We'll help bury PDP, if...

...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 61931

PDP crisis: Tukur reconciles with Gana, others 8

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ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

N150

TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013

FG eliminates ghost workers, saves N119bn 9

We'll help bury PDP, if... zSay Nyako, four other Northern govs zAs IBB describes them as real patriots

BY WOLE MOSODAMI & UMAR YUSUF

We will continue to make our efforts to save the party. But, if M

our efforts do not work, we have no alternative than to fold our arms and see PDP dead and help in burying it —Nyako

FOUR GOVERNORS VISIT IBB, ABDULSALAMI

INNA — THE five Peoples Demo cratic Party, PDP, governors of Adamawa, Sokoto, Jigawa, Niger and Sokoto currently consulting with former heads of state with aims to save the party and polity have threatened to bury the party if their consultations end in fail

Continues on Page 5

COLUMNIST:

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GUEST COLUMNIST: Prof. Omotayo Adeolu debuts tomorrow

Mr & Mrs

MEETING: From left: Governor Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State; former Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd); Governor Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu of Niger State; Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State; Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of Kano State and former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd) after a meeting at the Presidential Lodge, Minna, Niger State, yesterday.

24 die in auto crashes, 8 injured

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2—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013

INEC gets more powers to deal with parties

2011 GUBER:

Chime floors Ezea again

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BY OKEY NDIRIBE

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AST week’s adoption of a code of conduct for political parties in the country may have given the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, more powers to deal with erring political parties in the country.

The code was adopted by 25 political parties in the country at an event organised by INEC in Minna last Tuesday. Among provisions of the code which grants more powers to INEC is a clause which stipulates that “political parties having freely subscribed to this code shall be bound by its provisions and take decisive steps to prohibit their leaders, officials, candidates and members from infringing on it”.

The code further provides that any disagreement between parties which cannot be resolved shall be handled by the Inter-party Advisory Council, IPAC, and finally referred to INEC for disciplinary action.

According to section 10 (4): “Any dispute which cannot be resolved between parties, shall be reported to the Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC, which shall give it a fair and expeditious hearing. IPAC is empowered to recommend to INEC appropriate sanctions on any political party ...without prejudice to the right of parties and their candidates or agents to pursue other legal actions”.

In addition to this, section two of the code stipulates: “All political parties, including their members, supporters and candidates shall adhere to all existing laws and regulations pertaining to elections and the conduct of political parties, especially election guidelines established by INEC through the authority of the Electoral Act 2010 and Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, and shall do nothing whatsoever, individually and collectively to undermine, flout, disrespect or circumvent them.”

Section six of the code provides that “No political party shall engage in violent activities of any kind as a way of demonstrating its strength. All political parties shall publicly condemn any form of political violence”.

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L-r:Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno receiving donations for Boko Haram victims from the Chairman, Jaiz Bank, Alhaji Umar Abdulmutalab in Maiduguri , yesterday.

Attack: Arewa youths ask Presidency, IG to apologise to Northern govs •Threaten reprisal against N/D governors over attack •Warn Gov Jang to stop parading himself as NGF chairman •You’re sponsored by politicians-Wike accuses Arewa youths

By SONI DANIEL, Regional Editor, North & CHRIS OCHAYI

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ORTHERN youths, yes terday, asked the Inspector General of Police and the Presidency, to tender public apology to the four northern governors who were attacked by political thugs opposed to the Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi, last week.

It will be recalled that some riotous youths suspected to have been sponsored, pelted stones on the convoy of Amaechi and his visiting colleagues from Jigawa, Niger, Kano and Adamwa states, damaging some vehicles in the process.

The placard-bearing elements also asked the visitors to leave the state, as they were not welcome.

But in their first reaction to the development, northern youths demanded an urgent sack of Rivers Police Commissioner for turning a blind eye to the assault on the five governors while in Rivers State.

The youths, under the aegis of Arewa Youth Forum and Northern Youth Congress, noted with regret that the attack of their governors in Port Harcourt, which was premeditated, could lead to a North-South conflict if not well handled.

National President of the Arewa Youths Forum, Alhaji Gambo Gujungu, described the attack on the four northern governors by the sponsored Rivers politicians as an assault on the people of the region and an attempt to provoke a northsouth crisis.

Gujungu demanded that the CP who said he was on top of

the situation in Rivers State and the Inspector General of Police should explain to the nation why some thugs should be allowed to descend on visiting governors all in a bid to protect the interest of a faction in the Rivers crisis.

He said: “It is the view of AYF that the attack on the four visiting northern governors and Amaechi was premeditated and targeted as humiliating them so as to provoke a North-South conflict and pave the way for the President, who is an interested party in the crisis, to declare a state of emergency in the state.

“We, therefore, demand an open apology from all the actors, who set out to inflict bodily injury on our sons during their innocuous visit to Rivers State. Failure to do so, we might be compelled to confront top-ranking officials of the government we consider as being ‘unfriendly’ to the north.

Unfriendly action The group asked the Presidency to take urgent steps to end the crisis in Rivers State, as it would not do him or those he considers as his enemies any good at the end of the day.

On his part, the National Coordinator of the NYC, Abdulmumini Tijani, asked the Presidency to allow Amaechi to perform his functions as the duly elected chairman of the NGF without any orchestrated intimidation or harassment.

Tijani warned the Plateau State Governor, Da Jang, to

desist forthwith from parading himself as the NGF leader, so as to save the nation avoidable embarrassment.The group warned all the elements that have elected to persecute the Rivers State Governor Amaechi to desist from such action or be ready to face the wrath of the Nigerian people. The NYC asked the Rivers CP, Mbu Joseph Mbu, to resign from his office for allegedly taking side in the crisis and denting the image of the police force in the process.

It said: “For Mbu’s admitted nonchalance, negligence of duty and total complicity in the crimes perpetrated against the governor of Rivers State, the state House of Assembly and the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the CP should resign from office forthwith. “In the event that he Mbu remains adamant and refuses to resign, we call on the IG to sack him and subject him to thorough investigation." The northern group also called on the five lawmakers in the Rivers State House of Assembly who attempted to impeach the Speaker for pecuniary reasons to be recalled and be prosecuted for fighting and brutality.

The statement added: “President Goodluck Jonathan should break his silence; condemn these dastardaly acts of brigandage being visited on the good person of the governor of the state and the people and to deal with the security breaches in Rivers State. The Nigeria Police should tender an unreserved apology to the four Northern governors for permitting the breakdown of law and order, which led to the attacks on the governors."

OVERNOR Sulli van Chime of Enugu State has again floored Chief Okey Ezea, the Labour Party governorship candidate in the April 2011 general elections. Justices Amiru Sanusi (OFR), Moore A.A. Adumein and T. Akomolafe-Wilson of the Court of Appeal in Abuja had in their July 9, 2013, judgment dismissed the application filed by Ezea and his party over the nomination of Governor Chime as the flag bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. It will be recalled that both Ezea and Labour Party had sought the leave of the Court of Appeal to be allowed to file an appeal against the decision of the Federal High Court which had earlier dismissed the suit filed by Alex Obiechina challenging the same nomination of Chime as the PDP candidate in the April 2011 polls.

Half of Nigerian women mutilated —UNICEF

By UDUMA KALU with agency report

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ORE than half of the female population in Nigeria, Egypt and Ethiopia have their genitals mutilated, a report from UNICEF released, yesterday, has shown. The report says 125 million women and girls now live with the consequences of FGM but suggests that the practice continues only because of social convention, while most women and men wish it would end although in many countries, both men and women would like it to stop.

“There are 29 countries in Africa where FGM is now practised but more than half the girls who are cut live in just three – Egypt, Ethiopia and Nigeria. It may surprise many people to learn that cutting is highly prevalent in Egypt,” the report said. It adds that 91 per cent of girls in Egypt are cut, most of them – 77 per cent – by a medical professional, which indicates how much of an establishment practice it is, and raises ethical questions of the doctors and nurses involved. There are 27.2 million women and girls in Egypt who have been through FGM.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013 — 3

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4 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013

ADB votes N20bn for MSMEs in Africa

BY BABAJIDE KOMO-

LAFE AGOS—THE African Development Bank, yesterday, committed N20 billion to a four year program to support micro, small and medium enterprises in Africa.

In a statement, the Bank said: “Board of Directors of the African Development Bank, AfDB, approved today the Africa Small and Medium Enterprises, SME, P r o gramme, a four-year, US $125 million funding programme combined with a US $3.98 million technical assistance package granted by the Fund for African Private Sector Assistance, FAPA, aimed at supporting micro, small and medium enterprises, MSMEs, in Africa.

“The programme will provide standardised lines of credit, LoCs, mostly in local currency, and technical assistance to targeted financial institutions, predominantly in low-income countries spread over all five African regions.

“The SME Programme will avail important longerterm resources to thousands of SMEs including women and youths, thus contributing to job creation and poverty reduction in the continent.

“The SME sector is crucial to Africa’s growth, contributing more than 45 per cent to employment and 33 per cent to GDP. SMEs continue to face significant challenges. Studies indicate that more than 70 per cent of SMEs lack access to medium/longer-term finance, creating an SME funding gap of more than $140 billion in Africa alone.

“Well performing local SME-focused financial institutions lack access to longer-term resources from depositors, capital markets or other potential funders hindering the provision of medium and long-term SME finance.

“In response to these challenges the AfDB, through this SME programme, will provide the necessary longer-term finance and a technical assistance package to address a number of the constraints faced by around 25 target financial institutions and their SME clients across Africa.”

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Rivers crisis: Call Wike, Obuah leadership to order, Ake PDP faction tells FG NGF DG lauds Amaechi on projects, says moves are on to resolve the impasse

BY JIMITOTAONOYUME

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political crisis in the state.

“Such statements include his(Obuah) congratulatory message to Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State as Chairman of NGF, even when it was clear to the whole country and the world that Governor Amaechi defeated Jang with a clear 19 to 16 votes and is the authentic chairman of NGF. “Another instance is Obuah’s congratulatory message to Mr. Evans Bipi of Rivers State House of Assembly, who proclaimed himself Speaker of the Assembly after a failed attempt by him and four other members to impeach the Speaker, Mr. Otelemaba Amachree on the day they attempted to disrupt sitting and

cause mayhem at the Assembly with the help of their thugs and police accomplices.

He said: “Or is Obuah saying to the state and the country that five is greater than 27? It’s never possible for 5 members out of a 32-member Assembly to carry out an impeachment process. We have watched with dismay and utter disgust the way and manner Wike has carried on as if he is the alternate, most times, substantive governor of the state.

“This is most condemnable.

That young man(Wike) is just a minister, a deputy minister at that, and must be reminded at all times that there is only one governor and leader of the party in the state,

which is Governor Amaechi and he must subjugate himself to the leadership of the governor or get out of the party.

“This Wike group is only deceiving the President and the party leadership, claiming that they have the support of the people when it’s clear they don’t.

What they are doing is destroying the party. The people working with them are not card carrying members of PDP. “They mostly consist of expired politicians and deadwoods.

These are the people Wike brought to Abuja as PDP leaders. They are not even PDP members.”

ORT HARCOURT—THE GODSPOWER Ake led Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Rivers State, yesterday, called on President Goodluck Jonathan and the national leadership of the party to prevail on the Minister of State for Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike and the Felix Obuah leadership of the party in the state to stop making unguarded political statements that are capable of overheating the polity.

Meanwhile, Director-General of the Nigeria Governors Forum, Asishana Okauru, has said that there were moves to resolve issues around the NGF, adding that the body had only one secretariat were he functions as the Director General.

Okauru said: “There is only one secretariat, and I am in contact with all the 36 governors. There is one secretariat, but there is an issue the governors are trying to resolve, and we have a chairman that was re-elected, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi. The entire NGF secretariat decided a couple of days back that we needed to pay a visit on Governor Amaechi, and we are here today (yesterday) and he (Amaechi) has been taking us round to see the infrastructure on ground.”

The Director General of the NGF and his team who were also taken round some of the state government’s projects lauded the achievement of Governor Amaechi.

He said: “It is very clear that the state (Rivers) is a model state and we are very impressed with the level of infrastructure and institutions on ground.”

Meanwhile, a statement by Rivers State PDP Publicity Secretary, ONE DAY GOVERNOR: Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State (left) and Lagos State Mr. George Ukwuoma, said that One Day Governor, Master Olajuwon Folarin, during a visit to Government House, Lagos, the actions of Wike and Obuah yesterday. were largely responsible for the

FAAN, foreign airlines disagree over movement of offices at MMIA

BY DANIEL ETEGHE AGOS—THE Federal Air ports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, and foreign airlines operating at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos, may be heading for a showdown over plans by the airport authorities to move airlines’ offices and operations to the 4th and 5th floors of the airport.

It will be recalled that FAAN had issued a two-week ultimatum to all foreign airlines in the terminal to move their offices to the 4th and 5th floors in order to facilitate the re-modelling of the airport.

Vanguard gathered that the foreign airlines are against this ac-

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tion taken by FAAN, saying such relocation would affect their operations.

It was alleged that the agency’s plan was to convert the offices currently used by the airlines into shops.

According to a source, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, the airlines are not happy about the agency’s directive.

The source added that the foreign airlines were not only worried about the security of their officials but also their safety, as such offices also served as their cash offices.

The source stated that the airlines contention was that the

shops should be located in the arrival section, rather than the departure area, adding that what was needed at the arrival hall were coffee shops.

Some of the affected airlines are BA, KLM,Air France, Aero, Ethiopian Airlines, Rwanda Air, among others.

When contacted, FAAN’s General Manager, Corporate Communications, Mr. Yakubu Dati, said the international terminal was undergoing thorough remodeling, and that shutting down would bring about some inconveniences.

He said: “FAAN is remodelling the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos

terminal.

“In Port Harcourt for example, we had to move the airlines completely out of the terminal. It is purely routine in such construction.”

Meanwhile, President of Association of Foreign Airlines Representatives of Nigeria, AFARN, Mr. Kingsley Nwokoma, said the airlines were not in support of the movement, adding that airlines should be given priority in any decision making that concerned the airport.

He said: “Our position is that he who pays the piper dictates the tune. Without the airlines there will never be an airport and aerotropolis projects.”

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013—5

POCKET CARTOON

threats to the survival of democracy in the country.

Nyako pledged that he would remain in the party, but that his supporters would move to the ANPP any moment from now.

INAUGURATION: Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State (5th left), flanked by his deputy,

Prince Segun Adesegun (4th left) and Speaker, Ogun State House of Assembly, Hon. Suraj Adekunbi (4th right) and the 20 Consultants on Local Government Affairs, during the inauguration of the Consultants in Abeokuta, yesterday.

We'll help bury PDP, if... —Nyako Continues from Page 1

ure.

At the end of the latest consultation, yesterday, the five governors were hailed by former president, General Ibrahim

Babangida as real patriots, who have taken it upon themselves to address real threats to the polity.

Four of the five governors — Babangida Aliyu

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

We can conquer our nightmares because of our dreams, and also there are possibilities in impossibilities—Fassy A.Y. Dream well and dream right.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

The essence of self-discipline is to do the important thing rather than the urgent thing— Barry Werner.

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NNE Lamott shared a beautiful and very mean ingful story about the importance of tackling events and situations as they occur one step at a time.

She wrote that about three decade ago, her elder brother, who was 10 years old at the time, was trying to get a report written on birds that he’d had three months to write, which was due the next day.

We were out at our family cabin in Bolinas, and he was at the kitchen table close to tears, surrounded by binder paper and pencils and unopened books about birds, immobilised by the hugeness of the task ahead. Then my father sat down beside him put his arm around my brother’s shoulder, and said: “Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.”

This story is a beautiful reminder of the saying by Victor Hugo: “He who every morning plans the transactions of that day and follows that plan carries a thread that will guide him through the labyrinth of the busiest life.”

This much I know to be true. It is soul’s nature to be timely, if you are going to set a frame work in this world. If you are going to set a goal, also set a deadline to accomplish it. Also remember to set your goals so you can reach them.

of Niger, Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto, Sule Lamido of Jigawa and Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano met with Babangida and another former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, during which they relayed their fears and apprehensions on the polity.

Nyako was the only one of the five northern governors, who commenced the consultations with the country’s elder-statesmen, that was absent at the consultation with Babangida and Abubakar. His absence, the other governors said, was due to a previously scheduled commitment with officials across the border in Cameroon.

Nyako, nevertheless, said yesterday that ongoing consultations by the governors were meant to help save the PDP from complete collapse, but in the event of their failure they would help bury the party.

The Adamawa State governor said he had given the nod for his supporters to decamp to the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, though he said he would remain in the PDP.

We' ll continue to make our efforts to save the party Justifying the consulta-

tions with Obasanjo and other elder-statesmen, Nyako, who spoke to Vanguard through his Director of Press and Publications, Sajoh Ahmed said: “We have held consultations with former head of state and former BoT chairman of the PDP, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, on the need for him and other major stakeholders to save the party from dying.

“We are not stopping with Obasanjo as one of the most respected Nigerians of our time; we will proceed to the likes of Generals Ibrahim Babangida, Abdulsalami Abubakar and other eminent Nigerians just to mention but a few.

“We will continue to make our efforts to save the party. But if our efforts do not work, we have no alternative than to fold our arms, and see PDP die and help in burying it.”

Current trend in PDP worrisome According to the governor, unless serious minded Nigerians intervene in time, the PDP would die a natural death.

Nyako described the current trend of events in the ruling party as worrisome, adding that the squabbles within the ruling party pose

Meeting with IBB, Abdulsalami The meeting with Babangida and Abubakar which took place in the Presidential Lodge in Minna started at about 12.30 p.m lasted till 2.10 p.m.

Addressing journalists shortly after the meeting with the two former military leaders, host governor, Dr. Aliyu, said they met to discuss some of the problems facing the party and the nation.

He said: “We are still consulting with our elders and our leaders at least to look at some of the problems and find solutions to the problems some of us perceive we are facing.”

These problems, according to him, include the deadlock in the Nigeria Governors Forum, NGF, and other political issues that have lately bedevilled the polity.

Asked what they came up with after the meeting, Aliyu said: “No, we are still consulting. It is an on-going consultation. You don’t resolve immediately and this is why we are still consulting.”

On Rivers State crisis On the Rivers crisis, Aliyu said the issue was discussed with the two former heads of state and it was agreed that the issue should be taken up at an enlarged meeting of the Governors' Forum.

He said: “Obviously, we discussed Rivers State crisis. There is no issue discussed in Nigeria now that Rivers crisis will not come up

but it is a larger issue for the Governors' Forum and we are discussing how to resolve things amicably.”

He explained that the absence of Governor Nyako was not deliberate, pointing out that he had an appointment with officials from Cameroun on electricity and that he stayed behind to discuss with the high-powered delegation from that country.

On where the train of consultation is moving to, Aliyu simply said: “Not yet decided. We will consult as a group to see where we are going to.”

The two former military leaders left the venue of the meeting immediately after the briefing while the four governors went back into the lodge to round up.

The three visiting governors subsequently drove out of the presidential lodge at about 3.15 p.m.

IBB describes the 5 govs as real patriots General Babangida has, meanwhile, commended the steps being taken by the governors and some of their colleagues in resolving the ongoing crises in the country.

Speaking with journalists after consulting with the governors, yesterday, the former military president described the governors as “real patriots.”

Babangida said: “I just want to commend the governors and some of their colleagues. I am very impressed because they see the problems of this country as their problems and they have taken the right steps to make sure that they consult widely in trying to find solutions to some of the nagging problems. It shows they are real patriots and I am very happy with them.”

6 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013

13 wash magistrate's car over unlawful assembly

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AGOS—AN Ojo Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos, yesterday, ordered 13 tricycle operators to wash the vehicle of Chief Magistrate Taslimi Shomade for alleged unlawful assembly.

The accused are Francis Levi, Vitus Nwafor, James Okpara, Chima Ohi, Emeka Anigboso, Ifedi Unachukwu, Uche Duru, Charles Uzoigwe, Simeon Ngene, Chidi Amadi, Anthony Okoro, Linus Nwawurum and Sunday Nwankwo.

They were arraigned on March 7 on a four-count charge of conspiracy, breach of peace, unlawful assembly and assault.

The prosecutor had told the court that the accused were arrested on March 5 at Ilogbo bus stop, Ajangbadi, over alleged unlawful assembly and breach of peace.

They had pleaded not guilty to the charge and were granted bail in the sum of N100,000 each with two sureties each in like sum.

Shomade struck out the case for want of diligent prosecution.

He, however, ordered the court officials to provide buckets, rags and detergent for the accused to wash his car as a form of community service.

Man remanded in prison over N2.3m fraud

BY OKONKWO EZE

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NITSHA—AN Onitsha Chief Magistrate Court, presided over

by Chief Magistrate M. O. N. Okonkwo, yesterday, remanded a 34-year old man, Anayo Okafor in the prison custody for allegedly defrauding a sales girl of her N2.3 million at BridgeHead drug market, Onitsha in Anambra State.

In his ruling shortly after hearing from the prosecuting police counsel, Mr. Vincent Ogbu and the defence counsel, J. S. Ekezie, Chief Magistrate Okonkwo refused an oral application for bail pleaded by Ekezie and adjourned the case to August 26.

SUSPECT: Chukwuemeka Benson... I was used as a bait.

VICTIM: Dickson Lee, flown home.

Kidnapped Briton rescued, returns home

BY EVELYN USMAN, IFEANYI OKOLIE & UJU MBANUSI

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HE kidnapped Briton, Dickson Lee, who was rescued Sunday afternoon by the police at Ago-Okota, in Isolo area of Lagos State, has returned to his home country.

Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Umar Manko, said in his office, yesterday, that the rescued Briton was allowed to go home when it became obvious that he needed urgent medical attention.

Manko also added that the officer in charge of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, also led a team of operatives to the kidnappers den, where they recovered two fully-loaded AK47 rifles magazine and one locally-made revolver pistol, with seven rounds of live ammunition.

Manko said: “There was a case of kidnapping of one Dickson Lee, a Briton, initially reported at Area D Command, Mushin, Lagos.

“I directed that the case be investigated by the State Intelligence Bureau, SIB, and SARS. “We were informed that the victim boarded a KLM Airline from Amsterdam to Lagos via Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja.

Kidnap, ransom, rescue

“The victim, who was driven in a black Sports Utility Vehicle, SUV, was attacked and abducted by unknown gunmen on July 16, along Airport Road Mafoluku and taken to an unknown destination.

“We encouraged the relatives of the victim to negotiate with the kidnappers, who demanded a ransom of one million dollars. The kidnappers later agreed to a N7.5 million ransom and men of SIB and SARS proceeded to the drop point at Satellite area along Lagos-Badagry expressway.

“One of the kidnappers, Emeka Benson, who came to

receive the ransom was arrested. Another suspect escaped with bullet wounds. The arrested suspect also led the detectives to the kidnappers’ hideout, where the Briton was rescued.”

How I was arrested — Suspect

Explaining how he was arrested, the suspect, Chukwuemeka Benson, 27, who hails from Ohafia in Abia State said: “A friend of mine, Nonye, introduced me to one Ugo, one of the kidnappers.

Nonye is a security man at the uncompleted three-storey building where the white man was kept.

“He told me to help him collect money from owner of the building somewhere around Okokomaiko, with which to floor the ground.

“I went in the company of Ugo, who rode a motorcycle at about 1pm on Sunday. When

we arrived the designated place, in front of a warehouse, we saw a car parked.

“Ugo told me to stretch forth my hand to collect the money immediately we got close to the car, warning me not to come down.

“But as I stretched my hand to collect it, one of the occupants held my hand tight, thereby, forcing me to come down from the motorbike. As Ugo wanted to alight also, another occupant shot him.

“I just stood at the spot unsure of what to do while Ugo managed to escape.

Asked if he was not aware of the Briton’s abduction, Chukwuemeka said: “I only saw the victim on Saturday night and when I asked Nonye, he told me to mind my business.

“I only agreed to go collect the money because he promised to give me N200,000 out of it as loan to enable me start business afresh because my goods were seized two weeks

ago by Customs on my way from Cotonou.

“I did not know I was being used as a bait by Nonye and his members.”

Recovered

Following his arrest, Manko said he led operatives to the kidnappers hideout in an uncompleted three-storey building somewhere around canal area of Okota, where the Briton was rescued.

Recovered in one of the rooms were two locally made pistols and 12 live cartridges.

Manko exonerated the Command from any blame in reported cases of kidnap, adding that kidnappers’ major instrument of advantage was timing.

He said: “But if you keep faith with the Police, we assure you that we will get the kidnappers and rescue the victims,” adding that efforts were on to arrest other fleeing members of the syndicate.

Police nab 2 mothers, couple, nurses over child trafficking

BY EMMA AMAIZE

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SABA—POLICE in Delta State have smashed a child trafficking/kidnap gang, including two mothers, a couple and nurses.

Five of the suspects were arrested by the police at Akwukwu-Igbo in Oshimili North Local Government Area.

Two members of the gang, operating on a motorcycle, last Monday, abducted a one year, four-month-old boy, while he was playing with other children in Atuma community, near Akwukwu-Igbo.

Some of the vigilant residents, however, recognised one of the abductors who was from a neighbouring community.

He was released from jail about two months ago, where served term for a similar inci-

dent. Vanguard gathered that the Divisional Police Officer, Akwukwu-Igbo Police Station, acting on a tip-off, asked his men to storm the residence of the principal suspect, who escaped through the window on seeing the police.

He was shot on the leg as he tried to disarm a police officer and arrested. At the time of this report, the 19-year-old suspect was receiving treatment at the General Hospital, Akwukwu-Igbo.

Police recovered the child unhurt at Igbodo, near Umunede, while the mother and wife of the principal suspect, believed to be part of the gang, were in police custody.

It was gathered that the couple in police custody had to two children, who were sold.

The second suspect, whose mother is based in Umunede, is still at large, was appre-

hended with the stolen child at Igbodo, and handed over to the police in Akwukwu-Igbo on Sunday.

At the General Hospital, a source said the doctor had referred the injured suspect to the Federal Medical Centre, Asaba, but was refused admission because of lack of bed space.

A police source told Vanguard: “This is a powerful kidnap/child trafficking syndicate that had been operating in this area for a very long time.

“You can see that some parents, their children and nurses are in the syndicate.

We have arrested some principal suspects, but we have to get others too.”

Delta State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ikechukwu Aduba, confirmed the incident when contacted by Vanguard, saying “they are child traffickers.”

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013 — 7

2 die, 2 injured in Lagos port accident

BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG & GODWIN ORITSE

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DISPLACED: Some of the 677 people displaced by armed robbery scare, waiting for relief materials from the local government at their Faskari Model Primary School refugee camp at Faskari Local Government Area, Katsina State, yesterday.

24 killed in auto crashes, 8 injured

BY OLA AJAYI & SIMON EBEGBULEM

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T was a harvest of deaths from road accidents, yesterday, as a total of 24 people perished in two separate accidents that occurred on the Lagos-Ibadan and Benin-Lagos expressways.

In the Ibadan crash, no fewer than six persons lost their lives, while eight others sustained serious injuries.

Vanguard gathered that the accident involved a commercial bus with number plate OYO XE 675 LUY and a truck with number plate Lagos XX 455 GGE. It was learnt that the 14-passenger bus skidded off the road and ran into the truck parked by the roadside.

About N64,210 and five Euro were reportedly recovered from the victims.

Confirming the accident, Assistant Corps Commander of the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, Oluyole Unit 1, Mr. Sanya Adeoye, explained that the corpses of the victims were taken to the morgue, while the injured were rushed to University College Hospital, Ibadan.

He said: “The bus veered off the road and hit the stationery truck by the roadside. We suspect a mechanical fault.

“In all, 14 passengers were involved. Six died — four male and two female. Their corpses have been deposited at the Adeoyo morgue. The injured victims are now receiving treatment at the University College Hospital, UCH, Ibadan.

18 die along Benin-Lagos road

Along the Benin-Lagos express road, a Toyota Hiace bus and a truck loaded with gravel were involved in a head-on

collusion, killing 18 passengers.

The incident occurred near Okada, Ovia North-East Local Government Area of Edo State. It led to a serious gridlock as passengers and drivers made frantic effort to save the life of the victims.

Edo State Sector Commander of Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, Mr. Kenneth Nwaegbe, confirmed on phone, yesterday, that 18 persons were roasted alive, while two other children survived the incident.

Among the dead were said to be 15 adults and two kids.

Vanguard gathered that the driver of the truck also died in the accident. He said the commercial bus belonging to Peace Mass Transit, left Onitsha in Anambra State for Lagos via Benin when an oncoming truck had a head-on collision on a side of the road under construction.

He said: “What happened was that the Mark truck was carrying gravel and was coming from Ore to Benin when one of its tyres burst and it lost

control.

“The Toyota bus was going from Benin to Lagos when the two collided. The dead were removed from the wreckage with axes through the assistance of a team of rescue operation.

The team was made up of officials of FRSC from the Tollgate Unit Command, policemen drafted from Okada town and sympathisers some of who were passengers travelling either from Lagos to the Eastern part of the country or those going to Lagos and other parts of the Western part.”

One killed, 500 cows stolen as STF meets with locals in Plateau

BY TAIYE OBATERU & HOPE OFOBIKE

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OS—THE alleged killing of one person and rustling of 500 heads of cattle almost undermined a peace parley organised by Special Task Force, STF, maintaining security in Plateau State, yesterday, as news of the development heightened tension among participants.

The STF had organised the parley among Fulani and locals in Shendam in a bid to end the upsurge of violence in the Southern Senatorial District of the state, which has resulted in the killing of scores of people and the displacement of thousands.

Commander of STF, Major General Henry Ayoola, was making his speech on the need to end the hostilities when information filtered into the venue that one person was killed and hundreds of cattle stolen at Longvel in the area.

The news unsettled some of the participants as they moved

up and down the venue trying to get details of the reported incident.

It was learnt that the cattle rustlers invaded the village in large numbers, shooting into the air to scare residents before forcefully taking the cattle away.

Addressing the participants drawn from the six local government areas that make up the zone, Ayoola condemned the tendency by some people to attack innocent villagers, mostly women and children on the excuse that their cows had been rustled or to shoot at herds of cattle on the ground that they destroyed a farm.

Responding to contributions from various participants, he said ownership of cattle cut across the various ethnic groups, just as cattle rustling was not carried out by a particular tribe or religion but assured that continuous efforts would be made to bring perpetrators to justice.

He disclosed that 10 cases of cattle rusting was currently be-

ing investigated while four convictions had been secured in court against culprits.

He urged the people to always report suspicious movement of cattle to security agents.

AGOS—TRAGEDY struck, yesterday, at Terminal ‘C’ of Tincan Island Port being operated

by Port and Cargo Handling Services Limited, when an accident claimed the life of a dockworker and left two others seriously injured.

Moses Gabriel died on the spot, while Haruna Mohammed sustained injury on the head, Ruben Ugbaji, has his leg broken.

While Ugbaji, at the time of this report, was still in an undisclosed hospital, Haruna Mohammed has been discharged.

President of Dockworkers branch of Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, Adewale Adeyaju, said: “The workers were discharging iron rods when suddenly some of them fell on the workers at 2 a.m. this morning (yesterday).

“Mr. Moses Gabriel died on the spot, Haruna Mohammed sustained injury on the head, while Ruben Ugbaji had one of his legs broken.

“As we speak, while Mohammed has been discharged from the hospital they were rushed to, Ugbaji is still at the hospital.”

Speaking to Vanguard, spokesman for the Sifax group, owners of the terminal, Mr. Oliver Omajuwa, said he was yet to be briefed on the accident, noting that he will react as soon as he was debriefed.

Three charged with torturing debtor to death

BY ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH

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HREE persons, Yekini Omoniyi, Abu Aminu and Bola Ipaye accused of torturing their victim, one Segun Oyelabi, to death while allegedly recovering debt were, yesterday, charged for murder before an Ikeja High Court.

The deceased, Oyelabi, was allegedly murdered on March 15, 2012 at Ikotun area of Lagos after he was allegedly tortured by the accused persons.

Omoniyi, Aminu (males) and Ipaye, were arraigned before Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo by the Lagos State Directorate of Pros-

ecutions, DPP, on a two-count charge of conspiracy and murder.

Mr. Olakulehin Oke, who brought the charge against them on behalf of the government, alleged that the defendants tortured the deceased to death after he failed to pay a debt owed Ipaye, a bar operator.

According to him, the said offences contravened Sections 221 and 231 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011.

However, the accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Justice Onigbanjo subsequently ordered them to be remanded in prison custody and adjourned the matter till October 3 for mention.

8—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013

BY HENRY UMORU

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B U J A — N AT I O N A L Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, yesterday, bowed to pressure from President Goodluck Jonathan that he must reconcile with the Professor Jerry Gana-led Special National Convention Planning Committee in the interest of the party.

This followed a meeting President Jonathan had with Tukur, members of the National Working Committee, NWC, and some members of the Mini Convention Planning Committee where he told them that the lingering crisis must be resolved.

The PDP National Chairman, members of the NWC and some members of Gana led Committee thereafter went into a five hours meeting at the Wadata Plaza, National Secretariat of the party, with a resolve to end the problem.

Addressing newsmen at the end of the meeting, the PDP National Chairman who disclosed that the problems have been resolved, however, declared that the yet to be registered All Progressives Congress, APC, an amalgamation of opposition political parties was in trouble.

The PDP National Chairman disclosed that the Special National Convention Planning Committee would be inaugurated tomorrow just as dates for the South West congress and the mini convention will also be made public tomorrow.

According to Tukur, the resolution of the political quagmire was an indication that the party could always solve its problems, adding that it shows PDP as a working party.

The meeting were attended by the former Minister of Information, Professor Jerry Gana; former PDP National Chairman and past Minister of Defence, Dr. Haliru Bello Mohammed; Secretary of the Planning Committee and Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu and deputy Chairman of the Committee and governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio.

Representing the NWC were Bamanga Tukur; Acting Deputy National Chairman, Chibudom Nwuche; Acting National Secretary, Dr. Remi Akintoye; Acting National Organising Secretary, Yusuf Hamisu Abubakar and Acting National Organising Secretary, Tony Okeke.

Vanguard gathered that prior to the meeting, there was apprehension that the committee may be disbanded and another person chosen as Chairman. It was however gathered that President Jonathan had warned against such a move which he believed will not be in the interest of the party.

Bamanga Tukur said: "The PDP is working with NWC on conduct of the Special convention. The NWC met with the committee to address issues affecting the

PDP crisis: Tukur reconciles with Gana, others conduct of the forthcoming convention. All party faithful should know that the party is one and we are working together. The Chairman of the planning committee is saddled with a very big responsibility to make sure that the convention works.”

clear indication that the PDP is moving to really organise and be consolidated to face 2015.

"If anybody is thinking that the PDP was in trouble I think they must be thoroughly disappointed, because the PDP

will always find solution and we are so delighted such solution is found today, so APC you are in trouble.”

It will be recalled that since the Planning Committee was put in place on June 20, at the National

Executive Committee, NEC meeting, there had been a battle of supremacy between the committee members and Tukurled NWC, with complaints that Gana and his men were operating as a parallel NWC.

PDP capable of resolving crisis Also corroborating the National Chairman that the problems have been addressed and members of NWC and the Planning Committee are prepared to work together, Chairman of the Committee, Professor Jerry Gana said, "I like to confirm that we just concluded a very fruitful, peaceful meeting with the NWC under the able leadership of our Chairman and all the issues concerning planning and execution the special national convention have been fully and properly resolved, therefore we are delighted that the National Chairman will very graciously inaugurate formally the special convention planning committee tomorrow and the subcommittees of this committee also will be publicized so that they will now set to work effectively.

"We are also delighted that the party has shown that all issues can be resolved. We are pleased that the PDP has shown to Nigerians that at every point in time we do have the means of resolving conflict and to really face the future with determination, with a very clear sense of direction so that Nigerians can be assured that this is one party that can also solve the problems of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, because there will always be problems and the difference is the capacity and the ability to resolve them amicably.

APC in trouble "I think it is also in order for us together with the National Chairman, the National Working Committee and members of the convention planning committee to express our profound thanks to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the leaders of our party for graciously calling a meeting yesterday, which produced this joint meeting today. We like to thank the President, the Vice President for all the effort they are making and I will want to assure them that indeed the convention planning committee will work effectively and properly with the NWC to give the party and our party members a well organised national convention that will now elect the remaining members of the NWC. I think this is a very

MEETING—From left: Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Chief Godswill Akpabio; former National Chairman of the PDP, Haliru Mohammed; Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu and Chairman of the PDP National Convention Planning Committee, Professor Jerry Gana, during a meeting of the party's convention planning committee and the Central Working Committee, CWC, in Abuja, yesterday.

GSK drops bid to raise stakes in Nigeria ...battles corruption scandal in China

BY OMOH GABRIEL, WITH AGENCY REPORT laxoSmithKline has dropped a scheme to increase its stake in GSK Consumer Nigeria, its consumer healthcare business in the country, following opposition from minority shareholders.

According to Reuters, the decision to abandon a scheme that would have increased its indirect ownership in the unit to 75 per cent is a fresh setback for Britain’s biggest drug-maker, which is battling a corruption scandal in China.

The company said yesterday it had agreed to consult shareholders and the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, about the proposal, including whether it should be implemented by way of a tender offer.

Also yesterday GlaxoSmithKline said some of its executives in China appeared to have broken the law in a bribery scandal, as it promised changes in its business model that would lower the cost of medicine in the country.

GSK is the latest in a string of multinationals to be targeted by Chinese authorities over

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alleged corruption, price-fixing and quality controls.

Chinese police visited the Shanghai office of another British drugmaker, AstraZeneca, a company spokeswoman said yesterday.

They arrived on Friday and took away a sales representative for questioning, she said.

Health Minister, Li Bin maintained the pressure on the drugs industry by stating that her department would place people and companies guilty of bribery on a black list and punish them.

GSK’s head of emerging markets, Abbas Hussain, said his company had zero tolerance for employees who broke the law.

Hussain said: “Certain senior executives of GSK China, who know our systems well, appeared to have acted outside of our processes and controls, which breaches Chinese law”.

Hussain, sent to China last week to lead GSK’s response to the crisis, held a meeting with the Ministry of Public Security where he promised to review GSK’s business model.

He added that “Savings made as a result of proposed changes to our operational model will be passed on in the form of price reductions, ensuring our

medicines are more affordable to Chinese patients”.

Britain’s biggest drug-maker gave no details on the changes or the extent of price cuts - but the move addresses a key issue for Beijing, which launched a probe into pricing at 60 local and international drug firms earlier this month.

GSK supplies key products such as vaccines in China, as well as drugs for lung disease and cancer.

Chinese police, who have detained four Chinese executives from GSK, last week accused the firm of bribing officials and doctors to boost sales and raise drug prices by funneling up to 3 billion yuan ($489 million) to travel agencies.

Chinese officials also visited the Shanghai office of Belgian drug-maker UCB. The latest visit to AstraZeneca shows authorities are spreading the net, although AstraZeneca described the case as a local police matter.

The spokeswoman said: “We believe that this investigation relates to an individual case and while we have not yet received an update from the Public Security Bureau, we have no reason to believe it’s related to any other investigations.”

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013—9

FG eliminates ghost workers, saves N119bn

BY EMMA UJAH, ABUJA BUREAU CHIEF

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BUJA—THE Federal Government has saved about N119 billion from ghost workers through the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, IPPIS. The Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, disclosed this while inaugurating the implementation committee of the system in Abuja, yesterday She said the implementation of the IPPIS will “enhance efficient personnel cost planning and budgeting as personnel cost will be based on actual verified numbers and not estimates”.

Under the IPPIS, workers’ salaries are paid centrally from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, AGF, into individual workers’ accounts, as opposed to the former practice under which estimated staff salaries were released to MDAs and the organisations paid the individual workers.

That system gave room to a large army of ghost workers in the MDAs such that a total of 46, 000 names on the payroll, representing close to one out of three workers in the organisations so far covered were ghost workers According to Dr. Okonjo-Iewala, 215 Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, with a total staff strength of 153, 019 have been captured on the IPPIS. Under the system, each Federal Government staff’s biometric data is captured to enable the implementation officers determine who really is a staff, while names whose bearers fail to present themselves for verification are considered those being used by pay officers to defraud the government.

The minister said the new committee with the Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Yarima Ngama, as Chairman would fasttrack the process of bringing the remaining 321 federal MDAs on the system, with the hope that the problem of ghost workers would be addressed effectively at the federal level.

Dr. Okonjo-Iweala also charged the Ngama-led committee to speed up work on the Government Integrated Financial Management and Information System, GIFMIS, under which Federal Government acquisition, allocation, utilization and conservation of public financial resources is automated and integrated.

She disclosed that 58 per cent of the budget was already being executed through GIFMIS, adding that the volume of government activities captured under the system would have risen to 79 per cent by the end of the third quarter.

On the refusal of some MDAs to remit 25 per cent of their gross

revenue to the coffers of the Federal Government as directed, the minister revealed that her team has recovered about N34 billion out of the outstanding N58 billion.

She insisted that further measures were being adopted to ensure the recovery of their funds .

The AGF, Mr. Jonah Otunla, disclosed that until the commencement of the GIFMIS

in April last year, there was a preponderance of MDAs accounts across various banks in the country and that managing Federal Government’s finances was very difficult.

According to him, there were situations where government was even borrowing its own money from the system, especially as there was a disparity in terms of idle funds

of low spending MDAs as opposed to their high spending counterparts.

He said some government officials were reluctant to buy into the new system of administering government funds from a central focal point but that there was no going back on the initiative which has reduced government’s borrowing from about N154 billion to only N20 billion.

INSPECTION—President Goodluck Jonathan (left) and Executive Manager, Export, Evans Medical PLC, Mr. Ugo Nwajiobi (right) during President Jonathan's inspection of Evans Medical Plc made-in-Nigeria anti-retrovirals and anti-malaria drugs at the AU Heads of State summit on HIV/AIDs, Malaria and Tuberculosis in Abuja.

Oshiomhole hosts CAN, worries over 2015 polls

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

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ENIN CITY— GOVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, yesterday, expressed fears over the 2015 presidency and urged the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, to speak out against the ills of the society, stand on the path of truth and pray for the country as its approaches 2015.

The governor made this statement when the national executive of CAN, led by its General-Secretary, Rev Musa Asake, who represented CAN President, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, paid him a visit at Government House in Benin City Oshiomhole said: “For me, Nigeria is treading the ground that might threaten the foundation of our existence. So I want CAN having shown courage, having spoken out even in the days of military dictatorship. Now in a democracy, we need more of that courage.

“Things happening around, for me, represent very dangerous signals. There are people who do not wish the country well and unfortunately, there are men and women who cannot claim to have a future and are messing up the future for everybody else. It is the lot of the Christian community to speak out where it matters, so that those who are deaf can hear and those who are blind may have their sight restored, so that together, we will build a country that is God fearing and where the people will benefit from the resources that God so generously endowed us with.

“We need a lot of activism as we approach 2015 because a country is not like a private enterprise as only the people are permanent, while leaders will necessary come and go and that is the promise of democracy. We need you to help all of us. Right now, many of us are worried about the goings on in the country, I cannot carry out protest now because I will

be misunderstood but my heart is in the mood for a protest, so that my children do not inherit the iniquities of the evil we see everyday.”

He urged Christians to continue to pray for the continued existence of the country, saying “it is the prayers of our Christian and Muslim brothers that keep Nigeria going. We are in very challenging times and we are buffeted with a good number of elite entrusted with state powers at various levels, privatising those powers and behaving as if they are gods and dealing ruthlessly with those who are powerless and applying the resources in a manner that is offensive to the poor.”

The General Secretary of CAN, Rev. Asake representing the President, Pastor Oritsejafor expressed joy at the achievements of the governor in the delivering of democracy dividends to the people of the state.

Nigeria yet to inform UN of plans to withdraw troops from Mali —Spokesman

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EW YORK, US—THE United Nations yesterday said it has not yet received an official notification from the Nigerian government over the country ’s plan to withdraw its troops from the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali, MINUSMA. The spokesman of the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations and Field Support, Mr. Andre-Michel Essoungou told PANA news agency that: "We are only aware of the development through media reports, but we have not been formally notified

by Nigeria on the troops withdrawal."

He, however, confirmed that Nigeria has officially notified the department of its intention to withdraw some of its troops (up to two battalions) from the UN/AU Mission in Darfur, UNAMID. He also said the department was in contact with a number of Troop Contributing Countries, TCC, to replace the troops being withdrawn from the mission in Sudan’s Darfur region.

Essoungou added that: "The UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations is obviously very appreciative of Nigeria’s continued support to UN peacekeeping missions and we thank the government and people of Nigeria for the sacrifices to peace efforts worldwide.".

Nigeria is the fourth largest troop contributing country to UN peacekeeping operations.

PANA last Wednesday broke the story of Nigeria’s plan to withdraw its troops from MINUSMA because the country felt slighted that no Nigerian was considered for any of the key posts in the mission, including the Force Commander, Deputy Force Commander and Head of Mission.

Last Thursday, ECOWAS Chairman and Ivorian President, Alassane Ouattara confirmed that Nigeria has officially communicated the decision to pull out its troops to the regional bloc.

10—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013

Police’ll investigate alleged cop traffic offender — CP

NNPC’s pipeline bursts in Lagos

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI AND MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO

BY EVELYN USMAN

IL PIPELINE beO longing to Nigeria National Petroleum Corpo-

ration, NNPC, located at Isheri-Olofin area of IdimuEgbe, Local Council Development Area LCDA, suddenly burst and spilled its contents all over.

The ruptured pipeline containing Premium Motor Spirit, PMC, is located around residential areas including five estates; Diamond, Iroko, Good Homes, Unity and Home Foundation Estates.

The rupture, according to an eyewitness, occurred at about 1p.m., yesterday, close to Iyana Odo Bus stop, on LASU-Isheri Road when traders in the area suddenly noticed liquid substance gushing out of the ground and spreading to the entire area.

The traders were said to have responded swiftly to save the situation from degenerating into an inferno as they quickly cordoned off the area before the arrival of security and other agencies few minutes later.

The combined agencies included Nigeria Police from Area’ M’ Command; men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC; Federal Fire Fighters from Ikotun, and officials of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC. When Vanguard visited the scene, one of the fire fighters who spoke on condition of anonymity, assured that everything had been brought under control due to the prompt response by the agencies and cooperation from residents.

As at 6. 30p.m., hired labourer were seen fixing the burst pipeline and scooping out the spilled PMS into a pit.

The situation resulted into a traffic gridlock as agencies kept motorists and other conveyer of naked light at bay.

Meantime, Lagos State Government, has urged the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, to respect the laid down emergency response structure in the country in the interest of the general public.

General Manager of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency LASEMA, Dr. Femi OkeOsanyintolu, who spoke yesterday, at Ikeja, described emergency structure as a chain that moves from the primary, secondary to the tertiary level.

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AGOS — LAGOS State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Umar Manko, yesterday, said the Police Corporal who allegedly knocked down a woman and her baby while driving against traffic last month on Apapa/Oshodi Expressway, was being probed alongside the Divisional Police Officer in-charge of Festac, Ibrahim Zango, who reportedly sent the policeman on errand.

The commissioner threatened that if they were found guilty at the end of investigation, the DPO and Corporal would face the consequences.

Meanwhile doctors at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, are said to still be battling to resuscitate the victim, Mrs. Taskirat Anjolaiya, a teacher at the Ansar-Ud-Deen Primary School, who sustained pelvic fracture and brain injury.

Her baby, Amarah, who sustained a broken jaw was reportedly responding to treatment.

Answering questions from journalists regardFrom left,Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; his Oyo, Ogun and Kwara ing making money available for the treatment states’ counterparts, Senators Abiola Ajimobi, Ibikunle Amosun and Alhaji of both mother and child, Manko disclosed that Abdulfatah Ahmed, respectively, at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, the command would consider assisting the famlast week... ily financially, on compassionate ground.

He was however, quick to clarify that the Corporal was not on official duty at the time the incident occurred , stating that it was a private arrangement between him and the DPO. Manko also frowned at the

BY CHIOMA OBINNA a high standard of personal and fected.”

Corporal’s alleged attitude of He warned that Coronavirus environmental hygiene to redriving against traffic that fatecould be transmitted easily AGOS — LAGOS State duce the risk of infection. ful day, saying, it confirmed the act was an offence of its own that Government, yesterday, He stressed the need for cau- from one person to another warranted sanction. alerted its indigenes traveling tion as there was no specific through coughing and sneez“The corporal was brought to to other parts of the world treatment for illnesses caused ing, close contact such as touchmy office and has written a statewith confirmed cases of by Coronavirus and enjoined ing or shaking hands of an inment. The DPO has also been coronavirus infections - a se- travellers to holy pilgrimage, fected person, and touching asked to give an official statement one’s mouth, nose or eyes afvere, life-threatening respira- particularly to Makkah, to get on the issue. By the time we are tory disease - to take ad- vaccination against meningitis, ter touching contaminated obthrough, ea fair hearing,” he equate precautions to protect yellow fever and flu, while ad- jects or surfaces. said. themselves from the infection. hering to the precautions earThe coronavirus known as lier mentioned.

Middle East Respiratory SynIdris advised pregnant drome Coronavirus (MERS- women, children, the elderly CoV, is currently ravaging and the sick who intended to Hamzat said the project would AGOS — LAGOS State countries in the Middle East go on pilgrimage to postpone Government has said it will be completed in three months, and the World Health such trips, saying, “you can construct a 300-seater bus stop at and that it was part of the Organisatiion, WHO, has just help protect others by staying Obalende area for commuters’ Obalende Transformation Initiabeen informed of two addi- at home while you are sick, convenience while waiting to tive of the government.

He explained that the tional laboratory-confirmed avoiding close contact with oth- board state-owned buses.

Commissioner for Works and Obalende Bridge would also be cases in Saudi Arabia. ers, covering your mouth and Globally, from September nose when you cough or Infrastructure, Dr Obafemi expanded into two lanes to cater 2012 to date, WHO has been sneeze and keeping objects Hamzat, said this while inspect- for heavy traffic volume in the informed of a total of 90 labo- and surfaces clean and disin- ing the project and the Osborne area.

Jetty Terminal, Ikoyi. ratory-confirmed cases of the infection resulting in 45 deaths.

This is coming on the heels According to him: “The power fect the offices upstairs except the

BY EVELYN USMAN of earlier warning published generating room of the Ikeja ground floor. This is because the in the journals, by infectious Plaza exploded at about 10a.m. building was constructed in such N EXPLOSION, yester disease physicians, at St. day, rocked Ikeja area of but the fire service came imme- a way that the ground floor serves Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, Lagos State, resulting in a fire diately and were able to put it off. as car parking lots and the power Canada, on the possible in- which gutted the power gener“The fire, however, did not af- generating room. ternational spread of the vi- ating room of Ikeja plaza.

“Immedirus during the forthcoming ately the fire The incident as gathered, started, our mass gatherings in Saudi Ara- sent workers and customers men were descampering for safety, while bia. ployed to the Already, health officials in motorists plying the route hurscene and were riedly made U-turns, mistakSaudi Arabia have asked pilable to evacuing the deafening sound for grims visiting its holy sites to ate the workers a blast. wear masks in crowded places and customers Confirming the incident, to prevent the spread of spokesman for the National in the building coronavirus. without loss of Emergency Management Lagos State Commissioner for Agency, NEMA, South West, life while the fire service battled Health, Dr, Jide Idris, in a state- Mr. Ibrahim Farinloye said no the flames downment, yesterday, emphasised life was lost, following prompt stairs.“ the need for the observance of response by fire service men.

Lagos alerts travellers on existence of deadly virus L

...to build bus stop, jetty in Ikoyi

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Fire guts Ikeja Plaza power generating room

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY

Daniel’ll can't hijack our party — LP

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

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BEOKUTA — THE Labour Party, LP, in Ogun State, yesterday, exonerated former governor of the state, Otunba Gbenga Daniel from the allegation that he wanted to hijack the party structure, describing the exgovernor as a core democrat and an asset to the party.

Daniel was reported to have held a meeting with the leadership of the LP at the national secretariat in Abuja ahead of his formal defection from the PDP to the party.

He was, however, alleged to have planned to hijack the party from the executive members in the state.

Amosun inaugurates 20 LG consultants

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BEOKUTA — GOV. Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State on Monday inaugurated 20 consultants on Local Government Affairs, as part of efforts to deepen government’s presence at the grassroots.

The programme was held at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Abeokuta, the state capital.

Amosun said at the programme, that the appointment of the consultants was meant to address critical emerging challenges in the actualisation of the mandate of his administration.

Mimiko swears-in HoS

BY DAYO JOHNSON

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KURE — GOVERNOR Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State, yesterday, swore-in the new State Head of Service, Mr. Oluwatoyin Akinkuotu and charged him to continue to pursue the aggressive reform initiative of his predecessor with a view to further transforming the public service.

Mimiko also charged him to explore other practical ways of enhancing the glory of the service in the State.

According to him, Mr. Akinkuotu was stepping into a pivotal but challenging office, adding that he was taking over the mantle of leadership at a critical period when the dream of emplacing a pragmatic, innovative and professional civil service was ripe for realisation.

23, 2013—11

Ondo senator weeps for endorsing under age girl marriage

BY DAYO JOHNSON

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KURE — THE Senator representing Ondo Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly Senator, Ayo Akinyelure wept profusely publicly for being the only senator from the South-West that supported the inclusion of under age girl marriage in the constitution.

Sensing the anger of leaders of the councils he represents in the Senate, who summoned him to explain his action, the senator prostrated, wept and begged them that he voted for “the

amendment in error.”

Senator Akinyelure said: “I voted in error. I can never in my life support under age marriage.

Whatever this might have caused my people, please, forgive me.

“I will do whatever is humanly possible at my disposal to ensure that this thing is removed from the constitution."

Condemnations have greeted the votes against the constitutional ammendment, which would have set marriageable age for women at 18.

Stakeholders and leaders, especially women across the six coun-

Ekiti PDP youths protest consensus candidate

BY GBENGA ARIYIBI

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DO EKITI — YOUTHS in their hundreds, yesterday, staged a protest at the Ado-Ekiti office of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, insisting that adoption of consensus to pick its gubernatorial candidate would spell doom for the party.

The protesters, who carried placards of various inscriptions, had stormed the party secretariat as early as 8.30 a.m., calling on the Central Working Committee, CWC, to rescind its decision to pick a consensus candidate among the array of gubernatorial aspirants which has risen to 24 The protesters came at the time six members of the CWC, Ado Ekiti holding a very crucial meeting, they were held hostage through out the period tof he protest.

The party has been embroiled in crisis since the party announced the 11-man consensus committee led by Justice Edward Ojuolape, culminated in the suspension of PDP Chairman, Chief Makanjuola Ogundipe for alleged compromise.

The aggrieved youths pointed out that whenever the party adopted a consensus to pick its gubernatorial candidate to the post, it used to lose.

The spokesperson on behalf of the youths, Hon. Akinniyi Sun-

day said the youth wing of the party as well as elders rejected consensus in its entirety, saying it cannot produce credible candidate that can dislodge the incumbent Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.

Akinniyi, former Secretary of Ikere Local Government said: “The Chairman, Chief Makajuola Ogundipe must be aware that PDP is not for sale. He cannot impose anybody and on us.

“We want a candidate that can win election. Candidate that is popular at the grassroots. We are being guided by history.

"Where PDP did not do primaries, we lost in the past, and we don’t want such to happen in Ekiti and that is why we are requesting for primary and anything outside this is unacceptable," the protesters insisted.

They stressed that anything outside credible, free and fair primary, is unacceptable to the youth wing of the party and the grassroots .

Ogun PDP wants Daniel sidelined

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GUN STATE chapter of the Peoples Demo cratic Party, PDP, yesterday, appealed to the national leadership of the party to withdraw all goodwill and patronage that had hitherto accrued to former governor of the state, Otunba Gbenga Daniel following alleged reports of his defection to the Labour Party, LP. In a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Waliu Oladipupo, the party said it was aware that some slots were given to him as a result of the dummy he sold to the top hierarchy of the PDP that he was still a member of the party, adding, “recent events have, however, put a lie to that claim.”

It noted that although the Ogun East Senatorial District of the PDP had suspended Daniel for antiparty activities, “with his open association with the LP; first at the launching of the reconstruction of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and then last Thursday’s meeting in Abuja which he attended with some of his aides, it is now obvious that Otunba Gbenga Daniel and his associates are no longer members of our great party."

cil areas in Ondo Central Senatorial District were irked that he was the only senator in the South West zone that supported what they termed the “inhuman decision.”

The meeting, which held at Adegbemile Hall, Ondo, was witnessed by leaders of the ruling Labour Party and commissioners representing the six councils in the state executive council.

Speaking to the charged audience, Akinyelure said there was a misinterpretation of the vote on his part.

The senator while explaining, burst into tears when he saw the anger of the people against his action.

Before the commencement of the meeting, some angry youths against his position, clashed with the Senator's supporters and it took the intervention of policemen to stop the uprising from degenerating into a bloodbath.

Stones were hauled at one another by the supporters of the senator and those against his position.

The senator, however, explained that what the Senate considered was the determination of Nigerian constitution for renunciation of citizenship under the Nigeria constitution which was contained in section 29 (4b) which provides that any woman who is married shall be deemed to be full

of full age.

Akinyelure said what he voted in favour was that whether a married woman is deemed to be of full age to renounce her Nigerian citizenship and not whether a woman can marry before attaining the age of 18 years.

The Senator said he cannot vote in support of the child marriage, saying, “ I cannot vote in support of child marriage. I cannot support an under-age to go and marry, it is against our culture and customs.

“If voting were to be done by show of hands, I would have been able to correct my error before the voting was concluded by the Senate.”

He, however ,apologised to the leaders of the party in the state and the people of the constituency for the error, saying he regretted his action as he acted in error.

The women leaders across the six council areas disowned him and asked him to renounce his position. “ We say no to child marriage, it is worst than child abuse, we wonder why he would support the action, can. Ten year old girl face the challenges of marriage.”

Also, the representative of Country Woman Association of Nigeria COWAN Mrs Adeniyi Titilomo described the amendment as inhuman and abuse to womenfolk.

12— Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013 —13

Group vows to draft Amaechi into presidential race

BY HANNAH ISIBOR

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BUJA—A GROUP, the Broad-Minded Youth Assembly, BYA, has pledged to drag Governor Rotimi Amaechi into the 2015 presidential contest following what it claimed, was his sterling performance as governor of Rivers State.

The group in a statement in Abuja, weekend, also flayed what it described as recent political distractions against the governor in his home state.

National Coordinator of the group, Mr. Mohammed Hassan, said following the meeting specifically called for the redeployment of Commissioner of Police, Mr. Joseph Mbu out of the state on the basis of alleged political bias, “The likes of Rotimi Amaechi if given the opportunity can turn around Nigeria and move it to its rightful position in the committee of nations.”

Describing as laughable, insinuations that Amaechi was positioning himself to be vicepresident in 2015, he said ”If hard work and purposeful leadership are considerable basis for persons vying for the highest political office in the land, then Governor Amaechi stands qualified by every ramification.”

The group also flayed the political developments that led to the split of the Nigeria Governors Forum, describing same as undemocratic and shameful.

How Warri North crisis started,

by Egbema chiefs

BY GODWIN OGHRE APELE—THE chiefs and people of Egbema Kingdom, home base of Egbema Radical Group, ERG, the militia that claimed responsibility for the recent killing of 12 Itsekiri natives and the burning down of seven Itsekiri villages in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State, have narrated how the mayhem began.

The Chiefs and people of Egbema Kingdom, who addressed newsmen in Sapele, Sapele Local Government Area of the state, speaking through their leader, Chief Wilfred Elebiri, said taht after the Ogbe-Ijaw/ Ogidigben crisis of 1996/1997, which was caused by the earlier siting of the council headquarters of Warri South West in Ogidigben, which was subsequently moved to Ogbe-Ijaw and which ended the crisis, the people of the kingdom agreed not to in any part of the state, cause trouble.

Chief Elebiri, said when the issue of marginalisation of the Egbema people in Warri North Local started recently in Koko, headquarters of the council, to the effect that Egbema Ijaw people in the council were being marginalised and had not been given the opportunity to be chairman of the council, the Egbema people also came together and resolved that the agitation for power sharing in the council between the Egbema Ijaw people and their Itsekiri counterparts would be pursued peacefully.

The people said that they were all surprised when a few youths in the kingdom defiled that reso-

S

lution, and vowed to take laws into their hands, and unleashed mayhem on fellow Ijaw people, who do not want the use trouble to address the problem. “At that point, the chiefs and people of the community reported them to the Joint Military Task Force, JTF, which came to the scene with a view to bringing lasting peace to the area. In the process, some youths were arrested and some of their camps burnt by JTF to deter them from further attacking innocent people.

“Some of the hoodlums, who were then arrested are currently been tried at the Magistrate‘s

PRIZE GIVING DAY: From left: Mr. Otrofanowei Enie, Chairman, PTA, Federal Government College Warri; Mr. Abiodun Fabiyi, Principal, Federal Government College, Warri and Professor Godwin Onu, Rector, Federal Polytechnic OKo, during the Annual Speech and Prize Giving Day of Federal Government College, Warri. Photo: Hill Ezeugwu.

Ewherido was forthright, dependable —Ibori dia assistant, Mr. Tony Eluemunor, said: “The death of a star is alG H E L L I — ways a great celestial phenomFORMER Delta State enon. The death of Senator governor, Chief James Ibori, has Ewherido was no less so on the described the late Senator Pius Nigerian political firmament. The Ewherido as forthright, unassum- sad event shook Nigerian politics ing, highly focused and truly de- and politicians with gigantic shock pendable. waves.

Ibori in a statement by his me“It is worse for those of us who

U

BY FESTUS AHON

Jonathan ‘ll lose in 2015 if he continues to court to get an order of mandamus play god —Labour Party because I had a lot of respect for

B

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

ENIN CITY—LABOUR Party in Edo State, yesterday, expressed dismay over what it described as the alleged involvement of the presidency in the political crisis rocking Rivers State, warning that President Goodluck Jonathan will suffer defeat in the 2015 presidential election, “if he continues to play god by chasing the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP ticket by all means.”

The Deputy Chairman of the party in the state, Mr Patrick

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court in Koko, the council headquarters while those convicted of sundry criminal charges are currently serving several jail terms in Sapele prisons. Some of them who escaped arrest ran to certain villages in Bayelsa State, where they regrouped and recruited more hoodlums to their number, which eventually grew to be more formidable. It was this new group that adopted the name “Egbema Radical Group.

“After the raid by JTF, ERG, in an attempt to carry out a reprisal attack, started unleashing mayhem on fellow Ijaw people of the Egbema Kingdom, who they felt reported them to JTF, during which process they kidnapped

three people, Fredrick Jero, Kenneth Biogha and Victor Goro, while another set of three victims escaped from their den. Those kidnapped were eventually released by JTF after a gun battle.

“The ERG also attacked one Rev. Sunny Zero in Izion Community, an Ijaw suburb, and razed down his houses and a church building on April 16, 2013, in further retaliation to the JTF clampdown.”

The Chief said that those who were responsible for the mayhem were, indeed sea pirates and criminals, who also robbed their victims on the Egbema-Benin River, in the pretext of agitating for political equilibrium, and called on security agencies to arrest, disarm and try them for the murder of innocent Itsekiri natives and burning down of their villages.

Eholor, who also frowned at the regional politics being played ahead the 2015 presidential election, reminded politicians that the Army was watching the development, warning that they must avoid what happened in Egypt from happening by playing according to the rules, if the democracy must be sustained.

Briefing newsmen in Benin City, Eholor said “When President Jonathan was being denied of the opportunity to take over from Late President Yar ‘Adua on account of the ill health of the late President, I was the first to approach a

Jonathan, that he should be declared the President.

“He was made President by an act of God, but now that he is fighting to be President by all means, God will disappoint him, particularly when he has done nothing to help this country. If you ask me today to score Mr President, I will probably score him 2 over 10. He has failed completely to tackle corruption. It will interest you to know that Mr President will rather travelled with Mr. Femi Otedola to China, a man, who bribed a lawmaker during the subsidy saga.”

knew him at close quarters and had worked with him. I had the good fortune of having this bundle of talents and highly patriotic politician not only as a member of the Delta State House of Assembly under my watch as governor of Delta State from 1999 to 2007, but he was actually the Deputy Speaker; he even once combined his Deputy Speakership with a stint as acting Speaker.

“Pius Ewherido was forthright, unassuming, highly focused and truly dependable. Yes, he was patriotic and was in no doubt about the position he wanted Delta State retain; right ahead of the rest of the states in Nigeria.

“He showed great political courage when he left his erstwhile party, the Peoples Democratic Party, for another from where he took a shot at the Senate. His courage was not misplaced; he was voted in as “my Senator” representing the Delta Central Senatorial District.

“As usual with Ewherido, he gave a good account of himself

and he did so till the bitter end.

For me and my family, Ewherido’s death was a bitter blow that hit particularly close to home. Even though he called me “leader, leader” till his death, I saw him as a truly dependable associate, close and trustworthy.

“Unfortunately, his passing was remarkably as swift as it was unexpected, when I learnt that he was down with a massive attack of stroke, I had to begin moves for him to be flown abroad for adequate medical care.

“Unfortunately, my efforts, those of Delta State’s Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, his fellow Senators and the incomparable care and concern of his dear wife, as well as those of the doctors at the National Hospital, Abuja were not enough to keep this truly remarkable man alive.

“There is a lesson for those of us he left behind; only the Almighty God sustains life. May God give the Ewherido family the fortitude to bear this great loss, and to Pius, may God grant him heavenly bliss.”

14—Vanguard , TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013

NSCDC arrests 2 suspects over Ebonyi kerosene explosion

BY PETER OKUTU

A

BAKALIKI— EBONYI State command of Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, has arrested two persons suspected to be involved in the adulteration of kerosene that led to the death of one Chidera Nwoba, 13, and injuring of two others currently on admission at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, FETHA. It should be recalled that the explosion which led to the unfortunate demise of Nwoba, occurred at about 6.45am last weekend as she was trying to put on a stove to prepare breakfast for her siblings.

The stove allegedly busrt into flames and burnt her to death before neighbours could put out the flames.

Briefing news men at the command’s headquarters in Abakaliki, the Corps Public Relations Officer, Assistant Superintendent of Corp, ASC Emmanuel Nwali, stated that the suspects were arrested because of the alleged role they played in the explosion.

Groups fault Yerima on child marriage

BY JOSEPHINE IG-

BINOVIA AGOS—WOMEN’S rights groups across the country, under the aegis of Gender and Constitution Reform NetworkGECORN, have condemned Senator Ahmed Yerima’s argument against the proposed deletion of a section of 1999 constitution which considered any married woman or girl as ‘of age’.

The Senate had last Tuesday reversed its decision, following Senator Ahmed Yerima’s description of the move as bias, un-Islamic and a violation of another section of the constitution.

National Coordinator, GECORN, Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, describ ed Yerima’s argument as a deliberate attempt to misrepresent the intention of the 1999 constitution, said the embattled section contradicted Section29(4a)whichdefinedthecharacterofaNigerianwhoiscapable of denouncing citizenship, as a person of full age- 18 years and above, as stipulated by the Child Rights Act 2003.

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Community counts losses as flood submerges homes

BY OKONKWO EZE

Onyebuchi, among others.

Barrister Nonyelu estimated his NITSHA—THE people of total loss to the flood at N10 milUmusiome village, Nkpor, lion, while DSP Ebem estimated in Idemili North Local Govern- his at N2 million. ment Area of Anambra State, are Similarly, Ebele Onyebuchi, now counting their losses, follow- Patrick Obiogbolu and Boniface ing the flood that ravaged many residential homes and destroyed house-hold properties worth over N50 million.

The flood, according to eye-witnesses, occurred in the early hours

BY HENRY UMORU as torrential rain that started BUJA—AHEAD of the No around 11 p.m. on Sunday night vember election in extended to 2 a.m. yesterday mornAnambra State, the national leading.

Some of the residential homes ership of the Peoples Democratic visited yesterday morning were Party, PDP is set to rake over one submerged in the flood, leading hundred million(N100,000,000) to some of the inhabitants aban- from sale of forms to contest for the primary election where the doning their homes.

Some others were seen remov- party’s flagbearer is expected to ing their soaked household prop- emerge.

The national leadership of the erties and tried to mop their rooms PDP had pegged the fee for the and parlour of water. forms at N6 million, with NomiSome of the victims who were seen evacuating their properties nation form to cost N5 million and cleaning their rooms included while expression of interest form a retired Deputy Superintendent is N1million while announcing of Police, DSP, Lawrence Ebem; the time table for the election of former chairman of Nigerian Bar its governorship candidate.

Women are expected to purAssociation, NBA, Idemili branch, chase only the Expression of InBarrister Chike Nonyelu; Boniface Anene, Patrick Obiogbolu, Ebele

O

Anene put their losses at N500,000, N150,000 and N140,000 respectively.

Conducting newsmen round the flooded compounds, the chairman of Etiti quarters of Umusiome village, Nkpor, Chief

Emmanuel Obiakor, former chairman of Umusiome village, Prince Augustine Udo, and the incumbent chairman of the village, Chief Greg Okeke, regretted that they had alerted the state government on several occasions to no avail.

Anambra elections: PDP to rake over N100m fro-m sale of forms Emmanuel Anosike; Senator

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NANS threatens FG over Rivers crisis

A

BY CALEB AYANSINA

BUJA—THE National Association of Ni gerian Students, NANS, yesterday, threatened to paralyze all economic activities in the nation’s political capital, if the Federal Government failed to address the current imbroglio in Rivers State.

NANS, which gave 14 days ultimatum to the government to find a lasting solution to the unrest, also berated the First Lady, Dame Patient Jonathan, and the Minister of State for Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike, for their roles in the crisis rocking the state.

The student body also did not exonerate the Presidency from the matter and called on President Goodluck Jonathan to call the minister and his wife to stop interfering in the running of the administration of the state.

A statement signed by the Acting Senate President of NANS, Comrade John Shima, said it was not acceptable for five legislators in Rivers State House of Assembly to override the collective will of 27 members.

“It is totally wrong! We demand that the five legislators, who were responsible for igniting the crisis, be properly sanctioned and trimmed to size,” the group said.

It demanded for adequate security in the state House of Assembly, while calling for “the immediate redeployment of Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mbu Joseph Mbu, who from every indication has gone political.”

The group said it restrained itself initially from commenting on the matter on the ground that all the parties involved were indigenes of the state, but noted that after the fracas at Rivers State House of Assembly on July 9, 2013, and the fallout from it, it saw the need to expeditiously intervene in the matter.

terest form for N1million only and the nomination form is given to them free in line with the norms of the party, just as the men will pick the Expression of Interest form for N1 million and the Nomination form for N6 Million, amounting to N6 million.

Vanguard gathered that the sale of forms process which started last Thursday, ended on Friday and will climax with the state congress on August 24.

With the list which Vanguard obtained yesterday, twenty-three aspirants have picked forms. 17 of the aspirants were men while the remaining six were women.

They are Chairman, Senate Committee on INEC, Senator Emmanuel Andy Uba; Senator

Alphonsus Ubanesse Igbeke; Nicholas Ukachukwu; Tony Okey Nwoye; former Minister of Women Affairs, Chief Josephine Anenih; Uzoh Obinna Chukwudum; Okeke Ugochukwu; Okoye Michael; Nwankpo Akachukwu Sullivan; Okonkwo Sylvester Onuorah; Obiogbolu Alexander Odikasigbue; Ugokwe Jerry Sonny; Okeke Walter Ubaka and Charles Odunukwe Charles.

Others are Chuba Ikpeazu; Azodo Eucharia Okwunna; Okonkwo Donatus Chukwunonso; Onyema Chuwuka Wilfred; Kramer Agape Ifunayachukwu; Onyenisi Obianuju; Adimachukwu Calista; and Udemba Chinyere.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013—15

Insecurity: Jesse Jackson asks US to assist Nigeria •As Clark gets Rainbow Push International Peace, Humanitarian Award

BY HENRY UMORU

A

BUJA— WORRIED by the security challenges in Nigeria, founder and president of Rainbow Push Coalition, Chicago, Reverend Jesse Jackson, has pleaded with the government of the United States of America to assist the country in seeing an end to the problem.

Jackson, who spoke at the 42nd Annual International Convention of the Coalition in Illinos, Chicago, noted that an atmosphere devoid of peace could not witness growth, adding that it had become imperative to join Nigeria in the fight against terrorism because if its position on the African continent.

According to him, Nigeria, with a growing population of young ones, must also be supported in the area of education for a sustainable future.

Jackson told the delegates that all were invited to have a first hand information on activities of Rainbow Push Coalition, adding that 600, 000 African-Americans were currently in jail in the United States and that the organisation was fighting to help the poor, especially the upliftment of black children and women.

One of the highlights of this year’s four day convention with the theme, “A More Perfect Union: 150 years later, beyond Freedom- Reconstruction," was the presentation

of International Peace and Humanitarian Award to former Federal Commissioner for Information and Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, for his service to humanity, consistent fight for justice, rule of law and enthronement of democracy in Nigeria and Africa.

Delegates to the convention were drawn from Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, among others, L-r: Sam Olofin, Director, Centre for Econometric and Allied Research (CEAR), University of Ibadan; Anya with Chief Clark leading NigeO. Anya, chairman of judges; Frank Nweke, DG, Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG), and Biodun ria’s delegation.

Adedipe, chief consultant, B.Adedipe Associates Limited, at the inauguration of the judges committee of the According to a statement made Pius Okigbo prize for research and innovation in economics in Lagos. Photo: Akeem Salau available to journalists in Abuja, Chief Clark was received by Governor Pat Quinn of the State of Illinos on behalf of the Rainbow Push Coalition, even as the South South leader was described

BY OKEY NDIRIBE/LEVINUS Social Sciences at Lagos State University,

by Jackson as the Conscience of NigeNWABUGHIOGU LASU. ria.

Momoh, who obtained a Ph.D in Political BUJA—THE Independent National Chief Clark in his response, after reTheory started his lecturing career in 1988 and Electoral Commission, INEC, yesterceiving the award, however, described has served on various Boards and Scientific day, nominated Professor Abubakar Momoh it as a moral booster, an indication that Committees, including those of the Centre for his activities were highly appreciated in as the new director-general of its electoral Democracy and Development, CDD, and Nigeria and in the Diaspora, adding that institute in Abuja.

Council for the Development of Social Science A statement from the commission said Mothe award would further encourage him Research in Africa (CODESRIA). He has more moh’s appointment, which takes effect on in his continued fight against injustice. than 70 publications to his credit.

According to Clark, Nigeria is going August 1, 2013, is to make the institute a foreThe new DG, who was also Vice President of most centre of excellence and electoral trainthrough a difficult time, especially in the African Association of Political Science (AAPS), ing in West Africa.

Abubakar Momoh, a Proarea of corruption. He was, however, has been a researcher and lecturer at many fessor of Political Science who, until his apquick to add that President Goodluck universities across the world.

Jonathan was doing everything possi- pointment was the Dean of the Faculty of ble to move Nigeria forward in the provision of infrastructure, fixing of the railway system, education, among others.

The event, according to the statement was coordinated from Nigeria by Dr. Cairo Ojougboh.

Electoral Institute gets new DG

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Constitution Review: Reps insist on electronic voting today •As AC N legislators vow to vote against LG autonomy

BY EMMAN OVUAKPORIE

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low the dictates of their constituents as enumerated during the Peoples Public Sessions held across the country.

Another source also told Vanguard that the House leadership must have sensed that if the voting process was not transparently conducted, it might rubbish all the efforts of the seventh Assembly towards having a credible review of 1999 constitution as amended.

Last Thursday, members of the House sat from 1.00pm till 6.30pm to consider clause by clause the ad-hoc Constitution Review Committee Report laid on July 4 by the Deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha, who headed the committee.

When the Minority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, was contacted on the position of his party, he simply said “we will do what will be good for Nigeria.”

BUJA—INDICATIONS emerged, yesterday, that the House of Representatives would vote via electronic device today to determine the various clauses in the Constitution Review Report considered by members last Thursday.

Also, feelers from Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, point to the fact that its lawmakers may massively vote against local government autonomy.

A source who confided in Vanguard, said: “ACN lawmakers from day one had insisted that it is true federalism they would stand by, not any local government autonomy that would rubbish them at the end of the day.

Just imagine their line of argument and they call themselves progressives before all Nigerians when actually they are conservatives."

Further investigations into Award for Kogi commissioner NON-Governmental within one year in office Ali the issue revealed that the Organisation, Trans- had shown that he was a House leadership, apparently sensing danger, de- parency Nigeria Award, man of transparency.

According to the group, cided to use the electronic has confirmed the nomina“he is honest, dedicated voting device which would tion of Kogi State Commisand trustworthy, a role indicate the manner indi- sioner for Local Governvidual lawmaker voted. ment and Chieftain Affairs, model in grassroots develIt was also gathered that Mr Ndamodu Ali, as the opment. He has made the the House would indicate Best Performing Commis- peoples welfare his priorihow the constituency of in- sioner in North Central ty since he came into office.

Infact, he supervised the dividual legislators voted Nigeria in 2013.

In a statement by its pres- freest and best installation during the Peoples Public Sessions held in all the 360 ident and head of media, and coronations in Kogi c o n s t i t u e n c i e s . Messrs Timothy Ave and State. He supervises the Legislators on the other Peretine Ikenebomeh, re- installation and coronation hand, are expected to fol- spectively, the group said of two first class traditional rulers in the State.

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16— Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013—17

W

HEN Kongi takes on erst while occupants of the Nigerian powerhouse, amusement, rather than angst, is elicited.

Viewed from whatever angle, the scale is set up not to be balanced.

Wole Soyinka will beat any administration we have ever had in a popularity contest, particularly while the latter is in power. In addition, he is a man so accustomed to poetry, that he entertains the audience away from the point being made by government.

The people will be tickled by Wole Soyinka’s timeless metaphors. The opposition will over react, and get trapped into trying to match the professor punchline for punchline. They will fail woefully in this regard; the people will be entertained even further and draw their inevitable conclusion.

It has happened before, it is happening now!

It is such a conclusion that is being drawn in the war of words, if you will, between Nobel Laureate and society watch, Wole Soyinka; and wife of the president, Patience Jonathan: Mrs. Jonathan is a crowd-renting female who would never even be speaking to a man of Soyinka’s status were it not for our warped political systems.

It is an unfortunate conclusion, considering that she is not the worst read or even most salacious First Lady we have ever had. But it seems whenever there is trouble between Abuja and the Niger Delta creeks, the name of the First Lady turns up. Patience Jonathan has all the makings of a mother

power rather than for rights, but therein is the irony: she already has enough of power. Still, there is something that eludes her, something that for her is worth squandering all her newfound goodwill in the search of.

Rather than taking on Kongi, whom she referred to unconvincingly as an ‘embarrassment’, she might for instance have made a statement concerning the statement credited to brawling Rivers lawmaker Evans Bipi, who referred to her as his ‘mother’, and 'Jesus Christ on earth’!

A domestic appendage figure. Her figure is full and round and homely and cuddly, the kind of figure a harried man such as Mr. President would be comforted to return home to. Her personal style is indicative of a true African woman, one who is comfortable in the local dress, and uncomfortable with foreign couture. Few people had believed the rumour that the First Lady had gone abroad for a liposuction cosmetic surgery operation, known in local parlance as ‘tummy tuck’.

It just is not her style.

Not for Patience the $9,000 Prada purse and Dior lipstick. Save for the pretentious prefix, Dame Patience Jonathan is a woman who is very comfortable, from all indication, in her own skin. Beyond the physical, Dame Jonathan scored big points when she put to shame the entire propaganda paraphernalia of the presidency as she gave thanks to

God for bringing her back from the dead after a protracted illness for which she had disappeared abroad for months for treatment.

She appeared to Nigerians as a down-to-earth and relatively honest individual. Her misdemeanours of the past were quickly forgiven and forgotten.

Slim as it is, the Nigerian feminist community was the first to go up in arms over the appellation given to the first lady. Referring to a woman, unpopular as she is, as a “mere domestic appendage” is as politically incorrect as possible. A small minority of observers not so keen on Kongi’s openly friendly relationship with the ACN leadership in the South west have also criticized him for not beginning his charity from home.

A woman of incredible momentum and boisterous ambition, it is unclear what Dame Patience really is about. Her hustle is for

Odious character Her PR function could have tagged Bipi an understatement, and distanced the first lady from such an odious character and his activities, particularly the violent ones. This is in the face of increasing conviction from the rest of the country that far from bringing the balance and the sense of justice the country so desperately needs, a South south presidency has brought nothing than trouble.

The most recent Rivers debacle- which now has the First Lady at its centre - is simply a symptom of a simpering disaster and as former Abia governor, Orji

Uzor Kalu, has said, “it will end up tearing the entire nation apart, because those involved in the fight are too powerful and connected to be ignored ..."

Rather than kick at Soyinka’s description of her, she could have consolidated her position as a “domestic appendage” by paying visits to the flood ravaged residents of her native Bayelsa. Let there be pictures in the papers of her cuddling sick children and on television speaking words of courage to individual victims. This would have stood the president in much better stead than he is currently in with all her frenetic prancing about.

Had Rotimi Amaechi been impeached by the intrigues of the anti-Amaechi segment of the Rivers Assembly, Dame Patience would have gone down in history as the first First Lady to bring down a governor in the Nigerian nation. Not bad for a lady of such attestable humble beginnings.

Amaechi has done well to set up a committee to look into the issue of July 9 and 10. By the end of the three months during which the nine-man committee will come up with its long winding report, perhaps tempers would have cooled somewhat. Perhaps our famous national amnesia would have kicked in, and we would have forgotten all the fine points which we find so offensive now. Even more money would have been squandered and hopefully, Rotimi Amaechi would still be the governor of the oil-rich State.

18 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013 ON Sunday 14 August 2013, President Omar Al Bashir of Sudan braved all odds and arrived in Abuja for the African Union Summit on HIV/AIDS, an important event to assess the ten-year initiative of the AU to tackle the epidemic. Nigeria, as a signatory to the International Court of Justice, ICC, was expected to arrest Al Bashir. All signatories to the ICC were meant to arrest him whenever he sets foot in their jurisdiction for his alleged crimes against humanity during the Darfur crises.

Al Bashir allegedly armed Arab militias to kill, maim and chase indigenous African populations of the Darfur Region away from their villages. The crisis that gave Sudan and its leaders pariah status before the international community was the reason for the decision. He is the first sitting president on which the ICC has issued an arrest order.

Nigeria decided to align with the resolution of the AU not to comply with the arrest warrant. AU, the organiser of the event, invited Al Bashir, Nigeria hosted him.

Some African countries have threatened to arrest Al Bashir, the choice would be theirs,

Al Bashir in Nigeria just as Kenya, Chad, and Djibouti had received him. In addition to the AU, the League of Arab States, the Non-Aligned Movement, and the governments of Russia and China oppose the ICC decision.

Al Bashir left after meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan and other African leaders. Speculations that he would be arrested were fuelled with the Nigerian civil society groups’ threats to get Nigerian courts orders to arrest Al Bashir. The threats fell flat for the hypocrisy they represented.

The same groups are barely audible on national issues, until promptings from their

foreign collaborators.

We agree with the Federal Government’s handling of Al Bashir’s visit. Nigeria provided leadership in ensuring the AU’s position. This matter goes beyond the person of Al Bashir and the alleged crimes he perpetrated in his country. Since the AU has undertaken to tackle the issue, we must encourage it to put its words into action.

Africa must look inwards for solutions to its internal problems, rather than continue to be dictated to by foreign powers who have never surrendered any of their incumbent leaders to the international organisations for punishment or sanctions.

The ICC appears to be pursuing neocolonial agenda against African interests.

It is against African culture to maltreat our visitors, let alone get them arrested and handed over to their accusers. As continental leader, Nigeria must draw the line and say no when the West forces itself on Africa, in the most discriminatory manner.

What is left is for Nigeria to ensure AU concludes its investigations into Al Bashir’s role in Darfur.

OPINION

BY ADEWALE KUPOLUYI Continued fromyesterday's pg 18

T

HE immediate past Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, Professor Mahmood Yakubu whose lecture was titled, "Efficient Project Management in Nigerian Universities", noted that funding of universities was a serious business, warning that projects can fully be valuable and beneficial to the nation when they are well conceptualized, cost-effective and usable after their completion.

"Legal Matters in University Management", was the title of the lecture delivered by Professor Ehi Oshio of the NUC where it was reiterated that the power and responsibility of the governing council in terms of governance under the enabling laws were so enormous and broad for efficient service delivery.

On university funding, a former ViceChancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Olufemi Bamiro, identified the three main problems of universities as cost, access and quality.

He disclosed that in compounding the funding problems, the Federal Government applied the "envelope" system of fund allocation. In other words, the allocation had nothing to do with the actual budgets of the institutions, which led the institutions into the bad practice of not bothering to engage in proper budgeting as it used to be the case.

The don noted that attracting and C M Y K

Rekindling hope for our varsities (2) managing financial resources was crucial to building a world-class university unlike the present arrangement whereby the funding scheme of the public universities relied heavily on government funding. This, he noted, is highly unsustainable.

The situation calls for the involvement of all the key stakeholders in cost-sharing and the need for institutions to put in place, a computer-based enterprise resource planning model for optimal management of resource inflow and outflow, he added.

The Director-General, National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion, Dr. Umar Bindir, spoke on "Research and Innovation in Nigerian Universities". According to him, the nation had not been able to make the desired impact technologically, due to a number of reasons that bordered on lack of political will and non-appreciation of local entrepreneurs with creative minds.

In "Facilitating the Implementation of the Intellectual Property Policy in Universities", an expert in intellectual property, Okon Essien, an engineer, called on chief executives to be champions by being academic experts and entrepreneurs that must recruit highly qualified and committed researchers or upgrade the skills of existing university researchers into entrepreneurship.

The Vice-Chancellor of the Nnamdi Azikwe University, Awka, Professor Boniface Egboka highlighted the genesis and the relevance of public-private partnership in our institutions. Citing examples, he called for an improved legal framework created for the practice of PPP in university governance for Nigerian universities in a paper he presented on "Public-Private –Partnership in University Governance".

The imperative of virile university labour relations took the centre-stage as the duo of Professors Dafe Otobo of the University of Lagos and Festus Iyayi (represented) disclosed that having a rancour-free institution was possible provided the enabling environment is established for the promotion of mutual respect, sincerity, openness and honesty.

The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Rev. Mathew Hassan Kukah’s paper was titled, "The Chaplaincy and University Administration".

The cleric called for religious harmony on campus, abrogation of unwarranted conferment of honorary degrees on unmerited people, non-inclusion of women as Pro-Chancellors of Federal Universities, which he termed as a "national embarrassment".

L

astly, the immediate past ViceChancellor, University of Ilorin and

Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs in Nigeria, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, made a presentation on "University Academic Culture and Tradition", where he called on Nigerian universities to become signatories to the Magna Charta Universitatums.

Other participants made case for improved power supply on campus, staff/ student welfare, uninterrupted academic calendar, ensuring that research activities are geared towards federal goals and objectives, channelling of huge funds into research, bridging of the existing gap between universities, government and the society.

At the end of the retreat, which was attended by over 500 participants drawn from over 60 universities (Federal, state and private), far-reaching commitments were agreed upon in a communiqué.

It is hoped that the retreat will rekindle hope in our ivory towers as observed by the Education Minister on the “imperative to reposition Nigerian Universities to meet the goals and aspirations behind their existence”. This is truly our hope.

Concluded.

Mr. Kupoluyi wrote from the Federal Varsity of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013— 19

, Continues from last week

T

“

HE Vanguard of Monday May 13, 2013 carries a story titled, "Terrorist may over-run Nigeria".

In it, the Senate President, David Mark "warned ... that unless everybody comes together to tackle the security challenges, the perpetrators might over run the country…The Senate President who expressed grave concern over the continued killings and wanton destruction of property in the country argued that foreigners who might be accused of being sponsors of members of Boko Haram sect currently terrorizing some parts of the country could not succeed if Nigerians were not involved internally as willing tools for the deadly act".

In the Sunday Vanguard May 12, 2013, Lt Colonel Sagir Musa wrote on the "Proliferation of small arms and light weapons" and observed that arms trafficking "is increasingly and dangerously becoming a transnational organised crime in Nigeria with Boko Haram's insurgency, reemerging Niger Delta crises and

escalating kidnapping, communal crises and armed robbery in the South East providing impetus for arms trafficking". Daily reports of the deadly uses to which these arms are put provide gory headlines in the newspapers. This past month of June began with the Vanguard Saturday news carrying the story headlined: "Herdsmen massacre 17, several hundreds flee homes in Benue". The following is from the story: "Despite efforts by security agencies to stem the recurrent invasions of parts of Benue State by armed Fulani herdsmen, no fewer than 17 persons have been killed in Akough Village in Guma Local Government Area of the State by suspected Fulani mercenaries. The herdsmen razed Akough market, where some persons were also killed. Saturday Vanguard gathered from eyewitness that the armed attackers stormed the village three days ago at the early hours of the day, burning down houses and huts, leaving several persons dead, while many others sustained

,

varying degrees of injuries. The development has forced several hundreds of people to flee their homes for fear of being attacked in another onslaught". The Sunday Vanguard of June 30 2013 confirms the routines of Fulani Herdsmen campaign of terror. The story titled "How Fulani insurgents raided Plateau" reads as follows: "More light has been shed on how suspected Fulani insurgents who raided some village in Langtang South Local Government Area of Plateau State on Thursday engaged members of the Special Task Force, STF, maintaining security in the state in cross-fire for over two hours. Sunday Vanguard learnt that the apparently wellarmed attackers in a show of power took on soldiers of the STF who moved to the area following a distress call, but lost 20 men in the process.

I

t was learnt that the assailants having had a field day at Maguma where they killed eight people and were taking the onslaught to Karkishi when the STF members halted their advance". The front page of Monday Vanguard of June 1, 2013 carries news of Boko Haram war

For Senat or Pius Ewherido, a tribut e Senator tribute

BY CHIDI OGUAMANAM

O

UR paths crossed. We were friends but our bond was brotherly. He was a senior and ever counselling brother. He was always ready to make the age argument.

Hence, it was his entitlement at some point when we shared a room in Fajuyi Hall, OAU, Ife, to sleep below while I slept atop our " double bunk bed. We entered the University of Ife together, did all our 101s, 102s and all 100 level courses together. We attended all the great Jingo (Dr. Dipo Fasina) lectures, the Dr. Geoff Tangwa lectures, etc, in philosophy. Pius left the university earlier than me, graduating in B.A. Philosophy; I followed shortly with LL.B. We graduated from Obafemi Awolowo University, even though we were admitted into the University of Ife by JAMB. Our times together, which continued after Ife, were great and memorable. We were Catholics and did share many other bonds beyond books, politics and academics. He was highly cerebral, articulate, focused, organised. A role model; a great strategist and a futurist. A philosopher, indeed and in truth. We did “practise” and certainly had some stint in campus journalism as freelancers. We “anchored” at The Bee (a campus newspaper), did our pranks, stung, bugged and buzzed in accordance with the best ethics of campus journalism. This was during the anti-intellectual Buhari-Idiagbon military dictatorship when our teachers were hounded as those who were “teaching what they were not paid to teach”. At that time, even our rival and perhaps more known publication, The Cobra, was catapulted into

national limelight by the military junta which described it as “a subversive publication” in a nationwide broadcast.

Pius went ahead and won election into the Students Representative Council, SRC, where he distinguished himself as a great debater. He cut his political teeth in the Great Ife tradition. Activism was in his blood; responsible and purposeful activism, that is. He took time to equip himself for service. He obtained a law degree at Uniben after graduating from Ife while cutting his teeth as an entrepreneur. He made his entrepreneurial debut modestly in entertainment, catering, rental and hospitality services. Plying his trade in business and services his contacts spread quickly, fuelled by his public-spirited disposition to clients and patrons. He lived with his people in the Warri axis and got to know them extremely well while serving them. Whenever he visited me in Little Road, Yaba for Lagos weekends, he was the same big brother, humble, full of vision and passion for service. We reminisced over our days in Ife. We were most pained and challenged by the injustice of June 12. He admired my occasional newspaper commentaries on the raging subject of June 12. We said “never again” together.

It was hardly surprising that when the opportunity beckoned for him to run for the Delta House of Assembly to represent his native Effurun, no one else stood a better chance. He had warmed himself to his peoples’ hearts. He knew them, they knew him. He was genuine and generous, caring from the heart of service and not out of opportunism. A politician with nonseverable bond with his constituents was

,

Planned assembly of the nation in Uyo: Confab on insecurity (2)

The catalogue of armed violence operations by insurgents and armed gangs confirms the routines of armed violence in the Nigerian society

against the JTF. The news reads as follows: "Maiduguri- Joint Task Force, JTF, weekend killed no fewer than 50 suspected terrorists in Zabarmen Ward of Jere Local Government Area of Borno State".

In the same issue of Vanguard, Dayo Johnson reports from Akure: "At least 30 gun men in the early hours of yesterday (Sunday June 30, 2013) stormed the Olukuta Medium Security Prison in Akure, Ondo State Capital and set free about 175 inmates, mainly those standing trial for robbery". The catalogue of armed violence operations by insurgents and armed gangs confirms the routines of armed violence in the Nigerian society on the one hand, and the ongoing civil war campaigns by the JTF against a Boko Haram insurgency on the other hand.

Society in Nigeria characterized by such widespread use of lethal violence by armed gangs is unsecured by prevailing order of central authority. And the Nigeria Police Force and the internal security agencies have been challenged by the problems of societal lawlessness and disorders.

The Army has had to make control and management of this crisis of societal disorder its primary and present responsibility. The Army has found itself called upon to man the Special Task Forces, STF, and the Joint Task Force, JTF and the strain from the burden of these dual responsibilities have become alarming. The Chief of Army Staff called the attention of the public to this fact on May 8, 2013 in Abeokuta as thus reported in the May 9, 2013 Vanguard issue: "Chief of Army Staff Lt. General Azubuike Ihejirika yesterday lamented that the increasing wave of socio-political and ethnoreligious violence recorded in different parts of the country was draining the resources of the Nigerian Army. The Army boss said: 'No doubt, you are aware of the increasing wave of socio-

Ewherido was truly a Deltan, a true Urhobo son and lover of Urhobo language, an Isoko grandson, and a worthy Ijaw in-law; at home with the Itsekiri and a good friend of the Anioma peoples

,

born. It is rare in Nigeria, but Senator Ewherido demonstrated that such a genuine connection was possible. That was the very secret of his strength as a legendary politician. That was why he was able to “kill” giants and became a cat with nine lives. But it is a lesson that those who kept courting and who are presently mourning him would not learn.

H

is infectious personality, charm and charisma had no hiding place in Delta State House of Assembly. Rather, they came to public affirmation from that Chamber, where he served for eight years, and spread across the state. While officially the Deputy Speaker, he was the Acting Speaker for most of his tenure, owing to the ill-health of the substantive speaker and to all the impeachment dramas that marked his tenure. As a speaker, he steered the Delta State House of Assembly into a forum for constructive debate. He did not miss the opportunity to draw from the wisdom of Nigeria’s genuine patriots (even our own WS) whom he occasionally invited to

political and ethno-religious crisis threatening the nation's security lately. This has assumed a high dimension, witnessing spates of bombings and attacks on Key Points, KPs; Vulneratile Points, VPs and other strategic areas of interest in the country. This has left serious demands on Nigeria Army resources. We also know that funding is fundamental to containing these security challenges. Success in this pursuit therefore calls for prudent and efficient management and application of available funds".

Much more than efficient management of available funds will be required for the STF's response to the security situation of the Nigerian society whose condition of anarchy is deliberately albeit for now, uncordinately engineered. And herein lies the seriousness of Nigeria's societal security condition; that is, the ever-present possibility that that which is now uncoordinated can with change of the leadership of the agents of this condition of disorder lead them to unite and to effect the overthrow of the Federal Government. This is presently the case with the neighbouring Central African Republic where SELEKA, a coalition of five insurgent groups are presently the rulers of that country. There is, therefore, need for the scope of the societal crisis to be appreciated and the dynamics of its development and expansion to be determined. For both tasks a root-cause analysis of the structure of the Nigerian society is required. It is the appreciation of the failures of the structure of the Nigeria society that has been the underlining raison d'etre for the call for a conference on the condition of the society and for the consequences of this condition to be adequately addressed".

Continues next week

address the House. I had opportunities of personal visits to him in Asaba at the height of his provincial legislative career. As a confident strategist and pragmatist, he already had a clear vision of his political career after the House of Assembly. I was struck through one of the nights we spent together on how he talked with genuine concern and sympathy about the ill-health of his boss, the then speaker. After the speaker’s death, he ably survived all the intrigues and banana pills of his office and did not hesitate to play the game of survival whenever that was inevitable. This was the time when James Ibori called the shots in Delta State. Ewherido was truly a Deltan, a true Urhobo son and lover of Urhobo language, an Isoko grandson, and a worthy Ijaw in-law; at home with the Itsekiri and a good friend of the Anioma peoples. He was always conscious of his broad support base.

His desire to rule Delta State was motivated less by ambition than by a sense of duty and a commitment to right wrongs; to empower the weak. But such motivation was a wrong one in the eyes of PDP. A sense of duty, service, merit, justice and competence proved too ideal to thrive in the party Senator Ewherido then belonged.

Those were the reason that the PDP could not trust him with the governorship of Delta State. Having been denied the opportunity to serve from the State House in Asaba, Ewherido bided his time. He was not manifestly bitter and was hardly malicious.

He spoke no ill of his adversaries. At the right time, he mobilized his people and got their consent to serve them in Abuja as a Senator. But he kept his eyes on the State House. He believed in the power of the executive to make tremendous and lasting impact on the people. *Prof. Oguamanam wrote from Ottawa, Canada.

20

— Vanguard , TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013

*Rescue operation at the scene of the Kaduna building collapse. INSET: Master Kehinde on his hospital bed

Human feelings

KADUNA BUILDING COLLAPSE:

Pathetic tale of woman who lost three children gigantic billboard bearing a smiling woman smartly dressed in a gown, cuddling her son who was also grinning from ear-to-ear stood firmly on top of the ruins of the three high rise apartment and store which had just collapsed and trapped unknown number of people that Thursday afternoon. The advertisement was an annoying contradiction to the desperate reality beneath it a grim day light tragic drama that had attracted thousands of persons, including the Governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Mukhtar Ramalan Yero to No. 012 Hadieja Street, by the Kaduna Central Market last week.

The building, which lower front row served as shops for tyre vendors, is believed to be over 50 years old, and was overburdened by an extrafloor which burden it was not designed to carry. Even the estimated one-tonne billboard with the happy mother and son was fingered as also contributing to the weight.

According to accounts, the building started creaking

C M Y K

around 1:30 pm. Some of the residents, who heard the noise ran out and escaped unhurt. But, at that time, there were not many people at home. Some had left for their places of work and the kids were just about returning from school.

“It came down with a loud sound like thunder,” said Aliyu Magaji, who escaped by the whiskers from one of the tyre shops beneath.

Soon, a mammoth crowd gathered and rescue effort started. But the Army and Police later came and chased them away, saying some of them were there to loot, and not render assistance.

Giant crane Sadly, it took another three hours before rescue came.

With the aid of volunteers, a giant crane removed boulders and shop items to clear way for trapped persons. The last person was taken out by 12am.

To the joy of everyone, a 40-day-old baby was brought out unscathed and was said to be in deep sleep at the time

it was found. According to Kaduna State Police Spokesman, 10 persons, some with various forms of injuries, were rescued.

But the story was that of absolute tragedy for Mrs Medinat Abdullraman, 45, a trader and mother of six children whose husband has been away for four years in some foreign land and has remained incommunicado.

The structure killed three of Medinat’s children: Sulieman, 14, Mariam 11 and Abukadir 9, all crushed to death on the second floor.

Her twins, Taye and Kehinde 6, were also injured, with Kehinde having multiple fracture on both legs and a deep gash on the head. Taye had an injured arm, but seem to be doing well when Vanguard Metro, VM, visited them at the 44 Army Referral Hospital, Kaduna. Idowu, 3, was also wounded, but was treated and discharged Tuesday.

“This is the worst imaginable calamity to befall anyone,” Mrs Anifat Adegbu, a sibling of Medinat told VM in an interview at the hospital where she was taking turn to

look after the three children.

“My sister had gone out to look for food to prepare for the Ramadan fast that afternoon.

Her mother in-law who stays with them was at her stall in the market. The children had just returned from school, and were about to undress when the house suddenly came down. The three children were killed in their school

,

A

By LUKA BINNIYAT

“But she is out now. You can see her taking care of the children,” she said.

When VM wanted to speak to Medinat, she declined any comment, and refused to be photographed.

She was still too distraught to care for such attentions.

“Apart from losing her children and with these ones in the Hospital, she has no any possession in her life now. All she has is her pair of clothes and the shoe she wore that day. No money, no husband, no help from government. We can only tax ourselves to meet some of the bills and they are mounting everyday,” said Anifat who teaches in a private school.

“I hear that when such things happen, government usually helps the victims. Our Governor and many government people were there, but no one has come to even see how we are doing here. Please tell me, how can someone not become abnormal?” she queried rather rhetorically.

“It is only one good man called Babangida who has been coming to our help. He is not someone we know before this incident. He told me that he was travelling to somewhere, so he left N15,000 for us, and that money has finished. We are calling on government and all those who have human feelings to come to our aide,” she pleaded.

When VM spoke to the PRO of Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency, Alhaji Abubakar Zakari, he had this to say: “We have not forgotten them at all. I am in touch with development there and I can tell you that one of the children has been discharged

This is the worst imaginable calamity to befall anyone; the children had just returned from school, the house suddenly came down; the three children were killed in their school uniforms

uniforms,” she mourned.

“My sister came back to be confronted by the horror. And you can imagine it. And from 2pm till 12 midnight, we had to stand to a frightening uncertainty. And when finally these children were brought out, with the three children dead, my sister could not bear it. No one could ever prepare for such. She had to be taken to the psychiatrist hospital in Barnawa,” she said.

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today. We are making our own effort at helping them and we shall soon do more.”

The high-rise building, owned by the late Pa Shitu Titilola, has been completely brought down and cleared.

The Kaduna State government last Monday, set up a task force to look into the integrity of such structures in Kaduna and empowered it to bring them down.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013 — 21

Banks prefer higher interest rate to naira devaluation — CBN

By PETER EGWUATU

T

HE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has stated that the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of banks in the country have indicated their preference for high interest rate rather than the devaluation of the naira.

The CBN Governor, Lamido Sanusi, represented by Director, Credit Risk Management, Kemi Fatobi , disclosed this at the 13TH Annual General Meeting (AGM)/ National Conference of Risk Managers Association of Nigeria (RMAN) held in Lagos , saying “When we asked the CEOs of banks at the Bankers’ Committee Meeting ,which of these two instruments — higher interest

rate and currency devaluation — that they would like to be initiated by the CBN, most of the CEOs said high interest rate.” While responding to why the CBN does not want to reduce the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR), he said that the apex bank was extremely committed to defending the economy.

In defence of high interest rates, Sanusi told the risk managers that there was no empirical evidence so far in the Nigerian context, that lowering interests would boost the kind of lending that is hoped for, especially for real sector growth.

According to him, “The CBN has continued to maintain a tight monetary stance. In November, it kept the

benchmark lending rate for the seventh consecutive time on hold at 12 per cent, with a corridor of +/- 200 basis points around the midpoint; retaining the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) at 12.0 per cent and the Liquidity Ratio at 30 per cent.

Continuing, the CBN Governor said, “The tightening measures were adopted to defend the naira, create price stability and build reserves. The hazards of lowering the rate at this time are much weightier than the gains thereof.”

Sanusi also disclosed that the banking system was working towards setting up a unified or single biometric data base, which would enable every single bank in Nigeria to have records of every banking customer.

BRIEFING: From left: Representative of the NRC Commissioner of Police, Boniface Onyeabor; Aminu Gusau, Director, Admin/ Human Resources; Timothy Zalanga, Director, Corporate Planning; Adeseyi Sijuwade, Managing Director/CEO, NRC and Niyi Alli, Director of Operations at a press briefing to unveil the PPP initiatives of the corporation, in Lagos.

Former ANLCA boss petitions EFCC over N52m biometric fraud

By GODWIN ORITSE

T

HE immediate past Chairman of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, (ANLCA), Apapa Chapter, Mr. Kayode Farinto has protested the outcome of the biometric exercise carried out by the group’s current national executive.

In a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Farinto noted that the way the biometric project was handled smacked of illegality and dishonesty on the part of the executives led by its President Alhaji Olayiwila Shittu.

However, Olayiwola Shittu, in his reaction to the petition, said that he is

open to investigation adding that whoever misappropriated the group’s finance will answer to the law.

He explained that he could not comment much as the matter is currently in court.

Continuing, Farinto disclosed that the entire project fetched the association a total of N52 million adding that the money has not been judiciously spent.

The petitions read in part “You will recall that the biometric identity card project embarked upon by the president, Prince Olayiwola Shittu-led executive was my idea.

“I sent a memo to the identity our genuine members, which will put a stop to non-members claiming to be member

of our Association.

“First and foremost, the way the project was handled bespoke that fact that the project was brought in dead, hence the failure before the issuance of the identity cards to members.

“The role of our national president and his comment during the last raid carried out by the Nigeria Customs Service personnel killed the project, because he did say that Nigeria Customs Service can raid our members even when they provide the biometric identity card, and this made people to loose interest in the project because it eroded the trust and believe they had in our great Association, no wonder many of them have not collected their identity cards.

Science, innovation key to Nigeria’s economic growth – Carter

By JONAH NWOKPOKU

T

HE Deputy British High commissioner for Nigeria, Peter Carter, has identified science and innovation as key elements for Nigeria’s economic growth.

He stated this while addressing participants at the Pan African Chemistry Network, PACN conference on regulatory harmonisation, hygiene and sustainability, in Lagos.

He said science and innovation remains key elements in the UK’s agenda for economic growth in Nigeria and entire Africa.

“In 2011, British Prime Minister, David Cameron, made a commitment to President Jonathan to increase the UK’s involvement in science and technology in Nigeria, and both leaders committed themselves to doubling bilateral trade by 2015. We know that much of that growth will come from businesses which put technical and scientific innovation at the heart of their trade and investment offers to prospective partners in Africa,” he said.

“To support them, identify opportunities and promote scientific and technical exchange and institutional links, there is in our High Commission in Abuja, a senior diplomat, whose job is to focus on science, innovation, and climate change in Nigeria and West Africa,” he added.

He explained that making real advancement in science requires deeper cooperative relationships in order to produce reliable solutions, especially to health problems.

131.75

+4.20

2,353.00

+6.00

16.28

+0.10

109.45

+0.36

108.25

+0.21

CURRENCY BUYING CENTRAL DOLLAR 154.76 155.2 POUNDS 236.179 236.942 EURO 203.0915 203.747 FRANC 164.2713 164.802 YEN 1.542 1.547 CFA 0.2905 0.3005 WAUA 232.0273 232.777 RENMINBI 25.2121 25.294 RIYA 41.2638 41.3971 KRONA 27.1733 27.2611 SDR 232.7436 233.4955

SELLING 155.76 237.7053 204.4038 165.3328 1.552 0.3105 233.5266 25.3759 41.5305 27.3489 234.2475

CBN Exchange rate as at 22/07/2013

22 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013

COOPERATIVE SOCIETIES:

Untapped investment opportunities

BY BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE

O

NE of the most powerful channels of investment is cooperative societies. Many people have heard about them, but only few understand them and the immense opportunities they offer. As a result, only a fraction of the society are tapping into and enjoying these opportunities. Even the government is yet to realise how powerful cooperatives societies can be, especially in eradicating poverty and improving welfare of the citizens. Fully exploited, cooperatives can enhance job creation and national productivity.

For the individual, especially low income earners, it is perhaps the least stressful and risky ways to save, invest, and improve personal welfare.

Going forward, we would devote time and space to exploring the investment opportunities of a cooperative society for the individual and its

BY NKIRUKA NNOROM

I

PWA Plc, HIS Plc, Forte Oil Plc, MRS Oil Nigeria Plc, PZ Cusson Nig Plc, and UTC Nig Plc were among the stocks that garnered enough investors’ patronage last week to make it to the top ten gainers chart.

Others are Champion Breweries Plc, Julius Berger Plc, 7-Up Bottling Comp and ABC Transport Plc. IPWA Plc, listed on the building materials sub-sector of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, recorded 57.32 percent or N0.47 price appreciation to top the list. It opened the market at N0.82 and closed at N1.29. By virtue of its products profile, IPWA plc is the most diversified paint manufacturing company in Nigeria, producing highly technological marine, protective, packaging, and industrial coatings in addition to building paints, wood finishes and automotive refinishes. Available financial statement of the company for the third quarter ended 30th September, 2011, showed that gross earning declined by 13 percent to N241.07

development benefit for the nation. Also, as we go along, we would compare cooperatives to other forms of investment, so as to highlight its advantages and disadvantages.

A cooperative society is an association of people that come together to pool resources together to engage in business or economic activities for the

purpose of improving their welfare. According to the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA), a cooperative society is “an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically controlled

enterprise.”

The thinking behind cooperative societies is best reflected in an excerpt from the history of cooperative societies below.

“As the mechanisation of the Industrial Revolution was forcing more and more skilled workers into poverty, these tradesmen decided to band together to open their own store, selling food items they could not otherwise afford. With lessons from prior failed attempts at cooperation in mind, they designed the now famous Rochdale Principles, and over a period of four months, they struggled to pool one pound sterling per person for a total of 28 pounds of capital. On December 21, 1844, they opened their store with a very meager selection of butter, sugar, flour, oatmeal and a few candles.

Within three months, they expanded their selection to include tea and tobacco, and they were soon known for providing high quality, unadulterated goods.” (The

History of Cooperative Movement, Wikipedia) The above is a useful and powerful beginning to understanding cooperatives.

The underlying philosophy is –poverty eradication, welfare protection and improvement.

Though, the cooperative society movement is more than 200 years old, this has not changed. Then, it was butter, sugar and tea. Today, it is television, phones, cars and houses. There are many people across the world today that would not have had television, mobile phone, houses and money to retire on if not for their membership and participation in one cooperative society or the other. In fact, many lives would have been lost to curable diseases; many children would not have gone to school, and many would have had no job but for the easy access to credit and other financial benefits offered by cooperatives. Most importantly, many would not have saved at all during their working careers, or discover the power of savings culture but for membership of cooperative society. Personally, I have benefited from cooperative societies, and I know some of you have. But the truth is majority are yet to, because they don’t know the benefits.

Top 10 performing stocks billion from N276.06 billion. It recorded loss before tax of N59.21 billion, a four percent decline over negative N61.56 billion reported in the same period of 2011.

Investors’ patronage for the stock seems to be on the increase as it led the top 10 gainers three weeks back. So far, the share price has risen by 158 percent year-to-date from N0.50 at the beginning of the year to the present market price.

Telecommunications services company, IHS Plc, trailed behind with 46.33 percent or N1.20 gains from N2.59 at the beginning of the week to N3.79.

Only recently, the company announced that it entered into a definitive agreement with MTN Group Limited (“MTN”) (JSE: MTN) pursuant to which, it will acquire up to 931 mobile network towers from MTN Cote d’Ivoire for US$141 million and up to 827 towers from MTN Cameroon for US143 million.

Following the

agreement, IHS became 100 percent shareholder of the t o w e r companies to be set up in each country to manage the towers and other passive infrastructure. The quarter two financial statement for the period ended 31st October, 2012 showed that it recorded 213.9 percent increase in turnover from N3.61 billion in 2011 to N11.32 billion in 2012.

Profit, however, nose-dived by 97.4 percent to negative position of N1.22 billion from another loss position of N618.02 million in 2011.

Increased investors’ patronage has seen the stock rising by 122.94 from year low of N1.70 to the present market price.

F

orte Oil Plc, which closed as the third top gainer in the week, rose by 46.31 percent or N9.42 from N20.34 to N29.76 after the federal government paid subsidies claims amounting to N48 billion to petroleum marketing

companies last week. It was among 25 oil marketing companies that received the package. Just recently, the NSE listed Forte Oil along with 24 other companies that exceeded the minimum listing standards in terms of timely disclosure of their audited annual and quarterly financial performance.

The company filed its first quarter financial statement for the period ended 31st March, 2013, over a month ahead of the stipulated submission deadline which falls on 15th May, 2013.

Already, the stock price has risen by 284.99 percent year-to-date from N7.73 at the beginning of the year to the Friday’s closing price.

M

RS Oil rose by 33.05 percent or N6.28 from N19.00 at the beginning of the week to N25.28. Listed on the petroleum and petroleum

products distributors’ subsector, MRS engages in the business of marketing and distribution of refined petroleum products, blending of lubricants and manufacturing of greases.

Despite 66.7 percent decline in its profit after tax for the year ended 31st December, 2013, the board of directors is still recommending N23.34 kobo dividend, to be approved by shareholders at the yearly meeting in August. Its revenue for the same period rose by 11.5 percent to N79.72 billion from N71.49 billion in 2011.

P

Z was the next with 23.22 percent or N9.14 price gain from N39.36 to N48.50 per share; UTC gained 21.54 percent or N0.14 from N0.65 to N0.79 per share; Champion Breweries’ share price rose by 20.79 percent or N1.47 to N8.54 from N7.07 per share.

Others are JB, which gained N13.73 or 19.61 percent from N70.02 to N83.75 per share; 7Up was up by N10.00 or 18.18 percent from N55.00 to N65.0 per share, while ABC Transport’s share price went up to N1.29 from N1.10, gaining N0.19 or 17.27 percent.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013 — 23

INVESTORS’ SPEAK

How to manage risk of investment in shares M

r. Samuel Iserhien: By nature, the capital market is highly risky. And that is why some people call it a gambling exercise, but I am telling you that every investment, be it in the capital market, in housing, construction and others are kinds of gamble.

Nevertheless, profit potential is worth risk taking. But still, the higher the profit potential, the higher the risk. In other words, if you are expecting high gain, you must be able to take high risk.

In the last one year, the market has been interesting, most especially because of the recovery from the huge losses experienced between 2008 and 2010 when the market recorded a collapsed. But in the past one year, those who still held on to their stocks were able to regain part of the losses.

Some of the stocks have even risen beyond the point they were before the crises of those years. For instance Nestle was never as high as N200 in the good days like 2006, but currently, Nestle is now selling between N950 and N1000 ,the same can be said of Unilever, UAC and Cadbury.

Though Cadbury rose up to N60, at a time, but you know it

fell to as low as N8 in 2009. But today, it is around N60. So, such stocks have actually risen very high even higher than they

were in the good days before the crisis.

Today, the only sector that is appreciating at a slow pace is

Arunma Oteh, DG, SEC.

the banking sector. I will say that it is sluggish, but the fact remains that the market is currently recovering from the downturn. And this is the right time for those who have the money and are willing, should go and invest in the market.

But to reduce their level of risks and errors, they need to invest on expert’s advice, because they can’t just go in like that and be victim of some of the risks. Therefore, they need to look for an expert, most especially a stockbroker for advice and if possible look for other reputable sources where they can get enlightenment about the happenings in the market.

I think some of the point that one needs to understand before going into the market is to know about the company he wants to invest in. Ensure you are aware of their performance, financial record and statements, their annual reports, their chairman and director’s statements and see what they are forecasting in relation to the general economy situation.

If after looking at all these you are convinced that the company is heading towards a good time of huge performance and good profits, and then you can join in holding a part of their shares.

COMPLAINTS AND INVESTIGATIONS I need a stock broker in Calabar How can I locate a registered stockbroker in Calabar, Cross River State? (Asuquo Ene) Investors Forum Check the website of the Nigeria Stock Exchange (www.nse.com.ng) for list of registered stock brokers.

I need information on First Inland Bank I bought shares from First Inland Bank plc at Awka in Anambra State since 2008. But ever since then, no certificate or dividend was given to me. I even opened a CSCS account as the bank instructed me to do, but all to no avail. I am beginning to get confused. I bought 200 units at rate of 19,000 that is 8,500 per unit. (Adinde Chukwuemeka).

Investors Forum You need to tell us the shares of the company you bought. If it was the shares of First Inland Bank that you bought from one of their branches, then you should contact the registrar of FCMB, the bank which acquired First Inland Bank. However, we suspect foul play as the shares of First Inland Bank was never sold as high as N95 per share. The registrar of FCMB is City Securities Limited.

The address is Primrose Tower, 2nd Floor, 17A Tinubu Street, Lagos. Tel: 234-1-2641298, 2341-7924462.

No dividend from Zenith, Union and AIMs I have shares in Zenith Bank and Union Bank, but since 2010 I have not received any dividend.

Also, I invested N1.5 million with an investment company called AIMs Asset Management Company some time ago. I visited their office and they were not there. I fear that they have folded up. (Egbulem Chukwudi Clement) Investors Forum For your investment in Zenith Bank, contact Zenith Registrars Limited at Plot 89 Ajose Adeogun Street, Victoria Island Extension, Lagos. Tel: 234-1-2708930-4. Email: enquiry@zenithregistrars.com.

For Union Bank, please contact Union Registrars Ltd at No. 2, Burma Road, Apapa, Lagos. Tel: 2793160 – 2; 0700 826 7341.

The contact of Aims Asset and Management is 23, Ajao Road, Off Adeniyi Jones, Ikeja. Tel: 2347029523916, 8095988382; Email: aims@aimsassetmgt.com.

No communication from

Oando For four years, no dividend or report has been paid to me on my investment in the shares of Oando. Kindly verify for me why my annual reports and dividend from Oando were not sent to me for almost five years now (Ekanem, Mfon Udoh )

Oceanic Registrar was merged with ESL Registrars Limited (the registrar of Ecobank Plc). Your unclaimed dividend should still be valid. So, contact ESL Registrars at 16/A Rauf Taylor Close, Off Idego Street, Victoria Island, Lagos or call 017301260

Investors Forum Please contact First Registrars, Plot 2 Abebe Village Road, Iganmu or call 08033018295, 08191410456

Is Zenith Point Capital genuine?

Is Zenith Point Capital Investment Limited in Minna a genuine company? (Yakubu)

No dividend from First Bank No dividend from First Bank, I have shares with First Bank of Nig Plc, but I have not been able to get my dividend since 2011.

Help me find out why it is so (Ogbolo O. Francis)

Investors Forum Our investigations did not reveal any registered stockbroker, or dealer with the name of the company.

Investors Forum Please contact First Registrars, Plot 2 Abebe Village Road, Iganmu or call 08033018295, 08191410456 I want to recover Oceanic Bank dividend I have shares in Oceanic Bank, now Ecobank, and I am having dividend of Oceanic Bank of Oceanic Registrar and I want to change it to Ecobank dividend.

Investors Forum

How can I reclaim unclaimed dividend I have shares with UBA and Diamond Bank, but I have not been able to get my dividend since I bought them in 2005. I have my share certificate with me. How do I recover the unclaimed dividend from UBA and Diamond Bank? Please sir, help me find out what the problem is. Also, I bought Mutual Benefit Assurance Plc shares during its I.P.O, but up till now, I have not received my share certificate. (Tommy Esegbona)

Unilever records N15.4bn sales in 6 months

U

NILEVER Nigeria Plc reported second half 2013 results, which showed sales of N15.4 billion, a 20.2 percent Year-on-Year (y/y) growth, according to FBN Capital Research.

FBN Capital noted that profit before tax, PBT advanced by 20.7 percent y/y to N1.9billion, and profit after tax, PAT, was up 3.1 percent y/y to N1.5billion.

According to FBN Capital “Although gross margin contracted by 106 basis points, bps y/y to 36.7 percent and operating expenses, opex, rose by 15.7 percent y/y, the much improved top-line y/y performance kept operating profit up 19.4 percent y/y.

Finance charges of N99million during the period came in flattish y/y and as a result, PBT appreciated by 20.7 percent y/ y. Nonetheless, even though the Q2 2013 PBT growth is encouraging, easy comparables in Q2 2012 helped a lot. PBT in Q2 2012 was weakened by lower disposable incomes as a result of reduced fuel subsidies amongst other headwinds. Q2 2013 PAT grew modestly compared with growth on the PBT line by 3.1 percent y/y because of a substantial y/y increase in the company’s tax rate.

Investor Forum For your investment in UBA, contact Africa Prudential Registrars Plc at 220B, Ikorodu Road, Palmgrove, Lagos. You can call 01-8401153, 01-8931501, and 01-4606460 or send message to info@africaprudentialregistrars.com.

For Diamond Bank contact Centurion Registrars Limited, via 59, Ogunlana Drive Surulere, Lagos. Tel 012710574, 01 8446896. For Mutual Assurance Plc contact BOI Investment and Trust Company Limited, 23 Marina, Lagos. Tel 01-2715215

COMPLAINTS AND INVESTIGATIONS Do you have any challenge with your investment in the stock market or with any company (stockbroker, Registrar Company etc), write to vanguardinvestorsforum @gmail.com OR send text to 07043855187. We will INVESTIGATE AND REPLY

24 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013

FG earns N522bn from fuel tax, royalties

BY MICHAEL EBOH

T

HE Federal Government earned about N522.1billion from Petroleum Profit Tax, PPT, royalties and domestic crude oil and gas sales in May 2013, according to data released by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN. The amount represents 4.6 per cent of the N11.34 trillion gross federally-collectible revenue projected by the Federal Government in the 2013 Budget.

The Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, had projected gross revenue collection of up to N11.34 trillion in the budget.

Giving a breakdown of the revenues collected, the CBN in its Economic Report for May 2013, said the Federal Government earned N334.3 billion from PPT and Royalties, and N187.8 billion from domestic crude oil and gas sales.

Specifically, PPT/Royalties appreciated by 9.46 per cent from N305.4 billion in April, while domestic crude oil and gas sales appreciated by 40.78 per cent to N187.8 billion from N133.4 billion in April.

However, government’s earnings from crude oil and gas sales dipped by 31.6 per cent from N173.6 billion in April to N118.7 billion in May. Cumulatively, total oil revenue appreciated by 4.44 per cent to N648.6 billion from N621 billion in April. This represents 5.72 per cent of the N11.34 trillion projected in the budget.

The report further indicated that gross oil receipts accounted for 78.5 per cent of the total revenue for the month in review, adding that the amount was above the provisional monthly budget estimate and the sum realised in March and April by 0.6 and 4.5 per cent, respectively.

According to the CBN, total federally-collected revenue in May was estimated at N826.36 billion, stating that this was below the provisional monthly budget estimate by 12.6 per cent, but exceeded the receipt in the preceding month by 2.5 per cent.

Analysts concerned about dependence on oil Nigeria’s over-dependence on crude oil revenues, remains a big source of concern for analysts at the Cowry Assets Management Limited.

They forecast that Nigeria’s

foreign exchange reserves will remain under pressure from declining crude oil production, and likely high demand or foreign exchange by end users in the second half of 2013.

In Cowry’s 2013 Half Year Review and Outlook, made available to Vanguard, non-oil sector remained the main contributor to growth having expanded by 7.89 per cent.

They said: “Nigerian exter-

nal sector was impacted by a number of negative conditions towards the end of the first half of 2013, such as oil price volatility amid weak international demand for crude oil, Nigeria’s declining crude oil production amid oil bunkering activities as well as growing demand for foreign exchange by end users.

“Nigeria’s exports are highly concentrated on crude oil which accounts for about 95

per cent of total exports. In the same vein, Nigeria’s budgeted revenue is largely dependent on petro-dollars.”

On the outlook for the remaining second half of the year, Cowry said: “We expect the foreign exchange reserves to remain under pressure from declining crude oil production and likely high demand or foreign exchange by end users in the second half of 2013.

“Recent divestments by

PIB HEARING: Senate President, David Mark (left) and Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke (right), at the National Assembly during the twoday public hearing by the Senate Joint Committee on the PIB, in Abuja.

Nigeria loses 11.75m barrels of crude in 4 years

By SEBASTINE OBASI

N

IGERIA lost about 11.75 million barrels of oil from 2010 to 2012, due to crude oil theft, the Group Executive Director, Refining and Petrochemicals, Nigerian National Petroleum Company, NNPC, Mr. Anthony Ogbuigwe, said.

Ogbuigwe disclosed this at the Petroleum Policy Roundtable, held in Lagos, last week.

According to him, 2.31 million barrels were lost in 2010 alone. Out of that number, 965,069 barrels were lost through the Escravos/Chevron pipeline, Warri, while Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC pipeline, Warri, lost 34,644 barrels.

The Warri to Kaduna pipeline lost 720,748 barrels, while Bonny to Port Harcourt axis lost 595,820 barrels.

He explained that the nation recorded the biggest loss of 6.39 million barrels in 2011, when the Escravos/Chevron pipeline lost 4, 213,468; Bonny/Port Harcourt 1,379,770; Warri/Kaduna, 644,193; and SPDC, Warri, 153,879 barrels respectively.

Similarly, in 2012, he said Nigeria lost about 3.04 million barrels. The Escravos/ Chevron Warri line again recorded the highest losses with 1,236,515, followed by Bonny/Port Harcourt 967,522; Warri/ Kaduna 752,598; and SPDC 88,989.

“As a nation, that should not continue.

It leads to us being unable to run the refineries,’’ he added.

Ogbuiwe noted that the 60 kilometre Escravos to Warri pipeline segment alone was responsible for over 40 per cent of the losses in 2012, while the Bonny to Port Harcourt pipeline accounted for 24 per cent, even though it handled less volume of crude oil.

He added that the non availability of

international oil companies, coinciding with reduction in dollar sales by oil companies to banks, are expected to retain pressure on the naira at the interbank market.”

Continuing, the CBN attributed the rise in oil receipts, relative to budget estimate, to the increase in receipts from Petroleum Profit Tax, Royalties, and domestic crude oil and gas sales in the review period.

“Provisional data indicated that foreign exchange inflow and outflow through the CBN in May 2013 was US$3.10 billion and US$3.23 billion, respectively. This resulted in a net outflow of US$0.14 billion, higher than the net outflow of US$0.08 billion recorded in the preceding month, but in contrast to the net inflow of US$0.37 billion in the corresponding period of 2012.

“Relative to the levels in the preceding month and the corresponding period of 2012, inflow fell by 4.4 per cent and 14.7 per cent, respectively. The decrease in inflow, relative to the preceding month, was attributed largely to the 5.3 per cent fall in oil receipts.

“At US$3.0 billion, oil sector receipts fell by 5.3 per cent below the level in the preceding month and accounted for 22.1 per cent of the total inflow,” the CBN said.

crude led to the shutdown of the Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries in the last week of May, 2013. “Kaduna refinery re-streamed operations on June 5, 2013, while Port Harcourt refinery is yet to receive crude supply, due to force majeure on the Trans- Niger Trunk line

by SPDC occasioned by vandalism,” he said.

The GED however said that the various interventions carried out in the refineries resulted in improved performance, saying that average annual capacity increased from 21 percent in 2010, to 29 percent in 2012.

Also, performance in the first quarter of 2013 averaged 32 percent, which shows incremental improvement.

Ogbuigwe hinted that with 0.3 percent currently, Nigeria has the least refining capacity among petroleum producers in Africa. According to him, Libya has 6.17 percent, Algeria, 1.37 percent, South Africa, 1.11, while Egypt has 0.96 percent respectively.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013—25

BY SEBASTINE OBASI

T

HE Nigeria LNG Limited, NLNG, the nation’s foremost liquefied natural gas, producer, may have lost about $525 million as a result of the ongoing dispute with the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, over levy.

Vanguard reliably gathered that for three weeks, NIMASA did not allow NLNG cargoes to export gas.

Before the dispute arose, NLNG was exporting a cargo daily to its customers. Sources told Vanguard that each cargo costs between $25 million and $30 million, and in the three weeks that the quarrel lasted,

NLNG loses $525m in face-off with NIMASA NLNG lost at least 21 cargoes of gas.

The development is coming as NLNG has agreed to pay the sum of $140 million in disputed levies to NIMASA, to end the three-week blockade of shipments from its export terminal.

A Federal High Court, Lagos, had entered a consent order following the agreement

of the two parties to settle amicably.

In the meantime, NLNG and NIMASA agreed the agency will immediately revoke the detention order for NLNG vessels and release them. The revocation will be subject to NLNG making the agreed payments. NLNG owes NIMASA a total $158million, out of which the firm has paid

$20million.

The July 12 letter read in part: “Subject to NLNG continuing to make payment for all applicable NIMASA levies (three per cent NIMASA levies and Sea Protection levy), NIMASA undertakes not to detain NLNG-owned or chartered vessels.

“NLNG undertakes to pay

BRIEF

Offor expresses delight over Shell contract

E

XECUTIVE Chairman of Kaztec Engineering Limited (KEL), Sir Emeka Offor, has expressed delight at the recent signing of the contract for Trans-Niger Pipeline Loop line (TNPL) Package 1, between KEL and the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC).

The objective of the Package 1 project is to construct a 30inch X 12.5 kilometer Loop line from the Ogale Manifold to TP 1, both in Rivers State, Nigeria.

Offor stated that Kaztec relishes this opportunity and has reassured Shell of its commitment to deliver, and even surpass its expectations on the project.

The signing of the contract took place at the SPDC office in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Kaztec Engineering Limited, a 100 percent indigenous company, is a leader in the fabrication of drilling and production platforms and other specialized structures in the oil and gas industry.

Recent projects executed include the procurement and installation of a 24-inch gas transmission pipeline, spanning 107 kilometres, from Calabar to Adanga, and the rehabilitation of the ObenSapele gas transmission pipeline, along with the upgrade of its metering station.

Kaztec is currently executing a contract (TB 1921 project), for Addax Petroleum Development (Nigeria) Limited for the installation of pipelines, topsides and other subsea facilities in Oil Mining Lease 123, offshore Calabar, Cross River State, under a Kaztec/ Addax Alliance.

C M Y K

GRADUATION: From left: Executive Director, Falcon Petroleum Limited, Mrs. Audrey Joe-Ezigbo; Managing Director, Professor Joseph Ezigbo; His Royal Majesty, the Ayangburen of Ikorodu, Oba Salaudeen Oyefusi and Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Lagos State, Taofiq Tijani at the graduation ceremony for beneficiaries of Falcon Petroleum’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Vocational Skills Acquisition & Women Empowerment Programme, in Lagos. PHOTO: AKEEM SALAU.

outstanding levies attributable to the FOB and Cabotage vessels if they fail to make payment within three months of the date of this letter.

“Going forward, NIMASA is at liberty to collect these levies directly from the FOB and Cabotage vessels without further recourse to NLNG.” NIMASA “ will immediately revoke the detention order on vessels and release them” on the payment of the fees, according to the terms of a settlement presented to Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court in Lagos.”

Following the seizure of its cargoes, NLNG on June 28, declared force majeure, a legal clause allowing it to miss shipments, as the blockade lingered and more than 20 LNG tankers moored outside the Bonny Island loading bay.

The company, in which the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, owns majority stake on behalf of the Federal Government, disagreed with NIMASA’s interpretation of its tax obligations, citing exemptions in the law establishing it.

But the maritime agency insisted that the tax breaks expired in 2004, leaving the gas producer owing many years in arrears.

NLNG is jointly owned by NNPC, 49 percent, ENI International 10 percent, Shell Gas 25.6 percent and Total 15 respectively.

Indigenous firms partner Eko DISCO on metres …Targets 20-hr power by December

BY KUNLE KALEJAYE

T

O ensure that electricity consumers are adequately metered in the country, two indigenous firms, MOMAS System Nigeria Ltd, and MOJEC International, have thrown their weight behind the Credited Advance Payment Implementation, CAPMI Scheme, in collaboration with the Eko Electricity Distribution Company.

The scheme was officially launched by the Eko DISCO of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, last week in Lagos.

The company said it agreed to partner with the indigenous firms after many months of consultation with the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, and other relevant stakeholders in the power sector.

The Managing Director, MOMAS, Mr. Kola Balogun, said: “CAPMI has come to stay, we will make it work and it is a way to relieve consumers from the constant ‘crazy

bill’ and estimated billing, but as a manufacturing company our aim is to key into the policy of the scheme.

“We can assure you that as soon as any consumer pays, meter will be made available within the shortest time frame, between 24 or 48 hours.

He said that MOMAS has the capacity to produce 50,000 meters monthly, adding that the company will meet any requirement within that range.

The Chief Executive Officer, CEO, of MOJEC International, Ms. Chantelle Abdul, explained that the company is introducing smart metering technology into the country.

According to her, the smart metering allows electricity consumers to manage their consumption and the amount to be paid.

She said: “With smart metering, you can manage your electricity consumption and know exactly what your bill should be. It also affords you the opportunity to load your meter with your phone or the internet without going to

any of the PHCN offices.

“We have the capacity to produce 100,000 meters per month and we are ready to deliver these meters to consumers within the shortest time frame. Partnering with Eko DISCO is something we are proud of because they are the first DISCO to launch the CAPMI scheme in the country.” Mr. Ibrahim Juibril was the first electricity consumer in Nigeria to have the CAPMI pre-paid meter, which is installed at his 35A Bourdilon Road residence in Ikoyi, Lagos.

According to him, the CAPMI scheme is transparent and efficient, adding that PHCN officials in Eko DISCO simplified the process for their customers.

The new metering scheme allows consumers to pay for the meters and get refunds for payments after its installation through monthly reductions on the fixed charge element of their electricity bills to the tune of the meter cost.

The NERC chairman, Dr. Sam Amadi, had earlier

announced that customers would be charged an estimated N25, 000 for single phase meters and up to N50,000, for three phase meters while smart meters will come with other costs.

20-hour power delivery n the spirit of the moment, the Eko DISCO also promised to deliver at least 20 hours power supply by December, which will be increased to 22 hours in January, 2014.

The Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Oladele Amoda, who made this known at the fourth edition of the company ’s Customer Parliament, said efforts are ongoing to ensure that customers within the network are served better.

He said: “Customers normally expect that when they get to their houses, there should be power supply and we are ready to provide these services. We are working to give our customers 20 hours of electricity every day on the average by December, and 22 hours by January next year.

I

26—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013

C

HEVRON Nigeria Limited, CNL, said it is sponsoring qualified young graduates to a training course on Remotely Operated Vehicle, ROV, overseas, as part of its efforts to assist Nigerians acquire necessary manpower in the deep water sector of the oil and gas industry.

ROV, also known as an underwater robot, is commonly used in deepwater operations for offshore hydrocarbon extraction.

Five Nigerians, nominated by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB, under the Nigerian Content Human Capacity Development Initiative, NCHCDI, are to benefit from the seven to 13 week ROV training initiative.

Two of them, Obaro Onotaniyohwo Pereke, and Tunbi Oluwakayode recently left Nigeria for Scotland to commence the training.

At their send forth ceremony, Mr. Mike Tierney, CNL Escravos-Gas-to-Liquid, EGTL Integration and Completions Manager, noted that the sponsorship is in line

Chevron trains Nigerian graduates on deepwater technology with Chevron’s human and business capacity development strategy.

“ROV operations are required for deepwater operations and are highly specialized and critical to the development of the oil and gas sector. It is our desire that Nigerians acquire the competence to increase their successful participation in the oil and gas business,” he stated.

Similarly, Raymond Wilcox, CNL’s Nigerian Content Development General Manager explained; “The intention of the program is to enhance the competence of Nigerians in line with CNL’s commitment to the Federal Government’s Nigerian Content development program.”

The NCDMB representative, Mr Paul Zuhumben, congratulated the trainees for the opportunity they had been

given and implored them to develop the right attitude and apply their knowledge of diversity effectively while in Scotland. He commended Chevron for taking the decision to “invest in these young Nigerians” and encouraged the duo to perform well so that Chevron would be encouraged to sponsor more young Nigerians to the programme.

Chevron said it has been promoting the Nigerian Content initiative in the Oil and Gas industry since the 1990s, through strategies for training, capacity building and employment of Nigerians.

It added that it has also provided contracts and procurement opportunities to help create local jobs and technology transfer through local patronage, work scope reservation, fostering of business partnerships and domiciliation of work.

The current training initiative is geared towards empowering more Nigerians to acquire skills that will enable them take on responsibilities that will otherwise be given to expatriate personnel across the industry.

The Company also has a robust scholarship programme aimed at producing necessary manpower for the country. It added that over 11,000 students including the blind are benefiting from the NNPC/ Chevron Scholarship, and Agbami Medical and Engineering Professional Scholarship awards.

Chev ron also donates new schools, infrastructure and equipment. In addition, the Discovery Channel Global Education Program to less privileged schools in Nigeria was introduced to bridge identified gaps in public schools.

•The newly installed pre-paid meters at 35A, Bourdillion Road, Ikoyi, Lagos under the new CAPMI Scheme launched by EKO DISCO in Lagos

Forte Oil introduces synthetic engine oil F

ORTE Oil Plc, an indigenous major marketer of refined petroleum products has introduced “SYNTH 10000”, an advanced fully synthetic engine oil, into the Nigerian market.

A statement from the company said the product is “designed for the newest generation of highperformance turbo-charged petrol and diesel engine,” It also said that SYNTH, which is manufactured to the specifications of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) 5W-40, and the American Petroleum Institute (API) SN/CF, is poised to keep engines running as C M Y K

new, by providing advanced wear protection, superior cleaning power and overall performance for the most modern vehicle engines.

It added that the SYNTH 10000 also meets the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) requirements for globally acclaimed brands.

Furthermore, the company said that SYNTH 10000 is manufactured from chemically modified petroleum components, using advanced synthetic technology. It provides superior mechanical and chemical properties; perform better in extreme conditions and afford durable oil change intervals than traditional mineral oils.

“The Forte Oil SYNTH 10000 provides distinct advantages, helping extend the service life of an automobile’s components and reduce oil changes, as well as potentially reducing or eliminating machine failure and unscheduled downtime,” the company said.

Commenting on the new product, Head, Retail & Lubes Marketing, Forte Oil, Mr. Olubayo Akinwunmi, said: “We are pleased to offer our customers a superior lubrication choice for their high performance modern engines. As a customer-centric organization, we have made investments in the synthetic lubricants market a key priority to satisfy the growing requirements of this market segment.”

BRIEF

Conoil builds 7 new mega stations

T

O expand market reach, Conoil Plc is constructing seven new mega stations to increase its retail network across the country. The commissioning of the stations has been scheduled for year end.

The mega stations are strategically spread across the country and located in high traffic areas in Onitsha (Anambra), Port Harcourt (Rivers), Makurdi (Benue), Jibia (Katsina), Jebba (Kwara) and two in Lagos.

A statement from the company last week said the new outlets are built in accordance with global trends in petroleum product retailing, keeping pace with technological advancement and with special emphasis on motorists’ convenience.

The company also said that the stations are designed to serve as one-stop retail outlets equipped to offer motorists a wide range of quality services and convenience besides the regular business of selling petroleum products.

The new mega stations are anticipated to grow sales and revenue by over 65 percent, and will also give fillip to the company’s mission to provide top quality products and convenience services that will keep customers satisfied.

The expansion project represents the second phase of the company ’s comprehensive four-year plan which started two years ago.

Conoil began the mega stations projects eight years ago, with the construction of outlets in Lagos, Abuja, Yola and Port Harcourt. The Lagos business area alone boasts of eight of these stations with one each in the GRA Ikeja, Lekki, Alapere, Ketu; Apapa; Tollgate, Seme, Sele, Okota and Agege.

The company aims to continue to deliver onmore of such mega stations, saying: “Through our expansive distribution network, we aim at delighting many homes and make life more convenient for a variety of our customers. We touch the lives of a broad spectrum of the populace in many ways, by providing kerosene for domestic use, automotive fuel and lubricants for vehicles and solvents for industrial consumption and well-stocked convenience stores for everyday needs.”

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013—27

BRIEF Iranian gas for Iraqi power plants

I

RANIAN Oil Minister, Rostam Qassemi said Sunday, Iran and Iraq are slated to sign an agreement in Baghdad, under which Iran will supply natural gas to Iraq’s Al-Baghdad and AlMansouriyah power plants.

The Iranian minister underlined that Tehran would start pumping seven million cubic meters of daily gas to Iraq by the next two months.

On Saturday, Managing Director of the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC), Javad Oji told FNA that “the two countries’ oil ministers will sign a contract on export of Iran’s gas to Iraq tomorrow”.

Oji, who is also Iran’s deputy oil minister, noted that Iran would be exporting 45 million cubic meters a day (mcm/d) of natural gas to its western neighbor. “The country will gain revenues of $10 million per day and $3.7bln per year by exporting gas to Iraq,” Oji added.

Earlier this year, Qassemi announced that the country will gain more than $5 billion from gas exports to neighboring Iraq.

C M Y K

Kuwait sends $200m crude, diesel to Egypt K

UWAIT has sent two oil tankers carrying crude and diesel worth $200 million to Egypt, a Kuwaiti newspaper said on Sunday, part of a $4 billion aid package pledged by the Gulf Arab state last week after the ouster of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi.

Kuwait last week joined other oil-producing Gulf states in pledging a massive aid package worth $12billion to Egypt in a show of support after the army toppled the Muslim Brotherhood government.

Most United.States.-allied Gulf monarchies regard the Brotherhood as a threat.

Kuwait’s Arabic-language AlRai newspaper quoted oil sources as saying that an oil tanker carrying between 90,000 and 100,000 tonnes of diesel, that happened to be travelling through the Suez Canal, was diverted to Egypt. A second tanker with 1.1m barrels of crude was ordered to sail towards Egypt, it said.

The newspaper estimated the value of the cargo on each ship at $100m.

Kuwaiti officials were not immediately available to com-

ment on the report.

The state news agency KUNA said last week that Kuwait’s aid package would comprise a $2bn central bank deposit, a $1bn grant and $1bn in oil products. It did not say when the aid would be delivered.

Saudi Arabia and the Unit-

ed Arab Emirates had earlier pledged a total of $8bn in aid to Egypt.

The rise of Mursi’s Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt since 2011 had unsettled most Gulf Arab states, including the UAE, which feared it would embolden Islamists at home.

Mursi became president a year ago in Egypt’s first freely contested election but was ousted by the military after mass protests against his rule, which critics said was marked by creeping authoritarianism and mismanagement of the economy.

PowerGrid to manage Ethiopian, Kenya power grids

A

FTER Nigerian let down, PowerGrid, an Indian firm has clinched the management of transmission, generation and distribution company of Ethiopia and Kenya after a highly transparent and competitive bidding exercise beating Manitoba on financial and technical evaluation.

Recall that the Indian firm won the bid for Nigeria’s TCN in 2007 under the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, but they were not allowed to take over by former President Umar Musa Yar’Adua due to power probe, Africa external website reported.

Analysts described the bid as transparent, as it was wit-

nessed by the Senate Committee on Power, the National Assembly, the TCN, National Council on Privatisation (NCP), Bureau for Public Procurement (Due Process), Manitoba, ESB International of Ireland, PowerGrid, members of the public and members of the press in a big open hall.

However, the government of President Goodluck Jonathan contracted a Canadian firm, Manitoba in July 2012 to manage operations of TCN at a contract sum of $23.7 million for three years even as PowerGrid had bided 20 per cent lower.

Before then, the National Council on Privatisation, (NCP), at its third meeting

in 2010 had also invited Power Grid of India, ESB International of Ireland and Manitoba Hydro of Canada, to resubmit technical and financial proposals.

Nonetheless, observers criticized the process of awarding the contract as it was given without completing the last process which is the financial bid where PowerGrid was to be the lowest. Moreover, the process did not pass the whole huddle whereby, National Council on Privatisation (NCP), Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP), Manitoba, ESB International of Ireland, PowerGrid, members of the public and members of the press were invited like the 2007 bid.

28 — Vanguard,

TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013

By Theodore Opara

VW Group grows deliveries

T

...Toyota Hilux

Toyota Hilux, the trailblazer T

HE Toyota Hilux is one pick-up that has always been copied by other pick-up makers but never been equalled. For two decades, the Hilux has dominated its segment with its sophisticated design, outstanding performance and refined comfort, making it the preferred choice by many for leisure and work.

Available in both diesel and petrol engines, the Toyota Hilux also comes in single and double cabins. In Nigeria, however, petrol engine version is more popular than the diesel due to the quality of diesel available in the country.

The Hilux 2.7 petrol engine features VVT-i (Variable Valve Timing - intelligent) with a roller rocker arm, which delivers increased torque and output, better fuel economy and reduced emissions. This engine also delivers 118 kw of power at 5200rpm and 241Nm of torque at 3800rpm. With this, the Hilux meets all your demands for power on any terrain. There are also three diesel engines in the Hilux lineup.

Toyota Nigeria Ltd, representatives of Toyota Motor Corporation in Nigeria recently added the automatic transmission version of the Hilux to its range in Nigeria which also become an instant hit.

The automatic transmission

version has since last year become the most sought after model in the pick-up segment with long list of customers waiting to grab one.

Most of the customers had attributed the high demand to adaptability to traffic situation and convenience and ease of automatic transmission drive.

This new transmission has placed the Hilux ahead of competition in the country.

Hilux is available in fourwheel and two-wheel drive.

It’s all-round performance is built on the use of advanced Toyota technologies such as the high rigidity frame and the part-time four-wheel drive system. They deliver robust strength and reassuring power to easily handle varying

terrain and conditions.

For instance, on 4WD models, a part-time two speed transfer lets you choose the mode that best matches the road condition. While the H2 mode is ideal for regular driving on city streets and highways, the H4 mode is suitable for rainy, slippery conditions.

L-4 mode provides especially strong traction when required.

Also, Hilux high rigidity frame, structure provides a strong platform for its performance. Use of computer aided engineering (CAE) to optimise the body structure helped to reduce noise and vibration and contributes to excellent stability and control.

The Hilux is fitted with double wishbone front suspension

with coil springs while the rear suspension is a rigid axle type with leaf springs. Both contribute to the car ’s outstanding ride comfort and handling.

Though a pick-up, the Hilux boasts the comfort of sedan. It provides car-like quiet and comfortable space with numerous storage spaces.

The audio system features a radio, CD player and four speakers. The USB/mini-jack enables a portable music player to be connected and enjoyed over the vehicle speakers. The Hilux comes with Toyota safety standards, including anti-lock brake system, airbags, seat-belts, head and leg impact protection structure, etc.

Chevrolet delivers record global sales in first half

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HEVROLET sold a record 2.5 million vehicles around the world in the first six months of 2013, up 1.4 percent over the same period in 2012, and achieved its 11th straight quarter of increased sales on the strength of new products like the Onix subcompact car in Brazil, Impala full-size sedan in the U.S. and Colorado midsize pickup in Southeast Asia.

Overall, General Motors Co. posted sales of more than 4.85 million vehicles in the first half of 2013, an increase of nearly 4 percent over the same period in 2012.

“Chevrolet is in the midst of the most ag-

gressive new product roll-out in the brand’s history,” said Alan Batey, senior vice president of Global Chevrolet. “The continued sales growth around the world is a result of a focused effort to strengthen Chevrolet’s presence in developing markets as well as its relationship with consumers by offering the right products, technologies, and world-class customer service.”

In the U.S., Chevrolet’s small car lineup continues to attract new customers to the brand. Sales of the Sonic, Spark, Cruze and Volt combined were up nearly 25 percent in the first half of 2013.

HE Volkswagen Group grew vehicle deliveries in the first half of 2013, handing over a total of 4.70 (January – June 2012: 4.45; +5.5 percent)* million vehicles to customers worldwide from January to June.

Deliveries in the month of June were slightly up at 827,800 (June 2012: 798,500; +3.7 percent)*.

“Volkswagen Group deliveries made satisfactory progress even though market conditions were not always easy. However, the economic climate remains tense, especially in Europe”, Group Board Member for Sales Christian Klingler said in Wolfsburg on Friday, and added: “We remain on course and are entering the second half of the year with confidence. Nevertheless, the enormous challenges persist.” Group brands delivered a total of 1.87 (1.93; -3.5 percent) million vehicles on the overall European market in the first half year. In Western Europe (excluding Germany), 0.97 (1.01; -3.6 percent) million customers took possession of a new vehicle. 583,900 (606,100; -3.7 percent) units were delivered in the home market of Germany.

NRC commences third weekly Lagos – Kano service

T

HE Nigerian Railway Corporation will on Thursday 25th July, 2013 commence the third weekly Lagos – Kano passenger train service as the first phase of its Capacity Enhancement Programme.

The new train service will depart Iddo (Lagos) at 11.00a.m and is scheduled to arrive Kano at 5.00p.m. the following day. The introduction of this service will result in an increase in the number of passengers moved from Lagos – Kano, from 3,500 weekly to 5,500 weekly.

It will be recalled that the first weekly Lagos – Kano Passenger train service which departs Lagos at 12 noon on Fridays commenced on 21st December, 2012. Subsequently, the second weekly train service which departs Lagos at 9.00a.m on Tuesdays terminates at Ilorin with a connecting service from Offa to Kano.

Vanguard , TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013—29

By Theodore Opara

ABC refleets with 10 new buses T

HE management of ABC Transport has commenced the second phase of its fleet expansion programme. The expansion sees the injection of additional 10 new coaches, augmenting the first batch of 9 coaches procured earlier in the year.

The total number expected by ABC Transport is 24 luxury coaches. The final batch of 5 coaches is due for delivery in Nigeria before the end of the 3rd quarter, prior to

the peak operations in December. The current brand of ABC coaches is equipped with surveillance monitoring camera for security purposes onboard and with speed limiters for speed controls.

Spurred by the remarkable improvement in road condition nationwide, which has given rise to shorter travel time and culminated in the return of many passengers to coach travels, ABC Transport’s expansion programme has seen a great

number of its loyal customers enjoying timely departures and early arrivals on a daily basis, on the whole.

To make booking easier and more accessible to customers, ABC on-line ticketing has been enhanced to allow passengers book on-hold and pay later at their bank of choice.

The company, ABC Transport has even gone a step further, by introducing mobile money option, a faster, much more con-

venient means to book and pay online. Its current partnership with Fortis Mobile Money will ensure that customer scan also pay for their tickets using their mobile phones, although this service is available only at ABC Abuja bus terminal for now.

ABC Transport Plc is Nigeria’s leading coach operator and the only road transport operator quoted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. It also

FUTA auto fair to bring new vehicles to buyers doorsteps, says — VC

T

HE Vice-Chancellor, Fed eral University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Prof. Adebiyi Daramola has said that the forthcoming Auto Fair and Workshop by the university is an avenue to bring brand new automobile products to the doorsteps of productive buyers in the South Western part of the country. The fair which is organised in partnership with a Lagos-based company Filkmou Ltd, is scheduled to hold from August 20 to 26, 2013, at the university ground.

The Vice-Chancellor who briefed the press recently on their preparedness to host the fair said that the event represented a new level of engagement between the university and the automobile industry in the country. He explained that the university was established in 1981 to give prominence to training in technology and applied sciences, and assist in ensuring rapid technological and industrial development in Nigeria.

According to him, the institution has grown to become the best university of technology in Nigeria by 2004 with seven

schools including school of postgraduate studies.

Accord to the Vice-Chancellor, the fair is a win-win programme for the university and the players in the auto industry in the sense that the university has a rich pool of intellectuals from which the Nigerian automobile industry could benefit and the university too, without doubt, would gain from the innovations in the industry.

“In addition, the participants from various sectors of the economy including, federal and states parastatals, agencies and corporations, corporate organisations, from the six surrounding states will be directly exposed to corporate patronage and direct purchase of automobile products on display.

It is also an avenue to bring brand new automobile products to the doorsteps of prospective buyers in this region,” he said.

Participants expected at the fair include all automobile brands and marketers in the country, automobile manufacturers and representatives, motorcycle dealers, oil and lubricant dealers, car accessories/ security dealers, etc.

The university is also targetting all students in various engineering and related departments in the school and other universities in neighbouring states in mechanical, material and metallurgical, industrial designs, computer and electronic engineering departments, with the workshop.

Others are, state governors in the South-South and SouthWest region as well as commissioners and directors of works and transport in the regions.

Chairmen and directors of transport in local government councils, federal and state government parastatals, agencies, corporations and international organisations are also being targeted with the fair.

The Vice-Chancellor, however, noted that the fair is focused on exposing participants to the importance and advantages of buying brand new vehicles, risks of purchasing used vehicles, cost effectiveness of purchasing new vehicles, initiate the modalities of purchasing new vehicles without financial stress, create awareness on the mechanism of brand new vehicles.

provides cargo services nationwide as well as haulage services for WAPCO-afarge,UNICEM, Nestle Waters, GZ Indus-

tries and Beta Glass, besides running third party warehousing and City Transit Inn, a budget hotel in Utako, Abuja.

Nissan named top Global Green Brand

N

ISSAN has been named one of the world’s greenest brands for 2013 in Interbrand’s third annual Best Global Green Brands report.

Noted for its leadership in zero emissions mobility with the Nissan Leaf 100 per cent electric vehicle, Nissan was ranked fifth place overall out of 50 brands that were selected. Nissan moved up 16 positions from its 2012 showing and was named the “top riser ” in this year’s report, which was released today by the leading brand consultant.

The Interbrand green brand report ranks brands based on a company’s environmental practices and customers’ perceptions.

Automotive brands took four of the top five positions. Reaching the top 10 in only its second year of being chosen for the Interbrand top green brands roster, Nissan rap-

idly improved on last year’s 21st place result.

Cited in this year’s report was the Nissan LEAF 100% electric vehicle’s positive effect on perceptions of the brand, and an array of ecofriendly actions such as plans to cut vehicle weight by 15 percent starting in 2017, and Nissan’s collaboration with Daimler and Ford for the development of fuel-cell cars to be launched by 2017.

Nissan aims to contribute proactively to the sustainable development of mobility and society while seeking profitable growth. Accordingly, one of the key pillars of Nissan’s corporate and environmental strategies is to maintain its leadership in electric vehicles. To that end, with over 65,000 100% electric Nissan LEAFs sold as of May 2013, it is the best-selling EV in history.

Lagos infrastructure renewal geared towards economic devt — LAMATA boss

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HE Lagos State Government is poised to bring development to all parts of the state to promote commerce, social wellbeing and economic development, Managing Director of Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), Dr. Dayo Mobereola has said.

Speaking at a stakeholder meeting before the flag-off of the rehabilitation of Lisabi-Apata Road, Shomolu, Dr. Mobereola said the state government knew the importance of good and motorable road to daily commute and business, hence the determination of government to ensure that all road infrastructure are put in proper state.

Dr. Mobereola who was represented at the ceremony by LAMATA’s Director of Road Maintenance and Traffic Management, Engr. Funsho Elulade, said government would continue to ensure judicious use of taxpayers money by providing amenities and infrastructure that best support their daily aspirations.

He called on the people of Shomolu to support the contractor to carry out the repair works by removing all unserviceable cars parked on the road as well as dissuade their youths from disturbing the contractor.

The work involves the repair

and reconstruction of weak drains/culverts, provision and construction of drain cover slabs to be used as walkways, provision, laying and compaction of 40mm thick asphaltic concrete over the entire length of the road, provision and installation of concrete kerbs and traffic safety measures (road marking).

In his speech, member representing Shomolu constituency I, Hon. Rotimi Emmanuel Olowo thanked the Lagos State Government and LAMATA for coming to Shomolu to rescue LisabiApata Road from further deterioration and pledged the support of the people to the contractor.

Chairman of the council, Olorogun Gbolahan Bago-Stowe warned miscreants from disturbing the contractor saying that anyone caught would be dealt with according to law.

Olorogun Bago-Stowe, who told the contractor that his doors were open for consultation or support at any time, also said that Community Development Association Chairmen, who were in attendance at the stakeholder meeting and made contributions on how to move the project forward as well as pledged their support, could be contacted whenever there was any challenge.

30—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013

Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State (left) receives Rev Musa Asake, General Secretary, Christian Association of Nigeria and Rt Rev Peter Imasuen (right) during a courtesy visit of the National Executive members of the Christian Association of Nigeria, to him in his office in Benin City, yesterday.

L-r: Mrs Ngozi Arah, President Dumnki Ventures; Mr. Kene Mbuba, Finance Director ,SC Johnson Wax Nig. Ltd; Mr. Kwame Wiafe, MD, SC Johnson Wax Nig Ltd; Mrs Funmilayo Adollo, MD, Tonia Enterprises, Mrs Onome Odili, Marketing Manager, SC Johnson Wax Nig Ltd; Mr Odi Arah, Chairman, Dumnki Vantures and Mr Dimeji Osinguwa, Sales Director , SC Johnson Wax Nig Ltd, during the unveiling of newlook Mr Muscle, Toilet Cleaner, at SC Johnson 2013 Customers Forum at Epe in Lagos. Photo: Diran Oshe

Group launches book on Saro-Wiwa

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HE Niger Delta Youth Movement, NDYM, Middle Belt Youth League, MBYL and Ogoni Solidarity Forum, OSF in collaboration with the Ogoni Economic Forum, OEF, said, yesterday, it was set to launch a book in honour of late Ken Saro Wiwa. The book launch is to be held in conjunction with his 72ndmemorial lecture in Lagos.

According to the Secretary, Middle Belt Youth League and Chairman of the planning and organizing committee, Engr. Kaspa Abah, the group is being influenced and motivated by the philosophy, moral fibre, ideals and principles of the Vietnamese proverb that says: “when eating the fruits, think of the person that planted the tree.”

Abah said: “The groups are organizing the programme as their own little way of remembering the person that planted the tree, from which minorities in particular and the world as a whole are benefitting today by remembering Ken Saro-Wiwa for the roles he played in the libration, embellishment and enhancement of image, politicalethnic status of the minorities in Nigeria, whether in the North or the South of the country, and in particular in protecting the world environment as a human rights and environmental activist. He did all these using Ogoniland through the platform of MOSOP as a case for study; as a model and example.”

The event, earlier scheduled to hold on July 30, 2013 at the International Institute International Affairs, Lagos will now hold on August 27, 2013 at the same venue.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013— 31

C M Y K

32 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013

Lagos Sheraton Hotel: A top Lagos hospitality concern

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HE Lagos State Govern ment is to tighten the noose around indiscriminate establishment of hotels in the state.

Also, those who use hotels, restaurants, event centres and the likes will soon be required to pay consumption charges on facilities and purchases.

Infact, many unviable leisure centres will have to close down as stiff registration and maintenance fees will now be charged.

Although Vanguard could not ascertain what the new fees will be at the weekend, but reliable sources hinted that the Commissioner for Tourism and Intergovernmental Relations, Mr Disu Holloway, will soon present the new tariff to the state Executive Council towards the generation of an executive bill for consideration by the State House of Assembly.

The new stance resulted from a ruling by panel of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, led

Lagos shifts attention to revenue from consumption tax, hotels * As S’Court strips NTDC of powers

by Justice Suleiman Galadima, which at the weekend unanimously declared that it was only state Houses of Assembly that could make laws on tourism or licensing and grading of hotels and other hospitality establishments, such as restaurants and fast food outlets.

The court said the 1999 Constitution only empowered the National Assembly to regulate tourists traffic, “a term which does not include hotels grading and licencing“.

It validated both the Hotel Licencing Law of Lagos State (as amended), and Hotel Occupancy and Consumption

,

BY DOTUN IBIWOYE

This is a landmark judgment and we commend the Supreme Court for upholding the tenets of true federalism

Law, declaring as null and void the conflicting sections of the Nigerian Tourism Development Commission, NTDC, Act. Meantime, the Lagos State Government has commended the Supreme Court judgment which stripped the NTDC of

,

powers to regulate hotel operations in the state.

The verdict has been commended by Mr Disu Holloway.

He said the verdict vindicated the consistent position of the state government that the grading and licensing of hotels

were exclusive responsibilities of the state, adding that it was a “victory for true federalism“.

“This is a landmark judgment and we commend the Supreme Court for upholding the tenets of true federalism.

“It is our expectation that this judgment will eradicate multiplicity of taxation and regulation, thereby enabling the states to take charge and plan for the hospitality industry in their respective territories,’’ he said The state government and the Federal Government, through the NTDC, had been embroiled in controversy over the question of authority to license and grade hotel establishments.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013

— 33

Breadfruit market re-opens 8 months after inferno * Traders face tough time returning

BY MONSURU OLOWOOPEJO

E

Euroasia Plaza: During the inferno

...after re-opening The situation resulted in both parties setting up regulation and registration structures for the state‘s hospitality industry.

Lagos Consumption Tax

H

otel Occupancy and Restaurant Consumption Law is a law enacted by the Lagos State House of Assembly which imposes tax on goods and services consumed in Hotels, Facility or Event Centers within the territory of Lagos State. It imposes on any person, Corporate or otherwise who pays for the use or possession of any hotel, facility or event centre; or purchases of consumable

goods or service in any restaurant whether or not located within a hotel in Lagos State. The rate of tax imposed by the law is five

percent of the total bill issued to the customer excluding Value Added Tax and Service Charge.

ight months after the popular Breadfruit market, Lagos Island Local Government, was gutted by fire, it has been reopened for trading but the traders are finding it increasingly difficult to resume at their former stalls.

The reopening, which was announced by the office of the Central Business District, CBD, through the Special Adviser, Mrs. Derin Disu after a meeting with the traders with conditions which include: non-conversion of access roads into trading locations, No Sunday trading and others Fire razed Euroasia Plaza, a five-storey building located at 10/ 11 Breadfruit Street, housing the stalls and a branch of a commercial bank, on October 27, 2012, prompting the state government to order its immediate closure.

When Vanguard visited the market, it was gathered that the building owned by St. Paul Catholic Church had been cordoned to allow full commencement of business activities.

Traders’ union boss react The chairman of Traders’ Union, Mr. Arinze Ugonabo told Vanguard that the more than 1, 000 traders heaved a sigh of relief when the market was finally reopened after months of plea to the state government.

Ugonabo said: “We feel relieved with the reopening of the place.

We are happy and we appreciate the effort of the Special Adviser to the governor on CBD, Mrs. Derin Disu for listening to our plea.

“But the over eight months was a very traumatic time for the traders.

Our members are yet to recover from the loss because for over eight months, the market premises were unable to serve its purpose.

It was painful that the fire

occurred at that time. And the building owned by Saint Paul Church, was affected.”

On the conditions

According to the Ugonabo, “The officials of the CBD sent a message to the executives of the market saying they had found the solution to the problem “After the discussions, the conditions for the re-opening were read out and we accepted them.”

We lost millions daily – Traders

Vanguard gathered that the traders lost over N1 billion during the closure.

The traders lamented that the more than eight months closure crippled the economic activities in the area, saying “larger percent of their customers were still unaware of the re-opening of the market.

Ugonabo however said that the estimate fell short of the huge loss suffered by the traders daily.

According to him, “due to the huge number of the traders and businesses involved no one can give accurate amount lost.

Compensation plea Ugonabo, while pleading with the state government said: “We are hoping that the state will come to our aid and give some kind of compensation to the traders who were massively affected by the closure.

“They should also help us speak with the landlords and our commercial banks. At present, some of our traders are battling to retain their stalls which were very unfortunate. But we are hopeful that the government will come in and help assist the traders return to their formal state. Some of them that couldn’t afford to pay the nine month rent to their landlords are now evicted from their stalls.”

FG’s suit against Lagos T

he Attorney –General of the Federation, Mr. Bello Adoke (SAN), filed a suit at the Supreme Court, in September 2010, restraining Lagos State Government from implementing the Lagos Hotel Licensing Law, CAP H6 2003, the Hotel occupancy and Restaurant Consumption Law NO 30 Volume 42 of Lagos State official gazette of June 23, 2009 and the Hotel Licensing

(Amendment) law NO23, Volume 43, Lagos State official gazette of July 20, 2010.

In the originating summon, emanating from Supreme Court of Nigeria, issued on August 30, 2010, the Federal Government sought a declaration that the legislation was in conflict with the provisions of Section 4(2)(d) of the Nigerian Tourism Development Act 1992, a law

enacted by the National Assembly and are therefore invalid, being inconsistent with the provisions of Section 4(2)(3), item 60 (d) part1 of the second schedule to the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 and to that effect null and void and of no effect whatsoever.

The Federal Government also asked for a perpetual injunction restraining Lagos State Government either by

itself, its agents, privies, servants, representatives or anybody whosoever acting on its behalf from further promulgating, passing into law, enacting or legislating upon issues or any matters relating to the licensing regulation, classification and grading of tourism related establishment and from enforcing in any manner or way through itself or any of its agencies.

34

— Vanguard , TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013

Vanguard , TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013 — 35

36—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013

Tension as chiefs demand installation of Bini Catholic Bishop

DPM backs Obielum

BY FESTUS AHON

U

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

GHELLI—DELTA Progressive Movement, DPM, Ughelli North Local Government Area chapter, Delta State, has appealed to ward leaders of Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, in the state to support the 2015 gubernatorial aspiration of Chief Godswill Obielum.

Coordinator of DPM in the area, Chief Johnbull Ekama in OfuomaUghelli, said: “Obielum has been very consistent in his gubernatorial pursuit since 2007.

“That is where he has comparative advantage over all others in service delivery to the people of the state.

“He knows the people and the people know him. We must all queue behind Obielum. That is the only way our political efforts as party faithful will pay off in 2015.”

B

ENIN—TENSION heightened at Benin Catholic Archdiocese, Edo State, weekend, following the call for the removal of the Catholic Archbishop, Bishop Augustine Akubueze by the Iyase of Benin Kingdom, Chief Sam Igbe and few Benin priests.

They based their call on what they described as the refusal of the “indigenisation of worship process” in Catholic churches in Benin by the Bishop.

It will be recalled that few Benin priests had called for the removal of the Bishop last week, alleging that he flooded the Diocese with Igbo priests and was implementing antiBenin policies.

However, former Senate Chief Whip, Senator Rowland Owie and a Benin Priest, Pama Ikponmwonsa, disagreed and described the call as ungodly, retrogressive and diversionary, saying “Bini don’t forbid visi-

tors and this is purely a religious matter and has nothing to do with tribe.”

Senator Owie said: “Let any one of them challenge me to a public debate on the stewardship of Archbishop Akubueze since his arrival.

“Apart from Bishop Gbuji, the evangelistic efforts of Akubueze in Edo South, which is the Archdiocese of Benin, is unprecedented in the Catholic Church. We should learn to give honour to whom honour is due to.”

However, Chief Igbe, who was flanked by other Benin Chiefs,

Bayelsa teachers abandon classroom for NYSC members

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

Y

ENAGOA—TROUBLED by reported absence of teachers from schools in Bayelsa State, especially in the riverine communities, Bayelsa State

Reconcile with Jonathan, NYPAP urges Amaechi

BY EMMA AMAIZE

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ORT HARCOURT— NIGER-DELTA Youth for Positive Attitude and Progress, NYPAP, has appealed to Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State to settle his differences with President Goodluck Jonathan before people of the

region would begin to see him as an enemy, ahead of 2015.

President of the youth body, Mr. Emmanuel Enisuo, in a statement, said: “We advise our brother, Governor Amaechi, to bury the hatchet if he is not being used by the enemies of Niger Delta to truncate the dreams and aspiration of the

Niger Delta people.

“We beg him to make peace with Mr. President so as not to be seen as an enemy of the Niger Delta people. We hereby, advise the Niger Delta youths to resist being used by politicians to work against the interest of the region and its unborn generation.”

... as Eagle Watch condemns Rivers' crisis

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political pressure group, Eagle Watch for Good Governance, has criticised the political crisis in Rivers State and called on police authorities to invite the lawmakers in the state to explain their roles in the fracas.

The group, in a statement by Mr. Kwalekeme Cletus, National President, said: “Members of the House used their physical strength to enhance their political aspirations.”

The group said that the Commissioner of Police should be

accused the archbishop of doing things contrary to the Papal policy of promoting indigenous language and customs of the people.

He said that the use of local languages would, the Roman Catholic Church leadership believed, lead to wining more converts to the church.

Speaking on behalf of the Edo Liturgical Group, the Iyase said that there was a deliberate attempt to scheme Bini-speaking priests out of things by deliberately sending them abroad in the guise of training and replacing them with Igbo priests.

urged to give a detailed security brief on the issue, up to the point when the fracas started.

It advised the two factional leaders of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state to stop further hostility until the outcome of the investigation.

Government has called on Bayelsans to report all such erring tutors.

Most teachers posted to schools in the hinterland of Bayelsa State hardly stay at their stations, leaving National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, members posted to such schools to do the bulk of the academic work.

Consequently, the government has provided two hot lines for Bayelsans to report all such teachers found wanting in the discharge of their duties.

The measure, according to a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, was part of efforts aimed at ensuring the implementation and proper delivery of the government’s restoration programme in the educational sector.

He said: “Bayelsans in all parts of the state have been urged to report classroom teachers, who absent themselves from duty for appropriate disciplinary action henceforth.”

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PEAKER of Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Victor Ochei, has said that education is the only durable legacy parents could leave for children.

He spoke at the finals of the first edition of Hannatu Ochei Delta Spelling Bee contest.

Ochei said: “My late father used to tell me that the only durable legacy that can be bequeathed to an offspring is education, because education instils high tensile confidence in an individual.”

Meanwhile, Christabel Ogbeide, a 14-year-old orphan, emerged as one of the winners in the competition, which earned her full scholarship courtesy of Victor Ochei Foundation.

Mrs Hannatu Ochei said the spelling bee was organised out of the need to position students for greater challenges.

Installation

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HARLES Anyasi, journalists and creative artist, has been installed as Obi Charles Anyasi III of IdumujeUnor in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State.

He succeeded his father, Obi James Anyasi II, who passed on in April.

He was the longest reigning traditional ruler in Nigeria and second longest reigning monarch in the world.

Chief Chris Biose, OdeUri of Idumuje-Unor, on behalf of Obi-in-council, confirmed the installation to newsmen, weekend.

By Bartholomew Madukwe

PEOPLE SPEAK

08102479985

Education, only durable legacy — Ochei

(nwamad@yahoo.com)

Should universities be given autonomy?

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F course! Let the university handle its issues. There is so much unnecessary interference in the running of Nigerian institutions. They should leave universities alone, since they have failed in managing them well.— Miss Josephine Agina, Student.

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IGERIAN universities should be allowed to run their administrative structures and come up with their curricula. This will encourage effective learning and research and also promote community service.— Miss Chukwujiuba Ogechi, Student.

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IGERIAN education system will only improve when universities become autonomous.

The country’s university system is currently at crossroads, and I pray for God to deliver us from this mess.— Miss Thelma Onwughara, Student

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ELL, it is just like ASUP that said they don’t want government to appoint rectors. That means that there is problem in the educational system. But I won’t say government should totally hands-off higher institutions.— Mr. Opoke Onyekachi, Student.

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HE university amendment bill that was signed in 2003 gives autonomy to university councils in the appointment of university administrators, including the vice-chancellors and deputy vice-chancellors.

But there is no implementation.—Miss Adebola Adesida, Student.

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N my opinion, the issue of appointment and promotion that have been on hold by the government would have been easily handled by the universities, if they were allowed to run their affairs without interference. So let universities have autonomy.— Mr. Abichele John, Student.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013 — 37

We won’t fight opponents of Jonathan’s 2nd term bid —Ijaw elders

BY SAMUELOYADONGHA

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ENAGOA—ELDERS of the Ijaw ethnic nationality under the auspices of Ijaw National Congress, INC, weekend in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, said that the Ijaw would not tow the path of violence against perceived opposition in their push for the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.

Though the elders described as provocative, the spate of abusive and derogatory words against the President by the opposition, they nonetheless resolved that reaching out to the other ethnic nationalities in the country would give the South South a second chance.

The Ijaw elders made their position known during an interactive session convened by the Bayelsa State Commissioner for Culture and Ijaw National Affairs, Dr. Felix Tuodolo in Yenagoa.

They resolved to lead a delegation to meet with the Arewa Consultative Forum, Ohanaeze Ndigbo and the Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC, to ensure a safer and more acceptable decision for the re-election of Jonathan.

The meeting which had in attendance prominent Ijaw elders, including Chief Francis Doukpola, Mr. Joseph Asseh, Chief Thompson Okorotie, Professor K. Alagoa, Prof. Nelson Brambaifa, Prof. Francis Sikoki, Sir Patrick Erasmus, Chief Tam Mitin, Mr. Denzel Kentebe, Chief Augustine Lugbenwei and the Vice President of Ijaw National Congress,

Ikwerre youths ask Jonathan to mediate Amaechi, Wike face off

BY JIMITOTAONOYUME

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ORT HARCOURT— PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has been urged to intervene in the face off between Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State and the Minister of State for Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike.

Making the appeal, President General, Ikwerre Youth Congress World Wide, IYC, Mr. Chinedum Smith, said that the governor and the minister should also sheathe their swords for the sake of peace.

He said it was sad that the two leaders, who hail from Ikwerre ethnic nationality were locked in a fierce political battle, adding that President Jonathan should help resolve the problems between them.

He said: “We sincerely appeal to the President to please call our big brothers for a dialogue and proper settlement. We know that our father and brother, Dr Jonathan will do this and bring this crisis to a stop.”

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INC, Mr. Austin Ambaowei among others, said: “The INC leadership will network with other regions to ensure a safe course for our son in 2015.”

Doukpola and Okorotie insisted that though the good performance of Jonathan was noticeable in spite of tirades of at-

tacks on his person and administration, the struggle for his re-election should start with the Ijaw leaders reaching out to friends in the North and the South West.

Doukpola said: “The Ijaw nation is not going to war with any region over 2015. We will get the second term for the President not

by fighting but with dialogue and diplomacy.”

The meeting also stressed the need for the leadership of INC to join the security agencies and governors of the South South zone in the campaign against the rising cases of sea piracy and crude oil theft.

SIGNING: From right: First Lady, Dame Patience Goodluck Jonathan, signing the Itu Golden Book in Geneva, Switzerland, during her investiture as the Itu Child On-line Protection Champion; Itu Secretary General, Hamadoun Toure; Nigerian Ambassador to Switzerland, Fidelia Njeze and Nigerian Permanent Representative to the United Nations, UN, in Geneva, Umunna Orjiako.

Edo PDP alleges fraud in purchase of cars for LG chairmen

BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

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ENIN—EDO State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has described as fraudulent, the purchase of Prado Jeep for the 18 chairmen of the local government areas in the state by the state government.

State chairman of the party, Chief Dan Orbih, in a statement in Benin, said that the Edo State Government, recently asked the council chairmen to remit the sum of N18 million each for the purchase of the jeeps, asking, “when did the state government

became the transport officers for the councils?

“Nowhere in the world is a Prado Jeep sold for N18 million.

We are aware that the car is sold for between N9 and N11 million and good discounts are given for bulk purchase. We call on the state government to refund the balance of the money for the development of the councils. We also call on the National Assembly to take a second look at the Local Government Autonomy Bill so as to save the councils from the governors,” Orbih said.

But reacting to the allegation, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Chief Lucky James and Special Adviser to Governor Adams Oshiuomhole (Media Affairs) Prince Kassim Afegbua, said the allegation was untrue as the state government had no hand in the purchase of the Prado jeeps.

James said: “There is no truth in the allegation. Each local government area bought its jeep, the government had nothing to do with it.”

Crisis: Itsekiri youths want permanent military post in Gbokoda

BY EMMAARUBI ARRI—INDIGENES of Itsekiri communities in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State, recently razed by Ijaw militia, have called on relevant authorities to station a permanent military post in Gbokoda community to check further attacks by the hoodlums.

The communities also called on the Egbema Radical Group, ERG, to desist from further attacks on their com-

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munities and adopt peaceful approach to resolving issues instead adopting violence and calling the amnesty programme of the Federal Government to question.

In a letter addressed to Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan on behalf of Concerned Olero Communities Indigenes, Mr. Paul Esiegbuta and others, maintained that with the amnesty programme in place, the issue of marginaliasation of the Ijaw was now out of the ques-

tion, adding that the chairmanship of the council was an election matter.

Calling on the Federal and State Governments to urgently commence the re-building of destroyed houses in the affected communities, they demanded for adequate compensation paid the victims. They also want government to send emergency relief agencies to the affected areas to help cushion the sufferings of affected persons in Olero communities.

Delta DPP faction asks members to wait on merger directive

BY FESTUS AHON

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GHELLI—LEADERSHIP of Democratic People’s Party, DPP, in Isoko North and South Local Government Areas, Delta State, has asked its members not to move to any party in view of the expected merger until there was a directive from the Chief Tony Ezeaguled faction of the party in the state.

The party in a statement by its chairmen in Isoko North and South Local Government Areas, Mr. Sunday Agese and Mr. Ito Luguard respectively said: “DPP in Isoko has directed her teeming members not to join any other political party, registered or not.

“You are advised to wait until a proper directive is received from the national headquarters of the DPP via the Ezeagu-led Delta State executive, whether or not DPP will stand alone, merge or enter into alliance with other political parties ahead of the 2015 elections.”

Burutu LG boss lauded on projects

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OMADI—THE Commissioner for Local Government Affairs in Delta State, Mr. Newworld Safugha, has commended the Transition Committee Chairman of Burutu Local Government Area, Navy Capt. Deinne Buckaman (rtd), and his executive for projects executed under the Subsidy Re-investment and Empowerment Programme, SURE-P, across the council.

Safugha in Bututu, during his project inspection visit to the area, said that he was satisfied with what he saw on ground and urged the chairman to continue with same.

He also expressed delight over the council’s resolve to key into the state government’s “Delta Beyond Oil” initiative through the council’s focus on agriculture, and urged him to maintain the pace in delivering the dividends of democracy to his people.

38—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013

Amaechi, South-East Govs to grace Ndigbo confab in Germany

We won't allow politicians hijack Ohanaeze — Ngwu

BY TONY EDIKE

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NUGU—NEW chairman of Ohanaeze-Ndigbo in Enugu North local government area, Chief Ebenezer Ngwu, has declared that no politician would be allowed to hijack the pan-Igbo socio-cultural organisation.

Ngwu, who made the declaration at Enugu North local government secretariat after inauguration of his executive, warned that whoever wanted to hijack Ohanaeze should hijack the Igbo race first.

He said: “As officers of the organisation, whatever they say, they are representing Ndigbo”.

Ngwu maintained that the issue of a politician hijacking Ohanaeze should not arise as majority of the people who belong to the organisation in Enugu North were not members of any political party.

He added that: “We are now disciples of Igbo race. We will now go into the hinterland, overseas and other parts of the country to let Igbos know that we must come back and maintain our culture and teach our children how to do things like Igbos”.

US-based Nigerian named Physician of the Year

S AWARD—From left: Dr. Nino Ozaro, Production Director, Honeywell Flour Mills Plc; Mr.Babatunde Odunayo, Executive Vice Chairman; Mr. Benson Evbuomwhan, Marketing Director, Honeywell Flour Mills Plc, and Mr Rotimi Fadipe, Director, Logistics & Supplies, at the certificate award ceremony of Honeywell Flour Mills Baking School Course 22, at Honeywell Flour Mills office, Tin-can, Apapa, Lagos.

Obi calls for review of revenue allocation formula

BY VINCENT UJUMADU WKA—ANAMBRA State governor, Mr. Peter Obi, has called for a review of the revenue allocation formula, arguing that the formula put in place by the military government in 1992 was overdue for a retouch.

Receiving members of the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, led by Federal Commissioner representing Anambra State in the

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commission, Mr. Nnamdi Ekweogwu, who spoke through the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Mr. Oseloka Obaze, observed that the allocation needed to recognize the place and context of the nation’s federating units.

According to him, after more than 21 years of its operation, the extant allocation formula needs to be reviewed with clear benchmarks put in place Governor Obi suggested, for instance, that amongst other

reforms, funds meant for the maintenance of federal highways should be disbursed directly to the states, so that state authorities could take charge of maintaining their portions of federal highways.

He urged the commission to heed the call of putting in place a new 40-40-20 percent formula for the federal, state and local governments respectively.

According to him, this will ensure even development in the country.

Group wants law on protection of physically challenged persons

BY SEBASTINE OBASI

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.S-based National Medical Association, NMA, has selected a Nigerian, Prof.

Samuel Dagogo–Jack, as the NMA Internal Medicine Section Physician of the year Dagogo-Jack, a Professor of Medicine and Director, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, and Director, Clinical Research Centre at the University of Tennessee Health Science Centre, Memphis, U.S.A., was selected based on his work in pathology of prediabetes and diabetes.

The letter conveying his selection read: “You have been selected to receive this honour based on your work and research in pathology of pre-diabetes and diabetes and your continued dedication to the NMA Internal Medicine Section.

“We would like to honour you during our annual NMA 2018 Convention and Scientific Assembly in Toronto, Canada, at our Internal Medicine Section dinner on Sunday evening, July 28, 2013.”

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BY CHINENYEH OZOR

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HE Legal Aid Self Development Initiative, LASEDI, has asked the National Assembly to enact an Act to ensure full integration of persons with disabilities through a National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, NACOMPED. Executive Secretary of LASEDI, Mr Ifeanyichukwu Mamah, made the call in a statement in Enugu yesterday.

Mamah also suggested that the proposed Act of the National Assembly should vest the responsibilities for the health care and protection of the social, economic and civil rights of persons with disabilities on NACOMPED. This was contained in a statement entitled: "The governments’ recurrent neglect of the physically challenged persons in Nigeria."

LASEDI’s recommendations came against the backdrop of the demonstration by physically challenged persons in Delta State over alleged neglect by the

authorities.

The statement said: "We wish to use this medium to condemn the unfair treatment of persons living with disabilities in the country by both the local governments, states and federal governments.

"A case in point was the incident which took place on July 9, 2013, in Delta State. The various governments should not have allowed the fortunes of the physically challenged in Delta State to degenerate to a point where they embark on demonstrations by blocking Asaba axis of the BeninOnitsha expressway.

“The demonstration was their last option in getting the attention of the government to their plights.

"The state governments owe Nigerians explanations on reasons why persons living with disabilities are not being catered for in the midst of plenty.

“The bone of contention here is the failure, refusal and or neglect by the governments to

provide free health services to these special Nigerians. It is terrible that these helpless citizens of our country lost five members forcing them to resort to demonstration".

OUTH EAST governors have indicated interest to attend the first Ndigbo international conference in Hamburg, Germany, on August 18, 2013.

The governors include Sullivan Chime of Enugu State; Thoedore Orji of Abia State; Peter Obi of Anambra State; Owelle Rochas Okorocha of Imo State; Martin Elechi of Ebonyi State and Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State, the only South-South governor attending the parley.

The conference being organised by the German chapter of Igbozurume, a pan-Igbo group led by Chief Achuzia, will also have Ndigbo from across various parts of the globe in attendance to discuss matters concerning Ndigbo.

Chairman, Igbozurume Germany, Ambassador John Bosco Onyeke said: “We have been seeking to organise our people to brainstorm on what it really means to be Igbo from the German perspective and we thank God that the time has come for the first Ndigbo conference in Germany.

“The chief host of the conference is Eze Peter Godwin, Eze Ndigbo of Germany, who is our grand patron. I am very grateful to Chief Achuzia for embarking on mobilization of the world to the conference".

Onitsha landlords sue Obi, IG, others for N3.5bn

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BY VINCENT UJUMADU

WKA—SOME landlords in the commercial city of Onitsha, Anambra State, have sued the state governor, Mr. Peter Obi, Inspector General of Police, IGP, Mohammed Abubakar, Nigerian Army and others for N3.5 billion, over alleged forceful closure of their business premises without recourse to a pending case in court.

The amount, they said, was special and general damages for trespass and loss of income, as well as damage to the buildings and structures caused by the

security agents.

The houses, located on William street, Nwokedi street, First Bank road, Venn road North and their environs in Onitsha North local government area had until recently, served as the building materials section in Onitsha before the state government relocated them to the building materials market at Ogbunike, which the traders rebuffed.

Following what they described as frequent harassment by security agents, tenants operating in the said premises, in suit No FHW/AWK/CS/160/2010, took the defendants to court to protect their fundamental rights.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013—39

CONTRACT: From left, Prince Damola Aderemi, legal adviser, AOE Events Entertainment Limited; Chief Nike Oshinowo, Chief Executive and Creative Director; Mr. Chris Ndulue, MD, Arik Air, and Mr. Trevor Henry, Associate Vice President, Global Sales and Distribution, during the contract ceremony making Arik official airline for Nigeria's Centenary Pageant organiser, AOE Events and Entertainment Ltd, at Arik Airline Office, Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Lamidi Bamdiele

FORUM: From left, Deputy Controller, Nigerian Customs Service, Mr. Abber Benjamin; Assistant Superintendent, Nigerian Customs Service, Egwunyenga Isioma; MD, GTBank, Mr. Segun Agbaje, and Assistant Superintendent, Nigerian Customs Service, Abba Suleiman, during the 2013 GTBank Settlement Forum, in Lagos.

VISIT: Dr. Modupe Ajayi, Registrar, in handshake with Mr. Dimeji VISIT: MD, Mouka Limited, Mrs. Peju Adebajo (middle); Chief Operating OfOwofemi, CEO, MultiTrex Integrated Foods Plc, during a visit to the ficer, Mouka Limited, Mr. Jerome Ernstzen (2nd right), and a team of Internacompany as part of the preparation for the fifth FUTA Registry Annual tional Finance Corporation (IFC) executives, during a courtesy visit by IFC to Lecture, Conference and Workshop, holding between today and ThursMouka Limited, at the Head Office, Ikeja, Lagos. day, with Mr. Owofemi as guest lecturer on, ‘Higher Education and the Industry: Critical Perspectives'

AWARD: From left, Mr. Segun Ayankogbe, proprietor of Primrose Children School, giving Neatness Award to Toluwalase Ogunleye in Basic Six, and Mr. Ojo Ogunleye, Internal Auditor, Vanguard, during 2012/2013 end of the session Graduation/ Prize Giving Ceremony, in Lagos. Photo:Akeem Salau.

INSTRUCTION: From left, Mr. Olawale Obadeyi, E.D., Marketing Mix & Co Ltd; Chioma Alonge, Brand Manager, Veleta Fruit Wine; Mr. Akintayo Akinseloyin, Brand Manager, Action Bitters; Justina Oputa, Salsa Dance Instructor; Mr. Lewis Michael, Salsa Dance Instructor, during Veleta Salsa Dance Class, at Prince of Anthony Hotel, Lagos.

Photo: Diran Oshe

ANNIVERSARY: Pastor Ituah Ighodalo (centre), flanked by Pastor Niyi Akenzua (right) and Mr. Olu Victor, at the family fun fair entitled, 'Forever Thanking Our Great God,' organised byTrinity House, to mark the 3rd anniversary of the church at their premises, on Victoria Island, Lagos, weekend. Photo: Biodun Ogunleye

FUNERAL: From left, Rev. Gamaliel Omonijo, husband of the deceased; Mr. Bolade Omonijo, Mrs. Ayobami Omonijo and other children, during the funeral service of the late Mrs. Olanike Omonijo, at the St. Peter's Church, Isona, Ilesa, Osun State, weekend.

GRADUATION: From left, Executive Director, Falcon Petroleum Limited, Mrs. Audrey Joe-Ezigbo; MD, Prof. Joseph Ezigbo; His Royal Majesty, the Ayangburen of Ikorodu, Oba Salaudeen Oyefusi, and Lagos State Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Engr. Taofiq Tijani, at the graduation ceremony for beneficiaries of Falcon’s Corporate Social Responsibility Vocational Skills Acquisition & Women Empowerment Programme, in Lagos. Photo: Akeem Salau

40—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013

APM Terminals workers resume operations

By KELECHI AZUBUIKE

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ORKERS of APM Terminals, the largest container terminal in West Africa, have resumed operations following agreement between the management of the company and leaders of Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN. Both the management APM terminals and Leaders of MWUN confirmed the resumption.

However, the management in a statement by its spokesman, Bolaji Akinola, denied accusation by the union that APMT was treating Nigerian workers as sub-human and infringed on their rights at will, saying such claims were unsubstantiated and “is not only a wicked lie but is bogus and lacking in substance.”

According to the statement said “It is unfortunate that the union has taken it upon itself to want to ruin the reputation of a company that is known to have transformed operation in Nigerian ports. The industrial action is not because we don’t treat our workers well.

It was simply over negotiation of wages."

1.15m girls targetted in 8-year education project

BY SUZAN EDEH

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AUCHI—AN eight year project known as the Girls Education in Northern Nigeria phase 3, GEP, is targeting 1,150,000 girls to access basic education in five northern states, even as donor partners have threatened to withdraw counterpart funding because of lack of state governments commitment.

The project which is funded by Department for International Development, DFID, and managed by UNICEF, is being implemented in five northern states of Bauchi, Ni-

ger, Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara.

It is expected to last between May 2012 and April 2020.

The project is aimed at addressing problems associated with poor enrolment of girls in schools, gender disparity and inequality as well as improving the quality of teaching in schools.

A UNICEF Education Officer, Tukur Yabo, made this position known during a twoday orientation meeting for media professionals from UNICEF C and D Field Offices in five implementing states of Girls Education

Project, GEP, in Minna, Niger State.

He said the rate of children particularly girls that were out of school in the country remained one of the highest in the world, while the northern part of the country was still very high, hence the need for the implementation of the girls’child education project in the five northern states.

According to him, the phase one and two of the project started from 2005-2012 and it recorded tremendous successes because female enrollment in the five northern states of Bauchi, Katsina,Niger and sokoto, increased by 488,000.

TELECOMS MASTS:

NATCOMS raises alarm over NAMA's threat

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HE National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers, NATCOMS, has raised an alarm over the plan by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, to dismantle telecommunications masts across the country.

NATCOMS said in a statement by its national president, Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, that the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, has given a four week ultimatum to owners of telecommunications masts at several locations across Nigeria to dismantle them or face sanctions.

The statement said that NAMA, citing the inherent danger posed by such structures to air navigation in Nigeria, has gone ahead to engage the services of a company named Seas Electrical and Computer Services Limited to effect the dismantling of affected masts at the expiration of the ultimatum.

L-r: Commandant, Air Force Institute of Technology, Kaduna, Air Vice Marshal John Olusola Oshoniyi, with the PRO of the institute, Sqrn Ldr Emmanuel T. Iheoma at the press conference for the 42nd graduation ceremony of the institute in Kaduna, yesterday. Photo: Olu Ajayi.

Army winning war against terrorism—GOC

BY PETER DURU

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AKURDI—The Gener al Officer Commanding, GOC, 82 Division of the Nigerian Army in Enugu, Major General Adebayo Olaniyi, weekend, said that the Nigerian military and other security agencies were winning the war against terrorists and insurgency in parts of the northern states.

Olaniyi who spoke to newsmen in Makurdi at the end of the Nigeria Army Combat Support Arms Training Week 2013, observed that security issues were a global phenomenon and not peculiar to Nigeria assuring that the military and other security agencies were tackling it appropriately.

He said: “We are actually winning the war against terrorists and their acts in our country. If

you closely observe, the rate of bomb throwing and armed attacks by the insurgents in the last three months has drastically reduced as compared to days before the declaration of state of emergency in the affected states. All we need to do is to ensure the constant training of our officers and men and in no time we’ll get there. We must, however, also note that terrorism is not something you will attack and relax. That is why we have continued to train harder than we used to, but I must also point out that security is everybody’s business, the public should always avail security and military personnel the necessary information that will aid our operations.”

The GOC who spoke on the new device developed by the Signal Corps of the Nigeria

Army, to detect armed insurgents within four to five kilometres radius, said the invention was a major breakthrough in the military’s onslaught against terrorists in the country.

While soliciting for cooperation between the military and the civil populace, Olaniyi said, the “the army has already embarked on medical outreach programmes, construction of water projects and other community based services in order to sustain a healthy relationship with the civil populace.”

On the concluded Nigeria Army Combat Support Arms Training Week, he stressed that the training had further broaden the knowledge of officers on various issues that would help them enhance their professional responsibilities.

RAMAD AN TALKS RAMADAN

Your relationship with the Qur’an

BY ISHOLA-HAROON BALOGUN

As_salam Alaikum waramotullai, wa barakatuh!

E are moving to the first half of Ramadan, some Muslims do not have any relationship with the Qur’an. This is the month in which the Holy Qur’an was revealed. It is very necessary to reflect over the chapters of the Qur’an, read, digest it, and let it live with you.

Given the state of most Muslims today, with the pressure of work, businesses, and ways of making ends meet for a jolly Ramadan, little time is given to recitation of the Qur’an.

I won’t regale you with all the narrations about how much the companions of the Prophet used to recite the Qur ’an during Ramadan, both in salat and tilawah.

Even if we can not do as they did as a result of our inability to have cultivated the habit before Ramadan, we can still do more than what we have done.

Make sure you recite at least 20 pages of the Qur’an daily. If you are slow in your recitation and for the purpose of internalising the meaning, you can at least read four pages in a day.

For those who are already in the habit of reading the Qur’an every Ramadan, try and make sure to complete the entire Qur ’an, if you have not been doing so in the past. Also, take this as an opportunity to get into the habit of reading the Qur ’an daily even when Ramadan is over. If you have not been reading the Qur’an during Ramadan in the past, then decide how much time you can reasonably take out of your schedule to read Qur’an on a daily basis.

Don’t push yourself to do too much, otherwise you’ll end up right back where you started: not reading it at all.

Also remember, “The most beloved deeds to Allah are those done regularly, even if they are small.”

Therefore, it’s very important that you make a Ramadan schedule that you can stick to. It is not too late, the last two weeks of Ramadan can still earn you fantastic rewards, you can still make up for the lost two weeks in ibadah. we must devote ourselves to studying the Qur’an outside of prayer as well .

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VANGUARD, TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013—41

Why Appeal Court freed Al-Mustapha & Co Continued from yesterday

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IST of Exhibits are seen at page 6 of the Record of Appeal Vol. 1, but none was tendered, except the statement of the Appellant - Exhibits A3 and.A4.

PWl, did say in his statement to the Police Exhibit AI, that he was told to identify the corpse of the deceased before post mortem examination which he did. He did say that one Dr. Gbolahan Adebule came to him with blood soaked hands. He said it was the blood of the deceased. However, these two piece of evidence was not told to Court by way of evidence. Why did PWI not testify to these facts in Court?

PW2inhistestimonysaiditwasa504station wagon given by Dodan Barracks that was used on that fateful day. PW3 M. Abdul alias Katako, a driver, said he drove the car on the day of the murder, and that it was PW2 that pulled the trigger.

Conspiracy cannot be established from mere conjecture, elicited from inadmissible statements.

Evidence of Keyano Gadzama was consistent with the fact that the Appellant did not commit the crime, and could not have, for that matter.

PW2 and PW3 both said they were coerced into making their respective statements. The statements were allegedly dictated to them.

The direct oral evidence of PW2 and PW3, the statements in Exhibits A3 and D1-5, the uncompleted testimony of PW4 leaves much to be desired.

This is because to prove conspiracy, which is a criminaloffence,the onus of proof remains, and indeed the degree of it. It is one that must be prover! beyond reasonable doubt. fhere must be a chain of causation which must not be broken.

Now, PW1 did say that the bullet extracted from the deceased head was taken away by the Police. It was never tendered in Court. It was a special bullet. No ballistician report as to the type of bullet was produced. Was it a special bullet or a regular one? These questions are yet left unanswered by the Prosecution.

At page 849 of the Record of Appeal Vol. 2, PW3, Mohammed Abdul alias Katako, a soldier testified thus inter alia

somebody and continued to Lagos Ibadan expressway around seven up.

Rogers said I should drive close to the car and he fired and then said I should drive back to Dodan Barracks.”

The same PW3 under crossexamination, and indeed when reexamined did say that he was in Azare in Bauchi State on the date the murder was carried out- page 853 of the Record of Appeal Vol. 2.

The law is elementary, that where a person is accused of any offence, the burden of proving the existence of circumstances bringing the case within any exception or exception from or qualification to, the operation of the law creating the offence, with which he is charged is upon such person.

Section 139 (i) of the Evidence Act 2011. The burden of proof placed by this part upon a Defendant charged with a criminal offence, shall be deemed to be discharged, if the Court is satisfied by evidence given by the prosecution whether on cross-examination or otherwise, that such circumstances in fact exist - Section 139(2) of the Evidence Act 2011.

The necessary implication of this provision, is that it is the duty of the Prosecution to prove its case and not for the defence. The degree of proof is that beyond reasonable doubt and nothing less.

I deem it pertinent to look at the

,

The lead judgement continues on how the prosecution failed to call necessary witnesses.

that matter, to murder the deceased.

He made statement to the Police on the 26th of October 1999- Exhibit “A1”.

PW2- Barnabas Jabila alias Sgt. Rogers testified in Court that all he told the Court is what he was told to say by the authority. That Exhibit A2, his statement of 29/9/99 was produced by him and government officials. He had made one in May 1999 which is Exhibit DI-1. That one Lati who allegedly told PW2 the itinerary of the deceased was not called as a witness. In Exhibit A2 of 29/9/99, he said that the Appellant ordered that the deceased must be eliminated at all cost. He PW2 it was, that fired the shots at the deceased car on the fateful day.

In his evidence in Court PW2 has also said that the Appellant gave them orders that the deceased be eliminated.

He opened fire on the deceased on the

It is apparent that the lower Court did not properly evaluate the evidence before it, or it would not have reached the decision which he did

,

evidence of the Prosecution witnesses in trying to establish the charge of conspiracy.

PW1 - Dr. Ore Falomo said the deceased was operated upon after the shooting and a special bullet that was not commonly seen, half cylindric was extracted from her skull. That there was

,

Section 139(2) of the Evidence Act 2011 The necessary implication of this provision, is that it is the duty of the Prosecution to prove its case and not for the defence

“Yes I know Sgt. Jabila Rogers. In 1996, I was told by late Oga Ibrahim Abacha that there are some people coming from Abuja to Lagos that I should drive them. Between January and June 1996, when they came, so we went to National theatre, that was where I saw Alhaji Lati, the 3rd Defendant, we went to Ikeja with him and went back to his house in Surulere and we left him there and left the next day.

Rogers said we should go Ikeja to the same house we went with Lati. Mercedez car came out of the house Rogers said we should follow the car. They stopped somewhere and dropped

Alhaji Lateef Shofola

Major Al-Mustapha

,

4th of June 1996. He then returned the arm to the Appellant through his orderly Karo and he confirmed receipt of same.

Under cross-examination PW2 said that Exhibit A2 was produced by him and Government officials- page 846 of the Record of Appeal Vol. 2.

Hear the evidence of PW2.

“The Government brought to us at the SSS HQ and we wrote according to what we discoursed what they asked us to write. Yes it was produced by me and the government officials.

In the statement of September 1999 is a voluntary statement.”

It is apparent that PW2, in one breath said that Exhibit A2 was made voluntarily and in another breath made under duress - indeed was made by himself and Government authority. His evidence is self contradictory. It is a retraction of his statement of 29/9/1999 Exhibit A2.

This renders his evidence not credible but questionable. The prosecution failed to explain this contradiction.

P.W3 - Mohammed Abdul alias Katako in one breath did say that he drove the’vehicle in company of PW2 on the fateful day and it was PW2 that pulled the trigger.

In another breath, that on the fateful date 4th June 1996, he was in Azare Bauchi State. There is no explanation for this summersault!

PW4 - Ahmed Far; Yussuf Police officer tendered Exhibit A3, statement of the Appellant dated 23/9/99, B1 and A5. He was examined in Chief but was never cross-examined by the Appellant, because he did not make himself available for cross-examination. One would have expected that as an investigating police officer, who tendered these Exhibits particularly the statement of the Appellant, Exhibit A3, he would have, despite all odds, made himself available for cross-examination, but he did not. This was an infraction’ on the right of the Appellant to fair hearing.

Now in the face of all these, can it be said that the prosecution has established beyond reasonable doubt, (the standard of proof required in criminal offences), the guilt of the Appellant with regard to the offence of conspiracy? The Appellant and DW2 - Kyari Jidai Gadzama had testified as to the procedure to be followed for the release of arms in the armoury. The Appellant had testified that protocol, in the army will never permit the movement of arms and ammunition and of military personnel and property of the Nigerian Army. There is a procedure for such movement, they said.

To be continued

a post mortem examination carried out by one Dr. Alimi. He took part in carrying her body for burial in the house.

According to him, the Police inferred she may have been shot through one of the other wives - pages 836-837 of the Record of Appeal Vol. 2. He said he told Police that it was the 5th columnist in the Government that killed Kudi going by the look of the bullet.

The Police took the bullet away and never released it to them after the post mortem. The bullet was handed over to the Police by Dr. Alimi.

Above in essence is the testimony of PW1. He did not suggest any conspiracy with Appellant or anyone for

C M Y K

42— Vanguard Vanguard,,

TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013

YOUR LUCK TODAY

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 CAPRICORN: Moon in Virgo will strengthen your belief and hope both in immediate and far future.Yet, there may be lacuna somewhere. Try to be very practical.

AQUARIUS: Moon in Virgo today may bring you unusual co-operation from powerful people in the next few weeks, yet it’s important you don’t take friends for granted.

PISCES: Moon in Virgo may present you with the opportunity to form enduring relationship with the influential people around. If you start a romantic liaison at work today, it would last longer than expected.

ARIES: Moon in Virgo means expansion of your source of income. Even if nothing permanent is established now, you will have good ideas on how to improve yourself financially through work. Be more loving.

TAURUS: Moon in Virgo takes place at a positive angle to your star, thus you can rightly expect success from many angles. The more enterprising you are, the better. Don’t ignore your love life.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

By Richard Eromosele

A

GREAT thinker, Senera once said: “it is not because things are difficult that we do not try, it is because we do not try that things are difficult” Did you get that?

Let me illustrate: A

Why are things difficult? child said he is late home, rather than go home straight, he still stays halfway because he is afraid his father will punish him, is he not aggravating the

issue? That is the case with those who do not try? They worsen an already bad situation.

If you do not sow can you reap? If you don’t plant can you

TERROR MUDA in “Never say goodbye”

harvest? If you do not knock will you be opened for?

Do something today. No matter how difficult your situation seems now, the solution to it, is doing something no matter how small.

By Lanre Kehinde

GEMINI: With the Moon and Mars in Virgo, there may be re-organisation within your base of operation that will bring you glory and advancement, yet there will be tension. Be family minded.

CANCER: Although today’s placement of the Moon in Virgo will have positive effects on your thinking process, you better be as practical as possible so that you have better opportunities.

LEO: Placement of the Moon in Virgo favours your financial prospects more than before. Yet, you must know the difference between enterprise and unnecessary risky adventure. Be more loving and avoid gambling of all types.

VIRGO: Today’s placement of the Moon means possible new beginning for you from many directions depending on your priority. Whatever you want, it’s important you are more practical yet, successwillbe yours today.

LIBRA: Your creativity quotient is enhanced today. Yet you will need to remain your practical self so that you will not be misled via bad and/or wrong advice. Keep your secrets.

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in

“Princess Shii’

By Andy Akman

SCORPIO: Moon in Virgo can bring your hopes and wishes nearer fulfilement with today’s unexpected support from the influential people around you. Protect your money.

SAGITTARIUS: Moon in your solar 10th house of career and honour signals good things for you today. However, you must be as practical as possible to take maximum advantage.

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING Send yyour our dat th ttoo the As tr ological datee and place of bir birth Astr trological Counselling, PP.M.B .M.B 1100 00 7, Apapa, Lagos 007,

Who wants my marriage dead?

Dear Joshua,

VIRGINIA

dadadekola@yahoo.com

I have written you many letters without response, I hope I will be lucky this time around. What’s your e-mail address?

Although, I am interested in my financial affair and will like to know what awaits me in the future as the ups and downs are giving me concern, what I want you to tell me is: Who is working spiritually against my marriage? I have married four times. Why? Elizabeth, Lagos.

Dear Elizabeth, My e-mail is: joshuaadeyemo@yahoo.com If you have spiritual warfare, it is in your financial affairs. You were endowed with special ability to make money for both yourself and other people.

However, three things can militate against your finances namely; inability to hold on to your gains for too long (miscalculation) jealousy and occultic manipulation by those who are green with envy.

Yet, whatever happens, dire financial misfortune is not meant for you, especially if you heed advice from your star; your being spiritual will assist you.

Fortunate placement of the Moon and Venus in Libra and Sagittarius endowed you with charming and magnetic personality which will make it easier for you to attract members of your opposite sex who will be willing to make you happy. But after sometime, your hidden aggressive personality and tendencies to worry will come out to the resentment of members of your opposite sex.

Some other times, you promise more than you can deliver.

Then yours is a jealous soul (yes everybody was born with jealous traits) but yours is extraordinary and if you have reason to doubt the other person, you may not be able to forgive.

The summary here is that there’s not much spiritual aspect working against you here but your too strong or powerful personality is what you will need to work on: if at all you have problem with love. One sure bet is members of your opposite sex cannot do without your magnetic pose.

HOME & ABROAD

By Lawrence Akapa

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013 — 43

It's a boy! Future king of England is born T

HE world, yesterday welcomed the newest addition to the royal family and the future heir to England’s throne.

Palace officials confirmed the arrival of His Royal Highness the Prince of Cambridge, born at St. Mary’s Hospital at 4:24 PM BST, weighing 8 lbs 6 oz.

However, it took about two hours after the birth of the baby boy before the world was informed as centuries-old procedure of first informing the reigning monarch, family, prime minister and lately, heads of states in the commonwealth had to be followed.

The birth marks a new era for not only the firsttime parents but also the extended royal family. As third in line to succeed the throne after his grandfather Prince Charles and his father, Prince William, he’s the first baby born under new succession laws.

The modernized bill amends a centuries-old policy, allowing the royal couple’s first-born child the right to inherit the throne regardless of gender.

“Historically, this is huge,” Victoria Arbiter, CNN’s royal expert, told Yahoo! Shine. “In 60 or 70

years, this baby will be a monarch. It’s also the first time since Queen Victoria that four generations of monarchs will be alive together.”

It’s been a long and sometimes rocky journey to the historic due date.

Anticipation about the heir to the throne began well before the frenzy over rumored due dates and even before St. James’s Palace officially announced the Duchess of Cambridge’s pregnancy in December. From the first day of their marriage over two years ago, Price William and Kate Middleton have had an audience of clock-watchers.

But they have never let public expectations determine their personal timing. After their 10-year courtship, the couple put off parenthood to enjoy their first year as a married couple. In that time, Middleton flexed her philanthropic muscles and stepped into her late mother-in-law’s shoes as an international fashion arbiter. She also weathered a paparazzi scandal, prompting the palace to tighten its reins on the press.

When it came to the big announcement about the couple’s first child, there was only so much the roy-

•Excitement and anticipation before the royal baby was born al family could control.

(To quote the Duchess herself, “Babies have their own agenda.”) Before the official news broke, Middleton suffered acute morning sickness early in her first trimester. During her treatment at a central London hospital, pregnancy rumors reached a boiling point and the palace was forced to confirm what the public had long hoped.

“As the pregnancy is in its very early stages, Her Royal Highness is expected to stay in hospital

for several days and will require a period of rest thereafter,” read the official statement from St. James’s Palace.

The news rippled immediately through the retail industry. Collectibles marking the anticipated firstborn’s arrival began rolling out by early 2013, as maternity designers elbowed for the chance to dress the momto-be. All told, economists predict the royal birth could boost the British economy by $400 million.

Tragedy overshadowed

Mali int erim president meets with TTuareg uareg rebel interim leaders ist fighters, though spo- fighters off the streets in sale, head of external

M

ALI’S interim President Dioncounda Traore has met for the first time with members of two northern Tuareg separatist groups, provoking anger among many in the country’s south as ethnic tensions rise ahead of a presidential poll on Sunday.

The election is meant to unify the West African nation after a March 2012 coup allowed Tuareg rebels and their al Qaeda-linked Islamist allies to seize the West African nation’s desert north.

A French-led offensive earlier this year routed and scattered the Islam-

radic attacks continue.

The Tuareg rebels, who were sidelined by the better-armed Islamists early on in the 10-month occupation, last month agreed to take their

exchange for a promise of negotiations with the new government after the elections.

“We spoke of peace and reconciliation,” Ibrahim Ag Mohamed As-

relations for the Tuareg MNLA rebels, said following the closed-door meeting at the presidential residence late on Sunday.

Family accuses Egypt army of kidnapping Morsi

T

HE family of ousted Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi has accused the country’s military of “kidnapping”

him, saying it will hold the military responsible for his safety and security. The statement is the first from Morsi’s family

Pope sets off for Brazil

P

OPE Francis has left for Rio de Janeiro, embarking on his first foreign trip as pontiff to attend an international youth festival in Brazil, the world’s biggest

Catholic country.

Francis was seen off by Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta as he departed from Rome’s Fiumicino airport yesterday morning.

since the military overthrew him on July 3. The deposed president’s daughter, Shaimaa, read out the statement at a news conference in Cairo yesterday. “We are taking local and international legal measures against Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the leader of the bloody military coup, and his putschist group,” Shaimaa Mohamed Morsi told reporters.

the worldwide excitement when two Austra-

lian radio hosts pranked Middleton’s hospital and the nurse who took the hoax call later committed suicide.

It was a sobering reminder of the impact of royal coverage on human lives. For the future monarch, it’s an unfortunate part of the inheritance and part of an unfathomable burden of power.

Perhaps no one better understands this than the new dad, Prince William.

“Royal firstborns may get all the glory, but secondborns enjoy more freedom,” Diana, princess of Wales, said after giving birth to her second son, Harry. “My second child will never have quite the same sort of pressure that poor William must face all his life.”

BRIEFS EU blacklists Hezbollah’s armed wing

E

UROPEAN Union ministers have agreed to put the military wing of Lebanese group Hezbollah on the EU terror list, in a major reversal of policy.

Dutch foreign minister Frans Timmermans welcomed the decision to put the Shia Muslim group’s armed wing on

the bloc’s terrorism list yesterday.

“It is good that the EU has decided to call Hezbollah what it is: a terrorist organisation,” he said.

“For years the Netherlands has pushed for listing Hezbollah... that’s why I’m satisfied that we took this important step today.”

Snowden may leave airport tomorrow yesterday.

Anatoly

F

ORMER U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden is expected to be granted papers by Wednesday this week allowing him to end his month-long stay in the transit area of a Moscow airport and move to the city center, his Russian lawyer said

Kucherena, who helped the American file his bid for temporary asylum in Russia on July 16, said Snowden believed it would be unsafe to try to travel to Latin America soon because of U.S. efforts to return him to the United States to face espionage charges.

Dubai rape case Norwegian woman pardoned

A

NORWEGIAN woman at the centre of a Dubai rape case dispute has been pardoned and is free to leave Dubai.

Interior designer Marte Deborah Dalelv, 24, was on a business trip in Dubai when she says she was raped in

March.

She reported the attack to the police, but was charged with perjury, having extramarital sex and drinking alcohol, receiving a 16-month prison sentence.

The case has angered rights groups and the Norwegian authorities.

44—VANGUARD, TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013

•The House of Reps in session

Constitutional Amendment:

It's D-Day for Reps MEMBERS of the House of Representatives are to vote today on critical proposals to alter the provisions of the Constitution. The proposal to grant autonomy to the country’s local governments is undoubtedly the most prominent of the several amendments articulated.

BY LEVINUS NWABUGHIOGU

T

ODAY is a decisive day on the on-going constitution amendment exercise of the National Assembly. The House of Representatives will vote on some clauses spotted in the 1999 constitution for either outright removal or amendment.

There have been speculations and counter-speculations that most issues raised by the House Adhoc Technical Committee that harmonized views of Nigerians during the nationwide Constituency/Peoples session with the members late last year may have been jettisoned.

Now, an air of apprehension and controversy is pervading the National Assembly as the members themselves run amok over the exercise.

The Lawmakers had identified what many called “shortcomings” in the constitution and resolved to fix them in order to give Nigerians a constitution that will be fashioned after their yearnings.

To make good their resolve, the members of the Seventh

Assembly early in the year unanimously decided to go back to their various constituencies to sample opinions of their constituents on the teething issues in the constitution.

Indeed, various views were collated and eventually a Technical Committee chaired by the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha was set up to harmonize the data.On July 4, 2013, the Deputy Speaker submitted the report of the committee to the House.

Among the proposals included financial autonomy for Local Government Councils, the propriety or otherwise of State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs), autonomy for state legislatures, removal of immunity clause for the president and governors.

The proposals also included first line charges for state AuditorsGeneral and Judiciary so that they derive their funds from the states’ consolidated revenue funds. Making the Office of Accountant-General of the Federation different from the Accountant-General of the

•Tambuwal Federal Government made the list.

There were also the proposal to separate the office of the Attorneys-General of the Federation and those of the states from the minister and commissioners for Justice respectively and accord financial autonomy to the attorneysgeneral among others.

While everyone had anticipated voting on the issues last week,

surprisingly, the House at plenary, said it was short-handed with the copies of the proposal and so couldn’t continue with the voting.

Consequently, the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Aminu Waziru Tambuwal during last Thursday's plenary told the members who deliberated the proposals that voting will be Tuesday (today).

“Honorable members, what we have done today was to consider the proposal clause by clause. We will vote on Tuesday, next week,” the Speaker said.

Meanwhile, among the issues raised during the consideration of the items, the autonomy of the Local Government which will eventually erase the joint account with state governments took the centre stage.

For over six hours the House session lasted, members took turns to air their various opinions, espousing the necessity of financial autonomy of local councils.

In accordance with the recommendation, any local government council which is not

democratically elected in line with the provisions of section 7 of the constitution shall not receive revenue allocation from the Federation Account.

According to Section 7 (1) “The system of local government by democratically elected local government councils is under this Constitution guaranteed; and accordingly, the Government of every State shall, subject to section 8 of this Constitution, ensure their existence under a Law which provides for the establishment, structure, composition, finance and functions of such councils.”

Against this backdrop, the House commenced debate on the proposal shortly after the introduction of the proposed amendments to that section of the constitution by the House Leader Hon. Mulikat Akande-Adeola.

In his debate on the proposal, Hon Samson Osagie (ACN, Edo State) stated that autonomy for local governments was in tune with the provisions of the amendment being proposed in the constitution and in line with

Continues on page 45

VANGUARD, TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013 —45

MOB @ midterm:

My scorecard

A RETROSPECTIVE look at the last twenty four months of Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele in the House of Representatives with a match of his promises and his performance so far

BY CHARLES KUMOLU

F

OR someone, whose transition from a Commissioner of Information in Lagos State into a lawmaker in the House of Representatives, it was not unlikely that great expectations trailed Mr. Opayemi Bamidele’s election into the House.

In his constituency, Ado-Ekiti/ Irepodun-Ifelodun Federal constituency and beyond, the expectations to see the promises made ahead of the 2011 elections, translate into improved quality of life for the people, were rife.

Bamidele had upon declaration of intention to represent his constituency, pledged a representation with effective feedback mechanism between the elected and the electorate. That promise was in order to strengthen democratic principles and values while ensuring that power still resides with the people.

These promises as contained in his campaign manifesto, My Covenant, also promised a new Ekiti with opportunities where the commonwealth would be used judiciously and not shortchanged or traded on a platter of mediocrity.

Two years on, the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, is claiming to have remarkably delivered on the promises

•Bamidele through co-sponsorship of bills, robust contributions to debates in the House, execution of constituency projects among others.

Disclosing this while giving his midterm report to a homegrown social cultural group, Ekiti Parapo in Lagos last Sunday, Bamidele said, his 24 months of representation have yielded concise and measurable results.

"In demonstrating my

commitment to improving the quality of life of my people, I sought to empower and support 6 different segments of the society through the MOB Empowerment and Support Programmes with funds accruing from my remuneration. The programme in the last two years have empowered over 800 widows, senior citizens, youth, women folks and others," he stated.

Bamidele, who is also the Chairman House Committee on Legislative Budget and Research, cited his leading role in the establishment of the National Assembly Budget and Research Office, NABRO asserting that he had through his position as chairman of the Committee ensured the establishment of the long desired body.

Besides establishing the office, he said that he had equally sponsored the bill to give legal backing to the body, adding the bill was now in different stages in the two chambers of the National Assembly.

“Through the House Legislative Budget and Research Committee assembled a team of consultants to come up with a draft bill on issues relating to Budget process with a view to addressing those issues that are hitherto problematic in budget formulation, passage and implementation.”

He also pointed at his interest in pushing through bills to improve the opportunities of people living with disability to the extent that “conditions favourable to the attainment of their highest goals in life, whatever those goals may be.” Among welfare programmes he claimed to have sponsored were empowerment and support programme and the food pantry initiative.

Pride of Nigeria and a socoeconomic hub In the future, the lawmaker said he would put issues concerning the youths, the physically challenged and poverty would be at the centre of his activities.

“The development of Ekiti State at large and would be undeterred

in my desire to see my home state become a pride of Nigeria and a soco-economic hub,” he said.

Continuing, he said, “I have in the period under review, presented a collective and communal front on critical issues that pertain to my constituency and Ekiti State, and represented my people in the task committed into my hands.”

Explaining further, he said, "this timely motion prepared the House for the huge task that later snowballed into discovery of the mismanagement that characterised the fuel subsidy regime. Furthermore, the motion I brought to the floor of the House about the late submission of the 2012 Budget proposal resulted in the intervention of the House to push for early submission of budget proposal so as to ensure prompt passage of the bill in a bid to improve budget performance."

On his gubernatorial ambition, which has continued to generate mixed feelings, he assured ACN supporters that the party would not run into a crisis on account of the tussle between him and Governor Kayode Fayemi for the party’s 2014 gubernatorial ticket.

Bamidele was nevertheless conciliatory as he fended off issues pertaining to the gubernatorial contest or other political issues as he said that it would be unfair to raise them up in the absence of his political opponents within the ACN who were absent at the function.

“We are transiting from civilian regime to real democracy and at the end of the day it will make us have a more united Ekiti State where our children will grow to be very proud of,” the lawmaker said.

It's D-Day for Reps Continues from page 44 the provisions of section 8 sub (1) of the constitution.

Also, Representative Aisha Modibo from Adamawa, was of the opinion that any local council that is not democratic “shall not be recognized by the authorities and shall not exercise any function.”

According to her, local council administration “is a vehicle for rural transformation and delivery of social services”.

But Hon. Dan Asiquo from Akwa Ibom gave a new twist to the issue. In his view, two issues which bother on the autonomy of funds and administration of the LG were fundamental.

He said: “There are two things in the issue. Can you give financial autonomy to LG that does not have administrative autonomy?

With these, the Speaker of the House, Alhaji Aminu Waziri Tambuwal mandated the

Technical Committee to take note of the views saying, “we have to realign before we vote.”

The expectations today From every indication, it appears that the members will uphold what most of them had referred to as the peoples wish by granting financial autonomy to local councils. A few of them who spoke exclusively to Vanguard confirmed that. But what is not known now is whether the required two-third majority will be gotten to pass the items especially now that the, Senate had on Tuesday last week jettisoned the proposal thereby dashing the hopes of the councils to boost their income.

We'll back council auitonomy — Gbajabiamila All I can tell you is the majority of the members of the House are for local government autonomy but whether they will get the required two-third, I have no

•Ihedioha idea.

“For me and some other people, immunity should remain because there is a reason for it. It is not an absolute immunity. The governors and the President can be sued when they leave office.”

It is the position of the constituents — Jagaba To Hon. Adams Jagaba, Kaduna, autonomy for councils “ was the position of our constituents. So, you cannot vote against what they want.

We went to our constituencies but the senators did at the zonal level. When you do things at the zonal level, you will definitely have a different result. But we did our own constituency by constituency everybody came and participated. But I want to assure you that it is the position of our people and we are not changing that.”

On the immunity clause “Well, the point here is that all the matters presented there were the decision of our constituents.

We didn’t do anything out of selfish reasons. We have our data collected by every member. That is the position of the people.

Now, if we go against that, at the end of the day we may end

up not being the representatives of the people. But if truly we are, we have no choice than to adopt what they said.”

NLC/TUC banks on Reps on retention of minimum wage in Exclusive List Having had their hope dashed

by Senators who voted for the removal of minimum wage from the Exclusive List, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in a joint Press Conference in Abuja said they were banking on the House of Representatives to see them through.

“We call on the House of Representatives as the last bastion of our representative governance to side with the people, as they have always done, to ensure that the minimum wage remains in the Exclusive list to protect poor working families against the vagaries of thoughtless and rabid neo-liberal economic policies.”

46—Vanguard, TUESD AY, JULY 23, 2013 TUESDA

Kelechi, 29, paralysed by polio at 1, seeks N15m to walk again A POLIO attack in infancy has confined Kelechi Uhegwu to a life wheelchairs and crutches. An otherwise simple action of standing and walking is for her, a daily ordeal as she can neither stand nor walk unaided. Nevertheless, the vibrant and energetic 29-year-old is looking beyond the formidable odds of her physical challenge.

Kelechi’s most heart-felt desire is to walk again. The Zoology graduate and make-up artist, is optimistic that despite the diagnosis of paralytic scoliosis, she will walk again.

A hospital in Nottingham, England, can perform the corrective surgey, the only snag is that the N15 million required for the procedure. In this encounter with Sola Ogundipe, Kelechi makes a passionate appeal for assistance from kind-hearted Nigerians. Excerpts:

Devastating diagnosis

I

T all began shortly after her 1st birthday when she fell ill and was admitted into the General Hospital, Agbor in Delta State. “Initially, doctors thought it was a case of malaria or measles. They prescribed injections that I could stand but was unable to walk. Then came the diagnosis poliomyelitis (paralytic scoliosis).”

Kelechi’s parents were devastated. Not prepared to give up, they took their daughter Lagos to seek

better treatment.

“All my life was school, home, Church and the hospital. I had a minimum of two visits a week to the hospital and each visit was hell. I was always in the hospital for physiotherapy and it was extremely painful. I had my treatment at Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos.

The experience wasn't interesting.

Ability in disability

Although polio limited

Kelechi’s movement, it didn't limit 'the person in her. “I learned to walk with leg braces and crutches. I played like every other child and even had my fair share of being bullied.”

In 2006, she was nominated for the “Survival Against All Odds Awards, by the Aart of Life Foundation in which she emerged 1st Runner up.

“The experience helped me to become a stronger person because people kept stopping me to say they watched the programme and they were inspired by my story. I felt good that I was an inspiration to someone.

Despite the overwhelming odds, Kelechi bagged a Bachelor's degree in Zoology from the University of Lagos in 2008.

“My entry into the University was a miracle.

I had battled with JAMB for two years so I struggled and bought a Diploma form at Unilag,

• Kelechu Uhegwu with Sound Sultan during a concert organized by the entertainment industry to raise money for her corrective treatment recently. passed the entrance examination even though I did not have money to pay my school fees.

Another challenge was transportation to Akoka from Satellite Town.

Diploma students weren't given accommodation in school.”

Optimism

But being an optimist,

Social ills creating apathy for breast feeding, says Ogundimu

BY CHIOMA OBINNA

S

OCIAL ills that are negatively impacting on Nigerians’ collective index are portending apathy for breastfeeding practices in the country, it has been stated.

The Project Coordinator, Colostrum International, Dr. Bunmi Ogundunmi who spoke in Lagos on this year's World Breastfeeding Week, WBW, with the theme; "Close To Mothers" said the apathy for breast feeding in Nigeria is clearly shown by recent statistics of breastfeeding rate assessment conducted by the World Health Organisation, WHO, and the United Nations Children Fund, UNICEF in 2012.

Noting that the 2013 theme was apt for the current social state of the country, she said: "From the Report, beginning

Kelechi woke up every morning, without a dime, but would get a ride from strangers to school.

“I met the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics) of my time who was pleased with my zeal to be educated despite my physical and financial challenges and he gave me approval to write the exam. I came out with good grades with which I gained admission by Direct Entry to study a degree course in Zoology and my debt was erased.

How I made it through Diploma was amazingly miraculous.

Moving around has

been a tough affair for Kelechi. Even as an undergraduate, on several occasions, she missed attending classesat the Faculty of Science.

“I couldn't go for all the classes as my human energy couldn't carry me.

So, I either stayed for all the lectures that would be held at third floor or downstairs throughout a day.”

She commutes with a wheelchair and a pair of crutches and asserts that neither has influenced her relationship with

Continues on page 47

Ukiri seeks improved education, awareness on health insurance

BY SOLA OGUNDIPE

T

• Member, Colostrum International, Mrs. Bose Animashaun (left) and the Project Coordinator, Dr Bunmi Ogundimu, during the press briefing on the 2013 World Breastfeeding Week held at the Pent House, Akoka, Yaba, Lagos. with an all low rate of about 18 percent in 2002, Nigeria rose to 48 percent in 2006, unfortunately, by 2012 was back to 17 percent."

Linking the apathy on poor awareness to breastfeeding, she called on stakeholders to support what she described as fundamen-

tal issue of breastfeeding.

"Breastfeeding is known to provide the child with both food and emotional development, Continues on page 48

HE dream of universal health insurance may not be attainable in Nigeria except major factors militating against its attainment, such as the low level awareness, poor education, inadequate information and lack of modern technology are addressed.

The MD/CEO, Avon Healthcare Ltd, Mrs. Simbo Ukiri, who disclosed this in Lagos, during the media presentation of Avon Health Maintenance Organisation, argued for engagement of all stakeholders within the health insurance industry in the country.

Ukiri, who noted that Avon, a Health Maintenance Organisation, HMO, was prepared to storm the Nigerian health scene by setting new standards through real value to clients, enrollees, providers and in service delivery, reiterated its goal to be the preferred choice for managed healthcare solutions in the nation.

“One issue that we have identified within the Nigerian health system is the lack of information and

Continues on page 48

Vanguard, TUESD AY, JULY 23, 2013—47 TUESDA

As Sexual Violence Centre opens in Lagos:

I can’t understand why a man should beat his wife — ANABA

BY CHIOMA OBINNA

I

N recent times, reports of sexual assault of minors have raised alarm within social and medical circles particularly in the absence of suitable forensic facilities that has checkmated many investigations.

But respite appears to have come the way of victims of rape and all forms of sexual assault in Nigeria, as the Sexual Assault Referral Centre, SARC, set up at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, comes on stream.

Brainchild of the Partnership for Justice supported by Justice for All Programme, Department of International Development, DFID, the Centre operates in collaboration with the Lagos State Ministry of Health.

Executive Director/Managing partner, Partnership for Justice, Mrs. Itoro Eze- Anaba - a Specialist in Gender and the Law with a 20year post-call experience, spoke to Chioma Obinna about how the Centre hopes to reduce challenges faced by victims of sexual violence.

Anaba, author of the first ever Domestic Violence Bill in Nigeria, asserts that the new Centre will break the secrecy and stigma surrounding sexual and domestic violence, as well as provide comprehensive, psychosocial and follow up support services to all victims of rape and sexual assault in a compassionate and caring manner free of charge. Excerpts:

fathers, uncles and in-laws etc.

Outside the home, perpetrators of sexual violence act with impunity due to corruption and/ or incompetence, resulting in dearth of investigations and an even more alarming absence of prosecutions.

Victims are discouraged from reporting crimes of rape due to social stigma. Presently, there are no comprehensive official statistics to accurately establish the rate, incidence and scale of sexual violence in Nigeria and Lagos State in particular.

Government agencies do not make public records of sexual violence or gender-based violence generally and reporting is sporadic, piecemeal and inconsistent.

Decided cases on sexual violence of children and women in Nigeria are very few because of the secrecy and stigma

What is sexual violence?

Sexual assault is an attempt to perform a sexual act, or any act of forced, unwanted or unlawful sexual behaviour without a person's consent.

Sexual assault includes rape, sexual abuse and defilement, sexual harassment, incest, etc.

Why the recent increase in child rape?

There are no statistics to show that there is recent increase in child rape. What we have witnessed is greater media attention/ reporting of cases of child sexual abuse. This does not on its own mean that there has been an increase. The good thing is that people are talking about it now as a result of the media reports.

Target groups

Women and young girls and female children suffer sexual assault more than men or boys.

This does not mean that young boys cannot be raped. So any one that has suffered sexual assault is free to walk into the Centre and receive the needed treatment

What informed setting up of a Crisis Centre for rape victims at LASUTH?

When I started working on women's rights issues in 1999, my focus was on domestic violence. I could not understand why a man should beat his wife and there was no law to protect women from violence in their homes. Many victims who came to the office just wanted the violence to stop.

In the course of the campaign for the domestic violence bill, I also carried out a research on the impact of violence on children.

It was shocking to discover that a lot of young girls, secondary school girls, were victims of sexual assault right in their homes. They were being assaulted by their fathers, brothers, cousins, uncles and even neighbours. They had no one to turn to, no one to believe them without blaming them for what happened to them.

Sometime in 2003/2004, I attended a British Council seminar in Manchester and visited the St Mary's Sexual

surrounding the issue. When cases of sexual violence are reported to the Police, they are usually reluctant to file charges, especially where the perpetrator is a family member.

Generally, only medical reports from government hospitals are admitted in evidence in the courts.

However, the situation is that the process of getting a medical report from the hospital is not victim friendly and there is a lack of specialised attention that should be given to victims of sexual violence.

In many instances, undue delay in receiving medical attention discourages victims from going to government hospitals. The absence of qualified forensic medical examiners leads to unjustified abandonment of potentially successful investigations.

Police investigations rely unduly upon 'evidence to prove of rape' being established during the medical examination of the victim. Where no 'evidence to prove rape' is found, the police investigation effectively ceases.

Given the high prevalence of sexual violence, structural and traditional discrimination against women, as well as societal acceptance of violence against women and children, there is a need to establish a sexual assault centre in Lagos for victims of sexual violence.

Operations at the Centre The Mirabel Centre will provide 'forensic medical examinations' and other support Continues on page 48

• Mrs. Itoro Eze-Anaba Assault Referral Centre, SARC, and was impressed by what I saw. SARC provided the survivors the safe space to regain control of their lives and make informed decisions. Right away, I knew that someday, I would open a similar centre in Nigeria. It took 10 years to get a donor that was willing to fund the project.

Sexual violence

Sexual violence against women and girls in Nigeria is generally acknowledged by government and human rights advocates to be endemic.

Within the home, women and girls are subjected to rape and other forms of sexual violence by their husbands, brothers,

Health provider worries over high Nuclear Agency fees

BY VICTORIA OJEME & RUTH ODINIYA

A

STAKEHOLDER in the health sector has decried exorbitant fees charged by the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Agency, NNRA, saying, "It is hampering importation of equipment for medical imaging services across the country," even as the Federal government has resolved to issue zero import duty on some medical equipment.

Speaking in Abuja last week, Senator Ignatius Abana, Chairman, LifeBridge Diagnostics, said the charges were hindering private sector investment in the health sector because generally affect medical radiation equipment Abana who spoke at the official commissioning of the Centre, called for import duty concessions to providers as well as reduction in multiple taxations, insisting such "pose serious challenges and barriers for investors in the health sector."

In a related development, the Federal government has directed that medical equipment installed in health facilities in Nigeria would be duty free in attempt to support the growth of private health sector.

Disclosing this at the opening of the Centre, Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, who represented the President, said private sector involvement to provide worldclass health facility was "paying off and has now become a part of the lexicon when discussing the health sector."

The new facility has equipment for mammography, ECG and imaging-including a 64-slice CT scanner capable of full brain scan in five seconds and a full body scan in 10 seconds.

Kelechi, polio victim seeks N15m to walk again Continues from Page 46 anyone. “People are attracted to my personality and relate with me as a person, not as a 'challenged person. Although been confined to the wheelchair and crutches for years, there is a corrective surgery that can turn her Kelechi’s life around.

This procedure is available at the Nottingham University Hospital in the United Kingdom.

A consultant spinal surgeon at the Centre for Spinal Studies and Surgery at the facility, Dr. J.K Webb describes the predominant problem in Kelechi’s spine as being in the

lower thoracic and lumbar regions. To regain her normal posture and walk unaided again, Kelechi requires two surgeries. The first is an anterior surgical process that will allow her spine to be more mobile.

A week afterwards, this will be followed by a posterior stabilisation process with rods and screws as well as fusion of the spine with a 2-stage procedure to complete the correction of the spinal deformity.

There probability of success of the procedures is very high.

The only snag is the cost. The overall cost is estimated at

47,000 pounds sterling (N15 million). But this is a sum that is way more than what Kelechi can afford as an individual considering her present financial status.

She is therefore appealing to kind-hearted Nigerians at home and abroad to come to her aid to help raise the sum for the vital corrective surgery that will enable her walk again. *If you are touched by Kelechi’s plight, and wish to contribute towards enabling her walk again, kindly send donations to Uhegwu Kelechi Ruth, GT Bank 0008250589, or call 08034252974.

48—Vanguard, TUESD AY, JULY 23, 2013 TUESDA

Ukiri seeks improved awareness Continued from Page 46 awareness about health insurance. We believe that the benefits of health insurance and being part of a health insurance scheme, is one that most Nigerians do not know about.

“We share the NHIS passion under leadership of Dr. Abdulahman Sambo, for Nigeria to achieve universal health insurance coverage. Working to gether with all stakeholders, we believe this is possible sooner rather than later,” she remarked.

Ukiri avowed that one of the first things to be done to resolve the problem, is to be part of the wave that educates Nigerians and bring awareness that health

insurance exists, works and delivers as promised.

“It is to let Nigerians know that health insurance has real, measurable benefits for every body and everyone should subscribe to it.

Speaking on the Avon Cover, being officially launched this week in Lagos, she said: “There are a variety of plans for every part of the Nigerian society, but we don’t simply sell health plans.

“People should imagine quality of health care that is seamless and accessible with ease and convenience.

It is one that assures you that your health plans are going to be met based on the health plan you have chosen from our portfolio of offerings.”

Sexual violence: I can’t understand why services to victims of sexual violence. It will serve as a one stop service centre for victims and provide immediate emergency medical treatment, forensic medical examination, immediate crisis support and on-going counseling from specially trained counselors.

At the community level, we need everyone to stand up and take action against rape. Men need to be involved in the campaign to end sexual violence.

We can take steps to reduce the risk of being assaulted. Children should be taught to understand that it is okay to say NO to an uncle if the touch is making them uncomfortable.

Expectations

Justice

Continues from page 47

In the short term, we hope to provide quality services to survivors of sexual assault. In the long run, our expectation is to establish the Centre in at least two other locations in Lagos State and other states in Nigeria. It is our expectations that other agencies like the Police, social welfare and the Judiciary will work together to prevent sexual assault, provide support to victims and prosecute perpetrators.

How do we check this problem?

It is also important that perpetrators are brought to justice. There should never be any mediation or financial settlement between victim and alleged perpetrator unless it is ordered by the court as compensation.

The government should set up a special unit made up of the Police, social welfare, medical practitioners and lawyers. All schools in Nigeria should have sexual assault protocol that clearly spells out steps students should to report any assault incident or rape.

Social ills and breast feeding Continued from Page 46

• Mrs. Simbo Ukiri, MD/CEO, Avon Healthcare HMO (centre), with Revd.

Uche Ekwensi Chief Financial Officer (left) and Mrs. Kehinde Oyesiku, Head, Sales and Business Development, both of Avon Healthcare HMO, during the Pre-Launch Press Conference held in Lagos recently.

emotion being the most necessary ingredient in all human relationships. The simple, ordinary, uncomplicated breastfeeding may offer some form of solution to the nation's deep seated problems.

"It is so ordinary that we may not immediately relate the apathy for breastfeeding to some of our botherisome social issues, there is need to pay more attention to this fundamental stage of the lives of our infants and look within ourselves for the solution to Nigeria's human problems.

Ogundimu maintained that

breastfeeding and adequate early childhood care remains a practical parenting skill that would offer long term solution to the perennial problem of poor human capital development, positing that if conscientiously and consistently practiced, in another 30 years, the country will begin to reap the benefits of gift of human kindness.

Colostrum International is organising a summit tagged "Social Evolution" to deliberate on actively supporting breastfeeding with policies and guidelines such as proposed Child Rearing Bill presently with the Lagos State House of Assembly among others.

COMMON SEXUAL PROBLEMS AND THEIR NOVELTY BASED SOLUTIONS (ADVERTORIAL)

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

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013 —49

C M Y K

50 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013

Stories by KINGSLEY ADEGBOYE

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Lagos, developer unveil CHOIS city garden, inaugurate CHOIS club lease to buy •CHOIS city garden, Agbowa Ikosi

AGOS State Government in partnership with First World Communities Limited, a private developer at the weekend unveiled a new estate christened CHOIS City Garden which is expected to provide 4,000 housing unit types at its completion in 2015.

Meanwhile, 588 units of mixed development comprising two and three-bedroom flats have been fully completed and ready for occupation at the sprawling city located on 468 acres of land at Owu, Agbowa along ItoikinEpe Road, Lagos state.

Speaking at the site of the project which commenced in 2011, during the inauguration of CHOIS Club Lease to Buy, an initiative to encourage prospective home owners to have easy access to houses, Mr. Ayodele Yussuf, Business Development Manager, First World Communities Limited said his company in partnership with Lagos state has a target to develop 10,000 housing units between 2011 and 2015 across the state.

Aim of the government According to Yussuf, 4,000 of the houses will be built in Abijo area of the state, 4,000 in Agbowa and 2,000 at Mile 2 area of the state, adding that Abijo CHOIS Garden is part of the 4,000 units to be built just as the Agbowa site is ongoing.

He said the Mile 2 site is yet to commence.

He explained that the aim of the state government to embark on the partnership with his firm is to provide two and three-bed-

Affordable housing: Stakeholders call for collaboration among professionals A

ffordable housing in Nigeria will continue to remain a myth until all professionals and institutions involved in housing delivery come together and approach the issue of housing as a system that cannot work without all its components working together simultaneously. This view was canvassed by built environment expressed who brainstormed on “Affordable Housing Delivery in Nigeria: Myth or Reality?” at the 5th Annual Distinguished Lecture organised by the Lagos State chapter of Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, NIQS last week.

The housing experts posited that the government must make land available, the mortgage institutions must be ready and willing to grant mortgage loans while there must be effective secondary market. They further recommended that building approvals must be processed without difficulties and delays, building

materials manufacturers must produce standard materials while the professionals must not compromise in their duties.

In her keynote address, Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Ms. Amal Pepple stressed the need for a paradigm shift in the country’s policies on affordable housing delivery in the urban centres from home ownership to social rental housing. The Minister who was represented by Mr. Temitope Onaikan, Federal Controller, Housing, Lagos state explained that such schemes should not be driven by profit motives of profit private sector organisations but should cater for the very mobile workforce that are resident in urban centres on a transit basis. According to her, this will make affordable housing available in urban centres on a sustainable and continuous basis.

Pepple said:“Our goal is to make affordable housing delivery in Nigeria a reality and thereby raise home ownership

to about 50 per cent, improve Nigeria’s human development index ranking, expand the construction sector and the mortgage market, significantly reduce poverty in households, increase the productivity/quality of lives of the citizenry and make the housing sector contribute over 20 per cent to Nigeria’s GDP as envisioned in vision 20:2020”.

The president of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, NIQS, Mr. Agele Alufohai opined that the government interventions in housing should be more about creating incentives that stimulate and enable private investment and transactions rather than provide under-priced inputs such as land or finance.

“There should be a distinction between interventions which seek to create market vehicles that enable Nigerians with decent incomes to buy

Continues on page 51

room apartments that will be affordable to the people, particularly the low income group.

“In order to make this possible, we decided to introduce what we call CHOIS Club Lease to Buy. CHOIS stands for Cooperative Home Ownership Incentive Scheme. By this initiative, subscribers are expected to make10 per cent initial payment and contribute additional 40 per cent for a period of three years and take possession of the housing type paid for. The balance of the remaining 50 per cent is to be paid for five years at six per cent per annum.

“There is also deferred payment option for the houses which is a sales arrangement where the customer makes 20 per cent initial contribution and pay the rest 80 per cent over two to three years either monthly or quarterly. We equally have outright purchase method which means that the houses can be purchased outright by paying 100 per cent cash without installment. Intending customers can also purchase the houses with mortgage loans from any of the primary mortgage institutions or commercial banks where they have accounts for mortgage arrangement.

“Two-bedroom terrace bungalow goes for N3 million, threebedroom semi-detached is N4.5 million while two-bedroom semi-detached costs N3.7 million.

Reduced infrastructure The benefits of CHOIS Club membership include low interest rate, long term repayment period to ease cash flow, buying from a government scheme, no encroachment of any meas and brings about reduced infrastructure/facilities cost through economy of scale”, Yussuf explained.

Describing the strategic location of the estate to parts of the state, he said it has easy access to Lagos Island through Epe, pointing out that it is 15 minutes drive to Ikorodu and under one hour to Lekki by car.

He noted that it is 40 minutes to Victoria Island through ferry, adding that on completion of proposals for Waterway Transport Services on the Lagoon, virtually every part of Lagos will be accessible within one hour from the estate by ferry.

The infrastructure and amenities in the estate according to the business development manager, include electricity with dedicated transformers, schools for wards, medical centre and hospital, shopping centre, BRT services to be introduced, Ferry services to be introduced, street light, water and security.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013 — 51

Multi-million Naira hospital complex commissioned in PortHarcourt

By KINGSLEY ADEGBOYE

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YNESCOPE Hospital, a specialist hospital located in the heart of PortHarcourt, Rivers State, can simply be described as an architectural masterpiece because of its symmetric concept which is finished with carefully detailed aluminum composite bonds and glass curtain walls spanning through the entire building height, that helps to provide natural light into the circulation spaces in the building.

The entrance of the building is fitted with automatic sensor detecting sliding glass doors, that bring patients into an unconventional tastefully furnished lounge-style reception/ waiting area as they sit down while viewing large flat screen TVs, surf the web with Wi-Fi internet access and enjoying the cosy cool lounge powered by ceiling concealed airconditioning units.

Also housed on the ground floor are consulting rooms, a p h a r m a c y , administrative office, nurses’ room.

The first to third floor accommodate state-ofthe-art fully equipped main theatre, delivery wards, recovery room, endoscopy theatre for hysteroscopic and

laparoscopic procedures and special care baby unit all situated in a biometric access restricted area.

The building also comprises tastefully furnished single, double and executive suitestyled in-patient wards equipped with split unit air conditioners, flat screen TVs, Wi-Fi, Intercom and sit-out balconies spread across with all toilets fitted with cold/hot water supply, floor finished with Spanish tiles and suspended frameless glass shower cubicles.

Front and back relaxation terraces are strategically located to give a perfect view of the entire surrounding scenery. The In Vitro Fertilizer, IVF Unit which is the most important feature, is also in a restricted area on the final floor, thus creating a perfect and pure working environment. All these spaces are powered by two sets of 350KVA stand-by Generators and inverters. The spaces are connected with lobbies, lit during the day by natural light through the glass curtain walls, and at night by ceiling

recessed spot lights. There are three stairs, lined with stainless steel hand rails, a service ramp and a lift which can accommodate a hospital bed.

A well landscaped site made alive by a beautiful maternity sculptural water fountain with ample parking space serves as entourage for the magnificent masterpiece and makes Gynescope Specialist Hospital an ideal facility for IVF, Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection, ICSI, general gynaecology and obstetrics with a bit of neonatal health

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ORRIED by the alarming rate of unemployed youths in Abia State, Umuahia Premier Club, a social cultural group has concluded plans to build a multi-million Naira Economic Resource Centre in Abuja aimed to create over 1,000 jobs for indigenes of the state.

The Centre to be named after the Coordinating Minister of Economy and Minister of Finance, Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iwaela is basically to address the issue of unemployment, which resulted in incidence of kidnapping, armed robbery and other social vices in the state.

To actualise this dream, the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Emeka Wogu has made a donation of N.5 million towards the commencement of the edifice, which he described as a welcome development.

Disclosing this at the induction of new members and conferment of meritorious award ceremony, the chairman of Abuja branch of Umuahia Premier Club, Chucks Nwaononiwu, explained that the Club decided to name the centre after OkonjoIweala because of her rise to the top of her profession.

Affordable housing Continues from page 50

•Gynescope Specialist Hospital

Group to build multi-million naira Centre in Abuja, names edifice after Okonjo-Iweala

By CHRIS OCHAYI

care.

At the commissioning of the complex recently, the Medical Director, Gynescope Specialist Hospital, Dr. Jude Okohue, said he had decided to add pleasure to work, adding that many often entertain fear when they hear about hospital, pointing out that but with the new complex, “our clients can now experience the feeling of being at the hospital and home at the same time.”

The complex which was designed by TY Achitects Limited, took a period of 18 months for its completion.

He said, “we plan to develop an Umuahia Premier Club complex with an E-library, skill acquisition centre, club house with sports facilities and Economic Resource Centre to be named after Dr. Okonjo-Iweala.

“We have applied for land and we will pursue the development with our strength and trust that when we call for help most of you here will support us to the best of your abilities. The Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iwaela Economic Resource Centre will be responsible for supporting our numerous unemployed graduates in Umuahia and beyond to develop their skills in other vacations like IT, printing technology, graphic arts, music, fashion, design and a lot of other skills. The whole complex will generate jobs for at least 1, 000 youths when completed.”

The highlight of the event was award of excellence in public service bestowed on the Coordinating Minister of Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. Other eminent personalities honoured with the Minister include Air Vice Marshal Chimechefulam Onyemaobi, Air Officer Commanding Tactical Air Command, Makurdi, Real Admiral Azubuike Ajuonu, Flag officer Commanding Naval Training Command, Lagos and Chief Onyema Ugochukwu, pioneer Chairman of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.

houses, mainly through long term, lower interest mortgages and those that seek to provide accommodation for the poor whose incomes are not too low to be able to afford mortgages”, Alufohai reasoned.

A past president of NIQS, Mr. Olusegun Ajanlekoko submitted that housing delivery in Nigeria will continue to remain a myth as far as efforts towards affordable housing are not on the right part. He pointed out that the government has the social responsibility to provide affordable housing.

Ajanlekoko who is the immediate past president of the Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria, APBN, said that to build affordable housing, there is need to look at the land design, while entire issue requires a holistic approach starting from the government.

In his own submission, the Marketing Director of Nigerite Limited, Toyin Gbede, an Architect, noted that affordability is a relative term.

He enjoined professionals in the housing industry to come together to define affordability.

According to him, “we need to look at the value chain to solve the areas we have bottleneck. That is only when housing problem can be in the country”, Gbede said.

Prof. Timothy Nubi of the Department of Estate Management, University of Lagos pointed out that housing is a system, adding that all components must work together to achieve it.

He said there is real estate development value chain involving all stakeholders, and until everybody goes through the chain, housing cannot archived in Nigeria.

52 — Vanguard, Tuesday ,

JULY 23, 2013

Rivers’ crisis and political expediency

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HE political atmosphere in Nigeria has always been dramatic and full of intrigues.

In several instances, political actors throw caution to the wind and exhibit a most unpleasant, shocking and condemnable behaviour which could have disastrous effects on the polity.

At such times, one wonders the type of people these overzealous political actors are and if they are truly fit to occupy public office. It beats one's imagination that a blessed nation like Nigeria can throw up some clowns who call themselves legislators, whose behaviour only but bring untold embarrassment to the image of Nigeria.

The nation and the world got a rude shocker on Tuesday July 9, 2013 when the crisis at the state's chapter of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) precipitated a commotion at the House of Assembly Chambers.

The video clips of the fracas which we saw on TV and online were not only disturbing, but showed how desperate some people could go in order to vent their anger. Members of the state House of Assembly which should ordinarily comprise of honourable men of integrity were seen openly attacking each other with dangerous objects which left some of them injured in the process and later hospitalised. In democracy

NGF crisis

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HE events that accompained the chairmanship election of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum are an indication of what the People Democratic Party is capable of doing in the 2015 general elections. It is absurd, unscrupulous and despicable.

It shows we don’t have a leader, but some kind of a boss who runs the country like the Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe.

Governor. Amaechi and all those who elected him must stand up to this injustice before it is endemic and rooted in our democracy for a leader to deprive the people of their God- given rights.

This travesty of justice must stop.

Charles 08037582231

President Jonathan mid- term reports The article of the mid- term report script of President Jonathan’s administration is a statement of facts and figures.

This is so because there is

there must definitely be opposition and different shades of opinions in politics but must we allow our political ideology or differences propel us into acts of hooliganism ?

The five legislators who oppose the governor had surprisingly made an announcement purportedly to have impeached the Speaker Hon. Otelemabala Amachree and therefore presented Hon Evans Bipi as the new Speaker.

The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria made express and unambiguous provisions on this issue. For the impeachment of any elected official to be constitutional and valid, there must be a two-thirds majority vote of the members of such House. Specifically, by virtue of Section 92 Subsection (2)(c) of the 1999 Constitution, a Speaker of a state House of Assembly can only be removed from office by a resolution of not less than two-third majority of the members of the House. In the case of the Rivers House, this mandatory constitutional provision was breached and therefore a valid impeachment cannot be said to have taken place.

Can five members validly constitute two-third of 32 members in law? Is this not simple arithmetic which requires that 22 members is the valid two-third required of 32

total disconnection between the people and the government. Why is it that all the economic policies of the government do not translate

,

Dear Sir,

members? The grievous assault perpetrated on some members of the House which we all saw is not only barbaric in these times but also condemnable and if this crisis is not properly handled, it could snowball into a national tragedy that could leave a sour taste in its trail.

Nigerian politics has been characterised by theatre of the absurd and we have not forgotten the 2003 kidnap saga of Governor Chris Ngige of Anambra state by the powers that be for their own parochial and selfish political gains.

Similar political machinations are gradually being covertly deployed in Rivers politics and I dare say that we should by now be more politically matured to learn from history and realise that this type of antics can never do us any good. If this type of political shamelessness and rascality by our legislators is not immediately halted, it will only show to the outside world that we are still politically immature thereby making us an object of caricature in the comity of nations.

It is worrisome that many politicians in Nigeria still believe in and practise the culture of impunity. Why would a legislator who is supposed to

be a shining example to the upcoming generation of youths be seen on national television exchanging blows with a fellow lawmaker? Are these people really law makers or law breakers? In saner climes, these clowns should have been put The culture of impunity must stop in Nigeria and people who break the law must be made to face the law.

Tayo Demola, Lagos tayodemola@gmail.com

capture the real situation on the ground rather than paper presentation at Abuja.

Nigerians are suffering in midst of abundance.

Government should channel the Sure- P funds into creation of jobs, new refineries and transform the economy.

President Jonathan’s administration should be celebrating many projects and reformation of the economic not mere paperwork.

Amaka, Abuja, FCT

continuity has been the bane of progress in this country; something that should be jettisoned this time around.

Otherwise, the religious bigots would regroup and come out stronger.

Henry 08039821540

Government should channel the Sure- P funds into creation of jobs, new refineries and transform the economy. President Jonathan’s administration should be celebrating many projects and reformation of the economic not mere paperwork

,

into employment, security, Onslaught of Boko stable power supply, building Haram and emergency of new refineries, reduction in rule in northern states the price of consumer goods, functional health care facilities among others?

If the government doesn’t believe the masses about the abject poverty in the land, let it ban travelling abroad for medical attention for public officials or all the ministers should travel by road in their zones with journalists to

It was quite a relief to read the success of the military offensive against the Boko Haram sect in the northern part of the country. It was the first sign by the Federal Government that the security of the people is rated above political scheming to retain political office. But lack of

Flood control in Osun Dear Sir,

O

N Tuesday July 2, 2013, the heavens opened up in Osogbo and there was a heavy downpour lasting about one hour. From a rough estimate, the precipitation could not have been less than six inches, roughly equivalent to one third of the average rainfall in a year.

The down pour was unusual.

The implication was that it is simply not possible for all the drainages to cope with the quantum of water that came down from the skies.

Still on NGF/ Amaechi Despite the Federal Goverment’s lies that President Goodluck Jonathan did not have a hand in the NGF election crisis, his rejection of the outcome, while providing comfort for the loser, Governor Jonah Jang, has shown beyond doubt that he is Janus faced.

The issue is worsened by the high- handed manner the

The good thing however was that the entire water receded immediately after the rain.

There was no trace of water as the precipitation disappeared into the streams, canals and rivulets. Thanks to the foresight of Governor Aregbesola with his policy of continued dredging of all the canals and waterways in the city. It was a big relief. This was not the case in the past and 2010 was a particularly unforgettable year in the annals of the city. There was a heavy downpour which was not even close to what we witnessed on July 2 but which nevertheless wreaked much havoc, destroying homes, property and crops, taking along human lives.

What the Aregbesola administration has done is to free the waterways giving succour to residents. One might ask what the big deal is about dredging. Well, it saved lives and property. I think there is also more to it; his environmental sanitation programme also helped. His campaign for environmental cleanliness and proper disposal of refuse helped freed the waterways from obstruction and this gave the water a free course, unlike in the past when they were clogged with refuse and the water then found its way into people’s homes.

This is just my way of encouraging the governor to do more.

Mike Olayinka,Osun State.

PDP is handling the issues.

The issues of barring Governor. Amaechi from the Presidential dinner as alleged is unacceptable and President Jonathan should look into it and probe who were involved in the planning of the dinner and the undeserving manner a serving governor has been treated.

Anonymous 08036662923

Still on Nigerian Governors’ Forum / Amaechi The running battle between Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State and the powers that be in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP is a reminder of the fact that there are no permanent friends but permanent interests.

Clara 08078210057

SAYINGS OF OUR ELDERS 1.You have to know when to stop and let go of somethings for they say "A stubborn fly follows the corpse to the grave"

Simon Adewale08056180103, Lagos State .

Send us your Sayings of Our Elders. They must be African sayings or proverbs. Biblical or English proverbs are unacceptable. You will be paid N100.00 for every saying published. Address your sayings to: The Co-ordinator, Sayings of Our Elders,Vanguard Media Ltd., PMB 1007, Apapa,

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013 — 53

Transfer Talk...Transfer Talk …. Transfer Talk...Transfer Talk ….

Real to offer £85m for Bale R

EAL Madrid are ready to offer £85million for the services of Tottenham Hotspur winger Gareth Bale, according to the Daily Star.

The 24-year-old Welshman has been heavily linked with a move away from north London this summer, despite his current club’s constant assurances that Bale remains not for sale.

Manchester United have been credited with an interest in Bale’s signature, while Real Madrid have also been monitoring the player ’s situation at White Hart Lane.

Spanish newspaper El Confidencial is reporting that Carlo Ancelotti is looking to lure Bale to the Santiago Bernabeu with a significant offer that Tottenham will find too difficult to turn down.

Martino is new Barca manager

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ERARDO ‘Tata’ Martino is the new Barcelona manager.

The Argentinean manager has signed a threeseason deal to run the ‘Azulgrana’ outfit.

According to Marca, the former Newell’s Old Boys manager will come

Barca reject Man U’s £30m Fabregas bid BARCELONA have told Manchester United that Cesc Fabregas is not for sale.

United confirmed on Monday that they had submitted an improved

Pellegrini prepare £22m Pepe bid

T

HE Daily Star tell us that Manchester City are preparing a £22million bid for Real Madrid defender Pepe, which would see their summer spending total a whopping £114million.

Pepe has been made available for £30million, the newspaper claims, but City are refusing to pay that for the Portuguese defender and will offer £22million, despite currently being the biggest spenders in the Premier League this summer.

City boss Manuel Pellegrini wants players with more Champions League experience in the squad in order to try and mount a more successful European campaign this time round, the newspaper claims.

If the deal was accepted, Pepe would join midfielder Fernandinho (£30million), winger Jesus Navas (£15.8million), and strikers Alvaro Negredo (£20.6million) and Stevan Jovetic (£25.8million) in Manchester.

bid - understood to be £30m plus add-ons for the midfielder - but reports in Spain claim that has been turned down.

“Fabregas is not for sale,” a Barcelona source said on Monday. “The president (Sandro Rosell) has been very clear with Man United.”

Old Trafford boss David Moyes earlier said he may be forced to admit defeat.

When asked whether he would give up on Fabregas were the deal to drag on, Moyes said: “I think a point does come but I think when you are interested in good players you want to give it every opportunity to materialise. And I’ll do that.

“I’ll hope that things can continue to try to move forward."

to the Catalan club accompanied by two of his regular aides, Elvio Paolorroso and Jorge Pautasso.

The South American manager will take over at Barça after Tito Vilanova was forced to step down because he could not combine the treatment which he is undergoing in his fight against cancer with the workload.

There had been some last-minute speculation that Barcelona might appoint Dutch coach Guus Hiddink, who resigned from his post at Russian club Anzhi yesterday.

Anzhi offer cash plus Eto’o for El Shaarawy

•Eto

•Eto

Mourinho: Real can swallow any offer for Ronaldo

J

OSÉ Mourinho be lieves that Cristiano Ronaldo will stay at Real Madrid and will not sign for Manchester United.

“It’s just a feeling,” said the Portuguese manager.

“What I know is that Real Madrid is such a rich club they don’t need to sell him, and it is such a rich club I think they can swallow any offer a club can have on

Ronaldo,” said Mourinho. “I know Ronaldo loves Manchester United and I know he loves the Premier League but I think he is going to stay. It’s just a feeling, no contact [with the player],” he went on to say.

Manchester United is hoping to re-sign Cristiano Ronaldo, whose contract is up in 2015.

A

NZHI have made a sensational move for AC Milan striker Stephan El Shaarawy.

The Italy international remains admired across Europe, despite a battling past season with the Rossoneri.

Il Giorno says Russian mega spenders Anzhi have tabled a stunning bid for El Shaarawy €35 million cash PLUS Samuel Eto’o for the young forward.

Eto’o, once of Inter Milan, has been linked with a move away from the Russian Premier League this summer.

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54 — VANGUARD, TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013

E.K Clark Wrestling Championship: Teams begin to arrive Warri T

HE Nigeria wrestling federation has said that the chief E.K Clark national championship taking place in Warri from the 22nd to 27th of july will serve as trials to select wrestlers that will represent the country in next year’s common wealth games in Scotland as new rules of the game will be the major highlight of the Warri championship.

This fact was made known by the technical director of the wrestling federation sir Ohaike Damian who has already arrived Warri with other technical members of the federation. He commended the Delta state government for it’s timely acceptance to host wrestlers from all over the country.

He said by accepting such reposibility is a clear

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indication of how delta state is posed and committed in sports development in the country.

Sir Damian reviled that the championship will help most of the officials of the federation to learn about the new rules that the federation of international wrestlers have introduced to the game which will be a plus to the federation.

He further said that certain wrestlers that have made the country proud will be inducted into the Nigeria hall of frame at the E.K Clark championship.

Meanwhile four teams, Delta the host team, Jigawa Yobe and Kano state have arrived for the one week wrestling championship, more teams are also expected to arrive today.

Standard Char tered renew sponsorship with the Reds

CHAMPION STUFF.......World heavyweight wrestling champion, Osita Offor, a.k.a Ultimate Commander (left); South African Consular General, Ambassador Mokgethi Sam Monaisa; Sports Promoter, Aghalieaku Arinze; and Tee Mac; during the Mandela Day celebrations in Lagos…at the weekend

L

IVERPOOL Football Club and Standard Chartered Bank have announced a two year extension to their main sponsor agreement.

The bank signed up as the Club’s main sponsor in July 2010, appearing on the front of the Red’s shirt for the last three seasons. The partnership has now been extended to run until the end of the 2015/ 16 season. Financial terms of the agreement remain confidential.

Over the last three years, Standard Chartered and Liverpool FC have reaped the benefits of their partnership through a number of initiatives – in particular, through a series of award-winning charitable and community-based campaigns around the world.

VANGUARD, TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013 — 55

Keshi reveals Mikel Obi’s secret T S UPER Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi has revealed the secret of the recent s c i n t i l l a t i n g performances of Chelsea midfielder, John Obi Mikel, for the national team.

Mikel, who was named 2nd best player at the FIFA U20 World Cup behind Lionel Messi, had seen his stock drop since those days.

At one point, Nigerian football fans questioned his loyalty and commitment to the Super Eagles cause, but all that changed at the 2013 Nations Cup, when Mikel turned out five star performances, and he has been on the upward spiral since.

The turn-around came as a result of frank talk between the midfielder and the coach.

Keshi told Mikel to buckle up and show Nigerians that he really is a patriot, and not the I-don’t-care character the press portrays, a source in the NFF said.

Keshi had called him

WO London Olympians trade blows as a BADMINTON match turns into a bloody, shirts-off fist fight.

Thailand’s Bodin Issara and Maneepong Jongjit competed together in the doubles at last summer’s Games.

But the warring pair split earlier this year and their feud erupted into a violent brawl at the Canada Open yesterday.

Their doubles final was abandoned when Issara chased Jongjit onto a nearby court and threw a flurry of punches at his former pal.

Jongjit eventually emerged shirtless before the disgraced duo were

nents to mere shadows, going haywire with goals.

Police Machine taking on Bubayaro Football Club of Gombe were trying to score more goals than Plateau United Feeder, who were playing Akurba FC, in the race to win promotion to the lowest tier of the Nationwide League Division. While Police Machine defeated Bubayaro 67-0, Plateau Feeder trounced their opponents 79-0. Things went bizarre in the second half.as Feeders scored 72 of their goals in the second half, while Police Machine found the net 61 times after the break in their game.

After investigations and a rigorous three-day hearing and deliberations, the NFF Disciplinary and Organising Committee passed its findings to the Executive Committee, headed by

•Thai Olympic heroes in shocking on-court brawl following the brawl, held back by coaches.

Issara needed two stitches to his ear

which saw both teams thrown out of the tournament.

Bodin Issara chases Maneepong Jongjit after a dispute between the two

Glo commends Premier League clubs

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•Mikel and asked why he is not giving his all to the team.

It was a discussion, as Mikel reiterated his patriotism and

Banned Continues from BP

Bad-men-ton

the President, Alhaji Aminu Maigari.

Yesterday, the football house passed its verdict on the issue, handing a life ban to all the principal actors in the shameful act. Chairman of the Disciplinary and Organising Committee, Chief Mike Umeh said, “the four clubs involved in the two matches have been banned for 10 years, while the players, match referee and his assistants and the match commissioner have all been banned for life.”

Umeh pointed out that pictures of all the players, referees and other affected individuals will be circulated to all the security agencies for effective monitoring.

Similarly, copies of the NFF verdict have already been forwarded to both the Confederation of African Football, CAF and the Federation of International Football Association, FIFA.

commitment.

The coach then discussed tactics with Mikel, who is quite intelligent. It was about how the team could get the best out of his game. And the result has been there for all to see.

Mikel has been outstanding for the Eagles, and the good form continued to the Confederations Cup in Brazil, where the Chelsea man stood his ground, especially in the games against Uruguay

L U B S participating in the Glo Premier League have been commended for their professionalism and continuously abiding by the rules of the game.

L e a d i n g telecommunications operator and sponsor of the League, Globacom in a statement in Lagos on Monday commended the clubs for healthy competition displayed since the season commenced.

“Except for one or two minor skirmishes, the Glo Premier League has recorded little or no violence, both the club officials and players have exhibited good sportsmanship” the

Ameobi

Continues from BP the reports broke out on Sunday, was told by Ameobi that he had only a knock on the arm and he would be ready for the friendly against Bafana Bafana. “I have spoken to Shola and the guy is fit and healthy and will be available for the Mandela Challenge.

He told me so himself, so any other news to the contrary I don’t believe”.

The Eagles resumed their preparations for the second leg tie against Cote D’ Ivoire in Abuja on Monday evening with the coaching crew concentrating

on shooting and accuracy in front of goal. In the course of the session, top striker Gambo Mohammed and Elkanemi’s Haruna Babalo both had knocks and were asked to sit out half of the session so as to quickly recover for Tuesday’s test game against TEAP FC of Abuja.

The medical crew has already said there is nothing to worry about but precautions must be taken not to aggravate any knock on any player as the d-day draws near for the crucial return leg against the Elephants of Cote ‘Ivoire in Abidjan.

statement added.

Globacom called on players and coaches to keep this up as the League gradually progresses towards attaining the status of Africa’s best.

According to the company, “The interest of Nigerians in the Premier League had increased since Globacom resumed the

sponsorship of the league this season, adding that Glo would continue to support the league.

Globacom therefore enjoined all football enthusiasts in the country to support the wave of exciting change sweeping across the Glo Premier League and help Nigeria to build viable football clubs.

Finidi Continues from BP Kanu. He also played in England with Ipswich Town.

Finidi also achieved a bit of world wide fame with his celebration at the 1994 FIFA World Cup, when he went an

all fours like a dog urinating after scoring against Greece.

Finidi had taken time out to serve as an intern coach at Dutch side, FC Zwolle on the way to earning a coaching badge.

Ronaldo Continues from BP flying form since beginning pre-season training, his hunger and enthusiasm plain for all to see.

This is Cristiano Ronaldo’s fifth pre-season at Real Madrid, with his most prolific so far coming two years ago (2011), when he scored seven times in eight appearances before going on to break all his personal records during the season proper.

This compares to 2009, when he notched three goals in nine fixtures; 2012, when he grabbed

two in four, and 2010, when he registered just once in five games.

Having had the whole summer off until now, Cristiano could well feature in all of Real’s pre-season fixtures, just like he did in 2009 and 2011.

Carlo Ancelotti, meanwhile, has been so impressed by the Portuguese ace’s ambition and constant drive to improve that he has encouraged the younger players in the squad to follow CR7’s example as a model professional.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 23 , 2013

Finidi gets Mallorca appointment

F

ORMER Nigerian international, Finidi George, has been appointed the Youth Team coach of Spanish La Liga side, Mallorca.

The former Sharks winger, who made his Super Eagles debut in

FANTASY FOOTBALL SCORES

Banned for life!

BY JACOB AJOM

T

HE Nigeria F o o t b a l l Federation yesterday came down heavily on the principal actors involved in the two shameful football matches that produced a fantasy scoreline of 149

goals.

Penultimate weekend, two amateur football clubs, Police Machine Football Club of Bauchi and Plateau Feeders took their promotion battle to unimaginable heights as they practically reduced their oppo

Ronaldo sets 70-goal target

Continues on Page 55

Ameobi fit, healthy for Mandela — Keshi

S

UPER Eagles Head Coach, Stephen Okechukwu Keshi, has said that Newcastle striker, Shola Ameobi is healthy and fit for next month’s Mandela Challenge in South

•Finidi the 7-1 whitewash of Burkina Faso at the main bowl of the national stadium in Lagos in a Nations Cup qualifier, had played for Real Betis in Spain.

Finidi also played for Ajax Amsterdam, where he won the UEFA Champions League alongside Nwankwo Continues on Page 55

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Africa, despite media reports to the contrary.

Keshi who put a call to the experienced attacker to find out the true situation of things when

TANGO: Goalmouth action during a NPFL match between Rangers International of Enugu and Kano Pillars FC

Continues on Page 55

RISTIANO Ronal do has set himself a 70-goal target for the 2013/2014 season, to surpass his best ever haul of 67, set in the 2011-12 season.

Ronaldo has been in

Continues on Page 55

QUICK CROSSWORD

Sudoku

TODAY'S

PUZZLE

YESTER DAY'S YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 1 Perpetrate (6) 5 Resist (6) 8 Pact (8) 9 Sate (4) 10 Through (3) 12 Dot (5) 15 Spring (3) 17 Self (3) 18 Choose (3) 19 Sprite (3) 20 Sweetheart (5) 21 Fuss (3) 22 Garland (3) 23 Curve (3) 24 Plaything (3) 26 Senior member (5) 29 Relations (5) 33 Dairy product (4) 34 Ineffectiveness (8) 35 Disclose (6) 36 Recompense (6)

DOWN 2 Sea-air (5) 3 Modest (4) 4 Vagabond (5) 5 Eye-related (5) 6 Kiss (4) 7 Pry (5) 10 Indicate (5) 11 Answer (5) 12 Dense (5) 13 Messenger (5) 14 Holy book (5) 15 Pile (5) 16 Bedeck (5) 25 Colour (5) 27 Rubbish (5) 28 Penetrate (5) 30 Bury (5) 31 Funeral pile (4) 32 Tardy (4)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Helm 4, Met 6, Page 8, Outset 9, Morbid 10, Ebb 12, Spear 14, Fluff 15, Careen 20, Oracle 24, Droop 26, Spite 28, Dozen 30, Peg 32, Finite 33, Aboard 34, Itch 35, Kip 36, Yarm.

How to Play Sudoku

DOWN: 2, Equip 3, Massage 4, Mate 5, Tomb 6, Peril 7, Gainful 11, Bus 12, Sac 13, Rue 16, End 17, Too 19, Appoint 21, Rod 22, Apology 23, Eon 25, Rye 27, Thigh 29, Error 30, Peak 31, Gasp.

TWO WEEKS TO LIVE

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.

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