, the Report surfaced cost of living allowance by two force. Soon, the fully equipped ists. The Labour Ministry ac- but not the White Paper. Three weeks. Imoudu had argued and armed policemen rushed and cording to its former official, days of discussions and specula- against the postponement. In his met the marchers half way on the Michael Abiodun, complained tions followed this. On May 30, charismatic manner, he persuad- narrow bridge. that “ A major characteristic of 1964 the JAC called a mass rally ed the workers and took over the They tear-gassed the marchers, these quasi-legislative bodies is for Surulere, a new low cost hous- leadership of that strike. baton charged, kicked and that they have not generally been ing area of Lagos.

The TUCN leaders led by T. A. punched. The police-governestablished willingly by governBankole had to throw in the tow- ment reaction was so brutal that The meeting resolved to go on ment; for the most part, such bod- a general strike action if by June el and the strike went on. That many labour leaders were injured Continues from page 46

C M Y K

,

T

They teargassed the marchers, baton charged, kicked and punched. The police-government reaction was so brutal that many labour leaders were injured and hospitalised. Haroon Adebola reluctant leader of that march had his head battered and arm fractured by the police

, and hospitalised. Haroon Adebola reluctant leader of that march had his head battered and arm fractured by the police. Rumours spread that he had died in that attack, until he was found in a hospital. Those who were not injured did not get off lightly.

48 — V anguard Vanguard anguard,,

MOND AY, AUGUST 20, 2012 — 48 MONDA YOUR LUCK TODAY

LEISURE

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139

VIRGO; You will be in better position to consolidate on progress made recently. And it is wrong to take people for granted today……

LIBRA; Many people may be disappointed because of broken promises, therefore you will need to prepare your mind accordingly and refuse to take others for granted SCORPIO; . You can make it a good day as both career advancement and financial success are closer to you. Secret lovers are in for an exciting day.

SAGITTARIUS; Although there will be challenges here is a day when things will eventually go according to your plans. Don’t take friends for granted.

CAPRICORN; From now until next few days you will need to be as practical as possible along your career line; this is the wrong time to experiment with new ideas.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

By Richard Eromosele

A

GREAT thinker once wrote that words are the forerunner of our action.

People first hear us talk before they see us act our talk. It is what we say that first captures their attention and ensure that they give us audience.

Talking to people You may be a great actor but if you are not able to market your skill you will have a scanty audience. And if you are a leader, if you can’t communicate your intention,

TERROR MUDA

chances are that you will have a very low followership. This is where ability to speak and communicate appropriately comes in.

It is not enough to know it, the question

in “Never say goodbye”

is can you convince people that you know it?

Talking to people is a skill everyone of us should develop. The leader, the marketer, the politician, the manager etc we all need the skill.

Think about it!

By Lanre Kehinde

AQUARIUS; You may not be in total control of your mind till around 5.36pm. That is to say you will need practical approach in all you do today. Be more cooperative.

PISCES; Continue to be more careful about proposals having to do with joint ventures. Yet that is not to say you can not take good advice. Prepare to work harder.

ARIES; You stand good chance to extend recent favourable events both at work and on matters-ofthe-heart. Watch what you sign before 5.36pm.

TAURUS; Young-at-heart will be willing to give priority attention to sentimental related issues probably because of your recent success.

GEMINI; Refuse to become mentally arrogant or else you would be working against your own interest.

Your love life will continue to enjoy favourable aspects.

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in

“Princess Shii’

By Andy Akman

CANCER; Financial success is within your reach, especially if you back your old plans early in the day.

The more family minded you are the better for you.

LEO; It is important you don’t allow others to mislead you in the name of giving you good advice before 5.36pm. Those travelling or moving around in search of love may be in for both an exciting and pleasurable day.

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 birthday ruler?

According to the date I was born I should be a Libran by my star but most of the time when I read horoscopes written by both yourself and foreign Astrologers Scorpio always applicable to me, why?

Kindly tell me how the planets lined up when I was born and the day of the week I was born but don’t publish my date of birth.

Damiola, Epe.

Dear Damiola, You were born on a Sunday meaning that mighty Sun rules your birthday. You were wrong to have taken Libra as your Sun sign because the Sun was placed in early degree of Scorpio together with many other heavenly bodies. Then with the Moon in Libra when you were born will equally be influential in your characteristics build up but, you are mainly a Scorpio born person.

You are both an intelligent and emotional person.

And as there was no planet at home when you were born, too many ideas will always struggle for prominent place in your mind, thus decision making is difficult but most times, your intelligence comes to the rescue.

Certainly, you appear to other as a gentle person who can be mistaken for soft fellow but your innerself is the personality with a steel like will power.

You are the consistent type who may find it difficult to change once you have made up your mind as indicated by distribution of the planets as written out in paragraph two of this exercise.

One major challenge you have been battling for a very long time is constant worries, some times, necessarily and the other time, uncalled for, as indicated by conjunction Mercury and Saturn formed when you were born.

Placement of your natal Sun (basic self head) and Moon (your sub-conscious self) in Scorpio and Libra respectively are indications of your being mainly Scorpio born person and partly in Libran. And that is to say basic characteristics of both Scorpio and Libra are highly pronounced in you. Then, you are spiritually gifted; if you don’t develop it is another thing.

C M Y K

VIRGINIA

Commen3

dadadekola@yahoo.com

by Lawrence Akapa

Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 2012— 49

50 — Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 2012

•Michael's step father

•Late Thadeus's mother

•Late Michael

I-N-V-A-S-I-O-N:

Fear grips Enugu community as Fulani herdsmen kill 2 teenage-students •residents allege other criminal acts

By CHINENYEH OZOR

F

ULANI herdsmen recently unleashed mayhem at Nimbo, a peace-loving community known for its abundant agricultural produce in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State after the barbaric killing of two teenage-students, who were helping their parents in a farm work. Residents of the area alleged that the herdsmen who settled in the forest of the community for a very long time, had been robbing, harassing and raping women at farmlands and on the Nsukka - Adani Expressway after which they retire to the forest posing as cattle-rearers.

Before the killing of the teenagers who were identified as Thaddens Utazi, 17 (JS111) and Okeh Michael, 19 (SSII), the Fulani herdsmen had on different occasions, allegedly carried out broad day light robberies with sophisticated weapons on the road without fear of being intercepted by security agents stationed at Adani and Nsukka Police Area Commands. They were also reportedly armed with sharpened machetes and arrows during their operation. Crime Alert gathered that the herdsmen had settled in the farmland of Nimbo in contravention of a court order barring them from occupying the forest.

They had allegedly engaged in C M Y K

burning residential houses indiscriminately, harassing indigenes, robbing unsuspecting victims, raping women at farmlands almost on daily basis and vandalising yam barns estimated at several hundreds of thousands of naira.

When Crime Alert visited Nimbo community over the incident, the residents said that the fleeing Fulani herdsmen carried out an unprovoked attack because them them to stop their cattle from destroying their farmlands. They also alleged that the Fulani men shot and killed the two students while working in their parents’ farmlands.

Release of corpse for burial It was further learnt that Chief Ugwu Utazi, father of slain Thaddens, fainted on hearing of his son’death. He died four days later. The distraught father of the dead student, who was quoted to have said that he would never be alive to bury his first son, Thaddeus, died before police could release the corpse for burial.

A visit to the compound of the Utazis showed the two graves of father and son lying side by side. The situation at Nimbo community is hopeless as fear, anger and anxiety enveloped the residents. Their native week mar-

ket (Eke) was virtually deserted following their inability to go to their farms and harvest crops and yams for sale. Also several sympathisers thronged the home of Okeh Michael,19. At the family compound the sympathisers lamented the fate that had befallen the community. Mr. Wilfred Okeja, a civil servant with Uzo-Uwani Local Government and stepfather to the deceased, and his wife, Celina Okeja, were speechless and in tears.

Wilfred Okeja, who managed to speak to Crime Alert, said his son, Michael, was killed by Fulani herdsmen at their farmland “Ugbo Owerre.”

Michael was said to be the only surviving child of his late parents. He said: “My son was killed by the Fulani people who have been a problem to Isiamani village and the entire Nimbo community for some time now.

Michael was not armed and had been a quiet hardworking child.

His offence was that he challenged the Fulani people for

bringing their cattle into our farmland. That was the third time the Fulani people invaded our farmland and that third day, they shot my son to death. The Fulani people used sophisticated weapon like AK47 rifle. They raped our women with reckless abandon.”

Investigations showed that before the killing of the two students, a driver with Uzo-Uwani Local Government, Mr. Onyia, was attacked but he survived. His mobile phone, wrist watch, shoe and cash were taken away by the Fulani men while he laid unconscious in a pool of blood. The victim said the Fulani people were not masked to question their identity. He said: “It is a broad daylight robbery. As I speak with you, I am carrying pellets of bullets inside me. Nobody could doubt what the Fulani people do on Adani Expressway.

They commit all manner of crime and run into their make-shift tents in the bush.”

It was gathered that cases of robbery attacks and other atrocious acts by the Fulani herdsmen had been reported by not only residents of the area but people and motorists who ply Nsukka-Adani Expressway. The police in the area seemed helpless as no clear attempt had been made to check the excesses of the herdsmen. It was also learnt that following the killing of the two students, the herdsmen fled with their cattle. Some of them were said to have relocated to Adani, a suburb town in Uzo-Uwani Local

The Fulani people used sophisticated weapon like AK47 rifle. They raped our women with reckless abandon

Government Area.

Sources said before fleeing Nimbo community after killing the two students, the Fulani men had shot indiscriminately into the air to chase away members of the community. According to Charles Ezea, the shooting was so massive that people thought it was an attack by the dreaded members of Boko Haram. He said “Each year, our people record huge loses in farm produce due to the devastation caused by their cattle. We went to court to stop them and got an order in our favour. We demarcated our boundaries with them and mounted signposts, but the Fulani people removed them at night. What else can we do in our own land?”

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rime Alert also learnt that after the incident, the community through the town union, petitioned Enugu State Governor, Mr. Sullivan Chime; Chairman Uzo-Uwani Local Government, Mr. Onwubuya Cornel and the State Security Services, SSS, but nothing concrete has come out of it. Contacted for comment over the phone, Onwubuya condemned the attacks and killing of the students. He advised that there should be peaceful co-existence in the community and pleaded with Nimbo community not to embark on a reprisal attack as investigation was on over the killing of the two students.

Efforts to speak with the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, Adani, failed, but a senior police officer, who pleaded anonymity, condemned the killing. He counselled that all hands should be on deck at Adani Police Division, Nsukka Area Command and the State Police Command, to unravel the circumstances surround the killing of the two students.

Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 2012— 51

52—Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 2012

Umanah at 53 and matters arising

By JOSEPH AKANIMOH ments have suggested to me that if there MANAH Okon Umanah, the was a provision in our constitution for a self effacing but immensely formi- third term, Akpabio would probably have dable Secretary to Akwa Ibom State Gov- been obliged by the people of Akwa Ibom.

Born on August 20,1959, in Calabar, old ernment, SSG, turns 53 today. Beyond the largely private personal compliments and Cross River State, Umanah passed his prisalutes from his circle of close friends, I mary six with distinction at Edgerly Mecan bet that this our smooth-operating tech- morial School, Calabar in 1971. In 1976, nocrat cum politician will finish the day he also passed his West African School without clinging any glass or putting up Certificate Examination with grade one at the shortest appearance at where a formal St. Patrick’s College, Calabar. In addition, crowd, no matter how unpretentious to the he claimed the School’s best graduating usual praise singing, will be for celebra- student award for that year. It was little surprise that he won the University of tion purpose.

This mood will likely characterize Calabar Foundation Scholarship in 1980 Umanah’s birthday not because he is from where he graduated with second class crowd-shy, or because he does not have upper division (B.Sc. Economics). Umanah what it takes in terms of means and cha- capped this excellent academic career with risma to bring about a carnival of any mag- an M.B.A in finance from the University nitude to commemorate the day his Cre- of Port Harcourt.

The SSG probably went back to Port Harator graciously granted him access to sojourn in this world. But our beloved Chief court for his post graduate programme out Scribe of the Akpabio’s Government will of nostalgia since he actually started his prefer to keep the mood of his birthday in educational career in Port Harcourt but tune with a tradition that he is well known briefly cut short on account of the Nigerifor: solemn quietude as he remains at his an civil war. With an undying appetite for ever busy desk providing the essential scholarship, he has attended numerous backup for the almost pleasantly sedating professional and vocational courses within and outside Nigeria.

Akpabio’s governance orchestra.

Among these are Budgeting for Efficient Whether as a senior middle cadre civil servant through the leadership of the budget directorate to his time as the State finance Commissioner up until now that he is the Secretary to the State government, Umanah has quietly but effectively demonstrated that he is a cat with nine lives. In the last thirteen years, he has remained a recurrent decimal and a near permanent fixture in the state power equation.

Arguably the most experienced public servant of this epoch in Akwa Ibom after Governor Akpabio, he has robustly combined some of the rarest qualities in both private and public life to provide both intellectual and structural under•Umanah Okon Umanah, Akwa Ibom State SSG pinnings that facilitate ease in the art of governance. After all, as the Secretary to the State Government, Economic Management at National Cenhe remains the big “spider” in the web of tre for Economic Management and Adthe State’s executive policy and pro- ministration (June 1992), Modernizing grammes implementation.

Government at RIPA International, London (Nov. 2001), Senior Executive ProProgramme gramme at Columbia Business School, implementation Columbia University Graduate School of Business, New York (May 2002) Senior Some of these qualities include; humili- Executive Programme at London Business ty, focus, strong intellect, experience, hard School (Feb. 2009).

The above graphic profile already tells a work, generosity and liberal mindedness.

Others are: promise-keeping, honesty, lot about Umanah as a prodigy with an detribalization and intense patriotism. With abode at the top. Taking all things togethhis strong intellect, it is needless to add er such as experience, maturity, intellecthat this man from Ndiya, Nsit clan in Nsit tual capacity, hard work, patriotism, transUbium local Government area is perpetu- parency and humility, he remains perhaps ally wedded to excellence in everything essentially, the most persuasive material to succeed the incumbent. After all, as has he does.

And with the foregoing, it is, therefore, often been argued by many other commenno surprise that there is no discussion tators, the good thing with democracy is about the coming 2015 succession that that it sees to the coming together of peoUmanah’s name does not get generous ple freely in pursuit of ambitions and asmention as the man to beat. Yes, he re- pirations within the context of the law.

To our beloved Umanah, as you inch tomains the man to beat because even his strongest rivals and even detractors attest wards the threshold of the middle of your to his credentials as an excellent material journey to the diamond jubilee from the that is just good for the immediate post- golden jubilee, it is our prayers that God ALMIGHTY continues to protect you and Akpabio era for the state.

For one, the SSG has been a prime in- imbue you with more wisdom even as you sider in the hugely successful Akpabio ad- remain committed to the path of good govministration which has been receiving ernment and service to our people.

Happy birthday, Sir generous performance endorsements from •Akanimoh, an elder in PDP lives in virtually all including some of the most unlikely quarters. In fact, these endorse- Uyo, Akwa Ibom State

U

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Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 2012 — 53

Rooney eyes further glory W

AYNE Rooney is aiming to have as much fun in his second decade as a Premier League player as he did in his first.

It is amazing to think 10 years have passed since Rooney made his topflight bow as a raw 16year-old for Everton against Tottenham.

That Rooney should be heading back to Goodison Park to mark the occasion seems somehow fitting, even if the reception he gets from the supporters he has always considered himself one of tends to be less than friendly these days.

With four Premier League titles and a Champions League winners’ medal to show for his time at Manchester United, Rooney has no need to justify why he left the Toffees just two years after that momentous debut.

But he realises there is much more to achieve.

“I’m still fairly young,” he said. “I feel young anyway. It’s great to have played in the Premier League for 10 years. It’s an exciting league and I still feel exactly the same about my football as I did when I made my debut.

“It does feel like a long time ago, though. I just hope I can play for another 10 years and have as much enjoyment as I did in my first 10.”

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HEAD TO GLORY ... Manchester United's forward, Wayne Rooney controls the ball during their league match

Balotelli set for super City deal

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ARIO Balotelli is reportedly set to be handed a bumper new £180,000-a-week contract to ensure he stays at Manchester City.

The 22-year-old Italian hitman will be entering the final two years of his current contract at the Etihad Stadium next summer and has already been linked with a move away from the club on numerous occasions.

However, following Balotelli’s impressive performances at Euro 2012 earlier in the summer, City are looking to reward him with an extended contract which will see his current

•Balotelli reported wages of £110,000-a-week jump to £180,000. That would allow City to request big money for the £40millionrated forward if another club came calling for his

signature and ensure Balotelli remains one of the most valued players in Europe. Balotelli’s agent Mino Raiola remains in a strong position for his client as he recently helped push through Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s £29million move to Paris Saint-Germain from AC Milan which sees him take home a massive £250,000-a-week.

And, with PSG one of the club’s said to be keeping tabs on Balotelli, City will be keen to offer him a contract which will ensure he does not start seeking a move to pastures new.

Moyes lauds Mirallas capture E

VERTON boss Dav id Moyes has expressed his delight at the signing of Kevin Mirallas and believes he will deliver much needed goals.

The Belgium international completed a £6million move from Greek side Olympiakos on Sunday, signing a four-year deal at Goodison Park.

He has not been registered in time to make his debut against Manchester United on Monday, but is set to be introduced

tacking options.

The capture of Mirallas means Everton can boast an impressive frontline also including Steven Naismith, Nikica Jelavic and Steven Pienaar.

•Mirallas to the crowd at half-time.

After selling Jack Rodwell to Manchester City for £12million last weekend Moyes pledged to spend the cash windfall on strengthening his at-

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after the player appeared to twist his knee when his studs caught in the turf.

The stretcher was brought on for the player but he was able to hobble

With more new arrivals poised to follow, punters may want to use their free bet to back to the Toffees to push for a top six spot this season.

Hazard shines in Chelsea debut

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EW Chelsea wing er Eden Hazard, widely hailed as the next big thing, lived up to all the hype inside the first

Aguero stretchered off for Man City in league opener ERGIO Aguero was stretchered off the pitch in Manchester City’s first league match of their title defence against Southampton

SHORT TAKES Federer beats Djokovic for 5th Cincinnati title

to the side of the pitch however he was unable to continue and was taken from the side of the pitch to the dressing room on a stretcher.

seven minutes of his Premier League debut after setting up both goals in a 2-0 win at Wigan Athletic on Sunday.

The Belgian, who joined the European Cup winners from Lille in the close season having turned down champions Manchester City and Manchester United, quickly silenced doubters who suspected England would be far tougher than the modest French league.

OGER Federer pro duced some of his best tennis to stun Novak Djokovic in straight sets and net a record fifth Cincinnati Masters title and 21st Masters title.

The world number one Swiss blitzed a stunned Djokovic with a dazzling array of groundstrokes to win the opening set 6-0 in just 20 minutes.

Despite the intensity of Federer’s play, Djokovic, chasing back-to-back titles and his first in Cincinnati, looked Serb also looked out of sorts and threw in five double faults and countless unforced errors to compound matters.

Federer But Djokovic is well known for his fighting qualities and perhaps motivated by a sense of pride, he finally found his range in the second, forcing it into a tie-break.

Nadal unsure about quick recovery

Nadal

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PAIN: Rafa Nadal said he must fully recover from a nagging knee problem known as Hoffa’s syndrome before returning to competition and is a doubt for next month’s Davis Cup semi-

final against the United States. Spain’s world number three has not played since suffering a shock second-round Wimbledon defeat by lowly ranked Czech Lukas Rosol in June. He missed the Olympic Games and last week he withdrew from the US Open.

“The important thing is to recover well and come back when my knee is 100 per cent perfect,” Nadal told reporters in an interview in his hometown of Manacor in Mallorca.

“We’ll see if I will be ready for Gijon, for the Davis Cup. My goal, my dream is to be there if the captain has confidence in me, but it always depends on the captain and the knee.”

Froch announces IBF defence today

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ARL Froch will an nounce the opponent for his first IBF World super middleweight title defence live on Sky Sports News today ( Monday August 20).

The three time World champion will box in November in the first defence of the title he won in stunning fashion with a fifth round KO of Lucian Bute at the Capital FM Arena in front of a fanatical hometown support in Nottingham on May 26.

The 35 year-old will defend his belt in his hometown again this November and should he be successful he will travel to Montreal next spring to face Bute in a rematch.

‘The Bute fight night will

Froch go down in history as one of the greatest nights in British boxing history,’ said Froch’s promoter Eddie Hearn.

54 —

Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 2012

Minister orders Eagles to win 2013 AFCON T

HE Super Eagles shave been ordered to win next year’s Africa Cup of Nations even if it means that coach Stephen Keshi is fired to achieve this.

Sports minister Bolaji Abdullahi put down the ultimatum. He is under fire after a disastrous showing by the country at the recently-ended

Olympics in London, where Nigeria failed to win a single medal.

MTNFootball.com exclusively gathered that Abdullahi invited top officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Friday and read the riot act, insisting that everything be done for the Eagles to win at South Africa 2013

Wigan coach tells Moses to feel proud

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IGAN Athletics coach, Roberto Martinez has told Victor Moses to feel proud that Chelsea showed interest in him.

The young Nigerian striker was in action yesterday against the Blues who are foot dragging about securing his signature for the 2013 season.

However, Martinez who played Moses yesterday in their 2-0 home loss to Chelsea stated that it was difficult, get-

•Moses

City begin title defence in dramatic fashion

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ARLOS Tevez had put City ahead, Rickie Lambert and Steven Davis replied to give the newly promoted Saints a surprise lead with only 20 minutes left.

But the champions fought back to level through Edin Dzeko before Samir Nasri struck 10 minutes from time, leaving Roberto Mancini’s men to hang on for a breath-taking triumph.

We are here to win the World Cup — Ordega N

IGERIA’s U-20 women’s team, the Falconets, are ambitiously rating their chances of becoming the first African team to win a women’s FIFA event in September.

Their confidence springs from a surprise success two years ago when they reached the final of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Germany.

“The match against Korea is a pointer to how far we can go and has boosted our confidence. You

Falconets Continues from BP ers, went ahead following smart work from Francisca Ordega on the right side of the box, with the midfielder playing a perfect low ball across the face of goal for Okobi to score.

With Okobi, Ordega and Oparanozie all dangerous in possession, Nigeria provided a regular threat, although Korea Republic, with their short-passing game in evidence, provided a tough opponent for the 2010 runners-up.

However, Korea ReC M Y K

ting players to concentrate when they are transfer speculations surround them. He urged the player to keep his head down and produce the kind of form that got him noticed at the end of last season.

“For Victor it’s been an exciting summer. I spoke with him and told him he should be very proud, as a footballer at 21, to get the interest he has had. It’s something to be happy and extremely proud about and is a football compliment.

even if it means sacking the current coach Stephen Keshi would guarantee this success.

“The Minister ordered that everything be done to make sure Nigeria are champions at the next AFCON in South Africa,” a top source said “He went as far as saying that if they need to do away with the present coach of the team to ensure this, then they should go ahead and do so.”

The source added: “It was a very serious meeting and the minister was very clear and direct about what he expects from the NFF.” The country’s President Goodluck Jonathan has expressed huge disappointment with the country’s performance at the London Olympics and demanded for drastic changes in the sports ministry.

Nigeria last won the Nations Cup 18 years ago and they face Liberia in a final eliminator for a place at next year’s tournament beginning on September 8 in Monrovia.

public suffered a massive blow in the latter stages of the first half with midfield schemer Yeo Minji, the 2010 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup adidas Golden Ball winner, forced off with injury.

Nigeria claimed a deserved second with Ebere Orji’s cross into the penalty finding Oparanozie who scored with a stylish header.

Late chances went the way of Esther Sunday but Nigeria had to make do with a 2-0 scoreline.

can be sure that we are not in Japan to count skyscrapers, but to win the World Cup,” she said.

Nigeria lost that match against a more organised home nation, but they have now returned to the biennial competition armed with the belief that they could do themselves one better in Japan. “We know the pressure is on Nigeria because of our performance at the last World Cup, but we are working towards posting another good outing,” declared centre forward Desire Oparanozie, who scored Nigeria’s second goal against Korea yesterday

Japan win, Brazil, Italy draw

H •Ordega

Afrab-Chem backs Olumide Oyedeji of Afrab-Chem, Raji KaBasketball Camp biru stated that his com-

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ANUFACTUR ERS of top quality drugs, Afrab-Chem Limited has thrown its weight behind this year’s edition of Olumide

Sunshine Continues from BP ter I scored the first goal, they could not swallow it any longer and so they started throwing stones and other things at us right on the pitch. It was a surprise that no one tried to stop them even the police,” the midfielder reported.

“It got worse when Akombo scored the second goal. They added broken blocks to what they were

OST Japan coasted to a 4-1 thrashing of Mex ico while Brazil salvaged a 1-1 draw with Italy on the opening day of the women’s under-20 World Cup. Hanae Shibata scored in the first half and Hikaru Naomoto, Kumi Yokoyama and Yoko Tanaka added goals after the break as Japan got off to a winning start in Group A. Sofia Huerta struck a late consolation goal for Mexico.

throwing at us, but thank God we were able to end the match without any injuries.

“But we could not leave the stadium immediately after the match as we were held back by the police for about 25 minutes before we were led out of the stadium after the fans had left.”

The victorious Sunshine were expected back in Nigeria Sunday

Oyedeji Basketball Camp, which takes place from August 27 to September 13 in three state capital.

The first phase will hold in Oshogbo, Osun State from August 27 to 31, the second phase comes up in Lagos from September 3 to 8 while the camp moves to Ibadan from September 10 to 13.

Afrab-Chem has identified with the programme for 10 years and has vowed to continue supporting the event because of the synergy between its product and sports.

Speaking at the press conference to herald the event, Product Manager

pany was delighted to be part of an event that has produced champions.

He stated that the camp has become an avenue for kids to learn the rudiments of basketball and also learn skills that would be of benefit to them in future.

•Oyedeji

Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 2012— 55

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VANGUARD, MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 2012

Angry fans attack Sunshine Stars

A •Medrano

NGRY ASO Chlef fans threw missiles at Sunshine Stars as they could not take in their team’s CAF Champions League home loss Friday night.

Sunshine achieved the

Falconets begin World Cup with a win •Beat Korea 2-0 to top Group B

A

goal in each half saw Nigeria commence their 2012 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup campaign with a 20 victory over Korea Republic in Saitama to take an early lead at the top of Group B. Ngozi Okobi opened the scoring on the quarter-hour mark, while Desire Oparanozie extended the advantage midway through the second period.

The Nigerians, backed by a buoyant and colourful band of support Continues on Page 54

•Okon TODAY'S

double over the Algerian club after they again won in Chlef 2-1 after they earned a 2-0 home win a fortnight ago.

The fans pelted stones and other dangerous objects at the Nigerian players on the pitch after Cameroonian midfielder Medrano Tamen opened scoring in first half added time and the attack intensified when the Akure club netted a second goal by Ukeyima Akombo in the second half.

Medrano told MTNFootball.com that they were lucky not to be hurt from the attack.

“It was not easy because the fans were clearly disappointed afContinues on Page 54

Results Premier League Wigan 0 Chelsea 2 City 3 Southampton 2 Arsenal 0 Sunderland 0 Fulham 5 Norwich 0 QPR 0 Swansea 5 Reading 1 Stoke 1 W/Brom 3 Liverpool 0 W/Ham 1 Aston Villa 0 Newcastle 2 Spurs 1 FIFA Under-20 Women World Cup Nigeria 2 S/Korea 0 Japan 4 Mexico 1 N/Zealand 2 Switzerland 1 Brazil 1 Italy 1

CELEBRATION: Nigeria’s Ngozi Okobi (10) celebrates scoring a goal with team-mates during the Group B match against Korea at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Japan 2012. PHOTO/ FIFA.COM

Minister orders Eagles to win 2013 AFCON — Page 54

PUZZLES FRIDAY'S

ANSWERS

Across 1 Legitimate (6) 5 Frustrate (6) 8 Keep (8) 9 Noisy (4) 10 Marsh (3) 12 Father (5) 15 Stitch (3) 17 Employ (3) 16 Irritate (3) 19 Tune (3) 20 Friend (5) 21 Tavern (3) 22 Spring (3) 23 Total (3) 24 Shelter (3) 26 Spoon (5) 29 Pasty (3) 33 Ignoble (4) 34 Learnt (8) 35 Hash (6) 36 Mat (6)

Down 2 Vigilant (5) 3 Tooth (4) 4 Animal (5) 5 Tint (5) 6 Gait (4) 7 Way (5) 10 Feeble (5) 11 Tend (5) 12 Cycle (5) 13 Fearful (5) 14 Wash out (5) 15 Stint (5) 16 Finch (5) 25 Avoid (5) 27 Lithe (5) 28 Legal (5) 30 Perfect (5) 31 Gala (4) 32 Oven (4)

FRIDAY'S SOLUTIONS Across: 1, Spot 4, Job 6, Flag 8, Sphere 9, Abrupt 10, Rig 12, Cloth 14, Began 15, Eager 18, Pledge 20, Amazed 24, Noted 26, Snoop 28, Naive 30, Sly 32, Fettle 33, Entice 34, Stun 35, Tor 36, Dale.

How to Play Sudoku

THE VIGILANTE

Down: 2 Pupil 3, Treated 4, Jeer 5, Brag 6, Forge 7, Appease 11, Ice 12, Cap 13, Hag 16, Gen 17, Rat 19, Lenient 21, Men 22, Adapted 23, Due 25, Oil 27, Often 29, Vocal 30, Seat 31, Year. File: Across

e-mail: rowolove@yahoo.co.uk

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

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

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

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