DSS: Kogi varsity don recruits for Boko Haram

...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 62019

Gunmen abduct 78-yrold father of Bayelsa commissioner 7

**

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

N150

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

Senators seek life imprisonment for rapists

15

DSS: Kogi varsity don recruits for Boko Haram •Holds Ph.D; teaches Arabic and Islamic studies •Acts as Spiritual Leader, recruitment coordinator A

By CHRIS OCHAYI

•DSS parades four other members; warns Nigerians

BUJA — THE De partment of State Services, DSS, yesterday, announced the arrest of a university lecturer, Dr. Muhammad Nazeef Yunus, who allegedly acts as Recruitment Co-ordinator of the

Continues on page 6

•P.27

COLUMNISTS: Is'haq Modibbo Kawu•P.17

Josef•P.19

Omorotionmwan

Mr & Mrs

BOKO HARAM SUSPECTS: From left, Assistant Lecturer in Arabic & Islamic Studies, Kogi State University, Dr. Muhammed Nazeef Yunus (Spiritual Leader and Recruitment Co-ordinator); Umar Musa (Head of Operations/ Instructor); Mustapha Yusuf (Armourer/Chief Courier), Ismaila Abdulazeez (Foot Soldier) and Ibrahim Isah (Foot Soldier) paraded by the Department of State Service in Abuja. INSET: Dr. Yunus weeps after being paraded.

Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan.

OJUDE OBA 2013: Crown head'll always return home C M Y K

41

2 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

C M Y K

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013 — 3

,

4 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013 — 5

6—Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

POCKET CARTOON

NNPC FIRE TRUCK— From left: GMD NNPC. Dr. Andrew Yakubu; NNPC Fire Technician, Mrs. Yetunde Adelakun; Acting GED Engineering and Technology, Mr. Adebayo Ibirogba, cutting the tape to unveil newly acquired high grade fire truck, yesterday. Photo: Sunday Aghaeze.

DSS: Kogi varsity don recruits for Boko Haram Continues from page 1 Boko Haram sect and four other members as they were plotting to launch violent attacks in Igalaland, Kogi State.

The DSS which paraded the five suspected members of the terror group in Abuja, said the Spiritual Leader and Re-

cruitment Coordinator of the sect, Dr Muhammad Nazeef Yunus, was until his arrest, an assistant lecturer in the Department of Islamic Studies, Kogi State University, Ayingba in Kogi State. He was also said to be a key member of the Academic Staff Un-

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

W

HEN people are not aware of the blessings in their lives, they become ungrateful, and envy is a direct result from ingratitude —Ella Randle As a young girl growing up, I use to ponder on this African proverb which best illustrates the principle of non-interference- “one man’s meat another’s poison”. Of course the interpretation of this proverbial saying for me comes with more deep understanding and perspectives in maturity and in my every day dealings with others. Sometimes, people will want to impose their way of thinking on others, a person finds a new faith and he/she believes that everyone should abide by their new found beliefs, another may have found a new way of doing business and so he imposes these ideas on others through his influence, and often on family members and close associates, and if they don’t comply, they will be subjected to ridicule, subtle insults and even indifference.

People who do these kinds of things are just power hungry people they may appear meek and calm until you really find out who they are, they live by the principle, “my will or nothing else” and often will disguise these attitudes in subtle ways to make a person comply to their whims and when this fails, the true power of control is unleashed on the individuals who allow themselves to be victims.

It is easy to recognise these traits which are often hidden, but like a smoke cannot be hidden from the burning flame; so is anger, gossip, envy undue attachment to material things and an intense desire to interfere in others people’s private lives. Everyone has a calling and the best we can be is to excel at ours and focus on our own journey to excellence and be of assistance to others too.

ion of Universities, ASUU currently in a face-off with the Federal Government.

The DSS said the don taught Arabic and Islamic Studies at the university.

Other alleged members of the sect paraded were Umar Musa, Head of Operations/Instructor; Munzir Mustapha Yusuf, a.k.a Habib, Armourer/Chief courier; Ismail Abdulazeez, foot soldier and Ibrahim Isa, a.k.a ‘One in town’ another foot soldier.

The Deputy Director, Public Relations, Department of State Service, Marilyn Ogar, who paraded the suspected Boko Haram members said their plot was botched when two members of the sect who were on their way to Borno State for training in weapons handling were arrested at Zuba, on the outskirts of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja.

According to Ogar, “the determination of security forces to rid Nigeria of all acts of terror has continued to yield favourable results as this Service uncovered a Boko Haram cell in Kogi State.

All the paraded suspects, apart from the varsity lecturer, took time to explain to the media the level of their

involvement in the Boko Haram insurgency and the plan to attack Igala.

Dr. Yunus feigned ignorance of the planned attacks. One of the suspects said he joined the group in May and was employed by the sect on a salary of N50,000 per month.

The lecturer insisted that his involvement was a frame-up. He said: “My Islamic preaching had always been against the activities of the Boko Haram sects, but I was shocked when the other suspects insisted that I was a member and the one that recruited them into the sect. I have never been a member of Boko Haram for one minute in my life, I even preach against them,” he said.

One of the suspects, Mustapha Yusuf who was allegedly trained at Sambisa camp in Maiduguri, Borno State said “the university lecturer appointed me as the armourer and chief courier of the group and handed two AK-47 rifles with 30 rounds of live ammunition to me for safe keeping after I returned to Kogi State shortly after military invasion of our camp in Borno State”.

The other two foot soldiers also confessed that Dr. Yunus indoctrinated them into the Boko Haram sect by preaching to them when they approached him to help

them secure admission into the Kogi State University, Ayingba.

The DSS spokeswoman in her briefing then enjoined all Nigerians to be vigilant. She said: “We want to enjoin all Nigerians to be vigilant and continue to cooperate with security agencies through the provision of useful information of suspicious activities within their immediate environment.

The war on terror is still on. This Service in collaboration with other se-

curity agencies will not rest on their oars until we rid our society of all criminality. We must all remember that we are not terrorists, we are Nigerians.” Ogar urged parents who send their children for Islamic teaching after school, to be very careful of the people they choose as their teachers.

She said they should take time to investigate the teachings so as to ensure that their children were not being taught what the parents did not practice.

ANAMBRA 2013: INEC holds audit meeting today

BY OKEY NDIRIBE

A

BUJA—AS the con troversy trailing last Saturday’s governorship elections in Anambra State rages, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will today in Abuja hold a meeting to evaluate the conduct of the polls.

This was confirmed yesterday by Mr Kayode Idowu, the Chief Press Secretary to Chairman of the Commission Prof.

Attahiru Jega.

Among those expected at today’s meeting include the Resident Electoral Commissioner for the State Prof.

Chukwuemeka Onukaogu and the Chief Returning Officer for the polls Prof. James Epoke.

It was gathered that today’s meeting would precede that of INEC Commissioners scheduled to hold next week to fix a date for conduct of fresh elections in local government areas where elections were cancelled last Saturday.

It was learnt that no decision could be taken on the date for the rescheduled elections un-

til officials who conducted last Saturday’s polls are debriefed by the leadership of the Commission.

It would be recalled that INEC had last Monday declared the election inconclusive after cancelling the exercise in 208 units due to electoral irregularities. The Commission had also released some of the results of the poll which gave the candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) Chief Willie Obiano an edge.

In the election result released by INEC, Obiano led with 174,710 votes. The Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Mr. Tony Nwoye, came second with 94,956 votes while the All Progressives Congress candidate, Dr. Chris Ngige, was third with 92,300 votes.

The Labour Party candidate, Ifeanyi Ubah, came fourth with 37,446 votes and the Progressives Peoples Alliance candidate, Mr. Godwin Ezeemo, was fifth with 5,056 votes.

The total valid votes cast in the election were 413,005.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013—7

Man remanded over N7.5m robbery

BY ONOZURE DANIA

L

AGOS — A 37-yearold man, Adedeji Adewale, has been remanded in Kirikiri prison custody pending when he is able to perfect his bail conditions by a Lagos Magistrate Court sitting in Ikeja, over alleged robbery of N7.5 million.

The defendant, who was, yesterday, docked before Magistrate Abimbola Komolafe, is facing a three-count charge bordering on conspiracy, robbery and unlawful possession.

The prosecutor, Iranus Nnamonu, said the defendant and others at large committed the alleged offences on August 23, 2013 at about 1pm on LagosIbadan Expressway.

He told the court that the defendant robbed one Izuegbu Jacob of one industrial embroidery machine worth N7,500,000.

Gunmen abduct 78-yr-old father of Bayelsa Commissioner

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

Y

ENAGOA — THE peace of Akassa community in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State was violated in the early hours of yesterday by gunmen who kidnapped the father of the state Commissioner for Tourism Development, Chief Nelson Belief.

The victim, Uroh Nelson Tempurah, 78, was seized from his country home at Minibeleu, Akassa at about 2.56 am, yesterday.

A community source told Vanguard that the gunmen came into the coastal community situated on the Atlantic fringe through the Long Creek from River Nun by the abandoned United African Company, UAC, complex in the area.

They were said to have fired sporadically into the air on berthing at the community waterfront to instill fear in the natives before heading to their victim’s home.

The invaders on getting to the residence of the septuagenarian were said to have forced their way inside the building by breaking the ceiling as they could not gain access due to the highly fortified doors and windows in the house.

They were said to have ab-

ducted their victim at gunpoint and dragged him to their waiting speedboat after seizing the mobile phones of members of his household before disappearing into the creek.

The state commissioner, who confirmed the development, said

A

KURE — DETECTIVES in Ondo State have detained a primary school teacher, Alade Adebayo, for allegedly flogging a four-year-old female pupil, Elizabeth Wanogha, to death.

The deceased was a student of a private primary school, Falaye Memorial Nursery and Primary School, located at Fanibi area in Akure metropolis.

The teacher, according to report, accused the deceased of being stubborn in the class. He was said to have beaten the girl to a state of coma.

Cries from other pupils in the class reportedly attracted other teachers who rushed to the scene where they found that the girl had fainted.

She was said to have been rushed to a private hospital and was admitted but reportedly died later.

Police authorities, however, said that the pupil died two weeks after the beating by the suspect.

The father of the deceased, Mr Wanogha lodged a complaint at the Fanibi Police station, alleging that his daughter died as a result of the injuries sustained from the severe beating by her teacher.

Following the complaint, the teacher was arrested for interrogation.

Contacted, the Police image maker,

fortified doors and windows.

Contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Alex Akhigbe, confirmed the kidnap, saying the command has directed the anti-kidnapping squad to ensure his rescue and arrest of the kidnappers.

Suspected kidnappers of a seven-year-old boy Amar Baba who died in their custody while asking for N500,000 as paraded by the Kaduna State Police Command, Tuesday. Photo: Olu Ajayi.

Teacher allegedly beats 4-yr-old pupil to death in Ondo

BY DAYO JOHNSON

though the kidnappers had not made contact with the family, “my brother, it is sad that an aged and peaceful man will be abducted.”

He said the kidnappers gained access to his father’s house after breaking the ceiling since they could not pass through the highly

Wole Ogodo, confirmed that the teacher had been arrested.

Ogodo however said that people should not jump into conclusion that it was the beating which took place about two weeks earlier that led to the death of the pupil.

He pointed out that the autopsy will determine the cause of the pupil’s death.

Ogodo said that the suspect is being quizzed at the state Criminal Investigative Department, SCID. He explained further that the deceased was hospitalised immediately after the beating but died two weeks later.

Ogodo said that investigation into the death of the pupil continues, adding that the findings will be made public.

The father of the deceased pupil insisted that the teacher should be prosecuted for murder.

Mr Wanogho who lives at Adebowale street Fanibi vowed that the matter would be pursued to a logical conclusion to serve as deterrent to wicked teachers who vent their anger on innocent pupils put in their care.

He appealed to NGOs to take the matter up by ensuring that it was not swept under the carpet.

The proprietor of the school declined comment on the incident.

8—Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

FEC celebrates Jonathan at 56

ARRIVAL: From left— Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, A m b a s s a d o r Dalhatu Tafida; Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, Dr. N u r u d e e n Mohammed, and President Goodluck Jonathan, at the President's arrival in London, yesterday.

A

BUJA— THE Federal Executive Council, FEC, yesterday, rejoiced with President Goodluck Jonathan as he clocked 56 years.

The brief ceremony, which held before the commencement of FEC’s weekly meeting, was presided over by Vice-President Namadi Sambo.

It was held in the absence of the President, who had left for London to preside over a threeday meeting of Honorary International Investors’ Council, HIIC. In a brief remark, Sambo described Jonathan as “a gift to the nation” and hailed his leadership style and commitments to transforming Nigeria.

He said: “We are privileged Nigerians sharing from the grace of God upon his life.

There is no doubt that the great destiny of this man has helped our individual destiny.”

... approves $100m loan for power projects in 3 states

A

BUJA— THE Federal Executive Council, FEC, yesterday, approved a loan of 100 million dollars (about N15.7 billion) from Indian Import Export Bank to boost power supply in three states.

Dr. Yerima Ngama, Minister of State for Finance, disclosed this after the council meeting presided over by Vice President Namadi Sambo.

Ngama said that the loan, to be taken by the Federal Government, would be lent to Cross River, Enugu and Kaduna states.

Ngama said that 30 million dollars would be lent to Cross River for the development of the Calabar Independent Power Project; Enugu State, 40 million dollars for the electrification of 96 communities, while Kaduna State gets 30 million dollars.

PDP tackles Baraje, Oyinlola, Jaja, others afresh zSummons them to appear before party disciplinary committee zIt's an illegal committee, says Oyinlola, vows not to appear

BY HENRY UMORU

A

BUJA— THE national leadership of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday, summoned erstwhile national secretary, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, to appear before the Alhaji Umaru Dikko-led Disciplinary Committee next Wednesday.

Oyinlola was, penultimate Wednesday, re-instated as National Secretary of the party through a judgment by an Appeal Court sitting in Abuja.

Also to appear before the committee are chairman of the splinter group of the party, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje; the group’s Deputy Chairman, Dr. Sam Sam Jaja; and National Vice-Chairman of the party, North-West, Ambassador Ibrahim Kazaure.

It will be recalled that Oyinlola was suspended last week alongside Alhaji Baraje, Dr. Jaja and Ambassador Kazaure by the Bamanga Tukur-led National Working Committee, NWC. According to a statement by the Disciplinary Committee secretary who is also the party's deputy National Secretary, Onwe Solomon Onwe, the affected persons will appear on Wednesday, November 27, at the PDP Presidential Cam-paign Office, Legacy House, Maitama, Abuja by 12 noon.

The Disciplinary Committee in the statement said: “The National Disciplinary Committee of our great party has received from the National Working Committee cases of anti-party activities against the following: Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje; Dr. Sam Sam Jaja; Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Ambassador Ibrahim Kazaure.

‘Crimes’

“The alleged grounds are: On August 31, 2013 at the Special National Convention of the party at the Eagle Square, Abuja, the above mentioned persons and others staged a walk-out in a manner contrary to Section 58 (1) (b) (g) and (h) of the Constitution; “On September 2, 2013, Alhaji Kawu Baraje, Dr. Sam Sam Jaja and Prince Olagun-soye Oyinlola filed suit No. ID/704/ 2013 against the legitimate party leadership at the High Court of Lagos State without first pursuing the internal remedies of the party contrary to Section 58(1) (L) of the Constitution; “Since August 31, 2013, the persons mentioned above have granted interviews and made statements in the print and electronic media not only disparaging the National Chairman and other national leaders of the party, but also unduly publicising disputes/ differences within the party, even in the face of the great restraint demonstrated by the National Chairman and other national leaders against whom their calumny is targeted; this, clearly, contravenes Section 58(1) (i) of the Constitution; “On September 1 and 23, 2013, Prince Olagunsoye Oyin-lola wrote two letters to INEC requesting the Commission to recognise the persons above mentioned as the National Working Committee of the party, even in the face of the National Convention held March 24, 2012 and August 31, 2013.

“This, also clearly, contravenes Section 58(1)(b) (h)(i) and (j) of the Constitution of the Party; “Since August 31, 2013, the above mentioned persons have

consistently maintained that they are of the “New PDP (nPDP), thereby promoting factionalisation of the party, and in doing so, recruiting to their ranks members of the party in the National Assembly contrary to Section 58(1)(b)(i) and (j) of the Constitution.

Summons

“In keeping with Section 57(4) of the Peoples Democratic Party Constitution, the National Disciplinary Committee has since informed the affected persons of the allegations.

“They are invited to present their own side of the issues before the National Discipli-nary Committee. The affected persons may wish to present their cases orally or in writing either in person or through a counsel of their choice. They may also wish to call witnesses.”

The party's Disciplinary Committee, headed by Second Republic Minister of Transport, Dr. Umaru Dikko, has former Minister of Transport, Chief Ebenezer Babatope as Deputy, with former Deputy National Chairman of PDP, Alhaji Shuaibu Oyedokun; Hajia Nana Aisha Kadiri; Publisher of Champion Newspapers, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu; Mr. Hussaini Duraki Kazaer as members.

PDP Deputy National Secretary, Onwe Solomon Onwe, will serve as secretary.

Oyinlola reacts

Meanwhile, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola said, yesterday, that he will not appear before the Dikko-led committee.

He argued that he was not aware of the composition of any Disciplinary Committee by the party against the backdrop that constitutionally, a

committee of such must be ratified by the National Executive Committee, NEC, of the party, just as he vowed that his persecutors will fail.

Oyinlola said: “I wish to reassert that I will never compromise illegalities and destructive tendencies that border on the culture of impunity, tyranny and oppression, which could be interpreted as the hallmark of dictatorship.”

In a statement by his aide, Femi Adelegan yesterday, Oyinlola said: “Prince Oyinlola is conscious of the provisions of the PDP constitution which states without any equivocation that ‘nominations to membership of the Disciplinary Committee at the national level shall be ratified by the National Executive Council of PDP’.

“In effect, Oyinlola, as a law abiding member of PDP is not aware of the composition of any disciplinary panel that is not ratified or known to the National Executive Committee of PDP. “This reaction, itself is being made out of courtesy to the media and it is right to be informed as Oyinlola has not received any correspondence from any quarters and would not honour any invitation from any illegal body since that would amount to violating the constitution of the party.

“As individuals and elders, the PDP National Secretary has great respect for members of the NWC committee.

“It is important to stress that the first meeting of NEC of PDP, which is statutorily expected to be a quarterly affair, deliberated on the composition of NEC, but never agreed on its membership at the meeting.”

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013—9

36 govs, ICPC, EFCC urge court to dismiss suit against ‘Security Votes’

Finance Minister to present 2014 budget

zDescribe plaintiff as busy-body

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

A

BUJA— GOVERNORS of the 36 states of the Federation, yesterday, asked the Federal High Court in Abuja, to forthwith, dismiss the suit seeking to stop them from further appropriating funds from the statutory allocation on the label of ‘Security-Votes.’

The governors, in separate preliminary objections, maintained that the court lacks the jurisdiction to move against them on the basis of a suit they termed “frivolous and highly vexatious,” saying the plaintiff is a “busy-body.”

Consequently, they unanimously urged the court to not only hands-off the matter, but to also declare the plaintiff as a “meddlesome interloper ” and dismiss the suit with substantial cost.

Similarly, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, yesterday, separately urged the court to terminate further hearing on the matter.

from the statutory allocation made from the Federation Account to each or any of the states of the federation or the Federal Capital Territory under the guise of “Security Vote.”

He urged the court to determine whether the policy of security vote is recognised either by the 1999 Constitution or any other law for the time being in force in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

It read: “Whether by section 205(d) of the 1999 Constitution, the criminal deductions so made by the defendants are not fraudulent, illegal, void and unconstitutional and whether the 1st to 37th defendants are

not to that extent in breach of their oath of office for bare violation of the constitution; “Whether by the effects of Section 39 of the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007, the ICPC Act 2003 and the EFCC Act 2004, the 38th and 39th defendants cannot be compelled to commence the investigation of these illegal, fraudulent and unconstitutional deductions with a view to recovering such misappropriated monies to the Federation Account or such other accounts as the National Assembly may, by simple resolution, direct.”

In an affidavit he deposed before the court, the plaintiff argued that “the illegal ways

and manners these monies are deducted and misappropriated by the governors, including the Minister of FCT, amount to gross abuse of office.

He said: “I verily believe that the 38th and 39th defendants (EFCC and ICPC) are statutorily enamoured with powers to investigate the 1st to 37th defendants for these sordid and fraudulent acts.

“I verily believe that this court can compel the 38th and 39th defendants to prosecute the 1st to 37th defendants once their immunity expire upon leaving office at the end of their term or removal from office whichever comes earlier.”

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU & JOSEPH ERUNKE

A

BUJA— THERE are indications that President Goodluck Jonathan may delegate the Minister of Finance and Co-ordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to present the 2014 budget proposals to the joint session of the National Assembly to avoid any u n p l e a s a n t development from the lawmakers.

Meantime, Senate President, David Mark, yesterday constituted a six-man Harmonisation Committee to liaise with the House of Representatives to reconcile the differences in the oil benchmark for the 2014 budget estimate to make way for its presentation.

The committee, which is chaired by former governor of Kaduna State, Senator Ahmed Makarfi has the Chairman, Senate Committee on Rules and Business, Ita Enang; Chairman, Senate Committee on Information, Media and Public Affairs, Enyinnaya Abaribe; Senators Smart Adeyemi, Bello Tukur and Ayo Akinyelure as members.

President Jonathan was billed to present the budget last Tuesday but the presentation could not hold, following alleged political intrigues and intra-cuminter party squabbles.

‘Verdict not ready'

Although Justice Adamu Bello had earlier slated yesterday to deliver judgment on the suit, he, however, said the verdict was not yet ready and directed parties to readopt their briefs of argument, noting that in line with the rules of the court, the 90-day period within which the judgment should be delivered, had already elapsed.

Justice Bello, who informed all the parties that he will be bowing out of active judicial service on December 31, said he was determined to deliver the judgment before his retirement date.

Consequently, he adjourned the matter to December 23.

TRADE MISSION: From left— Second Deputy President, Iyalode Alaba Lawson; Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar, National President, both of Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, NACCIMA, and Nigerian Ambassador to Japan, Ambassador Godwin Agbo, at the Nigerian Embassy in Tokyo, during NACCIMA's trade mission to Japan.

FG says reforms have yielded result

BY OKEY NDIRIBE

The suit

It will be recalled that an Abuja-based constitutional lawyer, Chief Nkereuwem Dofia Akpan, had in the suit he filed since 2010, prayed the court to, among other things, determine whether by virtue of sections 16(2) and 120 of the 1999 Constitution Cap C 23, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, the 36 states governors, have the power, without lawful authority, to deduct monies

A

BUJA— THE Federal Government said, yesterday, that its reforms in critical institutions of governance were yielding positive results.

It cited the sectors that have witnessed transformation to include the electoral system, power, agriculture and the ports. Others include rail transport, pensions and the rule of law.

This was disclosed by the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms, Dr. Joe Abah, at the inauguration of the 24-man steering committee on Public Service Reforms by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Anyim Pius Anyim.

Abah said that in the transport sector, trains were back and for the first time in 30 years, 30,000 passengers had been moved in two months.

He said over 200

communities were now connected by rail, while one million litres of fuel are now being moved daily by rail.

Abah further stated that the reforms had resulted in airports being refurbished for the first time in decades; NAFDAC laboratories getting accredited in line with the highest international standards and improved stability of electricity supply in the country.

He further stated that fertilizer fraud had been

drastically reduced and more than 1,664 kilometres key roads rehabilitated.

Abah, who is also the secretary of the committee, said the mandate of the committee includes providing technical leadership for reforms at the level of planning, design and implementation; initiating action on reform at different levels; monitoring, evaluating and implementing of the reforms for impact and effectiveness among others.

10—Vanguard, THURSSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

Gbajabiamila faults FG on SWF

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

T

HE MINORITY Leader of Federal House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila has said the Federal Government lacked power to compel other governments of the federation to contribute to the Sovereign Wealth Fund, SWF. The lawmaker, representing Surulere Federal Constituency I, under the platform of All Progressives Congress, APC, also alleged conflict of interest in the appointment of foreign finance partner managing the fund.

He argued that rather than appointing foreign finance companies to manage the fund, the indigenous investment or commercial banks should have been considered to operate the fund.

Gbajabiamila, speaking in Lagos, expressed his displeasure at the provision of the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority, NSIA, that compelled the states and local authorities to contribute to the fund.

He stated: "It is a provision in the Sovereign Wealth Fund that compels states to contribute to the fund that we have problem with.

"You cannot compel a state in a true federal system to pay onto the Federal Government operated fund."

Women protesting last Saturday's inconclusive Anambra gubernatorial election, in Awka.

N130m fraud: Court stays action on ex-deputy gov, Ojikutu's trial L

AGOS — A Federal High Court in Lagos, yesterday, ordered stay of proceedings in the N130 million fraud charge preferred against a former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Sinatu Ojikutu.

Ojikutu was charged with conspiracy, fraud and stealing.

Justice Mohammed Yunusa

made the order while ruling on a preliminary objection filed by Ojikutu's Counsel, Mr. Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN), challenging the competence of the suit.

Ayorinde had faulted the institution of the suit, saying that a similar suit was pending before a Lagos High Court.

He urged the Federal High

PHCN: Labour compiles lists of sacked workers without severance pay

BY VICTOR AHIUMA YOUNG

ORGANISED LABOUR in the nation's power sector will soon publish names of workers of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN,

sacked without being paid their severance benefits by the Federal Government.

Reliable sources told Vanguard, yesterday, that at the expiration of November 15 deadline promised by the Federal Government to pay all

N4.7 bn money laundering: Ladoja urges court to quash case

BY BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

T

HE COURT of Appeal, Lagos, yesterday, fixed January 15, 2014 for hearing of the appeal filed by former Oyo State Governor, Rasheed Ladoja, asking the court to quash the N4.7 billion money laundering charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. Challenging the competence of EFCC's charges, Ladoja through his counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), contended that the proof of evidence placed before the lower court by the antigraft agency had no nexus with the charge against him, and did not disclose any prima facie case against him.

He asked the court for a declaration that the EFCC had no power, jurisdiction or

Court to dismiss the suit before it.

Yunusa held: “In the suit No. FHC/L/CS/343C/2013, there is no physical presence of the accused in question; no charge has been read, and no plea taken.

“Counsel to the accused has exhibited sufficient records of court to show that there exists a subsisting order of a Lagos High

authority to prefer any criminal charge against him, and raised an objection to the charge on the grounds that the charge levied against him were vague and did not link him with the commission of any crime to warrant his arraignment.

The appellate court, presided over by Justice Sidi Bage informed Ladoja's counsel that hearing of the appeal would place more pressure on the court, saying that the court was confronted with too much workload and that each justice had more than 10 judgements to write hence could not take arguments on the appeal.

Justice Bage pointed out that the appeal being a criminal matter would require that judgement must be delivered within specific date.

EFCC had arraigned Ladoja before Justice Ramat Mohammed

of a Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos in November 2008 alongside one of his former aides, Chief Waheed Akanbi, on an amended 10 count charge of money laundering to the tune of N4.7 billion.

The duo were said to have conspired to convert property and resources derived from an illegal act, with the aim of concealing the illicit origin of the property and resources.

It was alleged that Ladoja used about N42 million to purchase an Armoured Land Cruiser Jeep, and remitted about 600,000.00 pounds to one Bimpe Ladoja in London.

But, the accused pleaded not guilty to the charge and were admitted to bail.

Counsel to EFCC, Festus Keyamo commended the justices for the efforts they put in to attend to the cases filed before them.

workers of the defunct PHCN their severance benefits, labour under the aegis National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, commenced the compilation of affected workers in Lagos, on Monday.

A labour leader who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed Vanguard's report that at least 7,000 ex-workers have not been paid a dime.

According to him: "Preliminary data gathered across the country, points to not less than 7,000 workers that have not been paid a dime. In the same vein, about 30,000 were partly paid their severance benefits."

Confirming the development, General Secretary of NUEE, Mr. Joe Ajaero said though the ultimatum issued to government over the matter including sack of union leaders expired last Friday, the union was giving the government the benefit of doubt as the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Power was said to be out of the country and expected back before the end of the week.

Court restraining parties from taking steps which will be inimical to the determination of the suit.

“I am aware that time does not run against criminal trial; so, the complainant should have waited for a full determination of the civil suit before instituting this suit.

“It will amount to judicial rascality for me to entertain this suit because a judge has no powers to reverse the decision of a judge of concurrent jurisdiction.

“It is in this regard that I hereby order the stay of this suit in line with the enrolled order of a Lagos High Court dated Aug. 12, 2013."

Ojikutu was on September 20 charged alongside her son, Simpson, with obtaining N130 million from Mr. Cajetan Okekearu under false pretences of selling a plot of land to him at Lekki Phase 1, Victoria Island, Lagos.

On October 31, the prosecution counsel, Mr. Bukola Durojaiye, filed an amended charge, removing Simpson from the suit.

The alleged offences contravened Section 1(a) (iii) and 8 (a) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, Cap. A6, Laws of the Federation, 2004.

They also contravene Section 390 (9) of the Criminal Code, Act, Cap. C38, Vol. 10, Laws of the Federation, 2010.

LOSS OF DOCUMENT I, Mrs. F. A. Lawal of A Close, Block 11, Flat 30, Festac Town, Lagos, hereby inform the Federal Housing Authority and general public that the allocation letter and receipt of payment issued to me in respect of a KIOSK lying at 22 Road, A Close is missing.

All efforts made to recover it proved abortive.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013—11

Anambra poll: Police arraign 183 Osun suspects in court zGrantedN50,000 bail each

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

O

WERRI — THE 183 persons from Osun State arrested last Thursday by Imo State Police Command for alleged unlawful assembly and other electoral offences, were again arraigned, yesterday, before an Owerri Magistrate’s Court.

The first drama that unfolded, was the appearance of two lawyers - one each from the office of the State Director of Public Prosecution, DPP, Mr. Nnamdi Akobundu and the Deputy Director, Legal Services, Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Mr. Emmanuel Ogbodu.

Opposing the appearance of the State DPP in the matter, Ogbodu hinged his stand on Section 211 (3) of the Constitution and Section 150 of the Electoral Act. “Section 150 of the Electoral Act specifically empowered INEC to prosecute all electoral offences.

The offences contained in the charge are federal offences. The State DPP does not therefore, have any business to prosecute the matter for INEC,” Ogbodu said.

Continuing, the INEC lawyer told the court: “In view of the enormity of the offences, we would

not like the DPP to be part of the prosecution.”

However, the accused were granted bail in the sum of N50,000 each and two sureties in like sum..

Responding, the DPP told the court that the first three charges

were drawn from the state laws, while the last two were electoral offences.

“If we go by the democratic principles which INEC represents, we are in the majority, especially as we have three in our favour and two for INEC,”

Akobundu said.

In his own submission, counsel to the accused persons, Chief Uche Onyeagucha, pleaded with the court to settle the issue of the prosecution so that the matter could go on unhindered.

After this initial legal battle,

COMMISSIONING: From left, Operations Director, Mr. Francisco Toso; Project Manager, Mr. Seye Bamigbaiye, both of British-American Tobacco Nigeria, BATN; Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, Area Director, Mr. Keith Gretton; Corporate and Regulatory Affairs Director, Mr. Treddy Messanvi, and Human Resources Manager, Mrs. Jumoke Fagbemi, all of BATN, during the commissioning of the Recreation Centre at the BATN factory on Lagos/Ibadan Road, Toll Gate, Ibadan.

Photo: Shola Oyelese

Gunmen kidnap industrialist, Yinka Oba, kill driver in Ilesa

BY GBENGA OLARINOYE

O

SOGBO — AN Ilesha based industrialist, Dr Olayinka Obaleye popularly known as Yinka Oba, was on Tuesday night kidnapped by yetto-be identified gunmen at the front of her company, killing her driver on the spot.

It was gathered that the septuagenarian woman had finished the day’s work at her company at Ilo, Ijebu-Jesa Road in Obokun Local Government Area of Osun State and was about leaving the premises when some fiercely-looking men of the underworld blocked her vehicle and whisked her away.

The source said the suspected

kidnappers in the process of carrying out their dastardly act around 7p.m. were said to have shot and killed Obaleye’s driver whose name could not be ascertained at the time of this report.

Obaleye, the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Yinka Oba Foam Nigeria Limited, a family company that deals in production of foams was given a national honour by President Goodluck Jonathan last year.

Meanwhile, investigations showed that upon Obaleye’s abduction, workers at the company had deserted the industry except two security men who were sighted manning the company’s gate.

It could be recalled that a gang of kidnappers had on August 5, last year successfully abducted a popular business mogul, Mr. Idowu Obembe, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Nobility Stores in Ilesa, Osun State in a similar circumstance.

But Obeme, popularly known

as Nobility, which is the name of his firm that deals with supply of drinks was not lucky as his corpse was found months later in a thick forest suspected to be his kidnappers’ den even when his abductors had collected undisclosed ransom from his family.

Diya, 7 other Ogun ex-govs hail Amosun

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

T

HE strides of the Senator Ibikunle Amosun administration in Ogun State have been lauded by eight past

military administrators as well as some eminent indigenes of the state.

General Oladipo Diya (rtd), who was also a one time chief of general staff, Oladayo Popoola,

PUBLIC NOTICE

THE HOLY TEMPLE OF ZION CHURCH This is to inform the general public that the above named church has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja for registration under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act No. 1, 1990.

The Trustees Are: 1. Pastor Effiong Inyang Otong -General Overseer 2. Randy Etim Akpanobong -Secretary 3. Elder Paschal Paul Ikart -Member 4. Inyang Okon Effiom -Member 5. Mercy John Nkannang -Member 6. Atim Effiong Inyang -Member Aims And Objectives: 1. To preach the gospel of Jesus Christ 2. To help the poor and needy 3. To deliver the Oppressed from satanic bondage.

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the RegistrarGeneral, Corporate Affairs Commission P. M. B. 148, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, off Ayuiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Signed: PASTOR EFFIONG INYANG OTONG

Seidu Balogun, Daniel Akintonde, K a y o d e Olofinmoyin, Rasheed Raji, Deinde Joseph and Ekundayo Opaleye are the former administrators, who together with former Judge, International Court of Justice, Prince Bola Ajibola and politician, Chief Ayo Adebanjo agreed that Amosun’s reforms have resulted in dramatic change of the state.

Man, 68, in court for disrespecting magistrate

O

SOGBO — THE police in Osun, yesterday, arraigned a 68 year old man, Aminu Olawale, before an Osogbo Magistrate’s court for disrespecting the court.

The prosecutor, Police Inspector Adebayo Joshua said the accused arraigned with a different case No. Mos/ 8c/2013 on land matters, refused to answer to his case when it was called on by the clerk of the court.

“The accused disrespected the supremacy of the court by not answering to his charge which is contemptuous in nature.”

The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to him.

The Magistrate, Mr Olusola Aluko, granted bail to the accused in the sum of N50,000 with two sureties in like sum.

The magistrate adjourned the case to Jan. 15 for mention.

Oni flays Kashamu over comments

F

O R M E R GOVERNOR of Ekiti State, Chief Segun Oni has described as shameless, claim by controversial businessman and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, stalwart in Ogun State, Mr. Buruji Kashamu, that he (Oni) was among those behind the media reports on the last Monday’s Appeal Court judgment, vacating an order of perpetual injunction granted by Justice Okechukwu Okeke (rtd) of the Federal High Court on his drug charges in the U.S. Kashamu had said that he had information that former Deputy National Chairman of the PDP,Chief Bode George was at the head of those bent on blackmailing him for cheap political gains and that he (Bode George) was being assisted by Oyinlola and Oni.

C M Y K

12—Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

JTF bars soldiers from escort duty to oil firms in N-Delta creeks

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

Y

ENAGOA—THE Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta code named Operation Pulo Shield, yesterday, announced a partial ban on the deployment of soldiers on escort duty for staff and cargoes of oil multinationals in the creeks of the region.

According to the JTF, the partial ban would be lifted if the oil multinationals agreed to the use of gun boats on the escort duty as a counter measure against the rising attacks on military personnel on escort duty by sea pirates in the region.

The Chief of Training and Operations, Defence Headquarters, Major-General Paul Isang, disclosed this in Yenagoa during an assessment tour of the special security outfit.

He said the decision that informed the partial ban was to checkmate the use of speed boats to convey military personnel on escort duty and reduce cases of loss of lives of JTF personnel.

Isang noted that the decision by the JTF, which was endorsed by the Defence Headquarters, would enhance safety and security for the military personnel as well as the staff of the oil multinationals.

Major-General Isang, who earlier visited the Bayelsa State Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral John Jonah (rtd), commended the state government for the new partnership and support for the joint military operations of the JTF. He said the assessment tour to the JTF headquarters was a quarterly assessment visit to evaluate security missions

outside the Defence Headquarters.

He said: “The visit also allows the Defence Headquarters to make projections for the coming year, 2014.”

In his remarks, the Deputy Governor said though the security of the creeks and waterways was tedious and a major challenge to the JTF, the successes recorded were

c o m m e n d a b l e .

Jonah noted that the cooperation between the state government and the men of the JTF led to a new security policy that brought about existing peace in the state, saying, “We are aware of the challenges facing the soldiers. The issue of boats, vehicle and personnel is a challenge.”

INSPECTION: Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State (middle) expressing displeasure at the dumping of refuse at the Mission Road walk way during his inspection of ongoing rehabilitation of roads in Benin City, yesterday.

Delta Internal Revenue Board seeks synergy with govt to enforce tax laws

BY JACOB AJOM

P

URSUANT to its revenue generation drive, the Delta State Board of Internal Revenue, DBIR, is seeking robust synergy with the State Judiciary, Legislature and Executive arms of government to enforce the State tax laws.

This came as the Chairman of the board, Joel OnowakpoThomas yesterday in Asaba, said companies domiciled in the state were indebted to the state government in excess of N20 billion.

To enforce the state tax laws, Onowakpo, who spoke during a stakeholders meeting/training workshop organized by the Board in partnership with the State Ministry of Justice for revenue court judges in the state, appealed to the state judiciary to collaborate with it in enforcing the laws.

While asking for speedy prosecutions of tax cases at the various revenue courts in the state as part of parameters in enhancing the state Internally Generated Revenues, IGR,

Onowakpo prayed the judiciary to always accord tax cases the needed attention.

He said: “The essence of this workshop is to highlight ways the three arms of government, particularly the Judiciary, will support the DBIR in generating revenue for the state in order to enhance the ‘Delta Beyond Oil’ initiative of the Uduaghan administration” Earlier, the Attorney Gener-

al of the state and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Charles Ajuyah (SAN), assured the board of the ministry’s preparedness to collaborate with it in its efforts to drive the Delta Beyond Oil initiative and thus generate more revenue for the state.

Delivering a paper titled, “The Revenue Court and Delta State Economy,” Ajuyah said: “In this paper, I have

highlighted the fact that the theme of this seminar is apt to judges of revenue courts, rekindle your mindset to see yourselves as social engineers, and examine the jurisdiction of the Revenue Court. The demands of the state are that you be a good quality judge and ensure that in applying the laws to the fact, the state does not lose its revenue to fraudsters or through delayed proceedings.”

Ignore fraud allegation against NDDC Ag MD —MUTU preliminary investigation by

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

P

ORT HARCOURT— CHAIRMAN of the House of Representatives AdHoc committee on the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC Nicholas Mutu, has called on Nigerians to ignore the allegation of fraud levelled against the Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Dr. Christy Atako.

A group, NDDC Contractors

Association, based in Calabar, Cross River State, had in a petition to President Goodluck Jonathan, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Independent and Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC, and the National Assembly, accused Dr. Atako of awarding contracts worth billions of naira illegally, to her family members and cronies.

Chairman of the House Committee, Hon Mutu said

his committee showed that those behind the petition were faceless, arguing that their allegations were devoid of substance.

He urged Dr Atako to continue with her good works, saying: “Our preliminary investigation shows that the petitioner is faceless and the petition is senseless. We want to appeal to the Acting MD to continue with the good works she is doing in the commission.”

Delta Assembly orders Water Board to reinstate staff

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

A

SABA—MEMBERS of Delta State House of Assembly have ordered the management of Delta State Urban Water Board to reinstate a staff of the Board, Mrs. Justina Okobia, who had been denied reinstatement since she returned from study leave, 22 years ago.

This was a resolution of the House following the consideration and adoption of the report of its Public Petitions Committee at yesterday ’s plenary.

Mrs. Okobia had petitioned the House through the member representing Uvwie constituency, Mr. Efe Ofobruku, praying the House to direct the Delta State Urban Water Board to allow her resume duty after returning from a study leave duly granted her by the Board.

Edo APC sets up interim c’ttee

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

B

ENIN—ALL Progressives Congress, APC, in Edo State, has set up an interim committee chaired by the former state Secretary of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Chief Osaro Idah.

Other members of the committee include Mr. Thomas Okosun (Organising Secretary), who was the former state chairman of ACN, Saliu Momoh, Secretary; Godwin Erhahon, Director of Publicity; and Theophilus Okoh, Treasurer.

The interim leadership will run the affairs of the party in the state for three months until a substantive Exco emerges.

The decision was made at a meeting of leaders of the party, including Governor Adams Oshiomhole and Chief Tom Ikimi, Monday.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013—13

Oshiomhole, Uzamere at loggerheads over NDDC appointment

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

B

ENIN—CRISIS is brewing between Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State and the senator representing Edo South senatorial district of the state, Senator Ehigie Uzamere, following the decision by the latter to submit to the Presidency, the name of Mr. Peter Enogieru as the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, nominee from Edo State without the consent of the governor.

Through the political machinery of the Governor Oshiomhole-led Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, now All Progressives Congress, APC, Uzamere was able to break the jinx in Edo South, by being the first Bini senator that won a second term.

Senators Rowland Owie and Daisy Danjuma served one term each.

Uzamere received Oshiomhole’s backing for a second term in the Senate, after the senator assisted in ensuring that the governor’s nominee for the NDDC job, Don Omorodion, was cleared by the Senate in 2009.

But as it seems, things have fallen apart between the duo.

Uzamere, Vanguard learnt, aggrieved with the leadership of the APC in the state in terms of political appointments for his supporters among other issues, decided to use his person-

al relationship with President Goodluck Jonathan to grab the NDDC position for his supporters. There are also indications that the APC senator will soon dump the party, and return to the PDP. Already, aggrieved stakeholders under the aegis of Coalition of Civil Society groups through their counsel, Barrister Matthew Edaghese, asserted that Senator Uzamere, who nominated Mr Enogieru, lacked the moral capacity to do so, arguing that they “are instituting moves for his recall.”

In a letter addressed to the President and signed by their counsel, Matthew Edaghese, the group called on the

President to reject Uzamere’s nominee.

But Uzamere recently told Vanguard that “the governor has the right to send NDDC nominees from the state but it is the prerogative of the President to pick. I have heard several rumours, some said I want to go to PDP, but I have not left APC. As a Senator of the Federal Republic I can send a name to the President for appointment, it is now the power of the President to decide the kind of job to give the person. And in this case that was what I did. People will just sit down and criticise when they don’t have the details. I still enjoy good relationship with my Governor”.

....As Uzamere allegedly plans to dump APC for PDP

BY GABRILE ENOGHOLASE

B

ENIN—THE Senator representing Edo South in the National Assembly, Senator Ehigie Uzamere, may have concluded plans to defect from All Progressives Congress, APC, to Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Vanguard has reliably gathered.

He is also said to have eyes on the governorship race come 2016 on the ticket of the PDP. It would be recalled that Senator Uzamere, who left the PDP for the Action Congress of Ni-

geria, ACN, in 2011 after cutting a deal that gave him a return ticket, to contest election for the Senate with the then ACN-led government, was said to have intimated senior members of Edo PDP of his decision to return ‘home’ and continued to distance himself from the activities of the APC in the state.

Even though he has not fully formalised his re-admission into the PDP, Uzamere, it was reliably gathered, has started lobbying the leadership of the PDP in Edo State.

Former IYC chairman, Lokpobiri arrested

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

Y

ENAGOA—SECURITY was yesterday beefed up around the Bayelsa State Police Command following the arrest of the former chairman of the Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, Central Zone, Mr. Jonathan Lokpobiri, over alleged impersonation and incitement of his loyalists against the state government.

The embattled Lokpobiri, brother to the senator representing Bayelsa West senatorial district, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, it was learnt, was invited by the Department of State Security, DSS, and handed over to the police.

Lokpobiri was one of the presidential candidates for the IYC election held on October 28 and also joined others to protest the conduct of the election.

He, however, declared himself the IYC President after the electoral body that conducted the election had declared Udengs Eradiri duly elected President of the body.

It was leant that the arrest of Lokpobiri triggered a protest and face-off between the police and his supporters at the Akenfa suburb of Yenagoa.

According to a security source, his supporters attacked the men that arrested him but were repelled.

This according to the source informed the high security presence around

the state police command and its adjoining roads.

Vanguard correspondent who visited the area noticed armoured personnel carriers and combat ready policemen stationed at the beginning and end of the road leading to the police headquarters.

The police, it was reliably learnt, are preparing to charge the youth leader to a magistrate court in the state.

Contacted the state police public relations officer, Mr. Alex Akhigbe, confirmed the arrest and said the arrest was based on his alleged false claim to the Presidency of the IYC and incitement of his supporters against the state government.

14—Vanguard , THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

Election: Police disperse protesting women with tear gas in Awka

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

A

W K A — SCORES of women from various parts of the state who protested, yesterday, over the conduct of Anambra governorship poll on Saturday, had a rough deal at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as they were dispersed with tear gas canisters by the police attached to the commission.

The women, who marched through some streets in Awka and ended up at INEC head office were calling for total cancellation of the election.

Some of them carried placards that read “Anambra not for sale,” “No election was conducted in Anambra,” and “We want fresh poll not supplementary poll.”

As the women ran for their dear lives, two of them fainted and they were helped out by their colleagues.

Their leader, Mrs. Tina Akonobi, said that they were at the commission’s office to “mourn for the disaster, destruction, doom, robbery and fraud that took place on the November 16.”

She said: “The election was a sham aimed at insulting the integrity, intelligence and intellectual ability of the people of the state and Nigeria in general.

“INEC brought a fraudulent register three days to election where they removed names of voters whose names start with the letter ‘O” like Okonkwo and Okeke at Idemili.

“They brought fraudulent people to conduct election here; it was a scam and destruction of a generation and Igboland.

“We are calling for the cancellation and resignation of Professor Attahiru Jega for the doom that is impending because this is what will happen in 2015.”

A retired school principal, Mrs. Efem Ifacy, said “we over trusted Jega and he has disappointed us.”

Reps okay extension of emergency in Adamawa, Yobe, Borno

BY DEMOLA AKINYEMI & LEVINUS NWABUGHIOGU

A

BUJA—THE request by President Goodluck Jonathan to extend the emergency rule declared in Adamawa, Yobe and Borno states in May this year by six months was, yesterday, approved by the House of Representatives.

The House gave its nod for the extension after a closed door meeting with the Service Chiefs.

The Senate had approved the same request by President Goodluck Jonathan about two weeks ago, even as the Chief of Air Staff, CAS, Air Marshal Alex Badeh, said that the emergency rule in the three states would not be restored until stability was achieved.

Badeh spoke in an interview with journalists in Ilorin, shortly after inspecting the hangar being constructed at Ilorin International Airport and the state-owned International Aviation College in Ilorin, noting that the current state of emergency would last longer than expected.

North East had not been achieved.

His words: ”The Armed Forces was created, basically to secure Nigerians and make sure that we have a stable civil government in place and to further ensure social well-being of every Nigerian.

“The state of emergency was declared on May 12 and it was supposed to be lifted by November 12, but we have not yet achieved the required level of stability we need in those areas, which eventually called for extension of the state of emergency. So, I do not know why people are complaining about the extension saying it has imposed hardship on them. ‘’Absolutely, they have lost

nothing by the extension.

People should stop deceiving Nigerians about the imposition of the state of emergency.’’

Warns politicians

He then warned politicians against making inflammatory comments on the issue, pointing out that the administrations of the affected state governments had not been disturbed in any way by the state of emergency.

“Government has not stopped their funding neither has it stopped anything being done in those areas. Rather, the action has only given us the latitude to arrest and detain without taking you to court within 48 hours and also to go

and look for the perpetrators of the evil acts in the areas since they have waged war against the Armed Forces,” he added.

Role of Air Force

On the role of the Air Force, Badeh said it was fully involved in security operations in all the states of the federation, adding that its involvement dated back to the period of joint task force in the Niger Delta.

He also said that,”Militancy was brought to an end mainly because the Air Force responded with force.

Before then, people were having their free ways. Right now in Jos, Maiduguri and other states in the North East region, we are fully involved.’’

House Leader’s motion

The Leader of the House, Mulikat Akande-Adeola moved a motion that the House should suspend its relevant rules to usher in the Service Chiefs, after which the members went into a closed door meeting with the military chiefs.

Resuming after about two hours, the Speaker said that having heard from the seniour military officers on the situation in the troubled zone, it was necessary to grant the request by the President.

Consequently, the Leader of the House was invited to move the motion for adoption.

While moving the motion, Adeola said that “recognising the efforts so far made by security agencies deployed to the affected areas in curtailing the activities of insurgents and some security challenges that still exist in some parts of the affected areas; the House of Representatives approve the extension of the proclamation of a state of emergency as contained in the Emergency Power (General) Regulations, 2013 effective in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states to remain in a further period of six months.”

The motion was later put to vote by the Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal and it received the nod of the majority of the members.

CAS on emergency rule

Meanwhile, speaking in Ilorin, the CAS noted that the current state of emergency may continue for a longer period than expected.

Badeh explained that the extension became necessary because, the required level of stability needed in most parts of

SERVICE OF SONGS: From left: Lilian Okpeki, daughter, Mrs. Judith Ufford, Vanguard Features Editor, daughter, and her mother, Mrs G. A. Okpeki, widow, during the service of songs for late Snr. Apostle General, James Minna Okpeki, at his Seriki Abbas Street residence, Ajao Estate, Lagos. Photo: Diran Oshe.

Suspected ritualists murder woman in Enugu

BY TONY EDIKE

E

NUGU—A middle aged woman identified as Miss Mabel Udaya has been murdered by persons suspected to be ritual killers at Okpo community in Igbo Eze North Local Government Area of Enugu State.

The incident which occurred last week has thrown the natives into fear just as the Catholic Women Organisation, CWO, in the area had been protesting against the bloody incident in the last few days.

Although details of the incident were scanty by press time, Vanguard learnt that the woman was abducted as she was going home from the market and taken to a nearby bush where she was

slaughtered.

According to sources, her private part, eyes and other vital organs were removed by her murderers.

It was learnt that the aggrieved natives of the town are pointing accusing fingers at one of the deceased’s relatives residing in Lagos who recently returned home but left home few hours after the incident happened under suspicious circumstances.

It was also learnt that the ritualists also attempted to murder another commercial motorcycle operator in the same village but he was said to have luckily escaped after a fight with members of the gang. ‘’They pushed the motorcyclist down while he

was on speed and tried to kill him but the man put up a brave fight and wounded one his attackers in the eye before escaping. Since that time, members of the CWO had been protesting to draw the attention of security agencies to the plight of the rural people in the area,’’ the sources said.

The women also called for thorough investigations into the murder of the woman who was described as peace-loving with a view to unmasking those behind the evil act.

Confirming the murder of the woman, yesterday, the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, said the case was currently being investigated by operatives from the homicide section of the state police command.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21 2013—15

I did good & bad things with Akhigbe — MARK

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU & JOSEPH ERUNKE

A

B U J A — S E N AT E President, David Mark, yesterday, recalled some of the actions he took with his late friend and colleague, former Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Mike Okhai Akhigbe, while they were in the Nigeria Defence Academy, NDA, and service in the military, saying some were good while others were bad.

Mark said the late Akhigbe was “an officer and a gentleman because throughout his military career, he always had this disposition of being very benevolent, understanding, attentive and he could listen for a very long time” even as he said he rebuffed his advances while in the NDA to make him join the Nigerian Navy against his choice of Nigerian Army.

“When eventually we all graduated, we did so many things together.

Good things and bad things but more of the good things than the bad things. Some of them are legacies that he has left behind but the most important thing about Akhigbe is that once he gives you his words you can go to sleep,“ he recalled.

The Senate President spoke in his remark, during consideration of a motion titled: “Demise of Vice Admiral Mike Okhai, GCON, sponsored by Senators Domingo Obende, APC, Edo North, Odion Ugbesia, PDP, Edo Central and Ehigie Uzamere, APC, Edo South respectively.

Mark said his relationship with the deceased was so close that there was nothing he didn’t know about him.

“I know Admiral Akhigbe very well. He is a friend. He is a brother. He is a confidant. We all met at very young age in 1967. When we went to the Defence Academy, we were so friendly that when I got to the Defence Academy, he forced me to be a Naval Cadet and that went on for a very long time and I was torn between joining the Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Army.”

C M Y K

Law empowering President, govs, others to operate foreign accounts coming

BY LEVINUS NWABUGHIOGU & EMMAN OVUAKPORIE

A

B U J A — PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan, his Vice, Namadi Sambo and the state governors may soon be compelled to publish their bank accounts, including foreign bank accounts.

This follows a three-pronged bill which passed second reading, yesterday, on the floor of the House of Representatives.

The bill also allows the President, his vice, state governors and indeed all other public office holders to keep foreign bank accounts.

One of the bills comes with the title, “A Bill for an Act to Amend the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, 2004, so as to make the leave of the bureau necessary for a public officer to maintain or operate a bank account outside Nigeria.”

tion to the Bureau”.

Also highlighting the synopsis of his Bill in his lead debate on his Bill, which seeks to compel public office holders to declare their assets, Hon. Jime said that the said assets be made public in two weeks.

He opined that the development will discourage theft, promote transparency and tame financial corruption in public offices.

“The Principal aim of asset declaration/disclosure by public officials is tailored to-

wards combating corruption; enhancing and building public confidence and legitimacy in government processes; and engineering transparency in its dealings, in the eyes of the public and the international community at large”, he stated.

PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN’S BIRTHDAY

Other bills

Others are: A Bill for an Act to Amend the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act by deleting proviso to Section 3, deleting section 18(1) and enacting and Amended Section 18(2) and a Bill for an Act to Amend the Conduct of Bureau Tribunal Act to make accessible Assets and Liabilities declared by Public Office Holders.”

Sponsors of the bills are Hons.

Bamidele Faparusi (APC-Ekiti), Oluchi Ibeji(PDP-Abia) and Emmanuel Jime (PDP-Benue).

While presenting his Bill, Hon. Faparusi argued that: “The purpose of the law is to discourage the launder of money and fraud by public officers. But it is public knowledge that nobody would use his bank account to launder money, instead proxies and cronies have become ready instruments for such purposes”.

He stated that: “The instant law, as it is today, does not contemplate this development and to tackle it, there is need to make for such public officer, who hitherto maintains and operates a foreign account and has cause to hold same, to get leave of the Bureau to continue to use such accounts. This would be an improvement from the practice of requiring a public office holder to close any foreign account so held by reason of the office now occupied.”

More submissions He further submitted that “this development would give the Bureau some teeth to bite, based on the fact that it would be able to prosecute any defaulter and seek the imposition of sanctions in line with section 23 of the Act relying on the said public office holder’s decline to make proper declara-

FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed, signng a birthday card before it was presented to Vice President Namadi Sambo, to commemorate the 56th birthday of President Goodluck Jonathan. Water Resources Minister, Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe (left) and other members of Council watch, during the meeting of the Federal Executive Council, chaired by the vice president, at the State House, Abuja, yesterday. Photos: Abayomi Adeshida.

From left: Labour Minister, Chief Emeka Wogu, Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Mr. Musa Sada and Minister of State for FCT, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide, on the occasion.

Senators seek life imprisonment for rapists

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU & JOSEPH ERUNKE

A

BUJA—THE Senate, yesterday, called for stiffer punishment like life imprisonment for perpetrators of sexual assault in the country.

Some Senators also canvassed for capital punishment in the Sexual Offence Bill sponsored by Senator Chris Anyanwu, which passed the second reading.

Senator Anyanwu, APGA, Imo had in her lead debate, said her bill chronicled incidents of high rate of immorality in the society and demanded the creation of a

unit within the Nigerian Police Force where trained professionals would ensure the preservation of the rights of humanity.

She noted that sex tourism has been on the increase in the country and that it was imperative to create a unit in the Nigeria Police Force to handle such cases with good training, as she alleged that most times victims that take their matter to the police are always ridiculed by the police officers handling the matter.

She further said that the bill makes provision for those who make false allegations or accu-

sations of rape as it touches on fundamental human rights and human dignity and urged the senate to support the passage of the law to save the womanhood.

According to her, there were punishments stipulated in the penal code of states in the federation but said that deficiency in extant laws was being corrected in her bill including protection of witnesses and stigma of victims.

She said the establishment of a section of the police force manned by well trained investigators who will handle the matters with passion, would reduce rape incidents to its barest minimum.

16—Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

Grandmother, grandson, one other die in Ondo explosion

BY DAYO JOHNSON

A

KURE — A GRAND MOTHER, her grandson and one other person have been killed following an explosion in Araromi Obu area of Ondo State.

At least 10 others sustained injuries Vanguard gathered that the explosion was from the facility of the state water corporation located at Araromi Obu, Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State.

Sources said the deceased

C M Y K

might have inhaled the chemicals that escaped from one of the cylinders that exploded at about 11.30 pm, Tuesday.

There was confusion in the town following the deafening sound from the premises of the water corporation located on Oke Otunba Street.

On hearing the sound, the people who went to ascertain what was amiss inhaled the gas that escaped from the cylinder.

Unknown to them, the chemical was poisonous as more people continued to rush towards the premises of the corporation.

It was gathered that many of them, after sometime, started itching on their faces and felt uncomfortable.

This disrupted their breathing and they fainted.

One of them, Olatayo Adejayan aka Malato, was said to have been rushed to the Comprehensive Health Centre in the town for medical attention.

He later died when there was no oxygen to stabilise his breath.

Two other person, a seven yearold-boy simply identified as Isaac, his grandmother and one other persons were taken to the

General Hospital in Okitipupa for proper medical attention.

Reports has it that while the woman did not make it to the hospital, the grandson died later in the hospital.

Some officials of the water corporation confirmed that one of the cylinders containing some chemicals being used for purification of water suddenly burst and the chemical content escaped, causing health hazard in the town.

The officials said the cylinder contained outdated chemicals that ought to have been disposed off

about three years ago.

In a swift response, the state government sent medical personnel to the town.

State Health Commissioner, Dayo Adeyanju, told newsmen in Akure that the health officers, including doctors and nurses, had been dispatched to the town.

He said the situation was now under control.

Osokogu’s murder: Suspects allege police torture

L

AGOS — A WITNESS, Okwunmo Nwabufo, 34, yesterday told a Lagos High Court, Igbosere that he was tortured to make statements during investigation on the murder of Miss Cynthia Osokogu.

Nwabufo who is also the first defendant in the case, revealed in court while testifying at the trial within trial of four persons charged with the murder of Osokogu.

The accused, Nwabufo; Olisaeloka Ezike, 24; Osita Orji, 33, and Nonso Ezike, 25, were charged to court by the Lagos State government.

They allegedly chained and strangled 25-year-old Osokogu at Cosmilla Hotel in FESTAC Town, Lagos on July 22, 2012.

Nwabufo, while being led-in-evidence by his counsel, Mr Victor Okpara, told the court at the last hearing that he made statements under torture.

At the resumed hearing, Okpara told the court that the case was adjourned for a trial-within-trial to determine how statements were obtained during investigation.

Nwabufo, after being placed on oath, told the court how he was tortured by the policemen that came to arrest him.

He said: “On the day I was arrested, up to 20 policemen broke into my apartment and asked for my name after which they called me a murderer and started beating me.

“I was later blindfolded while I was wearing only pant and taken into their vehicle; then we drove to the police station.”

“When we got to the police station, l was taken to the Area Commander, Mr Dan Okoro, who showed me a lady’s picture and asked if I knew her.

“I said yes, she is my friend and he immediately called me a murderer and pinched the upper part of my left eye with pliers."

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013— 17

M

ANY different thoughts came to my mind last week, when news of Festus Iyayi’s tragic death broke. The pain was deep and the anger and confusion were overwhelming. In that tragic accident, Nigeria lost one of its finest patriots; a Marxist revolutionary whose dedication to the liberation of our country and the enthronement of a society of social justice for the working people, were the defining motifs of his work as well as his life.

Festus Iyayi was simply one of our greatest heads, and we can paraphrase Fredrich Engels, that with his death, Nigeria genuinely became a head shorter! I first met Iyayi in 1982 in Benin City. The often, fractious Nigerian communist movement had been meeting over a period to find a united front against the depredations of the Nigerian ruling class during the Shagari regime.

There had appeared clearly fascistic trends in the manner the ruling NPN and the other parties of the bourgeoisie were desperately conducting themselves in the run up to the 1983 elections. We analysed that the Nigerian left had to offer a non-sectarian platform of struggle, able to bring everybody together, in what we believed, was leading to

Festus Iyayi: They killed our comrade ism; capitalist exploitation; underdevelo-pment and for socialism, brought out the very best of their intellectual labours and genuine commitment. Festus had an easy manner about him, which was always so easily welcoming and he was a genuinely humane individual whose commitment was total and unstinting. He hosted us to dinner in his house and over the years, he went on to demonstrate the depth of his commitment to the struggle for the liberation of our country. He was a local leader of ASUU at the University of Benin and would eventually become the National President of the union. He joined a long list of Marxist scholars from the late Mahmud Modibbo Tukur

,

It was one tragedy too many that we lost him in an accident involving those convoys-from-hell that the members of the Nigerian ruling class have continued to terrorize our roads with since the days of military dictatorship

very dangerous portents for Nigeria. That was the basis of the creation of the National Democratic Movement, NDM. It was a meeting of NDM that took us to Benin; a meeting held in a well-appointed hotel owned by a comrade whose name I cannot recall, but who had been a commissioner in one of the military regimes.

That was also my first meeting with Iyayi. He had studied in the Soviet Union and had recently returned home.

Of course we knew about him, as we knew of comrades around Nigeria; individuals whose commitment to the struggle against neo-colonial-

HERE is a story from Zamfara State that might well be apocryphal, but has remained enduring. During Ahmed Yerima’s governorship in Zamfara, the late Alhaji Abubakar Rimi had arrived in Gusau for a public event. He was received by Governor Yerima, who greeted Rimi: “Ranka Ya Dade”! “No, You should take ‘Ranka Ya Dade’”, Rimi had responded.

A confused Ahmed Yarima then asked why. Rimi was said to have reminded him that they (Rimi) can only be

back with stoicism and exemplary fortitude relying very much on the solidarity of his comrades around the world.

There was the sensibility of the writer and cultured individual in the persona of our comrade and it was therefore no surprise, that his literary writings won the Commonwealth Prize.

His writings were the best expressions of realist and committed literature, which examined the Nigerian condition from the standpoint of its exploited mass of working people and the poor.

In 2007, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the NLC, a national body of committed

,

through to Biodun Jeyifo, who helped to define the union and made it one of the best-organized trades unions in Nigeria. It was part of their tradition of commitment that they even took ASUU into the Nigeria Labour Congress, thus helping to deepen its class roots and assisting in the further radicalization of the central labour organisation. For his commitment and dogged defence of the organisation he led, Iyayi was sacked from the University of Benin, during the reactionary, rightwing vice chancellorship of Professor Grace Alele-Williams. But Festus suffered his personal set-

Senator Ahmed Yerima: Aso Villa prayer entrepreneur

T

The late Festus Iyayi

accused of having deceived the people with their politics.

But you, Ahmed Yerima, are not only deceiving the people, but deceiving Allah with your ‘Sharia politics’! It is this same political clown that has become the prayer entrepreneur, regularly takingMalamai from all over the country to pray for President Goodluck Jonathan at the Aso Villa! What does Ahmed Yerima really stand for? Isn’t he in the leadership of APC? Whose interest does he really serve?

intellectuals and working class leaders was put together by the Nigeria Labour Congress and after our first meeting, I recall an aside with Festus, where we tried a brief tour through the history of the Nigerian socialist movement.

This was at a juncture when many comrades have retreated into ethno-religious laagers while many more had become executive directors of imperialist-financed NGOs. Festus was still as refreshingly committed to his vision for the liberation of the Nigerian people from imperialism and the worst manifestations of capitalism as we have continued to face over the decades. In writings and interviews, Iyayi lucidly set out his vision and they were always a welcome engagement with the mind of one of the greatest sons of Nigeria: patriot, intellectual, Marxist. No ambiguities!

It was one tragedy too many that we lost him in an accident involving those convoys-fromhell that the members of the Nigerian ruling class have continued to terrorize our roads with since the days of military dictatorship. There is a psychology of conquest and

a most absurd level of arrogance and impunity embedded in the culture of convoys. Governors, ministers and all kinds of officials dominate roads with suicidal drivers and inhumane security details who push other road users off roads, as if the citizen means nothing. And in truth, the citizen means nothing in the nether world of evil, arrogance and impunity that they reside in. It was this culture of disdain for the Nigerian citizen and impunity which led the convoy of the Kogi State governor, Idris Wada, to kill Iyayi, one of the best sons of Nigeria!

We must interrogate the culture of convoys. It is built on impunity, arrogance and disdain for the Nigerian people.

If we are building a democracy, and if these crooks have genuinely earned the vote of the Nigerian people, why must they treat the people with so much disdain and disrespect? Why do the convoys-from-hell continue to waste the lives of Nigerian people? Related to this culture of impunity is another culture from hell: the one they call “VIP Movement” in the Nigerian airspace. You are in a flight from Lagos to Abuja and all of a sudden, the pilot announces that the plane will not be able to land, because there is “VIP Movement”. Your plane then hovers around the Abuja airspace, for another 30 or more minutes because a “VIP” is moving, thus endangering up to a hundred citizens in a commercial airliner!

That happens regularly in Nigeria. If Iyayi’s death can trigger sufficient anger in the Nigerian people to help stem that culture of impunity, he would not have died in vain. Iyayi’s name and example will endure to continue to inspire patriots committed to the liberation of our dear country!

With INEC, we are in serious trouble L ET me start with a confession. It is very difficult for me to write about Professor Attahiru Jega’s INEC. Jega was my teacher, who also supervised my Master ’s Degree thesis. I respect him a lot because he has always been a man of remarkable discipline and integrity. I was still at DAILY TRUST when he was named Chairman of INEC and collectively and as a columnist for the newspaper, we had effusively supported him. This background made it difficult to be critical of Jega’s INEC, in the manner I was, for example, under Professor Maurice Iwu. We were fixated with his role as ASUU President during the military regime of General Babangida, so we have not sufficiently interrogated the glaring failures under ‘our man’, Jega.

I plead guilty to that fact.

But the “inconclusive” Anambra State gubernatorial election has brought us to a denouement. INEC’s conduct is clearly incompetent and unacceptable! This was an election we knew was coming, not least INEC itself. So how could they have bungled it so badly? In response to INEC’s failure in Anambra, a perceptive observer on an

internet forum early this week, noted that there is a trend that should worry us.

By all accounts, the Delta Central Senatorial election held last month, he noted, was a sham. Even though no one could have predicted the senator ’s death, there ought to be contingencies for intercycle elections in any term.

There was also the byeelection for a seat in the Imo State House of Assembly in Oguta, which remains inconclusive more than five months after. The portents for nation-wide elections in 2015 are frightening! Yet another person reminded that India organises elections for an electorate of 600 million; and because they run a parliamentary system, they could call snap elections anytime. The electoral body gets its act together regularly!

In response, someone added out that these things happen because we have an INEC leadership that we all indulge, especially because it is led by one of our own. The best way of supporting ‘one of us’ is to tell him the truth, as we perceive it!

In truth there is a trend of incompetent bungling that should worry all of us. There was the incompetent voters

registration which returned names like Mike Tyson, Bill Clinton, etc, on the electoral roll; that incompetence was affirmed on the aborted first day of the 2011 elections. The bungling was brought into sharp focus at the resumption of the elections and ever since we have been at the receiving end of what another contributor described as “a glaring trail of unsurprising incompetence and waste aided and abetted by an aberrant National Assembly and equally deplorable overindulged courts”. The problem has arisen and persisted, according to this observation, because “ we are too ready to accommodate rubbish and because of his (Jega’s) ‘ reputation’”. He concluded that: “We consistently make the elementary error of judging action by reputation rather than reputation by action.

Reputation is not immutable; not even Vicky’s”! On the road to 2015, we have reached that juncture where we must ask very hard questions and join Daddy Showkey, the musician to implore Nigerians: “SHINE YOUR EYES WELL, WELL”!

INEC has become a veritable danger to acceptably free and fair elections in Nigeria!

18 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

T

HERE is a paradox governments have built around education — they are spending billions of Naira on education, yet the financial issues around education are not being resolved. The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, strike is only one of many matters that are dogging education.

Government’s supposed interests in negotiating with ASUU, the speed being applied, and the uttermost neglect of other aspects of education confirm the diminishing importance that governments attach to education.

ASUU’s case is exceptional, in that governments appeared concerned. When the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, went on strike, it took almost three months before governments started talking to the union. The issue remains partially resolved.

With the ASUU strike, the failure of governments and their programmes are obvious.

Governments sign agreements they do not intend to keep. ASUU is on strike over a 2009 agreement. Governments want to re-negotiate implementation of a four-year-old agreement.

They also know that the negotiations for a new agreement are due. We have governments that plan for immediate needs, if they

After ASUU … ever do. They are exhausting themselves over ASUU strike as if meeting ASUU’s demands would resolve the challenges that our education faces, among them irrelevant curricula.

How do governments spend billions of Naira they budget annually for education?

Bureaucracy consumes the bulk of the money. Duplication of agencies that manage education is the biggest cost centre in our national education management. Governments are running up new costs.

New higher institutions are being built with emphases on physical structures. Laboratories, libraries and research centres that they require to be centres for meaningful academic engagements are available in inadequate numbers.

It is absurd that governments — the owners of the universities — would need an

ASUU strike to determine the status of the facilities in universities.

What plans do governments have for education? How would they tackle sustainable funding so that we are not soon back to another wave of strikes in a matter of months?

Would governments ever consider education important enough that it should run without disruptions from strike?

There would be no easy solutions. Many of the federal agencies on education just drain resources that should have been invested in improving learning facilities.

States imitate the federal waste, making education one of governments’ biggest cost centres, without commensurate value for the expenditures.

Governments can save costs by eliminating duplication in the functions of education agencies. There should be clearer lines about the roles of governments at different levels of education. The Federal Government should not be dabbling into primary school education.

Finally, the future of education is too important to be left to haphazard funding. Governments should provide resources for education beyond ASUU’s demands.

OPINION

Ojo Alaba Assizes and corruption

BY VICTOR C. ARIOLE

I

N French, “Assizes” means lawyers having sittings to decide cases. When cases are decided on material benefits to members of the assizes as against duty to a nation then Nigeria is about to be conquered by materialism and in turn headed to breakdown of the system of trust. Ojo experience as it affected me really proved that even if the magistrate remained the presiding officer, the feeling of some lawyers who constitute his “gang” matter. And when you hear the lawyers chorus “as the court pleases”, it is either in majority—watching their lips—or in minority. This might be for another day, as I observed the weak chorus when no fewer than 50 women were made to appear for contravening environmental edict. The lawyers chorusing “as it pleases the court” seem permanent feature for that particular magistrate and you wonder whether they have no cases elsewhere than that place. I appeared there 20 times and the assizes never held for seven times, à la adjournment syndrome.

I was taken there by a landlord who vowed that he would never appear there and that as a Customs man he would show me how Nigeria works. He gave a man who, seemingly, was operating with his father’s license a power of attorney. A power of attorney for a property in Festac which is a national heritage bequeathed to him on N5 lottery ticket. As a Customs man, he felt he had no obligation to any civic duty. He does not pay electric bill, he does not pay security levy, he does not pay LAWMA bills and that I should be paying him those bills to add to his retirement benefit and as part of slighting the government; and he, in turn, knowing how Nigeria works,

will make sure he covers me. Observing him for the first year I shared the T.8 house with him and as he claimed ownership and reminded me that I must always obey the order of the landlord, receipts were never issued from either NEPA/PHCN, LAWMA or the Close Security Management.

Avoiding to be accessory to “crime”, I decided to make arrangements on my own to pay those bills. I also informed him that without disobeying him, I will cover the expenses of both of us, till he repented and became a good citizen.

From 2002 to 2012 he increased his rent four times.

On the last increase, he was advised by the man who claimed to be a lawyer that it was low and that he was going to get someone to occupy the place at a higher price, hence the need for him to get a power of attorney and eject me from the house. Power of attorney, he got and started the process of ejecting me.

What the Assizes in Ojo did not care to know is that the real person under the veil of the power of attorney is “dead” to Nigeria—no responsibility and remains perpetual snub of the Nigerian state and had to be forcefully retired by the customs.

I

t was my first time to be a respondent in Assizes. As I appeared and had no lawyer, the magistrate rebuked me of being a drunkard, spending my money only in drinking and could not afford a lawyer. Murmurs from the lawyers in the assizes proved that their services were available, hence I quickly asked to be given time to get a lawyer among them.

I approached one of them and she told me it was N2,000 for merely appearing for me and requesting for

adjournment. I paid. She consulted with the man standing for the plaintiff. They prepared a document and asked me to pay N5,000 to be presented in the next assize as “out of court settlement”.

Reading the document, I told the two lawyers that I was not a drunkard as adduced by the magistrate, that I am indeed a teetotaler and a professor for that matter.

The document was not acceptable by me. They told me that in the Ojo Assizes, the man in charge does not condone “grammar ” or “trials”; it is either you pay his charges ranging from N5,000 for bail cases to N30,000 for curtailing trials and getting judgement. I tried four lawyers there and they all avoided me, hence the need to look outside the members of that assizes.

The case ran through, about ten assizes (sittings), before judgement was pronounced; and, indeed, a man “dead” to Nigeria won the case.

He came to me one morning after seeing me announce my result as the returning officer in one of the Lagos constituencies, and handed a note well signed by him that he had increased my rent; and that evidence was discounted by the magistrate as untenable. My subsisting rent had not yet expired and a new rate was given to me, for merely seeing me conduct an election. The same magistrate asked me to vacate the premises, by November 30, 2013.

I think Governor Babatunde Fashola and Chief Judge Philips should visit this place called Ojo Assizes opposite a police station. Its outlook, alone, gives an impression of abattoir for slaughtering poor people.

*Dr Ariole is a lecturer at the University of Lagos

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013— 19

, T

HE decision by the Abia State Government to to recall the non-indigenes discharged from the state’s civil service and throw the doors open for an all-inclusive hiring of new staff comes as a big relief. It was certainly not the easiest or best decision to take, even by those who initiated it.

The policy put Abia and Lagos states on the spotlight as states that took discrimination towards nonindigenes to a new level. While Abia was seen to have sacked “fellow Igbos” because they were not from the state, Lagos was portrayed as deporting fellow Nigerians to their states of origin because they were poor and destitute non-indigenes. While the Abia episode is no different from the routine degrees of discrimination against nonindigenes in all the 36 states of the federation, especially in terms of employment opportunities and other privileges such as education and bursaries for students, the Lagos State matter was an outright assault on the constitutional rights of Nigerians to settle and live freely in any part of the country without let or hindrance.

Also the case of Abia became so politicised and drowned by noisy sentiments that the facts of the matter were no longer important to most people. It is not true that Abia State Government sacked non-indigenes. Categories of staff from other South East states of Imo, Enugu, Anambra and Ebonyi were asked to transfer their services to their states of origin. In the Abia State Civil Service, there are Nigerians from almost every state of the federation outside the South East who were not affected. These include those who distinguished themselves during their service year as youth corps members and were granted automatic employment based on merit. Some of them have risen close to director levels. This is a verifiable fact.

The policy was restricted to civil servants from other South East states because of the negative consequences of creation of states.

Once Abia State was created in 1991, a huge tranche of civil servants, particularly from old Imo State, were told to go to their new state. Abia did not respond in kind. Rather, due to the cosmopolitan nature of Aba, the

,

“non-indigene” phenomenon was not obvious. It was the successive governments in Imo State in particular, that brought this to public consciousness when former Governor Ikedi Ohakim stopped paying the pensions of Abia State civil servants who retired in the Old Imo State.

The burden fell on the Abia State Government. It was not until the new minimum wage was implemented that the government found it just could not carry the excessive burden. It decided to transfer the non-indigenes from other South East states to their states of origin in retaliation of a policy that the other four states had carried out much earlier. Because Imo indigenes were affected the most, the state government started spearheading the propaganda war which, to me, was most hypocritical. They were pointing at the speck in the eyes of Abia

As casualisation kills Nigeria S OME organisations, public and private, are hanging perilously in the air, waiting to drop dead, and die they will, except urgent steps are taken. The idea we have here will benefit from predictions: There are some media outfits in Nigeria.

Some day, soon, their General Manager will be picked form among the casual workers.

The Editor-in-Chief will be a youth corps member, and down the line, every worker in the establishment will be a contract staff or temporary employee, by whatever name called.

This much we owe to government policy of attrition — workers are leaving, dying and retiring but they are not being replaced.

Rather, establishments have conveniently chosen the path of casualisation, which is cheaper in the short run but hopelessly more expensive and destructive in the long run.

We are now busy mortgaging the future of our labour force to casualisation. The practice of casualisation is pervasive. At the local government level, there is what they call “hire and fire”. Under this scheme, some highly unskilled staff are employed on a paltry wage of some N3000 a month. They are to be found as auxiliary workers at the health centres. They do all the dirty jobs and get the peanuts.

Incidentally, too, the Youth Employment Schemes, YES, that they parade at the state and federal levels are all euphemisms for casualisation. There is really no alternative to a regular employment where the employee can take part in union activities and fully express his constitutional rights of free movement and association.

The major industries have since arrived here. The practice at that level is to farm out the major operations - production, bottling, security, catering, etc- to the Shylocks around who in turn, take advantage of the heavy unemployment in the system to

engage these youths and pay them slave wages while they work under conditions that are sometimes not good enough even for lower animals.

The banks are the worst culprits. The young girls are employed under what passes for corporate prostitution scheme. Whereas in government, contract staff are older people who have worked and retired from the system but either because of their competence and the essential nature of their assignments, they cannot be easily dispensed with, they are therefore retained on a small stipend; the banks engage their employees as contract staff right from the very beginning. These contract staff are expendable at will. They are also paid slave wages while the employments last and it is only the lucky ones among them that ever get elevated to the permanent status.

We cannot continue to take everything out on labour. Over the years, tariffs have risen astronomically and the general cost of production has also skyrocketed. The easiest way out for most organisations has been to cut down on employment by resorting to casualisation. This is unacceptable.

Under the employment statistics, a casual worker is an unemployed person. He is supposed to take the temporary job while looking for a permanent one. But what do we find in Nigeria? Some casual workers have remained so for upwards of 20 years.

After some time, they get used to their misfortune and they therefore live and die as casual workers, under the illusion that they are real workers.

For them, it is work, work and work. They end up dying in penury — no health facilities, no retirement and its benefits, no housing, no houses, no homes. Their journey through life has been one of suffering and smiling.

From time, organised labour in the construction sector has been crying out that

cosmopolitan nature). Aba is like the Lagos of the East, minus the international airports, seaports and capital status.

Aba is one of the cities in the country that can never be ethnicised. It was in Aba that Justice Udo Udoma flourished as lawyer, publisher and founder of the Ibibio State Union. It was also here that Dr Margaret Ekpo, while hailed from Calabar, built her political career in the defunct National Council for Nigeria and the Cameroons, NCNC. She won elections to represent Aba in the Eastern Regional House of Assembly and beyond.

The Enyimba mystique is not an Ngwa thing, though Aba is built in Ngawaland. It is not even an Abia or Igbo thing. It is beyond all those, and this is illustrated by the fact that most streets in Old Aba bear pan-Nigerian and African identities. Aba was built by the hard work of Igbos, Ibibios, Ijaws, even Yorubas, Hausas and foreigners, all of whom are still fully present in their numbers contributing to the greatness of the city. And Aba is the heart of Abia State, even though Umuahia is its political capital.

It is just a pity that Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Sardauna Ahmadu Bello introduced the odious tribal and regional politics into Nigeria, which later degenerated to extreme tribalism and statism, pitching brothers, friends, neighbours and compatriots against each other and disrupting the socio-political development of Nigeria.

We must trace our footsteps back from where tribal and statist politics has dumped us and beat a new one in which Nigerians will see one another as one people bound for a great future that no force can withstand once we come together.

the abuse of expatriate quota and casualisation are killing the industry and d e n y i n g Nigerians of jobs. There is a complete disregard of the Nigeria Content Development Act and a refusal by most employers from China, Korea and other Asian countries to respect our labour laws.

,

Abia sacked workers’ recall

Aba is the only place in the entire former Eastern Region where nonindigenes contest and win elections; it is like the Lagos of the East, minus the international airports, seaports and capital status

when they had not removed the log in the eyes of Imo. The Abia State Government says it has cleaned out the leakages that helped pad up the wage bill that gulped nearly 85% of its monthly revenue, through the introduction of biometric payment system. After weeding out ghost workers and unqualified staff employed during the previous administrations as part of political patronage, and raising internally generated revenue to sustainable levels, the state now feels able to rectify the anomaly of discrimination against non-indigenes.

For me, the Abia State Government deserves to be commended for its decision to right its own wrong. Hope it is not a mere lips service. I am also eagerly waiting for the Imo State Government to resume paying the pensions of Abians who retired on its payroll. Same goes for Enugu, Anambra and Ebonyi. And I expect those who whip-lashed the Abia State Government to turn their whips on the other states until they correct themselves. Whoever comes to equity must do so with clean hands.

Even if the other states decide to persist in their discrimination, I urge the Abia State Governemnt never to deviate from the rightful course of action. Abia prides itself as the last stand for the Igbo man.

The late Igbo legend, Dim Chukuwemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, acknowledged this, hence his insistence that his body must make a stop in Aba before it was buried. Aba is the only place in the entire former Eastern Region where non-indigenes contest and win elections. It can never happen in Owerri or any other state or zone (except, perhaps, in Lagos due to its

Contract and casual employments must be viewed as crimes against humanity; those jobs are exploitative and dehumanising

,

In the educational sector, many institutions — public and private — are now resorting to the use of auxiliary teachers. What we are now faced with is modern day slavery and exploitation.

The saddest aspect of it all is that we are not even developing for the future, the type of vibrant labour force which we inherited from our founding fathers. In the past, a man was either employed or unemployed — no hangers-on and no midway. Without the necessary training and development, who would blame this casual employee if one day he sends out a circular, signed on behalf of the Chief Executive that “two Communities is fighting”? A nation gets the type of public service it deserves and it is easy to foresee

the type of public service we are bequeathing to the future.

If we must survive the apocalypse ahead, the buck must stop with the labour unions.

The problem is real and urgent. It is no longer enough for the labour unions to watch on and only call out their members on strike if the salary arrives late. They must be interested in the full structure and welfare of the hangers-on. The problem at hand is pressing and should not be left for when you pop champaign at annual general meetings.

The unions must constantly be on the neck of the legislators to put in place definite regulatory framework to revive this dying labour force. We cannot continue like this.

Contract and casual employments must be viewed as crimes against humanity. Those jobs are exploitative and dehumanizing.

Our laws must ensure fair and sufficient compensation as well as good welfare packages for all categories of workers through unrestricted legitimate rights to union activities, collectives bargaining and other statutory engagements. These cannot be achieved by cheap shots but by consistent engagements with the lawmakers.

It is relatively easy to enact laws but implementation is where the major problem lies. The labour unions must also be constantly on the throats of the various organisations to ensure full compliance.

Until every situation stabilises, the courts cannot also be at rest. Casualisation should not be allowed to kill this country!

20—Vanguard, THURSDAY,

NOVEMBER 21 , 2013

Lagos blue line rail ready in 18 months: LAMATA boss •As construction of Iganmu-Marina corridor kicks off

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

A

LL things being equal, the prevailing ordeal of motorists and other road users in the Mile Two and Marina parts of Lagos should be over in 18 months if the assurance recently given to that effect by the Managing Director Lagos Metropolitan Transport Management Authority, LAMATA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, is anything to go by. The LAMATA boss had anchored the promise on the expectation that the Mile 2-Marina blue line rail project would be ready for operation within the period.

Mobereola, while speaking with Vanguard Metro, VM, after a talk-shop, organised by the Lagos State Governor’s Office Correspondents, LAGOCO, at the State Secretariat, Ikeja last week, explained that the all necessary papers had been perfected for the construction of the capital intensive rail project.

Speaking on the theme:“ LAMATA at 10: Challenges, Successes and Prospects,” Mobereola said: “Gradually, people of Lagos have been abandoning yellow commercial buses, called Danfo and Molue for Bus Rapid Transit, BRT. According to him, Governor Babatunde Fashola, few days ago approved the design for the construction of Orile-Iganmu— Marina blue line, as part of the ongoing construction of 27 kilometres blue line rail from Okokomaiko-Marina.

“Already workers and equipment have been mobolised for the immediate construction of the corridor.

Mobereola, also, disclosed

*On-going construction at the Orile-Mile Two blue line

integrated multi model transport that will make metropolitan Lagos a world class city and Africa’s model megacity.”

According to him, “Lagos transportation system will collapse if LAMATA fails to plan ahead.” He stated that “the agency had to draw a 20 year transportation developmental plan that covers bus, rail and ferry service including provision of good road infrastructure for BRT system to run well.” or trips to

,

When fully operational, the corridor is expected to convey over 400,000 passengers daily, thereby easing traffic on the road

that when fully operational, the corridor is expected to convey over 400,000 passengers daily, thereby easing traffic on the road.

He explained: “We have been reducing waiting time at bus stops, the travel time within the metropolis and we equally reduced transport fare by 40 percent compared to the service being rendered by yellow painted buses. LAMATA, on behalf of Lagos State has developed a strategic transport master plan, a road map for achieving the modernisation of transport system of the entire state by the year 2030.

“The vision for metropolitan Lagos is to provide a modern

,

Mobereola, who described the project as the first in the country, noted that it is one project that cannot be completed at once as people expected. He stressed that there is nowhere in the world where a metro line project is started and completed at once.

“Even in Dubai, it took the authority eight years to complete it and it was done in phases. All over the world, light rail system are done in phases and that is one idea we have copied in this regard. However, we have developed a 20 year development programme. We believed that Lagos needs seven rail lines and we are in the process of starting the Red Line light rail project that will run from

Alagbado in Ogun State to Marina, Lagos. We also believed that Lagos still needs nine BRT routes and we are talking with the state government to ensure

commercial centres are put in place on the Mainland to reduce the number of people travelling to Lagos Island on daily basis,” he said. Mobereola, also said there were plans to construct

ring-roads across the metropolis to ensure that heavy duty vehicles, particularly oil tankers can reach Apapa Port without plying major roads in the metropolis.

Amuwo-Odofin residents protest against robbery attacks •Seek full implementation of Okada ban

BY ISHOLA BALOGUN

R

ESIDENTS and landlord associations in Amuwo Odofin local government area under the aegis of Amuwo-Odofin New Town Movement have protested against incessant robbery attacks in the area just as they seek total ban of commercial motorcycle operators, popularly known as Okada, in the area.

The Vice Chairman, Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area, Alhaja Kudirat Omolara Dada, who led other residents to erect caution signs in strategic positions restricting Okada in the estates, said the initiative was meant to support government in the implementation of restriction order placed on Okada operators in the area.

She said: “It is because of the incessant robbery attacks prevalent in this area with the use of Okada by perpetrators led the movement to sensitize government on the full implementation of the law in Amuwo-Odofin local government,” adding: “the council is poroposing to erect gates and peremieter fencing in some of the areas which is included in the next year’s budget.”

Also commetnting on the development, Hon Aroyebi Olayiwonuola said, several robbery attacks have been recorded in the recent past on individual residents and households both in the day and later part of the night. He added that

the protesters who are residents, CDAs, Landlords associations and some members of the Police Community Relations Committee, PCRC in the area however deemed it fit to come together to erect a caution sign restricting Okada in the estates as well as sensitizing government on the need to fully monitor the implementation of the law in the area.

Giving insight into the non-compliance of restriction order in the area, Chief Joseph Adewale Owa, President General, Amuwo-Odofin Landlord Association said, the estates were divided into seven zones and all the zones have been listed on the Okada restriction law. He added that the community had hitherto tolerated them allowing them to operate despite the restriction order but in the past few months, they used motocycles to carry out robbery operations and residents and victims of the attacks have cried out to the Landlord association and amuwo Odofin new town Movement. So, we called a stakeholders’ meeting and there, we resolved to take this initiave.

He also stated that efforts to establish police post in the area failed after governor Fashola had approved it, adding that there are local vigilance group like OPC, Neighbourhood Watchers and Night guards are always on ground in most parts of the estates.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013 — 21

Dangote, SAP sign deal to drive growth agenda

D

From left, Deputy Managing Director, FBN Capital Limited, Mr. Taiwo Okeowo (left), Managing Director, Mr. KAYODE Akinkugbe and Chief Operating Officer, Ms Funke Feyisitan at the media parley on the 3rd Annual FBN Capital Investor Conference scheduled to hold from 19-20 November 2013 at the Intercontinental Hotel in Lagos.

Civil service reforms won’t lead to job loss — Goni

By FRANKLIN ALLI The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Alhaji Bukar Goni Aji has said that the ongoing reforms in the Service won’t lead to job loss rather it would bring about effective public service delivery.

Recalled that the Office of the Head of the Civil Service which was hitherto made up of six Offices with Permanent Secretaries and twenty-four Departments have been trimmed down to three Offices and twelve Departments.

In his presentation titled, “Reforming the Federal Civil Service to deliver on the Transformation Agenda, delivered during an interactive session between head of the civil service of the federation and federal civil servants in Nasarawa state, he assured: “The reform would not lead to loss of job but personnel would be placed properly and fit into areas where their skills and experience could be better utilised.” He urged them to conduct their affairs in a most dignified manner capable of true representation of the Service as disciplined, hardworking, loyal and industrious Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Dauda Kigbu, he said that the quality of a nation’s human resource is central to the development of that nation because of the critical role it is

expected to play in the initiation, formulation and translation of government policies into tangible results for the achievement of national outcomes for its citizens.

“It is in recognition of this and particularly your pivotal role in translating Mr. President’s Transformation Agenda into reality that the Head of the Civil Service directed all Federal Permanent

Secretaries to interact with all state based Federal civil servants and to acquaint them with the current changes taking place in the Federal civil service,” he said.

He said that the reform was to bring competent, professional, developmentoriented, public-spirited and customer-friendly civil servants capable of responding effectively and speedily to the

needs of the society.

He added that the restoration of core values of the Service such as political neutrality, impartiality, integrity, loyalty, transparency, professionalism and accountability as well as creation of a suitable environment where civil servants are assured of protection and job security in the faithful discharge of their duties and responsibilities.

Academy Press: Shareholders raise alarm over insider dealings

By NKIRUKA NNOROM

S

hareholders of Academy Press Plc have expressed concern over the level of increase in directors’ shareholding in the company in the last one year, saying that it is indicative of insider dealing. They raised the concern at the company’s 49th Annual General Meeting, AGM, in Lagos.

Within the year under review, six out of the eight directors of the company increased their amount of their shareholdings quite significantly.

The directors are Sir. Simeon O. Oguntimehin, Vice-Chairman; Olugbenga Ladipo, Managing Director; Martin Goodman, Director; Lasisi Aderibigbe, Director; Babatunde J. Fashanu, ED, Sales & Marketing and Folasage Omo-Eboh, Director.

Oguntimehin increased his shareholding from 151,200 units to 651,200 units; Ladipo upped his to 5.74 million from 2.74 million in the year

ended March 31, 2012; Goodman’s shareholding went up to 2.101 million from 1.851 million in 2012; Aderibigbe had his shareholding increased to 1.094 million from 794,002; Fashanu’s shareholding rose to 4.603 million from 2.103 million in 2012, while Omo-eboh, who had zero shareholding in the company as at 2012 year end acquired 500,000 (five hundred thousand) units within the year. Vanguard checks revealed that the company has been one of the most active stocks in the capital market within year as it has severally led the top gainers in the stock exchange.

Resultantly, the share price has risen by 173.33 percent from the year low of N1.57 to N4.10 per share at the end transactions on Tuesday, November 19, 2013.

Speaking on behalf of other shareholders at the annual general meeting, Mr. Nona Awoh, a shareholder activist, chided the directors for using their privileged position to amass more shares, probably relying on information not available to other minority shareholders.

angote Group has signed a deal to use SAP’s OpenText ECM (Enterprise Content Management) and Invoice Management offerings on top of its existing SAP infrastructure.

According to a statement made available to Vanguard, “Dangote is the first company in West Africa to use SAP’s OpenText ECM and Invoice Management solutions, highlighting its leadership amongst African companies who see the wisdom of leveraging IT effectively to further their business objectives.

According to Prasanna Burri, MD of DANCOM “ In this case with world-class records management and governance, ours is the first company in Nigeria to have an agreement of this nature that spans across several other African countries including South Africa, Senegal and Ghana.

Partnering and co innovating with SAP is helping us drive further efficiencies in our operations and deliver best-in-class products for our customers.”

SAP Africa CEO, Pfungwa Serima, said the relationship with Dangote highlights the growing demand for enterprise management software in Africa as forwardlooking companies leverage IT to modernise their business systems in preparation for expansion.

105.7

-0.05

2,790.00

+10.00

17.71

-0.04

CURRENCY BUYING DOLLAR STERLING EURO FRANC YEN CFA WAUA RENMINBI RIYAL KRONA SDR

107.85

-0.62

92.91

-0.12

SELLING

154.7 155.2 248.6803 249.484 208.7058 209.3803 169.182 169.7288 1.5487 1.5537 0.2998 0.3098 236.0804 236.8435 25.3868 25.4693 41.2478 41.3811 27.9787 28.0692 236.7529 237.5181

155.7 250.2878 210.0549 170.2756 1.5587 0.3198 237.6065 25.5518 41.5145 28.1596 238.2833

CBN Exchange rate as at 19/11/2013

22 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

Banks should continue to bid up deposit rates — Khan STORIES BY BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE

B

ANKS should continue to bid up their deposit rates in anticipation of further tightening of money supply by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) This advice was given by Razia Khan, Regional Head of Research, Africa, Standard Chartered Bank in her response to the outcome of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting on Tuesday.

The Committee in addition to leaving the monetary policy rate unchanged at 12 per cent also indicated intention to further tighten money supply.

This according Khan is a signal to banks to accelerate deposit mobilisation by increasing their deposit rate.

It would be recalled that in July, the MPC increased cash reserve ratio (CRR) for government deposits to 50 per cent from 12 per cent. This translated to withdrawal of N1 trillion from the banking industry, and prompted interest rates to rise.

In the communiqué issued by the Committee at the end of its meeting, Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mallam Lamido Sanusi said that “The outlook for 2014, however, portends some potential headwinds that may lead to further tightening in monetary conditions. The MPC is of the view that we are not yet at the end

of the tightening cycle and may need to tighten further in response to these eventualities next year.

Khan noted that with one

member of the MPC voting for a 25 per cent increase in CRR on public sector deposits to 75 per cent and another for a 50 per cent increase to 100 per

From left: Divisional President, Sub-Sahara Africa, MasterCard, Mr. Daniel Monehin; Chief Financial Officer, FirstBank, Mr. Adebayo Adelabu; Head, Products & Marketing Support, Mrs. Ezinne Obikile; Head, e-Business, Mr. Chuma Ezirim and Head, Customer Insights & Segment Management, Mr. Aderemi Amusat at the official launch of FirstClub, FirstBank’s enterprise loyalty scheme that rewards customers with points.

Mobile Payment: Paga processes N37bn in 2013

P

aga, a mobile payment company, said it has processed N37 billion mobile payment transactions in 2013, and achieved one million users on its platform.

Founder and Chief Executive, Mr. Tayo Oviosu announced these achievements at a press briefing in the company’s

office in Lagos yesterday.

He said that since inception two years ago, the company has processed 4.4 million transactions worth over N47 billion, with a 33 per cent active user rate, which is higher than industry norm.

Paga, he said recorded 874 per cent growth in number of users from 40, 354 to

381,972 in 2012, and as at now it has recorded 162 per cent growth in 2013, to over one million user.

He said Paga was established in 2009 with products targeted at the critical needs of Nigeria’s growing cashless economy and it has shown remarkable growth in an industry plagued with rumours of non-performance.

“Reaching one million users in just two years is fantastic! Knowing Africa Report Top 200 Banks. that every minute 12 Commenting on the bank’s Nigerians get their positive experience with payment problems BankWorld, Head of the solved using Paga Transaction and Electronic excites our team. It Banking Division at Diamond has taken teamwork Bank, Daniel Akumabor, said and partnerships to the bank aims to offer the get here. I am best customer experience in grateful to our over the Nigerian banking industry 160 - person team, and that its collaboration our investors who with CR2 has helped it in believed in us and achieving the goal. “Ensuring provided the that we can reach funding to execute customers who cannot our plans, our agents easily access the branch is an who are the important part; with lifeblood of Paga, BankWorld, we have been and our business able to provide members of partners. M ost the unbanked population importantly I am not just basic banking humbled and services, but also high-level grateful for the functionalities at the ATM, willingness of the Internet and Mobile channels,” Akumabor said.

Diamond Bank assures of quality service delivery

D

iamond Bank Plc has reiterated its commitment to quality financial services delivery in an efficient, seamless and cost-effective manner across its branches in the country.

Speaking during a strategic meeting with CR2’s BankWorld multichannel platform to forge a deeper business relationship, the Executive Director, Lagos Business, Diamond Bank Plc, Mr. Uzoma Dozie, noted that the ongoing innovation in the bank is currently positioning the bank as a leading financial institution with the best people, providing unequalled customer experience and delivering superior shareholder value.

CR2’s BankWorld, headquartered in Ireland is a company that provides robust and flexible platform for Diamond Bank’s ATM, internet C M Y K

cent, “The message to the market? The CBN remains serious about safeguarding hard-won price stability.

Should we see evidence of

pressure in the system related to excess liquidity (either a step-up in government spending, or pressure in the FX rate, or both simultaneously), then a further hike in the CRR on public sector deposits remains the most plausible policy option. Emphasising this now provides sufficient ‘forward guidance’ to the markets, influencing the behaviour of market participants. Banks should continue to bid up deposit rates, in anticipation of the need to do even more to mobilise non-public sector liabilities.”

She also said that while the CBN has achieved single digit inflation rate, the outcome of the meeting indicates that it would not rest on this achievement by relaxing money supply.

“There is a suggestion that the CBN will not rest on what it has already achieved. Merely getting to single digit inflation is not good enough.

The objective is to try to achieve a lower rate of inflation on a more sustained basis, with talk of 6-9 per cent CPI in 2014. Although not a hard inflation target in the strict sense of the term, this does send a clear signal to markets to continue to anticipate a tightening bias to policy, especially if pressures increase”, she said.

and mobile channels.

Dozie explained that the increase in the bank’s product offerings and its aggressive expansion drive were practical illustrations of the bank’s commitment to providing superb financial services to its customers.

He noted that the bank’s ATM network has grown rapidly from 15 ATMs to a chain of nearly 700 ATMs, adding that the bank now plans to deploy more ATMs using the BankWorld ATM Client. Diamond Bank has gained a reputation as an innovator and a pioneer of next-generation banking technology on the self-service channels. This year, Diamond Bank was recognised for its excellent customer service as it climbed from 45 to 36 in The

Nigerian people to trust in our promise to provide them with stress free access to their cash, anywhere, anytime. We will not rest until the day when any Nigerian wants to pay for anything or give someone money and the first solution is ‘Just Paga it!’

Speaking on the company’s most recent milestone, CoFounder, Jay Alabraba said, “ Paga’s reaching one million users is a noteworthy achievement not just for Paga but for the entire industry and the CBN, whose financial inclusion and cashless economy vision we wholeheartedly support .

It confirms the significant growth prospects for mobile payments in Nigeria and the country’s willingness to key in to convenience that platforms like Paga provide.

We are proud of the achievement but building sheer numbers has never been Paga’s goal.

“Our goal is to bring efficient payment systems to all Nigerians-banked or unbanked – and deliver low cost banking services to the mass market. Through our agent network, Paga will continue to educate and empower communities across the country.”

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013 — 23

Cement drives growth prospects in manufacturing sector

BY JONAH NWOKPOKU

BY FRANKLIN ALLI From left: Mr Dennis Okoro, Director, MTN Foundation; Nonny Ugboma, Executive Secretary, MTN Foundation and Mrs Risikatu Akiyode, Permanent Secretary, Minisrty of Women Affairs, Lagos State representing Govenor Babatunde Fashola and Engr Chinese Joseph Alozie, a beneficiary during the MTN Foundation Disability Support Project Phase 4 distribution ceremony of mobility aids and appliance in Lagos. PHOTO: Joe Akintola,Photo Editor.

D

ATA released this week by the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, has shown that cement production is the major drivers of growth prospects in the manufacturing sector.

NBS in its third quarter Gross Domestic Product, GDP report, indicated that the GDP growth in the sector rose to 8.16 per cent from 6.81 per cent recorded in the second quarter of 2013, and 7.78 per cent recorded in the corresponding quarter of 2012.

“This increase was due partly to better output from cement production and oil refining.”

“Other manufacturing activities outside of oil refining and cement production also indicated improved economic activity on the back of improved agricultural output, and higher demand on the part of consumers. Furthermore, output increased in the sector as firms ramped up production in anticipation of the festive season,” said the report.

On the real estate sector, the report indicated estate activities continued to boom driven by investments at the low end.

It noted: “The growth recorded in the real estate services sector stood at 10.35 per cent when compared with the corresponding quarter in 2012, which stood at 10.24 per cent, the growth rates exhibited in the third quarter of 2013 indicated higher economic

performance of the sector.

Growth in the second quarter of 2013 was recorded at 10.88 percent.”

However, the report indicated a decline in Business and Other Services Sector as it recorded a real GDP growth of 9.20 per cent in the third quarter compared to 11.33 per cent recorded in the second quarter of 2013, and the 9.11 per cent recorded in the third quarter of 2012.

According to the report, this decline relative to its performance in the second quarter indicated slower economic growth largely as a result of infrastructural challenges.

Source: NBS

Govt agencies tasked on Mancap, Soncap policy

BY FRANKLIN ALLI

G

OVERNMENT’S law enforcement agencies have been urged to work jointly with Standards Organisation of Nigeria in the enforcement of Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP) and the agency’s Conformity Assessment Programme (SONCAP).

While mancap regulates imported products, soncap ensures goods manufactured locally meet international standard. The law enforcement agencies include Nigerian Custom Service, Economic and Financial Crimes Commision, EFCC; Consumer Protection Council ,

My mission in Dangote — Graham Clark

National Environmental Standard and Regulation Enfrocement Agency, NESREA, among others.

The Association of Systems Management Consutants, ASMC, made the call in Lagos during the celebration of this year ’s quality day with the theme ‘Making Collaboration Count.

ASMC President, Mr. Bode Oke, said the theme was chosen to reflect the importance of collaborating with colleagues, departments and partner organisations in order to achieve success.

“This year’s theme has always been our focus in ASMC as we have collaborated and are still collaborating with many organisations in various sectors of the economy

(oil and gas, manufacturing, banking, telecoms, security and government agencies like Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC and Federal Road Safety Corp.) to achieve their objectives through the establishment, implementation, monitoring, auditing, certification and maintenance of effective Quality Management System that meets the requirements of ISO 9001:2008 Standard,” he said.

According to him, the association has also been collaborating with bodies such as the Council for the Registration of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), Nigeria Society of Engineers, federal, states government

and their contractors to ensure provision of quality infrastructure in the areas of transportation, housing, agriculture, petroleum product refining, power generation and waste management, etc.

He added that the association is also advocating for the extension of quality culture beyond products and tangibles to areas of leadership services provided by our politicians as well as security agents.

He stated that other areas where it should cover include the quality of services provided by the judiciary, quality of services provided by civil servants and the quality of services provided by the private sector.

T

HE new Group Managing Director of Dangote Sugar Refinery PLC, Mr. Graham Clark, has said that he would put Nigeria on the global sugar map in the next five years.

According to International Sugar Organisation, the top ten world’s largest sugar producing nations are Brazil 38.745 metric tons per annum, India 26.000, China 11.475; Thailand 10.061; U.S 7.2106 and Mexico 5.495. Others are Pakistan 4.400; France 4.275, Australia 3.800 and Germany 3.565.

“My mandate in Dangote is to establish a world class sugar business in the Dangote Group, and develop a fully integrated world class sugar supply chain that will put Nigeria on the world sugar map,” he told Nigeria’s Industry Minister, Olusegun Aganga.

Clark who was on a courtesy visit to the minister, said the target is achievable given the strength of Dangote group and the current legislations and support government has put in place.

He expressed delight in being part of the New

Nigerian Sugar sector redevelopment project which he was hopeful would be successful.

According to him, with an enabling environment created for the sector’s growth as well as the volume of investment the Dangote Group is making in the sector, a new era will be seen in the sugar sector.

The minister welcomed and congratulated him on his appointment as the Group Managing Director of Dangote Sugar Refinery at a time the government is working hard to replicate the success story of backward integration policy in the cement sector and the sugar industry.

He explained that the Sugar Master Plan is a very important initiative for the government because of the economic growth it will bring to Nigeria as well as the extended value chain the sector will create.

He called on Mr. Clark to bring his over 30 years’ experience in the field of sugar to bear in his new portfolio. Mr. Aganga promised that the government will continue to support and provide the enabling environment for the successful implementation of the sugar master plan.

PZ targets 200,000 women in Morning Fresh promo

P

Z Cussons PLC is taking its Morning Fresh dish washing product to 200,000 women in nine cities across the country.

The cities are Lagos, Benin, Ibadan, Ilorin, Asaba, Warri, Port Harcourt, Enugu and Abuja.

Accordingly, the company has rolled out a new consumer promotion which ends in December.

Speaking on the campaign, the Marketing Manager, Charles Nnochiri, explained that the brand needs to get people into the habit of using the best available dish wash liquid in the market.

“We want to correct the misconception that Liquid wash is expensive by educating the public on

the benefits of using Morning Fresh. Consumers need to know that it is more cost effective to use the dish wash, that apart from the clean and freshness that it brings to the kitchen, ,” he said.

He further added that by the end of the first phase of the campaign, the company would have recruited 200,000 Morning Fresh - adorers through the engagements.”Brand Manager, Mor ning Fresh, Ifunanya Obiakor, explained that the product guarantees a completely clean and fresh kitchen.She added that the first phase of the campaign will also afford loyal consumers the opportunity to win prizes.

24 —Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013 — 25

26—Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21,

2013

OJO MILITARY CANTONMENT LAND:

Ojikutu Family moves to reclaim 160 acres •Petitions Attorney-General, Defence Minister

BY JUDE NJOKU

Lt. Gen. Onyeabo Ihejirika, Chief of Army Staff

Issues in dispute The petition dated November 15, 2013 and signed by Alhaji Sewu Ojikutu, Alhaja Amori Animashaun, Chief (Mrs) Iyabo Foresythe and Abayomi Ojikutu, specifically requested the Attorney-General to personally review the land transaction and ensure an amicable resolution of the issues in dispute.

The Family explained that it took the matter to the AGF because previous petitions to the Minister of Defence and Chief of Army Staff over a month ago, were not even acknowledged.

It said, “We are disturbed that notwithstanding our petition letter under reference, the Nigerian Army under the leadership of the present Chief of Army Staff, is still busy selling the said land to themselves and to members of the general public and carrying out construction work on same contrary to a court order that has been in effect for over 13 years; and in utter disregard of the undertaking given to the court by the first defendant, the Attorney-General of the Federation and the third defendant, the Ministry of Defence.

Mohammed Bello, Attorney General of the Federation “We are extremely disturbed and saddened that this present Chief of Army Staff and his subordinates could openly involve themselves in land racketeering and usurpation of our inheritance, thereby conducting themselves as if they are above the laws of the land and getting away from being personally indicted in the court of law.”

They charged the AGF to • give necessary directives to the 2nd and 3rd defendants to show lawful cause why the said land should not be returned to our Estate immediately and the matter resolved amicably to enable your office to enter into a consent judgement among parties to this suit and avoid further injustice to us as the claimants who are loyal citizens of this country; •That the consent judgment should entitle our Estate to the release /return and possession of the 160 acres unused portion of the 166.6 acres of land that was acquired without payment of compensation by the Government since 1974; •That the immediate payment of compensation for the 6.66 acres of land that falls within the fence of the Cantonment including interests that have accrued on delayed payment since acquisition in 1974 and that the present Chief of Army Staff should be called to order to stop embarrassing the Federal Government on this matter.

Vanguard learnt that the Federal Government had in November 1974, compulsorily acquired 166.6 acres of land at

Ojo Army Cantonment and the removal of all structures constructed on the same in f l a g r a n t disregard of a valid court order and the undertaking given to the court by the Labaran Maku, supervising Minister of A t t o r n e y General of the Defence Federation and Iba in the present Ojo Local Ministry of Defence.

Acting upon the petition, the Government Area of Lagos State, from Late Alhaji Abdul Azeez Minister in a letter of April 24, Ojikutu, for the purpose of 2013, with reference number AD/ building an Army base in Lagos. LAD/006/T/136, and signed by Deputy Director, The acquisition was gazetted in the No. 58 Volume 61 of November Compensation and Lands, Ogo 28, 1974. It is instructive that G.N. informed the Ojikutu Chief Ojikutu died six months Family that Government has after the compulsory acquisition, constituted a 13-member interministerial committee to address precisely on May 13, 1975.

Trouble started brewing when outstanding issues on the Ojo the Army utilised only 6.6 acres Military Cantonment land.

Among the committee’s terms of the acquired land for the construction of the Ojo Military If actually the Army paid compensation, Cantonment. The outstanding 160 acres, the Ojikutu Family the question is, “who received the money? alleged, has been illegally occupied by the army which has also sold a substantial part to of reference were: to verify the describing them as busy bodies. private estate developers. allegation by the family that their In an affidavit deposed to by one parcels of land were demarcated Lt. Col R.J Alexander, the Army and fenced off from the entire stated that “no part of the land Out of court cantonment land and used as the has been released. But records settlement Nigerian Army Post Service available in my office show that Apparently dissatisfied with this Housing Scheme and if found compensation has been duly development, the Ojikutu Family true, the consequences of such paid for the land. It is not true dragged the Attorney-General of action; • to verify the amount due that the unused portion of the the Federation, the Ministry of as compensation to these families land is being sold. No personnel Works & Housing and the on their properties including of the Nigeria Army including Ministry of Defence to a Federal interest on delayed payment the Chief of Army Staff has power High Court in Lagos. Although from 1974 when the acquisition to sell land belonging to the the suit documented as No: FHC/ was made, till date and to identify Army.”

He explained that part of the L/CS/868/2000, has been the private estates purportedly suspended to pave way for an existing in Ojo Military land in question is being used amicable out of court settlement, Cantonment, • verify what gave for its post housing scheme and the issues are far from being rise to springing up of these shooting range and insisted that estates, persons behind the he didn’t know the plaintiffs. “I resolved.

Consequently, the Ojikutu unwholesome act, verify the only know Ministry of Works,” he Family through one its scions, monies allegedly collected to said. If actually the Army paid Chief Abayomi Ojikutu perfect the occupation of the compensation, the question is, petitioned the former Minister of trespassers on the Army land and “who received the money?” The Federal Ministry of Works & State, Defence, Mrs Obada to trace such monies.

The Ministry released details Housing, however, alleged that among other things, “effect within seven days the release of the seven-day inspection the Ministry of Defence did not and the gazetting to our Estate, which would have commenced allow it to handle the the 160 acres of the said land on May, 12, 2013. But the compensation but acted which falls outside the fence of inspection was allegedly aborted unilaterally.

,

A

FTER waiting fruitlessly for a response to several petitions to the office of the Minister of Defence urging him to compel the Nigerian Army to return an un-utilised 160 acres of their land acquired by the then Federal Military Government in 1974, for the purpose of building the Ojo Military Cantonment, the family of the late Alhaji Abdul Azeez Ojikutu, has taken the battle to reclaim the land to the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke, SAN. In a strongly worded petition addressed to him, the trustees of the Estate of the Late Chief Ojikutu sought his “urgent and immediate intervention as the number one chief law officer of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to bring succour to our Estate and end the injustice we have been unjustly subjected to, over the past 14 years without redress.”

following a counter petition by the Nigerian Army. Apparently angered by this development, the Ojikutu Family again petitioned the Supervising Minister of Defence, Mr. Labaran Maku on October 4, 2013.

The letter which was signed by Chief Abayomi Ojikutu, entitled “Petition for urgent intervention via amicable settlement and the release to our Estate, the unused 160 acres of land that was fenced off the Ojo Military Cantonment” read in parts: “We write to bring to your attention and for your immediate action, our letter dated August 13, 2013 on the above subject matter addressed to the immediate past Minister of State for Defence.

As this matter has been long outstanding, and in the interest of Justice and fair play, we hereby humbly request the use of your good offices to resolve and release to our Estate, the said land measuring 160 acres without further delay”.

The Family which recalled that it was invited to Abuja for the purpose of an amicable resolution and out of court settlement of the over 13 years old dispute which is still pending at the Federal High Court in Lagos, regretted that up till date, the outcome of the negotiation meetings has not been communicated to them, due to the alleged opposition of the Chief of Army Staff.

The inability of the Supervising Minister to respond to this petition, prompted the Family to seek the Attorney-General’s urgent intervention. But the Nigerian Army which is in the eye of the entire saga, has disclaimed the Family,

,

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013 — 27

TOEFL, GRE SUSPENSION:

Nigerian candidates to travel to Cotonou, Ghana to write exams

Deputy Managing Director, Domestic Bank, UBA Plc, Mr Apollos Ikpobe (middle); MD/CEO, UBA Foundation (UBAF), Ms. Ijeoma Aso; Principal, The African Church Model College, Ifako-Ijaiye, Lagos, Mr. Ogunkola Olanrewaju and students of the school, when UBAF presented Literature books to students under its ‘Read Africa Initiative’ on Monday

BY AMAKA ABAYOMI & LAJU ARENYEKA

N

igerian students planning to write qualifying examinations into colleges and universities in the United States have begun to make plans to travel outside the country to write the(TOEFL).

7 Nigerian varsities emerge for WB sponsored projects

BY DAYO ADESULU

S

even Nigerian universities have successfully emerged among the 15 African universities selected for the World Bank-sponsored project by African Centres of Excellence (ACE).

The selection has indicated that some Nigerian universities are competitive in their tripartite functions of teaching, research and community service.

The benefiting universities were selected after their proposals were evaluated and considered to have met the requirements for the ACE project, at the end of the Project Steering Committee (PSC) meeting, held in Dakar, Senegal, on 28 October, 2013.

Continues on page 28 C M Y K

In a recent statement published on its website, ETS said both examinations have been suspended indefinitely in Nigeria. It read: “Due to security concerns in Nigeria, GRE® and TOEFL® testing in the country has been suspended for an indefinite period. Candidates who have appointments to take the TOEFL or GRE Tests will be contacted by ETS to process a refund.”

As a result of this development, Nigerian students have already begun to back their bags and examination materials to neighbouring countries such as Ghana, Cotonou and The Gambia to write their examinations.

Ms. Dolapo Badmus, a GRE candidate, is making plans to travel to Cotonou to write her exams next week. She was very upset when speaking to Vanguard Learning. “We were told about the new development at our tutorial centre recently. It costs about N35,000 to register for the

examinations alone. It cost another N20,000 per month to pay for TOEFL lessons. I plan to write my exams at Cotonou, I don’t even know anybody there. The inconvenience and cost of the whole thing are very upsetting.

But all in all, I think the whole thing is worth it.”

A GRE candidate, Deborah Nne who has chosen to write her examinations in the United States believed that the insecurity excuse is just a smoke screen, and that the suspension is as a result of examination malpractice prevalent in Nigeria. “It is really very discouraging that this thing is happening to us. But I don’t blame them, there is a lot of exam malpractice going on in this country and until they can find a way around it, I suppose this is their best bet.”

The widespread speculation about the real reason behind the suspension is not limited to students alone. Even educationists have their concerns

UNIL ORIN V C UNILORIN VC commends campus journalists — Page 30

about this. The Country Manager, Learning Nuggets Company, Ms Janet Adeyemi opined that it is unrealistic to say that no place is safe in Nigeria.

“In my opinion, the suspension of the exams has nothing to do with security issues in the country; there are alternatives, there are ways around it.

I think it’s more of a political issue, it is not even an issue of migration. It’s not possible to say that nowhere in Nigeria is safe. The ETS is not giving the actual reason for this move. There are so many challenges for Nigerian students who want to write the exams.

That is more money and more stress for the candidates. What about when the results some, will they have to travel to get the results too?”

Mr. Sunday Odigwe, a TOEFL tutor in Lagos believes that there may not be enough space for Nigerian students in centres in neighbouring countries.

Continues on page 28

AWAU reit erat es reiterat erates commitment tto o academics in Africa — Page 31

28 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

SCHOLARSHIP Radboud Scholarship for Masters students in Netherlands, 2013/14 The Radboud University Nijmegen is offering scholarship for talented prospective Master ’s students. Scholarship is available to pursue a complete English-taught Master ’s degree programme at the Radboud University Nijmegen. The Radboud Scholarship Programme is

Continues from page 25 “I’m not even sure that there are enough centres in Cotonou to take Nigerian students, most people may have to go to Ghana top write the exams. The major reason behind this is impersonation and other forms of malpractice.

Nigerian students have a reputation for getting other people to write their exams for them. The security reason is just a hoax, because if it wasn’t, only the North would be affected.”

Mr. Akin Aremi, a GRE tutor also holds this belief. “Nigeria has one of the highest numbers of applicants on this side of the world. Perhaps the ETS is trying to overhaul the system in Nigeria because of multiple cases of examination malpractice.

"The only challenge I foresee is that of cost.

Students will have to spend more travelling outside the country just to write examinations” he said.

A student who registered for the examinations who simply gave his name as Alex, said “the statement from ETS is suggestive and many Nigerians are falling for it. We should have asked them to clarify what they mean by

open only for talented nonEEA students who have obtained outstanding study results and are highly motivated to pursue a Master’s degree programme at Radboud University. The application deadline is 1 March 2014.

Scholarships are provided in the field of Language and Communication, Historical, Literary and Cultural Studies, Linguistics, Philosophy, Behavioural

Science, Social and Cultural Science: Comparative Research on Societies, Cognitive Neuroscience, Biomedical Sciences, Molecular Mechanisms of Disease, Chemistry, Physics & Astronomy, Biology, Medical Biology, Molecular Life Sciences and European Law at Radboud University Nijmegen. Scholarships are available for pursuing masters degree level at

Radboud University Nijmegen and would be taken in Netherlands You will only be eligible to obtain a Radboud Scholarship if you: -hold a non-EU/EEA passport;-are not eligible for the lower EEA tuition fee for other reasons; -have been fully admitted to the English-taught Master’s degree programme as stated in the formal letter of admission -are able to comply

TOEFL, GRE suspension ‘due to security concerns’ before jumping to unnecessary conclusions

about ourselves.

“If they were refering to test security, it is another ball

game. But they never said that. I think we talk down the country a lot. They are no

with the conditions for obtaining a visa for the Netherlands ; -are enrolled at Radboud University as a full-time student for the academic year and Master ’s degree programme for which the scholarship will be awarded.

International students (except EEA) can apply for these scholarships.

To apply, go to w w w. s c h o l a r s h i p positions.com

saints out there! Nigeria does not rank the worst corrupt country in the world, so why has ETS not suspended operations in those other corrupt countries?”

From left: Executive Director, Marketing, Honeywell Flour Mills Plc, Mr. Benson Evbuomwan; best graduating student, Mr. Jamiu Oke; Production Director, Honeywell Flour Mills, Dr. Nino Ozara; and Chairman, Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria (AMBCN), Prince Jacob Adejorin, at the 23rd Honeywell baking school graduation, in Lagos

7 Nigerian varsities emerge for WB sponsored projects Continues from page 27 The new ACEs in Nigeria and their project titles are: Redeemers University, Mowe, Ogun State / University of Ibadan, Ibadan (African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases, ACEGID); African University of Science and Technology, Abuja (PanAfrican Materials Institute [PAMI]); Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (Centre for Agricultural Development and Sustainable Environment); Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (Centre of Excellence on Neglected

Tropical Diseases and Forensic Biotechnology); University of Jos, (Phytomedicine Research and Development, ACEPRD); University of Benin (Centre for Excellence in Reproductive Health and Innovation) and the University of Port Harcourt (ACE Centre for Oil Field Chemicals).

According to the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission NUC, NUC, Professor Julius Okojie, the project is aimed at developing regional higher education that would promote

regional specialisation among universities and address particular common regional development challenges. He said that it is also aimed at strengthening the capacities of benefiting universities to deliver high quality training and applied research.

“This is to meet the demand for skills required for Africa’s development, such as the extractive industries and agricultural productivity. The project would also contribute to the strengthening of the best African universities within science-based education. “The seven

countries across West and Central Africa participating in the first phase of the project are Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Cameroun, Burkina Faso and Senegal. It would be recalled that following the call for proposals by the World Bank on 15 July, 2013, Nigerian universities submitted 55 proposals to the NUC in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) as well as Agriculture and Health Sciences.”

Okojie explained that in an effort to ensure that grant winning proposals were

submitted from Nigerian universities, NUC constituted the National Project Per formance and Review Committee (NPPRC), an evaluation Committee, headed by Professor Adebisi Balogun, to review and enhance the quality of the proposals. The proposals further went through desk evaluations by a team of 22 African and international evaluators. Of the 52 proposals that were submitted by all participating countries to the RFU/AAU, only 31 were shortlisted, with 16 of them from Nigerian universities.

Vanguard, THURSD AY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013 —29 THURSDA

Stop neck pain in 5 easy ways

BY SOLA OGUNDIPE

I

F you’re bothered by neck pain, you are not alone. Doctors estimate that seven out of 10 people will be troubled by such pain at some point in their lives.

Common types of neck pain include muscle pain, muscle spasm, headache and facet joint pain. Others are nerve pain, referred pain and bone pain.

Generally, neck pain is nothing to worry about. But if it’s occurring with other, more serious symptoms, such as radiating pain, weakness, or numbness of an arm or leg, make sure to see your doctor.

Other key things that might make one more concerned are having a fever or weight loss associated with your neck pain, or severe pain. You should let your doctor know about these symptoms.

Neck pain rarely starts overnight. It usually evolves over time and it may be spurred by arthritis and accentuated by poor posture, declining muscle

strength, stress, and even a lack of sleep. These tips can help ease a pain in the neck.

Don’t stay in one position for too long

• Moskofian.

Cadbury tackles breast cancer with awareness

It’s hard to reverse bad posture, but if you get up and move around often enough, you’ll avoid getting your neck stuck in an unhealthy position.

I

Make ergonomic adjustments

Position your computer monitor at eye level so you can see it easily. Use the hands-free function on your phone or wear a headset. Prop your touch-screen tablet on a pillow so that it sits at a 45° angle, instead of lying flat on your lap. If you wear glasses, keep it up to date. When eyewear prescription is not up to date, you tend to lean back to see better.

Don’t use too many pillows Sleeping with several pillows under your head can

• Neck pain is unhealthy. Stop it. stifle your neck’s range of motion.

Know your limits

Before you move a big armoire across the room, consider what it might do to your neck and back, and

ask for help.

Get a good night’s sleep

Sleep problems increase the risk for several different conditions, including musculoskeletal pain.

BY RACHEAL OLAYIWOLA

N a bid to help reduce deaths from breast cancer in Nigeria, Cadbury \Nigeria Plc.– makers of popular chocolate food-drink Bournvita – hosted the 3rd “Runfor-a-Cure-Africa 2013” - a charity event in Lagos to raise funds and awareness against breast cancer.

The event, hosted in partnership with Run-for-a-CureAfrica, an NGO with the aim to eradicate breast cancer in Nigeria and Africa, featured a 6.6-kilometre run flagged off at the Palms Shopping Mall, Lekki. Cadbury Nigeria Managing Director, Emil Moskofian said: “Bournvita has always identified with mothers and all that is dear to them. Bournvita is not just our flagship brand, it is a caring brand. As a socially responsible organisation, Cadbury Nigeria cannot stand idly by and watch the lives of women cut short by this deadly disease if we can help educate on it.”

Moskofian said Bournvita has long been at the forefront of a campaign to raise awareness of breast cancer and to spread the message that early detection is an effective way to fight the disease. “The 2013 Run-for-aCure-Africa Event not only helps raise awareness of breast cancer; it also provides hope for those affected through funding for research into more affordable ways of curing and preventing the disease,” he observed.

COMMON SEXUAL PROBLEMS AND THEIR NOVELTY BASED SOLUTIONS (ADVERTORIAL)

H

ELLO everybody. Today we will be discussing more new arrivals for the holiday season and beyond, starting with new vibrators for women. For those who don’t really understand it, a vibrator is that sex toy that ensures ALL women enjoy intercourse. So it is a must have. New in this collection is the Thrusting Orgasm Thrusting Bunny, one of the finest rabbit vibrators you can find. It does everything and thrusts in and out as well. The second on the list is the Lighted Shimmer LED Hummer vibrator, a medium sized but powerful multi speed vibrator that lights up in blue when turned on. It is a very good clitoral toy for women.

And if you are looking for something more realistic, then you will love the Life Like Vibrating Night, a hyper realistic 8 inch super vibrator with multiple speeds of vibration. And last but not the least is the Garter Belt Strap –On for women. This strap on is firm, realistic and very fashionable. Strap-On users will appreciate the unique and fashionable design of the Garter Belt Strap-On. And for male toys, we have two very realistic and life size love dolls, complete with real human hair and 3D features. They are the Young and Hot Love Doll and the Lonely and Lusty Love Doll and are very helpful for lonely men who don’t want to cheat or expose themselves to the risk of catching sexually transmitted diseases.

In the category of adult entertainment, we have lots of new films for couples too. These movies are very helpful for men and women who want to keep the excitement of their love lives firing at full speed.

Make no mistake about it. If you want great sex in your relationship, you need to feed your imagination with movies such as these. They are Couch Confessions, Iron Man XXX, Fighters and Scar Face XXX. Some of these films are available in high definition Blu Ray as well, for the ultimate viewing experience. Let us now answer a few of your questions.

Hello. I am 56 years old and a big follower of your column. I have been dependent on aphrodisiacs for

sexual performance ever since I started experiencing weak erection when I turned 50. Please what is the best supplement you have now? I have read about many of them and I need help making a choice. Well done with the help you give people – Alhaji Umaru Thanks Alhaji. The best supplement from all that is available is Rhino 5 enhancer. It is the best because it does more than just give strong erections. Rhino 5 is also a penis enlarger. It controls premature ejaculation, boosts performance energy for multiple rounds and the results last for four to seven days on just one capsule.

It is good value for money too so I recommend it – Uche Do you still have the Sex Shots sexual performance energy Booster? I like it when I used it but I cannot find it on your site again and no pharmacy has it – Sylvester They have been out of stock but they are back in stock now and are available in three different flavors namely Sex Shots Mega Nymph, Sex Shots Club V and Sex Shots Black Cherry – Uche I cannot take supplements because of my medical troubles. Do you have anything else that can handle premature ejaculation? Chimdi Sorry to hear that. There are many options for controlling premature ejaculation. Get the Max Control Prolong Spray. It is new and very good – Uche I will definitely recommend your office for sexual problems like mine. I have received my order in Sokoto and I am enjoying the Exploding Thunder I bought for weak erection. For my age, it is not harsh and still works well – Ibrahim I am happy you like it. Exploding Thunder is reliable.

That’s it for today. Adults in need of these treatments/ novelties can call 08027901621 or 08051924159 or any other number here. They can also order them online at www.zeevirtualmedia.com.

We deliver to you wherever you are in Nigeria. For enquiries, email us at custserv@zeevirtualmedia.com Uche Edochie, MD, Zee Virtual Media.

30 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

From left: Deputy Director, Corporate Affairs, UNILORIN, Mr. Kunle Akogun; Shakir Akorede; Vice-Chancellor, Prof.

Ambali; Hameed Murtala, Surajdeen Alabede and Wale Bakare during the campus journalists’ visit to the Vice-Chancellor

UNILORIN VC commends campus journalists

BY HAMEED OPEYEMI

T

he Vice-chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali, has commended campus journalists of the school for their efforts in promoting the good image of the school and urged them to see the university as their home.

He gave the commendation when the student journalists, under the aegis of Campuslife Correspondents club, paid him a courtesy visit in his office.

Amabli, who attributed the success of his administration to God and the cooperation he received from staff and students, also appreciated the campus journalists for their observation and recognition of his administration’s efforts in the past one year towards the development of the University. ‘’I quite appreciate your interest in what our administration is doing in contributing ot the development of our school. I urge you to see the university as your home and keep

promoting us positively through your reporting. ‘’That does not mean if you see areas we need to pay more attention to that you should not tell us, because we want the university to continue to grow. If you see any lapses, you can alert us in a professional way, but don’t be too negative about whatever is going on because this is your home.”

While stressing his administration’s commitment to the development of the institution, the VC promised that more that developmental

projects would be put in place within the university in the next 365 days.

He confessed that his administration is committed towards providing improved teaching and learning environment for students of the school, continuous training and improved welfare package for members of staff.

When asked on how there could be an end to the incessant industrial actions embarked by university lecturers, Prof. Ambali said that the Federal Government

vigor vigour behavior behaviour favorite favourite labor labour savior saviour

T

HERE are many varieties of English, and British and American English are two varieties that are taught in most English as a Second Language (ESL) and English as a Foreign Language programmes.

British English is more popular in Nigeria because of our colonial heritage.

There are some differences between Standard British English and Standard American English in spelling, vocabulary and pronunciation.

British versus American spelling For some words, the British English (BrE) spelling differs from American English (AmE) spelling. Both forms of spelling are

C M Y K

and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) should establish a monitoring committee that would ensure that agreements reached by the two parties are always implemented.

Ambali said, ‘’Whenever agreements are reached, everybody signs; individuals go home with the signed documents, but nobody sits down to mediate between the two parties to ensure that what has been signed is being implemented. And that has always being our problem. ‘’But if there is a monitoring committee in place, ASUU could go to them and sound a note of warning that an aspect of the agreements is being neglected.”

Ambali who was recently honoured with a Leadership Award on Educational Development Par Excellence by the West African Students Union (WASU), advised Nigerian leaders to shun corruption, and suggested that the best way to tackle Nigeria’s problem was to make food available to everybody and guarantee their future, adding that, ‘’When you look at the developed nations; food is not a problem.”

Speaking on behalf of his colleagues, Hameed Muritala commended the VC over the achievements his administration has recorded so far, saying that he had surpassed the expectations of students with his style of leadership and achievements in the last one year.

The Deputy Director, Corporate Affairs of the university, Mr. Kunle Akogun led the Campus Journalists’ delegation which had Wale Bakare, Alabede Surajudeen and Akorede shakir to the VC’s office

2. -ze

AMERICAN AND BRITISH ENGLISH spelling differences between American and British English: 1. -or vs -our American British

-se

American British patronize patronise analyze analyse organize organise criticize criticise realize realise memorize memorise apologize apologise Note that -ze is becoming common in British English. Examples are criticise or criticize, memorise or memorize, AMERICAN AND BRITISH ENGLISH or realize. favor favour Note also that the same spelling is color colour used for the words, advertise and honor honour exercise in American and in British neighbor neighbour English.

Frequently confused words

acceptable. What is important is for you to stick to one and be consistent.

Please note the following

vs

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013—31

AWAU reiterates commitment to academics in Africa

BY DAYO ADESULU

T

he Association of West Africa Universities (AWAU), has reiterated her commitment to take care of academic interests in West Africa and fill the existing gap in cross border relationship, collaboration and resource sharing.

Speaking at the maiden general conference in Burkina Faso with the theme, “The Role of Universities in the Integration of the West African Sub-Region.” the Chairman of the Association, Professor Jane NaanaOpokuAgyemang, who was represented by the ViceChairman, Professor Adebisi Balogun, said “AWAU was a joint decision of memberstates, established to take care of academic interests in West Africa and to fill the gap that had existed in cross border relationship, collaboration and resource sharing.”

She said that the regional structure of the Association of African Universities (AAU) had been assessed and it was discovered that West Africa was not as active as other subregions.

This, she said, had informed the gathering of ViceChancellors and principal

BY EBELE ORAKPO

M

EMBER of Parliament and former VicePresident of the Republic of Uganda, Professor Gilbert Bukenya, will grace this year’s Founder ’s Day ceremony of the American University of Nigeria (AUN), on November 30th in Yola, Adamawa State as keynote speaker.

Announcing Dr. Bukenya’s visit to the campus, AUN President, Professor Margee Ensign, said “ we are so honoured at AUN to have Dr. Bukenya as our Founder ’s Day speaker. He is not only a very accomplished academic but also a public health expert, and a leading politician on the continent. We look forward to his speech and participation in both Founder ’s Day and Yola Peace Day.” Dr. Bukenya, described as one of Africa’s most distinguished and respected academics, trained as a medical doctor and has dedicated his life to the health and wellbeing of people all over the world.

He was educated at Makerere University, The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and the University of Queensland C M Y K

officers of West African universities in Ilorin, in January, 2011, to form AWAU. Professor Agyemang recalled that it was at the Ilorin meeting that the Anglophone officers of the Association were elected.

She reminded members that the Ilorin Declaration

affirmed that AWAU would, among other things, strengthen and develop the leadership of the university education system in West Africa; empower the leadership of the West Africa education System to formulate a viable sub-regional agenda for university education,

which would contribute to national, regional and global development, and provide an effective forum/ fora to engage in brainstorming over development-related issues.

As a follow-up on the Ilorin Assembly and to refine some of the decisions taken, the second AWAU meeting was scheduled for Ghana and was hosted by the University of Cape Coast, in August, 2012.

From left: Senior Manager, Products Portfolio, Vodacom Business Nigeria, Mrs. Funke Atanda; Chief Executive Officer, 3RT Solutions Limited, Mr. Ayodele Olanlokun; Commissioner for Education, Cross River State, Prof. Offiong Offiong; and Programme Director, SmartCampus, Mr. Afolabi Oni, during the SmartCampus 2013 Technology in Education conference powered by 3RT Solutions, in Lagos.

Former Ugandan VP to speak at AUN Founder’s Day (Australia). He has taught and practiced medicine in Asia as well as Africa, and serves as an adjunct faculty member of two distinguished universities in America - Case

Western Reserve University and Tulane University.

A consultant for the World Health Organization and UNICEF, he is a fellow of two British Royal Societies, former

Dean of Makerere University School of Medicine and also has been playing an important role in the government and policy-making of Uganda,” stated the release.

Esso/NNPC donate science equipment to 6 varsities

BY DAYO ADESULU

E

sso/NNPC has handed over various science equipment to eight Nigerian universities to advance geological learning of students.

The Group General Manager (GGM), NAPIMS, Engr. Chinaka Mac Nwogu, while delivering the equipment said,”this year will be the fifth year that Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited (EEPNL), in production sharing contract (PSC) with Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) will be funding the University Partnering Program which aims to enhance the quality of geosciences candidates graduating from Nigerian universities.”

According to him, the benefiting universities were Akwa Ibom State University, Mkpat Enin,

Anambra State University, Uli, Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun, Federal University of Technology, Akure, University of Ilorin, Ilorin and University of Jos, Jos. Also, brand new Toyota Hiace buses were given to each varsity to assist the movement of fieldwork equipment. He urged the benefiting institutions to take advantage of this University Partnering Program by making good use of the equipment, maintaining them and ensuring that they are securely kept and used strictly for the development of the students. On his part, the Executive Director /General Manager, Upstream Nigeria Exploration, Mr. Chikwendu Edoziem, noted that the Nigerian educational system has been facing several challenges over the years which have adversely affected the students who are faced with falling educational standards and inadequate facilities to work.

Bida Poly Rector pledges to improve infrastructures

T

he Rector, Federal Polytechnic Bida, Niger State, Engineer Abdullahi Sule, has disclosed plans to build a lasting legacy in the school through the provision of infrastructure and increased man power. The Rector, who stated this while briefing newsmen on his performance since his appointment in March 2007, listed some of his commissioned projects to include the new library complex, the 1,000 capacity auditorium, the Enterpreneurship Development centre, staff complex, renovation of the School Medical Centre and construction of new complex for Mass Communication Department. Ascribing the absolute peace between management and staff to the various reforms introduced on assumption of office, Sule said “promotion is given when due unlike what was obtainable before I resumed. The first thing we did was to check our records and we discovered that 70 per cent of our staff were over due for promotion and we immediately commence the process. I am happy that today, they are reaping the fruits of their labour.

“We are proud to have one of the highest number of doctorate degree holders among Nigeria Polytechnic, and this has impacted positively on the students. To this end, our Ordinary National Diploma certificate holders in Engineering are recruited by Dangote Group while the Higher National Diploma students in Management courses are employed by Banks.”

Babcock varsity student emerges best at Law Sch’l

B

ABCOCK University 2012 graduate , Alao Adeleke has been adjudged best at the Nigerian Law School Bwari, Abuja.

Adeleke, who graduated second class upper division from Babcock came first at the law school. He was among several University greats with brilliant results from the institution.

The University ’s Dean of Law and Security Studies, Professor Isaac Agbede confirmed the report saying that the result that was released recently by the Law School attested to it.

“We are very happy about this development,” he said.

32—Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

From left: Director, Lagos State Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Bode Adams; Head, Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability, FirstBank, Mr. Ismail Omamegbe; Director, Lagos State Empowerment and Resource Network (LEARN), Mrs. Bisi Awoyomi; and Group Head, Retail Banking Lagos Main FirstBank, Mr. Seyi Oyefeso, at the official launch of FirstBank’s FutureFirst Programme.

FirstBank excites students with ‘Future First’

BY AMAKA ABAYOMI

D

etermined to spur young people, especially secondary school students in Lagos State, FirstBank of Nigeria PLC has launched its Future First Initiative, a career

counseling and financial literacy aimed at ensuring the youths are financially independent through fulfilling careers and the right financial knowledge.

In his keynote address, the Group Managing Director, FirstBank, Mr. Olabisi

Onasanya, who was represented by the Group Head Retail Banking, Mainland, Mr. Seyi Oyefeso, said the time has come to equip secondary school students to be able to make the right career choices and be financially independent so

as to take over leadership positions in the country.

“We dubbed this initiative ‘Future First’ because the young people who are beneficiaries of this project represent the future of Nigeria as well as the future of our bank, and indeed are our most present priority. For them to build fulfilling careers, they need to be equipped with the right tools because their generation will take over when our generation retires.”

Commending FirstBank for coming up with such laudable initiative, Lagos State governor, Babatunde Fashola, SAN, said financial literacy is essential since we all need to have proper financial knowledge to plan and judiciously manage our finances.

Represented by the Permanent Secretar y, Ministry of Education, Mrs. Omolara Erogbogbo, Fashola said, “You’ll agree with me that when these young minds are trained early enough about career choices and financial prudence, it would make them better individuals who will make significant breakthroughs for our nation.

“Many youths have derailed because of the wrong career choices they made or were made for them.

Therefore, it is our collective responsibility to consciously guide and instill in them financial discipline and planning so that they become adults we can be very proud of.”

Education Icons in Nigeria tto o ge ward in 20 14 gett a aw 201

BY MUSBAUDEEN SHEKONI

P

AST and present education Icons in Nigeria have been identified and all are set to award them for their immense contribution to the sector.

This was disclosed during a press conference at Ikeja by the Managing Director of Micnet Concept International, Mr Mike Neboh.

“Although the sector has passed through thorns and twists in the last fifty-three years, the achievements of our heroes past, whose visions, programme and actions laid the foundation for education in Nigeria and their remarkable achievements remain indelible to us.”

The Managing Director noted that the essence of the award is to provide a platform to redefine values, promote the best in our education, and a means of bringing back its glory and respect.

The award nominees ball is scheduled for 19th March, 2014 and the award ceremony is slated for 20th March, 2014.

C M Y K

“The Educational Icons Award was conceived as a project and not an event out of the critical evaluation that at independence, the nation’s funding fathers saw education as the path to a great future.”

Neboh said, by recognising

and awarding education Icons, it will encourage other Nigerian citizens to contribute their quota to develop the dwindling sector.

According to him, from our independence it was thought that through education, it

would be easier to harness the country’s vast resources for rapid development and be able to stand among the committee of nations within a short time.

Loral advocates vocational interest inventory test

BY ESTHER ONYEGBULA

I

n order to equip and assist students make the right career choices, Loral International School is advocating the use of vocational interest inventory (V.I.I) test, a counseling tool that will help prevent students from straying from the right choice.

Speaking during the Career Day organized by the Guidance and Counseling unit, held at school’s auditorium at Igbesa, the Senior Principal, Uzuegbunam Maria, said that “quite often the choice of a right career poses serious challenges to many young people but with proper guidance and counseling offered by the school, the students get well informed on how to advert making mistakes associated with choosing wrong careers. This way the

counseling tool, vocational interest inventory (V.I.I) test is necessary to be conducted so that students do not stray away from the right choice”.

The highlight of the event which had over five hundred students was a presentation of a drama by JSS two students titled the best profession. The career talk had several sessions from renowned resources persons from different works of life sharing their work-life experiences, like: Dr. Eluwah Chukwudinma, Medical Doctor, Omogbai Sylvanus, legal practitioner, and Dr. Pius Akhimien, lecturer LASU. Emphasizing the need to choose the right career in his presentation, Omogbai Sylvanus, a legal practitioner noted that “school programmes should be designed to educate students on career choice, bearing in mind that choice of career will have positive or negative effects on their future.

UBA Foundation boosts reading culture in two schools

BY MUSBAUDEEN SHEKONI

T

he African Church Model College and Sonmori Comprehensive High School, both in IfakoIjaiye area of Lagos State, on Monday, became the latest beneficiaries of the UBA Foundation ‘Read Africa’ initiative aimed at rekindling the reading culture of African youths through the donation of African literary classics to students as well as having mentoring sessions with senior management staff from the UBA Group.

The students had the privilege of sharing a reading session with the Deputy Managing Director, Domestic Bank, UBA, Mr. Apollos Ikpobe, who read excerpts from Chinua Achebe’s literally classic “Things Fall Apart” with the students.

Ikpobe, who told the students that reading is the foundation for future success in life, challenged them to read, at least, one book every month, be focused on their studies and aspire for greatness.

Citing from personal experiences while growing up, Ikpobe said reading fuels the imagination and is essential to educational development of all students.

“It is very essential for you to read because it is from reading that you get ideas and principles to move forward in life. The more you read, the more you broaden your horizon and be able to communicate.”

Also speaking at the occasion, the CEO of UBA Foundation, Ms. Ijeoma Aso, said reading is the most fundamental skill a person can acquire, and encouraged the youths to take advantage of the “Read Africa” project to widen their vision and enhance their knowledge.

“Surmounting challenges come from what you have read and are exposed to and the only way to succeed is to be intellectually sound.

This can only be achieved through reading.” she stated.

The ‘Read Africa’, which is in its third year, is an annual programme of the Foundation and it involves donating literature books to secondary schools across the continent. It is anchored by senior executives of the bank and UBAF who also take out time to mentor the students.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013—33

Indigenous language panacea for National devt — Ashafa enator Gbenga Ashafa, represent ing Lagos East Senatorial district, has reiterated the significance of indigenous languages in Nigeria, stating that the language of each tribe must be held sacrosanct for all to fully develop as a nation.

The lawmaker stated this at the weekend during the cultural day of Eyes on the Future Schools, Orile- Agege, where he spoke on the theme: “Our Indigenous Languages must not die”.

Languages do not Die”. It is our root and heritage that we must never forget, because, as the saying goes, “any one that loses its roots has a lot of hardships to ponder on later in future. ”Therefore, what we gather to do here today is an idea whose time has lapsed. We all must make this happen by cultivating the habit of speaking to our children in our mother tongue at home and facilitating the learning of indigenous languages in schools, as EYES ON THE FUTURE is doing today ” he said.

The lawmaker, said that all parents and guardians should cultivate the habit of communicating with their wards in their indigenous languages for rapid national development. ”Protecting our culture and preserving our indigenous languages are tasks before all of us that must be done. So, whether as students, teachers, parents/guardians or government, we must continue to make effort towards ensuring that “Our Indigenous

The lawmaker, while stressing that at the level of government,he had been one of the precursors in the advocacy to protect and preserve Nigerian indigenous languages, added; “I have done this by sponsoring a Bill on the Promotion and Preservation of our Indigenous Languages which is already at the Second Reading in the Senate; and I’m convinced that with the help of my colleagues it will see the light of the day as soon as possible”.

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

Teac hing staf city a major eaching stafff scar scarcity problem for universities (1) “When about 50 higher institutions were approved to take off within six years, where were the faculties expected to come from? In 2004, when I was a PGD student of the School of Mass Communication of the Lagos State University, LASU, we had a prominent lecturer who also lectured at Babcock University, Ilisan, Remo. I think he spends every Wednesday there. He was simultaneously running his doctorate too somewhere. He was always looking harassed. We had a lecturer too who taught a law course. One day during a two hour lecture, he excused himself as if to go see another lecturer in another classroom or to urinate. But, he was away for about an hour. Unbeknown to us he was a lecturer in another school as well and there was a clash of timetables and he just had to go to the other school.

Even the government schools battle with the problem of inadequate teaching staff. This is because, and usually, members of the faculty in an old government school migrate to newly established ones. The consequence of setting up more government schools is the promotion of poaching, nepotism and lower standards. Nepotism, because they are usually enticed to their state government tertiary institutions – nonindegene faculties never feel a sense of belonging – and low standards, because just about any inexperienced lecturer ends up becoming a dean or HOD”.

Oluseun Olufunwa eagle_02003@yahoo.com First of all, I want to express my appreciation to ‘Seun for this message which came through my email box. He is the first commentator since this series started who has got a good grasp of what this focus on universities is all about. It is meant to be an interactive medium. Granted, I started it all by persuading VANGUARD that this is an abiding issue which requires everlasting attention by all stakeholders – which means virtually all adult Nigerians. Certainly, if you are not a student, you are a parent or grandparent or Uncle or Aunt of a university student. Perhaps you are a lecturer or the relative of a lecturer. One way or another our fates individually and as a nation are inextricably linked with the quality of our universities. It is not a personal crusade; it is a national endeavour which I have simply chosen to place on the national agenda for as long as we exist.

Second, he touched on several issues in his message to me. I had extracted only two out of the five or six for discussion today. And I have quoted him, at length, because he was a “victim” of staff scarcity of which some of us are aware – but not as intimately. I think the better is best told in the first person.

Unfortunately, Seun was only one of several hundred thousands of graduates who had suffered the same fate in the hands of Nigerian universities and lecturers – both public and private. However, let me assure Seun and our other readers that I was well aware of the problems he described so well as far back as the early 2000s. One of our colleagues, at VANGUARD, resigned his appointment to join one of the first three universities to get established in 1999 – Babcock, Igbiniedon and Madonna. His was a non-academic staff and he did not last long. When we met, shortly after his departure from the university, one of my first questions to him was: “does the university actually employ all those professors and lecturers advertised in its brochure”? His answer was shocking. “Don’t mind them; most of those academics just lend their names for a fee. Most of them don’t teach there or they just come occasionally”.

This was education 419 at its worst; it reminded me of the “Bait— and— switch” tactics of dishonest salesmen in the United States, which resulted in the Truth in Advertising Laws. Those laws made it illegal for anybody offering anything for sale or subscription to makes false claims about what is on offer. What universities offer basically is education and one of the ways to determine what the students will receive is to know who will do the teaching. For a university to claim to have a Nobel Prize Winner on its faculty when the laureate never teaches any class at the university would have been regarded as fraudulent under those laws.

Universities are also expected to teach high ethical and professional standards to their students. How then does a university which falsifies its faculty list, even where professional courses like law and medicine are involved, promote high professional and ethical standards when the university itself is enmeshed in academic corruption of the worst sort?

Consequently, some of the universities have got their students and graduates into deep trouble.

But, there were only four or five private universities in Nigeria at the time and I had assumed that the problem would solve itself. Unfortunately, that turned out to be false optimism on my part. The problem got bigger and is rapidly getting out of hand. More and more young people, like Seun, are being taken to the cleaners in universities –public and private.

For a lot of reasons – not all of which were the fault of private universities – a severe scarcity of teaching staff developed nationwide. Among the causes of shortage of lecturers were the following: EXPLOSION OF UNIVERSITIES: As the population of Nigerian kids seeking university admission increased astronomically, governments, at federal and state levels responded two ways. First public universities were forced to admit more students than was advisable for quality education to be delivered. When that failed to solve the problem, they took the second step. They increased the number of universities nationwide. Then in 1999, the Federal government granted licences to three private universities.

The chart below tells the story: C C M M Y Y K K

S

From left: Business Development Manager, Anglophone West Africa, MoneyGram, Kemi Okusanya; Moneygram Officer in Skye Bank Plc, Jones Amaechi; students of the school: Udeh Esther and Dare Adebanjo; Head Mistress of the school, Mrs Olakitan Titilayo, during the donation of books by the financial institution to Mosafejo Nursery and Primary School, Oworo, Lagos

44% of Kogites illiterate — Agency

By BOLUWAJI OBAHOPO

T

he Kogi State Agency for Adult and Non - Formal Education has revealed that only 56 per cent of adults and youths in the state are literate.

This was disclosed by the Chairman of the Agency, Alhaji Sani Ogu, in Lokoja at a 6-day training of facilitators on ‘Revitalizing Adults and Youths literacy in Nigeria’.

Ogu said the figure is far below the earmarked point for the national level.

“Despite the fact that the 56 per cent of Kogi State is below the national level of estimated 62 per cent, Kogi still remains the highest literate state in the Northern region.

"The state has completed arrangement to increase literacy centers from 100 to 300 while instructors allowances have also been increase from N3,000 to N7,500 monthly. All these are geared towards reducing illiteracy to the barest

minimum in the state.”

Also speaking, the Executive Secretary, National Commission for Mass Education, Alhaji Jubrin Paiko, said the training was to strengthen the capacity for delivery of quality literacy programme to an estimated 40 million Nigerians so as to achieve the Education For All (EFA) goal and education goal of the MDGs by 2015.

“The success of this programme across the country is the attainment of EFA goal, especially goal four; which depend on the effective discharge of roles and responsibilities by states and local government.

Our expectation from states and local government include recruitment and target setting for facilitators in line with the minimum benchmark, payment of facilitators allowance, effective management of centres as well as provision of teaching and learning materials.”

34—Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

Rivers launches SBMC policy guidebook

BY DAYO ADESULU

T

he Rivers State Government has launched the School Based Management Committees, SBMC, which will be responsible for the running and management of the schools across the State.

Speaking at the launch at the Dame Christy Toby Model Primary School, Elekahia, Port Harcourt, the state Commissioner for Education, Dame Alice Lawrence-Nemi, noted that community participation in the management of schools will create a conducive environment for teaching and learning.

She explained that the rationale behind the establishment of the SBMC is for community ownership and involvement in school governance and maintenance of facilities, stressing that that quality learners are those who are healthy and supported in learning by their families and communities.

According to her, quality education has always been measured on quality of content in curriculum and how well such fits the present and future needs of learners.

“The new concept of dimensions in quality relates to quality learners among other dimensions.

"Quality learners according

to UNESCO are learners who are healthy and supported in learning by their families and communities.”

Highlighting the essence of the initiative, the Commissioner said “SBMC creates an educational environment suitable for the teaching and learning process where the core values of accountability, transparency, integrity and good management are practiced.

“SBMC is intended to move education forward, especially at the basic level through a combined effort of the government, community, teachers and the children.

"The committees are established to act as a bridge between schools and the communities they serve and to achieve effective community participation in the management and governance of primary and secondary schools.”

The Commissioner who noted that the investment of the state government in education sector is to ensure its citizenry have access to quality education added that the biggest gift any Government can give to its citizens is education.

She charged members of the newly constituted committees to brace up to the challenge of administering quality management in the schools.

“The investment of the state

From left: LEAP Africa's Director, Mr. Babatunde Dabiri; LEAP SIP 2013 Fellow, Orondaam Otto; and Mr Rick Little, Founder, International Youth Foundation, at LEAP's Social Innovators Programme & Awards launch in Lagos. government in the education sector is an indication of its desire for a more educated citizenry.

"In the last six years of this administration, Governor Rotimi Amaechi has taken

to education, we want to use this medium to task all members of the Committees to brace up to the challenge of administering quality management in our schools.”

LEAP Africa launches Social Innovators Programme

BY FORTUNE ANYANWU

L

eadership, Effectiveness, Accountability, and Professionalism (LEAP) Africa has launched its Social Innovators Programme (SIP) and Awards which seeks to identify, develop and support young Nigerians who are addressing social challenges in their communities through

From left: Mr Ranti Odimaya, Acting Chairman, Education Icon Foundation; Mr. Mike Nebo, Managing Dirctor, Micnet Concert International; and Mr. Allan Ballard, Managing Director, Afkar Printing and Publications, during the press briefing on the forthcoming Educational Icons Awards. PHOTO: Kehinde Gbadamosi.

C M Y K

giant strides in the education sector in Rivers State like no other government before him.

"Since the biggest thing we can give our children and the future generation is the chance to realize their rights

creative and sustainable solutions.

Launched at the Shell Hall, MUSON Centre, Onikan Lagos, LEAP’s SIP is developed in partnership with YouthActionNet, a programme of the International Youth Foundation (IYF), a nonprofit organization supporting youth development programs in 80 countries.

SIP joins the YouthActionNet global network comprising 16 national/regional youth leadership institutes across the world.

As part of the launch, LEAP hosted an innovation workshop for secondary school students and teachers.

The goal of the workshop was to engender a culture of creativity amongst students and their teachers.

Sessions were led by Mr. Taiwo Akinlami of Taiwo Akinlami Inspires and Mr. Philip Obamighie of PuzzleExtra.

Some schools present at the workshop include The Bells Comprehensive College, Ota, Eko Akete Grammar School, Dowen College, Oxbridge Tutorial College, Randle Senior Secondary School and Yewa College Ilaro.

At the programme launch, 20 young social innovators, selected from applications

received from across Nigeria, were showcased and inducted as SIP Fellows for the 2013/ 2014 class.

The key criteria for selecting the inaugural class of social innovators included leadership, motivation, creativity in problem solving approach and potential of initiatives for increased impact.

Selected social innovators will have access to training, mentoring and networking opportunities with collaborators and other change agents across the world.

Some of the SIP Fellows inducted include: Ayoola Ajebeku, co-founder of Nearest Locator, an app designed for developing countries for easy navigation; Jackson Akor, co-founder of Initiative for Youths with Disabilities Empowerment and Advancement (IYDEA) which empowers physically challenged youth with skills to become entrepreneurs; Halimat Odewale, co-founder Nigeria Diabetes Online Community (NDOC), an initiative to improve diabetes care via the use of social media; Otto Orondaam, founder of Slum2School Africa, an initiative which provides educational support structures in slums.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013—35

SUCCESS RECIPE WITH

Udeme Archibong successrecipe2009@gmail.com

LIVING AN EXTRA ORDINAR Y LIFE EXTRAORDINAR ORDINARY

I

Educationist commends Uduaghan on combating juvenile crimes

BY IKENNA ASOMBA

T

he Proprietor of Explosive Academy Independent School (EAIS) Abraka, Delta State, Mr. Ighorhiohwunu Aghogho has commended Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State on his concerted efforts towards combating juvenile crimes in Delta state.

Aghogho who also lauded the Governor for signing the Delta State Child Rights Act into law in 2008, stated that the Law has tremendously helped in redirecting deviant children in the state.

According to the educationist, the state government’s approval of EAIS, through its Ministry of Women Affairs, Child and Social Development, as a reformatory school for children beyond parental control is a right step in the right direction towards complementing the governor’s effort in reducing juvenile crimes in the state.

Noting, that although, Delta state already has a detention facility located in Sapele for children who are reprimanded by courts for one crime or the other, he said: “The school serves as a home for a child who has the capability for committing crimes but not yet in conflict with the Laws of Nigeria. Social vices are the bane behind juvenile crimes.

From a research carried out by the school in October, it was found out that six out ten children are currently beyond parental control in Delta state.”

Adding, “As a matter of urgent necessity, it behooves on parents, guardians, principals, head teachers, pastors, community leaders

and other key stakeholders in the state to key into the three point agenda of the Delta state governor, as they are the ordained protectors of children in our society.”

As he further lauded the first lady of Delta state, Chief (Mrs.) Roli Uduaghan; the Honorable Commissioner, Ministry of Women Affairs, Child and Social Development, Chief (Mrs.) Betty Efekodha and members

of her ministry, for always working round the clock towards enhancing the welfare and protection of the Delta state child, Aghogho noted that “the government must not rest on its oars as he disclosed that some criminal gangs of various networks are currently recruiting children street by street across the state for various evil missions, because children are always vulnerable.”

Iwuanyanwu lays foundation for UNIC AL ’s FFaculty aculty of Engineering UNICAL AL’s

BY EMMANUEL SHEBBS

T

he Pro Chancellor and Chairman, Governing Council of University of Calabar, Chief Engr.

Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu has laid the foundation for the Faculty of Engineering of the university. The foundation laying event which featured the presence of other members of the University Governing Council held at the proposed site of the Faculty of Engineering.

During his brief remark, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. James Epoke welcomed Chief Iwuanyanwu and expressed happiness that the New Faculty which has been on the drawing board for a while has eventually taken its first step. He said: “we are happy to have our Pro Chancellor, who is also an Engineer, present to kick start this process and lay a foundation for this historic project.

While laying the foundation, Chief Iwuanyanwu recalled that

Calabar is a town that has occupied a special place in Nigeria. “I see Calabar as a place where young men and women can stay out of the hustle of big cities like Lagos and Port Harcourt and also acquire knowledge. I feel happy to perform this task today. I am sure that this Faculty will produce men and women that will rule this country. We are establishing a Faculty that will have international recognition. We are going to empower this Faculty with structures that will house every field of Engineering.

The New Faculty of Engendering is sited at the Unical Ring Road, close to the Faculty of Law building.

While briefing Campuslife about the development, the Public Relations Officer of Unical, Mr. Eyo Effiong Bassey noted that the Faculty project is an initiative of the Unical Governing Council.

“The council is decisive in ensuring that Unical is been developed every day.

,

From left: MD/CEO, New Horizons Nigeria, Mr. Tim Akano; successful candidate of the onthe-spot job interview conducted by Clement Ashley Recruitment Agency and a graduate of Computer Science, University of Benin, Mr. Titus Eveshoyan; Lagos State National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Coordinator, Mrs. Nike Adeyemi, and Assistant Director, Skills Acquisition Entrepreneurship Development (SAED), Mrs. Rachael Ideawor, at the job fair organised for NYSC members by New Horizons and NYSC, in Lagos.

f you had only six months to live; what would you do with the life you have left? What kind of person would you become? What kind of father, mother, husband, wife, son, daughter, sister, brother, friend would you be? What kind of boss or working associate would you be? What kind of character qualities would you develop and what habits would you get rid of? What contribution will you make to life? What vision would you pursue? What would be the driving force of your life? Getting the answers to these questions involves soul searching, deep thinking and sincerity. Probably, you will discover that what had been important to you in the past is no longer important to you now; your perception about yourself and your life changed. In life, many people pursue and gain victories that are empty; they are busy but not effective; they exist but do not live; they make a living but fail to make a life; they achieve “success” that is fleeting but are unable to lay hold of enduring success.

He became an orphan at the age of seven. He lived with a guardian who treated him as a slave. “Accidentally” he came across a Self-Help book authored by Samuel Smiles who had also been an orphan at a tender age but grew to become an outstanding success. Orison Swett Marden “devoured” the content of the book and it ignited within him a consuming passion to make a difference in the world. He grew to own and operate four hotels. However, he devoted much of time to writing a book with a motive to motivate American youth as Self-Help had motivated him. Suddenly, disaster struck; two of his hotels burned to the ground. His manuscript (5,000 pages) which was almost completed was destroyed.

All his tangible wealth was wiped out. And at that time there was severe economic depression in the country which left millions of people unemployed, banks and almost everything failed which meant double tragedy for him. Marden viewing the devastating wreck around him and in the country saw the great need for someone or something to inspire the nation. He was offered employment opportunities to manage other hotels but he refused the offer.

When you are crowd driven you will be swept away with the cloud but when you are purpose driven your life b e c o m e s extraordinary

,

H

e was obsessed with an all consuming purpose; he started writing a new book all over again, “If ever there was a time when America needed the help of a positive mental attitude, it is now” he told his friends. He worked tirelessly, day and night with a meagre amount of money to survive.

When the book was released it became an instant success.

The book was in high demand throughout the country; millions of copies were sold and it was translated into twentyfive languages. The book “Pushing to the Front” transformed the attitude of an entire nation and its influence was widespread and affected the world. The difference between an ordinary life and an extraordinary life is living a life of purpose. Purpose is what makes a life extraordinary. If the “Why” behind Orison Marden’s life was built on personal gratification; money and material possession; the approval or “applause” of others; fear of failure or criticism; survival instinct or even personal achievement the adversity that struck him and the country could had left him battered rather than bettered. The “Why” that his life was built on was on Love; the all consuming passion to make a difference in the lives of others.

People with the deepest “Why’s” live an extraordinary life.

What are the whys that your marriage; your career; your job; your relationship with your children and your relationship with others is built on. Unfortunately, many people have vague whys or no whys at all. They are crowd driven rather than purpose driven. When you are crowd driven you will be swept away with the cloud but when you are purpose driven your life becomes extraordinary.

36—Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

U.S DROP BOX VISA:

Nigerians flay new directive

BY VERA SAMUEL ANYAGAFU

A

LARGE number of Nigeri ans, who hold various categories of United States visas, appear not to be satisfied with the new U.S embassy drop box visa renewal procedure, which expects them to renew their visas without having to go through consular officers’ interview.

Although the DHL drop box visa renewal procedure, presents certain listed criteria to qualify for usage, many individuals are yet to come to terms with the motive behind such show of concern by the U.S embassy, owing to the fact that the U.S government has continued to accuse the Nigerian government of not being serious with tackling very serious national challenges.

A source, who simply identified himself as Damian, told Consular Advisory, “I am aware that the U.S government had often tried to justify any action taken in the interest of Nigerians, but we have to look beyond the niceties of diplomatic verbiage. I am happy on one hand with the new development, and I hope it meant well

for Nigerians. I am a frequent visitor to the U.S and not in the least bothered with any of the laid down prerequisites to qualify for drop box usage.

“We cannot deny the fact that Nigeria has very serious challenges in resolving several economic and political disagreements, which have contributed to continued unrest in the country today, but we should not allow these anomalies deter our target to maintain a cordial diplomatic relationship with the U.S, whereby the U.S intends to frustrate Nigerians from entering their country through the introduction of the drop box procedure in addition to its seemingly unfriendly mandatory criteria.”

Damian also advised Nigerians to ensure that they comply with the embassy’s stipulated requirements to qualify for drop box procedure. He said, “I implore my fellow countrymen to ensure that they do not attempt to jump the rules guiding use of the drop box visa renewal programme, as we hope it does not turn out like the United Kingdom’s visa bond, which was conceived in order to discourage Nigerians and other

nations from visiting the U.K. “Even as I applaud efforts of the U.S government through its mission here in Nigeria to continue in activities to ensure that they maintain a progressive bi-national relationship with the Nigerian government, I would want the U.S government to understand also that Nigerians are not people any country would try to imagine as individuals who are inconsequential. Nigerians are hard working and fun loving people with great interest in tourism, which can be noted as a major resources for most countries economies.

Major resources “Nigeria is equally not a country any serious business minded government would blacklist in her development as they are the greatest growers of countries economies, and as such, no nation of the world should expect progression without the presence of Nigerian nationals in their country.”

A transformation coach/social

•L-r: President Goodluck Jonathan and US President, Barrack Obama in New York

worker, Mrs. Bose Adebola, who also faulted some of the criteria laid down by the U.S Consulate to qualify for its drop box usage, told Vanguard Consular Advisory that the criteria which stated that applicant must not have been arrested nor had an encounter with law enforcement, Customs or Immigration officials in the U.S. is not being friendly in any way. She said, “many persons may have been victimized for certain reasons that may not be within their control, thereby falling into certain circumstances and or situation beyond their capabilities.

“I have always reserved a doubt at one corner of my mind since the announcement of the drop box visa renewal procedure by the U.S Consulate General.

This doubt is because I was so sure it would not be a smooth through process, owing to the fact that the U.S government has

maintained fear of insecurity and Boko Haram insurgencies, across the country.”

She also told Vanguard Consular Advisory that in the vast majority of cases, these embassies devise coded means to deny Nigerians the opportunity to migrate to their countries. “What is the use of the DHL Drop Box Visa Renewal Programme, when one has stiff prerequisites to contend with?”

Bose queried.

Emma, who also shared Bose’s view, said “it may be interesting to acknowledge that the Consul General is trying to control crowd, and insecurity around the consulate’s premises, hence the introduction of the drop box procedure. The unanswered question here is why should an applicant who met the entire requirements to qualify for a drop box visa renewal procedure, not guaranteed a visa and requested to attend a visa interview in certain cases, as stated by the U.S Consulate?”

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013 — 37

I N S I D E

Limitation of court's jurisdiction in our jurisprudence

‘IBA conferences not jamborees’ — Page 38

— Page 39

Kogi Govt criminally liable for Iyayi’s death — Falana

BY DAYO BENSON & WAHAB ABDULAH

M

R. Femi Falana, is a human rights activist and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. In this interview, he spoke on the recent accident involving the convoy of the Kogi State governor, which claimed the life of Professor Festus Iyayi. He also fielded questions on the aviation minister’s saga, national conference and the inconclusive Anambra governorship election and other national issues.

Excerpts: Does the family of late Prof. Festus Iyayi have any cause of action against the Kogi State government?

Surely, the family of Late Professor Festus Iyayi has a cause of action against the Kogi State Government for the executive recklessness that led to the untimely and gruesome death of the don.

The media reported the circumstances of the tragic death of Professor Iyayi. It is undoubtedly clear that it was the negligence of a driver of a vehicle in the governor’s convoy that hit the vehicle conveying Professor Iyayi, the impact was so much that he was killed instantly. To that extent the Kogi State government is vicariously liable while the driver who caused the accident is criminally liable in the circumstance.

Does the Kogi State government have any civil or criminal responsibility considering the fact that the governor’s convoy was responsible for the late professor’s

*Femi Falana (SAN) Can the driver of the killer vehicle be proceeded against personally or is it a case of vicarious liability ?

Altogether there are five accidents involving the governor, the deputy governor and Speaker of the House of Assembly of Kogi State in the last two years. This is not surprising in view of the revelation by the Federal Road Safety Commission boss that Governor Wada did not allow the drivers in his

This is a clear case of manslaughter. In each of the cases the Kogi State government is obligated by law to pay compensation to the families of the four people who were killed in the three accidents

,

death?

Unlike Governor Idris Wada who enjoys immunity from criminal liability, his drivers are not immune from prosecution. So all the drivers indicted in the three road accidents involving the governor in the last few months are liable to be prosecuted for violating traffic laws. This is a clear case of manslaughter. In each of the cases the Kogi State government is obligated by law to pay compensation to the families of the four people who were killed in the three accidents.

,

convoy to be trained by the FRSC like the other 700 government drivers across the country. The statement is a very serious indictment which may aggravate the damages payable to the families of those who were recklessly killed by the governor’s convoy.

The latest accident was the third involving the governor’s convoy this year alone. How do you react to this?

The Iyayi’s family and the ASUU are going to take advantage of the killing

of Professor Iyayi to prevent further carnage and loss of precious lives on our roads through executive lawlessness. The use of siren is going to be reviewed. In the countries where siren is manufactured its use is restricted. It is not for harassing road users but for making way for fire fighting vehicles, ambulances and the police in case of emergencies. With all the congestion or traffic jam on Lagos roads, Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN does not use siren or chase people out of the road. Why then should the governor of any other state intimidate road users to the extent of killing them? Such executive impunity has to stop.

The Senate has referred the aviation minister’s issue to its committee on aviation, instead of her appearing before the Senate as earlier reported. Do you think anything will come out of it?

It is a desperate attempt to shield the Aviation Minister,Ms Stella Oduah from prosecution. But neither the Presidency nor the Senate can exculpate her from the allegations of grave economic and financial crimes which have been leveled against her.

More so, that the Bureau of Public Procurement and the House of Representatives Committee have indicted her. Both the ICPC and EFCC are also probing her while the Presidential probe Panel on the matter has submitted its report. There is no

hiding place for her.

What is your take on US categorizing Boko Haram as foreign terrorist organisation?

That is the internal affair of the United States. Since the Federal Government has proscribed the terrorist body it has no business applauding the decision of the United States. After all, the Federal Government earlier kicked against the stigmatization of the Boko Haram sect as a terrorist society.

Do you think the Federal Government is sincere with the planned National Conference?

The Federal Government has been sincere about it. In fact, President Jonathan has announced that the resolution of the planned Conference will be sent to the National Assembly for consideration in the ongoing review of the Constitution. This in effect means that the national dialogue or conference is an expanded town hall meeting to collate the views of Nigerians with respect to the amendment of the Constitution. Since the resolutions of the Conference are not sovereign or binding on the Government including the National Assembly it is likely to be a complete sham.

Would you like to put the record straight on Governor Chime’s wife issue?

There isn’t much to put on record as far as Mrs. Clara Chime’s case is concerned. Although I do not require the permission or written authorization of a victim of human rights abuse to intervene I was instructed by Mrs. Chime to take up her case. She never disowned me. What she said at the nocturnal press briefing by Governor Sullivan Chime was that she did not contact me directly but that a friend might have done so on her behalf.

That statement cannot be faulted. Mrs. Chime sent an e-mail to one of our friends and directed her to contact me.

The e-mail was forwarded to me. Her mother, Mrs. Patience Igwe also sent

Continues on page 38

EDITORIAL TEAM Dayo Benson (Editor) Innocent Anaba Wahab Abdulah Ikechukwu Nnochiri

38 —VANGUARD,

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

IBA conferences not jamborees— Oluyede

C

O-CHAIRPERSON of the International Bar Association, IBA, African Regional Forum, Mrs Olufunmi Oluyede, has faulted those criticising Nigerian lawyers for attending conferences organised by the body abroad.

Speaking at the recent IBA conference in Lagos, she said lawyers should rather be commended for spending their resources to be part of such meetings rather than it being called “a jamboree”.

Oluyede said IBA was the global voice of the legal profession and in its 66 years of existence, has

come to be known for its world-class conferences tailored to meet not only the intellectual needs of its members, but to address world problems.

“IBA conferences are not jamborees. As is the case with this regional conference, they are meticulously planned and the topics for discussion carefully chosen with the needs of our society in mind.

“Lawyers are, after all, social engineers too and must remain relevant to their environment if they are to remain economically buoyant. Attendance at these conferences is

es, is with all due respect, a distractive and unproductive one. The argument that large delegations are inappropriate or wasteful is most tendentious and unprogressive.

“Nigerian lawyers who spend thousands in various foreign currencies to attend these conferences are better placed to determine whether they personally get value for From left: Mr Sergio Sole, Mr Olufunmi Oluyede their money or not. No and Mr Guy Harles at the IBA conference in Lagos one has the prerogative to to state, in all humility that determine this for them. therefore to be taken “The constructive debate the orchestrated debate on seriously by seriousshould be on how to minded practitioners and the impropriety of large ensure that more memcontingents of Nigerian lawyers globally. bers of these large lawyers at IBA conferenc“In this context, I wish delegations of Nigerian Lawyers are involved at the very soul of the conferences –positively contributing and impactterribly bad elections ing their world – within with lack of materials, lateness of materials, the IBA’s various commitlate arrival of materials, tees and fora – and not non-payment of electoral just sharing their experiofficers etc. Unless the ences, but also being INEC is re-organized impacted productively by and restructured it is the experiences of others going to bundle the – especially those from 2015 general elections.

If the INEC cannot successfully conduct the gubernatorial election in one state, where is the assurance that it is prepared to handle the O fewer than five presidential, legislative legal luminaries and governorship elections in other parts within and outside the of the country, in one country will grace the day? Was the 2011 fy all such saboteurs in ICCN Annual Dinner and general election not the INEC and relieve Dance being organized postponed midway due them of their positions. to commemorate the 90th Under Professor Maurice to insufficiency of Anniversary of the ICC electoral materials?

Iwu, the INEC was a I can assure that those International Court of machinery for fixing Arbitration. The event who sabotaged the results of elections and which comes up at Shell Anambra governorship for all kinds of electoral Hall, MUSON Centre, will smile to the bank. manipulations. Apart They won’t be Lagos, on November 22, from the removal of sanctioned. Owing to Professor Iwu and the 2013 will feature so many official impurity the appointment of Professor activities. manipulation of the Jega nothing has In a statement by the electoral process is not changed in INEC. In Secretary General of the going to stop so soon. other words the rigging International Chamber of Nigerians should brace machinery has remained Commerce Nigeria, up for further abolition intact.

(ICCN), Mrs. Olubunmi of another electoral Hence, INEC has Osuntuyi, the 2013 process. continued to conduct

Kogi Govt criminally liable for Iyayi’s death — Falana Continues from pg 37 me an SOS to free her daughter from detention. I took up the brief without charging professional fees. In actual fact, I took pity on Mrs. Chime and requested the Inspector-General of Police to free her from illegal detention. It is interesting to note that Governor Chime confirmed the allegation that he had detained his wife.

In a desperate bid to justify the illegal detention he said he did it in her own interest. As if that was not enough the governor said his wife was mentally challenged.

For goodness sake there was no basis for such defamatory statement. To the best of my knowledge, Mrs. Clara Chime is not suffering from mental disability.

She is logical and sensible in her reasoning. Happily, we have succeeded in liberating her and she is now enjoying her freedom.

What’s your assess-

areas where the practice of Law is more advanced than in our polity.

“We are, however, proud of the position taken by the majority on this subject – to the effect that not only should more lawyers attend IBA Conferences, but that many more IBA conferences should be held in Nigeria within easy reach of an even greater number of Nigerian lawyers. This is the constructive, progressive and indeed, widelyacclaimed stance on this matter.

“Nigerian – and indeed African lawyers who put much energy and resources into making our countries of much significance within the IBA are further encouraged by such visionary mind-sets to ensure that IBA becomes of even greater relevance to our individual countries and the African continent as a whole.” She added.

ICCN sets stage for 2013 dinner and dance

*Femi Falana (SAN) ment of the Anambra governorship election which PDP and APC and Labour Party, LP, candidates called for its cancellation?

The Anambra governorship election has confirmed that INEC requires a total reorganisation. It is not sufficient to accuse some officials of having sabotaged the election. Professor Attahiru Jega must accept responsibility for the gross mismanagement of the election and move speedily to identi-

N

edition of the Annual Dinner is to mark the 90 years of the Court and to celebrate the achievements and milestone of the Chamber.

The occasion will be chaired by the former Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Richard Akinjide, CON, SAN, and the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Mohammed Lawal Uwais, GCON, CON, will deliver the Keynote address.

Other important dignitaries expected at the event include the Special Guest of Honour, Mr. John Beechey, President, ICC International Court of Arbitration who will be joined by members of the Diplomatic Corps, notable business leaders and captains of Industry in both the private and public sectors of the Nigerian economy.

The ICC International Court of Arbitration has over the years grown to be popular for various reasons such that it allows the arbitral proceedings to be held in any part of the world, given room to support economies of different nations and possibility of invisible earning accruing to places of arbitration.

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013 —

O

Celebrating Law School @ 50

N Monday, November 11, the Council of Legal Education (CLE) celebrated 50th years of the Nigerian Law School (NLS), Lagos campus with a special anniversary lecture entitled “Legal Education and Legal Profession: A Reality Check.” The event which held at the Victoria Island campus of the NLS attracted eminent legal personalities.

Limitation of court's jurisdiction in our jurisprudence thing done or purported to be done under or pursuant to any Decree or Edict and if such proceeding are instituted before on or after the comBY PHILIPS ADU-ODOGWU mencement of this Decree the proceedings shall abate be discharged and F you take statistic of cases in our made void. It is clear that the law as it courts today well over 30% of the stands, the Plaintiff cannot enforce any current cases in courts borders on the rights he may have in any court of law. jurisdiction of the court to entertain This is because the suit which he filed them.

In this paper we intend to look at the before coming into force of the Decree No. 12 of 1994 abates after the comsubject “the jurisdiction of the court mencement of the Decree. The jurisdicand whether there is any limit to it?” tions of this court to entertain this suit The Black Law Dictionary in its 9th have been taken away by this decree.

Edition defines jurisdiction first in a It is unfortunate I am unable to accept general terms as: A government’s the contention of Mr. Ijatuyi counsel to general power to exercise authority the Plaintiff that since the commenceover all persons and things within its ment date of decree No. 12 of 1994 is territory; especially a state’s power to create interest that will be recognized 18th November, 1995 and the Plaintiff under common-law principles as valid was in court before that date this court in other state. It went further to define has jurisdiction to hear and determined the suit”. jurisdiction in its narrow form as it relates to our present discussion as “A This is the true position of the law court’s power to decide a case or issue regarding jurisdiction, but His Lordship at page 184 with greatest respect a decree” made a U –turn and stated inter alia as The Constitution of the Federal follows: Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended “………………..this action is well in chapter VII established the courts in within the ambit or provision of section Nigeria and their various jurisdictions. For instance section 232 of the 230(1) of the 1979 constitution (suspension and modification) Decree No. 107 constitution spelt out the original of 1993 since the commencement date jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of of Decree No. 107 of 1993 is 17th Nigeria. The Black law dictionary we November, 1993 and this matter was referred to earlier went further in its filled before 17th November, 1994 (sic) definition of jurisdiction, to define when the cause of action arose this jurisdiction limits as “the geographic court has not lack jurisdiction (sic) to boundaries or the constitutional or determine the matter” statutory limits within which a court’s The Supreme Court in deciding the authority may be exercised” appeal in this matter per I. F OGNow having laboured to define the word jurisdiction in our own little way, BUAGU, JSC said and I quote let us try to tackle the issue of its limit “ it is now settled that issues of jurisdiction, is fundamental and crucial, it when a court of law exercise it The case of Cyril O. Osakwe V Feder- is in fact, a threshold matter. Where a court has no jurisdiction, any action al College of Education (Technical) taken will be a nullity, however well Asaba & Ors (Ors) 2010 2-3 SC (PT conducted”.

111) 158@ 190-192 is one of the numerous cases wherein the issues of IN ADAH V NYSC (2004) All FWLR jurisdiction were stretched to the (PT 223) 1850 ALSO REPORTED Supreme Court of Nigeria for pro(2004) 13 NWLR (PT 891) 639@ 464 nouncement on the subject matter.

OF PART 905 THE SUPREME COURT (PER UWAIFO) JSC: AN OVERVIEW OF CYRIL CASE “that the law which supports a cause This is a case that was originated from the Delta State High Court Asaba of action is not necessarily, co-extensive with the law which confers jurisand travelled all the way to the Supreme Court Abuja only for it to suffer diction on the court which entertain the in the hand of jurisdiction. In this case suit founded on that cause of action the relevant law applicable in respect the Plaintiff/Appellant began his of a cause of action is the law in force journey at the Delta State High at the time the cause of action arose Court Asaba where the issue of the whereas the jurisdiction of the court to jurisdiction of the Delta State High entertain an action is determined upon Court to trial the matter was first raised. The trial court in its ruling held the state of the law conferring jurisdiction at the point in time the action that the court was robbed of jurisdiction by an ouster clause in Decree No. was instituted and heard”.

See also section 251 of the 1999 12 of 1994. But it turned around again constitution and section 254C (1) of the to hear the matter on the ground that Third Alteration Act to the 1999 Constithe Plaintiff ’s action arose before the tution. For the purpose of clarity promulgation of the said decree. At page 182 of the records, His Lordship section 254C(1) of the Third Alteration Act to the 1999 Constitution provides states as follows: as follows: “……………..no doubt the Plaintiff “Notwithstanding the provision of (sic) cause of action have arisen before section 251, 257, 272 and anything Decree No 12 OF 1994 was promulgatcontained in this constitution and in ed. This Decree took effect from 1st addition to such other jurisdiction as November, 1993. Ordinarily on the may be conferred upon it by an Act of face of it, this court has jurisdiction to the national Assembly, the National entertain the suit, but section 2(6) of Industrial Court shall have and exerDecree No. 12 of 1994 provides as cise jurisdiction to the exclusive of any follows: other court in civil cause and matNo civil proceedings shall lie or be ters……………” instituted in any court for an account To be continued. of or in respect of any act matter or

Who lost out?

I

From left: Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, Mr Fabian Ajokwu, SAN and Governor Babatunde Fashola, SAN of Lagos State, guest lecturer.

From left: Chief OCJ Okocha, SAN. Mrs Daisy Danjuma and Mr Ade Ipaye, Lagos State Attorney General.

Professor Oyelowo Oyewo (left) and Mr Olanrewaju Onadeko, incoming Law School Director General

Cross section of lawyers in equity, law school students.

39

40 —Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013—41

OJUDE OBA 2013

Crown head’ll always return home (2) This is the concluding part of the paper presented by Oba Dr. S. K. Adetona, CFR, Awujale and paramount ruler of Ijebuland at this year’s Ojude Oba festival. The first part was published yesterday

O

TUNBA Mike Adenuga, we shall remain eternally grateful to you and your organization.

We pray for your good health while Globacom shall continue to grow from strength to strength. We equally thank the Olori Omo-Oba of Akile Ijebu and Asiwaju of Ijebu Christians, founder of FCMB and the First City Group, and the Olori Ebi of Fusengbuwa Royal Family, Otunba (Dr.) Michael Subomi Balogun, CON., and his First City Monument Bank PLC for their contributions to our annual Ojude Oba Festival and indeed for his commitment to the peace, joy and happiness of the royal household. May you and the Group continue to flourish in good health and service to our nation (Amen).

Similarly, we thank all our friends and admirers who are always at our beck and call to support the Ojude Oba Festival. Among these are the WEMPCO Group, the Nigerian Breweries (brewers of Maltina), Coca Cola, Julius

an injustice and clearly a marginalization.

Consequently, our adopted theme for this year ’s Ojude Oba celebration is: “Actualizing the Creation of Ijebu State, Noin! Noin!!

(Now, Now), to further draw the attention of all concerned to the need to actualize the creation of our Ijebu State, without any more delay, being the only way to correct this glaring injustice. After all, we meet all the criteria as enunciated in the 1999 Constitution”.

The state of our nation: I cannot end this address without touching briefly on the state of our nation. It is of course a great pity that Nigeria, a country of anticipated land of milk and honey at Independence, has today become a nation of ills and shame. Corruption has become pervasive and endemic, nepotism is rife, infrastructural decay, collapsed education system, kidnapping, armed robbery and pen robbery, child abuse

,

Our leaders and the political class should re-dedicate themselves to the ideal of service and endeavour to take the country to a safe landing

Berger, Diamond Bank, 7up Bottling PLC, Kessington Adebukonla Adebutu Foundation, and indeed, Mr. Tunde Folawiyo of Folawiyo Group, who singlehandedly provided the Public Address System at this venue at a cost of about N20,000,000 (twenty million naira). May Allah continue to bless you (Amen).

2013 theme: actualising the creation of Ijebu State, noin! noin!!

One important issue that continues to agitate our minds is the issue of Ijebu State. That Ijebu remains till today without being created into a State is worrisome to us as a people. How can one explain it that Ijebu Province, one of the twenty four Provinces that made up Nigeria during colonial era is yet to be created into a State, now that Nigeria is presently constituted into 36 States with Abuja as its Capital territory, making a total of 37 (thirty-seven)?

Our denial of State status is

,

and human trafficking, comatose economy, lack of employment opportunities, criminality and other various negative activities have all become the order of the day.

Our political landscape has today become a nightmare and more so with the approach of 2015 elections. My appeal to our leaders and the political class is that they should rededicate themselves to the ideal of service and endeavour to take the country to a safe landing. The recently proposed National Conference, however, provides a ray of hope for the country’s survival and it is our hope that the opportunity will be utilized fully to correct all the ills and thus save the Country from the untoward calamity now befacing our Nation.

Ogun State government: Let me, once again, heartily welcome our energetic Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun and his amiable wife for their

•Oba Dr. S. K. Adetona, Awujale of Ijebuland

invaluable service to Ogun State. Your Excellency, we note with indelible satisfaction and grateful thanks and appreciation your unique style of administration since your assumption of office as the Governor of our Gateway State. Your seven-point programme The urban renewal programme, programme on education, h e a l t h programme, programme o n agriculture, fly-over and above all, your support for traditional institution-all of which are some of the innovations of your administration.

Our prayer is that Allah will see you through these your laudable programmes to God’s glory; your own personal glory and achievement for the peace, joy and for the benefits of the people of Ogun State so that at the end of

the day we shall all have cause to thank Allah that thus far, He has helped you in the discharge of your contract with the people of Ogun State

(Amen).

In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, your Excellencies - the Governors of Ogun and Bayelsa States, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I personally give thanks to Allah for His mercies over me for granting me this special privilege to stand with you here today. Let me, therefore, use this opportunity to thank you, Your Excellency, Senator Ibikunle Amosun and your wife for your kindness and support during and after my recent domestic accident.

To you, my people and those of you who in various ways stood and supported me throughout my trying period up to this moment, I thank you warmly. I promise to further dedicate myself and serve you faithfully and truthfully to the best of my ability. And so, help me, God (Amen).

Thank you all. As-salam alaeykum, Wa ramathulahi, Wa baraqathuhu.

Kabiyesi Alaiyeluwa, Oba (Dr.) S. K. Adetona, CFR, J.P. is the Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland, Aafin Awujale, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State Concluded

42—VANGUARD, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

•Jonathan: Absent twice

•Tambuwal: Tried but failed to soothe his men

•Emodi: Praised for soothing lawmakers

Intrigues around 2014 Budget presentation THE derailment of last Tuesday’s plans by President Goodluck Jonathan to lay the 2014 budget proposals before the National Assembly was set in deep intrigues

P

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan played a fast one on members of the National Assembly, who had awaited his arrival to the Assembly, on Tuesday, to present the 2014 budget before a joint session of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Twice in the month, the President had written the Assembly craving the indulgences of the lawmakers to allow him time at noon of November 12 and 19 respectively to make the annual ritual. But like an event programmed to fail from the start, President Jonathan failed to show up on those dates.

First, the president had in his letter requesting to reschedule the appointment, for last Tuesday, cited “emergent circumstances” for rescheduling the appointment.

Emerging circumstances It is the opinion of some that the emergent circumstances may have flowed from a motion raised a week ago by Ali Madaki (Kano State)

seeking to bar the President from making an appearance.

Madaki’s move arose from alleged poor implementation of the 2013 budget. It later took the intervention of the Speaker to grant the President a welcome for last Tuesday, November, 19.

The second appointment was even a greater flop. In his letter to the two chambers the president cited differences between the two arms of the National Assembly on the benchmark price for oil revenue for next year as contained in the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) as his reason.

Why Jonathan didn't come Many stakeholders in the National Assembly allege that contrary to the issues of MTEF, the real reason the president did not come was to avoid an embarrassing reception from aggrieved lawmakers, notably those aligned to the Kawu Baraje led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Vanguard learnt that most members of the nPDP in the House are still peeved over

the ill-treatment meted out to Baraje and the G7 governors by members of the mainstream PDP when they visited the House last September and had vowed to retaliate. To calm nerves, the nPDP members, it was gathered demanded that an unreserved apology be tendered to Baraje and the G7 Governors but the proJonathan lawmakers totally ignored it.

PDP Caucus meeting When the lawmakers met on Monday under the umbrella of the PDP caucus meeting, expectations were high that every dissension including the issue of apology to Baraje and the G7 Governors would be resolved.

A source told Vanguard that when the issue came as a prerequisite for the President’s coming; the proJonathan elements called it a bluff and instead asked the President to cancel his appearance.

The following day, Tuesday the president failed to turn up despite all the preparation that had been made by the National Assembly management including the restriction of staff to the premises. In a letter sent to

the two chambers of the National Assembly, the president had explained his absence thus: “Please recall that I had written requesting the Honourable House of Representatives to grant me the slot of 12 noon on Tuesday 19th November 2013 to enable me address a Joint Session of

,

BY LEVINUS NWABUGHIOGU

Budget to a Joint Session of the National Assembly until such a time when both respected chambers would have harmonized their positions on the MTEF. It is my hope that this will be in the shortest possible time.

Please accept, Honourable Speaker, the assurances of my highest consideration and esteem”.

It is all lies — Reps In a swift manner, the House of Representatives reacted, completely denying the position of the president on MTEF. It insisted that the budgets were presented in the past even without a compromise on the benchmark.

To calm nerves, the nPDP members, it was gathered demanded that an unreserved apology be tendered to Baraje and the G7 Governors but the proJonathan lawmakers totally ignored it

the National Assembly on the 2014 Budget.

“However, considering the fact that, whereas the Distinguished Senate has approved the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) based on a benchmark of $76.5 per barrel, the Honurable House of Representatives has used a benchmark of $79 per barrel, it is infeasible for me to present the budget in the absence of a harmonized position on the MTEF. “In the circumstance, it has become necessary to defer the presentation of the 2014

,

The House spokesman, Rep. Zakari Mohammed, who briefed journalists on the development said: “Before we came in we heard information that the President will not come and that he will send a representative. Eventually, the representative was not sent and he had to forward a letter.

Of course the basis of the letter is that we don’t have a harmonized benchmark position and the MTEF has been passed and that is exactly why he did not come

Continues on page 43

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013—43

nPDP members 're looking for relevance — Dr Jankada DR Salome Jankada is a two time minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who also is a strong advocate for youth and women empowerment. In this interview, she bared her mind on the crisis in the party and issues ahead of the polity in 2015. Excerpts:

BY GABRIEL EWEPU

H

OW does the emergence of factions in the PDP affect the party in your state, Taraba?

I don’t know what you mean

by New Peoples Democratic Party, but I know there is Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Nigeria. Let me situate it closer for you to understand it better.

You know in the family, the closest unit is the husband, wife and children, and there is bound to be disagreement, talk more of where you have a conglomerate of people coming together, and not for the nation but for self.

Once people feel aggrieved they forget about the binding factor, which is the constitution of this country, which is number one, without which you and I will not be.

Talking about nPDP is greed

to me. As far as I am concerned there is no other party than PDP. They are looking for relevance, and I am telling you this as a politician also.

When people go about shouting and clamouring, as politicians, they are looking for relevance.

If people can take charge of their state, what makes them feel Mr. President should not take charge of Nigeria?

Everybody is given a constituency and Nigeria is the constituency of Mr. President.

If people are aggrieved as governors let them sit in their states let them solve the problem there and we cannot go about it as we are doing.

Do you subscribe to the call by the Baraje led faction of PDP on President Goodluck Jonathan not to contest in

•Jankada: No factions in PDP 2015?

When people talk like that I say they are not democrats, because Jonathan has a right just like any other Nigerian to do or not to do, and it is

left for Nigerians and not for a single person tell him.

I want to believe that Mr. President is not a fool, he will go and have the feeling of Nigerians, and I am sure that

is what he is doing now.

But one person cannot speak for all, because this is democracy, rather he can only speak for himself and the other group will speak for themselves when the time comes. Let us give peace a chance.

In any case, Kawu Baraje is a brother, we have been together in the camp of our leader, the late Olusola Saraki, and I know, coming under the tutelage of the late statesman he can only do what is right, because Saraki believes in one Nigeria, and whatever will move Nigeria forward, anything that is negative you will not find him there, and Baraje is a disciple of Saraki.

How do you envisage 2015 general elections?

It will be excellent.

As a Christian, as I say so it shall be for me. I am saying there will be peace; there will be an election of leaders that have been elected by God himself, because leadership comes from God, and those prophets of doom will be the ones to be doomed.

So we declare that there will be a peaceful 2015.

Intrigues around 2014 Budget presentation Continues from page 42 and I want to refresh your memories. In 2011, we had a similar situation and the benchmark by the two chambers was not passed.

Of course, he presented the budget. Last year, the House of Representatives passed its MTEF, when the Senate had not passed its version. Of course, he still went ahead to present the estimates. Last year, it happened. This year, the Senate has passed its own MTEF.

President's argument It is still within the time frame of the consideration in the House. Because I remember quite well MTEF came in September 17, 2013 and the basis of Mr. President’s argument is that unless we have a harmonized position. I am trying to let you know that it is not our fault in the House that the budget was not presented.”

Rep. Ogbonna Nwuke representing Etche/Omuma

president is coming from.

Perhaps, those who are telling those tales are those who were behind a s i m i l a r situation in the House.”

T h e assertion about lobbying dovetails to suggestions of a great hole in the presidency following the forced exit of •Abia: No problem with shift •Mohammed: No plans to boo Senator Joy Emodi as the Federal Constituency, Rivers boo the President but I think President’s Special Adviser State in his own reaction said the way democracy works in on National Assembly that it was unfortunate that other climes, the President’s Matters.

Senator Emodi had in the members came with the lobbyists ought to have been expectation of seeing the doing their work. Lobbying is past soothed the nerves of president present the budget not about money. It is about aggrieved members and to estimates but that he couldn’t articulating positions clearly some extent, reportedly made come. to an extent that lawmakers the legislators to look over Responding to assertions will feel compelled regardless their differences with the that nPDP members planned of their position, if any, to president in giving him and his proposals some favourable to boo the president, Nwuke support a strong argument. said: “Am I a magician to know Now, I don’t know where welcome.

Rep. Dan Abia representing whether there were plans to that story about booing the

Eket/Onna/Esit Eket/Ibeno, Akwa Ibom, however, asserts that the president was correct in picking the benchmark issue as his reason for absenting.

“He sent a letter to the House and the letter itself is self explanatory.

The Leadership of the House represented by the Committee on Appropriations and Finance had met previously with the Executive and it came to an agreement of 76.5 Dollars benchmark,” he said.

Bottom line Whether or not the issues strike any cord of realities, most analysts believe that what is currently playing out between the Executive and Legislative arms of government now is akin to an age long saying that where two elephants fight, the grass suffers.

They border more on what becomes the lot of the Nigerian people in the circumstance especially with the indefinite postponement of the presentation.

44—Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

Global ICT market to exceed $5000bn

Stakeholders laud Aliu's election as ICAO boss

T

BY PRINCE OSUAGWU, in Bangkok, Thailand

T

HE global ICT market has been predicted to generate over $5000 billion in the next three years, out of which the Chinese market alone will contribute $631 billion.

This growth, according to world top ICT players, who are at the ongoing ITU World conference in Bangkok, Thailand, would create a whole new opportunity for telecom and other businesses in the ICT sector.

However, countries were advised to tilt investments towards smart devices, cloud computing platforms and 4G mobile broadband networks as the three carried the characteristics of the expected new opportunities.

The predictions came as world leaders kicked off discussions on Embracing Change in a Digital World, theme for the ITU summit.

In his opening address on the subject, ITU Secretary-General, Dr. Hamadoun Touré, said: “We are at a tipping point in our global society; a tipping point where the pace of technological innovation has the potential to change the world for good— and for the better.”

BB Z30 arrives Nigeria

B

LACKBERRY, BB, has introduced the new BlackBerry Z30 into the Nigerian market. It features the BB10 OS version 10.2.

It comes with a 5" display screen and the largest battery yet on BB smart phones.

The makers say it collects priority messages across e-mails, social networking and other accounts; gives instant access to important conversations and focuses on important tasks.

VISIT: From left— Mrs. Margaret Eshiett, Deputy Director, Food & Codex Department; Dr. Joseph Odumodu, Director-General; Mr. George Okere, Managing Director, all of Standards Organisation of Nigeria, SON, and Head, Public Affairs & Communications, NBC, Mrs. Adeyanju Olomola, during a courtesy visit of SON to NBC plant in Lagos.

Dame Jonathan tasks Internet users on child protection

BY PRINCE OSUAGWU, in Bangkok, Thailand

T

HE International Te l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n s Union, ITU, Telecom World 2013 opened in Bangkok, Thailand, yesterday, with Dame Patience Jonathan challenging internet users across the world to exhibit ethical online attributes capable of helping children and youths to become better leaders of tomorrow.

Mrs Jonathan was the only woman in the midst of many dignitaries, including ITU Secretary-General, Dr. Hamadoun Touré; Minister for Information and Communication Technology of Thailand, Group Captain Anudith Nakornthap and China Mobile President and CEO, Mr. Yue Li. Other dignitaries were Chairman of Ooredoo, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammed AlThani; Chairman of the National Broadcasting and Te l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n Commission of Thailand, NBTC, Air Chief Marshal Thares Punsri, and President of the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau, TCEB, Mr. Nopparat Maythaveekulchai, who declared the event open.

Speaking in her capacity as ITU Child Online Protection Champion and special guest at the Leaders Lunch Forum segment of the event sponsored by Nigeria, Mrs Jonathan said Nigeria had put so many strategies in place to ensure that the Nigerian child did not go astray on the internet.

She described her appointment by ITU as Child Online Protection Champion as a call to protect innocent children of the world from the harmful activities on the online space and challenged every-body to heed the call in their own ways.

Earlier, Dr. Toure had described the First Lady as the most active woman in protecting children online, challenging her to use her position as the leader of

African First Ladies to get others involved as child online protecting was becoming the greatest challenge as the world was moving into the next phase of digital era.

... as NCC woos broadband investors

BY PRINCE OSUAGWU, in Bangkok, Thailand

E

XECUTIVE Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Dr. Eugene Juwah, yesterday, in Bangkok, Thailand, highlighted the reasons why broadband penetration and services had been poor in Nigeria, challenging local and foreign investors to take advantage of the problems to invest in the Nigerian highly rewarding market.

Juwah told a crowd of participants at the Leaders Lunch Forum of the ITU summit that despite the country being highly rated as one of the most vibrant ICT markets in emerging markets distribution to the hinterlands, quantum of broadband cables lying in the city of Lagos, had been the bane of improvements in that sector.

He, however, promised that the first investors that would take to investment in the broadband sector of the country at the moment would consider themselves lucky in future as certain government support had been designed to ensure return on investment.

He said: “I do not need to bore you on the figures of our population because you already know that Nigeria is the most populated black nation

in the world.

“You are also aware of the high ratings of Nigeria in terms of mobile penetration and general ICT growth. But we still have low broadband penetration.”

Juwah, however, stated that to address the paucity of broadband penetration, “government has released a national broadband plan from 2013-2017.

“We have announced open auction of our free 2.3Ghz spectrum, for wholesale service operators to provide last mile broadband services to our regions and hinterlands from January 2014.”

HE Managing Director of Nigeria Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, Engr.

Nnamdi Udoh, and other aviation stakeholders have commended the Federal Government on the election of Dr. Olumuyiwa Aliu as President of the International Civil Aviation Organisation, ICAO. Aliu was elected at the 38th Assembly of the member countries and the first black man to head the world body.

Udoh said: “It shows the world is seeing the progress being made in the industry and while we attack ourselves at home, the world is taking cognizance of the improvement going on in our aviation sector.”

Former spokesman of defunct Nigerian Airways and CEO of Belujane Konsult, Chris Aligbe described Aliu’s election as very good development for Nigeria.

Aircraft engineer and CEO of Centre for Aviation Research and Safety, Sheri Kyari, said it was good for Africa, as it would create awareness for other African countries to improve on air safety.

Exhibition

W

ATER Africa and West Africa Building & Construction 2013 Exhibition will hold in Abuja from November 25 to 27.

Managing Director of ACE Event Management, the UK-based organisers, Tracey Nolan-Shaw, said: “If you are a consultant, contractor, engineer, architect, surveyor, academic or government official, this is the event for you.”

Ochei lauds Super Eagles' World Cup qualification

T

HE Speaker of Delta State House of Assembly, Mr. Victor Ochei, has said that Super Eagles’ qualification for Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup, underscores the need to harness Nigeria's resources within the country and in the Diaspora as a platform for enhanced reckoning in the comity of nations.

He made the observation in his congratulatory message to the senior football team, describing the qualification as a reinforcement of Nigeria’s

ascendancy to reckoning, considering the recent exploit of the Golden Eaglets that emerged champions of the FIFA U-17 soccer tournament in the United Arab Emirates.

He said the accomplishments, which began with their emergence as African champions at the 2013 African Cup of Nations, and Mandela Trophy in South Africa, gave credence to the fact that Nigeria was a prospective world beater in all spheres of human endeavour, if her potentials were exploited.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013—45

Delta PDP chieftain begs Vincent Uduaghan to contest 2015 Assembly poll

APC chieftain lauds Oshiomhole over Neighbourhood Watch dissolution

A

BY EMMA ARUBI

W

ARRI—AS preparation towards the 2015 general elections gather momentum, a Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, chieftain in Delta State, Mr. Kingsley Tenuma, has called on the Senior Special Assistant, SSA, to Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan on Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Matters, Mr. Vincent Uduaghan, to come out and run for the State House of Assembly elections.

Mr. Tenuma, who is a former councilor representing Ekurede/Ugbori ward in Warri South council area of the state appealed to Uduaghan, who also was the former Public Relations Officer, PRO, of the PDP in Warri, said his constituency is pressuring the SSA to run because they need a change of Assembly members come 2015 as the current members have served them well enough for three consecutive terms.

Yoruba group pledges support for Uduaghan's devt programme

BY GODWIN OGHRE

S

APELE—YORUBA people in Delta State, under the aegis of Yoruba Political Forum, YPF, yesterday threw their weight behind the government of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan and urged the state government to identify with them and recognise their efforts toward infrastructural development across the state.

YPF, in a press briefing in Sapele, Sapele Local Government Area of the state, through their leader, Oloye Otunba Fafowora, (President General), and other members, also pledged continuous loyalty to the state government, stressing that it was fully prepared to contribute its quota towards ensuring the success of governance in the state.

JONATHAN AT 56: Vice President Namadi Sambo (right) receiving a card presented to commemorate the 56th birthday of President Goodluck Jonathan from the Water Resources Minister, Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe (left); Labour Minister, Chief Emeka Wogu (2nd left); Works Minister, Chief Mike Onolememen (3rd left) and other members of Council during the weekly meeting of the Federal Executive Council chaired by the Vice President at the State House, Abuja, yesterday. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida .

National confab may fail without legal framework —NWABUEZE

BY DAPO AKINREFON

A

LEADING member of The Patriot, a socio-political group, Professor Ben Nwabueze, has said that without a legal framework and mode of operation, the national conference may fail.

At a briefing in Lagos, Professor Nwabueze appealed to the Presidency and the National Assembly to come up with a framework to ensure the success of the proposed national conference.

He said: “I have worry and concern over the national conference. I can see trouble looming ahead and it is not a fantasy. There is a showdown looming between the people of Nigeria, on the one hand and the Presidency and the National Assembly on the other hand.”

He, however, faulted the plan by the National Assembly, to

harmonise the positions on constitution amendment saying it will lead to a showdown between the lawmakers and Nigerians.

He explained that “Nigerians want a conference that will bring about a new conference, that will embody the terms and conditions by which diverse cultures, ethnic nationalities can live together in peace, progress and unity. That is the conception of Nigerians. It is a conference for ethnic nationalities to discuss and adopt a new constitution that will embody the terms and conditions by which they can live together. Can’t you see trouble looming ahead? People want one thing but the Presidency and the National Assembly want a completely different thing. Won’t that lead to a showdown?”

He maintained that the national conference may end in futility if the Presidency and the National Assembly fail to legalise the process.

His words: “The people of this country are known to be docile but when you push them to the wall, they will react and their reaction will be a showdown between them and the authorities. To demonstrate that the Presidency is genuine and sincere about setting up a national conference, you need a legal framework for the conference. The conference cannot take off without a legal framework. You need a law legalising the national conference.

You also need a law authorising the referendum because people cannot go about holding a referendum without a law backing it.”

IYC decries environmental degradation in Niger Delta

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

B

ENIN—THE Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, has decried perceived environmental degradation suffered by the people of the Niger Delta region.

IYC, in a statement, said the proposed National Conference would afford the Ijaw nation the opportunity to canvass for resource control “so that we can use our God-given resources to develop our area and pay taxes to the Federal Government.”

In the statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Dr Clarkson Agagha, IYC declared

that the recently held council election which produced Udengs Eradiri as the National President followed due process insisting that the criticism that trailed the election from some quarters was “unnecessary because we are all Ijaw and the interest of the Ijaw nation must be upper most in our minds and not the interest of a few selfish individuals.”

While commending President Goodluck Jonathan for initiating the conference which, according to the IYC, will enable the Ijaw nation

discuss its problems with other ethnic nationalities. It said that as Ijaw people, "we are going to the conference to canvass for total resource control, state creation and solution to environmental degradation.

“The confab will afford us an opportunity to discuss with other parts of the country because these are issues that are paramount to us as a people. The whole world knows that we are producing the golden egg but we are not benefitting from it."

MEMBER of the disbanded Edo State Neighbourhood Watch Committee, and Chieftain of All Progressives Congress, APC, in Edo South Senatorial District, Mr. Solomon Ago, has hailed the state governor, Mr Adams Oshiomhole, for dissolving the committee saying, “it has become a meal ticket and as such defeated its purpose”.

Mr. Ago argued that “though the action of the governor affected me, since it was done in the best interest of the state. It is in order."

He described those being sponsored to protest against the decision as hoodlums who merely sit in the comfort of their homes and collect monthly salaries without the commensurate work done. According to him, “I graduated over ten years ago without a job until Governor Oshiomhole came on board.

I was lucky to be a member of the committee and as such, earned a living from the committee. On a monthly basis, I earn N50,000 but I must agree that we were merely earning salaries without doing any spectacular work or assignment. ”If you ask me, Edo State Government should demand for value for money earned by all workers including civil servants. Nigeria and Edo state cannot be administered in such a manner that suggests that government's offers and appointments are meal tickets for party officials. ”It is regrettable that some persons have hijacked the entire process, mobilized members to the streets in the name of protest. I have decided to take my stand because the opposition Peoples Democratic Party last week instigated some of us using their sympathizer and beneficiary of the committee (name withheld).

"This is not his first time to attempt to blackmail Edo state Government to achieving his selfish purpose. The protest is uncalled for, the protest is ill-conceived and unreasonable.”

While urging government to reconstitute the committee, Ago advised that “standards must be set for would-be members, while putting in adequate measures to check indolence, incompetence, and mediocrity."

46—Vanguard , THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

CLO calls for cancellation of Anambra guber poll

BY IKENNAASOMBA

L

AGOS—THE Civil L i b e r t i e s Organisation, CLO, has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to appease the Anambra people over its alleged incompetence in the last S a t u r d a y ’ s governorship poll by cancelling the election.

CLO also said that it had been proved right in its predictions following INEC’s poor showing during the election.

In a statement in Lagos, yesterday, the CLO said its prediction that the gubernatorial election would be marred by gross irregularities and state induced violence had come to pass, adding that INEC betrayed the confidence of Nigerians by failing to conduct a free and fair poll.

....As Awka monarch declares poll peaceful

BY VINCENTUJUMADU

A

WKA—THE traditional ruler of Awka kingdom, Obi Gibson Nwosu, has described the last Saturday’s governorship election in Anambra as one of the most peaceful election he had witnessed.

Nwosu, in an interview in Awka said that the result of the election represented the wish of the people and urged the contestants to realise that only one person would be governor at a time.

The monarch said: “Since I ascended the throne, I had seen many elections, but I had never come across any of them that was so peaceful. I sent my grandchild to go and find out the situation at the centre where I was to vote and she came back at 9 a.m. to tell me that people were already being accredited.

“I went and I was accredited. When it was past 12 noon, I went and voted. Many people were there and they graciously allowed me to vote.”

I’m not desperate to be gov —NGIGE

BY ENYIM ENYIM NITSHA—THE governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in last Saturday ’s election in Anambra State, Senator Chris Ngige, yesterday, declared that he was not desperate to be governor of the state.

Addressing reporters in Awka on the inconclusive election declared by INEC, Ngige said the contest was not a do or die affair but that he wanted the correct thing to be done by the electoral body.

His words: “The election was fraught with massive electoral irregularities. The electoral officers worked in connivance with the INEC to make sure that electoral materials were delivered late at the polling units in areas of my strong hold.”

Apart from this, Ngige said the most worrisome aspect was that in some polling units in areas considered his strong hold, electoral materials were deposited without any INEC official to accredit registered voters for them to vote.

“The most unfortunate thing was that some students of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, NAU, were brought in as polling officers with fake NYSC uniforms

O

against what INEC had told us that corps members would be from Anambra, Enugu and Delta states.”

Insisting that the poll was flawed, Ngige said that the Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Professor Chukwuemeka Onukogu had, instead of taking the electoral materials for the election from the airport straight to the Central Bank in Awka, took them to the commission’s office without being accompanied by any of APC’s agents.

He said there were instances where some police officers were caught on video camera thump printing for APGA which he said showed the level of irresponsibility that characterised the poll.

“I am depressed and sad for my country. I am one of those in the senate that said INEC should be given any amount of money to enable them perform effectively.

We have been deceived. Our hopes have been dashed but I am not desperate to be

governor. This election can not be salvaged because of the number of people that were disfranchised, who could not choose the governor of their choice”.

Contrary to INEC’s declaration that supplementary election would be held in 16 local government areas, Ngige said investigation by his party showed that 20 local government areas were affected.

AWARD: From left: President/Chairman of Council, Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria, ICSAN, Dr. Suleyman Ndanusa, Vice President, Nat Ofo and Fellow/member, ICSAN, Mrs. Gold Bridget, during the 37th annual dinner/awards presentation of the institute in Lagos, yesterday.

Anambra: PAC lauds Police, security agencies

L

AGOS—POLICE Assistance Committee/ Association of Tradesmen and Artisans, PAC/ATA, has commended some government agencies for their respective roles during the election conducted throughout Anambra State, last Saturday.

The PAC/ATA whose members were deployed in all local government areas in Anambra State to monitor the election commended the organisational ability of INEC, the civil conduct of the police and the Department of State Service, DSS, for their management of the electoral processes during the poll.

Director-General of PAC/ATA, Dr. Martins Oni said efforts of their zonal, state and unit coordinators who monitored the election in secrecy in Anambra State were commendable adding that they obeyed instructions in assisting our country in the electioneering processes going on nationwide.

Meantime, the zonal coordinator of PAC/ATA in the South East, Mr. Ezuna Umeh, said in Awka, that all their members dispatched to various polling booths both in the cities and the remote areas turned in encouraging reports on how the election was conducted by INEC, and how the police and other security agencies curtailed

acts of hooliganism and uncivil conduct by the electorate.

Concerning fresh elections conducted in 65 polling units on

Sunday, the PAC explained that INEC displayed enough transparency in the conduct of the elections as no voter or party

officials were intimidated during the election, in spite of complaints by some political parties.

President Banda to deliver Anyiam-Osigwe despondent. Her people can see applauded globally when she lecture steady and remarkable progress. sold off the country ’s

L

A G O S — M A L AW I A N President, Joyce Banda is expected to be the keynote speaker at the fourteenth session of the annual Osigwe AnyiamOsigwe Lecture series scheduled to take place in Lagos.

The Malawian Leader would speak on the theme, Genuine Democracy: The Price and The Prize, even as she would speak on: Leadership And The Challenge of Delivering Appropriate Dividends of Democracy To The Citizens.

A statement by the Coordinator General of the Foundation, Mr. Michael Anyiam-Osigwe, said the choice of Banda, was informed by the fact that she had shown herself as a leader of example among her peers in Africa.

He also said she had focused her programmes and policies on tackling problem of poverty and infrastructural deficit in her country.

His words: ‘’Mrs. Banda inherited a country in total mess and within a short period she has turned around the fortune of the country. She is restoring hope to Malawians who have been

She knows what she wants for her people and what her priorities are. Even when the country seems not to have the means in terms of money like other countries within the continent, she is focused and determined to turn around the fortunes of her country. ‘’President Banda was

Presidential Jet which her predecessor bought for $22 million and another 60 Mercedes Benz Limousines bought for Executive use, saying that Malawi cannot afford the luxury of a Jet and Limousines for her president while the majority of the citizens are wallowing in abject poverty.

Igboeze North LG tasked on health centre’s completion

BY CHINENYEHOZOR

E

NUGU—THE Igboeze North Local Government Area in Enugu State, has been urged to as a matter of urgency, complete the abandoned health centre in the community.

The council was also asked to tar the Imufu-Aguibeje- Alor Agu road to ensure the movement of agricultural products to other parts of Enugu State.

This call was made by the Chairman of Imufu Abroad Union, Mr. Edwin Ossai in an interview with Vanguard.

Ossai said that the people of the area lacked a functional health centre and maternity, adding that the situation was posing a lot of hardship for pregnant women and children who had to travel several kilometres for treatment on minor ailments.

He said: ‘’The local government started building a health centre and maternity home for the community some years back. This job, however, stopped for over three years now and no one has been able to tell the reasons for the stoppage of work.”

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013 —

PRESENTATION: From left, veteran actress, Mrs. Joke Silva-Jacobs; chairman of the occasion, Mr. Rufai Ladipo; wife of Ekiti State Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, and author, Mr. Tunde Adeleye, during a public lecture and presentation of Adeleye's books : ‘Burden of a Country: Arise and Ignite your Life; and '12 Core Habits of Successful Entrepreneurs,’ at the University of Lagos, Lagos.

LAUNCH: From left, Regional Manager, North, I-Cell Limited, Ibrahim King; Samsung HHP Brand Ambassadors, Kate Henshaw and Banky W; popular comedian, Seyi Law; Managing Director, Samsung Electronics West Africa, Bravo Kim, and Director, Hand Held Products, Samsung Electronics West Africa, Emmanouil Revmatas, cutting the ribbon, at the launch of Samsung Experience Shop, in Abuja.

BRIEFING: From left, Mr. Olayiwola Olasupo, Vice Principal (Academics); Mrs. Abeke Doregos, proprietress, Doregos Private Academy, and Mr. Olatokunbo Doregos, Executive Director, St. Bernedette Educational Services, at a press briefing on the 10th Doregos Academy inter-school basketball competition.

47

,

PRESENTATION: From left, Chief Financial Officer, Andrew Kemp and Manager, Executive Projects, Zainab Abiola, both from Etisalat Nigeria, presenting the prize for the most innovative product/service to Head of Developer Outreach, Google, and member of the judging panel of the Etisalat Pan-African prize for innovation, Chukwuemeka Afigbo, on behalf of Efiwe mobile application, at the Africa Com awards dinner, in CapeTown.

ANNIVERSARY: From left, Dr. Tom Adaba, pioneer DG of the NBC; Mrs. Abiola Alabi, Managing Director, M-Net Africa; Mr. John Ugbe, Managing Director, MultiChoice Nigeria; Mr. Felix Awogu, General manager, SuperSport; Mr. Adewunmi Ogunsanya, Chairman, MultiChoice Nigeria, and Mr. Emeka Mba, Director General, NBC, during the 20th anniversary celebration and unveiling of DStv product -Explora- by MultiChoice Nigeria, at Eko Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

INAUGURATION: Chairman, State House Sports Club, Ademola Adeyinka (left); State House Liaison Officer, Lagos, Anthony Nwaegbe (middle), and Chief Maintenance Officer, State House, Lagos, Olubunmi Oluwatayo, during the inauguration of Lagos Chapter of State House Club, at Dodan Barracks, in Lagos. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi

TOURNARMENT: From left, Mr. Hakeem Ogunniran, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, UACN Property Development, receiving award from Mr. Adewale Doherty, Chairman, Ikoyi Club; Ede Osemwengie,Vice Chairman, Ikoyi Club Tennis Section; Billy Ekwunife,Technical Operations Director, UPDC, and Juliana Shawon, Games Captain, Ikoyi Club Tennis Section, during the final of UPDC Grand Slam Team Tennis Tournament, at Ikoyi Club, Ikoyi, Lagos. Photo: Akeem Salau

CAMPAIGN: From left, Lions International's representative at the 2013 multidistrict 404 Nigeria integrated measles campaign, Lion Christopher Plunkett with a child beneficiary; multidistrict 404 Nigeria Council of Governors, Lion Professor Ayoade Adesokan, and the District 404B governor, Lion Yinka bolarinwa, at the event.

COMMEMORATION: From left, Lagos State Commissioner for Rural Development, Mr. Cornelius Ojelabi; Permanent Secretary, Rural Development, Olatunde Agoro, and Special Adviser to the Governor on Rural Development, Mr. Babatunde Hunpe, during the health walk in commemoration of the year 2013 Community Day celebration in Lagos.

48—Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

ASUU NEC meeting not postponed indefinitely —ATBU chairman

UNIJOs signs MOU with Ghanaian varsity, British firm

BY TAYE OBATERU & BERNARD LUKAS

J

BY SUZAN EDEH

B

AUCHI—THE Chairman of Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, Dr Lawan Abubakar has described the media reports that the union had postponed its National Executive Committee meeting indefinitely as false and speculative.

This was even as he dismissed the claim that the union had accepted the N1.3 trillion offered by the Federal Government, saying ”what the union is agitating for is the full implementation of the 2009 agreement and nothing less.”

Abubakar said in an interview with Vanguard, yesterday, in Bauchi that the National Executive Committee of the union only adjourned its meeting for seven days to enable it mourn Prof Festus Iyayi who died in an auto crash involving the entourage of the Kogi State Governor, Capt. Idris Wada, adding that the members were awaiting further directives from its national leadership on a new date for the NEC meeting.

Convention

L

AGOS—THE Vic tory Inheritance Ministries, INC, will between Friday November 22 and Sunday 24 hold its 2013 Feast of The World Convention in Lagos.

The convention with the theme ‘Grace for the Next Level’ will take place at Plot 25 Block A, Elegushi Waterfront 4th Roundabout By Chisco Bus Stop, Lekki-Epe Express Way, Lekki Lagos Nigeria.

A statement by the church said speakers at the programme include; Archbishop Joseph of Calvary Kingdom Church Lagos and Rev Matthew Adejumobi of Convenant of Faith Church Kogi State.

ITU—Secretary General of International Telecommunications Union,ITU, Dr.Hamadoun Toure, visited Nigeria's stand at ITU World 2013, yesterday. ITU Scribe, Dr. Toure (2nd left) discussing with the EVC of NCC, Dr. Eugene Juwah (2nd right) and Chairman of NCC, Engr. Peter Igoh(right).

Anambra: CNPP calls for Jega's sack

BY PETER DURU

M

AKURDI —FOLLOW ING the controversies trailing last Saturday’s inconclusive governorship election in Anambra State, the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, CNPP, has called for the immediate sack of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega.

Benue State Chairman of the CNPP, Mr. Baba Agan made this known in an interview with Vanguard in Makurdi, the Benue state capital.

He said: “The outcome of the poll is a sham; it has clearly exposed the incompetence of the INEC chairman. He can not oversee the much anticipated 2015 general election.

“We certainly cannot continue to pretend that all is well with INEC. Or how can the INEC boss explain the logjam in Anambra State after expending huge resources on several months of preparation and assurances that the poll would be hitch free, free and fair?

“What did we get at the end of the day; total confusion and a disjointed exercise that has rather cast doubt on the competence of the electoral body to improve on what we have achieved so far as a democratic nation?

“The truth is that, at this time of our democratic history, we shouldn’t be grappling and lamenting over the conduct of an election in a single

state let alone a candidate complaining that his name was omitted from the list of candidates because we all know the consequence of that blunder to the entire process.

“In fact, what happened in Anambra has completely made a mockery of our electoral process and we must take urgent steps to redress the anomaly because we are looking at a bigger picture in 2015

and the earlier we take firm decisions to check a repeat of the Anambra sham election the better for the entire nation.’’

According to him, “the incongruous poll clearly tells one thing, Jega and his team have completely lost focus and therefore should be shown the way out, or else, we might be faced with a much more bigger problem in 2015.”

OS—THE Univer sity of Jos has signed a memorandum of understanding, MOU, with a Ghanaian university and a British organization for the training of students in wildlife management.

Under the MOU signed on Wednesday, the University of Jos would train students from Cape Coast University, Ghana with the support of the British Trust for Ornithology, United Kingdom. The University has developed expertise in the area through an A.P. Leventis Research Institute (APLORI) in Laminga, Jos. Chairman of APLORI Management Committee, Mr. Phil Hall described the agreement as another milestone in the history of the institute and what it has achieved in West Africa.

According to him, “it is very timely because it will help build up capacity of people in line with what has been achieved in Nigeria.

"They (Ghana) have a shortage of trained people, so we are helping in this regard with setting up an ornithological programme and we would help to provide expertise for them in the initial stages”.

Election of Aliu as ICAO chairman, plus for Nigeria — NOA A BUJA—THE National Orientation Agency, NOA, yesterday, congratulated Nigerians on the recent election of Dr. Olumuyiwa Aliu to the Presidential Chair of the International Civil Aviation Organisation, ICAO. This is contained in a statement issued in Abuja by the Chief Press Secretary of the agency, Mr Paul Odenyi.

In the congratulatory message, the NOA boss, Mr Mike Omeri said the election was a world-wide recognition of far reaching reforms and accomplishments of the country through the Ministry of Aviation.

The statement said that the aviation sector remained one of the most outstanding areas where the Transformation

Agenda of the present government had recorded success.

“The ICAO is an international body overseeing global civil aviation.

“The election of a Nigerian to head the body is an indication of the level of respect the world has for the nation’s civil aviation sector,” Omeri said in the statement.

KOBA asked Nasarawa to handover Government College

K

EFFI—WORRIED by the continuous decay and erosion of the cherished values of their alma mata, the Old Boys Association, KOBA, of Government College, Keffi, has asked the Nasarawa State government to hand over the school to the association to restore its the past glory.

KOBA’s President -General, Maj. Gen. Emmanuel Abisoye, rtd, made this known

when he led newly elected national officers of the association on a courtesy visit to the Emir of Keffi, Alhaji Chindo Yamusa II in his palace after the Annual General Meeting, AGM, of the association at the college.

Abisoye who lamented the decay in college told the emir that KOBA wanted the school to be handed over to it as the state government seemed to be incapable of maintaining the school.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013 — 49

C M Y K

50—Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

2 jailed 9 yrs each for defrauding bank

BY ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH

J

USTICE Adeniyi On igbanjo of an Ikeja High Court, yesterday, convicted two fraudsters, Olugbenga Adetayo and Adekunle Adetowubo, for defrauding Guaranty Trust Bank of $27,000, (about N4.3 million).

The duo were sentenced to nine years imprisonment term each by the trial judge after they pleaded guilty to a three-count charge of conspiracy and stealing preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. They had pleaded not guilty when they were initially arrested and docked by the anti graft agency on June 14, 2011, following which they were remanded at Ikoyi Prison, Lagos by the court.

Justice Onigbanjo in his judgment sentenced them to three years imprisonment on each count, but to run concurrently beginning from June 14,2011 when they were detained.

The judge disclosed that over time, the convicts have shown remorse for their actions, which was why they had repaid about $7,000 as restitution

to the bank, while they were in detention.

In addition to their jail term the trial judge directed them to repay the balance of $20,000 to their victim (bank) within a year of their release from prison custody, after completing their jail term.

During their arraignment, the EFCC counsel, Mr. Kayode Oni, told the court that the accused persons committed the of-

fences on May 13, 2010 at Apapa, Lagos.

He said they had conspired with one Uche (now at large) to steal the money from the bank located in Apapa through an account number 204170869210.

He submitted that their offences ran foul of Sections 390 and 516 of the Criminal Code Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2003.

Court remands man,72, over alleged murder of daughter

L

AGOS – An Ebute Metta Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos, yesterday, remanded a 72year-old man, John Udin, who allegedly killed his 14year-old daughter in an attempt to correct her.

The Chief Magistrate, Mrs A.A. Demi-Ajayi, ordered that the accused should be remanded in prison custody, pending the advice of the state Director of Public Prosecutions, DPP. Consequently, the court did not take the plea of the accused but adjourned the case to December 23 for mention.

Udin, who resides at 18, Adewole Street, Iba New

Site, Ojo, Lagos, is facing a count charge.

The Prosecutor, Inspector Richard Odigie, had told the court that he killed his daughter, Gloria, on October 15 at 8.00p.m. at his residence. He said, "The accused hit his daughter with wood containing nails on her forehead; she started to bleed, but the accused didn’t take her to the hospital.

“The deceased fainted after four days and her mother rushed her to a hospital where she was confirmed dead.” He said that the offence contravened Section 221 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013 — 51

,

C M Y K

52 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

C M Y K

V anguard anguard,, THURSDAY NOVEMBER 21, 2013 — 53

B-R-I-E-F-S Typhoon: China sends hospital ship to assist victims

Iran, World powers begin fresh nuclear deal parley

B

IG powers resumed talks yesterday on a preliminary deal to curb Iran’s nuclear program with Russia and Britain confident a breakthrough could be clinched and Iran spelling out “red lines” but saying it wanted friendly ties with all nations.

Keen to end a long standoff and head off the risk of a wider Middle East war, the United States, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany came close to winning concessions from Tehran on its nuclear activity in return for some sanctions relief at negotiations in Geneva earlier this month.

US President Barack Obama has urged the Congress to relax its position on toughening the regime of sanctions on Iran as Western countries and the Persian nation resume talks on the nuclear development programme by Tehran But Iran’s supreme leader vowed yesterday no retreat from Tehran’s nuclear “rights” in an anti-Israel diatribe that France said “complicates”

talks under way in Geneva.

Predicting the demise of “rabid dog” Israel, which Iran has accused of trying to “torpedo” a deal, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said world powers must respect the Islamic republic’s “red lines”.

“I insist on not retreating one step from the rights of the Iranian nation,” Khamenei, 74, told militiamen of the Basij force in a live televised address.

EU negotiator Catherine Ashton and Iran's Foreign Minister, Javad Zarif yesterday

Bishopsgate: Church of England admits female in 2014

T

HE Church of England’s governing body voted overwhelmingly in favor of female bishops on yesterday, ending a 20year impasse that could see women ordained as senior clergy by the end of 2014.

A vote on a package of measures to endorse women bishops was supported by 378 members of the General Synod while eight voted against and 25 abstained after months of behind-the-scenes talks to unite reformers and

traditionalists.

A year ago, a blocking minority succeeded in rejecting draft legislation on women bishops, leaving the church in crisis. That vote, lost by just six votes, was criticized by parliament and one senior church official called it a “train crash”.

After that, church leaders set up a committee to find common ground. Its proposals won widespread acceptance in the Synod on Wednesday,

Obama honours Clinton, JFK to mark 50th anniversary of assassination

U

.S. President Barack Obama opened a day of tributes to former President John F. Kennedy on Wednesday by bestowing the Presidential Medal of Freedom on prominent Americans, 50 years after Kennedy was assassinated weeks short of

the medal’s first award ceremony.

Obama presented the medal – the highest award the United States gives a civilian – to entertainer Oprah Winfrey, former President Bill Clinton and leaders from the worlds of sports, entertainment, science and public service.

US President Barack Obama decorates former President Bill Clinton yesterday

Hillary Rodham Clinton and Steven Spielberg were among those gathered in the East Room of the White House to watch the ceremony.

“Today, we salute fierce competitors who became true champions,” Obama said, pausing to speak in personal terms about each of the recipients and their contributions to society.

The ceremony marks the start of a day honouring Kennedy’s legacy two days before the nation pauses to remember the 50th anniversary of his assassination. Later, Obama will pay a visit to the eternal flame that marks John F. Kennedy’s gravesite.

even among groups previously opposed.

“The train is on the tracks, the train is moving forwards, and we now have some stations to pass along the way but we can begin to see the end of this particular journey,” the Bishop of Rochester James Langstaff told a news conference.

The legislation will be discussed again at a meeting in February and a vote on final approval is likely in 2014.

The issue of female clergy has divided global Anglicanism. Women serve as bishops in the United States, Australia, Canada and New Zealand but Anglican churches in many developing countries do not even ordain them as priests.

Critics of female clergy say Jesus chose only men as his apostles, while supporters say it is a matter of equality.

The spiritual head of the Church of England, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, supports women bishops but has struggled to unite the mother church for the world’s 80 million Anglicans on the issue.

Last year ’s draft legislation failed mainly due to concerns that a code of practice to cater for parishes that objected to women bishops did not go far enough.

CAR president negotiates with war lord

T

HE president of Central African Republic has told the United Nations he has negotiated with Joseph Kony, even as an African force hunts the war crimes suspect, a UN envoy told AFP. This came as US officials warned against rising C M Y K

violence in the Central African Republic, voicing alarm that the country could be heading towards a genocide.

Rebels overthrew the Central African Republic’s (CAR) president in March but a transitional government has lost all grip on the huge but

impoverished country of 4.5 million people with retaliatory attacks between Muslims and Christians.

“I do not believe we are in a genocidal situation. We are in a pre-genocidal situation,” deputy assistant secretary for Africa Robert Jackson told US lawmakers.

“We have begun to discuss with the UN and partners of the possibility of sanctions. We do not currently have enough information to apply sanctions to any individuals ... but it is something under consideration,” Jackson told the House foreign affairs committee.

C

HINA is sending a state-of-the-art hospital ship to the Philippines following foreign and domestic criticism that it was slow and less than generous in its response to one of the world’s biggest typhoons, which killed at least 4,000 people.

The Foreign Ministry in Beijing confirmed on Tuesday the deployment of the 14,000-tonne “Peace Ark” as state television reported the arrival of the first batch of Chinese relief

China's hospital ship supplies in the Philippines.

Exactly where the Ark will operate and when it will arrive have not yet been confirmed, but Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said the Ark would set sail as soon as possible.

Suicide attack kills 10 Egyptian soldiers

T

EN Egyptian soldiers were killed after a car bomb exploded next to their bus in the northern Sinai Peninsula yesterday, underscoring the precarious security situation since former President Mohamed Morsi’s ouster.

The number of attacks in the Sinai has increased since the July 3 military coup that overthrew President Mohamed Morsi, raising concerns

that sporadic attacks will flare into a sustained insurgency.

At least 35 people were wounded in the attack, according to the Egyptian military.

Egyptian army spokesman Col. Ahmed Quell Ali said the armed forces would “carry on the war against black terrorism...purge Egypt and secure its people from treacherous violence,” according to the Egytian El-Ahram newspaper.

Four car bombs hit Syria

F

OUR suicide car bombs struck Syrian regime targets yesterday in the Qalamoun region near Lebanon, killing at least seven soldiers, a monitor and state news agency SANA said.

The attacks come a day after troops loyal to President Bashar alAssad made gains in the Qalamoun area north of Damascus.

The attacks by the

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and AlNusra Front, two AlQaeda-affiliated groups, came after rebels were driven out of nearby Qara village on Tuesday, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The Observatory reported two attacks in the town of Nabek, while SANA reported two others in Deir Attiya.

Walt Disney’s daughter dies, at 79

P

HILANTHROPIST Diane Disney Miller, daughter of Walt Disney, has died at the age of 79 near San Francisco, the US entertainment giant announced.

Flags at Disney theme parks and the Disney studio lot in Burbank, outside Los Angeles, will be flown at half-mast in her honor, it said, praising her “grace and generosity and tireless work to preserve her father’s legacy.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of Diane Disney Miller and our thoughts are with her family during this difficult time,” said Robert Iger,

president of the Walt Disney Company.

“As the beloved daughter of Walt Disney and one of his inspirations for creating Disneyland, she holds a special place in the history of The Walt Disney Company and in the hearts of fans everywhere.”

Diane Disney Miller

54—Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

BITS Bits Professor Iyayi in the eyes of labour leaders

T

Non-compromising position On its part, NUPENG in a statement by its General Secretary, Comrade Isaac Aberare wrote “Prof Iyayi, who was a dogged activist, and known for his non-compromising position when he held sway at ASUU .

Professor Iyayi will be remembered as an astute academic and labour leader who brought the activities of ASUU to limelight and a force to be reckoned with in the fight for better education in our tertiary institutions today."

Similarly, NASU through its General Secretary, Comrade Peters Adeyemi “ Festus was a committed trade union leader who devoted all his life to the emancipation of the down trodden. It is unfortunate that he died with this ASUU struggle.”

Speaking through its General Secretary, NUTGTWN Comrade Issa Aremu said “The Nigerian labour movement has indeed lost a tested and committed activist of decent work in the universities and Nigerian labour market in general. Iyayi would be remembered for the honesty and commitment as well as abundant energy he brought to the struggle of working men and women for improved working and living conditions”.

Late Professor Festus Iyayi

Iyayi's timeless nuggets on the ASUU struggle THE late Professor Festus Iyayi simply called Festus by his contemporaries was killed by a car in the convoy of the Kogi state government last week. Across the labour movement, news of his death spread like wild fire: Iyayi, who was president of the Academic Staff Union of Universities in1986 is no more. For those of us who reported his activities as ASUU president, we knew that the labour movement has lost a committed comrade. He led ASUU to confront the military government on issues affecting the university system.

This edition of Labour Vanguard is a tribute to Professor Festus Iyayi the intellectual, the unionist, a decent man by all standards. We share with our readers his thoughts on the current ASUU strike. He spoke to a magazine , The Worker; published in Abuja. May his soul rest in peace.

W

E thought Government was sincere on 2009 agreement: The truth is that ASUU went on strike over the fact that the federal government refused to implement the 2009 agreement. The provisions in the Memorandum of Understanding dictated by the Secretary to the Federal Government of the Federation (SGF) on 24th of January 2012, and then the Needs Assessment that was carried out in July 2012, a number of issues were involved, and are still involved.

One is funding of the universities.

The 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement was specific in terms of reversing the rot and decay in Nigerian universities.

Funding of universities The chairman of the Federal Government Team that negotiated with ASUU, Deacon Gamaliel Onosode, said he wanted to enter the history books as the chairman of a Government Team that not only identified the key problems of Nigerian universities but has also provided the solutions.

He also said that he would not sign any document, any agreement; any item that he knew that government was not going to implement and that was why the negotiation took us three years – from 2006 to July 2009. That agreement had four sections

namely; funding of universities, conditions of service, academic freedom and university autonomy and then other matters.

On the question of funding, the agreement provided that within a space of three years, government will provide 1.5 trillion naira in order to address the rot in the university system. Between 2009 and 2011, nothing happened.

ASUU wrote over 200 letters to government on the agreement, nothing happened. On the 4th of December 2011, after a number of warning strikes, ASUU embarked upon an indefinite strike.

Then in January of 2012, the SGF apprehended the strike and called us to meetings in his office. So we took that back to our members and our members were not happy saying that we cannot trust this government, it is just on paper. I said look, I moved the vote of thanks to Pius Anyim at the end of negotiations. I did so because I thought he was very sincere, very honest.

From that time up to now nothing has happened. Since then ASUU had interacted with the Ministry of Education, interacted with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation pressing for the implementation of the approved recommendations by the president and nothing happened.

It was at that stage that ASUU then went on strike; and since the strike started, what have we heard?

We have been called by the Na-

tional Assembly Committee on Education chaired by Senator Uche Chukwumerije. Very interestingly, when we got to the meeting with the committee at the National Assembly, it was clear to all the members that the reason for the strike was because government refused to implement the agreement, the Memorandum of Understanding, and the needs assessment as approved by Mr.

,

HE late former ASUU president, Professor Festus Iyayi was a man of the people and a pillar of the labour movement.

Hence his sudden demise drew comments from the movement Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Non- Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, NASU, National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, NUTGTWN, Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, among others had something to say about the late professor .

NLC president, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, described Professor Iyayi’s death as not only a blow to ASUU and the Congress;” it is a blow to the entire country to which he committed his entire life. He was a great scholar who bestrode virtually all the disciplines like a colossus. Although he was a Management Science Scholar, Iyayi picked with remarkable ease reputable awards for his novels which were a standard read for literary students in universities across the world. Iyayi was similarly a leading authority in Industrial Relations.

Iyayi was an activist to the core, often deploying his prodigious energy and intellectual prowess to the cause.

agreement, we talked about earned academic allowances.

These are allowances in relation to responsibilities, that is, responsibility allowance; like you are a head of department, allowances in relation to supervision, you supervise PhDs, you access professors; allowances in respect of excess workload.

In Nigeria, the NUC said that the student-teacher ratio should be between 1 to about 40. In some Nigerian universities, we have a situation of one lecturer to about 500 students. In Harvard, it is about one to three, in Yale it is one to about five, you know, the ratio varies but in Nigeria, in our public universities, no teacher teaches a class, on the average, that is less than 150.

We teach far above and we have consistently said that look, employ enough teachers, when you employ enough teachers, you won’t have to pay for excess workload because teachers are carrying more than the workload that they ought to carry.

So, staffing, not just academic staff but non-academic and all staff of universities, they have not earned allowances which government has not been paying since 2009 and it has accumulated and comes to N92 billion for both academic and non-academic staff.

ASUU, because we recognise the interconnections between the academic staff and non-academic staff; we say pay everybody. We could have said look, pay us the academic staff allowances and leave that of the non-academic staff. ASUU said we work in a system; if you pay us and you don’t pay the others, there will still be crisis; so bring the money so that all categories of staff are paid but government is saying no, it doesn’t have the money; it only has N30 billion. . Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, [Min-

,

Nigeria has a lot of money! Nobody can say that the country does not have money, it is not true

President.

‘ASUU strike not just about money for lecturers': “ When they said that all ASUU is after is money, money, money, they mean for example that we are after salaries, we are after the money that comes to the pocket of ASUU but fortunately, when anybody sees the Memorandum of Understanding, the Needs Assessment Report and also has read the statements credited to ASUU in publications, they will know that ASUU is after the Funding of education and not after money. In any case, if you have worked, shouldn’t you be paid; if ASUU has worked, shouldn’t it be paid?

It is said that a labourer is deserves his wage.”

ASUU’s struggles: “ ASUU’s struggles have also been about conditions of service. In the 2009

ister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy] at a meeting in the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation in the course of this strike told us: “I have cash; 30 billion naira cash, I am putting it on the table, take it or leave it. if you don’t take it you can be on strike for the next two or three years. Yes, that is what Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala said!”

‘Government can fund the agreement' Government has money. We do not believe that government has no money. As we told Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala, we are a union of intellectuals, we have economists, experts in economics, and so we have access to the figures that government itself produces in relation to its revenue string. Government has a lot of money.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013—55

NHRC ‘ll settle rift between govt and displaced people —Odinkalu

BY ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH

C

HAIRMAN of the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, Professor Chidi Odinkalu said, yesterday, that the commission will do everything possible to resolve the disagreement between the Lagos State government and the displaced people from various parts of the state.

This came as a leader from one of the communities demolished by the state government told the public inquiry into Cases of Demolitions and Evictions in Nigeria, south-west zone that more than 4,037 houses were destroyed by the state.

Odinkalu, who also presided over the panel of inquiry promised that his commission was ready to provide the platform and the finance that will bring about lasting peace for the displaced people from the state.

He said the response from the state government to his commission so far has demonstrated that the state government was ready to work out modalities on how to settle the affected people of the various communities displaced.

The affected communities who presented their petitions before the panel include Otumara Communities, Badia East, and Makoko/ Iwaya Waterfront in Lagos, among others.

Lagos State, represented by the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN), Mr. Olanrewaju Akinsola, said the state was not opposed to negotiating with the communities.

He claimed that the Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law (2010) empower the state government to remove noncompliant structures in public interest.

Executive Director of the Social and Economic Rights Action Centre, SERAC, Felix Morka, who represented four of the communities, said they had previously made unsuccessful efforts to negotiate a settlement with the state. He said, “We are amenable to a process of settlement. We have never been averse to any process to provide remedy to those affected.”

2015 polls'll be better than Anambra—INEC

BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE

F

OLLOWING a flood of crit icisms trailing its poor conduct of the Anambra governorship election and comments that the 2015 general election is in danger, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has assured that the 2015 exercise will be credible.

Insisting that INEC is ready for the 2015 election, Mr. Kayode Idowu, spokesman of Professor Attahiru Jega, the INEC chairman, cautioned Nigerians against making sweeping generalisations.

Reacting to fears being expressed in some quarters on INEC’s ability to conduct free and fair elections in 2015 because of the Anambra inconclusive elections, Idowu said: “There are always challenges with sweeping generalisations. Let’s find what the issues are and address them.”

Identifying missing names on the voters’ register and distribution of election materials in Idemili North as some of the challenges of the Anambra election, he said the commission has taken steps to address them.

On the issue of missing names on the voters’ list which affected the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate, Comrade Tony Nwoye, and many others and contributed in making the election record about 27 per cent vot-

ers’ turnout, Idowu said the INEC carried out continuous voters’ registration and has customized register to ensure that no one was disenfranchised.

He said, “We asked people to come out and check their names on the register; if they did not do so you cannot hold INEC responsible. Besides, some did multiple registrations, which the INEC discovered and corrected. If you registered at points A, B and C, the INEC removed the multiple registrations so you cannot find your name on poll-

ing booths A and B on Election Day if your correct polling booth is Point C.” On the electoral officer who rigged the election in Idemili North and allegations that directors of INEC at Anambra and federal levels were also involved, he said the commission has handed the matter to the police and security agencies to do the needful, noting, “We are interrogating these issues. The INEC has done what it has to do and invited the security agencies to intervene. Let’s

avoid generalized statements, identify issues and tackle them.

The Anambra election problem was in voters’ register and distribution of materials. That was why the case was isolated and the electoral officer handed over to the security agencies.”

Asked if INEC was ready for 2015, he said: “Yes! The challenges which arose from Anambra are being addressed by INEC. To make generalisations based on the Anambra election is neither here nor there.”

L-r: Ms Arunma Oteh, Director General, Securities and Exchange Commission; Mr. Olusegun Aganga, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment; Mr. Femi Akintunde, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Alpha Mead Facilities & Management Services Ltd; Mr. Henry Egbike, Ernst & Young Regional Managing Partner for West Africa at The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards Ceremony

Banks’ staff regain freedom from DSS detention

BY BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE

S

OME of the senior bank officials picked up by the Department of State Services, DSS, yesterday, regained freedom after more than two weeks in detention.

Investigation revealed that the bankers were released with bail condition of a landed property in Abuja of level 14 officer in the federal civil services.

They were arrested by the DSS in connection with allegations of financing of terrorists and money laundering alleged to have been perpetrated by Aminu Suleiman Lamido, son of Jigawa State Governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido. Aminu and his brother, Mustapha Lamido, were arrested by EFCC over an alleged N10 billion fraud.

Three of the affected banks last night confirmed to Vanguard that the DSS released their staff yesterday. “I can tell you that our staffs were released today. I saw them and shook hands with them”, a senior management official in one of the affected banks told Vanguard on condition of anonymity.

Investigations further revealed that more of the banks’ staff will regain freedom today once they meet the bail conditions.

Vanguard, however, could not ascertain if

any charges have been preferred against them.

Meantime, the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has refused to comment on the detention of the banks’staff, which banking sources said it had no knowledge of.

The detention of the bankers for two weeks generated panic and furore in banking quarters, with banks threatening to shut down operations nationwide over continued detention of the banks’ staff.

The banks whose staff were picked up are Fidelity Bank Plc, First City Monument Bank Plc, Wema Bank Plc, Access Bank Plc, Skye Bank Plc, First Bank Nigeria Limited, Sterling Bank Plc, Diamond Bank Plc, Unity Bank Plc, Ecobank Plc, and Guaranty Trust Bank Plc. The DSS, had trailed Aminu Lamido, and had sought an ex-parte motion from the Federal High Court, Abuja, to freeze the accounts, in 13 banks, of Adold Engineering Company Limited, believed to be owned by the governor’s son. It is his account in the 13 banks that led to the arrest of the bankers.

The ex-parte motion, granted by Justice A.F.A Ademola on November 6, 2013 stated that: “An order is hereby made freezing the accounts of the underlisted

corporate body and financial institutions in the banks (1st –14th respondents) indicated against their names for their suspected involvement with acts of terrorists’ financing and money laundering.

“An order is hereby made compelling the 2nd to 14th

respondents (the banks) in this case to deliver up and furnish the State Security Service/ applicant in this case with the respective bank statements and mandate cards of the 1st (Adold Engineering) and 2nd respondents (Fidelity Bank) in this case.

56 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

Edited by: Emma Nnadozie emmadozie@hotmail.com 08023145281, 08111813021

Father of triplets absconds, wife cries out

By CHINENYEH OZOR, Nsukka HE joy of Mrs Ifeoma Odo, of Ebo Umuabor, Ehalumona in Nsukka Local Government Area, Enugu State, turned into tears last week after her husband absconded on hearing that she will give birth to triplets. Odo told Crime Alert last Friday that her husband, John-Patrick Odo, disappeared immediately medical scan showed that she would give birth to triplets.

According to her, “Since seven days I put to bed, I have not seen my husband till now.

Several attempts by me and other members of the family to reach him through his phone failed as he has switched off his mobile phone.”

T

Good spirited individuals She explained that her husband is jobless but stated that it should not be the reason for him to abandon the babies when the famiy would be celebrating their birth.

Mrs Odo, however, appealed to government, corporate bodies and good-spirited individuals in the name of God to come to the rescue of the triplets, as babies born at seven months needed much care to survive. “I will be very grateful to all who would offer moral and financial help to me and my babies at this

moment of difficulty when their father abandoned us to our fate. For now, they are being taken care of by the younger brother to my husband, Andrew Odo. She expressed gratitude to God for the gift of the triplets and how it was made possible for her to deliver them normally without undergoing cesarean operation..

Mrs Odo appealed to the general public to assist in the up keep of the triplets through First Bank account number 3045582377, with the name,Odo Andrew C. Speaking to Crime Alert, the younger brother to her husband confirmed that his elder brother disappeared since after he was told that his wife would give birth to triplets.

“We have been helping my elder brother’s wife with the little we can afford since the birth of the triplets.

We are begging government and individuals to come to the rescue of the family,” he said.

When contacted, the Councilor representing the area, Mr Maduabchi Eze, said he had been informed by the family, noting that he was planning on how to take the matter to Nsukka local government local, Chairman, Mr Tony Ugwu for assistance. Mr Eze noted that the man may have disappeared because he has no money to take care of the babies. It was gathered that the triplets were the first pregnancy of the couple after three years of marriage.

Police in Enugu big catch

By ANGELA OKPE

F

OUR notorious armed robbers that have been terrorizing 9th Mile area and its environs in Enugu State have been arrested by the Police. The arrest of the bandits was made possible by the earlier arrest of their kingpin identified as Sunday Onyia popularly called Sunday Nwa Nwanyi Abacha, who is linked to series of deadly armed robbery operations within 9th Mile area and its environs.

The suspect is, however, helping police operatives in their investigations as he is narrating his role in most of their robbery operations carried out before he was arrested. Police sources said he disclosed that some of his armed robbery associates met their waterloo as a result of the intensive activities of security operatives who are always on their toes to deal with the gang.

•Arrest deadly bandits led by kingpin, Nwa Abacha

Blocking of highways It was further gathered that the suspect’s revelation led to the arrest of three others who corroborated his revelations that they specialized in the blocking of highways with woods and shooting indiscriminately at their victims before robbing them of their belongings and also snatching motorcycles at gun point.

The suspects further disclosed that they are responsible for most recent violent armed robbery operations at Ekochin junction, 9th mile corner, Ngwo near Enugu,old toll gate, both along Enugu /Onitsha Express way, then along 9th mile/Nsukka expressway, 9th mile/ Eke road and 9th mile /Nsukka old road and gave details of the method of operations of the gang that have sent some motorists to the great beyond as they always shoot their victims on transit.

T

•The triplets and their mother.

•Nwa Abacha and other suspects

hey also disclosed how they lost some of their gang members during one of their operations before their arrest. According to their account, some of their members engaged a joint police patrol team in a gun duel during one of their robbery outings last August, at about 5am around International market along Enugu/Onitsha Expressway, after former toll gate in 9th Mile. Many of them

were killed and police recovered the robbed items.

Recovered from the suspects are motorcycles, various motorcycle parts and accessories

which they dismantled from some of the snatched motorcycles, locally- made single barrel guns cut to size, and 29 assorted handsets.

School Proprietor raises alarm into criminal gangs in Delta

By ANGELA OKPE

T

HE proprietor of Explosive Academy Independent School, Abraka, Mr Ighorhiohwunu Aghogho has said that criminal gangs of various networks are currently recruiting children in all the streets s across Delta State for various evil missions even as he urged the government to brace up to the task ahead by using pro-active measures to checkmate them.

The proprietor who commended Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan on his effort towards curbing juvenile crimes in the state appreciated the governor for signing the Delta State Child Right Act into law in 2008. He stated that the law is a step in the right direction because the law is the right weapon for redirecting

•Aghogho deviant children in the state.

He stated further that the approval of Explosive Academy Independent School as a reformatory school for Children Beyond Parental Control by the Ministry of Women Affairs, Child and Social Development, Asaba will complement the governor’s effort in reducing juvenile crimes

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

— 57

Edited by: Emma Nnadozie emmadozie@hotmail.com 08023145281, 08111813021

record

•The suspects and their loot

How 4 notorious ‘Okada’ thieves were arrested by the Police in Nsukka

By CHINENYE OZOR, Nsukka

T

•IGP, M.D Abubakar - reqular monitoring and briefing across states from Abuja paying off.

Meanwhile, the state command operatives have intensified manhunt on some of the remaining members of the gang that escaped with bullet injuries in one of their encounters with the police.

Police spokesman in the State, Ebere Amarizu told Crime Alert that the state Commissioner of

Police, Adamu Abubakar Mohammed, applauded efforts of his operatives as well as timely information by members of the public leading to their arrest and appealed for more collaboration with stakeholders to make the activities of such group of hoodlums to be discouraged through timely and useful information.

over recruitment of children in the state.

According to him, “Although, Delta state already has a detention facility located in Sapele for children who are reprimanded by courts for one crime or the other ,the school will serve as a home for a child who has the capability for committing crimes but not yet in conflict with the Laws of Nigeria .Social vices are the bane behind juvenile crimes. From a research carried out by the school in October, it was found out that six out of ten children are currently beyond Parental Control in Delta State.

He reiterated the importance why parents, guardians, principals, head teachers, pastors, community leaders etc should key into the three point agenda of the Governor as they are the ordained protectors of children in our

society.

The proprietor bemoans the high rate of juvenile crimes in Nigeria, calling on all and sundry to be pro-active towards juvenile crimes especially mothers who are the first care-taker of the child.

Mothers, he said, should stop shielding a child of any wrong doing and should always make a child be responsible for his actions.

The proprietor urged the Government of Delta State not to relent on its efforts towards curbing juvenile crimes in the state as in no sooner than 2015, smost of these children who are Beyond Parental Control and have the capabilities of committing crimes must have graduated into full adult criminals if nothing is done about it now.

he Police in Nsukka, Enugu State, last week, arrested four notorious suspects that specialize in stealing and snatching motorcycles in and around the university town. The suspects who were arrested from different locations were rounded up following a tip-off from members of the public.

The arrested suspects who gave their names as Omeke Chijekwu alias solicitor from Ndioke village, Ibeagwa -Aka in Igboeze -South, Simon Chikwado Alias Hitler from Eleagu- Obukpa in Nsukka Local Government Area, Onyedikachi Idoko from Enugu -Ezike and Kingsley Nwamba from Eha Alumona.

Police sources said six suspected stolen motorcycles were recovered from them while manhunt for some of their fleeing gang members has been intensified while the arrested suspects are said to be helping the police in their investigations.

In another development, operatives of the

urban motorized patrol of the Enugu state command on duty along Enugu/Port-Harcourt express road while on their routine patrol along old Amechi road at Awkunanaw axis successfully rescued a kidnap victim identified as Ikoro Augustine, 50, from Ehime Mbano in Imo state.

The victim, said to be living at Inyama street, Awkunanaw was rescued from the boot of a Camry taxi cab with Enugu colour bearing registration number ZBL 244 XA. Investigation showed that he is the driver of the taxi cab. He was allegedly tied and kept in the boot by the hoodlums and when they noticed the presence of the patrol vehicle, they packed the vehicle and took to their heels before the noise of the victim attracted the attention of the operatives who suspected the vehicle.

Enugu State Police spokesman, Ebere Amarizu who confirmed the story said detectives are on the trail of the fleeing members of the gang that kidnapped the victim.

PHOTO SPEAK

Members of Police Officers Wives Association, POWA, led by wife of the Commissioner of Police, Hajia Fatima Abubakar, during recent jogging at Okaraise in Enugu State.

58 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

New ideas, as NGA takes Nigeria's best to the world

By JAPHET ALAKAM

ing forward to more collaboration in the future. His counterpart, Hyungmin Moon sees Nigerian art works as “a bit different than I expected. I don’t know much about African art/Nigerian art. It is much more complicated than I expected and thought. The techniques and ways are very nice actually.” His painting technique is a bit unusual. “Each year I try to find out about the most used word in a magazine and also the most used colour.

I use colours for the most used

A

S part of its cardinal pro grammes of creating patronage for Nigerian artists internationally, thereby creating the required platform of promoting and upgrading the standards of artists and visual art in Nigeria, the NGA took some artists and their works to the second edition of Nigeria Visual Art World Tour, “NIVATOUR 2: tagged, “Korea-Nigeria: A friendship over decades” The one week joint exhibition held at Total Museum of Contemporary Art, located on a hilly precinct of Seoul afforded some of the Nigerian and Korean artists the platform to exchange ideas about their arts. In all, works in different media of 21 artists from the national collection and five contemporary artists were featured from Nigeria while works from 10 artists from Korea featured at the well attended exhibition.

,

For me, it celebrates the country, shows you have a great deal of creative energy going on in Nigeria, so it’s a great deal of exposure for contemporary art

• Kinetic and Robotic (Metal) by Biodun Badmus

Striking works One of the striking works is Kinetic and Robotic (Metal) by Biodun Badmus, a sculpture of a horse with the rider blowing a long horn which revolves on the pedestal, the sound audible to everyone. Other art works

by Nigerian artists including paintings and sculptures were executed with skill. The same applied to the works by Korean artists especially Our Mountain (Acupuncture on Silk) by Soonjong Lee in which the artist uses pins to create an undulating landscape. What is obvious from viewing the works was the influence of post modernism in most of those of the Korean artists whereas Nigerian artists had a mixture of traditional motifs and traces of post mod-

ernism.

Of the Korean works, Kunle Filani, one of the curators explained: “I think it has a stamp of identity of South Korean artistry. I can also see that the trend is moving towards modern experiment-this globalised relationship that we have all over the world.”

Speaking about exhibition which opened on November 4, 2013, Nor said “we are showcasing art pieces of different artists who have different back-

grounds and different culture but we feel that their art pieces speak to our hearts saying that we are living in the same cultural arena and so I have great expectations for this exhibition.”

Her enthusiasm was shared not only by the artists present but also the officials from both the Republic of Korea and Nigeria. For Joseub who had two works on display, it is the first time he is meeting with Nigerian artists and already look-

word and paint it according to the number of usage,” he explained.

For Professor Tonie Okpe, one of the exhibiting artists from Nigeria, the expectation is that “the crosscurrent between Nigerian and Korean artists is likely to breed a new idea, a new form of relationship because curators from both Nigeria and South Korea worked together alongside artists from both countries. So we hope that it will be a new beginning for some form of further collaboration.” His belief is that at the individual level, the artists would make more contacts and at the government level, “I expect that there would be further interaction between our government based on discussions that are on-going between the National Gallery and the Museum as well as the Ministry and the Cultural Affairs of Korea” Kaltume Gana, another Nigerian artist and NGA’s Head of

Harnessing tourism potentials for economic development

BY PRISCA SAM-DURU

T

Station, Kano, who was excited by her interaction with two of the Korean artists posited that an exhibition like this should go round the whole world!

For Kolade Oshinowo, who showcased three works. “I think to me it is a way of portraying Nigeria in good light,” he said. “For me, it celebrates the country. It shows you have a great deal of creative energy going on in Nigeria. So it’s an opening. It’s a great deal of exposure for contemporary art.”

On his impression of the exhibition, the Curator, Dr. Kunle Filani said that it is one of the objectives of NGA to expose Nigerian Art works as well as the artists in an attempt to forge cultural relationship

HROUGH projects such as “Fascinating Nigeria”, Nigeria’s Minister of Culture and Tourism, High Chief Edem Duke has been making concerted efforts towards development of the industry with a view to reduce the nation’s dependence on oil, for economic development.

It is in line with helping achieve the minister ’s vision, that the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), the apex in-

stitution and proffessional career ladder for the industry in Nigeria is holding a four-day intensive training for interested participants in the tourism industry.

The training themed “Effective Tourism Operations” which holds in collaboration with Babok Consulting, from the 25th to 28th November, 2013, will be held at the Lagoon Restaurant, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Speaking ahead of the training, Director of Babok Consulting, Mrs. Anu Koleowo described tourism as revenue yielding venture for

entrepreneurs, individuals and the nation in general, due to its capacity to help in the development of infrastructure. If properly harnessed, Koleowo maintained, tourism would also help empty the labour market which is the reason professionalism is needed before venturing into the field.

The objective of the training according to her is to assist participants discover tools, skills and techniques needed to operate a profitable and sustainable venture in the industry.

,

with other countries. “So the exhibition is successful in that wise. The Nigerian art scene is largely unknown to the people in this part of the world, but as we forge a better economic relationship with South Korea, I think we must develop a cultural exchange to understand each other better, to respect each other’s creativity.

I think with the show, we have started a very good thing which we can build upon for better relationship.”

Cardinal programmes In his key note address, the Director General, NGA, Abdullahi Muku, explained that NIVATOUR is one of the cardinal programmes of the parastatal to create patronage for Nigerian artists internationally. Muku commended the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Nigeria, Choi JongHyum for facilitating the exhibition and the untiring efforts of Suh Jeong Sun, the director of the Korean Cultural Centre, Abuja, Nigeria in ensuring that all arrangements went on smoothly. In the same vein, he praised the Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Chief Edem Duke, and other ministry officials for their support for NGA. On his part, the Nigerian Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, Desmond Akawor, represented by the Deputy Head of Mission, Salihu Ahmed, described the event as another landmark event that seeks to exploit the artistic and aesthetic dimension of both countries.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013 — 59

60 —

Vanguard, THURSDAY NOVEMBER 21, 2013

I've nothing to prove — Ronaldo C

RISTIANO Ronaldo said he had “nothing to prove to anyone” after firing Portugal to World Cup 2014 with a stunning hat-trick during a 3-2 win over Sweden in the second-leg of their playoff tie.

The Real Madrid star struck thrice in the second half which, added to his goal in the 1-0 first leg win, wrapped up a 4-2 aggregate victory and put him on 47 goals for Portugal, level with Pauleta as the country’s joint-top scorer of all time.

And though Ronaldo was delighted for the Seleccao to seal their passage into the finals, he dismissed the significance of matching Pauleta’s record, instead asserting that his focus was on delivering on the pitch for his team.

“Records are there to be beaten. It was not a priority,” he began to Publico.

“I knew that Portugal needed me. I do not have to prove anything to anyone. I try to do my work and give answers on the pitch.

“I did my job for my team. It is the team who have to be congratulated.

We suffered for sure but that is how great teams win things. We retreated a little [when Sweden scored], but then we were better and we played better.”

The Portugal-Sweden playoff was touted as a battle for a World Cup spot between two of the world’s best players in Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and the Paris Saint-Germain striker struck twice in the second leg to briefly put Sweden ahead on the night after the former’s opener.

L

IONEL Messi was handed a record third Golden Shoe trophy today after netting the most league goals in Europe last season.

The Argentine, who is currently nursing a hamstring injury, netted 46 times in La Liga to help Barcelona reclaim the title from Real Madrid in 2012/13.

Messi also won the accolade in the campaign before with 50 goals, and in 2009/10 with 34 strikes.

The 26-year-old scored 31 times in 2010/11, but lost out to Cristiano

A

FTER one week of in tensive tennis action, Edet Akpan has emerged champion of the third annual UPDC grand slam team tennis tournament which was concluded at the prestigious Ikoyi Club 1938 tennis courts. Akpan defeated Akin Adesokan in the hard-fought final.

The winner received N500,000 cash prize, the runner-up, Akin Adesokan, got N400,000 while the other contestants got prizes each for participating.

•Lionel Messi Ronaldo following the Portuguese’s haul of 40 goals for Los Blancos.

Ballon d’Or: FIFA extends voting deadline

F

IFA have confirmed they have extended the voting period for the Ballon d’Or until November 29 due to a low response.

The original deadline passed on Friday.

A Fifa spokesperson said: “Due to a low number of responses from coaches and captains of the national teams as well

THE BEST ... Ronaldo

WMRA officials arrive for Obudu race T

HREE top officials of the World Mountain Running Association (WMRA) led its Italian president,Bruno Gozzelino have arrived for Saturday’s 9th Obudu international mountain race and

the fifth African mountain running championships.

The other two officials who are council members of the association are Erhan Basoglu from Turkey and Bulgarian woman,Galia Puhaleva.

UPDC tennis grandslam ends in style

BY DOTUN IBIWOYE

Messi handed third Golden Shoe

Organised towards the end of the year after every other major competition, the tournament which is backed by the UAC Property Development Company featured over 60 players who were grouped in teams.

The groups included Pinnacle, Cameron green, Metro City, Golden Tulip, Vintage garden, Grand Ville, Festival mall and James Pinnock Place According to the Vice Chairman, Tennis section, Ikoyi Club, Mr. Ede Osemmengie, the tournament

has brought about the best and opened the door of opportunity for several talents that emerged within the week long event.

“This grand slam has made everyone proud.

UPDC has done a marvelous job by conducting the third edition of this competition which will definitely change lives. It is our hope that this competition continues for a long time to come and we know the competition will become a bigger event in the future hence the name Grand Slam..

The trio,according to Patrick Ugbe,the media chief for the race are in town to give technical and logistic supports to the local organising committee for the event headed by Sir William Archibong. ’The WMRA trio are here to give us the necessary support for another successful organisation of the race,’’said Ugbe who is also the Cross River state commissioner for Sports. gbe believes the presence

of the top echelon of the body governing the sport worldwide is a further confirmation of the popularity of the race as well as its importance to the WMRA. ’The Obudu mountain race has become an important event in the calendar of the WMRA and its upgrading from an associate member race to one of the major races in the calendar of the association is a testimony of this.’

as media representatives and in order to ensure a representative number of votes Fifa and France Football have extended the deadline for the voting until 29 November 2013.

“Member Associations and media representatives who had been invited to vote on the above mentioned awards have been informed accordingly.

“Votes which had already been submitted can be changed until November 29.”

The news comes after Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo bolstered his strong bid for the accolade with a match-winning hattrick against Sweden last night to book his country’s place at next year’s World Cup. Ronaldo, Ballon d’Or holder Lionel Messi, who is currently injured, and Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery are considered the favourites to claim this year’s prize, which will be presented in Zurich on January 13.

Copa Coca-Cola 5th edition kicks off with expanded focus

B

EVERAGE giant and leading football brand, Coca-Cola has kicked off the fifth edition of Copa Coca-Cola, its popular grassroots football programme, pledging to use the platform to promote active healthy living and community football development. The ex-

panded scope will further increase the impact of the programme which has recorded significant success in recent years and boasts among its alumni six members of Nigeria’s youthful team that won the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup. The kickoff event held at the Astroturf Ikoyi on Tues-

day, November 19, 2013 and witnessed a large turnout of Nigerian football stakeholders including representatives of Youth Sport Federation of Nigeria (YSFON), ex-football players, sports and photo journalists from the print and electronic media, among others.

Vanguard, THURSDAY NOVEMBER 21, 2013 — 61

Algeria Continues from B/P town of Bejaia, east of Algiers, while four others died in the southern city of Biskra when two trucks collided.

A 10-year-old was killed in the town of Bouira, also east of the capital, just after midnight when the vehicle he was traveling in drove off the road. Eight other passengers, including four children between the ages of 3 and 8, were also injured, said the state news agency.

The remaining two deaths occurred in the towns of Tipaza and M’Sila, the statement added without further details. Much of the north of the country was blanketed with heavy rains Tuesday, making road conditions dangerous.

Residents described a great deal of reckless behavior in the course of the celebrations that continued throughout the night in some cities.

It is the fourth trip to the World Cup for this soccermad nation and follows closely on its 2010 appearance in South Africa.

Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal and other members of the government lunched with the victorious team on Wednesday. The absence of ailing President Abdelaziz Bouteflika was noted as another sign of his increasing infirmity following a stroke in April.

The 76-year-old president was nominated by his party Saturday to run for a fourth term.

Niger targets top spot at national school sports fiesta

N

IGER State has never been listed among the top 10 teams at the National School Sports Festival, but as the screening of athletes for this year ’s tournament begins on Thursday, November 22, in Kwara State, the team is poised to be among the top states at the end of the sports fiesta.

At the last edition held in Port Harcourt, Rivers States, Niger finished 12 th having dominated the handball events.

However, the coordinator of school sports in Niger, Kudu Umar said he is confident that the team would be among the top teams when the tournament ends on November 30.

Umar told journalists from Minna on Wednesday that the team has concluded its oneweek camping while they will be departing for Kwara on Thursday in order to acclamatise to the weather in Ilorin.

Amuneke Continues from B/P Football Federation (NFF) informed MTNFootball.com “However, we have ensured continuity by keeping Emmanuel Amuneke, so we can

sustain the style, character of the Golden Eaglets.”

However, there are some who believe that Ugbade will make a better head coach of the new Eaglets than Amuneke because he is much more open and he is ready to listen and learn.

“I know Niger State has not been among the top 10 teams but this year, we are ready to do better than our 12th place

in the last edition. We have been in camp for the past seven days and we will be departing to Ilorin today.

Eaglets Continues from B/P availability of the Eaglets.

“I watched them during their tournament and I did mention that I liked a few of the players and of course I will like to take a closer look at them. So the plan is to invite them to the training programme for next year’s CHAN and monitor them”.

The Afcon winning coach is careful to temper the expectations of the public with regards to these players.

“People need to understand that even though they won their tournament, it does not

mean they are ready to play for the senior teams immediately. Like I keep saying, I am on the lookout for those players that will improve the present squad so these U-17 boys will get the first crack at it. I will be pleased if one or two step up their game and make it” It will be recalled that 20 years ago, as Nigeria prepared for a first world cup appearance, then head coach Clemens Westerhof gave caps to the then U-17 world cup winners Karibe Ojigwe and Kanu Nwankwo in friendlies but they did not make the final squad to the USA based tournament of 1994.

62 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

C M Y K

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013 — 63

,

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

Eaglets to get Super Eagles call ups

I

S-H-O-C-K-E-R-!

12 die celebrating Algeria’s World Cup qualification C

ELEBRATIONS for Algeria’s victory over Burkina Faso that sent the country’s soccer team to the 2014 World Cup finals left 12 people dead and some 240 injured, authorities reported Wednesday.

People poured into the streets of this soccermad country late Tuesday after the game and most of the deaths and injuries appear to be from road accidents as cars raced around honking their horns in celebration.

The statement from emergency services said five celebrating fans were killed when their van slid off the road into a ravine in the mountain

Continues on Page 61

N what may sound like a retraction of his earlier declaration that he would only extend invitations to U-17 players after they would have graduated through the ranks, Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi has said that he intends to call up a few of the U17 World Cup winning players to the Super Eagles in preparation for next year ’s CHAN tournament There have been widespread calls within

Nigeria that members of the U-17world cup winning team be drafted into the Super Eagles ahead of the world cup.

In an exclusive interview with supersport.com at the Hilton Cobham hotel where the Nigerian team based following the friendly with Italy, coach Stephen Keshi has been speaking on a variety of issues including the Continues on Page 61

Amuneke to lead new Eaglets T

WILD CELEBRATION: Algerian soccer fans in a frenzy after their national team secured 2014 World Cup ticket. 12 died in the celebration.

OP officials have revealed that Golden Eaglets coach Manu Garba will be elevated to lead the country’s U20 team, the Flying Eagles.

Second assistant coach Nduka Ugbade will also join Manu on the bench of the Flying Eagles.

The new Flying Eagles are due to set up training camp by March at the latest, officials disclosed.

According to our source, coach Emmanuel Amuneke will then be elevated to head coach of the U17 with two new assistants named, while Emeka Amadi remains as goalkeeper trainer.

“We want to ensure that this present U17 team grow with their coach. So as we are elevating the players, we are also elevating the coaches,” a top official of the Nigeria Continues on Page 61

Amuneke

QUICK CROSSWORD

Sudoku TODAY'S PUZZLE

YESTER DAY'S YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 2 Orb (5) 7 Debate (5) 8 Mature (5) 10 Place (5) 12 Posed (3) 13 Opening (5) 15 Withdrew (7) 17 Chaos (6) 19 Healthy (3) 20 Dictionary (7) 23 Wearing (4) 25 Hasty (4) 26 Retribution (7) 30 Vehicle (3) 31 String (6) 34 Opposite (7) 37 Shelf (5) 38 Brown (3) 39 Puckish (5) 40 Female dog (5) 41 Bar legally (5) 42 Serpent (5)

DOWN 1 Sag (5) 2 Enthusiasm (5) 3 Deadly (6) 4 Endure (4) 5 Caller (7) 6 Dissuade (5) 9 Equal (3) 11 Shortage (7) 13 Chew (5) 14 Town-related (5) 16 Spasm (3) 18 Turn (7) 21 Nude (5) 22 Hue (5) 24 Propriety (7) 27 Spoil (3) 28 Yell (6) 29 Caper (5) 32 Cleanse (5) 33 Radiant (5) 35 Vessel (3) 36 Dash (4)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Order 7, Know 8, Admire 9, Nippy 11, Bus 13, Spa 15, Alto 16, Air 18, Glen 19, ;Oblique 20, Rump 22, Mill 23, Bolster 25, Gilt 27, Err 28, Thug 30, Ere 31, Try 33, Smoke 26, Strike 37, Fret 38, Wheat.

DOWN: 1, Annul 2, Own 3, Dip 4, Ray 5, Imp 6, Grope 10, Pail 11, Barrage 12, Stumble 13, Sleight 14, Analogy 16, Abuse 17, River 18, Gum 21, Pot 24, Trim 26, Irate 29, Urged 32, Big 33, Sew 34. Ode 35, Eft.

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.

Printed and Published by VANGUARD MEDIA LIMITED, Vanguard Avenue, Kirikiri Canal, P.M.B.1007, Apapa. Phone: Newsroom: 018773962. Deputy Editor: 01-8944295. Advert Dept: 01-7924470; Hotline: 01-8737028; Abuja: 09-2341102, 09-2342704. E-mail: editor@vanguardngr.com, news@vanguardngr.com, letters@vanguardngr.com. Advert:advertproduction@yahoo.com Website: www.vanguardngr.com (ISSN 0794-652X) Editor: MIDENO BAYAGBON. Phone: 01-7742861, All correspondence to P.M.B. 1007, Apapa Lagos.

C M Y K