Senators, Reps tackle Obasanjo

...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 61629

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ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

N150

THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012

Gowon to Boko Haram: Embrace dialogue or... —P.7 Violence alien to Islam — Emir —P.16

CAPTURED—

Bunkering vessel, MV Tamuno-Ibi captured and set ablaze by the JTF off the shores of Akassa Island in Brass LGA, Bayelsa State, Tuesday.

Senators, Reps tackle Obasanjo •Ask him to name the robbers, rogues in NASS •Reps hurl verbal missiles at the ex-President

BY OKEY NDIRIBE, HENRY UMORU, INALEGWU SHAIBU & EMMAN OVUAKPORIE

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BUJA —THE Senate, yesterday, dared former President Olusegun Obasanjo to be courageous and name the rogues and armed robbers in the National Assembly.

According to the Senate, if the former Chairman, Board of Trustees, BoT of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP could, in the spirit of transparency, assemble such persons who are armed robbers rather than those who

Continues on Page 6

Nigeria's economic growth weakens —NBS Pg.6

10m children out of school nationwide Pg.29

Muhammadu Buhari: The meaning and politics of language Pg.17

Lagos govt rules out blanket recall of sacked doctors —P.7

Mr & Mrs

2 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012

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Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012—5

Alleged N21bn scam: Saraki withdraws suit against police •As court vacates arrest warrant

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

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VISIT—From left: Miss Kelechi Esimogu, Publicity Secretary; Mr Mideno Bayagbon, Editor, Vanguard; Mr Ejugo Alfred; Mr Moses Ebahor, Project Director and Mr Frank Ilaboya, media consultant during a visit by members of First Nigerian Unity Football tournament to Vanguard Newspapers headquarters in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Shola Oyelese.

APGA 'll field presidential candidate in 2015 — Umeh zSays it is South-East turn to produce president

BY PETER OKUTU

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NUGU—NATIONAL Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Chief Victor Umeh, yesterday, declared the readiness of his party to field a presidential candidate in the 2015 general elections, in line with the collective desire of Ndigbo to produce the next president of the country.

Umeh, who spoke while receiving a delegation from the political office of the United States Consulate in Nigeria, said Igbos in the South East had remained the most cheated ethnic group in the country, especially in terms of the number of states and local government areas. He added that the persistent marginalization was principally caused by their involvement in the civil war.

He stated that the numerous agitations from difference ethnic groups in the country had underscored the urgent need to convoke a national conference to enable Nigerians hold a roundtable and seek ways of solving the nation’s problems.

His words: “This time around we (APGA) are going to field a Presidential candidate. The late Dim C h u k w u e m e k e Odumegwu-Ojukwu was our presidential candidate twice in 2003 and 2007.

“In 2011 we didn’t field a presidential candidate because things were very fluid, but by 2015, I am sure, APGA will field a Presidential candidate and we are determined to fight for an Igbo man to become president of Nigeria under any arrangement possible, be it coalition.

“We must be prepared to work with some other political parties to form a coalition. In Germany what they have is a coalition government. Angela

Merkel party controls just 34 percent and through coalition arrangement they are leading the country.

“So we want to see how APGA can engage in that type of process where our presidential candidate will also be available alongside presidential candidates of other political parties and after the first round of election we see the performance of each party.

“Through negotiation we can pull our resources together , APGA, ACN,

FG pays corps members allowance ...regrets delay

BY CALEB AYANSINA

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BUJA–FEDERAL Government said yesterday it had paid members of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, their allowances.

The government said it paid the allowances through e-payment as soon as it received the funds from the Accountant General of the Federation on May 17, 2012.

A statement by the Head (Press and Public Relations Unit) of NYSC, Mrs. Abosede Aderibigbe, regretted the delay in the payment, promising to, henceforth, ensure the prompt payment of the next allowances.

According to the

statement, “all corps members are thereby requested to check with their banks and lodge complaints with their NYSC State Secretariats where such payments have not been cleared. Efforts are on to ensure prompt payment of May 2012 allowances.

“Management wishes to commend corps members nationwide for their demonstration of maturity and patience in the face of the delay encountered in the payment of the allowances.

“Management further wishes to reaffirm its commitment to the welfare and security of corps members wherever they may be in line with the stance of the Federal Government.”

CPC and all the parties in opposition, we should be able to give PDP a run in 2015.

BUJA—THE former Governor of Kwara State, Senator Bukola Saraki, yesterday, withdrew the application he filed before a Federal High Court in Abuja with a view to stopping the Special Fraud Unit of the Nigerian Police Force from arresting him over his alleged involvement in an N21billion loan scam.

Presiding Justice Gladys Olotu, struck out the application after Saraki who is currently representing Kwara Central Senatorial District, told the court that the suit has been overtaken by events.

Nevertheless, he persuaded the court to setaside the warrant of arrest Police earlier secured against him, decrying that the security agency declared him wanted despite the pendency of his suit before the High Court.

Arguing through his counsel, Chief Rafiu Rabana, SAN, the embattled lawmaker, contended that Police over

reached the powers of the court when it branded him a wanted man following an arrest warrant he said was okayed against him by a Lagos High Court.

Consequently, he urged Justice Olotu to not only reprimand the force, but to also declare that the action amounted to a gross abuse of the judicial process.

Meanwhile, though Police did not oppose Saraki’s bid to withdraw the suit, it however justified its action against him, saying it decided to declare him wanted after its investigations revealed that the lawmaker had perfected a subterranean plot to run out of the country in order to frustrate his planned interrogation.

Police lawyer, Mr Femi Falana, maintained that Saraki had no right to approach a court with a view to stopping the force from carrying out its statutory mandate, adding that it was even the lawmaker that abused the court process by attempting to stall investigation into his alleged complicity in a criminal act.

6—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012

POCKET CARTOON

Senators, Reps tackle Obasanjo Continues from Page 1 should carry out the job of lawmaking, it would go a long way in sanitizing the nation’s polity.

Addressing Journalists yesterday in Abuja, Chairman, Senate Committee on Information, Media and Public Affairs, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, PDP, Abia noted that while the Senate was not prepared to engage him because of the great respect the lawmakers have for him, said: “We have been getting many inquiries relating to the statement by former President Olusegun Obasanjo that the National Assembly is full of rogues and our statement is as follows; the NASS has great respect for the person of the former President of Nigeria Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and the National Assembly can never engage in any talk back to the president.

“We actually feel that the former President would help the National Assembly and indeed also help Nigeria in the new spirit of transparency and

openness by assisting the National Assembly by naming those that he knows in the National Assembly as either rogues or criminals.

That would help us to sanitise the polity and we sincerely thank him for his role in Nigeria; someone who cares very deeply about the Nigerian state and how it is at the moment.

“Not just President Obasanjo, we also urge other Nigerians who are concerned about Nigeria to also in the spirit of transparency let us know whatever information they have so that we could use it to check ourselves and to make Nigeria a better place.”

It will be recalled that Chief Obasanjo was on Wednesday quoted in some national dailies where he described the nation’s legislature, judiciary and police as corrupt, and that they held no hope for the country.

In particular, Obasanjo was quoted as describing the majority of lawmakers at the

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

For every calling there is a provision for fulfillment.

Once discovered the needed energy vitality and potential to achieve and become is graciously released to you by the creator.

The only way to sustain, maintain and contain the released grace for actualizing purpose is by being in the center of his will. Serve God and your fellow man- then you are set to discover the deeper meaning of LIFE.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

Another way to find a general antidote to all limiting emotions is by looking at its very nature.

For instance, look at anger itself. It looks very menacing, like a billowing monsoon cloud or thunderstorm, but in reality it is just a mist, if you look at the thought of anger this way, it will vanish like frost under the morning sun — Matthieu Ricard.

S

TILL on the state of happiness, Ricard reiterate the states of mind that are conducive to the flourishing state of happiness and well-being, but emphasises some conditions that are adverse to it.

And so, if we look from our own experiences, anger, hatred, jealousy, arrogance, obsessive desire, strong grasping, they don’t leave us in such a good state after we have experienced it. And also, they are detrimental to uplifting conditions of happiness.

However, it is possible to change our way of being, to transform one’s mind. Is change possible in our emotions, in our traits, in our moods? We have to ask ourselves , what is nature of mind? And if we look from the experiential point of view, the primary quality of consciousness is cognitive, to be aware.

It cannot be tainted intrinsically with negative traits like hatred or jealousy. Focus on love and light within others, the more love you see within everyone the more love you will find yourself..

national and state assemblies as ‘rogues and armed robbers'.

Obasanjo who spoke in Lagos at the fourth Academy for Entrepreneurial Studies, Nigeria Annual Conference was quoted thus: “Integrity is necessary for systems and institutions to be strong. Today, rogues, armed robbers are in the state houses of assembly and the National Assembly. What sort of laws will they make?

“The judiciary is also corrupt. During my tenure, many of the corrupt judges were removed, some are still there. If the Judiciary becomes corrupt, where is the hope for the nation? Justice, no doubt, will go to the highest bidder. The judiciary did not see anything wrong with a former governor but the same set of evidence was used to sentence him in the United Kingdom.

“The police are even worse. Well, I will not lament; I will only say, ‘let us understand our problems and emphasise the good ones."

Mixed reactions trail Obasanjo’s outburst in House Meanwhile, the leadership of the House of Representatives was guarded in its reaction to former President Obasanjo's comments.

Attempts to rally members of the House of Representatives to pass a resolution condemning the statement credited to the former President to the effect that the National Assembly harboured rogues, proved futile as the leadership of the lower legislature effectively intervened and referred the issue to the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges for investigation.

Deputy Minority Leader of the House, Hon. Suleiman Abdulrahman Kawu had risen under a matter of privilege to ask his colleagues to condemn the statement by Chief Obasanjo.

Said he: “It is in respect of a statement credited to former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo that

some members of the National Assembly were rogues and armed robbers”.

Having obtained permission from Speaker Aminu Tambuwal to read the newspaper report, Mr Kawu concluded amidst grumblings from some of his colleagues: “Mr Speaker, as a member of the National Assembly, I know I am not an armed robber. I am not a rogue.

Enough is enough, Mr Speaker”.

However, Speaker Aminu Tambuwal urged his colleagues to refrain from debating the issue and instead refer it to the Ethics and Privileges Committee of the House.

According to him: “Honourable colleagues, I believe that this is not a matter that should be debated. By the rules of this House, all matters of this nature are to be referred to the Ethics and Privileges Committee because Chief Olusegun Obasanjo can come up to say he was quoted out of context.”.

However, several members of the Lower House who reacted to the media reports expressed dismay that a former President could make such remarks.

In his own remarks, Hon. Daniel Reynieju representing War ri Federal Constituency said what he had read so far in the newspapers about the remarks of expresident was rather unfortunate.

"I don’t know who they are. It is up to him to identify who such persons are.”

He continued: “It sounds too far-fetched.

May be he is talking about those who were involved in the controversial third term

agenda. He knew those he had dealings with; he knew those who were involved in the tenure elongation controversy.

The legislature during President Obasanjo’s administration faced different challenges from what the present parliament is facing. The issues being addressed by the 7th National Assembly are different from the issues that were addressed by the past legislatures.”

Other members of the House who reacted to former President Obasanjo’s remarks include Chukwuemeke Nwogbo (APGA Anambra).

He said: “It is really a pity that our father and grandfather, a former President of Nigeria would make such a sad pronouncement. May the good Lord forgive him”.

Minor changes in Senate Meanwhile Senate President David Mark yesterday announced minor changes in the composition of the committees of the Senate, just as former governor of Kaduna State, Ahmed Makarfi returned to the Finance Committee he chaired in the sixth Senate.

It will be recalled that Makarfi, PDP, Kaduna North returned to the 7th Senate after the court sacked Ahmed Baba Datti.

In the shakeup, Senator Bassey Out, PDP Cross River South who was the Finance Committee Chairman was moved to head the committee on Banking, Insurance and other financial institutions.

Former Chairman of the committee on Banking, Insurance and other financial institutions Ayo Adeseun, ACN, Oyo Central takes over as the chairman of the committee on Capital Market, formerly headed by Senator Abdu Yandoma, just as Senator Attai Aidoko (ANPPKogi East was appointed Vice Chairman of the Senate committee on Navy having replaced Senator Emmanuel Ocheja who was also removed from the Senate by a court order; Sen. Hadi Sirika (CPCKatsina) was named Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on M i l l e n n i u m Development Goals (MDGs) while Senator Abubakar Yaradua, CPC, Katsina is the new Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism.

Nigeria's economic growth weakens —NBS

BY CHRIS OCHAYI, HENRY UMORU & INALEGWU SHAIBU

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BUJA—NIGERIA Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has said that the partial removal of subsidy on petroleum prices, the concomitant strike action and civil

protest slowed economic growth to 6.17 per cent in the fist quarter of the year even as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) warned that the proposed removal of its autonomy can lead to a collapse of the nation’s economy.

On the other hand, the

Chairman Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions, Senator Ayo Ademola Adeseun, ACN, Oyo Central has warned that if very drastic action was not taken on the nation’s economy the

Continues on Page 55

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012—7

Gowon to Boko Haram: Embrace dialogue or ...

BY OLA AJAYI

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BADAN — FORMER Military Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (rtd) has said the Islamic sect, Boko Haram, should either embrace dialogue or be ready to contend with the fire power of the security

forces. The former head of state also urged all Nigerians to be prayerful so that the menace of the sect could be solved He said this just as he dismissed the impression of some Nigerians that the Federal Government and the security agencies were

too lackadaisical about the nagging menace of the sect.

The ex-Nigerian leader said this shortly after the opening ceremony of Education Summit organised by Governor Abiola Ajimobiled government.

He said the option open

to Boko Haram “is to either embrace dialogue or it will be fire-for-fire. But, I urge Nigerians to engage in prayers in order to solve the problem, because there is no problem that cannot be solved by prayers.”

Gowon said a lot of things had been done by the Federal Government to curb the

excesses of the sect. He called on Nigerians to give government more time and be patient so that the problem could be overcome.

He noted: “When you look at the act of terrorism across the world, it is never an adhoc issue because of the issues involved and that is why we should not as-

sume that the government is not doing enough, the government is really working.

“This is the time to put into practice our intelligence unit. The menace cannot be allowed to go on unabated, the security has a lot to do in that regard.”

Senators move to reintroduce PIB zProbe report on fuel subsidy not ready—Abe

BY HENRY UMORU

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Vice President Namadi Sambo (left) being welcomed by Deputy President of South Africa, Kgalema Motlahe during the South Africa-Nigeria Bi-National at Cape Town, South Africa, yesterday.

Lagos govt rules out blanket recall of sacked doctors zMedical Guild accuses govt of prolonging crisis zNMA warns defiant members

BY SOLA OGUNDIPE, CHIOMA OBINNA, OLASUNKANMI AKONI & MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO

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AGOS — ALTHOUGH indications emerged, yesterday, that some of the sacked Lagos doctors may be recalled, the state government has ruled out a blanket recall of all the doctors, even as the aggrieved doctors have accused the government of prolonging the current health crisis in the state.

Also, the state branch of the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, has warned its members against defying directives of the association with respect to the alleged casualisation of medical professionals in the state.

Giving the hint on the possible recall of the doctors, Head of Service, Mr Adesegun Ogunlewe, at a briefing in Lagos confirmed that some of the sacked doctors had already appealed to the government for a recall, saying the appropriate authorities were looking into their cases.

He said: “Yes, some of the sacked doctors have appealed to the government," adding that relevant au-

thorities of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH and Health Service Commission, HSC are considering the cases, very soon the results of the appeal will be made public."

He, however, said government was still in talks with the NMA on ways to iron out the differences.

Ogunlewe explained that the doctors were sacked to save the state‘s health sector, adding that the strike violated the terms and rules of their employment.

The HOS said the strike was not justified, especially as the government had implemented the Consolidated Medical Salary Scale, CONMESS, for doctors in its employment.

CONMESS

On the issue of any agreement between the striking doctors and the state government on payment of CONMESS, Ogunlewe said: We have commenced the payment of the new salary structure for the doctors since January 2011 which is commensurate with the Federal Government salary structure and until when they embarked on their strike, none of the doctors was owed by

the state government.

He, however, said already, 1,680 officers had been recruited between June 2011 and April 2012 based on special needs.

This figure, he noted, covers those in other services except the local governments.

Medical Guild accuses govt

Meanwhile, in a statement, yesterday, the sacked Lagos doctors accused the state government of prolonging the current health crisis in the state, even as the state branch of the NMA warned its members against defying directives of the association with respect to the alleged casualisation of medical professionals in the state.

The statement signed by Drs. Olumuwiya Odusote and Dr. Idris Durojaiye, Chairman and Secretary of the Medical Guild respectively, said it had resolved to continue pursuing all legal and peaceful means of resolving the crisis.

Sacked doctors 've not appealed for reinstatement —Odusote

Reacting to the claim by

the state government on the appeal for reinstatement, Odusote, when contacted, said:”It is a lie, none of the 788 sacked doctors has gone to the state government to appeal to be reinstated into the state civil service.

“They are trying to misinform the general public about the issue and to also make them panic. They (the state government) have drafted a letter of appeal asking our members to sign, but none of the 788 sacked doctors has responded to the call.”

NMA warns members

In a related development, the state branch of the NMA has warned its members against defying its directives on the strike.

The warning contained in a three-paragraph statement signed by Drs. Edamisan Temiye and Olusola Olowoselu, Chairman and Secretary of the NMA, Lagos State branch respectively, said: “We wish to warn all doctors that no one should be in doubt of the Association’s resolve to pursue this matter to a logical conclusion. All medical and dental doctors are, therefore, advised not to be misled by the propaganda being peddled by the Lagos State Government."

BUJA — SOME sena tors have concluded arrangement to introduce a private member Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) to the Senate for consideration and subsequent promulgation into law following delay by the Federal Government to forward it.

The move by the senators to present the Bill became imperative borne from the fact that they have expressed concern that at the moment industry operators were confused as to whether the country was still going to operate under the old petroleum act or with a new industry bill.

The bill when introduced by the Senators, will help restore the peoples’ confidence in the oil sector.

Answering questions from journalists, yesterday, at the National Assembly, Senate Committee Chairman on Petroleum (Downstream) and Chairman of the Senate Joint Committees that is investigating the petroleum subsidy, Senator Magnus Abe (PDP, Rivers South East) said delay on the part of the Federal Government to send the bill to the National Assembly had seriously affected investment and confidence in the oil and gas sector.

Senate report not ready

Meanwhile, Abe has disclosed that the Senate report on the probe of petroleum subsidy was not ready for presentation, adding: “The report is not ready and so cannot be submitted tomorrow. So tomorrow if we are asked, we will ask for more time to do what we are doing. The committee met and has set aside Wednesday and next Thursday to re-invite some key organisations and personalities

with whom we have issues and clarify those issues with them.

“As soon we finish that we will be getting our report ready. What we want to do is to make sure that as much as possible the report is based on facts and only facts and should not be speculative in any sense.”

Speaking further on the proposed PIB, Abe said with the National Assembly commencing debate on the private member PIB soon, government on its part could introduce its own version any time it was ready, adding that at the end of the day, government’s version would be married with that of the private member bill whenever the government was ready.

According to Abe, “the PIB,for example, we’ve all agreed that it is not moving as we expected it and I have asked my staff, I have also consulted some of my colleagues, and we have decided that we are going to look at one of the old versions that had been submitted before and submit it as a private member bill and kick start the process.

“At any time, the executive feels the need to bring what they have, they can bring it and we can add it to what we are already looking at and proceed.”

On what would be the fate of the Senate’s report on the fuel subsidy in view of the fact that the House of Representatives had already submitted their own report, Abe said the fact that the House had already submitted its report did not in anyway interfere with the constitutional right of the Senate to conclude its own investigation and reach its own conclusion as may be appropriate.

He explained that the two chambers might not necessarily see the issues the same way even though the subject matter was still the same.

8—VANGUARD, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012

Financial Reporting Council stops ICAN AGM

BY BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE

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AGOS — THE Finan cial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRC) has directed the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) not to go ahead with its Annual General Meeting (AGM) planned to hold tomorrow over issues of corporate governance by the institute.

FRC was established in 2011 as a parastatal under the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment.

From left: Mr Moses Alake Adeyemo, Deputy Governor, Oyo State; Gen. Yakubu Gowon (rtd.), chair- Among other things, the man of the Occasion and Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State at the 2012 Oyo State Education Sum- Council is empowered to: mit, in Ibadan, yesterday. Photo: Dare Fasube. harmonise activities of relevant professional and regulatory bodies as relating to corporate governance and financial reporting; and promote the highest standards among auditors and other profesIt expressed shock that political expediency. He sionals engaged in the fiAGOS — THE Action deficiency had been exnancial reporting process.

Congress of Nigeria posed by the fact that a the administration could has chosen to take what he FRC alleged that the (ACN) has said the state- President who gleefully so easily miss a rare considers the ‘safe’ way council of ICAN had rement by the Attorney-Gen- and speedily approved chance to show that it is out on an issue that calls jected five nominees of the eral of the Federation, Mr the suspension of Justice a government with hon- for courageous leadership.

Minister of Education into Mohammed Adoke, that Salami as President of ourable character, per- He has failed to rise to the the ICAN council, saying Justice Ayo Salami’s rein- the Court of Appeal is haps the most important occasion at a crucial moit was a complete breach statement as recommended now stonewalling and attribute of any govern- ment. President Jonathan of section 3(1)(a) of the when ment that is worth that may yet rue the decision by the National Judicial pussyfooting ICAN Act. to ignore the recommendaCouncil (NJC) will be called upon to reverse name.

Addressing a press con"In the end, the Presi- tion of the NJC on the re‘subjudice’, is the clearest that decision by the same ference in Lagos, yesterindication yet that the body that recommended dent has opted to sacrifice instatement of Justice Saday, Executive Secretary/ honour on the platform of lami,’’ ACN said.

Jonathan Administration is the suspension.

Chief Executive Officer, It said: "In our earlier not sincere.

In a statement in Lagos, statement, we said we are yesterday, by its National willing to give the PresiPublicity Secretary, Alhaji dent the benefit of the Lai Mohammed, the party doubt over speculations said the statement had also that the presidency is the

BY OSCARLINE EFCC was opposing eight James Onanefe Ibori cited confirmed the widely-held one orchestrating the litiONWUEMENYI applications brought in by by the defence counsel belief that the Presidency gation against the reDoma and six other co-ac- was different from the case orchestrated Salami’s sus- versal of Salami’s susBUJA — THE Eco cused persons seeking to before the court. pension in the first in- pension. However, it is nomic and Financial quash the case against He said by taking their stance, as part of a wider now clear that the morCrimes Commission, them. plea, they had joined isplan to cow the judiciary ally-challenged adminisCounsel to all the accused sues with the prosecution and silence upright judges. tration is actually the un- EFCC, has told a Federal According to the party, "in seen hand behind such High Court sitting in Lafia, persons excluding the 4th and had actually chalthe end, this is all about the frivolous lawsuits, which Nasarawa State presided and 8th accused persons, S. lenged the prosecution to PDP losing Ekiti and Osun have now been latched over by Justice Marcel I. Ameh, SAN, had earlier prove the case for which states, which the party ap- on to by the same presi- Awokulehin, that a former moved a motion to quash they have been charged. propriated to itself through dency as the reason why Nasarawa State governor, the charges preferred As to whether the charges are vague and ambiguous, a most shameful and egre- Justice Salami cannot be Aliyu Akwe Doma and six against them. Also, counothers standing trial on a 17sel to Doma and gious electoral heist, rather reinstated.

"As the AGF plays the count criminal charge of Abdulmumin Jibrin, Charles than the consequences of the disagreement between ostrich, he forgets that laundering state funds Edosonwan, SAN, had the nation’s two top judicial Nigerians cannot be totaling over N18 billion, prayed the court to discharge the accused persons officers over the Sokoto elec- hoodwinked by such un- have a case to answer.

The commission has, on the grounds that prostenable explanation of tion.

AGOS — EMINENT "AGF Adoke’s shocking the reason for the presi- therefore, argued that the ecution did not disclose the Nigerians including defendants’ applications element of crime in the erstwhile presidential asand disingenuous state- dency’s refusal to reinment has also exposed the state Justice Salami. He seeking to quash the case charge, saying: “This is a pirant, Professor Pat reason behind the temerity forgets that Justice Sa- before the court lacked merit criminal proceeding that Utomi; chairman of the ought not to proceed.” of Segun Oni and lami had already insti- and should be struck out.

Subsidy Reinvestment The other accused perHe said the case was an and Empowerment ProOlagunsoye Oyinlola to tuted a lawsuit against continue to assault the ju- the NJC before he was sons are Senator John attempt to criminalise gov- gramme Board, Dr. diciary and anyone who suspended. He forgets Dangoyi, Abdulmumin ernment and that the trial Christopher Kolade; Mrs. had anything to do with the that the NJC, which is a Jibrin, Timothy Anthony was instituted because they Ibukun Awosika and Pascases in Ekiti and Osun defendant in the case, Anjide, Dauda Egwa, once held government po- tor Ituah Ighodalo will speak at the maiden Ibrahim, sitions. states. After all, they know knew what it was doing Suleiman Methodist Church of The Broworks Ltd and Green However, EFCC counsel Trinity, MCTT, Leadership they have the backing of the when it recommended Forest Investment Ltd. argued that the accused Attorney-General and the the reinstatement. And At the resumed hearing of persons’ counsel should Conference for Christian he forgets that part of the presidency.’’

Youths in Business and overall resolution of the the case on Monday, May have brought the applica- Public Life.

The theme of the procrisis is the request by 21, 2012, prosecution coun- tion to quash the case beMoral deficiency gramme which will take the NJC that all cases sel, Dele Adesina, SAN who fore their plea was taken.

He said the case of Fed- place at the auditorium of ACN said the Jonathan pertaining to it should be stood in for Kemi Pinhiero, SAN told the court that eral Republic of Nigeria vs. the Methodist Church of Administration’s moral withdrawn."

Salami: Jonathan administration lacks honourable character —ACN

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FRC, Mr. Jim Osanyande Obazee, said: “The regular practice is that ICAN president will suggest to the minister the names of persons that are fit and proper to fill the position. It is at the discretion of the minister to accept it or not.

“But in this situation, the minister sent her list whereas the ICAN president had sworn in persons without the consent of the minister and because of that the council has not been able to meet.

“ICAN council held its last meeting on January 18, 2012, and since then, they have not been able to meet and, that is a corporate governance issue. Section 11(e) of FRC Act says we should harmonise the activities as it relates to corporate governance in financial reporting.”

He said the FRC had also written to the auditors of ICAN to explain why they signed the account that had not been signed.

“Failure to comply with this directive may attract administrative civil and criminal sanctions. If they hold the AGM, we will take ICAN to court because we have written to them, telling them that their action is against the Companies and Allied Matters Act and the FRC Act,” Obazee said.

N18bn scam: Doma, others have case to answer, EFCC tells court

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Pinhiero urged the court to look at its record which showed that the accused persons having pleaded not guilty to the charges cannot go round to say the charges they listened to are now vague and ambiguous."

The judge, after ruling that Doma and his co-accused persons have a case to answer, adjourned the case till June 11, 2012.

Kolade, Utomi, Ighodalo to address Christian youths

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The Trinity, Tinubu, Lagos at 10:00 a.m. is ‘The Building Blocks of Effective Leadership.’

According to the chairman of the Local Organising Committee, Rev. Oladapo Daramola, the aim of the conference which is scheduled for Saturday, is to inspire young men and women to seek or accept leadership responsibilities as part of their contribution to society, help them to increase awareness of current leadership challenges and to develop key values and ethics among these emerging leaders for effective leadership.

Vanguard , THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012—9

PRESENTATION: From left, Mr .Yomi Awobokun, Chief Executive Officer, Oando Marketing Plc; Oba Rilwan Akiolu, Oba of Lagos; Mr. Taofik Tijani, Lagos State Commissioner for Energy & Mineral Resources, and Mr. Yemi Oreagba, Liquefied Petroleum and Gas, Oando Marketing, at the presentation of a 3kg O-Gas Cylinder to the monarch during the celebration of his ninth year coronation at the Iga Idunganran Palace, Lagos.

Photo: Joe Akintola, Photo Editor.

EFCC's witness clears Nwosu, others from N18bn shares transaction

BY ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH, ONOZURE DANIA & MICHAEL OLADEPO

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AGOS—TRIAL of former managing director of Finbank, Mr. Okey Nwosu and three other directors of the bank, continued, yesterday, before an Ikeja High Court, Lagos, with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, calling its second witness, Mr. Joe Aba. The witness told the court that his company, Springboard Tr ust Board and Investment Limited, was mandated

by Finbank to buy some shares for some companies.

Aba, General Manager of Springboard Tr ust Board and Investment Limited, a subsidiary of Finbank, further told the court that his company bought about two billion units of shares of Finbank Plc, valued about N18 billion with the instruction of the bank's management.

Led in evidence by EFCC's counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacob, Aba said the shares were bought for seven companies in several transactions between 2006 and 2007.

The witness, who doubles as the Asset Manager of the bank, said the mandate given was official from Finbank and all transactions were to the bank, as no individual from the companies was involved.

3 bankers, 8 others arrested after failed bank attack z Targeted N120m deposit z Banker hid arms in CPU

BY EVELYN USMAN

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A G O S — ELEVEN suspected members of a robbery gang were arrested by the Lagos Police Command which foiled their attempt to rob a new generation bank at Gbagada area of the state.

Five of the suspects were said to be staff of the bank.

They are being detained at the Special Anti-Robery Squad, Lagos.

Police sources said one of the bank staff, a senior marketing executive,

alleged to be mastermind of the foiled robbery attempt, connived with two internal securitymen and two other staff of the bank to attack the bank Monday night, after a customer had deposited N120 million.

They were said to have invited a notorious robbery suspect, one Sadiq, who had been on the command's wanted list.

Sadiq, it was gathered, invited six other members of his gang and planned the Monday’s attack.

During the operation,

Lagos Assembly urges Fashola to seize abandoned structures

BY EBUN SESSOU

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KEJA—LAGOS State House of Assembly, yesterday, called on Governor Babatunde Fashola to seize all abandoned structures in the state and convert them to hospital and health centres.

The Chief Whip, Mr. Rasaq Balogun, who spoke on matter of national urgency, said the abandoned structures in the state had become hide-outs for miscreants to carry out their illicit acts, adding that there were structures that had been abandoned for years which had become places of abode for criminals.

He said: “There are several abandoned structures in the state and since the nation is facing a serious security challenge, all the abandoned structures must not be allowed to

stay because they have become places of abode for evil perpetrators. The abandoned property should be confiscated by the state government and used for other purposes, such as hospital, health or recreation centres to improve the people’s lives.

Other members who contributed to the debate supported Balogun’s position.

they reportedly posed as customers and stormed the bank. They were arrested by plain-cloth policemen, who, acting on tip-off, had condoned off the entire bank premises. The suspects, during interrogation, mentioned the bank staff as their accomplices.

Preliminary investigation, according to sources at SARS, showed that the suspects bought their arms from Lagos and Benin City, Edo State and gave them to one of the bank staff, who concealed then in some Central Processing Unit, CPU, in the bank, to avoid the metal detective machine at the entrance of the bank from giving them away.

The marketing executive, according to the confessional statement of the robbers, allegedly gave them money to procure the weapons.

According to the command boss, Mr. Umar Manko, “We have arrested 11 of the suspects including five staff of the bank. We are still investigating the matter. We shall prosecute them as soon as investigation is concluded.”

...as govt marks 45th anniversary of state's creation

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KEJA—LAGOS State Government, yesterday, commenced activities to mark the 45th anniversary of the creation of the state.

Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Aderemi Ibirogba, at a briefing in Lagos, said the government was celebrating the anniversary this year due

to the high feat it had attained over the years as African model mega city.

Ibirogba said the state which had since become a benchmark for development in the country will use the occasion to bring together the patriarchs who contributed immensely to the development of the state.

3 docked for murder 3 yrs after

BY BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

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AGOS—AN Igbosere Magistrate's Court, Lagos, has remanded three persons, arraigned for the killing of one Wasiu Ajose by setting him ablaze, following a fight of supremacy over control of Mushin and its motor parks, which had been on since 2009.

The three suspects, Muritala Akanbi, 32; Seun Kukoyi, a.k.a. West, 27 and Dare Odeyemi a.k.a, Ere, 40, were arrested by men of the Federal Special AntiRobbery Squad, Lagos, after being on the run since 2010.

It was gathered that following a complaint lodged by the family of the victim at FSARS, Lagos, that the accused persons had killed their son, a team of securitymen led by Inspector Banjoko Oluwamimo, began a manhunt of the suspected gang, since 2010.

According to the police, the gang was arrested after police operatives stormed their hide-out in Mushin.

During the raid, some of the gang members escaped

while the three accused were arrested.

When the alleged gang’s hideout was raided by the police, items said to have been recovered were two automatic pump action gun with serial number 211 and 104, one police AK 47 rifle magazine, one smoke pistol with serial number 112293, one small iron box rifle care kit, one double barrel long gun with serial number 13742, one military face cap, one damaged pump action, one single barrel gun, 29 live catridges and 10 Kz live ammunition.

The police claimed that the accused persons on June 26, 2010, reportedly kidnapped Ajose in Mushin and took him to Kayode Bus-Stop, Idiaraba, Mushin, where they shot him dead and escaped after setting him ablaze.

In their confessional statement to the police, all the accused persons allegedly said the arms and ammunition were procured for them by prominent leaders in the state to fight in the supremacy tussle over the control of Mushin.

Lagos seeks N31bn loan from World Bank

BY MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO

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KEJA—LAGOS State Government is seeking N31.4 billion ($200m) loan from the World Bank, to fund strategic projects in the state this year.

The government also said it paid over N192 million as compensation to dependants of 249 deceased staff in the state in the year under review.

Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Adetokunbo Abiru, yesterday, during a

ministerial briefing in Lagos, to commemorate the first year of the second term in office of Governor Babatunde Fashola, said the fund was to assist the government in key areas of the budget.

Abiru listed the areas to include budget planning and execution, investment, climate improvement and revenue generation enhancement, explaining that it was a budget support granted by the bank for three consecutive years to the government.

Group wants N1bn fine on Telcom firms paid to subscribers

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AGOS—THE National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers, NATCOMS, has commended the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, for the fine imposed on telecom operators over poor quality services.

NATCOMS, in a statement in Lagos, said: “We give kudos to NCC for the regular monitoring of service quality rendered by the telecoms operators for the overall benefit of

subscribers.However, Nigerian subscribers are crying loud that the N1.17 billion fine should not be paid to the Federal Government, but to subscribers as they are not the direct sufferers of the poor quality service.''

“Why should NCC raise money in form of fine for the Federal Government at the expense of subscribers who actually suffered monumental loss as a result of poor quality service rendered by the operators?”

10— Vanguard , THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012

Court stops Ogun PDP congress

BY INNOCENT ANABA & DAUD OLATUNJI

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AGOS—A Federal High Court, Lagos, has ordered Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, in Ogun State, not to take any step towards organising a fresh congress in the state without first complying with an earlier order made on April 27, voiding the last South-West Zonal congress of the party.

Trial judge, Justice Okon Abang, yesterday, held that his order of April 27 still subsists and warned parties affected to comply with the order, failing which he would not hesitate to invoke the court's disciplinary powers against any erring party.

In apparent response to the development, the party has fixed the congresses for Saturday, May 26.

In a statement by Chairman,Caretaker Committee of the party in the state, Chief Ireti Oniyide, in Abeokuta, yesterday, ward congresses would hold in all the 236 wards of the state on May 26.

Oniyide further stated that, the Congresses in the twenty local Governments would hold on May 28, while the state Congress will be conducted June 2, 2012.

German institute to train Osun youths

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SOGBO—OSUN State Government has been offered opportunity to train its youths in agricultural specialties by a Germanbased institute for farm settlement.

This offer was made on the second day of the working visit by a delegation led by the Osun State Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, to the German state of Saxony Anhalt.

A statement by the Director, Bureau of Communications and Strategy in the Office of the Governor, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, said Osun State was offered opportunity to train some of its youths in agricultural specialties such as agricultural management, modern farming techniques, agricultural machine maintenance and genetic training for specialists.

Ogun traffic officers kill Okada rider for driving on uncommissioned road z Police arrest 4 over arms cache

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

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B E O K U TA — TRAGEDY struck, yesterday, after 15 officials of Ogun state Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps, TRACE, in Abeokuta, beat a man identified as Samuel Adoke, to death for driving on a road that is yet to be commissioned.

An eye-witness told Vanguard that the incident occurred about 9a.m. at Oke-Sokori when the TRACE

officials flagged down Adoke who was ridding an Okada on the yet to be commissioned six-lane road, but he allegedly ignored them.

Vanguard gathered that the officials, in annoyance, pursued the man, who reportedly maintained his ground that there was no other route through which he could access his house except passing through the road which had been barricaded.

The source added that

the officials claimed the man ignored the road diversion signs placed on the six-lane road expected to be commissioned by Governor Ibikunle Amosun on Monday.

The TRACE officials were also said to have immediately fled the area after the death of Adoke,a father of two and an employee of a new generation bank in Abeokuta.

Leader of the TRACE’s team that allegedly

AGM: From left, Mr. Joseph Hudson, Managing Director, Lafarge Cement WAPCO Nigeria Plc; Chief Olusegun Osunkeye, Chairman; and Ms. Uzoma Uja, Company Secretary/ Legal Adviser, at the firm' s 53rd Annual General Meeting at MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Joe Akintola, Photo Editor.

FG to train 200 ex-militants in Ondo

BY DAYO JOHNSON

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K U R E — PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, said no fewer than 200 ex-militants would be sent to the multimillion naira skill acquisition centre built by a former militant leader from Ondo State, Chief Bibo Ajube, for the training of Niger Delta youths in various skills by the Federal Government.

President Jonathan spoke at the inauguration of Bradama International Skill Works constructed in Agadagba-Obon, EseOdo Local Government Area of the state.

Speaking through his Special Adviser on Niger Delta, Mr. Kingsley Kuku, the President said the construction of the centre was an indication that the amnesty programme of government was achieving the desired result.

Jonathan noted that

“government was ready to partner with the centre to ensure further liberation of the youths of the Niger Delta area and enable them contribute to the development of the nation.”

According to him, one of the benefits of the amnesty programme was the increase in crude oil production capacity which had moved from 700,000 barrels per day before the

proclamation of amnesty to 2.4 million barrels per day.

On his part, Governor Olusegun Mimiko said the inauguration of the vocational centre was a testimony of the vision of the founding fathers of the amnesty programme which was designed to contribute to the development of the people of the area and the nation.

Ekiti renew demolition for roads

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DO-EKITI—EKITI State Government, yesterday, resumed the second phase of its demolition in Ado-Ekiti, ahead of the planned dualisation of some township roads, even as State Police Command deployed Armoured Personnel Carriers, APCs, and armed policemen to the major spots where the

road project is to take place.

The government had few months ago marked some structures in the town to give way for the second phase of the dualisation.

Some of the affected areas are the roads on Old Garage via Okeyinmi and Ojumose, where property owners of the proposed structures had been compensated.

committed the crime was identified as Gabriel Odunlami while the squad was identified as Ranger squad.

One of the TRACE officials who allegedly killed the man was, however, apprehended by the police and was said to have been remanded at the Ibara Police Divisional headquarters in Abeokuta.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, confirmed the incident after efforts to get the Corps Commandant of TRACE ,Ayo Sangofadeji, to comment failed.

Adejobi, however, stressed that Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Okoye Ikhemefuna had ordered full investigation into the matter.

Meanwhile, the Ogun State Police Command, yesterday, said it arrested

four armed robbery suspects with seven pump actions, 26 AK 47 magazines,20 live cartridges, 328 AK ammunition and charms in the Ifo Local Government Area of the state.

The command also apprehended three suspects with vandalised NITEL cables in Iperu, in Remo-North Local Government Area.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, gave these figures in Abeokuta, the state capital.

Adejobi named the suspected robbers as Ugochukwu Anih, Ndubuisi Kingsley, Ismail Raman and Ayomide Adedoyin while Balogun Abiodun, Lateef Muritala and Sheu Sulaiman were the suspected vandals.

Adejobi said the suspects would be charged to court after investigation.

IG blames rising crime on unemployment, poverty

BY DAYO JOHNSON

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KURE—THE Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Mr. Muhammed Abubakar, yesterday, blamed the upsurge in crimes in the country on high unemployment and poverty, but assured that security agents would not relent in tackling the nation’s security challenges.

Abubakar, who spoke at a stakeholders' meeting in Akure, noted that serious recovery of arms and ammunition and arrest of some suspects in connection with security threat had been made since he assumed office.

Abubakar, who was in Ondo State as part of his nationwide tour to sensitise the officers and men of the force, called for an urgent step to address high poverty and unemployment in the country.

He said he became Acting IG when the police force was faced with the challenges of the Boko Haram insurgence and that the force had been able to apprehend some of the perpetrators of the bombings.

On bribery and

corruption, he warned police officers against such act, warning that any officer caught in the act would be dismissed.

Abubakar said the present authority of the force had taken measures to rebuild the confidence of the people in the force, stressing that it was also determined to build a police force that would respect and protect the people as well as take seriously the security challenges of the country.

On road blocks, he said “ road blocks are gone forever, it is in police determination to eradicate bribery and corruption in our system and we are taking a giant step toward this.”

During a courtesy call on Governor Olusegun Mimiko, the IG described Ondo State as peaceful and warned politicians against heating up the polity ahead of the gubernatorial election, promising the safety of life and property during the election.

Speaking, Gov. Mimiko, attributed the prevailing peace in the state to the synergy between government and security agencies, promising to assist in training of security agents outside the country.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012—11

Delta community threatens Agip

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

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OYEGUN DECAMPS TO ACN: From left: Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State; Mr. Patrick Obahiagbon; Otunba Niyi Adebayo, former governor of Ekiti State; Chief Olusegun Osoba, former governor of Ogun State and Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, former governor of Edo State and VicePresidential candidate of ANPP in the last general election and his wife, during Oyegun's decamping to ACN in Benin City.

JTF destroys vessel with 600,000 litres of stolen diesel in Bayelsa ....26 suspects arrested

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

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ENAGOA—THE Joint Task Force, JTF, in the Niger Delta, codenamed Operation Pulo Shield, has intercepted another vessel loaded with 600,000 litres of allegedly stolen crude oil in the creek of Akassa, in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

Also, 18 suspects on board the oil vessel, marked MV Tamuno Ibi, were arrested in a special operation led by Captain Rasheed Kolawole.

This came as another eight suspects were nabbed with two barges, one of which was loaded with crude oil at Elepa creek, also in Brass council.

Addressing newsmen on board the impounded oil vessel, before it was set ablaze, Media Coordinator of JTF, Lt. Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, said: “At about 1700hrs, troops from 5 Battalion intercepted a vessel christened MV Tamuno Ibi, at Akassa, with about 600,000 litres of product.

Although it had tendered a permit, we were unable to ascertain the authentic source of same.

“Going by the content of the permit, it was supposed to load about 100,000 litres at barge ROH II in Brass, which is the legitimate loading point for all vessels.

However, because these people are engaged in

illegal oil bunkering, they veered into the creeks in Akassa, where they loaded about 600,000 litres of illegally refined diesel.”

Reiterating the resolve

of the task force to clamp down on the illicit operations of oil thieves in the Niger Delta, Nwachukwu said the special security force would step up its operations to halt ac-

tivities inimical to the economy of the country.

The suspects, it was gathered, were later transferred to the JTF headquarters in Yenagoa for further investigation.

Edo PDP leaders defect to ACN

tor Osagie Ize-Iyamu and others, at Agenebode, said he decided to

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM dump PDP because of the party’s lack of vision for ENIN—AHEAD of the people of the state. the July 14 goverAlimekhena and the norship election in Edo former Deputy Governor State, Peoples Democratof the state, Rev.Peter ic Party, PDP, has lost a Obadan, expressed gratmajor financier in Edo itude to Governor OshiNorth senatorial district, omhole for bringing deChief Francis Alimekhevelopment to their comna; former state chairman munities in Edo North, of the party, Chief Edadding, “We are preparward Sado and over 2,000 ing Oshiomhole for a supporters of the party in Etsako East Local Government Area, who dumped the party for Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN. Former Special AdvisBY FESTUS AHON er to the President, Prof.

Julius Ihonvbere, may also dump the party, folGHELLI—DELTA lowing his rejection of State Governor, Dr. the result of governorship primaries, which Emmanuel Uduaghan, produced Gen. Charles has warned traditional rulAirhiavbere as the gov- ers in the state against inernorship candidate of discriminate conferment of titles on persons of the party.

Chief Alimekhena, questionable character.

Presenting the staff of ofwho was received by Governor Adams Oshi- fice to the traditional rulomhole, the South-South er of Umukwata Kingdom Vice-Chairman of ACN in Ukwuani Local Govand Campaign Director ernment Area of the state, of Oshiomhole Cam- Uduaghan urged royal paign Organisation, Pas- fathers to confer titles only on persons who are de-

B

higher office because he has brought hope for the hopeless in Edo State.”

Addressing the crowd, Oshiomhole expressed appreciation for the decision of Alimekhena to join him in ACN, saying “ we have insisted that this campaign will be based on issues. I am happy that this local government has produced leaders, who have fought for democracy in this country."

Uduaghan warns against indiscriminate conferment of chieftaincy titles

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serving of such positions.

The governor, represented by his Deputy, Prof.

Amos Utuama, SAN, said, “Recipients should be able to demonstrate transparent commitment through identifying with these communities as partners with government to ensure even and sustainable development of the state.

“I appeal to your Royal Majesty to be very meticulous in the choice of your subjects and other deserving persons you wish to confer chieftaincy titles on."

SABA—TENSION is rising in Okpai, Ndokwa East Local Government Area, Delta State, following a deadlock over alleged refusal by Nigerian Agip Oil Company to dialogue with the community.

The community had accused Agip of shortchanging it.

The community, in a petition by a former Commissioner representing Ndokwa East on the board of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, Mr. Austin Ogbolu, co-authored by eight others, including the Okpai Igwe-in-council and Oil Wellhead/Pipelines Landlords Association, had warned against impending doom, if the oil company failed to return to the dialogue table.

The petition addressed to the state Commissioner for Special Duties Oil

and Gas and Managing Director of Agip, called for urgent intervention to prevent a breakdown of law and order.

The community said, “in the Okpai/Kwale gas plant, where Agip has engaged over 15 permanent labours and service contractors, which investigations revealed have been generated from stakeholding communities, there is no single Okpai community contractor.

“The most worrisome to us is Agip’s double standard in awards of contracts, where on the one hand in Okpai community, it awarded contracts to a non-landlord against the existing community land use agreement and on the other, removed from Okpai contractors, similar contracts performed by them in areas owned by Aboh people and reawarded same to the rightful Aboh land owners in response to their protest.”

UPU national prayers day holds May 26

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S the Urhobo na tion holds its national prayers day on Saturday May 26, at Urhobo Cultural Centre, Uvwiamugo-Agbarho, Deacon Francis Atanomeyovwi, UPU executive, has called on all sons and daughters of Urhobo to pray wherever they are and in Diaspora.

He added that they should fast and pray on Thusday,Friday and Sat-

urday May 26, 2012.

Chief Patrick Aziza, President General, UPU, and Elder John Onojakpor, National Secretary, UPU, said in a statement that the day of prayers was organised in conjunction with Urhobo Prayers Network with the theme, Let God Arise, (Ps. 68:1), to ask God for mercy and divine intervention in the affairs of Urhobo nation.

12—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012

Rivers partners Euromoney in public finance training for civil lic Sector Accounting that servants

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N line with ongoing efforts by the Federal Government to gradually transit to International Public Sector Accounting Standards, IPSAS by 2013, the Rivers State Government is to organise training for its civil servants in the accounting and finance field.

The training, in partnership with renowned global financial training company, Euromoney Training of London, will expose participants to key concepts and practices in modern International Pub-

is based on accrual methods rather than the current cash method of accounting.

Addressing newsmen, yesterday, in Port Harcourt, the state Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Chamberlain Peterside, said: “The training exercise is very crucial to the continued effort of the administration of Governor Chibuike Amaechi to further develope human capacity in the public service as well as build desired and solid institutions that are the bedrock of sustainable democratic governance."

Sarah Brown partners Imoke for children's welfare TOWN HALL MEETING: Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State (left), during a question and answer session with members of Small and Medium Enterprises, SMEs, stakeholders at a Town Hall Meeting with the governor at Government House, Asaba, yesterday. Photo: Henry Unini.

Court orders Army, NSCDC to pay N150m for killing man

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU

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ALABAR—A FED ERAL High Court sitting in Calabar, Cross River State, has ordered the Nigerian Army and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps NSCDC, to pay N150 million, for killing one Mr. Efenji Ochikiri.

Ochikiri was allegedly tortured to death in Afrike I (Egurude) community in Bekwarra Local Government Area of the state on October 22, 2006, when a combined team of the Nigerian Army and NSCDC conducted a ‘cordon and search’ operation in the community.

Trial judge, Justice Adetokumbo Ademola, in his judgment, held that the security agencies were to pay the sum as compensation and damages for the unlawful infringement and destruction of property in the community.

The court also ordered the security agencies to immediately release the corpse of the deceased, which had been in the custody of Monaya Hospital in Ogoja ,to his family for decent burial in accordance with their customs and tradition.

Family of the deceased, including Mrs. Alice Ochikiri, Mr. Simon Egum, Mr. Igbaji Idoko, Mr. Ezekiel Egbung and

Mr. Francis Ota, had in 2007, instituted the suit against the Minister of Defence, Chief of Army Staff, NSCDC, Federal Government and Attorney-General of the Federation.

The defendants had denied committing the act but admitted that they carried out an operation in the plaintiff ’s community and recovered large quantity of arms and am-

munition, allegedly stockpiled illegally in the community.

The court held that the plaintiffs had proved their claims against the defendants jointly and severally, and were entitled to the reliefs sought, which was granted.

The court said: “The continuous detention of the corpse of Mr. Ochikiri, tortured to death by

the joint operation force of men and officers of Nigerian Army and NSCDC, is unconstitutional, illegal, inhuman, barbaric and a violent infringement of the plaintiff ’s rights as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution and the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act, Cap, A9, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.”

Omolubi emerges PDP consensus cadidate in Warri North commissioner represent-

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APELE—AS prepa ration for Delta State local government elections begins, an Itsekiri youth leader and right activist, Mr. Omolubi Newuwumi, weekend, emerged the consensus candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Warri North Local Government Area for the polls.

Newuwumi emerged at the primaries of the party conducted by the leaders, ward chairmen, women leaders and members in the six Itsekiri wards, as well as two political groups, G 15 and G30.

Newuwurni won landslide in the primaries.

Chairman of the Screening Committee, Mr. Patrick Itor, noted that the emergence of Omolubi had put to rest, recent agitations by aspirants in Itsekiri over who would be

the choice of the Itsekiri for the chairmanship position in the forthcoming council polls.

It was gathered that when the tussle for who becomes the flag bearer of the Itsekiri in the next council polls became hot among four contending aspirants, a PDP stalwart in the council and current

ing Itsekiri nation on the board of Delta State Oil Producing Area Development Commission, Mr Micheal Diden, called leaders of the two political groups in the council to a meeting, where a committee was set up to select the best of the aspirants to be the consensus Itsekiri chairmanship flag bearer.

Akpabio seeks foreign grants for devt

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O V E R N O R Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State has called for grants from foreign governments and non-governmental organisations in the health and education sectors, among others, to help in the development of the state.

Akpabio, who made the call when members of

Foreign Defence Advisers/Attachees from different countries currently on tour of the state, led by Brigadier-General Lincoln Jackson Ogunewe, paid him a courtesy visit at Governor ’s Lodge, Uyo, said such grants would help the state government to undertake and complete more development projects beneficial to the people.

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HE humanitarian effort of addressing the plight of the less privileged received a boost recently with the planned visit to Nigeria of Sarah Brown, wife of Gordon Brown, former British Prime Minister.

Brown’s visit is hinged upon her planned collaboration with Obioma Liyel-Imoke, wife of the Cross River State Governor, to take the fight for the rights of children to a new level.

Sarah Brown’s initiative, Education for All, is a Millennium Develop-

ment Goal, MDG, with a global vision to educate all children of school age by the year 2015.

Study shows that 67million children of school age are out of school, 42 percent of these are in post war/ conflict zones. To achieve this goal within the timeline, four million new classrooms need to be built, 1.8 million trained teachers need to be employed and a decisive strategy devised to ensure education is not interrupted even in the conflict zones.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012 — 13

14—Vanguard , THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012

FG to concession Onitsha River port

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BY GODWIN ORITSE

EDERAL Government, through the National Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA, has concluded plans to concession Onitsha River port to boosting business in the Eastern part of the country.

Managing Director of the Authority, Arch.Ahmed Aliyu Yar ’Adua, who disclosed this yesterday, said the port was about 98% complete Yar’Adua also disclosed that the Infrastructural Concession Regulation Commission, ICRC, had appointed a consultant that will oversee both the bidding and concessioning process.

It was gathered that the government decided to concession the port

following the successful dredging of the lower River Niger.

Vanguard learnt that importers and manufacturers had started making use of the waterways by moving materials from Lokoja and other parts of the country to Onitsha.

The NIWA boss who stated this during a tour of the dredged river by members of the House of Representative Committee on Marine Transport, also noted that the port was a great potential waiting to be tapped.

Speaking in a similar vein, the Chairman of the Committee, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi said, everything must be done to make the port functional because it is strategic to the Eastern markets.

Doctors' residence 'll soon collapse — Ebonyi NSE

BY PETER OKUTU

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BAKALIKI— EBONYI State chapter of Nigerian Society of Engineers, NSE, yesterday raised an alarm that the doctor’s residential quarters of Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki, FETHA, would soon collapse because of the shabby work done by the c o n t r a c t o r .

NSE Chairman, Engr Nwali Etche, who disclosed this to newsmen, pointed out that disaster was

looming within the premises of the hospital because the contractor who built the doctor’s quarter used substandard materials for four storey building.

He called on the management of the hospital to order the doctors out of the building with immediate effect to avert a looming disaster.

Etche expressed fears that the doctors, despite the warning, were still staying in the building after they were advised to vacate the place.

May 29 'll be freedom day in Abia, says Adindu

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S the nation warms up for this year ’s Democracy Day come May 29, the greatest asset and legacy for which the people of Abia State would celebrate is freedom, Mr. Godwin Adindu, PresidentGeneral of Abia Renaissance Movement, has said.

Adindu said though Governor Theodore Orji’s infrastructural renewal policy was giving the state a facelift through

constructing many new monuments and projects, the greatest legacy he has achieved for the posterity of Abia was freedom.

Adindu, who spoke at the Annual General Meeting of the organisation, noted that if the people of Abia State could realize the victory achieved by Governor Orji in pulling the state out of the “lineage of darkness”, they would forever exalt him as the man who brought them out of captivity into freedom.

LAUNCH—From left: Mr Chukwuma Ofoma, Product Manager, DI, Samsung Electronics West Africa, Limite;, Mr Donald Etim, Head Corporate Marketing, Samsung Electronics West Africa, Limited; and Mr Sunil Kumar, Director Consumer Electronics, Samsung Electronics West Africa, Limited, during the launch of Samsung Smart Cameras in Lagos. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi.

Corruption: Lamorde laments connivance of professionals

BY OSCARLINE ONWUEMENYI

A

BUJA—THE C h a i r m a n , Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde yesterday decried the high rate of connivance of professionals with fraudsters in committing economic crimes in the country.

Lamorde, who made this observation while receiving by a delegation from the Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria, APBN, led its President, Segun Ajanlekoko, noted that professionals were always linked to most technical issues involved in many economic crimes the EFCC was investigating.

According to him, “most of the corrupt cases we encounter are aided by one professional or another. In money laundering for example, bankers and accountants are involved, in estate and property-related crimes, quantity surveyors are also involved.”

The EFCC helmsman urged the Association to identify bad eggs in its fold and sanction such people, stressing that it was not in all cases that people stole raw cash but in some instances relied on professionals to doctor documents that will aid them in perpetrating corrupt acts.

He, however, reassured the association of the Commission’s willingness to collaborate with it, especially on some of its

investigation that required professional inputs from any affiliate members of APBN. Lamorde urged Nigerians to resist the temptation of adopting what he called an ‘I don’t care attitude’ whereby they feel corruption was either the fight of anti-graft agencies or is too big a problem to be tackled by an individual.

In his speech, President of APBN, Segun Ajanlekoko, explained that the eradication of corruption as a key component of the government transformation agenda was a task not only for government and its

agencies, but for all Nigerians.

“The crusade should not be limited to stolen monies but to other corrupt practices. It should equally cover policies which are endemic and even more dangerous,” he said.

He congratulated Lamorde on his confirmation as the Chairman of EFCC, and disclosed that the visit was an opportunity to stimulate thoughts on issue of mutual interest and professional values towards national development.

The Association, which is made up of 26 professional

bodies that are chartered and recognized by Acts of Parliament, according to its President is determined to help EFCC in its fight against corruption, even as it was concerned that more professionals were being sidelined from using their skills and expertise for nation building.

He called on EFCC to avail its staff of several upcoming management trainings and to support the APBN Foundation which is aimed at promoting best practices, good corporate governance and capacity building among corporate and educational entities.

Land dispute: Security agencies avert bloodbath in Imo zAs hoodlums attack community, injure eight

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

O

WERRI—A team of security personnel averted what would have been a blood bath in Owerri, when hired thugs attacked indigenes of Amawom in the disputed Area K of World Bank Housing Estate.

Vanguard gathered that no fewer than eight people suffered varying degrees of injuries when the hoodlums attacked Amawom people.

Confirming the incident to Vanguard in an interview, the leader of Amawom people, Sir Macdonald Ebere, said

“ we got wind of the impending attack and properly informed the police and State Security Service, SSS.” According to Sir Ebere, the security personnel were on ground when the invading thugs stormed Area K. Recalling that Amawom villagers had been very peaceful in their approach to stopping the state government from confiscating the only piece of land left for their expansion, Ebere, however, wondered why anybody would employ thugs to ignite bloodshed in the place.

He affirmed that the thugs were not necessarily Umuguma youths as being speculated but cultists recruited from several parts of the state.

Vanguard recalls that about two weeks ago, a group of thugs stormed the disputed land and battered the villagers, who were peacefully keeping watch over the piece of land.

The Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr. Samuel Oodee, could not be reached at press time but a senior police officer in the command confirmed that “thugs attacked Amawom villagers in Area K and were repelled”.

Vanguard , THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012—15

Wogu urges INEC to allow staff unionise

BY VICTOR AHIUMAYOUNG

A

VISIT: From left— Mohammed Abubakar, Inspector-General of Police, IGP; Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State, and Brig.-Gen. Dan Alli, 32-Brigade Commander, Akure, during the IGP’s courtesy call on the governor in Akure.

BUJA—MINISTER of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu, has advised the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to obey court ruling on the unionisation of workers in the Commission. He spoke, yesterday, in Abuja, during the visit of executive members of Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, ASCSN. The advice was in reaction to the reported refusal

of INEC to allow its workers to be unionised, despite National Industrial Court, NIC’s ruling and the provisions of Section 40 of the Constitution.

Wogu said the mantra of the present administration was respect for the rule of law and that the judgment of NIC had not been vacated or appealed against

by INEC. ASCSN President, Olakunle Olaitan, appealed to the government to assist the union and ensure that the commission opened its doors to enable

workers exercise their right.

He said: “You can at least help to assist us to advise INEC to open its doors for us to unionise its workers.”

Wogu said: “Every Nigerian has a right to association and to belong to a trade union of his/her choice subject to extant regulations.

“Your visit has actually given credence to the paradigm shift being advocated by the Ministry. We are moving out from the adversarial labour/government relationship to a winwin situation guided by the extant laws.”

Jumbo pay: Court throws out Falana's suit on lawmakers' allowances

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

A

BUJA—ABUJA Division of the Federal High Court has declined to order a reduction in the jumbo allowances that is paid to members of the National Assembly. Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta,

who dismissed the suit filed by a Lagos-based human right activist, Mr. Femi Falana, insisted that the plaintiff had no locus standi to seek such order.

On that premise, Justice Auta, held that application by the plaintiff that the allowances provided for members of the National Assembly in the Appropria-

tion Act, 2001, be declared illegal, unconstitutional and a quintessential abuse of the provisions of the amended 1999 constitution, lacked merit He, however, directed the litigant to go to the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC, and ventilate his grievances.

Falana had, in his suit, accused the legislative arm of government in Nigeria of violating Section 70 of the 1999 Constitution, contending that it is only entitled to receive such salaries and allowances as determined

by RMAFC. He, therefore, urged the court to make eight separate declarations, among which included a “declaration that the 1st and 2nd de-

fendants (Senate and House of Representatives) are not competent to increase the salaries and allowances of the National Assembly through the Appropriation Act in any manner whatsoever and howsoever.”

Those he listed as defendants in the suit were, the Senate, the House of Representatives, RMAFC, Attorney-General of the Fed-

eration and the Accountant-General of the Federation, as the 1st to 5th defendants, respectively.

He sought “an order directing the 4th and 5th defendants to deduct and pay into the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation the unauthorised salaries and allowances received by members of the National Assembly since May 29, 2007.

16—Vanguard , THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012

Jonathan okays 12 new High Court judges

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

A

BUJA—SEQUEL to the recommendation of theNationalJudicialCouncil, NJC, President Goodluck Jonathan,yesterday,approved the appointment of 12 new judges for the Federal High Court.

DeputyDirectorofInformationatNJC,Mr.SojiOye,who madethelistofthenewjudges available to Vanguard, yesterday, disclosed that the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Dahiru Musdapher, had already concluded plans to swear them in Monday.

He gave their names as Mr. SuleimanAliyu,Solicitor-GeneralandPermanentSecretary MinistryofJustice,KebbiState; Mrs Oluremi Oguntoyinbo, private legal practitioner, Lagos; Mrs Ayua Msuean, Secretary, National Judicial Institute, Abuja; Nganjiwa Ajiya, privatelegalpractitioner,Lagos State; Musa Kurya, Deputy Chief Registrar, High Court of Justice,GombeState;MohammedAbubakar,Solicitor-GeneralandPermanentSecretary, Ministry of Justice, Sokoto State.

Others are: Ms Uche Agomoh, private legal practitioner, Abuja; Nathaniel AyoEmmanuel, Chief Registrar, Federal High Court, Lagos; MrsEvelynAnyadike,Deputy Chief Registrar, High Court of Justice, Imo State; Mrs Fatun Riman, private legal practitioner, Calabar, Cross River State; Mrs Chinda Adele, ChiefMagistrate,RiversState Judiciary;andMrsFolashade Giwa-Ogunbanjo, Deputy Chief Registrar, Federal High Court, Abuja.

Two die as security agents, gunmen clash in Sokoto

BY ABDALLAH EL-KUREBE & NDAHI MARAMA

S

O K O T O — UNIDENTIFIED gunmen and security agents were locked in a gunfight, yesterday, in Sokoto township following an attack on the police zonal headquarters. It led to the death of a police inspector and a tailor.

Residents of Ungwan Danmarna had remained awake as a result of the gunfight which started Tuesday night till the early hours yesterday. This is coming against the backdrop of reports that the Joint Task Force, JTF, in Maiduguri, Borno State, yesterday, killed a gunman during its Operation Restore Order at about 5:35am, when it raided a hideout of a suspected bomber in Gamboru ward of Maiduguri metropolis.

According to a statement

by JTF, the operation led to exchange of fire that killed the suspect even as two AK47 rifles, with 1,623 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition and another 32 rounds of

7.62mm Special ammunition were recovered.

JTF Spokesman, Sagir Musa said: “At exactly 0230 hours, a Chadian was arrested in Sinimari area, Maiduguri metropolis trying to steal an installed generator set.

“A search conducted in his hideout led to the recovery of the following items; 10 cartons of uncoupled motorcycles, four cartons of

motorcycle engine blocks, one television set, one standing fan, a stabilizer, five DVD players, an amplifier, a bag of handsets, one carton of indomie, 75 packets of SIM cards, a bag of toiletries, a DVD recorder and many CD plates.’’

Meanwhile, sources in Sokoto said the situation resulted in the tightening of security around the zonal police headquarters, situ-

ated at Marina area of the town, where the incident occurred.

However, another version of the attack had it that a police officer attached to the Governor of the state was trailed to a small Mosque and killed by armed men, while another civilian was killed by a stray bullet on the scene of the attack near the zonal police headquarters in Sokoto.

Violence alien to Islam—Emir

BY LUKA BINNIYAT

K

ADUNA—EMIR of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, yesterday, said that the continued violence in the North was not Islamic, saying “Islam means peace and tolerance.’’

Bayero spoke, yesterday, in Kaduna at a parley with a 28-member joint delegation of the World Council of Churches, WCC, and Muslim scholars who where on a fact-finding mission on the last post-election violence that swept across most of the Northern states.

He said: ‘’What is hap-

pening now and what had happened in the past is not Islam. It is a strange thing in the North for Muslims to hack down Muslims and Christians and vice versa.

We have lived in peace, tolerance and understanding for centuries.

“That is how Kano, Kaduna and all parts of the North have been. We have never visited our neighbours with violence. This is alien to us. Please help us find solutions to it.”

Governor Patrick Yakowa of Kaduna State, while receiving the delegation, lamented that the last crisis

had shattered a long-standing peace and widened the gulf that had been bridged.

He said “We have been enjoying peace here since the last Miss World violence in 2002 in the state; until the last elections. It started as a political protest, but by the time it spread, it had assumed all kinds of colouration.

“But this administration has done a lot to attain peace and security in the past one year, and we have a very appreciable result.”

Benue saves N100m monthly through e-payment

BY PETER DURU

M

AKURDI—AUTO MATION of the salary payment in Benue State civil service has helped the government save N100 million monthly from ghost workers on its payroll.

Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Omadachi Oklobia disclosed this, yesterday, during the accountability press briefing to mark Governor Gabriel Suswam’s first year of his second tenure.

Oklobia said the project, which started in September 2009 in the state’s civil service, has helped the government keep an accurate data on its staff strength with its attendant benefits to the state’s finances just as it has minimised incidences of fraud in the salary payment processes.

He said: “The project took off in September 2009 in the mainstream of the civil service and its benefit and potentials are not in doubt.

“The state has been saving over N100 million monthly since then.”

Kwara to get N750m BoI funds for SMSEs

BY DEMOLA AKINYEMI

I

LORIN—KWARA State government has concluded plans to obtain N750 million loan from the Bank of Industry, BoI, to promote Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, SMSEs, in the state. Already, no fewer than 147 small scale business enterprise owners have ben-

efited from the N250 million micro-finance funds provided by the state as soft loan to enable their businesses grow.

State Commissioner for Commerce and Co-operatives, Alhaji Saka Onimago made this known at a briefing in Ilori, yesterday, on the activities of his ministry in the last one year.

Onimago said the Governor AbdulFatah Ahmed had

also approved his ministry’s request to obtain the loan as a follow up to the loans granted the small scale businesses to grow the economy of the state.

He explained that the N250 million disbursed to co-operative societies in the state was a revolving loan, which was expected to go round as the beneficiaries paid back. He said 147 cooperative societies had so

far benefited from the scheme, while 10 micro-finance banks were accredited for the loan disbursement to ensure probity and transparency.

Special Assistant to the Governor on Youths Employment, Alhaji Saka Babatunde, said the government had employed 2,000 youths under the Kwara State Bridge Empowerment Scheme,

PEOPLE SPEAK

08102479985

KWABES. He said over 42,000 youths had registered with KWABES out of which 1,000 of them would be given full employment in 10 days time.

The Commissioner for Agriculture, Alhaji Mohammed Baba-Kpan, said government had entered into partnership with some expatriates to further boost commercial agriculture and provide job opportunities.

By Bartholomew Madukwe

On Lagos doctors' strike, sack(2)

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HIS country needs divine intervention. The governor should carefully look into the plight of these doctors and understand the basis for salary increment. Sacking these doctors puts the nation at risk. The implication is obvious.—Mrs. Nwosu Njideka, Communicator.

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do not know the agreement between both parties. But asking the doctors to vacate their residences is another big problem. So government must dialogue with them to know how both parties can resolve their differences. Lives are at stake.—Alhaji Jimoh Okunola, Businessman.

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OVERNOR Babatunde Fashola must be a doctor to have sacked 788 doctors. If he fired such number of doctors, who were fighting for their rights, let him start treating Lagosians. The world is coming to an end. Simple.—Mr. Samson Robinson, Engineer.

S

ACKING of 788 Lagos doctors is not really good. If you go to the hospitals, there is nobody there to attend to you. It is seriously affecting the masses. I am pleading with the government to recall them and have mercy on them.—Ms. Marian Onyekwere, Nurse.

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OME doctors know exactly what their patients need at any point in time. So employing new doctors is not the solution. Let the government and the doctors look at the issues and settle it quickly and amicably because of the human lives at risk.—Mr. Tajudeen Ayinbaba, Transporter.

T

HE governor should not have sacked 788 doctors for any reason. It is not the solution. It will only endanger lives. For me, I support the doctors because they have reasons for embarking on the strike.—Ms. Chioma Ani, Student.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012—17 “Kare jinni, biri jinni”: Hausa Metaphor HEN General Muhammadu Buhari received a group of CPC loyalists from Niger State, in Kaduna last week, he probably never thought that his admonition for free and fair polls in 2015, would become the hottest political potato of recent weeks in Nigeria. Words carry the possibilities of several interpretations and in the context of the times inNigeria,Buhari is not just another person or an ordinary politician. He is the bête noire of the ruling party in the country. They fear him; they loathe him; they live a career of disinformation and psych-op around his person and politics.

When a mischievous twist was deliberately concocted out of the message to party stalwarts, those in the inner recesses of power within the Goodluck Jonathan presidency and the PDP must have licked their chops and rubbed hands in absolute delirium: we have got Buhari where we want him: on the defensive!

Let us be clear about it; the PDP has long feasted on Buhari’s propensity for the honest man’s faux pas. In 2003, it was “God sent”, that the man allegedly told a crowd at a book launch in Sokoto, to vote only for Muslims. The fact that he spoke in Hausa and the reporter who filed the story was not fluent in the language and was not even at the event did not matter. It was an opportunity to robe a dangerous opponent with the toga of a fanatic. In a country where the existential conditions forced people to retreat into ethno-religious laagers, what better way to mask the incompetence of the ruling party than to stoke primordial fears? Nigerians, in the South, and the non-Muslim communities in Northern Nigeria, were mobilised into a constituency of fear to vote for the same party making life unbearable for the Nigerian people. So fear plus a decisively pernicious use of state power; the collusion of electoral umpires and security personnel, returned an illegitimate mandate.

Nigerians got more of the same: corruption; inconsiderate governance and disrespect for the norms of democratic accountability.

W

B

y the next round of votes, Buhari served another helping of political sloganeering the PDP hawks could feed upon. This time it was: “a kasa; a tsare; a raka”, which literally told the electorate to vote, protect the votes and follow up to the points of counting/collation. By its composition as the umbrella of the most vicious segment of the Nigerian political elite, the PDP is not structured as a nationbuilding political party. It is a platform of access to lucre and a redoubt for prebendalist looting of Nigeria. It cannot therefore allow a free and fair election. The reason is that the interests it represents cannot deliver on basic promises contained even in the party’s programme or electoral platform. It has evolved into a vote-stealing contraption, C M Y K

stripped of all subterfuge! But it also made one remarkably negative contribution to the nation’s political process since 1999; it succeeded in creating a clone or avatar of itself, in all the major parties in the country.

Its internal dynamics are anathema to inner-party democracy; that is the same way the ANPP, ACN and CPC are also operated; it grouped individuals who often rise higher than the party; it is the same in the opposition parties.

Where similarities dominate a political space, not much choice is left to make. That explains why thePDP feasts on statements by its most dangerous opponents. As we

,

Vote, protect the votes and follow up

Muhammadu Buhari: The meaning and politics of language

Gen.Buhari party’s game plan, is to make Buhari’s fanatical followership

the words of a man they implicitly trust as the alternative to the ‘basket of scorpions’, as the late Chief Sunday Awoniyi described the PDP he helped to form. So when the mass was urged to vote and protect those votes, the vote rigging contraption called the PDP, turned the slogan on its head as a call for mindless violence, knowing that its impunity was likely to trigger an eruption of anger, as we consequently saw.

It became a self-fulfilling prophecy aided by the manipulation of words and the deliberate acts of the ruling party, as feared by its opponents!

Words are very potent; Muhammadu Buhari will have to learn the bitter lesson of the psych-op project that the PDP regime has taken to him.

There will be no respite till after the 2015 election.

In an ironic twist, Buhari’s words might very well turn out to be the best way to describe what is rumbling towards us from 2015

have seen since 2003, that space is mainly occupied by MuhammaduBuhari.

Buhari’s mass appeal takes a messianic proportion, in Northern Nigeria. So the ruling

amongst the poor an eternal political burden. He must constantly be painted as leader for an unreasoning and excitable mob; a mob that is easily swayed into violence by

,

Crises brewing within the polity

T

he creation of a storm in a teacup, by the presidency

Sacking Lagos medical doctors: Segun Ayobolu's courage

T

HE ACN never ceases to describe itself as a “progressive” political party. My conception of being progressive is class-based; the party that is progressive is located in an ideological spectrum, which seeks the interest of the working people and the poor. I do not think this is how the Action Congress defines its own “progressive” politics. So when Babatunde Fashola, the Lagos State governor, sacked 778 medical doctors recently, he just underlined the class character of the regime and the party it belongs to. It would be recalled that Bola Tinubu also had a running battle with the trade union movement during his tenure. It was therefore no surprise that Lai Muhammed, ACN’s spokesperson, defended and supported the action of his party’s governor.

What pleasantly surprised me in the whole saga is the forthright position taken by Segun Ayobolu, THE NATION's columnist and close confidant of Bola Tinubu. His column’s title last week was taken from Lenin: “What is to be done”? He

described the action as “certainly the most drastic and draconian measure ever taken in the history of industrial relation in Nigeria”. Whatever might be the alleged merits of the government and the “ e q u a l l y understandable…unqualified endorsement (of the sacking by the ACN)”, Segun nevertheless argued that “the stark truth, however, is that the mass sack by an ACN state government, for whatever reason, of 778 doctors has serious negative implications for the party ’s professed progressive ideology and democratic commitment”.

He then asked an interesting follow up question: “If reactionary political forces, citing the Lagos state precedent, decide in future to clamp down on workers and strangulate their political rights, will ACN have the moral authority to utter a word?”

S

egun Ayobolu disagrees with the method employed by the doctors but said their grievances were genuine. My questions for Segun will be

directly related to the class character of the party and government. When they are described as “progressive”, is that a general description devoid of a class content? How can a party that has a history of serially fighting the working people claim any “moral authority”, against “reactionary political forces”, when it shares the same disdain for the working people as Segun’s “reactionary political forces”?

Maybe this is the time to begin to interrogate the simplistic label of “progressive” so liberally thrown about, in respect of parties like the Action Congress of Nigeria. Or in the alternative, stalwarts of the party like Segun Ayobolu, who share ideological empathy for the working people should begin to help their party become genuinely “progressive”. A party cannot be anti-working people and at the same time shout itself hoarse that it is ‘progressive’; we can see through empty sloganeering! Segun Ayobolu made a stand and that was very good!

through Reuben Abati’s statement and the high decibel vituperation of Olisa Metuh of the PDP, was a co-ordinated attempt to shift the focus of Nigerians from the crises brewing within the polity. These include damaging allegations against the president and his handlers by Henry Okah, the MEND leader; the financial crisis that has seen delays in payments of salaries and NYSC members’ allowances and inability of the FAAC to meet twice; the ripples from the fuel subsidy probe; theft of an estimated180, 000 barrels of oil daily (the equivalent of $7billion annually); the controversial plan to borrow $7.

9billion (same amount oil bunkerers steal annually?); the NSA’s recent statement which tore to the heart of the ruling party; President Goodluck Jonathan’s intentions in 2015, despite an incremental display of lack of performance by the administration. It was important to take the minds of Nigerians from the administration’s selfinflicted problems; and create a straw man out of MuhammaduBuhari.

Remembrance and reminiscences can then be manipulated to acquire a dominant frame in the mind when associated with fear. By taking a proverb out of context and stressing blood, the presidency and the PDPstoked the embers of fear associated with the experiences of the post2011 elections. The twin-track approach hoped to score many points: demonise Buhari further, to make it impossible for him to be the alternative platform to the PDP; as well as to reinforce the sense of siege which was exploited for the 2011 election. It worked in the recent past; it can still be useful.

The various groups carefully choreographed to respond to what Buhari allegedly said show how the manipulation of meaning in the use of language, can sinisterly be achieved. It is a major weapon of political domination and control.

Those who think 2015 is still too far away are either deluded or naïve about the essence of politicking and power. This PDP regime will not go to the Nigerian people on the basis of its promises and their fulfillment. It never did in the past and it will not now! There are rumblings within the ruling party in the run up to the 2015 elections, especially with the recent declaration by Northern Governors to find a single candidate they can unite behind. Handlers of the Jonathan presidency are not taking chances; that is why the manipulative reading of Buhari’s use of a Hausa metaphor became an essential part of politicking. Words are very potent; Muhammadu Buhari will have to learn the bitter lesson of the psych-op project that the PDP regime has taken to him. There will be no respite till after the 2015 election. In an ironic twist, Buhari’s words might very well turn out to be the best way to describe what is rumbling towards us from 2015: “karejini, birijini”!It “simply is a metaphor often used in Hausa to define consequential outcome of an action”; and my authority is SUNDAY TRUST of May 20th, 2012.

18 —

Vanguard, THURSDAY,MAY 24, 2012

WHY do we amend the Constitution so often yet end up more dissatisfied with the document? What are the important items that should be changed to make the Constitution workable?

The answers are not simple, in the same way that it is not simple to know what Nigerians want, especially since governments spurn every opportunity to know. The excuse for amending the Constitution is that the military created it. A Constitution that is founded on lies, like ours, cannot stand. The biggest lie about the Constitution is told early: in the preamble.

We the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Having firmly and solemnly resolve, to live in unity and harmony as one indivisible and indissoluble sovereign nation under God, dedicated to the promotion of inter-African solidarity, world peace, international cooperation and understanding And to provide for a Constitution for the purpose of promoting the good government and welfare of all persons in our country, on the principles of freedom, equality and justice, and for the purpose of consolidating the unity

Truths About Constitution of our people Do hereby make, enact and give to ourselves the following Constitution The impression the preamble creates is that the Constitution is the product of the collective will of Nigerians. The burden of the lie comes with the extra pain of complaining Nigerians having a document that says, “you have what you want”.

While the National Assembly has commenced the rigmarole associated with amending the Constitution, it has not fashioned out the role of “we the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.” Would there be a referendum? Should creation of States be a priority with increasing suggestions at

collapsing States into Regions? How will local governments be guaranteed as the third tier of government according to Section 7 of the Constitution?

Nigerians are concerned about being able to live freely in any part of their country without discrimination. Why are constitutional provisions to these effects not enforceable? Why does the Federal Government add to its responsibilities and tries to do everything from primary education to primary health care? Should States not decide how much to pay their employees? Will revenue allocation reflect the contributions of the States or their greed?

State creation is one of the self-serving agenda politicians push as they crave relevance in their part of Nigeria. It would top the agenda because politicians, not “we the people”, push the amendment.

Another truth about the Constitution is that politicians work it to their benefit making democracy a government of the people without the people. It would take more than constitutional amendments to cure politicians of this mentality of thinking that everything is about them and their interests.

OPINION

BY INNOCENT AMALU

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T was the late John F. Kennedy, the 35th American President who once said: “Let us think of education as the means of developing our greatest abilities, because in each of us there is a private hope and dream which, fulfilled, can be translated into benefit for everyone and greater strength for our nation”.

This notable quote from one of the world's great leaders was a pointer to the importance of education, especially in a developing country like ours. This was aptly recognised, digested and adopted by the present administration in Abia under the able leadership of Chief Theodore Orji since he assumed office as governor in 2007. A clear testimony to the effect was his quick and unbridled interventions in the decayed education sector in the state, which his government has sustained till today.

As a product of public schools, Orji in 2008 reactivated the Abia State Scholarship Board that has been comatose for years.

The sum of N10, 000 each was given to 1000 students of Abia origin in different schools as bursary grants for the year. Since then, the now well-funded Board has offered scholarship to many indigenes of the state for degree and postgraduate degrees at home and abroad. For pupils and students in primary and secondary schools in the state, apart from tuitionfree education policy in place, fleets of buses have been provided for them in the Free School Bus Scheme of the present administration.

Those of us who are teachers and had our promotions delayed for years by the previous administrations without any explanation or reason had every cause to be happy now as the situation changed immediately Governor Orji won his second term election. It was a promise he made to us before the election and fulfilled it immediately he won the election. Added to the promotions was the increase in minimum wage.

C M Y K

Abia: The secret revolution in education sector As a mark of success of the present government’s intervention in the education sector, the state in 2008 came second in the South East zone in the attainment of Universal Basic Education, UBE, goals according to the ranking released by the National Universal Basic Education Commission. Since then, the state has emerged second twice, and first once, of which they were given the sum of N70 million as star prize.

Most public schools in the state, which were in dilapidated state and calling for urgent attention as they were no longer conducive for learning and teaching, have been renovated and re-equipped by the government. They included National High School Aba, Girls Secondary School Umuahia, St. Joseph Model Secondary School Aba, Government College Umuahia, School for the Deaf Ntalakwu Oboro and renovation is ongoing in so many others.

A

lso under the Education Trust Fund Projects, classroom blocks were erected at National High School Aba, Egwuama Girls Secondary Abiriba, Girls Commercial School Aba, Umuokpara Secondary School Umuahia, Community Secondary School Isieke, Amari Senior Science Ikwuano and others. At the last count, not less than 250 public schools have been renovated and equipped by the government since 2008 and presently massive construction and renovation are ongoing in other public schools across the state.

Textbooks, chairs and other materials have been regularly and adequately provided for the teachers, pupils and students in the public schools in the State to make teaching and learning

easier and a worthwhile experience. That is why the state has been performing well in national and international academic competitions.

At the two technical schools in the state, namely Boys Technical College Aba and Government Technical College Ohafia, eight buildings each have been refurbished and renovated in each of them.

Also receiving adequate attention from the state government since 2008 till now are the state-owned tertiary institutions, especially Abia State University Uturu where Orji’s predecessor, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu attended as a sitting governor of the state to obtain first degree certificate. When Governor Orji assumed office in 2007, monthly subvention to Abia State University was N80 million, but Governor Orji increased it to N120 million immediately.

Apart from the increment in the subvention, government injected huge funds in the institution for the full accreditation of all the courses that had before now suffered accreditation problems due to the inadequacies and lapses in both human and material resources in the school. Today, all the courses in the school had gotten full accreditation and the students are happy for it. The backlog of students in the Nursing Department of the institution who have been denied graduation due to the non-accreditation of the department heaved a sigh of relief recently with the restoration of accreditation in the department following interventions from the state government that worked so hard for it by construction befitting edifices at Abia State University Teaching Hospital Aba and provided other things needed for the full accreditation.

The same thing happened at Abia State Polytechnic Aba which the government have helped in ensuring that all their courses were given full accreditation by the National Board for Technical Education, NBTE. *Mr. Amalu, a teacher, wrote from Umuahia, Abia State.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012 — 19

Euro crises: Nigeria’s trade balance to fall by 21% STORIES BY BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE, With Agency Reports

T

HE debt crisis in the euro zone can lead to 21 per cent reduction Nigeria’s trade balance to $25billion, says Financial Derivative Company.

In its Monthly Economic bulletin for May, the company said, “ The euro zone accounts for 26.5% of Nigeria’s exports and 30.8% of its imports. A further deepening of the zone’s financial crisis could negatively affect Nigeria’s trade balance which is at $32.8bn. “Deteriorating terms

of trade of foreign trading partners, due to a contraction in the euro zone will affect investment flows into Nigeria.

This could result in a decline in Nigeria’s trade balance to as low as $25bn.

“In addition, most European banks are holding back on their credit lines to other countries which will have implications on Nigerian banks which have increased entry into regional markets (most especially the French speaking African countries).

The high-level of exposure of the francophone countries to the euro zone crisis, could also transpire to Nigerian banks and companies operating in

the region.”

The Company also predicted that the euro zone crisis could lead to a major devaluation of the CFA franc, the common currency of the 14 francophone West African countries. It

however noted that the devaluation will CFA franc and the weakening of the euro offers opportunities for the Nigerian aviation industry.

“The company said, “Due to the relationship between the

CFA franc and the euro crisis, the 14 francophone countries are at a greater risk than other African countries. If the euro zone disinte-grates, the CFA franc will suffer a major devaluation.

Naira loses 10 kobo as forex sale rises by 33%

T

HE naira depreciated by 10 kobo yesterday in spite of increase in foreign exchange sale by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Result of the bi-weekly foreign exchange auction conducted by the CBN yesterday show that the

official exchange rate rose to N155.7 per dollar from N155.6 at the last auction on Monday, implying 10 kobo depreciation. The foreign exchange sold by the apex bank increased to 33.3 per cent to $200 million from $150 million in the previous

auction.

The naira also depreciated marginally by four kobo at the interbank foreign exchange market where the exchange rate rose slightly to N159.36 per dollar from N159.32 on Tuesday.

Vanguard investigation revealed that the depreciation was due to increased demand pressure on the dollar due to flight to dollar occasioned by the impact of the euro zone crises on the euro.

Infact yesterday, the euro fell to its weakest level against the dollar since July 2010 on speculation a summit of European Union leaders will provide no new measures to stem the sovereign-debt crisis. The shared currency extended losses after dropping below 100 yen for the first time since February and weakening to less than $1.26, price levels where traders who follow technical analysis said sell orders were clustered. The yen climbed at least 0.7 percent versus all its major peers after the Bank of Japan (8301) left its assetpurchase fund unchanged.

Brazil’s real gained from a three-year low against the dollar amid speculation the central bank will offer swap auctions to stem the currency’s decline.

“Markets are becoming a bit more pessimistic that anything material will come out of the meetings this evening and as a consequence the shortcovering rally in the euro was unimpressive,” said Robert Sinche, global head of foreign- exchange strategy at RBS Securities Inc. in Stamford Connecticut. “Risk appetite and the euro hitting the lows of the year are emboldening investors.” A short is a bet an asset will decline.

The euro fell 0.9 percent to $1.2574 at 10:40 a.m. New York time, after touching $1.2570, the least since July 13, 2010. It was 1.6 percent weaker at 99.87 yen, after falling to 99.86, the least since Feb. 6. The yen appreciated 0.7 percent to 79.39 per dollar.

Financial turmoil in the euro bloc will come up at tonight’s meeting in Brussels only “at the very end,” European Council President Herman Van Rompuy said in a letter before a gathering of European Union officials.

20 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012 — 21

, Dog and baboon democrat

G

ENERAL Muhammadu Buhari, long after he is gone, will be remembered by two profound statements he made while alive. The first is this: “The present and future generation of Nigerians have no other country than Nigeria. We must stay here and salvage it together ”. He made this statement in 1984 when he was a military head of state who overthrew a democratic regime.

His austere regime occasioned a massive brain drain when many Nigerians started trooping abroad for greener pasture.

The second was made when a group of Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, loyalists from Niger State paid him a visit in his Kaduna residence recently. He was quoted in the media as saying: “God willing by 2015, something will happen. They either conduct a free and fair election or they go a very disgraceful way. If what (happened) in 2011 should again happen in 2015, by the grace of God, the dog and the baboon would all be soaked in blood”.

Coming exactly a year after the 2011 general elections when his supporters killed many innocent Nigerians in the North, including some members of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, mainly Christians from Southern Nigeria, this statement must rank as the most irresponsible ever made by a political leader in this country. Unfortunately, the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, has cleared Buhari of wrongdoing, saying it was merely a warning that the next elections should be free and fair.

Surely, there are many more responsible and effective ways of passing the message? How do Buhari and his supporters in the ACN, CPC and the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, CNPP, expect the parents of the slain NYSC members to feel after reading a statement that effectively says Buhari has no regrets for what his supporters did?

After nearly 10 years of active partisan politics, it is increasingly clearer that Buhari is not psychologically prepared to carry out the necessary adjustments that will make him

When Buhari’s al Majiri army hits the streets in 2015, we hope it will no longer be the children of the downtrodden who will kill and die for him

,

a successful democrat. He is very experienced, and many people believe he has the capacity to bring about change needed in the system. The question is: How does he get into the presidency, since he has shown he cannot win elections and is not prepared to do so?

It is a job you cannot get through appointment or coup.

You need votes to get there. How does Buhari get the votes? And why is he not doing the things he needs to do in order to get the votes? And what are the things he is not doing?

N

umber one: He is not up to the off-season politicking that will earn him relevance. Immediately after the polls and his usual legal pursuits he goes home and is not heard of again until the next election. And yet, many opportunities exist during the off-season period for him to show Nigerians he is the leader they should have in the State House. How many times has he expressed an opinion on the economy? Power generation?

Ways out of fuel imports? Ways of bringing the Boko Haram

insurgency to an end?

Why did he not attend the Ikemba Odumegwu Ojukwu burial with a large delegation of his party chieftains and make a nice speech to show his personal reconciliation with a man he battled on the war front 45 years ago? Does he think that the role which President Jonathan played in the state burial of the hero of the Igbo nation will be forgotten in 2015?

Does he think his continued exclusion of the South East, South-South and North Central from his political calculations is something for which he will be rewarded with votes from these areas in 2015?

Number two: When was the last time Buhari wore an Igbo, South South or Yoruba attire to public function? Why is he always making his most profound political statements in Hausa? Why are there no interactions between him and prominent politicians, businessmen and leaders from

anywhere else apart from the North East and North West?

During the previous elections he hardly campaigned outside the North. On the other hand, his opponents, Obasanjo, Yar’ Adua and Jonathan swept the entire landscape over and again campaigning.

We have heard Buhari’s threat about bloody dogs and baboons. It will be a foolish parent who will allow his child to do his/her NYSC in Arewa North in 2015. Those who are forewarned are fore-armed.

When Buhari’s al Majiri army hits the streets in 2015, we hope Buhari, his children and relations will be at the forefront.

We hope it will no longer be the children of the downtrodden who will kill and die for him.

The earlier that Buhari realises that he, not external forces, is responsible for his series of electoral defeats, the better for him and the would-be victims of his dogs and baboons democracy.

JOK’s mum for burial Saturday

M

Y young friend, John Okiyi Kalu, Business System Development Manager of Globacom and foremost blogger, will bury his illustrious mother, Madam Grace Uduma, this Saturday, May 26, 2012 at his Graceland Iyiofia residence in Amogudu, Abiriba.

She was a prominent leader of the Assemblies of God Church in Aba as well as a top executive of her market association at Etche Road. Her highly active lifestyle reflects well on her son, John (JOK) who is singularly instrumental for bringing Globacom to play a leading role in the promotion of the rich cultural heritage of Abiriba as exemplified in their sponsorship of the Enachioken, Eze KK Ogbu’s Itu Eye during the Iri Ama (old yam festival) in Abiriba in 2011, an event that has already been scheduled again for this year. It also featured one of Glo’s famous gigs featuring some of Nigeria’s topmost musicians, showbiz and Nollywood celebs.

Family and friends will gather at Cameron Road by Mosque for a brief ceremony before the body is conveyed home this Friday for the final obsequies at Abiriba. May her soul rest in the Lord.

Election by elimination O matter how much a man tries to cross his mind, there comes a time when he must cry out at some ugly situations around him. If it is a coincidence, it must be a great one. This is an election year. People are dying. Many of the deaths pass unnoticed while a few get celebrated. We hear that within two weeks, the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Igbanke West Ward in Orhionmwon Local Government Area of Edo State, lost the Chairman and his Deputy. Both corpses are still receiving refrigeration at a nearby morgue.

The more public ones started on Saturday, April 28, 2012. That was the day a tipper ran into the convoy of the Comrade Governor. There have been lots of dirty politics, mudslinging and smear tactics around the unfortunate incident.

And we wonder why.

In orthodoxy, a simple security check could have easily revealed that there was danger ahead. Or, in the African way, where the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is heavily entrenched, “African insurance” could also have shown that there was danger ahead.

In either case, where there was already a premonition of an impending danger, anyone who would refuse to take a step that would avert such danger would be a moral idiot. So, the Comrade Governor drove himself in an unsuspecting car. Even assuming the worst case scenario and granting that the man was not licensed to drive, if staying alive meant driving without a license, why not? To some, that has become the political hub.

In the accident involving the Governor’s convoy, the Governor did not die.

Neither was he scratched. But three journalists and a driver died and sever-

al others were injured.

From the sequence of events that followed, the ACN could have easily pointed accusing fingers at the PDP, particularly considering the speed with which the latter reacted to the incident. It was observed that while people were yet at the scene of the accident, trying to rescue the wounded, condolence messages from the PDP were already flying on radio and television, giving vent to the suspicion that the recording of the messages predated the accident.

The ACN could not hide its feeling.

The PDP was accused. Up till now, we have no concrete record of where the PDP expressly denied or accepted the accusation. Rather, the State Chairman of the PDP, Mr. Dan Obih, proceeded in all haste to demand why the Comrade Governor drove himself and whether he possessed a valid driver’s license at the time. The only serious interpretation to this is that some people must have been disappointed that the Governor did not stay where he had been targeted. In more civilized climes, this would be a good take-off point for criminologists and crime busters.

The same night, four intruders allegedly moved to the residence of the State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Louis Odion. Incidentally, he did not sleep at home that night. So, he cheated death.

We are still expecting the PDP to demand why he did not sleep at home.

Barely one week later, four merchants of death moved to the residence of the Principal Private Secretary to the Governor, Comrade Olaitan Aremu Oyerinde and gruesomely murdered him in the presence of his wife and children.

You don’t beat a child and ask him not to cry. Two times within one week, the

,

N

Sadly, this is one country where all our arms and ammunition are used to defend and protect the corrupt and the wicked; anyone who speaks out is killed

,

Governor wept profusely. ACN wept. Edo State wept. While we were yet weeping, the much-awaited official position of the PDP on these sordid events came.

They spoke through the National Publicity Secretary of the Party, Chief Olisa Metuh (Vanguard, Thursday, 10 May 2012, p. 12). Every word that proceeded from the mouth of this man was fetid.

P

erhaps in a desperate attempt to ex onerate his party, he pushed the party further down the dark alley. Hear him: “The PDP could never be involved in murder. Our pedigree as a performing party places us in good stead to succeed in any electoral contest in Nigeria.

We do not need to kill to succeed”. He soon forgot that he was not talking to people from outer space but to Nigerians, a bulk of whom are not as naïve as

himself; people who know that as a party, PDP is dead on arrival. His submission was therefore an insult on the collective sensibilities of Nigerians. If nonperformance is the basis for murder, PDP should wear the bold tag, “MURDEROUS MURDERERS”.

His mind carried him further into the deepest mess: “It is only the ACN that stands to gain massive sympathy from the murder”. What a way to commiserate with the bereaved! This is the very height of political absurdity. So mean is the PDP that they think Nigerians are so naïve to believe that ACN in Edo State would embark on the murder of its members to attract sympathy for an election.

As things stand, if electoral outcomes are to be based on sympathy, the PDP should begin to think of how to exterminate at least 50 percent of its members so as to attract some semblance of sympathy, to avert losing its deposit in the forthcoming gubernatorial contest in Edo State.

Sadly, this is one country where we are not dealing with the corrupt in society. Rather, they are dealing with us. All our arms and ammunition are used to defend and protect the corrupt and the wicked. Anyone who speaks out is killed – perhaps oblivious of the obvious fact that the same death awaits everyone. The only difference is in the timing! In Edo State, the time has come for the law givers and the law enforcers to wake up.

We certainly cannot continue this way into injury time.

22 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012

Free buses for Ondo students from June 12

Ikotun-Egbe residents groan under bad roads

O

zSay several appeals to Fashola not heeded

NDO State Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko has scheduled the release of vehicles for the take off of free school shuttle buses for primary and secondary schools students in the state for June 12, when the 19th anniversary of the annulled election of the late Chief MKO Abiola will hold.

Mimiko will on that day commission for use, the 23 free school shuttle buses in Akure, the state capital, according to the State Commissioner for Information, the buses will be used only to convey students to and from their schools.

Speaking in the same vein, the Commissioner for Transport, Chief Nicholas Tofowomo said the programme was a pilot scheme which would be replicated in other parts of the state .

He added that already, more bus stops were being erected to accommodate the buses just as five routes had been designated for the commencement of the scheme.

According to Tofowomo, route one is from Afunbiowo through Arakale to Isinkan, route two, is from Oba Ile to FUTA while route three starts from Ado –Ekiti road-Cathedral-IsikanOndo road and route four runs from Ojoka Arakale Oluwatuyi- Oshinle- LaoOdopetu to Mega School Oke Ijebu to Ijomu Junction.

FG earmarks N10bn for buses

BY VICTOR AHIUMAYOUNG

F

EDERAL Government yesterday in Lagos, said it had earmarked N10 billion for bus transportation in the country.

Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Chukwuemeka Wogu who spoke at the unveiling of 150 new luxury buses by the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, for mass transit, urged manufacturers of the buses to establish manufacturing plants in Nigeria to service, maintain and assemble new ones.

The buses were bought through a N2.5 billion loan obtained by TUC from the Infrastructural Bank, formerly Urban Development Bank and guaranteed by the Federal Government.

Wogu said out of N10 billion earmarked for bus transportation project, “Labour got 50 per cent out of which the TUC received N2.5 billion,” and said government would continue to partner with Labour on policies that would improve lives of the masses.

BY DONALD ARJI

L

AGOS—RESIDENTS of Ikotun-Egbe in Alimosho Local Government of Lagos State are grumbling over alleged lack of roads among other social amenities in the area.

The residents who spoke to Vangaurd under the aegis of Alimosho People’s Assembly, APA, alleged that they had been having challenges of poor road network in the last five years, saying that several appeals to Governor Babtunde Fashola to come their rescue have fell on deaf ears.

Spokesman for APA, Chief Jimoh Ajibola said the Ijegun-Ikotun-Cele express and the Isheri-Jakande Estate roads which were the major roads through which the residents could travel to the Lagos mainland or Badagry were unmotorable, pointing out that the worst part of Ikoun- Cele express road was the stretch between Oke-Affa Bridge and Ejigbo just as the whole stetch of Isheri- Jakande Estate road was impassable.

His words, "we have been complaing about these roads since the days of Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu as governor of the state. When Mr Babatunde Fashola took over, we thought the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN-led administration would listen to us by giving us good roads and water but these problems have remained unresolved.

"The ACN prides itself as the main opposition party but it is not living up to its billing in the provision of democracy dividends.

"Each time we complain about the bad area of the road at Ejigbo, we are told that it is a joint project between the Federal Government and its Lagos State counterpart. But why would the government wait for people in Abuja to solve a simple problem of road construction that is less than 20 kilometres, when the area is densely populated and also the major areas where the government gets block votes.

"Those in government only remember us during elections, when they come to make false promises and disappear after such elect i o n s .

"Those celebrating the 1,800 days of elitist government of Fashola should remind him that Alimosho residents are suffering in the midst of plenty.

"Is it the people from Aso Rock in Abuja that pass through these bad roads or

Lagosians? Why did they come to ask us for votes when they know that the road belongs to both Lagos and Abuja? They have been making noise about Fasho-

la’s achievements in other areas but silent on what he has done for us.

"The Ejigbo LCDA is even worse in terms of non-performance as far as we are

concerned because, all they do is to drop names of their god-fathers instead of attending to the needs of those who voted them into power.’’

Zoological garden for Enugu

E

NUGU—ENUGU State Government said it would establish a modern zoological and botanical garden to replace the one displaced in the state capit a l .

The state’s Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Mr Joe Mamel, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, yesterday.

Mamel said the project was in collaboration with the departments of zoology and botany of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, U N N .

The commissioner said a committee headed by Prof.

Karl Okezie of the university had been set up to design a modern zoo, find a location and other concepts.

Edo youths rally support for sacked LG bosses

T LECTURE—From left: Chairman, Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, NIQS, Lagos Chapter, Tijani Lasisi; and Managing Director, Lambert Electromec, Michael Beylouny, during a lecture on Extra-Low Voltage Systems organised by the Institute in Lagos.

Kidnapping: Court jails mason 17 yrs

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

A

SABA—A Delta State High Court sitting in Asaba yesterday sentenced a 30-year-old mason, Emeka Chukwuji, to 17 years imprisonment for unlawfully kidnapping one Sunday Akpan, who refused to allow him (convict) and his collaborators to re-sell a parcel of land belonging to his (Akpan’s) boss.

Prosecution told the court that following the refusal by Akpan to co-operate with the convict’s master now at large to resell a parcel of land located at Asaba to another buyer, the convict inflicted machet cuts on him and kidnapped him therea f t e r .

Chukwuji had earlier sold the land valued at N400,000 as at 2004 to Akpan’s boss, one Joseph Okpaka.

The court was told that despite the promise of a car to Akpan as compensation to induce him to co-operate, the offer was turned down.

The convict was arraigned on a four-count charge of conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to commit kidnapping and kidnapping under Sections 324, 320, 516 and 364 of the Criminal Code respectively.

Justice C.O. Ogisi of High Court 5 had, while

delivering judgment convicted the accused on the four counts and sentenced him to 10 years imprisonment in counts 1, 2 and 3 and seven years imprison-

ment in court four. The sentences are, however, to run concurrently and start to count from June 24, 2008 when the convict was remanded in custody.

Bauchi Poly workers threaten strike

BY SUZAN EDEH

B

AUCHI—FOLLOW ING the lingering crisis between the Bauchi State government and the Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic, ATAP, the Joint Action Committee of Academic and Non-Academic staff of all tertiary institutions in Bauchi State has given a 21-day ultimatum to the state government to rescind its decision to close down

the polytechnic or face industrial action.

In a statement by the Chairman of the Committee, Comrade Usman Mohammed and the Secretary, Comrade Abdullahi Yalwa respectively, they urged the state Governor, Isa Yuguda to sack the Commissioner for Education, Alhaji Mohammed Aminu for misrepresenting it on the earlier agreements with the g o v e r n m e n t .

Don tasks students on academic pursuits

A

don, Dr. Charles Ikedikwa Soeze has called on students across the country to remain committed and steadfast in their academic pursuits.

Soeze made this known in a paper entitled: “Pathway to academic success”, which he delivered during the 2012 Cultural Day organised by the National Associa-

tion of Aniocha/Oshimili Students, NAAOS, at the Delta State School of Health Technology, DELSSOTECH, Ughelli.

He said it was imperative for students to study as a way of succeeding in their academic pursuit noting that people could be antagonized and envied both at school and in their places of work.

HE umbrella organisa tion of youths in Edo State, Edo Youth Vanguard, EYV, yesterday concluded plans to embark on one million-man match, if a Governor Adams Oshiomhole refused to reinstate the democratically elected local government councils which he dissolved before the expiration of their tenure.

In a statement by the National Coordinator of the EYV, Mr Mathew Idemudia, the youths said the one million- man match would be used to draw the attention of the world to the governor’s continued violation of the constitution by retaining the caretaker committees which the court last week declared as illegal.

Burial

C

HIEF John Onyeme of Ibabu-Onicha Ukwani, Ndokwa LGA of Delta State is dead. There will be a Christian wake keep at his residence, Chief John Onyeme Villa, Ibabu-Onicha Ukwani, tomorrow.

Lying-in-state, funeral interment and entertainment of guests will follow on Saturday at the same venue.

He is survived by children among whom is Sir Monday Onyeme, Bursar, National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN.

zLate Chief Onyeme

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012 — 23

FG pledges to boost cocoa production with N5.6m M

INISTER of State for Trade and Investment, Dr Samuel Ortom, has said the Federal Government will soon release N5.6m counterpart funding to boost cocoa production in the country. Ortom gave the assurance when a delegation from the International Cocoa Coordination Organisation (ICCO), led by Dr Koname Lucien, its Regional Director, paid him a visit in Abuja on Tuesday.

The minister said that cocoa was key to the economy if well managed as it contributed immensely to the economy before the discovery of oil.

“It is high time we stepped up efforts to put cocoa in its rightful place. We are taking steps toward paying our counterpart funding which is over 60 per cent, and N5.6 million will be released in the next few days.’’ Earlier, Lucien said the ICCO was working on an international project to re-enforce the capacity of cocoa producers in the West African subregion by ensuring effective use of pesticides.

He listed the countries involved in the project as Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Ghana and Togo. According to Lucien, Nigeria is a very important member of ICCO since 1972 and also a part of previous international cocoa agreements.

“We are creating awareness among

farmers and stakeholders by providing training on responsible pesticide use and to enhance institutional capacity to monitor residue.’’ He said that N3.6 million had been approved under the Common Fund for Commodities for pests control and packing for Nigerian cocoa farmers. Lucien noted also that

a price list management had been developed to let Nigerian farmers know how to manage fluctuation of cocoa prices. According to him, 1.2 million tons of cocoa per hectare are produced in Malaysia, which can be replicated in Nigeria.

Labour questions FG’s plan to borrow $7.9bn

L

ABOUR leaders have questioned the rationale behind the Federal Government’s plan to borrow $7. 9 billion when its key officials maintained that Nigeria was not broke. In separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, the labour leaders urged government to block all leakages to ensure that the loan was judiciously used.

Mr Sunday Salako, President, Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI), told NAN that Nigeria was not poor but bedevilled by corruption.

He said that that the proposed loan was worrisome because key officials had said that the economy was healthy and not threatened by global financial crunch.

“We do not have any reason to borrow.

With the money we have and budget earlier. If the N1.3 trillion discovered in the subsidy scam is used, it will help to resuscitate the economy,’’ Salako said. He advised the government to block leakages to curb the endemic corruption affecting various sectors of the economy.

Mr Bede Opara, President, Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC), said that the proposed loan would have long term effect on the economy if the money was not judiciously used. He urged the government to institute a policy that would ensure that any money borrowed was used for its purpose.

Mr Tunde Abdulrahaman, President, Food, Beverage and Tobacco Senior Staff Association (FOBTOB), said that government should have used available funds to execute these critical projects rather than borrow. He said that government should be sincere to ensure that the money borrowed was used for the projects.

From left: Political/Economic Chief, United States Consulate, Mr. Rolf Olson; Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr. Oscar Onyema; United States of America (USA) Consul General, Mr. Joseph Stafford and Chief of Staff/Head, Corporate Division, NSE, Mr. Bola Adeeko, during a courtesy visit of the Consul General to the NSE, in Lagos.

FG spends $1bn on gas infrastructure, says Minister

T

HE Federal Government says it has spent about one billion dollars in the last one year on the development of gas infrastructure meant to fast-track the economic development of the country. Mrs Diezani Allison-Madueke, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, said this in Abuja on Tuesday at the 2012 Ministerial Platform organised by the Ministry of Information.

“In the last year, we have made significant progress in gas infrastructure, gas supply growth and stimulation of gas industrialisation.

Specifically, in this time frame, we have invested close to a billion dollars in almost 1000km of gas pipeline development. The investment, which is the most expensive in the last 30 years, is aimed at developing the sector; create job opportunities and make Nigeria the regional hub for gasbased industries.’’

Allison-Madueke said the ministry was embarking on a massive expansion of the gas pipelines and facilities so as to achieve the gas-to-power initiative.

“The 130km, 24-inch Oben-Geregu gas pipeline has been completed and commissioned and this will open up gas access to the Geregu Independent Power Plant (IPP) and Dangote Obajana cement plant. The 50km Ipe

Annang-Calabar Pipeline will also open up the Calabar axis to gas and other industries.” She said there were other ongoing projects across the country that would ensure adequate power supply when completed.

“The 104km, 24-inch Escravos-Warri pipeline doubling capacity to 600mm cf/d that will provide immediate access to 80mm cf/d of gas is nearing completion. Production has continued to grow steadily, attaining a peak production rate of 2.5 million barrels per day. This has been underpinned by major new projects, including the USAN project which was commissioned in April with a production of 180,000 barrels per day.’’

Allison-Madueke explained that the ministry was developing the country ’s gas and hydrocarbon potential in other inland basins in addition to reserves in the Niger Delta and offshore basins. “With the dredging of the River Niger, we will be able to move Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) around the country, bringing gas to the east, west and northern parts of the country.” She said the government was committed to stimulating economic growth through the development of the oil and gas sector.

Alison-Madueke said the ministry

was on course in the implementation of the Gas Master Plan that would attract over $30billion investment in gas infrastructure and the development of gas based industries.

174.45

-4.70

2,236.00

-37.00

20.30

-0.17

109.31

+2.17

92.89

+1.41

CURRENCY BUYING CENTRAL SELLING CFA 0.2801 KRONER 26.4408 EURO 196.6237 POUNDS 244.6426 RIYAL 41.2489 SDR 235.8402 FRANC 163.5825 DOLLAR 154.7 WAUA 234.9579 YEN 1.9496 RENMINBI 24.4441

0.2901 26.5263 197.2592 245.4333 41.3823 236.6025 164.1112 155.2 235.7173 1.9559 24.5236

0.3001 26.6117 197.8947 246.224 41.5156 237.3647 164.6399 155.7 236.4767 1.9622 24.603

CBN Exchange rate as at 23/05/2012

24—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012

NSE to adopt new trading protocol …Remote trading connections in 235 locations

BY MICHAEL EBOH & JOEL JOMBO

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HE Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, said it is set to adopt a new trading software — Financial Information eXchange, FIX, protocol, that will help drive down transaction cost, help in price discovery and increase access to liquidity.

The NSE also said it presently has over 235 remote trading connections across the length and breadth of the country.

Mr. Olumide Lala,

Deputy General Manager & Head Transformation & Change, NSE, in a presentation obtained on the NSE’s website, said the adoption of FIX protocol will ensure that the NSE is favourably positioned within the financial global village.

He further stated that the adoption of the protocol is as a result of its quest to transform its trading environment through the use of innovative trading technology.

He said, “By using FIX, the NSE hopes to deliver

the following benefits to the Nigerian capital market: Improved access to liquidity for market participants by enabling the electronic exchange of trade-related information.

FIX compresses the time needed to discover price and transact.

“Help in price discovery and the promotion of price improvement. FIX makes it quick and easy to discover market depth across as many prospective trade counterparties as you wish.

“FIX delivers insight that helps manage risk, increase

efficiency and improve investment performance.

Reduced transaction cost – by automating the trading process costs are brought down with the benefit of ‘lower costs’ for investors.

“Electronic systems increase liquidity by attracting many market participants, while it furthers competition by attracting new entrants into the industry.

“The FIX protocol will also ensure that the market becomes more transparent and risk is well managed through real time

monitoring of trades, while it will bring about increased liquidity, competition and transparency, making sure that spreads are tightened.”

Lala further stated that the 235 remote trading connections in Lagos is beside those deployed in branches across the country, noting that there are an increasing number of dealing member firms accessing the exchange system remotely.

“The recent growth witnessed in the Nigerian capital market can be attrib-

uted to the introduction of remote trading or Electronic Communications Networks (ECN) in 2005. This system enabled brokers to trade in the comfort of their offices without having to come to the trading floor,” he said.

He attributed the decline in the growth of the Nigerian capital market to constraints posed by low liquidity, high risk perceptions and limited trading technologies.

He is of the view that lack of adequate c o m m u n\i c a t i o n s infrastructure is another challenge for many market participants in moving towards the electronic trading platform.

Lafarge Wapco assures increase in local content ••Pays 75 kobo dividend

BY PETER EGWUATU

L

From left: Mr. Valentine Whensu, CEO, Global Initiative MFB; Mrs. Anire Celey-Okogun, CEO, Chanelle MFB; and Mr. Femi Babajide, CEO, Unicredit MFB at the 2nd Annual Annual General Meeting of the National Association of Microfinance Banks of Nigeria, in Abuja.

Market making not sufficient to achieve $1trn capitalization — Rewane

BY NKIRUKA NNOROM

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HE Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE)’s dream of hitting $1 trillion (N15 trillion) market capitalization marks by 2015 will not materialise with just the introduction of market making structure, the Managing Director, Financial Derivatives Company, FDC, Mr. Bismark Rewane, has said.

Rewane, who made the remark in his bimonthly Economic and Business Update for April 2012, said it was necessary the NSE’s management hastens up the implementation of other key initiatives outlined by the new management on assumption of office.

Rewane noted that the approval of market makers, which he believes will play a strong role in market rebound, would be insufficient to achieve the feat.

He therefore, recommended the implementation of key initiatives of NSE like short selling, as well as improvement in the product offering to include asset classes like Derivatives, Options, Futures, and Securitisation.

Rewane argued though that market making was an important tool employed by market makers to perform their role.

He said, “Short selling, in particular, is not only an important component of efficient markets, but legitimate

short selling activities will provide a reliable and valuable source of both market liquidity and price discovery.

Short selling intra-day is an important tool used by market makers to perform their role.

Therefore, for the NSE’s objective of creating market makers to be met, it is imperative, it is important that short selling be enabled on the exchange.”

Continuing, he said, “Despite all these, we strongly believe that the approval of the ten market makers will bring about further liquidity and thrust in the third biggest market in Africa; hopefully serving to restore it to its pre-2008 glory.”

While expressing optimism on the realization of the target,

Onyema had stated that the projection, which formed part of a fiveyear transformation agenda, is to move the capitalization from its 17.4 per cent of GDP to 178.3 per cent of GDP during the period.

According to him, the numbers will be attained if the NSE is able to attract the Oil & Gas sector, Telecom and Power sectors. “Oil exploration, power and telecommunication companies aren’t represented on the bourse and would be totally new areas for exchange. Agriculture is another area where we will be making a push as it’s underrepresented on the bourse and makes up 40 per cent of West African nation’s gross domestic product,” he said.

AFARGE Cement Wapco Nigeria Plc has assured shareholders that it will increase its local content in order to reduce cost and increase profit, even as it declared a divided of 75 kobo for the financial year ended December 31, 2011.

Speaking at the 53rd Annual General Meeting,(AGM) held on Wednesday at the Muson Centre in Lagos, Chairman of Lafarge Wapco, Chief Olusegun Osunkeye said, “ We are ready to increase our local content so as to reduce the cost of production and make more profit for the company provided it is of high quality. If we are able to see where we can get local materials that are of high quality and in abundance we shall go for it. This will even help create employment as well.”

Continuing, he said, “The government must ensure that our refineries are working so that we can have cheap price of cement. The high cost of fuel, and irregular supply of electricity are major challenges for the manufacturing sectors.”

The chairman commended shareholders for their support given to the company during the year under review, explaining that high turnover recorded was made possible by the approximately 37 per cent increase in volume of cement despatches for the year compared with N1.6 million metric tones recorded for 2010.In his

remark, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Joe Hudson said, “ Lafarge Wapco is entrenching a culture of continuous business improvement and standardization in all processes. This will ensure viability and long term sustainability as well as value creation for all our shareholders and other stakeholders. Our plan for the future involves consolidating on the key areas of health and safety, industrial performance, with a stronger focus on customer orientation and innovation.”

While, commenting on the financial year under review, Finance Director, Lafarge Wapco Mr. Fred Amobi, said, “ This is a remarkable performance for the company in spite of the challenges during the year. Our focus on continuous business process improvement and alignment with best practice has yielded god result-reflecting on Earnings Per Share (EPS) growth of 74 per cent from N1.63 kobo in 2010 to N2.84 kobo in 2011.”

Speaking at the AGM, Mr. Boniface Okezie, Chairman, Progressive Shareholders Association of Nigeria (PSAN) said, “We the shareholders commend Lafarge Wapco’s performance for weathering the storm. The economy is badly managed and that is why most companies are being affected. So we beg you as an elder statesman to please use to talk to the government to address grey areas that will move the country forward.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012 — 25

26—V anguard , THURSD AY , MA Y 24, 2012 THURSDA MAY 26—Vanguard

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012—27

NASS to review concession agreement

BY GODFREY BIVBERE

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ATIONAL Assembly is set to review the concession agreement between it and the private terminal operators to ensure that all the goals drawn up at the initial stages of the agreement are met.

Disclosing this to Vanguard in Houston, Texas, the Deputy Chairman of the Senate Committee on Marine Transport, Akpor Pius Ewherido, said the committee was taking a second look at the concession agreement.

Ewherido explained that both the Federal Government and the

concessionaires have not fully met all the terms of the agreement and as a result, the exercise has not fully achieved the goals.

The senator who admitted that despite the above mentioned lapses, there has been some measure of success, also disclosed that the Senate Committee on Trade and Investment was looking at the concession agreement.

He said: “We are taking a second look at the concession agreement. I think the Trade and Investment committee is also doing so.”

Ewherido blamed the lapses in the concession agreement on the absence of a regulatory as specified

Customs meets Ajelete community leaders to end clashes

T

OP officers of the Ni geria Customs Service (NCS) have been meeting with community leaders at Ajilete, a border town in Ogun State, to find lasting solutions to incessant clashes between Customs personnel on the one hand and suspected smugglers and their supporters on the other.

It was gathered that Zonal Coordinator, Zone ‘A’, Assistant Comptroller General of Customs Victor Osita Gbemudu, accompanied by Customs Area Controller (CAC), Ogun State Customs Command, Deputy Comptroller Bamidele Akande, and Controller in charge of the Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone ‘A’, Comptroller Dan Ugo, met with the traditional ruler of Oloke

Odan of Oke Odan last Thursday.

Speaking on the outcome of the meeting, Akande said the forum had been more-or-less a town hall meeting between the Customs and the community, adding that a consensus was reached to hold further meetings to put a final end to the incessant crises.

He said both parties had agreed to work peacefully from now onward after the most recent clash, adding: “The consensus is to make peace and there should be regard for human lives.

We have been having such meetings in the past until the unfortunate incident that led to the death of one of their own.

But now we have both pledged to continue to hold such meetings.

by the agreement, stressing that until there is a body to effectively regulate and implement it, the situation will remain as it is.

The senator who commended the management of Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA; the body that signed on behalf of government for its efforts so far, he explained that there are some areas where the Authority has not met up with its side of the agreement.

Ewhewrido pointed out areas like common user facilities and dredging of the channel are areas where the NPA needed to improve.

He, however, said that the NPA has some constraint which is making it difficult for them to effectively perform their end of the agreement.

Concession asgreement On the hand, while some of the concessionaires are doing very well, others are still lagging behind. He, however, frowned at the fact that the concession agreement has not resulted in the employment of many workers who were retired from the NPA as was promised before the signing of the agreement.

In his words: “I don’t believe that it should be left the way it is, of course there has been improvement but the jobs which were promised are not as many as claimed then.”

Speaking on the participation of the Nigerian contingent to the Offshore Technology Conference, OTC, Ewherido said that it is the gathering of the best of the best in terms of technology and professionals in the oil and gas sector and therefore; there is a lot to take back home from the conference.

NPA records increase in container and vehiclar trafffic

T

HE Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has recorded an increase in container and vehicular traffic at the end of the first quarter of 2012 showing an increase over the same period of 2011.

Available statistics shows that Laden Container Throughput stood at 210,057 TEUS reflecting a 5.7 per cent increase over the figure of 198,694 TEUS in the same period of 2011.

The Empty Container Throughput was 161,107 TEUS which showed an 18.9 per cent increase over the first quarter figure of 135,543TEUS of 2011.

Vehicle traffic stood at

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63,992 units showing a growth of 42 per cent growth over the first quarter 2011 figure of 45,077.

The Nigerian Ports Authority in fulfilling its obligation of planning, development and maintenance of port infrastructure and provisions of common user facility as laid out on the concession agreement has continued to undertake massive marine rehabilitation.

These developments have been witnessed in the areas of laying of channel marking buoys, removal of all the identified critical wrecks our channels and

continuous maintenance dredging of the channels among others.

These efforts have attracted more vessels as safe and secure navigation has been guaranteed.

The Managing Director NPA, Omar Suleiman has been consistent in saying that the Authority will continue to improve in its efforts to attract bigger vessels, develop new port facilities, expand the existing port facilities and develop the necessary infrastructure to make Nigerian Ports the hub in the West and Central African Region.

28—Vanguard 28—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012

APPOINTMENT & PROMOTION

vicahiyoung@yahoo.com 08033348923

Finalists emerge for CNN Multichoice African journalists awards

F

From left: Finance Director, Lafarge Cement WAPCO Nigeria Plc, Mr. Fred Amobi; Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Joe Hudson; Country Chief Executive Officer, Lafarge Nigeria,Mr. Jean-Christophe Barbant; Director, Mrs. Oludewa Edodo Thorpe; Head of Supply Chain Division, Kola Olowokere and Head of Communications, Mrs. Temitope Oguntokun at the company’s 2012 Shareholders’ Forum, in Lagos.

INALISTS have been announced for the 2012 Cable News Network, CNN, MultiChoice African Journalist competition, by Ferial Haffajee, Chair of the independent judging panel.

The competition which is in th its 17 year received entries from 42 countries across the continent, including French and Portuguese speaking Africa with 34 finalists picked from 12 countries: The winners of the competition will be announced at an Award Ceremony and Gala Evening in Lusaka, Zambia on

9,186 benefit from Ekiti social security scheme N

O fewer than 9,186 aged persons are to benefit from another batch of the social security scheme initiated

by Ekiti State Government.

The government said it had already committed the sum of N350 million so far on the scheme.

Commissioner for Labour, Productivity and Human Capital Development, Mr. Apalara Wole-Adewumi said at a briefing in Ado-Ekiti.

Adewumi said N50 million was being expended on the scheme monthly by the state government and explained

that an enumeration exercise was carried out between February 20 and 25, 2012 where 34,050 elderly persons were registered.

He said while 3,840 persons were found to have registered more than once, 545 others were found to be enjoying one

Osun explores options in biogas O

sun State government has concluded its bilateral talks with the German state of Saxony Anhalt as the state expects to benefit from its agricultural programmes with the use of biogas for electricity generation in all parts of the state.

These are some of the fallouts of the ongoing tour of the German state by a delegation led by the Governor of Osun state, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola which commenced a 5-day

working visit to Saxony Anhalt in Germany on Monday.

A statement by the Director, Bureau of Communications and Strategy in the Office of the Governor, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, said the Osun State delegation on the invitation of the State Agricultural Minister, Dr. Hermann Onko Aikens, had been in the German state for the discussion on bilateral relationship between the two states.

On Monday, the delegation

was taken on a tour of an agricultural cooperative society in a village called Rottmersleben in Saxony Anhalt.

The highlights of the farm visited included a membership of the cooperative of 25 farmers with addition of eight paid hands on a farm size of 2000 hectares; raising of 1,400 herd for beef bulls from which the cooperative also generates 500KVA electricity per day.

Also, the farm has a bio-gas plant which was erected at the

RATTAWU rejects merger of NTA, FRCN, VOA

T

HE Radio Television Theatre and Arts Workers Union, RATTAWU, has rejected the proposed merger of NTA, FRCN and VOA, noting that the merger was “totally unacceptable” to the union.

RATTAWU said this is in a communiqué on the union’s fourth quadrennial delegates conference held in Benin.

The communiqué by the President, Mr Yemisi Bamgbose, and the General Secretary, Mr. Henry Odugala.

It will be recalled that Oronsaye committee set up by President Goodluck Jonathan on the harmonisation of federal agencies has, among others, recommended a merger of the

three organisations.

The union called on the government to stop the process without further delay.

According to the communique, “RATTAWU sees this move as counter-productive and generally not in the interest of workers and the industry at large.”

The union argued that the appointment of chief executives of the various organisations should not be politicised, stressing that such appointments should be based on professionalism.

It said that this would give “professionals in the organisations the opportunity to

bring their wealth of experience garnered over the years to bear on the administration of the organisations”.

The union “believes that this is one way the many and varied challenges of the organisations could be appreciated and contained.”

pension or the other.

According to him, this category of elders was subsequently disqualified.

He said only 9,186 persons were found worthy to take part in the scheme and would therefore join the over 10,000 that were pioneer beneficiaries of the scheme.

cost of 1.8 Million Euro and from which 500 KVA of electricity is generated daily with an average income of 3000Euro monthly for cooperative members with government support of 300 Euro subsidies per hectares yearly.

At the end of the tour of the farm, the Mayor of the village informed the delegates that it was the first time an African governor will be visiting Germany to explore the vast experience in the area of agriculture.

On the delegation with the Governor is the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Mr. Wale Adedoyin; Commissioner For Women Affairs and Social Welfare; Mrs. Folake Adegboyega; Special adviser to the Governor on Rural Development, Mr. Kunle Ige; Coordinator of the Quick Impact Intervention Programme, Mr. Dele Ogundipe.

Saturday 21 July, 2012.

Announcing the finalists, Ferial Haffajee said: “The growing quality of the entries we pored over is a reflection of a growing continent claiming its place in the sun. We were impressed by the enhanced quality and competitiveness of the work before us; by the heart and soul poured onto pages and into pixels; by the adventurist spirit of the entries which came from more countries than ever before. In print, in radio, in television it is clear that African journalism is in a growth spurt, claiming its stake as world-class and globally competitive. A bit like our continent.”

ILO to hold global youth employment forum

A

GAINST the backdrop of unprecedented youth unemployment levels, the International Labour Organisation, ILO, is hosting a Global Youth Employment Forum at its headquarters in Geneva from May 23-25. The Forum will bring together more than 100 youth from around the world for wideranging discussion and reflection on the state of the global jobs crisis and the major challenges facing young people in their search for decent work.

Young representatives from employer and worker groups, youth associations, the ILO and partner organizations will share their experiences and views on the current employment situation and discuss practical examples of successful initiatives, which have led to the promotion of decent work for youth.

The Forum’s plenary sessions, thematic discussions and breakout workshops will focus primarily on: Examining the impact of the youth employment crisis and reviewing facts and issues from across different regions; Discovering ways to enable access to decent work for young people (including students, interns, informal workers, unpaid family contributors...) and Developing partnerships for more and better jobs for youth.

Kano Police gets new PPRO

T

HE Kano State Police Com mand has announced the appointment of Mr. Rilwanu Muhammad Dutse as its new Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO. A statement by the immedi-

ate past spokesman of the command, ASP Magaji Musa Majiya, said the new PPRO was before his appointment, the officer in charge of prosecution at the State Criminal Investigations Department,

SCID, in Kano city.

It added that “he is to be assisted by the former PPRO, Mr. Magaji Musa Majiya,” urging members of the public to cooperate with the new spokesperson.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012 — 29

Senate charges TETfund on scholarship, loan for indigent — Page 34 students

Fund researches well and see Nigeria’s GDP improve — Page 36

Children’s Day: 10m children out of school nationwide

Student killed as hoodlums raid FUT Minna off-campus hostel — Page 31

Drop-out rate was higher in junior secondary school than in the primary school category.

Of those children currently in primary school, less than one third will attend junior secondary school and even fewer will proceed to senior secondary.

The report noted that the problem of OOSC in both primary and junior secondary schools was more severe in all states of the three geo-political zones in the north than in the south. The factors that kept the children out of schools were grouped into economic, sociocultural and supply side

barriers and bottlenecks. Government and political influence, especially in the capacity of government to implement education policies as well as politicisation of basic education, equally affected the magnitude of the problem.

Proffering solutions to the scourge, government was tasked to scale up existing conditional cash transfer to alleviate poverty in families linked to their enrolling children in schools; revive the school feeding programme or institute commodity voucher

Continues on page 34

2012 UTME: JAMB pegs cut-off point at 180 for varsities, 160 for others

BY FAVOUR NNABUGWU

A

*Some students at the Year 2012 Children's Day Career Talk organised by the Ministry of Education for schools on Monday, May 21, 2012.

BY AMAKA ABAYOMI & LAJU ARENYEKA

A

S Nigerian children celebrate 2012 Children’s Day on Sunday, it is sad to note that over 40 per cent of them will celebrate on the street; without access to basic education as economic and socio-cultural factors keep over 10.1 million of the 35.6 million children aged between six and 14, out of schools.

According to a report on outof-school-children (OOSC) jointly anchored by the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund

(UNICEF), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), United Nations Institute of Statistics (UIS) and the Federal Ministry of Education for the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) which was presented in 2011, there is an increase in the number of OOSC. While 12,531,414 boys and 12,130,673 girls aged six to 11 ought to be in primary schools, 3,366,138 (26.9 per cent) and 3,932,679 (32.4 per cent) of the boys and girls respectively, are not in school. This meant that of 24,662,087 children, 7,298,817 were not receiving

formal education in the country three years ago. Also, 200,630 and 168,795 of the total boys and girls respectively, dropped out of school.

The report noted further that as at that date, 2,834,903 out of 10,912,131 boys and girls aged 12 to 14 who ought to be in junior secondary school (JSS), were not. A total of 625,993 dropped out of school.

A breakdown of these figures showed that 5,543,223 boys were supposed to be in junior schools but 1,308,779 were not while 324,576 dropped out. Of 5,368,908 girls, 1,526,124 were not in school while 301,417 had dropped out.

BUJA THE Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has fixed national cut-off marks for admission into the nation's tertiary institutions. For the 2012/13 academic session, the board pegged cut-off mark for admission into universities at 180, while 160 was fixed for polytechnics, colleges of technology, colleges of education and other diplomaawarding institutions.

JAMB Registrar/CE, Professor Dibu Ojerinde announced the cut-off marks at the 3rd Combined Policy Committee Meeting on Admissions to Degree-awarding Institutions, National Diploma, ND; Nigeria Certificate in Education, NCE; and National Innovation Diploma, NID, in Abuja.

Also at the event, Professor Ojerinde lampooned the tertiary institutions for not admitting students up to their approved carrying capacities as the board released 2012 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results.

Speaking further, Ojerinde urged the institutions to

adhere strictly to entry requirements, saying institutions should ensure compliance with approved admissions guidelines, bearing in mind such criteria as merit, catchment, educationally less developed states, quota, carrying capacity and national cut-off mark.

The national cut-off mark for admissions into universities in Nigeria for 2012/2013 academic session is fixed at 180, while the Board set 160 as the National cut-off mark for admissions into polytechnics, colleges of education and other diploma-awarding institutions.

Condemning majority of the tertiary institutions' inability to admit close to or up to their carrying capacities, Ojerinde alleged that majority of the federal, state and private universities, polytechnics and colleges massively disobey the government in their carrying capacity ranging from a university with a carrying capacity of 6,608 which only admitted 6, 026 students, to another university that had a carrying capacity of 6, 292 but admitted only 2, 991 students.

Yet another had a carrying

Continues on page 34

30 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012

Children's day: In the words of children

BY LAJU ARENYEKA

I

T’S the tallest I’ve ever been; Hands shot up in the Basic 3-5 classes of Barbara Cox Schools in Lagos at my question: “What do you know about Children’s day?”

Thanks to Google, you won’t miss the fact that May 27 was set aside by the United Nations in 1953 to celebrate children all over the world. All the other important facts are only a click away. But in exclusive Quadlife style, children tell the story in their own words, handwriting and art.

Enjoy!

Kosi Ozioma said: “Children’s

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day is important to make the children feel happy. If I were to do something special on children’s day, it would be to give the orphans food and money to take care of themselves.”

For Onyekachukwu Anakwe, it’s a day to play games. “I’m looking forward to playing my PSP then,” he said.

Another pupil who identified herself as Ify said: “Apart from doing choreography in my church, I plan to ask my dad to take us to my aunt’s house and then to a fast food joint to get ice cream.” Deborah Oputteh would also like to take her friends out.

Emeka Osuoji sounded all grown up when he said: “We can get a break from work. We need it because we are the leaders of tomorrow.”

Another pupil in Basic four, Gift Danazumi said: “I wish that God will provide parents for children who don’t have parents. I wish them a prosperous children’s day, happiness and long life. What happens now should not affect them because they are the leaders of tomorrow.”

Talfiq Oguntoyinbo’s contribution was to wish all children best of luck on Children’s day.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012 — 31

Student killed as hoodlums raid FUT hostel

*Compton compound deserted by occupants.

BY FAITH OLANIRAN & FOLAJIMI ORINTUNSIN FUT MINNA

T

HE calm atmosphere of Compton compound, a popular off-campus hostel for students of the Federal University of Technology, (FUT) Minna, located at 13 Zarumai Road along Bosso Road, was ruffled penultimate Saturday, as hoodlums suspected to be armed robbers, stormed the compound in an unsuccessful armed robbery operation, but leaving dead a 400 level student, Emmanuel Uduak.

According to a male student who lives in Compton compound, “the suspected armed robbers stormed the hostel at about 3.00am in their bid to rob a female student, whom they had trailed from campus

to her hostel room that fateful day.

Another student who does not want his name in print said the hoodlums forced their way into the girl’s room by breaking her door.

He said: “The lady noticed flashes of light and some people flocking around her room, so when she called on one or two persons on their cell phone to tell them what she noticed, their lines were not going through, until she tried Uduak’s line, who picked the call and was coming out to verify the incident.

“As the hoodlums noticed a movement from Emmanuel's end, they didn’t hesitate, but shot him and fled the compound immediately.”

This sad incident occurred

Frequently Confused Words EXERCISE INSTRUCTION:Choose the appropriate word from the alternatives in parenthesis.

1. He was not (explicit/implicit) about what he really felt.

2. The instructions were not (explicit/implicit) enough.

3. I have (explicit/implicit) faith in Jesus Christ.

4. I have (explicit/implicit) confidence in my son’s ability to study Medicine in the university.

5. Two men were prosecuted for (elicit/illicit) liquor selling at Majidun.

6. Her tears (elicited/illicit) great sympathy from her audience.

7. The Police Officer tried to (elicit/illicit) from the criminal the names of others involved in the (elicit/illicit) activities.

C M Y K

during a two-week break to mark the end of the first semester. While many students travelled home after the exams, some didn’t, especially some 400 level students who wanted to stay behind for the immediate commencement of their six months Industrial Training (IT). Other students also stayed back in school to do some extra-curricular activities.

Emmanuel Uduak until his death, was a 400 level student of Mechanical Engineering Department, and was popularly called ‘Cross’ by his friends.

Uduak had it in mind to travel a week earlier, but couldn’t owing to unknown reasons. The undergraduate, who was also to start his IT in some months time was known to be a peace-loving

person and dedicated to his studies.

As at the time of filing this report, Compton compound which used to be a bubbling place either by the music played from various rooms within the compound or the occupants hanging outside the compound, has been deserted, even as the Police have invited the girl and one other student to assist in their investigations.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Niger State, Mr. Richard Oguche confirmed the incident, saying that the Police had since swung into action and promising to unravel those

UNILA G lecturer dies a UNILAG week af C’s death aftter V VC’s

BY TOSIN ADESILE, UNILAG a week after B the death of the ViceChancellor, University of ARELY

Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, Prof. Adetokunbo Sho foluwe, a senior lecturer at the Department of Creative Arts, Faculty of Arts, UNILAG, Chief E.A. Bassey has also passed on.

Staff and students have

8. The detainee had no (access/assess) to his lawyer.

9. At the Murtala Mohammed Airport, journalists were denied (assess/access) to the President.

10. Dr. Iwelanka’s papers for promotion were (assessed/ accessed) by three experts in his field.

11. The Disciplinary Committee members will soon begin to (assess/access) the facts before them.

12. The doctor on duty is to (assess/access) the patient’s condition.

13. The Inspector General of Police travelled to Taraba State to (assess/access) the security situation.

14. Your daughter is perfectly safe, I can (assure/ensure) you.

15. The car is (insured/ensured) for N2, 000,000.00.

16. A portrait of the first man to be (hanged/hung) in Nigeria was (hanged/hung) on the bedroom wall of the Director of Prisons.

17. The old man (hung/hanged) his head as he passed the tree where the murderer was (hung/hanged).

18. You and (I/me) are invited to the meeting.

19. The cake was made by Dupe and (me/I).

20. Dr. Mowe and (I/me) are the editors of the journal.

CORRECTION 1. He was not explicit about what he really felt.

2. The instructions were not explicit enough.

3. I have implicit faith in Jesus Christ.

4. I have implicit confidence in my son’s ability to study medicine in the university.

5. Two men were prosecuted for illicit liquor selling at Majidun.

6.Her tears elicited great sympathy from her audience.

7.The Police Officer tried to elicit from the criminal the names of others involved in the illicit activities.

8.The detainee had no access to his lawyer.

zCONTINUES NEXT WEEK.

behind the act. “ We h a v e l a u n c h e d a manhunt for the fleeing robbers and we are working hard towards arresting them”, he said.

Ever since the incident, many students have relocated to safer places.

Further investigation revealed that situations like this are usually what students experience when the school is on break. Some students of the university have at one time or the other experienced such robbery attacks. Reports have it that students have always gone back to school after breaks to discover that their rooms had been burgled and reports made to appropriate quarters have yielded little or no results.

since begun to send in condolence messages to the family of Chief Bassey for his creative efforts in the university.

According to Funto Hasstrup, a student leader at the Faculty of Arts, “he will be missed by all and especially for his creative styles.”

Chief E.A. Bassey had on several occasions served as Head, Department of Creative Arts.

9.At the Murtala Mohammed Airport, journalists were denied access to the President.

10.Dr. Iwelanka’s papers for promotion were assessed by three experts in his field.

11.The Disciplinary Committee members will soon begin to assess the facts before them.

12.The doctor on duty is to assess the patient’s condition.

13.The Inspector General of Police travelled to Taraba State to assess the security situation.

14.Your daughter is perfectly safe, I can assure you.

15.The car is insured for N2, 000,000.00.

16.A portrait of the first man to be hanged in Nigeria was hung on the bedroom wall of the Director of Prisons.

17. The old man hung his head as he passed the tree where the murderer was hanged.

18.You and I are invited to the meeting.

19. The cake was made by Dupe and me. 20. Dr. Mowe and I are the editors of the journal.

Send requests/problems to Gabriel Osoba, Ph.d, Department of English, Lagos State University, Ojo, through Editor, Teach Yourself English, Vanguard Newspapers, PMB. 1007, Apapa, Lagos, or email: editor@vanguardngr.com & gabosoba002@yahoo.co

32 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012

Embrace ICT, LCP boss urges students

By DAYO ADESULU

T

HE Chairman, Governing Council, Lagos City Polytechnic, Ikeja, Engr.

Babatunde Odufuwa has urged students of both public and private tertiary institutions to be Information Communication Technologycompliant, saying that very soon, those who do not follow the trend will be left behind.

He added: “Examination malpractice will soon be a thing of the past, because with the introduction of Interswitch and Upperlink in the system, students will not just make payment online but also be able to register and take multiple examination questions online.”

Odufuwa who stated this at PayChoice presentation held at the institution’s boardroom, explained that multiple examination questions can be stored in a server database and released at the same time to students assigned to each computer where they are meant to answer questions

•Engr. Babatunde Odufuwa directly into the database.

“Since the person seated next to you is not having similar questions, it will be difficult to cheat,” he said.

Furthermore, Odufuwa reiterated that no lecturer can contribute meaningfully to the development of students and the society at large, if such academic does not develop his

knowledge in Information Communication Technology adding: “Such knowledge will enhance good research work that will both develop the lecturer and his students.”

Speaking on the importance of the Upperlink Inter switch, the director, Inter-switch, Mr Charles Ifedi said that the innovation has a backup

capacity that enhances data recovery. “For example, if a student’s data of four years is missing, it wouldn’t take time to recover it as the system can manage examination records,” he added.

On his part, the Managing Director, Upperlink Limited, Mr Segun Akano explained that PayChoice platform managed by Upperlink is a customized software which makes payment of fees and management of examination record automation simple. He added that this software owns a national payment engine called Branchcollect adopted by over 14 tertiary institutions and 19 banks across the country.

According to him, PayChoice refers to the various options of electronic payment which include: POS, ATM, Master Card etc, stressing that the purpose is to minimize the risk of students carrying bulk cash. “Our automation is our own contribution to the development of the nation,” he said.

Communication students organise 'mock' PR campaign

BY HAMEED MURITALA,UNILORIN

I

N satisfying the requirement of one of their courses at school, the 300L students of Mass Communication and Library & Information Science (UNILORIN), last Thursday, organised hypothetical Public Relations progammes. The course, MAC 312 “Public Relations Techniques” is a practical course in the department of Mass Communication.

The students were divided into two groups and each group was expected to implement a planned action that is meant to solve a hypothetical problem using a named company as a case study. They are expected to employ a Public Relations strategy in solving the problem.

The first group was named “Genesiz Public Relations Agency,” while the second group was named “Maclis Media Consultancy.”

Maclis Media Consultancy in collaboration with 7Up Bottling Company organised a

OAU VC commiserates with UNILAG

BY SIKIRU AKINOLA

T

HE Vice-Chancellor of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Professor Bamitale Omole, has commiserated with the Governing Council, Senate, staff and students of the University of Lagos on the sudden death of the ViceChancellor, Professor Adetokunbo Shofoluwe.

A release by the Public Relations Officer of the University, Abiodun Olarewaju stated that the Vice-Chancellor, who was in Lagos to register his condolence said he received the news of the tragic death with shock. Professor Omole described the late Professor Shofoluwe as a gentle but firm administrator, a reputable scholar of international standing and a good mixer with a high degree of human relations.

Describing death as a necessary end for all mortals, Prof. Omole urged the univers i t y community to take solace in God who knows the beginning and end of all men.

Parent donates computers to Crescent varsity

BY IKENNA ASOMBA

T

•The students shortly after the programme health seminar to sensitize students on diabetes. The theme of the seminar was Diabetes: causes and preventive measures and the guest speaker was Dr. A. B Odunola from the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital.

The guest speaker took the audience through the causes, symptoms and preventive measures of diabetes mellitus.

According to him, diabetes

could be contracted hereditarily: “This is possible when a member of a family is diabetic and if care is not taken, other members of the family may contract the disease.”

The second group, Genesiz Public Relations Agency later that same day, organised a press luncheon to promote and project the image of Tuyil Pharmaceutical Industries,

a Nigerian pharmaceutical company.

The head of Research, Genesiz Public Relations, Mr. Gbenga Onalaja said: “We will also organise a road show within the school environment whereby there will be colourful demonstration of Tuyil Pharmaceutical products accompanied with promotional talks about the industry,” he added.

WENTY sets of desk-top computers have been donated to Crescent University, Abeokuta, by a parent, Eng. Haroon Adekilekun on behalf of Gihwad Environmental Campaign, a non-governmental organisation. Receiving the sets of computers, the Proprietor, H.E. Judge Bola Ajibola expressed his profound gratitude to the donor for assisting the young university through his humble donation.

Ajibola said “there is no need for proliferation of universities in the country ”, stressing that having too many of them might not serve good purpose for the nation especially in meeting the National Universities Commission’s benchmark.

He, however, lauded Christian organisations for having a large number of private universities which have served the purpose of building the minds of future leaders in the country.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012 — 33

HSC system 'll boost standard of education — Babalakin

BY LAJU ARENYEKA

T

HE Chairman of Committee of Pro Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, Dr. Wale Babalakin (SAN) has said that the Higher School Certificate (HSC) system will instill discipline and the spirit of hardwork in students and ultimately boost the standard of education.

Babalakin, while performing as the chairman of the inauguration ceremony of the ultra-modern national headquarters of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU)

in Abuja recently, said that he believes “that the return of HSC will create a defining point as a prelude to university education.” He also added that “It is important to revisit such standard, rather than finding shortcuts, which will invariably take us nowhere.”

Babalakin also called on Nigerians not to leave the burden of education for the government alone. According to the SAN, “this is wrong because it is very difficult for government alone to fund education. Education requires the cooperation of the entire citizenry."

“Today, education is at a crossroad in Nigeria. The time

has come when we must join hands together in supporting the government in building educational institutions that will be of envy to all, and of pride to us Nigerians. We have to forget the blame game. We have to work together to move education back to what it used to be,” he said.

Babalakin funded the construction of a multi-million naira Independent Power Project, which currently guarantees 20 hours uninterrupted electricity supply to the University of Maiduguiri (UNIMAID) where he also serves as Pro Chancellor. The project was inaugurated on December 30, last year. He has also do-

NIDSUG lauds Gov Dickson on improved education policies

nated over N13 million to the university to execute various projects, including over N12 million for the upgrading of its library, in 2010.

Referring to these, he said: “I regard my current efforts as simply a way of sensitising the community, sensitising Nigerians to please bring their own quota for the development of our universities and

UNILAG twins host over 71,000 users on Lagbook

BY TOSIN ADESILE, UNILAG

T

WIN brothers, Chidi and Chika Nwaogu, 300 level students of Physics department, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, have blazed the trail in the Nigerian social network blogs by hosting over 71, 000 users in their social networking blog, Lagbook, a social discovery for youths. The Nwaogu brothers started Lagbook two years ago with determination to do something special and different from social networking platforms like Facebook.

According to them, the social discovery site, Lagbook means ladies and gentlemen book and users, especially the

*Genesis Jeremiah (middle) flanked by officers from other schools

BY EMMANUEL SHEBBS

T

HE National President of Niger-Delta Students Union Government (NIDSUG), Genesis Jeremiah has praised the Bayelsa State Governor, Henry Seriake Dickson for the recent steps he took in favour of education in the state. Jeremiah made the remark while addressing stakeholders that attended the national executive meeting of the union which held at the University of Port Harcourt, last Sunday.

Addressing the meeting, the NIDSUG National President appreciated what he referred to as “the detribalized manner in which Governor Dickson appointed sons of Niger-Delta

into the state executive cabinet.

"We are happy that one of our own has been chosen to serve as a commissioner irrespective of his state or town. It is a sign of good leadership.”

At the meeting which featured more than 30 participants from various schools in Nigeria, the national president of the union used the opportunity to announce the new date for the National Convention which has been slated for 7th to 9th of June 2012. “This year ’s convention will be held at Rivers and Bayelsa states.” he said.

He urged Niger-Delta students in all tertiary institu-

I assure donors that their money would be used prudently.

Universities too should work harder at sourcing funds from the private sector and international donor agencies because government alone cannot fund our universities adequately,” he noted.

tions across the country to get prepared as the convention will feature lots of lessons, fun and fancy.

Jeremiah used the occasion to call on the NigerDelta Development Commission (NDDC) and the Ministry of Niger-Delta Affairs to channel their efforts towards enhancing education especially in the NigerDelta region. He said: “Education should be paramount to every one of us. " We call on all vice chancellors, rectors and provosts to admit students into their schools without tribal sentiment,” he concluded.

•Chidi and Chika Nwaogu

youths to form new experience and also meet new people.

“The site which started with 3,000 members now has over 71,000 users, and is currently expanding daily. One main feature of Lagbook is that it’s totally different from facebook.

One major difference is that facebook suggests users to you but in Lagbook, you pay to get yourself featured,” held Chidi and Chika.

Speaking further, they said: “We also give room for people to advertise their goods and services, pictures and profiles.

Lagbook is still expanding since inception and our advice is that if you’re not on Lagbook, you ‘re missing the fun because it’s a new world entirely.”

34— Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012

Lagos teachers train on use of safety signs

Senate charges TETfund on scholarship, loan for indigent students

BY FAVOUR NNABUGWU

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HE Senate Committee on Education has charged the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETfund to come up with scholarship and loan scheme for indigent students in the country in order to ease the burden on parents and students of high tuition fees paid by them.

Chairman of the Committee, Senator Uche Chukwumerije during a visit to TETfund in Abuja, said the tuition fees paid by students in most public tertiary institutions in the country is oppressive to indigent students.

Commending TETfund for its intervention role in tertiary education, the committee chairman who led other members of the committee on the visit, said that murmurs from some institutions and the public are pointers to the fact that the Fund can do more than it is doing with the resources available to it.

He said: “From the murmurs of some institutions and the public, it seems that the TETfund can do more than it is doing with resources available to it. The Senate Education Committee will

•From left: Mrs Ronke Kalu, Fine Arts Teacher; Pastor Moses Jimmy, Business/Church growth consultant; Rev. Nkaku Okagbue, Proprietress and Mr Isaac Anang, Head Teacher, Primary section, all of Seed of Messiah Schools, Isolo, Lagos last Friday as the school received the Best Quality-driven school for 2012 award from an NGO, Quality Management Development Institute. appreciate a clearer picture of TETfund's level of funds distribution to the universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.”

He equally requested TETfund to furnish the committee with its profile of

10m children out of school nationwide Continues from page 29 scheme for extremely poor families, enhance tax relief for low income earners, and adoption of child-friendly school initiatives must be undertaken.

Vanguard Learning sought the opinions of education experts on how the OOSC menace can be c u r b e d .

Listing poverty, cultural and religious barriers in the north, poor quality of education leading to dissatisfaction from parents, and opportunity cost as parents would rather have their children make extra money through hawking than going to school as factors responsible for the high rate of OOSC, an Education Management Consultant, Mr. Wale Samuel, said this can be reduced with the re-introduction of the one meal per day scheme in schools; more sensitisation in the north and quality teacher training and remuneration.

Urging government to ensure that funds allocated for OOSC are used for the stated purpose, a teacher, Mrs. Mercy Anthony C M Y K

tasked government to provide job opportunities for their parents as education starts from the family.

For Mr. Paul Akinyemi, another teacher, “government can help get such children off the street by creating more opportunities for schooling and accommodation for such children. The vision for 2015 is possible only if the government starts early.”

Mr. Joshua Babayejo said “Nigerians should imbibe the culture of other countries that provide for children who are not financially strong. Many of these children have resources within them that can facilitate a better Nigeria some day.”

In the same vein, Pharmacist Ugochinyere Ogudu, a facilitator at the 2012 Children’s Day Youth Forum/Career Exhibition organised by the Lagos State Ministry of Education, urged parents to ensure that their children are planned for so as to make it easier for them to be properly cared for.

internally generated revenue having established Zonal Central Research and Teaching Laboratory and the Academic Publishing Centre.

“What is the proportion of fund spent and direct commitment of TETfund and

Continues from page 29 capacity of 1, 705 but admitted only 175 students as other federal, state and private institutions did not even admit up to 50 per cent of their carrying capacities.

According to him, "This is not good for our nation. Let us know if there is a problem why you cannot live up to your carrying capacity."

Ojerinde told the tertiary institutions to give consideration to foreignbased and physically challenged candidates.

He, however, warned private universities in the country against illegal admissions of students.

He said it has come to the notice of the Board that most private institutions "still do back-door admissions," saying students who accept such admissions do that at their peril, as the Board has since stopped regularisation of students.

Ojerinde also observed that in spite of the hue and cry for lack of access to tertiary

on what project? As an intervention agency, it has initiated some projects which should be revenue earners, for instance, the Zonal Central Research and Teaching Laboratory and the Academic Publishing Centre.

T

UTORS in Lagos State public schools were on Wednesday trained on the use of safety signs, first aid techniques and emergency evacuation procedures during workplace accidents.

The three-day course organised by Rely Supply Limited (RSL), a training service provider under the Lagos State Eko Secondary Education project was to draw awareness on health and safety issues.

Mrs Fayo William, Executive Director, RSL told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the course would bridge the gap on safety matters and inculcate the needed skills of risk assessment and control in participants.

She said that the training was informed by Governor Babatunde Fashola’s statement on the non-chalant attitude on safety issue which had led to loss of lives.

She said that the governor had observed that people do not take simple precaution on safety issue such as placing warning signs at accident or construction site.

“Safety is a tool for development and protection of lives as well as property. It is right to remove banana peels or soap from where it can slide. We should ensure that electrical appliances are well secured from children,” she said.

William said that the course would also help to train the teachers on hazard identification and the use of safety signs to prevent losses in the education sector.

JAMB pegs cut-off points for varsities, others education in the country, most universities were unable to fill their admission quota in the last admission exercise.

Earlier, while declaring the meeting open, Minister of Education, Professor Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufai, directed all institutions to comply with 70:30 ratio for Technology and NonTechnology for National Diploma programmes and 60:40 Science/Arts ratio for the universities and colleges of education.

"I therefore urge you to follow the guidelines which stipulate 70:30 technology/non-technology ratio for the National Diploma programmes and 60:40 for the universities and colleges of education."

Prof. Rufa'i also directed

the National Universities Commission (NUC), JAMB and other accrediting bodies to meet and arrive at meaningful and acceptable guidelines for the conduct of the postUTME screening exercise by the institutions.

While commending JAMB for prompt release of the UTME results, the Minister urged all the tertiary institutions in the country to establish e-testing centres where the next UTME could be conducted.

According to her, "the establishment of the centres, though optional, could subsequently be used as e-learning centres for candidates across the country."

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012 — 35

36—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012

BY EBELE ORAKPO The need for man to go back to nature has once again been emphasised; this time, by researchers at Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State. In this chat with Vanguard Learning, the Director of Research and International Co-operation, Prof. Kayode Olushola Ogunwemimo speaks on the different areas of research the university is involved in, their work on natural fertiliser to replace NPK and how they raise funds for the researches. Excerpts:

S

aid Ogunwemimo: “My area of research is actually broad. I have a background in ecology, cytogenetics, biosystematics and I also have training in Genetic engineering and biotechnology. I am interested in phytochemistry particularly all that deals with the bioactive components of plants and how that can benefit humanity. I am also interested in ethnobotany, the way indigenous people made use of plants and how that has sustained their health, nutrition and survival over time. I also have interest in evolution. I believe God created organisms, that is settled within me; but I am interested in the changes that happen in organisms with interaction with their environment over a very long time. So when you look at environment which is the aspect of ecology, and genetics which is the aspect of what we inherit from our parents and how those interact to produce changes over time, that is the evolutionary aspect that I am interested in. I teach philosophy and history of science which establishes the principles of science in young science students. It tells them that science does a lot of wonders but science in itself is limited by its methodology and the experience of the scientist, and we do not know many things as at present so as more evidences come, we review science. We also look at the history of the world and how science has graduated, how it has changed the world view and how it has changed the technological development of countries. If Nigeria adopts science and technology, definitely, it will create better life no doubt and then transformation into higher economic value and GDP.” A consuming nation: hat we have been doing is consuming the products of science but we have to be producers ourselves. Rather than selling crude oil, we can refine it and get about 1,000 other products that we can use, and that can generate jobs and even better life. Nigeria cannot continue to struggle with about 67 million youths without job. They will overstretch the security

W

C M Y K

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Fund researches well and see Nigeria’s GDP improve — Prof. Ogunwemimo come from a plant but we don’t know so we need to protect that endowment and bequeath it to generations coming. We have to make a conscious effort to ensure that our major cities particularly are re-grassed and we do reforestation, plant trees in our towns apart from the reserves.”

*Prof. Ogunwemimo... we can produce the fungi in large quantities and supply to them

* Some maize p l a n t s inoculated with arbuscular mycorrhiza

apparatus so except we provide jobs, we cannot have restful youths and science and technology offer a lot in that aspect.

As the director of Research and International Cooperation, I am not interested in personal research but in university research. We depend on individual scholars, we monitor them, support them with grants and also look for grants for them and then we bring them together to collaborate on multi-disciplinary research and we can up-end that at the university level to really transform that into development, that is what we have been engaged in,” he said.

Natural fertiliser: rof. Ogunwemimo said they are already working on a natural fertiliser which will replace the artificial fertiliser and they are looking forward to getting the African Union (AU) research grant worth over N100m. This project will not only improve the economy but also improve health and environment. “In the proposal for the AU grant, we were actually focused on the use of arbuscular mycorrhiza. They are fungi which occur in the soil and they naturally help plants to absorb nutrients from the soil.

We are looking at that as a kind of supplement or alternative to artificial fertilisers. You know when

P

you use the NPK artificial fertiliser, over time, you destroy the soil structure and actually deplete the nutrients in the soil. And again, it can result in runoff from the farm and that can lead to eutrophication ie excessive richness of nutrients in a lake or other body of water, frequently due to runoff from the land, which causes algal bloom and death of lives in the lake. So we are looking at that natural alternative that is available and affordable. You know what politics surround fertiliser - the availability and promptness of supply.

"We are going to be working on maize and talfairea occidentialis (ugu). We found that women are mostly engaged in the production of ugu and we saw that many of them actually use it to sustain their families and send the children to the university.

As a result, we targeted ugu and looked at how arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi can aid the

supply of nutrients naturally from the soil to the crops. So we can produce the fungi in large quantities and supply to them.

The research will involve collaboration with about five universities in Africa but Nigeria will be the major one with Babcock University in the forefront.

Biodiversity data for Nigeria: ccording to Ogunwemimo, they are also looking for grant to organise a biodiversity data for Nigeria in collaboration with Ebonyi State University and Nebraska University in the US. “One of the natural endowments we have in Nigeria is vegetation. It offers wonder plants like moringa and all the pharmaceuticals we use and all of the food we eat, all come from plants.

Sometimes the plants are there and we may regard them as useless because we don’t know the value. The whole world is looking for solution to AIDS and it may

A

Why plant? arping on the need to plant trees and conserve our forests, Prof. Ogunwemimo said that plants save us from some toxic chemicals.

“They absorb some of the toxic chemicals produced in the industries which can impair our health. They also serve as carbon zinc. The whole world is talking about climate change and if we cut all the plants, what takes up the carbon dioxide that we are producing from industry and from our breathing? They need to take that up and use it for photosynthesis. So we need plants in our cities. Rather than just cutting down trees without monitoring, we need to actually maintain these natural plants. Some of them are endemic, which means we need to conserve them. They are not found in any other place so we are seeking that grant to generate information from all our herbaria. The oldest and one of the largest is the Forest Research Institute, Ibadan and that is a lot of information that the country can use. Part of the problem we have in Africa is how to use information. When we get information from our basic research, how do we organise it to benefit humanity?

Some of the preserved specimens there are about 100 years old. We need to get an electronic database of these specimens so that at the click of a button on your laptop, everyone could access it.

H

I can change the world

M

Y name is Choice Ifeyinwa Okocha. I attend Kay's College, Surulere, Lagos and I'm in Basic Nine. I'm the Head Girl in my school. When I gain admission into the university, I would like to study Medicine so as to become an Obstetrician. With my experience, I want to ensure safe delivery and also reduce the pain and death of pregnant women during delivery. By so doing, the mortality rate of mothers and their babies will be reduced in my society.

Ben Carson is my role model because he was the first doctor to successfully operate on Siamese twins.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012—37

Parents, teachers urged to discourage cramming by students

By DAYO ADESULU

•From left: Dr. Gabriel Egbe, Director, Reading Association of Nigeria, Dr. Chinwe Muodumogu, President, Reading Association of Nigeria and Mrs. Funsho Chikezie, Managing Consultant, Early Years Africa, during the Early Years Edu Summit for teachers in Lagos. and out-of-home lesson, yet failure rate is high.

She added: “If you want a child to have a better future than what he sees around him, get the child to read so he broadens his horizon and has something better to aim at.”

Her words: “A child who

grows up reading books such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, will easily imagine anything because he grows up reading books that blow his imagination.

Adio-Moses explained that

children g e n e r a l l y, especially those of ages 0-8 are usually playful, funloving, naturally curious, seeking self expression and imitators, yet God has created them with great capacity to learn a lot more than adults can imagine.

Proper career guidance'll trigger economic growth

BY AMAKA ABAYOMI

T

HE Lagos State Ministry of Education has disclosed that national economic growth can be facilitated through proper career guidance for primary pupils and secondary school students.

Speaking at 2012 Children’s Day Youth Forum/Career Exhibition for students and pupils in Lagos State, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mrs. Omolara Erogbogbo, said there is need to churn out graduates that can be self reliant and employers of labour.

“The aim of this forum is to expose the pupils and students to the various career opportunities available so as to prepare them for future challenges and groom them in nation building.

“The preparation for the future begins now which is why an array of professionals are here to educate them on the various subject combinations that can lead to various professional courses so as to facilitate their career choice and make them fit into C M Y K

Dayo Johnson

P

I

N a bid to improve students’ reading culture, pioneer principal of Yaba College of Technology Secondary School, Lagos, Mrs Adio-Moses has said that students should be discouraged from cramming, especially in their early years of learning.

She said: “In many schools, children learn to read by cramming. They copy from the board without understanding what they are writing," adding, “It will be very difficult for any student to remember what he read if he does not understand it.”

According to her, there is too much emphasis on “academic study” that the average child does not understand the concept of reading for pleasure or for enlightenment.

By so doing, she said, “We are raising a generation of myopic and uninformed children who lack imagination and creativity.”

Adio-Moses who made this statement during an education summit for teachers, titled: Focus on the Young Child organised by Early Years Africa, stressed that Nigerians do the highest rate of home lesson

Ondo govt commissions schools

professions that would bring out their full potentials and enhance productivity.”

Pointing out that life is a market place, an entrepreneur and one of the facilitators, Mr. Tomiwa Equtor, said for anyone to be successful in the market place as an entrepreneur, there is the need to understand who you are.

“Life is a market place and everybody is about one thing or the other. To succeed as an

entrepreneur, you have to know who you are and are busy in the right direction so as to be productive.”

Stressing that there are no shortcuts to success, a facilitators, Pharmacist Ugochinyere Ogudu, said whatever anyone thinks can be gotten cheaply has no value as every profession requires intense studying.

Some of the students who spoke to Vanguard Learning pointed out that the Forum has

exposed the importance of career guidance which has been a big issue between parents and their children.

For Nelson Nimfa, a student of Community Senior High School, Wasimi, Maryland, who intends to become a lawyer, despite the fact that his parents want him to study business administration, said “forums like this help guide us to make proper career choices and overcome pressure from parents and peers.”

Lagos schools join climate change efforts

By DAYO ADESULU

T

HE Managing Director, Nigerite Limited, Jean LucViatour, has called on government and academics to partner in the campaign to initiate support and implement ideas that hold the key to the future of our children.

Luc-Viatour gave this charge while addressing students and other stakeholders in the education sector at the grand finale and prize-giving day for Lagos Green Schools Essay Competition held in Lagos State.

He pointed out that as leaders of tomorrow, the students must understand at an early age the giant strides being taken to combat the effects of global warming in order to protect our future.

“The youth must understand that in their own way, they too can join the fight against the devastating effects of global warming. We must all ask ourselves the question: What can I do today to save the planet? We must all examine our mindsets and hope that this small gathering of great minds

will start to adopt good attitudes to sustainability,” he said.

Also speaking, the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire who was represented by Risikat Akinyode expressed her delight to the organisers of the essay competition which she perceived as their modest contribution toward raising awareness of the youth on the need to protect the earth and also enlightened them on the issues that surround climate change and its effects.

LANS have been concluded by the Ondo State government to commission the Caring Heart Mega Primary Schools in Okitipupa and Oke-Ijebu in Akure.

Also, works are expected to be completed on 21 others all over the state soon.

Education Commissioner, Hon. Remi Olatubora, said in Akure that teachers have already been recruited for the schools.

Olatubora added that arrangements have also been concluded for the evacuated pupils of the former Oke-Ijebu primary school to return to the new Mega School.

“Teachers have been recruited for the new schools and the original pupils that were evacuated from the schools before the government intervention are the ones that would be moved in for now.

“Fresh intakes into the schools would be made by next session but for now every pupil that used to be here before the transformation must come in first as the government did promised”

Ogun begins construction of model schools

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HE Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun has flagged off the construction of 26 state-of-theart model schools at the foundation laying ceremony of the State Model Secondary Schools in Ilaro, the Headquarters of Yewa South local Government.

Speaking at the ceremony, Amosun said he was committed to restoring the glory of education in the state through provision of affordable and qualitative e d u c a t i o n .

He said “every child in Ogun will have the opportunity to get the best of education and compete with their friends anywhere”.

Speaking who commissioned some roads as well shortly before laying of foundation of the model school, said the intervention was a temporary relief “as our administration will be here in the next one year or so to commission township roads that are of Ogun standard.”

The governor also commissioned the Sabo-Ilaro Road and commended the quality of the work done on it,noting that, “though this is a Federal Government road but it’s our people that use it."

38—VANGUARD, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012

dayobenson@yahoo.com I N S I D E

Counsel Corner — Pg 39

Fair hearing: Appeal Court cannot resolve issues it ordered for retrial (2) — Pg 40

Fuel subsidy probe ore another repor t: Bef Before match — Pg 40

Salami: This government doesn’t believe in rule of law — Ngige

BY DAYO BENSON & WAHAB ABDULAH

L

AWYERS in the country are divided over the choice of Kaduna as the venue of the forthcoming annual Bar conference in August. What is your position on the issue?

My position is that the controversy would have been avoided if the leadership of our Association is the type that consults with elders and other stake holders before decisions are taken. It is not the prerogative of the NBA President to choose venues for our Delegate Conference, that is the prerogative of NEC. I do not want to say much on the matter since we have another NEC meeting coming up in Lokoja where, hopefully the issue will be thrashed out. Definitely Kaduna is no longer safe and everyone is aware of that.

In fact on a daily basis I pray for the safety of our learned colleagues in Maiduguri, Damaturu, Potiskum, Kaduna, Kano, Bauchi, Gombe, Jos and other security challenged towns.

The lives of our members are far too important to be subjected to unnecessary risks. I believe that the issue will be amicably resolved in Lokoja NEC. Those who are rooting for Kaduna have argued that the 2006 conference still held in Portharcourt in the thick of Niger-Delta militant violent campaign . What is your take on this, do you think their argument is justifiable?

During the Niger Delta militancy, there were no suicide bombings as we are witnessing today in some parts of the North including Kaduna.

At the time of Niger Delta militancy,

Chief Emeka Ngige SAN....Who are those that instituted Ngige SAN....There was ab initio no proven allegation actions to make the matter subjudice? of judicial misconduct against him. it was kidnapping of foreign expatriates of Caucasian colour that was prevalent with occasional shootings in the creeks but what is happening today is of different dimension; equivalent to civil war.

We should not politicize this issue. It is totally uncalled for. The interest of our profession should override such mundane issue as to venue of our meetings.

The Attorney-General of the federation, Mohammed Adoke (SAN), has said that Justice Salami cannot be reinstated now because doing so will be subjudice, citing

,

CHIEF Emeka Ngige SAN, is one of the respected members of the Inner Bar. A member of the Body of Benchers, he is also one of the National Executive Committee of the Nigeria Bar Association, NBA. In this interview, Chief Ngige who is also an assistant secretary of Body of Senior Advocates and NBA presidential aspirant spoke on President Goodluck Jonathan’s refusal to reinstate Justice Ayo Salami, the controversy surrounding venue of forthcoming NBA delegate conference, judiciary and other issues affecting the legal profession. Excerpts:

The government is simply promoting illegality and anarchy by allowing a vacuum to exist in the Court of Appeal.

I think its high time the action of the Federal Government was brought to the attention of the United Nations and World Council of Jurists

,

pending suits over the issue in courts. How do you react to this?

The reason given by the Hon Attorney General of the Federation for Government’s failure to act on the

recommendation of National Judicial Council reinstating the President of the Court of Appeal to his office is most unfortunate. The reasoning that there are pending suits in the High Court has exposed the perfidy of the Federal Government on the imbroglio. When Justice Salami was illegally suspended in August last year the same Attorney General did not advise the President that there was a pending suit instituted by Justice Salami against NJC. Now it suits the Government to hide under the cloak of lis pendens to reject the recommendation of NJC. Who are those who instituted actions to make the matter subjudice? Busy bodies who were apparently sponsored by the Government to file the action. It is interesting that the Government waited till after the commencement of the suits before it made its stand known. What the Federal Government has unwittingly done to itself is that it has laid a very dangerous precedent. Tomorrow any other person can file an action in court to stop the Government from carrying out its functions or duties on account of a matter being subjudice.

The Federal Government must be prepared to stay action on such matter once the suit is known to have been filed.

The action of the Federal Government has shown that there is indeed no independence of the judiciary in Nigeria. It is a demonstration that this Government does not believe in Rule of Law. Section 238(5) of the 1999

Constitution is very clear that the Acting President of the Court of Appeal cannot stay beyond 3 months in office unless there is a recommendation for extension of tenure. To the best of my knowledge there had been no such extension.

So the Government is simply promoting illegality and anarchy by allowing a vacuum to exist in the Court of Appeal. I think its high time the action of the Federal Government was brought to the attention of the United Nations and World Council of Jurists.

In view of the NJC’s recommendation, would you say Justice Salami is vindicated?

Definitely yes. There was ab initio no proven allegation of judicial misconduct against him. He was being hunted because he resisted pressures for justice to be perverted in some of the cases before his court.

That was his only offence.

Continues on page 39

EDITORIAL TEAM Dayo Benson (Editor) Innocent Anaba Wahab Abdulah Ikechukwu Nnochiri

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012—39

Salami: This government doesn’t believe in rule of law — Ngige Continues from page 38 How do you think the situation that led to the face-off between him (Salami) and the ex-CJN KastinaAlu can be avoided in future?

The situation can be avoided if the recommendations by NBA at the 2011 Annual General Conference on the issue are implemented by the Government.

You are an aspirant for the position of the NBA president.

What would you say are the challenges facing the association and how do you intend to tackle them if you become the president?

Candidates by NBA Guidelines for elections are prohibited from campaigning on pages of newspapers. So I will respectfully plead that I be excused from answering this question.

The Senate has called for memorandum from the public ahead of another constitution review. What aspects of the constitution would you want reviewed?

The areas I would want the National Assembly not just the Senate to amend in our constitution include among others: A further amendment to Section 285(6) of the Constitution to permit a parties have an additional 75 days for the trial of petitions in situations where an appellate court has remitted a case back to the tribunal.

Inclusion of the areas already highlighted by the NBA to secure the independence of the judiciary as it concerns NJC. Divesting the President of the Court of Appeal the power to appoint panels to hear Election appeals and conferring such powers on the Chief Justice of Nigeria; Ad hoc judges should be appointed to help in the decongestion of cases particularly cases involving only interpretation of statutes or documents as obtainable in England; Include the 6 geo political zones structure of the country in the Constitution; Adopt the provisions relating to Local Government Administration as provided in Abacha Constitution of 1995; Create two offices of Vice Presidents to work with the President, one of the Vice President to come from the section of the Country where the President comes from; Create an additional state to correct the imbalance in some zones like South East .

Confer on the Governors as Chief Security Officer of their States the powers to give such directives to the Commissioners of Police deployed to their States and that such directives should be complied with without waiting for approval from Police Headquarters.

As senior Advocate of Nigeria, what reforms would you recommend in the nation’s criminal Justice system?

My area of concern is the slow

process in Criminal Law Administration. I suggest that among other areas: Interlocutory appeals in criminal matters should now be with leave of the Court to reduce incidents of frivolous appeals; Stay of proceedings in criminal matters should be abolished; Criminal appeals should be on fast track at the appeal court including the Supreme Court; The Nigerian Police should be divested of the power to file criminal charges in Superior Court of Record without recourse to the Chambers of the Attorney General of the Federation or of the States as case may be.

The Criminal Law Procedure and Criminal Law Code should be reviewed and harmonized.

What about the Judiciary?

As for the judiciary, it needs a total overhaul. The manner and mode of appointment of judicial personnel should be reviewed. Vacancies in the judiciary particularly at the High Court and Court of Appeal should now be advertised by the Federal Judicial Service Commission and the State Judicial Service Commission to enable qualified candidates to apply,

,

He was being hunted because he resisted pressures for justice to be perverted in some of the cases before his court. That was his only offence

,

be screened and the best candidates employed. I also believe that the 10 years post call experience for appointment of judges at the High Court should be increased to 14 years . All applicants for judgeship should have a Masters Degree in law.

Do you agree that Corruption is the bane of the judiciary and how do you think it can be addressed once and for all ?

Corruption is the greatest challenge we are facing in the

Ngige... I mince no words in advocating that law degree should now be a 2nd degree course in Nigeria judiciary today. It is pervasive and threatens the legal profession like the sword of Damocles. The issue of corruption in the judiciary cannot be addressed once and for all but it can be tackled headlong if we are to remain relevant in the society; judges should now be made to publicly declare their assets at the time of being sworn in and at the time of retirement or elevation.

Judges should be made to explain the source of money for the mansions and castles they build while in office.

Judges who have less than two years to retire should not feature in election petition cases or appeals or political cases while spouses of politicians who are judges should be excluded in the hearing of political cases. Whistle blowers should be encouraged in their reportage of activities of corrupt judges.

The other challenge we face is the presence of lazy and incompetent judges in the system. Till date NJC has not sacked or penalized any judge for laziness or for lack of productivity and yet we still experience long delays in the adjudication process. Ditto for incompetent judges; every day we read about horrible judgments being dished out by some of our judges

and yet nothing is done about them by the National Judicial Council.

What is your assessment of standard of legal profession in the country vis a vis the training of lawyers in the country?

There is no doubt that the standards in the legal profession is falling. This is evident when you observe the sorry performance of some of our lawyers in courts today. I mince no words in advocating that law degree should now be a 2ndDegree course in Nigeria. Most of our young colleagues graduate at between 20-22 years these days; so I don’t see anything wrong if they first study other courses before settling for law as is obtainable in US and UK. Our law graduates should also be encouraged to do their post graduate courses to enhance their deep knowledge of law and their capacity to face the challenges of the profession. It will also enhance their ability to take mature decisions in the course of their practice.

The issue of continued legal education cannot be over emphasized. For me it should now be compulsory for all legal practitioners as is obtainable in other climes.

C M Y K

40—VANGUARD, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012

Vanguard L aw In Pix Law SERAP holds media roundtable on integrity at magistrate courts

Where do we register property?

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, recently, held a day media roundtable in Lagos in collaboration with the Royal Netherlands Embassy on promoting ethics and integrity at the Magistrate Courts. Photos by INNOCENT ANABA.

Please tell us where to register our property instead of writing a Will Thanks — Peter Victor Where to register your property depends on where you reside. If you live in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja for instance, the place to register property is different from that of Lagos. If you are a Lagos resident, the place to go is Land Registry. The operation is however decentralised in the state for easy access. So, if you want to register your property in preference to writing a Will, I will advise you consult a lawyer. It is in your own interest.

Is dowry necessary in statutory marriage in Nigeria?

L-R: Mr Adetokunbo Mumuni, SERAP Executive Director, Mr Olusola Akinbode and Mr Adegoke Adewale.

L-R: Mr Kirk Donanoe and Mr Babatunde Ogala.

I want to know if the payment of dowry is needed in statutory marriage as in customary marriage?

This issue is causing problem to a friend. Reply please.

— Esse Thomas I think a clear understanding of the meaning of statutory marriage is important in an attempt to answer your question. Also, you need to have a full understanding of customary marriage and its inherent traditional obligations especially on the man. This, I believe will enable you appreciate the relationship between the two if there is any.

Statutory marriage is the type of marriage prescribed by the provisions of Matrimonial Causes Act, MCA. It is recognised by the law and that is why it is statutory.

Before the marriage is contracted, the intention of the would-be couple is published with their photographs on the notice-board of the marriage registry for 21 days.

The purpose is to allow anyone with objections to the marriage to come forward and state why the two should not be wedded as husband and wife.

For instance, it is an offence for anyone who was married to another person to contract a second marriage in a registry when the first marriage has not be legally dissolved.

Anyone who does so shall be guilty of bigamy. That means statutory marriage recognises monogamy, a husband and wife. This is probably the reason why some men are reluctant to take women they have married in traditional way to the registry. Men who do this are either previously married or they do not have the intention of making the women their legal wives.

On the other hand, customary marriage is the type of marriage guided by native law and custom. The ingredients of customary marriage vary from one cultural environment to another.

On the issue of dowry, it is compulsory in customary marriage alongside other ceremonies. Statutory marriage however demands that the marriage is contracted in open at the registry and must be witnessed by at least two witnesses.

The main celebration of the marriage is exchange of marital vows and wedding rings as well as signing of the register by the couple and the two witnesses. At the end of all these, a marriage certificate is issued to the couple.

So, the law does not prescribe payment of dowry.

But the presumption is that before a marriage is contracted, the man must have sought and obtained the consent of the woman’s parents. It is in the process of doing this that payment of dowry comes in even if it is a token. So, it is not enough for your friend to contract a statutory marriage without doing what the culture and tradition demand.

So, that may be the reason why he is having a problem in that area. In the eyes of the law, he is married, but in the eyes of culture and tradition, he is not until he pays the dowry.

You can send your questions to dayobenson@yahoo.com or 08056180119 (text only) C M Y K

L-R: Mr Davidson Iriekpen and Mr Akeem Nafiu.

L-R: Mary Peluola and Funke Busari.

L-R: Adeoye Oladoyin & Mrs M. Madmus.

L-R: Mrs Omalola Omokoro and Dr Dele Seteolu.

L-R: Gbile Oshadipe and Tosin Shodipe.

L-R:Pastor Caleb Oyelakin and Mrs Olaide Akinrinsola.

L-R: Mrs Fifunwa Ikobayo and Mr Olatunde Ikobayo

L-R:Bunmi Sowemino and Busola Olorundipe.

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012—41

Law Report

Fair hearing: Appeal Court cannot resolve issues it ordered for retrial (3) H

AVING regard to the clear state of law therefore, the court below was in error when in the same judgment ordering the rehearing of the appeal afresh to resolve the omnibus ground of appeal between the parties by the High Court, it proceeded again to determine the merit of the dispute, which in my view, must be set aside by this court in order to give the parties and the High Court level playing ground to face the rehearing of the appeal de novo.

4.Impropriety of filing appeal from High Court to Supreme Court An appeal does not lie directly from the High Court to the Supreme Court.

[P. 621, paras. C - D] 5. Constitutionality of right to fair hearing, what connotes, attributes of, impossibility of waiver of and effect of breach of proceedings, Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, section 36 considered By the provisions of section 36 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, the right to fair hearing is enshrined. It is a very essential right for a person to secure justice. A fair hearing connotes or involves a fair trial and a fair trial of a case consists of the whole hearing.

This right cannot be waived or statutorily taken away. It entails that in the determination of his civil rights and obligations, everyone is entitled to a fair and public hearing within a reasonable time by an independent and impartial tribunal established by law. The basic attributes of fair hearing include: That the court shall

NBA calls for state police

BY MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO

P

RESIDENT of the Nigerian Bar Association, (NBA), Mr. Joseph Daudu, SAN, has stressed the need for the Federal Government to allow the creation of state police, saying “this is the best way to prevent crime in the country.”

Daudu who made the remark at the unveiling of the book titled ‘Commercial arbitration law and international practice in Nigeria,’ coauthored by the former AttorneyGeneral and commissioner of justice in Lagos State, Mr. Olasupo Shasore, SAN and Mr. Adeyemi CandideJohnson, held in Lagos, added “in Nigeria today, some people go about committing crime because they cannot really be brought to book.”

According to him, “We think that the nation is better policed by people who know the terrain than people who come from hundreds of miles to an area to protect lives and property.”

He added that these people do not know the cultural background of the area they were sent to work.

OGED OVUNWO GODFREY OVUNWO (For themselves and on behalf of Ovunwo Family of Rumuaghaolu Village in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State) IHEANYICHUKWU WOKO NNAMDI WOKO OSONDU WOKO (For themselves and on behalf of Woko Family of Rumuaghaolu Village in Obio/ Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State) MAHMUD MOHAMMED JSC (Presided) C. MITCHELL CHUKWUMA-ENEH JSC (Read the Lead Judgment) MUHAMMAD SAIFULLAH MUNTAKA-COOMASSIE JSC, OLUFUNLOLA OYELOLA ADEKEYE JSC SULEIMAN GALADIMA JSC hear both sides not only in the case but also on all material issues in the case before reaching a decision which may be prejudicial to any party in the case.

That the court or tribunal gives equal treatment, opportunity and consideration to all concerned (c) That all concerned shall be informed of having an access to such place of public hearing.

That having to all the circumstances

in every material decision in the case, justice must not only be done but must manifestly and undoubtedly be seen to have been done.

Where the person alleging breach of fair hearing has been established, it follows that a breach of fair hearing in trial vitiates such proceedings rendering same null and void. [Usani v. Duke (2004) 7 NWLR (Pt. 871) 116, (2005) All FWLR (Pt. 244) 960; Fagbule v. Rodrigues 6.Mandatory contents of a

judgment and right of Judge to own style of writing of Every judgment has to state the facts of the case, state the points at issue requiring the court to pronounce on them, then, the court’s decision with the reasons for the same. Every Judge reserved the right as to his own style of writing judgments whether sitting at the trial or appellate level of the courts. In the instant case, the judgment of the Court of Appeal which allowed an appeal, yet, an order of rehearing was made in it, was not exhaustive, as a judgment ought to be. [Pp. 611 612, paras. H - B] 7. Duty on court to pronounce on all issues before it and resultant effect of failure to It is court’s duty to pronounce on every issue properly placed before it for consideration and determination before arriving at a decision and where it has failed to do so, it leads to a miscarriage of justice. In the instant case, the appellate high court erred by failing to consider all the issues before it.

ore another matc h (2) Fuel subsidy probe report: Bef Before match

BY AHAM NJOKU

O

NE may recall that recently most cases being prosecuted in court by ICPC and EFCC have suffered one set back or the other and even faced outright dismissal due to the tardiness with which they were handled. For example the case against the former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was thrown out because the ICPC rushed to court without obtaining the primary evidence (bank statement) needed to commence prosecution or indict him.

The impression was then created that Tinubu was being persecuted and not being prosecuted. In the case of OtunbaGbenga Daniel, the former governor of Ogun State, the case was temporarily thrown out because a condition-precedent needed to have been met by EFCC was not complied with before commencing prosecution.

In other cases, due to public pressure for it to commence prosecution some of these agencies slam as many as one hundred and seventy one charges as the case may be, which tends to suggest to a discerning mind that they appear to be gambling with the prosecution of accused persons. The case of Erastus Akingbola, former managing director of defunct Intercontinental Bank Plc was also thrown out by the federal High Court thereby creating a condition for appeal.

It is gratifying to note that no less a legal luminary than the respected professor of law, ItseSagay, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria equally holds the view that both the anti-graft agencies and the lawyers who shall be prosecuting need some time to do a

thorough job to avoid unnecessary setback in court when the actual trial of these indicted people commence.

Besides, within the interlude, the conveners of the proposed march need to articulate their demands before embarking on the march. With the benefit of hindsight, they need to shop for credible allies bearing in mind that during the January protest, the organized labour unions capitulated when it mattered most. They also need to disseminate information across Nigeria to would-be protesters to enable them know what they are protesting against and how to go about it.

Security arrangements Even security arrangements need to be made because of the current security situation in the country.

To assume that everyone knows what the issues are was a cardinal mistake that was made in the January protest because once the army and police occupied the GaniFawehinmi Park at Ojota, Lagos, everyone went back home to continue with his usual itinery abandoning the “occupy Nigeria” project.

It may be recalled that on the conversely, a similar advice was offered to the Federal Government team at the Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos by OlisaAgbakoba, Senior Advocate of Nigeria and other civil society leaders.

This writer even lent his voice to this view in private conversations with top government and petroleum industry chiefs on the side lines of the town hall meeting. At that dramatic meeting

in December 2011, led by the Honourable Minister of Finance Mrs. NgoziOkonjo-Iweala and Honourable Minister of petroleum resources Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke with the able support of the Governor of Central Bank, LamidoSanusiLamido, and the governor of Edo State Adams Oshiomole they were honestly advised to tarry a while and do more town hall meetings and carry the people along.

Infact, Agbakoba was emphatic about the need to delay the full withdrawal of subsidy.

He asked, “why not wait for another six months or even a year so that the issues will be clearly understood by both sides before implementation?.”

This was ignored and the result was the failure of the attempt to implement the policy with the most resounding public protest in Nigeria in about 20 years that nearly shook the foundations of the government.

In this case no one is suggesting such a long wait before a public protest can be carried out. The point is that at least one month or two may be needed by ICPC and EFCC and their Lawyers to do a thorough job.

If after this period nothing is done, then any protest would be justified and have the backing of majority of our people. I am in support of a protest but to paraphrase, Agbakoba, “why now? Why in two weeks? Why not in one or two months and indeed after government and anti-graft agencies have failed to do nothing?”

The answer to these questions may lead to the success or failure of any organized march.

•Njoku, an author is a Lawyer

42—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012 Edited by MCPHILIPS NWACHUKWU 08026350360 E-mail: chimeena@yahoo.com

T

HE Shehu Musa Yar ’Adua Centre was filled long before the commencement of an event that introduced another literary work into the public space.

And attendees had also waited patiently till it was all over; not even members of the high table that had men and women of prominence was deserted. That goes to show the honour accorded one of Nigeria’s most prolific journalist and writers, Uche Ezechukwu. It was the presentation of his book, Ojukwu: the rebel I served, that all had gathered from across the country to be part of. And just as Ezechukwu, who had worked closely with strong men across the land such as Ikemba Nnewi, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojuwku and Gen. Mohammed Buhari pulled crowd, so did the subject of his book – Ezeigbo Gburugbruru, Chukwuemeka OdumegwuOjuwku, the late leader of defunct Republic of Biafra.

There was no doubt that everyone from all walks of life, that the journalist had come in contact with in the course of his three decades’ practice took time out to honour Ezechukwu with their presence.

As several commentators at the event noted, in this book, Ezechukwu who had worked with the late Ojukwu as a Media Assistant after he returned from exile shed light on the mind of the Biafran warlord than any work on him by other writers had done.

While many wrote, based on their not so objective opinion, and from a distance, as well as what they researched about Ojukwu, it was obvious Ezechukwu set out to write on some of the more intimate details about Nigeria and prominent Nigerians that the late Ikemba Nnewi shared with him, as well as selected episodes that involved both of them as employer and employee.

O

n the whole, it was what he knew of his ex-boss that the author basically presented to the public in his book. But in the course of narrating what he knew of Ikemba, Ezechukwu also lets his reader into what Ikemba knew of other people, what he thought of them, especially some historical figures who were his contemporaries. As noted in the review of the work, this is significant because an assessment of other political figures from someone of Ikemba’s stature provides valuable insights into the role, in the nation’s history, of the Nigerians mentioned. This, of course, gives a better picture and understanding to students of history. In the course of working with his boss, the author learnt the history behind some of the political stories and political figures he knew. There is late Chief Obafemi Awolowo;

Ojukwu re-engages Nigeria in Abuja The influence of pen pushers in any nation was again underscored as Nigerians from all walks of life gathered to honour veteran journalist, Uche Ezechukwu, at the presentation of his book in Abuja TUNJI AJIBADE writes

(L-r) Son of Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Emeka (Jnr); APGA National Chairman, Chief Victor Umeh; Anambra State Deputy Governor,Mr Emeka Sibeudo, and the author of the book Mr Uche Ezechukwu, at the public presentation of the book in Abuja. Photo: NAN Chinua Achebe, author of the celebrated book, Things Fall Apart, General Olusegun Obasanjo, a two-time Nigerian leader whom the author thought was a coward because stories abound that he was afraid, as second-in-command in a military administration, to take over the reins of government after General Murtala Muhammed was assassinated in 1976. And

there are snippets on other figures such as Kaduna Nzeogwu, leader of the first military coup in Nigeria; General Theophilus Danjuma, former Defence Minister, Murtala Mohammed and his claim to being a northerner, as well as the circumstances that surrounded his assassination.

The author also told history backward to the time of the first coup, the counter coup, the

Gowon era, other important figures of the civil war years, and up to the time Ikemba himself went on exile.

S

peaking at the event, the Chairman of the occasion, Senator Ben Ndi Obi said Ojukwu was not a rebel in that standard use of the word, rather he was a man who stood firmly for what he believed was just. And he stated that the

presentation of the book should serve as a moment of reflection.

The Chief Servant of Niger State, Governor Babangida Aliyu, who was represented sswthe Honourable Commissioner of Information, Danladi Umar Abdulwalid, stated that Ezechukwu is a sincere writer, and that there is need for all to emulate Ojukwu who stood for justice, for equity, and that he was a man who was prepared to die for those values that have become lacking in present day Nigeria. He therefore called on youth to stand for what they believe is right because it is the only way the country can be lifted from its present unenviable state. Also speaking at the event, National Chairman of All People’s Grand Alliance, APGA, Chief Victor Umeh, and the former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr Chukwuma Soludo, eulogized the ideals of the one known as Ezeigbo Gburugburu, the king of Igbo people worldwide, while calling on all Nigeria to ever cherish the memory of the man of destiny, and uphold his firm resolve to stand against injustice that confronts every Nigerian no matter his tribe or religion.

There was a poetry performance at the event by Ikeogu Oke, Technical Assistant (Media and Communications) to the Minister of Power. Other dignitaries at the occasion were the representatives of the Governor of Anambra State, Sarkin Jiwa who represented the Sultan of Sokoto, representative of the Inspector General of Police, as well as the representative of the Comptroller-General of Customs, and other dignitaries.

Ikejezie bares fangs on the unlearned

BY PRISCA SAM-DURU

T

HE Learned, a 340 paged book is authored by Italy based Nigerian Dr Ikenna Kaius Ikejezie, who has proved himself, through this publication an intellectual, who though resides in far away Italy, is versatile with historical facts about Nigeria as well as possessing sound knowledge of how religion should be applied in critical times.

The book is presented in ten chapters which has a title each and, divided in almost two invisible parts which the author terms narrative and nonnarrative. The two parts are described above as almost invisible because the author cleverly weaves the story in such a manner that the reader hardly recognizes when he transits from one part to the other.

According to the author, the title “The Learned” is an appellation people in the Law profession has monopolised in

addressing each other, but at the same time very suggestive as high points of the book occur in the court room. The book is indeed, a dramatic narrative that is quite entertaining and at the same possesses the capability of spurring the reader into pondering on more sensitive issues regarding life and death, conflict between religion and law, human limitations as regards Will and Freedom and most importantly, the inevitability of providence.

In the narrative part of the book, readers are entertained with the story of Mrs Jidesonvich, former Miss Watara, who goes to court as a born again Christian to obtain permission to abort an ectopic pregnancy. She finds herself, torn between religion and the law and eventually, pays for her ‘fanaticism’ or ‘foolishness’, with her life.

The book also in this part, tells the curious story of Rasaduajua (Ajua for short) whose father

Mr Jidesonvich knows as his nephew since at this juncture, he is oblivious of his fatherhood while his wife Mrs Jidesonvich is unaware of the fact that her husband is the father of Ajua, her sister’s son. Readers will find the drama that unfolds, very thrilling.

The non-narrative part of the book is written as a change mechanism in the society with the embracing of a new political system known as Servicracy. In this part, Ikenna vividly paints a picture of the nature of this system of government which uses Servicratic test as means of installing the chief servant (president).

It is therefore, a conscious mechanism aimed at revolutionising the society in which respected intellectuals are chosen as chief servants who have to be within a stipulated age bracket at the time of assuming office to enable them steer the ship of the state without difficulty. It is in sharp contrast with the

The Learned; Ikenna Kaius Ikejezie (Ph.D); Publisher: C & J Intl Publishing, United Kingdom; 2012; Pages: 340

present democracy practiced in the country.

The Ihiala born writer could best be described as a constructive and creative humourist, qualities which are evident even in the character he paints and their names.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012—43

Demas Nwoko’s Praise Singer tops at ArtHouse auction

BY JAPHET ALAKAM

T

HE conference hall of the Wheatbaker Hotel Ikoyi was the venue. And the event was the 8th edition of Modern and Contemporary Art Auction organised by Art House Contemporary Limited. By 6.00 pm the hall was already filled to the brim as many art collectors, patrons, critics, artists and lovers scrambled for the available spaces to sit. Even as the auction was on, many people were still coming into the hall to witness the much advertised auction which had 108 lots of Nigerian and Ghanaian finest artists on sales.

The auction started at about 7p.m with the sale of works to support charity works. And sold were four artworks by Duke Asidere, Oyerinde Olotu, Kolade Oshinowo and George Osodi as well as two Liverpool signed Jerseys and one football.

The charity sales raked in a total sum of N2million, 290, 000.

After that, the main auction kicked off and judging from past auctions and the way the masters had dominated, the battle line was drawn between the works of the master artists like; late Ben Enwonwu’s Dancer, (1980), oil on canvas, 76 x 91.2, Demas Nwoko’s Praise Singer and El Anatsui’s Flight, (1989), oil on wood panels 25.4 x 119.4 cm. As the auctioneer introduces one work after the other, the expectant audience waited patiently to know who tops the sales.

And at the end of the day, Enwonwu lot sold for N5.5m, while Anatsui got N5m and

... rakes N7M Delta State born artist/architect, Demas Nwoko for the second time beat others with his painting titled ‘Praise Singer’ which went for N7 million, although the piece sold lower than its bidding price of N9 million. Nwoko’s sculpture ‘The Wiseman’, in 2010, sold at a record high of N9 million.

W

hile Demas stole the show for the masters, another younger architect, Peju Alatise, whose mixed media work, Ascension, (2011), 122 x 182.9 cm was the cynosure of viewers at The Wheat baker’s upper floor during the preview sold at N4m making her top the list for the emerging artists. She was the only young artist among the top five of the sales, which include works of living and departed

,

And at the end of the day, Delta State born artist/ architect, Demas Nwoko for the second time beat others with his painting titled ‘Praise Singer’ which went for N7 million

,

• The highest sold work, PRAISE SINGER... by Demas Nwoko

masters. With the result, Alatise whose All Coming Together, mixed media, 25 x 25 cm, 2012, was the fourth highest sold at N1.8m at the Terra Kulture-Mydrim auction in Lagos held last month has notified the art collectors that she is going somewhere.

The auction was not all that good for late Ben Enwonwu, a darling of the Art House auction, who has broken several records in the past. In November last year, Enwonwu’s Anyanwu sold for a record shattering price of N28m. However, at this auction, his Dancers sold at N5.5million but despite that, Enwonwu remains Nigeria’s most expensive artist in the Art House Contemporary’s auction .

A

part from the four top sales, other well-liked artists Kolade Oshinowo, Bruce Onobrakpeya, Rom Isichei, George Osodi, Olu Amoda, and Victor Ehikhamenor were not left out in the new art boom brought by ArtHouse auction as their works were also sold.

While younger artists like Andrew Esiebo, Taiye Idahor, Richard Ovbiebo also received the gavel. However, a few of the works on the lot were not sold while only one work was withdrawn for undisclosed reasons.

In all, the auction will be described as highly successful, with 93 percent of the art works shown sold.

25 years of Stage and Screen

H

Though, our overview has OW time flies! Who can believe that it is already been lukewarm and cold, sad 25 years since Stage and and merry, and it has never Screen has been engaging the been happy, happy, it has culture and performance never been dead. There was industry through analysis, always hope for survival. We reviews and opinions. But how saw peeps of hope in shining far have these interventions rays on stage and they have made ? This question is the helped the industry survive subject of our reflection as we even as they nosedive into mark this historic stride in a oblivion with no market value.

We saw the proliferation of difficult task of reclamation.

In the last 25 years, STAGE Home Video, now we mourn & SCREEN’ has contributed the decline, both in cash value opinions and overviews on and art quality. The shine has performing arts and the state worn off. The customer has had and needs of arts in Nigeria, the falls and enough the rises, the sad notes of refreshening. Whereas, good “adieus” to the friends and art is like wine, it appreciates colleagues in the arts. However, with time. Hence, even the the saddest note we tolled is the young generation who caught stunted growth we observed in a glimpse of the past, are the industry and the crying for the “Good Old consequent effects on Days”. We observed that the professional expertise and bubbling was wobbly. advancement. evertheless, the industry The proliferation of Home has survived to breed a Video in the arts market which we received as a blessing has few more die-hards in the now simmered down into younger generations, in the cheap market mesh like used- Rastafarians, in Orthodox up tissue paper, for lack of Christians and survived to quality to pressure and ginger hinge hopes on an ‘artisteup memory of time, fashion or minister’ for Arts and Culture a president who social and style in historic and and recognized the need for a pleasant recalls.

We also acknowledged with vibrant ministry of art, graced sympathy in appreciation of the gesture with a staggering sum of money to uninspiring efforts build the of actors who industry. Now we ventured into need the service We need music and fall flat of the minister to on their faces after autonomous use the money ‘one take’. The acting and judiciously to towering facts and drama schools build us a future, hopes is that it has tradition, style with been glaring that and quality. arts cannot be experienced More than killed, its progress teachers and anything else, the can only be performers to foundation of delayed and its teach and train e n t e r t a i n m e n t growth stunted. No nation can thrive would-be actors, should not be ignored. Training without arts – singers, grounds for visual, performing, dancers actors, singers, architectural or dancers are otherwise. Our seriously needed. overview on We need autonomous acting Nigerian arts is that it needs and drama schools with opportunity born of support to experienced teachers and help it grow and acquire the performers to teach and train necessary packaging and would-be actors, singers, values to meet the dancers. requirements of the global arts As it is, we have a case of the market. Lack of support makes blind leading the blind if actors it impossible to achieve the are trained by people who have needed quality for the never climbed the stage. Over standard. The vigorous efforts a dozen Nigerian universities, from the determined and are offering theatre arts and talented artists have made churning out over ten remarkable and highly thousand graduates every year acclaimed acknowledgement into a desert of roaming all over the world. Given the unprofessionally capable opportunity by way of ‘practitioners’ incapable of government investment, displaying the actor’s expertise support is not enough for an industry like ‘Arts’. It requires in the profession of acting.

They end up roaming the street Trust, Confidence and Faith to looking for receptionist jobs invest in what you don’t see but and glorified messengers. believe it is there. The True Artist brings it to happen. God is the Creator and the artist is Continues next week creative but needs support.

N

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44 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012

From left: MD/CEO, Royalserve Wireless, Sola Alabi; Director, Corporate and Indirect Channel Sales Etisalat Nigeria, Ken Ogujiofor; Head, Sales Support & Operations Etisalat Nigeria, Victor Nwaobia and MD/CEO, Tun Communications, Anthony Nebeolisa, during the Etisalat Distributors Partners awards trip to Barcelona, Spain.

We have corrected the gap in statutory filings — FRC Stories by NAOMI UZOR THE Financial Report ing Council of Nige ria (FRC) said it has bridged the gaps in statutory filings and financial provisions.

Speaking at the interactive meeting of the professional practice group, of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), the Executive Secretary/CEO of FRC, Mr. Jim Obazee said there were a number of gaps in statutory filings and financial provisions in The Nigerian Accounting Stan-

dards Board Act, No. 22 of 2003, but that the FRC Act, 2011 has corrected these weaknesses.

He disclosed that the FRC is a direct Federal regulation with all embracing board composition and has enhanced standard setting, monitoring compliance and disciplinary authority, outsourcing and role enhancement/due diligence and that the funding requirement seems adequate and the extent of work supports employment opportunities, adding that its implementation shall enhance investment.

According to him, the Act

Meridian, Red Hat partner to train Nigerians on IT certification

BY EMMANUEL ELEBEKE

M

ERIDIAN Technolo gies Limited, has signed an agreement with Red Hat Incorporation to help improve the skills of Nigerians in the area of Information and Communication Technology In the partnership, Meridian Technologies will be responsible for providing training and certification on the Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) curriculum, which is currently based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6(RHEL) as well as the latest version of Red Hat’s Enterprise Linux product.

The Business Development Manager of the company, Meridian Technologies Limited, Chittaranjan Sharma said that the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 is a dependable and robust software available for highend business applications, hence the decision to partner with a company whose breakthrough technology and passion for service will allow them provide greater service for Nigerian customers.

Sharma explained that all students who join for RHCE would get official curriculum books from Red Hat, original RHEL 6 for servers software from Red Hat Trainer from India.

According to him, the RHCE track courses for beginners and, adding that the rapid track courses for experienced professionals give their customers unparalleled flexibility to obtain the RHCSA and RHCE certification at their own pace.

However, with so many options, he said that they will be able to offer the best learning and certification environment to the customers.

The Director, Red Hat Training EMEA, Jens Ziemann, said that they are proud to welcome Meridian Technologies to the rapidly growing global network of Red Hat Certified Training Partners, providing candidates with an opportunity to participate in a positive, rewarding learning experience and earn one of the most recognized IT certificates currently available.

protects investment, investors and other stakeholders’ interests and serve as a unified regulator, provide guidance on issues relating to financial reporting, corporate governance, ensure good corporate governance practices in the public and private sectors of the economy, ensure accuracy and reliability of financial reports and corporate disclosures, pursuant to the various laws and regulation currently in existence and harmonise activities of relevant professional and regulatory bodies as it relates to financial reporting and corporate governance.

“All supervisory action is dependent on financial reporting. Some companies lack adequate books and records; some auditors lack skills and professional scepticism; and the values placed on some assets and liabilities may be open to challenge.”

China targets infrastructure to lift economy

C

HINA will fast track approvals for infrastructure investment to combat a slowdown in the economy, a state-backed newspaper reported on Tuesday, showing how Premier Wen Jiabao’s call for policies to support growth is being put into action.

The pace of investment in the likes of roads, bridges and real estate is running at its weakest in nearly a decade, April data showed, suggesting the world’s second-biggest economy is heading for a sixth straight quarter of slowing growth.

To provide some support the government had asked for project proposals by the end of June, even for those initially earmarked for the end of the year, said the China Securities Journal, one of the country’s top financial papers.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012 — 45

46—V anguard, THUERD AY, MA Y 24, 2012 46—Vanguard, THUERDA MAY

Love is a bitch! (5)

“The road which leads to happiness varies, it depends on the path”. – My Love December, 2011 One year of hurt and loneliness, so bad I did so much wrong; yet so fulfilling, I

learnt lots of lessons. “I don’t want you to think everything about us revolves around sex. You mean a lot to me and I’m sorry I’m not all you want me to be.

I know I made mistakes, maybe I should have added a little care to the intimacy, a little attention, I’m sorry, give me another chance, I promise to be a better man.”

,

HI One of the most painful experiences a spouse can go through is discovering suddenly that what he/she shares with the other is a ruse. That he/she is only being stringed along.

That time, emotions and hope have all gone to waste.

What does one do when you discover that the whole relationship has been a lie? You may think that the right answer will be to walk away.

However, as they say, the heart is not so smart. The heart wants only what it wants, so it keeps falling again and again.

Today, we will be reading an expose from a young lady on her quest to finding love. Though she makes no attempt to hide her shortcomings, she is bold to state that her heart remained with the guy who could not love her the way she ought to be loved.

I do not intend to pass any comments here. I want to leave that to you, our readers. Please, Amy as she identified herself will be happy to read your views and advice for her.

Our address remains: the Human Angle, Vanguard Media Limited, 1007, Apapa, Lagos. Or e-mail a d d r e s s : humananglepage@yahoo.com We look forward to your contributions.

To be truthful, I missed him, but like it is with me, I love to be with him, not just to have sex.

Guess that’s why we are different somehow. We talked and he convinced me more, because he talked better, like the last time.

I allowed him the pleasure of just a kiss and would not succumb to anything further, because if he

I do not regret ever crossing parts with you, because though it seems hard to admit, you were my experience

Those were the words that changed my decision about breaking up with my love in December, 2011 when we saw again for the supposed last time. I noticed that he was different, don’t know if to use the term “more matured” but he talked better, or maybe he just said what I needed to hear and in a more sensitive manner.

Whatever it was his tactics were, he hit the spot and we sealed it with more than a kiss, as usual.

All the way, I didn’t forget to mention “Francesca and the child”, because they still existed, but as was the usual statement, “there was nothing between him and his baby’s mama”.

25th February, 2012 With a new drive and new policies to guide me through the year where I would experience extra-ordinary change, I broke my love’s heart when I would not succumb to the passes he made at me when I visited him.

,

was as serious with me as he claimed, then we needed to start doing things right.

I wasn’t ready for anything that would bring guilt or pain anymore.

I needed to take my stand and be happy. He understood me or so it seemed and we still had a good time, but not for long. I couldn’t take chances, letting him add to the memories we already shared and getting hurt again. I held on to his words, “what matters most is that I leave you good memories”.

7th March, 2012 We met again, and as fate would have it, it was our last meeting because he wanted more than I could give again and I turned him down.

This time, I was hurting because he wouldn’t understand and the thought of me just being a joke to him dawned on me. Could it be just sex for us? Could I ever cope with being a

second choice? When I recently browsed through his social page, I saw latest pictures of him with Francesca and their child.

It’s no use, I might have a special place in his heart, but he could never be with me, we’d only have sex.

But I love him, so much I couldn’t cope without him for four years, what will I do? Is love enough? Its better I back out now before I get into much more trouble.

Confusion and much more confusion, but I cannot stay in this state, for how long? I walked out of his car that day without looking back; I was hurt, angry for loving him more and mad because I couldn’t stop. “let’s be friends” that was his reply when I apologized for walking out on him and it hurt more because it has taken this long to realize that was all we could be, friends.

Though we settled, and he mailed me a week after saying he was thinking of me and I had a special place in his heart, I accepted his apology and concluded with the fact that we could never be friends, because I could never stand setting my eyes on him.

But why can’t I stop praying for him and wanting him to be fine? Why can’t I stop thinking of him?

Will I ever be able to give someone else my heart, even if they deserved it?

Would I ever let go and let God? I never deny the fact that I am weak, but at least He promised me that He would be strong for me in my weakness, isn’t it? The tears won’t just stop flowing because I have to let go of what has held me bound for so long…

“My happiness and my doom; my tears and my laughter, my heart”… I do not regret ever crossing parts with you, because though it seems hard to admit, you were my experience. And now that I’ve gotten this burden off me and it’s over with, I hope God gives me another chance and help me to move on.

Friends Searching Males

Erised, 55, needs a registered female nurse either single mother, aged 45-55, from Delta, Edo, Ondo or Osun states, for marriage.07085150971, 08066765207 Thank God, 31, needs a God fearing girl, aged 2025, for a serious relationship.0 8036798540 Elemi, 35,5.10ft tall, light in complexion, single and from Calabar, needs an employed lady, aged,3038, for a relationship, that will lead to marriage.08034423055 Collins, needs a God fearing lady, who is trustworthy and out going, for a good relationship.08088764050,08182138917 Kingsley, 29, tall, romantic and hard working, needs a matured fair rich lady for a sex contract relationship, aged 35 and above.

08189575085,08035575179 Eyo, 25, from Cross River state, needs a girl, aged 18-20, for a relationship.08134643648 Richard,37, dark in complexion, 5.7ft tall and resides in Lagos, needs a caring and romantic lady,

aged 24-40, for a serious relationship.08036851909, 08079229364, 08093647922 Zubi, 27, resides in Lagos, needs a big fat lady, aged 25-45.07084096392 Kenvis, resides in Lagos, needs a neat and busty lady, of any tribe, who he can take care

•Dear readers, please note that neither Vanguard, nor Yetunde Arebi will be liable for any error in the publication of requests on the Lovezone that may result in any form of embarrassment to any member of the public.

Also note that we do not run any match-making agency in or outside the country. Any reader who transacts business with anyone claiming to be our agent does so at his/her own risk.

Henceforth, only messages sent through the numbers readers want to be contacted on will be published.

This notice is necessary in order to serve you better in our refreshingly different style. To get your requests published, just text it to the code number 33055. For further enquiries, call 08056180122. Cheers!

BY ONOZURE DANIA

Stop Self Pity

BY ONOZURE DANIA

D

ON’T be a prisoner by focusing on the negative parts of your life. It’s all too easy to get stuck in the rut of feeling sorry for one’s self.

Bad things happen to everyone and many of them simply aren’t fair. But as you may have discovered, sitting around and feeling gloomy about the fact that bad things have happened to you, can lead to missing opportunities to have more positive experiences. You are the only one who can take those all the important steps that can bring changes in your life, by focusing on the positive aspects of your life even if all you can list is that your hope and life could be better than it currently is. Hopes and dreams are a starting point.

Build on that and list everything that you appreciate and then review the list regularly.

We all occasionally feel down in the dumps, but we can’t let that stop us from enjoying life or fulfilling our goals. If you are feeling sorry for yourself, then you need to talk to a friend or someone who cares about you. Even if you do not agree with their advice, giving voice to your problems brings them up from your subconscious and allows you to examine them. When you keep everything inside, sometimes you don’t even realise what is bothering you. You need to remember that everything is relative, your neighbour may be feeling sorry for himself while looking at you, thinking that you are the luckiest person in the world.

You may be feeling sorry for yourself because someone else has more money or looks better than you. If we stop and think about

what we have, it is always enough.

Imagine in Nigeria, if someone sees that you are well dressed, the person might just assume that you are the luckiest person in the world. We need to fix some problems in our lives, or we need to get something done, we need to know that there would always be problems no matter what.

Take responsibility for your own life rather than always believing you’re a victim. If negative things are happening to you, think about actions that you can take to change your situation.

For example, if you’ve been passed over for a promotion at work, have a heart to heart conversation with your boss about the reasons you were passed over and try to address them. If you’re not satisfied with your boss’s reasons, market your resume to other employers.

Develop realistic goals and start working on achieving them, start with something small and within an easy reach. Before you set a goal of winning a marathon, either literally or metaphorically, try entering a shorter distance run. Success with a smaller goal will build up your confidence in your ability to achieve a larger one. Do something positive for yourself that will improve your self image.

Having more self confidence will reduce your ability to pity yourself. Get a makeover, for the ladies, try a new hairdo or upgrade your wardrobe. Do something positive for someone else. Give an unexpected gift to a friend or loved one, or spend some time with people around your neigbhourhood and see if your actions will make a difference to someone else, especially someone else who is in need and who is facing a worse situation than the one on which you are dwelling in.

o f . 0 8 1 8 2 6 7 1 8 1 2 Friday, 22, fair in complexion, from Delta state, but resides in Lagos, needs a God fearing girl, for a relationship.08174506343,08036326230 Nat,39,a trader, needs a decent lady, aged 30-45, for a serious relationship.08138941221 Jones, 55, a graduate, romantic and needs a single professional lady, who is fat and busty, aged 45-55, for a serious and confidential relationship.

08066765207 Chris, 30, resides in Lagos, needs a lady, aged 18-27, for a serious relationship. 08051778299, 08037966842 P, 44, ,handsome and sexy, needs a generous fat woman, aged ,35 and above.0 8168440700 Michael,33,a lawyer in Lagos, needs a mature lady who is employed, for a relationship that would lead to marriage.08022225380 Kess, 29, a student, good looking, from Delta state, needs a rich and good looking woman, aged 30-50, for a secret relationship.08037556614

Vanguard Vanguard,,

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139

CANCER; Professional advice may be needed over your finances but if you are sure of what you are doing you can go ahead. Be more family minded.

LEO; Some of you who are travelling purposely for love are in for a rewarding day. All of you will need to take your social life more seriously.

VIRGO; Unusual co-operation may come your way today but if you are carried away by this the whole thing may change soonest. Respect your spouse.

LIBRA; Tomorrow will prove more rewarding financially but you will have good opportunity to do things rightly within your working arena. Be loving.

SCORPIO; Although tomorrow may be your best day good opportunity to enhance your financial prospects will come your way even today. Try to be more practical however.

THURSDAY THURSDAY,, MAY 24, 2012

LEISURE

YOUR LUCK TODAY

— 47

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

By Richard Eromosele

T

HE bridge here is metaphorical. It means before we get to the spot, the scene of an action, incident, act, problem etc.

Thinkers over the ages have agreed that the fear of fear is

When do you cross the bridge? more powerful than fear itself. Most times, what we fear never happens. It has no substance. It is not true. And it is

TERROR MUDA

not real. The question then arise - why do we fear impending doom, especially, when there is probability of it not

in “Never say goodbye”

happening.

Just as you do not attempt to cross the bridge afar, there is no use killing ourselves over things that may never come to be.

By Kola Fayemi

SAGITTARIUS; This is your day when both your personal efforts and element of good luck will bring you much desired result. The more self assertive you are today the better for you.

CAPRICORN; Tomorrow is your day; although there will be some challenges within your base of operation today, eventual success will be yours. Be more family minded.

AQUARIUS; Even if friends have failed to live up to expectation in the recent days you will need to leave the past behind you and forge ahead. Lovers are fairly favoured.

PISCES; Business challenges of yesterday notwithstanding pleasant surprises are possible. The more financially ambitious you are today the better for your cause.

ARIES; Better opportunities indicated for those of you willing to be as self assertive as possible, and it could turn out to be a happy day to be remembered by real lovers.

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in

“Princess Shii’

By Andy Akman

TAURUS; Although you will need to keep your secrets for the next few days that is not to say you should not pursue your financial interest. Take care of your health.

GEMINI; Don’t wait till tomorrow before you make an important move because good luck and success are closer to you today than you image. Be hopeful.

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 am I? Dear Joshua, Please keep my birth data secret, but I want you to analyse my horoscope bluntly so that I can know who am I; talking about my personality. Who am I ?

Segun, Kano.

VIRGINIA

dadadekola@yahoo.com

Dear Segun, What you will find here under will prove useful if you take them seriously and utilise them.

ANALY S I S O F YOUR HOROSCOPE DATA/ PLANETARY PLACEMENT Aries that hosted the most important heavenly body (the Sun) together with indicator of mental focus lens-Mercury, is known for special leadership quality and higher degree of positive aggressiveness.

Yes you were endowed with leadership talents which can manifest either in the business world or POLITICS and probably both.

It is true that Aries can be very aggressive, but with many planets placed in more mild Star signs, with less than 50% of push-full influence, loving Venus as most influential planet when you were born, certainly aggression of Aries is greatly water down to the minimum . That is not to say you the timid type but yours is a balanced personality. You are gentle, honest and straight forward person. Preponderance of fixed and earth in your chart are pointers to the fact that you are the careful type who will not change his mind just for the fun of it. Then as peace loving Venus was the most influential planet when you were born, peace and harmony will always come first whenever you want to take any (important and/or) decisive action.

Placement of mighty Sun (indicator of basic-self hood) the Moon (indicator of sub-conscious self/ emotion) and the Stellium (that is more than two planets in one Star sign} in Aries, Pisces and Taurus respectively meant that basic characteristics of the three Star signs stated in this paragraph are highly pronounced in your inner-self.

Commen3

by Lawrence Akapa

48 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012—49

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, POLITICAL EDITOR

O

NLY few would have assumed that tackling Comrade Adams Oshiomhole in the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Edo State would be easy. But then even fewer could have predicted the increasingly eerie turn of the campaign for the July 14th gubernatorial election.

The gubernatorial campaign which has been marked with notable incidents including murder allegations, mudslinging among other oddities got nastier last Tuesday after the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP issued a caveat-emptor on the election.

Addressing a press conference in Benin, the party chairman Chief Dan Orbih vehemently expressed the party ’s opposition to the cancellation of the voters registration exercise as earlier planned. The PDP, Orbih said, would support any eligible voter who goes to court to void the election because he was unable to vote because of the botched voters registration exercise.

The party ’s opposition follows last weekend’s decision by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to defer the voters registration exercise. The commission’s decision was upon the strong protest of the ruling Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN which alleged that the planned registration exercise was a scheme by the opposition PDP to mutilate the voters roll and rig the

*Airhiavbare

*Oshinmhole

Edo Guber:

Booby trap In the latest intrigue to cloud the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Edo State, one of the major parties issues a caveat emptor on the election. Should democracy stakeholders beware? commencement that was later deferred. The arrested fake officer had reportedly claimed to have been acting the script of the PDP. Willy-nilly, the ACN leaders turned the issue

As it is, this caveat emptor, is only one of several weird incidents to strike the campaign in the happening state that fittingly has the moniker, Heartbeat of the Nation

,

election.

The accusation by the ACN follows revelations that the INEC in Edo State had last week prepared for a full blown registration exercise of voters.

The ACN claimed that the full blown registration exercise was contrary to existing regulations that required the commission to only carry out continous voters registration in between major voters registration exercises.

The crisis was blown open following the arrest of what was claimed to be a fake INEC officer who was reportedly caught by some ACN activists supposedly carrying out secret registration of voters ahead of the scheduled

,

into a frenzy with pointers at PDP which they claimed to be acting a script to recruit fake voters for the election.

Even before the supposedly fake INEC officer was apprehended, controversy had broken out even within the top ranks of INEC over the need for a whole-scale registration exercise. One school of thought within the commission had argued for a limited registration exercise limited to the 18 local government headquarters.

Such an exercise would have demanded the use of 18 Direct Data Capturing (DDC) machines.

Their argument was buttressed by the fact that in

all other gubernatorial elections conducted since the April, 2011 elections that there was no case in which a whole-scale registration exercise was carried out.

However, in the earlier proposed for Edo State, a total of 472 DDC machines were earmarked, a development that caught the suspicion of the ACN which claimed that it was an attempt by the PDP to infuse the voters roll with fake voters.

Oshiomhole who led ACN supporters to the Benin INEC office to demand an explanation following the development had accused some INEC officials of culpability.

“We are aware that before the gubernatorial elections in Adamawa, Kebbi, Sokoko, Bayelsa and Cross Rivers States, INEC conducted continuous registration exercise only at Local Government headquarters level. In the case of Cross Rivers, there was no continuous voters’ registration at all and yet, elections were conducted by INEC. “What will they be doing with other DDC machines if only 192 is deployed in the wards? It means it will go to the hands of the god father.

Today, we apprehended a young man with DDC machine. He confessed that he was recruited by the PDP to go and register people in Igueben and Uromi and that they commenced the registration exercise on Sunday.

Orbih, the PDP chairman denied the suspicions on his party, alleging that the allegation by Oshiomhole and the ACN was only an attempt by the ruling party to run away from the election. Orbih as such charged the ACN to formally withdraw from the forthcoming election if it was not prepared for the election.

The face-off forced INEC to summon a stakeholders meeting in Abuja last Friday at the end of which it was resolved that the registration exercise be deferred. INEC, it is understood, is now pondering its options and could limit the process to only local government area headquarters.

The PDP is, however, not satisfied with the signals from the electoral commission as Orbih revealed on Tuesday.

“Voters’ registration is to cater to those who have attained the age of 18 and/or have moved from where they were during the last exercise.

It is because of ACN’s accusation that is making INEC to suspend that exercise and by that will be disenfranchising a lot of prospective voters,” Orbih said.

“We expect INEC to investigate ACN’s allegation that their man (INEC’s) own staff was caught with Direct Data Capture machine and if found untrue should sanction ACN appropriately.

“Our grouse here is that a lot of people will be disenfranchised, it is callous, and it is inhuman. It doesn’t matter who the persons were going to vote for. Having done that, we have said it that we are not in support of what INEC has done.”

Continuing, he said, “The PDP will encourage those who have been disenfranchised to go to court because it is their fundamental rights that are being trampled upon and they have the right to go to court.

We will stand by those people, sympathize with them and encourage them” As it is, this caveat emptor, is only one of several weird incidents to strike the campaign in the happening state that fittingly has the moniker, Heartbeat of the Nation.

C M Y K

THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012

BY WOLE MOSADOMI

O

NLY in Niger, a state that styles itself as the Power State could such power play be imagined.

Before now the Niger State House of Assembly had already won the dubious record of having elected a Speaker that served for only two days. That was Ndako Kpaki. His predecessor, Mohammed Alkali spent a lengthy three months.

Now, Isah Kawu who was elected Speaker only penultimate Tuesday was last Tuesday sacked from office after only seven days in office.

Kawu had been elected speaker on 15th May, 2012 after the immediate past speaker, Mohammed Gamunu practically fled from the speaker’s dais at the scent of an impending rebellion on May 15th.

Gamunu was accused by his colleagues of having too much of a close relationship with the executive branch of government and of dereliction of duty including infrequent sitting of the legislative House.

Indeed, prior to the decisive th sitting of 15 May when Gamunu was removed, the House had not sat for more than a month.

So when the House reconvened penultimate Tuesday, some members unbeknown to the former speaker secretly crafted a motion tabled under matters of urgent public importance.

The motion was initiated by the chairman House committee on information who was also one time Deputy House speaker in the House, Alh. Bashir Lokogoma.

The speaker, Alhaji Gamunu, however, frantically tried to overrule the motion which he said was not part of the orders of the day. But his efforts were in vain as the motion was successfully seconded by Shehu Fawa of the Congress for Progressive Change, (CPC).

S

ensing the proceedings slipping out of his control, Gamunu sought to adjourn the House but his call for adjournment was overwhelmingly rejected by members who chorused back “No, No, we must hear the motion by Hon. Lokogoma.

This is democracy and we must allow it to prevail.”

An attempt to smuggle the mace out of the chamber was also resisted by members who succeeded to form a protective cordon around the mace.

With tension at its peak, the speaker Gamunu walked out in annoyance creating an opportunity for his many enemies to elect Kawu to fill what they claimed was a vacuum in the office of

Niger House: Who is dancing to Babangida’s drums?

The revolving change of authority in the Niger State House of Assembly leaves some questions unanswered

*Babangida

speaker.

The election of Kawu representing Bida I constituency was accompanied by wild jubilation.

With the impeachment of the speaker, other house leaders including the Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Bello representing Borgu constituency, Majority leader, Mohammed Dada representing Bosso were also removed The election of Kawu, however, was said to have raised serious concern in the executive branch of government.

Governor Babangida Aliyu and his close associates it was alleged had never seen Kawu as a friend.

Kawu is believed to be a principled, upright and uncompromising politician who in the past had shunned “gifts” from the executive branch.

Under the administration of the immediate past governor, Engineer Abdulkadir Kure, Kawu held some political appointments including the position of General Manager of the State Broadcasting

*Kawu

Corporation (Radio Niger).

Even then he did not last long as he left on the matter of principles. He subsequently contested and was voted into the House of Assembly on the platform of the PDP during

,

50—Vanguard,

It is on record that he rejected all the “gifts” including PRADO SUVs given to other members in the last political dispensation and has until now maintained his independent stance

which he stood tall among his other colleagues by challenging what he termed as “ waste of public funds” and antagonizing policies of his party he considered not in the best interest of the electorate.

I

given to other members in the last political dispensation and has until now maintained his independent stance.

Following his inauguration last Thursday, Kawu had pledged to sustain the

t is on record that he rejected all the “gifts” including PRADO SUVs

,

independence of the House.

“No doubt, we are duty bound to be closer to the government for the progress of the state because the purpose of this change is to pave way for more dividends of democracy for the people.

However, my inter-personal relationship with Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu would remain personal while

my dealing with the executive would also remain official,” Kawu had pledged.

Unsurprisingly, a foreign electronic media last week alleged that some members of the House were being bribed with N10m each in a desperate move to impeach the new speaker.

Minority leader of the House, Mohammed Nurudeen of Congress for Peoples Change (CPC) representing Kontagora had in an interview with the foreign media alleged that some members had even collected the amount for the purpose of the impeachment.

The Government House did not react to the allegation.

However, despite the appeals from concerned stakeholders the House on Tuesday in a dramatic turn impeached Kawu and in his place elected a first time member of the House, Alhaji Adamu Usman. Suitably for comfort for Governor Babangida, the new speaker was a very loyal member of his cabinet in his first term.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012 — 51

52 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012

Okocha blasts Bolton owners over club’s drop

B

OLTON legend JayJay Okocha has blasted the Trotters hierarchy, claiming they were to blame for the club’s relegation due to their lack of ambition and investment.

Okocha was one of the players central to the period in which Bolton cemented themselves as a Premier League side, a time which saw them reach the League Cup final as well as European football, but the Nigerian now sees all of his efforts as pointless.

“We changed the image of the club,” Okocha told reporters.

“We established the club in the Premier League and we thought they would build from there.

“But all our efforts have been thrown away. It feels like all that work was wasted.”

Bolton spent 11 seasons in the Premier League after their promotion but they dropped out of the league after failing to build on the example set by players like Okocha, Ivan Campo and Youri Djorkaeff.

•Okocha He claims that this relegation was bound to happen, stating that Bolton have been facing the possibility of Championship football for a number of seasons now.

“I have been following the Premier League very closely because once you have been a footballer you have an affinity with the game,” he said.

“It was a sad season for Bolton but it was bound to happen.

“When you don’t spend or invest in the future, you can’t always get away with it.

“They have been playing cat and mouse with the club for some time now and the cat has caught up with the mouse.

It is a pity.

“We laid a good foundation at Bolton but unfortunately for the fans, they have to deal with Bolton being a struggling team again.”

D

IDIER Drogba is leaving Chelsea but he leaves as a champion, a club legend, a role model for millions with his extensive work for good causes and his wonderful refusal to give up in his beloved team’s quest for the Champions League. ‘’I would have stayed if we hadn’t won the Champions League,’’ he said on Tuesday, his watch still on Munich time. ‘’We’ve been chasing this trophy for eight years.

We even saw the cup in Moscow [in 2008], walking by it, and we could not touch it. That was the challenge for the guys who were in Moscow. We wanted to go back and win it. We did everything to do that. It cost us the league. But it was worth it. ‘’Saturday was my last Chelsea game and it has been a fantastic eight years. To finish on a high with this Champions League final was the best of the best, la creme de la creme as we say in French.

The last two days I was feeling more 40 than 24!

To play a final at 34, and play extra time, and to give what I gave, I can be

I would have remained in Chelsea if we didn’t win — Drogba

•Drogba

proud of myself. ‘’To play for Chelsea was the best thing that could happen to me in my life, not only as a player but as a person. I made a lot

of friends here, which is very difficult normally in football, and they will be my friends for life, because we made history here.’’

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012 — 53

54—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012

Fresh pods of okra are good source of folic acid eatrightconsult@yahoo.com I 08091276796 WONDER how many myths you have heard about the okra. For instance, I have heard that okra slows down progress because of its drawing nature, while some people say that it reduces men’s sexual prowess because it settles in their waist and others say that it aggravates epilepsy in individuals living with that condition. This is to mention a few.

And I began to wonder.....But okra is a vegetable! Can a vegetable cause so much havoc?

with Funke Oshifuye The pods also houses high amounts of vitamin A which is essential for vision and also required for maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin. The okra is one of the green vegetable with highest lev-

els of flavonoids and anti-oxidants such as beta carotenes, xanthin and lutein.

Consumption of natural vegetables and fruits rich in flavonoids helps to protect the body from lung and oral cavity cancers.

When it comes to vitamin C, the okra is not left out as it is an outstanding source of this anti-oxidant vitamin. Intake of foods rich in vitamin C helps body develop immunity against infectious agents, reduce episodes of cold and cough and protects body from harmful radicals.

High in fibre, this vegetable contains both soluble and insoluble fibre, help-

ing you to reduce your serum cholesterol and at the same time keeping your intestinal tract healthy This controversial vegetable is rich in B-complex group of vitamins like niacin, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), thiamin and pantothenic acid and other important minerals such as iron, calcium, manganese and magnesium.

Eat your okra while fresh to obtain full benefits of the vitamins and anti-oxidants it contains. Note that it is better to steam the okra or cook using low heat, if you want to retain its nutrients.

What do you think about the okra now? Really packed, huh? I hope you will agree with me that there’s really no need for you to stay off okra because it actually does your body a lot of good.

Over 18,000 HIV+ Nigerians access treatment at NIMR — DG

N

The okra is a highly nutritious green edible pod which is harvested while immature and eaten as vegetable. Fresh pods of the okra are a good source of folic acid. Adequate intake of folic acid, especially during periods of preconception and pregnancy helps decrease the incidence of neural tube defects in the offspring.

Are you pregnant or planning to have a baby? What other better way to boost up your folic acid level than consuming okra in addition to your haematinics?

O fewer than 18,000 Nigerians living with HIV are currently accessing treatment at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, NIMR. The Director General of NIMR, Prof.

Innocent Ujah, who disclosed this in a chat with newsmen in Lagos to announce the 2nd Anniversary of the Director General and his activities in the last one year lamented that most people living with HIV are now coming down with Tuberculosis, TB. Describing the combination of the two conditions in a single patient as tragic, he said the institute’s clinic not only treat HIV but also offer total management of both conditions.

“It is even worse now that many people living with HIV have TB but the

good thing is that we have an international standard TB Laboratory. We study their CD4 counts at the molecular level” Ujah who disclosed that the institute is currently analyzing the just concluded National Survey on TB announced that the institute has upgraded its TB Laboratory to a four – star laboratory that has capacity to detect Tb cases that are not responding to the first line drugs.

“We have a brand new Bio- Safety Level 3 (BSL3) MDR-TB Laboratory builds for the institute by FHI360 to expand our services and research as a National Reference Laboratory in multi - drug resistant TB, an emerging disease.”

Recalling that the first case of HIV was detected by the institute in 1985 said NIMR does not only treat but also provide research and we ensure that we keep our patients healthy.

Continuing, the Director General who decried the relegation of Health research to the background by policy makers and organized private sector disclosed that the grants the institute got from donor agencies was more than the budeget5 received from the Federal Government.

He announced that the Institute will be organising a symposium on emergency Preparedness and response to disease epidemics tagged Role of Nigeria Institute of Medical Research”

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I

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It is amazing. To stop your weak erection, go for Cockstar or Enzyte supplement. These are both top quality all natural erection enhancers – Uche Please women also read your columns and we want something for us too. You are always focusing on men. Thanks – Bisola Dear Bisola, you are right. Men write us a lot because there is more pressure on them to perform so we tend to answer more male oriented questions. But there are libido boosters, orgasm gels, vibrators, massage creams, films and books for women. Write us and let us know what your needs are and we will talk about them – Uche That’s it for today. Adults in need of these treatments/novelties can call 08027901621 or 08051924159 or any other number here to order or they can order online at www.zeevirtualmedia.com. Zee Virtual Media delivers to you wherever you are in Nigeria.

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Vanguard, THURSD AY, MA Y 24, 2012—55 THURSDA MAY

Nigeria's economic growth weakens —NBS Continues from Page 6 next two years will be bad for the country.

In its first quarter report of economic activities in the country the NBS said, “ The first quarter of 2012 witnessed a decline in economic activity due largely to the partial removal of subsidy on petrol, the subsequent civil protest and weaker consumer demand following the higher price levels across major segments of the economy.

Higher costs of production and prevailing security concerns also contributed to the decline in growth rate of real GDP during the period.

“Nigerian economy when measured by the Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on an aggregate basis, grew by 6.17 percent in the first quarter of 2012 as against 7.13 percent in the corresponding quarter of 2011. This result however surpasses NBS’ earlier growth forecast for the quarter of 5.34 percent, which suggests the economy is mo r e resilient than other-wise anticipated.

Nevertheless, stronger growth is expected in the second quarter of 2012 as a result of recent sectoral policies in the non-oil sector.

The 0.96 percentage point decrease in real GDP growth recorded in the first quarter of 2012 was as a result of decrease in both oil and non oil sectors (manufacturing, wholesale and retail, telecommuni-cation, among others). The 0.96 percentage point decrease in real GDP growth recorded in the first quarter of 2012 was as a result of decrease in both oil and non oil sectors (manufacturing, wholesale and retail, telecommunication, among others). The agency said nominal GDP for the first quarter of 2012 was estimated at N9,142,858.51 as against the N8,311,227.61 recorded in the corresponding quarter last year.

On oil sector, the report said the estimated crude oil and condensates production decreased within the same period when compared with the level produced within the first of 2011. The decrease in crude oil production with their associated gas components, it said,

resulted in a decline of 2.32 per cent in oil GDP growth compared with the 0.05 per cent growth recorded within same period last year.

While crude oil continues to play a prominent role in the Nigerian economy, the average daily production was 2.35 Million Barrels Per Day, MBPD, as against 2.51 MBPD produced in the first quarter of 2011, the report added.

However, it observed that the non-oil sector continued to be a major driver of the economy within the period despite its decline when compared with the corresponding quarter in 2 0 1 1 .

“The sector recorded 7.93 per cent growth in real terms in the first quarter of 2012 compared with 8.73 per cent at the corresponding period in 2011. The 0.8 percentage point decrease in growth was as a result of decrease in some of the non- oil sectors such as manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, etc.” it further stated, adding that Agriculture was predominantly rain-fed; the main reason farmers suffer tremendous crop failure whenever there were changes in rainfall p a t t e r n s .

According to the NBS, “Quite often farmers’ traditional ways of determining when to commence farming fails on account of uncertainties brought about by climatic changes”.

It said the telecommunications sector recorded a real GDP growth of 32.83 per cent during the period compared to 33.36 per cent re-corded last year.

"Economy 'll collapse if CBN autonomy is removed" The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, warned yesterday that if the present autonomy being enjoyed by it was removed, the nation’s economy stands the risk of collapsing.

The country ’s apex bank then urged the Senate to jettison the move if the nation’s economy must grow and also for the realization of the set target of becoming one of the top largest economies of the world in the year 2020, adding that the CBN will

be incapacitated once there was no longer the existing autonomy.

Answering questions from the Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions when she appeared for screening for her second tenure in office, the CBN Deputy Governor on Economic Policy, Dr. Sarah Omotunde Alade told the Senators that world over, the autonomy of the Apex Bank was always recognized. She said “once the autonomy of the CBN is tampered with, then it becomes incapacitated.

It becomes easy for government to then wake up and ask the bank to print more money to meet certain expenditure and the economy will collapse.”

Senate Committee chairman warns Meanwhile, the Chairman Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions, Senator Ayo Ademola Adeseun, ACN, Oyo Central has warned that if very drastic action was not taken the next two years will be bad for the country, just as he promised that the National Assembly will continue to support the Central Bank in its move to drive the economy of the country.

Speaking further, the CBN deputy Governor, Mrs Alade while answering question on the $6.9 billion external borrowing being sought by the Federal Government, said ‘’we don’t want the debt to be too much because of the capacity to service it. It is not the loan but what it is used for. ‘’As long as the government is sure that the loan will be used to create employment and pay itself. When we take a loan, the burden should not come back to the government. The quantum of the loan is also an issue”.

On Mortgage in Nigeria, the Deputy Governor disclosed that the apex bank has been working with relevant institutions especially in the area of mortgage as that will help generate employment as well as address the much needed housing for all.

According to her, the failure of any bank should not be blamed on consolidation because the exercise as carried out by the CBN has yielded results.

56 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012

Jubilant Egyptians vote to elect new President E

GYPTIANS relished their first free leadership vote on Wednesday, with Islamists pitted against secular figures in a contest unthinkable before a popular revolt swept President Hosni Mubarak from power 15 months ago. With no reliable opinion polls, no one knows who will win the presidency, but Egyptians enjoyed the uncertainty after the routinely rigged votes of Mubarak’s 30 years in power. “We must prove

that the times when we stayed at home and someone would choose for us are over,” said Islam Mohamed, a 27year-old swimming coach, waiting at a Cairo polling station. The election is a momentous sequel to Mubarak’s overthrow on February 11, 2011 . The military council in charge of a messy and often bloody political transition since then has overseen a constitutional r e f e r e n d u m , parliamentary polls and

Some of the contestants in Egypt's presidential election, the first since the exit of Hosni Mubarack now a vote for a president to whom it has promised to hand power by July 1.

The revolutionaries of

Tahrir Square may be reluctant to trust Egypt’s future to Islamists or

Facebook, banks sued over IPO forecast F ACEBOOK Inc and Morgan Stanley, the lead underwriter of social networking company’s IPO, were sued by shareholders who claimed the defendants hid Facebook’s weakened growth forecasts ahead of its $16 billion initial public offering. The lawsuit, which also targeted u n d e r w r i t e r s JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs among others, comes as Facebook and the banks that took it public face many questions about the IPO process, which culminated in a May 18 stock market debut plagued by technical glitches. Facebook shares fell 18.4 percent from their $38 IPO price

E

candidate gets more than half the votes needed to win outright, a run-off between the top two will take place on June 16 and 17. First-round results will be formally announced on Tuesday, but the outcome could be clear by Saturday.

Iran begins nuclear talks with six World powers

I

Dr Liu Xiannfa, Chinese Consul General in Nigeria (middle) Alhaji Aliko Dangote, President, Dangote Group (right) and Mr Louis Tung President Chinese Community in West Africa, during a reception marking the assumption of office of the Consular in Lagos .

in

the

first

three

trading days. In early

Hollande, Merkel disagree on euro zone crisis disagreement over the crisis meetings,

UROPEAN leaders will try to breathe life into their stricken economies at a summit over dinner on Wednesday, but

Mubarak-era politicians, but those candidates may appeal to many of the 50 million eligible voters who yearn for Islamictinged reform or who want a firm and experienced hand to restore stability and security. Unless one

issue of mutual euro-zone bonds and whether they can alleviate two years of debt turmoil will dominate the gathering.

For the first time in more than two years of debt-

the leaders of France and Germany have not held their own mini-summit beforehand to agree positions, marking a significant shift in the traditional FrancoGerman axis.

Instead, new French President Francois Hollande will meet Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy in Paris to discuss policy, before the pair travel to Brussels for

afternoon trade on Wednesday, Facebook shares were up 2.5 percent at $31.78. The legal action accused the defendants, including Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg, of concealing “a severe and pronounced reduction” in revenue growth forecasts resulting from increased use of Facebook’s app or website through mobile devices. Facebook was also accused in the lawsuit of telling its bank underwriters.

RAN and six world powers have started talks aimed at defusing the long-running escalating crisis over Tehran’s nuclear programme, an official said. The P5+1 powers - the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany hope to persuade Iran in We d n e s d a y ’ s negotiations to suspend some of the most worrying parts of its activities but Tehran wants to see sanctions eased in return. Iran is represented by Saeed Jalili, the lead negotiator,

Pakistani surgeon earns 33 years for role in Osama hunt

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Pakistani surgeon recruited by the CIA to help find Osama bin Laden has been sentenced to 33 years in prison for treason, officials say. Shakeel Afridi, who was sacked as a government doctor two months ago, was found guilty on

Romney leads Obama in Florida poll

M French President Francuis Hollande and German Chancellor, Mrs. Angela Merkel.

ITT Romney has taken a 6-point lead over President Barack Obama in the battleground state of Florida.A new Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday found Romney now

besting Obama 47 percent to 41 percent among likely Florida voters. That’s a shift from earlier this month, when a Quinnipiac poll found Romney and Obama statistically tied in the state. In March, Obama

while the delegation from the six world powers is led by Catherine Ashton, the European Union foreign policy head.

The talks come a day after the head of the UN nuclear watchdog visited Iran and said he expected to sign a deal with Tehran on investigating suspected weapons activities connected to the country ’s nuclear programme. Yukiya Amano, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said on Tuesday in Vienna, the Austrian capital

led Romney 49 to 42 percent in the Sunshine State.If Romney were to add Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to the ticket, the presumptive Republican nominee would expand his lead in the state only slightly, according to Quinnipiac.

•Shakeel Afridi Wednesday under the tribal justice system of Khyber district, part of Pakistan’s semiautonomous tribal belt.

In addition to his jail sentence, he was fined 320,000 rupees ($3,500).

He had worked for years as a surgeon in Khyber, a stronghold of Pakistani Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012—57

Tit Bits

SSANU warns againt workers' lay off

We‘ll insist on workers’ rights, vows Nted ••warns to recalcitrant ports operators

BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG

L

EADERS of the Maritime Work ers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, led

by Comrade Anthony Nted, were in Lagos ports as part of their tour of ports formations in the country to meet with shop floor workers, explain union’s actions, know their problems and how possibly they could be addressed.

Nted who detailed some of the achievements of his leadership since assumption of office over three years ago, noted that the union had not only improved the living conditions of workers in the sector, but also reformed the ports’ workers and insisted workers’ rights remained paramount.

According to him, “before now there was no collective bargaining agreement for Dockworkers but today, we have a collective bargaining agreement. Those who do not understand may ask why there are many workers who are not on permanent employment. If you go to ENL Terminals alone, you will find out that there are more than 1400 workers and the job they do is based on traffic and Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, is not giving them any financial support. For example if at the end of the month, the contractor has no money to pay NPA will not give them money to pay. It is when you work that you are paid. In our operation, we have three types of wage system. We have the time related wage, we have payment by tonnage and we have the unit payment on containers. Those areas that you have permanent employments are maybe, container terminals where they can only employ few workers like 100 or 200.”

“What we have today is systematic causal because everybody that is doing casual today is under the contributory pension scheme. Everybody is a contributory member. We have tried our best to ensure that

Anthony Nted made the ports to be expensive, not the salary of workers. We argued with them and were able to get seven and half percent and by June this year, we would also get five percent increase per container and those who work on permanent employment."

“Now about Tally clerks and onboard security, after our negotiation with NPA, Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, and other stakeholders, it was agreed that Tally clerks be given 15 percent increment with arrears.

The arrears terminated September last

,

What we have today is systematic causal because everybody that is doing casual today is under the contributory pension scheme.We have tried our best to ensure that every Dockworker in the terminal has a future

every Dockworker in the terminal has a future . I remember last year, we were able to reach an agreement with the terminal operators and NPA. We have an increase of 15 percent per unit payment of container and some paid seven and half percent and would pay the balance this year. They divided it into two because Federal Fovernment refused to increase their charges. Since the inception of the terminal operators, the Federal Government has refused to increase money for the operators.

It was our fight and strike of one day stoppage of work that made the Minister of Transport and his counterpart in Finance to meet to find solution to give them small increase. They were given 25 percent for handling charges and that was the maximum.”

Port operations’ charges: Nted said “Government claimed that the Nigerian port was more expensive than any other port in Africa and that they wanted to reduce it at the expense of the workers. We told government to look at the areas that

,

year and when that came to an end, instead of them continuing with the new rate they stopped and now they are owing nine months arrears and NPA is going to pay another arrears .Besides that, they are going to increase their salary again with another 10 percent in this June. We told the Managing Director that some people in NPA do not want to work and that the best thing to do is to ask them to go because there are millions of people who are looking for work. We made it clear to him that if nothing is done we will take action but he promised that he would do everything within his power to address the issue.”

Dangote, APM terminals : “Dangote is one of the richest men in this country and the total amount to be paid to the workers in dispute is about N23 million. It is not a big money compare to the job they did in that terminal. Some lost their lives and some are even coughing out blood and are still in the hospital up till now. After protracted discussions with the management, they said they cannot

pay that amount because some of their staff in sectors such as Food and Beverages or Chemical, if they work five years, they are paid N53, 000 and they said that is what they would pay to our members. We told them that our own condition of service is different from them. We made them to understand that our minimum standard agreement states that when somebody is going to retire from job or the company is declaring redundancy, the company and union would meet to discuss the severance package that is quite different from the pension. After much argument, we told them that the standard set up in the industry before now which other terminal operators are paying, the least which is N200, 000, should be paid to the workers including the pension they contributed in the last five years.”

“All this was agreed but when they took the agreement to the Indian who is in-charge, he said that the workers had no right to collect any entitlement that they were causal workers that they picked on the road. We have blocked the company twice but they pleaded with us that the issue would be resolved. But if they refused to have the issue resolved, we will resolve it in our own way. We have another terminal operator which is APM terminals. They have penchant for unfair labour practices. They think they can just come here and enslave our workers. We are not a union that goes about begging for money. If we get check-up dues, we use it for the welfare of the workers.

We utilize every kobo that comes to us judiciously. They want us to go down on our kneels and beg them for our rights, but we can’t do that. We reached agreement on buses for the workers, they could not honour it. Now what they want to do is to reduce the workers from two persons per crane to one.

Even the agreement we reached with them on the condition of service that is 40 percent increase for junior and 25 percent for senior, they paid 25 percent last year, then 15 percent this year.

When we saw the payment, we discovered that even what they were paying before the increment was higher than now that there is increment, which implies instead of increase, they reduced. When we asked, they told us that it was one former President that owns the company. We don’t care who the owner of the company is. Our concern is that the right thing must be done, if not, we will close down the company. The work that these workers are doing, can the owners do it or can they climb the containers that these workers are climbing with all the hazards involved? If they refuse to do right thing like I said, we will close down the company.”

S

ENIOR Staff Association of Nigeri an Universities, SSANU, has advised the Federal Government not to use recommendations of the Presidential Committee on Rationalisation and Restructuring of Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies, headed by Steve Orosanye as a ploy to lay off workers.

In a communiqué at the end of its National Executive Council, NEC, meeting in Ilorin, Kwara State, leaders of SSANU, warned that such action would be counterproductive.

According to the communiqué “NEC-in-session appreciates the Federal Government’s concern on the proliferation and duplication of the functions of some of its Agencies. NEC however advises the Federal Government to be careful and more concerned with making those Agencies effective, bearing in mind that they were created to take care of certain situations which are still prevalent.”

“NEC urges the Federal Government not to use the Orosanye Committee as a ploy to lay off workers, as this would be counterproductive and further compound the already precarious unemployment situation in Nigeria.”

ILO says social protection key for recovery

I

NTERNATIONAL Labour Organisa tion, ILO, Director-General Juan Somavia has described social protection as “a very fundamental” tool for crisis-recovery efforts, while highlighting the “enormous” social costs and tensions created by hastily-adopted austerity plans. “Social protection as a crisis instrument is a very fundamental tool because it actually increases economic demand,” he said at a meeting in Geneva. “Social protection measures are also essential for battling poverty, and the vision of social protection floors is rooted in the fact that 75 to 80 percent of people around the world do not have social security”, he added.

He underscored the “multidimensional” impact of social protection measures, saying that “they protect, they empower people enabling them to move into the labour market, they serve as economic stabilisers....”Mr. Somavia stressed that social protection for the most vulnerable makes an immediate impact on people’s lives and the economy – contrary to tax cuts – which mainly benefit the wealthier and better off but do not create demand.

He described the growing polarization that could be observed in different contexts and called for new policy approaches and strengthened social dialogue in order to deliver new and more balanced solutions.

"The global crisis appears to have mutated into a new phase. Under the pressure of financial markets, some governments are being forced to adopt austerity plans hastily, without consultation, with enormous social costs”, he said. “We have already seen negative consequences for workplace relations through strikes, street protests, deteriorating social climates, and the growing spectre of societal conflict.”

“In Europe, austerity measures – adopted in a bid to slash unsustainable budget deficits – are taking their toll”, he added.

“There is a growing disconnect between citizens and governments. I believe that social protection floors will be indispensable in moving towards models of growth that are inclusive and just,” said Mr. Somavia while observing that developing countries that invested in social protection have emerged faster from the crisis than those that have not.

58 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012

Contributory Pension scheme market under exploited, says Penman Pensions MD BYVICTORAHIUMA-YOUNG

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ANAGING Director of Penman Pensions Limited, Mr. Wilson Ideva, has said the market opened by the Contributory Pension Scheme, CPS, a fall out of the 2004 Pension Reforms Act, PRA, is under exploited.

Mr Ideva, who speaking on his vision for Penman Pensions, also spoke about the problems in the capital market and how Pension Fund Administrators, PFAs, have switched over to more profitable investments.

According to him, “under the Investment guidelines issued by the National Pensions Commission, PenCom, we have different guidelines on investment. We have the capital market; we are allowed a maximum of 25 percent in the capital market, money market we are allowed about 35 percent as the maximum investment

Wilson Ideva

outlay and under fixed income, because it is risk-free, you can do 100 percent or 80 percent and so on. But what most PFAs have done because of the problem in the capital market in the last two years is to draw down on their exposure to the capital market. For my PFA, we are below five percent exposure. What it means is that even if the five percent goes under, I have a return of close to 14. 28 today because of the high return we are getting on investments. You know that the fixed income market has become very bullish in the last six months and the fixed income, treasury bills, we are getting about 15.5 percent. On the money market, we are getting an average of about 13 -14 percent.

To me that is quite a heavy return on investment. So, a sound manager of funds will normally go to where the fund is safe. The first priority is security of funds followed by returns on investment.”

Ideva who took over the manage-

ment of Penman Pensions Limited six months ago, said that within the period, the PFA’s fund had increased from N11 billion to N13.1 billion.

He said, “my vision is that by the of end of the year, we are looking at N30 billion. Within the next two years, I have a vision that we should be one of the first five PFAs in the country in every parameter you want to look at it, whether in terms of return on investment, in terms of fund under management, in terms of service delivery and in terms of staff motivation. That is my vision and we have set a target for ourselves.

You may be aware that currently, we have just about five million RSA holders nationwide in the industry and we have a population of about 150 million and we are told that the workforce is about 70 million which means that largely we have three percent penetration in terms of population and we have about six percent penetration in terms of number of workforce. What that tells me is that the market is highly under exploited, there is still room for growth.”

Retirement age: SSANU lauds Jonathan

S

ENIOR Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, has written to President Goodluck Jonathan, praising him for signing into law the protracted 65 years retirement age Act for non-teaching workers of Nigerian universities.

SSANU in a letter by its General Secretary, Comrade Promise Adewusi, read “On behalf of the National President, the National Executive Council, NEC, and indeed the entire membership of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), I write to thank you Mr. President and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces most immensely for your historic signing into law of the 65 years retirement age Act for nonteaching workers of Nigerian universities. This has brought to a happy and conclusive end the acrimony that has dogged the regime of discriminatory retirement age against the nonteaching staff of our universities which has spanned over fifteen years causing avoidable disruption in academic activities over this period.”

“That you have been able to do what five previous Heads of State could not do has marked you out as a covenant-keeping President.

We recall that it was also under your Presidency that the nonteaching staff in Nigeria universities got a new lease of life by way of parity in Basic Salaries of all university workers. You have therefore matched action with words as a President who believes in fairness, equity and natural justice. Sir, as we continue to pray

A cross section of Federal pensioners waiting for information on their benefits

Promise Adewusi

for your continued success in leading a very challenging country like Nigeria, we plead, that in your usual kindness, you direct the appropriate authorities to also happily conclude the issue of Earned Allowance as contained in our 2009 Agreement with the Federal Government of Nigeria. On our part, we shall continue to demonstrate manifest maturity in pursuit of the welfare of our members.”

Pensioners lament unpaid benefits

T

BY DAYO JOHNSON

HE Nigeria Union of Pensioners in the South West, yesterday raised alarm over the continued refusal of the federal government to pay members benefits as a result of the ongoing pension probe, lamenting that Federal pensioners were suffering untold hardship.

The union appealed to the Federal government to urgently intervene in the payment of

pension to the Federal workers to halt members’ hardship and untimely death of the Senior C i t i z e n s .

Addressing Chairmen and Secretaries of the union in the Zone at a meeting in Akure, Zonal Chairman of the Union, Chief Eni Olotu, said the neglect of pensioners by government was worrisome and needed urgent i n t e r v e n t i o n .

He called on President Goodluck

UK in moves to increase pension age

A

NEW flat-rate state pen sion and a system to automatically increase the pension age have moved a step closer.The recent Queen’s Speech has outlined plans for legislation that will overhaul the state pension system for new pensioners during the forthcoming Parliament.

The current full state pension is £107.45 a week, but can be

topped up to £137.35 with pension credit.

This will be replaced by a new £140 flat rate, with inflation expected to push this up to £155 by 2015 or 2016. The state pension age will rise to 66 for both men and women by 2020.

The Queen’s Speech outlined plans to increase the state pension age further to 67 between

2026 and 2028 - affecting those aged 52 or younger now.

The speech also signaled government plans for this state pension age to continue to rise automatically in line with longevity.

This could be done either through a formula linking pension age to average life expectancy, or through a regular official review.

Jonathan to direct payment of their pension to halt the suffering of the pensioners and asked the government to use the fund recovered from the on-going probe of pension scam in the country to pay their entitlement.

According to them “”the fund originally belonged to the pensioners, the recovered fund should be used to pay them as most of the pensioners were suffering and dying as a result of inability to get paid Government do not have to wait until the end of the probe before pensioners are paid. They should pay pensioners it is our right not a privilege. Many pensioners have died while awaiting their entitlement and this is not good enough.”

It will be recalled Mr. Olotu a previous forum lamented that members were languishing in abject penury as a result of the insensitivity of government to their plights.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012 — 59

60 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012

F/Eagles battle Ghana Friday night N

IGERIA’s U20s have arrived in South Africa ahead of an opening match versus Ghana on Friday night in the Cape Town International Challenge.

The Flying Eagles play the second game of the opening day action on Friday against their West African arch-rivals at 2030 hours local time, which is 7.30 Nigerian time.

The first match is between hosts South Africa and Argentina.

Both matches will be played at the Athlone Stadium, home ground of South African Premier League club Santos.

Argentina, Japan, Ghana, hosts South Africa, Cameroon and Kenya, who replaced Egypt, have all arrived for the tournament,

A

SANDWICHED . . . Falconets, Skipper Ofoegbu Gloria ( R ) combines with Sunday Ukpong to ouwit Congo’s Mkpelu. which will be used by teams to prepare for

continental qualifiers as well as the 2013 FIFA U20

World Cup to be staged in Turkey.

Balotelli committed to Man City

M

ANCHESTER City striker Mario Balotelli has brushed aside ongoing rumours he will leave the Etihad Stadium this summer.

Recent reports in Italy claim Balotelli could be included in a swap deal that would see AC Milan defender Thiago Silva move to City.

“I play at Manchester City,” Balotelli said in Gazzetta dello Sport. “I am happy at City and I will remain there.”

Balotelli joined City

from Inter Milan in August 2010 and is under contract with the Blues outfit until June 2015.

The 21-year-old, a self-confessed AC Milan fan, insists there is no truth in reports linking him with a move to the San Siro outfit.

“I don’t know anything,” he said. “I haven’t had any contact with them (AC Milan) in the past few years.”

Balotelli would welcome the arrival of

Brazil international Silva.

“If Thiago Silva was to

arrive to City then for sure we would be stronger,” he said.

tials to do well in Africa and the world.

“I know the football federation has given me a semi-final target at the World Cup but I want to say here that our target as a team is to win the world Cup in 2015,” boasted the former Kano Pillars and Kwara United coach.

“I know many Nigerians would say this is only wishful thinking but remember it is the same way they said we (Enyimba) could not win the CAF Champions League in 2003, but it

Contnues from BP

was possible. I want to also say this is possible.

“I have a list of 21 players today because we have four games. It is a mixture of youthfulness and experience with the likes of Perpetua Nkwocha, Stella Mbachu, Rita Chikwelu, Onome Ebe, Desire Oparanozie, Esther Sunday and Precious Dede.

The team will get better by the day.”

The team have been African champions a record six times, but they are yet to make a big impact at the World Cup stage.

NFF

ministry was also said to have kicked against it.

“I don’t want us to harp on this insinuation that the sports

ministry is not happy with the appointment of Saintfeit. We are working hard to see that the man resumes but I can’t say when or how soon,” Amadu said.

S world football governing body FIFA gets set to kick off series of qualifying matches that will culminate in the qualification for the World Cup in Brazil in 2014, five Nigerians have been deployed to help organize some of those matches in the African continent.

CAF General Coordinator and FIFA Match Commissioner Paul Bassey has been appointed as Match Commissioner for the Africa Group A encounter between Central African Republic and Botswana to be held in Bangui on June 2.

Also on duty is former chairman of the Nigeria football federation and member of CAF Nation’s Cup Organising Committee Brigadier General Dominic Oneya who is the Match Commissioner in Bakau as Gambia takes on Morocco in a Group C encounter.

CAF Referee’s instructor

Chelsea stars dancing with Rihanna

C

Falcons Contnues from BP

Bassey, 4 others on FIFA World Cup duty

CLEBRATION ••• Chelsea players in joyous celebration after Champions League victory. Photo: AFP.

HELSEA striker Didier Drogba and his teammates have been dancing with the stars since they won the Champions League final against Bayern Munich.

According to a British tabloid newspaper The Sun, Didi and his boys were seen having the time of their lives with Robyn Rihanna Fenty famously known as Rihanna or Riri at Boujis nightclub in London’s West End on Sunday in celebration of their victory.

“Rihanna joined Didier, Jose Bosingwa, Salomon Kalou, Michael Essien and Raul Meireles and held court on their table,” said the report.

However with all these football stars surrounding her she felt closer to Chelsea legend Drogba.

and member referee’s committee of the Nigeria Football Federation Emmanuel Obafemi will be in Abidjan as Referee’s inspector to oversee the officials handling the match between Cote D’ivoire and Tanzania in a Group C confrontation on June 2.

In the second day of qualifying matches, as the Super Eagles will be jetting out to Malawi, respected FIFA Technical Adviser on referee matters and consultant to the NFF on refereeing Mr Linus Mba will be off to the Democratic Republic of Congo as Referee’s inspector as the Congolese take on Togo at the Stade De Martyrs in Kinshasha, just as his compatriot Austin Akosa will be expected in Maseru, as Match Commissioner for the match Lesotho versus Sudan, a Group D encounter.

Liverpool line up Van Gaal

L

OUIS van Gaal has emerged as the leadingcontendertobecomeLiverpool’s new Sporting Director as Fenway Sports Group aimtoacceleratetheirrevamp of the club.

The former Ajax and Holland coach has been out of work since he was sacked by Bayern Munich just over a year ago, and is said to be intrigued by the prospect of working in England.

Reds owner John W Henry is looking to bring in an experienced director to work alongside a youthful coach, and the 60-year-old’s ability to nurture and promote young talent makes him an appealing option for FSG. With Roberto Martinez, Brendan Rodgers and Andre Villas-Boas all reportedly in the frame to replace Kenny Dalglish at the Anfield helm, VanGaalmaybekeentotake on the coaching role himself, so strong is his personality.

Gulder 5-Aside football qualifiers move to Ijebu Ode

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HE next set of qual ifying matches in this year’s Gulder Ultimate Five-Aside Football competition moves to Ijebu Ode and the Dipo Dina Stadium will be the venue for action packed football matches as teams from the SouthWest clash for the opportunity to represent the zone at this year ’s Grand Finale which will hold in Lagos.

The qualifiers will run

from Friday, May 25 to Sunday, May 27, 2012 with the two finalists qualifying to represent the zone.

Several teams have qualified to represent their zones in the ongoing regional qualifiers across the country. They are Supremes FC and GidanBege FC from the North-Central; Ultimate FC and Etienne FC from the South-East; Port Harcourt City Academy and

Network FC from the South-South and Campus FC and Apex FC from the Mid-West region.

The emergence of two teams from the SouthWest zone would bring the total number of qualified teams to 10.

Mr. Tony Agenmonmen, Marketing Manager - Lager, Nigerian Breweries Plc said: “In my view, the Gulder Ultimate Five Aside Foot-

ball competition has created the necessary enabling platform for grass-roots football talent spread across the country. From Makurdi to Enugu, through to Port Harcourt and down to Oleh in Delta State, we have seen talented footballers and we hope to see more budding talents trooping out for the competition, to showcase their skills in Ijebu Ode.”

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012 — 61

62 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012 — 63

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012

— Details inside Ikhana dreams of World Cup victory

N

IGERIA’s women team, the Super Falcons flew out yesterday to Harare for the African women championship qualifiers against Zimbabwe with their coach Kadiri Ikhana boasting that his girls can win the FIFA Wom-

en World Cup in 2015.

Ikhana will be playing his first competitive game in charge against the Zimbabwean women on Saturday and according to him, his players, a mixture of youth and experience, have poten-

Continues on page 60

•Ikhana

NFF: Why Saintfeit can’t resume now N IGERIA Football Federa tion secretary-general Musa Amadu said that a date cannot be put on the resumption of the technical director the federation appointed in March 2012.

The Belgian-born Tom Saintfeit was scheduled to resume on May 1, but according to Mr. Amadu this was not possible as work permit for Saintfeit had not been secured.

“Our challenge right now is to secure a work permit for Saintfeit. We have been on it for months now and you know how it works. For any foreigner to work here he must be first cleared by the Federal government,” he said Controversy trailed the appointment of the former Ethiopian and Namibia coach as concerned stakeholders objected to his employment arguing that there were Nigerians capable of doing the job. The sports Continues on page 60

NPL results Kwara Utd 1-0 Heartland FC 1-0 Warri Wolves 4-1

Sunshine Stars Ocean Boys Sharks

POWER OF THE DROG—Chelsea footballer Didier Drogba runs with the 2012 London Olympic torch in the streets of Swindon, west of London, yesterday. He is now a hero England are promoting their events with. Drogba confirmed on Tuesday he will leave newly-crowned European champions Chelsea.

TODAY'S

PUZZLES

YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 2 Enquired (5) 7 Perch (5) 8 Under (5) 10 Rescued (5) 12 Youth (3) 13 Readjusted (5) 17 Revised (6) 19 Loiter (3) 23 Cut (4) 25 Trade (4) 26 Signified (7) 30 Wager (3) 31 Determine (6) 34 Soared (7) 37 Restrict (5) 38 Consume (3) 39 Old-fashioned (5) 40 Manufacturer (5) 41 Cogs (5) 42 Scoff (5)

F/Eagles battle Ghana Friday night — P.58

QUICK CROSSWORD DOWN 1 Managed (5) 2 Advantage (5) 3 Said (6) 4 Pitcher (4) 5 Flooded (7) 6 Pattern (5) 9 Resin (3) 11 Postponed (7) 13 Reimburse (5) 14 Located (5) 16 Age (3) 18 Dedicated (7) 21 Material (5) 22 Swift (5) 24 Discussed (7) 27 Entrap (3) 28 Erase (6) 29 Fold (5) 32 Drink (5) 33 Soiled (5) 35 Tree (5) 36 Daybreak (4)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 2, Scrap 7, Yell 8, Accept 9, Yield 11,

Per 13, Has 15, Lees 16, Gnu 18, Warn 19, Slender 20, User 22, Orag 23, Rambler 25, Item 27, Ear 28, Real 30, Tie 31, Due 33, Enter 36, Divide 37, Ague 38, Light.

How to Play Sudoku

THE VIGILANTE

DOWN: 1, Melee 2, Sly 3, Roe 4, Pad 5, Ace 6, Spear 10, Lane 11, Plaudit 12, Referee 13, Harried 14, Snuggle 16, Globe 17, Under 18, Wed 21, Ram 24, Lawn 26, Timid 29, Augur 32, Hit 33, Eel 34, Tag 35, Rat.

e-mail: rowolove@yahoo.co.uk

Place a number (1-9) in each blank cell. (No line can have two of the same number).

Each row (nine lines from left to right), column, (also nine lines from top to bottom) and 3 X 3 block within a bold block (nine blocks) contains number from 1 through 9. This means that no number can appear twice in any block, column or row.

No mathematics is involved – no adding, subtraction, division or multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination.

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