GAY-MARRIAGE LAW: US threatens to sanction Nigeria

...towards a better life for the people

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VOL. 25: NO. 62062

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

N150

TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014

Fresh Boko Haram attack claims 18 lives in Borno •CDS assures of peace by April

8

I'll rescue PDP 16 — Mu'azu

GAY-MARRIAGE LAW:

US threatens to sanction Nigeria •To scale down aid for HIV/AIDS, anti-malaria programmes •More Nigerians, CAN, laud Jonathan, urge him to call US bluff

BY OKEY NDIRIBE, SAM EYOBOKA & VICTORIA OJEME

A

BUJA—LEADING western countries piled pressure on the Federal government, yesterday, following President Goodluck Jonathan’s signing of the Same-Sex Prohibition Act 2014. The latest country is the United States of America, whose Ambas-

Continues on page 5

We'll disobey the court — APC REPS •P.11

COLUMNISTS:

•P.17

•P.49

Mr & Mrs

NEW PDP CHAIRMAN—President Goodluck Jonathan (r) congratulating the new National Chairman of the People's Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Adamu Mu'azu after his emergence at the 64th National Executive Committee meeting of the ruling party at the party's Headquarters, Wadata House, Wuse, Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida.

Okonjo-Iweala laments high recurrent vote in Budget 2014 9 C M Y

C M Y

2 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014

C M Y

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014—3

C M Y

4— Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014—5

POCKET CARTOON

SESSP MEETS OKONJO-IWEALA—From left: President/CEO of Coscharis Group, Dr. Cosmas Maduka; Group chairman/CEO, Chisco Transport, Chief Chidi Anyaegbu; Former Nigerian Ambassador to the United States, Prof. George Obiozor; Chairman, Honeywell Plc, Dr. Oba Otudeko; Prof.

Anya O. Anya, and former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, during an evening with Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, organised by S-East/S-South Professionals,SESSP, in Lagos on Sunday. Photo: Bunmi Azeez.

GAY-MARRIAGE LAW: US threatens to sanction Nigeria Continues from page 1 sador to Nigeria, Mr James Entwistle threatened that the United States will scale down its support for HIV/AIDS and anti-malaria programmes in response to the Federal Government’s position on the

gay rights issue.

Member countries of the European Union and Canada have expressed their objection to the law but United States Ambassador to Nigeria said he was worried about “the implications of the antisame sex marriage law

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

S

OMETIMES our light goes out but is blown again into flame by an encounter with another human being. Each of us owes the deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this inner light — Albert Schweitzer The old man smiled at me from across the table at the coffee shop, a Caucasian, with snowy silvery hair and looked probably about three score and ten and still counting. There is a gentleness about him that exudes inner strength, a calm that seemed divinely inspired. I was puzzled at first; he looked familiar but a stranger still.

I had a lot on my mind and was a bit startled when he said to me, you’re very beautiful! I see your heart is beautiful too, always remember to thank God and your parents for they made you beautiful!

We both knew he was referring to the heart as a beautiful place, and the nurturing and grooming comes from divine love! This kind of experience comes to me often as a reminder to stay focused on the beautiful.

I asked the old man, if there was something I could do for him, maybe I could buy him a coffee drink perhaps? He smiled and said to me. I am good, but yes there is something you can do, always remember to keep giving love! Keep on giving your love’!

It is love that makes you beautiful!

I couldn’t help but smile,and my troubling thoughts dispersed into the winds. No matter what comes our way in life, take heart, these situations will resolve themselves as you advance, the solution of light will dawn, and shine with increasing clearness in your life. “I stood up to leave and thanked the old man, as I walked away to the substation, the Sun on my face and the light in my heart could literally flame the whole sky.

which seems to restrict the fundamental rights of a section of the Nigerian population.”

This came as a former Nigerian Ambassador to US, Dahiru Suleiman, yesterday, described homosexuality and lesbianism as "animalistic and degrading to humanity."

Also yesterday Christians in the northern part of Nigeria under the aegis of Christian Association of Nigeria in the 19 northern states an Abuja, hailed President Goodluck Jonathan for signing into law the anti-gay bill, urging him to ignore criticisms from Western nations, saying all religions in the country are united in their condemnation of samesex marriage.

In a reaction to the recent move of government to outlaw homosexuality from this country, the Public Relations Officer of Northern CAN, Elder Sunday Oibe told Vanguard that Christians from the North and their counterparts in other religions have unanimously expressed gratitude to the president and the National Assembly for passing the AntiSame Sex Marriage despite opposition from Europe and the US. Speaking to news men in Abuja, yesterday, the American envoy said his interpretation of the new law was that “it could negatively affect the nation’s fight against the HIV/AIDS pandemic”.

Although the US envoy denied that his country plans to impose sanctions on Nigeria, he said: “We and other donors are looking at the issue of funding for HIV/AIDS. As you know, we put millions of dollars in the fight against HIV/AIDS. "Although I am not a lawyer, I read the bill and it seems to me that it may put some restrictions on what we can do to help fight HIV/AIDS in this country. These are the issues we are looking at as we consider the law.”

The signing of the Same sex Prohibition Act

by President Jonathan on January 7, 2014 has provoked negative reactions from member countries of EU, Canada and now the United States all of whom have alleged that the law is a violation of the fundamental human rights of Nigerians with same sex orientation.

Ambassador Entwistle said he was aware that “the issue of same-sex marriage was very controversial all over the world, including within the United States where 17 states out of 50 had endorsed it, but others still reject its legality”.

According to him, “the issue that we see and I am speaking as a friend of Nigeria is that as I read the bill, it looks to me that it puts significant restrictions on the freedoms of assembly and expression; in my opinion which applies especially in advanced democra-

cies, once government begins to say something in these areas, freedom no longer applies. It seems to me that this is a very worrisome precedent.”

Anti-gay diplomacy

A lecturer at Covenant University, Professor Kayode Soremekun said: “What is happening demonstrates the low level that the US treats its relation with Nigeria”.

He said every Nigerian should feel insulted that the US is threatening to stop assisting us on areas where we have the resources and human capacity to contend.

Said Professor Soremekun, “even when the West had their misgivings about Russia’s anti-gay law, they have not gone threatening them with sanctions and punitive action. We are not reckoned with in the international arena where we are getting assistance for HIV/AIDS, Malaria treatment drugs, polio virus crusade among other mundane issues”.

He continued: ”Nigeria is still a conservative society and the anti-gay law has united the ruling class and Nigerians outside government at this level of our national development. The US and its EU partners should be discussing serious issues; the leadership showed pro-activeness in trying to save the society from getting exposed to practices that are antithetical to our culture.

“We should be focussing on the items on the Bi-National Commission between both countries, but these threats show that we are nonentity in global arena. When the US is discussing with Iran on nuclear issues, they are threatening us on mundane issues”.

According to Soremekun, “ we should be able to make the US and its EU allies realise that they cannot go to China to dictate their

laws. China is still a communist country and they are falling over them selves to go to China and do business. We should make them realise what General Abacha did when he opened the door to China and Asian countries in the 1990s."

Propaganda war

Vanguard learnt that the US is committing “substantial” resources to fund the emergence of gay clubs and advocacy groups across Nigeria.

The Canadian Government had cancelled a planned state visit by President Jonathan which had been scheduled for next month. The Canadian government’s action which came within a week after the bill was signed into law is widely believed to be that country’s reaction to the President’s action of assenting to the bill which has so far enjoyed popular support in the country.

Homosexualism, lesbianism animalistic.

However, former Ambassador Suleiman, yesterday, described homosexuality and lesbianism as animalistic acts, degrading to humanity.

Suleiman served as Nigerian envoy in several countries, including Pakistan, Brazil, Angola, United States of America, Ivory Coast, Poland, Australia and Sudan, among others.

Reacting to US threat of sanctions against Nigeria over the anti-gay law, Suleiman stressed the need for Nigerian leaders not to be dependent on foreign assistance for governance.

He said: “Homosexuality and lesbianism are offences against God; if any body wants to do it, he should do so secretly.

It is not only animalistic but diminishes mankind."

6—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014

Guard kills colleague for orchestrating his sack

Edo police arrest 9 over Igarra festival crisis

BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

BY DAYO JOHNSON

A

KURE — A middle aged security man, Aliu Mustapha, has been stabbed to death by his colleague for being instrumental to his sack by the management of a filling station in Ondo town.

It was gathered that the suspect simply identified as Bello attacked the deceased over the weekend.

The filling station is located at Ile-Ife motor park in Ondo town.

Vanguard gathered that the incident occurred at about 1.30 a.m last Saturday.

It was learnt that the deceased and the suspect were engaged as security men.

Vanguard was, however, informed that the suspect was recently sacked after theft of some items in the station while he was on duty. Consequently, the management of the filling station replaced him.

After his sack, he was said to have fingered the deceased as the one who masterminded his sack and even encouraged the management to find a replacement.

He reportedly armed himself with a knife, visited the filling station in the weehour of the day while the deceased was on duty.

On arrival at the filling station, the two security men engaged in a shouting match which degenerated into a scuffle.

In the process, the suspect reportedly used the knife to slit the throat of the deceased who later died.

By the time another security man attached to a nearby house rushed to the scene the deceased had bled to death.

B

ENIN — EDO State Po lice command, weekend, confirmed the arrest of nine persons over last week’s fracas during a festival at Igarra, the administrative headquarters of Akoko-Edo Local Government Area in which two youths of the community were said to have been shot.

The state Commissioner of Police, Mr Folusho Adebanjo, who confirmed the incident, disclosed that the victims of the gunshots were responding to treatment.

He said those arrested

One of the victims would be transferred to the state police headquarters in Benin for interrogation.

Vanguard gathered that some youths alleged to be loyal to the Otaru of Igarra,

Emmanuel Adachie Saiki II, allegedly ambushed some youths and shot Majebir Oseni and Sule Kassim while trying to enforce the alleged ban of the Ekuochi masquerade festival.

However, the traditional ruler, while reacting to the allegation that it was his loyalists who shot the victims, blamed the Police for the incident.

While accusing the police of negligence, he said: “I believe the incident could have been avoided but the police did not manage the situation well. If the police have responded promptly and did their job well, the crisis would not have happened.”

5 houses destroyed, scores wounded as youths attack monarch

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SABA — ABAVO com munity in Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State is boiling as no fewer than five houses were vandalised and several persons injured following attempt by some youths in the community to invade their monarch's palace.

Among the houses destroyed was the one where the mother of the monarch lives, adjacent to the palace.

Vanguard gathered that there had been lingering crisis in the community since the issue of discovery of oil came to the front burner few years ago to the extent that aggrieved faction had been clamouring for the dethronement of the monarch, which the state government had waded into in the past appealing for calm.

Although what sparked off the latest hostility, which erupted weekend, was still

sketchy at press time, Vanguard gathered that both the faction loyal to the king and opposing faction clashed when the news spread that the opposing faction was planning to overrun the palace.

As a result of the clash, security has been beefed up in the town as security men have taken over the entire community.

Contacted, the acting Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Charles Muka, confirmed the clash, saying: “There were some skirmishes there but the situation has been brought under control. We heard some persons were planning to invade the palace but we quickly sent our men there.”

The Abavo monarch, Obi

Uche Irenuma II accused the youths of an alleged plot to use extra judicial means to dethrone him but gave no further explanation.

Sometime last year, precisely August 5, 2013, there was a peace meeting at his palace attended by the warring parties and prominent Abavo sons, which was summoned at his instance.

SSS-1 student hangs self in classroom

BY DEMOLA AKINYEMI

I

LORIN — There was pan demonium in Oro Grammar School, Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, yesterday when a student was found hanging in one of the unused classrooms.

Vanguard reliably gathered that the student simply identified as Anthony Oyeniyi, a native of Oke-Rimi, was a

Senior Secondary School 1 (SSS-1) student of the school.

The tragic incident happened at about 2 pm, prompting the school authorities to shut the school gates against prying eyes.

The late student was said to have been sighted much earlier among his colleagues.

When Vanguard visited the school, all appeals to be allowed into the school com-

pound were turned down.

One of the male teachers who manned the gate directed newsmen to meet the police authorities for details as the incident had been reported to the police.

Contacted, spokesman of Kwara State Police command, Ajayi Okasanmi, said he was aware of the incident but that he did not have details.

Rivers crisis: Police arrest Khana LG chairman

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

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ORT HARCOURT— THE political crisis in Rivers State took a twist last night, with the state Police command allegedly arrested the Chairman of Khana Local Government Area of the state, Mr Gregory Nwidam.

Details of the development were hazy at press time.

Counsel to Save Rivers Movement, Mr Ken Atsuwete, who confirmed the develop-

ment to Vanguard few minutes after the chairman was allegedly picked, said he was arrested in Port Harcourt.

Efforts to get the Police comment on the alleged arrest were futile, as a text message to the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Ahmad Muhammad, was not replied.

When Vanguard called his mobile, it showed user busy after it rang for some seconds.

Children playing with bicycles at the Central Mosque, Bauchi.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014 —7

Couple, 3 others nabbed for human trafficking, visa fraud

BY ESTHER ONYEGBULA

& IFEANYI OKOLIE

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L

AGOS — THE Police Special Fraud Unit, SFU, in Lagos, yesterday, paraded six persons, including a couple, over alleged visa fraud at the Italian Embassy.

Mrs Ngozi Isintume-Agu, spokesperson of the unit, who paraded the suspects, said they were arrested after receiving a petition from the Italian Consulate-General, alleging visa fraud by the couple.

Isintume-Agu said the couple, Ayinmola Alabi and his wife, Toyin, appeared at the embassy for a Visitor’s Visa, along with two young ladies, ages 19 and 21, who they claimed were their daughters, bearing Yoruba names.

She said the couple allegedly changed the ladies names from Edo to Yoruba, with a view to deceiving the embassy officials.

The spokesperson said one of the six suspects paraded, who allegedly specialises in visa fraud, reportedly facilitated the connection between the couple and the ladies.

“The petition also alleged that page five of the International Passports of the two ‘fake’ daughters seemed to have been tampered with as well as that of their mother.

“The petitioner further stated that the daughters’ passports contained suspicious entry/exit stamps of the Ghana Immigration Service.

“The GT Bank and FirstBank Statements of Accounts submitted by the suspects were seen to have been altered and forged.

“The six suspects were arrested and interrogated in connection with the allegation and they all made confessional statements of using deception to obtain visas

Ayinmola Alabi, suspect from the Italian embassy.

“They will be charge to court soon to serve as deterrent to others,” she added.

Aisosa Uwailomwan and Endurance Osaigede, victims

Victims' account

According to one of the victims, Aisosa Uwailomwan, Mr. and Mrs Alabi were not her biological parents but were attached to them by Emmanuel Olayimola Damule for the purpose of procuring the Italian visa.

She also said she was introduced to Mrs. Anthonia Aworawo who lives in France and who wanted her to come to France to assist her in her daycare business.

She also revealed that Emmanuel Olayimola Damule tortured her to say that she was a 200-level Economics student of Lead City University, Ibadan and gave her all the forged documents, including the passport with the name Rita Alabi.

According to Endurance Osaigede, the second victim, the

Toyin Alabi, suspect same Anthonia Aworawo wanted her to join her in France.

That it was Anthonia and her husband, Jonathan Aworawo, who lives in Farce that intro-

duced Emma to her who in turn set up the so-called Mr. and Mrs Alabi as her parents after changing her name to Racheal Alabi.

Speaking to newsmen during the parade of the suspects, DSP Ngozi Isintume Agu, Police Public Relations Officer, Special Fraud Unit, Ikoyi Lagos noted that the crime was the brainwork of Emmanuel Olayimola Damule who operates with a syndicate that specialised in procuring fake documents.

Although the couple refused to speak to media, alleging that the issue was twisted, and that others who were caught in similar circumstances have been released, but they were being branded human traffickers because they didn’t have money and connection.

65-yr-old, 2 bank directors in court over N41.6m theft

BY ONOZURE DANIA

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AGOS — A 65-year-old former Shell Petroleum Company worker, Tunde Jinadu, and two Microfinance Bank directors, were yesterday arraigned before a Lagos Magistrate's Court, sitting at Igbosere over alleged theft of N41.6 million.

The other defendants are Jackson Idika, 38 and Agboola Olayinka, 35, they are facing a three-count charge bordering on conspiracy, fraud and stealing, preferred against them by the police.

The defendants, who were bankers with defunct Alabukun Community Bank, were docked before Magistrate E. Kubenje The prosecutor, DSP J. Oloruntoba, told the court that the defendants and others at large on July 4, 2008 conspired to com-

Estate agent arraigned over N600,000 theft

mit the alleged offence.

He said the trio, on the same date stole N41,670,545, belonging to the Federal Republic of Nigeria using a Standard Trust Bank (now UBA) draft with cheque number 00134109.

According to Oloruntoba, the offence committed, is contrary to Sections 285 (1), 323 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

However, when the charge was read to the defendants, they pleaded not guilty.

The counsel to Idika and Olayinka, A.O. Nweke, made a submission that the charge brought against the defendants was defective, that it doesn’t have any truth in it.

Nweke told the court that the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011 was not in existence when the

alleged offences were committed.

However, Magistrate Kubenje adjourned the case till January 21 for ruling.

She further ordered that the defendants should re main in police custody, pen ding her ruling tomorrow.

AGOS — A self-ac claimed estate agent, Ola Adaranijo, 54, yesterday appeared before an Itire Magistrates’ Court in Lagos, charged with defrauding an accommodation seeker N600,000.

The accused, who resides at 117, Ijesha Road, Ijeshatedo, Lagos is, facing a two-count charge, bordering on obtaining by false pretence and theft.

The prosecutor, Inspector Olakunle Shonibare, told the court that the accused committed the offence sometime in October 2013 at 117, Ijesha Road, Ijeshatedo, Lagos.

Shonibare said the complainant, one Sarah Awuzie, had contracted the accused to help her secure a shop along Ijesha Road. He said Adaranijo took her to a shop which she paid for.

The prosecutor said barely had Awuzie moved into the shop when the true owner showed up and ordered her to vacate the premises as he did not let the shop to her.

Shonibare said the complainant reported the matter at the police station and Adaranijo was subsequently, arrested.

He said the offences contravened Sections 312 and 285 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

However, the accused pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The magistrate, Mrs A.O. Gbajumo, granted the accused bail in the sum of N150,000 with two sureties in like sum.

She later adjourned the case to January 22.

Unknown gunmen kill ex-CDC chairman in Bayelsa

Y

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

ENAGOA – A community youth leader identified as Morris Jonathan has been shot dead by unknown gunmen in Akenpai suburb of Yenagoa, the Bayelsa state capital.

The deceased, aged 34, a former chairman of Peremabiri community development committee, and civil servant was reportedly shot dead yesterday at about 1 am at his residence.

Peremabiri is an oil rich riverside community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

Though the reason for the killing could not be ascertained, sources told Vanguard that the gunmen, six in number, killed their victim without removing anything from his residence.

The gunmen were said to have stormed his residence and fired sporadically before entering their victim’s bedroom and shot him dead.

According to eyewitnesses; “The gunmen, who hid under the cover of darkness, claimed to be concerned youths of the community and were seeking his advice on matters concerning the community development.

“But what we heard later were gunshots. When we got to the scene, the killers had escaped and we saw his corpse on the floor in the pool of his blood.”

His remains had been deposited at the morgue of the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa.

8—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014

Unemployment still high despite economic recovery

BY FUNMI KOMOLAFE

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AGOS — THE Interna tional Labour Organisation (ILO) has expressed concern that the economic growth recorded in many countries has not translated to creation of job opportunities and reduction of poverty level.

Even as it suggested that increases in wages could lead to increased demand and an eventual boost in the economy.

The ILO in a statement by its Director-General, Mr. Guy Ryder said: “Boosting demand for goods and services would go a long way towards creating the incentive required for companies to expand and create jobs.”

It noted that globally, there is a “potentially dangerous gap between profits and people.”

Mr. Guy Rider observed “in most countries, workers have been getting a smaller share of national income and of gains in productivity, while more of the income is going into profit, and we have a major problem.”

He suggested: “We need to focus on the productive economy and make a firm commitment to investing in people, skills and jobs and reducing economic disparity."

BUDGET: Minister of Works, Mr Mike Onolememen; Minister of State for Finance, Dr Yerima Ngama and Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, at the presentation of 2014 federal budget, in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN.

Fresh Boko Haram attack claims 18 lives in Borno ...as 5 soldiers, 7 civilians die in Benue crisis

BY PETER DURU & NDAHI MARAMA

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AIDUGURI — BARELY a week after bombs exploded in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, gunmen suspected to be members of Boko Haram Islamic sect, Sunday night, attacked Alau Ngawo Fate village in Jere Local Government Area, killing 18 people.

This came as no fewer than five soldiers and seven civilians were also killed, Sunday morning, by suspected Fulani herdsmen in a fresh outbreak of a bloody crisis in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State.

In Maiduguri, some gunmen, according to an eyewitness, Isa Yakubu, used Improvised Explo-

sive Devices, IEDs, and petrol bombs in setting several houses ablaze, after slitting the throats of some of their victims in their houses and local shops.

Yakubu said: “We were shocked and terrified with the night attacks by suspected Boko Haram insurgents, as some of us were asleep when the attackers set our houses ablaze.

"My neighbours fled into the nearby bush, but the gunmen chased some of them and tied their hands to the back, before slitting the throats of some of the villagers.

“I cannot tell you the exact number of casualties of Sunday night’s multiple attacks, but the truth is that these insurgents don’t want us to live here in

peace. Now that everything is destroyed by these gunmen, how do the surviving ones continue with life here in this village?”

The village head of Alau Ngawo Fate, Mallam Ibrahim, also confirmed the incident to newsmen yesterday in Maiduguri.

He said most of the insurgents communicated in Kanuri language, while setting the houses ablaze for over 30 minutes without the intervention of soldiers and policemen from Maiduguri.

“We are at the mercy of these insurgents, as there was no security provided for us here in this village that had enjoyed peace for many decades. But

Security challenges in North 'll be resolved before April 2014 —CDS ...as service chiefs take over command

BY KINGSLEY OMONOBI

A

BUJA — THE new service chiefs, yesterday, pledged that the security challenges in the three northern states occasioned by the activities of the Boko Haram Islamic sect would be resolved before April 2014.

This was made known by the Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, Air Marshal Alex Badeh, moments after taking over from their predecessors who were removed from office by President Goodluck Jonathan, Friday.

The Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Major General Kenneth Minimah; Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Usman Jibrin and Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Adesola Amosu, also, took over command of their various services yesterday.

Speaking after taking over

from Admiral Ola Sa’ad Ibrahim, Badeh said: “I am aware of the security challenges the nation is facing and I shall do my best to guide the Armed Forces of Nigeria towards achieving the desired successes.

"The security situation in the North-East must be brought to a complete stop before April 2014. So please if there are any of them around, send words to your colleagues that they are in trouble; we are coming after them.

"I was telling my colleagues that we must bring it to a stop by April 2014 so that we do not have constitutional problems in our hands. We do not want to go back to the Senate and start begging and lobbying.

If we do our work cohesively I can say that General Minimah will finish that thing in no time.

“Unity of command is the preferred method of achieving success in tackling security challenges.

When a country goes to war, its army does not go to war, or its navy or the air force, the nation itself goes to war using all its capabilities in the combination that best suits the peculiar threats and the war plan designed to defeat the enemy.

"Service rivalries have no place in the battle field, where success and not credit is the professional currency. Let us put all our hands on deck to face these challenges, squarely so that the government can concentrate on national development."

In his remarks, the COAS, Gen. Minimah said he considered himself fortunate to take over the mantle of leadership of the Nigerian Army from a distinguished senior officer like Lt. General Azubuike Ihejirika.

“I am sure the consensus opinion in this room is that the

outgoing COAS has remarkably pursued his vision of transforming the army into a force better able to meet contemporary challenges. I must therefore salute and acknowledge his contributions to the growth of the army, the armed forces and the nation."

On his part, the new CNS, Rear Admiral Usman Jibrin, noted that his appointment was a challenge and pledged to do his best in moving the Nigerian Navy to the next level, pointing out that God used Jonathan to elevate him to the exalted seat.

He promised to sustain the Navy’s fight against insecurity in the maritime sector, particularly those bordering on crude oil theft.

The CAS, Amosu, on his own vowed that the Air Force under his leadership would leave no stone unturned in discharging its constitutional responsibilities.

yesterday (Sunday), I lost 18 of my people without any genuine cause,” the village head said.

Spokesman of the 7 Division, Nigerian Army, Colonel Mohammed Dole and Borno State Police Commissioner, Lawal Tanko confirmed the incident, but said they were yet to get detailed information on the number of casualties.

5 soldiers, 7 civilians die in Benue crisis

Also in Benue State, Vanguard gathered that five soldiers and seven civilians were killed by herdsmen.

Sources said the dead soldiers were part of the detachment of military personnel from the 72 Airborne Brigade in Makurdi who were dispatched to the crisis zone to maintain peace.

Contacted on the development, the state Commissioner for Works and Transport, Mr. John Ngbede, said the marauders attacked Agatu in their usual gorilla fashion at about 10 a.m. on Sunday.

We are alarmed —Cattle Breeders

Meanwhile, the state secretary of Myetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, an umbrella body of the Fulani herdsmen, Garus Gololo, also expressed disgust at the renewed crisis.

“I am alarmed because this latest crisis is comming at a time when measures are being put in place to ensure a check on any form of crisis between Fulani herdsmen and their host communities in Benue State,” Gololo said.

The Benue State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Daniel Ezeala confirmed the story, saying: "The situation is under control as enough policemen have been drafted to affected communities and we have also commenced investigation into the matter.”

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014—9

Okonjo-Iweala laments high recurrent vote in Budget 2014

BY EMMA UJAH, Abuja Bureau Chief

C

O O R D I N AT I N G MINISTER for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi OkonjoIweala, yesterday, presented details of the 2014 federal government budget, lamenting the administration’ dilemma over the bloated recurrent expenditure which has risen to 74 per cent of the total proposed budget of N4.642 trillion.

According to her, a total of N3.542 trillion has been earmarked for recurrent, leaving only N1.1 trillion for capital budget.

The recurrent budget consists of N2. 239 trillion, representing about 37 per cent of the total budget for personnel cost, while N1.303 trillion has been earmarked for overheads.

By implication, almost 40 per cent of the budget goes directly into the pockets of federal government workers who are only about one million in number.

In Dr. Okonjo-Iweala’s words, “the high share of recurrent expenditure in the budget is of great concern as it reduces the size of funds available for investments in capital projects.

“We worked hard to reduce this ratio from 74.4 % in 2011, to 71.5 % in 2012, and further to 67.5 % in 2013 but it has risen back to 74 % in 2014.”

The minister said the nation “will need to make some tough choices in the future about the structure of our budget”, adding, “we need to strike a balance between growing a wage bill for the public sector and investing more of our resources in infrastructure projects”.

According to her, the Jonathan administration reviewed the report of the Oronsaye Committee on streamlining government agencies but could not immediately act because most of them were created by law and required the repealing of such laws before they could be scrapped.

She therefore called for the understanding of the National Assembly in that regard to enable the executive further cut the cost of governance.

The minister said that this year’s budget has been built on the pillars of macro-economic stability, structural reforms, governance and institutions, as well as, investing in priority sectors upon which the two previous budgets had been hinged.

Priority sectors focused by the budget included infrastructure: power, roads, housing which have been described as greater job creation propellers and aviation, as well as, security, education.

The minister said that the controversial $10.8 billion oil money which the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation , NNPC, claimed to have spent

on operations was still being reconciled.

“Newspaper headlines will not bring money into the government coffers.

“What will actually bring money is the hard work of completing the reconciliation exercises to find out what NNPC has spent on its operations (with supporting invoices and documentation) and what has to be remitted to the treasury. This is the work we are actually doing now. It has not been completed, so claims by any parties in this

exercise are premature.”

Speaking on the 2013 budget performance, the DirectorGeneral of the Budget Office, Dr. Bright Okogu revealed that N 646.8 billion capital vote was utilized. He said that the 2013 budget has been closed except the Constituency Projects which funding was still on-going.

On cutting cost of governance, the D-G said that the 2014 budget implementation would witness a greater work on weeding ghost workers and ghost pensioners through the Integrated

Personnel Payroll System.

According to him, the IPPIS would be completed and that workers had no choice in the matter.

He said that workers of any organization that failed to get on the platform would not be paid, going forward.

Dr. Okogu urged MDAs to continue implementation of ongoing projects rather than spend their resources on new ones for which they might not have enough funds to complete.

PROGRAMME: From the left, Vice President Namadi Sambo; President Goodluck Jonathan; Agric Minister, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, and chairman, PDP Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih, during the launching of the dry season farm support programme as part of the Agricultural Transformation Programme, at the Banquet Hall, State House, Abuja. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida

Our patience is overstretched —JOHESU ...3-day warning strike starts tomorrow

BY VICTORIA OJEME

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HE JOINT Health Sector Unions, JOHESU, in league with the Assembly of Healthcare Professionals has vowed to paralyse activities in the health sector as it commences a three-day warning strike tomorrow, January 22, to be followed by an indefinite strike.

Giving the threat in a press conference in Abuja, yesterday, President, Association of Medical Laboratory Sciences of Nigeria, Godswill Okara, who represented Chairman, JOHESU, Mr. Waba Ayuba, said the Federal Government was taking the union’s patience for granted.

“Our patience has been overstretched. Our display of good faith, patience, restraint and maturity on the issues and other perennial cases of

injustices has been taken for weakness by the health ministry. and we are determined to ensure that our demands are met,” Ayuba stated.

According to him: “Agonisingly, at the meeting of January 16, 2014, to re-appraise the outcome of the health Ministry’s implementation of the agreed issues, we found out that the Ministry has virtually not implemented any of the issues in contention. This is despite the fact that local branches of our unions had already commenced strike action to protest the nonskipping of CONHESS 10 which the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, NICN, had upheld in her judgement.

“In the light of these outlined acts of industrial violations, injustice and deprivations, our members across the length and breadth of the country have no other choice than to embark on

a three-day warning strike with effect from Wednesday, January 22, 2014.”

On alleged selective increase of wages for doctors, Waba said: “In a bid to placate doctors from going on strike, Government after a meeting with Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, officials on January 2, 2014 approved increase in wages and emoluments of doctors ranging from 20 per cent to 50 per cent of CONMESS which were circularised in less than 10 days after going through a process.

“It is almost unimaginable that anything could run so perfectly well in a country known for unending bureaucratic lapses.

For the records, this tragically remains one of the few times Government in its wisdom has attempted to secretly and selectively approve wage increase for a cadre of workers in a multi-disciplinary sector.”

2015: Polls won’t be perfect; timetable out this week —Jega

BY OKEY NDIRIBE

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BUJA — Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega, yesterday, asked Nigerians not to expect next year ’s general elections to be perfect.

He said that the timetable for the election would be released this week.

He spoke when the United States Ambassador to Nigeria Mr. James Enwhistle paid him a courtesy visit at the INEC’s headquarters in Abuja.

“We are not promising a perfect election in 2015, but we are confident that we will do our best,” he said, but added that the conduct of the election would be better than than the 2011 polls.

He further stated that the commission would embark on a retreat this week during which the commissioners would prepare: time-table for the 2015 polls; budget for the continuous voter registration to be conducted later this year and address other issues that are relevant to the forth-coming polls.

According to Jega, the commission had taken steps to ensure credible polls.

He cited improved staff training and reorganisation as some of the steps taken by INEC to ensure that the 2015 elections were free and fair.

Said he:”We have also embarked on strategic planning and improved our relationship with our development partners.

“It is our responsibility under the Electoral Act to do voter education and even political education generally. But it has always been challenging because the resources available to discharge that responsibility are usually insufficient, given the enormity of the task of dealing with a large illiterate population and getting them really understand what to do, not only during voting but also on the larger issues of choosing good candidates and so on. So there is a lot of things the CSOs can do.”

10—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014

Public smokers risk 6-month jail term in Lagos

BY MONSURU OLOWOOPEJO

THE Lagos State House of Assembly, yesterday, passed a bill, aimed at banning smoking in public places in the state.

This came after several months of deliberation and

public engagement, mainly to sensitise and gather residents' opinions on the bill.

The 16-section bill, said that posting of signs which states “no smoking,” with a picture depicting a burning cigarette enclosed in a circle with a bar across, should be displayed in all "no smoking areas."

The assembly noted that the

picture depicting ban of smoking in a particular public place would be prominently posted and properly maintained by the owner, occupier or person in charge of the “no smoking areas.”

The bill, which, yesterday, scaled through the third reading, prohibited anybody

BRIEFING: From left, Lagos State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire; Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos, and Commissioner for Science and Technology, Mr. Adebiyi Mabadeje, at a briefing by Governor Fashola on the public security system demonstration, at the Lagos command and control centre, Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Bunmi Azeez

Pipeline vandals cause explosion at Akute-Itashi

BY SEBASTINE OBASI

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ANDALS, YESTERDAY, struck, causing the explosion of system 2B pipeline at Akute-Itashi village, in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State.

Confirming the attack, the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company, PPMC, Manager, Public Affairs and External Relations, Mr. Nasir Imodagbe, said the explosion occurred on the early hours of yesterday, when the vandals were trying to siphon petroleum products.

He also said that the area has been one of the

notorious axis where PPMC has been fighting vandals over the years. According to him, no casualty was recorded.

“We had repaired the line more than three times this month; it baffled me when we have security saddle to protect the pipeline and we still experience vandalism. I was told that we did not record any causality yesterday, but I hope when our engineers visit the site today we will have the update on the site,’’ he said.

Imodagbe assured that the system 2B line will be open for operations as soon as the engineers complete the repairs.

Also speaking, the South-west zonal spokesperson of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Mr. Ibrahim Farinloye, said that when explosion occurred, NEMA personnel could not access the place due to some challenges. He explained that both NEMA and men from the fire service were battling to put off the fire even as at press time.

smoking in all public places including libraries, museum, public toilets, schools, hospital, day care centres, public transportation and restaurants, among others.

The assembly proceeding which was presided over by the Speaker, Mr. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, said smoking in public places would attract penalties ranging from three month imprisonment to six month jail term.

It said the bill “has been sent to Governor Babatunde Fashola for an assent," even though the development had attracted public outrage, citing infraction on fundamental human rights.

Section 4 of the bill said it shall be the duty of those who own or occupy public places to ensure that approved “no smoking” signs are displayed conspicuously at each entrance and in prominent locations throughout the premises.

The bill on no smoking in public places, also stated the penalties for smoking in a “no smoking area” will be N10,000 fine or imprisonment for a term not less than one month and not exceeding three months or both.

While any person who repeatedly violates the provisions shall on conviction be liable to a fine of N50, 000 or six month imprisonment or both.

The law also states the penalty for non compliance by owner/occupier of a “no smoking area” the offenders shall attract N100, 000 or 6 month imprisonment, or other non custodial punishment that the judge may deem fit.

It shall be an offence to obstruct a duly authorised officer from carrying out his duties under the provision of this law.

The law states that any person who smokes in the presence of a child commits an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine of N15,000 or imprisonment for a month or both.

Lagos activates 1,200 CCTV cameras

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

T

HE LAGOS State government has concluded plans to activate 1,000 Close Circuit Television, CCTV, security cameras, in addition to the existing ones, as part of

measures to beef up crime monitoring across the state.

The state in collaboration with the Federal Government had already activated 1,200 security cameras deployed in strategic places across the state.

Governor Babatunde

Fashola disclosed this, yesterday, during the public security system demonstration of the use of the 1,200 security cameras already deployed in the state by the Federal Government at the Command and Control Centre, in Alausa, Ikeja.

The man Adamu Mu’azu

BY HENRY UMORU

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HE NEW National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Ahmadu Adamu Mu’azu, was born on June 11, 1955 in Boto, Tafawa Balewa, Bauchi State.

Mu’azu had his primary education between 1962 and 1968. And between 1971 and 1975, he attended Gindiri Boys' Secondary School in the then BenuePlateau State where he obtained Division one (Distinction) in the West African School Certificate Examination.

He then attended the School of Basic Studies at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and later bagged a Bachelor of Science degree in Quantity Surveying with first Class honours.

From 1980 to 1983, Mu’azu worked as a Quantity Surveyor/Project Manager in the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Social Welfare, Youth, Sports and Culture in Kano State.

He thereafter returned to his alma mater in 1983 and received a master's of Science degree in C o n s t r u c t i o n Management.

The new PDP National Chairman served as property manager, Bauchi State Investment and Property Development Company before attending Birmingham University, United Kingdom and got a second master's degree, this time in the area of Construction Economics.

From 1984 until his election as state governor in 1999, Mu’azu worked as a businessman in the private sector. Between 1984 and 1987, he was chairman of the Federal Polytechnic in Idah and chairman of the BenuePlateau Construction Company, Jos (1986 – 1990). He was also a member of the Bauchi State Scholarship Board during this period.

Between 1987 and 1997, he served in a number of capacities including director of the Nigeria Ports Authority and a member of the Bauchi State Rural Development Council.

He won 56 per cent of the vote in the 1999 gubernatorial election and took office on May 29, 1999. He was re-elected for a second four-year term in 2003. He ran for a Senate seat in the 2007 general election but was defeated.

See more stories on Page 16

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014—11

LP accuses Fayemi of engineering crisis in Ekiti zAllegation is misdirected —APC

BY GBENGA ARIYIBI

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DO EKITI — The La bour Party in Ekiti State, has accused Governor Kayode Fayemi of engineering crisis in the state The National Chairman of the party, Chief Dan Iwuanyanwu, said this in Ado Ekiti, yesterday, during inauguration of the Interim State Working Committee of the party, noting that Fayemi was responsible for the pasting of the posters of Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele, with the logo of Social Democratic Party, SDP. But the All Progressives Congress' Director of Media, Mr. Segun Dipe, described the allegation as misdirected, saying the ruling party cannot be pasting posters for Bamidele, an arch-enemy of the APC. The postal of Opeyemi flooded Ado Ekiti, yesterday, with an impression that he had dumped LP for the SDP. The party, LP also warned Fayemi to stop expending state’s resources on frivolities , alleging that the governor had been employing divisive method to rip the state apart in efforts to perpetuate himself in office.

On Bamidele’s posters that flooded Ado Ekiti with the inscription, ‘We have finally traced our root,” Iwuanyanwu, who was represented by his Deputy, Joseph Akinlaja, said the action was targeted at causing confusion in LP and creating the impression that the party is flouting the Electoral Act. In his response, Dipe, however, dismissed the allegation.

He added: “APC will not popularise Bamidele’s inordinate ambition by associating him with any party.

"We are more focused and we are getting our members ready for registration that will start soon and that is where

our focus is and not on any frivolous issue.”

The Independent National Electoral Commission Resi-

dent Electoral Commissioner in Ekiti, Alhaji Halilu Pai had, last week, warned against pasting of posters when no va-

cancy had been declared, is tantamount to breach of Electoral Act and such would not be tolerated.

Prospect High School national president, Mr. Abiodun Balogun (3rd from right); Lagos State chapter president, Mr. Segun Ogunkoya (4th from right); national social secretary, Mrs. Tutu Ogunyemi (2nd from right) and other members of Lagos State chapter with Mr. Oluwatoyin Adebule standing behind them during their meeting hosted by Mr. Adebule at his residence in Lagos.

Ogun LP endorses Jonathan for second term

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

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BEOKUTA — THE Labour Party, LP, in Ogun State, yesterday, pledged to work for the victory of President Goodluck Jonathan in his reelection bid, urging him to declare his interest to contest the 2015 presidential election.

Ogun LP State Secretary, Sunday Oginni stated this while addressing newsmen during a meeting of the party members from the 20 local government areas of the state, in Abeokuta.

According to the party it would be in the interest of the country if the president "recontests for a second term to

enable him to complete his unfinished works.

“We (LP supporters), have the freedom to support any candidate and to us the best President Nigeria has ever had is President Jonathan; so we will support him in 2015.

“Besides, he has been so good and magnanimous even to the opposition. If not for him (Jonathan), Ondo State Governor, (Olusegun Mimiko) would have been rigged out during the governorship election. Again during the Anambra governorship election too, he ensured free and fair election.

“Nigeria is blessed with a Presi-

dent who is fair to all. We must all work for him at the wards, local governments and state levels,” he said.

Earlier the Ogun LP Chairman, Olabode Simeon stressed that contrary to speculations, he remained the party’s state chairman "until another state congress is held to elect new officers."

The party boss who alleged that some people were making attempts to perpetuate “illegalities” within the party, assured that so long as he remained the chairman he would ensure all decisions followed the due process.

APC members vow to disobey court over leadership changes in House of Reps

BY EMMAN OVUAKPORIE

BUJA — MEMBERS of the All Progressives A Congress, APC,— in the of OSOGBO A House serious

Representatives, crisis is loomingyesterday, over the vowed toby disobey a court order attempt the management restraining them from effecting of the National Centre for leadership changes in the House Technology Management, today.

NACETEM, the Rising from to anrelocate emergency meeting the centre late fromevening, Obafemi lawmakers said they would Awolowo University, OAU, change theAbuja.

House leadership Ile Ife to today, barring any minute Specifically, thelast chairman change of decision, upon the of the governing the plurality attained board by the of party

after the defection of 37 of the centre, Senator Ben members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to the Collin was accused of alleged APC last December. imposition of Mr. Yusuf The legislators insisted that the Abdullahi Mohammed as the court order did not come to them acting Director General ofhad the as a surprise because they centre despite being unprior knowledge of its outcome. qualified for thehad post.

The ruling PDP on January Youth Vanguard 7,But filedIfe a suit seeking an order to stop APC from warned that lawmakers any attempt to making any change relocate theleadership centre from its in the House. present headquarters in Ile Joined in the suit were the Ife may lead Aminu to crisis, warning Speaker, Waziri that it would theEmeka move.

Tambuwal, hisresist deputy, It was gathered thatMulikat of the Ihedioha, House Leader

Akande-Adeola, her deputy Leo 17 Directors General in the Ogor and Chief Whip, Isiaka parastatals under the Bawa, among other principal officers.

Ministry of Science and Justice Adeiyi in Technology, all Ademola except Mr. entertaining thewas case,neither yesterday,a Mohammed issued an order the professor nor arestraining Ph.D principal officers andholder. other Senator Collins was alleged lawmakers from making any to have bentchange, the rules by to leadership accommodate his preferred maintaining the status quo ante.

However,Mr. Mohammed APC candidate, for Representatives the the post of DG ofrejected the centre, court verdict. the seat which became vacant An APC lawmaker, Rep Ali in November, 2013 after the Sani Madaki from Kano State, exit of Dr. W.O Siyanbola, who who attended yesterday ’s

meeting told Vanguard that the served the centre for two terms court lacked the jurisdiction to of eight years. issue such an order, describing According to a petition dated it as “a black market judgement.”

December 10, 2013 by the He said: “Hopefully, we will Academic Staff Union of make the changes today at plenary since we now have the Research Insititution, ASURI, majority areNACETEM expecting more entitled:and ‘Save from members to join destruction,’ theus.union noted “Yes, the order has been that a recent development the issued, but our decision isinthat centre it necessary to cry we willmade not accept this black out to well-meaning market judgement.” Nigerians illegal, andfrom as to“This saveis the centre lawmakers we won’t accept any imminent destruction. illegality. This will not be accepted anywhere in the world."

Lawyers fight over right to represent Jonathan in court

K

ADUNA – TWO law firms yesterday fought over rights to represent President Goodluck Jonathan at a Federal High Court in Kaduna in a case filed against the president over the 2015 presidential election.

Two members of the PDP, Richard Mneaga, and Shuaibu Lilli had sued Jonathan saying he was not qualified to contest the election on the platform of the party.

The Presiding Judge, Justice Evelyn Anyadike had to resolve a case of double representations by two separate counsel to Jonathan and allowed one of them to continue with the case after seeking clarifications from them on who really should represent him. .

Matthew Echo representing Dr. Fabian Ajogwu, SAN, told the court that the Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke instructed their chambers to take over the case on October 9, 2013, and then, tendered a photo copy of the letter which was marked “exhibit A”.

In the same vein, the other counsel Micheal Nomeh told the court that his chambers had two separate letters from the AGF’s office authorizing them to also take up the case. But Nomeh could only produce the second letter which were tendered before the court and marked “exhibit B”.

Justice Anyadike however, ruled in favour of Matthew Echo, holding briefs for Dr. Fabian Ajogwu, SAN, to represent the president in the case.

Adeyeye cautions Fayemi over Ekiti RTEAN leadership tussle

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FENIFERE CHIEFTAIN and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship aspirant in Ekiti State, Prince Dayo Adeyeye has cautioned Governor Kayode Fayemi over his alleged interference in the crisis rocking the state chapter of Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, RTEAN. Adeyeye, who said the state government should not have any business in who leads the RTEAN and other labour unions.

12—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014

JTF nabs 7 suspects, impounds 20 barges with 213,000 litres of stolen crude

NPA host communities in Delta disrupt operations in Warri

BY GODWIN ORITSE

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

H

Y

ENAGOA—OPERATIVES of the Joint Task Force, codenamed Operation Pulo Shield, have impounded 20 wooden barges and five fibre boats conveying suspected stolen crude oil estimated to be about 213,000 litres, in the creeks of the Niger Delta.

Also, seven suspects are currently being interrogated over their alleged involvement in crude oil theft.

JTF spokesman, Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, yesterday in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, said that the arrests were made by troops of 29 and 5 Battalions of Sector 2 anti-illegal oil bunkering patrol squads.

Nwachukwu said that the barges and two pumping machines were intercepted in Bodo West, Rivers State, and Azagbene creek in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

He said during the operation, the troops also uncovered and scuttled two illegal oil refinery sites concealed in the woods in Biara farmland in Akpor Gokana Local Government Area and Ajudaigbo general area in Warri South Local Government Areas of Rivers and Delta states, respectively.

He said: “Eighteen surface tanks, 11 drums, four Plastic tanks, two pumping machines and hoses of various sizes and lengths were scuttled during the clamp down,” adding that in a similar operation, troops of 222 Battalion of Sector 1 of the JTF deployed in Kokori flow station in Delta State, also arrested three suspects for illegally siphoning crude oil from Well Head 14 flow station into a truck."

64TH NATIONAL EXCO MEETING OF PDP: President Goodluck Jonathan (right); Ntional Secretary PDP, Prof. Adewale Oladapo (left) and the National Chairman PDP, Alhaji Adamu Mua'zu (middle) after Mua'zu's nomination at the 64th National Executive Committee Meeting of the PDP, at the party's headquarters, Wadata House, Wuse, Abuja, yesterday.

Photo by Abayomi Adeshida.

Senate not in hurry to pass 2014 budget —DOMINGO

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

B

ENIN—THE senator representing Edo North senatorial district in the Senate, Senator Domingo Obende, said yesterday that the performance of the 2013 budget will form the basis for the passage of the 2014 budget presented to the lawmakers by President Goodluck Jonathan.

Domingo, in Benin City, Edo State, lamented that the executive had failed to achieve 40 per cent implementation over the years, stressing that the National Assembly would not be in a hurry to pass the 2014 budget “because we want the best for Nigerians.”

He acknowledged that the National Assembly had in the past hurriedly passed the budget so as not to be accused of being a

clog to the progress of the executive, “ but this time around, we want to correct past mistakes, so the executive has to provide us with details of how the 2013 budget was implemented before we talk about the 2014 budget.

“The performance of the 2013 budget would form the basis for the passage of this year’s budget, because we had observed that despite efforts made by the National Assembly to ensure that Nigerians get the best, the executive has not lived up to expectations in terms of budget implementation. It has failed to achieve 40 per cent budget performance.

“Since being a member of the National Assembly, I have not seen the budget

ABE: Police arraign 11 over protest

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

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ORT HARCOURT—THE Police, yesterday, arraigned 11 persons suspected to be behind the protest, last Monday, condemning the alleged shooting of Senator Magnus Abe with rubber bullets by the Police, before a Magistrate's Court in Rivers State.

It will be recalled that Senator Abe was allegedly shot by the Police when he turned up at the ven-

ue of the aborted rally of Save Rivers Movement on January 12 at the Arts and Science College, Port Harcourt.

The following day, some youths took over the Akpajo end of East- West Road, protesting the alleged shooting.

The youths allegedly barricaded the road, thus causing Calabar, Cross River State bound passengers a huge trauma.

Ten of the accused were

Itsekiri activist wants Olu to convene youth congress

BY CHARLES KUMOLU N Itsekiri activist, Mr. Ogbe Ogbobine, has called on the Olu of Warri, Atuwatse II, to give his blessings to the convening of an all-embracing Itsekiri youth congress for the purpose of inaugurating Itsekiri National Youth Council, INYC, formally.

He also regretted that the INYC has remained an adhoc body led by persons who

A

achieve up to 40 per cent performance and I do not think 2013 is going to be any different. If 2013 budget is not going to be different, those implementing the budget need to tell us other strategies they would adopt to ensure that our budget achieves at least 65 per cent to 70 per cent.

“But I can tell you clearly that nobody is going to rush the 2014 budget. The executive brought it late. The executive took its time to bring it and we will take our time to look at it and the best is what we are going to give Nigerians. Our concern is that when you are building a house, there is a foundation, without a foundation, there is no structure. So, the 2013 budget is the foundation for that of 2014.”

are no longer youths.

Briefing newsmen in Warri, Ogbobine, said the INYC was a child of necessity, occasioned by the need to promote the future and welfare of Itsekiri youths.

He said: “We are appealing to His Royal Majesty, the Olu of Warri, to urgently give his blessings to the convening of an all embracing Itsekiri youth congress for the purpose of establishing a genuine INYC. “The INYC, is a child of neces-

sity, occasioned by the Warri crisis. Since the inter-ethnic crisis is over, it is no longer tenable for the council to remain a disorganized body plagued by infighting and pointless controversies that cannot benefit the Itsekiri nation. I commended members of the current executive who have either become chiefs or by virtue of their age, are no longer comfortable with being described as youths."

charged for conspiracy, unlawful gathering and possession of dangerous weapons, while one was arraigned on a fourcount charge, which include illegal possession of a walkie talkie.

The charges were read to them in Pidgin English and they pleaded not guilty.

The trial Magistrate, Daisy Wanjoku, granted them bail in the sum of N50,000 each and a surety in like sum. This was after their counsel had applied for their bail, arguing that the offences were bailable.

The case was adjourned till February 14 for hearing.

Those arraigned were Barinaaghaalo Kugbor (26), GodGift Brienalor (24), Stephen Nuata (24), Akpobari Aminikpo (29), Sunday Dugbor (20), Dubor Kpeghasi (30), Promise Kagbor (29), Baribor Nnade (25), Kiesira Nteegha (22), Lucky Pourii (25) and Baridor Kukue (27).

OST communities to the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, Delta Ports, Warri, yesterday, disrupted the operation of the authority for over two hours, causing heavy traffic that took the combined efforts of military men and police to bring under control.

The protesters, led by Mr. Emiko Oghomienor and another Ijaw youth leader, told the management of the port, led by the Port Manager, Mr. Obumneme Onuenyenwu, that they were on a peaceful protest against Integrated Logistics Services, INTELS, as all avenues explored to resolve their grievances with the company had fallen on deaf ears.

They noted that with about 18 companies in the port premises, INTELS had refused to dialogue and sign any Memorandum of Understandig, MOU, with them, after many years of operation.

They stated that their grievances ranged from unemployment of qualified host community indigenes, non-award of contracts (minor and major) to indigenous and competent contractors, failure to patronise indigeneous haulage trucks owners among, others, while persons from outside the host communities were employed and engaged to lord it over them against the local content policy of the Federal Government.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014—13

Rivers govt official alleges plan to cause mayhem in P-Harcourt

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

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ORT HARCOURT—ALLEGED plans by some exmilitants to embark on a violent protest in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, today, has been uncovered, the state government has claimed.

Meanwhile, the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People, MOSOP, has appealed to Save Rivers Movement, to stay away from the area for the time being.

A top government functionary in the state, who gave hint of the alleged plan, said the ex-militants had concluded arrangement on how to literarily turn Port Harcourt, the state capital, upside down with the aim of creating room for the declaration of a state of emergency in the state.

The source, who pleaded anonymity, said the ex-militants had been effectively mobilised to create tension in the state under the guise of protesting against Governor Rotimi Amaechi, adding that the plan was to plunge Port Harcourt into serious security crisis.

It will be recalled that a rally of the Save Rivers Movement, a proAmaechi group, could not hold on Sunday in Bori because of activities of political thugs, who fired gun shots to scare away people from the venue of the rally.

Meanwhile, a faction of Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People, MOSOP, has appealed to Save Rivers Movement, to stay away from the area for the time being.

President and spokesman of MOSOP, Mr Goodluck Diigbo, in

a statement yesterday, said Ogoni people would not want their area to be another theatre of crisis and political clashes.

He said that it was decided at a meeting of a joint Peace and Security Council of the Central Indigenous Authority, OCIA and MOSOP that the Save Rivers Movement should sus-

pend its planned rally for the area until further notice.

“We, the people of Ogoni, are also at this time, trying to save our land, people and culture. We are not better placed to save Rivers State.

Rivers State is one of Nigeria’s ill-thought political structure that had failed Ogoni. It has always been used as oppressive instrument to mas-

sacre and hang Ogoni leaders. Over time, Rivers State Government has greatly contributed to our economic exploitation, political marginalisation, impoverishment, victimisation and incarceration of thousands of innocent Ogoni youth, as well as the desecration of our ancestral heritage,” Diigbo said.

COMMITTEE OF ENQUIRY SUBMITS REPORT: Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State (left) and Mr Osagie Obayuwana, Chairman, Committee of Enquiry into the alleged unauthorised journey by the Chairman, Secretary and Councillors of Orhiomwon Local Government, during the the submission of the Committee's report to the governor, yesterday.

Protest over Dame Jonathan’s N1.5m largesse in Bayelsa: 7 in police net

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

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ENAGOA—SEVEN persons, among them, executive members of Bayelsa State Chapter of National Youth Council of Nigeria, NYCN, have been arrested for their alleged protest over a N1.5 million largesse by the wife of the President, Dame Patience Jonathan, to youths in the state.

Supporters of the arrested youths alleged that the money was handed to the youths in appreciation of a solidarity visit to the wife of the President last Tuesday in Otuoke, during her private visit to the state.

It was also alleged that the embarrassing clash between the youths, led by the members of the NYCN, the Otuoke Youth Association and others, who staged separate solidarity visits to the wife of the President, might have led to the arrest.

Trouble for the arrested youths, it was learnt, started last Tuesday, when they mobilised youths on a solidarity visit to Dame Jonathan, who was on a private visit to the state.

C M Y K

The first lady, according to a security source, however, turned down the request by the youths for audience and public address.

Her action, according to the source, was in line with her earlier refusal to meet with members of the Otuoke Youths Association.

She was said to have bowed to pressure and agreed to meet with the youthts, but that they should select 26 youths for audience with her, as they sang solidarity songs in front of the country home of the President.

“But these youths became

unruly and could not select the 26 representatives. They became angry and became abusive. The wife of the President, however, reached out and gave them a token of N1.5 million. But they fought over the money,” a development that necessitated the police intervention and their arrest, a source said.

Probe panel on Edo LG submits report

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

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ENIN—THE Committee set up by Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State to investigate the unauthorised journey to Italy by the Chairman, Vice Chairman and entire councillors of Orhiomwon Local Government Area of the state, yesterday, submitted a threevolume report to the governor.

Governor Oshiomhole, who assured that government would objectively im-

plement the findings of the report, however, said that the rule of law must be enforced, stressing that without it, there can be no order in the society.

He said: “I want to thank the Chairman and members of the committee for doing a thorough job. When I asked you to go into the enquiry, I didn’t realise it would take so much work to produce this kind of result. I can see how painstaking it is to generate these volumes. We will look at this report objectively and act on it with only one thing in mind, the best interest of the people

of Orhionmwon in particular and Edo State in general.

“Everyone looks for whom to blame for deficit in governance and how we have managed our national patrimony and the paradox makes us a laughing stock in the international community when they talk of governance.

“The responsibility of leadership is to find courage to do things right; courage to correct what is not right, apply the carrot as a reward, incentive for those who perform and also courage to wield the stick on those who fail to perform."

Families of 2002 bomb blast cry out

BY ADERONKE ADEYERI

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HE Chairman of the 2002 bomb blast victims association, Mr. Nurudeen Oyegbemi, has pleaded with the federal and state governments to fulfill their monetary and scholarship promises to the victims and families of the 2002, Ikeja bomb blast in Lagos.

Addressing newsmen in Lagos, he said that the federal and state governments were yet to redeem their promises made since 2002.

He said: “January 27, 2002, remains a day that cannot be obliterated from our memories due to the death of our loved ones.

After 12 years, the government has refused to compensate the families, eventhough, during the 10th year anniversary, the state government paid 70 families leaving 80 others to suffer.”

Also, one Mary, a mother who lost her two children, expressed her disappointment and bitterness over the delay on the part of the government, saying, “it is saddening that the government is treating us like this even after 12 years. I just hope this delay will never mean total denial.”

Maku-Eyituoyor endorses Uduaghan’s Senate ambition

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PECIAL Project Director to the Governor of Delta State, Mr. Francis Maku-Eyituoyor, has dismissed criticisms from the All Progressives Congress, APC, on the timing of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan’s aspiration to contest the 2015 Delta South senatorial election.

Maku-Eyituoyor, said that before now, there were calls by different political and non-political groups as well as individuals across Delta State, urging Uduaghan, whose governorship tenure will come to an end next year, to run for the Delta South senatorial district in the 2015 general elections.

According to him, the calls were coming because of the outstanding performance of development programmes executed by Uduaghan across the state.

14—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014

Ubah campaign seeks release of Nnewi North LG poll result

BY ENYIM ENYIM

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NITSHA—THE Ifeanyi Ubah Campaign Organization yesterday insisted that the result of the local government election held last Saturday in Nnewi North be declared

by Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission, ANSIEC. Speaking to reporters at the campaign office, Nnewi, the DirectorGeneral of the organisation, Mr. Ben Nwosu, described as a rape on democracy the cancellation of the election by the state electoral body.

Last Saturday, ANSIEC in a rescheduled election conducted a peaceful poll in the 198 polling units in Nnewi north local government, at the end of the exercise, the acting chairman of the commission, Mr Sylvester Okonkwo, announced the cancellation without any reason.

Court discharges suspected robbers in Onitsha

BY NWABUEZE

OKONKWO NITSHA—AN Onitsha Chief Magistrate Court in Anambra State, presided o v e r b y M r. Mike Okonkwo yesterday discharged two persons accused of armed robbery.

The suspect, Ifeanyi Okeke, an official of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, and Ifechukwu Mleukam, a school dropout were discharged and acquitted for wrongful charges.

In his ruling shortly after hearing from both accused persons, their counsels said the written statement of Mrs. Ngozi Ugonabor, the complainant to the police, did not in any way reflect armed robbery accusation against them.

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C M Y K

CONFAB: I didn't ask for mandate to write draft constitution —NWABUEZE L

BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE

AGOS—ELDER STATESMAN and leader of The Patriots, Professor Ben Nwabueze (SAN), has dismissed as false comments attributed to Senator Femi Okurounmu that he wrote President Goodluck Jonathan asking for a mandate to handpick delegates to prepare a draft constitution.

Quoting a media report where Okurounmu, chairman of the Presidential Committee on National Conference said he wrote the President to mandate to write a draft constitution, Nwabueze denied ever writing such a letter.

Saying the said letter existed in Okurounmu’s imagination, Nwabueze said the senator was “again baiting me to break my principle not to make public statements impugning the character of people that I do not know.”

His words: “He (Okurounmu) was reported in the Leadership newspaper of Wednesday 15 January, 2014 to have said: ’”It was reported in the media that he actually wrote to the President that he should mandate him to handpick a handful of people and make them draft a constitution for Nigeria.’ He was so certain that

I wrote such a letter to have fired back at the press man interviewing him : ‘Are you aware that he wrote a letter to the President that the President should mandate him to handpick some people to actually prepare a draft constitution for Nigeria?’

“The press men should ask the

senator whether he has seen or read the letter in question. I never wrote such a letter to the President. As Chairman of PAC, Sen. Okurounmu has access to the President. Instead of fabricating such unfounded story based on unverified newspaper report, which he apparently

misread, Okurounmu, as a distinguished senator and holder of the high office of Chairman of PAC, should go to the President and find out from him whether I ever wrote such a letter to him.

To reiterate: I never did. The letter exists only in the figment of the senator’s imagination.”

WARNING STRIKE: From left: Deputy President, NASU, Mr. Michael Mallo, President, Association of Medical Lab Sciences of Nigeria, Gosswill Okara, Secretary, Joint Health Sector Unions, Mr. Yusuf Badmus and Deputy President, PSN. Dr. Ernest Okoli, during a meeting to announce a three-day warning strike by unions in Abuja. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida.

IHEJIRIKA: Anglican bishop warns Northern elders

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BY TONY EDIKE

NUGU—THE Anglican Bishop of Enugu, Rt. Rev. Emmanuel Chukwuma, yesterday, expressed dismay over the threat by the Northern Elders Forum, NEF, to drag the immediate past Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika before the International Criminal Court, ICC, in Hague for alleged extra-judicial killings of some northerners.

He warned that the move could lead to a major crisis that would threaten the nation’s corporate existence.

Bishop Chukwuma, who addressed a press conference in Enugu, said any attempt at persecuting the former COAS on account of the actions that were taken while he was in office would be resisted by the Igbos, urging the northern leaders to be well guided and advised.

He said Igbo would resist any attempt to humiliate the respected military officer who had succeeded in checkmating the activities of northern insurgents and their sponsors.

His words: “Northern elders should be warned or they will set up inter-tribal war in Nigeria. Is it because Ihejirika is an Igbo man. Any attempt to sue him or drag him before

the ICC will be resisted by the Igbos.

“Let them know it that we are ready to defend our brother because he has done nothing to warrant anybody taking him to Hague,” said the cleric who is also the Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN South East zone."

He, however, expressed disappointment that no Igbo man made the list of the newly appointed Service Chiefs by President Goodluck Jonathan saying by this action, the president had shut out Igbos from the nation’s Security Council.

Bishop Chukwuma urged the National Assembly not to

clear the appointees until the imbalance was addressed, insisting that the action of the President by not appointing an Igbo man to the security council, in spite of the position of the South-East in the nation’s political arrangement amounted to “selective negligence.”

Mohammed to Ezeife: Nigeria won't break, even if Jonathan loses 2015

BY SONI DANIEL, REGIONAL

EDITOR, NORTH BUJA—SECOND Republic federal lawmaker, Dr. Junaid Mohammed, yesterday dispelled fears that Nigeria would break if President Goodluck Jonathan was not allowed a second term in office in 2015.

Mohammed pointed out that the country had gone beyond the stage of disintegrating on account of the electoral fortune of one man.

The political commentator made the claim in reaction to the assertion by former Anambra State governor, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, that Nigeria would break up if President Goodluck Jonathan

A

was not allowed a second term in office.

The former governor had said in an interview with Vanguard that the issue of Nigeria’s continued existence and second term for Jonathan were inseparable and that any attempt by any group under any guise to deny Jonathan of his second term could lead to unintended consequences.

One of the consequences, according to Ezeife, is that aggrieved Niger Delta militants would blow up oil facilities and threaten the future existence of the country.

But Mohammed while responding to the issue on the phone from Kano, described Ezeife as the wrong person to issue such a threat at a time

when the country was already boiling because of careless actions and utterances of loose politicians in the country.

Mohammed, who was apparently irked by the assertion by the former governor, accused him of stoking avoidable fire so as to win the sympathy of President Jonathan for political patronage, which he had been denied since leaving office many years ago.

The northern political commentator noted that it was out of place for a former governor, who is regarded as an elder to forget where he was coming from and dance naked in the open just for cheap popularity and political patronage.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014—15

FG to meet with ASUP over lingering strike

BY LAIDE AKINBOADE

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BUJA—IN a bid to resolve the ongoing seven months strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, the Federal Government would meet with the leadership of the union today in Abuja.

The meeting is expected to be presided over by the Supervising Minister of Education, Barr. Nyesom Wike.

The Minister will after the meeting brief leaders of the National Association of Polytechnic Students on efforts of the Federal Government to improve polytechnic education in the country.

The meeting is also aimed at reaching an agreement on the last issue yet to be resolved from the list of demands placed by ASUP before the Federal Government.

Under the High Impact Development Scheme through TETFUND, the administration invested N12 billion to improve facilities in 12 selected polytechnics, with each of the polytechnics getting N1billion .

....To employ 1,000 teachers in unity schools

BY LAIDE AKINBOADE

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BUJA—THE federal government plans to employ one thousand teachers to address the shortfall in Mathematics and science teachers in unity schools across the country Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, stated this yesterday at a meeting with principals of Federal Unity Colleges in Abuja.

He said the 1,000 teachers would comprise Mathematics, English and science, adding that this would enhance the staff strength of the unity colleges.

“Like I said, when I became the Minister of Education, I discovered that we have shortage of teachers in our unity colleges. And through the collaboration of Head of Service, we decided to solve the problem.

DEFECTION: Court stops APC lawmakers from changing House leadership zOrders Reps to maintain status-quo till Feb 3

BY IKECHUKWUNNOCHIRI&

EMMAN OVUAKPORIE BUJA—TEMPORARY respite came the way of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday, as a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, restrained members of the House of Representatives who defected to the All Progressive Congress, APC, from altering or changing the leadership of the House, pending the determination of a suit before the court.

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APC moves to challenge ruling

However, APC legislators yesterday started moves to challenge the ruling of the Federal High Court.

Justice Ademola Adeniyi, who made the order sequel to a suit filed before the High Court by the PDP, directed that members of the House should maintain the status-quo till February 3, when both the substantive suit and preliminary objections by the defendants will be heard.

It will be recalled that PDP had approached the court, begging it to issue an order of perpetual injunction that would restrain the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, and 52 other lawmakers, from taking any step capable of changing the present leadership structure at the lower legislative chamber of the National A s s e m b l y. M e a n w h i l e ,

members of the House of Reps, led by the Speaker, yesterday, challenged the jurisdiction of the court to dabble into what they said was purely an issue within the domestic affairs of the House.

In urging the court to dismiss PDP’s suit as lacking in merit, the defendants, in their eighteen paragraphed counter-affidavit deposed to by one Mr. Mike Msenge, told the court that from prolonged practice of the House of Reps (1st defendant), the political party with majority of

members in the House formed its core leadership.

According to them, “the Plaintiff/Applicant is not a human being but is one of the registered political parties in Nigeria. The leadership seats in question are being occupied by the 2nd-8th defendants, who are human beings.

Constitution

“That I have perused the Constitution of Nigeria and have not seen anywhere the Plaintiff/Applicant has voting rights with respect to the enthronement or removal from office of any or all of the 2nd-

8th defendants.

“That before the defection of the 12th-53rd defendants from the plaintiff to the APC, the plaintiff had majority membership in the 1st defendant; hence the 2nd-8th defendants, being members of the plaintiff, were elected into those leadership positions they are currently occupying in the 1st defendant.”

Meanwhile, APC legislators in the House yesterday started moves to challenge the ruling.

Vanguard reliably gathered that APC members in the House immediately summoned an emergency meeting after Justice Adeniyi Ademola of an Abuja High Court issued the order.

NEW YEAR PARTY: Chief Richard Ahonaruogho, his wife, Yeye Mojisola Ahonaruogho and Principal, Victory High School, Mr. Olayemi Odedele, at the end of year/new year party of Victory High School/Victory College Ikeja Old Students' Association in Lagos.

Jonathan pledges N14bn to support dry season farming zSays dry season farming now a national project A

BY GABRIEL EWEPU

BUJA—PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan yesterday announced the sum of N14 billion to support farmers engaged in dry season farming in the country.

He made the announcement while launching the 2014 dry season farming in Abuja.

According to President Jonathan, dry season farming has now become a national project that subsequent administrations can leverage on, especially with the enactment of a law to back it up by the National Assembly.

Jonathan said it was imperative to increase the support for dry season farming, following the huge number of states and farmers keying into the programme and the increased production of food after it was launched in 2013.

The President said: “You

know our timely effort to transform the agriculture sector, in this regard we launched the Agriculture Transformation Agenda in 2011,the goal of adding 11 million metric tons of food for our domestic food supply, and changed our approach to agriculture, we no longer take agriculture as a

development programme. ”I am announcing today the provision of N14 billion to support dry season farming for the 2014 season.

Last year it was N9 billion and as more states and farmers continue to key into it we shall increase the amount of money.

“I received report that over

600, 000 farmers had already registered to produce food in this year’s dry season, this is an increase of 9.5 per cent of number of farmers who participated last year, and with 20 states now registered to participate in this year ’s programme compared to 10 states last year.”

ALGON denies holding election in Abuja

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BUJA—THE Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, ALGON, yesterday, dissociated itself from a purported election said to have been held in Abuja by four states representatives out of the 37.

The association said in a statement that its leadership was law abiding and mindful of the subsistence of three suits before the Federal High Court, where former trustees ALGON

were challenging their removal.

It said other suits were at the High Court of the FCT where a former staff of ALGON was challenging the non-renewal of his tenure and, where the president of ALGON was asking the court to stop any kangaroo meeting called by the former trustees and few dissident members.

The group said the National

Executive Council had on, January 9, 2014, passed a vote of confidence on the present leadership, led by Ozo Nwabueze Okafor and the secretary general, Alhaji Shitu Yakmut.

It said ALGON will remain committed to the goals and objectives for which it was established, which is grassroots development through the third-tier of government.

16—Vanguard , TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014

I'll rescue PDP with sweeping reforms —MU'AZU zWhy we chose Mu'azu, by Jonathan zTukur, Tambuwal absent

BY HENRY UMORU

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BUJA—FORMER Governor of Bauchi State, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, yesterday assumed office as National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP with a vow to restore the lost glory of the party.

To achieve this, Mu’azu promised, to as a matter of urgency, embark on sweeping reforms against the backdrop that party administration must not be run like in the 19th century, stressing that as a party, PDP must run and meet international standards.

Speaking shortly after he was administered the oath of office as Alhaji Bamanga Tukur’s successor, Mu’azu, who hails from Bauchi State, noted that PDP as a ruling party must lead by example by ensuring that primaries are rancour free.

The new PDP leader said to achieve these lofty heights all hands must be on deck.

Mu’azu, who promised not to tamper with Governor Isa Yuguda’s structure in Bauchi State or others, stressed that he would not entertain gossips.

His words: “I won’t tamper with any of your structures, including that of Yuguda. But please allow the chairmen to allow everyone to register. Those without work should stay off PDP secretariat . Those who want to gossip should be able to say whatever they tell me in the presence of the person they are gossiping about. I’m not here to listen to gossip.”

The oath of office was administered on Mu’azu

by Mr. Augustine Taxy.

Why we chose Mu’azu – Jonathan

Mu’azu spoke as President Goodluck Jonathan, in his remarks, yesterday, at the 64th National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting gave an insight into why Mu’azu was chosen to replace Bamanga Tukur.

The President said the new PDP chairman has a wide outreach, has a unique character with friends across the country, and that at this period in the life of PDP, the party requires a bridge builder like Adamu

Mu’azu who is friendly, one who can reduce tension in the states and not fight.

The immediate past National Chairman, Alhaji Tukur and Speaker, House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal were however conspicuously absent.

According to President Jonathan, most PDP governors do not want chairmen from their states, but the party was making history with the new chairman having the total support of his governor, Mallam Isa Yuguda, adding that with the latest development, the story would change. He urged the new National Chairman to ensure that there was no infighting between the national Secretariat, the Governors and leaders of the party, even as he reiterated that the Party lost in some states because of the fight among the leaders.

According to President Jonathan, “when the issue of chairmanship came up, a number of people came to me, talking about who should be the chairman of the party. Some mentioned the attributes of somebody that we should select to lead the party and I agreed with them totally on those things they raised.

In terms of the political situation in the country, the key thing is that we need somebody that can build the party, somebody that can reach out to people, somebody that is friendly with so many people, including the toxic assets that Mr. Chairman mentioned. So, we were looking for somebody that can do that: to bring the party together.

“Let me at this point appreciate really all those who showed interest; we didn’t call them aspirants, because we didn’t sell any form. So, there was no aspirant, but people showed interest and all those who showed interest are eminently qualified to chair the party. But among these people that are qualified, we selected Adamu Mu’azu. We selected you because most of those who made comments about you, which of course, a lot of things have been said, were that you have some unique attributes as a person. You have so many friends from

the North to the South, from the West to the East. You are somebody that could be clearly described as not tied to tribal sentiments.”

Earlier at the start of the meeting, the Deputy National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus who presided, stressed the need for genuine reconciliation as well as the restoration of confidence among members of the party. He stressed that Article 47(6) of PDP’s constitution, however, approved the appointment of Mu’azu as National Chairman pending when an election would be conducted.

Secondus thereafter called on Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State to move a motion for the nomination of Mu’azu for the position and the motion was seconded by Senate leader, Senator Victor Ndoma- Egba.

HANDOVER CEREMONY OF THE NEW SERVICE CHIEFS IN ABUJA, YESTERDAY. PIX: GBENGA OLAMIKAN, NAN

New Chief of Defence Staff Air Marshal Alex Badeh (left), receiving the Flag of Office from former Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Ola Sa’ad Ibrahim.

Yuguda

Governor Yuguda’s motion that his predecessor in office be appointed PDP national chairman caught a lot of people napping as it came amid counter speculations in the media that none of the governors from the North East wanted an indigene of their state to occupy the plum position as a result of imminent power tussle.

While moving the motion for the appointment of Mu’azu, Governor Yuguda who acknowledged that there was indeed friction between them, however, informed NEC members that they have been together from their childhood and understand each other very well, adding, “we know what is between us. I want to assure everyone here that Ahmed is my friend and brother.”

Speaking on behalf of the PDP governors, their chairman, and governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio who lamented that the governors were blackmailed especially on the issue of 2015, however, promised that the governors will back President Jonathan for 2015 presidential election, adding, “looking at 2015, we the governors are very sure that Goodluck Jonathan would be returned as a second term President on the platform of this party.”

Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Usman Jibrin (left), receiving a telescope from former Chief of Naval Staff, Dele Ezeoba.

Chief of Army Staff, Major-General Kenneth Minimah (left), receiving the Army Flag from former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Azubike Ihejirika.

Former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh (left), and his successor, Air Vice Marshal Adesola Amosu, during the handover ceremony.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014 — 17

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Coup-plotter Under the Buhari/Idiagbon regime, once you ended up at 15 Awolowo Road, you may never be heard of again.

Decree Number 2 of 1984 empowered Tunde Idiagbon to arrest and detain anybody indefinitely without trial and without legal reprieve. After Buhari was overthrown, Mohammadu Gambo opened the prison doors of 15 Awolowo Road on public television, revealing people in various stages of undress and malnutrition that had been kept in the dungeons without trial

by Buhari’s hound-dogs.

As self-imposed Head of State, Buhari had no regard for human rights. Immediately he seized power, he announced that he would “tamper with” the press. Soon, the infamous Decree Number 4 was promulgated which made even the publication of the truth a punishable offence. Under this cover, Buhari jailed innocent journalists, including Tunde Thompson and Nduka Irabo.

He abolished civil liberties, promulgated retroactive decrees enabling him to kill Nigerians through jungle justice, proscribed civil society organizations and professional groups and exercised “absolute” power.

This same Buhari would now have us believe that he has gone through some metamorphosis and has become a democrat. I am sure you will forgive me if people like me don’t believe him. Buhari is not, has never been, and will never be, a democrat. Only in Nigeria would a man with his track record, who came to power through a military coup that illegally overthrew a democratic government, now be acclaimed as a democrat. It is on record that Buhari’s military regime is the only one in Nigeria’s history that failed to promulgate a programme for return to civilian rule.

Facts and fiction So what exactly qualifies

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Why Buhari will never be president of Nigeria Buhari as a democrat today?

Precious little! There is nothing democratic about forming and joining political parties just in order to be the presidential candidate. Little wonder then that Buhari’s parties have a short shelf-life. Buhari would like to be Nigeria’s head of state once again. He can no longer achieve this through the barrel of a gun. The only route now open to him is through the democratic process. That is the reason he now conveniently fashions himself as a democrat.

It is merely a means to an end; no more, no less.

B

uhari’s reputation as an anti-corruption crusader is also a myth. As head of state, he did not make any dent in Nigerian corruption. All we got was a cosmetic “ war against indiscipline.” The countertrade scam happened under his watch. Rather than deal with it, he sent his hound-dogs after nonentities like me who dared to expose it. That scam was no

,

N Friday, 23rd August, 1985, the military government of Major-General Muhammadu Buhari decided to place me under arrest. My crime was that I wrote, among others, an article entitled: “Counter-trading Nigeria’s Future” in the National Concord, exposing the government’s scam of diverting public funds into private coffers through barter-trade with Brazil. A man by the name of Benson Norman was sent from the State Security Services (SSS) to my office to get me. Not finding me, he left a note that I must present myself unfailingly at the SSS office at 15 Awolowo Road, Ikoyi Lagos the next Monday morning.

However, on Sunday, 25th August, 1985, Lateef Aminu came first thing in the morning to my house to inform me that the government of Buhari/ Idiagbon had been overthrown.

For this reason, I am fond of telling people that God brought about a change of government in Nigeria just because of me.

behind this. Buhari is a bad politician. He is an unbending former military dictator and not a democratic consensusbuilder. Like his new ally, Bola Tinubu, Buhari is a regional, sectional politician. Such politicians are practically impossible to package and market nationally in the ethnically-delicate Nigeria of today.

Former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Malam Nasir El’Rufai, one of those Northerners who deserve to be serious contenders for the presidency of Nigeria, observed that Buhari remains “perpetually unelectable” as a result of his “insensitivity to Nigeria’s diversity and his parochial focus.” This is an elegant way of saying that politically, Buhari has an uncanny tendency to put his foot in his mouth. He talks before thinking of the political implications of his words. He shoots from the hip.

The strength of Obasanjo,

The worst thing that can happen to Northern presidential aspirations in 2015 is for Buhari to be on the APC ballot

different, in scope and scale, from the petroleum subsidy and other corruption scandals that have since plagued Nigeria.

The Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) that Buhari headed under Abacha was also a citadel of corruption. While Buhari himself might not have enriched himself, his cronies and those who worked under him did so handsomely.

On three different occasions, Buhari has run for the presidency. On three different occasions he has failed. That should really be enough. If, as seems likely, he were to run for the presidency a fourth time in 2015, there is no question that he would fail yet again. Try as he might again and again, Muhammadu Buhari can never be President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Buhari’s sectarianism There is a fundamental reason

,

which enabled him to capture the presidency on two different occasions, was that he was perceived as a broadminded politician, not overly partial to his people in the South-West.

As a matter of fact, in his first election, his people did not want him. The strength of Goodluck Jonathan, which propelled him to win the presidency, was that he was able to string together a coalition that stretched both north and south of the Niger.

The weakness of Buhari is that he is totally unacceptable to people outside his region.

Buhari is a Northern regional champion. As head of state in the 1980s, his government was unapologetically Northern. No attempt was made to balance the ticket at the top. It was the only regime in Nigeria’s history headed by two Northerners.

When he seized power, Buhari put Shagari, the Northern head of state he overthrew, under house arrest. But then he jailed

in 2015, by the grace of God, the dog and the baboon would all be soaked in blood.” These are the tokens of an irresponsible politician, whose ambitions for power supersede the national interest. Who then are the dogs and baboons that Buhari has in mind to soak in blood if and when he loses yet again come 2015? Are they his children or are they those of others?

With the Boko Haram insurgency in the north, Buhari played to the Northern gallery yet again, calling the Jonathan government “the biggest Boko Haram.” Wole Olaniyi was a fly in the wall at a meeting in Kano Government House designed to persuade PDP rebel governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, to decamp to the APC. Assuming that only Northerners were present, Buhari declared the Boko Haram was a “strategic plan” by the government of Goodluck Jonathan to “destroy the North.”

When Jonathan declared a state of emergency in Yobe, Borno and Adamawa states, Buhari still saw this with Northern goggles, insinuating that the President is waging war on the North.

President of the North

Gen. Muhammadu Buhari Alex Ekwueme, the Southern vice-president. You may well ask what makes Shagari less culpable for the misdeeds of the Second Republic than his number-two man. The simple fact was that Buhari was Fulani as was Shagari; but Ekwueme was Igbo.

Impolitic words

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t the height of the Sharia debate during the Obasanjo administration, Buhari declared that Muslims should vote only for fellow Muslims.

This was politically suicidal for a man seeking national office.

He became an advocate for implementation of Sharia all over Nigeria. He protested to the Oyo State governor, in the context of a dispute between Fulani herdsmen and indigenous farmers in the state, that “ your people are killing my people.” This turned out to be unfounded and perhaps the reverse.

His threats during the campaign for the 2011 elections incited widespread violence in the North after he lost. His supporters went on a rampage; looting and killing; in spite of the fact that, by all accounts, the elections were adjudged the most free and fair in the history of Nigeria’s current democratic experiment. By the time the mayhem had subsided, over 1000 people had been slaughtered in cold blood and some 65,000 displaced.

Forgetting that a statement made in Hausa would readily be translated into English, Buhari later declared unapologetically in a BBC interview: “If what happened in 2011 should again happen

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ithout a doubt, Buhari has massive support in the North. Indeed, he is the most popular Northern politician in the North today. But that precisely remains his undoing at the centre. The more he has been identified as a Northern champion, the less attractive he has become as a national choice.

Even in the North, his support base is limited to the Muslim population. He does not appeal to Northern Christians.

Then there is the added factor of the opposition of his implacable opponents among the Northern elite. Men like Babangida and Atiku would rather die than allow Buhari get to Aso Rock.

One thing is certain, the South-South and the SouthEast will not vote for Buhari in 2015. Not only that; there are no buyers for Buhari’s sectarian politics in the SouthWest. No matter what Tinubu might be telling him, the people of the South-West will not vote for Buhari in 2015.

We already had the template in 2011, when Buhari tried to sell himself, first by balancing his ticket with a Yoruba man; and then by making sure the Yoruba man is a Christian; a pastor no less. But it just did not wash. It will not work in 2015.

The worst thing that can happen to Northern presidential aspirations in 2015 is for Buhari to be on the APC ballot. That is a sure guarantee that the North will not be providing the next president. Buhari would be a shoo-in in an election for president of Northern Nigeria. But in an election encompassing the entire country, the best he can envisage is to be a kingmaker.

He cannot be king. The nearest Buhari will get to Aso Rock in 2015 is by attending the Council of State meetings.

18 Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014 EKPO Una Owo Nta, the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, has narratives about corruption that make the issue seem more academic than practical.

His experience in the federal public service should serve him well in the second year of his five-year tenure as head of one of Nigeria’s anti-corruption agencies.

He may be glad that ICPC recovered unspent funds (N5.2 billion, 2011) and (N9 billion, 2012). The uncovering of 45,000 ghost workers in the federal civil service, and the long-compromised admission processes were achievements that Nta count for the work he had done in the past year.

The ICPC Chairman has a lot more work to do about combating corruption if his tenure would not pass with the same anonymity that attended his predecessors’.

The progress that he has made do not scratch corruption which has become so embedded in the system that the budget itself, rather than aid the combating of corruption, aids its execution with a smoothness that fools the most inquisitive anti-corruption agencies.

Corruption As Competition Unfortunately, the Economic Crimes and Financial Commission, EFCC, ICPC, Code of Conduct Bureau are running round the issue. Corruption starts from the budgeting process, it is entrenched, and few discoveries like the ones that are made should not be used to benchmark progress in fighting corruption.

Millions of failed contracts that are scattered all over the country are some of the best pointers to how government officials through projects enrich themselves. As they promote the benefits of the projects, the supposed reasons for initiating them, the benefits are mostly for the civil servants and politicians who inject corruption into the system at all levels.

Nobody is punished. The whole motion of arrests and charging suspects to court have become routine and the limits for fighting corruption. Those who resist the temptations of pulling off billions of Naira that roam the system for their benefit are seen as fools. A system that does not punish serious crimes as corruption actually promotes crimes, as corruption is an intricate crime that does not run alone.

Is it possible that Nigerians engage in competition among themselveswho to be the most corrupt? Civil servants and politicians compete among themselves for the most corrupt ones? The competition shows in the liberty they take to exhibit their loot.

How does the system punish tax evaders who have the effrontery to present fake tax papers when bidding for contracts? The growing impunity accounts for the high number of such cases.

The landscape is filled with sectors that are steeped in corruption. ICPC should dedicate its time to understanding the nature of corruption in Nigeria.

Nobody can fight what he does not understand.

OPINION

BY CHIZOBA EKWULONU

T

HE relevance for a paradigm shift in Nigerian polity cannot be over emphasised. Like three-time Presidential candidate, Rev. Chris Okotie stated in his article in The Guardian of January 7, 2014, political alliances have never augured well for the country. That is why he has been canvassing for a paradigm shift since he joined the political process in 2002.

A dramatic change in leadership style is germane at this time in our democracy, because the crop of politicians we have had since the advent of democracy in Nigeria has been professional politicians who obviously do not have the good of the citizenry at heart. This has led to a systematic increase in poverty, unemployment and corruption in high places.

Unemployed youths have resorted to criminality since government has failed in its duties to the people as enunciated in the section dealing with the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principle of State policy in the constitution.

Our youths are now into various vices such as armed robbery, oil theft, political thuggery, kidnapping, etc. The interest of our current politicians is to hold on to power in order to continue to steal the wealth of the nation to the detriment of the majority of the Nigerian people. Is it not disheartening to see teenagers in the South Eastern part of Nigeria involved in “baby factory” business? What will make a young girl who has her life ahead of her to go through a difficult and harrowing

Changing the political paradigm experience of pregnancy under an inhuman condition; go through labour, and exchange her baby for peanuts?

While she survives, she is “settled” with a paltry and her baby taken away to be sold; and leadership both in the national and state level look the other way pretending as if these vices do not exist. That is one of the dire consequences of abject poverty: that is what bad leaders have given to the people they are supposed to protect and care for.

A paradigm shift in the Nigerian polity will make way for people who genuinely have the good of the masses at heart. We have such people in this country - not every Nigerian wants to get into power just to get to his or her own share of the national cake. Not all Nigerians are corrupt; we still have people of honour and dignity whose integrity cannot be compromised.

Why these people are not banding together with these politicians is because they don’t want their hands soiled with the filth that these politicians are known for. They will prefer to keep their distance until these thieving politicians knock themselves out, which is what we are seeing today in the internal upheaval in the ruling PDP. This crisis is in fact good if there must be a paradigm shift in the leadership of this country. We need people who will project a true image of Nigeria in the comity of nations.

Nigeria has been ridiculed, and is often

ranked among the most corrupt nations in the world; this is not what Nigeria represents. We have Nigerians who are intelligent and brilliant, we are not a people bereft of ideas; we are not a mediocre people. That Nigerians excel outside of our shores is not dispute.

But past leaderships have created a bizarre image for the country. The persistence of the same problems we have been going through, like the lack of electricity supply, has made it look as is if we can never get anything right in this country, justifying the belief that nothing works in Nigeria, but I dare say that the reason for this is because we have been having recycled politicians in power.

The recycling of leadership that has left Nigeria prostrate, is a product of coalition; gang up or alignment of the same crop of politicians that Rev. Okotie talked about in his article. The politicians that are now banding together in the name of coalition have been in the corridors of power for decades; their long control of power could not take Nigeria near the Promised Land. Realignments of political parties in this context, is nothing but the recycling of professional politicians; those who want to remain in the corridors of power either as godfathers or “kingmakers” for their benefits; not because they love the people, or desire to serve them.

The truth is that recycled politicians

actually laid the foundation for what we are going through today as a country. As the saying goes, “a chameleon is still a chameleon even if it changes its colour”.

So, a corrupt politician will still remain corrupt no matter the alignment or coalition they are involved with. And this is why such alignments have not profited the Nigerian people.

Let me say that from what we know of the past and present leaderships that we have had in this country, if we think that a politician’s humble background will make him a good leader who will protect the interest of the masses; the present leadership has proven that wrong. In fact, such people may even want to amass more wealth, so as not to go back to poverty again. In the same vein, someone from a rich background may not necessarily make a good leader, as our experience with leaderships has shown; as such people have failed to provide good governance to the Nigerian people.

Moreover, wealthy politicians tend to amass more wealth to maintain their subsisting standard of living, and keep fat foreign bank accounts.

What could make a difference in the leadership of Nigeria is when someone, whether from a rich or poor background, who is a lover of the people, and one who has the fear God takes over the mantle of leadership in Nigeria. When this happens things will turn around for good in Nigeria, because it is the fear of God that makes people departs from evil.

*Mr. Ekwulonu, is vice president, SouthEast of the FRESH party.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014—19

T

HE back-page publication by Dimgba Igwe with the title, “Akpabio’s beautiful problem,” obviously configured and presented to the public to vilify Governor Godswill Akpabio visa-vis the unfounded allegation that he (Akpabio), nurses a presidential ambition, will go down in history books as the most incoherent, skewed in thoughtfulness and overtly unbridled in presentation. Quite embarrassingly, the publication oscillates back and forth from the labyrinth of admiration to the maze of consternation and from the web of indignation to the mesh of condemnation.

To some of us who have been following this newspaper columnist from his Weekend Concord days, and have also followed him on his various adulating expositions on Akpabio in the recent past, the presentation smacks of double-dealing, monstrous vagueness, ulterior vilification and barren attentionseeking antics of many fallen leaders of the pen profession strutting the Nigerian sociopolitical landscape as honest, nationalistic and concerned patriots.

Those who can read between the lines must have seen the correlation or concurrence between the veiled motive of the writer’s obtrusive piece and the unsuccessful campaign of calumny by those who have lately re-enacted their known proclivity and asinine

mischief of trying to tar the nationally and internationally acclaimed performance of Governor Akpabio as the very best in responsive and responsible governance in our national firmament today.

The unassailable proof of this assertion is inferable in Dimgba’s statement that “If then Akpabio has delivered, as we have noted and many objective commentators attest and Akpabio himself trumpets, is not logical then that such good performance should be a stepping stone to a higher office?

Given a slightly different setting or circumstance, even Akpabio would be the first to advertise his performance as a good qualification to higher office in Nigeria. Instead, Akpabio is tamely and meekly seeking to contest a senate seat.”

Undoubtedly, the campaign of calumny by opposition and those who think they can sow some seeds of discord and disharmony between Governor Akpabio and the Presidency has assumed a frenzy dimension. Recently, an official publication of a state belonging to the APC alleged that the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan vituperated and banned Governor Akpabio from the State’s House in Abuja.

From the above sited campaigns of calumny, two principal issues are discernible. The first is the ulterior misrepresentation of facts and odious emphasis on the phantom or unsubstantiated presidential ambition by Governor

Undoubtedly, the campaign of calumny by opposition and those who think they can sow some seeds of discord and disharmony between Governor Akpabio and the Presidency has assumed a frenzy dimension

,

Akpabio, in spite of the widely publicised disclaimer by the Governor and his government.

Specifically referring to the latest publication by Dimgba Igwe, it is quite bewildering that the newspaper columnist could join the fray of the pretentious and uninformed in spite of the disclaimer by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, that contrary to allegations in some quarters that the governor of Akwa Ibom State, Chief Godswill Akpabio, is nursing an ambition to become president or vice-president of the country in 2015, the state government reiterated that there was no iota of truth in the allegations as they were calumnious and “invidious campaign of calumny and blackmail.”

F

or the writer and his ilk who have made a profession out of the shallow routine of hiding behind newspaper expositions to want to cover the face of the public

Gulak and politics of media lynching

BY HUMPHREY IFEANYI

I

N this era of Jonathan bashing, the easiest path of heroism is to rain invectives and abuses on the man we elected to be our President. This could come in the form of an open letter, facebook postings, editorial write ups, articles or commentaries on news reports, in print and electronic media.

Any body who rises up in defence of President Jonathan is branded a traitor or a villain. The only patriots in town are those whose only relevance in politics is to plot how to bring down the President and his administration. These are the people on a mission to save Nigeria, a mission that has reconciled all former political foes, with a navigator in Ota, writing ascerbic letters.

It was therefore not surprising to read Ademola Adeyemo's article entitled: “Whenever Gulak Speaks Gibberish”, in a national newspaper, dated Wednesday, January 15, 2014, It was one of those rococo that comes from the opposition party which use their cronies in the media to lynch all those who disagree with their point of view or those who dare to criticise their paymasters.

Adeyemo simply disguised his intention to defend General Olusegun Obasanjo by picking on Alhaji Ahmed Ali Gulak who as the Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, had the audacity to respond to the endless bashing of his boss.

It is important to state here that Gulak as lawyer is eminently qualified to defend himself, but for this writer who cherishes the tenets of liberal democracy and its

benefits, I believe that we must resist this culture of subterranean campaign, bullying the President and making criminals of those who have something positive to say about the Jonathan administration.

Adeyemo's anger toward Gulak for daring to defend President Jonathan smacks of clanish herd's mentality and chauvinistic cleavages which presupposes that nothing good can come from persons outside his own ethnic stock.

Put differently, every Nigerian must view national issues from the prism of the 'progressivism' of South West political culture. That on its own, amounts to ideological tyranny.

Gulak hails from Adamawa state, where the incumbent Governor, Admiral Murtala Nyako, is one of the opposition arrow heads who left the PDP to APC. Nyako has maintained bitter opposition to Jonathan's presidency. Of course, Nyako is a close friend of Gen. Obasanjo, who brought him back to public life, which he retired from in 1979. Nyako has ran Adamawa state like his private farm, spending a greater part of his time fighting real or perceived political enemies Nyako has been in the battle field from where he has fought the likes of Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, Brigadier Buba Marwa, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur and Alhaji Ahmed Gulak, The retired Navy Officer has fought every body whom he sees as potential obstacle to his son succeeding him in Adamawa State. President Jonathan choice of Gulak as his Adviser on Political Affairs and the presence of Alhaji

,

BY EDWARD EKPENYONG

,

Paradox of the ‘Akpabio’s beautiful problem’

with cyst of mischievous fabrications, the whole nation knows that Governor Akpabio was a principal advocate and supporter of the doctrine of necessity and actually (openly) took no for an answer in insisting that Dr. Goodluck Jonathan who was then the vice president, should naturally take charge as effective Nigerian head of state as a result of the obvious indisposition of late President Umaru Yar ’Adua to perform his constitutional duties on heath ground. In a similar vein, Dimgba and his co-travellers should be reminded that Governor Akpabio was the first Nigerian leader to officially declare unreserved support for President Jonathan’s bid in 2011 and actually led and mobilised Akwa Ibom delegates to give him a hundred percent vote, which was the highest by any of PDP states that participated in the party primary for his nomination as the party ’s flag-bearer in the subsequent election of 2011.

Lately, he was the very first to lead PDP stakeholders to Dr. Jonathan to seek re-election in 2015.

Dimgba even effeminately tried to accuse Governor Akpabio of corruption! One is really amused because this is one aspect of our national life that even his arch enemies share the consensus is not tolerated in Akpabio’s Akwa Ibom State. The fact is that the whole world knows and appreciates that in all his gigantic projects and strides, which have turned Akwa Ibom to a modern state, Governor Akpabio has an uncompromising attitude to due process and rule of law.

It is instructive to alert the likes of Dimgba that even Wikileaks, the global whistle blower on corrupt practices, has beamed its searchlight on the uncommon

If people like Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, Dr. Junaid Mohammed and Anayo Rochas Okorocha, Governor of Imo State, have shown complete disdain for President Jonathan and the office he occupies, what is the crime in someone telling them that President Jonathan represents our collective sovereignty?

,

Bamanga Tukur as the Chairman of PDP, which was the main source of the internal crisis that led the defection of five Governors elected on the ticket of PDP to APC. It finally led to Alhaji Tukur's resignation as Chairman of PDP. Gen. Obasanjo himself has been shown to have sympathy for APC, going by the account of Senator Iyabo Obasanjo and the visit of APC chieftains, to navigate them to Aso Rock in 2015. There is nothing wrong in this, save that other people should also be allowed to exercise their rights in the political space.

A

deyemo cannot claim to be neutral in his damning attacks on Gulak because it is all part of the 2015 politics.

Perhaps, Gulak would have become a national hero, if he had taken the path of

infrastructural development in Akpabio’s Akwa Ibom State and given the governor a clean bill and declare him a politician to watch for positive human development.

Of course, this columnist needs not be told that if Akpabio has got any skeleton in his cupboard, Wikileaks would have been the first to tell the world. Equally instructive in this regard is the fact that Global Peace International, after a 3-year independent assessment, commended the governor for his transparency, especially for not having any foreign account directly or by proxy and gave him an award of excellence in the full glare of the global media.

It is evidently pertinent to reiterate here that many of us from Akwa Ibom North East Senatorial District uphold our support for the senatorial aspiration of our governor. As we stated in May last year, “the Senatorial District is completely satisfied with the leadership and performance of our son, His Excellency, Chief Godswill Obot Akpabio, CON, the Governor of Akwa Ibom State in the last six years which are manifest and evident in his uncommon infrastructural, human capital and socioeconomic developmental strides and hereby pass a vote of absolute confidence on him”. We once again alert the nation, especially, The Presidency that the decision to endorse him was taken at a meeting of stakeholders, political class and elders of the Senatorial District drawn from the 10 local government areas, convened by Senator Emmanuel Ibokessien and held at Ritman College, Ikot Ekpene on Sunday, May 26, 2013. *Dr. Ekpenyong, a commentator on national issues, wrote from Abuja.

back stabbing his boss like Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the out going Governor of CBN had done. Hence, in the estimation of Adeyemo, Gulak has not 'added value” to the work he is doing for President Jonathan rather, he has been “squandering whatever goodwill that is left of the Jonathan administration”. I wonder who made him a judge of that?

The other charges levelled against Gulak was that, he had the effontery to tell Gen. Obasanjo that he “is not the God of Nigerian politics” and could not determine who becomes president in Nigeria. In other words, it is only the Almighty God who can determine who will govern Nigeria.

Sen. Iyabo Obasanjo also told her father that much. So what is wrong in that, If I may ask? If people like Mallam Nasir ElRufai, Dr. Junaid Mohammed and Anayo Rochas Okorocha, Governor of Imo State, have shown complete disdain for President Jonathan and the office he occupies, what is the crime in someone telling them that President Jonathan represents our collective sovereignty?.

Gullak was said to have boasted that President Jonathan has not made maximum use of the enormous powers that the constitution gives him, to deal with his political opponents. Of course, we witnessed the rule of impunity and the enthronement of garrison democracy by former President Obasanjo, from 19992007, when he had such powers.

Democracy is not the rule of brutes.

Like every Nigerian, Adeyemo has the right to express his views, but he should be mindful of the right of others who do not share his world view. He was patently partisan, parochial and jaundice, particularly, as he tried to make Gulak a vallain for daring to comment on Gen. Obasanjo's letter of December 2, 2013, entitled “Before it is too Late.”

*Mr. Ifeanyi, apolitical analyst, wrote from Abuja.

C M Y K

20 — Vanguard, TUESDAY,

By BOSE ADELAJA

A

few years ago, Ikorodu was a haven for armed robbers and cultists. The activities of these agents of darkness were so pronounced that residents of the area were thrown into panic and could hardly sleep with their eyes closed.

Vanguard Metro learnt that in those dark years, it was normal for these hoodlums to begin their deadly operations as early as 7pm. Reports had it that they would dispossess their victims of their valuables and those who tried to resist them were either maimed or shot dead.

Although such ugly incidents have become a thing of the past, some residents of Ikorodu are still living with the scars which have left indelible marks in their memories.

One of the victims of those years of darkness is Master Solagbade Ayinde, a primary four pupil who is today battling with deformity.

Master Solagbade was shot severally during one of such raids.

Another victim of the attacks is Alhaji Mudashiru Olopade popularly called ‘Álhaji Agba’. His 40 -year old wife, Folasade was allegedly killed on May 26, 2011 by a gang of armed robbers who also made away with cash and household appliances.

In a bid to restore normalcy to the town, a local Police called ‘’Ónyabo’’ under the leadership of Chief Kamorudeen Bombata, was inaugurated. The group immediately swung into action by combing all the nooks and crannies of the town to fish out the miscreants. In the process, some hoodlums behind the attacks were unmasked. The hoodlums claimed to be members of Vigilante Group of Nigeria VGN. Investigations showed that some of them who were expelled from the vigilante group, went ahead to form a parallel body.

Members of this parallel body have set up offices in many parts of the country and have allegedly been extorting money from innocent citizens.

Determined to put a stop to this ugly trend, the authentic Vigilante Group of Nigeria has vowed to deal with those dragging its name to the mud. In fact, the group is believed to have closed down some offices of the alleged fake group while some of the impersonators

JANUARY 21, 2014

Vigilante groups partner to beef up security in Ikorodu

From left; Chief Kamorudeen Bombata, Prince Ademola Akerepa and Ayisire Emmanuel during the courtesy visit

were handed over to law enforcement agents.

Last week, some executive members of the “authentic” VGN in Lagos State led by their State Commander, Prince Ademola Akerepa paid a courtesy call on the leader of Ónyabo, Chief Bombata In attendance at the meeting were other VGN executive members including Otunba James Udoma Assistant Commander (Logistics), Ayisire Emmanuel State Deputy Commander and the Area Commander Olaiya Johnson.

Speaking at the meeting, Prince Ademola lamented the various atrocities perpetuated by the parallel group. He stated that the cry of the innocent people in Ikorodu and its environs have reached VGN and they are determined to ensure the safety of lives and property in the area.

The State Commander who said crime is now a global problem, described the group as a legal entity which was incorporated in 1999.

VGN has established branches in 36 states of the federation to assist the Police in curbing crimes.

VGN, he said, has been reorganised and unscrupulous

elements handed over to the Police and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. ‘’Security operatives should not be found wanting; we need to form a formidable team to curb crimes in Lagos state,’’ he said.

In his remarks, an Ikorodu

resident, Otunba James who has lived in the area for over 20 years, gave kudos to the local police, ‘Onyabo. ‘’Onyabo is doing well in Ikorodu and with your collaboration, VGN will record a major success,’’ he said.

In his address, Emmanuel urged the leader of Onyabo

to give necessary support to VGN.’’We want to give Chief Bombata an additional responsibility to checkmate our members who have passed through series of trainings organised by the Federal government,’’ Responding, Chief Bombata urged the executive members not to rest on their oars until the hope and aspirations of the Corp are achieved.

Edo empowers mobile courts to try environmental offences G

OVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State says the Mobile Court on Environmental offenders in the state will be more active in prosecuting offenders of the state laws on the environment.

The Governor who spoke during his inspection of ongoing projects in the state, said it was nauseating to see some residents turn the drainage channels being constructed into drains for human waste.

“It is wrong seeing people turning the drainage to septic tank where human excreta is deposited and it is government’s investment that is being destroyed. The Mobile Court will try and persecute all those involved and anyone found guilty will be sentenced to jail”, he said.

On the extent of the work done at the

Upper Lawani Road, Oshiomhole said “I am sure the residents living in this area will like what is going on and will never forget this particular intervention.

In the past, people have deserted their homes in this area. You remember the guy who said he parked his car in one of the compounds for three years, and the other who put his family home for sale because of the bad nature of the road,” he said..

“With the drainage on both sides of the road and the extent of work done so far, I want to assure residents of this area that the road, when completed, will be with street lights”, he said.

Oshiomhole commended the contracting firm for a job well done and enjoined residents to avoid the attitude of using the drains as refuse dump.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014 — 21

Lead Group considers $30bn for Africa Risk Capacity

By FAVOUR NNABUGWU

A

DDITIONAL funding from international donors has been identified as a key requirement for fighting the effects of climate change in Africa.

Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has urged the Lead Group at the 12th plenary session of the Lead Group held in Abuja recently to finance Africa Risk Capacity with $30 billion.The Leading Group was founded in 2006 as a platform with 63 member countries at differing levels of development, alongside international organisations and NGOs, which seeks to promote the implementation and definition of innovative financing mechanisms around the world.

Okonjo-Iweala is of the believe that the Lead Group can develop a more sustainable and innovative means of funding developments to complement the United Nations’ funding to developing countries in Africa.

She said the Lead Group is expected to deliberate on financing Africa’s humanitarian and developmental needs as they are imperative to the global economy.

She said the funding is critical to weather based insurance instrument in the continent. She further noted that

the Lead Group has all that is required to release the $30billion within three weeks to support Africa, adding that the fund would ease the long delay of United Nations release of funds In the same vein, French Minister for Development, Mr Pascal Canfin advised countries to first of all understand the concept of innovative funding and called for partnerships between the public and private sectors in order to mobilise more finan-

cial resources for development.

The African continent has warmed about half a degree over the last century and the average annual temperature is likely to rise an average of 1.5-4°C by 2099, according to the most recent estimates from the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

“Africa is becoming the most exposed region in the world to the impacts of climate change. In Sub-Saharan Africa extreme weather will

cause dry areas to become drier and wet areas wetter; agriculture yields will suffer from crop failures; and diseases will spread to new altitudes. By 2030 it is expected that 90 million more people in Africa will be exposed to malaria, already the biggest killer in Sub-Saharan Africa”.

The consideration of the funding, according to Okonjo- Iweala, will reinforce the countries’ ability to respond to current cli-

COMMISSIONING: Permanent Secretary, Cross River State Ministry of Education, Mrs. Anna Odey (middle); Ntufam Joseph Ebam (2nd left), Chairman, Cross River State SUBEB; Onyekwucha Ikezu (right), Zonal Business Manager, South-East, Airtel Nigeria; Mrs. Victoria Osung Bassey (left), Director of Inspectorate, Mininistry of Education and Adefemi Adeniran, Public Relations Head, Airtel Nigeria during the commissioning the borehole donated by Airtel Nigeria to the Presbyterian Primary School, Ediba in Abi Local Government Area of the state.

mate variability, thereby improving their readiness to address the higher climatic variability of the future.

The Nigeria’s Minister of Finance said the environmental effects of climate change will have a direct impact on the economic development of many African countries.

In agriculture, She said , as much as nine to 20 percent of Sub-Saharan Africa’s arable land will become much less suitable for farming by 2080. Overall, even a 2°C warming above pre-industrial temperatures could result in permanent reductions in annual per capita consumption of four to five percent for Africa.

“The strategy is based on the premise that increased climate variability threatens the development gains of African countries, and that these effects need to be anticipated so that development efforts can be made more resilient to climate change”. The strategy calls for mainstreaming support for climate actions into countries development agendas along four pillars “Making adaptation and climate risk management a core developmental component with a particular focus on sustainable water resources, land, and forest management, integrated coastal development, increased agricultural productivity, health problems, and conflict and migration issues”.

FG delays take-off of workers housing scheme

By VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG

T

HE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is awaiting for President Goodluck Jonathan for the take off of the NLC-Kriston Lally workers housing scheme, as the firm prepares to move to site for the full commencement of the construction in Abuja.

The inability of President Jonathan to fix a date for the launch of the scheme, the construction would have started as scheduled early this month following the arrivals from abroad of all the equipment for block making and others materials for the take off of the construction of the houses.

The leadership of the NLC and Krison Lally had met the President after their arrival from Greece where they finalised the agreement late last

year, and the President had assured that the foundation laying would be done by him this January.

However, the busy schedule of President Jonathan appears to be delaying the launch of the scheme, and efforts made by NLC and the Managing Director of Kriston Lally, Alhaji Mustapha Madawaki, last week to get a date from the President was not successful.

Speaking on the development, Alhaji Mustapha Madawaki said they were only waiting for President Jonathan for the take off of the project and noted that he was hopeful to meet with the President this week to fix a date for the foundation laying ceremony and the launch of the project to signal the take off of the construction at the three sites in Abuja.

On workers who have subscribed and paid their initial money, Alhaji Madawaki said: “We want the president to come and do the stone laying ceremony. He had accepted to do this, but no date has been agreed as at last year. But by and large, we are ready. We are just waiting on the President to come and do the stone laying ceremony. We are already making arrangement to move to site for the purpose of clearing and to start some aspect of the main work. Of course we expect to have some things on ground before the President comes for the stone laying foundation. He is not going to come to perform the stone laying on plain field. My thinking was to invite you in a week or two so that you can also go and see what we are doing.”

-1.2

117.15

-58.00

2,695.00 15.25

-0.2

106.71 +0.96 94.32

+0.36

CURRENCY BUYING CENTRAL

SELLING

DOLLAR STERLING EURO FRANC YEN CFA WAUA RENMINBI RIY KRONA SDR

155.74 255.8341 212.0089 171.5765 1.4932 0.3234 238.6787 25.7588 41.5251 28.4062 238.9675

154.74 254.1914 210.6476 170.4748 1.4836 0.3034 237.1462 25.5925 41.2585 28.2238 237.4331

155.24 255.0127 211.3282 171.0257 1.4884 0.3134 237.9124 25.6756 41.3918 28.315 238.2003

CBN Exchange rate as at 20/01/2014

22 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014

IST ruling: Lessons from Eze vs Fidelity Securities & Others (2) T

HE Investment Securities Tribunal, IST, ruling on the case of Eze A. Eze vs Fidelity Securities Limited, Fidelity Bank Plc, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and First Registrars Limited, addresses one of the challenges confronting investors in the Nigerian capital market. It is the challenge of share certificate verification and dematerialisation of shares.

In 2007, while he was a staff of Fidelity Bank, from the acquisition of FSB International, Eze purchased 726,991 units of FSB Staff Trust shares.

The shares were acquired due to the conversion of his entitlements as staff of the defunct FSB International. December of 2007, he lodged the shares with Fidelity Securities for verification and dematerialisation in to a CSCS Account, with the hope of selling them later. As at the time he lodged the shares, the price per unit was N11.83 and if the shares had been verified at that time, Eze would have realised N8.8 million.

But the shares were not verified until November 2009 by which the price of the shares had nosedived to N2.7 per share, and Eze could only realised N1.962 million. In fact the verification of the shares would have taken longer, but for the intervention of SEC.

Why did the verification take so long? Fidelity Securities and First Registrar blamed it on two factors: Discrepancy in name (Eze Eze (FSB Staff Trust) was written on share certificate, while the Applicants full name was Eze A. Eze); and irregular signature. Eze

however blamed it on negligence on their part.

After examining all the facts, the Tribunal agreed with Eze, that the delay was due to negligence of Fidelity Securities and First Registrar. It ruled “The applicant has proved before the Tribunal that the 1st, 2nd, and 4th Respondents,

,

BY BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE

ty of their stock brokers to guide and protect them”.

For example, it took Fidelity Securities three weeks to send Eze’s shares to First Registrar.

Eze lodged his shares on 24th December 2007; Fidelity Securities did not lodge them until 17th January 2008.

Why should it take a stock broker three weeks to lodge shares with registrars, even after charging for the services? One reason off course could be lack of standards.

There are no standards in the capital market that stipulates

The applicant, like most other investors, is a lay man; it is the responsibility of their stock brokers to guide and protect them

who were to protect his shares interests, had not discharged that duty which they owed the Applicant. The 1st, 2nd, and 4th did not exhibit the diligence and professionalism required of them as professionals in this type of situation.

This apathy on the part of the respondents has affected adversely the value of the applicant’s shares. The Applicant, like most other investors is a lay man; it is the responsibili-

,

minimum service standards for operators. This lack of standards is what stock brokers and registrars exploit to deliberately delay share verification and dematerialisation.

Thus, if the Securities and Exchange Commission really want help and protect shareholders from this kind of delays, it should develop service standards for critical broker-clients transaction, and registrar-shareholder transactions.

Top 10 performing stocks

By NKIRUKA NNOROM

O

N the top 10 performing stocks last week were shares of Japaul Oil and Maritime Services Plc, JOMS Plc DN Meyer plc, Zenith International Bank Plc, University Press Plc, Vitafoam Plc and Portland Paints and Coatings Nig. Plc. Others were UBA Capital Plc, Pfizer Products Plc, Courteville Business Solution Plc and Airline Services and Logistics Plc. The lone listed equity on energy equipment and services, Japaul Oil led the pack of other top performers with17.24 percent or N0.10 price appreciation to close at N0.68 from

N0.58 it started the week at.

The company is far from reaching its initial public offer price of N3.50, which it undertook before the capital market crash in 2008. Investors that staked their money in the company are, therefore, still licking their wounds. Worst still, Japaul seems to be falling farther down the woods as indicated by its nine months financial statement for period ended 30th September, 2013. Profit after tax for the period declined significantly by 144.60 percent to N485.50 million from N1.19 billion, even as cost of sales continues to skyrocket. The cost of sales grew to N4.51 billion from N4.400 billion in equivalent period of 2012, showing inefficiency in use of resources, while interest on loans rose to N546.760 million from N220.230 million in 2012.

However, the turnover for the period grew marginally by 0.70 percent to N9.61 billion from N9.54 billion in 2012.

JOMS Plc is into the business of oil & gas servicing in the area of Maritime operations, Dredging Services, Ship building and repairs, Road Transportation & logistics, Flow-

lines and Pipelines. The share price had earlier risen to N1.00 per share before falling to the present market price.

D

N Meyer, a manufactur er and marketer of paints products, gained 9.93 percent or N0.14 to close at N1.55 from N1.41. Having been struggling to stay above board and deliver positive financials, DN Meyer has set strategic plan of achieving turnover of N25 billion and 15 percent growth in profit before tax over the next two years to 2016. Though it recorded marginal increase in turnover for the nine months

ended September 30, 2013, it once again ended with net loss after tax of N13.784 million.

The turnover for the period rose marginally to N364.909 million as against N353.419 million in 2012. Cost of sales also rose to N228.654 million from N218.661 million in 2012.

The share price had peaked at over N3.00 in 2013 after a market maker was assigned to the

stock,a development shareholders had kicked against.

DN Meyer is an offshoot of former Hagemeyer Nigeria Limited, the manufacturer of Sigma paints and cosmetics, which was later taken over by Dunlop Nigeria, an event that led to the change of both the corporate and brand names to DN Meyer Plc.

Z

enith Bank recorded 7.23 percent or N1.91 price appreciation from N23.20 to N25.11. The bank is presently the most capitalised bank in Nigeria as it closed 2013 with market capitalisation of N860 billion beating Guaranty Trust bank and FBN Holding Plc to the second and third positions respectively. Besides, it emerged the fourth highest capitalized stock in the entire market in 2013, The bank recorded 11 percent growth in gross earnings to N255.299 billion in the nine months to Sep-

tember, 2013. Its net interest income was up 16 percent to N138.979 billion from n119.753 billion in 2013, while the profit for year increased by nine percent from N64.061 billion to N69.384 billion in the review period.

U

niversity Press appreci ated by 7.77 percent or N0.31 from N3.99 to 4.30 at the end of the week.

V

itafoam advanced by 6.97 or N0.34 to close at N5.22 from N4.88; Portland Paints rose by 6.45 percent or N0.30 to close at N4.95 from N4.65; UBA Capital appreciated by 6.42 percent or N0.30 to close at N4.95 from N4.65; Pfizer went up by 6.42 percent or N0.10 to close at n1.70 from N1.60; Courtville added 6.06 percent or N0.04 to close at N0.70 from N0.66, while ASL advanced by 5.97 percent or N0.20 from N3.35 to N3.55 per share.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014 — 23

Investors’ take on market ability to support infrastructure

BY WILLIAM JIMOH

Mich Shote

W

ho said the capital mar ket cannot be used to generate funds that will help in building infrastructures in all the other sectors of the Nigerian economy? If the operations in the market are properly monitored and the brokers live beyond their fraudulent acts that have sent many shareholders to their early graves, the market can take its rightful position in the economy.

If you look at the pension funds for instance, that alone can be used to develop the housing sector because if you know the amount that is been placed in these banks, you will see that the fund can take care of the housing problem that most Nigerians now face.

To achieve this, Nigerians also need to be enlightened because following the market meltdown; most Nigerians have been destroyed in terms of their investment. The problem of market crash then killed a lot of people and rendered a lot irrelevance to the present operation because of the lose they suffered.

There was a friend of my, who had close to N12 million worth of shares and the thing was reduced to less than N2 million.

After struggling for about two to three years to survive the reality he did not prepare for, he died in 2010.

And for me, I am a little lucky because we are almost holding shares of the same volume until a time I decided to invest in property, which was what saved me from experiencing almost the same volume of lost. This has made me lost interest on the whole thing. I have directed my core investment into other sectors of the economy and that is what I think other Nigerians have also done. For this reason, the regulators must begin to do

more enlightenment and ensure that this growth currently being witnessed in the market is sustained to encourage such people and make them see reasons why they need to be back in the market while the new investors are also been attracted.

William Adebayo

they may need to send them back home at any time that may be less expected. So, I don’t believe what they are saying that the market can raise money for infrastructure development.

I look forward to a situation where most of the directors in SEC will be encouraged to buy shares. Most of their directors are not involved directly in

INVESTORS SPEAK

buying and selling of equities; they don’t invest in the market.

Many of them only love to talk, they do not believe in what they say because they fail to put their money there.

Most of the companies that are doing well in the market today like I told you are companies that have parent companies in Europe, which serve as their bedrock and for a company like Nestle which is one of the stocks you can look up to in the market today, Nigerians own

W

e don’t believe the capital market has grown enough to infrastructure needs of the country. The question you may need to ask is where will the money come from; large part of the money we have today belong to the foreign investors and if they withdraw their money today, what are we going to be left with.

One thing we need to understand is that most of the money they brought into our market is loans from their country.

Though the percentage on these loans may be so marginal, they still remain loans and

William Adebayo

Mr. Oscar Onyema, CEO, NSE

MARKET NEWS

SEC warns operators over unsigned audited accounts

BY PETER EGWUATU

I

N apparent bid to forestall malpractices among operators in the Nigerian capital market, the Securities and Ex-

change Commission, SEC has warned all operators to ensure that their audited accounts are signed by the person who audited the account rather than the auditing firm.

The SEC in its website at the weekend drew the attention of all operators in the Nigerian capital market to the ruling of the Court of Appeal Lagos, delivered on December 9, 2013

Complaints and Investigations

A

NY dividend by Transcorp Please help me find out whether Transcorp has declared dividend or not. If not, why and when do I expect it because I have been worried since 2007? (With God Enugu).

Investors Forum Transcorp is yet to declare dividend since its IPO. Only the company’s management can explain why, and when the company would likely declare dividend.

I need update on Spring

nothing more than 31 percent and daily sales shows that as individuals are selling, corporate bodies are buying.

So, we don’t believe we are there yet.

If you look for instance at most of the foreign companies that are doing well today aside the fact that they have overseas parent companies, they also have the fundamentals that have worked for them over the past 100 years. That type of fundamental cannot easily crumble which is the more reason it is still working for them today and that is the spirit it requires to be able to stand out as an operator in the market.

Mortgage I bought Spring Mortgage some years back and up till now I have not heard from them or about them (Ejiogu Godfrey) Investors Forum Please contact the company at 16 DIYA STREET IFAKO – GBAGADA LAGOS, NIGERIA. You can also call 017612016 or 01-7925700 I need update on AIMS I invested in Aims Assets 2008 and till date I have

not heard (Nwarunta)

any

update.

Investors Forum Please contact the head office of the company at 23, Ajao Road, Off Adeniyi Jones, Ikeja, or 01- 2120049, 2120051, 2347029523916, 8095988382 Where is my Conoil share certificate?

I bought 200 units shares of National Oil and Marketing Company (now Conoil Plc) but I have not received share certificate. I wrote to the registrar

but no reply. I only received bonus dividends from the company. Please kindly help me to trace the share certificate.

(Mr Elobe Ndulue Fredrick) Investors Forum If you are receiving dividend from the company, it means the share certificate had been issued, probably posted to the wrong address. In any case, the registrar should have responded to your letter. Please send a formal complaint to vanguardinvestorsforum@gmail.com.

Please if you can, attach scan copy of the letter you wrote to

in Suit No. CA/L/178/2011 – KPMG Professional Services & Guinness Nigeria Plc Vs Mazi O. Unegbu which was an appeal against the decision of the Federal High Court Lagos delivered on November 19, 2010.

According to the commission “The ruling is to the effect that “Any document required to be prepared by any audit firm, shall be signed by a named auditor/partner who must affix his own personal signature and not the name of a firm as signature”.

Consequently, the SEC stated “We direct all capital market operators and consultants to comply with the ruling by ensuring that any document prepared on their behalf by any audit firm for filing with the commission is signed by a named auditor/partner who must affix his/her own personal signature and not the name of the firm as signature.”

24— Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014

By MICHAEL EBOH

M

arginal Fields operators in Nigeria failed to fully develop and utilise the full potential of their wells in the third quarter of 2013, as they contributed only 2.54 per cent to the country’s crude production.

Giving a summary of fiscalised crude oil production in its 2013 Third Quarter Petroleum Information, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, said marginal fields’ operators produced a total of 5.27 million barrels out of the total third quarter 2013 crude oil production of 207.71 million barrels.

Of the lot, Oriental Energy recorded the highest crude production, with 3.473 million barrels, representing 65.84 per cent of the total produced by marginal fields’ operators and 1.67 of the total crude oil produced in the third quarter.

Midwestern Oil followed with total production of 901,859 barrels.

Others are: •Energia produced 226,567 barrels •Waltersmith Petroman 202,368 barrels •Pillar Oil - 148,720 barrels •Platform Petroleum 169,283 barrels •Bittania-U produced 78,405 barrels, and •Niger Delta Petroleum

Marginal fields contribute 2.5% of production in Q3 Resources - 70,884 barrels According to the NNPC report, one of the operators, Movido Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited did not record any crude oil

production in the period under review.

The report also showed that although the Independent/ Sole Risk oil companies performed better than the

marginal field operators, their production was still poor, accounting for only 7.77 per cent of the total crude produced during the period.

Specifically, companies in this

category produced about 16.148 million barrels of crude oil, with NNPC’s subsidiary, the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, NPDC Okono accounting for the highest production, with 3.635 million barrels of crude.

The NPDC/Seplat Joint Venture followed with 2.31 million barrels, while Seplat Petroleum produced 1.77 million barrels.

As always, the Joint Venture, Alternative Funding – Joint Ventures, AF-JV, and Production Sharing Companies, PSCs, dominated oil production in the quarter under review, accounting for 89.3 per cent of total production.

The companies produced a total of 185.45 million barrels of crude oil, with the Mobil JV overtaking its Shell counterpart with total production of 22.8 million barrels, while the Shell Petroleum Development Corporation, SPDC JV produced 22.65 million barrels.

The Chevron PSC recorded 22.33 million barrels production; Mobil AF-JV 20.73 million barrels; and the Chevron JV produced 19.01 million barrels.

CNOOC, Gas Group JV to invest $200m in logistics C

HINA National Offshore Oil Corporation, CNOOC Energy, and its joint venture, JV partner, Gas Group, said they are planning to invest up to $200 million in petroleum logistics in Nigeria.

Already, the partners said the JV had invested about $50 million (N8 billion) in tools and planned to invest additional $150 million or N24 billion in downhole tools, logistics trucks, machine shop and rig assembly in Nigeria.

The Group Chief Executive Officer, Gas Group, Mr Gliffeth Wonuigwe, disclosed this during a tour of the company ’s Warehouse at Kidney Island in Port Harcourt, Rivers State last week by officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, and some executives of the International Oil Companies, IOCs. Wonuigwe explained that the joint investment started with the signing of a strategic integrated agreement with

CNOOC in Tiangin, China, in 2012.

The agreement, which was signed by Wonuigwe, and the Chief Executive Officer, CNOOC Energy, represented

by Mr Nan Shan, covered joint operation of downhole tools stocking, fishing and well completion services and logistics.

The venture is being executed through First Atlantics Drilling Services Limited, a subsidiary of Gas Group in collaboration with CNOOC Energy. CNOOC is a Chinese group with over $30 billion revenue in exploration and production and associated integrated services.

“We have invested over $50 million in the first phase as you can see physically on ground, which informed this facility tour. We took a delivery of $10 million worth of tools and trucks, and another shipment of $40 million will arrive Nigerian port at the end of March,” he explained.

“The Second Tier is the investment of $150 million in rig assembly plant at Kidney Island eastern area. The service will be executed by Houston based, IDE and Loadcraft,” Wonuigwe added.

He noted that the initiative will help to empower more Nigerians and the global oil industry, saying that it will create over 5,000 employment opportunities in its rig assembly, oil field services.

Through First Atlantics, the JV expects to create a niche in oilfield services with effective stocking and sales of downhole tools, rig movement, well completion, decommissioning, and haulage of heavy oilfield maintenance equipment.

Others are drilling services, provision of cranes services, forklifts, casing and tubing and a host of others.

Wonuigwe further noted that the strategic relationship was re-emphasised in Beijing, during President Goodluck’s meeting with the Chinese President, Mr. Shin Jin Pin, last July to strengthen Nigeria/

Chinese bilateral relationship.

“So, we hope that in the next six months, the milestone we are going to record will begin to look like a mini Houston,” he assured.

Speaking at the facility inspection, the Group Executive Director, Exploration and Production, NNPC, Mr. Abiye Membere, said the venture marked the beginning of exciting activities in the Nigerian oil and gas industry.

Membere, who was represented by the Group General Manager, National Petroleum Investment Management Services, NAPIMS, Mr Fidel Pepple, added that “Gas Group has been adding value to the oil and gas industry in terms of consistent empowering of Nigerians through the technical partners by providing expertise for the transfer of technology to Nigerians.”

He urged the IOCs to support the investment by

patronising the logistics base in Kidney Island, saying, “For Nigerian companies to grow so that we can develop adequate capacity in-country for all projects, it is necessary for the IOCs to support all Nigerian companies.”

The Director, Department of Petroleum Resources, Mr. Goerge Osahon, said the JV is a reflection of the confidence of the international business community in the Nigerian economy.

Represented by the South South Zonal Coordinator, DPR, Mrs. O.C Sibeudu, he assured of the agency ’s support for the venture, saying it will boost in-country capacity and open up the industry for additional foreign direct investments.

“The development of the logistics base by Gas Group and partners will help Nigeria to attract investment from the oil and gas industry of neighbouring West African countries, thereby, making Nigeria a hub for all the new discoveries within sub-Sahara Africa,” he said.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014 — 25

Liberalising bunkering in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum

BY CLARA NWACHUKWU

A

fortnight ago, the Federal Government took the bold step to liberalise bunkering in the nation’s downstream petroleum sector.

By this move, more players will be admitted for bunkering operations for the benefit of all.

Also, it is another veritable source of revenue generation for government through licensing of operators.

As explained by the Director, Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, Mr. George Osahon, government expects to realise at least N250 million from licensing alone.

Bunkering in Nigeria Most of Nigeria’s petroleum products, either crude or refined are transported by sea, using specialised vessels designated for that particular product.

When the practice was introduced in 1979, it was restricted to only a few marketers, but later suspended by the then military Head of State, Gen. Mohammadu Buhari, due to flagrant abuses.

It was reintroduced again in 1984, also to be restricted to the five major oil marketers then made up of multinational operators like Shell, Mobil, Chevron, Agip, and Total.

But again it was suspended in 2000, following the introduction of subsidy on some petroleum products, as it only boosted profits for the few operators.

Because of the abuses, bunkering became associated with illegal activities, whereby

a few individuals reaped huge profits at the expense of the larger Nigerians.

However, bunkering activities were initiated by the US military. Originally, the word bunkering was used to refer to, “The act or process of supplying a ship with fuel.”

Bunkering could also be done offshore by the shipping industry to describe “the selling of fuel, from specialised vessels (ships) designed for that particular vessel.”

The word was derived from the noun, bunker, which is “a compartment used by the ships machinery for the storage of fuel oil.” Therefore, petroleum

bunkering refers to “the process of supplying a ship with fuel.” Such fuels could lube oil, heavy oil, Low Sulphur heavy oil and diesel oil.

Accordingly, bunkering by the DPR’s definition, “is a downstream business involving the fueling of ships of all kinds on the high seas, inland waterways and within the ports.”

Apart from diesel and heavy oil such as the Low Pour Fuel Oil, LPFO, popularly called “black oil”, Liquefied Natural Gas, LNG, can also be bunkered.

Because of the negative

connotations of the past, DPR in declaring the liberalisation of bunkering, which now admits more players, warned against confusing the legitimate with illegal trade in stolen crude.

Economic expansion Besides instituting a structured supply of bunker fuels to various vessel types operating in the country, other ways in which government expects to generate more revenues from bunkering activities include, licensing of bunkers, licence renewals, and registrations of vessels.

According to Osahon, the liberalisation will also act as “Stimulus for growth in other sectors of the economy

Stakeholders task FG on bunkering

By SEBASTINE OBASI

S

TAKEHOLDERS in the oil and gas industry have tasked the Federal Government on the successful implementation of bunkering operations in Nigeria.

This is coming on the heels of the recent resuscitation of bunkering sequel to the approval of the federal government.

The Secretary General of Nigeria Bunkers Association and Chief Executive Officer, CEO, Equitorial Energy Company Limited, Mr. Sola Adewumi, urged government to limit the issuing of licenses to genuine operators, so as to preserve the reputation of the country.

He said, “Before now, a lot of companies engaged in

bunkering in Nigeria, but when people started adulterating the products, many of the companies left for other West African countries.

The quality of the products should be of international standard, while the enforcement agencies should be able to go on board vessels without prior notice to check the quality, and any company found wanton should be blacklisted.”

Adewumi also noted that a lot of businesses have been moved from Nigeria to Lome, Togo, and other West African countries where shipping is generating a lot of money for them. This is because foreigners did not find the Nigerian environment conducive to them.

According to him, “the first

thing is to ensure that there is adequate security for operators to do bunkering business here.

Two, the government needs to limit the issuance of the license to real operators. Many people who came for the last road show thought that government wanted to start allocating products again.

They are looking at the issue of subsidy.

“In the past, government used to allocate products to bunkering companies. We all know the state of the refineries.

The products are not there. We cannot even satisfy local consumption, let alone give anybody allocation. You realise that if DPR calls for another meeting, you will hardly get 40 percent of the people that attended initially. DPR has already said that operators

would be licensed to source their fuel; the essence is to make Nigeria a bunkering hub.”

Adewumi explained that for bunkering to benefit Nigerians, the Cabotage Law, which proposes that vessels must be owned and managed by Nigerians, should be enforced.

This, he said, is way of protecting the industry from foreign domination, thereby discouraging capital flight.

“If you have license, you are free to do a legitimate business.

It will increase the number of vessels we have. It will generate foreign exchange. A very good percent of bunker product is being sold in foreign exchange.

With the kind of money involved, bunkering will definitely generate employment and help our economy. It will make Nigeria more popular in

including inland ports and waterways.”

Furthermore, he argued that the spiral effect of these activities will also boost employment generation in the economy, and generally lead to increase in marine activities in Nigeria.

As a result of these activities, government anticipates that the country could “become a hub for bunkering operations in the sub-region.”

Unlike in the past when the benefits were restricted to a few, under the new terms, beneficiaries of the liberalisation include, Fishing trawlers; LNG tankers; Very Large Crude Carriers, VLCC; Ultra Large Crude Carriers, ULCC; Coastal Tankers; Bulk Cement Cargo Carriers; Bulk Wheat Cargo Carriers; and General Cargo Carriers Container Carriers., Also to benefit from such activities are Floating Production Storage and Offloading, FPSO and FSO vessel; Rigs Supply vessels; Tug Boats; Marine Support Vessels; and other offshore oil facilities Nature of operations Clarifying on the liberalisation, DPR said there would be two types of operations, which are: Shore based or static operation, and Mobile or vessel based operation To participate in either of these activities, the industry regulator demands that “All bunkering operations in the country will be licensed by the DPR.”It went further to prepare guidelines to regulate the business in accordance with the provisions of the Petroleum Act. The Guidelines and Application Forms will be available for download from the DPR website: www.dprnigeria.org.ng

the maritime world,” he said.

To avoid the mistakes of the past, which led to the suspension of bunkering, Adewumi enjoined government to involve the real operators such as the Nigeria Bunkers’ Association in formulating policies that would sanitise the sub-sector.

Also speaking, a shipping expert, Mr. Osita Arukweh, argued that for Nigeria to achieve its aim of being a bunkering hub, vessels to be used must be up to standard.

“They must be double-haul.

They must be vessels managed and flagged in Nigeria. DPR must be equipped with the right professionals to be able to monitor and measure petroleum products that is where petroleum inspectors come in. if petroleum inspectors are involved they should be able to measure the transfer of oil from one vessel to the other,” he said.

C M Y K

26 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014

Egbin to increase generation capacity by 1,350MW

By SEBASTINE OBASI

T

HE new management of the Egbin Power Station, in conjunction with its technical partner, Korea Electric Corporation, KEPCO, said it will provide additional capacity of 1,350 megawatts, MW, over the next three years.

The Managing Director, KEPCO, Mr Gyoo Chull Yeom, who gave the assurance last weekend, said that the station had introduced new technology, aimed at overhauling the infrastructure so as to meet the challenges ahead.

Yeom also assured that the group was working towards restoring Egbin to its installed capacity of 1,320MW within the year. With the completion of the additional capacity, the station is expected to have 2,670MW. According to him, “our relationship with Nigeria over the year has shown that the nation is filled with resilient and resourceful people who are driven by a spirit of entrepreneurship that ranks among the best in the world.

“Yes, there are challenges bordering on infrastructure and human capital that will require time to overcome.

We will need the patience and support of all Nigerians as we work towards overcoming these challenges with innovation, commitment and determination. “ We see a future where Nigeria will become an exporter of power. This is possible with our collective resolve,” he said.

Yeom also said that as the world continues to witness new trends in the power sector, KEPCO would be ready to deploy the most recent and effective technologies to ensure sustainable, efficient and safe generation and delivery of power.

The company boss said that KEPCO is amongst the largest nuclear power exporting companies and is also involved in every form of generation from wind, thermal, coal, solar, mass, hydro and renewable energy.

“It is our desire to work with our counterparts here using technology that is best suited to Nigeria to deliver world class services in power generation and supply in Nigeria, and ultimately, other parts of Africa.

“Having recorded remarkable successes in the sector globally, we are delighted to work with you all C M Y K

to ensure we replicate similar and even better achievements in Nigeria with the help of all Nigerians and our staff in particular.

“With our discipline and technology, we are confident that our partnership here in Nigeria will produce records that will be notable globally.

Already, we have begun a review of the infrastructure and processes at the Egbin power plant and Ikeja Distribution Company.

“This is an ongoing process aimed at setting the foundations for world-class services to our customers, Yeom added.

The Kepco boss assured that the management will have

knowledge sharing sessions and exchange programmes that will help us perfect our partnership.

He assured the workers that the management is working with the consortium to establish a framework for robust learning and development programmes for staff.

According to him, the training activities will facilitate the adoption of new technologies and empower staff with up-to-date knowledge of global trends in the power sector.

“Together, we can redefine the power sector in Nigeria and thereafter drive socioeconomic growth with a

renewed passion for excellence.

“We are here as partners to work with you to build a future where uninterrupted power supply is obtainable in Nigeria and our great companies play leading roles in the sector across the globe.

We believe in this project and we believe in you. So, let there be sustainable light; let there be collective progress,” he said.

The new management of Egbin emerged after the recent handover of power assets to new investors.

KEPCO’s involvement in the unfolding power reforms is through a Joint Venture between KEPCO and New Electricity Distribution Company, NEDC - managers of the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company, IKEDC, both members of the Sahara Group.

French agency partners NERC on capacity development

By CHRIS OCHAYI

A

GENCE Francaise Development, AFD, has promised to provide financial support to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, for human capital development for the power sector.

Chief of Projects, Division of Education, AFD, Mr. Betrand Facini, and the Senior Programme Officer, Mr. Adesoji Ademola, who disclosed this at a meeting with NERC Commissioners in Abuja, expressed their readiness to support the agency.

The meeting, which was prompted by the AFD, is sequel to similar discussions with the Ministry of Power.

According to the AFD delegates, on November 14, 2013, about $170 million was earmarked as the loan sum for the transmission aspect of the electricity

industry.

Facini revealed that the AFD was concerned about sustainability; hence, it was looking at the risk of developing the market alongside the present reforms so as to guide its intervention.

He said that energy efficiency stands out as one of the key programs that has to be realised, making it imperative to engage with the Commission to work out human capacity development and vocational training which would stand the test of time. ‘’We have come to assess prospective mission in the education system because we regard skill development as a critical need,” he said.

Responding on behalf of the Commission, the Vice Chairman, Alhaji Muhammed Lawal Bello, disclosed that the NERC was already working with the National Board for Technical Education as well as other vocational training institutions on capacity building for the power sector.

He said that expert support by the AFD would be most appreciated and described the visit as timely.

BRIEF Nigerians bought petrol at N97 in Q4 —Poll

BY KUNLE KALEJAYE

A

BOUT 77 percent of Nigerians purchased petrol at the official price of N97 from filling stations owned by major oil marketers for their needs in the fourth quarter of 2013.

The Fourth Quarter results for the Petrol Price Monitoring Polls conducted by Nigeria’s leading polls and survey firm, the NOI Polls Limited, released at the weekend in Abuja, showed that 46 percent of respondents used petrol for both their cars and generators.

Recall that in January 2012, the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA along announced an increase in the pump price of petrol from N65 to N141 as a result of the removal of subsidy, in which because over a trillion naira was spent in 2011.

The removal of subsidy resulted in days of protests by Nigerians led by the organised labour and civil society groups, who were unhappy over the perceived hardship the action would cause Nigerians, and the lack of notice by the government to carry out such plans.

Government was forced to amend the decision by reduing pump price to N97/litre.

Consequently, the NOI Polls initiated the Petrol Price Monitoring Poll Project in January 2013, due to the need for a dependable measure of public opinion on issues surrounding public policies.

According to the Polls, this result is the fourth quarterly release in the series, and its purpose is to monitor and analyse the current price and uses of petrol in Nigeria, as well as to measure the perception of Nigerians towards the petrol price differences at various points of sale and the removal of fuel subsidy.

Key findings of the poll revealed that in Q4 most Nigerians about 69 percent bought petrol from major marketers filling stations.

This is followed by 24 percent who mainly purchase PMS from independent marketers’ filling stations and 7 percent who buy from petrol hawkers.

The analysis of the results by geo-political zones indicated that the South-West has the highest percentage of people (78 percent) that purchased petrol from major marketers’ filling stations.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014 —27

Nigerians slam Chevron with $5bn suit for gas explosion

BY ONYEGBADUE AMAMDI with agency reports

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HEVRON is being sued

by Nigerians over a 2012 offshore gas exploration rig explosion that killed two workers. Chevron was presented with a $5 billion lawsuit in California federal court according to Law 360 reports.

The plaintiffs in the suit are leaders of Niger Delta communities who represent the interests of thousands of locals whose land and waters were contaminated by the disaster.

The complaint alleges that Chevron willfully refused or failed to halt drilling operations after receiving reports of equipment failures and smoke

and gas build-up that lead to the explosion and subsequent leakage of hydro-carbon gases.

In January 2012, Chevron’s KS Endeavour drilling rig exploded approximately 6 miles of the coast of Nigeria, the largest oil producer in Africa.

Early reports indicated that the deadly explosion and subsequent gas fire were partly the result of a failed blow out preventer as was the case in British Petroleums (BP) 2010 Gulf oil spill.

The company planned to put out the fire by drilling a hole in the original gas well, through which cement could be poured. Residents in coastal towns close to the fire were temporarily relocated due to concerns about food and wa-

ter contamination.

The fire burned for 46 days until March 2, 2012. The re-

lief well Chevron drilled was sealed on June 18, 2012.

In July 2012, it was reported that Chevron left workers “pleading to be evacuated from a gas exploration platform off Nigeria which kept drilling while smoke poured from a borehole until an ex-

plosion killed two people as the rig became engulfed in flames.”

The offshore branch of Britain’s Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) trade union gave Reuters transcripts of three testimonies from workers on the KS Endeavour.

Shell to divest $15bn assets in 2yrs

BY ONYEGBADUE AMAMDI with agency

T

HE Financial Times, FT, quoting close sources to Shell, reported that the Anglo Dutch oil company planned to divest up to $15 billion worth of assets over the next two years.

In October 2013, Shell announced plans to sell off significant number of assets in 2014 and 2015, in order to reduce liabilities and improve cash flow

in its business.

The source said Shell would divest mature upstream assets in the North Sea and elsewhere, more of its refinning portfolio and some projects that have not yet reached final investment decision and “which make sense for others to develop”.

Shell has already announced strategic reviews of its US shale business, which has been losing money, and its Nigerian assets which have been hit by

rampant sabotage and oil theft.

It has been suggested by industry analysts and some bankers that Shell may look to sell some of its Nigerian oil blocks, along with its 23.1 percent stake in the Australian production and exploration company Woodside Petroleum, which is estimated to be worth over $6 billion.

Shell has underperformed the European oil and gas sector by six per cent over the past year, dragged down by a string of disappointing quarterly results and concerns about how it allocates capital. It has been criticised for spending too much and not rewarding shareholders enough.

Australia enters shale boom race - Report

BY KUNLE KALEJAYE with agency report

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hale boom race has gotten a new entry, Australia, according to a new analytical report, stating that all eyes would be on the country as it could turn out to be the most attractive venue for shale and tight oil and gas.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s non-passage of its Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, has continued to stall investment in the petroleum industry even as its petroleum minister was recently appointed as the alternative OPEC president Apart from the non-passage of PIB, political upheaval, insecurity, lack of infrastructure development in Nigeria, has made potential investors to lose confidence in the system.

However, analysts in Nigeria’s petroleum sector are confident that the bill will be passed before the end of 2014, as earlier predicted.

According to Oilprice Intelligent Report, China, Russia and Argentina, have topped the list of potential venues for the next shale boom in recent time.

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28—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014—29

By Theodore Opara

Hyundai boosts market share with new i20 H

YUNDAI Motors Nigeria has introduced yet another fresh model for customers looking for small-tomedium-sized hatchback car for everyday ride.

An A2 segment premium hatchback, Hyundai i20 as it is named has seating capacity for five people with roomy, spacious and elegant interior for the driver and passengers alike.

Although the i20 isn’t as famous as the i10 and i30, it is a great choice for car freaks looking for an attractively priced functional car of between NGN2m and NGN3m yet with the practicality of a mid-to-up-scale sedan.

Hyundai had uniquely designed this car for customers who want something trendier, bigger and sophisticated than the i10.

The exterior dimensions of the i20 says more with the length put at 3940mm, width 1710mm; height 1505mm and a wheelbase of 2525mm.

This is in addition to the ground clearance of 165mm, which makes the car remarkably comfortable for rides on bumpy roads.

Coupled with outstanding features like rear parking camera with display in the cabin, supervision cluster, fully automatic temperature control, clean aircluster ionizer for fresh air in the cabin, the Hyundai i20 could from all indication, soon take the lead in the A2 segment, where Nissan Micra, Suzuki Swift and Ford Fiesta currently hold sway.

The car is also loaded with premium features like multi information display, 2-DIN CD/MP3 audio system with 4 speakers and 2 tweeters, USB, Aux-in and Bluetooth connectivity along with steering mounted audio and Bluetooth controls.

Hyundai says every drive in the i20 is an experience in itself, especially when viewed against a long list of new features including theatre dimming central room lamp, centre console multipurpose storage box, front door map pockets, passenger side seat back pocket, coat hook,

luggage hooks and glove box. Mr. Jatin Nadkarni, Head, Sales and Marketing, Hyundai Motors Nigeria acknowledged the profile

of this car, adding that the Hyundai i20 is available in four main specifications (entry-level Classic, midrange Active, fuel-efficient Blue and Active Blue, and

top-of-the-range Style) but only the top-of-the-range style with automatic transmission will be sold in the local markets,

owing to customers convenience and traffic conditions.

This variant is mated to a 1.4Litre Gamma engine

with 4-speed automatic transmission, delivering 98.6bhp and 136Nm of torque, Mr. Nadkarni explained.

Stallion boss seeks support for new auto policy •Commends auto journalists for NAJ Awards

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HE Group Manag ing Director of Stallion Motors, Mr. Parvir Singh has commended the Guild of Motoring Correspondents for organising a credible award for the auto industry, urging them to support the new auto policy to position Nigeria among automobile resourceful countries in the world.

In a post event reaction to the NAJ Awards, Mr. Pavir Singh, Group Managing Director, Stallion Motors commended the local automobile media for taking time out of their respective schedules to keep a tab on developments in the industry.

He described the local automobile industry as nascent and vibrant if cautiously explored, remarking that the new Automotive Industry Policy would chart a new course for the industry and subsequently position Nigeria among automobile resourceful countries in the world.

“The time to start is now and with you (NAJ), the Nigeria automobile industry could become the icing on the cake for investors willing to explore inherent opportunities. Also note that, Nigeria is a potent market that can support the growth of its nascent industry, Stallion Motors’

director reasoned.”

Mr. Singh however added that Stallion would continue to live up to expectations and deliver quality and added value for products and services it offers to customers in Nigeria.

Stallion Motors, renowned automobile conglomerate again retained the Multi Auto Dealership Award just as one of its subsidiaries Porsche Centre Lagos was awarded Showroom of the Year at the 2013 Nigeria Auto Journalists Award (NAJ) held at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers Ikeja, Lagos.

The automobile dealership conglomerate with

franchise for chain of auto brands including Hyundai, Honda, Nissan, SsangYong, Volkswagen, Skoda, Audi, Porsche and AshokLeyland had at similar shows in recent past won the coveted multi Auto-dealership award.

Stallion Motors has through its designated dealerships played key roles in the country’s automobile sector, providing quality products, sales and after sales support services to customers and fleet owners.

And very recently, the company ventured into automobile manufacturing, assembling AshokLeyland buses and trucks,

Chevrolet achieves record global sales C

HEVROLET sold a record 4,984,126 million vehicles around the world in 2013.

“2013 was a significant year for the Chevrolet brand with 25 product

launches around the world including all-new versions of our most iconic nameplates – Corvette, Impala and Silverado,” said Alan Batey, senior vice president,

Global Chevrolet. “The strength of our new products coupled with a greatly transformed retail experience allowed Chevrolet to attract more consumers to the brand

and achieve record global sales.”

Chevrolet sales in the United States, China, Brazil and Mexico, its four largest markets, were up a combined 4 percent.

having acquired the moribund VWoN plant along Lagos-Badagry Expressway, where it will soon commence local assembly of Nissan passenger cars and SUVs as well as Hyundai light trucks by spring 2014.

The company had beaten rival nominees CFAO and Coscharis to win the coveted plaque, which according to NAJ, was a demonstration of Stallion’s efficiency and resilience in the management of automobile dealerships.

Similarly, the Porsche Centre Lagos outwitted Mercedes Benz Centre to cart home the Showroom of the Year award 2013.

Presenting the awards on behalf of NAJ, Dr. Oscar Odibo, principal consultant, Newsletters Limited acknowledged the elasticity of Stallion Motors and its contribution to the country ’s automobile sector, remarking that Stallion caresses the automobile industry like a colossus.

C M Y K

30—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014

By Theodore Opara

All-new Kia Cadenza earns top honours K

IA Cadenza has been named the 2014 International Car of the Year (ICOTY) at the 2014 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit by Road & Travel magazine.

The all-new 2014 Cadenza’s stunning design combined with premium amenities and impressive value propelled the Kia brand into the premium sedan segment, and the ICOTY award adds to the growing list of accolades the Cadenza has earned since its launch in early 2013. The award marks back-to-back victories for Kia as the 2013 Optima mid-size sedan was honored by RTM with the ICOTY award last year.

“This year marks Kia’s 20th anniversary in the U.S. market, and in that time, we have become known for taking bold steps. The 2014 Cadenza is another leap forward for the brand and has brought new and affluent customers into our retailers, people who had never considered Kia before,” said Michael Sprague, executive vice president of marketing & communications, KMA. “To win the prestigious ICOTY award two years running is a clear indication that our products continue to offer a world-class balance of design, amenities and value for today’s discerning car buyers.”

RTM presents two “Of the Year ” awards annually; one for car of the year and one for truck. In addition to product attributes such as style, comfort and performance, the awards also consider how well the brand connects emotionally with the consumer through its marketing efforts. The winners are chosen by the ICOTY jury, which consists of nationally renowned automotive journalists from respected publications such as Consumer Guide ® Automotive MSN Autos, New Car News Syndicate and RTM. “The Kia Cadenza wins in this category for a variety of reasons, including Kia’s C M Y K

remarkable effort to emerge in the entry-lux category,” said Courtney Caldwell, editor-in-chief of Road & Travel Magazine. “Overall, the car is beautiful and affordable, making upscale style and performance attainable to mid-America. We applaud Kia’s rapid rise from underdog to

unbelievable!”

The ICOTY award is the most recent in a string of accolades the 2014 Cadenza has received.

Just a few months ago, the Cadenza took top honors in Motor Trend Magazine’s full-size sedan comparison test and was named to the 2014 North American Car of the Year short list.

Honda CR-V breaks all-time sales record B ACKED by surging customer demand, the Honda CR-V sold 28,759 units in December to achieve both a monthly sales record and a robust 11.8 percent increase over

the same month in 2012.

That, in turn, boosted the CR-V’s full-year sales total to 303,904 units, marking an annual record, a 7.8 percent gain in volume and its first finish above the

Toyota supports FRSC safety campaign with new ambulance T

OYOTA (Nigeria) Limited took another important step towards its boosting corporate social responsibility portfolio when it recently donated unit of Ambulance to the Federal Road Safety Commission.

The presentation which was held at the Headquarters of the Federal Road Safety Commission Abuja was done on behalf of Toyota (Nigeria) Limited by Mr Kunle Ade- Ojo the Executive Director of the company.

Presenting the vehicle to the Corps Marshal Federal Road Safety Commission, Mr Chidoka Osita, who was represented by the Deputy Corps Marshal (Admin & Human Resources) Mr Adei Abu, Mr Ade-Ojo explained that the essence of the donation is an expression of Toyota (Nigeria) Limited’s support for the Commission in its relentless resolve to deliver prompt and quick response to victims of road crashes

across the federation.

Speaking further, Mr Ade Ojo submitted that as a socially responsible organisation, safety of lives and property on the Nigerian roads is considered key to an economically and socially stable society.

He enjoined all hands to be on deck so that the crusade embarked upon by the FRSC against the menace of road crashes

which inadvertently leads to unwarranted deaths is successful.

While receiving the Ambulance on behalf of the Commission, the Deputy Corp Marshal (Admin & Human Resources) of the FRSC Mr Adei Abu thanked the management of Toyota (Nigeria) Limited for the kind gesture and promised that the vehicle

will be committed to very good use so that the purpose for which it is donated can be achieved. He charged other well meaning corporate organisations as well as individuals to emulate this show of philanthropy by Toyota (Nigeria) Limited so that the commission can win the battle against the menace of road accidents on Nigerian roads.

300,000-sales milestone.

But as impressive as that performance may have been, Honda’s hot-selling CR-V was just the thirdmost-popular vehicle in the brand’s lineup during 2013, when it actually trailed the Honda Civic and the Honda Accord. The Civic enjoyed a 5.7 percent sales spike last year, on a segment-leading 336,180 sales, while the brand’s new mid-size sedan did even better, with a 10.2 percent gain to 365,699 annual deliveries in 2013.

Further, with the Honda Odyssey capping off their years with +25 percent sales gains, the Honda brand as a whole set its own volume record in December, when its 119,504 deliveries translated into a modest 2.4 percent bump in growth.

“Breaking our December sales record is a great way to finish a near-record year.

From left, Mr Felix Chukwu, Chairman, FRSC; Osita Chidoka Corps Marshal, FRSC; Jeffrey Micheal, Associate Administrator (Research Programme Development), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; Tawai Addo-ashong Programme Manager, Global Road Safety Facility World Bank and DCM Boboye Oyeyemi, Deputy Corps Marshal (Operations) at the International Stakeholders meeting.

Decision-making at the national Confab Continues from yesterday ECOMMENDATIONS: The Com mittee now recommends as follows: •That the Executive and the National Assembly should cooperate as partners to put in place an enabling law that should lead to a successful and hitch-free National Conference. In that context the Committee recommends that the President should send an Executive Bill for the purpose of the National Conference to the National Assembly, which shall enact it into the enabling law. The Committee is convinced that, on balance of probability, it is safer to have such an enabling law, than to assume it is not needed.

In the alternative to the above, the President may exercise his inherent powers under Section 5 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and convene the Conference.

ToR6: To advise on Legal Procedures and Options for integrating decisions and outcomes of the national dialogue/conference into the Constitution and Laws of the nation.

Many proposals were canvassed on this matter. One proposal is that, the Conference should draft a ‘New Constitution’ which, shall be subjected to a referendum by the Nigerian people. The result of the referendum shall then be submitted to the National Assembly together with the new Constitution. The National Assembly shall then take all the necessary legislative actions without making any input or amendment to the ‘New Constitution’.

Another proposal was that, the outcomes of the National Conference should be submitted to the National Assembly, which

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shall consider these, make necessary inputs as the parliament deems appropriate and take appropriate legislative actions accordingly. The Presidency shall, on its part, sift from the outcomes, matters within its jurisdiction and purview to promulgate appropriate policies or decisions to give practical effect to the implementation of the outcomes of the National Conference.

Observations: The Committee observes that the issue of referendum/plebiscite was predominant in the presentations made to it by Nigerians across the country. Members thought that it was an attractive and novel idea. Other presentations suggested that the outcomes of the National Conference should be sent to the National Assembly, for some after the referendum and others without the referendum.

ToR7: To advise Government on any other matter that may be related or incidental to the proposed national dialogue/conference. Having responded to the terms of reference in the preceding chapters and sections of this Report, the Committee believes that there are many issues that relate to the smooth and successful conduct of the National Conference.

Observations: The Committee observes that, there are many other matters that will make for a rewarding National Conference. Some Nigerians have suggested some modalities for decision-making at the Conference, how the Conference itself should be conducted, qualifications for election as Delegates to the Conference as well as the rules of procedure required to guide deliberations at the National Conference.

ing Orders of the Federal House of Representatives.

•Election into the National Conference shall be by direct election through universal adult suffrage on non-party basis.

•Qualifications of Candidates for ElecRecommendations: The Committee tion as Delegates to the National Conferrecommends that Government should ad- ence shall be the same as those stipulated for standing election into the House of dress the following: •The official name of the Conference Representatives except that, candidates for election as Delegates to the National Conshould be The National Conference.

•The National Conference shall hold at ference need not be members of any political party. the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Discussion on referendum featured •The National Conference shall have a Chairperson and a Deputy Chairperson prominently during the Retreat held with who should be persons of high unimpeach- selected experts and leaders. The experts argued that, the 1999 Constitution of the able integrity.

•The Executive Secretary of the Con- Federal Republic of Nigeria, which is an ference Management Secretariat shall existing Law, does not make provisions serve as the Secretary to the National Con- for holding a referendum on matters of ference and shall be responsible to the amending or making a new Constitution.

So, they proffered For a referendum to be held, the 1999 Con- that, for a referendum to be held, stitution should first be amended. Some the 1999 Constituother experts, however, argued that, a refer- tion should first be amended. Some endum in the manner proposed, can be other experts, without amending the 1999 Constitution however, argued that, a referendum Conference for proper record-keeping and in the manner proposed, can be held withall other administrative matters, out amending the 1999 Constitution.

•Decision-Making at the National Con•Recommendations: The Committee ference shall be by consensus but where after taking oral and written memoranda that is not achievable decisions shall be where various and numerous options were arrived at, by two-thirds majority. canvassed, and taking cognizance of the •In order to ensure a fully democratic need for strategic caution in advising Govand peoples driven Conference, Governernment on the handling of the outcomes ment should ensure that, the total numof the National Conference, now recomber of nominated Delegates does not exmends: ceed one-third of the total size of the NaThat the National Conference itself shall tional Conference. have the responsibility of setting out the •Rules of Procedure: In order to have a said legal procedures and options for insmooth and productive Conference, the tegrating its decisions and outcomes of its Conference Management Secretariat shall deliberations into the Constitution and the develop ‘Rules of Procedure’ for the Na- Laws of the nation. tional Conference guided by the StandConcluded

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014 — 31

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32—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014

PDP: Mu'azu returns from the cold THE emergence of former Governor Adamu Mu‘azu as the new chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP yesterday, was a convergence of interests of the principal stakeholders of the party: notably the governors and the president. He is a bridge between the many divides in a crises ridden party.

T was a shock for many that Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State was the one who presented Governor Adamu Mu‘azu, regarded as the governor’s most formidable political foe as the consensus candidate of the Northeast for the post yesterday.

The appointment of Mu‘azu also defied other permutations that had earlier narrowed the search for a national chairman to states outside the immediate control of the party in the northeast. The states that had been highly favoured were Borno, Yobe and Adamawa which are all now controlled by governors belonging to the All Progressives Congress, APC. The thinking was that the party should choose a formidable PDP chairman from any one of the APC controlled states to act as counter force to the APC governors in the Northeast.

Also, given the historical frictions between incumbent PDP governors and recent national chairmen, there were also reasonable grounds for all four PDP governors from the Northeast to object to the emergence of a national chairman from their states. It was even more shocking that Mu‘azu, known for his famous face-off with his one time friend, Governor Isa Yuguda at the time of the 2007 gubernatorial election, became the choice of the party.

Elements around the president Mu‘azu got the job ahead of Mohammed Wakil who was being pushed by elements around the president and also, Senator Idris Umar who was allegedly the candidate of the First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan.

Mu‘azu’s ascent to the job was cleared first by the resolve of the PDP states chairmen to oppose any candidate sponsored by Mrs. Jonathan. Their beef was that the immediate past chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur was sustained in office far longer than he ought to have exited by the support he allegedly received from Mrs. Jonathan and her husband, President Goodluck Jonathan.

“This idea of first lady bringing somebody will be seriously resisted among the chairmen who feel that Tukur stayed that

•Muazu:The new PDP chairman long because of the overt support he was enjoying from the First Lady.”

“The decision that was finally taken on Thursday, (resignation of Tukur) if it had been taken about four, five months ago, the state chairmen feel that only one governor would have gone and that would have been Amaechi, all other governors who left were complaining about Tukur and his style of administration as characterised by the unwarranted dissolution of state excos and planting his own structures in those states and that if this decision was taken about five months ago, the party would have been saved the embarrassment of the five governors leaving at the same time,” one of the state chairmen told Vanguard ahead of the meeting.

Initial enthusiasm One of the chairmen of the states told Vanguard last weekend.

So, given the determination of the state PDP chairmen to oppose Umar, it was not surprising that the initial enthusiasm that followed his candidacy evaporated.

Following him, was the inspired candidacy of Wakil, the pioneer Majority Leader of the House of Representatives in the Fourth Republic. Wakil, who is one of the leading PDP chieftains from Borno State fitted into the plans of those who canvassed for a PDP chairman from a non-PDP controlled state. His candidacy was reportedly initially pushed

by Governor Serikae Dickson of Bayelsa State, a development that made some to believe that he was the man being backed by the president.

One of the presiding officers of the National Assembly, also came in to support Wakil gravitating his campaign to a phenomenon before other major stakeholders focused on the capacity of the candidate.

And it was upon that President Jonathan apparently drew his joker in the form of Mu‘azu, the former governor of Bauchi State.

Reputed for his open heartedness and linkages across the country’s various divides, Mu‘azu found himself into the president’s good books as a result of his kindness to Jonathan at the peak of the daggers-drawn campaign to remove Dipereye Alamasieyeha when the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC mobilized

the then Bayelsa State House of Assembly to impeach the governor in 2005.

Though the principal beneficiary of the moves against Alamieyeseigha, Dr. Jonathan the then deputy governor of the state, reportedly took refuge in Bauchi State where he found good comfort in the Yankari Games Reserve. It was a kind of goodness that Dr. Jonathan could not have paid back to the then governor.

Besides the alleged bitterness between Mu‘azu and Governor Yuguda, were also matters of vice that the latter had supposedly hung on Mu‘azu, at the peak of their quarrel.

One of the highlights of the white paper produced following the submission of the report of the panel of enquiry instituted by Governor Yuguda on the Mu‘azu administration, was a stipulation that the former governor should not hold office for ten years.

It was an issue that Mu‘azu perhaps would have waived aside and President Jonathan certainly did when he appointed Mu‘azu as the chairman of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety

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BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, POLITICAL EDITOR

between the two men and helped in no small way to calm the anger of Governor Yuguda towards his former friend.

Following the failed bid for the national chairmanship, Mu‘azu approached a Bauchi High Court to discharge the indictment stopping him from holding a political office. Within three months the indictment was discharged in April 2013 and in the spirit of the détente with Yuguda, the Bauchi State government did not appeal the judgment.

Mu‘azu on his part has also played along with the new political configuration and again became conspicuous in the affairs of the Yuguda administration.

When the governor lost his immediate junior sister, Hafsat Yuguda Ibrahim last October, Mu‘azu was a very conspicuous presence in receiving visitors on behalf of the governor.

National chairman But then few expected the governor to condole Mu‘azu as national chairman. However, once the president made his bearing known on Mu‘azu, sources said that the governor had few options. But Mu‘azu was, however, brought to an understanding that as national chairman he would not alter the evolving arrangement around Yuguda’s camp to enthrone the erstwhile deputy national secretary of the party, Dr. Musa Babayo as successor in 2015.

Babayo is from Katagum in Bauchi North, a zone the incumbent governor has favoured for his succession. The presidential villa, it was learnt, also put that point to Mu‘azu.

CHALLENGES As national chairman, Mu‘azu is to head a party that is fighting

Mu‘azu got the job ahead of Mohammed Wakil who was being pushed by elements around the president and also, Senator Idris Umar who was allegedly the candidate of the First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan

Agency, NIMASA when he came into office.

Following that appointment, the issue of the indictment perhaps stuck Mu‘azu in the face when he made his first bid for the office of national chairman of the PDP in 2012. At that time the issue of the indictment was used to campaign against him by his opponents and it was perhaps at that time that the need for a political solution to the issue became obvious.

Sources close to the two men said that President Jonathan became a sort of intermediary

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to regain its supremacy across the country. His relative youth and linkages across the nation’s religious and geopolitical divides are bound to be assets to the party.

Mu‘azu’s success as a governor underpinned by his landmark physical and infrastructure development projects including the full electrification of Bauchi State under his tenure gives the assurance of a man with a vision.

But in a party where only the pioneer chairman Chief Solomon Lar, now late exited gracefully, Mu‘azu needs every grace available to a politician.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014—33

Issues, tension, intrigues as House resumes today Members of the House of Representatives will face an avalanche of touchy and thorny issues as they resume today

BY LEVINUS NWABUGHIOGU

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HANGE in leadership structure Talks about the sack of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leadership of the House reached a crescendo immediately after 37 members of the ruling party defected to opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) on December 18, 2013 just a day before the House rounded off last year.

With the defections, the number of APC members which was 137 was jerked up, giving it more members than the PDP in the House. Now, APC has 171 members while the ruling PDP has 167.

All along PDP has boasted of falling short of their 208 members with only one member but an informed source from the House revealed to Vanguard that the PDP has since been reduced to 167 with many other members from the party threatening to leave immediately the House resumes.

However, there is politics of number which has apparently hampered the APC’s desire of assuming control of the House.

The rule of the House stipulates that 181 members are required as a prerequisite for any party to substantiate the claim of being the majority. At least, this was the House position last year. The APC elements think otherwise. The Minority Leader,

•House of Representatives in session want to or you don’t want to. If you look at the rules and laws that govern our operations in the House, it is an operation of law.

It is whether we want or not. If we don’t, it is either we suspend our rules otherwise we are violating our rules because the rules are very clear. ”The rules

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All along PDP has boasted of falling short of their 208 members with only one member but an informed source from the House revealed to Vanguard that the PDP has since been reduced to 167 with many other members from the party threatening to leave

Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, who is actually warming up to assume the position of the Majority Leader told Vanguard in an exclusive interview that anyone basing the argument on 181 is stirring up some difficulty in understanding the simple rule.

He believes that the simple 181 applies only in the midst of two parties in the Parliament. But since, there are more than two political parties in the House, he submits that it qualifies to say that a party with even a number above the others becomes the majority party and shall produce the House leadership.

His words: “You know there is time and season for everything.

Yes, this could have been done last year but it was just a day before we went on our break. We needed not to rush. So, we decided to tarry until we resume. For me, it is a change of leadership. It is not whether you

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of the House say that the majority party shall produce the majority leadership and the minority party shall, it is “shall” and not “may”.

So by the operation of the law, automatically if APGA or PPN becomes the majority today, they automatically by operation of law become the majority leadership.

There is no where in the world,no legislature in the world that Iknow where the majority plays the role of the minority or the minority plays the role of the majority. Sucha situation will defy logic, common sense and the law as in this case.”

Declaration of decampee’s seats vacant in the wake of the defection of 37 PDP members to the APC, the leadership of the PDP threatened to declare the seats of the defectors vacant. This incident made the Speaker, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, the cynosure of every Nigerian. But while suspicions mounted

around it, the House through its Committee Chairman on Rules and Business, said that the Lower Chamber would do no such thing citing Sections 68 (1g); 109 (1g); 135 and 180 of the 1999 constitution (as amended) to support the House’s stand on the matter. It is still left to be seen what becomes of the situation.

Reshuffling committee chairmen. Though this issue is still latent as the time of filing thisr report, speculations are rife that 57 chairmen of different House Committees out of over 80 might lose their offices as the Speaker is set to makesweeping changes to strengthen the Committees.

Oversight responsibilities The impending exercise is also coming against the fact that many of the committee chairmen showed some negligence in the course of their oversight responsibilities last year, an ill development that left the speaker shouting and begging for the reports of the oversight tours of the Committees. But whether this exercise would hold is still in the womb of time.

Marking Okonjo-Iweala’s answer scripts One of the major works to be done is consideration of the 2014 budget proposal which was laid before the House late last year by the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala on behalf of President Goodluck Jonathan.

But from every indication, it

appears that the budget consideration would have to wait until the lawmakers debate, agree and are satisfied with the answers put forward by the Minister to the 50 questions raised by the House Committee on Finance at the twilight of 2013 on the state and performance of the economy. To them, the propriety or otherwise of the answers is germane to the consideration of the 2014 budget.

Appropriate organ Though the Minister had last week given a 102-page answer to the questions, there still appears to be dissatisfaction among the members. In fact, on the heel of the responses, the House fired back at the Minister, saying that the questions put to her had not been answered.

Deputy Spokesperson of the House, Hon. Victor Afam Ogene stated the position of House even as most members of the Parliament individually corroborated the position.

Ogene said: “First and foremost, I think that the House of Representatives Committee on Finance is the appropriate organ that will respond to those issues and in doing so will determine if her answers are in conformity with the realities on the ground.

But as a House, we have always insisted that we will not bow down to any kind of grandstanding aimed at derailing us from our set goals.

The set goal is simply to hold

government accountable to the governed and we will not shy away from doing that. But even from her response, you would see who clearly is playing to the gallery. If a Committee of the House has requested you to provide information which in most cases ought to be handled with circumspection; this is an interaction between you and the House and your response, the first thing you did, while the House is still on recess is to publicise it.

“Then the Nigerian people should now know that they have a Finance Minister who’s more interested in political drama than in the reality of addressing the Nigerian Economy. For instance, she talks about the fact that some of the issues raised by the Committee are already in the public domain and have been extensively debated by the government, Journalists, Civil Society organizations and the Private Sector.

And the simple question to ask is: do you run government on the basis of debate on the pages of newspaper in the mass media?

The answer is clearly no. ”So, if she wants the House or its committee on Finance to base its decision on discussions held in the public arena as she is clearly insinuating in her response that again tells you the level to which governance has degenerated in Nigeria. She goes ahead to talk about questions being repetitive and I laugh at such a response.

34 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014

TALES OF TWO

The idea behind the establishment of model colleges by the Lagos State government, was to provide a comprehensive residential education programme for students.

Both schools in focus are under the Badagry Education district. One of six educational districts in the state.

By MONSURU OLOWOOPEJO

IW OR OAJIDO MODEL IWOR OROO-AJIDO COLLEGE Establishment

IWORO-AJIDO Model College, Iworo-Ajido, the oldest of the model colleges, was established on October 3,1977.

It replaced the then Local Authority Secondary Modern School founded in January 1955 which was abolished by the government.

Since inception, seven Principals had served as the Accounting Officers of the

•Classroom school.

Over the years, the paths of the two model colleges have, of course, significantly differed.

Infrastructure

The state of infrastructure in the 36-year-old college is very poor. The school has no special hall for xaminations.

A good number of available classrooms are begging for attention with

dilapidated windows and walls.

The roofs have leakages and the ceilings worn and replaced with palm fronds.

Some of the students explained that whenever it rained, classes are suspended.

Also, the floors of the classrooms need repairs.

Vanguard learnt that the floors were last rehabilitated

three years ago by the students in Senior Secondary School, SS3 then, who contributed money for the repairs.

Teachers

Teachers are in short supply at Iworo-Ajido Model College.

One of the teachers who craved anonymity said; “Several teachers have been

deployed to the school before but after the expiration of a term or two, they seek for transfer to another district or school.

“Complaints by the teachers, which are obvious, include lack of conducive teaching environment and facilities that will enhance their work,” he said.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014

— 35

MODEL COLLEGES

KANK ON MODEL KANKON COLLEGE, KANK ON KANKON Establishment

KANKON Model College started with four other model college located in the then five divisions of Lagos State on the February19, 1988.

A year after, on November 27, 1989, the school finally moved to its permanent site at Owode Apa Road, Kankon, Badagry-West LCDA.

•Classroom

Infrastructure

Kankon Model College, has good infrastructure at its disposal.

Sources said that the school has since existence enjoyed the state government’s patronage. It gives much attention to the school that

whenever it tenders proposal for infrastructure provision, the request is quickly granted.

There is an ongoing construction work in the school.

The blocks of classrooms are decent and painted to meet international standards.

In each of the classrooms, are befitting furniture.

Modern boards, white

boards to aid students learning, and shelves to store learning materials, are also available for the students.

Teachers

Kankon Model College has teachers who attend to the needs of their students. And this has aided the high students enrolment in the school.

36—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014

Niger Delta youth group lauds NIMASA DG

T

HE Niger Delta Youth Peace Initiative Movement, NDYPIM, has expressed confidence in Mr. Ziakede Akpobuloukami, Director General of Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, over the management of the country’s maritime sector.

NDYPIM said that since Akpobuloukami took over the leadership of NIMASA, he has proved himself worthy of the appointment, adding that the DG’s antecedents speaks volume.

NDYPIM’s President, Mr Ebikabowei Edon in a statement, yesterday, commended President Goodluck Jonathan for appointing a worthy son of the Niger Delta to head NIMASA. He said that since the location of NIMASA’s Science and Technical College in Okoloba and the university of Oceanography in Ekerenkoko both in Delta State, there have been beehive of economic activities in these coastal communities of the state.

He commended Akpobuloukami for sending thousands of youths abroad to study various courses in the maritime sector, noting that in no distance time, youths from the Niger Delta region would occupy positions in the maritime sector being presently handled by expatriates.

Itsekiri nation not for sale —INYC president

BY GODWIN ORITSE

P

RESIDENT of Itsekiri Na tional Youth Council, INYC, Mr David Tonwe, yesterday, said the Itsekiri nation was not for sale. He said that the INYC was not the same thing as the oil-rich Ugborodo matter.

Tonwe spoke when the leadership of three key Itsekiri groups paid him a solidarity visit and passed a vote of confidence on him and his executive in the face of current attack from some Itsekiri youths, who are challenging their legitimacy and continued stay in office.

The INYC president said that the body was not his personal property, adding that as a body guided by law and a constitution, he was only serving out his tenure, describing those who were fighting him through newspaper publications as fifth coloumnists, who do not know history of INYC. Leaders of the Itsekiri Development Association, National Association Itsekiri Graduates and the National Association Itsekiri Students led by Mr. Weyinmi Agbateyiniro informed the INYC executive that they were solidly behind them, taking into cognisance their contributions to the upliftment of the Iwere nation since the out break of the Warri crisis.

P

ORT HARCOURT— NI GERIA Union of Journalists, NUJ, yesterday, condemned Sunday’s attack on journalists by hoodlums in Bori, headquarters of Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State.

State NUJ council, in a statement, condemned the Police for standing by while media men were being attacked on the said day.

The statement by the state NUJ Chairman, Mr Dakubo Opaka, reminded security operatives and the political class that journalists were not politicians, stressing that they should not be objects of attacks.

NUJ said, “Journalists are professionals carrying out their duties as guaranteed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and other international charters of which Nigeria is a signatory. Journalists are not interested parties in the political

Abandoned projects: Delta to clampdown on erring contractors

BY EGUFE YAFUGBORHI

W

ARRI— WEEKS after Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, said he would to no longer tolerate contractors who abandon or do shoddy work on government projects without justification, the state Commissioner for Special Duties, Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, Mr. Timi Tonye, has informed that government

Oshiomhole rules out politicians from Neighbourhood Watch

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

B

ENIN CITY—GOVER NOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, yesterday, said that the process of reconstitut-

NUJ flays attack on journalists

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

L-r: Akwa Ibom State Governor and Chairman PDP Governors' Forum, Chief Godswill Akpabio, former Governor of Bauchi State, Alhaji Adamu Muazu and Governor of Bauchi State, Mallam Isa Yuguda shortly after a meeting at Akwa Ibom Governor's Lodge, Abuja, yesterday

crisis currently rocking Rivers State.

“We condemn the attack on journalists working with Channels Television on Sunday, January 19, 2014, at Bori, headquarters of Khana council of Rivers State, during the botched Save Rivers Movement rally. We recall similar attacks on journalists working with TV Continental, Sun Newspapers, RSTV, Rhythm 93.7 FM, among others.

“We find this situation unacceptable and urge political parties, groups and their followers, to engage in their activities and leave journalists alone to practise their chosen profession. We also condemn a situation where policemen and other security agents, attack journalists or even standby and watch while journalists are being attacked by hoodlums.

“We call on the Police and other security agencies to ensure the safety of lives and property of all Nigerians in Rivers State, irrespective of their political affiliations."

ing a new Neighbourhood Watch in the state, will commence in February, adding that youths from the three senatorial districts of the state would be assembled and saddled with the responsibility of reconstituting the security outfit.

There has been pressure from youths urging the state government to reconstitute a new Neighoorhood Watch after the outfit was dissolved by the governor last year, following allegations of corrupt practices against some of the officials of the outfit.

Vanguard learnt that only the Chairman of the Board, Gen. Charles Omoregie, may be retained in the yet to be reconstituted Board.

However, Oshiomhole who assured that the process of reconstituting the security outfit will commence next month, acknowledged the pains some genuine youths, who were members of the dissolved group may have suffered, saying that the decision to disband it was in the best interest of the state.

Oshiomhole had, at a youth summit organised by the state government, said that politicians would not be involved in the reconstitution of the security out fit.

will soon clamp down on such erring contractors.

Tonye while inspecting DESOPADEC completed and ongoing projects in Ndokwa West and Ukwani Local Government Areas of the state, warned that the Uduaghan administration in its determination to finish strong would no longer tolerate contractors, who abandon or do shoddy jobs as “such actions had in the past caused setback to the development drive in the state.”

He appealed to contractors to expedite action on projects awarded to them.

Projects inspected by Tonye include the Obodoagu Road in Okuzu, Obiaruku, where he promised to brief Governor Uduaghan on abandoned project, particularly the drainage on the road.

Other projects inspected include the completed ante-natal building at the Obiaruku General Hospital, renovated block of six classrooms at Obiaruku Boys Secondary School, 100KVA generator at the Obiaruku General Hospital and the Johnson Oriaku Road, which has also been completed.

••Controversy trails govt’s move to collect property tax

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

A

SABA—DELTA State Government has inaugurated a special task force charged with the responsibility of making landlords in the state to pay ground rent for their landed property, whether residential, religious, commercial or agricultural to sustain the economic growth of the state, with immediate effect.

However, the inauguration of the task force, headed by a member of the state Board of Internal Revenue Mr. Frank Nwugo has been criticised by the opposition, which described it as a move “to afflict more pains on the people.”

Speaking at the inauguration of the task force in Asaba, weekend, the state Commissioner for Lands, Surveys and Urban Development, Mr. Patrick Ferife, said that the outfit derives its mandate to collect ground rent from provisions of the Land Use Act 1978 as amended, which vested ownership of all lands on the state government.

He said “Sections 7 and 30, Annexure XXIII/C118 of Delta State Internal Revenue, DSIR 2009 Law empowers the Delta State Board of Internal Revenue to collect ground rent from lease holders on both state and private land ranging from a maximum rate of N100 per square metre on commercial lease holders of state land to a minimum rate of 50k per square metre on agricultural lease holders on private lands.”

State Chairman of Labour Party, Mr Emeka Nkwoala, in his reaction, said “this new policy is another form of raising resources for the state at the detriment of the people. We have always maintained that any policy of government must have human face and not infflict more pain on the people. If we must pay more through this ground rent policy, then government must show proof of transparency in the running of its activities. Our people must resolve to hold government accountable for its action and inaction always.”

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014 — 37

Awa Kalu, 8 others bag NIALS award

2015: PDP leaders endorse Victor Uduaghan for Delta Assembly

BY INNOCENT ANABA

F

ORMER Attorney General of Abia State and Vanguard Law and Human Rights columnist, Chief Awa Kalu, SAN, was among nine eminent jurists who bagged the Nigerian Institute of Advance Legal Studies, NIALS, honourary fellowship award.

Others include Justice Tanko Muhammad and Justice Mary Odili, both of the Supreme Court; Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) and Chief Joseph Daudu (SAN), both former Presidents of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA; Professor Charles Udenze and Professor Akintunde Obilade, both from the academia; Mr Damien Dodo (SAN) and Mr. George Etomi.

NIALS Director-General, Prof. Epiphany Azinge (SAN), at the awards conferment in Abuja, said: “The institute’s fellowship is only conferred on lawyers who have made meaningful contributions to law and have assisted it in fulfilling the dreams of its founding fathers.

“As a Fellow of the institute, one is automatically part of the faculty of the Institute. In this regard, a Fellow is expected to participate in the scholarly programmes and activities of the institute and advise management on best ways to achieve international standards.

“Fellows are also entitled to oversight activities of the institute and act as Ambassadors of the institute and have been engaged in independent scholarly conversations on some burning issues of national importance.

“The institute is proud to confer its highly coveted fellowship on jurists, legal scholars and luminaries who have contributed immeasurably to shifting the frontiers of law in this country.

“These illustrious sons and daughters of Nigeria in many ways than one, have, over the years, identified with the activities of the institute, either by delivering public lectures or by helping out as resource persons in our annual capacity building programmes.

“The institute is immensely proud of their contributions and believes that by acknowledging their efforts through conferment of fellowship, it will ginger them to continue to participate and identify with activities and programmes of the institute.”

C M Y K

W

AN EVENING WITH IWEALA: From left: Prof. Anya O. Anya, President, South-East/SouthSouth Professionals, SESSP; Mr. Emeka Ugwu-Oju; Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi OkonjoIweala and Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State, during an evening with Iweala organised

by SESSP in Lagos on Sunday.

N-Delta ex-militants pass confidence vote on Manager

BY FESTUS AHON

U

GHELLI—NIGER Delta ex-militants in the Third Phase of the Federal Government's Amnesty Programme have passed a vote of confidence on the senator representing Delta South senatorial district, Senator James Manager, for providing adequate representation to the district in the National Assembly.

The group, in a statement by its National Secretary, Tam Odogwu, after a crucial meeting in Bomadi, Delta State said: “We the Third Phase ex-militants wish to express our deepest admiration to our leader and father, Senator Manager, for his numerous achievements as a political gladiator, from when he was the Commissioner for Works, Housing and Transport in Delta State, till this day.

“His achievements speak vol-

umes for his capabilities geared towards the provision of the dividends of democracy to our people. Suffice to mention a few.

“It was Senator Manager who influenced the construction of Bomadi bridge which has given a boost to the socio-economic activities in the area. He also ensured the construction of elaborate road network all over Delta State.

“He was also instrumental to the construction of concrete jetties in the riverine areas of the state. He built many housing units in designated locations in the state in order to ensure that accommodation is not only available but also affordable.

He provided solar powered potable water across the state and cheap and safe transpor-

tation via Delta Line as well as scholarships to indigent students in the state and beyond.

“As Chairman, Senate Committee on Niger Delta Development Commission, he is actively involved in human empowerment schemes via jobs, enterpreneural skills and major developmental projects in the Niger Delta.

This is a clear manifestation of his selfless services.

“Through his achievements, he has demonstrated unequivocally that the life of a man consists, not only of seeing visions and dreaming dreams, but in his penchant, readiness and willingness to impact positively on the lives of others. We are proud of him and are always behind him. We urge him to continue with the good services.”

2015: Four candidates battle for Edo North senatorial seat

BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

B

ENIN—NO fewer than four persons have indicated their interest to represent Edo North senatorial district in the Senate come 2015 and this is coming on the heels of a warning by associates of the incumbent, Senator Domingo from Akoko Edo Local Government Area of the state, to those angling for the seat from Etsako axis, to wait for their turn as they cannot have the sitting governor, Mr Adams Oshiomhole and the senatorial position.

Vanguard learnt that among those who have indicated interest for the senatorial slot are the Secretary to the State Govern-

ment, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, a member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Abubakar Momoh, Mr. Francis Alimikhena and the incumbent, Senator Obende.

While Prof. Ihonvbere is from Owan federal constituency, both Momoh and Alimikhena are from Estako axis of Edo North and Senator Domingo from Akoko-Edo council.

However, a loyalist of Senator Obende, who spoke in Benin, weekend, Mr Dayo Okomayin, dismissed the threat from other aspirants, saying “ we are not spectators in the party. We are not here to clap our hands for the Etsakos. Etsakos have

had it twice and Owan once.

Now that it is Akoko Edo’s turn, they think they can arm twist us. They should wait for their turn.

“There must be fair play in this game. There must be justice and equity in the distribution of elective offices.

The sitting governor is from Etsako, the majority leader of the House of Assembly is also from Etsako, the Chief of Staff to the President is from Etsako, the PDP state chairman is from Etsako, Oshiomhole’s major appointments and key positions were given to Etsako sons and daughters, including but not limited to SUBEB and revenue board."

ARRI—PEOPLES Democratic Party, PDP, leaders and executives in Ekurede and Ugbuwangue wards, Warri South Constituency I, of Delta State, have endorsed Mr. Vincent Uduaghan for the state House of Assembly in the 2015 general elections.

They stated that their wards with a voter strength of over 13,678, is one of the most populated, but the most marginalised in the district, as it has not be given the opportunity of political representation at the state level since the inception of democracy in 1999.

In a statement by Mr. Solomon Erefoluwa and Perere Pemu Arayi, Chairman and Secretary respectively, the ward executives said that Mr. Uduaghan, an accomplished businessman and party stalwart, grassroot mobilizer and tactician, is eminently qualified to represent the wards in the state House of Assembly.

Police in Edo lauded over arrest of murder suspects

T

HE Police in Benin City, Edo State, have been commended for the suspects arrested in connection with the attempted murder of three youths in Igarra, Akoko Edo Local Government Area of the state.

The Eziobe Consultative Forum, in a statement in Benin City, by Chief Majebi Balogun, said anything that could further disrupt the peace and unity in Igarra community should be promptly arrested by the security agencies, as no one should be allowed to take the law into his or her hands.

He said: “Those of us in Benin City received the news of the palpable fear that enveloped Igarra over the dastardly act. Our people slept with one eye open throughout the period until the arrest of persons who have been terrorising the community with guns, though others are at large."

C M Y

38 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014

Subscribers lament imposition of extra tariff by MTN dealers

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

O

WERRI—MOBILE telephone users in Imo State have cried out over alleged extra tariff slammed on them by MTN, and its authorised distributors and agents in the state.

Vanguard investigations revealed that recharge card dealers now charge extra N10 for every N100 recharge card purchased by any subscriber in the state.

It was also gathered that the extra but illegal tax, which started last December and has continued at the time of going to press, grows as the recharge card purchaser increases his demand.

A youth corps member serving in the state, Mr. Olusola Isaac, lamented what he described as hide and seek game of the telecom operator and its agents.

His words: “It is sad that MTN is not giving any sort of explanation to this ugly situation. The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, and the Consumer Protection Commission, CPC, have equally maintained a demeaning silence over this ugly development.”

A recharge card retailer, Mrs. Tina Iwuala, explained that recharge card printers now sell the N100 brick for N980 as against the previous N960.

CAN gets new exco

T

HE CHRISTIAN Association of Nigeria, Lekki LCDA chapter, weekend, elected a new executive to run its affairs.

Those inducted to run affairs of the association include, Rev. Agbeni Folorunso, Pastor S. O. Olure, Pastor Mike Ogbolo, Rev. Olusola Kolawole and Snr. Apostle Towoloju.

Others are, Rev. Adeyemi Caleb, Pastor Okutuga, Rachael Amoo, Pastor Moses Kehinde, Pastor Abiola Oluwatomi and Odize E. Williams.

State chairman of CAN, Very Rev. Monsignor Okodua, who spoke at the induction at the Anglican Church, Osoroko-Lekki, implored the new inductees to be good ambassadors of Christ and dedicate their lives to the service of God and mankind.

Police nab 6 over alleged burning of shrines in Enugu E

BY TONY EDIKE

NUGU—ENUGU State police command said Sunday that it has arrested six persons for allegedly setting ablaze shrines belonging to some families at Umuaji Aguobuowa in Ezeagu Local Government Area of the state.

The suspects, who are members of a group known as Indigenous Christians of Umuaji, led by one Joseph Nnaeme, alias 404, were said to have in the early hours of January 7, 2014, burned down several ”sacred shrine houses” in the community.

The group reportedly claimed that the burnt shrines were responsible for the backwardness of the community and her indigenes, adding that they had the approval of the natives to destroy the shrines as part of spiritual cleansing of the area.

But while Christians in the area were celebrating the destruction of the shrines, four juju priests in-charge of the burnt shrines reported the arson to the police which led to the

arrest of Nnaeme and members of his group.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, who confirmed the arrest of the suspects, said the

command had commenced “full scale investigations into the burning down of different sacred shrine houses in the community as well as damaging of other valuable items at Umuaji Aguobuowa.”

He said members of the group allegedly went on rampage during their religious crusade in the community, adding that in the process, some shrines belonging to the community and other valuables were burnt down.

VISIT: From left: Head of Service, Enugu State, Mr. Chidi Ezema, Mrs. Nkechi Ejele, Perm. Sec., Federal Ministry of Culture and Tourism, representing Head of Service of the Federation, Mr. Emma Obingene, Director, Federal Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Mr. Uchella Umunna, Chairman, Association of Federal Civil Servants in Enugu State, during the visit of Head of Service of the Federation in Enugu, yesterday. Photo: Obi Ikechukwu.

Obi's aide slams Okorocha over alleged attack on Anambra politicians

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

A

W K A — G OV E R N O R Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has received knocks for allegedly accusing politicians of Anambra State extraction of sabotaging the efforts of Igbos to achieve the age-long ambition of producing the president of Nigeria.

He was quoted as singling out

Okonkwo, others for African Apostles Conference

P

RESIDING BISHOP of TREM, Dr. Mike Okonkwo, Bishop Joe Imakando of Zambia, Dr. Mensa Otabil of Ghana and the chairman of African Apostles, Bishop Tudor Bismark of Zimbabwe and over 50 other African church leaders are expected to grace the 2014 edition of Council of African Apostles Impartation Conference in Lagos.

From January 28 to February 1, the Council of African Apostles Conference will hold at Protea Hotel, Ikeja, and on January 31, participants will gather at TREM headquarters, Anthony Oke, Gbagada Expressway, Lagos for the official closing of the 21-day prayer and fasting for Nigeria.

Dr. Alex Ekwueme and Chief Jim Nwobodo as those responsible for Igbos not clinching the president of Nigeria in the past.

Chief Press Secretary to Governor Peter Obi, Mr. Mike

Udah, who reacted to Governor Okorocha’s accusation as published in a national newspaper on Sunday, urged Igbos to ignore the Imo governor, describing him as an ingrate who had no respect for senior citizens.

In a statement in Awka yesterday, Udah said: “Okorocha’s utterances smack of sheer arrogance. They emanate from an over ambitious rabble rouser who easily gets carried away any moment he is handed a microphone."

Customs impounded N1.8bn contraband in 2013, says AC Dimka

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

O

WERRI—THE Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone C of Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, impounded contraband, which duty is valued at over N1.8 billion between January and December 2013.

The Area Controller in charge of the Zone, Mr. Victor David Dimka, who disclosed this while rolling out the annual report of the command to newsmen in Owerri, also said that a total of 200 seizures were made.

Dimka said: “The Zonal Command made a total of 200 seizures with a DPV of N1,883,554,917, between January and December 2013. We also made 31 arrests, while 17 cases are currently at various stages in courts of competent jurisdiction.”

According to the Zonal Cutoms boss, this is a marked improvement on the

56 seizures with duty paid value of N1,047,931,527 recorded in 2012.

He said: “Within the period under review, 2,801 bales of second hand clothing with

duty paid value of N529, 512,000 was the highest seizure made, followed by 114 vehicles with DPV 355, 311, 800 and 609 bales of printed wax (textile material) with DPV of 269, 840,000.”

APGA: Okwu asks Umeh to render account

BY CHIDINKWOPARA

O

WERRI—THE new national leader of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Chief Maxi Okwu, has given ousted national chairman of the party, Chief Victor Umeh, seven days to handover all party properties in his possession.

Chief Okwu, who handed down the directive yesterday in Owerri, when he paid a courtesy call on the protagonist of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereig State of Biafra, MASSOB, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, in his Owerri residence, did not, however, say what he will do if

Umeh failed to comply.

Okwu said: “We are also asking him to render a detailed account, which shall be audited by a qualified auditor. We will proceed from there. We give him one week to comply.”

According to Chief Okwu, the handover note must include an inventory of all party assets, commitments and suits filed, so that the party’s legal team will take it up from where he stopped.

“The party should be a generic body and not a personal thing and if there are commitments made by APGA, which are not against party interest, they will all be fully implemented,” he said.

Vanguard,TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014—39

DEDICATION: From left, Minister of Interior, Mr. Abba Moro, felicitating with former Minister of State for Interior, Hon. Humphrey Abah and his wife, Mrs. Mary Abah, during the dedication of their new baby after 23 years of search for the fruit of womb, at the United Evangelical Church, UEC, in Abuja. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan

VISIT: From left, Lisa of Akure, High Chief James Olusoga; Regent of Akure, Princess Adetutu Adesida, and Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, during the Governor's visit to the Regent, at the Palace, in Akure.

VISIT: From left, Dr. Nike Oduwole, MD/CEO, General Hospital, Apapa, Lagos, Mrs. Yewande Adesina; Special Advicer on Health to Lagos Governor; Mrs. Abimbola Fashola, Lagos State First Lady, and Dr. Jide Idris, Lagos State Commissioner for Health, during the First Lady's visit to the First Baby of the Year 2014, at Lagos Inland Maternity Hospital, Lagos.

VISIT: Delta State Environment Commisioner, Frank Omare (middle), joined by folks in procession, during the visit of Amafini, the water masquerade that brings fortunes, to Ogbe-Ijoh community, Warri South West, weekend.

DISTRIBUTION: A representative of "OLAYIWOLA STORES," Jos (in the middle),receiving car key from Orange Drugs Ltd GM, Mr. Ernest Ezenna, and Personal Care Supervisor, Mrs. Ijeoma Ogbonna, during the distribution of gifts to its distributors by Orange Drugs Limited, in Lagos.

INITIATION: Senator Roland Owie and wife, during a thanksgiving service, at St. Albert's Catholic Church, Benin City, after their initiation into the Knighthood of St. John's International, weekend, in Benin City. Photo: Simon Ebegbulem C M Y K

RECEPTION: From left, Alhaji Aliyu Belgore, Chairman of occasion, and Major-General Olatilewa Amusu, one of the celebrants, during the Group 3 Senior Executive Course 32 of National Institute of Policy & Strategic Studies 2010 Set's reception in honour of Major Amusu and AIG Mark Idakwo, on their recent promotions, in Lagos, weekend.

Photo: Abiodun Ogunleye

LAUNCH: From left, Mr. Abiona Babarinde, GM, Marketing & Corporate Services, Coscharis Group, Miss Abimbola Ogunsemi; Assistant Category Manager, Savoury, Mrs. Bolanle Kehinde-Lawal; Category Manager, Savoury, and Mr. David Okeme,Brand Building Director, all of Unilever Nigeria, at the Knorr Taste Quest 2 screening launch, at Eko Hotel, in Lagos, weekend. Photo: Biodun Ogunleye

VISIT: Leaders of Urhobo Progress Union, UPU, led by first Deputy President General, UPU, Chief Joe Omene (4th right), flanked by leaders of Urhobo Social Club, Lagos, led by President, Chief Simeon Ohwofa (3rd right), and other executive members of UPU, and Urhobo Social Club, during a courtesy visit to UPU, at Adagbrassa, Delta State, weekend.

Photo: Akpokona Omafuaire

40—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014

Kano PDP dissolves excos in 44 LGs, 484 wards

Kukah lauds Jonathan over gay marriage law

K

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OKOTO—THE Rt. Rev. Hassan Kukah, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, yesterday, commended President Goodluck Jonathan for signing the Same-Sex Prohibition Law. “I also want to commend the National Assembly for the zeal and enthusiasm with which they passed the bill,” Kukah said at a media round table in Sokoto.

“As far as I am concerned, anybody who lives in Nigeria and most parts of Africa knows that culturally, religiously and morally, this is not our life and culture,” he said.

The bishop called on Nigerians to continue to showcase Nigeria and promote its unity.

Kukah said that Nigerians had a lot in common, adding that “the media must, therefore, focus on issues that can further unite Nigeria.”

Similarly, the Da’awah Coordination Council of Nigeria also commended Jonathan for signing the law.

Kaduna to privatise state-owned companies

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ADUNA—THE Kaduna State Government, yesterday, said it would privatise its companies to boost commercial activities in the state.

Mr Joshua Uchissa, the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Kaduna.

The affected companies include Ikara Food Processing Company, Kachia Ginger Food Company, Kafanchan Food and Flour mills, Zaria Pharmaceutical Company and Zazzau Dairies.

Uchisa said the companies were not operational due to lack of working capital, adding, “that’s why government wanted to privatise them”.

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FESTIVAL—From left: The Sir Gbagyi, Hon. Danjuman Barde with the Deputy Governor of Kaduna State, Ambassador Nuhu Bajoga at the Annual Gbagyi Cultural Festival at Buwaya Kaduna, Weekend. Photo: Olu Ajayi.

Cattle dealers threaten to stop conveying of cattle to South B

BY SUZAN EDEH

AUCHI—THE Amalga mated Cattle Dealers Association of Nigeria, ACDAN, has threatened to stop conveying cattle to southern parts of the country following alleged extortion by security men at various road blocks across the country.

National President of ACDAN, Alhaji Abdullahi Potiskum who made this known in an interview with newsmen, yesterday, in Bauchi, said the military and other securities agencies not only extort money from his members but manhandled the drivers carrying their goods on the highways throughout the country.

He said: ”Our members supply cattle to the eastern states.

In the northern states like Adamawa, Borno and Kano states, they paid over N180,000 to security agents stationed on the roads. Those of us who supply cattle to the western states purchase our cattle from Sokoto and Zamfara states and we are made to pay N180,000 per trailer to security operatives, along the roads. This is higher than the transport fare.”

He said besides the extortion of huge sums of money, their members were forced by the security personnels to make outrageous expenditures on the road while engaging in their legitimate business.

Abdullahi further said,”the security personnel usually assault and delay any driver who refuses to pay or pay less than they demand. This has endangered our lives and our animals.

On one occasion, one person died while many animals were lost on the road before they could reach their destination.”

He said the situation was even worse in the northern states like Adamawa, Borno, Taraba, Nassarawa, Yobe, Bauchi, Gombe, Plateau, Benue and Kogi and in the Eastern States of Enugu, Anambra, Ebonyi, Abia and Imo. He said they had petitioned the Chief of Army Staff, Inspector General of Police and ministers of Agri-

culture and Internal Affairs without positive reactions from them.

The Chairman who expressed his displeasure over the nonchalant attitude of the military and the Federal Government towards their plight, threatened that if Federal Government does not address the situation, they will have no other option than to stop supplying animals to the southern part of the country as they cannot continue to operate their business at a loss.

ANO— THE Peo ples Democratic Party, PDP, Kano State chapter, weekend, dissolved the executive committees of the party in all the 44 local government areas and 484 wards in the state.

The dissolution was contained in a statement signed by the party’s Interim Chairman and Secretary, Dr Hassan Kafayos and Mr Andrew Musa respectively, in Kano.

It said the action was necessary because Gov. Rabiu Kwankwaso of the state had before his exit turned the party into the “Kwankwasiyya political movement”.

The statement alleged that the movement made the party to lose its capacity as a political body.

It also alleged that the governor had laid an ambush for PDP in the state since his assumption of office on May 29, 2011.

According to the statement, the chairmen of the caretaker committees of the party in the 44 local government areas had been appointed and would soon be announced.

It however said the caretaker committee members of the local government areas and the entire executive committees of the wards would be reconstituted after due consultations with stakeholders.

Tension in Jigawa as APC youths protest delay of LG polls results

BY ALIYU DANGIDA

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UTSE— THERE was tension in Hadejia Emirate of Jigawa State as thousands of youths, mostly All Progressives Congress, APC, supporters, yesterday protested the delay in announcing local government election results for Hadeja and Malam Madori local governments areas.

The tension started Saturday, due to the failure of electoral officers to announce the election results of the two local governments, thus provoking the voters.

It was alleged that the electoral officers went into hiding when it was discovered that the ruling People’s

Democratic Party’s candidate reportedly lost at the poll.

However, as early as 8am yesterday, thousands of youths stormed both the palace of the District Head and the Emir ’s palace chanting war songs as they demanded that the results be released.

“We need change and results must be announced,” they chanted. It took the intervention of a combined team of security personnel to stop the crowd from embarking on a rampage.

Speaking to Vanguard on telephone, the APC Chairmanship aspirant of Malam Madori Local Government, Alhaji Mohammed Nagaru expressed dismay over the delay in announcing the re-

sults, adding that both the electoral and returning officers went into hiding immediately after the people finished casting their votes.

“This has provoked the electorate who have begun to think that the election would be rigged. We reported the the case to police and the district head. In fact we slept at the polling station because if we left the place anything could happen,” he said.

He however, further explained that they would not take laws into their hands, pointing out that the authorities concerned should ensure that justice was done by announcing the election result instantly.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014—41

SWF: FG'll raise capital base, says Okonjo-Iweala F

INANCE Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said, yesterday, the Federal Government intends to increase the capital of its $1 billion sovereign wealth fund this year.

She said in an interview in Lagos, “We want to look at what we can do, however small, to ensure a steady streaming of income into the sovereign wealth fund. This is a very political year, so how we do it and what we do, we need to watch and see what is the best moment."

She, however, declined to comment on the possible amount.

The Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority was signed into law in May 2011 by Presi-

dent Goodluck Jonathan. While the fund managed by Chief Executive Officer Uche Orji, a former Goldman Sachs Group Incorporated, JPMorgan Chase & Co. and UBS AG banker, has started making investments, it is battling to increase in size from its initial capital. Africa’s top oil producer is targeting $5 billion for the wealth fund in the “medium term,” Okonjo-Iweala said last year.

Governors of the 36 states, including Babatunde Fashola, have said the fund is unconstitutional as all oil revenue must go to the federation account and be distributed between state, local and federal governments.

Okonjo-Iweala said she is also

looking to replenish the Excess Crude Account, which holds the savings the nation makes when the oil price is above the benchmark price estimated in the budget. The account dwindled to $2.28 billion at the end of last year from $8.65 billion a year earlier, according to a January 16 finance ministry statement sent to the House of Representatives Committee on Finance.

“A couple of hundred million dollars” was added to the account in December and nothing this month, Okonjo-Iweala said. “A lot will depend on what happens with the leakages and theft in the oil sector and how we’re able to close that up.”

Okonjo-Iweala said in November the government had to draw down the savings account to compensate for rampant oil theft by gangs in the Niger Delta that have caused crude production to miss budget estimates.

Oil production averaged less than two million barrels a day last year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg, compared with the 2.53 million barrels the government had predicted. Savings are also being undermined because the state oil company retained $10.8 billion in revenue, leaving the nation exposed to possible oil price shocks, central bank Governor

Lamido Sanusi said in an interview last week. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corp. has said it spent the money on pipeline repairs, fuel subsidies, crude losses and reserve fuel. The country is seeking to plug a housing deficit of 17 million with the creation of a mortgage-finance company that the government says will mimic the U.S.’s Fannie Mae. The Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Co. will sell 50 billion naira ($317 million) of long maturity bonds within the next three to four months, with another sale of 50 billion naira planned in six to nine months, Okonjo-Iweala said.

Orubebe assures on peace in N-Delta

BY CHRIS OCHAYI

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INISTER of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe, yesterday, said the present administrations would address the plight of the youths in the Niger Delta region to foster sustenance of relative peace being enjoyed in the region.

Orubebe stated this in Warri, Delta State while disbursing N66 million to 88 youths in the region who had undergone various trainings in agriculture to enable them establish fishing and poultry farms.

The beneficiaries are non-militant youths who had undergone training in the field of agriculture in Galilee, Israel and Songhai Farms, Port Novo, Benin Republic respectively, under the sponsorship of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.

The funds disbursement was in fulfilment of the promise made by the ministry to provide financial support to its graduands under the Skills Acquisition programme.

Presenting a cheque of N750,000to each of the 88 graduands at a colourful ceremony, Orubebe said the gesture was to enable them set up their respective farms to pursue a career in fishing and poultry farming respectively.

While addressing the beneficiaries, the minister noted that the measure was to guarantee sustainable livelihood to the beneficiaries and add value to the human capital development efforts of youths in Nigeria and particularly the Niger Delta region.

The minister who was represented by Mr. Sam Osasa, his Special Assistant, explained further that the move was in line with the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

He reminded the beneficiaries that the money was given as an operational fund geared towards kick-starting the business of fishing and poultry which are the branches of agricultural business they opted for and not for pleasure seeking.

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42 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014—43

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44—

Vanguard, TUESD AY, JANUARY 21, 2014 TUESDA

Crisis in the health sector:

CONHESS 10: A skip in time saves lives

By SOLA OGUNDIPE & CHIOMA OBINNA

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n the last three years or thereabouts, professionals in the Federal health sector, have been deadlocked with the Federal Ministry of Health and Salaries and Wages Commission the over the Consolidated Health Sector Salary Scale Grade Level 10, a.k.a. CONHESS 10. The main contention is the controversial skipping clause, that is, jumping from GL 09 to GL 11. Previously, all Federal

healthworkers benefitted from the skipping arrangement. The dispute became drawn out when the Federal health workers embarked on strike following issuance of circular from the office of the Secretary to the Federal Government, SFG, purportedly authorising the non-skipping of CONHESS 10 by a category of health workers which is maintaining that the skipping policy has to be sustained irrespective of the "obnoxious circular".

Although a counter circular was immediately issued to correct the

anomaly, allegations of failure of the Federal Ministry of Health to honour a tripartite agreement on the brouhaha has only served to worsen matters. To skip or not to skip? There now a sharp disagreement among the distinct parties over this and the entire health system is perpetually steeped in the crisis. Aggrieved parties stoutly decline to shift ground and fortunes of healthcare delivery in government hospitals remain topsy-turvy. Series of hospital shutdowns continue to trail the development even as an appeal on the

matter is pending before the National Industrial Court. However, the lives of more innocent Nigerian may be about to be sacrificed as yet another health sector strike looms. Health workers have issued notice of a 3-day nationwide warning strike from tomorrow to seek redress for the “injustice” from skipping of CONHESS 10. In this second part of our special series on Crisis in the Health Sector, concerned parties examine the current position and review the next steps.

Excerpts:

Skipping provides opportunity to reach GL 17 3yrs earlier — Comrade Christian Ugboaja,

Chairman, Nigeria Union of Pharmacists, Medical Lab Technologists & Physically and Allied Medicines, NUPTAM, NOHL branch

S

KIPPING gives everyprofessional in the civil service the opportunity to reach GL 17 three years earlier.

Normally it takes at least three years to move from one Grade Level to another according to government salary structure, so allowing one set of professionsls to skip and preventing another set of professionals from skipping within the same health industry is discriminatory.

On this particular aspect, there were so many studies involved and we took a wholesome view before coming about skipping of CONHESS 10.

All professionals including medical practitioners skip. What makes it look as if there is a problem is that at a stage, the professionals were not interested in what they were paid but only interested in developing themselves. The health workers then were not of a sizeable number.

At that point in time, everyone was interested only in in the nitty gritty of

medicine and the rate at which the doctors were coming out was much.

At a point, they saw themselves as dominating the market and thought they could train subsidiaries to assist them. But it became necessary for others to assist not as subsidiaries.

The Ministries of Education and Health, looked into the curricula and saw the need to train other professionals.

At that point in time, doctors were determining the salaries because there was no sizeable population for the other professionals.

But with awareness creation and education, other professional groups saw the need to agitate for their take home.

But the issue of numbers remained a problem. The entire body of health professionals is now asking for their due, and it is being done to close the gap even though some other groups may see it as a problem.

While I am not saying skipping is part of closing the gap because it has been there from the beginning, the point is that it is the due of the health workers.

Doctors are the biggest beneficiaries —Pharm Olumide Akintayo, President, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, PSN

M

EDICAL doctors, it must be said are the biggest beneficiaries of skipping as currently they enter the public service on the

SFG’s Circular caused the —Dr. Francis Faduyile, Chairman, problem Lagos State NMA branch T

HE Nigeria Medical Association believes that skipping has been taken care of, in the CONMESS and CONHESS Tables even in normal Grade Levels.

Anyone who is on GL 10 goes straight to GL 12 which is normal in the Tables. CONHESS 9 is equivalent to GL 10. CONHESS 10 is equivalent to GL 12. CONHESS 9 which is GL10 is equivalent to CONMESS 1.

CONMESS 2 serves as CONHESS 10 and GL 12.

This is how it has been input so that skipping of GL10 is already taken care of in the Tables.

It is surprising that they are now •Dr Francis Faduyile

•Comrade Christian Ugboaja

Continues on page 45

•Pharm Olumide Akintayo equivalent of GL 10 for internship training (or housemanship) and proceed to GL 12 after youth service when the average University graduate only starts at GL 08 after youth service.

The insistence that pharmacists and others must not be allowed to skip CONHESS 10 which is now a major demand is a shame. Doctors are

supposed to be knowledgeable people who should know a thing or two about the rule of law. The issue of skipping of grades has been tested in the law courts and today there is a substantive order of the National Industrial Court that pharmacists and other health workers be legitimately allowed to skip CONHESS 10.

Whereas the Federal Ministry of Health and various hospitals/ parastatals had said there were no funds to pay arrears of skipping of CONHESS 10 and specialist allowance illegally denied our members, but suddenly there are now funds to pay jumbo allowances and newly approved increases in the CONMESS salary scale.

The selective and discriminatory increases in wages and allowances of one group in a multidisciplinary sector without commensurate treatment to other members of the sector is not only provocative and insensitive but runs counter to social justice and equity.

Government is called upon to redress this anomaly immediately for the sustenance of incentive and commitment for patient care in our hospitals.

Vanguard, TUESD AY, JANUARY 21, 2014— 45 TUESDA

NIC decision is victory for health workers

There is no reason for skipping

—Comrade Obinna Ogbonna, National

—Prof, Onyebuchi

General Secretary, Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals, NUAHP

Chukwu, Minister for Health

T

HE issue of skipping of CONHESS 10 is not new in the public service. Like in the core civil service where people that are on salary Grade Levels 1-17. CONHESS is 115. You will discover that GL 11 which is equivalent to CONHESS 10 by conversion, is skipped. Persons on this grade level are promoted from GL 10 to GL12 while those on CONHESS move from GL 9 to GL11. In 2010, a circular was passed stopping the skipping for health workers.

All efforts made by the Unions in the health sector to convince Government failed to rescind the obnoxious circular, the matter degenerated into industrial crisis.

The Minister of Labour apprehended the strike in 2010 and the matter was referred to the National Industrial court in 2010.

The final ruling was given on the 22nd of July 2013 by Justice Adejumo, who said from the evidence before him that skipping of CONHESS 10 is justified and therefore should continue while the Circular barring people from skipping is null and void.

We are in the era of rule of law and due process. It is expected that skipping of CONHESS 10 will continue except the present judgement is overturned by a higher court. All the Joint Health Sector Unions, JOHESU, members are happy over this judgement.

It is victory for us as professionals in the health sector.

Skipping has removed undue stagnation. It has removed the discrimination that would have existed in the health sector and colleagues in the universities and research institutes where skipping was allowed.

• Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu

T

• Comrade Obinna Ogbonna

Demand for skipping is an immoral consession —Dr. Osahon Enabulele, President, Nigeria

Medical Association, NMA

T

HE demand for skipping of CONHESS 10 is unjustifiable.

It is an act reminiscent of stealing from government by threatening and blackmailing government to allow them jump a whole grade level in the public service. This is certainly outrageous, especially as there is no verifiable or justifiable reason to warrant that immoral concession.

If government succumbs to this threat and blackmail by allowing the Allied Health Professionals under the aegis of an amorphous body to skip a grade level (even against the circular earlier issued by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation outlawing skipping in the civil service) then government must also allow

SFG’s Circular caused the problem Continued from page 44 looking for CONHESS 10 so that when somebody moves to CONHESS 9 the person will move straight to CONHESS 11. Looking at it from GL 0, somebody on GL10 will want to go to GL 13 if they are skipping CONHESS 10.

A civil servant on GL 12 with a person on CONHESS 9 when promoted with skipping will go to CONHESS 11 which is equivalent to GL13.

Essentially, somebody who is senior will lose that seniority by the time the person moves to that grade level.

That is why we are saying the skipping is already inherent in the CONHESS and CONMESS Tables.

Those asking for skipping have obtained a National Industrial Court decision which is under appeal at present. The NMA being a law abiding Association does not want to fight anybody or flout the decision of the NIC. However, if we are working in the same environment, since CONHESS

HERE is no reason for skipping, even from the word “skipping” you could see there is something wrong. Why must we be so fixated with skipping? Why must we skip? The word alone suggests that something is wrong and something is illegal.

Although skipping happened in the

past, there is the need to correct these illegalities. Why must a Director and a Deputy Director receive the same salary? The differentiation should not only be on the titles but also on the salary scale.

There is no way anybody can change my mind on this. There is no going back. There is no reason for anybody to jump any level. Vacancy should be created for people to get to that CONHESS 15 but I can't see how you will skip and things will work out. Let us see how we can move the health sector forward. Let us not be fixated about these issues. It is completely wrong.

10 is equivalent to CONMESS 2, CONMESS 2 should also be skipped in the CONMESS Table. That is the only equitable action in this respect.

The Salaries and Wages Commission and the Federal Ministry of Health are looking at salaries of workers in the health sector.

And the circular directing this skipping did not emanate from either of these two but emanated from the office of the Secretary to the Federal Government.

This development was an abnormality. When the Ministry got wind of that, they corrected it by writing a counter circular to say it has been taken care of in the Tables.

It came up after CONMESS had been fought and won by medical doctors and everything that was in CONMESS was exactly the same in the CONHESS Table.

It is the wrong circular released by the SFG office that is causing the problem and since the NIC’s decision is that they should continue to enjoy it until further discussion on it, so be it.

skipping of grade level not just for doctors, but for the entire Federal Civil Service workforce. In that case, government will have to elongate the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure,CONMESS, for medical/ dental practitioners in addition to reintroducing the Medical Salary Super Scale, MSSS/Salary Structure for doctors. This is the only way the NMA can accept any immoral skipping of salary grade level by the Allied Health Professionals. Leaders and elders in the health sector, in the spirit of new year must come together and save this important sector. It appears that government has failed to enthrone peace and harmony in the restive sector The stakeholders meeting I am advocating will draw selfless practitioners who believe that the Sector must be operated as a team and that respect must replace hatred in so much as a team number contributes to the care of patient.

Leadership of the team must be earned through demonstration of skills, competence, and humility that is the hallmark of international best practice and not the type the current act for the establishment of Teaching Hospitals that Decree 10 imposes on the sector.

• Dr. Osahon Enabulele

• Pharm Emmanuel Agba

Patronise local Pharma coys, Tyonex tells State, Local Govts

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TATE and Local governments across theFederation have been urged to implement a deliberate policy of patronising local and indigenous manufacturing pharmaceutical companies so as to encourage their survival and promotion of the nation’s local manufacturing industry.

Managing Director, Tyonex Nigeria Ltd, Mr. Emmanuel Agba, who made the call in Lagos said the Federal government had already set agenda for the local manufacturing industry.

“I believe Nigeria has capacity to attain greater heights and expand its local pharmaceutical industry. State and Local Governments should toe the line of the Federal government, just like it is done in China in order to encourage the local industry to produce those things we have capacity to produce.

Agba said while the issue of prequalification was essential for accessing funds, it was not a mandatory requirement at the local level.

“A company that is not prequalified to the World Heqalth health Organisation standard is not necessarily of low standard. We stick to the standard set by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, and that is acceptable,” he stressed.

46—Vanguard, TUESD AY, JANUARY 21, 2014 TUESDA

Go for regular health checks, NMA tells Nigerians

By CHIOMA OBINNA

T

HE Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, has urged Nigerians to give priority to routine medical check up in their scheme of things even as it applauded the Niger State Government for directing its Civil Service Commission to urgently develop an effective modality of conducting an annual medical checkup for the state's work force President of the NMA, Dr. Osahon Enabulele, regretted that many Nigerians are yet to imbibe the culture of going for routine medical checks.

He commended the directive by Governor Muazu Aliyu of Niger State for routine checks by civil servants, following the sudden death of Hajiya Bilkisu Mahmoud, a civil servant who allegedly slumped and later died at the Specialist Hospital while on an assignment at the Government House, Minna.

"Nigerian Medical Association advises that conscious efforts should be made to accord healthcare its rightful place in the scheme of things.

This, the NMA believes, is the way forward towards creating and upholding a healthy workforce for families, communities, organisations and the Nigerian nation.”

Stating that the directive couldn't have been better timed, Enabulele recalled that the need to reduce incidences of sudden death and Non-

Communicable Diseases was partly why the NMA launched a healthy living and health check-up campaign last year, with a fervent call on all levels of government to make adequate provisions for free health check-up for Nigerian citizens under their jurisdiction, at least once a year.

"NMA enjoins all Nigerians to place health related issues, especially periodic medical check-ups at clinics and hospitals, at the prime-most positions of their annual plan of activity and programmes.

PathCare makes case for qualitative lab services

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FFICIENT and reliable laboratory services and networks have been identified as essential factors in an effective and wellfunctioning health system. In a paper entitled; “Meeting International Standards in Laboratory, Managing Director, Pathcare Laboratories, Dr. Pamela Ajayi, noted that high-quality laboratory testing is critical for patients care, prevention, disease surveillance and outbreak investigations.

Ajayi who spoke at a symposium organised by the Health Writers Association of Nigeria, HEWAN, in Lagos, said: “In sub-Saharan Africa, laboratory infrastructure and personnel

•Members of the Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria, MLSCN, recently undertook a study tour to South Africa for the National Accreditation System, SANAS. From left: Prof Anthony Emeribe, Registrar/CEO, MLSCN; Dr. Lawrena Okoro, Director Lab. Accreditation and Regulation, MLSCN; Mrs. Christianah Labako, Senior Manager, SANAS, and Mr. Jon Josias, CEO, SANAS , during the tour.

are adversely affected by a lack of resources and prioritization. As a result, the accessibility of laboratory testing and the quality of available services remains a serious challenge.

It is therefore imperative that laboratory systems be strengthened within broader efforts toward health system strengthening.

“Few laboratories in Africa (only 340) are currently accredited. “The majority of the accredited laboratories are in South Africa, only 28 (8.2 percent) are in sub-Saharan Africa,” she noted In Nigeria, Pathcare isthe only laboratory with ISO 15189 in addition to SANAS accreditations.

“Other labs in Nigeria can start with the WHO-AFRO stepwise accreditation approach and grow, it is important that these things are established here in Nigeria, we must not accept anything less than the best”, Ajayi said.

Chairman, BOT, HEWAN, Dr. Emmanuel Enabulele, said it was time for Nigeria to meet international standards in health care delivery as such step would reduce mortality and morbidity, improve the country ’s health indices and help achieve the Millennium Development Goals, MDGs. In her lecture entitled; “Breast Feeding: Nature’s Recipe for Babies” Project Director, Colostrum International, Dr. Bunmi Ogundimu called on the Federal Government to establish breast milk bank to assist working mothers and others that could not breast feed naturally.

Ogundimu also advised the government to establish crèches at work places so that working mothers can visit the crèches and breastfeed their babies during office hours.

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 21 , 2014 — 47

By HENRY UMORU

A

BUJA- The Management of Abuja Metropolitan Management Council, AMMC and the Department of Development Control penultimate Sunday carried out the orders of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, Senator Bala Mohammed when they pulled down two gardens over alleged abuse of the city’s master plan.

The gardens - Fesco Security Gardens and Deos garden all located on Imo Crescent, Area 1, Section 1, had all their structures pulled down by the bulldozers belonging to the Development Control.

The demolitions were supervised by the AMMC Coordinator, Mr Reuben Okoya, an architect and the Director, Development Control, Mallam Yahaya Yusuf.

FCTA officials maintained that the structures at the gardens were illegal and not befitting the nation’s capital. They further alleged that the demolished structures did not have building plans nor approvals before they were put in place.

Members of Illumination Gospel Assembly were singing and praising God at Deos Garden when the bulldozers and staff of the AMMC, Development Control and Parks and Recreation arrived at about 10 am for the demolition exercise. A similar thing happened at Fesco Gardens. Members of The Place of Worship Parish, a branch of the Redeemed Christian Church of God had to hurriedly pack their belongings when

Debris from the demolition to restore Abuja master plan

FCTA vows to restore Abuja’s master plan ...Demolishes gardens over alleged illegal activities the demolition squad arrived the garden.

The Coordinator, AMMC, Mr Reuben Okoya told newsmen that the demolition became necessary because the gardens were turned into places of gambling, breeding of dogs and prostitution. He warned that the government will step up such demolitions to scare miscreants away as well as keep the city clean and give it the status befitting of a federal capital that

can be compared to any other major cities of the world.

“It is being demolished because there is a lot of illegality going on there. Illegal structures, illegal activities. What you find here is that somebody took a private plot, a residential plot and turned it to what it ought not to be. This contravened the city plan of Abuja and that will not be condoned. They constructed a park, a church, a

dog breeding ground, security office. The level of impunity going on here is just not acceptable,” Okoya alleged..

Continuing, the AMAC Coordinator said, “ They have taken a private residential plot and merged it with a green area and basically having 24 hours activities in the city; this is not allowed. So we are bringing it down to ensure that we conform with the city’s master plan.”

Lagos council budgets N525m for infrastructure upgrade

By KINGSLEY ADEGBOYE

A

muwo-Odofin Local Government Area in Lagos State has earmarked the sum of N525 million for the upgrade infrastructure in the Council in 2014. The Chairman of the Council, Comrade Ayodele Adewale disclosed this while presenting the 2014 budget proposal to the Council’s legislature at it’s Festac Town secretariat, last week. .

The 4.58 billion budget proposal for the 2014 fiscal year, represents a five per cent decrease when compared with last year’s budget of N5.45 billion, hence he termed it Budget of Prudence The LGA boss explained that 60 percent of the Council’s projected revenue will come from statutory allocations from the Federal Government, while five

percent will come from the State government’s statutory allocation. Revenue from value added tax,VAT will contribute five per cent while internally generated revenue IGR will contribute another 10 per cent.

Comrade Adewale said 60 per cent of the revenue will be for recurrent expenditure while 40 percent will be expended on capital projects.

Apart from infrastructure upgrade which got the lion’s share of N525 million , the Environment was allocated N60 million while education and health got N50 million allocation each.

“We intend to concentrate more on infrastructure development and prune down on our recurrent expenditure, which is why this budget is termed budget of prudence. Road network for instance, is one vital area that we will concentrate on. This is

with the objective of positively changing the face of AmuwoOdofin within the shortest possible time.

“Our coastal communities will also be given considerable attention, as we intend to open up the place for socio-economic opportunities.

The infrastructure in the whole of the local government will be strengthened, just as we need to strengthen the primary healthcare and educational sectors. May I reiterate the commitment of this administration to work with all stakeholders of this noble project called Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area, as we remain open to supports, assistance and co-operation from all quarters,” he said.

“On the long journey to reclaim the lost glory of our beloved community, our overriding concern should be to har-

ness our efforts, resources and expertise while we utilise the same in the most efficient manner to sustain the development we have recorded thus far. For instance, our environment, under this administration has continued to improve, particularly our response to environmental sanitation, except with the attitude of some residents who have refused to imbibe the positive culture of sanitation that is giving the community a negative posturing.

“Inspite of this, officials of the environmental unit have continued to arrest and prosecute offenders while our street managers and environmental task force, more than ever before have remained committed to maintaining our environment”, Adewale said.

On whether the management of the gardens were informed, Okoya said, “Of course they were informed, I was here yesterday to inform them, and in any case we don’t need to inform criminals and people performing illegality of what we are going to do. We have the mandatory responsibility to clean up the city; so when will see such illegal action, we simply clean up. You don’t have to tell a criminal that you are coming to do your work. Our job is is 24 hours and we do it. We informed them yesterday it just a matter of policy.”

Speaking earlier, Mr. Innocent Isiagu, an town planner, explained that the structures were illegal, hence they were pulled down as part of moves to restore the Abuja Master plan. He stressed that the buildings were not befitting the FCT as a Federal Capital City, adding that if they must be allowed, the owners must regularise their papers and obtain building plan approvals.

A Deacon with The Place of Victory Parish, Mr,William Ikpi, a lawyer, described the demolition as absurd. He claimed that they had no prior knowledge that the Development Control would pull down the structure especially against the backdrop that the action was carried out on Sunday while worship was on going.

According to him, the Church pays monthly to use the place.

Asked if the Church would seek redress, Mr Ikpi said he wasn’t in a position to proffer an answer.

48 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014

Orchid Court set to redefine Ikeja GRA landscape

By JUDE NJOKU

A

FRONTLINE real estate development company, Messrs Briscoe Properties Limited is set to deliver Orchid Court located in the low density residential area of Ikeja GRA. Orchid Court according to a press statement by the company, “offers elegant apartments built to top architectural standards and well crafted with European-standard finishing materials for the owner’s enjoyment now and in the future” Specifically, Orchid Court comes in seven different types of residential units ranging from spacious flats, terrace houses and detached houses, each with its unique view and serene spatial arrangement.

“This is complemented with recreation facilities which includes beautiful landscaped outdoor, children’s play area, swimming pool, recreational gym and generous terraces. Safety of lives and properties were of paramount consideration during the planning of the estate, and as such, it features electric fence, intercom and video door phone among others,” the company said. Flaunting the advantages of the Court, the Briscoe Properties statement noted that Ikeja GRA environment where the Court is located is one of the best to live in Lagos. “It is an exclu-

O

Orchid Court Ikeja GRA sive residential community known for its high profile neighbourhood, natural beauty and serenity, ideal for enjoying an evening after work and a safe haven for families. With an array of business and governmental functions within minutes’ drive away, Orchid Court rests comfortably in the embrace of Ikeja GRA’s natural beauty of tree-lined

streets, making it the perfect haven away from the daily hustle and bustle of the Lagos metropolis Investing in Orchid Court provides a prestigious new address and an enviable urban lifestyle. The GRA is already undergoing significant infrastructural developments from the State Government, which includes upgrade of the road networks,

drains and power integration,” the company said Briscoe Property which is , a subsidiary of R.T Briscoe Nigeria Plc, is not new in the development of luxury housing. The company in 2012, developed the Aloe Vera Court and Heliconia Court which are gated developments of terraced houses at Maryland and Yaba in mainland Lagos.

Zamfara signs $2m urban planning pact with UN—Habitat

By JUDE NJOKU

Z

AMFARA State last week, joined the growing number of Nigerian states which have signed memorandum of understanding, MoU with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UNHabitat on urban planning.

Specifically, the Northwestern state signed an agreement under which it will make a contribution of USD 2 million, (about 320 million naira) to UN-Habitat over three years (2014-2016) for socioeconomic and urban planning projects in selected towns and cities of the state.

A report on UN-Habitat’s website, explained that the agreement was signed by the Zamfara State Governor, Alhaji Abdul’ Aziz Yari Abubakar and the Executive Director of UNHabitat, Dr. Joan Clos. The agreement stipulates that Zamfara state will contribute the seed fund while the UN agency will provides the manpower, knowledge and skills. UNHabitat will also be responsible for receiving and administrating the funds contributed for the implementation of the chosen projects. The projects include City Structure Plan for selected cities and towns, Water and Sanitation, establishment of Zamfara Urban Observatory, and

Exhibitors line up for Unique Interiors expo

Integrated Solid Waste Management Programme. and Local Economic Development Initiatives focusing on youth employment. The Waste Management Programme which will be a joint venture with the United Nations Environment Programme, UNEP Speaking after signing the pact, Governor Abubakar remarked that Zamfara has a lot to offer and expressed optimism that the agreement with UNHabitat would go a long way in helping them achieve their urbanisation targets.

Technical expertise The Governor who was accompanied by some members of his cabinet explained that Zamfara ”has a lot of potential but lacks the technical expertise” “I am assuring you that my government is ready to work with UN-Habitat so that we realise our full potential,” he said.

Also speaking at the ceremony, Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Kenya who is also the Permanent Representative to UN-Habitat, Mr. Akin Oyateru commended Zamfara state for deciding to buy into UN-Habitat’s vision of the New Urban Agenda.

“Shelter is one of the most important things for human

beings and the way we do shelter must ensure that we help create jobs which are crucial in addressing the problem of youth unemployment,” he said.

The UN-Habitat Executive Director, Dr. Clos described Zamfara as a well-endowed state adding that such wealth ought to be augmented with planned urbanisation.

“I think you can take charge of urban development in your state but this comes with a shift in mentality. We should not only concentrate on construction but other economic services like banking. I am also told that agriculture is thriving in that state and it would be very important to link agricultural and urban development,” he said.

The Director and Chief Scientific Advisor, Prof. Oyebanji Oyeyinka listed the benefits of the partnership which include Zamfara plugging into UNHabitata’s vast network of partners and relative lower cost of projects compared with private consultancies.

Others, according to Prof. Oyeyinka who is the overall coordinator of the programme, include the leveraging of funds and international aids based on the outcomes of the programme.

Zamfara is the sixth Nigerian state to enter into a similar agreement with UN-Habitat.

Others are Anambra, Ondo,

Osun, Nassarawa and Kogi.

Agency reports indicate that several other states are also showing interest in partnering with the U N agency on t h e sustainable development of their u r b a n centres.

By KINGSLEY ADEGBOYE

VER 100 exhibitors are expected to participate at the 11th edition of Unique Interiors Exhibition and Product Presentation billed to take place at Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island between next month.

The three- day event which is being put together by Flair Finishes, has uniqueness with a professional touch as the theme.

Mrs. Debola Majekodunmi, an architect and CEO of Flair Finishes said this year’s event is being organised in collaboration with Nile Support Services. She noted that although the interior decoration industry in Nigeria is still in its formative stage, it is an integral part of the built environment all over the world.

Mrs. Majekodunmi stated that effective and professional management are required to get optimum benefit from the industry.

She said “this year’s theme is predicted on our core belief that Nigeria like every other society in the world has her own unique aesthetic values which give her distinctive identity in the comity of nations. This is also in congruence with the Nigerian government’s recent campaign geared towards encouraging Nigerians to cultivate a positive disposition towards indigenous goods and services”.

According to her, this year’s exhibition is aimed at making décor and design more accessible to home owners by providing plenty of ideas and giving detailed information on interior designs.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014—49

Chris Christie’s Bridge-Gate Scandal

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EW Jersey Governor Chris Christie does not see himself as a bully. But his burly physique and tough-talking mannerisms make you want to believe that he is. Now, he is fighting like a bull to clear his name in the on-going ‘bridge-gate’ scandal. If not handled with care, the scandal might scuttle Christie’s unstated but well-known ambition to run for the US presidency in 2016.

The bridge-gate affair appears to be a political pay-back plot gone bad; a case of political vendetta orchestrated by Governor Christie’s top aides. It all happened on September 9, last year when, without warning, one of the world’s busiest bridges that links News Jersey to Manhattan (New York) was shut down. The closure created unprecedented traffic chaos that took several days to contain.

As innocuous as this might sound, very few people knew that the closure of the George Washington Bridge had more to it than was apparent. It was only when a local newspaper blew open the lid that the entire country was thrown into political theater that stunned many.

It emerged that closing the bridge was a form of political retribution against the Mayor of Fort Lee town, Mr. Mark Sokolich, who did not endorse Governor Christie during his re-election campaign last year.

But, how does closing a bridge matter? An excerpt from an e-mail message from Governor Christie’s now sacked top aide, Ms Bridget Anne Kelly, to David Wildstein who ran the Port Authority that

ed with money received by his state to assist victims of Hurricane Sandy which ravaged parts of New Jersey and other states in 2012. The main issue is that the state of New Jersey rejected another bid to produce the advertisement.

That bid was to have saved some $2 million and produced without the governor ’s family portrait. Governor Christie’s critics are saying that the advertisement not only cost an extra $2 million which could have gone to the victims of the disaster, but was also used extensively during the governorship campaign period under the guise of wooing investors and tourists to return to New Jersey after the hurricane.

A number of pertinent issues arise from Governor Christie’s predicament. Prominent on the list is how potential presidential materials are scrutinized in the US. In this country, you cannot successfully run for public office even with what looks like skeletons in your cupboard.

Skeletons in the cupboard

One way or another, the media will catch up with you and that will be the end of your political ambition. Over here, the media are powerful agents especially in the political process. Public officers are really held accountable by the media. And, no public officer, from the president to the least powerful, can afford to ignore media scrutiny.

Another issue is what top aides to any leader can actually do on his/her behalf in the imagination that they are doing the leader great In this country, you cannot successfully service. The Mayor of Fort Lee is run for public office even with what not in the good looks like skeletons in your cupboard books of the govcontrolled the bridge told it all. “Time ernor, so the governor’s aides concludfor some traffic problems in Fort Lee,” ed that one way to impress their boss is wrote Ms Kelly to David, who was ap- to cook up trouble for his political oppointed to his position by the embattled ponent. Just think about what might governor. And to that message David have been done, and continues to be replied “Got you,” indicating that the done, in Nigeria by some overzealous closure was a pre-planned affair whose officers in Aso Rock who believe their intention was to cause maximum traffic self-generated actions will please Preschaos in Fort Lee and make its mayor ident GoodluckJonathan! look stupid and incompetent and perBut, of greater importance is that for haps trigger calls for him to be removed those aides to “act” on behalf of Goverfrom office! nor Christie, the governor must have The bridge-gate scandal may not have been conducting himself in a manner attracted so much attention but for the that made it possible for the aides to fact that Governor Christie is expected look into their political crystal ball and to be one of the front-runners in the come up with what they thought might 2016 US presidential election. Before please their boss. Governor Christie is the scandal, his approval rating was known to be a bully who shows little above sixty-five percent and he was seen accommodation for those who hate his as perhaps the most credible Republi- guts. A former governor of New Jersey can Party opponent to Hillary Clinton, one criticized him and Christie’s reacwho is expected to win the Democratic tion was to order the withdrawal of the Party’s ticket for the race to the White former governor ’s official security House. guards. So, it does not really surprise Governor Christie has embarked on anyone that Governor Christie’s aides multiple efforts to clear his name in the can hatch a plot to cause traffic maybridge-gate affair. But, more potential hem in Fort Lee. scandals are popping up to make his Governor Christie’s troubles are not political light dim further. The latest is likely to be over anytime soon. In fact, anadvertisement that was used during I believe that his 2016 presidential amhis re-election campaign. It had the gov- bition is dead or at least dying. ernor’s family portrait. The ad was fund-

,

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50 — V anguard Vanguard anguard,, TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014

BRIEFS

UN boss battles to save Syria's peace talks

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CAR elects first female Interim president T

HE mayor of the Central African Republic’s capital Bangui was chosen as interim president yesterday, becoming the first woman to lead the violencewracked country, as the European Union agreed to send hundreds of troops to help stem the bloodshed.

Catherine SambaPanza, a businesswoman with a reputation as a fighter who became Bangui mayor last year, was elected in a secondround vote by the transitional parliament.

She now faces the enormous task of restoring peace to the chronically unstable country.

Cheers broke out in the assembly as the result was announced, with lawmakers singing the national anthem in celebration.

In her victory speech, Samba-Panza — who won 75 votes against 53 for Desire Kolingba, the son of a former president — called for an end to violence by the mostly Muslim Seleka ex-rebels and Christian self-defence militias known as “antibalaka” (anti-machete).

“I’m launching a resounding appeal to my anti-balaka children who are listening to me: Show your support for my

Hariri to contest Lebanon November elections

F

Catherine Samba-Panza celebrate s he r election as the interim president of the Central African Republic nomination by giving the strong signal of laying down your weapons,” said Samba-Panza, who is Christian but did not campaign on a religious platform.

“To my ex-Seleka children who are also

listening to me: Lay down your weapons,” she said.

“Stop the suffering of the people.”

The 59-year-old called herself “the president of all Central Africans, without exclusion”, and said her top priority was

•Pope Francis

“to stop people’s suffering, to restore security and the authority of the state across the country”.

EU foreign ministers meanwhile agreed to send hundreds of troops to the country in a rare joint military mission.

•••EU to send military force to CAR

T

HE European Union will send up to 1,000 soldiers to help stabilize Central African Republic, deploying its first major army operation in six years, EU foreign ministers decided

yesterday The EU has been spurred into action by communal bloodshed in Central African Republic that led a senior U.N. official to warn last week

Spain’s new Cardinal slams complain and don’t homosexuality tolerate it but with all Pope Francis’ newly chosen Spanish cardinal, 84-year-old Fernando Sebastian Aguilar, has described homosexuality as a

N leader Ban Ki-moon battled yesterday to save a Syria peace conference after the Syrian opposition threatened to withdraw if Iran takes part.

Ban’s spokesman said he was “dismayed” by Iran’s refusal to back an international statement calling for a transitional government in Syria and the Syrian opposition’s threat to boycott the talks.

“The secretary general is currently urgently considering his options in light of the disappointing reaction of some participants,” UN spokesman Martin Nesirky told reporters.

Nesirky said Ban is in contact with the US and Russian foreign ministers over the mounting storm just two days ahead of the start of the peace conference in the Swiss town of Montreux.

He would not confirm that Ban would leave for Montreux yesterday.

“defect” that can be corrected with treatment, sparking condemnation from gay rights groups.

“A lot of people

respect I say that homosexuality is a defective way of manifesting sexuality, because that has a structure and a purpose, which is procreation,” Sebastian told Malaga newspaper Sur. The interview was published Sunday, a week after the Spaniard was named as one of 19 new cardinals chosen by the pope, to be officially appointed February 22.

“We have a lot of defects in our bodies. I have high blood pressure. Am I going to get angry because they tell me that? It is a defect I have that I have to correct as far as I can,” said Sebastian, who is the archbishop emeritus of the northern city of Pamplona.

of a risk of genocide there without a more decisive international response.

Meeting in Brussels, the ministers approved an outline plan to send a battalion-sized force to the violence-torn country but detailed military plans still need to be worked out. It is not yet clear which countries will provide the troops.

Donors at another meeting in Brussels pledged nearly half a billion dollars in humanitarian aid for Central African Republic amid concern among aid officials at the deteriorating situation there.

“This has been for far too long a forgotten crisis, (but it is) forgotten no more,” EU humanitarian aid commissioner Kristalina Georgieva told reporters after the meeting with governments, the United Nations and other i n t e r n a t i o n a l organizations.

EU officials hope the EU force, which will be based around the capital Bangui and its airport, will start arriving in Central African Republic

ORMER Lebanese Prime Minister Saad alHariri said yeaterday he would return to Lebanon ahead of parliamentary elections later this year and was ready to work with his rivals for the good of the country.

Hariri, who has been living in exile between France and Saudi Arabia since 2011 when his government was toppled by Hezbollah, has been attending the trial in the Netherlands of four of its members charged with his father’s killing.

Lebanon, still struggling to recover from its 1975-1990 civil war, has been without a fully functioning government since Prime Minister Najib Mikati resigned last March.

A caretaker cabinet with minimal powers is running the country while parties try to reach a deal to form a government ahead of parliamentary elections due in November.

Republican Party battles image problem

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HE Republican Party’s image has changed little in the year since GOP Chairman Reince Priebus published his prescription for broadening the party ’s appeal despite its investment in outreach to the racial minorities, women and gay voters who backed Democrats decisively in 2012.

“The issue that remains an open book for the Republicans is: What is the character of the party?” said Ari Fleischer, a top aide to President George W. Bush, who helped author the report of the “Growth and Opportunity Project. “Are we a more inclusive and welcoming party yet?”

As the Republican National Committee opens its winter meetings here Wednesday, the party is counting on the political geography and expected lower turnout of the 2014 midterm elections to give them control of the Senate. If that happens, Fleischer said, it would be a “false narcotic” for the larger problems facing a party that has lost the national popular vote in five of the last six presidential elections. Those will take years to fix.

US begins easing sanctions on Iran

T

HE United States has followed through on promised sanctions relief for Iran covering oil exports, trade in precious metals, and automotive services as part of a nuclear agreement that began taking effect on Monday, U.S. officials said.

In exchange for steps that Tehran took to halt its most sensitive nuclear activity, the White House said the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia, China and the European Union “will today follow through on our commitment to begin to provide the modest relief agreed to with Iran.”

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014 — 51

City splash £300,000 on Iheanacho’s father I

T has been learnt that Kelechi Iheanacho’s father and Taye Academy have received half of what was promised them by Manchester City.

That would mean City have splashed at least 300,000 pounds to secure the talented Iheanacho, who was picked by FIFA as the best player at last year’s U17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.

MTNFootball.com specially gathered that City have rescinded a decision to make payments to the Iheanachos until January next year and both the player’s father and the academy that started him out have thus received half of what was agreed with them.

“Iheanacho senior is now smiling to the bank as he has been paid half of what was promised him after his son signed for City,” a source familiar with this transaction told MTNFootball.com “This shows how badly the EPL want the youngster.”

Uzoenyi dedicates T award to son P

with the attacking play of the North Africans, who will be difficult proposition for the Super Eagles, who Sunday qualified for the first knockout stage after emerging second in Group.

Meanwhile, despite Super Eagles outstanding display against Bafana Bafana in their final group game on Sunday night, Head Coach, Stephen Okechukwu Keshi, says the team is still work in progress but expressed happiness that the players are finally playing to his instructions.

“The magic was that we simply asked the boys to go out there and play their game without pressure, enjoy your game and be yourself and I think they got that right perfectly against a very difficult opponent”. He also has harsh words for critics of some of his players, declaring that no one is perfect but we have to work on our imperfections

ETIT Super Eagles winger Ejike Uzoenyi, who has won back to back the Man of the Match for the national team at the ongoing CHAN tourney has dedicated the award to his four year old son David Uzoenyi, who turned four last Sunday, the day the match was played.

“Earlier in the day my wife called me to remind me that Junior was four years on the day and I promised her that I will give him a special present with my performance. That was exactly what I did with the two goals and my Man of the Match Award. I give God all the glory for all He has been doing for

•Iheanacho

Eagles Continued from back page

Glo hails Eagles’ Quarter final berth

me”, he said.

Uzoenyi also seized the opportunity to correct impressions about his date of birth and true age. “Tell them I was born March 23 1992, all other reports to the contrary should be discarded because nobody but my parents can tell me my age”, he said with a wry smile.

While also thanking his teammates for the tremendous support he received throughout the games, Uzoenyi promised that he will get better in subsequent games of the championship.

“We are here for a goal and we will not relent until we achieve that goal”, he said.

You’re a bunch of losers — SA Minister to reach our goals. He was referring to the criticisms of first choice goalkeeper and captain, Chigozie Agbim.

On his part, South African Coach, Gordon Igesund, praised the physicality of the Super Eagles and attributed the success of the team to that against his side. “We have no excuses to give here, we simply lost to a better team and we don’t deserve to win .

I must congratulate Stephen Keshi and his team”, he declared on Sunday night.

He also said he expects the South African Football Association (SAFA), to allow him continue in his post because the team have really grown under him. Reeling out statistics, Igesund said under him the team played 28 matches and scored 40 goals against some of the best national teams in the world including a defeat of reigning world champions Spain. “I am happy with these results and I hope I am allowed to continue to do my job with SAFA”, he said.

S

OUTH Africa have been labelled “a bunch of losers’’ by the country’s sports minister after they were eliminat-

Continued from back page Chigozie Agbim, has attributed his quick return to form to the counseling of Head Coach Stephen Keshi, his family members and fans who kept urging him on when others had written him off.

“After the last match I came under heavy criticism but I had to go into prayers and God heard me, then my family members were calling to say I can do it, some of my fans back home also called to wish me well. But most importantly my coach had the belief in me when most people wrote me off, I have to say thank you to him”, Chigozie said in a pensive voice.

He also has soothing words for his teammates who were always behind him in times of criticisms.

ed in the group stage of the African Nations Championship.

The hosts of the tournament for home-based

Agbim “My mates were there for me all the time and that also helped me to pull through my travails.”

Meanwhile, Coach Stephen Keshi has hailed the superb debut of Bendel Insurance of Benin winger back, Obanor Erhun, describing him as a beckon of hope for players in the lower rung of the Nigerian league. “We brought 23 players here because we believe any of them can fit in when crisis arises and Obanor demonstrated that on Sunday. Other players in the league, whether amateur, national or Premier league should have the belief that they can make the national team once they are good enough, because Obanor has proved it and there are no biases if a player is good”.

players lost 3-1 to Nigeria on Sunday to suffer a humiliating exit.

“What I saw was not a problem of coaching, it was a bunch of losers,” Fikile Mbalula told a news conference.

“That mediocrity that was displayed… we must never wake up to that again.”

Bafana Bafana finished third in Group A, having lost to Nigeria, drawn with Mali and beaten only Mozambique.

Continue reading the main story “We have to agree we were dismissive and even insulting to the quality of football on the continent” Danny Jordaan South African FA president Mbalula believes their failure to reach the knockout stage shows there are fundamental problems with the team.

“Their performance was not even lacklustre, it was useless. We must go back to the drawing board,” he said.

ELECOMMUNICA TIONS giant, Globacom, has congratulated the home based national team; Super Eagles campaigning in the on-going African Nations Championship in South Africa on its qualification for the quarter finals, describing it is a good omen for Nigerian football.

The Eagles defeated hard fighting Bafana Bafana of South Africa by three goals to one to emerge runners up in Group A behind Mali who also defeated Mozambique.

A statement by Globacom in Lagos on Monday described the Eagles as true conquerors, urging them to go for the trophy.

The Eagles opened scoring in the 22 second minute through Ejike Uzoenyi before Ifeanyi Ede added the second goal through a penalty.

Ejike scored the third goal in the 64th minute before the South Africans pulled one back through Bernard Parker ’s penalty in the 74th minute.

It was a remarkable comeback for the Nigerians who lost the first match to Mali by 1 goal to two and struggled against the Mambas of Mozambique in an encounter that ended 4-2 in Nigeria’s favour.

“We reckon with the great fighting spirit the team has, so far demonstrated and we believe the spirit will help the team to achieve the ultimate goal of lifting the trophy,” the statement said.

“A team that has scored 8 goals in three matches deserves commendation and we urge them not to rest on their oars until the trophy is lifted.” Glo stated, adding that the improving performance of the Nigerian side in the championship is a positive narrative for the Nigerian Premier League sponsored by Glo. Globacom also commended the Eagles’ coaching crew led by Coach Stephen Keshi for their tenacity while asking Nigerians to sustain their support and prayers for the team.

52 —

Vanguard, TUESDAY JANUARY 21, 2014

Sharapova out!

T

WO-TIME defending champion Victoria Azarenka saw another of her main adversaries crash out of the Australian Open on Monday, while top-ranked Rafael Nadal and Wimbledon champion Andy Murray faced tougher-

than-expected matches to advance to the quarterfinals at Melbourne Park.

Maria Sharapova joined Serena Williams as fourthround casualties, leaving Azarenka a potentially easier run to the women’s final.

Sharapova was beaten by No. 20 Dominika Cibulkova in the match on Rod Laver Arena immediately before Azarenka defeated Sloane Stephens, the last remaining American in the singles draw.

Federer sets up Murray's classic A

FTER giving an amaz ing performance at Melbourne Park today and wrapping up the match in straight sets, it’s safe to ‘turn back the clock on Roger Federer’. Dismantling Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Monday, the Swiss sensation booked up a quarterfinal spot in the Australian Open. He will now play Andy Murray in the quarterfinals, in a rematch of

last year’s semifinal.

“I thought I played really well tonight,” Federer said in his on-court interview.

“Against Jo-Willie you’ve gotta bring your best game because he dictates play a lot. I thought I did a good job myself dictating a lot of the play tonight. It helped that I played well in the first three matches to come in and play a solid match tonight.”

•Sarapova

Nadal fumes at chair umpire, breaks shoe A

ruffled Rafa Nadal fumed after being called for multiple time violations but composed himself to fend off a gallant Kei Nishikori and reach the quarter-finals of the Australian Open on Monday with a tense 7-6 (7-3) 7-5 7-6 (7-3) win.

Whereas Roger Federer glides on the tennis court, Rafael Nadal delivers a pounding to the pavement. If his frequent knee injuries didn’t tip you off, this spill from Monday afternoon’s match against Kei Nishikori at the Australian Open, in which Rafa managed to break his shoelaces, should do the trick.

Nadal’s fidgeting, shorts-tug-

Mourinho: Man U’s title hopes gone

•Nadal ging preparation before serves is a famous quirk of the Spaniard’s game but it fell foul of watchful Greek umpire Evanthia Asderaki, and at exactly the wrong moment.

C

HELSEA manager Jose Mourinho believes Sunday’s 3-1 win over Manchester United has ended the Premier League champions’ hopes of successfully defending their title this season.

“Man United is Man Unit-

Okoku launches foundation March 20

BY JOHN EGBOKHAN

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HE launch of the Greater Tomorrow Foundation for less-privileged children and talented sports kids has been fixed for March 20 at the Nicon Luxury Hotel in Abuja.

Disclosing this yesterday, Paul Okoku said that the former Minister of Sports and current President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), Sani Ndanusa, the Director-General of the National Sports Commission, Hon. Tunde Elegbeleye and Moni Michelle, who is the

•Murray

•Federer

founder of the Moni Michelle Sports Facility Construction were some of the personalities who will grace the event.

Okoku said other bigwigs set to grace the event include the Commissioner of Youth and Sports of Katsina State, Hon. Ibrahim Fafana, the Chief Financial Officer of the League Management Company, Salisu Abubakar, the Chairman of Brila FM, Dr. Larry Izamoje and CAF official, Paul Bassey.

Continuing, the Ex-Flying Eagles midfielder said that others who have confirmed their

participation at the event were Taiwo Ogunjobi, Segun Odegbami, Coach James Peter, John Mastroudes, Dr. Ibrahim Umah, Godwin Odiye and Nathaniel Ogedegbe.

While expressing gratitude for the interest so far shown, Okoku said he was humbled by the fact that Nigerians had not forgotten him despite quitting the football scene about 30 years ago.

He commended Dahiru Saidi, his Director of Event, who has been pulling all strings to ensure the success of the event on March 20.

ed, mathematically it is possible, but it is hard,” Mourinho told Sky Sports.

“It is 14 for Arsenal, but also 13 for City and 12 to us, so maybe one team might collapse, but for all three teams to collapse to do that and lose so many points, I think is difficult."

•Mourinho

Moyes kicks off £150m spending spree with Cavani’s bid

•Cavani

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ANCHESTER United manager David Moyes has been handed a sensational

£150million transfer budget, and has set his sights on Paris St Germain superstar striker Edinson Cavani, according to the Daily Star. The United boss was informed of his transfer budget at a meeting with chief executive Ed Woodward and other directors.

And it is understood Moyes discussed the possibility of bringing Uruguayan forward Cavani to Old Trafford in the summer, with the striker thought to be keen on a Premier League move.

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014—53

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54— Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014—55

V anguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014

Mourinho: Man U’s title hopes gone — Pg 52

Eagles meet Morocco on Saturday Kick-off: 4 p.m

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OROCCO last night set up a quarterfinal match with the Super Eagles at the ongoing CHAN after beating Uganda 3-1 at the Cape Town Stadium to top Group B. In the match watched by a handful crowd, the Moroccans played a fastpaced game to dazzle their Ugandan foes, who found it tough coping

How I bounced back, by Agbim G

OALKEEPER and skipper of the Super Eagles at the ongoing CHAN African Nations Championship,

Continues on Page 51

Uzoenyi dedicates award to son — Pg 51

Continues on Page 51

RESULTS CELEBRATION — Eagles midfielder Ejike Uzoenyi celebrates his goal against South Africa with Gbolahan Salami.

PUZZLE

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Today’s matches Ethiopia v Ghana 6 pm Congo v Libya 6 pm

City splash £300,000 on Iheanacho’s dad — Pg 51

QUICK CROSSWORD

Sudoku TODAY'S

Morocco Uganda Zimbabwe B/Faso

•Agbim

YESTER DAY'S YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 1 Decent (6) 5 Shrivel (6) 8 Confessed (8) 9 Temper (4) 10 Crowd (3) 12 Staid (5) 15 Stray (3) 17 Tree (3) 18 Sphere (3) 19 Child (3) 20 Test (5) 21 Prohibit (3) 22 Scull (3) 23 Expert (3) 24 Manage (3) 26 Leaf (5) 29 Owing (3) 33 Jetty (4) 34 Intense (8) 35 Rifleman (6) 36 Roam (6)

DOWN 2 Wireless (5) 3 Bucket (4) 4 Proportion (5) 5 Jam (5) 6 Ripped (4) 7 Keen (5) 10 Engine (5) 11 Club (5) 12 Acute (5) 13 Beleaguer (5) 14 Regal (5) 15 Receded (5) 16 Scope (5) 25 Alliance (5) 27 Go in (5) 28 Pointer (5) 30 Combine (5) 31 Excursion (4) 32 Symbol (4)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Chic 4, Oaf 6, Lack 8, Prompt 9, Ardent 10, Her 12, Sheep 14, Sever 15, Tenor 18, Allege 20, Urgent 24, Water 26, Final 28, Dally 30, Sty 32, Furore 33, Entire 34, Feat 35, Tap 36, Deem.

DOWN: 2, Harsh 3, Compete 4, Oath 5, Fear 6, Lodge 7, Concern 11, Ego 12, Sea 13, Peg 16, New 17, Rut 19, Leisure 21, Red 22, Granted 23, Try 25, Act 27, Aloft 29, Large 30, Seat 31, Yelp

How to Play Sudoku

P

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

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

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

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