118 killed as twin blasts rock Jos market

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...towards a better life for the people

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VOL. 25: NO. 62148

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

N150

WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014

118 killed as twin blasts rock Jos market •Bombings catastrophic — NEMA •Jonathan, Jang condemn attack, plead for calm

BY SONI DANIEL, REGIONAL EDITOR, NORTH, BEN AGANDE & MARIETHERESE NANLONG

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OS—THE relative peace enjoyed by residents of Jos, Plateau State capital for some time was shattered, yesterday, as two bomb explosions ripped through Terminus Market in the city, killing no fewer than 118 persons and injuring several others . The Police, however, said that 46 were killed while 45 others were injured.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), described the casualty rate of the blasts as catastrophic just as President

Continues on page 5

EXPLOSION—Firefighters and rescuers extinguish a fire at the scene of the bomb blast at Terminus Market in the central city of Jos, yesterday. Photo: AFP.

CHIBOK: Our pains, our agonies, by Gov Shettima COLUMNISTS:

A look at Nyako's tantrums and Jonathan's... •P.19

God's anointed criminals •P.19

53

World's most expensive divorce comes with $4.4bn alimony 10

NASS okays emergency rule extension in Adamawa, Borno, Yobe 13

Court declines to reinstate Sanusi as CBN GOV 9 Mr & Mrs

2 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014

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Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014—3

4 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014

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Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014—5

POCKET CARTOON

EXPLOSION—Scene of the explosion at Terminus Market in Jos, yesterday. Photo: NAN.

118 killed as twin blasts rock Jos market Continues from page 1 Goodluck Jonathan, Governor Jonah Jang and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal condemned it.

The first explosion was said to have gone off in the market, located at Jos Terminus, at the back of the popular Ahmadu Bello Way by 2.30pm, while the second explosion occurred about 30 minutes later.

The first blast, according to an eye witness, was said to have gone off in a Sienna space bus with number plate Plateau XB 146 BLD. The second blast was said to have killed more people than the first, as many residents and traders, who had fled the scene following the first

explosion, tried to join rescue agencies to save the injured and retrieve bodies of the dead.

At least five residents who were suspicious of a mysterious van parked in their area reportedly informed police officers but no police officer arrived at the scene, and nothing was done until the car exploded some hours afterwards.

Briefing journalists in Jos, the State Commissioner of Police, Chris Olakpe said the bodies have been deposited at the Plateau Specialists Hospital and the Bingham University Teaching Hospital, all in Jos. Olakpe said: “At about 1500hrs, we heard an explosion but on getting

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

Putting your worries into words disrobes them.

They look weak and silly standing there naked.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus — Mark Twain

L

EARNING is a life long process. When time gets tough, we tend to close all the doors leading to our enlightenment. Leave the doors of knowledge open. Try to learn new skills, try to read daily, try to listen to the motivational or a personal development tapes to feed positivity to your mind. All of these can make you a better person with the attitude, self-esteem and the skill to master the art of winning against the odds.

When everything seems to be working against you – remember that the darkest hour is just before the dawn. I admire those first settlers, pioneers who left life of comfort to sail away in search of a new world to master the art of triumph against all odds. The work of their determination laid a foundation for greater and better society. No matter how difficult your circumstances are, you can overcome once you master the art of winning against all odds.

there, a secondary explosion occurred along the same axis. In a situation like this, we don’t rule out high casualties but we are following up to check the Jos University Teaching Hospital, JUTH and other places.

“Anyone with information should come forward with such as it will help us in our investigation”.

The CP who was flanked by heads of other security outfits appealed to residents to remain calm and steer clear of the scenes of the explosions as investigations were still ongoing.

He advised residents not to always rush to scenes of explosion as shrapnel could add to the casualties.

Bombing in Jos catastrophic —NEMA official The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has also declared that the casualty rate after the twin bomb blasts could be best described as catastrophic.

“I can’t tell you the figure of those killed by the blasts now, because we are still evacuating bodies from the scene.

“The only thing I can say is that the casualty figure is very massive. It is a catastrophe,” Alhaji Abdulsalam Abubakar, the NEMA Coordinator (North-Central), told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Jos. Abubakar said both explosives were loaded in parked cars.

“The bombers parked the cars and left the explosives to detonate. It

was in the market and at a peak period. So, you can only imagine what could have happened,” he said.

He said dead bodies and mutilated human parts were being deposited at the old and new Jos University Teaching Hospitals, as well as the Plateau Special Hospital.

“There are also a massive number of people injured. We have conveyed some to various hospitals,” the NEMA official said.

He said that an idea of the number of casualties was only possible after the rescue operation.

“We will have to first finish the operation and then visit the various hospitals. For now, we are only picking dead bodies all over the place,” Abubakar said.

Mr Chris Olakpe, Plateau’s Commissioner of Police, who also spoke to NAN, confirmed that it was difficult to confirm the figure immediately.

“We are still busy at the scene. We shall speak later,” he said.

An eye-witness, Peter Amine, said: “We were inside the market when I heard a loud explosion at about 3:28 p.m.

“Before I knew what happened, a vehicle part landed just by my legs,” a visibly shaken Amine told NAN. He said that a thick dark smoke engulfed the scene, thus compounding the already chaotic situation as horror-stricken persons ran in all directions.

However, the State Commissioner for Information, Mrs. Olivia Dazyem appealed to “all hospitals within the metropolis to accept those injured as the result of the unfortunate incident for prompt treatment”.

She added that though the details of the incident regarding “the extent of casualties and damages were yet to be ascertained, government appeals to the public to remain calm and law-abiding as security personnel are already working”.

Jonathan condemns Jos bomb blasts In his reaction, President Goodluck Jonathan strongly condemned the bomb blasts in Jos, Plateau State. A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati, yesterday, said the President described the perpetrators of “this tragic assault on human freedom as cruel and evil”.

According to Dr Abati, the President has directed all relevant agencies to mobilise support

and relief efforts in aid of the victims.

The Presidential Spokesman said President Jonathan has also assured Nigerians that government was fully committed to winning the war against terror, and "this administration will not be cowed by the atrocities of enemies of human progress and civilization".

The statement read: “President Jonathan has also expressed Nigeria’s deepest appreciation to the international community on the success of the recent summit in Paris on the security situation in Nigeria hosted by the President of France, H.E. Francois Hollande.

“He reaffirms Nigeria’s commitment to the implementation of the resolutions reached by the summit, in addition to existing measures already being taken by the administration to combat terrorism and ensure the safety of lives.

“President Jonathan states that the Federal Government of Nigeria is prepared to strengthen existing mechanisms to ensure the immediate implementation of the resolutions of the summit."

On emergency relief assistance, the President said: "The intensification of on-going relief assistance programmes by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)) in partnership with donor agencies, will ensure rapid deployment of relief assistance to the affected local government areas and communities. This will include provision of food supplies, medical supplies, basic relief commodities, and conditional cash transfer programmes for affected households" President Jonathan also reiterated Nigeria’s determination "to ensure the safety and security of schools in Borno and other parts of the country and also provide counselling services to any affected students to enable them return to school and continue with their academic work."

On the abducted

Chibok school girls, Jonathan said: "The Federal Government will rebuild the Chibok School and fortify security in schools. In collaboration with the UN SecretaryGeneral’s Envoy on Education, former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and the private sector, the government will launch the “Safe Schools Initiative” which will address security issues; re-build the destroyed schools; and provide equipment and materials”.

Masterminds are agents of retrogression —Governor Jang Governor David Jang of Plateau State who also condemned the two blasts described the attack as unfortunate and retrogressive.

The governor, who spoke through his Special Adviser on Media, Pam Ayuba, regretted the renewed blasts, which reportedly hit the busy market area close to the University of Jos Teaching Hospital and Railway intersection.

Although the casualty figure was yet to be ascertained, Ayuba confirmed that scores had been killed and injured by the twin blasts, which hit the city.

“It is a renewed attack on Jos, the state capital and it means that security has to be beefed up,” Ayuba said.

“It is an unfortunate situation, which we condemn in its entirety because we do not believe this type of barbaric thing should be happening at this stage of our national development.

“We have been doing our best to tighten security in the state and protect lives and property,” he said.

While sympathising with the families of those who lost their loved ones, the governor said efforts were being made to secure the state for residents and visitors and asked the residents not to despair.

6—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014

Court gets autopsy report of woman murdered by husband

BY BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

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AGOS — THE pros ecution in the trial of a 42-year-old man charged for murder of his wife, Anna Ugbogbo, yesterday presented before a Lagos High Court in Igbosere, a post-mortem report on the deceased.

At the resumed hearing, the prosecutor, Mrs Akin-Adesomoju, also tendered a statement obtained from the complainant, which was brought by a witness, Sgt. Mayowa Olojede.

Objecting to the admissibility of the document (post-mortem report), defence counsel, Mr. U.N. Ejeokele argued that he was served with the document late in contradiction of Section 83 (3) Evidence Act. “The charge is dated February 12, 2012 and the autopsy was carried out in February 28, 2012” he said, but later withdrew his objection and the document was admitted as Exhibit P7.

According to the charge LCD/62/2013: “Austine Ugbogbo, on January 26, 2012 at about 2130hours, at Railway Line, Otto, Oyingbo, Ebute-Metta, Lagos, in the Lagos Judicial Division did murder one Anna Ugbogbo by throwing a burning stove on her.”

Vanguard gathered that Anna (deceased) and her husband, who met in 2006 and were living together, started fighting after a rice meal.

Angered by the taste of kerosene in the rice his wife served him as dinner, Austine threw away the food, which led to the fight.

In the course of the fight, he allegedly threw a burning stove on his wife. She died eleven days later (February 6, 2012) at a General Hospital.

The offence is said to be contrary to Section 221 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011 and the trial judge, Justice Ebenezer Adebajo adjourned till June 3 for continuation of trial.

Soldiers on guard on Post Office Road in Maiduguri, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN.

Police arrest ‘mad man' with pistol, ammunition in Lagos

BY EVELYN USMAN

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AGOS — OPERATIVES at the Anti-Robbery section of the State Criminal Investigation Department ,SCID, Yaba, Lagos, are currently interrogating a 'mad man' in whose possession a double-barrel pistol and four live cartridges were found.

The man was arrested by policemen attached to Gowon Estate, Egbeda, weekend, while attempting to hide the arms and ammunition in a dump site on 5th Avenue, around Customs Junction, in Gowon Estate .

Eye-witnesses said the 'mad man' had been loitering around the area for two months. However, a curious passer-by was said to have suspected him when he saw him wrapping an object with a rag.

The 'mad man' was said to have thereafter started looking sideways , apparently to ascertain whether he was being watched, before he dumped the content wrapped with the rag inside a container in the dump site.

The passer-by was said to have alerted others who immediately rushed to the dump site, only to discover that the 'object' was a double barrel pistol and four cartridges, consequent upon which he (mad man) was apprehended and handed over to Policemen at Gowon Estate.

Police sources at the station told Vanguard that during interrogation, the man’s speech was incoherent.

Sources said: "We tried to find out where he got the weapons from but he gave meaningless response. He was later transferred to the SCID where investigation is ongoing.

"Part of the investigation will include taking him to the psychiatric hospital to ascertain his mental stability before further investigation."

Efforts to reach the Lagos State

Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, failed as her phone rang severally without response. But a senior police officer at the Lagos State Com-

mand confirmed the arrest, saying thorough investigations would be carried out to unravel how the suspect came about the arms.

Tricycle riders protest extortion, multiple taxation in Anambra

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BY NWABUEZE OKONKWO

NITSHA — TRICYCLE riders in Anambra State, under the aegis of Keke Drivers Association Anambra State, KDAAS, yesterday protested what they termed collaborative extortion and multiple taxation from the state's Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, department of the state government and some self-acclaimed revenue agents in the state.

During the demonstration which took place simultaneously in various parts of the state but co-ordinated from Onitsha, the tricycle riders carried placards with inscriptions to buttress their points.

Some of the inscriptions read: ‘God-fathers are killing us”, “Rescue us from Agulu god-fathers”, “Thugs are criminals, stop them now”, “Gov. Obiano, don’t give Keke job orders to two Agulu war lords”, “Please help, the two Onwas from Agulu are killing and milking us”, among others.

Addressing the members shortly after the demonstration, chairman, secretary and public relations oficer, of the association, Agugua Simon Uchenna, John-Michael Ezukwu and Ogbonna Chidiebere respectively, said they were demonstrating against some group of

persons extorting them by way of forcing them to buy assorted type of tickets.

They alleged that the IGR department of the state government had conspired with some revenue agents simply identified as Obyhans, Uche Okeke & Co. and the Police by using different types of printed tickets to forcefully

extort as much as N700 and N1,000 per tricyclist per day in all parts of the state, mostly in Onitsha They, therefore, appealed to the appropriate government authorities to come to their rescue for the interest of peace and harmony, as the menace of the revenue agents has become unbearable.

Court jails ex-Okada riders' leader for contempt

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

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BEOKUTA — A magis trate's court sitting in Isabo, yesterday, sentenced a former Secretary of Amalgamated Commercial Motorcycle Owners and Riders Association of Nigeria to one month imprisonment for contempt of court.

The accused was charged for disrespecting the court order by printing and selling revenue tickets of the ACOMORAN and Ogun State Parks and Garages Development Board (PAGADEB) with intent to forcefully take over the

leadership of the association.

He was said to have pronounced himself Chairman of the association against the order of court.

The accused was said to have committed the offence April 2012 at 10, Akindele Street, Sabo, Abeokuta.

However, counsel to the acussed, Kayode Akinsola had prayed the court to temper justice with mercy which was objected to by the state counsel, Israel Owolabi, praying the court to do justice accordingly.

Chief Magistrate Anthony Araba sentenced the accused to one month imprisonment without an option of fine.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014—7

Police parade NURTW leader, Auxillary, 10 fake soldiers •My arrest political — Auxillary

BY EVELYN USMAN

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AGOS — FORMER Leader of Ibadan branch of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, Alhaji Mukaila Lamidi, aka Auxillary, arrested by operatives of the Special AntiRobbery Squad, SARS, for allegedly stockpiling arms and ammunition ahead of 2015 general elections has said that his arrest was politically motivated by the All Progressives Congress, APC. Recovered from him were one AK-47 rifle, one 9mm pistol, five automatic pump-action rifles and assorted ammunition.

The suspect was paraded alongside 10 other persons alleged to be impersonating military personnel, using the means to maim and extort money from unsuspecting people.

Lamidi’s arrest, according to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Umar Manko, was sequel to the arrest of one Abdulazeez Amao, an alleged illegal arms dealer on March 10, 2014.

Manko stated that Amao was arrested with 10 AK-47 rifles which he allegedly confessed to have bought in Mali and Burkina Faso.

The former NURTW leader admitted before newsmen that he acquired the guns illegally to protect himself against assassins who he claimed were after his life.

According to Lamidi, "Yes, I actually bought these guns. I bought the AK-47 for N350,000 and the pistol for N350,000 as well. I don’t steal or kill with them. I bought them to protect myself because there was a time some hired assassins were after me.

My arrest political —Auxillary

"My arrest has political undertones and I know where this victimization is from. The APC wants to rope me in because I am in PDP. "They asked me to join them but I refused and they decided to put me into trouble. Anyway, this will not deter me from changing to any other party. I am a strong member of the PDP and I don’t regret

it.”

How he was arrested

Explaining how Lamidi was arrested, Manko said: "During interrogation, one Abdulazeez Amao, a notorious illegal arms dealer, that was arrested with AK47 rifles, which he smuggled into the country from Mali and Burkina Faso, confessed that one Alhaji Mukaila Lamidi, the immediate past chairman of the Oyo State chapter of the NURTW bought one AK-47 rifle and one English pistol from him.

“Consequently, I directed the

officer in charge of SARS, Abba Kyari, to go after Lamidi .

"Two teams were deployed to Oyo State and after three days of diligent follow-up, Mukaila was intercepted and arrested in Olodo area of Ibadan, at about 2.30am on May 10, 2014, while driving in his Nissan Quest Space bus.

"He confessed to have given his AK-47 rifle to one Tirimisiyu Olowoposi in Ibadan. Efforts to arrest the said Timirisiyu proved abortive as he is already aware of Mukaila’s arrest."

Fake soldiers

Also paraded were 10 fake sol-

diers who operated around Festac Town. The suspects were identified as Israel Godwin, Joseph Jidai, John Musa, Peter Azubuike, Stephen Obi, Paul Oha, Sulaiman Rahman, Hammed Gbadamosi and Abiola Oguntamu.

While some of them claimed to have bought the camouflage uniform from serving military men, others said they stole them from clothes lines.

Thirty-year-old Musa said he used the uniform to escort commercial vehicles plying Mile Two-Oshodi, at the end of which he is paid N3,500.

Customs officer batters salesgirl in Seme •NCS to bear medical expenses of assaulted girl

BY BY IFEYINWA OBI & ESTHER ONYEGBULA

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AGOS— A middle aged Customs officer simply identified as Mr. Nwaeze attached to the Customs unit at Mosafejo Aradagun has allegedly beaten and battered his salesgirl.

According to accounts, the victim, Ms. Tope Fadipe, a salesgirl at a local food store run by Nwaeze’s family, has worked diligently for the family for about three years before the incident.

Vanguard gathered that trouble started after she was accused of not remitting N50,000 sales, which she denied. However, residents of the area said Nwaeze got frenzied at her refutal and a heated argument resulted, making him to bath her with a deadly solution.

According to eye-witnesses, who spoke with Vanguard, Nwaeze after bathing the victim with acid, boasted that he was beyond arrest.

The case was reported at the Badagry Police station and Mr Nwaeze was subsequently arrrested but it was later transferred to Panti CID for further investigation.

Meantime, the victim is currently being treated for severe burns at the Badagry General Hospital.

CS to bear medical expenses of assaulted girl

Meanwhile, Comptroller-General of Customs, Mr. Abdullahi Dikko, has sent a delegation, led by the Area Controller of Seme Command, Mr. Willy Egbudin, to visit the victim in the hospital.

Tope Fadipe, the victim The Customs will bear the girl's medical expenses. The victim is currently responding to treatment at the General Hospital in Badagry, Lagos State, as the case is not that of an acid bath, as initially reported.

Briefing newsmen, yesterday, Deputy Public Relations officer of the NCS, Mr. Joseph Attah, warned that the management will not condone any act of indiscipline from its officers.

EFCC seals Ogun PDP guber aspirant’s office, recovers arms

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

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BEOKUTA— OPERA TIVES of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, have reportedly sealed off the campaign office of one of the governorship aspirants under the People’s Democratic Party in Ogun State, Kayode Amusan, over allegation of fraud.

Vanguard gathered that the anti-graft agency, which stormed the Abeokuta office of the aspirant, weekend, reportedly acted on the order of an Ikoyi High Court presided over by Justice M.N. Yunusa.

Justice Yunusa was said to have granted an ex parte order for the forfeiture of the property located at Gbadebo Road, Oke-Ilewo, Abeokuta, the state capital.

According to EFCC, Ewulo, who sold the property to Amusan for N30 million, is being investigated for the offences of conspiracy to defraud, stealing and obtaining money by false pretences.

But when the operatives from Ikoyi office stormed the campaign office to effect the court order, a man with arms in the building was reportedly arrested.

Contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, confirmed the incident, adding that the suspect was still being held with the exhibit for further investigation.

The building was legally acquired —Amusan

But Amusan, during a telephone interview explained that the man arrested was a member of a vigilate group who was employed to guard the office and the property therein following the pulling down of the perimeter fenc-

ing by the Ogun State government.

Amusan, however, explained that the building was legally acquired from the respondent, claiming that he verified from the Ikoyi office of EFCC before paying the money.

He said: “Ewulo sold the land to me. I have all the legal papers. In fact, after he gave me copies of the documents, I had to visit the Ikoyi office of EFCC where I requested original documents and confirmed that Ewulo has paid all dues before I later paid him."

24-year-old lady dies after bird perched on her

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

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WERRI— PALPA BLE grief and anxiety gripped Uhuala, Umuada comm u n i t y i n Av u t u , Obowo Local Government Area of Imo State after a 24-year-old Miss Chioma Onukwuwe mysteriously died not long after a bird reportedly perched on her head.

Reacting to what some villagers called “this bizarre incident,” the grief-stricken father of late Chioma, M r.

Humphrey Ojimmadu Onukwuwe, resisted the temptation of pointing accusing finger at anybody.

He said: “Whosoever was responsible for the untimely death of my daughter will definitely have questions to answer before God, the creator of this universe.”

According to the late l a d y ’ s u n c l e , M r.

Robinson Onukwuwe, “her mysterious death is very painful. She had no known health challenges at the time of her death. We can only say that the strange bird remains the source of our grief.”

He recalled that his late niece said she was resting in the house when a bird of no specific description flew into the room, perched on her head and vanished immediately.

“We still do not understand the entire story but we noticed that her system automatically changed. She was immediately taken to Emerenini Hospital but she died about 10 minutes on arrival,” Mr. Onukwuwe said.

The man described late Chioma as very brilliant, jovial, tolerant, cheerful, humble, respectful and obedient, not only to her teachers and colleagues in school, but also to everybody.

8—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014

CBN retains MPR at 12%

VISIT: From left— Area Manager, Cartier (Africa & Israel), Mr. Pierre-Emmanuel Placette; Managing Director, Polo Limited, Mr. John Obayuwana; Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives; Emeka Ihedioha, and Managing Director, Cartier Africa, Mr. Alessandro Patti, during a courtesy visit on the Deputy Speaker at the National Assembly, yesterday.

BY EMMA UJAH, Abuja Bureau Chief

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HE Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has announced the retention of the Monetary Policy Rate, MPR, at 12 percent, and a corridor of +/-200 basis points.

Dr. Sarah Alade, Acting Governor of the apex bank, announced this at the end of the 95th Monetary Policy Committee, MPC, meeting which held between Monday and yesterday in Abuja.

She added that the Cash Reserve Ratio of public and private deposits were also retained at 75 percent and 15 percent, respectively, on the basis of concerns of high liquidity in the system.

She said: “The committee unanimously voted to retain the current stance of monetary policy. In addition, one member voted for an asymmetric corridor around the MPR. “Consequently, the committee voted to hold the MPR at 12 percent.

It will also keep the CRR on public sector deposits at 75 percent and CRR on private sector deposits at 15 percent and retain the MPR corridor at +/-200 basis points.”

She expressed concern that systemic banking liquidity and high electioneering expenditure at the face of the approaching 2015 general elections were risk factors against the macro economic stability which the nation had enjoyed in the last several months.

Alade said: “Internally, the key risk factors include the high systemic banking system liquidity, elevated security concerns and anticipated high election related spending in the run up to the 2015 general elections.

“High domestic liquidity could exert sustained pressure on both the exchange rate, consumer prices and accentuate the already high demand for foreign exchange.”

Nigeria's multibillion naira drones obsolete— ISRAELI EXPERTS T

HE surveillance drones which Nigeria bought from Israel years ago that might have been used to hunt for the more than 200 girls held by Islamist rebels, have been left grounded due to poor maintenance, two official sources and the aircraft’s manufacturer said.

“To the best of our knowledge, these systems are not operational,” Tsur Dvir, Marketing Officer for Aeronautics Defense Systems, a firm based south of Tel Aviv that supplied Nigeria with Aerostar unmanned aerial vehicles, said yesterday.

A Nigerian government source and a former military attaché to Nigeria confirmed the information, although they said details were sketchy owing to the secretive nature of IsraeliNigerian military cooperation.

Failure to maintain equipment is seen as one reason why Nigeria’s military has been unable to quell the militants.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government has formally asked the United Nations Security Council al Qaeda sanctions committee to blacklist the Islamist sect, Boko Haram, after the kidnap of hundreds of schoolgirls, UN diplomats said yesterday.

Israel last week sent intelligence and hostage negotiation officers to Nigeria to work alongside U.S., British and French experts helping the Nigerian authorities in the search, an Israeli official said yesterday.

“These are not operational troops, they are

there to advise,” the Israeli official said, speaking on condition of anonymity Dvir, speaking on the sidelines of a conference organised by Israel Defense magazine, told newsmen that since the drones were purchased several years ago, Nigerian clients had not commissioned Aeronautics to carry out any routine maintenance.

Dvir said: “We did receive an inquiry from them about spare parts, but it never turned into a deal. I wish it had.”

He argued that with their extensive flying range and thermal cameras capable of picking up body heat at night, the Aerostars could have helped scour northern Nigeria for the missing girls.

“They (drones) are probably parked in a yard somewhere.”

Obsolete equipment

Dvir did not say how many Aerostars were bought by Nigeria. Nigeria’s defense spokesman could not

immediately be reached for comment.

The former attaché said the deal was struck in 2006, with a view to deploying the drones in the oil producing Niger Delta, where militants were attacking crude pipelines and kidnapping oil workers before the amnesty programme. They never flew.

Last December, Nigeria also unveiled a locally-made drone at an Air Force base in Kaduna, although it has not flown since.

A government adviser said the Israeli drones were among many procurements that quickly went obsolete owing to lack of maintenance.

Neither source nor the company knew how many had been bought, but an aerospace industry source said they each would have been worth between $15 million and $17 million.

The U.S. military is already flying manned and unmanned surveillance aircraft over Nigeria to look

for the girls.

Nigeria's request

If there is no objection by the 15-member council committee, which operates by consensus, Boko Haram will be sanctioned at 3 p.m. tomorrow, the council diplomats said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“It is difficult to object to such a request by the concerned country,” said one of the council diplomats.

Until recently, Nigeria has been reluctant to seek international assistance in combating Boko Haram. The document submitted by Nigeria to support its blacklisting request references a bomb attack on the United Nations’ Nigeria headquarters on Augus 26, 2011, that killed 24 people, diplomats said.

It also describes a “campaign of violence against Nigerian schools and students” by the group and references other attacks on schools last year, according to diplomats.

... as Jonathan orders more troops to N'East

BY CALEB AYANSINA

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B U J A — P R E S I D E N T Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, ordered the deployment of additional troops to the North-East region to strengthen the military force in the fight against insurgency in the region.

The Coordinator of the National Information Centre, Mr. Mike Omeri, who disclosed this in Abuja, while briefing newsmen on the security challenges in some

parts of the country, also confirmed bomb explosion that rocked Terminus Market, yesterday afternoon, in Jos, Plateau State capital.

Omeri said: “President Goodluck Jonathan has ordered the deployment of additional troops to reinforce the ongoing military operations in the North-East part of the country.

“This action comes in the wake of the regional alliance to checkmate the activities of Boko Haram in the

region and also strengthen the efforts to rescue the missing girls.”

Speaking further on international alliance, Omeri said that structures had been put in place to coordinate the activities of the aligned countries.

“Meanwhile, the structures for the coordination of the activities of the input of aligned countries' forces in the ongoing search and rescue operation has been setup and awaiting take off any moment from now,” he added.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014 —9

Court declines to reinstate Sanusi as CBN governor zTransfers case to industrial court

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

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BUJA— THE suspended Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, yesterday, lost his bid to return to office as the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja declined to set aside his suspension by President Goodluck Jonathan.

The court, in its 84-page judgment, said it was bereft of the jurisdiction to reinstate the ousted CBN Governor, stressing that the nature of his suit bothered on a dispute between an employer and his employee, which it said only the National Industrial Court, NIC, has the statutory powers to adjudicate on.

However, before referring the case to the NIC, presiding Justice Gabriel Kolawole

described as baseless Sanusi’s claim that he was not an employee of the Federal Government but that of the CBN. He ruled: “When I read through the arguments of the plaintiff, I then asked myself, so whose employee is he?

“It is not in dispute that the CBN is an agency of the Federal Government and a statutory body created by the National Assembly.

“The appointment of the plaintiff was made in line with the CBN Act. “By this, the plaintiff qualifies as a public officer in the public service of the federation. Therefore, the plaintiff ’s appointment cannot be equated with that of specific public officers like judicial officers as he has argued.

“His appointment was not categorically captured in the constitution. Even at that, in the case of such judicial officers, the National Judicial Council, NJC, would have been joined as a necessary defendant.

“Going through the entire process, I asked myself again, why were the CBN and its acting governor, Dr. Sarah Alade, who the plaintiff contended was illegally appointed, not joined as necessary parties in the suit?”

Justice Kolawole noted that the non-joinder of the acting CBN governor would ordinarily have affected the outcome of the suit, saying the court would not have granted a relief that would adversely affect a party not before it.

BOARD MEETING: From left— Oba Michael Adesina, Olowu of Owu-Ijebu; Engr Kashim Ali, President, Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, and Engr.

Ademola Olorunfemi, President, Nigeria Society of Engineers, during the Governing Board meeting of National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO: Abayomi Adeshida.

FG frustrating efforts to end gas flaring— SHELL

BY MICHAEL EBOH, with Agency Report

R

OYAL Dutch Shell, yesterday, said the Federal Government was frustrating its efforts at ending gas flaring in Nigeria.

Speaking at its annual general meeting in The Hague, Mr. Ben van Beurden, Chief Executive of the company, told investors that a shortfall in funding from its partner in the venture, the Federal Government owned Nigerian National Petroleum

Corporation, NNPC, is hindering efforts to cut flaring in the country.

Also, in its Annual Sustainability Report presented to investors, Shell disclosed that the total volume of gas flared in 2013 dropped by 23 percent compared with 2012.

It, however, added that the drop in gas flared was not as a result of any intervention but due a decline in its crude oil production.

Shell had in 2012 said that it planned to invest $4 billion

on oil and gas projects, including gas gathering facilities to avoid flaring, a development that had been frustrated by the failure of the government to back up its effort by providing funding for the project.

Despite the challenges it is facing in ending gas flaring in Nigeria, Beurden said the oil company will hold on to its refining business, irrespective of its plans to sell off most of its underperforming downstream assets.

Two-third majority

Waving aside Sanusi’s argument that only a two third majority vote by the Senate could remove him from office, the court maintained that the fact that the plaintiff ’s appointment was approved by the Senate did not make the National Assembly his employer.

It added that the Senate merely discharged its oversight function in line with the doctrine of separation of powers.

Nevertheless, Justice Kolawole held that Sanusi was able to establish a cause of action against President Jonathan and the Attorney General of the Federation, who were listed as 1st and 2nd defendants, respectively, in the suit.

The court, however, struck out the name of the Inspector General of Police on the premise that there was no cause of action against him.

He ruled: “In the final analysis, this court lacks jurisdiction to entertain the matter. All employees of the Federal Government can only litigate their matters which relates to employment at the NIC. He said: “In line with Section 24(3) of the National Industrial Court, Act 2006, I hereby order a transfer of this case to the NIC. “Therefore, it will be inappropriate for me to deal on the plaintiff ’s suit on its merit, as doing so will be prejudicial to both the parties and the NIC. There will be no order as to cost.”

It will be recalled that Sanusi, who was ousted from office on February 20, went to court to challenge the powers of President Jonathan to suspend him on the basis of a report by the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria, FRCN, which indicted him of “financial recklessness and misconduct”.

Court stops FRSC's arrest of drivers over new licence

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

A

BUJA— THE Abuja Division of Federal High Court, yesterday, stopped the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, from imposing new drivers and vehicle licence on car owners whose vehicle registration papers are still valid.

Delivering judgment in a suit filed by an Abuja-based legal practitioner, Mr. John Musa, Justice Ademola Adeniyi declared as “unconstitutional and a clear example of an act of executive recklessness” threat by FRSC to start arresting car owners across the country for failing to obtain the new driver’s licence, notwithstanding the validity of their present licence.

The plaintiff had instituted the action last year shortly after the FRSC fixed October 1, 2013 as the date it would commence the arrest of car owners that failed to obtain the new licence.

Equally joined as a defendant in the suit was its Corp Marshal and Chief Executive, Mr. Osita Chidoka.

The defendants, in a preliminary objection against the suit sought its dismissal for want of competence, even as they challenged the locus standi of the plaintiff.

It was their contention that the plaintiff failed to establish any reasonable cause of action against them.

10— Vanguard , WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014

‘Lagos requires 5,000mw to attain power stability’

BY MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO

L

AGOS — L A G O S State Government yesterday said the state would require at least 5,000 megawatts of electricity to address the acute power shortage in the state.

Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Mr. Taofeek Tijani at briefing, lamented that the current power supply to the state was far below the power needed by 21 million residents of in the state.

Tijani insisted that out of the 1,000 megawatts claimed to be supplied to the state from the national grid, unspecified percent was shared with neighbouring state.

He explained that the 5, 000 megawatts of electricity needed in the state, was the outcome of the power audit recently conducted by the state government to ascertain the power needs in the state.

FERMA/LASG rivalry: Lagos Speaker raises concern

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI & EBUN SESSOU

L

AGOS—WORRIED by the sudden emergence of uniformed traffic-men on Lagos roads, the Lagos State House of Assembly, through the Speaker, Adeyemi Ikuforiji called the attention of Attorney General of the state, Justice Ade Ipaye to the activity of the men, named Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, FERMA, at Lagos end of old Lagos/Ibadan toll gate controlling traffic, saying the development could lead to security threat.

The speaker spoke at the plenary, when the House was questioning the Commissioner for Finance, Ayo Gbeleyi and Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Ade Ipaye on the non-payment of severance to past political office holders in the state.

According to him; “These people in strange uniforms were seen at toll gate controlling traffic and we may find them all over Lagos very soon. This can lead to problem.

We should call on relevant authorities to caution them.”

The Attorney General, who also confirmed the development, said he saw them controlling traffic but maintained that, “there is the need to investigate and know the people who have employed them, there should be a legal backing for their operation.”

According to Ipaye, Minister of State for Defence, Mr Musiliu Obanikoro, who was earlier

alerted of the presence of the men, denied knowledge of the people.

Similarly, Commissioner of Transportation, Kayode Opeifa, confirmed the development, saying “An unknown group dressed in grey and black uniforms have invaded the highways in Lagos and currently operating from the old toll gate area with

unknown origin and unknown to the Lagos State Government have invaded the roadways with a view to causing public disturbance as they do not have the support or the backing of the state government and will therefore disturb the operations of the state traffic management personnel already positioned at various traffic points across the state."

LASU lecturers declare indefinite strike over high fees

BY IKENNAASOMBA

L

AGOS—ACADEMIC Staff Union of Universities, Lagos State University, LASU, Ojo, branch yesterday, declared a total and indefinite strike over what it described as failure of the state government to meet its three core demands.

At a briefing, ASUU Chairman, Dr. Idris Adekunle, said having exhausted one year of dialogue and consultations with relevant stakeholders without headway, the union decided to call out its members on a total, comprehensive and indefinite industrial action.

Idris, flanked by other executives of ASUU, said the three core issues to be addressed before members could return to work were the reversal of the high LASU tuition regime from N348, 750 to a maximum N50, 000 across board; repeal of the no vacancy, no promotion policy of the institution’s administration and the implementation of the universities (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment) Act, 2012, which would see academic staff in the professorial cadre retire at age 70 instead of 65, in the university.

According to him, “The

union met at different times with the university administration, the governing council, the Pro-Chancellor, the Chancellor, the Ad-hoc committee on the LASU crisis, the Parents’ Forum, Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwanu Akiolu, Oba Babatunde Akran of Badagry, and Oba Jubrilu Rufai, the Olojo of Ojo, among other eminent personalities in the state, without resolving the core issues at stake."

“The union this year declared a trade dispute with an initial 21_day ultimatum effective from March 24 which expired April 13 and another 14-day ultimatum which expired April 29".

Russian billionaire to pay $4.5bn in world’s ‘most expensive divorce’

BY UDUMA KALU, with Agency Reports

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USSIAN billionaire, Dmitry Rybolovlev may lose half his wealth after being ordered to pay his former wife $4.5 billion in a settlement dubbed the “most expensive divorce in history.”

Elena Rybolovleva’s lawyer Marc Bonnant said the order from a Geneva court was unprecedented, and “this record judgment is a complete victory.”

However, Rybolovlev’s spokesman Sergey Chernitsyn said the divorce was still a “win” for the oligarch. The two had been battling over the settlement for six years, after Elena Rybolovleva, the oligarch’s wife of 23 years, filed for divorce.

Rybolovlev’s total wealth is estimated at $8.8 billion, according to the 2014 Forbes list of billionaires.

He made most of his money from the $6.5 billion sale of his stake in Russia’s largest potassium fertilizer company in 2010. Rybolovlev is also known as the owner of the Monaco Football Club, which plays in the top French soccer league.

Rybolovlev made headlines when he bought the Palm Beach Maison de L’Amitie from Donald Trump for reported $95 million in 2008. In 2012, the Rybolovlev’s then 21-year-old daughter Ekaterina bought Manhattan’s most expensive apartment — the penthouse on Central Park West which cost $88 million.

A trust set up in Ekaterina’s name also reportedly own Scorpios, the Greek island where Jackie Kennedy married

the former owner of the island, Aristotle Onassis, in 1968.

The oligarch’s lawyers will appeal against the decision, questioning the sum. “There will definitely be a new appellate review and therefore this judgment is not final given the existence of two levels of appeal in Switzerland,” said Tetiana Bersheda, Rybolovlev’s lawyer.

List of world’s most expensive divorces

1. Michael & Juanita Jordan.

Settlement pending: Possibly more than $150 million. She filed for divorce last year.

2. Neil Diamond & Marcia Murphey Estimated settlement: $150 million.

Divorced in 1994.

3. Steven Spielberg & Amy Irving.

Estimated settlement: $100 million.

Divorced 1984.

4. Harrison Ford & Melissa Mathison.

Estimated settlement: $85 million.

The couple divorced in 2004.

5. Kevin Costner & Cindy Silva Estimated settlement: $80 million Split in 1991.

6. Paul McCartney & Heather Mills.

Settlement pending: Possibly more than $60 million. By 2006 the pair split acrimoniously.

7. James Cameron & Linda Hamilton.

Estimated settlement: $50 million.

Married July 1997. Split 18 months later.

8. Michael & Diandra Douglas.

Estimated settlement: $45 million.

The couple split in 1998.

9. Lionel & Diane Richie.

Estimated settlement: $20 million.

Diane filed for divorce in 2004.

10. Mick Jagger & Jerry Hall.

Estimated settlement: $15 to $25 million.

Hall filed for divorce in 1999.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014—11

LP lashes Amosun over ‘attack' on Daniel

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

A

B E O K U TA — O G U N State chapter of the Labour Party, LP, yesterday, faulted the state government’s reaction to comments by party leader and former governor of the state, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, on cost of roads construction and debt profile of the state.

Publicity Secretary of the party, Deji Kalejaiye, in a statement described the reactions of the government through the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Yusuph Olaniyonu as “un-coordinated, hurried reactions.”

Daniel had fired the first salvo during the commissioning of the secretariat of the Labour Party in Ogun State, describing road projects in the state as too expensive.

Reacting, the government said it sympathised with the former governor as he was merely trying to justify his failure to execute any tangible project in the state during his eight-year tenure.

LP, in the statement, said “We need to be clear about this. Mr. Olaniyonu only successfully betrayed the frustration of the ruling government with his uncoordinated hurried reactions. The signal that Mr Olaniyonu successfully painted to the public was one of a government that is confused, disillusioned and already overwhelmed with the challenges confronting his principal and their misguided policies, which has openly led to total loss of confidence by the good people of Ogun State.

“So, if Mr. Olaniyonu and his paymaster can be rattled with a single observation, we will advise he better be prepared when the chronicle is eventually released.

"One would have thought,

rather than uninformed, primordial, sentimental attacks, Commissioner Olaniyonu would avail the people of Ogun State facts and figures about projects awarded under Governor Amosun’s stewardship. It would

have been nobler, magisterial and statesman-like if he talks about the much-touted inflation of project contract sums, as well as the desirability of some of the projects being awarded like Father Christmas bridges.

OAU students protest hike in fees, block Ife —Ibadan Road

BY GBENGA OLARINOYE

O

THANKSGIVING SERVICE: From left, Olori Bisi; Olori Yetunde; Oshile Oke-Ona Egba, Oba Adedapo Tejuoso and Omolara Tejuoso as the activities marking the 25th Coronation anniversary of Oba Tejuoso was rounded off with a special thanksgiving service at St. James Cathedral Church, Idi-Ape, Abeokuta, yesterday. Photo by Wumi Akinola.

Osun Speaker raises alarm over fake voter’s card deployment

BY GBENGA OLARINOYE

O

SOGBO—SPEAKER of Osun State House of Assembly, Najeem Salaam, yesterday raised an alarm, alleging mass deployment of fake voter’s cards in the state.

He called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to choose the option of

voter’s card reader machine if the security device of the permanent voter’s card was genuine and truly datacaptured.

In a release by the Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker, Mr. Goke Butika, in Osogbo, the Speaker said the availability of the fake voter ’s cards had justified the fear of concerned

stakeholders in Osun, saying “I make bold to say that we've got some fake INEC voter’s cards from our field workers; we are factually informed that the state is flooded with fake cards now.

How those cards were fabricated is unknown to us now, but it is certain that the target is the forthcoming governorship election."

PDP enlists 200,000 canvassers to ‘capture’ S-West National Auditor, Alhaji Adewale

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

A

B E O K U TA — T H E leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the South West, yesterday, said it had set up structures through the Mobilisation and Organisation Committee in all the wards, local governments and six states in the region to canvass support for the party.

Addressing stakeholders of the party in Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun State, the Director of Organisation of the Committee, Otunba Leke Adekoya, said over 200,000 canvassers with valid voters’ cards have been mobilised for the party across the region.

Adekoya said the canvassers were fully mobilised for the challenges ahead, particularly in Ekiti and Osun states.

The meeting, which attracted party bigwigs throughout the six South West states, was organised to sensitise supporters on the need to campaign, especially at the grassroots towards the general elections.

Those who spoke at the meeting included the party ’s National Secretary, Prof. Wale Oladipo;

Adeyanju; Chairman, Caretaker Committee, South West PDP, Chief Ishola Filani; First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, represented by the National Coordinator, Women For Change and Development, Dr. Rabi Ibrahim; Chairman, Organisation and Mobilisation Committee of the party in South West, Prince Buruji Kashamu and others.

Diocese of Lagos Mainland opens Synod

T

HE Anglican Diocese of Lagos Mainland opens its four-day synod on Thursday at the Cathedral of St. Jude, Ebute-Meta with the rising insecurity in the country expected to be a major concern.

It is the second session of its third synod, with the theme: “As for me and my household, we will serve The Lord,” taken from Joshua 24: 15. The four-day annual event will hold at two venues, the Cathedral of St. Jude, Ebute-Meta and All Saints’ Church, Yaba, whilst the opening and closing Holy Communion services hold May 22 and 25 at Ebute Meta, the opening ceremony hold on Friday, and the business session on Saturday at Yaba.

S O G B O — PROTESTING students of the Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile-Ife, Osun State, over sudden hike in tuition fees, yesterday, paralysed vehicular and other movements on the ever-busy Ife-Ibadan road for several hours, causing unprecedented traffic snarl.

The aggrieved students claimed the management of the university had increased tuition fees from N17, 000 to about N100, 000, apart from N20, 000 acceptance and accommodation fees.

They alleged that from the latest circular, fresh students would be paying N74,000 as against N17,000, excluding the acceptance fee of N20, 000, while returning students would be paying around N50,000 as against N7,000.

The students, who trooped out in their hundreds barricaded all roads to the university campus and moved round the university condemning the new tuition fees.

Led by the President-elect of the Students Union, Mr. Ibikunle Isaac, they displayed various placards calling on the management to reverse its decision on the new tuition fees in the interest of peace in the university.

Some of the placards read “OAU students say no to tuition increment,”, “Omole bring back our school fees”, “Omole you enjoyed free education, why killing it?” and “The poor deserve quality education too” among others.

While addressing the students, Ibikunle said, “We have exhausted all peaceful means, we have consulted ASUU, NASU and the alumni body of the institution to help appeal to the management to reverse the fees but to no avail.”

Efforts by a team of policemen drafted to the scene to persuade the students allow free flow of vehicular movement yielded no result as the students went on calling on parents and concerned individuals to appeal to the management to reverse the hike.

12 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014

Some govs lobbied for relocation of EPZ Gas project from Delta —Uduaghan

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

A

SABA—DELTA State governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, yesterday, inaugurated a 21-man Ugborodo Peace Committee, with equal representation from the two warring factions, just as he revealed how some state governors lobbied to have the project relocated to their states due to the initial hiccups.

The committee has Mr. Augustine Oborugbeyi as Chairman, while other members, 10 from each side, were nominated by their respective groups.

The committee was asked by the governor to collectively agree on who will serve as the secretary to the committee.

The governor made it clear that from the onset, the state government had put in everything to make the project become a reality.

He said: “A lot of work was done, a lot of interest came in especially for the chemical plant and the fertilizer plant and investors indicated interest from Saudi Arabia, India and other countries across the world. Unfortunately, when they came for assessment, they discovered that because of the shallow nature of our waterways, it would be difficult for big ships to come and evacuate their products.

“For us to retain the project

in Koko, it required the dredging of the waterways and the cost was estimated by Nigerian Ports Authority at a minimum of $1 million. To us, the money was above what the state or even the Federal Government could afford for the project. Other interests came in that the project had to be moved completely and other states indicated interest in it. For me, through the efforts of our people, and I must acknowledge the role played by Mr. Daniel

Reyienju in drawing my attention to what was happening, we worked together with Mr. President, met the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, and the minister looked at the area and agreed that the project had to be moved from Koko to Ogidegben.

“That was how the project got to Ogidigben. Unfortunately, the community crisis which was on before the project was moved to Ogidig-

ben seemed to have worsened.

As a governor, I have managed many crisis. Ugborodo is a community in Delta State.

We have our security council, and we have our security chiefs who I must say were in a position to handle the issue.

"My only appeal is that the peace process has to continue so that the community could be at peace and we will to get the maximum benefits from this project.”

INSPECTION: From right: Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State; Area Manager, CCC, Mr. BassanKawnh; Mr. Tony Azzomi and Mr. Tony Wahuslay, during the governor's inspection of the ongoing flyover in Asaba. Photo: Henry Unini.

Confab: Don’t compromise on 13% derivation, monarch warns S-South delegates

BY EMMA AMAIZE

W

ARRI—THE paramount ruler of Siembri Kingdom in Delta State, HRM Charles Ayemi-Botu, yesterday, advised South-South delegates at the on-going national conference in Abuja not to contemplate returning home to the Niger Delta, if they allow any reduction in the current 13 per cent derivation on oil resources.

Speaking to Vanguard, former national chairman of Association of Traditional Rulers of Oil Minerals Producing Communities of Nigeria, ATROMPCON, said: “The mandate we gave them is to demand for 50 per cent derivation. Unfortunately, the North which came with a predetermined agenda to overturn the

status quo says no. They should negotiate for at least, 30 per cent.

“When derivation was raised from three per cent to 13 per cent by the 1999 Constitution, the provision is that it should not be anything less than 13 per cent and our hope was that by now, 20 years after, it would have gone up to 50 per cent.

“Why the fuss over increasing derivation to 50 per cent as if it is a new thing? Did the North, which

is asking for a reduction to five per cent, not enjoy 50 per cent derivation at the time it was convenient for them?

“I do not want to believe that our delegates are under any form of pressure not to express our views. Recently, a group of professionals from the SouthSouth and South-East invited the delegates to a parley where they told them that they had not lived up to expectations.

“Looking at what is going on at the conference, the North clearly came with an agenda to fight the South South. The South-West has a clear-cut agenda of regional autonomy, but I am finding it hard to know what the South-South and South-East are putting on the table."

Ogbemudia continues search for Oshiomhole's successor ...says he wants the best for his people

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

B

ENIN—FORMER governor of old Bendel State, Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia, yesterday, said that his primary concern was the future of Edo State and not the personal ambitions of politicians.

The elder statesman in Oza, Orhiomwon Local Government Area of Edo State, during his visit to the area, said the visit was part of his tour of the state to seek Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s successor in 2016.

Addressing the people, including representatives of the Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba communities, Ogbemudia re-

minded them that several issues will be raised as regards the politics of the state, but cautioned that they must be focused so as to ensure that they elect sincere leaders and not pretenders that will lead the state astray.

He said: “I have decide to embark on this tour because I want the best for Edo people. Governor Oshiomhole has done very well for the state and that is why we are saying that his legacy must not stop. So, I am going round to consult with our people to ensure that we get a successor that will do better than Oshiomhole."

Group vows to unseat Delta LGSC boss

A

socio-political group, Love of Itsekiriland Patroits, LIP, is currently at daggers drawn with the Chairperson of Delta State Local Government Service Commission, over what it described as the latter ’s unlawful determination to perpetrate herself in office after serving out her statutorily four-year tenure, thereby depriving the Itsekiris the opportunity of producing the next chairman of the commission.

LIP, in a petition to Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, by its Chairman, Elder Victor Ometie, said: “Since the creation of Delta State in 1991, the state LGSC has had six non-Itsekiri chairmen, rotating among the Urhobo, Isoko, Ukuani, Ijaw and Igbo, who served out a four year tenure each, with each of them voluntarily relinquishing his seat to the next most senior officer until it got to the turn of Mrs Okuofu whose tenure elapsed on March 30, 2014, but since then she has refused to relinquish the seat despite repeated reminders by her subordinates."

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014—13

Debt burden: Edo pays N520m monthly, PDP alleges

BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

B

ENIN—THE Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Edo State has alleged that the sum of N520 million was being deducted from the state’s federal allocation to service loans borrowed by the state government since September, 2011.

Edo State chairman of the party, Chief Dan Orbih, disclosed this at a rally to welcome defectors from the ll Progressives Congress, APC, to the party in Fugar, headquarters of Etsako Central Local Government Area of the state.

Reacting, Publicity Secretary of the state chapter of APC, Mr. Godwin Erhahon, said the PDP was speaking on a topic they know nothing about, challenging the Federal Government to speak on the debt profile of Edo State.

Efforts to have Special Adviser, Media, to the Governor, Prince Kassim Afegbua, and the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Louis Odion, to react to the allegation proved abortive as the duo could not be reached.

NASS approves extension of state of emergency in N'East

BY EMMAN OVUAKPORIE, JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU & JOSEPH ERUNKE

A

BUJA— THE Senate, yesterday, approved President Goodluck Jonathan’s request for extension of state of emergency in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.

However, the Senate said given that the previous state of emergency in the affected states achieved little or no positive results, the President should declare full military action to arrest the rising insurgency in the North-East.

Rising from a closed session that lasted about four hours, after alleged disagreement by Senators from the affected states, especially those from Borno States, the Red Chamber unanimously endorsed the extension.

Also, the need to provide a legal framework for the war against terrorism and to consolidate on the successes recorded in recent past are among the main reasons why the House of Representatives extended, for another six months, the emergency rule in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states, Speaker of the House, Aminu Tambuwal, has said.

Tambuwal made this disclosure when he granted audience to the Botswana High Commissioner in Nigeria, Lt. Gen. Louis Fisher, at the National Assembly yesterday.

Tambuwal said the legislative instrument granted will also assist all foreign countries who have indicated interest to help Nigeria find the abducted Chibok girls and to overcome other security challenges confronting the country.

According to the Speaker, “the House is determined to continue its job of appropriating funds and enabling legislative framework that will assist the Armed Forces to adequately carry out their responsibilities.”

He said the House is working closely with other arms of government to ensure that the over 200 girls abducted in Chibok are returned to their families alive and in good condition.

“Our effort is not just geared towards safe return of our girls, but is also targeted at ending insurgency in the country as a whole,” the Speaker

added.

While commending Botswana and other African countries for standing with Nigeria in this difficult time, Tambuwal extolled the brotherly relationship between Nigeria and Botswana, and urged the

envoy to explore avenues of deepening ties between the two countries.

In his remarks, the High Commissioner described Nigeria as an important country in Africa that had always come to the aid of sister nations in the world.

RESOURCE CONTROL: N-Delta youths

threaten to declare fresh oil war

BY EMMA AMAIZE

W

ARRI—YOUTHS from civil and communitybased organisations in the Niger Delta have rejected the resolution of the National Conference Committee on Devolution of Power, headed by former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Obong Victor Attah, on resource control and 13 percent derivation.

The youths, under the aegis of Niger Delta Coalition, vowed to declare another oil war in the coming days if the committee’s report was not discarded.

Addressing newsmen in Warri, Delta State, shortly

after a Niger Delta youths consultative/interactive meeting in Burutu, Delta State, National President of Ijaw Peoples’ Development Initiative, IPDI, Mr. Austin Ozobo, said: “The report on resource control compiled by the Attah-led committee is a complete betrayal of the mandate given to them by the people of Niger Delta. Despite the betrayal, the position of the region over resource control has not changed.”

The youths passed a vote of no confidence on the Attah-led committee, and warned of catastrophe and hurricane of the oil war that would follow if the report was not discared.

14 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014

Ebonyi govt sets up C'ttee

against Lassa fever

BY PETER OKUTU

A

BAKALIKI—EBONYI State government has set up a joint committee on the fight against the outbreak of Lassa fever in the state.

The membership of the joint committee, which includes the management of State Ministry of Health and Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki, FETHA, had developed a two-way approach for treatment of the deadly disease.

It should be recalled that according to Ebonyi State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, no fewer than eight doctors, four nurses and five health workers died of Lassa fever, after they participated in operating a pregnant woman at the Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki, FETHA, last weekend.

Briefing newsmen on the issue, yesterday, Commissioner for Health, Dr. Sunday Nwangele, stated that the committee had already begun work against the spread, and to find ways of containing the disease.

C M Y K

Reps, Presidency on collision course over Jonathan’s order to MDAs

BY EMMAN OVUAKPORIE

A

BUJA — FROM all in dications, a crisis is fast brewing between the National Assembly and The Presidency over alleged directive from the latter to all Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, to stop honouring invitations from committees of the National Assembly without express permission of the President.

The crisis came to the fore based on the response of the Ministry of Interior to a memo from the House of Representatives Committee on Public Account, PAC. However Sections 85, 86 and

87 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) empowers the Auditor General of the Federation to look into the accounts of all MDAs and submit its findings to the Parliament for consideration by Public Account Committees of both chambers of the National Assembly.

The House of Representatives PAC, led by Solomon AdeolaOlamilekan, had invited the Interior Ministry to make an appearance before it and answer to questions raised by the office of Auditor General of the Federal ,AGoF, on the monies released to the ministry by the Budget Office from the Service Wide Vote

between 2004 and 2012.

The ministry, in a response signed by its Permanent Secretary, Mrs Fatima Bamidele, said it would not heed the call by the committee until clearance or approval was given by the Presidency.

The power of the PAC committees to consider the reports submitted by the Auditor General without any interference was drawn from Section 85(5) of the constitution.

The reply by the Interior Ministry to the memo from the PAC signed by the Permanent Secretary, obtained by Vanguard

read in part: Re;Releases To MDAs and Expenditure made through the Service Wide Votes during the period 2004-2012 Final Warning. ”I acknowledge the receipt of your letter No; HR/SC05/II/ XXXI/98 of April 30, 2014, on the above subject-matter and write to inform you that the Ministry has written to the President through the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation to seek for clearance/approval to attend the meeting. As soon as the clearance is granted, the Ministry will appear before the committee.”

Igbo groups back Jonathan on handling of insurgency

BY TONY EDIKE

E

NUGU — THIRTEEN Igbo groups rose from a meeting in Enugu, yesterday, declaring their support for the measures being adopted by President Goodluck Jonathan to tackle insurgency caused by the Islamist group, Boko Haram, in the country.

After reviewing the present state of affairs in the country, the

groups noted in an 11-point communiqué that the mindless pillory of President Jonathan and his wife on account of the insurgency in the North “is unkind, opportunistic and a weak attempt to divert attention of the public from the fact that this Islamist insurgency is political, religious and a booby trap solely targeted at regime change.”

The groups that sent delegations to the meeting are Igbo

Leaders of Thought, South East Elders Forum, Igbo Youth Movement, Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, Ohanaeze Overseas Forum, Ohanaeze Youth Alliance, Igbo Traders Congress, Igbo Women Assembly, Igbo Students Congress, South East Professionals, South East/ South South Alliance, Civil and Human Right Forum and World Igbo Diaspora Congress.

Presenting the communiqué at the end of the meeting, convener and founder of Igbo Youth Movement, who doubled as deputy secretary of the Igbo Leaders of Thought, Evangelist Elliot Uko, said the brain storming became necessary as the country was going through a historic period, “eight months to general elections, and ongoing National Conference filled with intrigues and about to be derailed...”

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014 — 15

Amosun storms out of APC exco meeting •As APC says FG not sincere on war against Boko Haram •New executive to emerge June 14

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

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HE ALL Progressives Congress, APC, has resolved to enthrone a new national executive on June 14 following a heated National Executive Committee, NEC meeting in Abuja, yesterday.

Also, yesterday, the party pledged to enthrone an elders' committee to resolve disputes in states with unresolved issues flowing from recently concluded congresses. The NEC, it was learnt, vowed to set up caretaker committees where the elders’ committee fails.

One of the flashpoints of the meeting, Vanguard learnt, was when Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State walked out following a heated argument between him and another NEC member over the correctness of the congresses conducted in Ogun State.

Meanwhile, the party also, yesterday, flayed the Federal Government over what it claimed as the administration’s lack of sincerity in the war against terror.

In the communiqué read out by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, it was disclosed that the

Convention Planning Committee would be chaired by the governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Aliyu Wammako with Senator Chris Ngige as Secretary.

Party sources disclosed that the decision to hold the convention in Abuja was despite the submission of some party elders that the

convention be held in Lagos.

Some party elders, Vanguard learnt, had insisted that holding the convention in Lagos would not help the desire to give the party a national outlook, a view that eventually prevailed in the course of the meeting.

Vanguard also learnt, yester-

day, that the national chairman of the defunct New Peoples Democratic Party, nPDP, was proposed to chair the convention planning committee, but the majority of the NEC supported Governor Wamakko for the post.

Vanguard gathered that Amosun became enraged when an ex-

officio member of the NEC, who reportedly claimed to have monitored the congresses, described the congresses as kangaroo.

The source said that shortly after the opening prayer was said, the NEC called for reports from the states with issues with their congresses.

78% of Nigerians buy petrol above N97 per litre —Survey

BY CHRIS OCHAYI

A

BUJA — OPINION poll conducted by an independent firm, the NOIPoll Limited, has revealed that over 78 per cent of Nigerians bought petrol above the official pump price of N97 per litre between January and March, 2014.

It said the results of the petrol price monitoring polls conducted in the first quarter, revealed a significant 47-point increase in the proportion of Nigerians who bought petrol above the official pump price from 31 per cent in January to 78 per cent in March 2014.

The poll revealed: “The result obtained in March 2014 represents the highest proportion of respondents who purchased

petrol above N97 in the 15 months of conducting the Petrol Price Monitoring Polls which started from January 2013.

“The quarterly average Q1 shows that the majority 53 per cent purchased petrol above the official pump price of N97 with the highest obtained in the North-East and South-East zones; while 44 per cent purchased at the official price.

“This quarter’s figure represents the second highest on the purchase of petrol above the official price, after peaking in Q1 2013 58 per cent. More findings revealed that on average, 64 per cent of Nigerians bought petrol from major marketer filling stations in the first quarter of 2014.

“However, monthly trend

analysis shows a downward trend with a substantial 32Point decline from January 78 per cent to March 46 per cent in the proportion of Nigerians who purchased petrol from major filling stations. These findings highlight the adverse effect of the crippling fuel scarcity experienced across Nigeria in the first quarter of 2014.

“In January 2012, the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, along with government announced an increase in the price of petrol from N65 to N141 as a result of the removal of subsidy for the reason that over a trillion Naira was spent in 2011 on subsidy.

“Subsidy has been defined as money given by the state or public body to keep down cost of

commodities. Some people see it as a form of protectionism or trade barrier because domestic goods are made affordable artificially.

Within the Nigerian petroleum pricing context, subsidy would then mean selling petrol below the cost of production or importation.

“The removal of the fuel subsidy led to days of protest by Nigerians led by organised labour and civil societies who were unhappy about the perceived hardship this action would cause Nigerians and the lack of notice by the government to carry out such plans. In line with this, the government as a stop-gap measure partially removed subsidy, thereby bringing the official pump price of petrol to N97.

APC NEC MEETING IN ABUJA

Ahmed Bola Tinubu, addressing pressmen, and Adamawa State Governor Murtala Nyako, during the National Executive Coun- From left, former Borno State Governor, Ali Modu Sheriff; Ogbonnaya Onu, APC chiefcil, NEC, meeting of APC, at the National Secretariat of the tain, and former Head of State, Muhammadu Buhari. party, in Abuja, yesterday. Photos: Gbemiga Olamikan. .

Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi (right); Nasarawa State Governor, Tanko From left, Adamawa State Governor, Murtala Nyako (right); Kwara State Al-Makura (middle), and Sokoto State Governor, Aliu Wamakko.

Governor, Abdulfatai Ahmed (middle), and Audu Ogbe, APC chieftain.

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16 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014

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Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014 —17

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18— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014 OUR governments adopt the easiest approaches to the malaria scourge – talk about it, prescribe more use of mosquito nets. Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, announced in 2012 that more than 90 per cent of Nigeria’s population about 150.3 million people - is at risk of malaria infection.

The Minister summarised the malaria scourge hiding its devastation. “ Malaria is a major public problem in Nigeria; Nigeria contributes a quarter of malaria burden in Africa. Over 90 per cent of the country’s 167 million people are at risk. It contributes 30 per cent to childhood mortality in the country and contributes 11 per cent of maternal mortality. I must add that it reduces Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product by one per cent annually. It is estimated that malaria-related illnesses and mortality cost Africa’s economy about $12 billion annually.”

How can malaria be this dangerous and we wait for April 26, the annual

Malaria: Away From Depressing Statistics World Malaria Day, to advertise mosquito nets to Nigerians?

The 2010 Malaria Indicator Survey Nigeria showed that about 52 per cent of children aged six months to five years tested positive to malaria.

According to experts, if these children survive, their physical and mental growth would be adversely affected. A combination of malaria with poor nutrition ensures many of those children would have stunted growth and poor mental development. The 2013 World Malaria Report rates Nigeria as 100 per cent territory for malaria

transmission.

“The total private direct cost of treatment is N375.48 billion, total private direct protection cost is N446.07 billion and total private indirect cost is N1.4billion. The total cost of malaria illness in Nigeria was estimated to be about N2.23 trillion representing 7.3 percent of the GDP in 2011,” a report in the 2013 Journal of Economics and Sustainable Development, by Nigeria's Olalekan Musa Salihu and Nurudeen Ayodeji Sanni, found.

They recommended, “ that government should expand the

provision of free and highly subsidised insecticide treated mosquito nets.”

Dependence on foreign initiatives on malaria will not work. The World Health Organisation, WHO, formally proposed malaria eradication in 1955.

Malaria is claiming more territories.

With climate change, some parts of Europe and North America may breed the harmful mosquitoes.

Malaria is not a global challenge.

Nigeria bears a huge part of the malaria burden. Nigeria needs to commit resources to researches on malaria vaccine. Our Ministries of Environment should work with health authorities to institute practices that would free the environment of mosquito breeding grounds. The world’s interest is more in selling mosquito nets and pharmaceuticals than in fighting malaria.

Our governments should be more practically committed to eliminating malaria; reciting statistics, no matter how depressing, is an ineffective step.

OPINION

BY ANTHONY OBINNA

AS Nigeria continues to unravel and explode into new cycles of verbal and bloody violence with a threat of permanent and general insecurity across the nation, the need to advance, contemporanise and spread Africa’s equity spirit becomes necessary and urgent. For prior to Arab and European entry into our territories, Africans in their ethnic and village communities had developed and shared ways of living within and between their communities that made for peace and good neighbourliness.

Even where there were conflicts that led to wars and death, efforts were made to limit the damage in the face of strong belief and understanding that the shedding of sacred human blood desecrated the earth and damaged relationships with supernatural forces.

The mass slaughter of humans in our so-called modern, civilized and enlightened times can only overwhelm the discrete sensibility and reserve of our many wise ancestors whom today we uncritically or arrogantly term primitive and illiterate.

In prosaic terms, Africa’s equity spirit was ritualised and covenanted in these familiar verses which have their matrix in various African languages: Live and help live Abide and help abide C M Y K

Convivance – Africa’s equity spirit Room for the kite Room for the eagle Life to the river Life to the fish Room for the elephant Room for the squirrel Life to the aged Life to the young Equal – Equal Is our song Same here- Same there Is our tune May none die May none perish Affirm we shall live – We shall all live, we shall all live Convivance translates and embodies Africa’s equity spirit in our current cross-cultural-language setting. It has variants in covival and covivalism which contrast sharply with the survival of the fittest or the strongest which has been the destructive dynamic of certain ideologies past and present.

As a way of thinking, acting and living, indeed as an ideology, covivance or covivalism is large-hearted and expansive enough to welcome and accommodate everyone, while constantly working to restrain violence and disarm combatants. In a covival community the welfare and security of

everyone is the watch-word. I believe that Julius Nyerere’s Ujamaa – working together – conveys the same covivalist thrust although he lamely used socialism to translate it cross-culturally in the absence of covivance or covivalism which I believe better translates Africa’s equity spirit in the modern context. Kwame Nkrumah had proposed consciencism in an attempt to synthesise communism and capitalism within African’s cultural context. But it did not quite resonate with Africa’s equity spirit.

At the heart of covivance - Africa’s equity spirit - is reverence for life, for all life, and particularly for human life.

For it is in the association and company of fellow humans that the spirit of living, the sharing of the bounty and scarcity of life in various shapes is celebrated and assured. That is why covivance comes as close as possible to the emphasis on the gift of life and the sharing of life in practical terms within the African setting.

In pristine African communities the equal value attachment to human life and the need to accord equal respect to every person in the community, in the spirit of covivance, led to the establishment of communal laws around land-allocation and sharing of certain

economic trees. Through the equitable distribution of land products like palm fruits, to every family, family members in a largely farming community were assured of their daily or regular sustenance. As a consequence there were no beggars in such communities.

Indeed they were rare.

Although African societies have been politically and economically skewed in novel directions by the new regimes of influence that we have inherited, the elevation, internalisation and promotion of covivance – Africa’s equity spirit – will go a long way in creating more appreciative and caring dispositions and attitudes with regard to every human especially within the Nigerian family.

The current over-heating of Nigeria’s polity through the aggressive quest for power, money and influence to the detriment of even school children is a clear indication of disregard for Africa’s covival – equity spirit – which is a noble heritage that beckons all Africans and humanity at large to embrace. In stead of promoting or embracing global terrorism or global imperialism that threaten to decimate or animalise us all, let us resurrect, internalise, promote and spread covivance locally and globally as a basic and peaceful way of living for all humans. *Most Revd Obinna is the Catholic Archbishop of Owerri.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014— —19

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The irony of it then that Jonathan hoped to avoid the wrath of the northern elite by vacillating in his fight against terror when he could have been more decisive

A look at Nyako’s tantrums and Jonathan’s unspoken fears URTALA Nyako, governor of Adamawa, one of three states which the cowardly but murderous insurgents in the north have virtually turned into the headquarters of their operations, is fast posing or acquiring reputation as an opponent of President Goodluck Jonathan. He has been particularly critical of Jonathan’s handling of the fight against the terrorists that the president’s equally confused and confusing style of engaging has lionised into the seemingly invincible killer group that the world now pays close attention.

Last month Nyako all but turned the table against Jonathan in spite of the latter’s weak and foolishly pacifist approach towards the demented beasts that have run over the north-east- Nyako all but called Jonathan the actual killer of the hundreds of Nigerians that the terrorists have dispatched to the ages.

In a rambling, angry letter that was riddled with wild allegations Nyako, last month, accused Jonathan of genocidal intentions against the people of the north-east if not the north as a whole. The non-performing, now mutinous

troops that had been deployed for peace-making purposes, Nyako claimed, were Jonathan’s own occupation squad in the northeast. In spite or, in fact, because of Jonathan’s poorly coordinated fight against terror Nyako accused him in his letter of deliberate unconcern and failure to respond to the plight of the people most affected by the activities of the terrorists. The governor had nothing to say about the despicable behaviour of northern elite like him. These were people whose sly accommodation of the terrorists when it suited them to do so contributed to Jonathan’s initial vacillation and vexing lack of will in fighting and destroying the terrorists. This was when the odds of victory were very much stacked in his favour.

Murtala Nyako also had nothing to say about the fact that large swathes of the entire north-east where he and two others in Borno and Yobe claim to govern are routinely sacked under the de facto rule of terrorists who serve advance notice of their invasion and yet encounter no resistance.

Until the latest outrage of abduction of God-knows-how-

many hundreds of school girls in Chibok the terrorists, Nigerians are beginning to learn, had for long been in the ignoble business of abducting nubile girls. They could have their pick of the best damsels without the distraction of marriage rites. And yet Nyako and company who have ceded huge parts of states they are supposed to be governing to the terrorists, content to go around in heavily armed convoys for their own protection, persist in the pretence that they are governors.

I

n one word Murtala Nyako has, in his letter and since, remained totally silent on what qualifies him and others to be governors of such an ungovernable region as the north-east. He rests easy and has no qualms about his untenable position, probably, for the simple reason for which most people have held Jonathan responsible for the impunity of the terrorists: that the president has full and f inal control of state powers to fight the terrorists. Thus in spite of the fact that Nyako and some other northern leaders encouraged the terrorists by their unseemly silence when the insurgents began their

God’s anointed criminals A

S the world watched Abubakar Shekau’s video declaration of Allah’s instruction to him to sell the nearly 300 girls he kidnapped at midnight from their boarding school beds in Chibok, Borno State, something happened at last that had been long awaited: action, rather than platitudinous words of outrage.

As is often the case nowadays, this turn was galvanised by social media, chiefly Twitter and Facebook, with the hashtag "#Bring Back Our Girls” as the battle-cry.

Perhaps this awakening had something to do with the shocking levity, the manic joviality, with which Shekau turned the clock backwards several centuries to evoke memories of the trans-Saharan slave trade which predated and later coexisted with the trans-Atlantic version. “I abducted your girls,” he announced gleefully, shaking the right pocket of his military fatigue jacket in anticipation of his profit from slave-trading in 2014. Then laughing, growling, and taunting, he informed us that he would be selling Allah’s children under the direct instruction of Allah: “I will sell them in the market, by Allah. . . .There is a market for selling humans. Allah says I should sell. He commands me to sell.”

Did Allah speak to Shekau or not? Is Shekau God’s anointed prophet sent to establish his holy kingdom in Nigeria or not? I have no doubt that if Shekau has indeed received instructions from any entity other than his demented self, it is the devil. But, then, Shekau is not the only one who claims to have direct conversations with the almighty. His counterpart in Uganda, Joseph Kony of the Lord’s Resistance Army, also claims God’s authority for countless acts of murder, mutilation,

sexual slavery and use of child soldiers in his decades-long campaign against Yoweri Museveni. Shekau may have borrowed a leaf from his brother Kony’s book of horrors: in 1995, Kony killed or abducted hundreds of villagers. A year later, he set the example of kidnapping girls when he took 139 in the town of Aboke. Both holy warriors have in turn borrowed from the fat tome of religion-induced horrors compiled by the two dominant religions — from Papal bulls sanctifying slavery to the medieval terrors of dipping heretics in boiling cauldrons or burning them at the stake, witch-hunts, the Crusades, forced conversion jihads replicated today in the terrorism of the Taliban in Afghanistan and Al Qaeda affiliates worldwide, etc.

Nor does God only give his commands of “Go and utterly destroy, bomb, capture or torture the Amalekites” (non-believers, the unchosen) to rebel warriors. Every week, in churches and madrasas, the anointed, mostly men, relay to us the commands God gave them in private: to wipe out the unbelievers; build a cathedrome or a revival camp the size of a town; buy a private jet for the Daddy General Overseer; make five to 20 faithful worshippers instant billionaires; bind all witches and wizards, principalities and powers (though that task was presumably “finished” two thousand years ago, it must be performed anew every Sunday or revival service), etc.

And here is where the trouble lies: if we accept the claims of these many men and women of God to have received direct instructions from the almighty in private, what grounds can we have for disbelieving the Taliban’s Sheikh Omar, Al Qaeda’s Osama bin Laden, LRA’s Kony and now Boko Haram’s Shekau? If on the ground

circumstances. Nor is it any less perplexing why Nyako whose powers as governor has nowhere been affected by the emergency should be bothered if emergency rule continues. Either way, neither Nyako nor Jonathan stands to lose anything. Only the ordinary people who have been left to their own devices and at the mercy of outlaw groups suffer.

The only reason for the ongoing tango between Nyako and Jonathan therefore might be explainable as one of clashing egos and politicking- the sheer desire of one to be contrary, perhaps for the sake of it or for political reason; to position himself as the spokesman of the north and the latter-day hero of this absurd drama between terrorists and legitimate authority. Jonathan on the other hand would in the face of unrelenting chaos rather stick to the semblance of order that emergency rule promised but has yet to deliver. His is an unspoken fear of the unknown, of what might happen if and when emergency rule is declared over.

Luckily for both men the decision as to what path to take on the matter of emergency is not in their hands. The better for us all as it might end up bogged down in finger-pointing. The House of Representatives has already given its say-so to the extension while the Senate shifted decision on the issue till this week. Whatever position is finally taken would only have meaning for the people of the north-east and other parts of Abuja and the north as a whole when they can again live their lives without having to glance over their shoulders in fear of the next explosion or abduction. Jonathan might soon have something tangible to show in favour of emergency rule if only to anticipate the end of foreign help which can only be for a while.

of unspeakable atrocities, what then about the long list of unconscionable acts in the holy books of the Abrahamic religions? At any rate, how tell God’s disciples from the devil’s?

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have said that our willingness to be lieve the claims of direct communication with God by self-appointed apos-

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reign of terror under Jonathan, today they join other Nigerians in blaming Jonathan for not fighting the terrorists or mismanaging the deployment of state power to fight them. The irony of it then that Jonathan hoped to avoid the wrath of the northern elite by vacillating in his fight against terror when he could have been more decisive.

He has therefore given cause, however unjust, for Nyako to turn the heat on him when Nyako himself could not be said to have done or be doing anything productive about the situation.

Nyako’s performance as governor in Adamawa has been very ordinary and remarkable, perhaps, for no greater reason than that he once sought to assign different responsibilities to his wives in their role as ‘first ladies’.

He is hardly different from if not worse than Jonathan in this regard.

Now he feels justified to point accusing fingers at Jonathan and criticise his fight against terror, the latest being the president’s desire to extend the imposition of emergency rule for another six months.

Nyako has been at the arrowhead of those opposed to the extension. His grouse is that the declaration of emergency rule is a non-starter and should be ended if it has so far had no useful effect on terror after one full year. The socalled emergency rule is in fact only so by mere words of mouth.

Neither the powers of the governors nor any structure of the states have been affected by the declaration. Federal power has not been brought to bear on state authority any more than at anytime before the declaration of emergency. The terrorists still go about their business unhindered and in broad day light. One is at a loss therefore understanding why Jonathan wants emergency rule extended under these

Our willingness to believe the claims of direct communication with God by selfappointed apostles is the source of all religious troubles old and new

,

tles is the source of all religious troubles old and new, and there is reason beyond Shekau’s madness. In the report, “Police nab ‘prophetess’ for setting 9-year-old daughter ablaze” (Vanguard, 15 May 2014), the evil-doer claimed to have merely been obeying God’s instruction. Hear her: “I was only obeying God’s instruction. I had a vision while praying that my daughter is from the witchcraft world.

When I prayed to God over it, I received

an instruction through the Holy Spirit to burn my daughter ’s body in order to deliver her from the evil society.” Another alleged witch was luckier, so to speak, as the world can testify through a video that went viral. Brought to Bishop David Oyedepo’s church for exorcism, the man of God would not simply say, Thou spirit of witchcraft, come out!, but gave the poor girl what we call “a dirty slap” for daring to say that she is not a witch but only “a witch for Jesus.”

And just to give one more example, as I write a Sudanese woman, MeriamYehya Ibrahim Ishaq who is eight months pregnant, is awaiting the execution of a sentence of 100 lashes and then hanging imposed by God’s cleric for the crime of converting and marrying a Christian man.

The severity of the sentence appears to have been partly influenced by the refusal of Ishaq to recant. Said the judge: "We gave you three days to recant, but you insist on not returning to Islam. I sentence you to be hanged to death." Officially her crime is apostasy and adultery, the latter because Shari’a law does not recognise her marriage to a non-believer. As for the prosecutor, he is all for “upholding our traditions and customs as Sudanese.”

The new hashtag ought to be, Secularism or death!

20 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014

GEJ’s Chibok miss

BY EBELE ORAKPO HAVE always said it! This matter is too compli “Icated.

The evil Boko guys want to use these inno-

*A couple of traders carting away some charred remains of their wares. INSET: The raging inferno

Lagos market inferno: Traders count losses, appeal for help

BY BOSE ADELAJA

O

VER the years, Lagos has had more than its fair share of fire disasters involving markets in the state that a new one seemingly would not generate much anxiety except for those directly affected. However, the same cannot be said of the fire that gutted the very popular rice and vegetable oil market in Daleko, near Mushin on Sunday. The

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Heh! I’m finished o!! What will I say to my bank ? My children have just resumed school; I feel like committing suicide

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fire which started in the middle of the night when traders had left for their various homes, razed about 120 shops stocked with wares as a result which valuables worth billions were destroyed.

Though the timely intervention of men of Lagos State Fire Services prevented the fire from causing further damages, but many affected traders are today counting their losses. When Vanguard Metro visited the market on Monday, several distraught traders were seen recounting their bitter experiences. Some of them, however, had cause to thank God that the incident did not happen during the day when a disastrous stampede was more likely on account of the fact that C M Y K

Daleko market is usually busy and jam parked with people at such time.

A trader popularly called Mama Segun, was seen angrily stamping her feet on the ground as she lamented the loss of the loan she obtained through her LAPO and invested in her business just the weekend before the incident. ‘’What will I tell the company now?

I feel like committing suicide. Well, only God knows the best’’ she said resignedly. Another trader, Alhaji

Segun Onitiri, was heard shouting: ‘’Heh! I’m finished o!! What will I say to my bank ? My children have just resumed school”.

Yet, another trader, Madam Ngozi Okpara, said she had planned to re-stock her shop last Monday and left the whole money for this purpose in the shop. She burst into tears as she lamented in Igbo: ‘’Chimeee, efuolam, Onye ge nyerem aka O…” (My God o, who will help me now).

Sympathisers were seen everywhere helping the traders in clearing the debris and rubble from the razed shops.

The traffic situation at the market was tight as people trooped in and out to catch a glimpse of the scene.

Meanwhile, during her visit to console the traders, Iyaloja General, Mrs Folashade TinubuOjo, she assured them that arrangements are already in place to arrest such happening in market places. She prayed that such will never happen again and also urged the traders to cooperate with the state government, who, she said, will soon commence enumeration and assessment of damages.

Hindering rescue efforts Folasade advised traders to desist from blocking the road with their wares and vehicles as this will always hinder rescue efforts during emergencies.

General Manager, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Mr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, who also visited the scene, assured that the State government will soon commence enumeration and assessment in order to ascertain the extent of damages and to assuage traders of their losses. Osanyintolu assured that an emergency management committee will be set up in various markets in the State to forestall such occurrences.

Both Osanyintolu and Ojo said the incident was likely to have been caused by electrical upsurge in one of the shops.

cent girls as bargaining chips or human shields so the army cannot use force against them,” said Sandra this Monday morning as the commuter bus moved slowly through the usual Monday morning traffic along the Wharf - Mile 2 road as another commuter raised the issue of President Jonathan’s last minute cancellation of his proposed visit to Chibok at the weekend.

“We must admit that Mr. President got it wrong this time. Haba! What kind of advisers does he have? They are just making a mockery of the man. Just when everyone was heaving a sigh of relief that he finally came around to visiting Chibok, at the dying minute, he made a U-turn,” lamented Moses.

“The man no wan die now! On a more serious note, it must have been security report that made him change his mind. He could not have cancelled the trip just like that,” said Pat. Answered Dave: “Yes, I think the security forces advised him to shelve the visit which I think was in order. He does not want to commit suicide because these Boko guys will ensure they kill him even if they lose hundreds of their members in the process. Remember he is their main target. They want to put paid to his 2015 ambition and return power to the North.”

“But as Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, he should have gone, not minding the consequences. After all, the Chibok people are also his children. Haven’t you heard of a mother going into a raging fire to rescue her child damning the consequences?” asked Moses.

“You said mother and child ba? This is President and citizen,” stated Sandra.

Said Moses: “Honestly, this is enough reason to vote him out come 2015.”

“I don’t have a problem with voting him out but my problem is: who is going to replace him? The opposition as far as I am concerned, has no credible candidate so what do we do?” asked Sandra.

Replied Moses: “Is Fashola not credible? I think he is the only one that can do the job creditably going by what he is doing in Lagos.”

“I agree with you but Nigeria is not Lagos ooo!

Moreover, he will not get his party’s presidential ticket. The best he can get is the VP slot and we all know that the office of the VP practically has no powers,” said Sandra.

“I heard it’s going to be Buhari/Fashola ticket which I think will be very viable,” said Pat. “Ah! Moslem-Moslem ticket? That will be most unwise of them. That is a sure recipe for failure in today’s Nigeria,” said Nikky.

“But we had Moslem-Moslem ticket during Abiola’s time and people voted massively for them,” said Dave.

“Of course! It was a peculiar situation. Nigerians wanted to get out of the clutches of the Evil Genius himself, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida; so anything was better than what they had at the time,” said Pat. Said Nikky: “The opposition should be wise. The North wants power to return to them and you are advocating bringing in Fashola, a Southerner as president? Not on your life! It won’t happen. The best thing is for them to present a Northern Moslem/Southern Christian ticket.”

“In that case, we still have a very long way to go,” said Dave.

Said Mercy who had been quiet all along: “You people talk as if you are not in Nigeria. We all know that we are fond of cosmetic treatment of issues instead of attacking the disease from the root, we treat the symptoms. So you find politicians jumping from one party to another. In one party, they are thieves and once they jump to another party, they become progressives.

Can a leopard change its spots? The fact that one changes name does not mean his character has changed. A Nigerian politician is a Nigerian politician any day, any time no matter what name he bears or what party he belongs to”.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014 — 21

CBN deducts N111bn from banks for AMCON Sinking Fund Stories by BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE

T

HE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) last week deducted from banks N111 billion as contributions to the Sinking Fund of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON).

Known as the Resolution Cost Fund, the sinking fund was set up to assist AMCON to meet its goals and also ensure that government will not bear the cost of financial crisis in future.

Each bank is required to contribute 0.5 percent of total assets and 0.5 percent of 33 percent of their off balance sheet items to the sinking fund.

Vanguard investigations revealed that the N111 billion represents the banks contribution to the Fund for the year and was based on the financial accounts of the banks as at December 31st 2013. The amount deducted represents about one-third of the N354.7 billion recorded as profit before tax by the top five top banks in 2013.

Investigation further revealed that the withdrawal of the N111, coupled with the withdrawal of N115 billion by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) from the banks, caused the volume of idle cash (excess liquidity) in the interbank money market to fall by 36 percent. Investigation revealed that market liquidity fell to N359.65 billion on Friday from N569.6 billion at the beginning of the week.

182.4

1.6

2,889.00

-3.00

17.32

0.12

It will be recalled that shareholders have severely condemned banks’ contribution to the AMCON Sinking Fund.

Speaking at the 2013 annual general meeting of Diamond Bank, Sir Sunny Nwosu, National Coordinator Independent Shareholders Association of Nigeria, described the contribution as a waste of shareholders money. He said, “The question here is of what benefit is AMCON? AMCON is

100.58 +0.59

DOLLAR 154.73 STERLING 260.5498 EURO 212.2741 FRANC 173.5809 YEN 1.5297 CFA 0.3041 WAUA 238.2888 YUAN 24.8047 RIYAL 41.2525 KRONA 28.4357 SDR 239.2899

not a friend of shareholders, and if it cannot survive without collecting money from banks, it better wind up.

AMCON should not be taking from us. I don’t see what they are doing.

In his response, Managing Director/ Chief Executive of Diamond Bank, Mr. Alex Otti, said he agreed with the views expressed by the shareholders on banks’ contributions to the AMCON sinking fund.

FROM LEFT: Byron Clatterbuck, Chief Commercial Officer, Seacom; Kebaso George Mokogi, Chief Carrier Services Officer, Telkom Kenya; Funke Opeke, Chief Executive Officer, MainOne; Jerzy Szlosarek, Chief Operating Officer, Epsilon Telecoms, and Andrew Dodsworth, Chief Operating Officer, BT Global Telecoms Market (GTM), at the MainOne-sponsored Spotlight on Africa panel session, during the International Telecoms Week (ITW) conference, in Chicago.

108.42 +0.53

CURRENCY BUYING CENTRAL

robbing shareholders of benefits that ought to have come to the seed providers. So I want to know what benefit we are getting. Is it the benefit of the cheap assets they have taken from us or is it the continuous waste on that side”.

Similarly, Mr. Boniface Okezie, President of the Progressive Shareholders Association of Nigeria, criticised banks’ contributions to AMCON. He said AMCON is

SELLING

155.23 155.73 261.3918 262.2337 212.96 213.646 174.1418 174.7027 1.5347 1.5396 0.3141 0.3241 239.0588 239.8288 24.8853 24.9659 41.3858 41.5191 28.5276 28.6195 240.0632 240.8364

CBN Exchange rate as at 20/05/2014

AfDB projects 6% growth from Africa

T

HE Africa Development Bank (AfDB) has predicted six percent growth for African economy by 2015.

Meanwhile the Bank Group has called on African countries to rebuild economic shock absorbers and exercise macro prudential management in order to sustain the impressive growth rates across the continent.

Announcing the latest African Economic Outlook produced annually by the Bank , the OECD Development Centre and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), AfDB Chief Economist, Mthuli Ncube, said, “This year’s report shows that Africa has weathered internal and external shocks and is poised to achieve healthy economic growth rates.

“The continent’s growth is projected to accelerate to 4.8 percent in 2014 and five to six percent in 2015, levels which have not been seen since the global economic crisis of 2009.

Africa’s economic growth is more broad-based, argues the report, driven by domestic demand, infrastructure and increased continental trade in manufactured goods.

AMCON planned sale of banks lacks corporate governance

A

MCON’S approach to selling Mainstreet Bank negates Corporate Governance principles’ says stakeholders which include local and foreign investors that are being shut out of the process. The sale has raised a groundswell of opposition to the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria’s (AMCON’s) approach to selling Mainstreet Bank Limited. One of the major issues raised by those kicking against the process, is that AMCON has completely undermined relevant provisions of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) that required timelines for summoning board meetings and other requirements that must be met by corporate bodies to raise funds for investments.

Stakeholders who confided in Vanguard on condition of anonymity said that if AMCON truly wanted serious bidders in this age of corporate governance, the bidders being responsible corporate organisations, will require to call a board meeting to get approval to bid.

Most Board meetings will require

14 days’ notice under relevant company laws and articles of association of most companies. How can they meet AMCON’s deadline of just one week they queried? adding that except such bidders may have been tipped off by cronies, or harbingers in the establishment masquerading as officials of AMCON. In their words: “How can they meet AMCON’s deadline, except they had private advance notice of the process by some officials of AMCON.”

Widespread concern and criticism They said while there has been widespread concern and criticism with the haste the sale process is being pursued, AMCON has turned a deaf ear to the publicised reports that potential investors are not happy with the hush and hurried manner the bad asset corporation is superintending the sale of banks , particularly, Mainstreet Bank To the prospective bidders and stakeholders, AMCON’s response that one week was long enough for serious bidders to submit Expression Of Interest (EOI), “is disappointing and clearly

unacceptable,” wondering “where in the world has a bid process for the purchase of a bank of any size been open for just one week?

They said the brazen approach with which AMCON is going about the sale of Mainstreet Bank, is leaving no one in doubt that compromise has become the rule of the game. “The whole process is looking less transparent like arrangee deals,” they said. Also, they have drawn AMCON’s attention to the advertorial by a law firm in respect of a lingering N5billion suit by ex-staff against the sale of Mainstreet Bank, saying it beholves on AMCON, a government agency established by law, to respect the rule of law.

Already, there are feelers that shareholders of the three bridged banks, Afribank Nigeria Plc, Bank PHB Plc and Spring Bank Plc; now known as Mainstreet Bank Limited, Keystone Bank and Enterprise Bank; might consider placing a caveat emptor on the banks if the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) goes ahead with the planned sale of the banks in spite of pending litigations against the corporation and other regulators over the takeover of the banks.

22 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014

BY EMMANUEL ELEBEKE

A

new insurance based cooperative society, Transparent Protection Limited, TPL Cooperative Insurance Society Ltd has been launched in Abuja.

TPL Cooperative Insurance Society Limited was facilitated by Transparent Protection Ltd, Gte, a rights-based nongovernmental organization working to promote insurance culture in Nigeria through awareness creation and transparency.

In his welcome speech, the Programme Manager of the NGO, DR. Godson Ibekwe-Imeno said TPL was launched to address the poor state of the insurance development in Nigeria, which had remained in perpetual state of decay in spite of all efforts at reform and huge population advantage.

This trend according to him, is disturbing and must be reversed as soon as possible. According to him, TPL Cooperative Insurance Society Ltd. could not have come at a more auspicious time than now.

He said that the Insurance Act 2003 permits cooperative societies to render insurance services to their members.

TPL Cooperative Insurance Society is therefore set to offer insurance and micro credit facilities to its members. It will offer to members all relevant insurance products excluding compulsory insurances. He called on stakeholders to join hands with TPL to facilitate similar cooperatives, and added that TPL is championing the establishment of association of cooperatives insurance societies in Nigeria.

In relation to commercial insurance, TPL chief advocates the culture of treating customers fairly, adding, “Treating customers fairly considerations have become more relevant to us as Nigeria continues to pursue the new economic policy of financial inclusion which means selling insurance services to the poor and the unbanked.

“Many people in these brackets are illiterate and uninformed hence requiring special protection in their relationship with the insurers”.

C M Y K

BY WILLIAM JIMOH

T

he National Pension Commission, PenCom, recently issued an Approval-inPrinciple to NPF Pension Limited, to manage the pension assets of men of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

According to PenCom, the move is in line with the recommendations of the Oransanye Committee, which advised that with the exception of the military which was granted exemption, no other federal government institution or force should be exempted from the contributory pension scheme.

Explaining how the NPF Pensions came about, the pension regulator said it was borne out of government’s refusal to allow members of the Nigeria Police to pull out of the contributory pension scheme and the directive that they remain in the CPS and seek administrative solutions to their grievances within the framework of the pension law.

In compliance with this directive, the police authorities incorporated a limited liability company, the NPF Pensions Limited which has been licensed to operate as a Pension Fund Administrator, PFA.

Economic benefits of NPF Pensions Notwithstanding the challenges posed by the licensing of the police PFA, there are many benefits that the pension industry as well as the Nigerian economy stands to gain from the establishment of the PFA. The first has to do with the sense of fulfilment among police officers across the board. Currently, members of the Nigerian Armed Forces and other security agencies are exempted from the contributory pension scheme by virtue of the nature of their job. The Nigerian Police Force, an arm of the security network in the country feels short-changed not being allowed to go the way of other security agencies. They tried so much to pull out of the system, even taking their agitation to the Presidency which directed them to remain in the scheme and find other means of addressing their grievances.

Now with the establishment of a PFA specifically for them, they feel secured, believing that issues relating to their job and career specifically would be adequately addressed to suit their peculiar needs like other security agencies.

In addition to this, they are also assured that their retirement savings will never

From left: Mr. Chidi Ezema, Head of Service, Enugu State; Mr. Wilson Ideva, Managing Director, Premium Pension Limited and Mr. Eneh Michael Ejiofor, South East Zonal Head, National Pension Commission during a Retirees’ Forum organised by Premium Pension Limited in Enugu.

How the NPF Pensions will operate be pilfered by anybody since the funds are under the custody of licensed Pension Fund Custodians (PFCs).

Another equally important benefit is that PenCom will conduct biometrics for members of the force who joined the scheme. This exercise would ultimately put an end to the series of fraud in police pension department by accurately identifying police officers who have RSAs such that payouts would be made to the true beneficiaries only.

The licensing of a Police PFA is also expected to help the Federal Government save money by plugging the holes in police pension management system and ensure that only the true beneficiaries get paid by government, putting an end to menace of ghost officers and multiple payments to some retirees.

Management of Police PFA The new police PFA would be managed independently by professionals who pass the fit and proper persons test in addition to having satisfied the due diligence requirements and approved by the Commission in line with the guidelines for appointment to board and top management positions of PFAs and PFCs. “NPF Pensions Limited will operate like any other licensed PFA where the pension assets under its management will be held in custody by licensed PFCs,” PenCom assured.

PenCom, according to reliable sources, has put in place necessary structures to

ensure that NPF Pensions would, at all times operate like any other PFA, observe all the rules and regulations applicable to PFAs and manage accumulated pension savings of men of the force without keeping custody of the fund.

The pension regulator has also assured Nigerians and

,

New insurance based cooperative society debuts

Every police officer will, in line with section 11(2) of the PRA 2004, be at liberty to transfer to another PFA of his/her choice when the transfer window opens

,

members of the police force who have Retirement Savings Accounts, RSAs, and are contributing under the scheme particularly, that there is no intention whatsoever to deprive them of their right to choose a PFA to manage their fund.

“Every police officer will, in line with section 11(2) of the PRA 2004, be at liberty to transfer to another PFA of his/ her choice when the transfer window opens,” the regulator stressed.

Controversy over N305 billion

On the issue of transfer of

N305 billion to the NPF Pensions, PenCom explained that what is to be transferred is just the administration of RSAs of members of the police force. There is no movement of money or accumulated savings of police officers to anywhere, since the money is and would remain under the custody of licensed PFCs. To make the process smooth, the regulator has developed an operational framework guiding the reassignment of Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) and transfer of records of all Nigeria Police contributors to the NPF Pensions Limited over 18 months.

It promised to continue to engage all licensed operators and stakeholders on the modalities for reassigning PINs and transfer of records for the benefit of the pension industry. Also, PenCom monitors investment activities of PFAs daily and the institution of strict pay-out authorisation requirements.

These ensure that PFAs are not reckless in their investment decisions, while ensuring that only the right beneficiaries would have access to pension money.

Also, pension assets held by PFCs are guaranteed to the full sum and value even as risks for instruments that pension funds could be invested in are rated constantly by PenCom. Contrary to the insinuations that the N305 billion accumulated pension savings of members of the police force would be handed over to the police hierarchy, the fund remains in the custody of PFCs in line with provisions of the law. Also, NPF Pensions would be managed by fit and proper persons without any interference by the police hierarchy.

Vanguard,WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014—23

Environmental impact of the 2nd River Niger bridge at Onitsha

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Consolidated Breweries declares N1.85 dividend S

HAREHOLDERS of Consolidated Breweries Plc have unanimously approved and applauded management’s recommendation of a total dividend of N917.73 million.

This represents N1.85 per 50k share to those who are on the register of members as of April 17, 2014.

Chairman of the company, Prof. Oyin Odutola-Olurin, who read the recommendation in Lagos at the company’s 34th Annual General Meeting, AGM, also disclosed that the company’s revenue increased from N33.5 billion to N33.9 billion.

She described 2013 as a truly eventful year, saying the company achieved several milestones in its journey towards greatness.

Such achievements, according to her, include the expansion of the company’s production capacity, the successful merger of Benue Breweries Limited and DIL/Maltex (Nigeria) Plc, the introduction of a new ERP system which improved the controls in busi-

ness, as well as the introduction of a new bottle for “33” and a variant of Malt drink, the Hi-Malt Choco Twist.

She also hinted of the plan to use gas to power some of the equipment at the Ijebu Ode Brewery in an effort to drive down costs.

Managing Director, Mr. Boudewijn Haarsma, noted that brewing a better future, Heineken’s long-term sustainability strategy has been integrated by Consolidated Breweries.

“We aim to create genuine shared value for all our stakeholders as sustainability is part of how we manage our business”, he said. Shareholders lauded the management’s efforts at consistent payment of dividend over the years, urging them not to rest on their oars. They also applauded decision by the company to discuss merger arrangement with the Nigeria Breweries Plc, saying this would result in a bigger and better company.

NIM lauds SEC over restoration of market confidence

T

HE President of Nigerian Institute of Management, NIM, Dr. Nelson Uwaga, has commended the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, over its role in restoring confidence in the capital market.

Speaking during the visit of a team of the Institute to the Commission, Uwaga also commended the Commission for the meritorious service it has been rendering to the nation and the economy and on its efforts in turning the nation’s capital market around.

“We wish to commend the SEC on its role in restoring confidence in the capital market. Without doubt, your organisation has also been making noticeable efforts to realise its mission to develop and regulate a world class capital market with the capacity to contribute to the nation’s economic development” he said.

Uwaga urged more interaction with SEC, adding that networking is important for a better tomorrow for Nigeria.

Addressing the delegation, the Director General, SEC, Ms. Arunma Oteh, said the Commission will continue to play its role as

the apex regulator of Nigerian capital market in ensuring that more Nigerians become financially literate.

According to her, the commitment to financial education among other considerations informed the decision of the Commission to partner with the entertainment industry to communicate to Nigerians, issues relating to financial literacy.

She said, “As the apex regulator of the capital market, we need to raise financially literate citizens who spend wisely and save wisely. ” We believe if people are well schooled, they will be able to make informed financial decisions. We are keen in ensuring that Nigeria has financially responsible citizens”.

Oteh emphasised that integrity and discipline are very important to the Commission as it must strive to be a role model in all it does. ”We must be a role model in everything we do because our work entails regulations and ensuring that our markets are where we want them to be and also ensure that Nigeria is the preferred investor destination,” she said.

comes up with the position that our taxes could readily have paid for the project. The government would also have to indicate if there would be any payment for a crossing of the existing bridge at some future date. I expect that the existing bridge would be strengthened and renovated once the second bridge has been put into use.

I recall that in the 1950s, I travelled by road between Osogbo and Calabar and between Osogbo and Port Harcourt. On each journey, the travelling party and our vehicle was carried by ferry service between Asaba, Delta State and Onitsha, Anambra State. At that time, apart from the railway/road bridge crossings of the River Niger at Jebba and the River Benue at Makurdi, vehicular traffic was carried across all major rivers by ferry services.

The journey to Calabar required a second ferry journey from Oron to Calabar. During the 1970s, a number of bridges were constructed across the major rivers and tolls were paid by vehicles using these bridges until tolls were cancelled during President Obasanjo’s term in office. Would the EIA study give us an idea of what a ferry journey would cost today between Asaba and Onitsha? A credible EIA study must provide information to support any tolls that would be charged

at the effects of the project on the ways in which people live, work, play, relate to one another, organise to meet their needs and cope as members of society.

The second River NiThe second River Niger bridge at Onitsha is being ger bridge at Onitsha is executed on a design, build, being executed on a finance, operate and transdesign, build, finance, fer model. The bridge is located downstream of the operate and transfer existing bridge on a new model alignment. It would be dual carriageway with 8 traffic lanes and pedestrian walkways. The length of the bridge is 1590m as part of an 11.90km long road project on this new bridge. with the cost of construction put There are a number of other at N117.86billion. The promot- things which the EIA study ers of the project are to be giv- should look into. The study en a concession for a period of should ensure that the owners of 25 years. parcels of land acquired for the An EIA study has the advan- right-of-way of the road are paid tage that the public has to be their compensation promptly. The consulted with relation to the promoters, the Delta State Govproject. Government actions are ernment and the Anambra State normally shrouded in secrecy Government must ensure that and for this project, the public layout plans for the development should be consulted on how of land areas adjacent to the new much it would cost for a vehicle road are specified by the state to use the bridge. The public governments. In particular, these wants new infrastructure but we plans must ensure that the road are ambivalent as to who should is truly an expressway which pay for the infrastructure. When would imply that access to the a project is completed and road is only at a limited number ready for use, the public then of locations.

,

FROM LEFT: Executive Commissioner, Operations, Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, Alhaji Mounir Gwarzo; Director General, Ms Arunma Oteh; President, Nigerian Institute of Management, Dr Nelson Uwaga, and Executive Commissioner, Legal and Enforcement, Securities and Exchange Commission, Mrs Sa’adatu Bello during a meeting between SEC and NIM in Abuja.

HE Federal Government of Nigeria, FGN, has recently flagged off the construction of a new bridge across the River Niger at Onitsha. There have been reports that requirements for an Environmental Impact Assessment, EIA, study could delay the construction of the project. However, the Federal Ministry of Environment, FMENV, has indicated that it has given approval for the construction of the project to go ahead pending completion of an EIA study.

The FMENV has responsibility for the protection and development of the environment in Nigeria. Any new construction is expected to be environmentally and socially sound, economically viable and in compliance with the Environmental Impact Assessment Act No. 86 of 1992. An EIA study puts together information on existing conditions in the project’s area of influence. The EIA study would then evaluate the likelihood that adverse ecological effects may occur in the process of the planning, construction and operation of the project.

Furthermore, for social, cultural, economic and health conditions the EIA study would look

,

24—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014

DIARY z z Transport Networks for Mobile Operators 2014 13 – 14 May 2014 London. z z Critical Communications World 27-29 May 2014 BITEC, Bangkok, Thailand zCisco Connect Sun City, South Africa Nov. 2 - 4, 2014

we are trying

You’re not doing enough!

Preview

New inventions shaping life and living

Water testing pill is the new innovation

Senate blasts Tech sector on insecurity ...as NCC presents N54.4b budget for 2014

By EMMANUEL ELEBEKE

T W

ondering if it's safe to drink the water from your remote village's well? Typically, the only way of finding out involves sending a sample of that water off to a lab, or using testing agents that must be shipped in and kept on dry ice. Now, however, scientists from Canada's McMaster University have developed simple pills that can do the job – and they were inspired by breath-freshening strips.

PhD student Sana Jahanshahi-Anbuhi, who is one of the team members, first came up with the idea when he saw some of the strips while grocery shopping.

I N S I D E C M Y K

*Eugene Juwah: ...No,

Insecurity

he Senate took a swipe at practitioners in the nation’s information and Communications Technology , ICT sector , over alleged non utilization of their expertise in the ongoing fight against the Boko Haram insurgence in the country.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on ICT, Senator Gilbert Nnaji, heavily criticised the sector and its experts as the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, presented a N54.4 billion 2014 budget to the committee last week.

Of the total budget, NCC said N14.8 billion was allocated to recurrent expenditure while N15.8 billion was allocated to capital expenditure while the sum of N7.4 billion was allocated to USPF projects.

According to the commission, its revenue dropped in the previous year, which led to a flight in the capital budget.

In a meeting with the NCC and the Universal Service

Broadband acceleration policies, proactive, says CT minister

Provision Fund, USPF in Abuja, personnel in the public and scheduled to hear breakdown private sectors of our nation’s ICT and prospects of the budget, Nnaji to counter insurgencies?’’ said that in the spate of recurrent He however, urged the NCC to insecurity in the country, it was a partner with other stakeholders shame for the sector to be in the sector to convene a regarded globally as having stakeholders’ retreat to share wealth of knowledge and ideas on the available and potent expertise. technology to be deployed to stem Nnaji, could not hold his anger the tide of insecurity in Nigeria. and blasted: ‘‘The palpable spate ‘‘It is our view as a Committee of insecurity in the country makes that the regulator and other one wonder if ICT is of any use relevant stakeholders in ICT and in our country. Inspite of the security sectors in this country wealth of knowledge and should convene a Stakeholders’ expertise that Nigeria parades in retreat where ideas can be shared this sector, it is bewildering that on the available current and the rising insecurity in the country potent technologies to be has been met with an deployed to stem the tide of embarrassing quietness from Inspite of the wealth of the ICT sector. Is it that this sector knowledge and expertise that is devoid of the Nigeria parades in this sector, it appropriate is bewildering that the rising solution or technology to insecurity in the country has fight insecurity been met with an embarrassing in Nigeria? Is it that this nation quietness from the ICT sector does not have competent

More Hyosung ATMs to energise cashless Nigeria project

,

,

*Gilbert Nnaji: ...ICT not solving insecurity.

Unleashing ICT in governance, FMCT example

insecurity in Nigeria.’’

Nnaji also conveyed his committee’s disappointment that rural telephony initiatives in the country were not yielding expected results. ‘‘The Committee is dismayed to note the ever increasing digital divide between the rural and urban areas in the country. While mobile penetration is high in major cities across the country, it is not the case in rural areas where, on average, two-third of the country ’s population lives. Aside from the National Rural Telephony Project, NRTP being conceived by the Federal Government, the Committee is of the strong opinion that rural connectivity could be enhanced if telecoms operators in the country can collectively address the issue very seriously.

In this regard, the Committee believes that the Commission can best drive this objective through regulation. We believe the Commission has a major role to play in this regard so that majority of Nigerians in the rural areas can enjoy

Continues on page 26

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014—25

Vodacom Business Nigeria wins big at 2014 Beacon of ICT Awards Stories by RICHARD UDOFIA

V

odacom Business Nigeria emerged winners in Enterprise Solutions Provider of the Year and the Cloud Service Provider of the Year categories at the Beacon of ICT (BoICT) Awards ceremony held last weekend in Lagos.

The BoICT Awards is an annual ceremony which recognizes stakeholders' contributions and commitments to the growth of the Nigerian ICT industry. This year over 250, 307 Nigerians voted in different categories with Vodacom Business Nigeria emerging as the clear winner of the Enterprise Solutions Provider of the Year category for the second year running. In addition Vodacom emerged as the winner of the Cloud Service Provider of the year.

Vodacom Business’ core infrastructure connects over 580 million people across more than 40 African countries and includes over 50 satellite transponders, 24 dedicated teleports and access to multiple sub-sea cable landing ports. By utilizing on-the-ground support, Vodacom Business provides system integration and maintenance, Broadband Internet, Dedicated Hosted services, Cloud Services, International and Pan-African data networks, Enterprise Voice and a host of other Value Added Services to its customers.

“We are honored to receive this award, as a customer centric organization, we are passionate about our customers’ business and we will continue to support them with enterprise-class Communications solutions to help them grow their businesses.

Hackcess conference to focus on security challenges in Africa

T

he past decade has witnessed an upsurge in Information and Communication Technology in Nigeria. Unfortunately, the continent has also experienced volatile security challenges in this period. Experts, however, believe that ICT can be used to tackle the continent’s milieu of security challenges.

This is the focus of this year’s Hackcess Conference, holding on Thursday, June 5 with the theme ‘IT Security And The Different Shades Of The (Hack): The Emerging Africa Challenge’.

The Conference will feature a wide range of ICT professionals including Osioke Ojior and OluseyiAkindeinde. Ojior was at one time the Director of Information Security and Compliance at SAIC Frederick, a US Fortune 500 company. He is currently the Director and Group Chief Risk Officer for Interswitch which is the leading e-payment channel in Nigeria. He will be speaking and sharing thoughts on topical areas around Information security at Hackcess. Osioke will uncover certain areas in which most corporate organizations are unaware of and are real threats to their infrastructure. Joining him to share some real IT security issues at the Conference is Oluseyi Akindeinde who is the Chief Technical Officer at Digital Encode, an Information Security Advisory and Assurance organization. Akindeinde is one of West Africa’s finest thought leaders on Information security and compliance. He is a Research professional on IT Security and has advised top executives in more than half of the Nation’s leading financial institutions including the Central Bank Of Nigeria on current Information technology threats and best ways to deal with them.

More Hyosung ATMs to energise cashless Nigeria project

By PRINCE OSUAGWU

P

ublic and private concerns in the country are putting heads together to ensure that the Cashless Nigeria initiative championed by the Central Bank of Nigeria works.

Every corporate entity, particularly in the financial and ICT sector are using means available to them to drive the adoption.

Last week, ICT company, Inlaks, in collaboration with its partners Nautilus Hyosung rolled out modern Automated Teller Machines touted to give stern support to the cashless project.

The machines, tagged Monimax series, included the Monimax 5600T, 7600, 7600T and 9100 series among others. Each is said to have functionalities that supports financial inclusion.

The ATMs come with biometrics scanner, bar codes and contact less features considered to be next level adoptions for financial inclusion.

Besides, they run on the latest Microsoft Window7 Operating system.

A unique inclusion in some of the

machines is the ability to detect fake notes.

For instance the 9100 financial Kiosk, features functionalities that encourage multiple services and high scalability.

The services that can be obtained from this ATM include bill payments, funds transfer, balance inquiry, mobile phone top up even as customers could print their account mini statements, loan approvals and passbooks.

Inlaks said it has established a test and repair centre to ensure that the ATMs would work perfectly in Nigeria like in other places.

According to the MD of Inlanks Mr Femi Adeoti, “ we set this centre up because we realized that an ATM having worked somewhere before does not mean it is going to work in Nigeria. Our environment is different, with dusts, severe sunshine and other environmental differences.

Broadband acceleration policies, proactive, says CT minister

By PRINCE OSUAGWU

C

onsidering that infrastructural deficiency accounts for why technology has not optimally fast tracked Services and developments in governance, health, education and agricultural sectors among others, Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs Omobola Johnson has declared that the policies her commission and the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC had put in place for broadband acceleration, are spot on.

The minister’s courage to make

the declaration stems from stakeholders endorsements that the policies are positively aimed at bridging the extant infrastructural deficit and driving increased broadband frontiers in the country.

At several fora, the minister has confessed to government’s renewed commitment to getting these policies to work magic.

Again, at this year ’s World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) in Abuja last week, the minister reiterated this belief when she told the audience that the Nigerian government had come to terms with the imperatives of having a strategic policy to improve broadband, and by e x t e n s i o n , Information and Communication t e c h n o l o g y infrastructure across the country.

The passion with which she spoke left no one in doubt that broadband has been positioned as vehicle to drive the adoption of technology for development of

health, education, governance, trade and commerce in order to achieve sustainable socio-economic growth.

Given the opportunity to highlight government’s position in ICT developments in the country, Omobola said: “This year’s theme ‘Broadband for Sustainable Development’ was apt in that it was in line with the current revolution being driven in Nigeria. Broadband is the next frontier in the ICT industry which will help in transforming the economy drastically.

“Our broadband vision for is one of a society of connected communities with high speed Internet and broadband access that facilitate faster socio-economic advancement of the nation and its people and this is why we have set a policy goal that recognised the immense socio-economic importance of broadband services to national development; one which seeks to ensure that the infrastructure necessary to provide ubiquitous broadband services is available and accessible to all citizens at affordable rates.

“The transformative benefits of having broadband available to all

Continues on page 26

26—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014

BY EMEKA AGINAM

D

elivering its key mandate of infrastructure development, inclusive development, local content and Information Technology, IT in government, the Federal Ministry of Communications Technology, (FMCT) since inception has been able to chart an increase in the contribution of IT sector to the national Gross Domestic Product, GDP, by unleashing ICT in governance.

To reinforce the commitment of President Jonathan’s initiative to improve internal efficiency in government, the FMCT is promoting ICT in Government, by facilitating eGovernment, which enhances transparency, efficiency, productivity and citizen engagement.

The Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson in a detailed report, of the FMCT since it began operations in 2011, marshalled out road maps which have been created to help deliver core objectives.

According to the road maps, getting government online initiative was geared at ensuring that government deploys technology as a mechanism to transform the way it operates and enhances the effectiveness of service delivery for the benefit of its citizens.

Government calls centres:

According to Johnson, the FMCT is setting up Government Contact Centres, which would facilitate efficient response to citizen requests through a two-tier response approach.

The Contact Centre will be located in the six geopolitical zones of the country. The centre, she said, was planned to house robust databases as well as accommodate 150 operator seats.

MDA websites: Before the creation of the FMCT, most MDAs did not have domain names. But in line with its mandate to improve the quality of public service delivery, all websites of Ministries across the federation under the administration of current CT Ministry have been migrated to a standard domain name at ‘.gov.ng’.

“To maintain the relevance and efficiency of these websites, the FMCT has issued web standards and guidelines that ensure uniformity across all MDA websites. The guidelines ensure quality of each website, its relevance and accuracy of information” the Minister said.

Unleashing ICT in governance, FMCT example Email addresses for civil servants: Looking forward with zeal to next year of achievements and delivering on its mandate, she informed that a corollary to the implementation of websites was the official email addresses to enhance service delivery and good governance within MDAs. This development, according to her will also lead to accountability and transparency in official government correspondence.

FG service portal: The FMCT, as part of its mandate, according to the Minister embarked on initiatives to deploy ICT to drive transparency and efficiency in governance and public service delivery.

This, she said has led to the implementation of two flagship projects, namely the Government Service Portal (GSP) and Government

Continues from page 24

Contact Centre (GCC).

“Government Service Portal (GSP) provides a single window technology access by citizens and other stakeholders to government services being provided by various MDAs” she explained.

It is multi-featured and includes collaborative

channels that deliver core content management capabilities.

It also creates single point of entry to Federal Government services, enhance accountability and improve the delivery and quality of public services t h r o u g h technologyenabled civic engagement.

The portal transforms government processes to increase public administration efficiency, increase end-user productivity by integrating many different services or data access paths of MDAs, under a consistent presentation standard.

Part of primary objectives of GSP included to mainstream some of the government’s non-sensitive datasets on the portal.

Broadband acceleration policies, proactive, says CT minister Continues from page 25 are clear and include improved learning, increased job creation, better community and civic engagement, improved trade and commerce, and a positive impact on Gross Domestic Product (GDP)” The minister was humble enough to admit that over the years, the modest success recorded with broadband in the ICT sector has been with several initiatives that ride on the back of mobile services boom in Nigeria, coupled with the subsequent landing of several high capacity submarine cable systems that slashed wholesale international bandwidth prices.

But she quickly reminded that “ineffective distribution and transmission of the available bandwidth inland have, however, continued to make accelerated expansion of broadband Internet access at more affordable end-user prices, a major challenge and a barrier to faster realization of the desired broadband boom”.

However, Johnson claimed that currently, the country has a clear broadband supply chain that comprises international connectivity, a national backbone network, metropolitan access links, and

You’re not doing enough!

the local access network.

According to her, “Nigeria has an estimated population of over 167 million people and a land mass of 923,768 square kilometres. The telephone subscriber figure for Nigeria as at the end of February 2013 was 116,601,637 active lines.

The four active GSM operators have about 96 per cent market share while the three active CDMA operators have the rest.

“Also, the 2G mobile coverage is at 98 per cent but 3G coverage which is mostly concentrated in urban areas is very limited at less than 35 per cent. Internet penetration is at 33 per cent and Broadband penetration is at 6 per cent.

Though the Internet was first introduced in Nigeria in 1996, no appreciable uptake was recorded until the further opening of the market in 2001.”

She, lamented that the slow uptake of Internet has been largely attributed to network infrastructure deficiency among other factors.

“Nigeria currently boasts of primary fibre optic backbone infrastructure presence in all the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, with most fibre infrastructure concentrated in state capitals and a few urban centres. Of the 774 existing

local government headquarters, very few that happen to be on the route of the primary fibre backbone are connected.”

Corroborating his minister, Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Dr Eugene Juwah said the NCC complements the policies with regulatory interventions in the market to ensure equality of access to all players. These interventions, he said, focus on reduction of barriers to market entry by ensuring that existing and new players in the broadband space have access to transmission infrastructure on a nondiscriminatory basis, and without a need to duplicate existing infrastructure by way of fiber backbones.

Others, according to him, focus on frequency spectrum availability for service delivery; ensuring proper business model and ensuring competition.

He said that the regulator has created environment for private sector participation in the broadband ecosystem, facilitating deployment with incentives to underserved and un-served areas. This is more as it facilitates agreements and resolution of disputes among stakeholders, necessary to face realities of the digital economy.

the benefits of mobile technology,’’ he said.

He described the low broadband access in the country as worrisome, insisting that if the aim of achieving national connectivity in Nigeria is to be realized, there must be sustained effort by the Commission to speed up its fibre optic programmes and projects, especially the State Accelerated Broadband Initiative, SABI. ‘‘The fact that our nation has little access to broadband services, even with the number of undersea cables running across the country, is worrisome.

Though we are a global example in the telecoms milieu, we still lag behind in terms of broadband and internet penetration. If the aim of achieving national connectivity is to be realized, then there is need for a sustained effort by the Commission to speed up its fibre optic programmes and projects especially the State Accelerated Broadband Initiative, SABI. If I may ask, what is the direction of the Next Generation Broadband Network, NGBN in Nigeria?,’’ he said.

On poor quality of service across the country, he said the committee would continue to raise alarm until there is a seamless network service, with other attendant factors militating against quality service delivery, were addressed.

Responding, the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr. Eugine Juwah told the law makers that the synergy between the commission and security agencies is deliberately kept out of public knowledge for security reasons.

According to him, because it is not everyday news could seem as if technology was not involved in some of the breakthrough so far.

He however stoutly claimed that his commission was working hard to provide the security agencies with all the necessary services needed to perform their duties.

He also promised to step up action on sanctioning all the operators that flout the enabling laws.

Also speaking, the Secretary of USPF, Abdulahi Maikano promised that the rural telephony project would be completed in three years time and that the Fund would ensure that every part of the country is covered with telephony and connectivity.

Meanwhile, the NCC presented N54.4 billion budget for the 2014 fiscal year.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014—27

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HE Lagos State Govern ment (LASG), in collaboration with Oracle Corporation, at the weekend, flagged off three Information Technology, IT Human Capacity talent building programmes expected to further promote the state’s objectives to deliver more effective services to the citizens.

Delivering the keynote address at the workshop, Commissioner for Science and Technology, Mr Adebiyi Mabadeje said that the three Human Capacity building programmes of Employee Readiness, Youth Readiness, as well as Workforce Development are the areas in which the state government will collaborate with Oracle to enrich and equip existing talents among government employees with Oracle skills to support strategic IT projects.

He said that the collaboration would also help in leveraging on the expertise of Oracle’s Public Sector Centre of Excellence to run workshops for top Information officers of MDAs on best practices, market trends and business solutions.

Topics on the workshop include improving service delivery to the citizens using social media.

Another area he expected the partnership to help the state government was on training graduates under the workforce development programme on Oracle Database or Oracle eBusiness suite for the acquisition of industry-relevant skills and opportunities for internships within some of the

KITS holds seminar on cost-effective data centre

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From left: Mr. Adebayo Sanni, Country Director, Oracle; Mrs. Florence Oguntuase, Commissioner for Establishment, Lagos State; Mrs. Nike Animashaun, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology, Lagos State; Mr. Adebiyi Mabadeje, Commissioner for Science and Technology, Lagos State; Mrs. Oluseyi Williams, Head of Service, Lagos State; and Orla Ni Chorcora, Senior Director, Business Development ECEMEA, Oracle during the launch of Lagos State Government Human Capacity Oracle Initiative, in Lagos.

LASG rides on Oracle partnership to drive IT talent, skill into Lagos

BY PRINCE OSUAGWU

state’s ministries.

He added that the partners were poised to introduce industry-relevant computer science and Oracle courseware into the curricula of universities and public high schools in the state as well as to make the Lagos eLearning Centre an Oracle University authorized training partner.

Reacting, the Country Managing Director of Oracle Nigeria, Mr Adebayo Sanni, said that these Programmes assist in tackling the challenges of human capacity and effectively boost economic development in a fast growing economy like Nigeria.

He added that Oracle’s goal was getting the youths interested in Computer Science, driving change in ICT syllabi, thereby helping the gov-

ernments at all levels to future-proof their economies for growth and job creation.

Earlier, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Science and Technology, Mrs. Nike Animashaun, had noted that the collaboration with Oracle was in line with the continuous capacity building programme of Governor Babatunde Fashola to revolutionise how public servants interact and render services to the citizens.

ATA Centre has long moved beyond building a gigantic, expensive and exquisite silo of proprietary hardware and Software. This concept and thinking has become obsolete.

As it is today, enterprise data centre are being overwhelmed with increasing business demands for more storage, computing resource including huge data and Cloud Computing.

Failure to get abreast with new technologies that have full capacity to improve infrastructure performance, scale and economics will spell doom for any service provider.

Meanwhile, addressing these issues would need a comprehensive rethinking of how data-centers are designed and managed.

This could be perhaps why a foremost Nigerian Data Centre Service Provider KITS technologies is organizing 1-day event tagged “How to build a Data Centre” The event according to the Director of Business and Strategy of the company, Mr Taofeek Okoya will examine critical and key design and management elements that more often, drive cost down.

MTN partners Lumos to lighten up Nigeria

BY ETOP EKANEM ECESSITY is the mother of N invention”, so the saying goes.

The expediency and truism in this

age-long witty saying came into full meaning a fortnight ago when MTN Nigeria in collaboration with Nova Lumos, GSMA and Schneider Electric addressed a press conference on the MTN Mobile Electricity, an affordable solar electricity solution that can power light bulbs, cellphones, fans, PCs or laptops, radios and other small electronic devices, all at once, every day.

Over the last three decades, the perennial energy crisis confronting Nigeria has become a source of worry to the country’s leadership, regime after regime. At a little over 4,000 megawatts at the best of times and about 3,600 (as in the last six months), power generation, distribution and transmission keep ebbing. Not even the recent unbundling of the PHCN into GENCOs, DISCOs and TRANSCOs has any inkling of hope for the desired succor. At a dismal 4,000 megawatts for 160 million people, Nigeria may as well still be in the dark ages when compared to South Africa’s 45,000 megawatts for 52.98million people.

It is no longer news that a few years back, some multinationals closed their shops, pulled out of Nigeria, and took their businesses to other countries in the sub-region with more reliable power supply.

This was necessitated largely because of the high energy cost which made their goods and services expensive, therefore, uncompetitive.

On the domestic front, shortage of light, in some cases non-existent,

has affected the quality of life. The attendant consequence of lack of power can be felt all around us: a largely irritant and discomfited population for whom most of the electrical appliances in their homes have become part of the house furniture.

According to Mr. Marcel Hochet, Country President, Schneider Electric, of the over 1.3 billion people in the world who live without electricity, 600 million live in Sub-Saharan Africa and of Nigeria’s 160 million population, about half are not connected to the national grid.

These statistics are mind boggling!

Enter Nova Lumos. For as little as N200.00 per week, households particularly in rural Nigeria can enjoy continuous 24/ 7 electricity to power basic domestic appliances. It is the near-perfect solution to replace candles and flashlight in homes across the country.

On the rationale for preferring MTN as a partner on the project, Davidi Vortman, CEO, Nova Lomus was quick to point to MTN’s innovative and continental leadership role in the ICT sector.

Lumos is technologically and financially backed by Schneider, a world leader in energy technology as well as the GSM association (GSMA) a global trade union for mobile operators.

The management infrastructure for the service will ride on MTN’s telecoms network to reach its subscriber base which is in excess of 55 million in Nigeria.

At the official unveiling and memorandum signing ceremony of the partnership, Mary Roach,

theGSMAProgrammeOperations Manager, said: “Nova Lumos in partnership with MTN Nigeria received funding from the GSMA’s Mobile Enabled Community Services (MECS) Innovation Grant Fund with the support of the UK Government.”

This grant, she said, is awarded to organisations developing innovations that improve access to energy and water among undeserved communities by leveraging mobile technology and infrastructure. The MECS Innovation Fund has helped to highlight the demand for mobileenabled services and the role that mobile can play in supporting access to basic utility services across rural and urban markets.

For MTN and its partners,

beyond business, this is a creative yet altruistic step in bridging the gap as government continues to look at ways of finding a lasting solution to the power crisis. The result of this synergy is a “winwin” for all parties concerned including the end users. In terms of value and in deference to preserving the environment, the mobile electricity solution (MES) is both sustainable and renewable.

In addition, unlike other alternative energy platforms that still require connection to other forms of energy for charging, the MES is maintenance-free because it is a service not a product.

The benefits of the service include easy installation and competitive pricing-cost of acquisition is between N5,000 and

N10,000 and the fact that it uses the ubiquitous GSM technology to recharge. At the end of the day, the MTN–Lumos synergy will bring a little succor to Nigerians.

In the words of Henry Okoede, MTN’s Senior Manager, Business Development, this new partnership is in furtherance of MTN’s bold new digital world vision which finds full expression in using mobile telephony and technology in impacting lives positively, while reducing exclusion and social disparity.

Just like Nigeria has been able to find a solution to its communication problem, with a bit of creativity and difference in approach, it should be able to solve the energy problem although this may take a while.

CWG now WEF global growth company

BY EMEKA AGINAM

P

an African Systems Integration company, Computer Warehouse Group, (CWG) has been selected as a World Economic Forum Global Growth Company.

CWG was selected for this recognition based on her phenomenal growth, global corporate citizenship, executive leadership and impact on the competitive landscape of the ICT industry in Africa.

According to David Aikman, Managing Director and Head of the New Champions at the World Economic Forum, “When choosing entrants to our

Community of Global Growth Companies, we assess companies on their business model, annual revenues and growth rates, executive leadership and market position.

CWG Plc is a dynamic group with clear potential to shape the future in its relevant business sector and so is a perfect fit to our GGC community”.

This recognition, coming on the back of the recent listing of the company’s shares on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, and becoming the largest security in the ICT sector of the NSE, assures CWG a place in a vibrant community of the world’s most dynamic and influential companies.

It would be recalled that CWG recently released her financial results on the NSE, posting an impressive 81% year on year growth in profit after tax, while proposing a dividend payout of over N202m.

Reacting to the recognition, Austin Okere, CWG Chief Executive Officer & Entrepreneur in Residence at Columbia Business School, New York, with excitement said that his company has gone through tremendous transformation in business model since inception in 1992, and is now focusing on providing services in the Cloud on a subscription basis for her teeming customers; a project he tags CWG 2.0.

28 —Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014 — 29

30 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014—31

L-R - President COREN,Engineer Kashim Abdul, Chairman ICPC, Barrister Ekpo Nta, and Board Member ICPC, Alhaji Isa Ozi Salami after signing the MoU in Abuja

Boko Haram: CAN chairman prays for Nigeria CHAIRMAN, Southwest chapter of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Archbishop Magnus Adeyemi Atilade, who marked his 70th birthday, Sunday, prayed for Nigeria and Nigerians to surmount the present Boko Haram debacle, peace and prosperity.

He assured that with God on Nigeria’s side, the problem of Boko Haram insurgency and other insecurity matters would soon become a thing of the past. He also prayed for quick return of the adopted girls presently

C M Y K

in the custody of the Boko Haram.

At the birthday thanksgiving, praise and adoration service held at the Dr Akinola Maja Memorial Gospel Baptist Cathedral, opposite Awolowo Market, Mushin, hundreds of eminent personalities showered encomiums on Archbishop Atilade for his leadership both in the church and the Nigerian society.

Former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu who was represented by Chief (Mrs) Kemi Nelson, reminisced on Ati-

lade’s role in enthroning democracy in Nigeria. Governor Raji Babatunde, Governor of Lagos State through his special Adviser on Religion, Rev.(Mrs) Akintoye Braimah, described Atilade as a pillar in Christendom, courageous and honest man who had been a partner in progress to move the State forward.

Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State who could not also attend the service, personally sent a representative.

32 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014

36

B r a z i l 2 0 1 4 Co u n Hart: England cannot accept failure

J

OE Hart insists England have to go into the World Cup looking to win every game despite being facing a potentially troublesome group.

Roy Hodgson’s men have been drawn in a difficult-looking Group D, alongside Italy, Uruguay and Costa Rica.

And despite a tough draw and relatively low expectations of a youthful squad, the Manchester City and England number one believes the team can go all the way in Brazil.

“Why not?” he said in a Q&A session for England’s official Facebook page. “We’re all winners; we’re all in teams that are used to winning.

“My attitude is to try and win every game and if you win every game you win the World Cup. “You can’t go in with any other attitude, you can’t go in accepting failure or defeat.”

Manchester United’s Danny Welbeck echoed the sentiments of his international team-mate.

“You go into a game, you want to win,” he said. “And if we do it at the World Cup we have the chance of winning.

“Every single game we go into looking to win.”

Pele slams World Cup p in Brazil

•Pele

Figo doubts Spain ability to defend title F

•Hart

OOTBALL legend Luis Figo says defending champions Spain “don’t have the quality” to retain the crown in the upcoming FIFA World Cup, instead he puts his money on hosts Brazil for a record sixth title.

“I don’t think Spain are going to win this World Cup. I do not think they have the quality to do it. It’s difficult, but it’s not impossible,” Figo, one of the best players of his generation, said.

The former Ballon d’Or winner and FIFA player of the year believed Brazil will be difficult to stop if they get off to a good start. ”I think it helps at home. I know the national coach (Luiz Felipe Scolari) well. I think he is a fantastic coach for that kind of tournament and the country (will) help the team by supporting them.

I think if they start well, it is going to be very, very difficult for the other teams,” the 41-year-old Portuguese said.

On his countr y Portugal’s chances and the talismanic Cristiano Ronaldo, he said, “It’s very difficult, because it’s a long way to the final and our country has 11 million people and has difficulty choosing the 18-20 players for the World Cup. Portugal depends a lot on Cristiano Ronaldo.

I think he wants the Golden Ball.”

The former Real Madrid star, who has won several trophies during an illustrious career, is a Laureus Sport for Good Foundation Ambassador.

On his association with Laureus, Figo said, “I think through sport we can help people in society to have better opportunities in life. Laureus creates better conditions of life and better opportunities in the future for so many kids. It’s just a small kind of action that we can do to minimise what they are suffering or what they are doing in their life and to try to motivate them,” he told Laureus in an interview.

Transfer Talk!

Touré’s City future thrown into doubt after ‘birthday snub’ Y

AYA Touré has confirmed that he is con sidering leaving Manchester City this summer over the club’s lack of effort in congratulating him on his 31st birthday in Abu Dhabi when the squad were celebrating the Premier League title win.

The midfielder’s agent, Dimitry Seluk, told the BBC earlier on Tuesday that his client was “very upset” that “none of them shook his hand on his birthday” and that this had made the player consider leaving the Etihad Stadium.

Touré responded in a series of tweets on Tuesday afternoon in which he at first appeared to make light of his agent’s comments but then said: “Everything dimitry said is true. He speaks for me. I will give an interview after world cup to explain.”

City, who gave Touré a birthday cake as they flew out to Abu Dhabi as well as tweeting their congratulations after he turned 31, have not commented on the situation but would be deeply disappointed if they were to lose a player who scored 24 goals in all competitions for them in a season in which they won the Premier League title and League Cup. Seluk, who made a similar complaint last

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014 — 33

tdown

Ronaldo: I will be at my best in the final

preparations B

called his country RAZIL legend Pele has poor planning a ‘disgrace’ for their World Cup. ahead of next month’s ber of delays to the There have been a numof the stadiums as ber num a of completion ft and corruption in well as widespread the ment. rna tou the to up d the lea rld Cup winner But the three time Wo ahead of the ers condemned the protest tournament n significant time He said: ‘There has bee d. she fini s ium stad to get the ptable – it is a ‘The situation is unacce situ atio n is al itic pol The ce. gra dis difficult. g to do with the ‘Our team has nothin has delayed t ongoing corruption tha s. ium construction of the stad of the players ‘It is not the problem ries me a great but the situation wor o have stolen wh deal. The evil people blame. Protests all the money are to understandable – against corruption are e.’ forc but not the use of the nt -which kicks off Ahead of the tourname hosts Brazil have es iev bel e Pel – 12 e on Jun also says Spain have a good chance but has their crown. in a good chance to reta win it, but for me He said: I hope Brazil are Germany and the two teams in Europe Spain. standing football ‘Spain have played out many are well Ger rs. yea of ber num a for a very attacking organised and favour more Brazilian ya style – they almost pla way than us.’

!...

C

ARLO Ancelotti has insisted Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale will start for Real Madrid against Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League final on Saturday despite ongoing injury worries.

Both players joined Karim Benzema and Pepe in not training with the rest of the squad on Tuesday morning, with Ronaldo the only one to take to the field as he did his own light workout. However, Ancelotti is sure the two most expensive players in the world will line up at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon.

“Bale didn’t train because he did specific work in the gym,” said Ancelotti. “We preferred that he did that work in the gym and he didn’t need to go out on to the field. The two of them are going to play. That is what is important for us.” Ronaldo himself claimed that despite missing much of Real’s unsuccessful chase for La Liga glory in recent weeks, he will be back to full fitness for the clash in his homeland.

“These things can happen,” said the FIFA Ballon d’Or holder. “We train every day and play ever weekend and midweek, so it is normal that sometimes the body reacts negatively. ”I have had some bad luck and small problems towards the end of the season, but it is normal. Every player in the world suffers from injuries and the important thing is I feel good and come Saturday I will be at my best level.”

Simeone refuses to rule out Costa, Turan

L

a Liga champions Atletico Madrid get ready to play their all-important UEFA Champions League final against neighboring rivals Real Madrid, with a first La Decima title for the Rojiblancos in their sight.

However, this dream was jeopardized as two of their stars, Diego Costa and Arda Turan, picked up injuries in their final Spanish Primera Division game against Barcelona, on Sunday. Costa limped off ear-

Transfer Talk!!... Transfer Talk!!!

8 clubs scramble for Cole

A

•Toure year before Touré signed a four-year extension to his £220,000-a-week deal, claimed the Ivory Coast international did not feel that he was valued. “He got a cake but when it was Roberto Carlos’s birthday, the president of Anzhi gave him a Bugatti,” said Seluk.

SHLEY Cole will determine where he is to play next season on his return from a holiday in California with up to eight clubs understood to be keen to secure the former England left-back upon the expiry of his contract at Chelsea.

The defender, 33, confirmed on Monday he does not anticipate extending his eight-year career at Stamford Bridge, where his current deal will end on 30 June. The London club’s manager, José Mourinho, had hoped to retain him for a further 12 months, but the club are now expected to pursue alternative long-term options at left-back with interest established in Sevilla’s Alberto Moreno and Atlético Madrid’s Filipe Luís.

There remains a slim chance that Cole, who played 338 games for

•Cole

Suarez: Real are favourites in final

A Chelsea after joining from Arsenal in exchange for William Gallas and £5m in 2006, could renegotiate terms to remain in south-west London if one of those other targets is not secured, though, for now, he is braced to pursue his career elsewhere and will, ideally, seek a two-year deal.

Monaco, who will compete in the Champions League next term and are backed by the Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev, are one of a number of elite clubs to express interest in securing his services.

ly, in the 16th minute of the match, with a believed hamstring injury, before being joined by their Turkish playmaker six minutes later.

And with reports suggesting that Costa might miss out on the finals on May 24, the Champions League finalists fans’ have gone into panic mode.

However, the Argentine coach is yet to give up hope on the dynamic duo, saying: “we need to arrive with our best possible side. We’ll wait and see how Costa and Arda are

TLETICO Madrid midfielder Mario Suarez insists city rivals Real are favourites to win the UEFA Champions League final in Lisbon

•Suarez

on Saturday.

Diego Simeone’s Atletico secured the Liga title, ahead of Barcelona and Real, with a 1-1 draw at Camp Nou on Saturday.

Despite seeing his side finish as Spanish champions for the first time since 1996, Suarez insists the pressure will be on Real this weekend.

While Atletico have only made the final of Europe’s premier club competition on one previous occasion, in 1974, Real are set to be involved in the showpiece for a 13th time.

“They are clear favourites to win; they are used to playing these type of matches. They are favourites to win just like they were in La Liga,” said Suarez.

34—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014

Isha Sesay

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NN’s Isha Sesay is being roundly trounced on the Nigerian cyberspace for her “rudeness” and display of ignorance about our country during her coverage of the search for the Chibok schoolgirls. The Sierra Leonean Briton obviously touched a raw nerve in the typical Nigerian male on blogosphere, who is certainly not used to be sassed by precocious women.

In the minority are those who are on the side of the CNN anchor. One supporter claims: Summarily, Isha Sesay Won! Her truth was concrete with a reference to the people that knew the truth. Anyway, I understand your side, you don’t get this According to one commentator, her grilled by many of our own religious bias was very evident even journalists and this hit you when it is obvious that she is currently strangely as you were placed in a Muslim only in name. Her interview front of the whole world. subjects were only those who oppose the But is a vast minority. Also government and its policies, which slamming Sesay is controversial makes one wonder what she learnt from Nigerian pastor and politician her days at BBC, which we were taught Tunde Bakare, who has criticized in school, is the model and reference her for making the nation’s point of responsible and objective Information Minister Labaran journalism.

Maku look like a school boy.

Bola Shagaya

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OLITICS is in the air, and more Nigerian women than ever are dabbling, not only as direct participators but as kingmakers. Many of them understand the value of cyberspace, and are riding on it.

Society guru and business woman Hajia Bola Muinat Shagaya, for one, is being talked about extensively as presenting her first son Sherrif Shagaya as candidate for the Federal House of Representatives next year with the ultimate dream running the Governorship come 2019.

A consummate inside politician herself (there is talk of her being named the Director of Finance in the Campaign team for the re-election bid of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan) , she has her strategy all down to pat. Apart from being close to the first lady, she has promised to deliver Kwara back to PDP and those who know her say she can: With the defection of the former Governor of the State, Bukola Saraki and by extension their supporters the party structure in her state has by default fallen into her hands.

Two individuals stand in her way: Senator Bukola Saraki and Senator

Gbemi Saraki, Senator Bukola Saraki’s younger sister who is no friend of Hajia Shagaya’s. Not much is known of Sherrif Shagaya himself except that he is polo buff, Managing Director of his mother’s energy company and son-in-law of former PDP chairman Bamanga Tukur.

Commentators are complaining about the dynastic trend in Kwara.

Meriam Ibrahim

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OVE goes sour in so many different ways, and for Sudan’s Meriam Ibrahim, the medical doctor who fell in love and married a Christian, was sentenced to death last week.

The 26 year old, earlier convicted of Apotashy, was to

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be given 100 lashes for committing zina – an Arabic word for illegitimate sex – for having sexual relations with a nonMuslim man.

The couple married in 2011 and have a child, born 18 months ago. Sudanese law does not recognize Ibrahim’s marriage to a non-Muslim.

T h a n k f u l l y, Ibrahim can appeal against her death sentence as well as the 100 lashes.

Calling for I b r a h i m ’ s immediate and unconditional release, Amnesty International has waded into the matter, saying adultery and apostasy are acts which should not be considered crimes at all.

The Sudanese courts went ahead with the death sentence even as the whole world continues to express their abhorrence and outrage on blogosphere.

Patience Jonathanshonest to speak about

I

h er e t would be di g on bl og os p is su es tr en d in ing Nigeria’s First on without menti a th a n , w h o h a s n Jo ce en ti a nced Lady P ss than adva le g in h ot n ed matter of provid e very serious th in ef li re ic com ls’abduction. the Chibok Gir e is th e D ia rr is g od o er cally O f co u rs e th ne viral both lo at go s ha ch hi w video, ch so th nally. So mu es (w it h io at rn te in d ix an io n s an d re m d if fe re n t ve rs rs) have been made and to international ac incredible acclaim. to e lin on athe her; posted e her or you lo lik u yo er th he W pace, Mrs. space or cybers whether in real g to be in your face and in Patience is go reen for a while to come. sc r te pu m co r warmth, your first lady for he ident. e th te lu sa e W es loyalty to the pr sincerity and

Solange Knowles

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ALE activists were on fire on cyberspace last week about the attack on American rapper Jay-Z by his sister-in-law, Solange Knowles, saying if the tables had been turned, female activists would have been up in arms. Since the incident, there have been relentless debates along the lines of: If it had been Jay-Z attacking Solange, there would have been an outcry, he’d have been arrested, his career and reputation destroyed – so why does a woman get away with it?

The Jay-Zs have kept up a united front, with family photos appearing including Solange’s in ragsheets all over the world. They also released a statement about the unfortunate incidence, which revealed exactly nothing about why Solange hit her inlaw.

Genevieve Nnaji

N

OLLYWOOD ultimate Princess Genevieve Nnaji is having a ball no doubt, with her latest endorsement with a major brewery brand making her one of Nigeria’s wealthiest.

As proof of this, apparently, she has purchased for herself very recently a G-Wagon. She joins Davido, J Martins and Ibinabo Fiberesima, the AGN president who all drive the same Mercedes brand, but hers is said to be far superior, being the G 63 costing from $125,000 to $175,000.

As she trends, most commentators are not impressed, making reference to her CNN interview where she was believed to have goofed big time.

Genevieve has been rated the second best entertainer in Nigeria; She’s been referred to as the ‘Julia Roberts of Africa’ and has been on CNN, Oprah Winfrey Show & the likes.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014—35

Why I chose to be a goldsmith — Mary Odejimi

•says crime rate slowing down business

*Mary

W

hile her contemporaries opted for vocations such as hair dressing and tailoring, she had her gaze on goldsmithing and wouldn’t settle for any other when her parents made it clear they would no longer educate a ‘woman’.

Mrs.Mary Odejimi is today one of the few women who have thrived in the art of goldsmithing in Lagos. In this interview, the unassuming Ogun Stateborn narrates how she got attracted to the art and how insecurity in the country has slowed down business for goldsmiths.

S

INCE did you start this business?

I’ve been doing this right from my youth. In fact, I joined this business in 1982.

But why did you prefer this to businesses common to women?

I actually started learning this immediately I completed primary school. I was 17year-old at that time. You see, as a female child, my parents said they would rather send my brother to school than educate me further. So, when I was given the option of learning hair dressing, sewing and some other vocations, I told them I preferred to train as a goldsmith. I would have preferred to go to school than learn, anyway, but could not help myself.

I’m still curious about why you preferred to be a goldsmith….

In those days, those doing this business in Ogun State were always looking beautiful because they could afford to wear costly jewelries. So, apart from practising it as a trade, as a young girl, this

Record of citizens We do not have a record of citizens and immigrants and that’s a major factor promoting crime. In the past, goldsmiths would leave their products on display till nightfall. Even when going home, nobody would attack us. Today, Nigeria has changed a lot.

Now, let us talk about your family background…

I’m married with four children. The first is about 29year-old.

How helpful has this business been to your family?

It has been very helpful.

Our first child is completing her youth service soon. The second completed secondary school before going into furniture making. The third is presently in a higher

*Mary at work

endeared me to the business.

You couldn’t go to secondary school because of money, but didn’t you require money to undergo the training?

No. I didn’t pay so much. I only had to pay about 7,000 to be trained for five years.

And what did you do after apprenticeship?

I opened a shop at Dopemu in Lagos and the business kept growing.

Rendering services Clients did not deal with me as a woman but as a goldsmith rendering services and that made it more interesting. However, some people would prefer male goldsmiths. But that has never retarded my business.

We actually have more women in the business these days.

But does the degree of physical strength required for soldering, sawing, forging, casting and

polishing of metals not put you at a disadvantage?

Not at all. Goldsmithing does not require so much strength. There’s nothing special about the energy required to work as a goldsmith.

Why do Nigerians prefer gold works such as jewelries bought in Dubai, Italy and others to the ones produced locally?

That’s because those ones seem more beautifully designed though they ’re never as thick as ours. But do you know most of those imported jewelries are brought back to us for perfection and repair when they begin to break due to their fragility?

But the ones I produce for instance are used for life without any fault. Most of the ones brought to us are eventually discovered to be of very poor quality.

What are the prerequisites for becoming a goldsmith?

The most essential is patience. This is because becoming a goldsmith is not

,

BY JOSEPHINE IGBINOVIA

increasing crime rate in the country is causing us serious setback. I’ve been robbed on several occasions and dispossessed of jewelries worth millions of naira. It left me indebted and that really affected me. Even the ones I wore on myself were taken away. Now, as you can see, I tune down on my use of jewelry.

What measures must be in place to encourage goldsmiths like you into large-scale production?

For a country like Nigeria, that’s a complicated question because all manner of people enter illegally into the country on a daily basis.

The most essential is patience. This is because becoming a goldsmith is not like training for vocations such as hair dressing, sewing or whatever, which could be perfected in even three months.

Goldsmithing requires longer period of training and cannot be learnt even in two years

like training for vocations such as hair dressing, sewing or whatever which could be perfected in even three months.

Goldsmithing requires longer period of training and cannot even be perfected in two years. That was why I spent five years in apprenticeship.

You joined this line since you were 17 but why haven’t you developed a brand and entered into large-scale production of, let us say jewelries, till date rather than produce on demand?

I’m capable of doing that, but the truth is, there are lots discouragements- the worst being crime rate. The

,

institution of learning while the last is just finishing secondary school. With our resources, we’ve been able to build our own house where we now live in Lagos. My husband is a Mechanical Engineer. My first daughter has already mastered the art of goldsmithing and stands in my place whenever I’m not around. So, now that she’s about rounding-off her youth service, I’m happy because she has a skill alongside a degree. I just wish more youths would learn skills rather than depend only on their degrees for livelihood; especially as unemployment keeps increasing terribly.

36 — V ANGU ARD, WEDNESD AY, MA Y 21, 2014 VANGU ANGUARD, WEDNESDA MAY

He accuses me of cheating

He wants to be more adventurous Dear Bunmi, My fiance wants me to go on top when next we make love.

He’s never made this request all the time we’d been together, so why now?

I know he’s only trying to spice things up a bit, but the idea scares me. I don’t know why I feel so nervous.

Do you think I should go

for it? I don’t really know what to do?

Nkem, by e-mail.

Dear Nkem, Women-on-top position can be great— you set the pace and can touch yourself for extra stimulation. But some women don’t feel confident about exposing themselves in this way. Or

they don’t want to be in control in case they get it wrong.

Ask your fiance to help you overcome your worries. Start with the lights low, or wear undies so you don’t feel so exposed. To begin with, let him take charge.

As you gain confidence, you’ll feel more at ease and be able to enjoy yourself.

Could his ex make him impotent?

Dear Mercy, Partial impotence is very common these days and I suggest you see a doctor to put your husband’s mind at rest about being charmed. I think it’s a load of rubbish!

He’d been able to make love to you in the past, in spite of his ex’s threats.

In the meantime,

encourage him to make love even with his partial erection.

Love making need not be fully penetrative.

Remember what a wise sex

Whatever you do, don’t ring up her ex to find out how exactly he did it!

Dear Julius, C M Y K

,

She bragged her ex was better Dear Bunmi, I was in the process of knocking on my current girl’s door on a recent visit when I heard her talking with two of her friends. They were obviously discussing men.

Out of curiosity, I eavesdropped. You can therefore imagine how put-out I was when my girlfriend admitted

It’s only her I love Dear Bunmi, I have had this relationship with a girl I really love for over 10 years, but things are a bit stale.

A few months ago, I ran into the girl I was with before I met her and it was great remembering old times when I was fancy free.

My ex and I swapped phone numbers and sent each other some joky texts.

Now my partner has found out and called me a cheat.

How do I convince her there’s nothing between my ex and I? Julius, by e-mail.

therapist once said: “It’s easier to squeeze a sponge than a rock.” All you have to do is get him in a very relaxed mood.

,

Dear Bunmi, My husband, who is in his mid-50s, doesn’t seem able to get a complete firm erection these days. Whenever it is time to make love, we both become apprehensive in case he is not able to hold his erection.

He’s confessed that he misses sex, so do I. He then made this shocking confession about a girlfriend he left years back, boasting that he would never be able to make love to another woman ever when he broke off with her. He thinks she was bluffing but my husband believes he’s been charmed. What do you think?

Mercy, by e-mail.

Are you sure there’s nothing? You complain your relationship is stale. You’re thinking back to when you were fancy free. Now you’re texting your ex. You’re not exactly cheating, but you are on the right path alright!

You need to take a hard look at what’s going on. You should put more effort into making your relationship warm and loving. If you feel excited about your partner, you’d be less tempted to fool around with your ex.

So make that effort to bring back romance into a relationship you’ve invested 10 years in and with a partner you claim you still love.

that the man who jilted her, before we met, was a better lover than I am!

It got me really worried as I’d thought I was a good lover. Now what should I do?

Isiaka, by e-mail.

Dear Isiaka, You’ve got to try to forget about her past especially since this man threw her over for another girl. Don’t turn your sex life into a competition as your heart and mind won’t be on the job of being intimate and that could be a huge turn-off for your girl.

You have to decide what’s more important to you: trying to win some rivalry game going on inside your head or having a satisfying sexual relationship with your partner.

In the meantime, you have to discuss your love-life with her to find out what exactly she expects from you. Do it in a way that is as relaxed, honest and light hearted as possible so she wouldn’t cotton on to the fact that you’ve eavesdropped on her.

Whatever you do, don’t ring up her ex to find out how exactly he did it!

Dear Bunmi, Words got to me that my boyfriend was having an affair with the receptionist in his office but I kept quiet about it.

I did not want to reveal my source of information, who is well known to my man.

Now he has some sores on his penis and he is accusing me of cheating!

I’m furious but too cautious to speak up. Should I speak up and break up the friendship between my man and my informant?

Lara, by e-mail.

Dear Lara, You have to speak up. Your partner is probably unfaithful and is shifting the blame on you to divert attention from himself. The only way forward is to challenge him, get it out in the open, and see if you can rebuild your relationship.

Final point: you have to get a check-up at a health centre near you. See your doctor to make sure he hasn’t passed these little sores on to you.

He’s back after his ex rejected him Dear Bunmi, I was with my current partner for a few years when he announced that relatives on his side and his ex-wife’s side have decided they both should give their marriage another chance. He wasn’t legally divorced from her and they had two children together.

In spite of the fact that our only child together was only a month old, he left to be with her. But it didn’t work out.

About a year after, he came back begging for us to start again. I eventually agreed.

That was some two years ago and God knows I’ve tried to forgive. But I still feel very resentful that he chose her ex over me and my daughter.

What if it had worked with his ex? That would have been the end of the relationship.

Can this relationship really work?

Abigail, by e-mail.

Dear Abigail, It is understandable that you feel betrayed by your partner.

But you should always bear in mind that he came back to you— stop focusing on the fact that he left. It must have been very hard for him to leave his first two children behind; he is as much their father as is your daughter’s father.

The fact that ultimately he chose you over them must mean that in the end you mean more to him. So be compassionate.

Understand just how hard it must have been for your partner and how much he must be suffering because he senses you still can’t forgive him for what he did.

For the sake of your child, don’t let your resentment win.

It is time to completely forgive your man so your relationship can be healthier.

He didn’t tell me he was married Dear Bunmi, I met my current boyfriend through a colleague and we’ve been an item for two years now and we currently live together. When my colleague realised I was quite serious about him, she told me I was playing with fire getting involved with a married man.

I told her I never knew he wasn’t single. She said whenever he tells me he’s working away, he’s always with his wife. I was shocked.

Secretly, I thought he would deny he was ever married. But he said he was but that he’s separated from his wife even before we met. He promised to get a divorce and I’m hopeful we’ll get married soon like he promised. Am I

clutching at straws?

Ireti, by e-mail.

Dear Ireti, The earlier you wake up from your day-dream, the sooner you’d realise you’re living with a smooth operator.

Didn’t it occur to you to ask him WHY he didn’t tell you he was married?

Even if he and his wife are really separated, surely it was worth a mention? I don’t believe for one moment he’s getting a divorce, and if you hadn’t discovered he was married, I doubt he would ever have told you.

He’s using you as a bit on the side. Don’t forget he still has contact with his wife. I would dump him if I were you.

Share your problems and release your burden. Write now to Dear Bunmi, Vanguard Newspapers, P.M.B 1007, Apapa, Lagos. or bunmsof@yahoo.co.uk

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014 — 37 YOUR LUCK TODAY

LEISURE

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 TAURUS: You’ll tend to become both creative and persuasive to the administration of others. Then those who’ve been resisting secret love may slip suddenly and become excited.

GEMINI: Even if opposition persists, supports you are getting from the influential people will be enough to see you through. Yet, the more cooperative you are the better.

CANCER: Your creativity quotient within your working arena will today be enhanced. You’ll be blamed if you keep official issues secrets from your challenges at work.

LEO: After a few tension soaked days, you’ll have the needed opportunity to look through windows of the world and have your way as well. Magnetic and/or magic days is predicted for lovers today.

VIRGO: Even if you continue to work under pressure via increased workload, you will have good results to show for your efforts today. Be steadfast.

By Richard Eromosele

R

IGHT from ages man has continued to look for ways of clothing his nakedness. Nakedness does not just mean not wearing clothes alone. It includes covering our evil deeds,

God is watching wicked acts, ways and sins etc.

As it was the days of the biblical Adam and Eve, so it is today.

When we commit heinous crime, we run for cover under the stone,

TERROR MUDA

under the water and under the dark, hoping and praying that we will not be caught.

We live a lie. We forget that air bear witness to our cruel act;

in “Never say goodbye”

the sun by our shadow takes our photograph, and our conscience convicts us daily.

Beware, God is watching. Your sins will find you out.

Think about it!

By Lanre Kehinde

LIBRA: Promise made to genuine personalities should be kept if not because of today but for better tomorrow. Be reasonable and clean.

SCORPIO: Those of you willing to let go hard feelings at work are for a progressive day to the betterment of your finances. Let go yesterday, move ahead.

SAGITTARIUS: Once again, you’ll have the needed opportunity to assert yourself to the administration of others.

Both love and financial success can be yours with efforts.

Reason with your tried and trusted friends.

CAPRICORN: You can make it a successful day with positive approach on your part. You will be in a better position to defuse tension within your working arena. Try to be more ambitious.

AQUARIUS Yes! You’re not scared a bit even, when opposition and/or competition come your way but, if you give in to diplomatic approach, you’ll fare better today.

PISCES: Pressure that came your way suddenly will give way unexpectedly, today, to the betterment of your course.

The more financially ambitious you are today, the better for you. Be steadfast.

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in

“Pretty Lunatic’

By Andy Akman

ARIES: You sincerely believe in intelligent argument or discussion. And if you allow your ability to be diplomatic come to play today, you’ll be better for it. Enjoy your love life.

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

What’s my horoscope?

Dear Joshua, Kindly tell me how the planets lined up when I was born and the day of the week I was born but don’t publish my date of birth.. Please tell me my full horoscope Anonymous, Nigeria.

Dear Anonymous, You were born on a Sunday.

YOUR HOROSCOPE DATA Day of Birth = Sunday Sun Sign = Scorpio. Sun in Zero Degree of Scorpio Moon Sign = Libra: Moon in 5th Degree of Libra Mercury in 12th Degree of Scorpio Venus in Zero Degree of Sagittarius Mars in 1st Degree of Aquarius Jupiter in 29th Degree of Cancer Saturn in 10th Degree of Scorpio Uranus in 27th Degree of Cancer Neptune in 25th Degree of Libra Pluto in 26th Degree of Leo North Node in 8th Degree of Capricorn South Node in 8th Degree of Cancer No planet in earth spar sign, one in available, two in fire, three in air, four in cardinal, fixed and water star signs hosted five planets each.

PHYSICAL INFLUENCE = 50% NON-PHYSICAL INFLUENCE =50% PLANET AT HOME = NONE ANALYSIS OF THE HOROSCOPE DATA You are both an intelligent and emotional person. And as there was planet at home when you were born, too many ideas will always struggle for prominent place in your mind, thus decision making is difficult but most times, your intelligence comes to the rescue.

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

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

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

Placement of your natal Sun (basic self head) and Moon (your sub-conscious self) in Scorpio and Libra respectively are indications of your being mainly Scorpio born person and partly in Libran.

VIRGINIA

HOME & ABROAD

dadadekola@yahoo.com

By Lawrence Akapa

38—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014

Ekiti 2014: Why I’m supporting Fayemi – Oni E

ngineer Olusegun Adebayo Oni is the immediate past governor of Ekiti State, who recently defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC. In this interview, Oni bares it all stating why he is pitching his political tent with Governor Kayode Fayemi. Excerpts:

BY DAPO AKINREFON

Y

OUR leaving the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP was greeted with mixed feelings.

At what point did you lose hope in the party?

As far as the PDP is concerned, I did everything I could do to give the party a chance to pick a candidate that we can work with, that we can be proud of, that we can show to generations that are coming behind, as someone that we can recommend as role model for them. When the PDP decided what its own options would be, we had no alternative but to make up our mind, rigidly, to toe the path that we have now chosen.

You reportedly said your decision to leave the PDP was to build a future for Ekiti people.

What is that future?

What we are doing is in the interest of Ekiti and in the interest of the good name that we may

If you have somebody i n

the position of governor that you do not wish to be a role model for the younger ones, then, it means something is amiss. What we are saying is that this is more than legal qualifications or satisfying the letters of the constitution, we are saying that the position of governor is a higher ground. And like Caesar’s wife, anybody who comes to it, should be seen to be above board because you cannot just bring anybody and say you must make him governor.

It is a slight on the office of governor to have someone that the average man on the street

,

I want to make it very clear that the reason I am not supporting Ayo Fayose is not for anything that he (Fayose) has done to me personally in the past. Fayose offended me but I have taken a position of forgiving everyone

lose if we are not careful. The generations coming may have to suffer for it if we allow it to be completely destroyed.

I have been governor and I am privileged to know that the position of governor is an exalted position that people should be using as a point of contact to pray for their children. It means that the governor is a moral leader, he is a role model. If you have someone in the position of governor who you cannot sincerely pray in his heart of hearts that his children should take after, then, it means that state or community has missed it. It means something is wrong.

,

perceives as a crook or a near crook occupying it. It is supposed to be an exalted position. You just cannot make anybody governor because you are going to create problems for generations that are coming, if they take after a wrong role model.

The society will be planting trouble.

Secondly, I know the clique that is warming itself up to place a PDP governor in Ekiti State.

This is very dangerous amalgam. It will be a grave mistake if we allow people, who are being sought after to answer for crimes all over the world to become kings and kingmakers here. I

want to sound this note of warning to all our brothers and sisters all over Nigeria that we should be vigilant and not allow a nursery bed of evil to germinate and mature in any part of the country, however remote. When the evil gets to maturity, the monster will threaten the peace and sanity of all of us adequately.

As a staunch loyalist of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, did you at any time, discuss your grievances with him?

Yes and no because Baba knows our feelings. He knows that, like him, we hold dearly the future of this society, we take that after him.

Fayose governorship He also knows that we are not looking for personal gains. He knows that we are looking for a better future for our people. I believe his reaction would be that of a father whose children are disagreeing on the field. He will not kill one for the other.

If you are reinstated as SouthWest Chairman of the PDP, will you accept to return to the party?

For me, I do not think that is an option. For example, will I go back and support a Fayose governorship?

So, why are you not supporting Fayose?

I want to make it very clear that the reason I am not supporting Ayo Fayose is not for anything

that he (Fayose) has done to me personally in the past. Fayose offended me but I have taken a position of forgiving everyone that offended me because I know I have probably offended others in the past, and anybody, who finds it convenient in his own heart, may forgive me but I am looking at the future of Ekiti State.

But Mr Fayose said he is now a changed man He claims to have changed.

When you know his sponsors and how he ‘won’ the primaries he claimed to have won, you would know that he, indeed, has changed for the worse.

Did the President personally call to prevail on you not to leave the PDP? I do not think the president needs to personally call me because there are people working for the president and they can always deliver the president’s message. You see, it is not about the party now, I am sorry to say this. Some of my closest friends are in the PDP. This is about the future of Ekiti and what will happen to Ekiti State if we allow this impending doom to come to pass. This is the only state I have.

If Nigeria were such that we operate a constitution that can make you an Ekiti person today, a Borno person tomorrow or your children can be Anambra, and your grand-children Benue, I will not be as worried as I am now but under the present constitution, you are stuck with your state

of origin. So, why would you now allow the values that made us Ekiti, the values that made us so proud as to ask for a state of our own, a state of people, who had been known to have a history for industry, education, integrity to now have on our laps somebody, whose educational qualifications cannot even be guaranteed? I take an exception to that and I want to be counted on the side of those who say ‘no to such, no matter what it costs.

Some might say you left the PDP for ambition or economic gains, how do you see this?

Is there any office that I want to seek from the PDP that I would not be able to attain? If I wanted to stay in the PDP and do a bargain, do you think I would not be able to achieve it?

Compromising conscience If I wanted anything, including positions, contracts and everything, I would have gotten it.

I am doing this for my conscience and that is it. Nigerians do not even believe that Nigerians can work for free for their conscience.

We have so monetized things and made everything look as if it is either cash or position, that is not what all of us are. I have been out of office for nearly four years now, I did not enrich myself corruptly in government and I have not patronised anyone who could compromised my conscience since I have been out of office.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014—39

Why delegates should not please self-serving politicians — Ugwu-Oju CONFAB: •Wants NSA, Defence Minister to resign over Chibok EMEKA Ugwu-Oju, President South East/South South Professionals of Nigeria ,SESSPN, in this interview, warns that if the opportunity presented by the ongoing National Conference to create a new Nigeria is misused,the country most probably will implode. He also argues that oil should not be seen as the only resources that can create wealth, noting that delegates should avoid pleasing some self serving and selfish politicians at the expense of the needed restructuring of Nigeria. Ugwu-Oju also spoke on other national issues.

C

ALLS for restructuring of the country is generat ing dissenting views at the ongoing National Conference.

How well do you think that this contentious issue can be addressed?

I will like to use this opportunity to send a very important message to all the delegates at the national conference. They have to realise that the destiny of this country has been temporarily entrusted into their hands.

It means that the survival of this nation called Nigeria as we presently know it hinges a lot on the outcome of the national conference.

Nigeria’s continuous corporate existence depends on how they handle this important national

assignment. We don’t need Americans or anyone to tell us that this country may disintegrate in 2015.

We all are living witnesses to what this country has become.

Insurgency and terrorist activities has reached the level today that some foreign countries are now sending their counter terrorism specialists to assist our beleaguered defense forces.. And the confab has the opportunity of changing the way the country is.

The confab if it seizes this chance can create a new Nigeria. That is why we are begging the delegates to take this assignment very serious. They should avoid distractions and realize that this is a golden opportunity to change this country. Unfortunately what many Nigerians have read in the National Dailies as recommendations from many of the committees

•Emeka Ugwu-Oju are mere palliatives. And it appears as if they are trying to apply band-aid to a structure that everyone agreed is about imploding before our eyes. That should not be the needed solution to the faulty structures of this federation.

We hope that they should see the matter before them as a life and death matter rather than giving some self serving politicians what they want. Whether some people want more states or more local governments or not, we should accept that the system we are presently operating has failed us.

We need a system that will

encourage and bring out the best in our people. It does not matter how long they spend at arriving at a workable system, all we need is a new Nigeria. We are ready

When some people talk about derivation, it gives the impression that the only wealth we can create is oil that is wrong; and I have said here that the oil wealth is not enough even with zero corruption

,

BY CHARLES KUMOLU& GBENGA OKE

to extend their stay in Abuja so long as they come up with a new Nigeria.

ZONING: Uneasy calm envelops Uzo-Uwani/Igbo-Etiti federal constituency

T

BY CHARLES KUMOLU

HE gentleman agreement by some notable indigenes of UzoUwani and Igbo-Etiti local councils of Enugu State over rotation of the House of Representatives seat between the two councils that make up the constituency is currently threatened.

The matter has gone beyond being a mutual disagreement over the council that should produce the next lawmaker to a cold war that requires urgent resolution.

For this reason, Concerned Indigenes of Uzo-Uwani, CIU, recently convened a stakeholders' forum in Enugu, where it was agreed that the rotation principle be followed to sustain the harmonious relations between the LGAs. The event which attracted notable indigenes of Uzo-Uwani, provided an opportunity for the stakeholders to explain how the rotation agreement came about on February 10, 1998. On hand to tell this story, was the CIU President, Mr. Ignatius Onoduogo, who explained that the forum that gave birth to the zoning arrangement, was held at the residence of Mr. Aka Ogbogbe in Enugu. “In recognition of the historical affinity and the need to foster peace and unity between Igbo-Etiti and UzoUwani L.GAs, some wise men from both

areas met on the 10th of February, 1998 and entered into an agreement that the House of Representatives seat shall rotate between the two local governments. They further agreed that Igbo-Etiti would produce the first candidate for the seat and this led to the emergence of Hon. Mathias Ozor in 1998 under the platform of UNCP,’’ he noted.

Onoduogo however regretted that the death of General Sani Abacha in June 1998, shortlived Ozor’s tenure. ‘’His tenure was short lived because of the truncation of the Abacha transition programme due to his demise,’’ he added.

Accordingly, Onoduuogo said, ‘’ again, on January 17, 1999, by a broader representation, another agreement was entered into by political leaders from the areas reiterating the need to foster a harmonious co-existence between the two areas by rotating the seat. It was further agreed that Uzo-Uwani L.G.A shall take the first shot this time around having conceded the position to Igbo-Etiti the previous year but for the truncation of the transition programme. This agreement led to the emergence of Dr. Romanus Ezike from UzoUwani whose election was upturned by the electoral tribunal . He spent only three months in the office and was replaced by

Agitations for an upward and downward review of the 13 percent derivation formula, is once again bringing the north and south dichotomy to the fore at the confab. What is your position on this?

We the members of South East/South South Professionals have been consistent on our calls for the nation to create a system that creates wealth. One guiding principle that will make the confab successful, is for them to look at the fundamentals that will encourage wealth creation.

It is only through sustainable wealth creation that poverty can be eradicated.

There is too much attention on oil which is wrong. We don’t produce up to three million barrels a day and we have a population of about one hundred and seventy million. So, even if we produce up to ten million barrels a day, that will not be enough for us. So, when people say that we are rich because we are producing oil, we disagree on that.

We are poor based on our production level and our population.

If we were a country of five million people and we are producing 2 million barrels of crude oil daily, then you can say that we are rich,like for instance Libya, Kuwait or Saudi Arabia.

When some people talk about

Hon. Chris Nnadi from Igbo-Etiti, who now stayed from September 1999 to 2007.’’

“Perhaps, it was assumed that the tenure enjoyed by Hon. Nnadi was meant for Uzo-Uwani, hence another man from Igbo-Etiti replaced him.

However, in line with the agreement, in 2007, Hon. Paul Eze from Uzo-Uwani replaced Dr. Oke and served till 2011.Still in keeping with the agreement,. Hon. Stella Ngwu from Igbo-Etiti who is currently the incumbent was elected in 2011 and she is expected to serve out her tenure by June 2015 to give room for another man from Uzo-Uwani in line with the spirit and letters of the agreement.’’

Restating that subsequent meetings took place in 1999 and 2011 respectively, to ensure that the tenets of the agreement are followed, Onoduogo said, ‘’it is instructive to point out that three meetings on the need to maintain this one term rotational arrangement’ including a ‘thank-you’ meeting held at the residence of the incumbent ,were later held over the issue where stakeholders from both areas including the incumbent promised to keep to the agreement by serving only one term.

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derivation, it gives the impression that the only wealth we can create is oil. That is wrong. And I have said here that the oil wealth is not enough even with zero corruption. It is unfortunate that we are so concerned about how to share oil wealth. The whole emphasis should be on how each area can be the best they can be in terms of creating wealth.

When you situate that, the issue of derivation will fall in, because people need incentives for wealth creation. But there is no incentive when oil that is found in your backyard is being carried away by the federal government.

It does not make sense that someone who lives ten thousand miles away is talking about how the oil resources in your locality is to be shared. However it does not mean that Nigeria can not exist without oil. It is unfortunate that people are making it look like that.

There should be incentives for wealth creation from any sort of resources and not oil alone.

People should be encouraged to have access to what belongs to them. We are also going to meet with our delegates at the national conference and discuss with them. We want them to know about the Nigeria that we expect them to recreate.

40—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014

Our infrastructure in horrible state This is the second instalment of this conference hall. The first part which was published in yesterday's edition of Vanguard, focused on Nigeria's capabilities in the building of refineries

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O, those comparisons are there and I think we missed the point when Gen. Obasanjo sold the refineries at the time he was leaving office. People have queried the process, because the investor that won the bid for Port Harcourt refinery, offered about 650 or 651 million dollars, for a 51per cent stake in the refinery.

That is a refinery of 210,000 barrel capacity per day. Assuming it was even working at 30 per cent capacity, at best you would get 69,000 to 70,000 barrels refined crude.

If you have a refinery and I give you crude oil to process for me, I will pay you four dollars. The net margin to the refineries is not more than one dollar. So really, if they had offered $650 or 651 million for 70,000, barrels a day which is $70,000 you can imagine how many years it will take for the plant to operate and recoup the cost, given the way it was bought.

In my mind, Gen. Obasanjo rushed to sell the refineries to help his friends, it triggered off the public outcry before late president Yar’ Adua took over and reversed the transaction. Up till now, nothing positive has happened.

So, we have really missed it.

What is happening is fast becom-

Map of Niger Delta If we say that the road transporters are a major force we can reckon with, we can beef up the depots in those boundaries so that they can still move products to Sokoto and the far North, but we must make conscious effort to pump products to that boundaries at least, because the cost of revamping the pipelines is less because you don’t have to revamp the extra 80,000 kilometers.

If you go to Gusau and Yola depots, they are just as new because products never get to them. In terms of tank storage, you have little or nothing to upgrade, may be some cleaning and pressure and integrity testing.

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Gen. Obasanjo rushed to sell the refineries to help his friends, it triggered off the public outcry before late president Yar’ Adua took over and reversed the transaction

ing like the NITEL story, if we don’t do anything about the refineries now and we give all the concessions that Dangote is asking for, those refineries would not be worth anything tangible.

Maybe we want to adopt the Russian model of privatisation where the government gives out the assets out and stop budgeting for it. But if the investors turn company around and make profit, then they would pay tax to government. That is enough income for the government.

So, there is management and business aspect of it and when you look at it, government would say they want to build a refinery to feed the Nigerian populace in terms of their needs but the infrastructure is just horrible. When I say horrible, it is an understatement because we have 5001 kilometers of pipeline network in Nigeria. If you work out the pipelines network there, it is not more than 2,000 or 2,200 pipelines and that basket itself consume about 70 to 75 per cent of petroleum products that we are talking about.

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Let’s assume Dangote builds a refinery, what would be the logistics of the man in Kano getting refined products? And if you say we want to build a refinery at Epe, are you going to replicate this chaotic traffic in Apapa around such hybro areas like Victoria Island and Ikoyi?

So there is need for some greater thinking and perspective about some of these things. We just have to get it right so that we don’t make the mistake of the past.

Mistakes of the past Yes, we want to build refineries, but I believe that we don’t need cooking pot as refineries. People think it is easy to build refineries but you can do so for lower grades that could do AGO. As you know, refineries are graded. You have grades 1,2,3, etc, it is the highest grade that would give you the full portfolio of product, diesel, AGO, PMS, etc.

Of course, AGO has become a very bad example for us, here for

the simple reason that the price is higher for all manner of reasons. What was envisaged when AGO was deregulated that it would bring about competition in the market, but there are still constraints. It may interest you to know that if a vessel loaded with AGO is to berth at the port today, all the naval officers at the port would run away and there would be nobody to sign the documents for the vessel to berth. The vessel would be left stranded and it would result in accumulation of demurrage and all sorts of avoidable costs.

Again, all the importers of AGO seem to have converged more or less on a fixed price and there is no competition going on there.

Competition in the environment Even when new comers enter the market, they would operate with the prices that are already on ground. The old marketers do not bother to give preferences to the new comers to enable them create their own clientele, so that there would be competition in the environment. So, the questions that would be asked are: How can we bring about a competitive atmosphere into petroleum products marketing? Can these refineries stand on their own?

I believe that if we have refineries here, there would bring about job creation. It would add value to the economy. So by all means we should encourage it!

But let’s be careful so that we don’t go and de-couple some discarded old refineries in other places and bring them here.

Moderator: Let me turn to Mr. Henry Boyo. Sir, Mr. Cole talked about some constraints in building refineries here in Nigeria, but he endorsed the idea eventually, do you think it is possible to build refineries here. Let’s not forget that some 35 licences have been given out to people to build refin-

eries, but nothing has happened.

What do you think went wrong?

Henry Boyo: In the last 30 years or so since I started advocating for some change in the approach of managing our economy, It has become clear to me that even if you have the solution in front of Nigerians, they would not recognise it because in my mind, it is quite clear that I have been proposing a solution that has not been challenged for 14 years.

At least not formally, but officially challenged in the sense that nobody has said Mr. Boyo what you are saying does not make sense.

What you find is an unusu al problem that nobody wants to address, nobody wants to speak about it, and we continue in this manner. I listened very carefully to Ladi and I ask my self: How can this be happening when we have enlightened men with international exposure and it really bothers me but I have also discovered that when you don’t charge people for what you are doing, those who are getting the benefits would not treasure it, or give meaningful value to it. The issue of petroleum refining and the ancillary industries that should go with it is very simple.

•Mr. Ken Ogaziechi

Petroleum refining If we want a situation where there would be competition in the market,then we must realise that the main problem is that of the exchange rate.

You might want to ask, what does the exchange rate has to do with this? But the reality is that of the exchange rate.

Let us look at what Dangote has said, though am not aware of some of the concessions Ladi have mentioned. I don’t think he that he needs to demand for any concession. What he clearly said is that “I am going to set up a refinery with the ancillary industries for the value of $9 billion or there

•Mr. Henry Boyo about. And in the same manner that we have all been worried that how come so many people have been given licenses in the past, to set up refineries but somehow, they did not perform. What gives Dangote the confidence to say he would spend $9 billion of his own money as well as borrowed money, to do this? We all know that he is a very intelligent business person. So, we know that Dangote would not take a foolish business Continues on page 41

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014 — 41

•Mr. Ladi Cole

•Mr. Ken Ogaziechi

•Mr. Hugo Odiogor

•Mr. Bayo Olowoshile

Crude oil theft threatens down stream investment Continues from page 40 decision.

A journalist had asked him whether he “would make a success of this when a lot of people that were given licences to build refineries. And I said in my mind that if I meet this gentle man, I would ask him the same question.

Indeed, I wrote an article entitled:”Dangote to the Rescue in the Refinery Business” At the bottom of the article I asked: “Are there things we don’t know that Dangote knows that gives him this confidence to want to put his money on such a huge project into the refinery business?”

His answer was very simple.

Dangote said he would build a world class refinery, that would produce the petrol and the other ancillary products, then he would ask marketers in Nigeria to buy from him. Normally, these marketers used to import at ‘X’ price which is the international price for petrol,which is what he is also going to charge them.

It is therefore left for the mar-

As far as he is concerned, the marketers would buy his product then, sell to us and and wait to collect their subsidy from government as they are doing at the moment. The bottom line is that we should recognise the unacceptability of any price regime that accommodates subsidy. Let me give you an example to drive my point home.

The issue of petrol and refineries is that of exchange rate from the word ‘Go’ but Nigerians have never been encouraged to look at it this way. All the other options of trying to address this problem I can tell you confidently will fail if we don’t address the issue of exchange. Let me tell you why!

International price

Pinelines in the Niger Delta region.

If the international price of fuel for example is $1 per liter, that means that one liter of fuel anywhere in the world before you start adding taxes and transportation charges from the refineries to the

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We now have a situation where we have to pray to God that the price of crude oil does not rise, or that we must not receive more dollars into the economy, because the more dollars we receive, the poorer we become

keters to buy at international price in his refinery and decides how and when to collect their subsidy from government, which is an excellent business model.

Then I said to myself, ‘Why didn’t any of these other people think about this in the first place?

We now have a situation where if the marketers refuse to buy from him, he would export his products to the international market at the prevailing price. You can’t ask him to sell below his own production price, because he is not in the subsidy game.

sion is that we must not fail to recognise that the nucleus of this problem is that of exchange rate.

The fact that you accept the exchange rate of N160 to a dollar shows that you don’t understand what is going on in the system.

In 1996, we only had $4billion worth of reserve and we were told that the amount would give us four months import cover. So, don’t tell me that we are spending more now because in 2010 , or thereabout our reserves was as much as $60 billion worth and we were told that it would give us 20 months or more import cover.

My brothers, we are all intelligent people we all went to school, should your exchange rate be below N80 when you had four months import cover or should it be stronger when you have 20 months import cover? how come you have a weaker exchange rate with a longer import cover?

That should immediately tell you that something is inherently wrong and until you address that problem, we will not have peace

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market is $1 per litre. That is one liter is $1 equal N160 that is what it means basically, before you start adding your taxes and other charges. That N160 accommodate 50 per cent subsidy, that is to say you are expected to pay 50 per cent to the common man through SURE-P and other avenue.

Now, imagine that instead of the naira being N160 to a dollar, naira is N180 to a dollar and the international price of fuel has not changed, it is still $1 =1 one liter, but to us it is now N180, immediately what happens? You cut out

subsidy and there is no need of saying that you are consciously removing subsidy.

I can understand that because you think that there is no option but if the option is to consciously bring down the price of petro to N80 per liter, would you be talking of subsidy?

No! You would be talking of N97 per liter there would be no need to reduce it and you would still have N17 per liter as sales tax. So you can start under standing that it is the issue of exchange rate because once that happens and you have no need for subsidy, what happens?

Any Tom, Dick and Harry who has capital, can come up and set up a refinery because he knows that there would be no problem for him selling products at government control or manipulated price.

So at the end of the day, whether you like it or not, if you divorce the mechanism of determining the exchange rate of the naira to the dollar, from any solution that you

are proposing in order to be able to jump start or expand the refineries business in Nigeria, I can confidently tell you that it will fail even before you start.

Except you are using the Dangote model, which is; to buy your crude at the international price, refine and sell at international price and export to other places.

Gas cylinder and gas Look at the issue of kerosene that you mentioned, I am very concerned about it. There is absolutely no reason why the SURE-P funds could not have been devoted to providing every household in Nigeria with a gas cylinder and gas.

Rather than this one that the Minister of Finance is doing by donating N10 million to school children, then she gives N10 million or N8 million to youths who have no practical business experience. My very humble submis-

in the economy of this country and I say this with all clarity and confidence.

You will find that at the end of the day, the more dollars we earn from higher crude oil prices, the poorer we become. This is the reality. I don’t have to prove anything because all of you can see.

A lot of people will tell you that we were better off in 1996 in terms of welfare and things like that but take away telecoms that a common man can attest to. What we have now is a situation where the government is engineering a weaker exchange rate of the naira against the dollar, when our exchange rate should be stronger than N80 to a dollar.

Then you may wonder if I am telling the truth. I am telling the truth because if you notice again, whenever the CBN reserve is rising, that is when we end up being labeled the poorest in the world because the two things are the same. In order for CBN’s reserve to be high, Nigerians have Continues on page 42

42 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014

Liberalisation, deregulation will unlock down stream sector Continues from page 41 to be poorer for a very simple reason. If the dollars that you are earning is captured by the CBN, and instead of allowing government agencies to have access to use those dollar earnings, CBN goes into the printing of naira, to create local currency for domestic transaction. It means that the higher the price of crude oil, the more oil revenue you get, the greater excess liquidity that you would have as a result of CBN printing more naira.

The higher the dollar value you earn the weaker the naira value you would get because the CBN is creating the naira, through printing of the national currency.

This creates disequilibrium that results in excess liquidity and inflation in the economy.

Inflation in the economy This is a situation where you have some much naira chasing fewer goods. So the more dollars that you earn, the more naira you will have then you have inflation, high interest rate is used to curb the inflow of money into the economy, this high interest rate prevents the real sector from accessing funds to expand productive activities. These are things that debilitate the economy.

The solution is if the CBN in line with the constitutional ar-

Fuel scarcity chaos in Lagos. you had a dollar certificate issued in place of CBN unilateral capturing the dollar and printing the naira, what would happen? You will suddenly have a situation where each beneficiary of the federal account going to the Central Bank every month with its dollar certificate, not to meet freshly minted naira, there would be no excess liquidity and there is no need for government to borrow back money its own money as it does confidently tells Nigerians that it borrows its own money at 13% interest rate when the money was deposited at zero interest rate in the first place.

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What we have is a situation where the government is engineering a weaker exchange rate of the naira against the dollar, when our exchange rate should be stronger than N80 to a dollar

rangement, when we earn dollars probably 60 to 70 per cent, let us assume that our dollar earning is 70 percent, the CBN captures the dollars earnings. The more it captures the greater its own reserve, then you must wonder how can CBN be boasting of reserve meanwhile we are going outside to borrow money at 70 per cent yet, CBN has $40 billion reserves that is lying idle.

So, whenever we have high crude oil prices, CBN reserve and it will issue more naira. So, we now have a situation where we have to pray to God that the price of crude oil does not rise, or that we must not receive more dollars into the economy, because the more dollars we receive, the poorer we become, because of the weaker position of our exchange rate and all the trends that goes with it.

I am putting it before you that if

ronment right and you need to get the appropriate infrastructure that supports business growth.

On the side of government there is a lot of misplacement of priorities in governance, it is like we are day-dreaming and people begin to ask us what are we dreaming?

Are we been sincere to ourselves?

Then we have the problem of corruption, then a lot of official compromises, the abuse of rule of law and those processes of how things should be done, it is very important that we look at that.

We also have the problem of resource control and I learnt this from some Dutch men when they came to Nigeria. They said some countries that are so rich in resources tend to be prodigal. We believe that God has so blessed us and as such we can never be poor, so whatever we do with our resources, it will continue to flow. That is the major problem we have and the orientation of ‘God has so blessed us’ needs to be returned.

We also have the problem of how to manage the local market.

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The former Governor of Central Bank, Lamido Sanusi said so a few months ago that he has been giving government money at zero per cent interest rate to the banks and goes back to borrow the money backs at 13 to 14 per cent.” He can conveniently tell us this because he assumes that we are foolish So, am not making up stories, it took me 12 years to be saying this before the CBN admitted that this is what they have been doing and nobody including PENGASSN could challenge them and ask for how long would you continue with this mess? How much does it cost us every year to be paying for interest on money we do not need, how come you are prepared to outbid the real sector from the credit market?

Let me not take more time but I have injected into your consciences that once you offer dol-

lar certificate in place of created naira by CBN, what you would have is a ripple effect in such a way that the issue of refinery expansion would be meaningless because it will become a field , people don’t have to legislate it.

Boyo: If our refineries are working optimally, we cannot produce and sell below the market price because once you do that and that is what we are doing at the moment. What we are doing at the moment is that we are selling petrol at half the price it should be consequently, there is great attraction of people coming all over the borders of our countries to steal our oil.

If you have a situation where a liter is equal to one dollar and one dollar is equal to N80 then you suddenly find that the price is too expensive. It means that for them to come and smuggle, they have to pay one dollar per liter, they will not come, you will kill the smuggling business immediately! It is the exchange rate!

•Mr. Ladi Cole

•Mr. Babatunde Oke

Smuggling business Moderator: Let me turn to PENGASSAN which has opposed the ideas of selling the refineries. Sir, will the selling of the refineries solve the problem of our refining capacity and all the intrigues that goes with it?

Olowoshile: You will permit me to be very discretional and analytical and how I can bench mark my own experience with some international exposures.

If we go back to the basis, we will ask why has these challenges come about? First, we Nigerians believe that we are blessed with so much resources but government collects them without giving anything back to the citizen.

The other aspect has to do with

•Mr. Ken Ogaziechi the perspective of a typical business man, a private capitalist, an investor. He believes that if he has to invest his money, it must be profitable and he must be able to have a return of investment for his money, so profitability is key.

In terms of government, do we really have the enabling environment, from the policy down to the institution and the infrastructure because it is the basic thing you will find all over the world. You need to get your policy framework right, you need to get the envi-

•Mr. Henry Boyo Somehow there is this effort on the side of government to encourage people to build refineries in Nigeria but the key questions we need to ask is how do we manage appropriate margin? How do we guarantee the off-take? How do we also guarantee policies that would ensure the environment is sustained so they will continue to maintain the same structure and there would not be undue government interference and all that?

To be continued

V anguard anguard,, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21 , 2014 — 43

Thinking Beyond Boko Haram

To save Nigeria, let's talk

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icy-making to be executed by civil servants. f) •polity that will see professionalism emerge without the distraction of politics which has become a lucrative business because of the opportunity of invading the national, state and local government treasuries, which the present arrangements encourage. g) •More than half of the money spent on sustaining the present arrangement would be available for development.

Part seven: Conclusion: This proposal is for discussion. Someone has to start the talking because the real issues are being evaded or avoided. When the United States started its journey on the Democracy Highway, it encountered problems, and still does. These were tabled and discussed. The literature popularly referred to today as the Federalist Papers was a summary of the argument put forward by those who believed in a Federal structure for America.

The Federalist papers were written between 1787 and 1788 in several New York newspapers to persuade New York voters to ratify the federal constitution that had been proposed for the country. These papers numbered 85 and they outlined how the new government would operate and why the Federal choice would advance the cause of America more than the confederal system that others wanted.

The epilogue: This little publication is my birthday gift to Nigeria, to a country I see as a world power within the next 25 years. It is about the only federation packaged in the first quarter of the 20th century still standing. All others have collapsed.

The reason it is still standing is that the communities comprising it were there relating one to the other for centuries before

E would have the status of a per manent secretary in the public service. The local level of government should be the affair of the Regional Government.

It means that all the 774 local government councils would be inherited by the Region into which they fall.

The Region can increase the number or reduce it as it deems fit. All elected people at all levels except the head of government business and the cabinet should work part-time and earn sitting allowances. This happened in the First Republic and it is doubtful that the current full-time law makers did more work than those who served us before the military came in 1966.

Part five: How to effect the changes: The changes can be effected constitutionally if we have the political will to do so.

The most credible forum is the Council of State provided for under section 153 (1) (b) of the Constitution. Its composition and powers can be found in Part 1 to the Third Schedule of the constitution. It is constituted by the following persons.

Th e Vice-President, Deputy Chairman; all former Presidents of the federation and all former Heads of the Government of the Federation; all former Chief Justices of Nigeria; the President of the Senate; the Speaker of the house of Representatives; all the Governors of the States of the Federation; and the Attorney-General of the Federation; The Council has power to discuss any matter referred to it by the President.

The president should table before the Council of State the problem sustaining the present strucA restructuring that would slim down the ture which the military imposed. He system of government and lead to more should tell the accountability should be presented for Council the cost of running the gov- discussion ernment and show that we cannot grow the packaging which started in 1849 reor develop at the rate we are going. A sulted in the walking together at amalrestructuring that would slim down the gamation in 1914. And in 2014, we were system of government and lead to more 100 years old in the integrated space withaccountability should be presented for dis- out integrating the people. cussion.

But there is more than a physical dimenIf the Council agrees that we should sion to Nigeria as a physical entity. Its make sacrifices for growth, the Attorney- people have a spiritual role to help grow General and his colleagues in the Feder- the earth through imbibing and infusing ation will prepare necessary documents recognitions downloaded from above. See that will reflect changes needed. They will why Nigeria as a physical entity won’t be sent to the law-makers through the ap- collapse! To those who look only sideways, propriate channels in the Council of State rummaging the horizontal dimension of – the President of the Senate and the living and forgetting the vertical, the above Speaker of the House for passing into law from where they came, there is a pointer by the National Assembly without debate, for them – look upwards for solutions to and the Governors of states for the Hous- problems or perish. es of Assembly for endorsement. Section When as Minister of Information (19869 of the Constitution settles the procedure 1990) I wrote letters to my countrymen and for doing this. asserted that Nigeria did not only have a Part six: Gains from the changes: If the future but also a mission, some doubted political arm of government is restructured, my sanity. Now I know what that mission we would have a •Federal Government is. All 170 millions of us are not here by with more time to plan for a powerful coun- accident. All of us, as individuals, have a try. b)•Central Government that would be role to play in the growth of the environmore efficient and less corrupt. c) •Re- ment which we were born into or in which gional Government that would be a buff- we live. But there is more to us who live er between the State and the Centre, and in Nigeria. Look around and see if I am that would be more handy to settle prob- wrong to claim that there is an anointing lems of the Region and plan the develop- here to access. I have, as they say, paid ment and growth of the Region. d) •State my dues, have never asked to be honoured Government that would be more efficient or celebrated. I enjoy celebrating others. in the management of resources, and And that I do here toasting the success of more accountable and less corrupt. e)• a Nigeria that will grow the earth. I want local government arrangement that would to be remembered as one who helped to be more efficient because experienced sustain the dream that Nigeria has a fupeople who have retired from service can ture and a mission. Be part of the fulfillbe called upon to help out with local pol- ment.

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BY BOLAJI ABDULLAHI

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HE tragic snatching of the Chibok school girls appears to be the tipping point in Nigeria’s battle with Boko Haram. What started as a river of national rage has grown into one massive ocean of international outrage, escalating Boko Haram overnight from Challenge a band of local insurgents terrorising of poverty Nigeria to a truly global menace.

I have a strong feeling that the days But in the context of this challenge, of Boko Haram can now be counted. education clearly holds the key to the However, as we work hard and pray twin and possibly symbiotic challenge even harder for the girls’safe return of poverty and religious home, I believe now is the time for us fundamentalism in the north. And this to also start thinking beyond Boko is no longer about just getting every Haram. child in school or multiplying admission We have to start now to put together places. a comprehensive development plan Anyone who is even casually familiar and a robust social reform package that with the tragic failure of our education, would ensure that never again would where children completing 10 years of any part of Nigeria serve as an schooling cannot read, would ideological breeding ground for understand why it was so easy for terrorist activities of any form. Some Mohammed Yusuf, the late leader of years ago, an American organisation Boko Haram, to convince was reported to have said that Nigeria impressionable youths to leave school could be a failed state in no distant and join his ‘jihadist’ train. We have future. an urgent need to ‘rephilosophise’ our Characteristically, we all rose in entire education system. We need to ask patriotic indignation. But if the and answer a most important question: Americans had spoken with us with an what should be the purpose of accent back then, now Boko Haram has education in the Nigeria of 21st spoken with us in a very clear century? But this is for another day. language. There are two very important The immediate challenge in the context lessons here. One is that Nigeria is of this discussion is the need for us to not immune to any affliction that has recognise Islamic or Islamiyya visited other countries. What used to education as another formal system of be distant tales of Now that the rest of the world is terror only a few years ago has willing to assist us in combating become our lived terrorism, we must include a reality. Two is that if it could happen purposely targeted development now, then it can intervention as part of the package happen again.

Therefore, even as the rest of the world education into which millions of our joins us in terminating this terrible children are funnelled. All across affliction, we must start now to address northern cities and villages, we have some fundamental issues that Madrassas or schools where children contributed, albeit remotely, in bringing spend years learning Islamic religious us to this mortal season. disciplines. Historically, these kinds of Successive generations of Northern schools were a means of progressing political elite have been blamed for the to other variety of disciplines, which mind-boggling backwardness that formed the basis of the Islamic makes the region the sick man of civilisation that produced great Nigeria. In the arid North, poverty and scientists and mathematicians with disease are conspicuously worn by the strong ethical foundation and from majority like some kind of tribal marks, which Western civilisation benefited making one to wonder if development immensely. was ever part of the political agenda Over the years, however, these here. We all know this, but we have schools have degenerated into centres continued to pretend that it is a for mere rote learning of the Qur’an Northern problem. Now that the and some fixed and limited aspects of chicken has come home to roost, no one religious doctrines. Millions of is spared the tragedy.

Nigerian children passing through A special development programme these schools are not prepared to that targets the North would, therefore, partake of the boundless opportunities not be an act of charity, but enlightened that the modern world presents. self interest. If we do not give people *Abdullahi is a former Minister of something to live for, someone would Sports/Chairman National Sports always give them something to die for. Commission and former Minister of Now that the rest of the world is willing Youth Development.

To be concluded to assist us in combating terrorism, we

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This is the second and concluding instalment of this presentation which was first published in yesterday's edition of Vanguard.

must include a purposely targeted development intervention as part of the package. Israelis have shown the world that the desert needs not be a wasteland. With their assistance, we can bring hundreds of thousands of hectares under irrigation farming and turn the desert of Borno and Yobe to one massive agricultural zone with the Lake Chad as natural asset.

Guaranteed high quality food production would eventually attract the agro-allied industry and create further employment. On the back of this would be built critical infrastructure, health facilities and education. What we need is a robust plan that is clearly benchmarked to give hope to the people.

The recently concluded World Economic Forum for Africa concluded that education must be at the heart of Africa’s growth strategy. Many other commentators have argued along similar lines.

,

,

44—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014

Faction accuses Emerhor, Erue, Akamukali of distabilising APC in Delta

DSS parades 5 robbery suspects in A'Ibom

BY FESTUS AHON

U

GHELLI—THE Chief Adolo Okotie-Eboh led faction of All Progressives Congress, APC, in Delta State has accused Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, Chairman of APC Harmonisation Committee in the state, Prophet Jones Erue, Mr. Olisa Akamukali and other members of the Delta Progressives Change Forum, DPCF, of being used by some forces in the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, to destabilise the party.

The state Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Alex Eyengho, told newsmen yesterday that “it is absolutely absurd for members of DPCF to describe Olorogun O’tega as the de facto APC leader in Delta State.

“The only credible state congress held in Delta State was the one that produced Chief Okotie-Eboh as chairman and 35 other persons as officers occupying various offices in the Delta State executive committee of APC. “It is laughable to read in the newspapers that one Prophet Erue was elected as chairman of APC in Delta State.

“It was even more ludicrous that the so-called DPCF claimed to have won 21 local government chairmanship positions out of the 25 councils in the state.

“I am aware that some people rendezvoused at a Church premises in Asaba, only to come out with a propaganda that religious gathering was akin to the Delta State congress of

BY CHIOMA ONUEGBU

U

YO—FIVE members of a six-man robbery gang, alleged to have been dispossessing citizens of their belongings have been arrested by the Department of State Services, DSS, in Akwa Ibom State.

Parading the suspects before newsmen at the DSS Command headquarters in Uyo, the State Director, Mr. Toma Minti, said the syndicate’s cases of attacks and daring nature of operation prompted an independent investigation and a manhunt for them.

Minti explained that investigation by officers and men of his command linked many recent robbery incidents to the gang, adding that the breakthrough came on May 14, following the arrest of and confessional statements of one of the members identified as Israel.

He said: “The most recent of their exploits were the attack on the residences of one Iniobong Otong of Obong Street, off IBB Way Uyo on April 27, and Itina Aniedi of niekong Udo Street, Off Edet Akpan Avenue, Uyo. “On May 6, the group struck at the office of one Soni Udom and Partners located at Umo Essien Street, Off Obio Imo Street Uyo, belonging to Soni Udom campaign manager of Umana Umana, a gubernatorial aspirant.”

APC. “Well, the only such congress I am aware of was the one held by stakeholders in Asaba, which produced Okotie-Eboh as chairman.

“I am talking about core stakeholders from the original legacy parties (ACN, CPC and ANPP) that merged to form the APC. “I am not talking about a

splinter group from the Democratic Peoples Party, DPP or some PDP agents in APC, which is what O’tega, Akamukali, Erue and other members of DPCF represent.”

Erue reacts

Reacting, however, Erue said the accusation was laughable, describing same

... as Edo APC leaders restates support for Oshiomhole L EADERS of Owan West chapter of the All Progressive Congress, APC, yesterday, denied recent media reports of an alleged ultimatum issued to Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State arising from disagreements during the local government congress, just as they affirmed their support for the governor and the party leadership.

A statement by the chapter's leader, Chief Shagari Oni, said: “Following the meeting of the leaders and members of APC, Owan West council on May 18 at Eguaoje Plaza, Uzebba, we condemn in its entirety, recent media publications distorting and introducing untrue statements that were never uttered at the Eruere rally.

“We wish to state that at no time did we give the governor or the party an ultimatum, neither did we refer to the furniture supplied to Edo State Government as substandard.

We reaffirm our full support for Governor Oshiomhole's government and leadership.

“We remain steadfast, committed and loyal party members and have no

intention whatsoever of leaving the party.

“We remain committed to the hamonisation agreed by the leadership of the party and the governor at the meeting of April 14.

“The congress of April 25 was for the purposes of affirmation of the sole candidates as presented by the people of Iuleha in line with the directive of the

mediating leaders of Edo North, which decision was mutually agreed to by the contending parties at the meeting on May 24.

“We remain committed to the decision of the Senatorial leaders, the outcome of the May 25 congress and the right of the Iuleha people to present a candidate of their choice for the chairmanship of the party in Owan West.”

Court restrains Army from invading Uvwie community

A

Delta State High Court sitting in Effurun, has restrained the Nigerian Army from further invasion, evacuation or demolition of Ohore 1, Uvwie Community in Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State.

Trial judge, Justice P. Kuejubola, restrained the Army from invading the community, following argument by counsel to Ohorie 1 community, Chief Victor Otomiewo, which was not opposed by counsel to the defendants.

The plaintiffs in the suit are

Godwin Imiruaye, Lucky Utebu and Chief Julius Oghojamini, while defendants are Lt Col Ifeanyi Otu, (Commanding Officer 3rd Battalion, Nigerian Army, Effurun Barracks),Captain Mohammed Abdullahi (Operation Officer 3rd Battalion Nigerian Army Effurun Barracks), the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Delta State, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the Chief of Army Staff, the Chief of Naval Staff and the Chief of Defence Staff.

By Bartholomew Madukwe

PEOPLE SPEAK

08102479985

as incorrect and untrue.

He insisted that there was no faction in Delta APC, saying, “these persons will soon tell us who their sponsors are.

“These persons are not just moles, but unintelligent ones for that matter. Some of the persons they listed as part of their executive are already heading to court.”

(nwamad@yahoo.com)

Should the President visit Chibok?

J

ONATHAN should have visited on the very first day the kidnapping occurred. He has failed even himself.

I am wondering if France is now the new Chibok. Let the Almighty Creator show His power for the girls.— Mrs Elizabeth Georgewill, Unemployed.

W

HO is fooling who?

This is all politics.

May God save us Nigerians. Boko Haram must be exterminated from our generation.

President Jonathan, it is up to you to finish all their sponsors. They are all there in northern Nigeria.— Mr. John Divine, Worker.

A

word of wisdom is sufficient for the wise. The infiltration of the military by Boko Haram and more especially into the security details, should alert the President to cancel his visit to the states under emergency rule.— Mr. Dennis Okuchaba, Strategic Planner.

W

E should be more concerned with his efforts to rescue the girls and bring lasting peace to the North. Remember the days of late General Ironsi? You cannot tell what these power mongers can do to reclaim the Presidency.— Mr. Jonathan Mgbeadichie, Pensioner.

P

ARENTS of the abducted girls lined up to receive President Jonathan on his sympathy visit. They ended up frustrated. If your child is abducted, I do not think you will wait on the roadside to receive or wave at the President.— Mr. Emmanuel Iyoke, Businessman.

T

HE best way to silence perceived opposition is to give little or no room for failure.

The opposition can only amplify existing loopholes. Unfortunately, the lapses left behind for the incumbent have given the opposition more than enough to feast on.— Ms. Dike Chidinma, Student.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014 — 45

Fitters association blames quackery on govt

FG approves dredging of Nigerian ports

U

BY IFEINWA OBI

T

HE Federal Government had approved the dredging of ports channels in Lagos, Bonny, Calabar to facilitate calls by bigger vessels.

The Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, Mallam Habib Abdullahi, disclosed this during the inaugural call of one of Maersk Line’s West Africa Maximum, WAFMAX, vessels to Onne Port Complex in Rivers State.

Abdullahi assured that the NPA will sustain the dredging of all Nigerian ports channels to facilitate calls to these facilities by more vessels with bigger draughts The NPA boss explained that the big ship has capacity for 4,500 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs), adding that her Onne call was part of Federal Government's plans to decongest Lagos ports.

“The NPA management has been on this project since 2007 to decongest Lagos ports and reduce the level of transferring containers to the Eastern part of the country,” he said.

Onne Port, according to him, has in recent times been experiencing relative competition, attracting many investors in the Nigerian maritime sector.

Also speaking, the Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar, who assured that henceforth, the port will receive ships from Europe and Asia, noted that this would position Nigeria right in becoming the transport and economic hub of the West Africa and Central Africa subregions.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transport, Mr. Nebolisa Emodi, the minister said that the large shipment of goods to the port will reduce the cost of importation and goods.

Umar stated: “The Bonny Channel dug 12 metres deep will enable international ships with the capacity to carry 4, 500 containers anchor at the Onne Port, thereby boosting economic activities in the area."

C M Y K

ICSAN AGM: From left: Dr. Nat Ofo, Vice President; Dr. Abdu Suleyman Ndanusa, President/Chairman of Council and Mr. Dele Togunde, Registrar/CEO at the meetingthe 40th Annual gMeneral Meeting of Institute of Chartered Secretries And Administrators of Nigeria, at the Institute's secretariat in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Biodun Ogunleye.

Boko Haram insurgency, plot to divide Nigeria —Omo-Agege

BY FESTUS AHON

U

GHELLI—FORMER Secretary to the Delta State Government, Obarisi Ovie Omo-Agege, has said that the ongoing Boko Haram insurgency was not a mere distraction, but part of a plot to divide Nigeria along religious lines and bring the government of President Goodluck Jonathan down and abort his transformation agenda in order to retain the many ills bedeviling the nation.

In his paper at the annual Major Isaac Adaka Boro memorial public lecture and awards in Ughelli, Delta State, Omo-Agege said that the single goal of the Boko Haram sect was to bring the government of President Jonathan down even if it means taking Nigeria down in the process.

He urged Nigerians across the world to join hands with Jonathan to transform the country and create a future worthy of the visions and dreams of the country's founding fathers.

He said: “If we let them succeed, we will be setting a dangerous precedent that all it takes

is a few unwise and reckless feudalists to conspire and finance terrorists to chase an elected president out of office, hiding behind the facade of religion.

“We must all, therefore, stand up and protect the democratic process and send a strong message that no amount of manmade carnage will make us abandon our president. By standing up and partnering President Jonathan, we will be telling the anarchists in our midst that our minds are transformed to the extent that they can no longer use religion, ethnicity, language or other primordial entanglements to divide us. If we let them succeed, the great promise of Nigeria will die and the blame will be on all of us for not recognising that when we stand together behind our government, we will defeat any evil aimed at our nation including Boko Haram.

“My dear compatriots, one thing is certain, if Isaac AdakaBoro were alive today, his heart would be as heavy as ours because more than 200 of our precious daughters abducted by ter-

rorists have not yet returned home to their parents. I have three daughters. If you do not have a daughter, it will be impossible to understand the indescribable pain of the parents of these abducted girls especially with all the commentaries and opinions in all kinds of media that talk of the girls being sold as slaves, married off to the terrorists, turned into sex slaves and forced to renounce their religion.

“These girls and their parents had dreams of what they want to be as part of the human community. Under the present circumstances, it is next to impossible for these girls and their parents to hold on to any of these dreams not knowing if they will ever see each other again.

"President Jonathan has said that the unprecedented international support will lead to the decisive crushing of Boko Haram. I thank the international community for standing shoulder to shoulder with Nigeria at this very difficult time.”

Boko Haram: Attack on Jonathan diversionary —Ex-Bayelsa Security Adviser

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

Y

ENAGOA—A FORMER Security Adviser to the Bayelsa State Government, Chief Richard Kpodo, has described as diversionary and unpatriotic, the call by the opposition on President Goodluck Jonathan to resign on account of the raging Boko Haram insurgency and the abduction of over 200 students of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok,

Borno State.

Kpodo, in a statement in Yenagoa, yesterday said Northern leaders should be held responsible for the escalating Boko Haram insurgency as past crises of Odua People’s Congress, OPC, in the South-West, the Bakassi boys insurgency in the South-East and the armed militancy in the South-South regions were solved by the indigenes of the areas.

Kpodo, who served under Dr. Goodluck Jonathan's adminis-

tration as Senior Special Assistant on Strategy and Policy Monitoring and Interim Chairman to the defunct New Peoples Democratic Party, nPDP, in Bayelsa State, said though the security advisers to President Jonathan may have made mistakes in the initial handling of the Boko Haram insurgency, the issue of rising blame against Jonathan was a deliberate attempt by the Northern leaders to shift blame over their unpatriotic posture against the country.

GHELLI—PRESIDENT of Nigeria National Fitters Association, Mr. Ambaiowei Ambaiowei, has blamed the infiltration of quacks into the profession on government's non-recognition of the association.

Addressing newsmen during his visit to the Delta State chapter of the association, Ambaiowei noted that members had been involved in projects in the oil and gas industry in the country, adding that “government has not actually given us recognition although we have contributed immensely to the growth of the Nigerian economy.

“The association has existed for over 30 years and we have made government realise that we can do better than the foreigners they import to do these jobs. Most of these jobs are done by foreigners, but with our struggle in the Local Content Act, these things have been drastically reduced," he said.

Nigerian Breweries extends deadline for Golden Pen Award entry

N

IGERIAN Breweries Plc has extended the closing date for the submission of entries for the 6th Nigerian Breweries Golden Pen Award. The submission of entries which will now close on May 31, became necessary following appeals from some media stakeholders to give opportunity for more deserving journalists to enter for the awards.

The company had earlier announced an expansion of the annual award to draw attention to critical sectors of the Nigerian economy. The 2014 award will focus on education and youth empowerment and will reward journalists with outstanding published reports in those subject areas.

46— Vanguard , WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014

Okorocha tasks Orsu LG chairman on devt BYANOZIE EGOLE

O

W E R R I — GOVERNOR Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has charged the new caretaker committee chairman of Orsu local government council, Mr. Peter Clinton, to take developments to the people of his area.

The governor gave the charge while swearing in the chairman in the state capital, Owerri.

Speaking at the event, Clinton promised a transparent government, pledging financial accountability in the local government.

His words: “I promise to ensure that everybody is carried along in this administration. I will also ensure that all the communities that made up this local government feel the effect of this administration positively. ‘’We are really very happy for this new development.

This really showed that the government has the youth at heart by appointing a youth to head the local government. We pledge our support to this administration.”

CRC remembers Baba Aladura, 10 years after

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

C

HRISTIAN Assembly of the Christ Redemption Church, Somolu, Lagos, has celebrated the tenth anniversary of the passing-on of the founder, Baba Aladura John Aiyebiewu Jemilugba, amidst fanfare.

For 45 years, Jemilugba oversaw the affairs of the church he founded on Sunday, January 11, 1959.

His son and General Overseer of the Church, Mathew Jemilugba, in an interview with journalists, said: “I grew up under the direct influence of my father who, in all aspects of life, was a disciplinarian.

“That influence rubbed off immensely on me and shaped my life, obviously preparing me for the role he was to play in the affairs of the Church in later years.”

Oko people petition Jonathan over rector's activities T

HE people of Oko in Orumba North local government area of Anambra State have petitioned President Goodluck Jonathan over the activities of the rector of Federal Polytechnic, Oko, which they feared could cause breakdown of law and order and plunge the community into chaos.

They also appealed to Anambra State government to set up a judicial commission of inquiry, headed by a High Court judge, to unravel the truth about what was happening in their community, which culminated in the large-scale damage of the palace of the Igwe, Prof. Laz Ekwueme, by thugs allegedly hired by the rector.

Acting under the platform of Oko Peoples Union, OPU, the people, in the petition dated May 6, 2014, and signed by its President, Mr. Ike Nwammuo, alleged that renegades engaged by the rector and protected by the police, had continued to harass and oppress them without let or hindrance, adding that fighting back would have led to monumental crisis that could threaten the peace of the state.

The petition to Anambra State governor, Dr. Willie Obiano, was signed by OPU President, Ike Nwammuo, and the Igwe of the community, Prof. Laz Ekwueme.

The petition read further: “That the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar and Anambra State Police Command carry out their constitutionallyassigned duties and responsibilities by effecting the immediate arrest and prosecution of those involved in the attempted murder of the Igwe, Prof. Laz Ekwueme and his wife and consequent arson and destruction of properties at Oko and Amaokpala communities.

“The perpetrators of this crime are still moving, still armed and

AWARD; Director General, Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, Mr Oscar Onyema (left) presenting the Top 25 CEO award to Finance Director, Fidson Healthcare Plc, Mr Olatunde Olanipekun representing Managing Director, Fidson Healthcare Plc, Dr Fidelis Ayebae at the BusinessDay Top 25 CEO Awards ceremony in Lagos. dangerous. We urge Mr. President to caution the Inspector General of Police and the police hierarchy to avoid taking sides in any crisis such as the one that had been contrived in Oko, no matter who is involved.

“The police should focus on its constitutionally-assigned responsibility without fear or favour. We also invite Mr. President to direct the Supervising Minister of Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike, to put in motion the process of constituting the Council of Federal Polytechnic, Oko. “The single-handed constitution of the present council

by Mr. Emeka Offor, with his uncle, Mr. Odukwe, as chairman,

is scandalous, lacks merit and, therefore, unacceptable. We invite the Supervising Minister of Education to also put in motion the process for the appointment of a new rector for Federal Polytechnic, Oko. “The tenure of Prof. Onu as rector expired on March 4, 2014.

The community has already articulated its opposition to his return bid, and has indicated to the Minister that Prof. Onu is not qualified to contest as his second term is wholly rejected by all stakeholders.

“Certainly, government gains nothing foisting a rector on an environment where he had lost all credibility and acceptability.

We request Your Excellency to

direct Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar to offer an unreserved apology to Oko for the denigration of the person and office of the traditional ruler of Oko town, Prof. Laz Ekwueme through the unguarded utterances at Anambra State security summit.

“In order to forestall further breakdown of law and order and to get the root causes of the crisis, devoid of media obfuscation, we humbly demand for a judicial commission of inquiry, headed by a High Court judge, serving or retired, with men and women of integrity from the clergy and traditional institution as member, to unravel the whole truth about what is happening at Oko.”

Speak out against bad leaders, Ekweremadu charges clergymen BYTONYEDIKE

E

NUGU—DEPUTY Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, has called on clergymen to always speak out to ensure that government was held accountable to the people.

Ekweremadu argued that government could not be at its best when everyone was singing its praises, adding that when people learn to speak out, especially the clergy, government would be on its toes.

In his words: “People like you should always speak out to ensure that government is held accountable. Government cannot perform maximally when everybody is singing praises.”

Senator Ekweremadu spoke when he visited the Bishop of

Nsukka Diocese, Anglican Communion, Right Reverend Aloysius Agbo, who celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Anglican Diocese of Nsukka.

Ekweremadu used the

opportunity to thank the clergy in Nigeria for their prayers and assured them that those of them in government would do everything to ensure that the clergy was proud of them.

Responding, Bishop Agbo praised Ekweremadu for the quality representation he was offering the people, especially the scholarships to indigent students and the adult literacy programme.

Imo Chief Judge tackles Okorocha over neglect of judiciary

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

O

WERRI—GOVERNOR Rochas Okorocha of Imo State got what he never bargained for yesterday, as the State Chief Judge, Justice Benjamin Njemanze, accused him of completely neglecting the judiciary in the past three years of his administration.

Njemanze made the accusation yesterday when serving judges received the

governor in the Conference Room of the State High Court, Owerri.

“We have carefully listened to the chronicle of your achievements as you recounted them. It is, however, sad that not a mention was made about the judiciary in your list of achievements. The truth is that you carefully and completely neglected the judiciary,” Njemanze told Okorocha.

Th Chief Judge recalled that it

was the swearing-in exercise that gave him the authority to operate as governor of the state, not minding that the exercise was carried out on a Sunday.

“The Constitution would have been breached if your swearingin was deferred till he next day.

Let me also remind you that you were sworn in on Sunday, May 29, 2011, because there was no injunction restraining me from carrying out the function,” the Chief Judge told Okorocha.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014—47

CONDOLENCE: Senator representing Lagos West Senatorial district, Senator Ganiu Olanrewaju Solomon (right), with wife of late former governor of Lagos State, Michael Otedola, Adedoja Otedola (middle), and Chief Mrs. Banke Orija, dur- RALLY: Ekiti State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Social Development and Gender Eming Senator Solomon's condolence visit to the family, in Epe, powerment, Mrs. Fola Richie-Adewusi; State All Progressives Congress, APC, Women Leader, Chief Funke Owoseni; wife of the Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi; Commissioner in the Civil Lagos.

Service Commission, Chief Kemi Olaleye, and Special Adviser to the Governor on Millennium Development Goals, Mrs. Bunmi Dipo-Salami, during the commencement of APC Women Rally for the re-election of Governor Kayode Fayemi, led by the First Lady, at Iye-Ekiti.

INDUCTION: From left, Dr. Kayode Ogungbuyi (FITD), President, Nigeria Institute of Training and development, NITAD; Mr. Ola Azeez (FITD), Chairman, membership committee, NITD, presenting certificate to an inductee, at the 13th induction ceremony of NITAD, in Lagos.

BRIEFING: From left, Kokonma Eko, Secretary, Great Africa Network for Women, Germany; Pastor Kate Imasuen, Founder, and Tolu Ajayi, Accounts Executive NextMedia Limited, Lagos, at press briefing for the release of the abducted Government Girls College, Chibok, Borno State, students. Photo: Diran Oshe

CONFERENCE: From left, Dr. Irene Isibor, representing World Health Organisation, WHO; Dr. Yewande Adesina, Special Adviser to Governor Fashola on Public Health, and Dr. Modele Osunkiyesi, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, during press conference on 1st Round of Maternal Newborn and Child Health, MNCH, week celebration, in Lagos State, in Alausa,Ikeja. Photo: Bunmi Azeez

VISIT: From left, Mr. Victor Omoregie, Corporate Affairs Manager, Vanguard Newspapers; Mr. Cyprian Nwamuo, President Oko Progressive Union, OPU; Mr. Eze Anaba, Deputy Editor Vanguard Newspapers, and Mr. Leonard Okonkwo-Okom, Legal Adviser to OPU, during OPU's courtesy visit to Vanguard Newspapers, on Oko Polytechinc crisis, at Vanguard premises, Apapa, Lagos. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi

INTRODUCTION: From left, Mr. Tolulope Lawani, Marketing Lead, Printing and Personal Systems Group West Africa, Hewlett PacKard; Mrs. Olufunke Oduntan, Executive Director, Systems Ltd; Mr. Fabrice Campoy, General Manager, Africa, Printing and Personal Systems Group, HP; Mr. Lancelot Imasuen, Filmmaker, and Mr. Antonie Jimenez, Technical Consultant, Computing, West, East and Southern Africa, HP, during the introduction of HP's workstation into the Nigerian Market, in Lagos.

C M Y K

CONFERENCE: From left, Mr. Inam Wilson, Lt Governor, Marketing, District 94; Mr. Akindele Semowo, Chairman, Organising Committee; Mrs. Remi Abere, Past President, Eagle Club; Mr. Ademola Adewumi, President, Lighthouse Toastmaster, and Mr. Paul Uduk, Past President, Eagle Club, at a conference, in Lagos, to announce the visit of the Toastmaster International President George Yen to Nigeria on May 23. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele

CONFERENCE: From left (seated): Mrs. Maureen Iyasele, CEO, Jobmag; Mrs. Henrietta Agboola, CEO, House of Henri; Mrs. Mosunmola Umoru, CEO, Farm Shop; Standing (from left): Abiola Salami, Olatunde Samson, CEO, Business Impacts Ltd; Abiodun Odunuga, Project Manager, iBreathe; Leke Aladekoba, Pastor Akin Akinpelu, Convener; Oludare Akinlaja, Co-Founder, NovoHub; Bankole Williams, Snr. Partner, EdgeEcution Consulting; Pastor Florish, and Kunle Jinadu,CEO, Asoebi.com, at the just concluded Upgrade Conference, in Lagos.

48—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014

Jigawa NASS members back Lamido’s presidential ambition

APC to conduct re-run elections in 8 Kaduna LGAs

BY ALIYU DANGIDA

J

OS — THE All Progressives Congress, APC, in Kaduna State will conduct re-run elections in eight local governments where ward congresses were inconclusive, its Organising Secretary, Chief Joshua Ephraim, said in Jos, yesterday.

Ephraim told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, that the local governments included Kaduna North, Kaduna South, Zaria, Sabon-Gari, Soba, Igabi, Ikara and Kudan.

“The crises were generally in the north and central senatorial zones; the ward congresses were very smooth in the southern zone and we shall soon resolve the issues and conduct acceptable elections,” he said.

According to him, consensus officials emerged in Kaduna North and Kaduna South, but had to be discarded after legislators representing the areas rejected the arrangements.

He said the issues in Kudan were particularly dicey as they centred around two key leaders who could not agree on the officials to form the ward structures.

“But generally, we all agree that we do not have much time, because we have to quickly get the structures at the wards that would form the electoral college to elect officials at the local government levels,” he explained.

Ephraim, however, said the problems in the APC were “normal teething issues usually associated with every beginning."

D

From left: Acting Managing Director, NIGOMSAT, Ms Abimbola Alale; Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, Ministry of Communication, Mr Oluwole Edun and Minister of Communication, Mrs Omobola Johnson, during a press briefing on the celebration of the 2014 World Telecommunication and Information Society Day, in Abuja, yesterday.

IGP orders nationwide security audit of boarding schools A

BUJA — THE InspectorGeneral of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, has ordered Commissioners of Police to immediately carry out a nationwide security audit and threat analysis of boarding schools.

A statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Frank Mba, said the measure was part of a deliberate and proactive effort to bolster security network in the schools.

The statement also said it was to ensure the safety and security of students and other stakeholders in the schools.

It said: “The outcome of this exercise will greatly assist Police authorities and other security agencies in the task of designing security strategies that will help in promoting safety and security in schools.

“It is equally expected that the result of the consultations, threat analysis and the attendant security awareness campaigns will help in reducing the vulnerability of the schools and strengthen an otherwise soft terror target.”

The IG advised the commission-

ers to collaborate with other security agencies, Ministry of Education in the various states, as well as the management and staff of the schools.

The statement urged commissioners to work with the Parents Teachers Associations (PTAs), the

Kaduna to partner retired military officers on security challenges

K

ADUNA— THE Kaduna State Government, yesterday, said it would collaborate with retired military officers to address the prevailing security challenges in the state.

Governor Mukhtar Yero said this when Retired Army, Navy and Air Force Officers Association of Nigeria, RANAO, led by its President, Maj.-Gen. Rabiu Alyu (rtd), paid him a courtesy visit in Kaduna.

He said: “All of you have served this country in providing security to the lives and property of the people and also in defending the

Association tasks African leaders on iron, steel devt

A

BUJA — SECRETARYGENERAL of the African Iron and Steel Association, AISA, Dr Muhammad Sanusi, has asked Africa leaders to encourage the development of iron and steel sectors for the industrialisation of the continent.

Sanusi spoke in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Abuja, saying no nation or continent could industrialise without the iron and steel base.

He said even the so-called developed nations had well-established iron and steel industries before becoming what they were.

“China came out from nowhere; today China is the larg-

est economy in the world. Why? This is because she had established a very serious foundation on iron and steel.

“Today, China is the largest producer of steel, the largest consumer of iron and steel.

“Also, India, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia, with their riches and oil revenue, gave priority attention to the development of iron and steel industries and they are still doing so,” Sanusi said, and urged African leaders to be serious about industrialising the continent.

The secretary said there was no Africa country that did not have large quantities of raw materials required to set up iron and steel industries.

host communities and other stakeholders so as to obtain the most reliable intelligence.

Abubakar reassured the citizens that the Force and other security agencies remain committed to protecting them and called for their continuous support.

“In almost every African country, there are one or two materials useful for the production of iron and steel.”

Sanusi said Nigeria, Algeria, Egypt, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Mali, Angola, Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Mauritania, all AISA members had iron and steel raw materials.

“Sudan is a non-member but it has some facilities. Besides, Niger Republic certainly is one of the largest producers of uranium and Nigeria has coal.

“You can see, almost every African country has one raw material or the other. Some of them have several raw materials for iron and steel production."

sovereignty of the country.

“Now that we are faced with serious security challenges, I will like to appeal to RANAO to collaborate with the state and Federal Government to address the security situation in the state.

“Every state has its own peculiarities in terms of security challenges, and since you have chapters in every state, I would like to personally extend Kaduna State’s interest in partnering with you in order to see how we can address some of the security challenges.”

The governor directed the coordinator of the state security outfit, Operation Yaki, to discuss further with the association on strategies to tackle the prevailing insecurity in the state.

Earlier, the President of the association, Maj.-Gen. Rabiu Aliyu (rtd) said members were ready to use their wealth of knowledge and experience to assist the government in tackling security challenges in the state.

Aliyu said: “Among our objectives is to provide such professional services and advice within the competence of members in an effective and efficient manner, in security management, commerce, technical field, and other areas.

“To assist charitable organisations that are set up for the promotion of welfare and recreation of the Nigerian masses and the improvement of national understanding and unity.”

UTSE — NATIONAL As sembly members from Jigawa State have thrown their weight behind Governor Sule Lamido’s presidential bid on the platform of the ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2015 general elections.

Addressing a news conference shortly after the PDP state executive council committee meeting in Dutse, the state capital, spokesman and member of the House of Representatives representing Kazaure/Gwiwa/Roni/ Yankwashi federal constituency, Bashir Adamu Jumbo said the members would support Lamido because of his progressive ideas and performance as a governor.

Jumbo said Lamido had developed Jigawa State beyond the imagination of the electorate, saying he would do more if elected president in 2015.

According to Jumbo, who is also the Chairman, House Committee on Defence, Lamido was qualified to hold any political office in the coun

Chivita emerges 2014 Africa best quality juice brand

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N recognition of its ability to deliver real time consumer experience, Chivita Premium Fruit juice, from the house of Chi Limited, has emerged Africa’s Best Quality Juice Brand at the 2014 Africa Quality Achievement Award.

The award initiated by the Africa Quality Institute (AQI) in collaboration with IBMN Integrated Services, the Africa Quality Achievement Award is organised with the support of South Africa Quality Institute (SAQI) and the Chartered Quality Institute (UK).

Chivita Premium Fruit juice with 100 per cent fruit juice content was adjudged the winner as a result of its consistency in the market, creativity and value as well as the packaging of the juice that allows for the best delivery.

Speaking after receiving the award in Lagos, Managing Director of the company, Mr. Roy Deepanjan, said the award did not come to him as a surprise, noting: “We are happy to receive this accolade for Chivita Premium from Africa Quality Institute (AQI)as it validates our core values as a responsible and ethical organization.”

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014—49

50 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014—51

52 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014—53

CHIBOK GIRLS ABDUCTION:

houses and markets were destroyed, public institutions like the school, council secretariat, the residence of the council chairman and some few shops were destroyed in Chibok. ”Communities did not suffer material losses. But then, from our immediate thoughts when the attack took place and also based on our recent discoveries, most of the parents of these abducted girls have nothing to eat, they are so traumatized that they have abandoned their sources of livelihood. No true mother would easily concentrate on any line of business when her daughter is in the hands of violent abductors.

The same for most fathers.

Our pains, our agonies, by Gov Shettima •Votes N150m for rehabilitation of girls and parents

BY NDAHI MARAMA

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AIDUGURI—BORNO State Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, yesterday, said that the doubt in certain quarters on whether or not the Chibok school girls were actually abducted by Boko Haram insurgents and the theory that the kidnap was staged managed by his government was as painful as the actual abduction.

Shettima also described as a sad tale, the fact that Nigeria pays more emphasis on politics than finding solutions to the nation’s numerous problems.He was responding to the address by the Chairman of the Presidential Fact Finding Committee on the Abduction of Chibok School Girls, Brig, Gen. Ibrahim Sabo (rtd.)

He said, “Borno has seen evil times. Our people have suffered.

At times, when I lament this carnage in the midst of some associates, they remind me that I did not create Boko Haram, that in fact, I inherited it in 2011 when I was sworn-in amidst near complete breakdown of security in Maiduguri, the largest and most populated part of the state.

But I normally say to them, that a leader is elected or appointed to solve problems, it does not matter

entire Western world mobilized men and resources, contributed so much funds in the search for a Malaysian airline which is believed to have crashed into the ocean. Majority in the western world suspect that the crew and passengers of that Malaysian airline are most probably dead.

Despite that, massive investment was and is still being deployed in the search for whatever can be found as remains of those in that plane and its wreckage. Now, while that is going on, here is Nigeria, there was a report that over 200 human creatures, young Nigerian girls about completing their secondary school education, were attacked in their school at night and whisked away like slaves in ancient years. ”Some Nigerians, one of them a former Minister and one time member of the Federal Executive Council which is the highest decision making body of this country, worst of all, a woman and a mother came out to cast doubt over the abduction of these schoolgirls. That woman completely disregarded the sensitivity of that issue, the pains of the agonizing parents and our pains as a government, to whom, the parents of these girls, cry out in desperation and unimaginable

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I have a girl-child; I know the psychological connection between the girl-child and parents.

One can hardly even pay the required attention in prayers due to the perpetual trauma of having one’s girl-child in dangerous hands

whether the leader created the problem or not. A leader is elected to find solution (to problems), this is governance.

There is a whole difference between politics and governance.

"In politics, you tell the general public and victims about a problem, you tell them the gravity of the problem; and with emphasis, you tell them who to blame for it. But in governance, you identify a problem and work hard to solve it.

Unfortunately for us in this interesting country, we all appear to lay more emphasis on politics than governance. The Chibok incident, for me, has grossly exposed our weighty weakness as leaders in terms of assuming our shared responsibilities. ”In the two or three months, the

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confusion and anguish.

"Every other unreasonable Nigerian that came to adopt that view, only anchored the unfortunate view that was first expressed by Mrs Kema Chikwe.

Doubt over that abduction pained me as much as the incident itself. Doubt over that abduction pained me far more than the childish theory that as government, we staged that abduction in order to create basis to stop the extension of emergency rule in Borno. ”By the way, that theory does not make the slightest sense. In relation to that theory, if a government does not want extension of emergency and chooses to fake happenings, the government should rather deny that the abduction ever took place,

Borno governor, Kashim Shettima

evil as that is, because the abduction is enough basis for the emergency extension given the fact that the incident puts a message across that there is new and big threat to students in schools hence the need for extension of emergency rule. ”Then, there was the issue of saying Chibok was not safe and we went ahead to open the school.

Majority of these students are from Chibok axis, if the school was considered unsafe, I do not think any right thinking parent would allow his or her child to study in an atmosphere of high risk. In the last three years, we have witnessed the most turbulent of times as a people. I have seen very terrible incidents as a governor.

Terrible incidents I have come across innocent citizens of Borno State killed in thousands, some slaughtered by fellow human beings who think they earn rewards from God by their brutality. ”I have witnessed high scale of destructions inflicted on us as a people in Borno by fellow human beings who again think they earn reward from God by their intentional and planned devastations. I have in the last 36 days, also come across a situation where men abducted young, innocent schoolgirls, separated them from their education, from their parents, from their relations and friends and from their environment and more disturbing also, attempted to separate them from their own religion out of compulsion. ”To every other Muslim, worldwide, these men that kill, destroy and abduct, insult Islam by calling themselves Muslims.

They have contradicted every single tenet of the Islamic religion. They have in some cases, tried to change the ordained translation of verses in the Holy Quran. To every Muslim, a verse of the Holy Quran has clearly said that there is no

compulsion in religion. But to these men of violence, there is compulsion not only in religion but even in Islamic ideology. To these men, any human who does not share their ideology deserves to be brutally killed. A Muslim that is not of the Boko Haram sect is condemned to death and so is Christian. To them, the human race should go into extinction for their doctrine to thrive.”

Shettima then approved N150 million for the rehabilitation of the 53 girls who escaped from the Boko Haram captivity and for the assistance of the traumatized parents whose daughters are still held in captivity, adding, “It hurts me, however, that there was no kind of politics that was not introduced into that unfortunate Chibok incident. Even religion was brought in, all for the purpose of the blame game. The politics did not help anybody at the end of the day.

Psychological counselling Soon after that incident, we thought that our 53 daughters that either witnessed that attack or escaped from abduction be flown abroad for psychological counselling and some medical examinations. But then, with politics of doubt over the abduction, if the state government had flown these 53 girls abroad, the doubting Thomases would have used that to claim that the 53 girls were non-existent or they would have probably said, we were taking the girls away from the public, probably because we had something to hide.”The governor who said the state government had spent N1 billion since the beginning of the year as palliative to victims of Boko Haram insurgency, added, “Unfortunately, we had to hold what we should have done for Chibok because of the politics brought in. If we had released some material support earlier, some bad elements would have said we tried to buy the people of Chibok.

Unlike other communities in which private

"I have a girl-child; I know the psychological connection between the girl-child and parents. One can hardly even pay the required attention in prayers due to the perpetual trauma of having one’s girl-child in dangerous hands. So, are we going to continue to ignore these suffering parents and the 53 girls just because we are afraid of political accusations and false interpretations? The answer is no.

Sincerity of purpose Governance is beyond the fear of accusations, governance entails making a decision with sincerity of purpose and for the good of the society. ”The Borno State government will set aside the N150 million to fund a rehabilitation programme for the 53 girls and to support parents in Chibok whose sources of livelihood have been truncated by their trauma, leaving them with little or nothing to feed while we continue to work immeasurably for the release of the girls being held. Mr Chairman, members of this important committee, the Borno State government is committed to sincere and active collaboration with the Federal Government and all other support groups in our collective fight against insurgency. ”In continued collaboration, however, we must trust each other’s sincerity of purpose. I see misconception about those behind Boko Haram as one major hindrance to fighting the insurgency. So long we continue to look the wrong way on who is or are behind Boko Haram, there would be lack of focus on the part of most stakeholders and in which case, the victims would remain the accused.”

Earlier Brig. Gen. Sabo assured that the committee was ready to carry on with its task with absolute patriotism and fear of God. He said they cannot but condole with the people and government of Borno State who have been traumatized as a result of the loses that have resulted from the Boko Haram insurgency over time.

54 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014

2015: Confab disowns delegate over postponement call

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HE Leadership of the National Conference has disowned Chief Okon Osung, a delegate representing the South-South geo- political zone, for calling on the Federal Government and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to postpone the 2015 general elections by at least 18 months.

In a statement by the Assistant Secretary, Media and Communication, Akpandem James, the Conference said Osung neither spoke as a delegate nor as a representative of the August body.

“The views expressed by Chief Okon Osung regarding tenure extension for any elected official based on any reasons cited by him, are entirely personal to him and must not be viewed or regarded to, in any way, have any anything whatsoever to do with the National Conference or any of its committees,” he said.

Tenure extension Akpandem said the views Osung’s personal views because they were never expressed on the floor of the Conference; it was never heard, debated or discussed in any manner whatsoever in any of the committees whose reports are already with the management of the Conference; the leadership and other 491 members of the conference only read about them in the media just as members of the public; Osung did not submit the position to any of the 20 committees; and tenure extension for any elected official is not part of the terms of reference.

Noting that the nation’s democracy must be preserved, he added: “Neither President Goodluck Jonathan nor any of his associates or aides within or outside the Conference circle has made any representation directly or indirectly or has spoken to any member of leadership or delegate to the Conference on the issue canvassed

by Delegate Okon Osung. ”Therefore, we are inclined to believe that Chief Okon Osung is acting on personal conviction or interest and is not, to the best of our knowledge, representative of any group participating in the National Conference. The only relationship Chief Okon Osung has with the National Conference is that he is one of the 492 delegates.

Whatever views he is canvassing in this regard should be

seen and regarded as purely his personal opinion which has absolutely nothing to do with the Conference.”

Osung at a press briefing on Sunday called for the postponement of the election to save the nation’s democracy, adding that with the insecurity challenges with Boko Haram engaging in massive killings of people and wanton destruction of property in some parts of the country as well as cases of kidnapping, holding elections February next year was no longer feasible.

“At this crucial juncture in our national history, a Presidential or National Assembly declaration of a politico-administrative moratorium or cooling-off period before the conduct of the third Transitional Elections scheduled for February 2015 has become an imperative necessity. This calls for a postpone-

*Cross-section of participants at the ongoing National Conference ment of the or deferment of the scheduled 2015 elections by at least 18 months while retaining all the democratic institu-

tions at all levels of governance and across the entire spectrum of the country’s political divide, without any bias to the statuto-

ry termination dates of such democratic institutions,” he canvassed.

Expunge Land Use Act —Committee

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HE Land Tenure Matters and Na tional Boundaries Committee has recommended the removal of the Land Use Act from the Constitution because its poor implementation has worsened land problems in the country.

It also called for the establishment of a National Land Commission through an Act of the National Assembly. According to the General A. B. Mamman-led committee, the new Constitution should give all Nigerians the right to have access to and own land irrespective of ethnic origin, class or gender as well as the right of communities to have land protected from human activities that would hinder or degrade the productivity of such land, through pollution and flooding. It also urged protection of ecologically sensitive areas, biodiversity and maintenance of adequate tree cover to mitigate the impact of climate change.

In the report of the committee which would be discussed today by delegates, it also recommended the right of landowners to adequate compensation commensurate with current market value and social attributes of land in the event of acquisition by the government for public purpose.

Adequate compensation Part of the recommendation was that prior to government acquiring any land from any community, there must be compensation and when the government fails to use the land for a period of 10 years, it would forfeit the land and return it to the people.

“Whenever the government intends to compulsorily acquire land for public purpose, adequate compensation and necessary resettlement must be made prior to entry of the said land by the government, provided always that if after 10 years of government entry, the land is not utilised for the said public purpose, then the acquired land reverts to the original owners and the compensation earlier paid shall

be forfeited by the government,” the committee recommended.

On the failure of Land Use Act, the Committee observed: “While vesting the ownership of land in the government and making the acquisition of land for ‘public purpose’ legally easy, the Land Use (Decree) Act has failed to make land accessible to all Nigerians. The transfer of land ownership and management has resulted in land grabbing and other unwholesome activities to the detriment of the masses.

The law is silent on the aggregate holding an individual or corporate organisation can acquire. Thus, it has made it possible for high concentration of land in the hands of people that are well connected with government. ”Imposition of a system of land administration, based on a system previously applicable to Northern Nigeria is strongly criticised by vested interests in the South-

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STORIES BY HENRY UMORU

x To promote harmony in land administration in states of the Federation; x To create and maintain a National Land Databank in collaboration with the states of the Federation; x To make recommendations on issues pertaining to land already acquired by the Federal Government and/or any land that the Federal Government may wish to acquire; x To conduct research related to land and the use of natural resources, and make recommendations to appropriate authorities; and x 7o initiate investigations, on its own initiative or on a complaint, into present and historical injustices and recommend appropriate redress.” On Minerals and Mining Act 2007, the report read in part: “It is our recommendation that the provisions of the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act 2007 should serve as the minimum standard for dealing with communities, land owners and land us-

Whenever the government intends to compulsorily acquire land for public purpose, adequate compensation and necessary resettlement must be made prior to entry of the said land by the government

ern part of Nigeria. The vesting of control of all land in the government is deeply resented by Nigerian communities.”

Recommending for the establishment of a National Land Commission through the Act of the National Assembly, the Committee said: “The National Land Commission should be composed of all the commissioners responsible for land administration in the states, the Minister of the Federation whose duties are relevant to the issues of land administration, as well as representatives of relevant stakeholders, in particular, relevant professional bodies, traditional rulers, women and civil society organisations. ”The objectives/responsibilities of the National Land Commission should include, among others:

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ers in legislations relating to the extraction of all minerals and the setting aside of forest to serve as carbon sink. ”The Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act made provisions for the benefit of land owners and communities in Mining areas. Such provisions include Section 3 (1 ) (c) of the Act which provides that: No mineral title granted under this Act shall authorise reconnaissance, exploration or exploitation of mineral resources on, or in, or the erection of beacons on or the occupation of any landoccupied by any town, village, market, burial ground or cemetery, ancestral, sacred or archaeological site, appropriated for a railway or situated within 50 metres of a railway, or which is the site of, or within 50 metres of, any government or public building, reservoir, dam or public road.”

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014—55

56 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014

Enugu-Port Harcourt road

Enugu-Onitsha road

South East: Drum beats of hope as Federal roads get face-lift -EAST: AS the hand of the clock ticks towards the 2015 general elections, EMEKA MAMAH and FRANCIS IGATA, write on Federal Government’s avowed commitment to complete the rehabilitation of all Federal roads in the country, especially those in the South-East before 2015.

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NUGU-Port Harcourt express way A random assessment of Federal roads in the South-East geo-political zone which were sources of angst, resentment and despondency to the people due to their abandonment by successive governments, elicits flashes of hope. Successive regimes had consistently reneged on their campaign promises to make such roads passable to better the living standards of the people. For example, politicians had used the Enugu- Port Harcourt express way as a bargaining chip to garner votes from unsuspecting voters during electioneering campaigns.

The dual carriage road which passes through, Enugu, Imo and Abia states to Port Harcourt is the major link between the SouthSouth, the South East and the Northern states. Scores of promising lives had been lost on the road owing to its parlous state of disrepair. Big craters dotted appreciable portions of the road, especially at the Lokpanta- AmaAnwusa section. Motorists plying the highway are forced to slow down in those places, thereby making them easy prey to armed bandits.

Mr. Innocent Nduba, a businessman resident in Port Harcourt told Vanguard Features, VF, that he plies the road

regularly because his family resides in Enugu, the capital of Enugu State. He said: “The road is very good now from Enugu to Okigwe. The place that is bad is between Okigwe to NNPC Mega Filling Station in Umuahia. The deplorable state of that portion of the road has made it impossible for the dual carriage road to be used at the section.

“It is only one lane that motorists use at that point. Once you pass that portion, the road is smooth all the way from Umuahia- Aba through PortHarcourt,” he said.

Enugu-Nsukka - Makurdi express way The single lane road serves as the nexus between some Eastern states and the Northern parts of the country. Previous attempts by successive governments to reconstruct the road had met brick-walls due to bad politics.

The road passes through Otukpo, the country home of the Senate President, Senator David Mark.

However, Mr. Michael Agada, a civil servant serving in Enugu who travels every weekend to reunite with his family in Okukpo told VF thus: “The road is now far better than what it was during President Olusegun Obasanjo’s era. A journey of three hours from the Ninth Mile Corner in Enugu

to Makurdi took seven hours between 1999 and 2003. Today, the same distance can be completed in three hours, with a commercial bus but less than that with a private vehicle.

“The smooth nature of the road now has reduced the man-hours spent on it. The result is that the cost of transportation has drastically reduced.

Volume of traffic The pot holes which slowed down the movement of vehicles have now virtually disappeared, forcing drivers to reduce their fares. Even the wear and tear associated with vehicles plying the route during the period have reduced drastically,’’ he said.

Continuing, he called on the Federal Government to quickly dualise the road as the volume of traffic continues to increase by the day. This measure, according to him, will reduce accidents on the road.

Enugu -Abakiliki express way: Another single lane road that serves as the ‘’conveyor belt’’ for both for human and material resources from Ebonyi State (which is one of the bread baskets of the nation), is the Enugu Abakaliki road. Apart from leading to the Nkalagu Cement Company, the road which also links Cross River State and Cameroon through Ogoja was contracted to the SETRACO Nigeria Limited. The road is now in a motorable condition.

Mr. Okey Agbo, a building contractor who plies the road often from Enugu to Ebonyi to

supply materials for his projects said: “The road is very smooth to Abakiliki. The only place where we have bad portions on the e road is right inside Abakiliki, especially between Ebonyi State University, EBSU and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Secretariat. VF learnt that this was because Governor Martin Elechi wanted to dualise that portion to link Abakiliki town but the contractors asked Elechi to allow them to complete their job before he could start any dualisation job.

“That is the source of the friction between the contractors and the state government. It has led to the abandonment of that portion of the road which is less than a kilometre or about five minutes

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-EAST:

elections. Before work started on the road, passengers usually spent between five and six hours to get to their various destinations. However, the road is now better as it takes only about one hour to reach Onitsha from Owerri and vice versa.

Onuiyi Haven -Ovoko Obollo Afor-Ikem express way A single lane road, the Onuiyi Haven- Ovoko- Obollo Afor Ikem express way, where the first President of Nigeria and Owelle of Onitsha, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe lived throughout his lifetime, has not been rehabilitated from the Onuiyi Haven end since Zik (as he was popularly known) died several years ago. The road cuts across three local governments in Enugu State - Nsukka, Udenu and Isi-Uzo. The construction of the road which started from Ikem was awarded to Mife Construction Company and has reached Obolloafor.

The smooth nature of the road now has reduced the man-hours spent on it; the result is that the cost of transportation has drastically reduced

drive. The contractors would have long completed the job, but for Governor Elechi’s insistence,” the source added.

Further investigations however, revealed that Governor Elechi had awarded the contract for the commencement of the dualisation from EBSU to Abakiliki town to CCECC Construction Company.

Onitsha – Okija- IhialaMgbidi – Owerri Road: The road which links the commercial city of Onitsha to Port Harcourt through Owerri was awarded during the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo shortly before the 2007 general

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A trip through the road showed that from Ikem to Obollo Afor is very smooth. One road user, Mrs. Ebere Agu, who buys goods from the markets in the rural communities and sells them at the urban centres, told VF that: “Ikem to Obolloafor is very smooth. Even the driver can close his eyes when driving. It is about 12 minutes drive from Ikem. The portion remaining on that road is from Zik’s Flat to Obolloafor”.

Another resident of the area, Mr Emeka Ugwu, however said that “the contractor has left the site for some time now”. He Continues on page 57

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014 — 57

South East: Drum beats of hope as Federal roads get face-lift Continues from page 56

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Behold Nigeria’s solar-powered race car

By SOLA OGUNDIPE

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US$650,000 to complete the project, exclusive of cost of other external logistics, research and technology upended costs, hence we request the Presidency’s resounding sponsorship to achieve this feat.

“This is the biggest and most prestigious race involving solar technology. Our own design is an adaptation that’s never been done before to power a car of this type. The car is a one-seated lightweight design. Its aerodynamically sculptured body will be covered with a specially-modified compound known as Wysips Crystals that are powerful enough to capture rays of the sun to be converted to enough electrical energy to power the car over the course of the four-day 3,000 km race from Darwin to Adelaide,” Ebisike remarked.

Noting that several of the components will be built locally and abroad while the Team is pursing patency and ISO Certification, the Team Nigeria spokesperson said the idea is to use as many solar cells as we can put together. In the design of this car, we are

N continuation of the relentless pursuit for technological innovation, relevance and advancement, a group of Nigerian engineers, technologists and scientists have designed a state-of-the-art, concept solar car that will put Nigeria on the talking point of technology and innovation globally.

Called the “9jaBOLT Solar Car”, the car, which is to be built at an estimated cost of US$0.65 million, is planned for unveiling at the Africa Design Medal & Festival coming up in Lagos in August 2015 to showcase the very best of Africa’s design thinkers, architects, industrial designers, artistes, innovators, technologists and photographers who will gather to showcase their craft.

Team leader and Creative Director, 9jaBOLT Solar Car Project, Mr. Ebube Ebisike, said Nigeria has for the first time, been officially invited to compete as Africa’s sole representative in the World Solar Challenge in October This is the biggest and most prestigious 18-25, 2015 in Adelaide, Australia. race involving solar technology; our own Ebisike, an ICT design is an adaptation that’s never been enthusiast and graduate of done before to power a car of this type engineering from Enugu State University of Technology, projecting the possibility of achieving at least ESUT, with a stint at the Massachusetts a patent. Wysips Crystals is a new area being Institute of Technology, MIT, and University created to charge mobile phones. It is a of Manchester, narrated how the Nigerian special material that can be put on the surface team got an offer to compete at the biennial of a mobile phone and body so it traps as technological project that has been running much sunlight that can be used to charge the for over 13 years. phone and keep it running.

“Our mandate is to design and build this “We are looking at adapting this with state-of-the-art concept solar car. This another technology comprising celluloseplatform is a huge window of opportunity based wood that has become a superfor us. Team Nigeria is seeking financial conductor from an American university to sponsorship to achieve building the car. enable us generate enough energy to power the car. We desire to achieve a seamless bandwidth connection and integration Financial between the 9jaBolt solar car and Nigcomsat.” sponsorship Ebisike said it is factual to say this project “We seek to build the 9jaBOLT Solar Car. will birth 100 percent transformational This project to us is ‘Nigeria’s Centenary technology transfer to all members of team Technology Project’ given that in 100 years Nigeria as it also will set the record straight of our existence if we haven’t sent a probe that Nigeria is fully geared to explore all its to the moon which is wholly indigenously rarer resources, especially science and built or done a major space project beyond technology.

“However, we can signpost our super the launch of our geo-satellites (built by Chinese contractors), then we should at capability as ‘Giant of Africa’ by linking space, least have built a state-of-the-art solar car terra-firma, gadgets, machines and software that can race and possibly win at the in one compact ecosystem for our greater southern hemisphere event in October good. All designed with patents achieved using Nigeria signature innovation. The story 2015,” he said.

Recounting that the Team is building the of 9jaBOLT, we hope, will inspire several commendable homegrown car from scratch on a tight budget, he said other the proposal is to build 25,000 solar cells technological ideas and brands that will that will trap light, convert it into electrical achieve global reckoning just like the power through an electric motor that will Dangote and Oando.

“General Motors won it in 1987, so if eventually create thrust and run the Nigeria is making an attempt and everybody vehicle’s wheels.

We seek a cumulative budget of is going to be talking about engineering, this is it,” Ebisike stated.

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by World Bank. If the World Bank finishes the construction of the entire road and Ebonyi State now wants to dualise the road, that will be fine. But you cannot award a contract within a contract. How do you pay for it? If you do so, will you tell the World Bank that you could not finish the road because somebody is coming in to dualise it?

“That is the issue for that portion between EBSU and PDP secretariat on that road. But if the project is completed and they want to extend or dualise the road, there will be no problem. Simply put, you cannot operate a contract within a contract,” he clarified.

Umuda -Kogi -Abuja Continuing, the Controller said: express way “For Enugu-Onitsha Expressway, the contractor handling from This road which was flagged-off Onitsha to Awka , CCC in May 2013 was expected to open Construction Company is still the rural corridors to reduce travel working for us there. The state hours from the South East to Abuja government decided to take a and spur economic activities along section of the road and work on it the flanks. Passing through three and be repaid by the Federal states: Enugu, Kogi and the Federal Government for which they have Capital Territory, FCT, the been granted approval. We are construction of the road was involved in the supervision of the awarded to PW Construction job to ensure that it is of standard.

Company at the cost of N12.9 billion Then when you get to the border, with a completion period of 24 that is Enugu-Anambra border, we months. have Niger Cat Co. Work on the road has started “There were failures on that substantially at the Kogi end but the section of the road. That is because contractors have stopped work and it was discovered that the soil evacuated all construction cement was very bad which was to equipment from the site due to be pulverised as a soil base and then alleged non-payment by the you put a stone base on top. But Federal Government. It was after they did that, we found out that alleged that most contractors the soil cement was not working. executing Federal Government What we have decided to do is to road projects have not been paid take a second look at that road to due to paucity of funds. give a more lasting solution to it Works Ministry reacts through a solid soil cement and The Director, Federal Highways stone base on top. All we are waiting for is to get The contractor handling approval from Nsukka-Obolloafor-Ikem road Bureau for Public rocurement, left site but we have asked him to PBPP . Actually we come back to site are waiting for them to give us a in the South-East, Mr. Godwin Certificate of No Objection to Eghieye told VF in Enugu that: enable us do what we want on that “Two contracts have been awarded road. As you can see, the contractor on the Enugu-Port Harcourt is still on site now, and he has expressway. Our intention is to removed the stone base to return reconstruct the very bad portion the soil cement in a formidable from Lokpanta to Aba. One of the shape. That is for the boundary area jobs was awarded to SETRACO, towards Enugu,” he said. while the other went to ARAB “The Umuida-Kogi-Abuja road is Contractors. ongoing though had slowed down “If you go to that site now, they at some point but PW is back on the are working on those two sections. site now. If you go there now you Those are actually the worst two will see them. Once funds are portions of the Enugu- Port Harcourt regularly available to the express way. The intention is for us contractors, the job will be to take it from Enugu to Lokpanta completed within the 24 months and then to Aba and Port-Harcourt. duration as stipulated in the The contractors are working contract. effectively to reconstruct the road.

The contractor handling NsukkaWe are not just patching, rather it is Obolloafor-Ikem road left site but complete reconstruction. we have asked him to come back to “On the Enugu-Abakiliki site having completed the portion expressway, the road is being between Ikem to Obolloafor. The constructed through a World Bank remaining portion now is from Zik’s loan. Ebonyi State Government flat to Obolloafor. He has promised wants to dualise a section of it. That to come back to site as soon as will put the project under suspicion possible,” the Controller said. wondered why such an important road which was taken over by the Federal Government because of the late Dr Azikiwe, should be abandoned. “One of the reasons why President Goodluck Jonathan was accepted by the Igbo was because of the introduction of of Ebele Azikiwe as his middle name.

I wonder why the place where his role model lived, and which was taken over by the regimes before him, should not be given priority attention. The portion remaining now is just from Ugwu-awalawa to Oboloafor- Ovoko- Nsukka,” he said.

,

,

58 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014

Edited by: Emma Nnadozie emmadozie@hotmail.com 08023145281, 08111813021

Man,25, stabs roommate to death in Lagos

How bandits pushed 60-yr-old out of moving vehicle — Victim

By IFEANYI OKOLIE

A

25-year-old man, Udoka Nwokedi, has been arrested by the police in Lagos State, for allegedly stabbing his 22-year-old roommate to death.

The victim who was identified simply as Onyedika, was said to have met his untimely death during a fight that broke out between him and Nwokedi at their No. 6, Cardoso Street, Kirikiri Town, apartment.

An eyewitness told Crime Alert that Onyedika and Nwokedi had quarelled for four days over a yet-to-be known issue, but it turned into a fight last Wednesday, when Nwokedi, unplugged Onyedika’s phone from it’s charger.

A resident of Cardoso, who identified himself as Chuks, told Crime Alert that one of Nwokedi’s brothers who was also staying with him in their one-room apartment, tried to stop them from fighting without success. He added that, Nwokedi eventually picked a kitchen knife, after he had been separated and stabbed Onyedika in his neck, which led to severe bleeding.

According to him “ Onyedika died on his way to the hospital and Nwokedi ran away but was caught while he was trying to sneak out of town late in the night. We handed him over to the police. I don’t know what led to their quarrel but I thought they were blood brothers.

However, the suspect, was detained first at the Kirikiri Police Division and later, transferred to the SCID, Panti.

•The suspect

sengers in the bus, I don’t know if they were part of the one-chance syndicate or not, or what eventually happened to them.

By ESTHER ONYEGBULA

A

31-year-old graphic artist and events manager, Ajewole Gideon Olugbenga, who fell victim to robbery inside a commercial bus in Lagos has narrated how the ugly incident took place in the evening hours of May, 2014.

The Osun State-born man who gave a graphic account of the incident also lamented that he was abandoned by a team of policemen on patrol after the attack.

According to him, the incident occurred after close of work at about 7pm, after he boarded a commercial bus at LASU bus-stop in Ojo, heading towards Badagry roundabout when he and four other passengers inside the commercial bus were pushed out of the moving vehicle, apparently for another vehicle to hit them.

Olugbenga explained that he was the second to the last passenger that boarded the commercial bus that was almost filled up. From the point where he boarded the bus to when he and others were pushed out of the moving vehicle remains blank in his memory till this moment.

According to him, “Five of us, including an elderly woman in her late 60s were pushed out of the moving vehicle before the pedestrian bridge at Adeniran Ogunsan-

Abandoned by Policemen on routine patrol

•Victim of one chance ya College of Education, AOCOED, along Badagry Expressway. I became conscious that something terrible had happened, after I was pushed out of the moving vehicle. Awakened by the awful pains of my fractured legs and arms, I realized that my wallet, my laptop (HP

brand), my tablet computer (Blue Flick) had all disappeared. Stranded, we started shouting for help but there was no response because the place was dark and deserted. Apart from five of us who were pushed out of the bus, I don’t know what happened to the other pas-

According to him,“About three minutes later, I felt help had come our way when a Police van with officers and men on routine patrol stopped nearby. They asked what had happened to us and I told them everything.

Then, their team leader said in Yoruba that “they have shown these ones how Lagos is”.

Immediately he and his men drove off without assisting us to the nearest bus-stop even when there was still space in the van that could accommodate the five of us.

“We were still there calling for help, when another car, a Camry, pulled over. The driver, a clergyman assisted and drove us to Agbara after we narrated everything that had happened to him. When we got to Agbara, we all alighted and he gave me N100 to enable me board vehicle to the house. At the bus stop, no commercial bus allowed us to board because our clothes were torn and dirty. Finally, I managed to board a bus which took me to Limca Bus Stop where I finally alighted and went home.

“Still in shock after I got

Soka evil forest, Ibadan – Back to biz?

T

wo months after the discovery of Soka evil forest in Ibadan, Oyo state,

and the subsequent raid by police detectives and forensic experts, Crime alert crew

•Another building also overgrown with weeds.

visited the site and discovered that the forest may soon go back to its former use as it is

•Another overgrown site.

now overgrown with weeds.

Photos by Dare Fasube shows:

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014 — 59 Edited by: Emma Nnadozie emmadozie@hotmail.com 08023145281, 08111813021

home, I dialed my phone numbers and it rang and someone picked, I pleaded with the person that I needed my laptop because it contained all the designs and jobs I have done in the past six years as a graphic artist.

Realizing how badly I needed the computer, they promised to give me back my Laptop. They asked me to come to Iyanera bus stop by 7pm with N30, 000 the next day.

Unknown to them, I went

week on admission, before I regained consciousness.

“While I was in the hospital, a concerned colleague who felt I was missing reported at the Police station after several days of not seeing, hearing or knowing my whereabouts. Later, she received a call to come and pick my wallet which was found in a commercial cab. Immediately she alerted the police who picked up some of the suspects at Mosalashi bus

About three minutes later, I felt help had come when a police van carrying police officers on routine patrol stopped nearby.

They asked what had happened to us and I told them everything

,

,

with a friend. When we got to Iyanera bus stop, we kept calling them, they refused to pick the call, we called till about 9pm when they picked and asked me to come to Cassidy bus stop. When we got there, I called them and that was when they attacked me again.

Unfortunately, they were unable to take the N30, 000 which was with my friend.

Since then, they switched off the phone. I became unconscious after the second attack, so my friend took me to the hospital where I spent a

stop. The case was reported to the Police, and is currently being investigated,” he stated. olice sources intimated Crime Alert that this case is one of several incidents of one-chance that is gradually being recorded along Badagry expressway.

Sometime ago, according to him, five passengers had their right hands chopped off at Aradagun area after boarding a commercial bus en-route Badagry and we are now poised to deal with them.

P

P-H-O-T-O-S-P-E-A-K

Policeman, 43, seeks N1.250m for corrective leg surgery

BY ESTHER ONYEGBULA

A

man on crutches recently came to Vanguard’s head offices in Apapa, and requested to see the Editor. He was directed to the Newsroom where the man, later discovered to have been employed as a policeman narrated his ordeal and the experience that led him to walking with crutches. His story: “We have been living in a different world of depression, hardship, penury and uncertainty since I got involved in this accident. All efforts to get help for my corrective surgery have not yielded desired results. I sold two of my commercial buses, and my house which was near completion for my treatment yet, no improvement. Two of my sons in the university have dropped out because I can’t afford to pay their school fees.

“My wife and children have been doing all they can to help the situation yet, life is getting more unbearable on daily basis.”

This is the heart-rending lamentations of Adamson Ayomide, 43, residing at No 25, Nurudeen Street, Ejigbo, a native of Epe in Lagos state, when he visited Vanguard recently.

All was well with Adamson Ayomide, a policeman and his family till 2009, when a hit-and-run commercial motorcyclist hit him in front of his residence and things began to fall apart.

Narrating his ordeal, Adamson said: “Before I got involved in this accident, I had concluded plans to travel out of the country, all my traveling documents were ready and my flight had been scheduled for November 18, 2009, when I had this

,

woman, others of one-chance

I spent four years at Igbokoda and I came back after all our resources have been exhausted, yet the wound didn’t heal and bones not properly set

,

•The main building overgrown with weeds.

unfortunate accident on November 12 which ruined my life.

“I had returned from the US embassy, I parked my car when a friend asked to see me. We were discussing in front of my house when a commercial motorcyclist popularly called okada, came out from nowhere and hit me. I fell down inside the drainage along the road, before people rescued me. After I was rescued, I discovered that my left leg has been detached completely while my right leg and arm had fractures. The bike man ran away abandoning his bike, which was later taken to the police station.

“Initially, I was taken to Ikeja General Hospital, where I spent more than

•Adamson N450,000 for the 21 days I stayed in that hospital. When it became obvious that I could no longer stay there because of nonavailability of bed space, my parents took me to traditional bone setters at Igbokoda in Ondo state. The incident happened during the Under-17 World Cup which Nigeria hosted.

“I spent four years at Igbokoda and I came back after all our resources have been exhausted, yet the wound refused to heal and the bones not properly set. I sold two of my commercial buses and my house which is near completion to raise money for the treatment of my leg.

“This time, I went back to the hospital so that they can set the bone. But, the doctors said that I needed bone surgery to enable me walk again. The cost of the surgery was put at N1.250m. Since then, I have been going up and down, seeking assistance and help from people to see how I can raise money for the surgery without success.

“Since the incident, my wife has been very supportive and caring in the face of all these challenges. During the time when this accident happened, she had a shop located in Ejigbo Powerline which was later demolished by the government. She had to abandon her business to cater for me in the hospital and at Igbokoda. Right now, she is not doing anything and I can’t walk, let alone provide for my family.

“Please, I need help. At nights I can’t sleep because of severe pains. My account number is 4015103816, Ikotun branch of Mainstreet Bank. This is why I have come here so that Nigerians and indeed, the good people of Lagos state, would read this and come to my rescue,” he said with tears in his eyes.

60- — V anguard Vanguard anguard,, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21 , 2014

BRIEFS

NEWS ON BRIEFS BRIEFS

Victorious Modi addresses India’s parliament in tears

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Sudanese-American rushes home to rescue pregnant wife from hanging A Sudanese immi grant living in New Hampshire has returned to Sudan to try to save his wife, who is eight months pregnant and facing the death penalty there for marrying a Christian.

Daniel Wani is a Sudanese man with U.S. citizenship who has been living in Manchester, N.H. His wife, Meriam Yehya Ibrahim Ishag, became the focus of worldwide news reports last week after the Sudanese government sentenced her to death. She is eight months pregnant.

The Islamic court considered Ishag a Muslim and did not recognize her marriage to Wani, a Christian. That constituted a crime of adultery and she was sentenced to receive 100 lashes.

The court also found

her guilty of apostasy by converting to Christianity and sentencing her to be hanged.

The flogging and the death penalty were to be delayed until after she gave birth.

Ishag is considered Muslim by Sudan’s courts because her father was Muslim, though she raised by her Christian mother.

Wani and his brother, Gabriel Wani, grew up in

Sudan but moved to New Hampshire. Gabriel told ABC News affiliate WMUR that Daniel has returned to Sudan to try and save his wife’s life.

“I’m just praying for God. He can do a miracle,” he said. “Everyone is depressed. You don’t believe it. It’s shock.”

“You cannot believe that’s going to happen,” Gabriel said. “It’s a good family, a happy family.”

Neither Gabriel nor

Daniel could be reached for comment today by ABC News.

The U.S. condemned Sudan’s court ruling last week, with both the State Department and the White House calling on Sudan to uphold its human rights commitments.

U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte, who represents New Hampshire, has asked Secretary of State John Kerry to grant Ishag political asylum.

US speaker defends House rejection of immigration bill

H

OUSE Speaker John Boehner yesterday defended a decision by Republican leaders to reject a GOP congressman’s effort to bring his immigration bill to a vote.

Boehner told reporters that the national defense

bill was not the place for a vote on California Rep. Jeff Denham’s measure offering citizenship to immigrants who serve in the military.

Defying House Republican leaders, Denham filed his bill, known as the ENLIST Act, as an amend-

ment to the sweeping defense policy measure that the House will consider this week. Denham intended to offer his measure as an amendment to the defense bill during a meeting of the House Rules Committee on Tuesday.

ARENDRA Modi fought back tears in an emotional first address to his party in India’s colonnaded parliament house yesterday, after the Hindu nationalist swept to power in an election that has changed the face of politics in the country.

Modi will be India’s next prime minister after leading the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to a historic victory in a ballot that ended

•Modi on Friday. He is likely to take his oath of office to lead the world’s biggest democracy on Monday.

US trade mission arrives Nigeria for investment talks

BY VERA SAM AYANGAFU

U

.S. Secretary of Com merce Penny Pritzker is leading 20 American companies on an Energy Business Development trade mission to West Africa, specifically to Ghana and Nigeria. Secretary Pritzker arrived in Lagos yesterday for a three-day visit.

This Trade Mission will promote U.S. exports and expand U.S. companies’ presence in Africa by helping American firms launch

or increase their business in the energy sector. The firms joining the mission have the expertise that will help African countries develop and manage energy resources and systems, as well as build out power generation, transmission, and distribution.

“In line with President Obama’s U.S. Strategy Toward Sub-Saharan Africa, this mission is an opportunity to connect U.S. company products, services and expertise to support Africa’s enormous power potential,” said Secretary Pritzker."

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY MAY 21, 2014 — Page 61

08053068728

Govt releases World Cup funds — Danagogo T

HE Super Eagles will not run short of funds when they will be campaigning in the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazill.

The Minister of Sports Dr Tamuno Danagogo has assured that everything is being done to make the team comfortable during the Mundial in Brazil Speaking to the media in Abuja shortly after addressing the contingent going to Gaborone for the African Youth Games in Botswana, the Minister said with full authority that necessary funds are already available for the prosecution of Nigeria’s World Cup campaign in Brazil.

“Last week Thursday, I interacted with the Nigeria Football Federation on World Cup preparation, trying to compare notes and even demanding that they put into writing their level of preparedness and I can tell you that I am impressed with their answers,” Danagogo said.

“I am hopeful, very expectant too that we will surpass our previous records. We are going [to Brazil] for the best and we hope that our coaches and our players will live up to that expectation and belief..

“In terms of finances at least we have released a sum of money to get the team to a reasonable level in the competition. You

must understand that these competitions and the funding come in stages.

You take the group stages and you take up to another so that there can be some level of accountability.

“But the government is doing everything possible [to make sure the team is comfortable]. We have made releases to cover their camping up to the friendly matches in London and in the [United States of America] to all the qualifying games. Once that is over there are other provisions that are also on ground to take them to whatever stage.

the focus has been on the South American giants.

But Keshi insists that the first game is the most important one of all.

“The Argentina game is not important right now,” Keshi said after his award as best coach from Matchmakers at Ibis Hotel, Lagos.

“The most important game is against Iran and when I finish playing against Iran and Bosnia then I can have an answer to that.”

Keshi also dismissed injury concerns to his players, claiming he has spoken to them and received assurances.

“There are no injuries.

BY JACOB AJOM

T

Super Eagles' Osaze Odemwingie tackles a Greek opponent at the 2010 W/Cup in S.Africa.

HE 2014 Channels National Kids’ Cup begins today at the Agege Sports Stadium with 16 schools from across the country competing. Lagos, the host state is presenting four schools.

Some of states represented at the competition include Kwara, Kaduna, Ebonyi, Osun, Rivers, Ondo, Oyo, Ogun among others.

The schools representing Lagos are Ebute Meta Primary School, Ago-Egba

DAWN Games 2014: Lagos dominates gymnastics T

EAM Lagos were outstanding in the Gymnastics events of the maiden South-West Secondary Schools

•Oshodi

Keshi Continues from BP

Channels Kids’ Cup kicks off

I have called Austin Ejide and he made it clear that he was never injured.

“Ahmed Musa had a minor injury and l spoke to the club doctor who said in two or three weeks he would be fine.

“Musa played in the last minutes for his Russian club in a league game.

I called Oduamadi and he dismissed the report of his injury. In fact he told me that he had a match that same day, so I don’t know where all these rumours emanated from.

“But we will assess everyone very well when they come for the training camp.”

Championship tagged DAWN Games 2014 as they won 17 medals to top the medal table of the sport decided at Mobolaji Johnson Sports Complex, Rowe Park, Yaba.

The breakdown of medals won showed that the Ortega Akintola inspired Team Lagos won 8 gold, 6 silver and. 3 bronze. Team Ekiti were second with 2 gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze medal. Ogun were third with 1 gold, 5 bronze while Team Oyo could only win 3 silver and 2 bronze to claim the fourth position.

Football event which enters semi final stage on Wednesday with Team Lagos taking on Team Oyo as early as 8am at Agege Stadium, while the second semi final scheduled for the afternoon will involve Team Ogun and Osun State.

Finals of events such as Basketball, Volleyball,

Swimming, Scrabble and Chess will take place at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

Meanwhile, chairman, Technical Committee of Lagos State Football Association, Dotun Coker, has said that the football event at the DAWN Games has shown that there is positive and future in the development of football in the Western part of Nigeria.

Coker, said the tournament which was the initiative of DAWN Commission and designed for Secondary School students within the South West zone would create an enabling environment to harness young sports talents in the region.

The Chairman, LSFA Technical Committee, said he had saddled the chairman of Ikeja Football Coaches Council, Rafiu Taiwo, with the responsibility to write a

Iran

Continues from BP

camp in Kapfenberg.

Friendly matches have also been confirmed against Montenegro, Angola and Trinidad and Tobago, with the first two games scheduled to be held in Styria, Austria.

While at their training camp in South African, Team Melli, who have graced the World Cup

four times in the past, met Moroka Swallows, Orlando Pirates, Mamelodi Sundowns, and Mpumalanga Black Aces in practice matches.

They start their campaign in Brazil with an intriguing clash against African champions, Nigeria on June 16.

technical report and identify the best 18 football players for the region ahead of future tournaments.

According to him, Coach Taiwo is expected to submit his report to him for ratification and easy passage to the DAWN Commission.

He detested the lackadaisical attitude of the Lagos State Football Coaches Association for not been present at Agege Stadium where football is taking place, stressing that their presence would enable them to present the LSFA a detailed technical report based on their assessment of each participating team.

Primary School, Dr Teslim Elias Primary School and Toybat Primary School.

The competition which is the 6th in the series will see the teams put in four groups. The first two teams from each group automatically qualify for the quarter final. The semi final and final matches will be played at the Teslim Balogun stadium, Surulere.

Speaking at the preevent press briefing yesterday, General Manager, Special Duties, Channels Television, Steve Judo said “the idea of Channels Kids’ Cup was conceptualised by our chairman, John Momoh who wants all children, regardless of faith or circumstances to achieve their full potential.”

Lagos State Commissioner for Sports Enitan Oshodi noted that Channels’ effort was much more than just developing football. “It has to do with the development of the children and that is where our interest lies,” he said.

•Momoh

Messi Continues from BP to Barcelona, I have played well. Now I am hoping that the opposite happens.”

Messi took his time to transcend his talent with Barcelona on to the international stage and it was only after South Africa 2010 that he started to perform well.

The 26-year-old returned to his native Rosario on arrival in Argentina, and will join coach Alejandro Sabella and the rest of the squad next Monday at Ezeiza, the team’s training camp.

He vowed to train “with maximum energy in order to

give his best like always”.

He added: “When I return to the training ground with my team-mates, with my friends, it’s going to change my mentality and it’s going to be another story.”

He also revealed that along with the rest of the Barcelona team this season, they were suffering from a “lack of energy”.

Argentina will play friendlies against Trinidad and Tobago on 4 June and Slovenia three days later.

Their opening Group F match will be against Bosnia-Herzegovina on 16 June, which proceeds games against Iran and Nigeria.

62 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY MAY 21, 2014

08053068728

We accord Argentina too much respect Keshi showers praises on Maigari — Amuneke G A

OLDEN Eaglets Coach and one time African Footballer of the Year Emmanuel Amuneke has warned the Super Eagles against showing too much respect to Argentina to the detriment of their other World Cup Group F foes.

African champions Nigeria are drawn against Iran, Bosnia and Argentina in the first round of Brazil 2014.

“My only fear is when we start to disrespect our opponents,” Amuneke told AfricanFootball.com “We are giving too much priority to Argentina when we should have it in mind that Iran and Bosnia have also qualified for the World Cup and they have some good players.”

The U17 World Cupwinning coach also stated that he was not surprised

by Stephen Keshi’s 30man squad.

“I’m not surprised by the list,” he said.

“When you look at the beginning from qualification time, Keshi had invited a lot of people.

Since it’s an on-going thing and Keshi was new to the job and he was trying to build a strong team and now they have the opportunity to be at the World Cup. “All what we can do is to pray for the team and wish them all the best.”

“Also we hope our players that would be picked for the World Cup would realise how important it is to give their best at the Mundial,” added Amuneke, who featured at the 1994 World Cup.

BY TONY UBANI

Aguero, Messi, Higuain and Mascherano

Eaglets get code of conduct G

OLDEN Eaglets have been issued a code of conduct and warned to adhere strictly to camp rules .

The team welcomed new recruits who scaled through the screening hurdle as well as proper documentation following almost one month of intensive exercise.

At a brief ceremony, both old and new players were advised to be guided with camping rules as regards timing; feeding; sleeping hours; friendship; respect; hard work; proper use of telephone; good personal hygiene and

appearance amongst others.

Head coach Emmanuel Amuneke (MON), reiterated that the players were picked based on merit and must, therefore continue to work hard to justify their inclusion in the team. ”I want to remind you that this is a national team set up which is quite different from what you are used to in your various academies and home,” said the 1994 African Footballer of the Year winner. ”We don’t want you to have the impression that you have made it after

•Amuneke the screening but to see your selection as a new challenge for you and work harder in the days ahead.

Udoh for CAF Referees course N

IGERIAN referee Udoh Ferdinand is one of the outstanding Referees selected by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to undergo a course for

Young Talent Referees scheduled for the CAF Centre of Excellence , Bankomo, Cameroun in June.

A letter from the CAF Headquarters in Cairo

L-R. Award Panel Member; Mr. Ejiro Omonode, the Chairman, Award Panel, Mr. Ikeddy Isiguzo, Chief Mrs. Falilat Ogunkoya and the General Manager, Unmissable Incentives Limited, Mr Kayode Idowu during the Press conference for the 2014 edition of the Nigerian Sports Award held in Lagos today. Photo Joe Akintola, Photo Editor

addressed to the Nigeria Football Federation and signed by the Assistant Refereeing Manager, Athanase Nkubito, on May 11, informed the NFF that Udoh has been nominated for the course.

The NFF was further told to make sure that the referee “....arrived Cameroun in the best physical condition as a medical examination and a phyisical fitness test will be conducted before the referees are declared eligible for the course” The tests will be conducted from June 46, while the course proper will last from June 4-9.

S the Super Eagles prepare to storm Brazil for the World Cup, Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi hailed NFF President Aminu Maigari as the man that Nigerians should hold in high esteem for giving him the rare opportunity to coach the national team. ‘’I must thank NFF President Maigari for the great opportunity he gave to me to become Super Eagles coach. He had so much trust on me when many people treated me as an outcast. They told him not to hire me because I am a big boss. They said I was a mafia.

They told him I am not one to be controlled. That I am stubborn. Many people think that I am stubborn because I am outspoken. But Maigari said no and stuck to me.

I owe a lot to him.

Without him, Nigerians would not have seen the little things we’ve achieved. He remains one person that I am ever grateful to. He has done so

•Maigari well for the team and provided virtually everything for us. I also dedicate my Matchmakers Award to my Assistant coaches. Without them, we would not have achieved anything.

They deny themselves of sleep to map out strategies for the success of the team.

Sometimes, I sleep off in their many meetings. This award is not for me alone.

I also thank the players who have been committed to the cause of our doing well. And to the Press, I say thank you. Though we disagree many times, I remain grateful for your invaluable criticisms which has kept me on my toes’’.

Midwestern Oil & Gas Junior tennis Championship End with Chibok Girls in Mind

T

HE inaugural Midwestern Oil & Gas Junior Tennis Championship has ended in Lagos with a song for the Chibok girls by Ghanaian gospel artist Jemimah Amua.

A thousand school children and a large tennis crowd were on hand to listen to the powerful rendition of “Hold On” from her CD released a week ago and to watch the future of Nigerian tennis on display.

The highlight of the

grand finale of a championship that attracted 20 first-timers and 158 players was an exhibition match between Londonbased Elizabeth Pam,16, runner-up at the CBN Senior Championship and Sarah Adegoke, now 16, a semifinalist this year and runner-up in 2012.

Adegoke lost to Pam in three sets at the CBN Senior championship but got some measure of revenge by winning the only set 6-3.

CCC takes over Delta Tennis Classics

C

CC Construction Nigeria Limited has taken over the sponsorship of the monthly Tennis Classics in Delta State. This month’s edition serves off today in Asaba. Players expected to take part in the Classics include Albert Bikom, Emmanuel Ikakah, Jinudu Owolabi, Badmus Abdulkareem, Joseph Iyoroube, Dominic Okoro, among others.

In the ladies category, Sarah Adekoya, Comfort Spencer, Ann Okoro Abies Amaderson and Mariam Okoro will feature

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014—63

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014

Messi warns Eagles!

You’ll see another Me-ssi in Brazil A

RGENTINA superstar Lionel Messi has warned that his opponents and fans will see a different player at the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil than the one that underperformed for Barcelona in 2013/14.

“As I join up with the national team, the atmosphere is completly different,” he said.

“Many times in the past when I have gone back

Continues on Page 61

Keshi dismisses Argentina S

TEPHEN Keshi said his focus at the moment is his opening World Cup match against Iran.

Nigeria plays BosniaHerzegovina and Argentina, but most of

Continues on Page 61

Iran hold Belarus 0-0

S •Keshi

UPER Eagles Group F opponents Iran played a goalless draw with Belarus in Austria on Sunday in one of their tune - up matches ahead of the World Cup. The encounter between the Asia powerhouse and their European opponents took place at their training Continues on Page 61

•Messi

More Sports on pages 32 & 33

World Cup funds ready — Danagogo •P.61

QUICK CROSSWORD

TODAY'S

PUZZLE

YESTER DAY'S YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 3 Sword (5) 9 Pantry (6) 10 Possessing (6) 11 Deal (5) 12 Fever (4) 15 Sapient (4) 17 Insanity (7) 20 Shelter (3) 21 Flashlight (5) 23 Dregs (4) 25 Weary (4) 26 Liability (5) 28 Vessel (3) 30 Hide (7) 33 Again (4) 35 Healthy (4) 36 Headdress (5) 38 Seem (6) 39 Foot part (6) 40 Penniless (5)

DOWN 1 Shine (5) 2 Haughty (5) 3 Fix (3) 4 Detain (6) 5 Travelled (4) 6 Sheep (3) 7 Courteous (5) 8 Tally (5) 13 Ship (7) 14 Finished (5) 16 Sundry (7) 18 Of sound (5) 19 Deed (3) 22 Obstacle (5) 24 Gender (3) 27 Fiery (6) 28 Heathen (5) 29 Entice (5) 31 Ground (5) 32 Jumped (5) 34 Blaze (4) 36 Brown (3) 37 Some (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Perish 5, Ripped 9, Eased 10, Ousted 11, Notion 12, Rebel 14, Last 17, Sew 18, Lead 20, Enter 22, Curse 23, Popular 24, Visit 26, Revel 29, Acid 30, Bet 32, Date 33, Model 35, Author 36, Nosing 37, Deter 38, Earned 39, Tender.

DOWN: 1, People 2, Resist 3, Seer 4, Hades 5, Renew 6, Idol 7, Primer 8, Denude 13, Bemused 15, Antic 16, Tepid 18, Lured 19, Asset 21, Rot 22, Car 24, Vacate 25, Sister 27, Varied 28, Ledger 30, Bored 31, Tenet 33, Mode 34, Lore.

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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