35 killed, 200 houses destroyed in Jos flood

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...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 61672

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ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2012

THE PROTEST MARCH FROM MAKOKO

N150

Crude oil theft worries Jonathan •Nigeria loses N2trn to capital flight •P.6

MAKOKO: Shanties are our target PROTEST—Residents of Makoko community during a peaceful protest at the Lagos State Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja yester-

day over recent demolition of their houses. Inset top right: Gov. Fashola and others addressing the protesters. Photos: Bunmi Azeez.

— Fashola —P.51

35 killed, 200 houses destroyed in Jos flood •90-yr-old woman, three-month-old baby among victims PINI JASON •I'm still searching for my wife, two children — victim When is an •Many still missing; death toll may rise — Red Cross election •P.17

BY TAYE OBATERU, WITH AGENCY REPORTS

Impeachment threat: PDP wades in

J

OS— TRAGEDY struck in Jos, Plateau State capital, Sunday night, when a rampaging flood swallowed over 35 people and also destroyed more than 200 houses. A 90-year-old woman and a threemonth-old baby were among the victims while more than 15 people have also been declared missing. Heavy rainfall was reported to have forced a dam to overflow causing

....As House denies inducement •P.5

•Oteh

—P.6

Continues on page 5

credible?

Mr & Mrs

2— Vanguard, TUESDAY,

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JULY 24, 2012

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2012 —3

Modular refineries: Group urges FG to collaborate with oil communities

BY EMMAAMAIZE

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Rivers State Governor, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi (left) receiving the winners cup of the 2011 Garden City Games from the Local Organising Committee, LOC, Chairman, Mr. Tele Ikuru, when the LOC presented its report of the Games to the governor at Government House, Port Harcourt. yesterday.

A R R I — D E LTA Ijaw Oil-Producing Areas Youth Assembly, DIOPAYA, Monday, called on the Federal Government to work in partnership with oil-bearing communities in the core Niger Delta states to guarantee security and success of the six modular refineries it planned to establish.

The group, in a statement signed by its president, Wuruyai Joseph and three others, said the oil-bearing communities were prepared to provide conducive environment for the investment, protect the refineries

Gunmen shoot Delta's HOS in foiled kidnap attempt

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

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SABA—Delta State Head of Service, HOS, Mr. Okey Ofili, has been hospitalised after he was shot during a foiled attempt by a gang to kidnap him in Asaba.

The incident took place on Sunday, at a popular eatery located beside a new generation bank on Okpanam Road.

It was gathered that when the kidnappers ac-

costed the HOS at the eatery, he was said to have resisted their attempt to bundle him into a jeep.

Some policemen guarding the bank came to his rescue following the alarm he raised, thus foiling the kidnap attempt.

But the kidnappers did not retreat as they fired shots at him, while he was escaping.

State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Charles Muka, confirmed the inci-

dent, saying “ we had spread our dragnet for the kidnappers. The incident happened at 12.30p.m., on Sunday. Information has it that the Head of Service of Delta State, Mr. Okey Ofili, who went to O’tres joint near Inter Bau, Asaba, was about to be kidnapped by three armed men driving in a Jeep withunknownnumber-plate.But policemen posted to Eco Bank Asaba for operations prevented him from being kidnapped. He sustained bullet injury on his right leg and now responding to treatment in a hospital in Asaba.”

Meanwhile, five suspected

kidnapershavebeenarrestedfor kidnapping a housewife, her sister and a two-year old child. The victimswerekidnappedatSummit Junction in Asaba on Friday.

The kidnap gang according to Muka had successfully kidnapped the housewife, whose namewasgivenasMrs.Adaugo Monyei,hersisterandtwo-yearold child at 5.30p.m.

Mukasaid:“They(kidnappers) demandedforransomandagreed to collect N150,000 at Agbor and in the process, the suspects were arrestedbySpecialAntiRobbery Squad,SARS/Stormteams,which also rescued the victims unhurt at Obiaruku.”

Suspected female lawyer's kidnapper killed in police, gang shoot out

BY GABRIEL ENOGHO-

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LASE

ENIN—A man al legedly involved in

the kidnap of a female lawyer in Edo State has been shot dead during a gun duel with the Police

anti-kidnapping squad in Benin.

Vanguard gathered that the police acting on

Esan monarchs hail Oshiomhole's victory

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

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ENIN CITY—TRA DITIONAL rulers from Edo Central Senatorial District of Edo State, yesterday, described Governor Adams Oshiomhole as the governor, who has the genuine mandate of the people.

They said the jubilation that followed his victory at the just-concluded governorship election in the state was a clear testimony of his popularity.

The traditional rulers led

by Onojie of Opoji, Zaiki Aidenojie Ehidiame, spoke at Government House, Benin City, when they paid the governor a congratulatory visit.

They noted that it was the best election the state had witnessed since its creation, adding that thugs and election riggers were made jobless.

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Zaiki Ehidiame said: “We came to congratulate the governor on the victory, which revealed God’s hand at work. We are also appreciative of the role of Oba of Benin, who urged peace and progress during the election.

“We have full confidence in the governor. We now have a governor, who has the genuine mandate of the people, you are the governor of all Edo.” In his response, Oshiomhole thanked the traditional rulers for their prayers and support during the campaign and election.

N-Delta militants, Boko Haram urged to embrace dialogue

BY GODWIN OGHRE

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A P E L E — DISCUSSANTS, weekend, urged insurgents in the Niger Delta area and the Boko Haram Islamic sect, to embrace dialogue as a way of making their grievances known to the Federal Government and stakeholders in the oil and gas industry.

The discursse, organised by Okpe Youth As-

sociation in Warri, Delta State, noted that violence had never solved a problem rather, it had continuously wreak havoc on humanity.

One of the discussants, Mrs. E. Onokpasa, in her paper entitled, Dialogue as a Better Weapon than Violence, said dialogue can lead to reduction in misunderstanding, conflicts and tension.

a tip-off, tracked a fourman gang to Ogida quarters in the state capital, where the shooting took place.

As the shoot-out ensued, two other members of the gang were arrested by the police while arms and ammunition, including unspecified amount of money were recovered from the hoodlums.

It was learnt that the abducted female lawyer, wife to a professor was kidnapped penultimate Sunday and was said to have regained freedom a day later after allegedly paying N1million as ransom.

It was learnt that the abduction of the woman and her release triggered off covert investigation by security agencies in BeninCity.

Edo State Police Command image-maker, Mr. Anthony Airhuoyo, when contacted, said full investigation had commenced as those in police custody were assisting in investigation.

and provide total security of all workers, especially the expatriate staff.”

It, therefore, advised President Goodluck Jonathan not to politicise the locations of the modular refineries.

Commending the former chairman of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, Chief Wellington Okirika, for spearheading the campaign for establishment of modular

refineries, it said the six refineries should be located in areas where the raw materials were available.

“For the modular refineries initiative to be successful, it must be sited nearest to the raw materials (crude oil and natural gas) base and not pipeline areas with the increasing state of insecurity in some geo-political zones of the country and the sensitivity of such installations”.

Maritime workers counsel Edo PDP

BY VICTOR AHIUMA-

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YOUNG

AGOS—MARITIME Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, has called on Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Edo State to join Governor Adams Oshiohmole to move the state to the next level, saying the outcome of the July 14, gubernatorial election in the state was enough proof that the people of Edo State approved whatOshiomholewasdoing.

MWUN, in a statement by its President-General, Mr Anthony

Nted, noted that the Edo governorship election was significant in the annals of the country because Oshiomhole, despite all odds, emerged victorious to be returned as governor of Edo State.

Hesaid:We callonPDPinEdo State to join Oshiomhole to move the state to the next level. What the state needs now is for all productive hands to be on deck to develop the state. The outcome of the election is enough to convince any doubting Thomas that the overwhelming people of Edo StatearebehindOshiomholeand approve of what he is doing in the state."

Aginighan seeks staggered elections former Executive Director,

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

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ORT HARCOURT— FORMER governorship aspirant on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. in Delta State, Pastor Power Aginighan, has called for amendment in the 1999 Constitution to stagger of elections in the country.

Speaking against the backdrop of the successful conduct of the recent governorship election in Edo State, Aginighan, also

Finance and Administration in the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, said the arrangement should be such that governorship elections should held in not more than six states at a time across the country.

He said: This would enable the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC and other bodies saddled with the task of ensuring a free and fair election to effectively discharge their duties.

Group congratulates Oshiomhole the ethics and transformaBY FESTUS AHON

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GHELLI—SOUTHSOUTH Zonal Coordinator, Ethics and Value, has congratulated Edo State Governor, Mr Adams Oshiomole on his victory in the just concluded gubernatorial election in the state.

Youyah, in a statement, said the election satisfied the yearning of Edo State people, pointing out that good leaders such as Oshiomhole were rare in the state.

Describing the governor as a man who adhered to

tion agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan, he said Oshiomhole’s re-election was timely and well-deserved for the people of Edo and Nigerians at large.

He said, Oshiomhole “believed in human and capital development of Nigerians as a way to build the nation even when he was the president of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC." Youyah applauded President Jonathan and Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega for allowing ethics to prevail in the election.

4—Vanguard , TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2012

Re-Delta Govt wades into community, oil firm rift RIGHT OF REPLY

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Chairman, Bi-Courtney Group, Dr. Wale Babalakin (middle), President of the community, Alhaji Taofik Agbaje (left) and Chief Imam of the mosque, Alhaji Taofik Awwal at the inauguration of Victoria Garden City, VGC, Islamic Community Mosque, in Lekki, Lagos, Sunday.

UR ATTENTION has been drawntoapublicationinyour newspaper of Friday, February 3, 2012 on page 40 with the caption “Delta govt wades into community, oil firm rift.” The said publication written by one Austin Ogwudastatedthatourhostcommunity - Utagba-Ogbe community protested against our operations due to our company’s failure to reach agreements with the community.

Please note that this is totally inaccurate as we have always maintained a good relationship with our host community. Indeed, thereportedincidenceoccurredin a different community Umuseti-

Ogbe, where its community members protested against the operations of an oil company which is not Midwestern Oil & GasCompanyPIc.Itisalsoworthy to note that we do not have any operations in UmusetiOgbe where the incidence happened. That being said, we observed that the said incidence was also reported albeit accurately in another newspaper -The Pointer — on February 3rd, 2012 (attached herewith). A comparison of the two (2) publications, i.e., Vanguard and The Pointer reveals that it was the same incidence being reported asevidencedbythehighlighted quotes of Hon. Mofe Pirah (Commissioner for Oil & Gas) in

the two publications.

Weconsideryourpublicationan indictment on our corporate image which is capable of sending wrong signals to the Company’s stakeholders. For this reason, we demand an immediate retraction of the publication and a written apology which should be published in not less than two (2) publications of The Vanguard within seven (7) days from date of this letter; failing which, we shall without any further reference to you proceed with requisite steps in seeking appropriate legal redress.

Chris Erhi Omoru Legal Adviser/Company Secretary

A'Ibom govt decries C-River elders' position on 76 oil wells

We 're building a new generation of leaders in Edo —Oshiomhole U B

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

ENIN CITY—REELECTED governor of Edo State, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, yesterday, said one of his primary focuses will be to build a new generation ofleaders,whowilltakeoverfrom himandotherolderleadersinthe state.

He said the generation of leaders was expected to move Edo State and Nigeria in general to a befitting level.

Speaking when members of Correspondents Chapel of Edo State chapter of Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, led by Mr Cajetan Mmuta, paid him a congratulatory visit in his office at Government House, Benin City, Oshiomhole commended the media for what he described as the effective coverage of the governorship election in the state.

The governor pointed out that his administration appreciated the level of objective reporting from the media, adding that he was determined to fulfill his electoralpromisestothepeopleofthe state.

He said; “We are ready to build a new generation of leaders, who will take over from us and keep the flag flying. We are building a new Edo. When God has fought your battle, you just thank Him. It was a good fight but the rebellion had been crushed.

"I think it was balance report-

ing generally, you are all part of this and like I did say in 2007, that you should see this project

as your project first because if one worker can make it any other workercan.

“Theordinarymancanbewhat God says he will be without pay-

Court adjourns Itsekiri oil communities' N1bn suit against DESOPADEC

BY EMMAAMAIZE

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ARRI—A Delta State High Court sitting in Warri, has adjourned till September, further hearing in the N1 billion suit by Itsekiri host communities, againstallegeddiversionoffunds for developmental projects in Itsekiri oil communities by Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC. Prince Ikenwoli Emiko (chair, Itsekiri Host Communities) and Godwin Omamogho, who filed the case for themselves and Itsekiri oil and gas producing communities, claimed that the commissionimproperlyexpended the money on the provision of infrastructure in Nigeria Police Barracks, Warri, a federal establishment and Warri Club, a private recreation outfit.

ThecaseisbeforeJusticeMarshal Umukoro. The plaintiffs are contending that DESOPADEC, a state government intervention agency,chargedwiththeresponsibility of utilising 50 per cent oil and gas 13 per cent derivation funds for provision of develop-

mental projects in oil producing communities diverted the funds meant for the development of Itsekiri area.

They argued that by using funds meant to ameliorate the sufferings of oil producing communities on the Federal Governmentandprivateprojects,thepalpable understanding was that DESOPADEC had taken back the little gains of the oppressed oil-bearingcommunities.

They are consequently demandingN850millionandN100 million respectively as funds meantforItsekirioilcommunities that were expended on projects, whichobviouslydidnotfallwithin

AGOS—IJAW Monitoring Group, IMG, has described the death ofJusticeVictorOvie-Whiskeyas a great loss to the country despite the fact that he died at a very old age.

In a condolence message signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Joseph Evah, the group stated that Justice OvieWhiskey was quintessential leader in the legal profession and one of the finest public servants Nigeria has ever produced.

“We regret to state that Deltans and Nigerians have lost a gem to C M Y K

the world beyond. We are proud to say that the late Urhobo leader was one of the few people that played key roles to stabilise democracyinNigeria.

“The democracy we enjoy todaywasbuiltoneffortsofthelikes of Ovie-Whiskey and few others who genuinely laid the foundation.

AccordingtoIMG,“Ovie-Whiskey left an indelible imprint of success behind and the history ofthesurvivalofNigeriandemocracy will be incomplete without the mention of this great son of

the ambit of the statutory functions of the defendant.

They are also praying the court to declare that the use of funds meant for infrastructural developmentofItsekirioilproducingcommunities on federal and private projects was illegal, unlawful, and amount to a flagrant deprivation of the plaintiffs’ communities and violation of the law setting up the commission.

They also want the court to order that the monies expended on such illegal projects be accounted for and refunded for the developmentofItsekirioilproducingcommunities.

Itsekiri hails Reyeniejus's devtal ency. efforts Chairman of the congress,

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ARRI—ITSEKIRI Development Congress, IDC, has identified with the political aspirations of Mr. Daniel Reyenieju, the lawmaker, representing Warri Federal Constituency, Delta State in the National Assembly, for his effort in opening up the constitu-

Ijaw group laments Ovie-Whiskey's death

L

ing allegiance to all those men of yesterday, so we thank God. If the peopleofUzenemavotedforme,I have to do more things there to justify their confidence in me.”

Niger Delta who headed defunct Federal Electoral Commission, FEDECO, to actualise civil rule inNigeria.

“WeurgedDeltaandEdoState governmentthatmadeuptheold Bendel State where Ovie-Whiskey worked as Chief Judge of the state to structure the judiciary to international standard to immortalise him. The federal government under democratic rule today should not pretend over honoring this late jurist for he deserved it and should be immortalised for prosperity sake.”

Mr Emma Okotie-Eboh in a statement in Warri, yesterday, thanked the lawmaker “for the effort you are making to open up the inter-land of your constituency, which culminated in the resurrection of the Koko-Ogheye Road, which had been abandoned since the first republic.”

IDC also congratulated Reyenieju on his election as Vice-Chairman, Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, Africa Region, adding that it was not surprised as the victory only “confirm what we always know about you.”

The group said the lawmaker was a bridge-builder across Warri Federal Constituency, Delta State and Nigeria at large, and urged him to bring his leadership style to bear on “your assignment as you make a permanent print in the sands of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.”

YO—AKWA Ibom State Government has decried the position of someeldersfromneighbouring Cross River State, whom it accusedofignoringthepositionof the Supreme Court on the disputed 76 oil wells and had continuedtofantheembersofdisunity by making unguarded utterances.

Akwa Ibom State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice,MrEkpenyongNtekim, who spoke, yesterday, said: “As a government, we are alarmed and shocked by the highly temperamental comments of the leadership and agents of Cross River State Government over the said judgment, aimed at

causing a frosty relationship between people of the two states anddemeaningjudicialofficersof the Supreme Court.”

Headvisedpeace-lovingNigerians not to be deceived by wave ofpropagandaanddeceitagainst the Supreme Court ruling of July 10, as the state government will continue to operate within the provisions of the law.

“As a responsible government, weshallcontinuetomaintaindue processinmattersofbothlawand government and refrain from actions capable of destroying the ancient bonds or intimidating and/ or weakening the administration of justice, irrespective of the occasion or euphemism,” he added.

2 regain freedom after N3m ransom in Bayelsa

BY EGUFEYAFUGBORHI

Y

ENAGOA—TWO workers of a Lagos based fisheries firm, Atlantic Shrimpers Limited, have regained freedom, after a ransom of N3 million was paid to secure their release in Bayelsa State.

The two victims were operatingafishingtrawlerontheRiver Nun axis, Akassa in Brass Local Government Area of the state, when the pirates swooped on them.

They were detained for four days, during which they were starved and torture by pirates in the mangroves of the state.

The released victims narrated their ordeals, yesterday, to field monitors of Environmental RightsAction,returningfroman inspection in Gbarain, SouthernIjawLocalGovernmentArea of the state.

The Captain of the trawler, whoidentifiedhimselfsimplyas Sebastian, said the pirates who spoke Ijaw dialect “were fully armed and took myself and my colleague to an unknown place in the mangrove forest for four days, without food. We were maltreated and beaten.

“After receiving the ransom from our company, they agreed to deliver us safe at Amassoma,

but this was not to be. Getting around Awegbene community, they pushed us into the River and sped off. We were rescued by a woman.”

Passage

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R.HENDERSONIyiriaro Ojo-Munson of Uzebu Quarters in Benin kingdom is dead.

A statement by Folorunsho Ojo-Munson, on behalf of the family said the Service of Songs will hold at his residence, 9, Veronica Street, behind Uselu Market, Uselu, Benin City on Thursday, while funeral/interment holds at Erediauwa Street, off Sapele Road, Benin City Friday.

Thanksgiving service would hold on Sunday, July 29, at Foursquare Gospel Church, Zonal Headquarters, Useh Old Road, Useh, Benin City.

Late Iyiriaro Ojo-Munson

Vanguard, TUESD AY, JUL Y 24, 2012—5 TUESDA JULY

POCKET CARTOON

35 killed, 200 houses destroyed in Jos flood

Continues from Page 1 flooding which submerged several houses, rendering many people homeless.

Areas most affected were parts of Rukuba Road, Angwan Rogo, Angwan Rukuba, Rikkos, Gangare and Farin Gada, among others. By yesterday morning, about three cars were seen submerged in water below the Farin Gada bridge.

The torrential rain which started in the evening on Sunday continued till past midnight making many rivers to overflow their banks.

The head of the Red Cross in the state, Manasie Phampe, said: “We have recovered the bodies of 35 people that drowned in the overnight flooding. About 200 homes have either been submerged or destroyed. Rainwater and water from the Lamingo dam which overflowed swept across several neighbourhoods in the city. We are still searching for more bodies as many people have been declared missing.”

He confirmed that the victims so far included a 90-year-old woman and a three-month-old baby, adding that the toll could rise.

An official with National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) based in Jos, Mr. Edward Maigida, said his staff were still trying to compile a list of those missing or killed.

A community leader in Rikkos, Alhaji Abubakar Mahmud confirmed to journalists that about 14 bodies were recovered yesterday morning and

were being prepared for burial. He also said that houses and other property were destroyed in the disaster.

Already, NEMA in the state has deployed a rescue team to search for missing persons in the affected areas.

NEMA’s Director of Relief and Rehabilitation Maigida told journalists yesterday that three camps for displaced persons had been set up by the agency, adding that a census was on to determine the relief materials to be taken to each camp.

Some residents spoken to said several highways were flooded making them impassable and forcing many motorists to remain in the rain until it subsided.

A lecturer in the University of Jos said he got home late as he could not drive through the water which he said entered his car at a point.

I am still searching for my wife, 2 children — victim Meanwhile, Mr Adam Ahmad, a victim of the flood said that he was still searching for his wife and two children.

“I am not sure they (wife and children) are still alive; but I can only say that I am still searching for them,” a visibly shaken Ahmad told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Jos. Ahmad said: “We were sleeping when we heard water rushing into the house and before we realised what was happening, the whole place became like a stream.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

If people refuse to look at you in a new light and they can only see you for what you were, only see you for the mistakes you’ve made, if they don’t realize that you are not your mistakes, then they have to go — Steve Maraboli

I

T is often said that we create and maintain problems because they give us a sense of identity. Perhaps this explains why we often hold onto our pain far beyond its ability to serve us.

We replay past mistakes over and over again in our head, allowing feelings of pain and regret to shape our actions in the present. We cling to frustration and worry about the future, as if the act of fixation somehow gives us power. We hold stress in our minds and bodies, potentially creating serious health issues, and accept that state of tension as the norm.

There is a saying that, “if you let go a little, you will have a little peace. If you let go a lot, you will have a lot of peace.”

“I immediately rushed to where my children were sleeping but did not see them; the whole place was taken over by water with a high speed current sweeping all around me.

“I was confused and rushed to where my wife was, but before I could enter her room, the entire house collapsed. It is a miracle that I es-

caped because the water almost consumed me. It got to my neck before I rushed out of the building.

“The building is lying over there,” he said, pointing to the debris of what used to be his house. Ahmad, who could not hold back tears, said that life was not worth living without his family.

Impeachment threat: PDP wades in ....As House denies inducement

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, POLITICAL EDITOR, OKEY NDIRIBE & EMMAN OVUAKPORIE

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AGOS—WITH the House of Representatives unrelenting in its impeachment threat against President Goodluck Jonathan, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP will today formally intervene in the crisis.

The PDP’s intervention through its National Working Committee, NWC is coming as the House, yesterday, maintained its stance on the September ultimatum to Jonathan to fully implement the 2012 budget.

The House has also dismissed insinuations of a conspiracy by other political interests against the Presidency.

The communiqué from the House came as it emerged that the Presidency was itself losing the backing of normally supportive members of the House. Of serious concern to the Presidency, it was learnt yesterday, was the fact that some House members from the South-South were becoming indifferent to the difficulties of the administration in the House over the ultimatum.

The House of Representatives had last Thursday issued an ultimatum to President Jonathan to fully implement the 2012 budget failing which the House would commence impeachment proceedings against him when it resumes from its seasonal break in September.

The formal intervention of the PDP NWC follows reports of the intervention of the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur who was reported to have communicated

with Speaker Aminu Tambuwal over the issue on telephone.

The act of intervening by telephone was something that some in the House of Representatives have seen as an example of the lack of seriousness on the part of the presidency in resolving the matter.

Members from the South-South geopolitical zone who had in the past backed President Jonathan, were, yesterday, pulling away from him, alleging that his failure to fully implement the budget was also damaging their political interests.

Meanwhile a plot to discredit the impeachment threat was yesterday afoot with supporters of the President aiming to link the threat of impeachment to the political opposition who they claimed were seeking to get power outside the ballot box.

“There is no serious threat from our members in the House but what we see is a determined scheme by the discredited opposition to gain power and relevance using the platform of the House of Representat i v e s .

“In fact, we are not perturbed by the rumblings because we are all on the same page with the members of the House of Representatives on the matter of budgets and we are certainly not moved by the machination of the opposition,” a senior official of the PDP disclosed yesterday.

Besides the political opposition there were also insinuations of members being propelled by ulterior motives such as financial gain or other considerations.

It also emerged that the NWC of the party would be meeting with the issue on the top of the agenda.

Apparently responding to the insinuations of a plot by outside interests to destabilize the House, House spokesman, Rep. Zakari Mohammed in a statement yesterday dismissed it, saying that the House was essentially being driven by the patriotism of members.

“We in the Legislature are lawmakers and not contractors and execution of the constituency projects has been the exclusive preserve of the executive and its agencies. At no time has there been any argument on this,” Mohammed said in the statement yesterday. “The entire 360 members in the House are bound by the Nigerian project; our independence and objectiveness is evident in the selection of our principal officers which we did according to our thoughts. To assume that we are guided by some forces outside the House of Representatives is mischievous and a deliberate ploy to misrepresent the House before the Nigerian public.”

Noting the effort of the House to distance itself from one of its allegedly errant members, Rep. Farouk Lawan, the House spokesman said: “The 7th Assembly has distanced itself from the Hon. Farouk/ Otedola case as evident in the bold steps, we took in suspending Lawan as chairman of both the committees on fuel subsidy and education. In addition we have encouraged the law enforcement agencies to do their work according to the dictates of the law.

“To now conclude that our resolution of last Thursday was borne out of selfish motives is terribly out of place. We would, however, continue to raise our voices to the highest level where we sight injustice

or impunity; no amount of blackmail or intimidation would cow us to abdicate our constitutional responsibility which we signed with our employers the (Nigerian people) to stand firm and protect their interest.”

It also emerged that anger was also boiling over even among members normally supportive of the President.

“The executive has completely abandoned the constituency projects as contained in the budget that was passed by the National Assembly,” a member of the House from the SouthSouth said yesterday.

“For instance, we are now on recess and we need to go back to our various constituencies but what are we going to point to as our achievements in the last one year when we face our people?”

He also condemned the Presidency’s handling of the situation adding that not even law-makers from the South-South region had been contacted for support on the unfolding scenario.

Said he: “I am from the South-south region and nobody has even reached out to us on this development”.

Chudi Uwazurike, (PDP, Imo) reacting on the budget impasse said: “There is no war with the Presidency; the House is not at war at all. There is of course frustration over the major function of the parliament which is oversight over the budget.

Remember that the whole point of democracy is to make life easier and more meaningful.

“This particular budget was treated and passed in such a way that whatever the executive asked for, they really got. So there is no excuse whatsoever for failure".

6 — VANGUARD, TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2012

PIB 'll be thoroughly scrutinised before passage —Reps

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President Goodluck Jonathan (middle); Vice President Namadi Sambo (left) and Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala during the opening of the Presidential Retreat on Maritime Security at the Banquet Hall, State House, Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida.

Jonathan condemns continuous stealing of crude oil zSays it is only in Nigeria that crude oil is stolen zAs Nigeria loses N2trn annually to capital flight

BY BEN AGANDE

A

BUJA — PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, expressed dismay at the continuous stealing of Nigeria’s crude oil by illegal bunkerers, vowing that his administration would do everything possible to stem the tide by bringing the perpetrators to book.

The President stated this at the opening of the Maritime Sector Presidential Retreat with the theme, “Harnessing the Potential of Nigeria’s Maritime Sector for Sustainable Economic Development” at the Presidential Villa.

He upbraided those involved in the crime and told them to “throw their heads under the pillow” in shame as there was no justification for their actions.

Jonathan’s comment came on a day the Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala revealed that the country loses over N2 trillion annually in capital flight to foreign countries following the inability of the indigenous ship owners to fully participate in lifting of the over 150 million tons of cargo from the country including crude oil exports.

It's only in Nigeria that crude is stolen According to Jonathan, “it is embarrassing that it is only in Nigeria that crude oil is stolen. It is a very bad news and I believe that Nigerians and foreigners who are involved in that act need to throw their heads C M Y K

under the pillow because all over the world, it is only in Nigeria that crude oil is stolen.

He said: "This must stop.

We will be decisive in putting an end to this malaise. Our charge to all relevant agencies and departments of government is to work cooperatively with the required urgency.”

He said the maritime sector was a critical component of the economic development of a modern state, noting that it was in this regard that it was incorporated as a major component of the transformation agenda.

The president said the “sector facilitates approximately 90 per cent of world trade, creates millions of jobs and generates billions of dollars in economic output. The sector, to say the least, is a major engine of our national growth strategy.

“Besides improved prospects in traditional searelated activities such as fishing, shipping, shipbuilding and repairs, agriculture and tourism, the sector is a major hub in offshore oil exploration and production activities and will remain so in the foreseeable future.

“Given its importance to the national economy, we have an uncompromising obligation to safeguard our territorial waters against all threats: poaching, piracy, pipeline vandalism, coastal insecurity, crude oil theft, illegal bunkering, nonpayment of statutory levies and charges, illegal entry

of ships into our territorial waters, illegal importation of arms and hard drugs, among other sundry crimes."

Cost of inadequate maritime safety Okonjo-Iweala who also spoke at the event said the cost of inadequate maritime safety and security to Nigerian society and the economy “has been significant.”

She said “the Indigenous Ship Owners Association of Nigeria said that we now lose over N2 trillion annually in capital flight to foreign countries which own vessels used to lift about 150 million tons of cargos including oil products from this country as there is no Nigerian flag ship currently plying international routes.

Nigerian-own vessels make up less than one per cent of the global fleets and are quite old with an average of 30 years of age”.

FG sets up 15-man maritime c'ttee Meanwhile, the Federal Government, yesterday, set up a 15-member committee to draw up roadmap for effective maritime operations in the country.

The committee which has heads of most of the maritime agencies was charged with the responsibility of working out ways for the development and effect exploitation of the

enormous potential of the sector.

The committee is chaired by the Minister of Transport, Sen. Idris Umar while a reknown maritime lawyer, Olisa Agbokoba, SAN will serve as the vice chairman.

BY EMMAN OVUAKPORIE

B U J A — CHAIRMAN, House of Representatives Committee on InterParliamentary Affairs, Hon Daniel Reyenieju, has assured Nigerians that the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, before the National Assembly would be thoroughly scrutinised before its passage by the legislators.

Also, Hon Chudi U w a z u i r i k e , representing Imo State, assured that the Bill would be given all the necessary attentions and screening before it is finally passed into law.

Reyenieju dropped the hint while speaking with newsmen, yesterday, saying: “Nigerians’ hope and aspiration from the PIB when it becomes law will remain the guiding principle of the House, and thus the House will fully scrutinize the bill using all possible prisms of analysis and contextualized international best practices to fulfil this onerous task.”

The legislator who was recently elected ViceC h a i r m a n , Commonwealth Parliamentary Union, African Region, however, appealed to Nigerians to expect the best output from the National Assembly.

The lawmaker further hinted that “Nigeria being for now a monocultural economy which is almost solely rested on crude oil, it is through a good regulatory law that Nigeria can derive the necessary maximum advantage from this wasted asset. Thus, it is our hope that the expectation for a perfect law to regulate the petroleum sector will be fully appreciated to the extent that the House will not be unnecessarily pressured into passing the PIB without doing enough rigorous analysis and inputs.”

Hon Uwazuirike explained that “there is no way tribal sentiments will overshadow the manner in which the bill will be debated on the floor of the House. If it happens, that will be a tragedy for this nation.“

Oteh resumes, meets directors zAs Acting DG proceeds on retirement

BY EMMA UJAH, ABUJA BUREAU CHIEF

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BUJA — DIRECTORGENERAL, Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, Ms. Arunmah Oteh, returned to her office, in Abuja, yesterday, without any form of resistance, as earlier threatened by some staff of the nation’s capital market regulator.

But Vanguard learnt that the man who acted for her, Mr Ibrahim Bello has gone on retirement.

It was learnt that Oteh, who was last week recalled from an indefinite suspension slammed on her by the board of the commission over alleged financial recklessness, got to her office early in the morning and held a meeting with directors of the organisation.

Details of the meeting were not officially made public but it was learnt that she urged the management and staff of SEC to work with her to restore investor's confidence in the nation’s battered capital market.

Oteh's re-call ended several month of intrigues over the control of the regulatory agency between her and several forces within SEC and the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

Those sympathetic to her course said she did not do anything wrong as they claimed that external a u d i t o r s , PricewaterhouseCoopers, which examined the books of the commission after her suspension by the board did not find her guilty of any financial malpractice.

Others claimed her closeness to some powerful interests in Aso Rock Villa was the real reason for her return to her seat.

Members of staff who spoke with journalists decried the alleged oneman show style of Oteh’s administration as well as her alleged highhandedness.

Oteh had not arrived SEC headquarters when Vanguard visited the premises but the staff insisted that they were prepared to prevent her from entering her office, no

matter the decision of the Federal Government.

Secretary-General, Staff Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation, Civil Service and Recreation Employees, Adekoya John, who eventually spoke to journalists urged the Federal Government to ensure it followed due process even if it chose to reinstate Oteh.

The Acting DG Ibrahim Bolaji had to convey an impromptu meeting to arrest the situation from degenerating into a violent protest as he was said to have appealed to the workers to exercise restraint.

Armed policemen and other plain-cloth security agents flooded the vicinity of the SEC headquarters to ensure that miscreants did not take advantage of the staff protest.

Members of the House of Representatives also criticized the decision of the Presidency to recall Oteh whom they claimed was indicted in their Capital Market probe report.

VANGUARD, TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2012—7

PRESIDENCY 2015:

Court to determine Jonathan’s eligibility Oct 18

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

A

From left: General Manager, Metro FM, Ndidi Osaka; Director, Lagos Operations of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, FRCN, Alhaji Bola Agboola; Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Lateef Ibirogba, representing Governor Babatunde Fashola; and former DirectorGeneral, FRCN, Rt. Rev. George Bako, at the 35th anniversary of Radio Nigeria Metro 97.7FM, at Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos.

Nigeria risks losing SWF valued at N160bn —CIS

BY MICHAEL EBOH

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AGOS — NIGERIA is in danger of losing a substantial portion of the Sovereign Wealth Fund, SWF, valued at about N160 billion ($1 billion), unless the investment strategy of the fund is reviewed to focus more on investing in the Nigerian capital market and other local investments outlets, the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers, CIS, warned, yesterday.

President of the CIS, Mr. Ariyo Olushekun, who spoke during a courtesy visit to the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, Mr. Oscar Onyema, in Lagos, said investing a significant portion of the Sovereign Wealth Fund in Nigeria would not only safeguard the fund, but also help grow the Nigerian capital market and the economy in general.

According to him, Libya lost about 80 per cent of its sovereign wealth fund, because a large chunk of it was invested outside the country.

He said: “Government should invest the SWF in Nigeria, especially in the capital market. There is no point investing the country’s resources outside the economy. If we do that we are using our resources to help other economy.

“Specifically, the future generation aspect of the fund should be invested here, so that the economy can benefit from it.

“This is particularly so, because if you invest the money outside the C M Y K

economy, there is no guarantee that the other markets will out-perform your local markets, anyway, but it is also on record that Libya lost about 80 per cent of its sovereign wealth fund due to almost similar reasons.”

Olushekun called on the Federal Government to urgently provide a stimulus package for stockbrokers to enable them play their roles in the capital market.

He said if the government was serious about reviving the capital market, it should grant tax incentives to quoted companies and investors.

He said: “Company income tax paid by companies should be reduced to about 25 per cent from 30 per cent currently.

Investors are also paying Value Added Tax, VAT, when they buy and sell a stock. We don’t think this right. VAT is more applicable to consumption items. Buying and selling of stocks are not consumption items.”

The CIS boss promised that the institute would work with the embattled DirectorGeneral of the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, Ms Arunmah Oteh and other regulatory authorities in the capital market to drive the growth of the capital market.

He noted: “We have always been working with the regulatory authorities.

What we seek at this moment is the cooperation of all the regulatory authorities. We want them to cooperate and partner with us in our quest of

driving the revival and growth of the market.”

The Federal Government, had, last year launched the Sovereign Wealth Fund to save money for future generations, providing financing for badly needed infrastructure and to start a stabilisation fund to defend the economy against shocks in the global economy.

The fund, which was marred in controversy, has an initial $1 billion as its start up, with plans to increase the amount over the next couple of years.

The fund is expected to replace the Excess Crude Account, ECA, where extra revenues from the sale of crude oil above the benchmark rate are saved.

BUJA — AN Abuja High Court, yesterday, fixed October 18 to determine whether or not President Goodluck Jonathan is eligible to contest Presidency in 2015.

Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi fixed the date of judgment after entertaining arguments from parties to the suit filed by a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr Cyriacus Njoku.

Arguing in court, yesterday, counsel to Jonathan and that of the PDP, Mr Christopher Paul and Mr Kelechi Normeh, respectively, contended that the plaintiff failed to disclose any reasonable cause of action that precipitated the suit.

They argued that Jonathan was currently doing his first term of four years in office as the President of Nigeria as provided by the 1999 Constitution as amended.

According to the PDP, “President Jonathan’s status and position is

Five Nigerians die in US auto crash

A

S Americans come to terms with the destardly theatre killings

FIRS nets N2.43trn in six months zAs non-oil revenue goes up

BY OSCARLINE ONWUEMENYI

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BUJA —THE Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, announced, yesterday, that it has continued to record a steady increase in the amount of revenue generated through taxation as it collected N2.43 trillion in the first half of year the 2012.

This collection represents an increase in the revenue collection performance of N499.20 billion when compared to the total collection of N1.94 trillion for the same period in 2011.

A statement by the D i r e c t o r , Communications and Liaison Department in the service, Mr. Emmanuel Obeta, in Abuja showed that nonoil receipts amounted to N838.58 billion of this total collection, while receipts from oil taxes accounted for N1.60 trillion, In 2011, the service

recorded N955.19 billion in the first quarter and N985.30 billion in the second quarter.

The statement noted:“The 2012 figure represents a remarkable increase in tax collection which includes oil and non-oil revenue with both recording N1.17 trillion and N1.26 trillion in the first and second quarters respectively.

“This stride demonstrates the service’s resolve, not only to achieve the N5.085 trillion set target for the year, but to also increase the non oil taxes and lessen Nigeria’s dependence on oil as its main revenue earner.”

The Acting Executive Chairman of FIRS, Alhaji Kabir Mashi, had on assumption of office, in April, charged the management and staff of the service to up the ante and ensure that the progressive history of tax revenue collection by FIRS over the years did not drop.

formidably backed by the 1999 Constitution. The constitution of Nigeria only makes provisions for a president to contest for not more than two terms of four years each. The constitution recognises the President’s tenure of office to be four years."

PDP further maintained that Jonathan had not indicated or announced anywhere whether in words or in writing that he would contest the presidential election in 2015.

Consequently, they insisted that the plaintiff was bereft of the locus to seek such declarative orders against Jonathan.

Meanwhile, the plaintiff who argued through his counsel, Mr Ugochukwu Osuagwu, urged the court to discountenance the preliminary objections by the defendants and decide the case on its merit.

After listening to the parties, Justice Oniyangi adjourned the case for judgment, noting that the long adjournment was due to the fact that the court is embarking on a long vacation.

Breakdown of collections A further breakdown of the collection from the oil sources showed that N1.59 trillion was realised from Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT), while Gas Income (GI) accounted for N9.04 billion.

Similarly, non- oil sources recorded N405.58 billion collection from Companies Income Tax (CIT), N3.35 billion for Capital Gains Tax (CGT) and N3.25 for Stamp Duties in the same period.

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Import and Non Import Value Added Tax (VAT) recorded N353.83 billion, Education Tax (EDT) accounted for N32.8 billion, while National Information T e c h n o l o g y Development Fund (NITDEF) yielded N8.52 billion.

in Colorado, the Nigerian community in New York was thrown into mourning, weekend, when a Mercedes Benz sports utility vehicle with which they were travelling hit a concrete support and rolled over. The SUV burst into flames killing five of the seven passengers including two children.

The accident happened on Sunday in New York City where the cccupants of the car had come from a 2day convention of the Arondizuogu Patriotic Union National Congress of North America.

Later that day, members of the group were in mourning as they entered and left the Jamaica Hospital Medical Centre where three of the survivors of the accident had been brought.

A grieving Inno Chima, a participant in the Saturday night gala, was quoted to ask: “Did God go to sleep on us?” The accident occurred around 3:15 a.m., and the police believe the S.U.V. was speeding, the authorities said.

Witnesses told investigators that the vehicle ran two red lights shortly before the accident, which occurred on Atlantic Avenue just east of the Van Wyck.

The vehicle struck a concrete support for the AirTrain to Kennedy International Airport, and flipped a number of times before coming to rest on the passenger side about 80 feet away, authorities said.

8—Vanguard , TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2012

Following weekend's rainfall, flood killed 35, rendered 200 homeless and scores missing in Jos, Plateau State. CLOCKWISE: Rubble of buildings destroyed; flooded area, yesterday; and a resident moving out of affected home. PHOTOS: Taye Obateru.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2012—9

‘Awori still part of proposed Lagoon State’

Tinubu tasks leaders on unity

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AGOS—THE Lagoon State Movement has dismissed media reports that Awori people resident in Lagos State have opted out of the clamour for a proposed new state.

In a statement by its Public Relations Officer, Mr. Olufunmilade Ayantuga, the movement faulted the remarks credited to President of Awori Welfare Association of Nigeria, AWAN, that the people of Aworiland were no longer interested in the agitation for a Lagoon state creation.

The forum, in its reaction, explained that “at a conference of the committee of Indigenous Association of Lagos State held at the late Chief Amzat Adebowale Villa at Odomola, Epe, on March 2, 2012, prominent Awori indigines were present where the proposal for the creation of Lagoon state was presented and exhaustively discussed. ''It was the main paper presented and given the Nigerian situation, it was agreed by all and sundry that a proposal should be forwarded to the National Assembly for consideration.”

The group added that “the Awori indigenes present at the meeting expressed their unalloyed support for the creation of Lagoon state but advocated for more dialogue and consultation with all stakeholders. This we have done continuously through letters, SMS messages, handbills, fliers, radio jingles and words of mouth.”

While it described the statement as mere fallacy, the movement said it was still in the forefront of the agitation for the creation of a Lagoon state.

“We, therefore, vehemently denounce the said publication as it was meant to deceive the general public and divert our focus from providing the best for the people of the proposed state. ''Lagoon state is not a ploy to balkanise Aworiland or its people in Lagos State but a way of solving the perennial problems of marginalization, overpopulation, complex transportation system, underdevelopment, unemployment and insecurity in Lagos State. When Lagoon state is created, the above problems will be minimized or solved for Lagos and Lagoon state in particular and for all Nigerians living in the two states,” it stated.

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BY EBELE ONUORAH

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From left, Chief Opral Benson, Mr. Segun Awolowo, Alhaja Abba Folawiyo, Chief Molade Okoya-Thomas, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, Professor Oyediran and Aremo Segun Osoba at the 70th birthday dinner of Alhaja Abba Folawiyo at her Ikoyi, Lagos,residence. Photo: Oscar Ochiogu.

Policemen at Makoko demolition were on illegal duty — CP

BY EVELYN USMAN, MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO & RUTH CHUKWUEMEKA

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KEJA—THREE of the policemen who participated in the demolition of shanties in Makoko, in Yaba,s Lagos, on the day one of the community’s chiefs was killed, were on illegal duties.

Although, the Lagos police command spokesperson, Ngozi Braide, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, said she could not ascertain the figure, confirmed that the Police Corporal, Pepple Bomam, who allegedly shot the chief, Timothy Hunpoyanwa, was discovered to be on illegal duty.

His mission at the demolition scene, as gathered, was unknown to the Marine Police and Lagos State Police Command which oversees activities of Marine Police.

The command boss, Mr. Umar Manko, said this, yesterday, during a condolence visit to Makoko Community.

The visibly angry CP, who appealed for calm, explained that the procedure for the policemen to accompany taskforce officials was not met.

He said there ought to have been a written application to the command requesting for the services of the policemen, after which the command would detail the Marine Police to deploy some of its men.

He, therefore, assured that the command would

not leave any stone unturned in ensuring that justice was done, informing that the corporal who allegedly fired the shot that snuffed life out of one of their own, was already in detention, stressing that the command would not condone any act of indiscriminate killing from its men.

“We condone with you concerning the death of the chief. We will ensure that justice takes place.

The Nigerian Police is

undergoing transformation. The era where people shoot anyhow has ended. Therefore, anybody who does such will face the consequences.”

Responding, one of the traditional chiefs, Balee Jeje Ayinde, lamented what he described as untold pains fishermen in the area faced in the hands of policemen, appealing to the CP to ensure that such stopped.

He also appealed to the CP to plead with the La-

gos State Government on their behalf, to allow them remain in Makoko, adding that they had no other place to go to.

President of the Fishermen Association, Mr. Emmanuel Agbe, described the area as their ancestral home, adding, “our forefathers came here in 1890 about 120 years ago. This is the only place we have come to recognise as home. Please, beg Fashola to leave us alone.”

Dana coroner: Lawyers fault fire fighters' account of time

BY ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH, ONOZURE DANIA & ADEOLA ADENUGA

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AGOS—OFFICIALS of the Lagos State Fire Service were, yesterday, contradicted at the on-going coroner proceedings put up to unravel circumstances behind last month's Dana Air crash in Iju, Lagos.

One hundred and fifty three passengers and some residents of the area were killed in the crash.

The law Chambers of Falana and Falana had petitioned the Lagos State Chief Coroner, Justice Lateefa Okunnu, for an inquiry into the incident.

At the opening of the inquest, yesterday, a fire officer, who was a witness, Mr. Gbadebo Olaogun, testified before a Lagos State Coroner, Mr Oyetade Komolafe, that his team arrived at the

scene 14 minutes after they got alert of the incident.

He also informed the coroner that they put off the aircraft’s fire and that of the buildings after working for 15 minutes.

Olaogun said: “We got the call about the crash at 15:56 hours (3:56 pm) and we got to the crash site around 16.10 hours (4.10) pm.”

However, his account was faulted by three lawyers including Mr. Femi Falana, Adewale Adeniyi

from Falana Chambers and Ola Momodu from MRS Oil Plc, who said the rescue operations was poor.

The lawyers argued that the pace of the rescue operations by the Lagos State Fire Services was “too slow”, contrary to Olaogun’s evidence.

The witness in his testimonies said:” Our first effort was to make sure that we put out the fire, because the fire was already on the buildings when we got there.''

AGOS—FORMER Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has charged Nigerians to break the cycle of violent ethnicity whilst calling on leaders of diverse ethnic groupsto rise above the temptations and language of prejudice to build understanding and unity.

He made this call at a book presentation and launch, entitled: “Anioma Na Ndigbo, Anyi O Bu Ofu” written

by Chief Okonmah NgoMartins, at Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, NIIA, in Lagos, recently.

Tinubu, who was the guest speaker, said peaceful co-existence should be a sine-quanon for all Nigerians to arrest the drift in ethnic relationships in the country.

He said: “If a complex and culturally diverse country like Nigeria is to rightfully advance, we must join hands to call for an end to hostility and begin of a new life of tolerance for one another regardless of ethnicity or place of origin.''

He re-emphasised the importance of togetherness and unity saying: “Each and every one of us has a role to play in stemming this culture of violence founded on intolerance and disrespect for one another’s cultural differences; as peace loving and patriotic citizens, we must not let fear or vengeance rule over us rather we must gather and work in sober unisom to excise this tumor from our national life.”

Tinubu did not fail to acknowledge the togetherness Lagos shares with Ndigbo, stating that they have been active partners in building Lagos to its enviable status.

‘Good Samaritan’ docked for stealing from victims The prosecutor, John Badagry expressway on

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AGOS—POLICE in Lagos, yesterday, arraigned a 32-year-old unemployed man, Bartholomew Mbatuonu, before an Apapa Chief Magistrate’s Court for allegedly stealing the property of an accident victim, who later died.

Iberedem, told the court that Mbatuonu stole three bags containing various women clothes, shoes and cash totalling N200,000 belonging to Mrs Georgina Chijioke , who was involved in a bus accident around Maza- Maza on Lagos-

July 2.

Iberedem said the accused pretended as if he was helping the accident victims and in the process stole the bags.

He said Mbatuonu, of no fixed address, was facing a one-count charge of stealing.

10—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2012

BY EVELYN USMAN & DAUD OLATUNJI

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BEOKUTA—LESS than 24 hours after two accidents involving 39 persons occurred in Sango and Mowe areas of Ogun State, another fatal crash was recorded in Awowo Village, on Abeokuta/Lagos Expressway in the Ewekoro Local Government Area of the state, leaving one dead while nine others were seriously injured.

Relatedly, two artisans were killed, yesterday, on Lagos/Ibadan Expressway after two tyres pulled off from a fastmoving truck and landed on some artisans who were resting in a garden.

Eyewitnesses said the truck with number-plate XP 152 AKD, apparently had a brake failure on approaching CMD Road end of the expressway. It was learnt that, in the driver’s bid to control the vehicle, the tyre suddenly pulled off, hit a Nissan car with number-plate FQ 981 EKY, before landing on the artisans.

An eyewitness, who gave the name of one of the victims as Kabiru Okunola, said, “ the incident occurred about 10 a.m. as we were all resting in the garden. All of a sudden, we heard someone screaming tyre!tyre!

The joined tyres hit Okunola on the head and chest and another person on the groin, killing them on the spot. No fewer than four other persons were also hit. But they did not die . We rushed them to the hospital.”

Meanwhile, driver of the truck and the conductor reportedly took to their heels, abandoning the truck on noticing the magnitude of the incident.

The incident caused a hitch in the free flow of traffic, until the arrival of policemen.

Contacted, spokesman for Lagos State Police Command, Ngozi Braide, said she was not aware of the incident.

Confirming the incident in Awowo Village, the Unit Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Itori Unit, Mr. Fatai Bakare, said

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3 dead, 9 injured in fresh Lagos, Ogun auto crashes zTension in Ikenne, Ilishan over Oro festival during Ramadan the accident involved a Mazda bus with numberplate Lagos BU 339 EPE. The accident occurred about 12: 05 p.m.

“The passenger bus was on a very high speed when the tyre got burst and the bus somersaulted thrice, the

nine victims, though on danger list, are still alive and had been taken to hospital.“ He added that while the corpse of the deceased had been deposited at mortuary, the injured victims had been taken to Ifo General

Hospital where they are receiving treatment.

Muslims, Oro cultists may clash Meantime, palpable tension has gripped residents

From right, Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande, former Action Governor of Lagos State; Professor Omolara Bamgboye, DVC, Admin, representing the Vice-Chancellor, Lagos State University, LASU, and Dr. Sola Fosudo, Ag. Director, Centre for Information, Press/PR, LASU, when the institution presented a birthday card to Alhaji Jakande at an event to mark his 83rd birthday at his Ilupeju, Lagos, residence, yesterday. Photo: Shola Oyelese Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko addressing the group members of Timber Merchant Association, Landlord to Landlords Groups and World Changers Foundation when the groups paid him solidarity visit in Akure, yesterday.

of Ilishan-Remo and Ikenne in Ikenne Local Government Area of the state following the imminent clash between an Islamic group and Oro cultists.

The two groups might clash on Friday, July 27, as Oro cultists were reportedly said to have ordered a three-day restriction of movement during their seven-day annual celebration.

Vanguard gathered that the ceremony would be held in Ikenne between July 27 and 28 while restriction of movement along with the celebration would be held in IlishanRemo between August 3 and 5.

To forestall the crisis, Ogun State Chapter of Muslim Rights’ Concern, MURIC, has petitioned the paramount ruler in the area, Oba Michael Sonarinwo and reportedly copied Governor Ibikunle Amosun, Director of State Security Service,SSS, and Commissioner of Police in the state.

The letter, by the state Coordinator Soliu Luqman, described the gesture as an impending religious crisis, if the festival holds as scheduled with restriction of movement for three days, during the on-going Ramadhan fasting period in Remo zone of the state.

Court sacks Ijebu monarch for imposition

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

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B E O K U TA — A N Abeokuta High Court, sitting in IjebuOde, yesterday, sacked Posa of Imosan, Oba Shamusideen Wahabi, for illegally occupying the

throne. It ordered him to vacate the stool immediately.

Delivering judgment on the matter, Justice Sunday Olugbemi, who frowned at the absence of the defendant during the trial, said the complainant had

been able to establish his case beyond doubt.

Wahabi was last November, dragged before a high court by Mr. Kehinde Ogunfowodu, who told the court through his counsel, Mr. Akorede Oduneye, that he

Tinubu: Mimiko is an ingrate, disrespectful — Akeredolu

BY CHARLES KUMOLU

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KURE—THE Rotimi Akeredolu Campaign

Organisation in Ondo State has berated Governor Olusegun Mimiko for describing National Leader of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, as an emperor, describing the statement as a sign of ingratitude.

A statement by its Director of Media and Publicity, Mr. Idowu Ajanaku, called on the Labour Party, LP, to quit mudslinging and focus on issue-based campaign.

He said: ‘’The equally baffling subsequent tactless tirade made by Governor Mimiko, now referring to the much-respected Nigerian democrat and political strategist, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, as an emperor smirks of gross disrespect and crass ingratitude. ''One only hopes that the transient aroma of political power has not deluded the governor’s mind-set into forgetting, so soon, all the moral support he enjoyed from the latter in his most trying times.’’

(Wahabi)was illegally occupying the stool.

Oduneye argued that installation of Wahabi was contrary to the chieftaincy and rotational order of appointment to the stool as contained in the 1957 Chieftaincy Title Declaration.

In her ruling, the judge said: “the defendants are hereby perpetually restrained from disorganising the rotational order of appointment of Posa of Imosanland as contained in the 1957 declaration.

“The sitting monarch of Imosanland, Mr. Wahabi, is hereby ordered to vacate the seat as his appointment is declared by the court as null and void.''

Olugbemi, however, ordered the regency-incouncil to make use of the report of the six-man committee set up to consider who becomes the next Posa of Imosanland.

Briefly

Fayemi tasks varsities

BY GBENGA OLARINOYE

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S O G B O— E K I T I State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has challenged university administrators in the country to re-invent the university idea and rebuild its foundations to make them truly competitive in the global university system.

Fayemi, who spoke, yesterday, at the second convocation lecture of Osun State University, UNIOSUN, Osogbo, noted that the recent global ranking of universities despite its few problems, reflects the state of affairs in Africa in general and in Nigeria in particular.

NECA protests

BY VICTOR AHIUMAYOUNG

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AGOS—NIGERIA Em ployers' Consultative Association, NECA, has called on Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Gbenga Ashiru, to direct Nigerian Embassy and High Commission in Italy, South Africa and Zimbabwe not to issue visas to the foreign experts Ekiti State Government is bringing for its International Enterprise Development Training for Young Farmers in Ekiti.

The umbrella body for employers in the country, is protesting the use of these foreign experts rather than Nigerian certified International Labour Organisation, ILO, Master Trainers who have same competence and qualifications as their foreign counterparts.

NECA's Director-General, Mr. Segun Osinowo, argued that besides the drain on the nation’s economy, it is also compounding Nigeria’s unemployment crisis.

Tree planting

BY DAYO JOHNSON

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KURE—AS part of its efforts at protecting and beautifying the environment, the Ondo State Government has planted about 3.2 million different species of trees and ornamental plants in major cities in the state in the past one year.

Governor Olusegun Mimiko said this, yesterday, in Akure at a ceremony where he flaggedoff this year’s tree planting season.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2012—11

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12— Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2012

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Vanguard , TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2012—13

Oil bunkering: Orji warns traditional rulers

BY ANAYO OKOLI

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MUAHIA—ABIA State government has read the riot act to traditional rulers involved in oil bunkering and pipeline vandalisation, vowing to depose ant traditional ruler caught in the act.

Addressing traditional rulers from Ukwa area of the state, Orji said: “The major thing I have called you is because of what is happening in your area, breaking of oil pipelines and stealing oil.

“The activities of these people have affected the allocation to the state. Because of this, we have for some months received nothing from 13 per cent derivation and it is affecting the development of the state.

“You can’t claim not to know these boys, they are known. Honestly, we have petitions that traditional rulers are involved in this. We have even investigated and found it to be true.

“Please, if any of you is

involved, let it stop today.

Our mercy ends the moment you leave here, because we will embarrass you before the public. So if you are a traditional ruler who is involved, stop it today.

We are friends if you keep to the laws.”

The activities of illegal oil bunkerers and economic saboteurs who vandalize oil pipelines heightened in recent times, following the fight against criminals, especially kidnappers and robbers in the state by the state government.

It was believed that some of the hoodlums who were lucky to escape the onslaught of security agencies in the fight against kidnapping and other violent crimes are behind the illegal oil business and pipeline vandalization.

Governor Theodore Orji had expressed worry over the economic loss associated with the activities of the oil thieves and vandals that he recently re-equipped the security agencies in the state, providing them new vehicles.

Alimosho LG boss gets award

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civil society group, Concerned Human Rights of Nigeria, CHRN, in collaboration with Coalition of Civil Societies for Good Governance, has conferred award on the chairman of Alimosho local government, Israel Sola Adekunle, for the outstanding developmental projects.

The society gave Adekunle the award in recognition of his outstanding performance upon embarking on the assessment tour of the

local government.

The National Coordinator of CHRN, Comrade Declan Ihekaire, commended the chairman for the developmental projects located within their community, such as provision of 10 units of 500 KVA power transformer, rehabilitation of Abati Primary School, Akowonjo, Community Primary School, Shasha, and Rauf Aregbesola Primary School.

Group Managing Director/CEO, UBA Plc, Mr Phillips Oduoza (middle); Renowned Author, Professor Ngugi wa Thiong’o; and Representative of Minister of Education, Mrs. Ibukun Oyewole; during the launch of Read Africa 2012, an initiative of UBA Foundation to rekindle learning culture among youths in Africa, at the UBA Head Office in Lagos, yesterday.

Man shoots wife dead in Enugu

BY TONY EDIKE

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NUGU—MATHIAS Nweze, a native of Umuida, Enugu-Ezike in Igboeze North local government area of Enugu State, has reportedly shot his wife dead.

The police said yesterday, that they had commenced investigation into the bizarre incident which occurred at about 11pm last S a t u r d a y .

Vanguard gathered that Nweze, popularly known as “Honourable”, claimed that while he was sleeping in his house that fateful night his generator went off twice without knowing the c a u s e .

Having woken up suddenly, he suspected that some thieves may have invaded

SSS invites Bakare...it's a friendly chat — SNG

BY DAPO AKINREFON

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HE State Security Serv ice SSS, yesterday, invited convener of the Save Nigeria Group, SNG, Pastor Tunde Bakare for questioning over the content of his Sunday sermon asking President Goodluck Jonathan to resign from office.

Bakare, who is also the Overseer of the Latter Rain Assembly, was invited to meet with the State director of the SSS at its Shangisha office in Lagos by 2 pm yesterday.

In a letter of invitation issued by State Director of Security signed by Mr A. Salami stated that “I am directed to invite you for an

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interview with the the State Director of Security, State Security Service, SSS, at the Command Headquarters along CMD Road Shangisha, Magodo, Lagos on Monday July 23, 2012 at 1400 hours. Accept the assurance of the State Director of Security highest esteem, please.”

The cleric had on Sunday, July 22, 2012, delivered a sermon titled: ‘How to change government peacefully and make society better’, where he advised President Jonathan to resign from office.

Confirming the invitation in a chat with Vanguard, spokesman of the SNG, Mr Yinka Odumakin explained that it was “basically a

friendly chat.”

Odumakin said “Pastor Bakare was invited and was asked to give them a copy of the sermon he preached in church. There was nothing extraordinary or outrageous in what he said. It was more of a cordial chat that lasted for one hour, 10 minutes.”

They are doing their own job as the state security of the state and he is doing his own call to make the country better for the people. Everyone is doing his job for as long as there is mutual respect. There is no cause for alarm. Like I told you, it was a friendly chat.

He was invited for a meeting for 2 pm but he got there at about 3:10 pm”.

his compound and as a result, brought out his pump action gun and pointed it towards the direction of the g e n e r a t o r .

Without wasting time, he allegedly fired several shots apparently to scare the alleged invaders but unknown to him his wife was around the place.

Nweze only realized that

he had shot his wife when she screamed saying that the bullet had hit her.

The woman fell down, bled profusely before sympathizers rushed to the scene.

She was later rushed to New Testament Hospital Ogrute, Igboeze North council headquarter where doctors confirmed her d e a d .

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, who confirmed the incident, said the corpse of the deceased had been deposited at the mortuary for autopsy.

"We have commenced investigation into the incident that led to the shooting of a housewife by the husband,” he said.

14—Vanguard , TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2012

RAMADAN TALK 05

Community appeals to Abia over imposition of monarch

Another period of spiritual evaluation

BY ISHOLA BALOGUN

BY ANAYO OKOLI

U

MUAHIA—SOME con cerned citizens of Umuogele Autonomous Community in Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia have appealed to the government to stop the imposition of a monarch on them.

Mr Chidi Amechi and leader of the group, made the appeal while briefing newsmen yesterday in Umuahia.

Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State inspecting guard of honour mounted Amechi, who is also the by Batch B 2012 NYSC members during the orientation course closing cereChairman, Umuaghamanya mony at the NYSC Permanent Camp, Umunna, in Bende LGA of Abia state.

Development Union, one of the villages, said such intervention would save the area from unnecessary communal clash.

He recalled that the autonomous community was made up of seven distinct villages that derived their names in their order of seniority.

Amechi gave the names of the villages in their order of seniority as Umuaghamanya, Odukpiri/Ugocha, Umuizundu/Umuiwenma, Umeje, Umungburu, Umuagwaoke and Umuamamehi.

“In 2000, the amended monarchical Constitution of Umuogele Autonomous Community provides that selection of a From left: Rotn John Senaya, Immediate past President, decorating Mr Jimmonarch in the community my Evbuonwan, new president and his wife Victoria during the investiture of should be in order of seniority, the 28th President and Board of Directors, Rotary Club of Ikoyi at Golden starting from Umuaghamanya". Gate, Ikoyi, Lagos. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele.

Imo LG crisis: Okorocha invites 27 elected chairmen for dialogue

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

O

WERRI—FOLLOW ING the confusion currently raging over the leadership structure in the 27 local government areas, Imo State governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha, has invited the elected local government chairmen for a discussion slated for Friday.

Governor Okorocha, who extended the invitation to the elected council chairmen while addressing newsmen, equally insisted that the rule of law must be upheld and respected, even as he expressed shock over the reaction of the Attorney General of the Federation.

“As father of the state, I will always uphold the rule of law, as well as protect the interest of everyone in the state”, Okorocha said.

Continuing, the governor said he was really concerned about what he termed “the unnecessary controversy surrounding the judgment of the Court of Appeal”, stressing that government had already C M Y K

gone on appeal to the highest court of the land.

“A motion for stay of execution has also been filed.

When I took office, I swore to uphold the rule of law and I am aware that once an application for stay of execution is pending in a court, the status quo remains”, Okorocha rea-

soned.

“The comment credited to the Attorney General of the Federation, which generated the controversy, may have emanated from sheer misinformation about the true situation on ground. I am dismayed at the resort to self help by the council chairmen with the active

connivance of the police acting as the sheriff without proper court order”, Okorocha said.

The governor appealed to Imolites to remain calm, as well as urged parties to the suit to avoid breach of law, order and peace that has continued to reign in the state.

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LMIGHTY Allah has offered us another opportunity to be alive to witness another glorious month, Ramadan. Alhamdullilah. Not all those who prayed for it got it. Within the last 12 months, innumerable souls have gone to the great beyond, so many who had wished and prepared for the month few days back could not have the grace to witness it. Some though not dead yet in critical conditions without the consciousness of observing the first Ramadan. We, of course are not better than them, we are rather specially blessed by Allah (SWT).

Allahuma, Laka lihamduShukran.

Yes, fasting has begun, in its fifth day today, but there is more to the act of abstinence from food and drink, there is deeper fulfillment, there is spiritual re-evaluation and divine rewards. We need to be asking ourselves all the time how we are going to benefit from the holy month. What are we going to do to make the most of Ramadan?

As we try to achieve this goal, we have to use the period more in not only recitation of the Qur’an but internalising the message; we should take the focus away from mundane things we have been doing in the last 11 months, turn a new leaf, see one another as brothers, share from what we have and build better spir-

Police rescue kidnapped doctor

Delta speaker blames insecurity on O African leaders

BY CHINENYEH OZOR

N

SUKKA— FOLLOW ING the security challenges in Nigeria and on the continent, speaker, Delta State House of Assembly, Mr. Victor Ochei, has blamed African leaders for being interested in securing their regimes at the expense of the internal cohesion of their various count r i e s .

He disclosed this at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, in a lecture he delivered on the challenges of

security in Nigeria.

According to him, the police had since colonial times been used as an instrument of cohesion which ushered the call for community policing in Nigeria .

Ochei, who was invested “fellow” of the institute of African studies of the university, noted that the clamour for the establishment of state police in Nigeria was not new but heightened by the growing feeling of insecurity that had gripped the country.

He stressed that establishment of state and local police would help curb ter-

rorism, kidnapping, armed robbery and other related crimes in the country.

Although the National Assembly has set aside 2013 for the amendment of the constitution to accommodate state creation, state police and traditional rulers, the speaker noted that s t a t e governors could comfortably afford to fund state police if established.

He said there was no state governor in the country that had not donated vehicles and other materials to the police for effective policing of his state.

itual lives. We should engage in supplication and invocations to Allah to change our situation, especially in the country. We are undoubtedly passing through difficult times and only divine intervention can bring the desired change.

Again, Ramadan fast is neither a diet nor a punishment. A fasting Muslim is expected to be happy because we are doing it in obedience to Allah’s ordinances. We don’t have to be irritating while fasting just because we abstain from food and drink, even at the slightest provocation, a fasting Muslim must maintain decorum. A fasting period is a communication period with the Supreme Being – Allah.

Fasting does not only teach us to control our unruly behaviours, but it also helps us to remember others who are less priviledged in the society, because fasting let us understand the sufferings of those who go without food as a part of life; so, give light and hope to their lives.

Since giving is central to what Ramadan is all about; from the begining of this Ramadan, you have to plan how you are going to affect the lives of others. In doing so, we not only heap down blessings on ourselves, insha’ Allah, but we also show others who don’t know anything about Islam other than the concept of violence which they erroneously ascribe to it that Islam is about love and caring for the have nots.

WERRI—THE police in Imo have foiled the activities of a four-man kidnapping gang in Umuike Amakohia, near Owerri, and rescued one Dr Ifeanyi Okoro, who was being held by the gang.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr Vitalis Onugu, told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, yesterday that the police acted on a tip-off on the hideout of the gang.

Onugu said the police successfully rescued the medical doctor, who worked at St. Patrick’s Hospital and Maternity, Onitsha, who was kidnapped on Sunday by the gang.

“We had been alerted days before and we laid ambush for them. Men of the police force have been

sleeping in the surrounding bushes for days because we didn’t know when they would return.

“Fortunately, our efforts have not been in vain because we were able to rescue their victim,” he said.

Onugu said the kidnappers fired on sighting the police, adding that one of them was killed when the police returned fire.

He said three of the kidnappers escaped, leaving behind one AK 47 rifle with seven magazines loaded with live ammunition.

The PPRO said efforts to apprehend the suspects had been intensified and urged members of the public to come forward with any information that would aid the police.

Vanguard , TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2012—15

Aig-Imoukhuede c'ttee submits report

BY KINGSLEY OMONOBI

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BUJA—THE committee set up by President Goodluck Jonathan to re-investigate oil marketers, who fraudulently collected over N422 billion in subsidy payments, will submit its report today.

This came even as Vanguard gathered that many more oil marketing concerns have been indicted in the subsidy fraud in the re-investigation and the amount has surpassed N422 billion.

Vanguard gathered that

the Aigboje AigImokhuede-led committee has also recommended that the prosecution of the culprits in the scam should be handled directly by the Federal Government rather than going through the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to avoid duplication.

Among recommendations said to have been made by the 15-man presidential committee was for some of the indicted companies to refund large sums of money, while others should be prosecuted to serve as a

deterrence.

Recall that Vanguard reported last week that many more mind-boggling fraudulent discoveries were unearthed when the new committee commenced its work of re-investigating many of the oil marketers, who earlier complained to President Jonathan that their indictment was wrong.

The Imokuede Committee also discovered that all the marketers of fuel were guilty of collecting money without importing the products, even though they were all cleared by the embattled Farouk

Lawan’s fuel subsidy probe panel.

It was gathered that the Aigboje AigImoukhuede’s committee, which initial report was faulted by some of the oil marketers prompting President Jonathan to establish another one, has stumbled on new findings that had thrown up more subsidy payments that may make the initial amount of N422 billion paid without verification, look like a child’s play.

The initial AigImoukuede-led panel had uncovered fraudu-

lent over-payments to many of the oil marketers to the tune of N422 billion, while all the oil marketers involved and indicted were invited and interrogated by the Farouk Lawan Committee but were given a clean bill of health.

Police sources had told Vanguard that the decision of the oil marketers to give out huge bribes to the House committee was to enable them use the clean bill given by the House to counter the indictment report that would be presented by the Finance Committee panel.

NUC, ICPC partner on varsities' probe

BY CALEB AYANSINA

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BUJA—INDEPENDENT Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, and National Universities Commission, NUC, have gone into partnership in efforts to sanitise the country’s university system, starting with a review of three in the pilot phase.

Those chosen for a review in the pilot scheme are the University of Nigeria, Nsukka; Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye and Salem University, Lokoja.

They are being sampled to reflect Federal/State/Private University and North/ West/East characteristics.

Both commissions came up with a 12-man committee to be headed by the exexecutive secretary of NUC, Prof. Peter Okebukola, to gather data upon which far-reaching policy decisions will be taken to improve climate of transparency and accountability in the university system.

Reps assure on PIB

BY EMMAN OVUAKPORIE

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BUJA—CHAIRMAN, House of Representatives Committee on Inter-Parliamentary Affairs, Daniel Reyenieju, has assured Nigerians that the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, before the National Assembly would be thoroughly scrutinised before its passage by the legislators.

Also, Chudi Uwazuirike, representing Imo State, assured that the bill will be given all the necessary attentions and screening before finally passed into law.

Reyenieju dropped the hint while speaking with newsmen yesterday, saying “Nigerians’ hope and aspiration from the PIB, when it becomes law, will remain the guiding principle of the House, and thus the House will fully scrutinise the bill using all possible prisms of analysis and contextualised international best practices to fulfill this onerous task.”

16 —Vanguard , TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2012

ELECTION: Hon. Lindiwe Maseko Kasolo, Chairperson, Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (left), and Hon. Daniel Oritsegbubemi Reyenieju, Vice-Chairman African Region, at the Chairperson's election in Johannesburg, South Africa.

CNPP to Reps: Cleanse your house before impeaching Jonathan

BY PETER DURU

M

AKURDI— BENUE State Chairman of Conference

of Nigeria Political Parties, CNPP, Mr. Baba Agan, has faulted the impeachment threat by the House of Repre-

Jonathan eulogises late Igala monarch

BY BOLUWAJI OBAHOPO

L

OKOJA—PRESI DENT Goodluck Jonathan has said the death of late Attah Igala, Alhaji Aliyu Obaje, came at a time his wise counsel would have been needed by the country.

President Jonathan stated this in Idah at the 8th Day Fidau prayer for the late monarch, who until his death was Chairman, Kogi State Traditional Leaders.

President Jonathan, represented by Minister

for Solid Minerals, Mr. Sada Mohammed, described the late monarch as a unique personality, whose wisdom and wealth of experience would have been most needed at a time the nation was passing through a challenging security situation and crisis of stability.

Governor Idris Wada of Kogi State, who said the late monarch ushered in an era of peace and unity, described him as a great man and father of modern Igala nation, whose impeccable records should be emulated.

Adamawa to construct 500km of rural roads

BY UMAR YUSUF

Y

OLA—ADAMAWA State Government said, yesterday, that it will give priority to the construction of roads to link rural areas of the state, adding that 500km roads had been short-listed to that effect.

State Commissioner for Rural Infrastructural and Community Develop-

ment, Alhaji Aminu Iyawa, who made the disclosure to journalists, said 20 communities had been earmarked to link up the various communities in the three senatorial zones of the state.

Iyawa said government was also poised to extend its rural development to other communities, where abandoned projects were situated.

sentatives against President Goodluck Jonathan, advising that the lawmakers should first purge themselves of corruption.

Fielding questions from newsmen in Makurdi, yesterday, Agan said the plot by members of the House smacks of hidden agenda and not what they want Nigerians to believe.

He said: “The way I see the whole issue, it goes beyond what they are saying. I am sure the nonimplementation of the budget is not the real issue. I strongly believe that it goes beyond that.

“It is either for political or selfish interest that they are doing what they are presently doing.”

Agan recalled that corruption under democratic governance started with the members of the National Assembly, who under the past administration of former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, demanded huge sums of money as furniture and other allowances.

He said the practise later extended to the state Houses of Assembly and councilors at the local government level.

“I advise that the House members should first purge themselves of all the allegations of corruption hanging on their necks before embarking on this illfated assignment that will serve no useful purpose to the average Nigerian,” Agan added.

Taraba tasks NYSC members on job creation

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ARABA State Coordinator of National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Hajiya Zainab Isah, has urged corps members to use skills acquired during the orientation course to create jobs in their host communities.

She gave the advice during the closing ceremony of 2012 Batch ‘B’

orientation course in Jalingo, Taraba State. She said with the skill acquisition programme, corps members should develop entrepreneur spirit geared towards national development.

She said: “Let me use this medium to make it clear to you that national service is not mere for-

mality or fulfilling righteousness, but a duty.

“Hence, you must strive to consciously look at ways you will deploy the knowledge you had garnered in your respective institutions of learning and the skills you acquired to make positive impact that will bring about the development.”

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2012—17

“When the President and Commanderin-Chief puts the country first and conducts himself as a statesman, credible elections are possible” HE above hubristic statement was credited to His Excellency, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, Governor of Edo State, as he savoured his re-election on Saturday 14 July. Comrade Oshomhole also tried to rationalise his false alarm against INEC and the PDP. He would not admit that he was hasty in condemning INEC’s conduct of the Edo election. I disagree with some of his reasons for raising an alarm which was intended to preemptively rubbish the election were he to lose. He and his party the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, even cried foul over the deployment of soldiers and Police to maintain peace during the election. But now that he has won, all is well. I don’t think that we should accept the doctrine that the only credible election is the one won by the opposition. That is pure blackmail.

Make no mistake about it; this is not strictly about Comrade Oshomhole. All the political parties are guilty of this shenanigan. During election campaigns we hardly hear a political party’s position on issues that can advance our nation. No. Party “A” cries out that it has unearthed a plan by party “B” to rig the election. Party “B” in turn accuses party “A” of planning to print fake ballots. Party “C” accuses others of buying and selling voters’ cards.

And when that is not enough to catch attention, a joker cries out about a threat to his miserable life! The joker does not take the proof of the threat to the security agencies. No. He goes to the media.

Unfortunately, these fictions deliberately concocted to put opponents on the defensive find believers who often prime themselves for mayhem on election day.

All these played out in the Edo election and Comrade Oshomhole was at the centre of it. Two months to the election, he wrote a petition to the Chairman of INEC detailing “plans by his opponents to use underhand tactics with the help of some officials (of INEC) to try and disenfranchise eligible electorate”. Late arrival of voting materials is one of the plans, according to Comrade Oshomhole.

The Comrade Governor commended President Goodluck Jonathan for “allowing” democracy to take its course.

Here again, I do not subscribe to this idea that democracy has to be “allowed” by the President to take its course. The implication is that when the President chooses not to “allow” it, we won’t have democracy. Such seeming benevolence is exactly the rule of one man and we should not encourage it. What we all should insist on is a democracy in which the electoral

T

When is an election credible? process belongs to the people, not to the government or to the President.

We have serious challenges in conducting free and fair elections. INEC under the chairmanship of Prof. Attahiru Jega has tried its best to restore credibility to the process. Agreed, he has received the support of the President in the relative success he has achieved so far, but overcoming some of the outstanding challenges lies squarely in the hands of ordinary Nigerians and the political parties. One major problem we experience in every election is late arrival of electoral

,

I am not naïve to believe that politicians are not capable of electoral fraud but I cannot accept that the only credible election is that won by the opposition

Let us look at the reality

,

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hy do we forget that those people used in conducting elections are Nigerians; human beings like us? They wake up on election day; a day we have decreed “ no movement” and are confronted with the problem of getting to the LG Headquarters to collect voting materials. Let us assume they get there in time. They now wait for the security men and the Electoral officer in charge to sort out the materials, ward by ward and polling booth by polling booth. The earliest this can be completed is ten o’clock. Let us also assume that the

Before Boko Haram in Osun State

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WAS disturbed to read a story titled: Islamic Group Warns Against religious Crisis In Osun (Sun 15 July 2012). Comrade Rauf Aregbesola, Governor of Osun State is reported to have an Islamic sect, Jama’atu Ta’awunil Muslimeen, popularly called TA’AWUN providing private security for him. This sect is now threatening of religious crisis in Osun because its illegal radio station was closed by the SSS and NBC. This is how it starts. Comrade Aregbesola should not light the fire of another Boko Haram in Osun!

BY FRANCIS OTTAH-AGBO

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formula! Even to achieve that in a local government without a hitch is impossible.

materials at polling stations. Nigeria has a vast landmass and treacherous terrains.

Anybody who thinks that we can overcome the logistical challenges of distributing voting materials in the morning of election day should tell us the magic

Continued from the viewpoint pg QUALLY interesting is the fact that NNPC is to be unbundled into three companies – National Oil Company, National Petroleum Assets Management Corporation and National Gas Company. To further give the public a say in the oil and gas sector, Nigerian investors are to have 30 percent equity in the National Oil Company and 40 percent in the National Gas Company within six years from the date of incorporation.

Parts of section 150-152 of the PIB read: ‘‘The Minister of Petroleum shall, not later than three months after the effective date, take such steps as are necessary under the Companies and Allied Matters Act to incorporate the National Oil Company as a public company limited by shares, which shall be vested with certain assets and liabilities of the NNPC. At the time of its incorporation, the initial shares of the National Oil Company shall be held by a nominee of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and Ministry of Finance incorporated on behalf of the government..."

The PIB insulates the National Oil Company from the hammer of the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007 and the provisions of the Public Procurement Act 2007.

The bill also makes it mandatory for government to, within six years of the incorporation of the National Oil Company divest up to 30 percent of the authorised shares of the company to the public in the Stock Market transparently.

If the National Oil Company is incorporated, the assets and liabilities held by the NNPC on behalf of the Federal

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President Goodluck Jonathan

vehicles contracted to convey the polling officers turn up in time. They first dispatch those going to the farthest polling booths in order to give as many electorate a fair chance of voting at the same time with others. So Governor Oshomhole’s observation that materials got to more remote villages before places ten minutes away was correct but it was not a deliberate plan to disfranchise anybody.

INEC does this in every election as far as I know. It was simply trying to solve a problem the best way it could. If we insist on sorting and distributing election materials (we call then “sensitive” materials) on election morning, those materials will continue to arrive polling booths late!

In November 2008 I was in Accra Ghana. As at that November, all the materials for the general elections of January 2009, which was acclaimed by the world as the best, and earned Ghana the honour of hosting President Obama’s first African state visit, had all been distributed all over the regions of Ghana!

Yet, Ghana is smaller than two states in Nigeria in landmass. The Chief electoral officers for various Regions and constituencies were able to crosscheck the materials and conduct trainings for the polling officers with the materials before election day. The only complain I heard about the preparations was by a Resident Electoral Commissioner who lamented about the shortage of manpower but added that he was training personnel and would be able to address the shortage before the election.

But if INEC distributed materials nationwide, three months ahead of elections, party “A” would scream to heavens that it was a plan by INEC and the opponent to rig the election! If the Resident Electoral Officer attempts to crosscheck and sort the materials out in advance, that would amount to secret thumb printing and stuffing the ballot boxes in favour of the ruling party! Every loudmouth would invade TV stations to mouth obscenities until the election was discredited before it even took place! I am not naïve to believe that politicians are not capable of electoral fraud but I cannot accept that the only credible election is that won by the opposition. For sure, if ACN had lost, there would have been a querulous cry that the election was not free and fair, not because the opponent rigged but more likely because ACN had prepared the ground to discredit it. As it is, our politicians are more concerned with winning than helping our electoral process to evolve. I think it will make a huge difference if our politicians also put the country first and conduct themselves as statesmen.

OPINION PIB and Alison-Madueke's midas touch government except the interests in the unincorporated joint ventures and Nigerian Gas Company Limited shall be vested in the National Oil Company within 12 to 24 months from the effective date. The transfer of liability or obligation under the section stated above frees the NNPC from the liability or obligation as far as the transferred assets are concerned but the National Oil Company can defend or enforce all obligations for or against NNPC as if it is the original party to such obligation in the event of majeure or default.

The PIB provides for a National Petroleum Assets Management Corporation as a holding company which will operate fully on a commercial swing. Consequently, the Corporation will have power to (a) enter into contracts and incur obligations; (b) acquire, hold, mortgage, purchase and deal with all types of property; (c) establish and maintain subsidiaries for the discharge of its functions as the Corporation may determine and so on.

Similarly, the sections allow the Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Agency to oversee tariffs to prevent hijack of deregulation by exploitative marketers. Aside this, the agency will oversee transportation of pipeline, bulk storage of petroleum products at designated depots. In spite of this power conferred on the agency, PIB empowers all marketers to establish loading facilities, jetties and own independent pipelines and depots to create a level playing field for all players in the oil and gas sector.

One salient provision of the PIB is that it gives absolute power to licensed oil marketing company, bulk consumer

of petroleum products or independent refineries to construct and operate independent pipelines, depots or jetties for their exclusive use.

A deep study of the crux of the NNPC reform embarked upon by Alison-Madueke is to reposition the corporation in such a way that it is more transparent and profit-oriented so that it could generate more funds for the federation thereby dispelling rumours of NNPC’s insolvency, alleged sharp practices and inefficiency. The reforms will equally make the corporation to be at par with its counterparts in other oil- producing countries like the Petrobras of Brazil, Aramco of Saudi Arabia and Petronas of Malaysia. The implication of this is that NNPC will declare more money for government to develop the country.

Nigerians and the National Assembly must rise up in unison to own, fly with the PIB and chart the course of our collective destiny by ensuring that the PIB is expeditiously passed into law. It is by so doing that the name of the seventh National Assembly will be written in gold. It is by so doing that there will be more money to meet the Millenium Development Goals. All men of good will, civil society and media must sustain the support for the bill that seeks to revolutionise the downstream sector. Neither the baby nor the bath water should be thrown away since this version of the PIB has received the endorsement of majority of Nigerians, the critical stakeholders in the oil and gas sector, civil society and the popular media. Concluded. *Mr. Agbo, a public affiars commentator, wrote from Abuja.

18 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2012 MOBILE telecommunication services, which Nigerians have relied on for the past 11 years, are probably at their worst state since the teething problems. The lingering issues of dropped calls, voice clarity and access to certain parts of the country have tasked subscribers’ patience.

Everything has been blamed for the situation. The telecommunication companies say poor infrastructure and vandalisation of their equipment are responsible for poor services. Consumers blame the companies’ greed while the regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, disclosed only one of the companies was making profit.

At least all parties agree services are deteriorating. The disagreement is over the extent of the challenges and possible solutions. Internet services are also involved, even ones from providers other than the mobile telephone operators. The issues are wider than the Senate Committee on Communications accepts. Without a proper dissection of the situation, proposed solutions would not work.

Senator Gil Emeka Nnaji, Chairman, Senate Committee on Communications, at a

Ignored GSM Challenges public hearing, asked GSM operators to leave the country if they would not improve services.

The position, if implemented, is not a solution.

Challenges exist in the industry, which the senator surely knows.

Years of dismissing the issues got us where we are. The legal framework under which the companies operate, gave them too much latitude. In the haste to embrace mobile telecommunication, Nigeria made many concessions to the operators. Tough questions about the future were not asked.

Moreover, basic infrastructure like electricity has worsened in the past 11 years.

Expenses on provision of electricity (generators, diesel) have been rising. Further expenses on security have not stopped

vandalisation of base stations, a major cause of poor services in many areas.

We are paying the price for piece-meal treatment of issues and years of delusion that the country could develop without investments in infrastructure. Many of the complaints mobile operators make are genuine.

Government has failed in its responsibilities in many areas; it is not in a strong position to enforce regulations.

Beyond imposing penalties on the companies for poor services, what would government do? Suppose the companies pay the fines, but refuse to improve their services?

The National Assembly is part of the problem. Its public hearings are perfunctory.

They do not get to the root of problems they are meant to solve. What investments did government make in the past 11 years to support mobile telecommunication? Can government, when it is not playing its part, ask others to play theirs?

GSM services have become part of our lives. Their contributions to improved commercial and social transactions are well documented. The Senate can tackle GSM challenges –and other issues - with more profundity than threats.

OPINION

BY MOLOKWU CHINEDU

Continued from yesterday UT for Governor Obi, flood would have washed the entire Awka away. It was a former Governor that blocked the Iyiagu flood channel and sold all the land there, and people had started building skyscrapers there before Governor Obi’s intervention. Today, Awka people are very grateful to Governor Obi for opening the channels. He has also done other erosion works in Awka such as storm water management and flood/erosion control at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church gully site, Awka; storm water management at the flood/gully site around Silgery Hospital, Awka; storm water management at the flood/gully site at Umuokpu, Awka; storm water management at the flood/gully site at St. John of God Secondary School, Awka; control of erosion at the new Judiciary Complex, Awka. Even our motor park at Eke Awka, for the first time, received attention. It is asphalted now and therefore rendered usable.

Today Obi has completed the best estate, Ngozika Phase I and started Phase II. It is the height of ingratitude for an Awka man to only seek ways to belittle a noble venture.

Gratitude, the wise one said, is the first step to repay a debt.

Talking about development in the State, recently, the government of Peter Obi distributed hundreds of transformers to communities, out of which Awka got some. Benefiting communities include Ifite road, Awka; Agu-Awka (behind Tourist Garden); Agu-Awka (near Commissioners Quarters); Amaku Hospital, Awka; Mopol Base, Awka; Udoka Housing Estate, Phase I; Udoka Housing Estate, Phase II; State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), among others. It will serve Offodile well if he should tell us other past Governors who did such to Awka. Perhaps it also falls within the category of his little things. Haba!

Strange enough, Offodile talked about airport and stadium

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Anambra: Offodile's tirades(2) for Awka. I am aware the people of Awka discussed the issue of stadium with Gov. Obi during the last ‘Imo Awka’ feast and his position was for us to free the stadium land from all encumbrances, for work to start. As to the issue of airport, Governor Obi has made it clear that with Enugu and Asaba airports, which are about 40 minutes to Awka, Airport is not our priority. Once the roads are fixed, my people would travel to Lagos by road. Airport and capital projects are projects that require deep, feasibility studies and not built out of sentiments. We are gradually coming to a state where people will request Obi to build seaport in Awka as we have in Lagos, not because Awka which does not have any sea needs it, but to spite Obi. Chudi Offodile argued that Obi completed projects others started. As far as I am concerned, I do not know how to reply to this. If others completed them, would he have any need of completing them? He may not finish all the projects he started, should others not complete them? From his thesis, uncompleted projects should be abandoned forever. He may have completed the giant State Emergency Management Agency’s building, the building in Women Development Centre, the ASUBEB building, among others, but he also started and completed the roads, the two giant blocks in the State Secretariat, the Customary Court of Appeal building, the Judges Quarters and many more projects.

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evelopment is not about physical structures alone, it is about taking care of the people, not in the sense of sharing the State resources as some want, but using the resources to do the right things. Since Obi became Governor, I have been receiving letters from my people to thank him for paying them arrears of pension owed them since 1991. I

have also received letters from civil servants requesting me to thank the Governor for increasing their salaries five times since 2006 and for paying regularly.

Obi has not build schools. Why should a man concentrate in building schools, when those on ground are dilapidated and without basic infrastructure? Today, Girls Secondary School, Awka; St. John Secondary School, Awka; Kenneth Dike Memorial Secondary School, Awka; Capital City Secondary School, Awka; Bishop Crowther Secondary School have benefited from all or one of the following: Computers, generators, buses, borehole, Internet facility, laboratory equipment, among others. Such things may make little sense to Offodile, but they are basic things that when got right will form the basis upon which others will stand.

Since Anambra was created, the State had no base map and none of her cities had structure plan until under Governor Obi. The only thanks Obi is getting for this from Offodile is his diatribe. This is unfortunate.

Beyond Awka, which is my town, I can attest to Obi’s good work in my constituency of Awka South and North. Awka South has one of the best network of roads today with NiboUmuawulu road, Agu-Awka- Nibo- Nise ring road, road to Ishiagu, among others. Towns in this local government have all benefitted from one form of project or the other.

In Awka North, Obi has constructed three bridges: Ogbonabo Bridge, connecting Okpuno and Isuaniocha; Ebenebe Bridge, leading to Oba-Ofemili; Umuodu Bridge, Okpuno. These are the first bridges being constructed in those areas, which used to have colonial wooden bridges. Towns like Amanuke benefitted from rural electrification. The School of Agriculture at Mgbakwu can now compete with the best of its kind in Nigeria.

Concluded

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2012— 19

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The primary threat to the Nigerian project is the failure of the elite to realise that the spate of insurgencies is reducing government’s control of the polity

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INEC and Nigerian elite formation electoral politics S’HAQ Modibo Kawu summed up in the following the import of the imminent gubernatorial elections in Edo State in his Vanguard Thursday, July 12, 2012 column.

“How the election plays out will give a broad indication of the progress on the route of democracy consolidation as well as the preparation of the political opposition to provide an alternative platform to the PDP in 2015. The baseline is that the Nigerian nation’s ruling class project has become a danger to the survival of the country itself; unfortunately, not even the political opposition can escape culpability for a significant share of the problems dogging our country. If the electoral process does not implicitly deepen confidence, that it can be used to remove bad government and reward those working in the interest of the people, even the legitimacy of the entire process will be lost. The alternative of violence killing and de-legitimization of Nigeria will spiral out of control.

Edo’s election this weekend concerns all of us”.

All of the above judgments are

unified by a theory of liberal democratic constitutionalist electrocracy. The theory is not derived from the interests of political parties engaged in vote collection for office holding. The first fact in support of the above assertion is Nigeria’s opposition-less electoral politics. From the era of Nigeria’s colonial parliamentary politics till date, there has always been one nationally dominant party serving as the convener of a government of national unity.

There has not been oppositional politics, where the opposition organises a national consensus on alternative legislative agenda of government business. Oppositional politics as thus defined is intragoverning elite politics and an expression of factional differences within the governing elite. Elite factional electoral parties competing for majority control of government contest for support of electorates unified on interests that government should serve and are capable of holding government to account. A responsible electorate able to monitor government’s loyalty to its interest and to punish a disloyal government

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igerian electoral parties are, however, not elite factional electoral parties. Nigerian electoral parties are elite formation parties. Elections they engage in are processes of contestation for proprietary control of government, which in turn is established for proprietary control of society and its economy. Given the purpose of government and its endowed capability, opposition politics is precluded. The “political opposition” must in the interlude between elections organise for the takeover of government, a process that threatens “Government”, for the office and the officeholder are treated as one. Monitoring elections of elite factional politics is thus structurally different from monitoring a “take-over-of-governments” elections. Factional electoral politics admit of third parties’ interest in the conduct of

PIB and Alison-Madueke's midas touch

BY FRANCIS OTTAH-AGBO

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HE first time I came across Mrs .Diezani Alison- Madueke, the first female to be appointed Minister of Petroleum in Nigeria and in the entire African continent was in 2007 on the Lagos- Ibadon Express Way. I was with TheNews magazine at the time and was travelling from Lagos to Akure, Ondo State capital to do a story on the governorship tussle in the election tribunal between Governor Olusegun Mimiko and his predecessor, Dr. Olusegun Agagu. And suddenly, I saw Madueke, who was Minister of Transport at the time crying profusely. She had taken time out of the comfort zone of her office to do on the spot assessment of major roads in the country and the Lagos Ibadon road which had become a death trap.

She saw Nigerians suffer and she wondered why the ordinary people on whose palms sovereignty lies die like rodents on the road which ordinarily should have been on nylon tiles considering the enormous resources allegedly spent on it by the previous administration.

For me, the tears flowing from her eyes down her maxilla showed her connect with the ordinary Nigerians who are common victims of road accidents which regrettably have killed more Nigerians than all killer diseases put together.

This encounter endeared me to this amazon who had carved a niche for herself in the oil and gas sector in Nigeria and in the international community. Little wonder that she is the first woman ever to lead a Nigeria delegation to Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to Vienna in Austria in 2010 and the first Nigerian woman to be conferred with an honorary doctorate degree by the Nigeria C M Y K

Defence Academy (NDA) for excelling in a field that is strictly a men’s world.

So I was not surprised that President Goodluck Jonathan retained Madueke as Petroleum Minister in the face of unfounded calls for her head. And with the recent presentation of the water-proof Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) to the National Assembly for passage by the Executive Arm of government, the Bayelsa born technocrat has added another feather to her cap. It is true that she is not the first to moot PIB but Madueke is clearly the architect of this newversioned PIB and mid-wifed it to maturity, in spite of the distraction by enemies of reforms. She achieved this by rallying round all the stakeholders in oil and gas industry including the malignant Oil Producing Companies (OICs) through dialogue, wide consultations with Nigerians across board and the engagements of the media and civil society, the result of which is a brand new PIB that in the words of the minister addresses the concerns of OICs and engenders a win, win situation for Nigeria, Nigerians and the IOCs alike. This new PIB which is adjudged to be pro-Nigeria because of its rich local content is divided into eight broad parts and four schedules couched in 226 pages with 365 sections to make interesting reading.

The Minister must be praised for securing the buy-in of the IOCs in the new PIB. It will be recalled that IOCs had surreptitiously frustrated the passage of the earlier bill in the defunct sixth National Assembly on grounds that it was insensitive to their strategic interest. They, for example claimed that the old PIB amongst other things, compelled them to pay mindboggling and unrealistic royalties and taxes to the Federal government through the

,

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at the polls is what Modibo Kawu has in mind when he writes as follows: “If the electoral process does not implicitly deepen confidence, that it can be used to remove bad government and reward those working in the interest of the people, then the legitimacy of the entire process will be lost”.

parties. Proprietary electoral parties structures the electorate into “Us” and the ‘Enemies”, into “Friends and Foes”. A constitutionally prescribed INEC must, therefore, improvise its mediatory relevance. The headline of Vanguard Thursday July 12, 2012, is corroborative. In red letters Vanguard describes the election: Edo Guber Battle -Deployment of 3,500 soldiers splits Reps.

-Edo gets new Police Boss, Area Commanders, DPOs -IGP, Jega, warns stakeholders as House reconvenes today The Vanguard story conveys the frenzy of amoral contestations typical of sectarian ideological wars.

“There was chaos in the House of Representatives, yesterday, as rival party members took strong partisan positions over the deployment of troops ahead of the Edo State gubernatorial election. The uproar ensued as the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega and the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar vowed at a stakeholders party at Benin that this weekend’s election would be used as a test run of the pledge to ensure free and fair elections in the country… Jega and Abubakar on the occasion addressed serious concerns raised by the leading candidates, Adams Oshiomhole of the ACN and Charles Airhiavbere of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, over plans to rig the polls.

Among the observations raised by Oshiomhole were that the PDP was mobilizing fake soldiers and policemen and equally distributing fake voter’s cards for the election…

At the end of the meeting as the IGP prepared to board a plane back to Abuja, he directed the Commissioner of Police (Operations), Mr. Femi Adenaike to take

The Minister ensured that the PIB provides for the setting up of a Petroleum Host Community Fund which compels oil companies to surrender 10 percent of their profits from upstream activities for the development of the oil producing communities

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Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and feared that if passed into law, it would freeze them from business. Some of them like Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Chevron, Mobil, etc even threatened to vacate the shores of Nigeria for neighbouring countries like Ghana, Niger, Angola and so on that now have oil in commercial quantity.

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o responsible government would allow them to leave as that would cripple oil exploration, exploitation, refining, and revenue profile of Nigeria. So government was in dare need of solution to keep the IOCs in the country and a Diezani had to come to judgement by deploring her sterling leadership qualities and persuasive skills. The Minister quickly addressed the issues of royalties, taxes and licenses in such a manner that the interests of the IOCs are protected in the new PIB. And before the skeptics and cynics could say Nigeria, the minister talked the IOCs into it and they flew with it!

If the bi-cameral Nigerian legislature as expected by Nigerians passes the PIB into law as quick as possible as promised by Senate President David Mark, the

over as the new Commissioner of Police for Edo State. All the Area Commanders and Divisional Police Officers, DPOs were also affected.

The Police Service Commission, PSC, also yesterday said that it is deploying top officials of the Commission to monitor conduct of policemen during the election. The Commission has also released telephone numbers through which malfeasances by policemen could be channeled… The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties, CNPP, also warned that any plan to use the security agencies to rig the election would lead to strong reaction from the populace”.

This militaristic security framework of elections is typical and not an exception. It is so because what is at stake is not change of officeholders but something much more- the control; and command of Edo State by an ownership government. Monitoring elections where inclusion and exclusion in elite formation is what is at stake for the next four years is different from monitoring elections where the electorate decide who would be voted for or voted against. The Edo guber election is not a confidence building event on the effectiveness of elections to remove bad office holders and to reward good officeholders; it is a test of whether governments can be removed by means other than war.

It is evident enough that “the do or die” electoral politics constitute another security threat to the Nigerian society; but it is not the primary threat. The primary threat to the Nigerian country formation project is the failure of the Nigerian political elite to realise that the spate of insurgencies in the country is reducing government’s span of ownership control of the Nigerian polity. The Edo guber election may unfortunately not teach this much needed lesson.

administration of oil and gas sector will be transparent and accountable to the public and the pricing of petroleum products in the downstream sector will be completely deregulated with more indigenous participation. Deregulation will amongst other things create fair market value for petroleum products in the Nigerian economy, make enough products available by removing artificial scarcity and ultimately remove economic distortions.

If critics thought the new PIB would be insensitive to the Niger Delta, the region that produces the golden eggs, then they were dead wrong. The Minister ensured that the PIB provides for the setting up of a Petroleum Host Community Fund which compels oil companies to surrender 10 percent of their profits from upstream activities for the development of the oil producing communities as more and more Niger Deltans especially the youths will be gainfully employed. This I believe will complement the activities of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and quell youth restiveness in the area. The PIB further protects the environment, terminates oil flaring and makes it punishable by law! Rather the hitherto flared gas will now be exported to developed nations in dire need of the product hence creating another window for the inflow of revenue into the economy and hence signaling the implementation of the gas master plan.

The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) which had become the butt of many jokes in pepper soup joints are to be scrapped if the new PIB sails through. They are to be replaced with Petroleum Technical Bureau and the Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Agency with in-built measures to curb malfeasance and waste. Continues on Pini's pg *Mr. Agbo, a public affiars commentator, wrote from Abuja.

20 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2012

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2012 — 21

By VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG

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IGERIA Employers Consultative Association, NECA, has protested the use of foreigners from Italy, South Africa and Zimbabwe by the Ekiti State Government, for its International Enterprise Development Training for Young Farmers in the state, instead of Nigerian certified International Labour Organisation, ILO, Master Trainers who have same competence and qualifications as their foreign counterparts.

The Association, has, therefore, urged the Federal Government to deny visa to these expatriates.

Director-General of NECA, Mr. Segun Osinowo, argued that besides, the drain on the nation’s economy, it is also compounding Nigeria’s unemployment crisis.

According to Osinowo, the rate of unemployment in Nigeria is on the increase and lots of graduates flood the labour market with several competences but are faced with job scarcity.

“As part of Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association contribution with the support of ILO and the Norwegian donor agency NORAD to tackle this menace, they promoted entrepreneurship in Nigeria through a crop of Master trainers who had acquired the expertise and certification to administer the ILO world acclaimed entrepreneurial module titled Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB).”

“The whole idea of this initiative is to have domestic capacity to support government’s endeavour in tackling unemployment in Nigeria but the case was different as the Ekiti State has engaged the service of experts from South Africa and Zimbabwe rather than Nigerian certified ILO Master Trainers who have same competence and qualifications as their foreign counterparts.” ”From investigations, the ILO informed NECA that the UNDP had expressed preference for the foreign experts. This action of the ILO and UNDP can be described as unjust, unfair and a deliberate attempt to

188.55

-0.40

2,233.00

+3.00

23.88

+0.63

106.31

-1.49

91.21

-1.45

CURRENCY BUYING CENTRAL SELLING CFA KRONER EURO POUNDS RIYAL SDR FRANC DOLLAR WAUA YEN RENMINBI

0.2684 25.3798 188.8795 242.7123 41.2943 233.1878 157.2125 154.87 231.7188 1.9706 24.2962

0.2784 25.4618 189.4893 243.4959 41.4276 233.9407 157.7201 155.37 232.4669 1.977 24.3751

0.2884 25.5437 190.0991 244.2795 41.5609 234.6935 158.2276 155.87 233.215 1.9833 24.454

CBN Exchange rate as at 23/07/2012 C M Y K

From left: Manager, Project Management Office, Judith Okolo; Divisional Sales Manager (West), Mr Kunle Ayeni, both of Promasidor Nigeria Limited; winner of a gold medal of N50, 000, Mrs. Akinola Bosede; Cowbell Promotional Ambassador & the 1996 Olympics Gold Medal Winner, Mrs Chioma Ajunwa-Oparah; winner of a bronze medal of N20, 000, Mrs. Akinbola Bolanle; Business Development Manager, Mr. Segun Koleoso, also of Promasidor in the ongoing Cowbell Olympic Medal Rush promo prize presentation, in Lagos.

NECA protests use of foreigners in promoting entrepreneurship in Nigeria …asks FG to deny visa to expatriates undermine the development of Nigerians. They have been insensitive to the national interest of Nigerians.

By their action, they have demonstrated that they will rather promote the economic interest of other countries. By implication of this action means moving abroad

donor funds and Nigeria resources, as we are sure the Ekiti Government is providing counterpart funding, through employment of foreign consultants, which in most cases are more expensive than Nigerians.

They are by their action shipping abroad Nigerian jobs.”

“We hereby call on the Minister of Foreign Affairs to direct our requisite embassy and High commission in Italy, South Africa and Zimbabwe not to issue visas to these foreign experts. If Nigeria can source the expertise locally, why import one?”

FG to introduce regulations on marine pollution control

By GODFREY BIVBERE & VICTORIA EDEMA

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HE Federal Government is set to introduce 12 regulations for the control of marine pollution in the country.

In a paper delivered at a training workshop titled “Issues in Enforcement of NIMASA Act-the Legal Perspectives,” organised by the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN), Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Patrick Ziakede Akpobolokemi, said that the regulation will give the agency the powers needed to protect the nation’s waters in accordance with the international standard.

Represented by Executive Secretary and Legal Adviser, Barrister Matthew Egbadon, Akpobolokemi said the regulation will include sewage, garbage dumps, ships registration as well as regulation on dangerous/ obnoxious wastes, amongst others.

The NIMASA boss explaiend that

they have gotten approval for the regulations and that copies of the 12 regulations have been sent to the agency.

He pointed out that NIMASA would soon commence an elightenment campaign before the enforcement of the law begins.

He, however, stressed that such regulations should not be seen as novel in maritime administration, “because they apply in other countries as well.”

Asked whether the addition of responsibilty would not be too much for the agency, knowning that it had difficulties in enforcing both the the NIMASA act as well as the Cabotage Act, Akpobolokemi said that that the major problem before now was the absence of operational platforms (patrol boats) for effective policing which the contract with Messrs Global West Vessel Specialist Nigeria Limited (GWVSNL) has solved.

He further explained that in the past, the absence of platforms made it difficult to monitor and punish offenders, a situation which exposed

the nation’s waterway to all forms of pollution.

It would be recalled that the Chairman, Sea and Cargo Logistics, Raphael Christopher, had alleged that many foreign ships on the nation’s territorial waters are doing illegal business, polluting the nation’s territorial waters with waste from their ships and seriously depleting fish stocks.

He, therefore, urged the Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar, to fashion out a policy that will facilitate effective management of ship generated waste within the Nigerian marine and coastal environment.

He said that 28 countries with an aggregate merchant shipping tonnage of 26.37 per cent of the world total, have ratified the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) convention.

He noted the ballast waters have been recognised as one of the major vectors causing the invasive alien species in aquatic environments.

22—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2012

NSE tasks shareholders on need to check companies’ management

By MICHAEL EBOH

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HE Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, has emphasized the need for shareholders to play active and critical roles at the annual general meetings of their companies, so as to ascertain the true position of things and also promote good

corporate governance in the companies.

Chief Executive Officer of the NSE, Mr. Oscar Onyema, represented

by Mr Kayode Ogun, Manager, NSE, Ibadan Branch,. at the 2012 investors summit organised by the Proactive Shareholders Association of Nigeria,

PROSAN, in Ibadan, Oyo State, said shareholders should always act to put the management of their companies in check.

According to Onyema, investors should take advantage of the annual event to ascertain the financial state of the firms and ask relevant questions that will help

curb the excesses of the management and Board.

He further stated that the NSE is working on a number of initiatives to promote the integrity of firms in the market, while various reforms are being implemented as part of measures to boost investors’ confidence.

From left: Director, UK Trade & Investment/British Deputy High Commission, Mr. Mike Purves; Area Director, British American Tobacco (West Africa), Mrs. Beverley Spencer-Obatoyinbo; Country Manager, British Airways/Iberia (Nigeria), Mr. Kola Olayinka, and Regional Commercial Manager, British Airways (Africa), Mr. Ian Petrie, during a dinner organised by the airline in honour of its corporate clients in Lagos.

SEC, FMAN to expand access to collective investment scheme

BY PETER EGWUATU

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S part of efforts to deepen the Collective Investment Scheme, CIS, the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, and Fund Managers Association of Nigeria, FMAN, at the third quarterly meeting held weekend in Lagos agreed to produce an all encompassing strategic plan.

The strategy document will project expected growth in assets under management over the next few years. The document will incorporate innovations into the market such as introduction of incentives to encourage retail investors back into the market through C M Y K

collective investment schemes, introduction of distribution and sales points ,classification of schemes to cater for the investment appetite of the various classes of investors , review of minimum subscription levels for retail investors, reviewing the offering process for schemes, among other strategies to be considered.

The expectation is that the fund managers will have ownership of the document and two major drivers will be to increase total asset under management and total number of subscribers within an agreed time frame. FMAN and SEC also agreed on the importance of improving professionalism in the

sector and consequently the need to structure a curriculum geared to improving and updating the capacity of fund managers and the sales marketing staff, which would culminate in certification.

In addition it was also agreed that continuous education would be a criteria to remain in the industry. A committee comprising members of the association, the commission and the Nigerian capital market were prescribed.

The Director, collective investment schemes (CIS), of the Commission, Mrs. Liouse Eni-Umukoro who represented the Ag Director General, Ibrahim Bello, at the

Meeting therefore directed that the all encompassing strategic document for the sector must be ready within six weeks .

She also reemphasized the need for prompt introduction of certification into industry. “On this, we have agreed that managers and marketers be trained while there would also be continuous training for Corroborating her Olumide Oyetan, a fund manager from StanbicIBTC said there ought to be adequate capacity building in the industry. “There should be minimum entry requirement, training for managers and marketers and continuous mandatory training .

He also advised investors to seek clarification on any issue in the capital market, especially when they are in doubt.

Also speaking, Mr. Uzor Ikebudu, a USbased financial institutions regulation consultant, said weak legal and regulatory framework is the bane of the Nigerian capital market.

According to Ikebudu, the present legal structure of the market makes it convenient for infractions to take place without adequate provisions for sanction.

He blamed the crisis in the Nigerian market on wrong regulatory and legal framework coupled with alleged fraud.

Ikebudu further called on the Federal Government to facilitate the prosecution of individuals who allegedly contributed to the near collapse of the Nigerian market, while calling on investors to complain when cheated.

According to him,

people should protest peacefully when incidence of alleged infractions is identified, come together, share information and sue when necessary.

“Sanction is the only way to attract more investors to the market and ensure sustained growth,” He noted.

In his own view, Mr Samuel Maduka Onyishi, Chairman, Peace Capital Market, said there is need to encourage regulators to maintain high level of integrity on a regular basis.

He explained that integrity is the only way to encourage more people to invest in the capital market.

He described the conference as timely, adding that it offered members of PROSAN an opportunity to interact.

Mr Taiwo Oderinde, Chairman, PROSAN, said members of the group meet on a regular basis to share information aimed at capacity building.

Honeywell plans expansion, certifies bakers

By LAZARUS IBEABUCHI

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ONEYWELL Flour Mills Plc said it plans to expand it production capacity to 2,610 metric tonnes per day by September 2012, from about a 1,600 metric tonnes per day, representing a 62 per cent increment.

Also, the company, in a bid to sharpen the technical know-how of bakers in the country, has concluded a threeweeks training programme and certified thirteen master bakers Mr. Babatunde Odunayo, Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the company disclosed this at the Certificate Award Ceremony of Regular Course 19, Honeywell Flour Mills Baking Scholl in Lagos.

He charged all the 13 participants of the programme who have gone through the 3week intensive course to become Certified Master Bakers & Caterers to

take full advantage of the huge opportunity available in the country to grow their businesses.

“Our objective remains to empower bakers with basic and modern baking skills that they can use to run their bakery operations more profitably. We believe people can always do more with better knowledge and we are confident that with improved knowledge, bakers can grow their businesses and contribute to the growth of our economy.

“You now have in your .hands the keys to modern baking technology and the power to positively transform your businesses and make them more profitable.

We will like to remind you that your level of success hereafter is entirely in your hands; being a direct function of how much of the new skills learnt you are able to apply.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2012 — 23

BRIEF

BY BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE

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THE SUMMIT

he theme of the conference was “African Women Financing the Future” and it was organised by New Faces New Voices (NFNV) and the African Development Bank (AfDB).

Participants at the summit noted that despite the huge pool of capital allocated to women by financial institutions women are not able to assess credit due to absence of relevant information for credit opportunities, and lack of technical dept. They agreed that women entrepreneurs need more assistance towards assessing capital.

One of the revelations of the summit was that with the exception of Access Bank’s Gender Empower Program (GEM), there is absence of banking products or services specifically designed to assist women entrepreneurs’ access credit. This revelation came during the Executive Officer (CEO) Roundtable which focused on “Bridge Funding Gaps and Devising innovative approaches in the area of SME financing for African women entrepreneurs”. The Roundtable was coordinated

by Dr. Nkosana Moyo, Founder and Executive Chairman Mandela Institute for Development Studies, and it featured a panel of Mr. Okey Nwuke, Executive Director, Access Bank, Nomkhita Nqweni, Chief Executive, ABSA Wealth South Africa and Mizinga Melu, Managing Director, Standard Chartered Bank Zambia.

In response to strategies than can be developed to assist women have increased access to credit, Nwuke, who C M Y K

ICAN calls for strengthening of existing institutions

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R-L: Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye; Mr. Wale Sangowawa, Executive Director representing the Managing Director, Globacom; Mrs. Folake Ani-Mumuney, HCIB, Head, Marketing & Communication, First Bank of Nigeria Plc at the 2012 Lagos Bankers’ Nite

2ND AFRICAN WOMEN ECONOMIC SUMMIT:

A GEM approach to Financial Inclusion for Women represented the Managing Director/Chief Executive of Access Bank, Mr Aig AigImoukhuede, pointed out the example of GEM, through which the Bank has provided N2.5 billion to women-owned businesses in last 5 years.

Nwuke revealed said, “Some weaknesses observed in relation to female run enterprises includes; limited or non-existent financials on their businesses, lack of sufficient collateral for loans, weak business management and strategic planning, poor business plans a combinations of these factors made female

,

HAT a man can do, a woman can do better, goes a popular saying. This implies that a woman is endowed with potentials, which when properly harnessed, can make a woman function at the same level of performance or even at higher level than a man.

The validity of this belief is reflected in the life and stories of women who have not only succeeded but also excelled in academics, governance and in the business world. But billions of women around the world have not been able to realise their potentials and hence attain height attained by some of their counterparts due to challenges among which are lack of education, poor health services, maternal mortality, culture and traditions that relegate women to the background.

In the business world, most women owned businesses struggle due to the challenge of financial illiteracy and inaccessibility to credit facilities.

To tackle these challenges especially the lack of access to finance, financial experts, policy makers and women executives, gathered recently in Lagos for two days under the auspices of the 2nd African Women Economic Summit.

the World Bank under its Gender Entrepreneurship Markets Program (‘GEM’).

This initiative grants womenowned business access to funding and increase their contributions economic development with positive effects on employment generation and GDP growth.

GEM has one major goal which is to help femaleowned businesses grow. And in fulfilment of this, Access Bank has provided N2.5 billion to women-owned businesses in last 5 years.

Also, they have drawn huge benefits from access to

Participants at the summit noted that despite the huge pool of capital allocated to women by financial institutions women are not able to assess credit due to absence of relevant information for credit opportunities, and lack of technical dept

run enterprises generally unattractive for financing.”

He said that Access Bank is the first bank in West Africa and perhaps in the entire subSaharan region to recognize the importance of reaching out to the Women market. This the bank is doing successfully and profitably through the GEM program.

GEM FOR WOMEN

A

ccess Bank GEM program is the first of its kind in Africa— a partnership between IFC and a commercial financial institution that emphasizes access to finance for women entrepreneurs. It is a product borne out of the Bank’s collaboration with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), an arm of

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information and training designed to boost their capacity.

Through GEM, the bank has grown loan portfolio of women-owned businesses from US$500,000 to over US$18 Million in less than five years. Through the program, the bank made disbursements to microfinance institutions such Catholic Institute for Democracy, Justice and Peace (CIDJAP) in Enugu State to finance microenterprises via the women cooperatives with whom CIDJAP works.

Also in line with its PanAfrican financial inclusion strategy, the bank has deployed GEM to Gambia and Rwanda to contribute to the development of the existing dedicated women market. Based on the

successes recorded in Nigeria, Gambia and Rwanda, the bank is also making efforts to provide GEM services to women entrepreneurs in Zambia, Sierra Leone, Ghana and Congo DRC. GEM offers many benefits to women entrepreneur among which are Networking, Training, Advisory services and Finance Recognising the importance of networking when building and growing business, Access Bank run quarterly networking sessions for our members to ensure that they have the most up to date information to help their business. In the area of training, the bank organises the GEM Advantage Workshop Series, where it provides technical assistance and training programs that educate, showcase and support entrepreneurs as they seek capital and grow their companies. The bank also engage consultants who work one on one with its GEM members providing professional advice in the areas of management, marketing, Human Resources, Procurement etc.

Most importantly, the bank provides access to finance needed to meet business obligation.

To qualify for funding through GEM, the beneficiary must be a woman and must have the majority shareholding (minimum of 51%) of the business must be owned by a female entrepreneur.

Also the business must be the Retail/ SME type business. 10% of the GEM fund is for businesses with turnover of N100 million and below, and it may also be utilized for lending to cooperatives for on-lending to its member.

F Nigeria must be transformed economically, all its existing institutions must be strengthened while new ones are created with a more enduring framework.

This is part of the recommendations made at the just concluded 7th Eastern Zonal Accountants Conference of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), held in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state.

It was also agreed that since foreign investors react positively to economic transformation, there should be greater financial reporting transparency in all sectors of a nation’s economy; hence Nigeria’s full adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) is a step in the right direction.

Declaring the conference open, the Governor of Bayelsa State, Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson said that Chartered Accountants should move closer to governments at all levels and offer advice to them on financial policy formulation. The governor who was represented by his deputy, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah (retd) stated this while declaring open the 7th Eastern Districts Conference of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) Conference holding in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa state capital on Wednesday, July 18.

According to him, Chartered Accountants had been wonderful and useful to governments in the past and should continue with the feat. While disclosing that Bayelsa had produced more than 100 Chartered Accountants, the Governor assured participants at the conference that the state would not rest on its oars to produce more on yearly basis.

He also gave the assurance that the communiqué issued after the conference, if passed to THE appropriate quarters in government circle, would be looked into as a guide in taking certain decisions.

In his welcome address, ICAN President, Mr Doyin Owolabi explained how far the Institute had gone in terms of capacity development as part of its mandate.

He said that the Institute had produced about 36,500 Chartered Accountants and 14,500 Accounting Technicians who were delivering value to their diverse clientele and employers in the various sectors of the national and international economies.

He also said that the Institute was not oblivious of the challenges facing the local environment, hence its resolve to conceptualize a programme – the StudentsSpecialProject(SSP)—tocater for the needs of the states perceived to have a dearth of Chartered Accountants required to drive the economy. He declared that Bayelsa was the first to embracetheprojectandtheprogramme had produced over 30 Chartered Accountants while many more had passed various stages of the Institute’s professional examinations.

On the conference theme, “Good governance: A panacea for economic transformation”, the ICAN President saiditwascarefullyselectedtounderscore the place of good governance in the economic transformation of the nation.

24 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2012

Bonga oil spill: Presidency approves $5bn fine against Shell … May pay additional compensation

*Amnesty International calls for comprehensive clean-up programme

BY CLARA NWACHUKWU

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HE Federal Government has given approval for the collection of a $5billion worth administrative fine imposed on the Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company, SNEPCo, for the December 20, 2011, oil spill from its deepwater facility, Bonga, despite threats by the company to resist it.

The administrative fine, which was prescribed by the National Oil Spill Detection and Remediation Agency, NOSDRA, Vanguard gathered has already been approved by the Presidency after due consideration of the issues involved.

The Director General of NOSDRA, Dr. Peter Idabor, in a telephone interview with Vanguard, said, “The recommendation we made that Shell should pay $5billion was approved by Mr President.”

Idabor explained that the fine had nothing to do with third party shoreline contamination, as being speculated but on account of the impact of the spill on the sea and aquatic life.

He explained, “We agree that the sample tests show that the spill did not affect the shorelines, also agree the laboratory analysis on the third party spill agree with their own. But looking into the sea, the 30,000 barrels oil spill impacted about 950 square kilometres beneath the sea bed.

So as we speak, there is still a lot of oil at the bottom of the ocean which has not been cleaned up.”

Shell also liable to pay compensation Idabor added that as investigations into the oil spill, the largest in the recent times, continue, Shell also risked paying compensations if it is determined that the spill has caused additional impact.

“Let me note here that this administrative fine is different from compensation, because investigations are still ongoing, and Shell may also pay compensations if we determine more damages.”

The NOSDRA boss noted that as a result of the spill, the livelihoods of the people in the communities along 120 kilometeres to Bonga have been affected, “due to contamination of the open water, loss of employment as the people are mainly fishermen, and this has also led to the incidence of the

migration of the people from these communities in search of fresh waters.”

Shell clarifies fine SNEPCo had insisted that there was no legal basis for such the $5billion fine, while clarifying media reports of a hearing in Abuja on 16th July, 2012, on the spill before the House of Representatives Committee on Environment, during which NOSDRA disclosed it recommend “an administrative fine” to Government because of the incident.

According to Managing Director of SNEPCo, Mr. Chike Onyejekwe, “SNEPCo will challenge any attempt to impose such a penalty, as the company responded professionally and diligently to the incident and worked at all times alongside and with the support of relevant authorities

Bonga FPSO which spilled 30,000 barrels of oil in December

NNPC refutes dilapidation of Atlas Cove T

HE management of the Ni gerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, has refuted reports of the growing dilapidation of the Atlas Cove Jetty, the biggest petroleum products storage facility in the country.

To ensure unimpeded distribution and supply of petroleum products across the country, the Corporation said it will continue to maintain and improve the Atlas Cove terminal, which stores 60 percent of its products nationwide.

In a statement issued by its spokesman, Mr. Fidel Pepple, C M Y K

including NOSDRA.” Onyejekwe blamed the imposition of the fine on the handiworks of “Some parties alleging that oil from the spill impacted communities, the shoreline, rivers and creeks.”

While expressing deep regrets for the incidence, he noted that Shell went a step further to clean up even the third party spill, in keeping with its corporate responsibility policy.

Amnesty International urges more action But international watchdog, Amnesty International, while lauding the imposition of the fine, urged government to cause Shell to take responsibility for the oil spills that resulted from its operation in the Niger Delta.

In an observation by the group’s Director of Global Issues, Audrey Gaughran, made available to Vanguard, the group has been in the fore of the campaign to make Shell acknowledge its responsibility for the impacts of oil pollution in the Niger Delta for several years.

As part of this campaign, Amnesty International has called on Shell to: •Carry out a comprehensive clean-up of oil pollution and environmental damage in Bodo and all other affected sites, in consultation with local communities.

•Support the need for further assessment of oil pollution across the wider oil-producing Niger Delta region.

•Pay fair and adequate compensation to all affected communities.

the NNPC said the revamp of the entire storage, pumping and associated pipelines were conceived and tendered for in 2007.

Pepple explained that contrary to reports, the Corporation has improved the depot’s Single Point Mooring, SPM facility to handle vessels of up to 80,000 DWT. “I can confirm to you that the Premium Motor Spirit, PMS Tank 12 was reconstructed in 2004, to increase its capacity from 1800 cubic metres to 23,000 cubic metres, while Tanks 31 and 32 were rehabilitated in 2005/2006, and

are all serviceable,” he revealed.

According to him, the reconstruction of PMS Tanks 11 and 21, which has been awarded and is ongoing, when completed, will add 50% to the existing PMS storage capacity and now stands at about 58,000 cubic metres.

He added that following the expiration of the life span of the old buoy, a new calm buoy was installed in 2010 to guarantee security of product supplies through the SPM. “Contract has already been awarded for 10-inch Fire Hydrant Ring Mains to

enhance safety at the terminal and the construction of a new 16-inch pipeline on a new route to complement the existing line. PPMC is also pursuing the restart of the optimization project aimed at the construction of three new tanks each of 50,000 cubic metre capacity for PMS, AGO and DPK to increase the depot’s storage capacity by 150,000 cubic metres,” Pepple further said.

Besides, he noted, the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company, PPMC, a subsidiary of the corporation has been conducting the repair of the depot in phases due to its high budgetary requirements.

BRIEF OGONI OIL SPILL:

Jonathan sets up restoration project ... Seeks community cooperation

By OSCARLINE ONWUEMENYI & YEMIE ADEOYE

A

BUJA – President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday, approved the setting up of a Hydro-Carbon Pollution Restoration Project, HYPREP, a step taken in furtherance of the Federal government’s commitment to implement the United Nations Environment Programme, UNEP Assessment Report on the spill disaster in Ogoni land.

The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, who announced this in a press conference in Abuja, told journalists that the setting up of HYPREP by Mr. President is in keeping with the Federal Government’s determination to protect the environmental human rights of the people.

According to her, the project shall implement the recommendations of the UNEP report on Ogoni land as well as investigate, evaluate and establish other hydrocarbon impacted sites and make appropriate recommendations.

She noted that, “With the establishment of this project, it is expected that all stakeholders, especially the impacted communities, will cooperate fully with Government and grant unfettered access to all impacted sites to ensure complete success.”

She solicited the cooperation of all stakeholders especially community leaders to ensure the effective implementation of the programme.

Alison-Madueke further announced that the Presidential Investigation Committee originally set up to consider the report would “move into an advisory capacity, with the Minister of Environment as its head. This committee would be working with UNEP to implement the report,” she added.

Recently, the Council of Ogoni Traditional Rulers had lamented the apparent neglect by the Federal Government, even as it disclosed that thousands of children in the community are found to be suffering from cancer and other deadly diseases from exposure to contaminated water and food as a result of oil spill from activities of oil companies in the area.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2012—25

Software theft in Nigeria hits N225m — Survey Stories By PRINCEWILL EKWUJURU

L

ATEST piracy search result on Nigeria has shown that software theft amounting to $225 million (36billion) was carried out in 2010, as 83 percent of software deployed on PCs were pirated.

Speaking, Engr. M. B. Shehu, President, Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), said globally that the commercial value of pirated software climbed to $63.4

C M Y K

billion in 2011, a new record, propelled by PC shipments to emerging economies where piracy rates are highest, including Nigeria which was $58.8 billion in 2010.

The NSE president went on to say that the latest piracy research in Nigeria has indicated that the value of software theft in the country reached a new peak at $225m in 2010, as 83 percent of software deployed on PCs during the year was said to be pirated, according to

Microsoft Nigeria.

Shehu said that Autodesk Africa as one of the founding fathers of Business Software Alliance (BSA) and in working closely with organi-

zations such as the NSE, Autodesk aims to drastically reduce software piracy in the region, better protect their customers from malicious software coding,

and provide the best possible design software solutions to architecture, engineering, mining and construction professionals.

SON, ARSO commend Chikki noodles

T

HE African Organiza tion for Standardization (ARSO) and the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) have commended the standard of facilities and production process of the Chikki Foods Industries plant in Ikorodu, La-

gos, layings further credence to the industry opinion that Chikki noodles is a frontline player among its peers in Nigeria.

This was disclosed after the ARSO team visited Chikki Foods Industries factory in Ikorodu at the end of the19th ARSO Gen-

eral Assembly held in Lagos recently.

According to Mr. Philip Okungu, a standardization expert from Kenya who was the official representative of ARSO, the hygienic environment and advanced processing facilities, stand Chikki apart.

Gala @ 50: Takes new look, fortified with micronutrient

BY PRINCEWILL EKWUJURU & ESTHER ONYEGBULA

U

AC Nigeria has launched a new look Gala at fifty with micronutrient fortifications.

The nutrients are iron, zinc, folic acid, Vitmins B1 and B2.

In his keynote address at the 50th anniversary and re-launch of Gala, Mr Larry Ettah, who was represented at the event by an Executive Director of the company, Abdul Bello said that Gala’s glorious sojourn has been well-received by millions of consumers over the years because many Nigerians have not only sought to identify with the brand but to bond with it as well”. He further said that the brand has not survived but has become a virtual colossus because it has kept faith with its consumers. Coming out clean in its contract with the consumers by being the sausage roll of first choice, Gala has become better fortified with micronutrients and exciting packaging; all in a bid to keep the promise to and faith with the consumers”.

Also speaking at the event, the Managing Director of UAC Foods Limited, Dr. Tawanda Mushuku added that the brand has served as a symbol of quality, great taste and nutrition, holding the number one position in the sausage roll category since 1962, a respected household name throughout Nigeria. It is interesting to note that with iconic brands, customer/ consumer loyalty spans from one generation to the next”.

“We are unveiling a new look plus an enhanced Gala, to excite and give every consumer an added value, a token of our appreciation, giving them more value for their money because of their patronage for many decades.

Despite stiff competition in the sausage roll market segment, Gala sausage roll has remained on top for five decades. Attaining a Mega Brand status by SuperBrand International; being one of the few brands that have been certified and awarded the ISO22000:2005 by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria on behalf of the International Standards Organisation (ISO).

26 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2012

No severance pay for TCN staff

— Nnaji

...As workers resist takeover of TCN by Manitoba

By OSCARLINE ONWUEMENYI & KUNLE KALEJAYE

C M Y K

T

•Electricity workers barricade the entrance of PHCN Headquarters to prevent TCN management takeover National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, last week, took to the streets yet again in protest against the management contract of the TCN by Manitoba.

In a move that has become routine in the process of reforming Nigeria’s despondent power sector, the unionists set up blockades, resisting an alleged scheduled inspection visit of the Minister of Power, Nnaji and officials of Manitoba to the PHCN corporate headquarters, which houses the TCN in Abuja.

The workers were, however, met by several soldiers and policemen deployed to protect the premises against threats of destruction by the workers, a situation which led to stalled activities and massive traffic buildup around the headquaters.

NUEE had alleged that the

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Workers protest Meanwhile, electricity workers under the aegis of the

FG to build $4bn coal power plant in Benue

BY KUNLE KALEJAYE

M

INISTER of Power, Prof.

Bart Nnaji, said at the weekend that workers of the Transmission Company, TCN, should not expect severance pay because the transmission network is not being privatised.

He was reacting to protests by the workers who barricaded the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, corporate headquarters in Abuja, and also blocked a major highway ostensibly to prevent the new managers from assuming duties. The workers were said to have threatened to continue the action until their severance and other PHCN negotiated benefits have been paid.

But Nnaji explained that the government was still negotiating with representatives of the labour unions only in respect of severance and other benefits for staff of 17 unbundled PHCN generation and distribution companies that are being privatised, which does not include the TCN. “I cannot understand why the workers embarked on protests when TCN remains a government holding company which has never been put up and shall not be put up for privatisation,” the minister said.

He added that rather than privatise TCN, which would require sorting out labour issues, government has approved the employment of an additional 1000 engineers and technicians to plug the shortfall in manpower needed to run the power transmission backbone.

Management control The Federal Government yesterday (Monday), officially handed over management control of the TCN to Canadian firm, Manitoba Hydro International. The TCN manages the nation’s key power transmission backbone, otherwise called the National Grid.

Manitoba is coming with about eight (8) expatriates to run the Transmission Company for a period of three (3) years in the first instance.

According to the Bureau of Public Entreprises, BPE, which recently concluded takeover process, the current managers of TCN will understudy the expatriate managers, acting as their shadows.

In other words, the Nigerian CEO and Executive Directors will still function as the Number Two person in their current positions, to understudy the new managers.

BRIEF

in its agreement which stipulates that no one will be allowed to take over any of PHCN successor companies until all outstanding labour issues have been sorted out by both parties.

I

worima explained that the imminent assumption of TCN management by Manitoba is a clear indication that government is shortcoming in fulfilling its own part of the bargain, adding that issues surrounding the payment of their severance packages were left unsettled while government is forging ahead with its deal with Manitoba.

Iworima reiterated the resolve of the union to resist such development to the latter.

Nnaji, had earlier stated that government would not allow the union to box it into a corner in its bid to enthrone and ensure best practice in the man-

It is unpatriotic for anybody to say that they do not want to learn how the system will work better because this has nothing to do with privatisation and we will not have it

July 31, 2012 scheduled takeover of TCN management by Manitoba, as contained in the three year management contract between the firm and Federal Government runs contrary to agreements reached in their series of dialogue with government as overseen by the Hassan Sunmonu-led negotiation panel.

According to the Zonal Organising Secretary NorthCentral of NUEE, Mr. Temple Iworima, government is failing

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agement of Nigeria’s transmission network.

According to him, “It is very important to understand that the Federal Government is doing reforms in the power sector and the President is absolutely focused to ensure that its reform is successful.

Reform by its very nature is positive but if anybody is against it, then the person has to stand aside; government really shouldn’t be running power facilities but setting pol-

icies, doing research that will ensure system growth.

“Everybody will tell you that if you have enough generation and cannot wheel out power, that is failure and that’s where we have technical and commercial losses, so we want a stable transmission network and that’s why we are bringing experts. We are not here to replace all the workers of TCN and its only eight officials of Manitoba Hydro that will be here; we need Nigerians to man the business, and in due time we would like to have TCN international so that we can go to other countries and sell the business.”

The minister further explained: “It is unpatriotic for anybody to say that they do not want to learn how the system will work better because this has nothing to do with privatisation and we will not have it. We’ve had private management of the core jobs of PHCN in the past and it had worked so we will not allow people to prevent us from moving forward in our desire to put best practices.”

Meanwhile, in a seeming show of desperation, the unionists who had prevented smooth flow of vehicular traffic on the Aguiyi Ironsi Way with their staff buses that were used to cordon off a lane of the road resorted to physical assault of the media crew of Nigerian Television Authority, NTA. A good number of the unionist had descended heavily on the NTA cameraman who was busy filming their activities on the excuse that NTA is a partial government media outfit. The assault was however prevented from escalating further by the Area Commander, Metro Abuja of the Nigeria Police Force, NPF, Mr. Odukoya Sunday, who insisted that his team was there to ensure obedience to law and order.

HE Federal Government is set to build a coal power plant worth $4billion in Benue State, the Chairman of Pacific Energy, Mr Adedeji Adeleke, has said.

He made this known during the official commission ceremony of the Electric Training Centre in Olorunsogo Power Plant, built

by SEPCO llI and Pacific Electric Power, in Ogun State, which was contracted to SEPCO in 2007.

The chairman said that the coal power plant when completed is capable of generating 120 megawatts, adding that the ground breaking of the power plant is scheduled to hold soon.

It is believed that when the country’s power sector is fully privatised by the end of 2012, it will create more opportunities for growth and socio-economic development.

He noted that when the privatisation process is completed, the country will hit 20,000MW as promised by the Federal government.

Not only does Nigeria have huge coal deposits in Enugu, Kogi, Gombe and Benue states, it also has the world’s cleanest type of coal.

Mr James Olotu, the Managing Director of Niger Delta Power Holding Company, NDPHC, owners of Nigerian Independent Power Projects, NIPP, said that the new Electric Power Training Centre, will go a long way in educating Nigerians in various aspects of electricity technology.

He said that SEPCO has been a power booster company to Nigeria’s electricity generation that has created jobs opportunity for Nigerians.

At the inception of the current administration, Olotu said government began to seek avenues to enhance power infrastructure capacity in the country, through bilateral investment between Nigeria and China.

“As at today, four turbines have been commissioned with the capacity to deliver 500MW into the national grid subject to availability of gas. Human capacity development and transfer of technologies are key to efficient, effective sustainable development of industry and commence and it is important to our future growth,” he said.

Olotu, gave the assurance that the training centre will boost the cordial relationship existing between Nigeria and the Republic of China.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2012 — 27

BRIEF

Kaztec bags international engineering certification

By CLARA NWACHUKWU

K

AZTEC Engineering Lim ited, a wholly indigenous oil and gas service firm has been awarded the prestigious International Standards Organisation, ISO 9001: 2008 scope certification.

By this certification, Kaztec, a member of the Chrome Group, becomes the first indigenous oil and gas service company to be awarded with the ISO certification by an international assessment agency.

UK-based, Bureau Veritas, a global leader in conformity assessment and certification services, established since 1828, issued the certificate to Kaztec Engineering on July 5.

In the certification statement, a copy of which was made available to Vanguard, Bureau Veritas, said that “the management system of the above organization (Kaztec Engineering Limited) has been audited and found to be in accordance with the requirements of the management system standards detailed below (ISO 9001:2008).”

The scope of certification as indicated by the Bureau is for “Engineering, Procurement, Installation and Construction,” which it said is “subject to the continued satisfactory operation of the organisation’s management system.”

‘Certification means more hard work’ Speaking on the development, the Kaztec Safety Manager, Mr. Kingsley Eke, told Vanguard that while the ISO certification is a recognition of the company’s compliance to international quality and consistency of processes, it will also keep the management on its toes to maintain the standard.

“Kaztec being certified for this means that its products and services are in line with ISO guidelines and our processes will be subjected to periodic checks to ensure that we remained compliant, and this puts us on our toes.”

He, however, expressed pleasure in being awarded the certification, as according to him, “Kaztec’s goods and services in terms of engineering, construction, procurement and installation are now of global and international quality, and can compete effectively anywhere in the world.”

Stakeholders call for expedite passage of PIB

By KUNLE KALEJAYE

S

TAKEHOLDERS in the Oil and Gas industry have urged the National Assembly to expedite the passage of the Petroleum Industry bill, PIB, which was sent to it by Mr President last week.

Some of them who speak with newsmen in Lagos said that the bill was long overdue, adding that its passage will fast track socio-economic development in the industry.

Mr Afe Mayowa, President of the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists, NAPE, said that approval of the bill by the Federal Executive Council is a welcome development.

He said that discussions had shown how serious government is on passing the bill, while urging the National Assemble to follow suit.

“When the Executive Council speedily approved the bill that is an indication that the government is very serious with it; and I want to also appeal to the National Assembly to also treat it with the same urgency that the Federal Executive has done.

The NAPE president said passage of the bill will save the nation’s oil and gas sector from total collapse.

He, however, expressed worries that there are many versions of the bill in circulation, which he said, posed a great challenge to the oil and gas sector.

Alhaji Adebisi Bada, the Financial Sectary, Western Zone of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, said that the newly created companies put the oil and gas industry in the right perspec-

tive.

He said that some of the divisions that were created are meant to take care of specific duties in the sector.

“The PIB is what all stakeholders have been clamouring for to sanitise the petroleum industry, and from the news, I gathered that the likes of Petroleum Equalisation Fund, PEF, and the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, have been scrapped, and I think that is good so that fuel will be made available everywhere and it will be sold at landing cost in every state and every location in the country.

“I think it’s good for the country; in Europe this is what is obtainable, what is sold in London, is what is sold in North London. The farther you go from the point of production, the more you pay and it take

care of cost of transportation,” he said.

Mr Emmanuel Iheanacho, the Managing Director of Integrated Oil and Gas Limited, in his view said that “everybody is actually expecting to see the new PIB signed into law, because it’s going to allow for the proper unbundling of the NNPC.” It would be recalled that the Federal Executive Council, FEC, approved the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, which created six new companies that will transform the oil and gas sector.

The six new firms include the National Oil Company, Asset Management Corporation, National Frontier Exploration Services, National Gas Company and the Petroleum Host Communities Development Fund.

•Atlas Cove Jetty, which recently completed reconstruction following militants attacks in 2009.

Platform Petroleum celebrates 10 years of operation

By KUNLE KALEJAYE

O

NE of the objectives of the Nigerian Content Development Act, is to encourage Nigerians to participate fully in the oil and gas sector by way of contracts award, operation of oil marginal fields and use of local equipment and man power in the oil and gas sector.

Ten years ago, an indigenous oil firm took a stride to participate fully in the oil and gas industry by putting together a team of high grade professionals in the sector to establish Platform Petroleum Limited in 2002.

Speaking at the 10th anniversary of the company, Chairman, board of directors, Prof. Adegoke Sylvester, not-

ed that despite the progress made so far, the company still had a long way to go. In his words “our goal is to become one of Nigeria’s leading, fully indigenous oil company.

We shall try harder to enlarge our portfolio and bring all unfinished businesses to successful completion in the shortest possible time.”

Looking back, Adegoke recalled how 15 professionals in the oil industry were carefully selected from all parts of Nigeria, headed by Austin Avuru.

He said the new group chose for itself the prophetic name, Platform Petroleum in the hope that the group’s effort to secure a marginal field will be nothing more than a platform to launch into

higher arena.

However, in 2003, Platform won the Egbeoma Field (Asuopku/Umutu) Field, and went on to be the first marginal filed operator to secure a financial partner locally, the first to attain first oil, the first to initiate plans to attain total compliance with the Federal Government flare out policy through the establishment of the Umutu Gas Plant.

Platform recorded another milestone in 2010, when another company Sheba, midwife the first divestment programme of Shell that gave birth to Seplat Petroleum Development Company, with Maurel and Prom as financial partner. With the combined production from Seplat and

Platform, Adegoke said, “ we should be one of the leading totally indigenous operators in the upstream sector of the oil and gas industry in Nigeria.”

He stressed that rather than have rancour, the board members have displayed a rare level of maturity and level headedness that has enabled the management to focus on timely delivery of strategic growth goals.

According to him, “We have also done well in our relationship with our host communities, a feat that has ensured that our plants work without down time and our safety record is quite impressive.”

28 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2012

Lead poisoning: Zamfara denies receiving aid from FG ...450 children dead

BY OSCARLINE ONWUEMENYI

T

HE Zamfara State Gov ernment has denied receiving any financial assistance from the Federal government towards the remediation of localities and rehabilitation of thousands of citizens impacted by the lead poisoning disaster that has ravaged mining areas in the state over the past two years.

The state Commissioner for Environment, Alhaji Muktar Lugga, said this last week at a workshop on Actualising Human Rights through Good Governance in Natural Resources Management, organized by the Global Rights, a non-governemntal organisation, in collaboration with the state ministries of health and environment, in Gusau, Zamfara State.

Lugga stressed that despite the limited support from the Federal government, the state was determined to completely eliminate the dangers involved with mining in the state, adding that the state legislature was in the process of enacting legislation that will prescribe punishment for people who expose children to the dangers of lead poisoning at the mines.

He noted that in spite of promises by the Federal government to “intervene with funds and other support since the outbreak of the disaster, nothing has happened for over two years.”

According to him, “Zamfara state never got any money from the Federal government since this disaster happened. We have heard that money has been approved in principle for many months, but that it is being held back due to bureaucracy in Abuja.

“I repeat that so far, we are yet to get any funding from the Federal government. Whatever funds we have been using in the state to remediate the affected sites and rehabilitate the miners and their families is made available from state budgets as well as support from some international organisations, including the Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF),” Lugga said.

He added that, “It is unfortunate that Zamfara state has been in the news for all the wrong reasons; but, we must note that the issue of lead poisoning is relatively new when you consider that mining has been going on in different parts of the state for more than 130 years.

“We understand that we have to educate the local

and artisanal miners on safe mining practices, so that their activities do not pose more danger to themselves and to the people around them. We also have to provide them with the tools and equipment they require to do their jobs more effectively and safely for the humans and for the environment.

He added, “I doubt if there is one single compound in any of the villages where lead is processed inside the homes due to our widespread enlightenment efforts. Parents are becoming more aware about the dangers of allowing their children into mining sites, even though it is still a challenge since many claim that is their only means of livelihood.”

Meanwhile, the Zamfara state Ministry of Health has disclosed that over 450 children had died from the lead poisoning incident which broke out in the state, adding that many more are getting re-infected despite efforts to curtail the spread.

Lugga observed that the government was determined to address the poor mining culture which ex-

poses small and artisanal miners to hazards, adding that rehabilitation and community development initiatives have been established by the government.

“Currently, we are undertaking a thorough, statewide mapping exercise to ascertain the level of spread of lead in both the mining and non-mining communities. We are also engaged in a lot of community development projects including provision of portable drinking water and health centres in the communities,” he stated.

An official of the ministry, Dr. Ahmed Keku, who spoke at the event stressed that a lot of resources had been expended by the state to check the spread of the lead poisoning, even as he noted that efforts are geared towards prevention and cure for children and adults with the poisonous lead in their systems.

Keku noted that the state Ministry of Health was using three strategies, including effective surveillance of the entire state, including mining and nonmining localities, and a state-wide curative and preventive medicine.

Oil spill:‘Nigerian pipelines too old’

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BY KUNLE KALEJAYE

HE frequent oil spill age being experienced in the country has been attributed to the age of the oil pipeline network across the country.

The Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists, NAPE, therefore urged the Federal Government to compel oil companies to embark on rehabilitation of pipelines to avoid further oil spills.

President of the association, Mr Afe Mayowa, said, “There is the need for federal government and the oil companies to carry out turnaround maintenance on the pipelines or completely remove them. l think they are old enough to be replaced so that we don’t have incessant damage or spillage in our environment.

“Oil spills are causing a lot of hazards in our areas, we might not realise it today, but people are saying that the environmental degradation in the Niger Delta is really affecting children that are being born.

“So, the impact can be long term but what I will urge government to do is

to encourage the companies to review some of the pipelines that have been installed for too long. Let them replace them, some of them are too weak to be maintained.

“Let them completely do an overhaul of some of the pipelines; it is not all about sabotage, some of the pipelines are completely weak and need replacement that is what I think government can do,” he said.

He said that the country must evolve an unambiguous health, safety and environment, HSE, regulations for both onshore and offshore operations, adding that all parties, both national and international operators be made to feel that everyone is playing on the same field under same rules.

The NAPE boss, however, called on government to establish the rules of the game for both the domestic and international companies.

Speaking on the issue of illegal refineries and bunkering, Mayowa said that government should collaborate with host community in addressing the situation.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2012 — 29

give me N4000 and at times N5000. The guns are owned by Akin. He is the president of the gang. I met them when they came to have their hair cut because I am a barber.”

Asked what lured him into the gang since he at least, had a means of livelihood, he kept quiet, then said: “I regret everything now. The money I got was used only to eat. I did not even use it to buy a car. My only pain is that my four-day old son may not grow up to know his father because as it is, I do not know if I will come out of this alive.”

The third suspect, Wale Adeniyi, who could barely talk owing to the excruciating pains from the bullet wounds he sustained during exchange of fire with the police, said he was the gang’s hit man. The 28-year-old Akure born who seems to have spent longer time with the gang than his colleagues, said he was into smuggling business at the border before joining the gang. Although he did not say exactly how many lives he has wasted during operation, he only maintained he was the gang’s best hit man.

Gang’s best hit man

•Suspects

We were caught after renewing our charms on penetration of bullets zShocking revelations from notorious bandits in Lagos

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AGOS Lagos State Police Command has arrested three suspected members of a notorious robbery gang that have been on its wanted list, recovering five AK 47 riffles and nine magazines. The gang that specialized in operating in almost all the parts of the country, reportedly started as an eight-man gang. But two of them have reportedly been killed in separate shoot-outs.

The arrested suspects who were paraded before journalists at the Lagos State Police Command, weekend, did not mince words in revealing their separate roles in the gang. One of them, Wale Adeniyi, revealed that he was the gang’s hit man.

27-year-old Taofeek Bukola said he was the gang’s driver while 20 year-old Oladun Agemo declared himself as the gang’s armourer. Luck ran against them while returning from a herbalist’s home where they had gone to renew their charms on the penetration of bullets, before going on an operation in Ogun State.

In this interview with Crime Alert, Taoffek said he was C M Y K

6am and then work as commercial bus driver, shuttling between Oshodi and Iyana-Ipaja. Yet I could not meet up, as I normally got N1500 to N2000 everyday, which I used to feed my family. Then three months

,

By EVELYN USMAN & RUTH CHUKWUEMEKA

ago, I met Akin who introduced me to the gang. My job was to drive them to the venue of the operation, wait in the car while they went in and drive immediately they came out. So far, I have gone on op-

My only pain is that my fourday old son may not grow up to know his father because as it is, I do not know if I will come out of this alive

tempted to join the gang because of his inability to get money for his mother’s medical bill.

He claimed that he lost his father years back, leaving his mother to cater for him and his four siblings. But along the line, he said his mother had a mental problem which confined her to a herbalist’s home. Since then, he said he had to cater for himself, his wife, two children and his siblings. But meeting some of the financial obligations of his mother, like buying of herbs and other things was the most tasking.

He said: “As a result of this, I would work in the bakery until

,

erations in Ibadan, Ogun and Akure with them. In the first operation, I was given N150,000 and in another one I was given N70,000 while in the third one I was given N100,000. The money shared at the end of each operation depended on how much we realized in the operation. We usually operated with information. We don’t just go to anybody’s house. On the day of our arrest, I drove them to Ado where they said they were going to renew their ‘ijaya’(charm to instill fear on their victims) and also that which will not make bullet to

Cp Lagos, Umar Manko

penetrate into them. It was on our way back to Otta that we were arrested.” Asked where he got money to buy the vehicle, he said he got it from the sale of his mother’s family plots, regretting that he was likely going to die.

W

hen 20-year-old Oladun Agemo was approached, he simply stated that he was the gang’s armourer, and that he had never gone on any operation with them. He said: “They only give me their guns to keep at the end of each operation. When they come to keep it, they would

He said: “Whenever we were going for an operation, I was usually given a riffle first before any other person. This was because of my boldness. It was Akin, our leader who introduced me into the gang.”

At this point, he kept quiet, clinching his teeth in pains.

After a while, he shook his head, signifying he could not talk again. He tried to lift up his leg where he sustained the gun shot wound but could not. After a while, he laid on the floor and said: “I knew this day will come.

But what I did not know was how soon. When it clocked one year of my joining the gang, I started thinking of leaving them and returning to my smuggling business because I was getting tired of always watching my back in fear all the time.

And to think that a policeman once warned me to leave this business, oh God, it is regrettable.”

He managed to say he got N400,000 to N600,000 in some of the operations with the least amount being N100,000, adding that his greed to have more led him to his end. Efforts to further get more information from him failed as he just gave a blank stare, apparently unsure of police next move.

Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Umar Manko, said the police was still carrying out a manhunt for other members of the gang. The command, he said, was taking proactive strategic measures to curb criminal activities in the state by taking the war to robbers hideouts.

30— Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2012

By KINGSLEY ADEGBOYE

HIGH POINTS

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RIVING through Eric Moore Road in the night, one would *Infrastructure uplift in the highbrow areas while low-rated neighbourhoods be tempted to think "this is Europe or the United States or are forgotten any of the developed nations". This is because of the massive • Urban renewal is s function of many factors which include degree of upgrade of the physical infrastructure in the area. But the same blightedness and political/ economic considerations cannot be said of communities in the Alimosho Local Government •Poor planning is the bane of development efforts in Lagos area, Ajegunle and Amukoko in the Ajeromi-Ifelodun Council area as well as other slummy neighbourhoods in the state. The infrastructure in these areas have so degenerated such that residents now accuse the Babatunde Fashola -led government of being selective in its developmental programmes in the state. According to those who hold this view, Fashola is only focusing on highbrow areas at the expense of other thickly populated parts of the city. They would readily point to the infrastructural uplift of areas like Ikoyi, Victoria Island, Lekki- Peninsula, Ikeja, parts of Surulere and Yaba to buttress their allegation. According to them, areas such as Agege, Ogba, Ikotun, Ijegun, •Abandoned Ayobo/Ipaja Road, Lagos •New look Adeniran Ogunsanya Road, Surulere, Lagos Egbe, Orile and several other lowly rated communities are not remembered in the urban renewal projects of government.

But built environment experts who spoke to Vanguard Homes & Property on the alleged Fashola’s selective approach to urban renewal, faulted the argument. According to them, the argument of the make money elsewhere to deAccording to Adeyeye, out of said the state government is government’s choice or prefer- government selecting highbrow velop other areas. I think the between 38 and 40 of such carrying out the urban renewal ence for areas selected for im- areas may be that it can issue of balance is what mat- identified settlements, Maroko projects according circumprovement or upgrading is generate more money from ters, and to that extent, you can ranked the worst, hence it was stance of the time. He pointed usually informed by the degree those areas to develop other see development projects go- the first to be demolished by the out that the metropolitan masof blightedness and other po- rural communities. ing on in Alimosho, Agege, government. He added that ter plan for Lagos of 1980 to litical and economic consideraLagos/Badagry Expressway apart from the degree of 2000 recommended the comtions. he former NITP boss how and several parts of the city by blightdedness which is the first prehensive physical developA former President of both the factor to determine the prefer- ment of the city with its variever laid the lion share of the government”, Ajayi said.

Nigerian Institute of Town Plan- blame on poor planning. His Also speaking on the issue, ence for urban renewal projects, ous components such as transners NITP, and Association of words: “For me, I think that the a former chairman of the Ni- available resources to a govern- portation network, land use Professional Bodies of Nigeria greatest failure is planning. gerian Institute of Town Plan- ment is another factor that can system, housing and others.

APBN, Mr. Bunmi Ajayi in- Planning over the years has ners, Lagos Chapter, Mr. determine a project the governMr. Ogunleye added that in sisted that the government has failed because it has favoured Bunmi Adeyeye explained that ment can embark upon. He the course of carrying out the seriously and genuinely ad- only the rich, the highly placed urban renewal projects have a noted that if a project is mas- recommendation, pockets of dressed the urban renewal is- and the privileged. Some times process of selection which de- sive but the resources available unplanned built up areas sues in Lagos state. it has to do with politics, but the pend on the degree of cannot execute it, the govern- sprang up in the city. These “We have always had problem government has forgotten that blightdedness of a particular ment may go to a place where unplanned built up areas are of flooding, traffic, security, those who will vote are people area. He pointed out that it was the resources at its disposal can what is referred to as slums roads and etc. Now you have a from rural areas and not those this process that informed the execute the project. According which are due for urban regovernment that has taken a from highbrow areas. However, government’s intervention in to Adeyeye, unless there are newal. He said the policy of the holistic view and approach to those highbrow areas they are Maroko. That intervention was political manouverings, there is government is to adopt ta difit and every aspect is being putting money, they will get based on the study carried out procedure for selection of ferent approach to each area. touched. This government is money from them but they will between 1980 and 1981 to de- projects to be redeveloped.

While some areas require outfocused". On the criticism that not get votes. Whichever way, termine the degree of Another settlement expert, right demolition of structures, the government is being government needs money, and blightdedness of some settle- Mr. Makinde Ogunleye who is other areas require urban upselective, he stated that it this is why it has to go and ments in Lagos. the chairman, Lagos State NITP, grade, he said. (government) cannot do everything in one day. This is why it has to be selective.

“But the people’s argument And you have an always availais that the government is cont’s hard to know what works ble centerpiece waiting for you in centrating on Victoria Island, when decorating a room. In this the form of your houseplants.

Lekki corridor and such high- writeup, decor writer, Julie Mihaly or go free-form with the furniture range the furniture.

Don’t get hung up Don’t get cornered brow areas at the detriment of provides 10 easy dos and don’ts to and let your artwork add groundPictures should be hung at eye Don’t allow unfilled corners to level, or about 60 inches from the places such as Agege, Ikotun, apply to different rooms in your ing symmetry. become big, eye-grabbing decor floor. So if you have to crane your Ipaja, Ijegun and others. That house. blanks. Fill ‘em up! Add a throwChannel your inner collector Control the flow neck or shade your eyes from the is exactly what people are saytopped ottoman; create a nook Here’s one instance when it’s Trawl your home for similar oblight glare to appreciate ing. But if you look at the jects and consolidate them in one fine to be a bit of a Machiavelli. with a wall arrangement of pho- ceiling what’s in the frame, you need to number of roads at Agege location to create an instant col- Define and control the use of a tos and a comfy chair; pop in a bring yourself and your art down alone, they are more than all lection and to garner attention for space with furniture positioning. plant; or insert an interesting floor to reality. the roads in Lekki and Victoria treasures that might otherwise be Place seating closer for a conver- lamp.

Go towards the light Embrace blossoms sation area. Leave enough room Lighting can alter the entire feel Island put together. This is overlooked.

Remember that fab feeling you for family and guests to walk beof an area. Scaling things down because Agege has been in got the last time someone sent flowtween your knees and the coffee Don’t be square by using table lamps or adjustaexistence before places like ers? Fill water glasses with bunchtable. And if you want your view Symmetry creates a sense of orfloor lamps will up the Lekki and others, that is why it der and calm, but too much of this of this week’s TV cliffhanger to es of leafy twigs, ferns, or other fo- ble-height cozy quotient, and adding one or has more roads than the new good thing can make a room feel remain unimpeded by the hub on liage. Branches, even bare ones, two extras to the traditional pair areas. The government has to static. So, shake things up. If your his way to the fridge for a snack, can add graphic punch — consid- of wall sconces is a softer way to have preference in selecting furniture is arranged symmetrical- define a more non intrusive traf- er using a smaller, watertight add wattage to your favorite newsareas for redevelopment, and ly, hang wall art asymmetrically, fic pattern with the way you ar- wastebasket as a vase for them. paper-reading spot.

Mixed reactions trail Lagos’ urban renewal efforts T

HAZARD

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C M Y K

Tips for a more dazzling décor

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2012—31

Take possession of your houses now or …, Lagos warns allottees

By KINGSLEY ADEGBOYE

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HE Lagos State Government has warned allottees who are yet to take physical possession of their houses in various government-owned housing estates to do so immediately or have such allocations revoked.

The Commissioner for Housing, Mr. Bosun Jeje who spoke through his media aide, Mr. Adesegun Ogundeji, decried the continued abandonment of houses in some estates long after they have been allotted to the subscribers.

The commissioner regretted that about 87 housing units are still unoccupied at different Millenium Housing Estates. A breakdown shows that Oke-Eletu Estate has nine units, Alaagba two units, Ojokoro 33 units, Shasha 10 units and Ibeshe 33 units. The commissioner noted that this trend negates the spirit and purpose for which the houses were built which is to provide shelter for the teeming population of Lagosians who are in need of decent accommodation. The Commissioner who

reinstated the State Government’s commitment to reduce drastically the estimated five million units deficit in housing need of Lagosians reminded the allottees that non occupation of the houses, denies many citizens access to affordaable shelter which the government is desirous at providing for a larger number of the populace.

Jeje said the abandoned properties constitute environmental challenges and a security threat to the concerned

estates and their neighbourhoods. Many of the unoccupied houses, he noted, now constitute eye-sores, with weedy and dirty environment defacing the aesthetics of the affected estates. “They also serve as hidesout for criminals who hibernate in them, plan crimes and use them as launch pads to attack unsuspecting residents and innocent members of the public”, he noted.

Stressing that the trend is not acceptable and will not be allowed to continue, the Commissioner said the state government has magnanimously approved a 60-day moratorium within which the allottees should comply with the terms of the agreement or the law will take its full course.

•One of the housing estates built by Lagos govt

•Why Marina shoreline reclamation has not been completed

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AGOS State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat has solicited maximum cooperation of communities where government projects are being located as this would lead to the overall development of the State.

The Commissioner made the appeal while on a one day tour of projects being undertaken by his ministry in the Epe area of Lagos state.

Dr. Hamzat maintained that the State government was desirous of harnessing full economic and tourism potentials of the Epe axis of the State, through meaningful developmental projects such as development of tourism sites that support hospitality business.

According to him, the take-off of the Marina shoreline reclamation contract, which was awarded about two years ago was stalled by some challenges posed by the host communities.

He warned that lack of support will continue to deny people the benefit of projects.

According to the commissioner, the visit was aimed at effecting the plans of the C M Y K

Cement Dangote cement per bag of 50kg ---N1,800.00 Burham Cement per bag of 50kg ---N1,800.00 Elephant cement per bag of 50kg ---N1,800.00 Sandcrete Blocks 6 inches vibrated per block---N130 9 inches vibrated per block---N150 6 inches hand mould per block---N80 9 inches hand mould per block---N90 Sand Soft per tipper load ---N13,000 Sharp double tipper load---N23,000 Gravel double tipper load---N25,000 Gravel single tipper load---N18,000 Granite per tipper load----N120,000 Reinforcement 8 mm (153) pieces per ton ---N125,000 10 mm (153) pieces per ton---N136,000 12 mm (93) pieces per ton---N161,000 16 mm (93) pieces per ton---N172,000 20 mm (53) pieces per ton---N122,000 Woods Timber (hard) 1x1x12---N1,000 Timber (hard) 2x2x12---N800 Timber (hard) 2x4x12---N700 Softwood 2x2x12---N260 2x3x12---N300 Plywood 3x3x8---N3,500 2x4x8---N2,400

Lagos solicits Epe communities'support in transformation agenda

By EMMANUEL ELEBEKE

Building materials watch

present administration which had decided to engage directly with communities through the traditional institutions to forestall delays in the execution of projects designed to bring infrastructural development to their domain and impact on the people.

Hamzat who debunked the allegation of neglect by some Epe communities, said that the projects being undertaken in the area were at the instance of the communities and not at government’s whims. According to him, those who accuse

the government of neglecting the area did not understand the process of determining which projects are executed in particular locations.

The Commissioner said there is a plan in place to ensure that the Division becomes a viable industrial axis in the State. He pledged the State government’s determination to ensure that a new water source capable of providing 700 million gallon is put in place. He described the proposed Marina waterside, as a tourist attraction centre as well as historical issue, where Kosoko berthed when he came to Epe in 1851. This is why government is trying to harness its tourism potential.

Commenting further on the shoreline, the Works commissioner said the contract had already been awarded, with about 1.1 km in length and 100 metres in depth. He listed the benefits of the project to include shoreline protection, creation of recreational view where people can park and the children play.

Roofing Sheets Corrugated iron sheets per bundle---N10,000 Asbestos (Super) 4x8 per piece---N1,600 Asbestos (Solo) 4x6 per piece---N1,500 Wall tiles (ceramic) 6 x 6 per square metre-------------------------------------N1,200 20 x 20 (China) per square metre------------------------N1,100 20 x 25 (China) per square metre-------------------------N1,400 Floor tiles (ceramic) 14 x 14 (Spain) per square metre------------------------N1,800 14 x 14 (Brazil) per square metre-----------------------N1,420 13 x 13 (Spain) per square metre-----------------------N1, 550 45 x 45 (Spain) per square metre-----------------------N1,900 40 x 40 (Marble Spain) per square metre-------------N3,800 30 x 30 (Marble Spain) per square metre-------------N2,000 Plumbing Materials Galvanised conduit pipes per length 20 mm diameter -----------------------------------------N170 25 mm diameter--------------..........................................N170 PVC conduit pipes 20 mm diameter per length ----------------------------N120 25 mm diameter per length-----------------------------N130 Source-----------Cement tiles and building materials market along Lagos/Abeokuta Expressway.

Jonathan to flag off 23rd edition of Archibuilt

By JUDE NJOKU

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HE 23rd edition of Archibuilt , the annual specialised exposition and workshops on the building, construction and infrastructural development sector, organised by the Nigerian Institute of Architects, NIA, will be declared open by President Goodluck Jonathan on August 22, 2012 in Abuja.

A statement by the Honorary General Secretary of NIA, Mr. Abdullahi Shime Abubakar not-

ed that “Archibuilt has over the years attracted world-class companies and organisations from Nigeria and abroad as exhibitors while conversely pulling in good visitor participation with a cumulative of about 500,000 people in recent years for both the seminars and the expositions.

“The Archibuilt platform has evolved into a veritable tool which the NIA utilises to contribute to national development by creating a framework for the infusion of international-best ideas and practices with the

cross fertilization of local realities and expert opinions towards the success of the national developmental agenda, “ he said. .

Abubakar disclosed that the theme for Archibuilt 2012 is: Viability and Sustainabilty of Africa’s Future Cities. “The show-piece will also feature workshop sessions which will run concurrently with the exposition. Sub-themes for the workshop are: Addressing Security Concerns in City Development; Planning for Power Sufficiency in City Develop-

ment; Project Financing in City Development and Abuja City Development - A Case Study.

Application of the New Conditions of Engagement The workshops are knowledgesharing sessions focused on a specific topic at a time and they offer participants the opportunity to gain practical knowledge from leading experts.

They provide in-depth insights into a particular project or set of projects, an initiative or development, or an emerging issue in the built environment”, he said.

32—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2012

ENVIRONMENT WATCH

Experts say supplements could ease effects of environmental pollution

BY TONY NWANKWO

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•Mr Jeje during Tree planting exercise last week.

Why tree planting has become an annual ‘ritual' in Lagos — Fashola

By KINGSLEY ADEGBOYE & CHIOMA OBINNA

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HE Lagos State Governor, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola has given reasons for making tree planting an annual ritual in the state. Speaking at the 5th edition of the Lagos state tree planting programme, the governor explained that the initiative is to save the earth by adopting measures to combat the effects of climate change, protect trees and make the environment safe for all. He disclosed that his government has planted over three million trees, and described it as a feat of 12 years achieved in four years.

Governor Fashola recounted the importance of trees and thick forests as buffer zones for various atmospheric occurrences and balance of vital gases such as oxygen and carbon dioxide, essential for different forms of survival. “Apart from the life trees gives, it is known to be very useful in sinking carbon dioxide which is a major contributor to greenhouse gases and replenishing the air with oxygen coupled with the aesthetics value it adds to the environment,” he said.

Fashola described trees as “the longest living organism and greatest natural resources

which had proven to be very useful to man as provider of foods and oxygen, meeting the ever increasing, expansive, diverse and dynamic world of humans and animals in areas of shelter, beauty and medicine”.

The Environment commissioner, Mr. Tunji Bello noted that the environment has witnessed tremendous transformation in the last few years and this has earned the state local and international recognitions.

Speaking on the importance of tree planting, the commissioner said: “Trees create vital habitat and promote biodiversity; abundant forests do not just enhance lives, they save lives”.

He further stated that planting trees and other vegetation expands the urban forest, creates wildlife habitat and improves storm water management, making communities more pleasant to live in.

“Trees also reduce the greenhouse effect by shading houses and office buildings. This reduces the need for air conditioning by up to 30 percent which in turn reduces the amount of fossil fuels burned to produce electricity. For us in the this part of Nigeria, deforestation is more of a concern and has negative implications on the environment in terms of soil erosion,

loss of wild life, loss of biodiversity and ecosystems,” he said.

According to Bello, Tree planting is a reforestation exercise.

The man who plants a tree plants a hope, a future and a life; so, plant a tree today.

Representing the Governor at the Ogudu centre of the tree planting exercise, the State Commissioner for Housing, Mr. Bosun Jeje who described the exercise as a global affair noted that the significance of trees in the environment has been recognised by the United Nations.

Jeje who spoke extensively on the importance of trees in the environment identified trees as a natural source of capturing carbon, hence “the good air we breathe”.

“Secondly, the aesthetic value of trees in the environment cannot be over emphasised. We cannot do without trees in the environment. Thirdly, when you look at trees, nature has endowed them with certain functions that they must perform.

The root of the trees holds the soil firmly thereby controlling the erosion through the process of the root in the soil.”

Trees planted this year across the state include: Ashoka (police type), Ashoka (Hands up), Ficus (yellow) and Melaina.

The trees were deliberately chosen for site specifications.

PEAKING, recently, at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio + 20) to mark the 20th Anniversary of the Earth Summit, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Nigeria’s president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan referred to the conference as historic both for humanity and the planet. He said that the world had “a unique opportunity to reshape the future and redefine the relationship between human advancement and environmental sustainability, by ensuring that we join, in a collective effort, to reduce the conflict between human development and environmental conservation”.

But Nigeria’s case is different. In the Niger Delta, gas flaring, oil exploration, exploitation and degradation from oil spills, pollute the environment. In the North, Boko Haram sectarian bombings and other improvised explosives, together with frequent burning of used tyres, foul the air and produce heavy, sometimes colourless non-inflammable gas, formed by oxidation of carbon by the interaction of carbonates and acids. All of this is very dangerous to the respiration of plants and animals.

In other parts of the country, the lack of - and sometimes epileptic, public power supply has brought unimaginable use of generating sets as people seek electricity to power their homes, shops, offices and factories. The emissions released from these power equipment and plants are lifted into the atmosphere and subsequently inhaled by humans as contaminated air.

There is also another specie of pollution that comes from

Dr. Abayomi Aiyesimoju

UN-Habitat names Kabir Yari new programme manager for Nigeria

U

N-HABITAT has named a former Acting Managing Director of the Urban Development Bank of Nigeria, UDBN, Mr Kabir Mohammed Yari its new Programme Manager for Nigeria. The appointment became effective from 9 July 2012. He will oversee the United Nations Habitat Human Settlements Programme Support Office, C M Y K

HAPSO in Abuja Mr Kabir Yari, a Town Planner with extensive experience in urban infrastructure projects, participatory planning, city development strategy and urban governance, holds a B.Sc. Degree in Geography from the Bayero University, Kano Nigeria and a Masters Degree in Urban and Regional

Planning from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria. In addition, he attended many short courses in Housing, Project Preparation and Appraisal, Public Private Partnerships and Urban and City Management among others.

He started his working career with the Federal Ministry of Works and

Housing before joining the Urban Development Bank of Nigeria. He has at different times worked with donor agencies including the World Bank, United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UNHABITAT) and the Cities Alliance in the formulation of urban projects and programmes in Nigeria.

massive generating sets that inundate our environment, mostly colourless, odorless gas, equally formed by the incomplete oxidation of carbon.

This burns with a blue flame to form carbon dioxide and is highly poisonous when inhaled, since it combines with the hemoglobin of the blood to the exclusion of oxygen.

As Nigeria grapples with corruption in the key sectors of fuel, gas, power generation and distribution, experts have warned that inhalation of poisonous gas will gradually, but steadily destroy cells in the body of residents and could be responsible for certain diseases that have become endemic in our society. Such diseases like lung cancer, stroke and other heart related diseases are regularly mentioned.

The American Heart Foundation has published an article leading to the conclusion that every adult should be on supplements in order to prevent heart and other environmental related diseases. They recommend that only supplements - with anti-oxidants, taken regularly, are capable of steadily cleansing the human lungs and other body systems of cancerous growth and other invasions.

According to Dr. Abayomi Aiyesimoju, physician, neurologist, acceptable supplements, like Forever CardioHealth and Aloe Vera Gel, for example, are acknowledged worldwide as containing the broadest range of vitamins that can provide all that one needs to keep homocysteine low. “Forever CardioHealth with CoQ10, is a special formula designed to easily dissolve in Forever Aloe Vera Gel to provide three important nutritional supports for cardiovascular health. It promotes heart healthy anti-oxidants”, he said in a recent lecture.

Renowned Nigerian medical expert and president, African Heart Foundation, Dr. Kingsley Kola Akinroye, said recently at an FLP public health lecture: “We maintain that cardiovascular disease is the number one killer disease all over the world and that 80 percent of this disease are in developing nations, including those in Africa. But they are preventable”, he said, adding, “You prevent them by taking appropriate nutrients and limiting the salt intake in the diet, exercises and very important; non-smoking of cigarettes and limiting alcohol intake”. The danger is that the damage can be contagious. For instance, an infected pregnant mother with lung cancer can pass this on to the unborn baby.

Experts say that the regular intake of supplements as universally acknowledged, even in environmental friendly climes. It is the best option to keep healthy and free from some terminal diseases.

Vanguard , TUESDAY, JUNE 24, 2012—33

The flying car hits the air, road

BY THEODORE OPARA

S

OMETIMES ago, when we did a story on this page about Mercedes Benz SL AMG, we predicted that one day, cars would fly.

And its seems our prediction has come true in no time. The flying car has arrived. A Dutch company built a flying car and is simply called PAL-V. This is the story of the flying car by TopGear Magazine.

Flying cars are one of those things the future has forever promised us yet never delivered. But things creep up on us from unexpected directions, and here’s one that might just have solved the problem by not trying to be a car at all. Nor, come to that, an aeroplane.

It’s called the PAL-V. On the ground, it’s a Carver leaning trike. In the air, it’s a gyrocopter.

It’s Dutch, and, at first glance, it looks like the product of a mind addled by one too many spliffs. But it’s fiercely

C M Y K

logical and has the backing of several Dutch universities and government ministries.

It’s just done its maiden flight, and its developers insist it means all the regulations for a ground vehicle and an aircraft.

A gyrocopter is potentially the lightest and most compact form of powered flight. A propeller drives it forward – in the PAL-V’s case, a prop behind the cabin.

The lift comes not from fixed wings but a set of empowered rotor blades that are spun by the forward motion through the air. A gyro can’t hover like a helicopter, but it’s vastly simpler both in its construction and in the skills needed to fly it.

And both those sorts of simplicity are good for safety. Plus, if the engines fail, a gyro can come to a gentle landing from any height.

In fact, take-off and landing speeds are far lower than for a fixedwing plane, which also help this machine’s via-

bility as a roadable aircraft. You don’t need an airport. A smooth 200m grass field will do for take-off, and 50 for landing. “That’s just a big garden,” says PAL-V’s boss Robert Dingemanse. “All you need is something to show the wind.” Just 30mph of airspeed will keep it going in level flight.

Sure, it look strange, but then Dingemanse says lots of things – safety, aero, light weighttrumped handsomeness in the priority list.

Dingemanse says there are two huge obstacles that anty fly-drive invention has to overcome. The first is weight. It has to be as light as a Caterham, while carrying the mechanisms both to go and steer on the road, and, separately, to get aloft and remain in control when up there.

The other problem is that if an aircraft isn’t to topple over because of the thrust, it needs a high centre of gravity.

Which is precisely the opposite of what a car needs if it isn’t to topple over in corners.

PAL-V’s founder, John Bakker, had been trying to invent a flying vehicle since about 2000.

“The Carver technology

was the breakthrough,” says Dingemanse, and it came in 2005. What makes it perfect for the PAL-V is that it allows a high C of G on a narrow vehicle, because, through corners, the whole lot always stays in balance. And having a small, light cockpit is essential in anything that’s

supposed to take to the air.

You sit in a cockpit with normal car control. The single front wheel wears a motorbike tyre, and the wheel and the whole cockpit lean as they do on a bike, so that there’s little latest force at the front axle.

NTM boosts After-sales with mobile service

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ETEMINED to offer quality services to its customers across the country, National Truck Manufacturers, NTM, Limited has advised its customers to take adequate advantage of its maintenance outlets in Kano, Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt.

The company which specialises in the assembling of trucks and buses, is boosting its after sales delivery with mobile services as part of measures to meet the growing needs of customers.

The Kano-based firm explained recently that its Iganmu outlet in Lagos

has been equipped to meet the maintenance needs of existing and potential customers.

NTM explained that the Lagos facility has the capacity to handle 50 vehicles a day coupled with the availability of spare parts.

“We maintain a large stock of spares at our main warehouse in Kano and control the distribution of these spares throughout Nigeria. We also ensure that the spare parts are original and are of best quality”, said NTM in a statement.

Its Managing Director, Ibrahim Bayero, recently in Kano disclosed the company ’s resolve to

sustain operational activities through its three production lines, after sales outlets and other support facilities.

Established in December 1975 by the administration of late military head of state, G e n e r a l Murtala Mohammed, NTM commenced operation as a joint venture between the Federal Government and Fiat of Italy for the assembly of Semi Knocked Down, SKD, and Completely Knocked Down, CKD, trucks and agricultural tractors with an installed capacity of 7,000 trucks and 3,000 tractors.

34—Vanguard , TUESDAY, JUNE 24, 2012

1st shipment of SA produced Chevy Spark exported G

ENERAL Motors South Africa has exported its first shipment of Chevrolet Sparks, produced at its Struandale facility in Port Elizabeth. The first shipment of the Spark was exported to Mauritus. ”The vehicles are the first to be sourced for Mauritius from the GM South African Struandale plant,” said Peter Leyland, General Motors Sub-Saharan Africa, Export Operations, Business and Dealer development Manager.

The vehicles were shipped to Mauritius via the port of Durban.

Mauritius, one Africa’s success stories, boasts a well developed economy, with a well educated, sophisticated market, said Leyland.

Leyland further noted that General Motors sales volumes in Mauritius were growing year on year, with the Spark second only to the Cruze in terms of Chevrolet products sold on the island.

Leyland said this was another step forward in terms of expanding exports of South Africanassembled products into key Sub-Saharan African markets, following a R1billion investment in the South African based production plant. The investment programme introduces three new vehicle assembly programmes to the plant, namely the Chevrolet Utility, the Chevrolet Spark and the Isuzu Pickup.

“With all the development happening in Sub-Saharan Africa as countries improve road infrastructure, agriculture and invest in the construction of new

Honda siblings top Parents’ Best Family Cars

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buildings, there are a number of new opportunities to sell our vehicles in these markets,” he said.

Leyland said GMSA was implementing aggressive measures, including strengthening its distribution network,

improving logistics efficiencies and ensuring the right product portfolio mix was in place, to ensure that it was able to grow its vehicle sales volumes as the economies in African countries grew. He said according to the International

Monetary Fund, Africa was the fastest-growing region in the world with an average gross domestic product growth rate of 5.5 percent a year between 2000 and 2012, compared with the global average of 4.4 percent.

HEN the staff at Parents magazine was putting together their list of “Best Family Cars for 2012,” they naturally turned to some experts for help. And those experts—from Edmunds.com—turned to Honda for three standout choices for families of all sizes: The Honda CR-V, Odyssey and Civic Hybrid.

For bigger families, Honda also offers the CR-V as a “Best Family Car” solution from the Crossover class, featuring a cabin that’s “ reminiscent of a minivan, with a slew of cup holders and a gear shifter situated on the dashboard.” The bestselling crossover in

America is packed with standard features, too, with Parents calling out its “backup camera, a rear armrest to keep warring siblings apart, and rear seats that fold flat with a single touch.”

Helpful as well: For the first time ever, the CR-V offers an optional rearseat entertainment system. Finally, in addition to the CR-V, an actual SUV from Honda made the roster in the Large Vehicle segment.

Regarding the Odyssey, Parents praised its carlike cornering abilities and stable ride, and singled out advantages like its “endless storage compartments and second-row captain’s chairs.

Coscharis Group–Eko Automobile Centre takes off T

HE Lagos State Government in conjunction with Coscharis Group has commissioned an automobile centre in Ikeja under its public private partnership scheme.

The centre, the CGEKO Limited liability partnership is a joint venture between the state government and the Coscharis Group aimed at training automobile mechanics in the state.

Speaking at the commissioning of the C M Y K

facility, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN, noted that the facility, would help in the training of first class mechanics in the state, adding that it would in turn take care of man power development as regards automobile engineering.

According to the governor, the importance of well brand would go a long way in reducing crime and other vices, adding that the venture is expected to train more

than 650 auto mechanics in the next four years.

The venture, the first of its kind in the counry would also be providing basic maintenance for the states security fleets and provide other automobile related services for the general public.

He said: “Public private partnerships are very strategic for the development of Lagos State.

Our biggest and most profitable achievement would be the quality of

manpower that would come out of this venture.

Continuing, he said, "this venture is a bespoke aftersales service and training service provider and we believe it is another leap to create knowledge and create employment and we know with the responses so far from private concerns, many more of such ventures in areas of agriculture, power, malls and many more would emerge in the near future to keep our state going.”

Speaking at the commissioning, the Chairman of the Coscharis Group, Dr. Comas Maduka, explained that the idea was informed by the need to create a resource pool for certified automobile mechanics.

He disclosed that about N1 billion was invested on the project.

The facility is adequately equipped with modern day automobile equipment to provide cutting edge solutions to automobile related issues.

He said the venture is determined to rewrite the history of the automobile industry in the country by producing quality automobile engineers.

In his remark, the special adviser/director general, office of public-private partnership, Mr. Ayo Gbeleyi, said the venture which is a 25-year partnership between the state and Coscharis Group is expected to train 160 mechanics yearly.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2012—35

SIX MONTHS AFTER BONGA SPILL:

Oil communities still grumbling (3) CHAIRMAN of Kou Cluster Development Board, CDB, comprising Agge, Agge Palm Bush, Amazor, Azamabiri, Ogbeintu and Oroibiri in Bayelsa State, Austin Igbapike Esq, who is also a lawyer, representing some of the affected communities spoke to Vanguard on the plight of the communities and management of the Bonga spill by Shell.

By EMMA AMAIZE, Regional Editor, South-South

SPDC pulled the wool over minister’s eyes – Barrister Austin Igbapike, Counsel to affected communities

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IVIDE and rule tactics: The way SPDC managed the Bonga oil spill incident of December 20, 2011 indicates that we are yet to see a “new improved” SPDC, which is the current slogan of SPDC. Implementation of the Gmou so far has been bedeviled by lip service and fleeting commitment to the unambiguous provisions by operators of the GmOu in SPDC’s Central Division. The Bonga oil spill incident became a huge eye-opener to most of us on the commitment of SPDC to its GmOu and this has created a major hiatus between SPDC and the Kou CDB. The management of Bonga oil spill incident was a rehash of SPDC’s legendary divide and rule antics. They dangled the carrot of community cleanup contracts to the community development committees of our communities and they all fell. SPDC bypassed the Kou CDB because we insisted on due process in the management of the Bonga oil spill.

called a meeting of communities in Bayelsa and Delta to its western division on the December 23, 2011 when it discovered that its “robust” counter measure to contain, disperse and bury the evidence of the spill failed. The communities invited were those by their forecast and belief SPDC felt shall be in the frontline of the direct impact of the Bonga oil spill.

I was in this meeting in my capacity as the chair of Kou CDB. This meeting was chaired by one Mr. Donald Overedjo, SPDC’s the Government and Community Relations Manager. He pleaded with the communities to give SPDC unconditional licence to contain and disperse the Bonga oil spill because, according to him, the magnitude of the pollution was frightening.

M

isgivings: For me I won dered what “unconditional licence to contain and disperse the Bonga oil spill” meant.

It meant the indiscriminate use of dispersants. My suspicion was heightened, especially when we started reading the relentless apologies of Mr. Mutiu Sumonu, SPDC’s country chair on the SNEPCo website and the national dailies. It was later I knew that it was 40,000 barrels even by SPDC’s own estimate. I have never seen where SPDC would own up to a spill of such a magnitude without insinuating third party interference or arguing that Community the spilt crude was so neginterface ligible and not up to a table spoon full.

It deliberately did not However, all communities want to do community inwere ready to cooperate to terface, contributing to The little ensure that ecological dienvironmental protection saster, arising from the spill, and spills management confiwas reduced to the barest through the Kou CDB, dence minimum, especially when which is a creation of about 40,000 barrels of oil SPDC’s own that was what is being talked GmOu. Those in its Cen- SPDC about. tral Division heightened has built My suspicion was so the antagonism between members of the Kou CDB through high and my instincts told me that something was and the community deamiss. However, true to my velopment committees. the suspicion, SPDC took adInfact the contract award GMoU vantage of the inexperience processes for community has erod- of the Minister for Envicontracts provided by the ronment, Hajia Hadiza GmOu were jettisoned ed Ibrahim Mailafa, and got for obvious reasons to her to say in one of the naevade its liability for the tional newspapers that ‘the oil spill.

Botched efforts to bury evi- country was lucky that the spill dence: SPDC only hurriedly did not hit the coastline.’ This was C M Y K

Bonga oil field ...spilled 40,000 barrels of oil

after her overfly to the Bonga oil facility in company of the Director-General of NOSDRA, Mr. Peter Idabor, and the Deputy Director of NIMASA. SPDC completely changed gear after that statement and went back to its old game. That was really when the abracadabra began.

Bunkering vessel farce SPDC denied that its 40,000 barrel spill ever hit the coastline and went further with a hypothesis that, in fact, if any spill hit the coastline of these communities, it must be that of an unnamed third party. Indeed, SPDC now said it noticed during its over flights that a nameless oil bunkering vessel was vomiting crude into the sea.

SPDC even made Dr. Bukola Sa-

raki its new convert. NIMASA dissented.

Let me say that it would be foolhardy for SPDC to claim that the oil spill did not pollute the Kou communities and all the towns, villages and fishing camps within the Ramos, Forcados and Dodo estuary. The Kou Communities and several other communities that are located at the Ramos estuary that opens up into the sea called the Bight of Benin are the closest to the Bonga Field location. In fact, from the last Kou Community called Azamabiri you can see the Bonga Field from the shore.

No JIVs till date: Sharp practices, blind bids to cut corners using community contractors and the desperation to ensure that this spill of gargantuan magnitude is under-played is even making the

Bonga oil spill issue worse for SPDC. Joint investigation visits (JIVs) were carried not out to ascertain the source, cause, volume and extent of impact and even a damage assessment of the Bonga oil spill. The little confidence that SPDC has built through the GMoU has eroded.

The GMoU is a beautiful and a wonderful working document that can give real expression to SPDC’s hitherto epileptic corporate social responsibility or social investment strategy to its host communities if implemented to the letter. However, the way the Bonga oil spill was managed has damaged all of these. The Bonga oil spill is not any act of vandalism by any community but SPDC’s own equipment failure and they should pay for this.

No facts to support allegations against SPDC —Mr. Tony Attah, Vice President, HSE and Corporate Affairs that the company had a spill and appealed that they should bear with them in case the spill flowed to their areas and that relief materials would be given to them. Why is the company totally denying responsibility later Mr. Tony Attah... Shell embarked on proactive and calling it engagement mystery spill?

The first part of this serial was Any such meeting would be a published lastFriday proactive engagement in anticiY December 27, the clean pation of a worst case scenario up of the Bonga spill had which did not materialize as the been completed. There were, Bonga spill was effectively conhowever, claims by members of tained by the concerted efforts of some coastal communities that the spill response team in collabtheir communities had been af- oration with the relevant governfected. There was an overfly of the ment agencies.

On December 20 when the coastline undertaken on December 27 which confirmed that such Bonga spill occurred, was there claims were not borne out by ev- a formal report made by SPDC idence as there was no evidence to NOSDRA - in Warri or Lagos? of impact on the shore line.

Both the Department of PetroCommunity leaders from Ogulagha, Aghoro, Azamabiri leum Resources, DPR, and NOSsaid SPDC officials in meetings DRA were formally notified of the held with them acknowledged incident on December 21.

B

What was the response of NOSDRA as an agency incharge of such matters?

Kindly, contact NOSDRA for response.

There is this contention that SPDC hijacked the duty of NOSDRA by doing the clean-up on its own in some places. What is your reaction?

SNEPCo complied with oil spill response procedure and standards for operators in the industry. The clean up was with the express support of the regulators.

Finally, from latest findings, it cannot be true that the spill from Bonga did not get to the shoreline of the aggrieved communities in the Niger Delta. Our investigations did not show that there a was spill from any other company or source at that time, and the oil spill from some bunkering activities was not large enough for such a massive spread. What is the company’s next step to douse the anger of the people?

We are unaware of the details of those ‘findings’and, therefore, cannot comment on them or their alleged outcomes.

36—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2012

How we turned round FUPRE in 3 months —Prof Alhassan Bichi, Ag Vice -Chancellor IN just three months, the fairy-tale is changing at the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, FUPRE, Effurun, Delta State, which had been in the news, since last year, for reasons other than academic proficiency. Before now, it was one contract scandal or the other, or the students were on the streets, protesting non-accreditation of their degree programmes. In fact, final year students shunned their final examination, last year, demanding definite word from the authorities of the institution on their fate after writing the said examination. It is, therefore, a bolt from the blue to learn that in 90 days the issue of accreditation was no longer a problem in FUPRE and that its students will participate in the next batch of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC scheme. Clearly, new things are happening in FUPRE. Vanguard met the new man at the helm of affairs, who has brought a sense of focus and direction to the beleaguered citadel of learning. For what many in his position would straightforwardly claim credit for, the acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Alhassan Bichi, declined to score himself for the newfound peace in the institution. However, with what we saw on ground, the journalist, academic and administrator, is unquestionably on a salvage mission. Excerpts:

By EZE ANABA, Deputy Editor & EMMA AMAIZE, Regional Editor, South-South

O

NE of the sour matters with this university has been the issue of non-accreditation of programmes for which the final year students even refused, at a time, to write their final examinations. What is the position today?

Let me make it very short and sharp and say that those programmes that were due for accreditation, which are the programmes in the college of science had been duly accredited and students in the final year have already taken their final examination. In addition, their results have already been approved by the Senate and had been released to them. It has been communicated to the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, headquarters and they are going for their NYSC in the next batch, not the current batch. So the story of accreditation for programmes that are due, that one is over.

Can you be specific on the ones accredited, how many and the ones left?

All the programmes in the college of science, which are due for accreditation, had all been accredited. The programmes we are now working for their accreditation are the programmes in the college of technology, which, as against the science programmes, which are four- year degree programmes, four years in terms of length of residency of the students - the engineering programmes, we are working towards their accreditation.

Prof, so the position is still that some programmes have not been accredited?

Because they are not due.

Which means that the school is still offering courses that are not C M Y K

based on that, you get accreditation and there are three different types of accreditation. You can have short accreditation, which means your accreditation can run for five years from the date you obtained it before it will be subjected to another review.

Secondly, you can get interim accreditation, which means your programme can run for another two years before it will be subjected to review; and you can get denied accreditation, which means automatically, you stop admitting students into that programme. And if you are debarred, you may have to take the students to other universities to conclude the programme or alternatively, you have corrected that defects that were identified and you contact the NUC at your own time to come and inspect.

Now, the situation in this university is not the issue of accreditation. As at now, all the programmes in this university, whether college of science or technology are approved programmes.

All the programmes that are due for accreditation that have not been accredited are being accredited and the students have concluded their examinations as I told you earlier.

The programmes in the college of technology are going to be due for accreditation, we started with the college of science and it is a fiveyear degree programme.

Getting accreditation

•Prof Alhassan Bichi, Acting Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Petroleum Resources, FUPRE, Effurun accredited?

That is not the issue and let me make it clear because from my antecedents as the Director, Academic Standards, National Universities Commission, NUC, the academic studies of all the 120 universities in Nigeria were ordinarily under my care and what happened to university programmes is that before a university starts a programme, it gets approval.

Basis of NUC's approval The approval is based on its human and material resources at the start, which is sufficient to handle the number of students taken in initially. Without approval, no university can start a programme. That is number one, let us understand that. All the

programmes of the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun are approved by NUC. Now, after three years of establishing a programme because if a programme had been approved, you do not have to start the programme immediately, this university was given approval to start programmes in science and engineering technology.

It started with science and then brought in technology two years later. So, it is after three years for every programme that it will mature for accreditation. And accreditation is the process by which a panel made up of professionals in the area from different universities will come and look at what the university is doing, both human and material resources, library facilities, etc..

All these will be looked at and

Therefore, that is what we are now working towards, getting accreditation for the technology programmes.

So, bluntly, did you meet a perfect child?

The definition of a stunted child, I will say probably that if applied to this university, it will not be exactly out of order because a stunted child is one that has not reached the growth status that is expected of it. That is commensurate to his chronological age and I think honestly, at any level, academic , students’ population, academic staff, administrative staff, infrastructures development levels, according to master plan of the universities, this university should have been far beyond what it is by now. So, the analogy of a stunted child could be acceptable.

Can we know the deficiency and the prescription that ought to be

applied?

Well, the deficiency I have already enumerated. Like in the area of student population, if the university is growing the way it should have grown, it is now in the sixth year of establishment and there would be a minimum of students that it is expected to have admitted and that number has not been attained. Now, infrastructure … the number of students will depend on the infrastructure.

Infrastructure on ground The infrastructure that should be in place five years after establishment is not in place, the number of academic staff that should be on ground are not there, so also the number of administrative staff, whether in the registry, library, health clinic, etc are not in place. These are the deficiencies.

This university was started without any form of grant, without even light, because it started in borrowed rooms at the Petroleum Training Institute, PTI, Effurun. Staff of the university were sitting under trees. They rented a facility which is now being used as temporary office accommodation for all the university staff. It also started without a critical mass academic staff. Of course when you want to start petroleum, marine engineering and all that, you must have a critical mass on ground before you start the actual accreditation, so it had to do with borrowed robes because it did not have them. People came in from other universities, Port-Harcourt, Benin, etc. To add to that, visiting lecturers, parttime lecturers and all that. Now getting the land itself to start the university involved a lot of things because land is a very precious item, especially in this community.

300 persons signed FUPRE land acquisition deed: I can tell you that the first document I have seen is that there were 300 signatories with thumbprints to release land to this university.

Therefore, to have the land available to start infrastructure development is another thing, but when the land became available, to start the infrastructural development also became another thing. You came here, you saw the access road to the university, it is just a little over one kilometre, which should not have taken more than three to

All the programmes of the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun are approved by NUC

Continues on page 37

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2012—37

How we turned round FUPRE in 3 months —Prof Alhassan Bichi, Ag Vice -Chancellor Continues from page 37

four minutes to get here, but it will take nearly 40 minutes or so to get here.

Okay, how has it been running this university in the past three months?

When I came in three months ago, students were at home, there were no hostels to accommodate them. The hostel accommodation that was available had been given up by the university. The intention was that the students should find their accommodation but from the master plan of this university, it is supposed to be 100 per cent resident because it is a specialized university with a specialized nature and that is why that some of the structures that are going on in the campus are hostel facilities.

So, I had to go back to the owners of those property, all the property were in fact given to the university and it was used to accommodate over 250 students for two years at no cost to the university, but it was given back to the owner. Therefore, I had to go back to him and say sorry sir, can we get the facility back.

Who gave it back?

The university.

On what grounds were it given back?

On grounds that they thought, they would have their own hostels ready by March, which did not happen, and so, the students were asked to stay at home and the proposed date for resumption had to change. Therefore, when I came in, I decided that students would resume. First, those who were to graduate must resume and the owner of the property had already started constructing some things when I came to beg him that I still needed the facility.

Accommodation trap Then, I had to rent another facility because for the first time, the university admitted a number that more than doubled the number of students in the university. The old students numbered over 400 and the university admitted over 660 new students.

Therefore, I had to find accommodation for all of them because I know that what was put in the master plan was put there for a reason. The issue of accommodation for these students in this environment is necessary. Those who know the Warri-Effurun environment know that you must be ready to take care of people’s children to bring them here to school. Moreover, the university must be able to do that, especially by virtue of the nature of the programmes it offers.

As soon as were sure of our accommodation, we recalled our

graduating students - those students who had reached examination level, but who could not finish their examination in December 2011. We called them back and while they were doing their examination, we put in the process to bring back others, which are 200, 300 and the new 400-level students. They now came back, once these ones had come back; we now looked at the new students, who we requested to come in later.

We registered over 800, but discovered later that a number of them had changed to other universities when they found that there were problems in the university last year, and then suddenly, realized that there were no longer problems and they want to change again.

•Prof Alhassan Bichi...FUPRE was started in a hurry

FUPRE? I think I will be the wrong person to say that. I will prefer that you go round the university, observe things by yourself, talk to the students and staff and get the feedback yourself. You have enSecond tered the university now, what is your observation, is it indicative choice of a semblance of peace and has Then there were those students there been any more crisis since who chose it as second choice I came here in the last three or maybe, they had not received months. A person in my view their admission letters, and you does not bring normalcy, it is know, without an admission let- brought by the system. There is ter from JAMB, we cannot admit a management and that manageany student here. What has hap- ment has to carry everybody pened so far is that we got the along with it, and I think from students back, got accreditation what I am seeing, that it is left for for them, got the students to sit you to judge whether we are for their examination and gradu- carrying everybody along.

As is already known, you had ate, we contended with new intakes who took last year’s JAMB intervened in the affairs of this university in the past. and now, we have to There is this belief that contend with the there is a cabal in the next admission, that NUC that wants to hold is 2012/2013. For the on to the running of this first time also, we university, particularly have sent a number in contracts and all of staff for training. that. It is alleged that Did you sack any you are part of this caof them? bal, is this correct and I have not shown what have you found out anybody the door about the contract out because I operscams the public was ate based on certain parameters. I have FUPRE was treated to before you resumed? also not employed because there was an started in a et me put it this interview for aca- hurry in 2007. way, you said I indemic and non -acaIt was to have tervened… I was here demic staff before November/December, my resumption and been a Col2011 to look at the affairs in the absence of the lege of Oil of the university and it governing council, that can only be ap- and Gas, but was my recommendation with members of my proved by the minis- there were team that a strong adter and that is what I ministration and finanam pursuing now. problems, it cial panel to look at in So, once I have the was to be detail the issues pertainapproval of the mining to FUPRE. I think ister ,we will appoint under the academic and admin- supervision of that panel was set up with the approval of Mr. istrative staff. And that will relieve the University of President.

It did its job and subschool of some of its Benin, and mitted a report, which inadequacies? then that was received on behalf Definitely, that is of the President by the what I told you. The matter died Minister of Education deficiencies cut and subsequently, a across the board. white paper panel was Can you say that set up, that panel had you have brought looked into all aspects, normalcy back to

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including those issues that you are talking about the so-called contracts, etc.

Supposed NUC cabal: And whoever said there is a cabal from NUC, it is not for me to defend NUC or otherwise. Let the presidential panel report come out, it will indict who is to be indicted, it will clear who needs to be cleared if there is need to it.

But I can tell you since I came here, I have not seen one single project. How many projects do we even have here? We have two hostel projects, one academic staff project, we have electrification and water supply projects.

But the contracts were lucrative enough for the war of words between the former Minister of State for Education and the exvice chancellor?

Well, like I said, there is a panel, which made recommendations and I am sure both parties made representations. Some of the representations were in public domain and I do not think I need to comment on that.

FUPRE started in a rush Mine is to move the university forward and I think I should pay more attention to that. When government releases the white paper, if the demand is for me to implement the white paper, I will act.

With the benefit of hindsight, do you think it is right for government to allow universities to take off without minimum infrastructures on ground?

You can see that the Federal Government recently announced the establishment of nine new universities, but because of the minimum infrastructures that ought to be in place before takeoff, none of them has been allowed to start. They would have started with temporal facilities, which in Nigeria, will turn to permanent facilities sooner than later. Therefore, the wind of change is blowing.

FUPRE was started in a hurry in 2007. It was to have been a College of Oil and Gas, but there were problems, it was to be under the supervision of Universi-

ty of Benin, and then that matter died. Therefore, in the absence of any other federal university in this environment, it was conceived to be a federal university to service this environment.

Basic mistakes: However, but in a hurry to get it moving, I think a number of fundamental mistakes were made, which culminated in a number of issues we have been discussing. Even, the laws of NUC establishing universities have changed. Before you could start a private university with some minimum number of buildings and then you continue, but now, you must have a certain critical mass before you will be issue any recognition to submit application.

So, things have changed and I am sure if it were now that the concept of FUPRE came up, the university would not have been allowed to start without a number of critical mass.

It was obvious to many that your predecessor found the seat of the vice chancellor of this university to be a hot seat. How do you find the seat and what should be done to take FUPRE to where it ought to be as the first of its kind in Africa?

(Laughs) You know, there are people you may have seen in documentaries, I am sure, that walk on hot charcoal with barefoot, and they do not call it hot.

In addition, there are people who put on the fan and even shiver and feel cold, but rarely, there is subjectivity and objectivity when you talk about temperature of a place.

Nothing abnormal in seat As far as I am concerned, there is nothing abnormal about the seat I am sitting, I do not feel hot and I do not feel cold. I have a mission, I am sent on a particular mission and I am trying my best to carry out that mission. Therefore, I am not feeling uncomfortable in any way. … Bemoans abandonment by stakeholders On where the university ought to be, candidly, I expected to see in this university, roads named after banks, petroleum industry organizations, particularly as Nigerian economy is driven by petroleum. But this is the only university of its kind as you rightly said in Africa, I would have thought that everybody who benefitting from the petroleum resources of this country would have jumped on board to see that this university moves forward, but everybody pulled back.

Whether it was because of the noises that were being made or for whatever reason, but people should have been there right from the beginning. I have not seen a single festivity, not even a calendar from an oil company or from any of these major industries in Nigeria.

People, who are making money from petroleum, talk less of a building from organizations that are making money from the petroleum industry. We only have one bus that was donated, long ago, by Wema Bank and even that bus, somebody, decided to steal the brain box sometime ago.

38 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2012

Love on the run (2) I, Have you ever taken a bus ride with a sex pervert? Many who are privileged to own a car or have one within reach, may not actually know what I’m talking about. They may even find this very difficult to believe.

However, this happens all the time when one commutes with public transportation.

The story line goes thus: You board a bus and a stranger, for whatever reason, takes out his fantasy on you. Without bothering to seek your consent or even make a pass at you for starters, someone starts touching or rubbing himself against you!

Actually, women seem more prone to this, but a male friend also informed me that he’d once fell victim of this mobile sexual attraction to a lady before.

The amazing thing about this act is the culprit’s boldness when challenged. They never seem embarrassed or remorseful of their inappropriate behaviour. A friend’s elderly aunt once came home lamenting her ordeal with one of such perverts while returning home. As evidence to her claims, she displayed the portion of her wrapper, smeared with semen which was already dry and stiff like a starched fabric. Some of our respondents shared the stories you will be reading with us.

Dear reader, you can add your voice to this issue too, if you or someone you know of had such an experience?

Feel free to send your comments/views or opin-

ion on this topic with us also. Perhaps, together, we can run these perverts off our buses for good.

Our address remains: The Human Angle, Vanguard, P.M.B. 1007, Apapa, Lagos. Or E-mail add r e s s : humananglepage@yahoo.com

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dress which showed a little cleavage. When I look back, perhaps, this must have stimulated or attracted him.

Soon, I felt something tickling my right breast.

I was transfixed, scared stiff. I took a look at him and I was even more scared as he had a very

As I’d hoped, no one came in, but this man did not move. He just sat tightly next to me. So I shifted and sat forward

Nana (20), Student, said the man’s stature frightened her into silence.

I boarded the bus from Ojuelegba. I was going to Ikeja but eventually had to drop at Maryland to continue the journey in another bus. I sat by the window, the guy next to me was very huge. The first thing I noticed was that when he came in, he sat too close to me. So close that I felt trapped in the corner and I told him so.

His reply was that the other passengers were a bit big too and that the seat was not big enough for the four of us. Since this is a fact, I decided to drop the issue.

As the journey began, I noticed that I was feeling more uncomfortable. The man was virtually resting on me.

He had his arms folded across his chest all the time and at this position, his frame seemed to cover half of my own. I am a very petit lady (short and very small) I was wearing a low-cut V-neck

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stern straight look on his face.

I just could not believe it was happening to me.

I’d heard of such things happening to ladies on 911 buses, otherwise known as Molue, but never in a Kombi bus. I stared at him closely and I saw that his manhood appeared stiff under his clothes. It was obvious that he had no pant on because his thing lay straight against his thigh.

As God would have it, a passenger on our row informed the conductor that he would stop at Anthony bus-stop. I was relieved and hopeful that I would soon be free of him.

If no one enters when the man alights, at least, there would be more space and he would have to move away from me.

As I’d hoped, no one came in, but this man did not move. He just sat tightly next to me. So I shifted and sat forward.

The next thing, the man asked me if I was feeling hot and would like to relax. Imagine someone asking another seated by

the window if she was feeling hot.

All he wanted was for me to sit back, relaxed so he could continue to fondle me.

When we got to Maryland, I decided Id had enough. I would go down and continue the journey in another bus. As I got up, telling the driver to hang on for me to go down with another passenger, he asked me if I had reached my destination.

I was very angry and I ignored him. The next thing was that I felt this man pinch my bum. Can you believe that? He actually pinched my bottom because I wanted to get down and he would not continue to boldly fondle me? I was just too embarrassed to do anything to him. I concluded that he had a problem with his sexuality. He was a pervert. ‘ One that can rape a woman. Even a child. And his size probably gave him the confidence that very few women would want to confront him too.

I felt really bad that someone could do what he did to me and just get away with it as easily as that. I know that it was not his first time. He must have been molesting young women for a long time.

Tope (28) a Pharmacist: It happened to me in a Molue bus a long time ago on my way home from Lagos Island. I had boarded the bus at Balogun enroute Apogbon to Mushin.

There was no more sitting space, so I had to stand.

It was in the evening and the usual Lagos hold-up had began building up seriously. The bus was jammed packed and very hot too, so I could not feel anything or even think properly for a very long time. However, when we pulled out of Apogbon unto the bridge, some fresh air started blowing and I began to feel more comfortable.

To be continued Asisted by Onozure Dania

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BY ONOZURE DANIA

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SUALLY, when peo ple exchange marriage vows, there is the part in the wedding programme that reads, for better for worse, in sickness and in health till death do you part.

But do you know that the moment you marry your spouse, you marry your spouse’s entire family and you must respect those familial ties that were in place long before you came along?

If your relationship with your in-laws is going to be successful, they must also respect the union that binds you and their loved one together. It is up to you and your spouse to work together to set boundaries for your in-laws and make sure that they are honoured.

Often, the most dire need for imposing such boundaries arise from difficulties with a mother-in-law. Some mother in-laws are just so difficult that no matter how you try to please them, they would still want to push you to the wall. So in this kind of situation, what one needs to do, is to decide the appropriate boundaries with your spouse.

You may agree to forbid unannounced visits or limit visits to weekends or holidays. You might decide that she won’t live in your home as her health grows frail, but instead in the best nursing home you can afford. Keep your spouse happy and satisfied, that is, refrain from giving your mother-inlaw any legitimate fuel for her fire.

Some mother-in-laws stick their noses in couples’ business because they have genuine reason for concern. Agree with your spouse to communicate openly with one another not your mothers whenever either of you are displeased with your relationship. Identify your mother-in-law’s

true motives or concerns.

She may be lonely, sad about losing her son, desperate for attention, feeling undervalued and unneeded, or just downright vicious by nature.

It may seem like she’s out to get you or break up your marriage, but there may be underlying issues at work. Making an effort to understand them can help humanize her and inform the best way to give her what she needs without letting her get to you.

Give yourself the upper hand by using past experiences to plan ahead for encounters with your mother-in-law.

Anticipate tactics she may employ to exploit you and prepare in advance responses that will be both appropriate and effective.

Maintain conveyance of respect for the woman who brought your spouse into this world. Refrain from satisfying any ill motives behind offensive behaviours. Reinforce your boundaries by addressing your issues head on if her offences continue.

Express yourself calmly, tactfully and specifically, tell her that although you know she meant no harm, it really bothers you when she takes over in the kitchen during her visits or whatever offence she has committed.

Sit down together with your spouse and engage your mother-in-law in a serious discussion if her offences still don’t cease.

Firmly discuss your boundaries, their basis and any consequences you may impose if she won’t respect them.

For instance, if she continues to ignore your rules for the children, they will no longer be allowed to spend the weekend at her house.

Your mother-in-law wants to be a part of your life and she won’t want to threaten her place in it altogether by continuing to disrespect your union.

•Chike, lonely, needs a lady, for a serious relation-

Friends Searching Males

•Ryan, 49, 5.9 ft tall, good looking, romantic, car-

ing and resides in Warri, needs a sexy lady, for a romantic relationship.0807803337,07080024544 •Losy, 33, employed and from Asaba Delta state, needs a lady, aged 25-30, who is employed, for a r e l a t i o n s h i p . 0 8 0 6 3 9 0 1 4 6 9 •Henry, tall, handsome and from Delta state, needs a girl, aged 18-20, for a serious relations h i p . 0 8 0 6 7 6 4 3 4 5 9 •Adisa, 35, employed and resides in Lagos, needs a good looking, caring and employed lady, aged 26-30, for a genuine relationship, that will lead to marriage. 07037067372,08054869377 •Ikenna, 27, resides in Onitsha, needs a young and beautiful girl, aged 24-25, for a serious relationship.08067490400 •Jim, 6ft tall, from Abia state, but resides in Lagos, needs a good and matured in mind woman, for a romantic and lasting relationship.08063086680

Setting boundaries for in-laws

•Ayodeji, average height, employed and resides in

Warri, needs a God fearing and employed Yoruba woman, aged 25-28, for a serious relationship, that will lead to marriage in a short time.

0 7 0 6 2 9 5 4 8 9 7 , 0 8 0 7 7 4 9 4 3 0 0

•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 08026651636. Cheers!

ship.08038833699 •Niyi, 32, 5.8 ft tall, chocolate in complexion and resides in Lagos, needs a busty, pretty, fat and God fearing lady, for a relationship that can lead to marriage, aged 20-28. 07080441496 •Richard, 40, tall, handsome, educated and employed, needs a tall, slim, beautiful and employed lady, aged 20-28, for a serious relationship.

07060427400 •Ola,34, needs a girl, who is beauty not fat or too slim, for a romantic and serious relationship, aged 20-30.08055040201,07039869590 •Michael, intelligent, good looking and fun loving, needs a lady, for a serious relationship.08130813124 •Nelson, 20, a student, from Delta state, needs a girl, aged 17-23, for a serious relationship.

0 8 1 6 4 0 3 0 9 7 4 •Tunji, 29, needs a matured lady, aged 48 and above, in Lagos, for a relationship.08032785383, 0 8 0 9 9 0 9 2 4 2 1 , 0 8 0 3 7 1 6 2 1 6 6

V anguard DAY , Vanguard anguard,,TUES TUESD

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 TAURUS: BETTER than yesterday as you will be at a more comfortable place today and suddenly discover that your hope is alive. Venus bring you money GEMINI: ROMANTIC Venus at positive angle may bring matters-of-the heart related temptation through friends. But your best bet now is moderate ambition.

CANCER: The best bet for you is to consolidate on progress you made yesterday and look for best way to pacify your new friends.

LEO: EVERYBODY needs other people’s co-operation just like you today but you will not be compelled by situation to dance to others’ tune; meaning that you can do things your own way and rightly expect success VIRGO: THOSE of you willing to give others the needed co-operation will be in better position to consolidate on progress you have made recently. Don’t allow sex to distract you.

JUL Y 24, 2012 — 39 JULY

LEISURE

YOUR LUCK TODAY

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

By Richard Eromosele

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VERYMAN or woman is thirsty for one thing in the life - we all want to be appreciated. The desire to be appreciated is innate in every human being.

The thirsty man No matter what you give a man, if you don’t appreciate him, he is like the thirsty man given a bottle of mineral instead of glass or

TERROR MUDA

water, he can’t be satisfied. Appeciate a man for the little thing he has done for you and he will go out of his way to do greater

in “Never say goodbye”

things for you.

Whether a small man, whether a big man, whether a little child, a big girl, big woman, etc, we are all thirsty for appeciation.

Think about it!

By Lanre Kehinde

LIBRA: WATCHOUT for minor and avoidable but costly mistake within your working arena, especially if you are in charge of other people’s money. If you develop new romantic liaison today, it may not last.

SCORPIO: AS the saying goes “time waits for nobody” it’s important you guard against unnecessary procrastination capable of putting you at tight corner tomorrow. Be loving.

SAGITTARIUS: IT’S better you conclude what you’ve been doing for a while rather than starting something new you don’t know when to finish it. Be more family minded.

CAPRICORN: IF careless remarks are made by you today, it would back-fire at resumption of work tomorrow morning. Those who are eager for romantic attention will have their dream coming true. Be more loving

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in

“Princess Shii’

By Andy Akman

AQUARIUS: IF you wait too long before an important (financial) decision is taken, you may find yourself keeping date with what you don’t bargain for.

PISCES: Placement of the Moon influences your associates to become more self-assertive. If you take good advice you’ll fare better. However, it’s important you don’t forget your tomorrow with others.

ARIES: BETTER than yesterday and luckily for you, opportunity to rectify mistakes made yesterday may come today to the betterment of your finances. Don’t try to buy love with money.

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING Send yyour our dat th ttoo the As tr ological datee and place of bir birth Astr trological Counselling, PP.M.B .M.B 1100 00 7, Apapa, Lagos 007,

What about me?

VIRGINIA

dadadekola@yahoo.com

Dear Joshua, You have done many people’s horoscope; what about me? I want you to kindly analyse my star and tell me everything about my self. Please take note that I value my health and career than any other thing.

Uche Lagos.

Dear Uche, What space can take will be given to you here-under Scorpio and Libra that hosted both your natal sun and moon are members of very strong star signs-health wise.

Scorpio, in particular, has unusual survival ability. That is to say, even when health related challenges come, your survival endowment will always see you through.

Your major challenge is from your constant worries about too many things, especially on career related issues. Business miscalculation can be another source of health related challenge. You will agree with the fact that both constant worries and business miscalculation can affect one’s circulatory system.

Other things to watch-out for include: Urino-genital organs, minor accident (fire), bones dislocations, a few other times, skin infections and, of-course, fever. Always take care of the stomach. Please take note that all these are mere warnings as there is nothing fatalistic about them; a good guard, though.

Oil related Neptune was the closet heavenly body to the sun when you were born at positive angle to Pluto in Leo. Thus, having things to do with oil along your career/business lines is not by accident.

Then preponderance of water element and fixed quality in the distribution of the planets when you were born are favourable to commercial involvement with anything liquid.

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Commen3

by Lawrence Akapa

40—Vanguard , TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2012

Suspected drug trafficker admits importing fake fulcin tablets

BY INNOCENT ANABA middle-age man, Uzo ma Madueke, being prosecuted by National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, before a Federal High Court, Lagos, has admitted importing fake fulcin tablets into the country.

Madueke confessed to the crime after he was arraigned one a count charge.

The charge against him read: “That you, Uzoma Madueke of Epe, Lagos,

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within the jurisdiction of this court, on or about June 25, 2009, did import fake and substandard tablets to wit: Fulcin Criseofulvina Tablets and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (a) of the Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Food (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act No 25 of 1999 and punishable under Section 3 (1) (a) of the same Act.” Judgment in the case had been adjourned by the judge, Justice Okon Abang, till September 28, 2012.

Lawmaker donates cassava mill, boreholes to constituents

BY FESTUS AHON

U LAUNCH—From left: Mrs Bimbo Alabi, Senior Brand Manager, Cadbury; Mr Dele Anifowose, Marketing Director and Mr. Kufre Ekanem, Corporate Affairs Manager, Cadbury West Africa during the launch of New TomTom Hohey Lemon in Ikeja, Lagos. Photo: Joe Akintola, Photo Editor.

Constitution review, another jamboree — Osu

BY ETOP EKANEM & OLAYINKA LATONA

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AGOS— DIRECTOR, Social Communications, Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Very Rev. Msgr.

Gabriel Osu, has described the on-going process to review the country’s constitution as another jamboree, saying there was nothing new to be introduced into it.

Fr. Osu spoke during the 90th anniversary and reception of new members into The Apostleship of Prayer League of the Sacred Heart of Jesus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, at Christ the King Catholic Church, Akowonjo, Lagos,

where about 247 new members were consecrated.

He said, “there is nothing wrong with our current constitution. It is as good as any constitution in the world. Our problem is that we cannot obey the constitution. Our problem is not in the constitution but implementation.

On his part, the President of the group, Sir Geoffrey Nebeolisa, advised the new members to love God and human beings in all their endeavours, adding: “Your presumed love for Jesus will be incongruous if you lose sight of the main principle of our solidarity, which is anchored on love and humility".

Kogi, Chinese firm sign MoU

BY BOLUWAJI OBAHOPO

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OKOJA—KOGI State government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MOU, with a Chinese firm, HEXOBA GROUP COPORATION of China to partner the state in some critical sectors.

The deal, which will cost the state more than N200 million will see partnership

between the state government and the Chinese firm in the agriculture and mining sectors.

The state governor, Captain Idris Wada, made this known after returning from China on a one week business trip.

He said the MOU was in line with an established arrangement between the Chinese company and the state during the tenure of his immediate predecessor.

Erijitomah emerges Ovie of Oghara Kingdom

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RADITIONAL King makers of Oghara Kingdom, Ethiope West Local Government of Delta State has selected Chief Christopher Ejeyabu Erijitomah as the new Ovie of the Kingdom.

Ejiritomah who is the founding Principal of Orefe Secondary School, Oghara will ascend the throne after the final rites of passage C M Y K

of the late Monarch HRM Oreki 11 (JP) has been concluded.

In a statement signed by Chief Samed Erubami and other Chiefs of the kingdom “ the traditional preparations for the installation coronation of the Ovie elect shall be carried out in accordance with the custom and tradition of Oghara people”.

COMMISSIONING—From right: Mongr Philip Hoteyin, Chaplain of Marian Shrine; Rt Rev. John Aniagwu, Parish Priest of St. Leo Catholic Church, Ikeja; Rev Father Gabriel Agule, Assistant Parish Priest of St Agnes Catholic Church, Maryland and Mrs Ify Dibie, Secretary, Parish Pastoral Council of St. Agnes Catholic Church, Maryland during the commissioning of the Social Centre at St. Agnes Catholic Church, Maryland on Sunday. Photo by Lamidi Bamidele.

GHELLI—A member of Delta State House of Assembly, Mr Edoja Akpodiete, weekend, donated a cassava mill and three boreholes in Ihwre-Maro community, Otor-Iwhreko and Post office road in the Ughelli metropolis.

Akpodiete, representing Ughelli North constituency II in the State Assembly, during the commissioning, said the projects were informed by his desire to alleviate the sufferings of his constituents.

Commissioning the cassava mill and water project at Iwhre-Maro, Senator Pius Ewherido, commended Akpodiete for the project in the face of the litigations he went through.

Akpodiete said fencing of the Ughelli main market had been completed, adding that Women Trade Programme was also ongoing for the empowerment of indigent women in the constituency.

Edo guber: PDP chieftain blames party's defeat on monarchs zsays they compromised, take sides with ACN

BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

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ENIN— A chieftain of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Edo State, Owere Dickson Imasogie, weekend, attributed the woeful performance of the party in the just concluded governorship election to the roles played by some traditional rulers in their domain before the election, alleging that some of them received financial rewards from the governor.

It will be recalled that last week, the Oba of Benin, openly said he secretly prayed for Adams Oshiomhole’s victory at the poll to enable him finished the works he had started across the three senatorial districts.

Fielding questions from newsmen, Imasogie recalled that he had earlier raised alarm over the unhealthy development in the state, when he accused the Benin palace of taking side with Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, led govern-

ment, however said he was compelled to tender apology.

He lamented that the leadership of PDP in the state failed to heed his advice of the relationship between the government and

some traditional rulers.

“You will recollect that about 18 months ago, I came out bluntly to indict the royal fathers, that ACN was using them. This time around, it is not different.

A week to the election, I alert

the State Security Service of a chieftain of ACN, who met my royal father and asked him to tell the people that this time around, it must be ACN totally. I don’t want to be dragged into another controversy," he added.

Alleged disruption of meeting: Ondo LP blasts ACN

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KURE—ONDO State Chapter of Labour Party, LP, weekend lashes out at the opposition Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, over what it described as false alarm over allegations that LP members disrupted its elders meeting last week. ACN had last week, alleged that people suspected to be loyal to LP disrupted its Elders’ Forum in Akure, the state capital.

But in its reaction, LP described the allegation as not only laughable but one made by the ACN to score cheap point for obvi-

ous political reasons.

In a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Mr Koye Odogiyan, the ruling party noted that the scenario smacks of surreptitious attempt to seek attention by pinning a spurious allegation on LP. He said, “while we are at loss by what ACN intends to gain by their wolf cry that we sent people to disrupt their so-called elders meeting , it is crystal clear that they have begun the process of pinning their imminent failure in the forthcoming October 20 polls on us.

“We had in the past week raised alarm of their desperation to foment trouble, including assassination and surreptitiously pin it on Labour Party in their bid to garner sympathy from the people. But we are gratified by the continued show of solidarity by the good people of Ondo State for the Dr Olusegun Mimiko- led government, which had continued to make Ondo State a cynosure of all eyes, an oasis of sorts in a dessert, now frequented by all, the statement added".

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LAWMA sweepers vs Highway Managers

Same work, differential wages

BY LEKE ADESERI, South West Regional Editor & EBUN SESSOU

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HE road-sweeping pro gramme of Lagos State government is quite commendable.

But, of great concern to many are the health and safety aspect of it.

Sometime ago, there were reports of road sweepers killed on the roads. Oftentimes the street sweepers are made to work in very dangerous locations like on the Third Mainland Bridge. In developed countries, human beings are never put to work in such busy and dangerous roads. They use road-sweeping trucks. Those trucks start work around 2am and leave the road around 4am for people to use the road. You only put humans on less busy roads like the streets.

Would it cost billions of naira to purchase a few road-sweeping trucks for Lagos, at least for busy areas like the third mainland bridge?

Again, many of those Lagos road sweepers wear just bathroom slippers to work while they can be given work boots.

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nother area of grave con cern is that these patriotic citizens always look overworked since Lagos residents are still being allowed to litter the streets at will while the street sweepers seem to labour in vain.

The street sweeper scheme was introduced by the former governor of the state, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to maintain a cleaner and healthier environment; prevent and control the spread of diseases; contribute to the good health of the citizenry; and importantly, to provide jobs for many. It is implemented by 120 private com-

panies, which are referred to as service providers, and which collectively employ about 12,500 sweepers at the moment. The service providers are paid by the state government through LAWMA, and they in turn pay the sweepers monthly stipends.

In recognition of the special services being rendered by the street sweepers and the dangers they are daily exposed to, Governor Babatunde Fashola had directed that the group life insurance policy for civil servants in the state be extended to the street sweepers in addition to free medical treatment in all government hospitals in the state.

Discriminating remunerations Highway managers with the Lagos State Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, has alleged poor remuneration as against the salary of their colleagues working directly under the supervision of the Lagos State Waste Management Authority, LAWMA. A source who informed Vanguard of this development said, highway managers are not happy with what is happening with the workers’ salary, noting that both workers (LAWMA and Highway Managers) do the same work but unfortunately, they are paid different wages.

According to a Highway Manager source: “it is not as if we do not appreciate the fact that we are employed but what we are saying is that, we are poorly paid.

When Governor Babatunde Fashola addressed us, he promised to increase our salaries alongside those working directly under LAWMA but we are surprised

that we are still receiving the same salaries. “While they have increased the salary of the LAWMA workers, the Highway Managers are still being paid the sum of N10,000.00 as against N12,000.00 that those working under LAWMA collect. We want our governor to intervene in this matter and adequately correct whatever the issue is.”

Meanwhile, the Public Relations Officer of LAWMA, Mrs. Folashade Kadiri said “there are two bodies that are handling this project and if there is disparity in their salary, I wouldn’t know. Salaries are same across board while supervisors’ salaries are different being superior coordinators.

“Often times complaints channels are open for contract staff to complain. The amount approved for payment is open to all, it is not hidden, even the recent increment by us is open. If any one is short changed then the supervisors should be interviewed.

Some give false information which on investigation we found out to be untrue, each company has control measures. We regulate to ensure no one is cheated and there is job satisfaction via different welfare packages extended to them by the authority.”

Residents of Makoko and Igbo Agbon, Lagos protesting the demolition of their

Makoko residents take dem gov’s backyard •Evacuees, pupils others protest for days •Say they wont move anywhere

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI & MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO

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Road sweeepers in Lagos

T the commencement of the protest against Makoko demolition exercise, expected to last for several days, the protesters who gathered at the Makoko jetty as early as 9:00 am on Sunday had a population largely composed of pupils from different schools in the area.

Some of the schools that participated in the protest which was held on water for over four hours included the Sunflex Nursery and Primary school, Climax Pathway Nursery and Primary school and others.

The protesters displayed various placards with inscriptions such as: “We voted during the last election, why is Fashola doing this to us; We are Egun fishing community, we do not know how to

do another business; We are peasant fishermen and women, we feed and shelter ourselves from the income we made from fish sales; We contribute to the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of this state, our activities also contribute to the megacity status achieved by the state, 50 metres away from the high tension we stand.”

They argued that they were not satisfied with the demolition exercise embarked upon by the state government because it was unjust and sudden. They said “even if there must be any demolition, the government can only demolish structures that were located 50 metres away from the high tension constructed on the water.”

The protesters noted that the government had failed to yield to this and have demolished more than the stated metre. According to the convener of the demonstra-

tion, Mr. Ade Aguntor; “the reason we are protesting is that we are not happy with the ongoing demolition embarked upon by the state government. We have been living here for over 50 years because we inherited this place from our forefathers who migrated here.”

He lamented “We do not know what the government wants to use the waterfront but whatever they want to use for, they must consider their citizens before embarking on demolishing the structures.”

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lso speaking, a teacher of Sunflex School, Mr. Femi Oke, said that he had to participate in the protest alongside his pupils because the commencement of the demolition has halted the school activities. Oke added that the pupils have stayed out of school because they do not

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2012— 51

terday, stormed the Lagos House, Alausa, Ikeja office of Governor Babatunde Fashola in continuation of their protest of last Saturday’s killing of Chief Timothy Huntoyanwha, one of their community leaders as well as the ongoing demolition exercise where thousands have been rendered homeless.

The demonstrators led by Mr Yusuf Komayun, the Baale of Jejelaiye were accompanied by hu-

man right lawyers and human rights groups such as Social Economic Rights Action Centre, SERAC, and Environmental Right Action, ERA among others.

The displayed placards with various inscriptions such as: “Housing is our right, shelter is human right, We dey die, please help us. Leave Makakoko residents alone. No room for second slavery”.

Shanties are our target —Fashola

S

PEAKING with the protest ers, Fashola explained that government’s reason for intervening was because it recognised that some people were there before but were since joined by several others thereby shrinking the lagoon.

Fashola said: “There were also illegal immigrants living there, such as peoples from Republic of Benin, Togo, Cameroon. As we are finding solutions to the boundaries that we recognised, we will not give room for more expansion.

“Though, we owe you a duty but we also owe a greater part of the state a duty. That lagoon is the only lagoon where we drain water during raining season. The lagoon is shrinking. This is because they are expanding and building more shanties and this has to stop.”

He, however, assured some reshouses by Lagos State, at Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi

molition fight to have shelter over their heads again.

While the protest was on, representatives from the community were sent to the state secretariat

Alausa, Ikeja to have a meeting with the state government and convey the intention of the community to the Commissioner for Waterfront, Mr. Adesegun Oni-

ru.

While the protest was on, the men of Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) were also busy pulling down more structures. The demolition exercise which entered day six, yesterday, resulted to the demolition over 50 structures increasing the number of structures demolished to over 300 shanties.

Yesterday’s protest at Alausa Over 5000 evacuees from the Iwaya/Makoko waterfront, yes-

idents that the boundaries which the state government recognised would not be affected by the exercise even as he assured that basic amenities, such as pipe borne water, schools, library, would be provided for the earlier settlers in the area.

On the killing of Chief Timothy Hunpoyanwha, Fashola, apologised, saying, “I express deep sorrow and I want to apologise over the loss of life from this exercise. I am sorry for that. In the process of doing our work, our primary responsibility is to protect lives and no life should be lost when we are doing the work. I regret that the unfortunate incident happened.

But as a government, we will do our best to ensure that we investigate the circumstances that warrant the killing of the chief.”

Lagos empowers 640 auto mechanics LAGOS S tate Government has launched a partnership with a frontline automobile firm to train no fewer than 640 auto-mechanics at its Automobile Training Centre, Ikeja.

The automobile centre integrated with sales and after sales maintenance training institute and driver’s training unit is the outcome of the state government’s partnership under a 25– year Joint venture with Coscharis Motors Limited.

The centre, was designed to provide considerable role in capacity building and skill acquisition training programmes for the teeming youths leading to necessary professional certification.

The centre, Eko Engineering, might have fallen by the way but was realistic as a result of the commitment of the present team. The venture was the good initiative by former governors of Lagos to provide necessary skills.

Flagging off the programme Governor Babatunde Fashola said lack of technical know-how was currently taking financial toll on the nation resources.

According to the governor, the rejuvenation of the moribund Eko Engineering venture through the private sector is because the government has no business running business ventures in which it cannot compete with the private sector which has the capacity competence and expertise.

Ejigbo LCDA sponsors 100 youths on skill acquisition

•Sympathizers at the home of late Chief Timothy Hunpoyanwha, allegedly shot by Marine Police officer, weekend. Photo: Monsur Olowoopejo

EJIGBO Local Council Development Area has sponsored 100 youths to the Skill Acquisition Centre in Ejigbo to acquire the basic vocations that would empower them.

The courses include Catering and Hotel Management, Computer Studies, Hairdressing and Cosmetology, Textile, Hats and Beads. Others are Photography, Barbing, Fashion Design and Adult Literacy. The minimum

period the beneficiaries will spend is six months while the maximum is one year.

Distributing the forms to beneficiaries last weekend, the Executive Chairman of Ejigbo LCDA, Mr.Kehinde Bamigbetan, said the aim was to help the youths find ways of not being burdens to their parents.

Youths constitute 65 per cent of the population in Ejigbo LCDA .

52—V anguard, TUESD AY, JUL Y 24, 2012 52—Vanguard, TUESDA JULY

Africa seeks N5.12b to prevent 3 million malaria deaths

BY SOLA OGUNDIPE

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DDITIONAL US$3.2 million, about N5.12 billion, is required in funding over the next three years towards further scaling up malaria control efforts to prevent 640 million cases and avert three million malaria-related deaths in Nigeria and the rest of Africa by the end of 2015.

Disclosing this in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, during the just concluded African Union Summit, Liberian President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf said the need to scale up and achieve universal access to malaria prevention and treatment was inevitable.

According to Johnson, who is also Chairman of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance which is an alliance of 43 African Heads of State and the African Union, “A share of the required resources needs to come from Africa. We can’t ask the world to invest in Africa’s health if we won’t make the same investment ourselves, but we will need the world’s help,” she noted.

Earlier, an independent study found that every dollar invested in malaria control in Africa generates on average $40 in GDP on the continent.

The study was commissioned

by ALMA in collaboration with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Malaria, and the Roll Back Malaria Partnership.

At the meeting, the Alliance particularly stressed the need for African countries to strengthen their financial management and enhance efficiencies in procuring lifesaving interventions such as

•By standardising LLIN net specifications, it is estimated that African countries could save $630 million over five years.

Artemisinin-based Combination Therapies, ACTs, rapid

diagnostic tests, RDTs, indoor residual spraying,IRS, and

long-lasting insecticidal nets, LLINs. For instance, just by

standardizing LLIN net specifications, it is estimated that African countries could save $630 million over five years.

According to the ALMA Scorecard for Accountability and Action monitoring progress toward the Abuja target of 15 percent national public sector financing for health,14 African countries have responded by increasing their domestic contribution to health by more than 2 percent, while only Botswana, Rwanda, Togo and Zambia have achieved or exceeded the Abuja target.

Meanwhile, the Alliance has continued to promote the adoption of innovative financing initiatives in African countries, such as the UNITAID airline tax. Over the last 5 years, the airline tax has raised over $2 billion of which $1.2 billion has been invested in the global fight against HIV & AIDS, TB, and malaria.

Experts proffer way forward in management of reflux disease ...As Garviscon debuts

BY CHIOMA OBINNA

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XPERTS have argued for increase awareness and investment in diagnosis of reflux diseases such as heartburn as a way forward in management of the disorder in Nigeria.

Indicating this position at the formal launch of Garviscon, a reflux suppressant produced by Reckitt Benckiser, a Consultant Gastroenterology from the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, L ASUTH, Dr.

Charles Onyekwere stressed the need to demystify the management and diagnosis of reflux disease. For him, the major challenge in the management of heartburn-related diseases is unable to recognise the disease in its entirety.

Onyekwere in his lecture tagged; “Reflux Disease: The Therapeutic Challenge”, explained that the aim of management was to properly recognise, avert misdiagnosis and associated complications, ensuring rapid symptom and healing of muscular injuries,

• From Left; Mr. Rashid Qaiser, Healthcare Category Manager, Reckit Benckiser with Dr. Charles Onyekwere, a Consultant Gastroenterology from the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH during the grand launch of Garviscon last week in Lagos

Commending the introduction of Gaviscon into the Nigerian market, he regretted the lack of enough resources to manage reflux disease complications.

“We need a lot more resources to help us cope with the problem of acid reflux,” he stated.

In the view of Associate Professor of Medicine, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, Gastroenterology and Liver Unit, Professor Funmilayo Lesi, habits such as indulgence in coffee, kolanuts among others, could predispose individuals to reflux disease.

Lesi who lamented the increasing prevalence of the disorder particularly in pregnant women said a study conducted by medical students show a prevalence of 26.3 per cent and that one in every 10 people has reflux disease.

She said reflux disorders such as GERD do not kill, but have serious impact on productivity and quality of life.

Reflux can presents as chronic cough, sore throat, nocturnal asthma, dental erosion and non-cardiac chest pain.

On Gaviscon, she said: “The drug is an alginate and is a physical defense against reflux, especially in patients who have mild symptoms.

It will stand alone in mild symptoms. In people who have moderate to severe symptoms, it can be used with other drugs like PPIs. It’s safe

in pregnancy.

“This drug has strategic advantage in pregnant women and in the management of mild symptoms of reflux disease. It has been shown in studies worldwide that it’s effective. What we want to do now is to conduct a study in Nigeria that it is effective even amongst Nigerians” In his address, General Manager, Reckitt Benckiser, Mr. Pranshat Pranshant hinted that the organisation is partnering with all stakeholders in the health sector to provide better solutions to patient needs and the community as a whole.

Pranshant explained that partnership with healthcare professionals seeks to make the medical community aware of the prevalence of GERD in Nigeria as well as enable them to identify the correct patient type, teach the right options and reduce the gastrointestinal reflux disorder burden in Nigeria.

Lynd Uwoma said the product is the only true reflux suppressant designed to provide faster, effective and safe relief from heartburn and noted that unlike other products, the drug when consumed penetrates the floor of the stomach from where it forms a strong, long lasting raft in the stomach effectively suppressing reflux into the oesophagus. It rapidly soothes the burning pain of heartburn within 3 minutes.

V anguard, TUESD AY, JUL Y 24, 2012—53 Vanguard, TUESDA JULY

New APBN Chairman tasks professionals on local research

BY CHIOMA OBINNA

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IGERIAN professionals have been challenged over continued dependence on foreign research works as the country may benefit little or nothing from the current trend.

Challenging the 22 registered professional associations in Lagos State during the Investiture ceremony of Lagos State Chapter of Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria, APBN, last week, the new Chairman of Association, Alhaji Rahmoni Adewale Adeyemi urged the members to maintain integration of educational plans and policies

with broader development plans and strategies.

“The country cannot benefit fully from research done elsewhere - at international research centres for example without research capacities to adapt new technologies to its own environmental, social and economic. The experiences of skills improvement programmes for professional managers assist them to acquire courses for technical and management improvement for the enhancement of productivity.”

He affirmed that the body would continue to mediate in time of crisis like they did between the Nigeria Medical As-

sociation and the Lagos State Government. “I shall coordinate the interactions among members and relationship, further interprofessional relationship and inter-sectoral harmony and our relevance to nation building with special focus on Lagos state.

To be proactive on pertinent contemporary issues and shall

always attempt to positively influence government policy formulations and implementations amongst others,” he noted.

Earlier, the out going President, Mr. Segun Ajnlekoko stated that the APBN would continue to provide a platform of Nigerian professionals to attain high level performance in the bid to fulfill

the social contract between the professions and society as well as to enhance and galvanise the growth and development of the country.

Noting that the nation was presently in need of credible leadership for direction, good governance, he called on government at all levels to make greater use of Nigerian professionals to deliver people-friendly programmes.

Green Fountain, NDA call for more awareness on in them early enough the impororal health

BY ONOZURE DANIA tance of oral hygiene as well as

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TAKEHOLDERS in the health sector have called for massive awareness campaign on oral health in the country.

Making the call at the 2nd Oral Health Promotion Fair organised by G r e e n Fountain Medical services limited and the Nigerian D e n t a l Association, NDA, Lagos chapter, the Founder of Green Fountain Medical Service, Mr. L u q m a n Obileye, said that a significant number of people do not know how to Dr. Paul Orhii,DG NAFDAC, Mr Abubakar Jimoh, Deputy Director Public Relations & take care of Protocol, NAFDAC and Mrs. Adenike Adeyemi, Lagos State NYSC Coordinator during the inauguration of NAFDAC / NYSC Community Development Service at the NYSC their teeth, stating that Camp in Iyana Ipaja Lagos yesterday Photo: Biodun Ogunleye

Fair was part of its organisations contribution towards creating awareness on the need for Lagosians to take care of their teeth. According to Obileye, Oral health is not only important to our appearance and sense of well being, but it also affects our overall health.

Obileye, noted that in the last 10 years, they have been involved in regular oral healthcare advocacy such as “Catch them young oral health project of the organisation where school children and the members of t h e i r families a r e targeted H e added that it is necessary to catch the children young, in order to inculcate

reduce the risk of developing serious problems, like heart attack, stroke and other diseases.

He further added that poor oral health can affect ones appearance and self esteem, and can also be linked to sleeping problems, as well as behavioural and developmental problems in children. Poor oral health can also affect ones ability to chew and digest food properly. Good nutrition is important to helping build strong teeth and gums that can resist disease and promote healing.

COMMON SEXUAL PROBLEMS AND THEIR NOVELTY BASED SOLUTIONS (ADVERTORIAL)

M

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54 — Vanguard , TUESDAY TUESDAY,, JULY 24, 2012

Online auto shops set to eclipse car markets —Cheki GM

•Stanley Ezeani

By UDUMA KALU

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VERYBODY is won dering what is happening in the Nigerian internet market. Surprising, more than 40 million Nigerians are on the internet and most of them use mobile applications. A lot of these people also shop online. They understand that online is convenient as it offers freedom to make sound decisions and options for window shopping.

It also offers them wide contacts and the chances of being cheated is limited as compared to the ordinary market.

With these wide opportunities, several online shops owners want to reap from the internet benefits.

And one of the online revolutions likely to upset things is the auto markets in Nigeria. This is what the American born Nigerian, Mrs Oluwatomi Hodonu, 30, general manager of Cheki.com.ng and her marketing manager, Stanley Ezeani, told Vanguard in their office at Lekki, Lagos.

Oluwatomi returned in January 2011 to Nigeria from the United States where she was born. She has insurance background but is now into online auto market. Shwe said: “Cheki is basically an online company where we do buying and selling of cars. So as consumers, you can go on line and look for cars that you want without having a middleman. You can check the cars, research on the cars you need and it can be sold to you. So we actually want to be a marketplace for cars where if you want to sell a car or you want to buy a car, you go to Cheki website. If you C M Y K

,

•Oluwatomi Hodonu

want to buy electronics, where would you go? Which market would you go. You would say Alaba. But in the next couple of years, when people say I want to buy a car, what they will say is check Cheki, go online.

The company began about a a year ago in Nigeria. It has over 40 staff capacity. It has firm roots in Kenya where it is East Africa’s top online auto car dealer.

Oluwatomi studied communications, legal practice, economics and government in the university. She was also in a marketing company. When she got married, her husband asked her to return to Nigeria. She said: “He wanted me to come home. So I came to Nigeria. Before I moved to Nigeria, I had the opportunity to come and be the head of the marketing team in Nigeria.” In the US, Oluwatomi interacted with Nigerians and through them got to know much about the country. In US, there was nothing that I didn’t know about Nigeria because my parents and I went to the Redeemed church. So there are Nigerians everywhere. I went to

cause of the online experience I have, because I have already done all my home works online, I call the dealers. Even as I am a female, they will still treat me the same way. This is what we want to do in Nigeria also. So if you want to buy a car, you don’t have to go call a friend or call somebody that you want to buy a car, can you send it down to me? If you check on Cheki, we already have prices if you are ready to import. These are people who are selling cars abroad. You can also contact us.”

At the mention of cars, Ezeani explained how the website works. “They are like classified advertisement. They send pictures of the cars down and we help them sell these cars through Cheki. It doesn’t really matter where you are.

What matters is that you get what you want. Some people call from abroad.

They want to buy. They say they check online and pay for the car. Cheki is more like the palm for auto market in Nigeria where everybody can sell or buy cars. All you have to do is come in and upload your car. We charge to upload cars. And it is subject to the car you want to upload.

The more the cars the lesser the price.”

Online sales, he added, reduces the stress of traf-

Online, you have dealers who sell the cars. You are sure of what you buy. You are sure these cars are secured

college there and we had African Students Association. In America, those associations were mostly Nigerians. So, we also had Nigerian students associations, a place we joined together, talked together.

So most of my closest friends are still Nigerians.”

So, how do they buy cars in US? “Abroad,” Oluwatomi said: “If I want to buy a car, I go to auto checker. Auto checker is something like Cheki. Everybody abroad knows auto checker because before I go to the dealership, even if I want to go checking the car, I still will go to auto checker to get the average price because I am a female, which Cheki does for females. Also, I go to auto checker to check the location the car is. So, if I want to go the dealership, I went online. How much the automatic costs. How much the manual costs.

And so there is nothing like because I am a female, they will cheat me. So be-

,

fic, the middleman who adds extra to the cost of cars. “Online, you have dealers who sell the cars.

You are sure of what you buy. You are sure these cars are secured. You see cars depending on the kind of cars you are looking for.

You see a place you can search for a kind of cars you are looking for.”

Oluwatomi opened the site, began to browse and Ezeani continued: “When we were setting up the portal, we took cognizance of the challenge of the Nigerian website. With that, we built a structure that can allow easy upload, even the pictures. We have over 10, 000 to 15, 000 car inventories. The website can open, not just from your laptop, it can open on the mobile version as well. You can actually search from your phone. The speed is convenient enough compared to other normal websites in Nigeria with such normal pictures.”

Syria may use chemical weapons

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YRIA yesterday gave conditions that may warrant its use of chemical weapons in the on going conflict in the Middle East country. Foreign Ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi said the army would not use chemical weapons to crush rebels but they could be used against forces from outside the country but warned that Syria would have no option than to use the vile weapon to repel foreign intervention.

International pressure on President Bashar alAssad has escalated dramatically in the last week with a rebel offensive in the two biggest cities and a devastating bomb attack which killed four mem-

•Assad bers of his inner circle in Damascus.

Western and Israeli countries have also expressed fears that chemical weapons could fall into the hands of militant groups as Assad’s authority erodes.

“Any chemical or bacte-

rial weapons will never be used ... during the crisis in Syria regardless of the developments,” Makdissi said.

“These weapons are stored and secured by Syrian military forces and under its direct supervision and will never be used unless Syria faces external aggression.”

Damascus has not signed a 1992 international convention that bans the use, production or stockpiling of chemical weapons, but officials in the past have denied that it had any stockpiles. As violence escalates in Syria, insurgents have said they fear Assad’s forces will resort to non-conventional weapons as they seek to claw back rebel gains across the country.

Colorado: Gunman in cour courtt J

AMES Holmes, the suspect in the Colorado theater massacre, appeared in a Colorado courtroom on Monday, three days after one of the deadliest shooting sprees in modern American history. Arapahoe County District Court Judge William B. Sylvester advised Holmes of his Miranda rights, and that there was probable cause to continue to hold him without bond on suspicion of firstdegree murder.

Holmes, who was transported from from a holding cell to the courtroom via an underground tunnel, appeared dazed. His brow furrowed. His head bobbed. His eyes opened and closed often. His hair was dyed red. His hands and feet were shackled.

He did not speak. Seated in a jury box next public defender Tamara Brady, Holmes never looked in the direction of a gallery that included about two dozen victims and victims

advocates. Two sheriff ’s deputies stood watch nearby. The preliminary hearing lasted about 11 minutes. Holmes’ next court appearance is July 30, when he could be charged. A decision on whether to seek the death penalty could be weeks or months away, District Attorney Carol Chambers told reporters as she entered the courthouse.

Meanwhile Mitt Romney offered rare praise for President Barack Obama

on Sunday, telling supporters at a San Francisco fundraiser that his opponent did “the right thing” by traveling to Colorado to meet with family members of those killed in Friday’s shooting. Romney’s comments come just days after he and Obama opted to put their political rhetoric aside in the aftermath of Friday’s shooting, which left 12 dead and another 59 people wounded at an Aurora movie theater.

Russia ends Syrian flight next month

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USSIAN flag carrier Aeroflot will next month stop its flights between Moscow and the Syrian capital Damascus, where rebels are waging a 16-month battle to oust President Bashar al-Assad.

“As of 6th of August we will stop flights to Damascus due to low de-

mand,” an official at Aeroflot’s press office said.

The company operates two flights from Moscow and two from Damascus each week.

Russia, one of Syria’s few remaining allies, has blunted Western efforts to force Assad to step aside to end the deepening violence.

World ric hk eep $32 trn in ttax ax ha rich keep havvens

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ICH individuals and their families have as much as $32 trillion of hidden financial assets in offshore tax havens, representing up to $280bn in lost income tax revenues, according to research published on Sunday.

The study estimating the extent of global private financial wealth held in offshore accounts - excluding non-financial assets such as real estate, gold,

yachts and racehorses puts the sum at between $21 and $32 trillion. This amounts to roughly the US and Japanese GDP combined. Roughly 10 million people worldwide have offshore accounts, with 100,000 people owning half of those secreted assets.

The research was carried out for pressure group Tax Justice Network, which campaigns

against tax havens, by James Henry, former chief economist at consultants McKinsey & Co. John Christensen of the Tax Justice Network said that he was shocked by “the sheer scale of the figures”.”What’s shocking is that some of the world’s biggest banks are up to their eyeballs in helping their clients evade taxes and shift their wealth offshore,” said Christensen.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2012 — 55

Kanu demands N750m from Pompey •As Portsmouth face liquidation

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ORMER Eagles cap tain, Nwankwo Kanu has demanded dying Portsmouth of England to pay his 3m pounds (about N750m) wage arrears before the club finally goes into liquidation.

Portsmouth administrator Trevor Birch has warned that the club could be liquidated ‘in two or three weeks’.

The 2008 FA Cup winners are due to start the new season in League One with a 10-point penalty for returning to administration but Birch says the club might be out of business before

•Kanu

Bolt Continues from BP to Blake in the 100m days earlier when he looked to be nursing the injury with a tentative start.

Bolt was in Germany to see renowned German sports doctor HansWilhelm Muller-Wohlfahrt, though his agent Ricky Simms said the trip had been longscheduled as part of his regular ‘prehabilitation’ regime.

The 6ft 5ins (1.95m) sprinter suffered with

hamstring troubles early in his career, a problem linked to a curvature in his spine, and has to put himself through a gruelling stretching and conditioning regime to prevent any recurrence.

Bolt, like the rest of the all-conquering Jamaica athletics squad, is training behind closed doors in Birmingham, around 100 miles north of London, before moving south for the start of the track and field programme on Aug. 3.

the big kick-off, against Bournemouth on August 18.

Kanu who helped the club to their successful FA Cup campaign stated that the only honor the club can do for him is to pay his outstand-

ing.

Birch has imposed a £5,000-per-week salary cap to cut costs, with the excess paid once the club avoids liquidation, but the Nigerian forward is digging his heels in over the money owed to him.

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HE Delta State Foot ball Association is piqued and has taken exception to statements credited to the organizers of the Sports Brand Nigeria Awards which voted Neros Pharmaceuticals as the best sponsors of FA

Egege joins list of London 2012 torchbearers

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N Friday July 20 2012, another Nigerian lady COREEN RUTH EGEGE, Company Secretary/Legal Adviser of a foremost security company in Nigeria carried the Olympic torch as part of its 70-day journey across the UK. It would be recalled that some notable Nigerians also carried the torch bringing the number of Nigerian participants to 10 out of the 8000 torch bearers. All 10 selected where chosen because of their various contributions to their communities, promoting various aspects of human development.

Others who carried the Torch were Adetokunbo Ojeikere, Nwankwo Kanu , Banky W, Funke Akindele, Sasha P,Stephen Onukwube (Yaw of Wazobia FM) ,

TORCH BEARER . . . COREEN RUTH EGEGE (2nd from Left), is helped by the kids to carry the Olympic torch.

Hassan Mehdi, Ifeyinwa Uzodinma. ''It’s so wonderful to have our very own being show cased to

Continues from BP sleeping in the same place with Nigerian athletes. He will report them as they sleep, eat, train and win. Vanguard is the newspaper to buy for behind-the -scene stories. Tony Ubani will be there for you. Stay

B

RAZIL’s Olympic football squad have opted for a quiet life

with Vanguard for the BEST in London Olympic coverage.

“The games are everywhere, from the airport to the village and Olympic Park. I’ll be everywhere for our readers,” Tony said yesterday.

The Games are on.

Chukwumerije Continues from BP Olympic Games soon after. Although he lost to eventual silver-medal winner Alexandros Nikolaidis in the semifinals of the +80kg event, he claimed the bronze medal after defeating Akmal Irgashev of Uzbekistan, Nigeria’s third medal of the tournament.

Blessing Okagbare, who will be competing in the sprints and long jump events was also named as the assistant captain of Team Nigeria, while Maria Usman will be Nigeria’s flag-bearer in the

the world bringing out the positive side of our great nation'', Egege said.

Brazil avoid Olympic village

Ubani

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Delta FA condemns Brand Sports awards

opening ceremony of the Games.

The Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Olympic Committee, Tony Ubani disclosed to Vanguard Sports that the choice of Chukwumerije was based on his consistency, dedication and show of a high degree of patriotism.

“Chika has been the ideal athlete who, we believe can carry others along. He is a role model, very disciplined and focused,”Ubani said, adding, “Okagbare and Usman equally deserve their places in Team Nigeria.

away from the “temptations” of the athletes’ village.

The young squad are under huge pressure at home to win the country’s first Olympic football gold, and their coach, Mano Menezes, believes they have a better chance of doing that from a secluded hotel in the Hertfordshire countryside outside the capital.

“There are too many temptations here,” he said during a visit to the village at the Olympic Park.

While players shopped for Olympic souvenirs, Menezes said: “Some of the players like Neymar and the others have already been the focus of attention from so many other athletes when we’ve been here and we have serious work to do at these Games.”

cups in Nigeria.

Delta Sports boss Amaju Pinnick said the following: ''The utterance by Sports Brand Nigeria Awards merely betray their myopic orientation and lack of knowledge of football history in Nigeria and perhaps elsewhere.

We, at the Delta State Football Association whole-heartedly welcome the initiative of Neros Pharmaceuticals in football development, using the FA cup as a platform.

We are however embittered with sports Brand Nigeria Awards for being economical with the truth.

To set the records straight, the FA Cup sponsorship deal of the Delta State Football Association with Ecobank (formerly Oceanic Bank) dates back to 1999.

It is therefore most uncharitable and not in the best interest of the game of football for organizers of Awards to be unprofessional in the use of language which tends to pitch one sponsor against the other.

We are not oblivious of the fact that awards such as these have undertones, as the reference to the Delta FA Cup and Ecobank is not only in bad faith but also laced with lots of innuendoes.

The Delta State Football Association is indeed a pace-setter in the football firmament, having had the longest sponsorship history in Nigeria with the glamour of its FA Cup powered by Ecobank as second-to-none in the country.

Arguably, the best FA in the country, we pride ourself as role models in youth soccer development, sponsorship drive, coaches and referees training, organizational prowess and transparency, which in the final analysis has endeared us to our numerous sponsors.

We therefore detest the ignoble and despicable show of desperation as epitomized by Sports Brand Nigeria Awards in throwing courtesy to the winds while basking in the euphoria of cheap publicity.''

Moroccan Continues from BP ing a report carried by sports daily L’Equipe.

Selsouli failed the test after taking part in the Paris Diamond League meeting on July 6 where she had

set the world’s best time this year of 3min 56.15sec.

Selsouli, who might have also taken part in the 5,000m in London, served a two-year doping ban from 2009 to 2011 for an earlier doping offence.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2012

Ubani in London

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Moroccan medal hope fails OROCCO’s Mari dope test

London 2012 Olympics

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Bolt doubtful for glory Q — Pg 55

THE GAZELLE — Bolt coasting home to victory TODAY'S

PUZZLES

UESTION marks over Usain Bolt’s fitness continue to hamper the Jamaican sprinter ’s build-up to the defence of his gold medal titles in London.

The triple gold medallist from Beijing is the number one attraction of the London Games, but the question mark over his troublesome hamstring has added an extra layer of intrigue to what is already an eyewatering exciting 100 metres race.

Kanu demands N750m from Pompey — P.55 YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

Bolt needed some stretching and massage treatment for a tight hamstring following his 200m defeat by Yohan Blake in the Jamaican trials at the start of the month, having also lost

Continues on Page 50

em Alaoui Selsouli, one of the favourites for the Olympics 1500m gold medal, has failed a drugs test and has been ruled out of the Games, a source with knowledge of the case said Monday.

The 28-year-old tested positive for a banned diuretic at the start of July, the source said, confirm

Continues on Page 50

HORTLY after Tony Ubani landed in London last night he called to say “for me the Olympic Games have started and all eyes should be on, are the sports pages of Vanguard Newspapers.”

Tony is the only Nigerian journalist who will stay in the Games Village, the same place that Usain Bolt and other top athletes including the Nigerian athletes will stay. For any journalist to meet any Nigerian athlete for interview in the Games Village the person must first apply to Tony Ubani. Tony will be living, eating, and Continues on Page 50

Ubani in London!

Chukwumerije’s Team Nigeria Captain

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HE Nigeria Olym pic Committee yesterday named Chika Chukwumerije as captain of Team Nigeria to the London 2012 Olympics, beginning Friday, July 27.

Chukwumerije will be competing in the Taekwondo event for Nigeria and he is one of the country’s medal hopefuls at the Games He won a gold medal at the 2007 All-Africa Games in the +80kg class and qualified for the 2008

•Chika

Continues on Page 50

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 2 List (5) 7 Pack (4) 8 Formula (6) 9 Senior (5) 11 Bench (3) 13 Vehicle (3) 15 Absent (4) 16 Favourite (3) 18 Measure (4) 19 Wed (7) 20 Fibbed (4) 22 Tipster (4) 23 Fugitive (7) 25 Employed (4) 27 Nothing (3) 28 Spouse (4) 30 Stick (3) 31 And not (3) 33 Suit (5) 36 Nap (6) 37 Just (4) 38 Romany (5)

DOWN 1 Scatter (5) 2 Couple (3) 3 Sprout (3) 4 Stray (3) 5 Perform (3) 6 Gush (5) 10 Pitcher (4) 11 Sitting -room (7) 12 Hesitated (7) 13 Arab (7) 14 Coloniser (7) 16 Heathen (5) 17 Test (5) 18 Encountered (3) 21 Counterfeit (3) 24 Broad (4) 26 Noise (5) 29 Madness (5) 32 Court (3) 33 Plead (3) 34 Dandy (3) 35 Plaything (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS

ACROSS: 1, Banal 5, Bisect 8, Dodge 10, Emerge 11, Arab 14, Malign 15, Cabinet 18, Net 19, Lid 21, Deal 23, Motif 24, Food 27, Pal 29, Peg 31, Network 32, Clever 34, Note 35, Matter 38, Slash 39, Recent 40, Heart.

How to Play Sudoku

THE VIGILANTE

DOWN: 2, Aim 3, Adroit 4, Log 5, Beam 6, Scaled 7, Tunnel 9, Develop 12, Ram 13, Bite 16, Also 17, Titan 20, Dilemma 22, Aver 24, Factor 25, Open 26, Devote 28, Swathe 30, Get 33, Rest 36, Ash 37, Err.

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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