Why NUPENG suspended strike

...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 61695

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ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012

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Why NUPENG I was victim of Cynthia's killers suspended strike — Model FACEBOOK MURDER:

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•See story on Page 5

2 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012 — 3

4—Vanguard , FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012

AGREEMENT: From left— Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy; Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, Minister of Agriculture; and Dr. Kanayo Nwanze, President, International Fund for Agricultural Development at the signing of $105.2 million agreement in Abuja, yesterday.

CBN redesigns Naira notes, introduces N5,000

BY EMMAN UJAH, Abuja Bureau Chief

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BUJA—THE Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, yesterday, announced the introduction of a new currency series under which the existing denominations of N50, N100, N200, N500 and the N1,000 notes will be redesigned with added security features.

CBN Governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, told journalists in Abuja at a briefing that N5,000 note would also be introduced, while the lowest denominations of N5, N10 and N20 are to be coined.

He said: “On November 28, 2011, the CBN Board considered and approved the new currency series.

It subsequently sought and, on December 19, 2011, obtained the approval of President Goodluck Jonathan.

“Under the new structure, the existing denominations of N50, N100, N200, N500 and N1,000 will be redesigned with added new security features. It is also our pleasure to inform you that a new high currency denomination will also be introduced. It is the N5,000 note.”

According to him, the CBN plans to launch the redesigned N50 and new N5,000 notes in early March 2013.

He said the introduction of the new currency series “will be a gradual process, as the banknotes will circulate simultaneously with the old series until they are fully withdrawn from circulation.

“Therefore, there will be C M Y K

no urgent need for exchange of the old for the new banknotes by the general public for as long as the old notes are in circulation, they remain legal tender.”

Mallam Sanusi revealed that the N5,000 note will bear the pictures of three notable Nigerian women: Margaret Ekpo, Funmi Kuti and Gambo Sawaba, all deceased, as a way of recognising their contributions to the development of the nation.

The second side of the note, he added, will carry the picture of the National Assembly, which represents the symbol of democracy in Nigeria.

The governor declined to disclose the contractors that carried out the re-designing work and the overall cost of the project.

Reacting to concerns that introducing higher denominations at this period could push up inflation, Sanusi said: “Inflation in Nigeria is a monetary phenomenon. Secondly, in some countries such as Singapore, Germany and Japan, the highest denominations are 10,000 SGD, 500Euro and Yen 10,000, respectively.

“These denominations have relatively high dollar equivalent. The levels of inflation are, however, low at 2.8, 1.1 and -0.7, respectively as at 2010.

“We believe that the introduction of a higher bill would complement the bank’s cashless policy as it would substantially reduce the volume of currency in circulation, particularly in the long term.”

N5,000 NOTE: Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN (right) and CBN Deputy Governor, Serah Alade, at a briefing on the introduction of N5,000 note, with image of three Nigerian women, to be introduced in 2013, in Abuja. PHOTO: Gbemiga Olamikan.

Facebook murder: ‘I was a victim of Cynthia's killers’

BY EVELYN USMAN

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model, yesterday, showed up at the headquarters of Lagos State Police Command in Ikeja, claiming she was a victim of the two undergraduates, who confessed to have killed Cynthia, the only daughter of Gen. Frank Osokogu(rtd), in a hotel located in Lake View Estate in Amuwo Odofin, Lagos.

The lady, whose identity could not be ascertained, arrived the Police Command at noon, demanding to speak only with the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Umar Manko.

She was directed to the CP’s waiting room before being ushered to the CP’s office, where she described herself as a model.

She reportedly told the CP that she was at the Command in respect of the suspects. She said the two undergraduates, Nwabufo Okwumo, and his cousin, Odera Ezekiel, were the same persons that dispossessed her of her belongings in a hotel in Festac.

However, Vanguard could not get a detailed account of her ordeal in the hands of the suspects, as the CP was said to have immediately directed her to the Area E Commander, Mr. Dan Okoro, who led the team of investigators that uncovered the suspects’ activities.

When contacted, the Command’s boss confirmed the visit, explaining that he directed her to the Commander so that she could physically identify the suspects. He called on other females, who had fallen victims to show up.

He said: “Other victims

are advised to show up so that if there is any need to expand our investigation, we will do so.”

Meanwhile, when Vanguard, yesterday, visited

hotel in Lake View Estate, where the postgraduate student of Nassarawa State University met her sudden end, no one could offer expla-

nation.

Rather, a private security guard claimed that none of the managers was around, and referred the reporter to the Police.

Subsidy: Indicted oil marketers begin repayment, says Obi

BY BEN AGANDE

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BUJA—SOME oil marketers, who were indicted for illegally collecting over N400 billion subsidy fund for fuel they did not import, have started refunding the money.

This is just as governors of the 36 states of the federation backed the Federal Government in its efforts to recover the subsidy claims from the marketers.

Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State, who disclosed the governors’ position at the end of the National Economic Council meeting, said the governors were excited that the Federal Government’s effort had started to yield result as some marketers had started to make refunds.

According to Obi, Nigerians need to show understanding by supporting the Federal Government’s efforts at recovering the funds.

He said: “The National Executive Council, NEC, commended the Federal Government on its present stand in the prosecution of those who were wrongly paid subsidy money and on the need for them to refund it fully. From the report

we got today, some have started refunding.

“It is a serious case that people were paid for vessels that were not anywhere near the Nigerian waters. And I think when Federal Government does a thing that is courageous and right, it should be encouraged and that can, at least, give it the courage to do more.

“So, we support the Federal Government in the effort to clean up the entire value chain and process of petroleum industry; they have our full support.”

He said NEC also considered a presentation by the Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, on the planned non-partisan Good Governance Publicity Tour being jointly organised by his ministry and the National Planning Commission.

He said the exercise was meant to monitor, evaluate and showcase Federal and states’ projects across the six geo-political zones and so was a worthwhile venture.

Governor Obi disclosed that Council also directed the Governors’ Forum to set up a committee that would meet

with the Federal Ministry of Information and National Planning Commission to review the logistics for the tour and agree on the date of commencement.

Igbokwe loses mum

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RS. Dinah Igbokwe, 85, of Nwakanwa family in Umudim, Nnewi, Anambra State, is dead.

She died on August 18.

A devout christian, social activist and philanthropist, late Mrs. Igbokwe is the mother of Mr. Joe Igbokwe, the Publicity Secretary of Lagos chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, and General Manager, Lagos State Infrastructural Maintenance and Regulatory Agency, LASIMRA. According to a statement by the family, burial arrangements will be announced soon.

Late Mrs Igbokwe

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012—5

POCKET CARTOON

SECURITY—From left: The Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar; Governor of Niger State, Dr Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu; Speaker, Niger State House of Assembly, Adamu Usman; state Police Commissioner , Diseye Desire Nsirim; Emir of Suleja, Awwal Ibrahim and Emir of Minna, Dr Umar Faruk Bahago during the launching of security vehicles and communication gadgets, in Minna yesterday.

Why NUPENG suspended strike

BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG & JOSEPH ERUNKE

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BUJA—NIGERIA Union of Petro leum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, yesterday suspended its planned nationwide strike that would have commenced today, following confirmation that the Federal Government has been paying all verified claims and will continue to pay all claims so

verified.

After two days of rigorous negotiations, stakeholders including marketers, Labour and the Federal Government, NUPENG agreed to suspend the planned strike.

The resolutions signed at the end of the meeting by all the parties, stated that: “The meeting between FG, NUPENG, NLC and marketers was cordial, fruitful.

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

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OR all we know, our blessings are not the fruits of our prayers alone, but those of others praying for us. Find someone to pray for.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

Love for others is the manifestation of love for self. Life is a mirror. If you want to know what love for yourself looks like, look at your love for others. If you want to know what your love for others look like, look at your love for self. When you love yourself this way, you love God this way — Marlon Hartley

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ARLON Hartley insightful message on the state of acceptance and readiness to accept oneself completely with love is conveyed meaningfully when he surmised that a deep love resides inside each of us. This love is independent of the desires, thoughts, and opinions, good or bad, which are readily offered to us. It is a love that is gentle and kind, accepting and non-judgmental, playful and spontaneous, courageous and curious. It is always encouraging and always evolving. This love can be discovered only through turning off the noise around us, coming to ourselves in silence, meditation, and prayer. If we listen carefully we will hear the murmurs of our inner voice, tell the yearnings of our truest selves. What is available to us is a profound understanding, appreciation, and full acceptance of self.”

“FG and unions agreed to work together towards finding a lasting solution to all the issues in dispute.

“FG, and the unions agreed that all those accused of involvement in the fuel subsidy scam should endeavour to submit to on-going verification exercise.

“The meeting confirmed that the Federal Government has been paying all verified claims and will continue to pay all claims so verified.

“The meeting set up two sub-committees to look into issues concerning unfair labour practices in Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, and penalty clauses in PPPRA rules.

“FG agrees to provide the platform for labour, government and all critical stakeholders to meet and discuss efforts being made towards the provision of infrastructure and rehabilitation of the refineries with a view to finding a way forward.

“The meeting agreed on continuous engagement between the Federal Government and labour unions.

“The marketers agreed to keep their facilities open and pay the salary of their workers.

“The meeting agreed to meet in two weeks to review the status of implementation.”

The Federal Government delegation was led

by the Secretary to Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim.

FG negotiation team According to Vanguard source, those at meeting included Minister of Finance, and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi, Okonjo-Iweala; Labour Minister, Chief Emeka Nwogu; Group Managing Director, GMD, of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC and Executive Secretary of Petroleum Product Pricing and R e g u l a t o r y Agency,PPPRA. Labour was led by Acting President of NLC, Comrade Promise Adewusi, with the Acting General Secretary, Comrade Chris Uyot. Others were President, Acting General Secretary and Treasurer of NUPENG respectively, Comrades Igwe Achese, Isaac Aberare and Williams Akporegha.

Representatives of Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN; Jetties and Petroleum Tank Farms Owners of Nigeria, JEPTFON; Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association, DAPPMA and Major Oil Marketers Association of

Nigeria, MOMAN, also attended the meeting.

It would be recalled that NUPENG had on Monday given the Government up till yesterday to pay subsidy claims to verified oil marketers mainly members of IPMAN, JEPTFON, DAPPMA and MOMAN, who were claiming N200billion unpaid subsidy claims, or members would begin an indefinite strike from today.

The union had lamented that members who are employees of these marketers were not only at risk of losing their jobs, but had not been paid since the past five months.

At a briefing in Lagos, President of NUPENG, Comrade Igwe Achese, demanded the resignation of the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, accusing her of not only undermining the transformational agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan, but also paying subsidy claims to “portfolio importers” because of their closeness to corridors of power.

Achese had equally dismissed insinuations that the union was being used by marketers, arguing that not even the government could use it.

He said NUPENG was fighting for the interest of members who had not being paid for the past five months because of the unpaid subsidy claims.

According to him, “NUPENG cannot and will never be used by the Federal Government, institutions, companies because we are stakeholders in the industry. The fight and struggle for the enthronement of democracy in this country during the June 12, 1993 struggle cannot be in vain. The struggle for the emancipation of Nigerians from the hands

of the military cannot be rubbished or swept under the carpet by some Ministers. The Minister should in fact resign and go back to her Bretonwoods institution so that genuine patriots can come on board to move the nation forward. It is our firm belief that His Excellency, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, the number one worker of our great country, Nigeria, will heed this clarion call in order to move the transformation agenda forward.”

Subsidy Payments “It is against this backdrop that we call on the Minister of Finance to pay all outstanding subsidy payments to the NNPC and the private depot owners, who are been asked by the same government to import fuel. We state that the failure of the Minister to meet the NNPC and marketers’ payment obligation is a ploy to create hardship for Nigerians.

"This is a plan for them to put-up the refineries for privatisation to their cronies at ridiculous rates. That is why we are asking the Minister the rationale behind the selective ‘payments of the subsidy claims."

Mr & Mrs

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012 — 7

Representative of Governor Rotimi Amaechi, Senator Magnus Abe(4th left); Chief Press Secretary to Governor Amaechi, Mr. David Iyofor(3rd left); Rivers State NUJ chairman, Opaka Dokubo(left) and some members of Rivers State Executive Council holding the new book- "Governor Amaechi Giant Strides In Rivers State, The Press Testify," edited by David Iyofor at the unveiling of the book and the first ever website for Governor of Rivers State in Port Harcourt, Tuesday.

Representative of Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, Senator Magnus Abe(left) congratulating the Chief Press Secretary to Gov. Amaechi, David Iyofor on the unveiling of the new book- "Governor Amaechi Giant Strides In Rivers State, The Press Testify," edited by David Iyofor.

ESUT lecturers protest VC's kidnap

BY TONY EDIKE

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NUGU—MEMBERS of Academic Staff Union of Universities , ASUU, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, ESUT Branch, yesterday, protested the nonrelease of their Vice-Chancellor, Professor Cyprian Onyeji, nine days after his abduction by suspected kidnappers.

The academic staff led by their chairman, Dr. Agu Gab Agu, demanded the immediate release of the Vice Chancellor who was abducted at the gate of the ESUT permanent site at Agbani Wednesday last week.

After spending nine days in captivity, nothing meaningful has been heard from his abductors except the rumour that their earlier demand for N200 million ransom had been reduced to N50 million.

The lecturers who marched round the former temporary site of the university at Independence Layout, Enugu, dressed in their academic gowns dis-

played placards with various inscriptions.

Some of them read: “Kidnapping is anti-intellectualism”, “ESUT is not safe for academic exercise”, “Set free our VC to continue his good works”, “Please release our VC for everybody’s happiness” and “All we are saying give us protection in our work place”.

The protest was preceded by a prayer session conducted by Professor John Obasikene, the Dean Students Affairs.

Addressing the lecturers, the ASUU Chairman, said: “As colleagues of Prof.

Cyprian Onyeji, we attest that he is a good natured man who will not wish the abduction of an enemy.

Anambra NULGE asks govt to implement new scheme of service

BY ENYIMENYIM

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NITSHA—THE Ni geria Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, yesterday, called on the Anambra State government to immediately implement the 2006 new scheme of service for staff of local governments in the state.

President of the union, Mr Jerry Nnubia alongside other executive

members, made the demand during a visit to the commissioner for local government, Mrs Azuka Enemo.

He described as unfair the delay in the implementation of the scheme which was already being enjoyed by their counterparts in other states of the federation.

Nnubia who also ob-

Enugu Speaker decries worsening insecurity

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NUGU—SPEAKER of Enugu State House of Assembly, Mr Eugene Odo, has expressed disgust over the “worsening security situation in the state.”

Odo, who said this in Enugu during plenary, yesterday, urged the relevant security agencies to step up the protection of lives and property in the state.

He said the assembly might invite the commissioner of police in the state to appear before the lawmakers to explain the security situation.

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”We join well-meaning persons to pray and demand that his abductors bring him back safely to rejoin his family, friends and colleagues, now.”

Agu urged the lecturers not to relent in their prayers for the release of the ViceChancellor whom he described as a financial member of ASUU.

He said: “It is quite unfortunate that in the last six, seven months, the security situation in Enugu State has actually worsened and we think that something needs to be done about it.

“We say this emphatically because what we had witnessed in the past six, seven to eight months, is not something to bear with.

“The rate at which matters are being dispensed in terms of investigation at our different police stations, is not encouraging and it’s quite disappoint-

ing.”

Odo noted that matters which ordinarily were meant to go to court were not done in that way, alleging that innocent citizens were at times incarcerated while criminals enjoyed freedom on the streets.

The speaker recalled that the ban on motorcycles as a means of transport in the state was done out of sincere feelings for the people as the essence was not to occasion punitive measures on the riders but to control crime.

served that heads of local government administrations in the state were yet to be promoted to Grade Level 17 as was the case in other states, appealed to the commissioner to prevail on governor Peter Obi, to start its implementation.

He decried the late implementation of financial benefit of staff who were promoted since 2007, saying it was preposterous for any staff to be promoted to a new grade level without the accompanying financial motivation accruing thereto.

Nnubia suggested for a data base in the ministry of local government, NULGE and the Local Government service commission so that staff records could be easily accessed.

Responding, the commissioner assured that the articulated problems by the union would be resolved ranging from prompt payment of staff salary, arrears of salaries and leave allowances among others.

Abia to honour indigenes at 21st anniversary

BY ANAYO OKOLI

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MUAHIA—AS part of activities to mark the 21st anniversary of the creation of Abia State, some prominent sons and daughters of the state will be honoured with awards for their contributions to the development of the state even as Finance Minister, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala will deliver a lecture on economic potentials of the state.

Those to be honoured include the chairman, Abia state Civil Service Commission, Sir Harley Onuoha, DIG, Azubuko Uda [rtd], Dr. Dike Udensi (Dubic), Prof. Paul Ogbuehi, Prof

Clifford Ohiagu and Eze C.C Ememe.

Others are an Anambra indigene, Chief Anthony Enukeme, the chief executive officer of Tonimas,Ltd., Eze Irechukwu, a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Ikechi Ogbuagu and Dr. E J Nwaogbo. They will all be honoured as Enyi Abia.

Briefing journalists on highlights of the programmes lined up for the anniversary, Chairman of the Award Committee, Chief Bob Ogbuagu, explained that six women were selected for the Adaugo award.

Cleric wants Okoli's killers nabbed

BY ENYIM ENYIM

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NITSHA—THE Archbishop of Catholic Arch-Diocese of Onitsha, Most Rev. Valerian Okeke, yesterday urged the Anambra State Police Command to fish out the killers of one Miss Francisca Okoli, 22, killed by armed robbers for resisting attempts to rape her.

This came as Mr. Okoli recounted the gory details that led to the death of his

daughter.

Okoli was said to have been murdered after she resisted attempts by the gang to rape her before her parents in their house in Awka-Etiti community, Idemili South Local Government Area about 5:30 a.m. on July 29, 2012.

Okeke said: “I deplore the orgy and wanton killing of an innocent citizenasthatparticularladycould not have provoked her assailants by any means.”

Tribunal dismisses Ibe's suit against Igbokwe

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

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WERRI—THE Na tional Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Owerri, has dismissed the suit by the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, candidate, Mr. Chidi Ibe, challenging the election of Chief Nnanna Igbokwe of the Peoples Democratic Party,

PDP, in the February 25, 2012 re-run election into the Ahiazu/Ezinihitte Mbaise Federal Constituency.

Igbokwe was returned by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as elected in the February 25, 2012 re-run election into the Ahiazu/ Ezinihitte Mbaise federal constituency.

8—Vanguard , FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012

Murder of Gen's daughter Time now for an all-embracing cyber crime law

BY ADEKUNLE ADEKOYA ERTAINLY, most news conscious Nigerians must have remained attached, one way or the other, to their favourite sources of information ever since the news broke of how Cynthia Osokogu was murdered.

Murders occur everyday all over the world, but a bewildering dimension to the unfortunate incident is that the merchants of death chose to pick their victims from the social media.

In recent times, with the explosion of GSM

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BRAINSTORMING ON BAKASSI—From left: Prof Bolaji Akinyemi, Amb Olu Adeniji, Chairman of the occasion, Mr Alex Ikeanyawu and Prof Deji Adekunle during the 10th brainstorming session on Bakassi Peninsula organised by Nigeria Institute of International Affairs, NIIA, in Lagos, yesterday.

Photo: Biodun Ogunleye.

Jonathan assures of regular power by 2020 zFG begins 3050MW hydro power construction in 2013

BY OSCARLINE ONWUEMENYI

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BUJA—PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has said the country was on the path to achieving sustainable power by the year 2020.

Jonathan, who made the remark yesterday at the launch of the Sustainable Energy for All, SE4All, an initiative of the United Nations Development Organisation, UNIDO, in Abuja, noted that the programme “aims at assisting Nigeria to redefine its energy plans and programmes to provide access to affordable, clean and reliable modern energy services to all citizens.”

Applauding the UN initiative, President Jonathan, who was represented by Vice President Namadi Sambo, said Nigeria was “fully committed to achieving our set targets in less than a decade. All tiers of government are being mobilized to play their roles in ensuring that Nigeria achieves its targets.”

The United Nations had in September 2011 launched the sustainable energy for all initiative to accelerate the attainment of the overall objectives of the declaration of 2012 as International Year for Sustainable Energy for All. “This determined response to the challenges of energy poverty in the world requires stakeholders to take concrete measures towards achieving universal access

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to modern energy services.

It also requires the doubling of both the share of renewable energy in the global mix, and the global rate of energy efficiency.

These three critical interlinked objectives are all to be achieved by 2030,” the President observed.

According to Jonathan, “Limitless opportunities abound in renewable energy. Bearing this in mind, we have set national goals and developed a power sector roadmap that will fast-track our realization of the UN targets. At our current rate of power development, through the full

implementation of the roadmap, we plan to meet these targets by the year 2020.”

He added that, “Our administration is highly committed to strengthening the power sector so that it can efficiently deliver adequate, qualitative, reliable and affordable power in a deregulated market. The roadmap for the reform of the power sector, launched two years ago, brings into practical effect the 2005 Electric Power Sector Reform Act.” Jonathan further noted the fact that hydro power generation sources are

being exploited. “Only yesterday we had our initial meeting with the consultants and contractors for the construction of the large Mambila Hydropower plant that will produce 3050MW. “The processes for the construction of Zungeru 700MW hydropower plant have reached an advanced stage. Several small and medium hydropower projects are also in progress; as well as solar power projects. An MoU has already been signed with Seimens of Germany for the production of 450MW (with 7 states as first phase)".

Nigeria's oil exports for October rise to 2m bpd

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IGERIAN crude oil exports will rise to around 1.93 million barrels per day in October from an 11-month low of 1.81 million bpd seen for September, a provisional loading programme showed, helping to replenish global supplies of light sweet oil.

Supplies for two of Nigeria’s biggest oil streams, Qua Iboe and Bonny Light were both up sharply from the previous month following the end of a force majeure on the Bonny grade, the programme showed yesterday. This will lift total volumes to around 64 million barrels.

The increase in flows will

help replenish global light, sweet supplies that have been capped due to maintenance work in the North Sea. The reduced supplies combined with Middle East tensions, supported Brent crude oil prices, which rose to a threemonth high of $117.03 a barrel this month.

Nigeria, Africa’s largest producer, has mostly exported around two million bpd this year, helped by the new Usan grade, which began production in February.

The programme did not include Ebok and Yoho grades as shipping lists for these grades were not immediately available. It also excluded condensate

exports like Akpo and Oso. Exports for some smaller Nigerian grades such as Amenam and Escravos are set to fall slightly versus the previous month. Around half of Nigeria’s oil is sold via pre-agreed annual term contracts by the state oil firm, Nigerian National Petroleum Corp oration, NNPC, to local and international trading houses and refiners. The rest is allocated to oil majors with equity volumes like Royal Dutch Shell.

In September, Nigerian exports were due to fall to around 55 million barrels compared with around 68 million in August, a provisional loading programme showed in July.

NEWS ANALYSIS

telephony services in Nigeria, which saw many networks upgrading their services, social media like Facebook and Twitter overnight became commonplace, and it’s now common to hear refrains like “I’ll link you up on Facebook,” or “That tweet from you was natty,”etc.

Now that handheld devices, especially smart phones are ubiquitous, it is now commonplace to see people, especially youths permanently glued to their devices, in buses, eateries, in aircraft — anyplace — chatting or browsing from one site to the other.

With billions of people on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and others, trillions of words and billions of images are flying through cyberspace every second as multitudes communicate, chatting, sending SMS and MMS. Cyberspace now is the fifth common domain after land, sea, air, and outer space.

There are all kinds of laws in various countries of the world with the sole purpose of regulating how we all interact with each other on land. Also, there are admiralty laws governing conduct on the seas, and uses of the sea. Same thing for the air, as military and civil aviation practitioners will testify. Countries with the necessary technological wherewithal that have generated interest in outer space are also active in this domain.

What makes cyberspace unique is that it is an arena where there is no restriction on access to anybody, who has a computer or handheld device.

Further, all nationalities and languages spoken worldwide are active in cyberspace as well, with

people saying or doing just what they like. Even things people cannot say to each other physically are communicated through the ethereal world of telecommunications. It is also a domain where 'respect for others' does not exist.

In short, cyberspace is a no man’s land where hackers, scammers, identity thieves, abusers and a whole new breed of antisocial elements operate, and whose activities are giving governments worldwide monstrous headaches.

Serious governments have enacted laws on cyber crime, while Police forces and departments have long ago set up cyber squads.

Now, in Nigeria, murderers have started using cyberspace to snare their victims. Crime is unlawful conduct with a stipulated penalty. When such crime is committed with devices that access cyberspace, it becomes cyber crime. Where is our anti-cyber crime law?

In August 2011, an organisation called Paradigm Initiative Nigeria, PIN, with support from the World Bank, Civil Society Fund, Microsoft Corporation and our own Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, sent a petition to the National Assembly requesting cybercrime legislation in Nigeria as part of the on-going internet safety, security and privacy initiative for Nigeria. Still, the draft law is yet to be passed.

Again, last November, Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs Omobola Johnson told the Nigerian Economic Summit Group “to work in the interest of Nigerian economic development by providing the legal instruments necessary to deliver the inputs for a profitable and sustainable ICT industry.”Still, no law.

Various interest groups and organisations have shouted themselves hoarse over the need to have a comprehensive, allembracing cybersecurity law to no effect.

To the National Assembly, we do not have to reinvent the wheel. Let’s look for the best cyber crime legislation in the world, localize it in all ramifications, adopt it, and pass it into law. Also, it is time our Police Force began setting up Cyber Squads to tackle crime in this area. This is because as we go further into an ITdriven world, beginning with Cashless Nigeria, more cyber crimes will be committed. Time for action is now.

Vanguard , FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012—9

BY EVELYN USMAN

I

KEJA—GUNMEN, Wednesday night, shot a 60-year-old man dead in his apartment at 14, Ifesowapo Street, in the Ilaje-Bariga area of Lagos. The three gunmen reportedly did not take anything from the apartment.

Eye-witnesses told Vanguard that the armed men stormed the building about 8 p.m. when the victim, Mr. James Ariyomoye, was having dinner.

They were said to have demanded an unspecified amount they claimed he was intended to pay to bail his nephew who was in their detention camp.

But before he could

fathom what they were up to, the gunmen reportedly opened fire, shooting him thrice.

The nephew, who was simply identified as Shaggy, was arrested over leadership crisis in the community in which five persons reportedly died.

Since his arrest, there had reportedly been crisis between Shaggy’s and his rival’s factions in which no fewer than eight persons had died.

According to reports, after the gunmen left, it was discovered that the

60-year-old man was killed in error as he was not their target.

A resident of the area said: “When the gunmen demanded the money for bail, the man was surprised and asked what they meant. But they did not give him chance to explain before they shot him. It was later discovered that the person they learnt was

Shaggy’s uncle who lives next door to the deceased.”

Mrs Ariyomoye, who was in the sitting room when the gunmen struck, reportedly fainted on seeing her husband in the pool of blood.

Her son was said to have rushed to the Bariga Police Division to lodge a complaint, consequent

upon which a team of policemen were drafted to the scene. But, by then, the gunmen had fled. The policemen removed the body to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, Ikeja, Mortuary Contacted, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, said investigation had begun.

Briefly

Harvest

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HE Light of God Min istries Worldwide “The Reminders,” holds its 2012 harvest from August 31 to September 1 at its auditorium, Osula House, Yaya Abatan Street, Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos.

According to the General Overseer, Prophet Joyce Osula, the event with theme, “Year Of Bountiful Harvest” will feature a vigil, praise, prayer and thanksgiving service.

Pastor Solomon Enoarenhen, Pastor Nnamani and Rev. Jesse Majekodunmi are among the speskers at the threeday event.

3 docked for drugging commuters

Launching

BY ONOZURE DANIA, with Agency reports

H

L

AGOS—THREE men were, yesterday, charged before an Ojo Magistrate’s Court in Lagos, for allegedly administering a substance that caused two passengers in their vehicle to be unconscious, before dispossessing them of their valuables.

The men, Chidi Duru (35), Chimezie Uzoma (29) and Ebere Eze (34), residents of Okokomaiko in Ojo, Lagos, are facing a four-count charge of conspiracy, drugging, abduction and stealing.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The prosecutor, ASP Friday Eze, told the court that the defendants on August 6 on Lagos-Badagry Expressway, posed as driver and passengers in a vehicle.

He said two other passengers, Andrew Augustine, a soldier and a lady, Adewunmi Adesina, boarded the Volkswagen Passat car with numberplate PV 480 AKD, which was going to Seme, Badagry.

ASP Eze said on the way, one of the defendants beckoned on a hawker selling pure water, who came promptly.

He said the defendant gave the seller a N50 note, who then told him that there was no change.

The prosecutor said that this prompted one of the defendants to suggest buying more water with the balance and offering them to the two other unsuspecting passengers.

He said the complain-

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Gunmen kill 60-yr-old man in error over communal crisis in Lagos

ants soon dozed off in the vehicle and were driven to an unknown destination, where they were dispossessed of their valuables.

Man, 20 defiles girl, 14 Meantime, a 20-yearold man, Abiodun Ogunbunmi, has been remanded in prison, for allegely defiling a 14year-old teenager.

Ogunbumi, who was arraigned before an Ikeja Magistrate's Court, yesterday, was charged for raping one Deborah Akinbola.

The police prosecutor, Inspector Samsom Ekikere, alleged that Ogunbunmi, on August 20, forcefully had sexual intercourse with Akinbola.

According to Ekikere, on the fateful day, about 2 p.m. at Fagba, Iju, Ogunbumi, had canal knowledge of Akinbola, thereby inflicting body injuries on her, which resulted to her been admitted in the hospital.

According to Ekikere, the offence committed by Ogunbunmi, is punishable under Section 137 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2011 Nigeria.

When the charges was read to the defendant, he pleaded not guilty, but was refused bail and remanded to prison pending the Director of Public Prosecutors's advice.

The Magistrate, Mrs. Taiwo Akanni, adjourned the matter to October 30 for further hearing.

PRESENTATION: From left, Mr. Adebowale Banzi, Media Relations Officer, Diamond Bank Plc; Mr. Omoh Gabriel, Business Editor, Vanguard; Mr. Eze Anaba, Deputy Editor, Vanguard, presenting yesterday's edition of Vanguard to Ms. Akpo Daniyan, Head, Corporate Communications, Diamond Bank Plc and Ms. Titilola Aikulola, another Media Relations Officer of the bank, during a courtesy visit to the Corporate Head Office of Vanguard Newspapers, Kirikiri, Lagos, yesterday.

Photo: Shola Oyelese.

Lagos govt assures residents over heavy rains after August break

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

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KEJA—FOLLOWING prediction by experts of possible heavy rainfall in some parts of the country, the Lagos State Government said plans had been put in place to prevent massive flooding and ensure safety of life and property during the rains after the August break.

Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello, who made the remarks, yesterday, assured residents that government had not relented in its allyear cleaning and flood free campaign programme despite the August break, as it has once again dedicated the August edition of the monthly sanitation to further cleaning of drains across the state.

He assured residents on the preparedness of the ministry about the last lap of the rainy season, which is to commence immediately after the August break, as more canals had been dredged and all sedi-

mentation cleaned by the drainage maintenance department and emergency flood abatement department in readiness for the next rains.

He, however, alerted residents to be wary of the unu-

sual times as indicated by global events with unusual and intense rainfall ravaging the world, coupled with other natural disasters such as tsunami, cyclone, earth tremors and massive flooding.

Tension in Ikorodu over baby's corpse

BY BOSE ADELAJA

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KORODU—EMO TIONS ran high, yesterday, in Ikorodu area of Lagos, following the discovery of a cellophane with the corpse of a baby at Benson Estate, Owutu.

The incident generated tension in the community as sympathisers rained curses on the perpetrators of the dastardly act.

Some women wept uncontrollably at the gory sight of the baby as they prayed God not to forgive the culprit.

According to reports, alarm was raised about 5 a.m. when some residents

were going for their businesses only to beheld the bag neatly placed at a corner while its owner was nowhere to be found.

Out of fear, the residents ran into the community to inform others of their discovery and this attracted a crowd as many of them thought the bag contained a bomb.

Emotions, however, ran high upon discovery that the content was that of a baby with fresh blood all over it without any trace of the owner.

Sources said the Police at Owutu were contacted, and the corpse was removed.

IS Majesty’s Voice Ministry will launch its magazine “Mustard Seed” on September 8, at Christ Life Baptist Church auditorium, Ansar-Ur-Deen Street, Ile-Epo Bus- Stop, Ejigbo, Lagos.

According to the President and Coordinator, Pastor Oluwole Toye, the Ministry is non-denominational aimed at spreading the word of God and helping the less-privileged.

Ugochukwu for burial

M

R. Gabriel Eze Ugochukwu, Assistant Superintendent of Customs,in Lagos, is dead. Aged 50, he died after a brief illness.

The burial rites begins on Friday, August 31, with a Vigil Mass at his hometown, Nkpologu, Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State, while interment follows on Saturday, September 1, at his compound in Umuobira, Nkpologu.

He is survived by a widow, children, mother, brothers and sisters.

The late G . Ugochukwu

10— Vanguard , FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012

Briefly

S-West agric fair holds Sept 10-14

BY WALE AKINOLA

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BADAN—THE six South-West states are organising a food security exhibition/fair for farmers and operators in the agroallied industry in the zone in the search for a critical solution to the challenge of food and livelihood.

At a briefing, the Managing Director of Chubbies and Fields, Dr. Akin Ajiboye, whose organisation and Odua Chambers of Commerce are partnering with the state governments on the initiative, said the governments in the zone had moved to consolidate their gains in agriculture.

Ekiti State will host the maiden edition of the fair in Ado-Ekiti Trade Fair Complex between September 10 and 14.

Ondo: We won't support Oke — PDP faction zBabatope, Braithwaite, Fasehun, Fawehinmi endorse Mimiko zAkeredolu chides Ondo gov over alleged plan to sack monarchs

BY DAYO JOHNSON, DAPO AKINREFON, GBENGA OKE & NNAMDI OJIEGO

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KURE—FOLLOW ING the crisis rocking the Ondo State chapter of the Peoples' Democratic Party, PDP, a faction of the party has vowed not to support its governorship candidate, Chief Olusola Oke, over alleged imposition.

The faction argued that

with the party factionalised, the chances of winning the October 20 governorship election is slim.

Also, a chieftain of the party and former Minister of Transport, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, has thrown his weight behind Governor Olusegun Mimiko.

At a briefing, in Akure, the factional chairman of the party, Dr. Akin Olowookere, said Oke

was not the choice of 70 per cent party leaders and supporters because he came from the same senatorial district with the immediate past governor, Dr. Olusegun Agagu.

He added that all reconciliatory moves made to bring an end to the crises in the party had not worked due to alleged ambition and personal interest of some party leaders in the state.

Reacting to allegation by

Ibadan FRCN staff protest

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INAUGURATION: From left, Prince Segun Adesegun, Ogun State Deputy Governor; Governor Ibikunle Amosun, and others at the inauguration of Bus Mass Transit Scheme at Memorial Arcade Ground, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, yesterday. Photo: Wumi Akinola.

PDP flays ACN over Osun CJ nominee I BADAN—PEOPLES Democratic Party, PDP, in the South-West, yesterday, warned the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, not to plunge the nation’s judiciary into further chaos with its plot to impose a

2 students jailed 4 yrs for stealing Okada

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B E O K U TA — A N Abeokuta Magistrate’s Court, yesterday, sentenced two students to two years imprisonment for stealing a motorcycle valued at N 100,000.

According to the prosecutor, Mr Sunday Eigbejiale, the accused persons, Abdullahi Akinloye (20) and Lekan Babatunde (23) were SS2 students.

He said the offence was committed on May 25 about 3.30 a.m. at 5, Sodeke Street in the Abeokuta metropolis.

Mimiko is doing well —Babatope

Meanwhile, Babatope has endorsed Gov. Mimiko, saying he should be given a second chance.

Babatope, who spoke with Vanguard in Ikenne, Ogun State, said: “Mimiko is doing well, that is why we are appealing to Yoruba people in Ondo State to return him and this is very important.

Because we are in PDP, does not mean we have to close our eyes on what some Yoruba people are doing individually and collectively in their parties.”

Braithwaite, F a s e h u n , Fawehinmi endorse Mimiko

BY OLA AJAYI BADAN—STAFF of Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, FRCN, Ibadan Network Centre, yesterday, blocked the entrance to the broadcast station over non-payment of their four months salary, blaming the newly-introduced Integrated Personnel Payroll System, IPPS, for the lapses.

The workers complained of many deficiencies and hardship which the new system of payment had brought to them.

The aggrieved workers clarified that their grievances were not against the management of the corporation but against promoters of the system.

the other faction that the group was being sponsored by either the ruling government or the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Oloowokere described it as a cheap blackmail.

Eigbejiale told the court that the complainant, Mr. Wali Ogbonaya, parked his motorcycle in his compound at night and in the morning discovered that it had been stolen.

He said: “Upon enquiry, he (Ogbonaya) discovered that two vigilantes saw the accused persons with the motorcycle and interrogated them.

“Akinloye and Babatunde confessed to stealing the motorcycle, they were arrested and taken to Adatan Police Station.”

Lagos judge on Osun State as Chief Judge.

The party said it was aware of a grand plot by ACN leaders in Lagos to cripple the judiciary in some states under their control.

In a statement, PDP South-West Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kayode Babade, said: “With the appearance of Justice Olubunmi Oyewole before the State Security Service, SSS, in Osogbo today for security screening for the post of Osun Chief Judge, the plot had become real.”

It accused members of Osun State Judicial Service Commission, who approved Justice Oyewole of selling out the state to the governor and what it called “the Lagos cabal that are desperate to destroy the labours of the founding fathers of Osun State. “ The party called on all well-meaning Nigerians to note the danger the devel-

opment held for the administration of justice in the country if politicians could so brazenly politicise the position of a state Chief Judge.

PDP added that it learnt authoritatively that ACN planned to use the suspended President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami, to lobby the leadership of the National Judicial Council, NJC, for an easy endorsement of Oyewole as Chief Judge of Osun State.

It advised members of the NJC to be guided by their oaths of office and do justice in the matter by not allowing the imposition of an outsider on Osun judiciary as Chief Judge.

Based on the recommendation of Osun State JSC, Lagos-based Justice Oyewole and the number two judge in the state High Court, Justice Oyebola Ojo, underwent SSS screening, yesterday, in Osogbo.

Also, leader of the National Action Coalition,NAC, Dr. Tunji Braithwaite, and founder of Oodua Peoples' Congress, OPC, Dr. Fredrick Fasehun and the widow of the late human rights activist and lawyer, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, Alhaja Ganiyat Fawehinmi, yesterday, canvassed support for Mimiko’s re-election bid.

Speaking when the governor paid a courtesy visit to the group in Lagos, Braithwaite explained that Mimiko’s endorsement was borne out of his delivery of good governance and provision of selfless leadership to the peo-

ple of Ondo State.

Responding, Gov. Mimiko explained that the courtesy visit was to appreciate the efforts of Braithwate and his group in fighting for the rights of the common people and ensuring that politicians fulfill their electoral promises to the people.

Akeredolu blasts Mimiko Meantime, the Akeredolu Campaign Organisation, ACO, has faulted the alleged resolve of the government to allegedly dethrone monarchs in the state, who failed to deliver their votes for the governor.

In a statement by its Director of Media and Publicity, Mr Idowu Ajanaku, the group flayed the alleged harassment of monarchs and alleged plan to dethrone them.

It said the alleged government plan was because “some of the prominent Obas which Mimiko is planning to deal with is against the background of the massive support the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, governorship candidate, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN, is getting from their subjects.”

Describing the act as undemocratic, Ajanaku said: “This attitude of harassing traditional rulers with a threat to dethrone them will not help the Labour Party, LP, because the government has failed the people. Is it the people who have no access to potable water, good health facilities, good roads, no provision of employment for the youths, non-employment of teachers, that will vote for Labour Party?”

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012—11

Call IOC's bluff, oil communities urge FG

BY EMMA AMAIZE

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PROTEST: Ex-Niger Delta militants on a peaceful protest at Federal Secretariat in Abuja.

Judge berates IG for flouting court order ...as court strikes out Police motion

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM & GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

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ENIN—JUSTICE Esther Edigin of an Edo State High Court sitting in Benin, yesterday, berated the Inspector General of Police for flouting the order the court on the continued detention of Executive Director of African Network for Environment and Economic Justice, ANEEJ, Rev. David Ugolor.

The court has meanwhile adjourned till September 6, for ruling in the suit for the enforcement of Ugolor's fundamental rights, following his continued detention by the police despite the court order for his release.

Ugolor is being held for the murder of Principal Private Secretary to the Edo State Governor, Mr Olaitan Oyerinde, with the Police authorities and Directorate of State Security Services, SSS, presenting conflicting reports on the arrest of the alleged murderers.

Also, Public Interest Lawyers League, PILL, yesterday, accused the authorities of Nigeria Police of allegedly distorting the facts, with regard investigations into the murder of Oyerinde.

It will be recalled that Justice Esther Edigin had earlier on August 16, granted bail to Ugolor following an exparte application by his counsel, Mr. Afolabi Olayiwola.

The court directed the

Inspector General of Police to release him on bail.

The visibly angry judge, insisted that the police authorities must obey the court's ruling by releasing Ugolor from detention before the court could proceed to hear the preliminary objection filed by Police counsel.

But the police in a counter affidavit, yesterday, through their counsel, Mr. David Abuo, told the court that Inspector General of Police had not been served with any processes in the matter aside an enrollment of order dated August 17, 2012 and dropped at the Legal Section of the

Force CID, Abuja.

He argued that the police had not concluded investigations into, “this matter because we have to travel up to Kano, Adamawa and several other places the investigation of this matter is leading us to. We are still gathering information from the various service providers regarding the call logs of applicant and others connected with this matter.”

He prayed the court for a short adjournment to enable the respondents look into the various court processes, which was objected by Olayiwola, who described the motion as incompetent, contending

that it was filed outside the period allowed by rules of the court without any extension.

Meanwhile, PILL faulting the Inspector General of Police for flouting the order of the Benin High Court, which ordered the immediate release of Ugolor, said,the police had “made a mess of the investigations” and called on the IG to respect the order of the court.

PILL in a statement by Abdul Mahmud, said “nothing exposes the Force for what it is than the insidious manner with which it treats the well-known environmental rights campaigner, Ugolor."

Group offers free cancer treatment in C-River

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HILD Survival and Development Organisation of Nigeria, CS-DON, in collaboration with Amen Foundation, has held a two-day awareness and treatment programme in Calabar, Cross River State on cervical and breast cancer.

Chairman of CS-DON, Mrs. Onari Duke, told newsmen that the need for a heightened awareness campaign for breast and cervical cancer was necessitated by the increasing prevalence rate of the ailment.

She said: “The programme, which covered cervical screening, also taught women how to conduct self-breast ex-

amination.

“In all, 14 positives with pre-cancerous cells were treated with cryotherapy and follow-up is scheduled for six weeks.

It is, therefore, imperative for all to take urgent steps to put measures in place that would prevent deaths from these diseases.”

On the scope of the treatment, she said: “The outreach involved screening for cervical cancer using Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid, VIAA, to see the pre-cancerous lesions that could develop into cancer.”

Mrs. Rita Oguntoyibo, Chief Executive Officer,

Amen Foundation, on her part, commended Mrs. Duke “For her commitment to partner with stake holders towards reducing the scourge of cancer.”

Chief Medical Officer of CWCH, Dr. Joseph Ana, said: “The awareness and treatment programmes shall continue at the hospital to afford a maximum number of our women the opportunity to be screened and receive treatment”.

The teaching on selfbreast examination was also to curb the scourge of breast cancer. Prior to screening, lectures were given on HIV/Aids, family planning, hygiene and nutrition.

ORT HAR COURT— HOST Communities of Nigeria, Oil and Gas, Rivers State chapter, has advised the Federal Government to call the bluff of International Oil Companies, IOCs, which had raised concern over a provision in the new Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, stipulating payment of 10 per cent of their net profit directly to Petroleum Host Community Fund, PHCF. The oil communities in a statement by the state Adviser on Environment and Ecology, Prince Alaye Bala, said the veiled threat of divestment by IOCs from the country’s oil and gas sector on grounds of excessive taxes because they were already paying three per cent of their capital expenditure budget to Niger-Delta Development Commission, NDDC, was hypocritical.

He said: “The IOCs have been asked to pay only 10 per cent of their profits to the host communities and they have the mendacity to complain. I want to ask who can pay for the human lives and aquatic life lost and destroyed from oil pollution, gas flaring and environmental degradation because of oil exploration and exploitation for the past 50 years.

“Who can pay for the acid rains and cancer related diseases people in petroleum producing areas suffer as a result of continuous gas flaring by the oil majors? Enough of this hypocrisy and neo-colonialism.

“The oil majors should be contented that the incumbent president is very humane. A generation will come that will want total control of their resources and no amount of dialogue or force will appease them. In such a situation, the IOCS will be forced to pay 99 per cent tax or quit.

Group slams Delta ACN guber candidate

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RHOBO Political Agenda, UPA, yesterday, described media reports credited to the House of Representatives candidate of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, in the Okpe/Sapele/Uvwie Federal constituency in the 2011 elections, Mrs. Veonica Ogbuagu, as a strategy to destabilize the party in favour of the ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP. The group, in a statement by its National Chairman, Mr Clement

Unior said: "Ogbuagu remains a PDP member who is under the sponsorship of her party to destroy ACN.” It added that her imposition as a House of Representatives candidate for the 2011 general elections destroyed the constituency.

“One of the resultant effects of this was the inability of ACN campaign tour to access her home local government of Uwie,” the statement added.

Bayelsa guber poll: Court fixes Aug 27 for hearing on CAP’s appeal

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

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ENAGOA—THE Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, will on August 27, commence hearing in the appeal by Change Advocacy Party, CAP, over the July 11 verdict of the Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, Yenagoa, which declared Mr Seriake Dickson governor of Bayelsa State.

CAP and its governorship candidate, Dr. Imoro Kubor, appealed against the tribunal's ruling.

The tribunal had on July 11, summarily dismissed the petition by the petitioners and held that Dickson was qualified to contest the February 11, gubernatorial election in Bayelsa State.

Dissatisfied with the judgment, Kubor and CAP appealed against same.

The lower tribunal had explained that it was compelled to dismiss the petition because the application was presumed to lack merit as Exhibit “N”, which was tendered by the petitioners, was a Federal High Court document.

12—Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012

Edo youths laud Oba of Benin

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

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INAUGURATION: From left: Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State; Mr. Peter Nwaoboshi, State Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and Senator James Manager, during the inauguration of the PDP central working committee exco members held at the Unity Hall, Government House, Asaba, yesterday. Photo: Henry Unini.

Police in Bayelsa confirm death of two suspected assassins

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

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ENAGOA—THE police in Bayelsa State, yesterday, confirmed the death of two persons arrested in connection with last month's killings in Azikoro suburb of Yenagoa.

The deceased, identified as Gbafare Gold and Ayi Benjamin, popularly known as Obaino, were reportedly killed during a gun duel, following an ambush on the police team at Igbogene in the outskirts of the capital city.

The duo were said to have confessed to the killing of Orlando and British, said to be providing intelligence information to security agencies on the activities of cultists in the state.

Parading 24 other suspects for various crimes

in Yenagoa, the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Kingsley Omire, who confirmed the death of Gold and Benjamin, said they were taking the police to the place they claimed was their armoury when they came under attack.

He said the gunmen believed to be working for the suspects laid ambush to them at Igbogene, when they were leading the police officers to their armoury, which he said turned out

to be a decoy.

He said: “We didn’t know it was a plot to kill the police officers and escape. The police operatives had a close shave with death.”

On why the suspects could not escape during the gun battle, he said: “They were chained to the back of the vehicle, so there was no way they would have been able to jump out while only two of the detectives were in the vehicle. Two of the suspects who were at the

W

ARRI—NINE Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, chieftains in Delta State, yesterday, asked a Delta State High Court sitting in Effurun, to stop Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan; chair of the party in the state, Chief Peter Nwaoboshi and others from swearing in old executives as the

Kerosene explosion burns two brothers in Delta

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

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SABA—TWO brothers have been wounded in Asaba, Delta State capital, following explosion that occurred as they were refilling a lantern in their house on Wednesday night.

The incident, which occurred at Ezenei axis in

W

ARRI—FORMER governorship candidate of Mega Progressive People’s Party, MPPP, in Delta State, Alaowei Afro Biukeme, has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to sack the Pe-

troleum Minister, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke and her Niger Delta Ministry counterpart, Elder Godsday Orubebe for “not making any impact in the Niger Delta region.”

new PDP executives in the state without certified local government and ward congresses.

Vanguard gathered that the court action was to stop the party leadership from the planned inauguration today of new executives at local government and ward levels in the state.

The plaintiffs, amongst them, Prince John Jarikre, Chief Abel

Vincent Ahor, and their counsel, Mr M. Akoro, had urged the court to declare that the tenure of the old executive of PDP, Delta State, had elapsed since January 2012.

They also want the court to order the governor and others to abide by the harmonization agreement reached by PDP members in the state in January 2012 in the absence of a state congress.

Biukeme, President of Niger Delta Coastal Communities, yesterday, accused the two ministers of not doing enough in terms of development and empowerment of the Niger Delta people as well as reneging on their promise of providing refineries in the riverine communities of the region.

He hinted of his imminent decamping to Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN “since Peoples Democratic Party, PDP cannot change Delta State,” and appealed to Islamic sect, Boko Haram to drop their arms and exercise patience with President Goodluck Jonathan.

He said that President Jonathan had displayed his pan-Nigerian disposition by appointing two people from the Northern part of the country as Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, as well his National Security Adviser.

the town could have set the entire building ablaze but for the quick intervention of neighbours, who put out the fire.

Mother of the children, wondered why the lamp was not put off before pouring in the Keresone, adding that she repeatedly warned the children against refilling the lantern when it was on.

Blair drums support for Nigerian business women

BY PRINCE OSUAGWU & PEACE ONYEUKWU

Madueke, Orubebe not doing IFE of former Brit W ish Prime Minister, enough for N-Delta —Biukeme Mrs. Cherie Blair, yesterday, said that Nigerian

PDP chieftains drag Uduaghan, Ugedi, Joe Amurun, Dr Nwaoboshi to court Isaac Okorodudu and

BY EMMAAMAIZE

back were hit.

“They were taken to Federal Medical Centre, FMC, where they died.

It was a close shave with death for the policemen.

What saved the policemen was that apart from the white vehicle, they did not use any other traditional patrol vehicle.”

He appealed to members of the public to work with the police by providing information that would assist in riding the state of criminal elements.

ENIN—YOUTHS under the aegis of Achievers Support Empowerment Initiatives, have commended the Oba of Benin, Oba Erediauwa, for his support to the developmental strides of the Governor Adams Oshiomhole.

The youths, who also solicited the royal blessings for the Secretary to the state Government, Dr Simon Imuekeme, noted that if not for the support of the monarch for on going projects in the state, the state government would have achieved little or nothing.

The youths, led by Sen-

ior Special Assistant to the Governor on Youth Development, Mr Yakubu Emmanuel, said the visit to the palace was to seek the Oba’s continuous prayer to ensure that the peace and harmony in the state were sustained.

Emmanuel explained shortly after the visit: "I led other youths to the Oba for the fatherly role he is playing over the affairs of youth and in helping to ensure an environment, where development can strive . If you look at the development so far in the state, you will agree with me that the Benin monarch has played a critical role in stabilising the state for development to thrive.”

women may become financially independent and make the most of their talents if given the necessary support their counterparts in other parts of the world are exposed to.

Mrs. Blair said this in Lagos as her foundation, Cherie Blair Foundation, partnered Nokia and MTN to launch a dedicated service which would empower Nigerian women enterpreneurs into model business people.

According to her, such support would be the key to higher living standards for them and their families.

Meanwhile Nigerian business women themselves have also vowed to cut through men’s dominance of the sector with investments powered by technological innovations.

The move is even getting more serious as world renowned mobile device makers Nokia in collaboration with telecom giant MTN Nigeria have thrown weight behind the idea.

CORRECTION

I

N our publication of yesterday, we inadvertently said an Aero Contractor plane had a minor brush with an Airforce jet at Jos Airport last month. It was indeed an Arik Air plane’s wing that brushed an Airforce jet at Jos. The error is regretted.

-Editor

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012 — 13

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012 — 14

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Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012 — 15

16—Vanguard , FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012

3-month-old baby stolen in Makurdi church

BY PETER DURU

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SEND-FORTH: Venerable Yemi Agbelusi, Vicar of St. Jude's Anglican Church, Omole, Ikeja (right); his wife, Capt. Bolaji Agbelusi (left), receiving a gift from Ekiti Group of the church at Agbelusi's send-forth from the parish last Sunday.

NDLEA to prosecute man over N.15m bribe

BY SUZAN EDEH

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AUCHI—BAUCHI State Command of National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, yesterday, said it will prosecute a suspected drug dealer, Dogo Samuel, who offered the agency a bribe of N150,000 for the release of his aide, one Benjamin Swande, who was arrested recently with 13kgs of cannabis sativa, commonly called Igbo.

The state sector commander of the agency, Mr. Parah Bawa, yesterday, briefed newsmen on their successful operations

within the month, said on August 17, the agency impounded 498kgs of cannabis sativa from a suspect in Azare town, Katagum Local Government Area of the state.

Bawa explained that the suspected drug smuggler is currently in custody, noting that the 498kg of cannabis was the largest singular seizure made by the agency within the period under review.

He said the successful arrests followed a tip-off, adding that the three suspects would be arraigned shortly to serve as a deterrent to others.

Senator donates transformer to community

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HE people of Ikeoluwa-Ishaka, Sango-Ota in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State, have commended Senator Felix Bajomo for donating a 33kva transformertothecommunity.

The community leader and spokesperson, Mr. Romanus Adikibe, who spoke with journalists in Sango-Ota, recently, commended the good work

of the Senator, who represented Ogun West SenatorialDistrictinthelastNational Assembly, for coming to the aid of the community in the area of electricity supply.

The community leader explained that Senator Bajomo’s selfless service to mankind and his project initiatives have brought his sense of vision, innovation and concerns for the plights of his people, to the fore.

AKURDI—A threemonth-old baby has allegedly been stolen by an unknown woman during a church service at St. Theresa’s Church, Anyiin, Logo Local Government Area of Benue State.

Vanguard gathered from sources that the incident took place during the church service, when an unknown woman, who stood at the entrance of the

church, approached the mother of the stolen baby, one Mrs. Mbatumun Oseh, and offered to help her hold the baby to avoid being pushed down by other members of the church.

According to our source, Mrs. Owen obliged her and thereafter, the strange woman also offered to sit at the back seat with the baby to avoid distracting members, while the baby ’s mother sat in front.

Mrs. Oseh, however, de-

Benue contract: My company different from me— Okupe

BY BEN AGANDE

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BUJA—FOLLOWING the raging controversy over his alleged involvement in the abandoned Benue State contract, for which he was alleged to have collected money, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, yesterday, said his company, Value Trust Investment Limited, is a registered entity with a different identity from him as an individual.

Okupe, in a statement, said though he would soon address the issues raised in the allegations by Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, it was imperative for Nigerians to know that the said company has other Nigerians and foreigners on its board as Directors.

Spokesman of ACN, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, had called for the resignation of Okupe for allegedly abandoning a contract awarded to his company by the Benue State Government.

A statement by Dr. Sanya Awosan, said: “Legally, Okupe is an individual

with an identity separate from the corporate identities of these two companies.

“Firstly, these companies were duly registered with Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, with the full complement of other Directors, including foreign nationals apart from Okupe.

“Legally, Okupe is an in-

dividual with an identity separate from the corporate identities of these two companies.

“The publications by ACN are full of outright falsehood and fabrications politically-motivated out of desperation by ACN. “ACN, through Mohammed, deliberately con-

verted purely commercial and civil transactions, guided by legal agreements containing lawful procedures for dispute resolution and redress jointly agreed to by parties concerned, into criminal accusations which is intended for political exploitations.”

... as CPC calls for his sack C

ONGRESS for Progressive Change, CPC, has called for Dr. Doyin Okupe’s sack, saying the recent admission of a contractual transaction between Benue State and Okupe by the former governor, Chief George Akume, was very instructive.

CPC’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Rotimi Fashakin, in a statement, said: “The appointment of a man with such corrupt antecedent by a regime that gloats about its antigraft stance leaves sour grape in the mouth.

“We recall that the former President, Olusegun Obasanjo’s re-

gime showed much courage in ordering the retirement and eventual prosecution of its serving Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Tafa Balogun, immediately the latter’s sleazy tendency came to light.

“The continued shielding of Okupe from prosecution by the Jonathan regime has thrown up some questions, such as should a man with antecedent of unresolved criminality be rewarded with a very visible public office?

“Does it mean that this criminal record was opaque to the President at the time of making the ap-

pointment? is President Jonathan interested in excoriating his political adversaries, which Okupe’s appointment ensures, more than leading a nation with zero tolerance for corrupt tendencies? is Okupe’s corrupt tendency something that Jonathan’s presidency wants to treat as another ‘family affair’?

“As a party, it is our belief that true nationhood can only be built on strong values. Therefore, we insist that this Jonathan regime should relieve Okupe of his appointment and hand him over for prosecution.”

By Bartholomew Madukwe

PEOPLE SPEAK

08102479985

tailed one of her children to sit close to the woman, while the service went on.

However, the woman sent the older child to a nearby shop to buy her sachet (pure) water, but before the girl came back, the woman had disappeared with the baby.

The little girl raised alarm that attracted church members, who searched the entire premises, but the baby and the woman could not be found.

(nwamad@yahoo.com)

Nigeria's performance at London Olympics

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OW did they select the team that represented Nigeria? Was it through the Principal’s Cup and other sports events across the country? I believe that there are raw talents in our local competitions, who would have made Nigerians proud.—Ms Chimezie Ezembu, Student.

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E do not have dedicated sports administrators in Nigeria. Otherwise, things would have been different.

The representatives themselves were money-conscious instead of focusing on goals. It is a big shame that Nigeria could not return with any medal.—Mr. Oladele Williams, Painter.

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N Nigeria, we have serious problems. To me, if not that sport is something that brings Nigerians together, I would have called for its scrapping. Why would a country like Nigeria go to the London Olympics and not return with at least a silver?—Mr. Uche Edeom, Businessman.

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T has to do with the training.

Their coaches were not good enough and the representatives too did not help matters. They should have done more self-training, instead of depending solely on the government. It is a shame.—Mr. Abbas Oyeleke, Panel Beater.

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HE Olympic team failed us. They did not prepare well, yet they went out there with the intention of winning alongside countries that prepared well. I think the problem is about the selection. Let the government reform the entire sports ministry.—Mr. Magnus Njokwu, Engineer.

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E need serious support from the government and such support should not just come at the eleventh hour. When was fund released for the various sports that we participated in? When did our representatives start training?—Ms Esther Adichie, Student.

Sweet & SOUR

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012 — 17

Donu Kogbara

Intriguing differences

LIKE to think of myself as a student of human nature and, having travelled widely, I can confidently say that there is a level on which most citizens of the world are fundamentally similar – identical, even - regardless of their racial origins, nationalities, financial circumstances, spiritual convictions, etc.

For example, most mothers would die for their children, whether they are impoverished African villagers who believe in juju, Croesusrich Arab princesses who are staunchly Islamic, unemployed Americans who are great fans of Christianity, Japanese housewives who have Buddhist shrines in their homes, Antipodean professionals who describe themselves as atheists, Indian factory workers who pray to Hindu deities, Caribbean Rastafarians or whatever.

However, while the bigger picture (profound, unconditional love for

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offspring) is exactly the same on the maternal front across the globe, the smaller picture (attitudinal and behavioural details) differs from society to society.

So while a typical Pakistani mum insists that her teenage daughter wears long demure gowns, covers her head in public, never hangs out with males to whom she isn’t related and doesn’t go anywhere unchaperoned, a typical European mum will allow her adolescent girl to frequent nightclubs dressed raunchily, and may even let her share a bedroom with her boyfriend in the family residence.

The European mum doesn’t

Nigerians are so allergic to contemplating their own demises that they hardly ever get around to making wills before they shuffle this mortal coil

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love her daughter any less than her Pakistani counterpart. Her existence is simply governed by a different set of rules.

I find such cultural differences absolutely fascinating and have decided to highlight a few significant differences between the average European mindset

when I read this article.

Imagine a Nigerian mother who is an immensely successful chef being a l m o s t pathetically grateful because her daughter “kindly ” invited her to bake her wedding cake AND b e i n g nervous while she w a s performing the task!

In Britain, and the average Nigerian mindset in this week’s column.

The story that inspired me to focus on this topic revolves around Mary Berry, a distinguished British cookery expert, aged 77.

Mrs Berry, who has written 70 cookbooks and has a daughter called Annabel, was interviewed by a UK newspaper earlier on this week and said: “One of my proudest moments was making Annabel's wedding cake [when she got married in 2002]. I was thrilled that she asked me to do it - and very nervous, of course. But…the cake was very well received.”

I shook my head in bemusement and amazement

OPINION Demolition of Abonnema and other water front communities

BY TEMPLE MORFORD

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N Tuesday and Wednesday June 26 and 27, 2012, the government of Rivers State mobilized some earth-moving equipment to Abonnema Wharf to demolish all houses and destroy property, thereby rendering a community of about 10,000 people homeless. Men, women, children were under heavy rain with their property.

This act of the Rivers State Government is inhuman, oppressive, heartless, and an abuse of right to shelter.

Abonnema Wharf is one of the over 40 waterfronts communities scattered across Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State, which houses over 80 per cent of the city residents. The state government has brandished the communities as nests of criminals that must be

demolished. Governor Rotimi Amaechi claimed that the demolition is part of the urban renewal policy and also to check activities of criminally-minded individuals who use the waterfronts as operational bases. But will the same government demolish highbrow areas because some looters in position of power who have stolen public funds reside there?

However, each time these heartless “leaders” want to render the poor homeless so as to acquire the same land, they blackmail the poor as criminals not fit to live. For instance, in Lagos when Colonel Raji Rasaki, a former military governor of the state, wanted to demolish Maroko in 1990, the reason he gave was that criminals hid in the community.About300,000people were rendered homeless. Years

later, the same Maroko is now home for the rich. Does it make sense to demolish highbrow areas because some fraudulent politicians who looted and are still looting public funds resides there?

In a similar vein, the residents said that all the waterfronts in Port Harcourt have been reserved for hotels, cinemas, parks, shopping malls and houses for the rich.

So, when the poor are chased out, the rich come to occupy!

Besides, since Njemanze waterfront was demolished in August 2009 rendering about 19,000 people homeless, no major development has commenced.

Continues on Monday *Mr. Morford, a social critic, wrote from Port-Harcourt, Rivers State.

it is normal for mothers to be diffident around their kids.

When I was married to an Englishman and had just had a baby, his mother came to stay with us for a few days to help me with the new arrival; and she would humbly seek my permission every time she wanted to take something from the fridge.

Though I grew up in London, I was reared by Nigerian parents; and I was therefore accustomed to slavishly kow-towing to the older generation and was very embarrassed by the deference that my mother-in-law (a fellow graduate) lavished on me; and I kept begging her to regard her son’s home as her domain.

But she would gently but firmly inform me that it was MY home, not hers.

OUR culture is a different ball game. Firstly, fear of your

mother-in-law is the beginning of wisdom in Nigeria because, nine times out of ten, she will be mega-domineering and eager to tell you how to operate, even if she is an illiterate.

Secondly, the average Naija mama would (even if she didn’t possess Mrs Berry ’s sophisticated gastronomic knowledge) be ready to land a hot slap on any daughter who was saucy enough to dare to imagine that anyone but her Mum should totally control all matters pertaining to wedding catering!

Another major cultural difference: Adverts for advance funeral planning and financing abound in British print and electronic media outlets.

I’ve seen several such adverts recently - in which the elderly are politely reminded to organise and pay for their own burials before they drop dead, to save their families the hassle of having to undertake the responsibility.

Nigerians are so allergic to contemplating their own demises that they hardly ever get around to making wills before they shuffle this mortal coil. There is an almost superstitious dread of discussing the inevitable. My Dad was completely outraged when my sister suggested that he made it clear, in writing, what he wanted us to do with his properties if he passed away before we did. And he died intestate, despite being an educated man who should have known better.

Can you imagine normal Nigerian parents summoning their nearest and dearest to cheerfully tell them the type of headstone, coffin and church service they want?! Or paying for the ceremonies while they are alive?

Impossible! Abomination! God forbid!

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NTONION, an Italian great-grandfather aged 99 is divorcing his wife aged 96 because he has just discovered that she had an affair over 60 years ago.

The couple have been married since l934 and Antonio’s wife has not been unfaithful since that one lapse. But the people around them seem to understand his decision and are not pressuring him to forgive and forget. His lawyer said: “Antonio feels betrayed and unable to carry on with the marriage…”.

Imagine a Nigerian lawyer agreeing to handle a case like

this in the first place!!!

Imagine a Nigerian geriatric being given the impression that it makes sense to become a divorcee and live alone on the verge of your l00th birthday!

Responses to: donzol2002@yahoo.co.uk or to 0802 747 6458 (texts only).

PLEASE KINDLY NOTE THAT UNLESS YOU SPECIFICALLY REQUEST ANONYMITY, YOUR COMMENTS MAY BE PUBLISHED IN VANGUARD, WITH YOUR NAMES AND NUMBERS OR EMAIL ADDRESSES ATTACHED.

18 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012 HE search for the real killers of the late Principal Private Secretary to the Governor of Edo State, Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde, is rapidly turning into another show of shame amidst conflicting efforts by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Department of State Security Services (SSS).

Shortly after the dastardly murder took place on Thursday, May 4, 2012 in the deceased’s private residence in Benin City, the SSS, acting on Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s ultimatum on the security agencies to fish out the killers, paraded six suspects in Abuja. Not to be outdone, the Police also paraded another group of six suspects in Benin City, alleging that they were the real culprits. The Benin suspects named one “David” as the person who sponsored them to do the job, and the Police promptly pulled in Reverend David Ugolor, a civil rights activist and close friend of Olaitan, who was also seen with Olaitan on the night he was murdered.

Since then, civil society and human rights groups commenced a massive campaign for

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Probe the Oyerinde murder arrests

the release of Ugolor from detention, saying the facts the Police proffered were not enough to warrant his continued detention without trial. Then on August 17, 2012, a Benin High Court presided over by Justice Esther Edigin, ordered the immediate and unconditional release of Ugolor, an order that the Police authorities were yet to comply with at the time this editorial was being written.

We are deeply perturbed by these developments. The conflicting actions by our law enforcement agencies only suggest that one of them is holding the wrong set of suspects. It follows that unless the real suspects are immediately ascertained and put on trial while the innocent ones are let

go, there will be a miscarriage of justice.

There are also clear signs that some faceless individuals might be behind a possible scheme to derail the course of justice and shield the killers of Comrade Oyerinde from justice.

We call on the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN) as the Chief Law Officer of the Federation, to immediately wade into this issue and ensure that neither the plethora of human rights and civil society groups nor the unseen hands apparently manipulating one of the law enforcement agencies will succeed in putting undue pressures to derail the course of justice. The National Commission on Human Rights (NCHR) should go beyond merely making calls for the Police to obey the order of the courts.

The real sponsors of Oyerinde’s murder must be exposed no matter how highly placed or connected. President Goodluck Jonathan should seize this opportunity to make good his promise to end the spectre of unsolved murders.

OPINION

BY MANZO EZEKIEL

A

S the impact of global climate change tends to manifest in different forms, flood which is one of the resultant effect has continued to wreak havoc in many communities. In fact, there is hardly any day without media reports on flood which has become a major disaster and the highest natural cause of human displacement. Already many people have been sent out of their homes in areas commonly associated with the disaster in parts of India and the Philippines, among others, with the attendant losses of lives and property.

However, the situation in Nigeria is not far from the experiences elsewhere. The occurrence of flood has continued to be on the rise in both frequency and magnitude. In addition to the known high risk communities, locations hitherto thought to be less prone are also increasingly exposed to the disaster from torrential rains, overflow of river banks and blocked drainages. One of such is the lower parts of Plateau State that comprises six local government areas where about 200 communities were recently devastated by floods which resulted in no less than 40 deaths, over 10, 000 displaced persons and their property destroyed, including farmlands with crops. The local government areas are Mikang, Shendam, Kanam, Wase, Langtang North and Lantang South.

The flood had caught the affected communities unawares as they were said to have never experienced such in the past 40 years or more. Furthermore, the fact that the incidents occurred almost simultaneously across the communities took the people by surprise. Although the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NIMET, had issued a warning of expected heavy rain with likely floods in some states, Plateau was not included in the high risk

Rising to the humanitarian challenges in lower Plateau list. Interestingly, few months earlier, there was similar incident in Rikkos area of Jos, the state capital, which caused about 38 deaths and displaced thousands.

The situation in the lower Plateau requires urgent humanitarian assistance. Therefore, in addition to the various assistance from the communities and the local government councils, the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, was at hand with quick response relief items to provide immediate succour to the displaced persons. In less than 72 hours, truckloads of relief materials were promptly delivered. Though Director General of the Agency, Alhaji Muhammad SaniSidi, was in Saudi Arabia for the lesser Hajj, he was represented by NEMA’s Director of Relief and Rehabilitation, Mr Edward Maigida, who went round the affected areas distributing the items.

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he distribution of the relief materials in some of the areas were almost as difficult as the pains brought by the flood. Most of the bridges built across the rivers in the area were suddenly washed away in cutting off access to the people. In Shendam, for instance, NEMA officials were forced to temporarily suspend the distribution and control the crowds from hanging parts of a collapsed bridge located at the heart of the town. In Mikang Local government area, the distribution was delayed by the burial of a woman who had died from the flood after her home was submerged by the water and collapsed over her. The NEMA staff had to resort to

mobilising local support in the transport of its relief materials across the rivers where the bridges had been washed away in moving the assistance to the displaced persons that were now cut off from the supply.

However, at the distribution of the materials, the representative of NEMA, Mr Maigida conveyed the sympathy of the Federal Government to the affected persons and said the items were delivered to provide quick relief based on the rapid assessment of the situation while further assistance may be considered after the detail assessment. He advised communities living in the high risk areas to immediately relocate to safer locations for avoidable losses of lives and property in the remaining period of the rain season.

Though it is practically impossible to compensate the people for their losses, relief assistance tends to offer succour and some sense of belonging. This was corroborated by the response of the Emir of Wase, Alhaji Muhammadu Sambo Haruna, when he noted that the presence of NEMA officials hours after the flood brought some relief to the people even before the actual arrival of the items. He then thanked the Federal Government and NEMA for the kind gesture, especially for the timely response to the situation.

A lot more is still required to complement the quick relief of NEMA in helping those affected by the flood recover from their losses, including providing access across the rivers in the lower areas of Plateau State. *Mr. Ezekiel , a staff of NEMA, wrote from Abuja.

Vanguard, FRIDAY FRIDAY,, AUGUST 24, 2012 — 19

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S an adjective satellite, “Olympian” means, among other things, “great” or “majestic” in bearing—which makes it perfectly applicable to the national psychology, our selfdeception as the Giant of Africa prior to Nigeria’s dismal performance at the recent London Olympics.

Any expectation that things would turn out differently was illusory. But for Nigeria, this was not an ordinary illusion. It was a very costly one: Believe me I know, I was there. I struggled to ignore the laughter that greeted my dressing as I walked by with my green white green T-shirt proclaiming “Up Nigeria”. I can swear I heard someone joke, “Of course. The only way is up for Nigeria. You can’t go down any further!”

Nigeria’s image, as Black Africa’s leading nation, as the “giant” of the continent, was also part of the ante plunked down on the table, when we decided to go off to Europe and participate in the world’s most competitive

athletics event, half-cocked, halfbaked and ill-prepared - 160 million people and not one medal?

Haba! Stop looking for jokes. It’s not funny!

Among those who raked in the stake, after we played our poor hand, were some of the most nondescript African nations, including Botswana, Uganda, Gabon and Mali--all of whom won at least one Olympic medal.

Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, Algeria and Tunisia all maintained their consistent presence high up on the medal table as they do every four years.

The games were watched by several billion people. The most watched event ever, that is the greatest show on earth and we were a disgrace. Kai!!!

For us this was an expensive joke.

And I am not referring only to the N2.3 billion price tag. We invested, and lost, a lot more than money in London. The cost goes far beyond that. Our national prestige has been damaged globally. Nigeria doesn’t belong to the Nuclear Club; and we are light-years away

from launching a man into space or orbiting a probe around Mars or the Moon. Even if we tried it, only Boko Haram types would dare enter.

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o until we can develop the capacity to compete in these areas, the various international contests, particularly the Olympic Games (and sports generally), will remain important arenas for us— arenas in which we at least have a fighting chance to gain a bit of recognition and respect. Add Miss World to the list as well, even though that is a topic for another day.

Having said this though, I must throw in a caveat and confess to some misgivings about Nigeria investing or should I say spending too heavily in sports. We should not lose sight of our long-term objective of becoming competitive in the other crucial global arenas—in military prowess, industrial power and space-technology. Iran and North Korea understand this well.

They came 17th and 20th on the table and are climbing up more than just the Olympic table. Sports if properly managed can be a custodian of private funding. I for

Why Doyin Okupe may not make a difference

BY ADEWALE KUPOLUYI

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INCE Dr. Doyin Okupe was named as the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, the media have been awash with a barrage of criticisms on the rationale for the appointment.

It is widely believed that he (Okupe) has been hired as the President’s ‘attack dog’, doing a yeo’s man job for a public figure enmeshed in one image crisis or the other.

The appointment follows criticism of Reuben Abati, his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, in his handling of his official duties.

The cerebral Dr. Abati is rather seen as being too conservative and less proactive on defending the President’s image. The reality at hand goes beyond this rhetoric.

Firing the first salvo, Dr. Okupe had lambasted a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, and the Convener of Save Nigeria Group, Pastor Tunde Bakare, for their alleged consistent criticism of the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.

While Bakare was recently quoted as saying that Jonathan was ‘clueless’, elRufai was reportedly asking Jonathan to resign if he had no solution to the violence being unleashed on some parts of the country by the faceless Boko Haram sect.

Okupe, in his bid to ‘say’ something had claimed that the insurgency was not limited to Nigeria and, therefore, no responsible citizen of other countries who had experienced such a situation would have called for their President’s resignation.

Okupe specifically said: “el-Rufai is my younger brother. I have so much respect for him. But politics is more or less derailing or deranging him. Everybody knows that insurgency is a very difficult national problem. It is not anything peculiar to Nigeria. No responsible citizen of any of those countries affected by insurgency before called on their Presidents to resign.

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“When he talks about intelligence, there is no better security in any country than by the people of the country. It is communal security that will help government and security agencies to root out insurgency. If people shielded insurgents, they make the works of security agencies more difficult.

“Can President Goodluck Jonathan be in Borno and everywhere at the same time? I believe that people just want to play politics. All what you are hearing is just the manipulation of the present situation to suit their political purposes.

“I am sure that my brother, el-Rufai, is hopeful to be a presidential candidate of one of the parties very soon. What I will expect him to do with the level of intellect, intelligence and the resource that has been given to his own personal education is to come out with some reasonable plans, some suggestions, and not just criticizing government for criticism’s sake.

“If el-Rufai were President of Nigeria, what would he do? He should say that. Or is he keeping that until when he becomes the President by which time the whole country would have been wiped off? When tragedy befalls a country, responsible men and women of that country forget partisanship and rally round their nation and they try their best to help existing government to tackle that. Once that is over, they go back to politics. This is not time for politics.

“Every man or woman who politicizes this issue of Boko Haram, people should disregard and discard whatever information they hear from them. They are not seriousminded people.

“Pastor Bakare also falls into that category. It is shameful. You cannot convert the pulpit to a podium. If you want to be a politician, please come out.

“Pastor Bakare came into politics a few years ago and he became a vice presidential candidate of a major political party, some of us have been in politics for 30 years and we did not even become a governor and we

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Olympics 2016: Talent + resources = Medals

In so much as we must participate in sports competition, we should make every effort to emerge as winners

one will be looking for an Olympian or two to fund come 2016.

Informing my concern, is the fact that, as we spend billions flying footballers, sprinters and weightlifters around the world, the vitally important steel industry is moribund, our educational system has collapsed and the highly strategic Ministry of Science and Technology is teetering on the brink. It is no secret for those who understand the language of business that if you have systems in place, individuals will invest. A lack of investment will speak volumes.

In so much as we must participate in international sports competition, we should make every effort to emerge as winners.

After all, what is worth doing is worth doing well—an adage that ought to be etched deeply in the psyche of sports policy-makers and administrators.

Emerging as winners, especially in the world’s most fiercely fought sports competition, requires fundamental changes, both in policy and administrative practice—a message that reverberates very loudly in the media fallout from our embarrassing London escapade.

Almost in unison, editorial and post-mortem analysis in the print and electronic media single out specific problems that need urgent attention. One is our “fire-brigade” approach to Olympic preparation: The practice of waiting until the Games are virtually upon us to start recruiting and training.

The consensus among sports analyst—in which I concur—is seemingly that preparation needs to be continuous: Beginning at the end of the past Olympics, after the

Okupe appears to be keen to impress in his new job; if he must make any impact at all, he should do it with absolute sense of responsibility; his utterances so far have shown that he could be an ‘attack dog’, as being insinuated

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did not say the country must come down, that is unfair. It is unacceptable”.

He alleged that the pastor had before now passed uncouth comments on revered Christian leaders like Pastor Enoch Adeboye and Bishop David Oyedepo and that he sometimes exhibits “unusual traces of deep-seated hatred quite uncommon with Christian leadership of his status”.

He said the most pathetic was that since the Buhari/Bakare ticket failed “as expected”, the pastor’s obsession or hatebacked capacity to disparage and insult Jonathan had been “limitless and boundless”.

Okupe said: “There is no doubt that Pastor Bakare has crossed the line of decency and civility in his unrelenting attacks on President Jonathan.

“I will seriously advise our respected pastor to drop his jaundiced views and look deeply at the steady progress that Nigeria is making in infrastructure, agriculture, water resources, and health, amongst others, in a matter of 12 months in office.

“As for insecurity brought about by the advent of Boko Haram, Pastor Bakare is just playing to the gallery and being uncharacteristically insincere and dishonest”.

While admitting that Nigeria is not where it ought to be today, Okupe said the

athletes have had a break, and keeping straight through to the next one. The British Prime Minister has just committed to the same level of funding for the next Olympic team for 2016 the day before the closing ceremony of 2012. He may not even be Prime Minister then! See nation building?

School-level sports, they suggest, is another area that requires immediate attention. The point has been made more than once, that our Olympic debacle is merely a symptom of a much deeper and more pervasive malaise—that the problem is systemic.

Young athletes are not being groomed and fine-tuned at school levels, to provide replacements for ageing veterans. Many private schools do not encourage sports the way public schools used to do.

Consequently, many analysts argue, the country is over-reliant on older competitors, many of whom have either peaked or simply are not top flight Olympic candidates.

A sad case in point is Blessing Akagbare, Nigeria’s finalist in the 100 metre sprint, on whom the nation hung its hopes for a medal—quite unreasonably and most unfairly. As a US-based Nigerian told Vanguard’s Onochie Anibeze, Akagbare had never competed at the level required to win at London.

“Blessing,” Pat Itanyi noted, “had never run 10.8 seconds in 100m and from the times athletes were returning in the months [leading up] to the Olympics, track and field followers knew the winner would [need to] run about 10.8 seconds”. Will somebody now help her lift her game? Or will we keep repeating the joke about “Warri no dey carry last”?

situation could not be blamed on Jonathan who had only served as President for 14 months.

Okupe added: “What is shameful are the armchair critics like our pastor who at moments of several national distress and tragedy will prefer to play the ‘ostrich’ rather than rally round a legitimate government exploiting all avenues to save the precious lives of the citizens and stop the carnage in the land.

“I wish to advise that if Pastor Bakare will be fair, he should come out properly to the political arena and stop using God’s pulpit to throw stones at God’s elect as no leader will emerge in any praying nation like Nigeria without the blessing of God”.

Okupe has said many things that did not really address the concerns of the two Nigerians, who probably expressed their frustrations about how they were being governed.

His reaction was fallacious, begged the question and eventually went off-point by attacking the personalities rather than issues at stake.

Critics and many Nigerians believe that the government needs to clean the Augean stable in view of the several unpopular decisions it has taken, such as the fuel subsidy removal, refusal to recall Justice Ayo Salami of the Court of Appeal, Boko Haram insurgence, Dame Patience Jonathan’s acceptance of the Bayelsa State’s appointment as Permanent Secretary and the ‘I don’t Give a Damn’ outburst.

Hence, if Okupe’s appointment is going to make any meaningful impact for his employers, it should be able to shore up the image of the Presidency by communicating rightly and give his paymasters honest piece of advice.

Failure to do so would only make Okupe a laughing stock, create more apathy to government, give more room for angry Nigerians to blame the President for wasting public funds in his appointment, perceived as unnecessary.

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

20 — Vanguard, FRINDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012 — 21

Nigeria’s export to Ghana up by 38% STORIES BY FAVOUR NNABUGWU

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IGERIAN non-oil export to Ghana increased by 38 per cent in 2011, says The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC).

Mr Aliyu Lawal, NEPC Director of Trade Information, in an interview with Vanguard in Abuja, said that Nigeria exported goods worth 113 million dollars (N17.52 billion) to Ghana in 2011, compared with 81.76 million dollars (N12.67 billion) in 2010.

According to Lawal, “the bulk of the exported products were cosmetics, footwear, textiles, confectionaries, insecticides, plastic (empty bottles), electric cables, food and beverages, including noodles.

The director, who described Ghana as one of Nigeria’s biggest markets in West Africa, noted that the export data covered only official transactions and registered businesses between the two countries.

“The figure only puts registered nonoil export transaction into account. So, officially, the volume is $113 million excluding unregistered businesses.

This is because most of the transactions are not registered.

“If the unregistered transactions are included, then the volume should be more than double the official volume,” he said.

Lawal said that the feat was achieved through proactive trade policies and incentives for non-oil exports introduced by the Ministry of Trade and Investment.

From left: Mr. Obinna Ariwodo, Senior Consultant, Mr. Oliver Nnona, MD, Profiliant Development Resources and Mr. Adebiyi Oladipo, Senior Consultant at a press briefing on the Sales Performance Summit 2012 billed to hold on 6th sept 2012 in Lagos. Photo by Sylva Eleanya

Local manufacturers meeting Nigeria’s cement demand — CMAN

By NKIRUKA NNOROM

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IGERIA has not imported cement since the beginning of the year as a result of increased output in the locally manufactured product which as at date outstripped the needs

of the local market, Engr Joseph Makoju, Chairman, Cement Manufacturers Association of Nigeria CMAN, has revealed.

Besides, cement manufacturers have also set an output growth of 56.25 per cent to 20 million tonnes, up from about

CPC devices new methods to fight quackery

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HE Consumer Protection Council (CPC) has deviced new method of fighting quackery and counter feit in the country.

The council has therefore concluded plans to introduce products and services monitoring and registration

161.25

-2.95

2,374.00

-59.00

20.06

+0.28

114.48 97.08

-0.16 +0.24

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

154.8 244.4756 192.7105 160.4311 1.9533 0.2743 233.4426 24.3701 41.2756 25.8655 234.4756

155.3 245.2653 193.333 160.9493 1.9596 0.2843 234.1966 24.4493 41.4089 25.9491 235.2329

155.8 246.0549 193.9554 161.4675 1.9659 0.2943 234.9506 24.5285 41.5422 26.0326 235.9903

CBN Exchange rate as at 23/08/2012

scheme known as ProServe aimed at eliminating counterfeiting and quackery in Nigeria.

CPC Director-General, Mrs Ifeyinwa Umenyi made this known in Abuja.

The DG said the programme will entail creation of data bank for genuine products and services in the country.

Umenyi said the programme is aimed at enhancing traceability of products and services in order to checkmate substandard and poor services for the enhanced protection of consumers.

She said the agency in addition to its existing efforts towards tackling consumer abuses in Nigeria, is taking a more aggressive and proactive step to substantially minimise fake and substandard products and services.

“CPC is also set to facilitate fair trading and improve protection of Nigerian consumers who often pay for goods and services that do not yield ex p e c t e d u t i l i t y.

“Apart from this, Proserve will also provide added services to businesses by utilising state of the art technology to publish periodic consumer guide in both paper and electronic forms.

She said this will serve as a repository of information on the quality status and features of genuine products and services in the country.

The DG said the product will in no doubt increase consumers’ confidence in products and services that may be listed.

Umenyi believed that products and services registered under ProServe will form an easily retrievable database.

She said distinctive ProServe certificates and insignia would also be displayed by registered products and services, indicating that the product or service is certified competent.

According to her, this will enable consumers to choose on an informed basis, eliminate dubious practitioners in the respective economic sectors and ensure that consumers are no longer abused in Nigeria.

She said ProServe will offer a winwin situation for consumers and businesses as it will boost consumer confidence in the marketplace and enhance the patronage of registered products and services.

The scheme will also serve as a platform for CPC to collaborate with sector regulators, NGOs, trade groups, producers, importers, distributors, and service providers in Nigeria.

The registration numbers assigned to products and services will assist regulators identify offenders and apply the necessary sanctions.

12.8 million in 2011, he added.

Making the revelation when he led a delegation of cement manufacturers on an official visit to the Ministry of Works, Makoju explained that the feat achieved this year was made possible through improved investments in plants and other operational inputs.

Consequently, he said the country which has a total installed capacity of about 28 million tonnes yearly can now look for the export markets for exploration in cement sales.

“The projected output is about 25 million tonnes more than the current local demand of about 17.5 million. In 2002, total local cement production was only two million tonnes and in that year, we were talking about a local demand of eight million. Importation was at its peak. As we are speaking here today, I am happy to report that last year, total local production has gone to 12.8 million tonnes in 2011 from two million in 2002 and as we are meeting here today, we are projecting that total local production this year will be 19-20 million tonnes,” he said.

“The total local demand is projected at 17 million tonnes. So, the local production is in excess of local demand. I am so happy to say that for the first time in our history, from January till date, there has been no importation of cement into the country. We are now in a situation of where we don’t need to depend on imports but on local production. The total installed capacity, when you put all the total local production together today; we have 28 million tonnes of installed capacity.

“So, Nigeria has arrived to be recognised as a cement producing country. Now, that is why we believe that this success story can be leveraged on to impact on another problem area of the country, which is bad road network.”

22—Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012

NSE releases updated filing calendar for quoted companies

BY NKIRUKA NNOROM

I

N an effort to assist quoted companies in timely submission of their financial reports and accounts for vetting by the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), the Exchange’s management has released a regulatory calendar for filing of results which listed

companies are expected to comply with.

According to a notice pasted on the NSE website, listed companies are required to file in their full year financial results three months from the year end, while quarterly results require maximum of two months for submission.

The NSE noted in an accompanying note that

the updated filing calendar was developed to help quoted companies meet the Exchange’s filing and reporting requirements, adding that it could, however, extend filing deadlines for corporate whenever it deems fit.

For companies whose year end falls on 31 st January each year, they are expected to submit

their annual accounts by 30th of April, while the respective first, second and third quarter reports for April 30th, July 31st and October 31st, are required to be submitted by 15 th day of June, September and December in that order.

February year end financial accounts are expected to reach the NSE by May 31st, while

From left: Victor Etuokwu, Executive Director (Transaction Services & Information Technology Division) of Access Bank receiving the ISO27001: 2005 Certificate from Ngozi Omeruah, Director, Technologies Platform Business Resources Limited (TPBRL), Sola Ogunmoroti of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Kelechi Agbugba, Managing Director/CEO, (TPBRL) representative of British Standard Institute (BSI), at the official presentation of the certificate to the Bank in Lagos

Shareholders okay Geo-Fluids re-structuring plan, listing on NSE

BY PETER EGWUATU

S

HAREHOLDERS of Geo- Fluids Plc have endorsed the company ’s proposed restructuring business units for enhanced profitability.

The shareholders at Geo-Fluids’ 4th Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Port Harcourt, said, “ We are happy that our company has bounced back to profitability from a loss position and we are supporting the Board on the proposed restructuring of our business into four distinct companies with between 3-4 business units/profits centres each. We also support the listing of our company’s shares on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE). But we

are advising management to be cautious of the timing so as not to bring down the value of our shares when eventually listed.”

Continuing, the shareholders said, “We are happy to note that arrangements have reached advanced stage for foreign partners to inject over $100 million into the various functional business units of the Group over the next one year, through a mix of equity and debt in a manner which does not pose threat to us or dilute our ownership.”

Speaking at the AGM, Chairman of the company, Obong Odoliyi Lolomari, said, “The impact of the combined factors of the global economic meltdown and domestic

political challenges seems to be simmering down considerably.

Consequently, there was an enhanced exploration activities by the oil operators in more peaceful and stable environment.

While highlighting the financial position of the company for the period ended December 31, 2011, Lolomari said, “Consequent upon improved situation, the profit and loss account shows enhanced recovery from a consolidated loss before profit of N118.6 million and loss after tax of N210.3 million in the year 2010 to a consolidated profit before tax of N116.8 million, while consolidated profit after tax also shows a position of N15.2 million in the

year 2011. Also, while earnings per 50 kobo share value were in a loss position of 0.3k in 2010, the 2011 results show earning per share position of plus N0.30 with a corresponding appreciation of shareholders fund from N5.4 billion to N5.43 billion in 2011.”

Further performance indices for the year under consideration showed that overall turnover increased from N2.1 billion in 2010 to N3.0 billion in 2011, showing an increase of 35 per cent. The balance sheet figures for property, plant and machinery which went from barely N4.8 billion to N9.7 billion, representing more than 100 per cent growth in tangible long term assets of the company.

the due date for filing respective first, second and third quarter results for May 31st, August 31st and November 30 th would be on 15th of July, October and January in that order. Companies whose financial year end falls on 31st day of March are required to submit theirs on June 30th. First quarter results for June 30th must reach the NSE by 15th August; second quarter result for 30th September is expected to come in by 15 th November, while the submission day for third quarter December 31st, would be on February 15th each year.

The submission date for April year end financial statement, the NSE observed would be on 31st July, while the due date for submission of respective first, second and third quarter results for July 31st, October 31st and January 31st, would be on 15th September, December 15 th and March 15th in that order.

May year end financial statement would be submitted by 31st August; quarter one ending August 31st is expected to come in by 15th October, second quarter ending November 31st will be

submitted by January 15th; while third quarter ending February 28th will be submitted by April 15 th . June year end financial statements are expected to come in by September 30th, while the respective first, second and third quarter account are expected to reach the NSE by mid November, February and May in that order. July financials would be submitted by October ending, while the first quarter, second and third quarter financials are expected by mid December, March and June in that order. The due date for submitting August year end results is November; September year end is December 31st; October year end is January 31st; November year end is February month end, while that of December is expected to come in by 31st of March.

It further noted that, ‘ where a filing due date falls on a weekend or holiday, the filing will fall due on the next business day.’

“All forecasts should be presented 20 days before the commencement of each quarter,” the NSE observed.

Access Bank gets BSI certification for security management

I

N attestation of its s e c u r i t y management process, Access bank has received ISO27001: 2005 certification from British Standard Institute (BSI).

The certification was in recognition of its commitment to ensuring safety of its transaction platforms and information assets which guarantees the highest level of security for customers’ details and information.

The presentation ceremony which held at Access Bank’s Head Office in Lagos had in attendance Country Representative of British Standard Institute and Managing Director of Technologies Platform, Mr. Kelechi Agbugba, who presented the BSI certificate to Mr. Victor Etuokwu, Executive Director, Transaction

Services & Information Technology Division, Access Bank, who represented the Group Managing Director, Access Bank Plc, Mr. Aigboje AigImoukhuede.

Speaking at the occasion, Mr. Agbugba commended the management of Access Bank for its efforts at adopting global best practices in its operations and processes. According to him, “This indeed is a great achievement for Access Bank, being the first Nigeria and West African bank to attain this enviable height.

This development clearly positions Access Bank as one of the most secured banks to do business with today and we encourage the Bank to continue to maintain this lead in the financial services sector.”

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012 — 23

ICAN tasks MFBs, SMEs on IFRS adoption

BY PROVIDENCE OBUH

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HE Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, ICAN, has emphasized the need for Microfinance Banks and Small and Medium scale Enterprises, SMEs, to adopt the International Financial Reporting Standards, IFRS, despite the challenges it would pose to them, saying that the adoption would help promote accountability and transparency in financial reporting.

Speaking at a seminar organized by the Forum of Firms, Chairman Board of Audit Investigations and Forensic Accounting Faculty, Mr. Bolaji Medessou said that the drive behind IFRS adoption globally is to promote transparency and

accountability.

Medessou said “it will bring additional cost and pain to these entities, especially the cost of implementation, because they do not have the personnel, they do not have the training, they do not have the other resources that are required to implement IFRS, “However, I believe that the regulators are also conversant with these possibilities that they may have challenges, but as I said the driving force for IFRS implementation globally is to promote accountability and transparency given the break down of corporate governance in many

entities.

“IFRS is a major difficulty that we have to endure, I believe the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), who are driving the IFRS are also designing IFRS for medium and small enterprises, that is smaller entities who lack resources, can use as a bases for implementing IFRS rather than the global one that is being put in place.”

Also speaking, President of the ICAN, Mr. Adedoyin Owolabi explained that following the collapse of some multinational organizations, the issue of quality control has assumed greater importance in global discourse particularly as a strategy for rebuilding the confidence of

From left: Victor Etuokwu, Executive Director (Transaction Services & Information Technology Division) of Access Bank receiving the ISO27001: 2005 Certificate from Kelechi Agbugba, Managing Director/CEO, Technologies Platform Business Resources Limited (TPBRL) representative of British Standard Institute (BSI), supported by Ngozi Omeruah, Director, TPBRL at the official presentation of the certificate to the Bank in Lagos

the public in accountancy profession.

Owolabi pointed out that the debate on quality control are the issue of compliance to standards, peer review, adherence to professional ethics, independence of the auditor, continuous training, among others, adding that the ability of sole practitioners, small and medium-sized practices to understand and apply IFRS is in doubt.

He said, “While the big firms have fewer problems with quality control, it is doubtful if the sole practitioners and small and medium-sized practices (SMPs) firms posses the ability and competence to satisfy these benchmarks.

He said that all the listed companies and significant public interest entities in Nigeria have adopted and started preparing their financial statement in line with IFRS since January 1, 2012, saying that the other public interest entities are expected to follow by January 1, 2013, while the small and medium-sized enterprises SMEs will key into the initiative by January 1, 2014.

“The wholesome adoption of IFRS by Nigeria, no doubt has profound implications for financial reporting practices in the country, in general, the transition is more than just an accounting exercise.

“We shall continue to educate our members, users of services of chartered accountants and regulators in order to apprise them of the fundamental changes that will occur or are already occurring in financial reporting architecture, the associated benefits as well as how its challenges can be addressed.”

Rancard to enhance multiple mobile payment options

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ANCARD Solutions Limited (Rancard) said that its world class innovative technology will allow provide multiple payment options to bank customers.

The Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of the company, Mr. Kofi Dadzie, said this at a press conference in Lagos. He said Rancard is a leading provider of cloud based software for mobile content discovery and delivery, focused on Africa.

He said among other things, the company offers a platform that enables mobile phone users to access the various mobile money services offered by the licenced mobile money operators in the country. He said

C M Y K

this means the customers would not need to connect to each operator to be able to enjoy multiple services.

He said Rancard was in 2001, and has over the years established itself as a trusted provider of cloudbased mobile software and services, with growing clientale global companies including major mobile operators in various African countries. He said that as voice-based average revenue per user declines, mobile operators are increasingly using Rancard’s content discovery platform to profitably increase data revenues by delivering targeted content

to their subscribers.

Dadzie said the company ’ s w o r l d c l a s s innovative technology which is in use in several countries of the world are making desired impact, adding that it has entered into strategic partnership with mobile operators and helping them to develop contents in merchandizing Explaining the mission of the company, C o-founder and Chief Product Officer, Mr. Ehizogie Binitie, said we want to connect the world’s leading brands to relevant mobile audiences at the minimum cost per subscriber acquisition, stating that their products developed in Africa are built

for the world.

“We set out to create a world class technology company in Africa which would solve relevant problems of scale for businesses across the continent and beyond. We are focused on helping companies everywhere connect better with relevant mobile audiences,” he said.

He gave the background on how the company started in Ghana and how it has grown to cover more than 40 mobile networks in over 20 countries in Africa and Middle East, reaching over 250 million mobile subscribers on connected network, adding its office in Nigeria is recording impressive patronage.

B-R-I-E-F Euro advances amid Central Bank stimulus speculation

T

HE euro climbed to the strongest level against the dollar in almost seven weeks as speculation the U.S. and China will ease monetary policy spurred demand for currencies that perform better as the global economy expands.

Europe’s shared currency rose against the yen before Germany and France hold debt-crisis talks in Berlin today. The dollar fell for a fourth day before a report forecast to show sales of new houses in the U.S. increased in July and after Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago President Charles Evans broadened his call for additional measures to support growth. New Zealand’s dollar appreciated against all but one of its major counterparts as Asian stocks gained.

The euro was at 98.54 yen at 8:21 a.m. in Tokyo after dropping 0.4 percent to 98.45 yesterday, the biggest decline since Aug. 10.

“Central banks are printing money like crazy, which is all positive for risk assets,” said Jeremy Hale, head of macro strategy at Citigroup Inc. in .

“The Fed has given a strong signal that unless things pick up they are going to take more action and that’s helping the euro. It’s also going to be dollar-negative.”

Vietnamese bonds rally as cash supply concern spurs bank demand

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IETNAM’S benchmark five-year bonds rose, pushing the yield to a twomonth low, on speculation banks are buying debt rather than lending money in the after the arrest of a prominent bank investor. The dong climbed.

Nguyen Duc Kien, who helped found Asia Commercial Bank, the nation’s fourth-biggest lender by market value, was arrested Aug. 20 after he allegedly “conducted business illegally,” according to a central bank statement. Asia Commercial will withdraw 36 trillion dong ($1.7 billion) from the interbank market as it seeks to ensure its liabilities, Deputy Chief Executive Officer Nguyen Thanh Toai said today. The central bank injected 22 trillion dong into the financial system via openmarket operations since August 21 to boost the supply of cash.

24 — Vanguard , FRINDAY FRINDAY,, AUGUST 24, 2012

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Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012 — 25

BY JIMOH BABATUNDE with agency reports

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he Federal Government has been urged to intervene through the Central Bank at the inability of farmers in the country to secure loan from commercial banks , so as not to derail the government’s Agriculture Transformation Agenda.

Edo State Commissioner for Agriculture, Abdul Oroh said the Agriculture Transformation Agenda is a visible program which might experience hiccups with the commercial banks “Under the Nigerian Incentive-Based Risk Sharing in Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) project, the banks are supposed to be lending now under the zero digit, and they are not supposed to be rigid in terms of collateral , but now they are not lending , they are not giving out money.”

Oroh said under the NIRSAL, the loan guarantee was supposed to be packaged under the publicprivate partnership established by the CBN, the Bankers’ Committee and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

It will be recalled that the Head of NIRSAL Project Implementation Office under the Development Finance Department of the Central Bank of Nigeria , Mr. Jude Uzonwanne, said in Abuja that “NIRSAL mobilizes financing for Nigerian agribusiness by using credit guarantees to address the risk of default.

NIRSAL, according to him, is a flexible financing tool designed to change the behaviour of financial institutions.

“It covers all crops and livestock activities in Nigeria, while driving improved investment outcomes and job creation. It is also building on a legacy of previous CBN interventions in agriculture that has helped create thousands of jobs.”

He stated that the CBN programme was designed to create access to finance by integrating end-to-end agriculture value chains such as input producers, farmers, agro dealers, agro processors and industrial manufacturers with agricultural financing value chains – loan product development, credit distribution,

Uwa oil palm plantation in Benin

FG urged to intervene in agriculture financing loan origination, managing and pricing for risk, and loan disbursement.

Abdul Oroh said the Federal Government needs to intervene quickly as the commercial banks are not lending to farmers, “because this might derail the entire transformation program, “because without money, you can not go very far.”

Speaking in the same vein, a farmer in Edo State, Lady

Uwa Osunbor described accessing loans from commercial banks in the country as a ‘super major ’ challenge to the agricultural sector.

The CEO of Uwa Farms, a palm plantation that stretches over 100 hectares of farm land, disclosed that financing of agriculture needs to be given serious attention if the nation wants to be food secured

Lady Uwa Osunbor said “I approached the Bank of Industry when I was about starting , they came , did a lot of survey, did a lot of things , but at the end of the day, they approved money that was not going to be given to me as cash , they were going to give me machines , the kind of machines they were going to give me then were not the type I needed , because the farm was just

IFAD President calls for investment in agriculture T

he President, Interna tional Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Dr Kanayo Nwanze, has said that Nigeria can fight poverty by empowering youths and investing in agriculture.

He stated this in a paper , “Rejuvenation- Investing in Agriculture for the Future of Nigeria and its Young People”, presented at the e International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in

Ibadan on Tuesday. “ We have to develop our youths if the future development plan of the country is to uplift it from being a developing to a developed coun-

Borno Fadama farmers appeal to govt T

he Borno State Fadama F a r m e r s Association ohas appealed to the Federal Government to restructure the Growth Enhancement Scheme system to enable local farmers to benefit from the fertiliser subsidy.

Alhaji Kyaria Gambo, the president of association, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maiduguri.

starting .

She added “When then President Obasanjo came with the N2b loan thing, I tried the First Bank, UBA, but none of them was fort coming because it was agriculture loan.

“All they were saying was that they don’t know the formalities. Even recently, I have an account with GTB and others who asked you to open accounts with them and they end up not doing anything.

Financing of agriculture is not just a major issue, let me say super major one .

“I wish to commend the effort of the Federal Government in making fertiliser available to farmers in the country.

“But the adoption of the ewallet system for distribution of farm inputs especially fertiliser, need to be re-visited.

He said that although the concept appeared very good, its application so far had not yielded positive results.

“The e-wallet policy should be adjusted in such a way that local peasant farmers in villages can benefit.

“I am saying this because the system appears too abstract at present.”

He claimed that said most local farmers do not own GSM phones, which is one of the prerequisites to benefit from the programme.

“Most local farmers do not

own GSM phones and even those who have phone, have problems of maintaining them because of the epileptic power supply in the country.

“Even when you have power supply, most interior villages have GSM network problems,” Gambo said.

He advised the government to either abolish the policy or adjust it to adapt to the Nigerian situation.

try.”

According to him, the country can move from a developing country to a developed one in the years ahead, if it invests in the youths and invests in agricultural research.

Nwanze urged the government to invest in rural agriculture, adding that 60 per cent of undeveloped arable land is in Africa.

He said that more youths should be encouraged to farm by making it attractive through the introduction of scholarships and special support for them, to guarantee food security.

“Agriculture employs twothirds of the Nigeria population and yet people are poor because they earn less gain from it.” Nwanze urged the government to revive and equip its agricultural schools as well as provide farmers with processing and storage facilities.

26 —Vanguard , FRINDAY FRINDAY,, AUGUST 24, 2012

Life at Kuramo Beach •A teenager’s true life experience

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S survivors and others af fected by the recent ocean surge at Bar Beach continue to count their losses, the Lagos State government has once again frowned at the ugly incident, while reiterating its earlier warning that people who reside at the Beach and other disaster-prone areas should relocate for their own safety. But it would appear that the warning has so far fallen on deaf ears as some of the beach dwellers and users are yet to relocate, with most of them pleading that they have no place to go or lack funds to secure accommodation elsewhere.

This is the pitiable story of a teenager by name Seun Adegbola populary called ‘’Nescafe’’.

A native of Abeokuta, Ogun State, his sojourn in Lagos began in the Ojodu/Berger area where he used to hawk loaves of bread for survival. That was about eight years ago. But not finding fulfilment in doing this, he decided to seek greener pasture elsewhere, a dream that was realised when he had an opportunity to visit Lagos Island where he saw some teenagers hustling to survive.

He became particularly interested when he saw how easy it appeared these teenagers were making money on daily basis.

It was an opportunity, he felt, should not pass him by, so he opted to follow suit in earning his living at the Kuramo Beach and residing there.

Seun told Vanguard Metro,VM, he was a product of a broken home and left his parents at Abeokuta after his primary education at Ita-Elega.

After wandering about for some time, he became an automobile apprenticeship, a training he could not complete due to lack of fund.

The only son of his family, he said he decided to abscond from home because his father’s wives and concubines were after his life. He subsequently became a street boy.

How he ekes a living Little Seun claims he is a local diver, a talent he gained at the Beach. He also engages in menial jobs like commercial load carrying, fetching water from the Beach for spiritual purposes and any other jobs C M Y K

that come his way, all for survival. Seun said he had been doing this for the past five years, while still hopeful to one day complete his apprenticeship. But he is presently lamenting the fact that the recent ocean surge and the demolition of structures at the Beach had aborted his dream in this respect.

Where and how he lives Seun lives in the shanties with his friends and he makes a minimum of N300 daily, except on weekends when the sales may rise due to the patronage of spiritualists or white garment church worshippers who come for the Beach water. When asked about the spiritual services he rendered, he said: ‘’We don’t charge because it is spiritual; we collect whatever they offer because the ocean might be angry if one sells it’’.

But with the position of the

,

BY BOSE ADELAJA

Seun at the Bar Beach

He is presently lamenting the fact that the recent ocean surge and the demolition of structures at the Beach had aborted his dream

,

Lagos State Emergency and Management Authority, LASEMA, which has ordered the evacuation of operators at the Beach and the demolition of structures there and the sand filling of the area, what becomes of poor Seun as he will be throwned out of business and accommodation since there is nobody to lean on and as well as where to lay his head?

Now that it has dawned on him that he has to go back to complete his apprenticeship, Seun has to contend with the dilemma that he cannot go back to his parents’ house. Presently, he sleeps on the Beach in company of other victims of the ocean surge.

Pix by Lamidi Bamidele

Lagos residents task govt on infrastructure devt •Accuse council bosses of non-performance

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

L

AST week, the Lagos State government rendered account of its stewardship since 2007 to the people in Lagos West Senatorial District, with Alimosho Local Government Secretariat, Ikotun, as venue of the Town Hall meeting. The forum, which was simultaneously held in other two senatorial districts of East and Central, was convened to commemorate the 1,900 in office of Governor Babatunde Fashola as well as interact with the grassroots people. The aim was to get first hand information on the needs of the people of the area.

However, it was complaints galore from Alimosho residents, who filed out in their large number to express their views after the Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello, who represented Fashola, along with other commissioners and aides, briefed them on the achievement so far and the government’s plans ahead before the termination date. The central fo-

cus of the event was residents’ demands on the need for government to give more priority attention to major infrastructural development in the area, such as good road networks, functional drainage, erosion challenges, among others.

Mr. Kolawole Babatunde, a resident, stressed that government should pay more attention in the improvement of road networks, provision of employment opportunities for youths as well as tackle the challenge of poverty in the state.

“Alimosho, one of the LGs in this district has the largest population in the state and as the local government that produce the largest votes we demand that they should be given consideration,” he added.

Also, Mrs. Toyin Bakare, expressed concern about the state of Ije-Ododo roads in Ijegun axis, saying that the only link road in the community is presently in a deplorable state.

“Though, Governor Fashola is trying but we don’t feel the impact of our council chairmen who just collect monthly alloca-

tion and will not do anything tangible with it. Each time we confront them they refer us to the state government, saying they lack adequate fund to execute most projects,” he said.

In his response, Bello assured the residents that government was committed to providing them dividends of democracy and urged them to exercise patience, saying that government would soon get to them as developmental work is being done in phases.

He reminded the teeming Alimosho residents of government’s model city plan which covers a period of 10 years, 20102020, to address infrastructure inadequacy and promote orderly physical development of the area within the specified period.

Bello said dredging is currently ongoing on the IjeOdodo roads, adding that construction work will commence as soon as that is completed and the drainage properly fixed.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012—27

Obudu cattle ranch has the best landscape — Dantata Before his appointment as the Director-General of the Nigerian Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), Dr. Munzali Dantata, has been a major player in the tourism industry in Nigeria.

He once headed the powerful National Association of Nigeria Travel Agents (NANTA) and later the President of the Federation of Tourism Association of Nigeria (FTAN) from where he was appointed to head NIHOTOUR. As a a consummate specialist in the hospitality business, he shares his traveling experience with JIMOH BABATUNDE. Here is an excerpt On his journey into the hospitality business am a lawyer by training but the transition was possible, because I am an artist at heart.

I draw, paint and write poetry.

As a child and teenager, I was the first in the arts in my class and though I had some love for architecture, my going into law does not change anything.

As a lawyer, I had started off practising with the judiciary in Kano state. I resigned from that appointment to form my own chambers and sometime in the mid-80s, I set up a travel agency, All States Travel and Tours, which is still in business today.

That agency became my window into the hospitality industry.

As you may be aware, there is a connection between tourism and arts and culture.

In many countries of the world they both go together. Even here in Nigeria, the government is pushing arts and culture as one of our many products. That is why the federal government merged both arms to form the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation.

I

On how long he has been traveling I have been traveling for over forty years.

On what inspires his choice of destinations I like going to new places. I am a curious person by nature.

In 1996 I visited Onyeama coal mines, about 2 hours by car from Enugu. The friend that took me felt ashamed that though he was born and bred in Enugu he had never visited the mines until I took him there.

From 2000 to 2002, I visited all the eight national parks with my wife. The Conservator General was impressed. Just two weeks ago I visited the oil

Obudu cattle ranch These days I always carry my laptop whenever I travel. To go online, work and entertain myself on the move.

On what inform his choice of hotels Clean room with international TV stations.

On his best hotel and why Hilton Hotel. Because they are in many cities and you can earn points which can reduce your bill.

On his best airline British Airways. It has good connections, comfortable seats and good inflight service.

On where he will like to visit next Australia. Because I have never been down under.

On his best destination or city London, United Kingdom. It has a balance of interesting places for everybody. I enjoyed it as a child. Decades later, I returned as a father with my children.

On his best destination in Nigeria My best Nigerian destination is Obudu Cattle Ranch. It has the best landscape in the world. The Obudu Ranch/ Resort has a temperature of

On who he will like to meet on his trip Local people. I like going to new places, meeting new and local people. I am always increasing my education.

On the best person he has met on his trip A Zulu chief I met at Shakaland, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa. The Zulu chief was the chief of Shakaland. Its a cultural tourism village.

Dressed in full Zulu regalia the chief receives visitors all day.

It was in 1999

SunSquare Hotel thrills Nigerian travel agents

Dr. Munzali Dantata

fields in the outskirts of Eket in Akwa Ibom State, because I had never seen a live oil rig. A senator from that zone arranged my trip.

Australia is one part of the world that I have never visited.

Though grouped in Asia, it is not typical Asia, nor is it part of the West.

between 26°C to 32°C between November and January,the nights are cool to cold during this period.

The lowest temperature range of 4°C to 10°C is recorded between June and September which is the rainy season.

Warm clothes,raincoat and water boots for hiking in rainy season. The Obudu plateau has an altitude of 1,575.76metres above sea level hence its tranquil climate.

Now you know why I read law but ended up becoming a tour operator. It is about job satisfaction. I enjoy traveling and am tourist myself.

On what he takes along on his trips

F

OR some selected Nigerian travel agents, who were in South Africa recently courtesy of Tsogo Sun group and South African Airways, the SunSquare Hotel is a place to be.

The Sunsquare hotel, according to them, is built as part of a mock Tuscan village with tall and wide arched windows and tiled roofs. Their small stylish modern rooms all come with air con, in room safe, satellite TV, wireless internet, work desk and en-suite bathroom with shower and hair dryer.

The 179 room property opens onto the Montecasino Outdoor Piazza, a venue that caters for a variety of outdoor activities and events. Unlike the over the top design seen

in many hotels across South Africa, SunSquare offered an exciting new concept and lifestyle hotel.

The most striking feature of the hotel is the informal dress code – jeans and T-shirts, which immediately allows one to feel relaxed and ready to indulge in their funky rooms.

The hotel also features the Italian styled Mondovino Restaurant in an urban setting.

The restaurant offers contemporary Italian inspired cuisine, live cooking demonstrations and outdoor dining serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. The open plan kitchen allows guests to experience the unique concept of live cooking where their meals are prepared to their taste by an executive chef.

30—Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012

Ghanaian group Wutah to sue Flavour D

•P Square and May D

Chop My Money Palaver: P-Square, May D part ways

BY OPEOLUWANI OGUNJIMI

I

t is no longer news that the once beautiful romance that glowed between pop artiste May D and his supposed record label, Square Records and Northside Entertainment has since dimmed. What is new to the affair is the way and manner the relationship ended.

Weekend Groove gathered authoritatively that the deal turned sour because his record company could not meet with

his demands.

According to insiders, May D whose relationship with his record company was without a legal contract refused to sign when he was presented with one because his demands were considered outrageous by Mr Jude Engees Okoye.

“May D who virtually lives with P-Square and drives a car courtesy of his record company had as part of his demands asked for a brand new car. In addition, he insisted that he be given a different accommodation.

An enraged Jude queried his

demands insisting that the company had spent more than N10 million on the debutante artiste whose rise to fame came on the heel of his collaboration with P-Square and Akon on the track “Chop My Money”.

Unwilling to reason with his management May D whom sources said never had a contract with his record company was immediately dropped and asked to stop parading himself as an artiste on the label. Earlier in the week, Weekend Groove’s

Continues on page 31

efunct Ghanaian group, Wutah, may be heading to the law courts to seek redress over a case of copyright abuse against Nigerian high-life singer, Flavour N’abania.

Our investigation revealed that the group plan to sue the singer after claims of theft of intellectual property. Management of the duo, made up of Wutah Kobby and Wutah PV, say that they were not pleased •Flavour with the ‘Kwarikwa’ song recently released by Flavour, where he featured Fali Ipupa.

The duo have also accused Flavour of •Wutah ‘stealing’ the chorus, rhythm, rhyme and the opening saxophone beat used in their song, Kotosa, with total disregard for their right as the legitimate owners of the song.

Kotosa was a hit the Ghana in 2008 before the two parted ways in 2010, while Kwarikwa was released mid 2011 three years after.

Miss Nigeria ’58 dies @ 75 F

ormer Miss 1958, Helen Anyameluna has passed on at the age of 75 years.

She died on July 28 at her residence at her residence in Ugbodu Delta state after a protracted battle with stroke which she suffered five years ago.

News of her demise was broken to Showtime by one of her two surviving sons Obiora Nnoka who told our reporter that “our mother passed on after a long battle with stroke. She passed on peacefully in her sleep on Saturday July 28, 2012”.

A successful business woman, the ex-Miss Nigeria suffered a stroke five years ago and was moved to her native home where she was receiving treatment before her demise.

She was the second Miss Nigeria after Miss Grace Oyelude won the crown in 1957.

Helen Anyameluna is survived by her two sons and a •Helen sister. .

INSIDE Don Jazzy denies rumour of reconciliation with D’banj C M Y K

I went into business to secure my future

Wedding bells for The Elfreda facebook of death?

Edewor?

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012—31

Chop My Money Palaver

•P Square and May D

Continues from page 30 interest was heightened in the unfolding drama after a press statement allegedly issued by Jude Okoye on behalf of Square Records, stating that the label has parted ways with May D. I, JUDE ‘ENGEES’ OKOYE of Square Records Limited and Northside Entertainment Limited hereby announces to the general public that Mr. Akinmayokun Awodumila, otherwise known as MAY D is no longer an artiste under the aforementioned outfits due to irreconcilable differences. We at Northside

and Square records wish him all the best in his career and life. Further investigation into the matter revealed that although Jude may have issued out the statement however, Psquare’s publicist and even May D seem to be in the dark as touching the matter, as phone calls made to both parties prove they are not in the know of it.

However, a source close to May D himself revealed that since the deal was struck with the label, May D isn’t happy with his deal with Square Records. According to our source, Square Records hasn’t been doing much to promote May D’s career.

Reacting to the story making the round that his relationship with Square Records has gone sour, May D simply said “I don’t know what they are talking about.

You know I don’t stay in their house so how I’m I meant to know this?”.

A graduate of the University of Lagos, May D joined Psquare’s Square Records in 2011. He featured in two singles from P-Square’s fifth album, Invasion, one of which is Chop-Chop.

Square Records has also shot two videos for May D – Soundtrack and Ile Ijo, both directed by Clarence Peters.

Sasha launches fashion line ...returns with Bad Girl P

S

he is one of the few ladies that have held on to the leash in-spite of the growing dominance of the men in the thriving world of Hip Hop music.

Today she remains on top her game churning out hits after hits into the market. Recently she joined trend when she unveiled her clothing line called Eclectic.

Perhaps she is doing this to prove that she’s definitely in touch with her fashionable side.

Excited by her new foray, Sasha who gushed that that she will be hosting industry personalities and fashionistas at the official debut collection of her clothing line did just that last at L-Espace in Lagos.

Fondly known as Nigeria’s First Lady Of Rap; Yetunde “Sasha P” Alabi is not finished with rap •Sasha music though she returns with a new song titled Bad Girl P. Sasha P’s newest single was released online on Tuesday, August 14, 2012. ‘Bad Girl P’ was inspired by L.O.S’s hit song; Bad Guy P. Loud On Sound (L.O.S) is a group

Jeremiah Gyang, wife welcome baby girl

BY OPEOLUWANI OGUNJIMI

•Jeremiah Gyang and wife C M Y K

As we speak, singer Jeremiah Gyang and wife are overjoyed at the birth of their first child, a baby girl.

His wife gave birth to their bundle of joy on Friday, August 17.

It would be recalled that on the 28th of August 2010, Jeremiah married his longtime love Ladi Otache in Jos, Plateau State. Jeremiah and Ladi have been dating for over a decade and are known as a tight knit and private couple. In the past, Ladi has acted as Jeremiah’s PA, and has since their marriage continued to act as his PA.

Movie of the week

Cinemas take In The Cupboard Synopsis ‘In The Cupboard’ is a story that revolves around the lives of six siblings born into the rich, aristocratic Desouza family; a name synonymous with wealth & power.

Everything seems perfect in their lives until their father dies unexpectedly and all of them gather together from different parts of the world to be with their mother, the elegant matriarch Veronica ‘Ronnie’ Desouza (Biola Williams) for two weeks.

What ensues is a series of events that threatens to shake the family to its very foundations!

All hell is let loose, more secrets are revealed, sibling rivalry displayed, confrontations made and love, the greatest gift of all is put to the ultimate test.

Movie Schedule

24th - 26th August, 2012

GENESIS DELUXE CINEMAS, LEKKI In the Cupboard: 11:00am, 3:15pm, 8:35pm.

Total Recall:1:10pm, 3:40pm, 6:10pm, 8:40pm, 11:10pm.

GENESIS DELUXE CINEMAS, PORT HARCOURT In the Cupboard:2:15pm, 6:00pm, 11:00pm.

Total Recall:10:00am, 4:10pm, 6:30pm, 8:40pm.

GENESIS DELUXE CINEMAS, ENUGU In the Cupboard: 10:10am, 1:40pm, 5:20pm, 8:50pm.

Total Recall:12:35pm, 3:10pm, 5:45pm, 8:20pm.

Mirror Mirror: 10:10am, 4:05pm.

SILVERBIRD CINEMAS, UYO In the Cupboard: 5:25pm, 7:10pm.

Think like a Man: 11:50am, 2:10pm, 4:30pm, 6:50pm.

Amazing Spiderman:12:10pm, 2:50pm.

SILVERBIRD CINEMA, LAGOS. In the Cupboard: 1:00pm, 6:30pm.

Total Recall:4:00pm, 6:15pm, 10:30pm.

SILVERBIRD CINEMA, SEC, ABUJA Cocktail:5:50pm, 8:40pm.

In the Cupboard:12:10pm, 2:10pm, 4:00pm, 6:00pm, 8:00pm.

Total Recall:1:10pm, 3:40pm, 6:10pm, 8:30pm.

Think like a Man:11:40am, 6:20pm.

SILVERBIRD CINEMA, CEDDI PLAZA, ABUJA In the Cupboard:1:00pm, 5:30pm.

Total Recall:11:30am, 1:50pm, 4:10pm, 6:30pm, 9:00pm.

Amazing Spiderman:2:50pm, 9:10pm.

SILVERBIRD CINEMA, PORT HARCOURT. In the Cupboard:12:40pm, 2:45pm, 4:50pm, 6:50pm, 8:50pm.

Total Recall:1:00pm, 3:30pm, 6:05pm, 8:30pm.

Mirror Mirror:12:00pm, 2:20pm, 4:40pm, 7:00pm, 9:15pm.

OZONE CINEMA, YABA In the Cupboard:12:20pm, 6:50pm.

Total Recall:1:35pm, 3:55pm, 6:15pm, 8:30pm.

Amazing Spiderman:11:00am.

Think like a Man:10:00am.

32—Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012

I went into business to secure my future —Ebube Beautiful and sexy Nollywood actress, Ebube Nwagbo, has made a name for herself in the movie industry. Since shooting into the limelight with her first lead role in ‘Arrested By Love’ Ebube’s loving aura and scintillating talent has won for her thousands of fans. In this chit-chat with Ayo Onikoyi, the curvy Anambra state-born actress opened up on why she ventured into business and talks about her own-produced upcoming movie. Excerpts:

There was a time it seemed you have abandoned acting for business, how is the business I never abandoned acting for business. Acting is my first love. I can’t abandon it. I just took time to expand my ideas,and delve into other things aside acting. I wanted to invest for the future and needed to grow. The business so far has been very good and encouraging. This year alone, I have done several movies like Console My Soul, Clap of Thunder, Commander-in-Chief, Missing Link, Shades of Shame, Millionaire In-Law and some others. Over the years, I have built a name for myself and I have to protect it. I am also working on my own movie project. That is the next big thing on my itinerary for now.

W

hat is the business about?

I have my hair-line called Posh Hair. I didn’t abandon acting, I just took time off to focus on the business and take it to higher level. I needed to invest my money in something that would always be there, something that I could fall back on when I eventually stop acting.

What has it been like combining acting with business?

It has not been easy but its worth the stress. But nothing good comes easy. I cope somehow. Even though I have some people that help me out in business, but I also supervise the day to day transactions they do. And for acting, I just have to be there in person, so it hasn’t been easy at all.

You said you have a movie

C M Y K

project of your own, what is it all about and what inspired you to do this project?

Yes I am working on my own movie project at the moment.

I have always wanted to do it but waited and planned towards it. The movie is a Love story told like never before. It’s a must-watch for everybody. It preaches love.

Is it a low budget or high budget film and like how much are you planning to sink into it.?

It’s not a low budget movie . It has gulped a lot of money but I won’t mention the figures but it’s worth it. I am not looking at the money spent but looking towards achieving my dreams and goals and doing it right and making an impact with it. Everything worth doing is worth doing well.

Which movie and what role has been the most challenging of your career?

Every movie has its own challenges, but my first movie is one experience I won’t forget. Then, I was still a little bit green. The movie was ‘Arrested By Love’ directed by Ifeanyi Azodo, it was the first time I was playing a lead role.

,

H

ow good has acting been to you?

The journey so far has been very rewarding. I thank God for my achievements and I know there is a room to improve and do more. I also thank my fans who have kept faith with me over the years.

By and large, I can say acting has been good to me.

•Ebube

always wear a smile,that is the best beauty tip ever.

A story recently said you did a boobs job. Did you and would you, and what is your view of people who do body-

I needed to invest my money in something that would always be there, something that I could fall back on when I eventually stop acting

Which movie has been most rewarding to you financially and like much did you rake from it?

Every movie has been rewarding in its own way, financially and otherwise. Its more rewarding when you have created an impact with the role you have played and touched a life. So it’s not just about the money for me.

You are a very beautiful woman, what are your beauty tips?

I take care of myself by not letting anything stress me. I

,

enhancing jobs?

I did not do any boob job.

People just can’t believe I can look the way I look without any form of enhancement. I do what is right for my body. I am not against anybody who wants to do any form of body enhancement. It is their body and their life. If you have the money and need for it. It’s your choice.

What would attract a man to you?

Humility. The man most have understanding with what

I do as an actress and a businesswoman. And I don’t know how many men would be able to cope with that.

What I desire most is patience, understanding and love and I don’t believe these are virtues all men have.

A

re you in any relationship right now and may we share some details?

No. I am not.

What actually happened between you and Kingsley of KC Presh?

Nothing happened.

When are we hearing the wedding bells for you?

When the time is set and right Who are those people you admire in the industry?

I have always admired Liz Benson,and a lot of other people.

Some of your colleagues married married men.

Would you marry a married man?

Life is all about what makes you happy. I don’t judge.

Whatever floats one boat is

what one should do.

Before you take up a role what do you first consider?

The script and the storyline are the major things I consider, then other things follows.

Which part of your body do you consider sexiest I can’t really say which exactly. It could be my legs or my curves. People have always told me I have a sexy curve and legs too get commendation from time to time.

Nollywood is really evolving, with more sensual scenes. Would you take a role that involves you having sex on set?

No I won’t take such a role.

Do you subscribe to the notion that Ghollywood has overtaken Nollywood ?

The industry is big enough to contain both Nollywood and Gollywood. I don’t believe in that notion. there’s enough space for everybody to operate. In fact there should be more cooperation for the two industries to integrate and grow for the good of Africa.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012—33

Hi GROOVE

Golf: A bridge builder —Omordi George Ugboma

Omordi George Ugboma is the captain of the Ibori Golf and Country Club and a top government functionary who is in love with the game of golf. In this interview with Hi Groove, he opens up on his private life, tastes in fashion, lifestyles and more. Enjoy!

G

rowing up

I grew up having my both parents with me, happy that they were both married till death separated them. Within that time, I learnt a lot of things from my mother, especially domestic things, and also being upright in all my dealings, because she was a very strict disciplinarian. My father was also a very strict disciplinarian and yet with no violent disposition. He was a very quite person and he instilled discipline in us by through counselling but my mother sometimes resort to beating to drive home her point. To us, my father was the more charismatic personality and we appreciated his approach better. But both of them gave us a sound upbringing.

Our home was a Catholic home in totality. My father was not a church-goer but he believed so much in the faith and held the Reverend Fathers in high regard. At one time, I had a desire of becoming a Reverend Father myself but somehow along the line it did not work out.

In essence, I had a good religious background that guided my life and I think I still have that in me.

C

hildhood memory

As a child I was a role model to most of my peers. My parents had confidence in me because of the way I behaved. Apart from when I was very little, my mother was by me to guide me in the right path, making sure I did what needed to be done right. I can’t really recall when my parents were mad at me for any serious wrongdoing, except, maybe when I was very young. That is not so say they were not chiding me from time to time but I think I seemed to know where to draw the line. The same worked for me in school, especially during my primary and secondary school days. I was so well behaved and did so brilliantly in my studies. In fact my father always said ‘this is my child’ due to my behaviour and my brilliance and he was very proud of me.

I never brought shame and C M Y K

,

By KATE OBODO

My idea of a good home is where the husband and wife are friends, not just husband and wife. For me, being husband and wife is not enough, a deep friendship must exist between the couple for the relationship to be sustainable

disgrace to my family.

V

enturing into golf

A friend of mine introduced me to playing golf and when I came here (Ibori Golf and Country club) I sawn that it is a sport worth doing, especially to keep the body and mind together. And at the same time it brings the opportunity to meet a lot of people and to socialize. Golf also teaches you a lot of things. Gradually, I took much interest in the game and after my training, I

became a regular player

, •Omordi George Ugboma

Daily routine

I started my day with the morning devotion after which I take my bath.

Then, I eat my breakfast and set out for the day.

Fashion and style

I like to dress very well, and the way you dress speaks volume about you. I like to dress decently. I also like going along with the trend but not all cases. At the same time, if I want to buy wears that are in vogue, they must suit my person. Mostly importantly, I consider quality before buying; I also look at colours before buying clothes.

Not all colours suit me. Most especially, I don’t dress to impress people . When it comes to looking good, I also wear hat depending on the circumstance.

When it comes to jewellery I like them a lot. I am very conscious of matching colours and at the same time very sensitive with what I wear. I also like good perfume

H

ow expensive is captain Ugboma when it comes to fashion?

I could be very expensive depending on the occasion.

But not all my wears are expensive; some are at the low side while others are of the high quality. In all, I like very good things but at the same time I am not outrageous in spending money but I make sure everything I buy have good value.

Mood and dressing

The occasion determines what I wear not my mood.

S

moking

drinking

/

Yes, I used to smoke but not any longer . On drinking, I drink occasionally .

Outside golf

I play table tennis. I also unwind after playing golf by relaxing with people, take some drinks. Once in a while, I attend parties such as wedding ceremonies, birthday parties etc. I also go clubbing once in a while and listen to good funk music, especially, traditional music and old school oldies . I am not in tune with music that is in vogue currently but sometimes I try to get along.

M

e and women

It is a common knowledge that as a public figure people admire you and if you are a man your looks may drive admirers to you.

But beyond my looks, people admire me mostly for my brilliance and kind nature.

However, I don’t drive people who admire me and even if you have some tendency that I don’t like I will make you know that it is not going to be that.

Meeting my wife

It was love at first sight but I admired her most for her beauty. Back then in the university she was a very beautiful woman and when I got to know her I was more attracted to her for her determination in life than any other thing. We dated for sometime, got married and now have a beautiful

daughter.

Idea of a good home

My idea of a good home is where the husband and wife are friends, not just husband and wife. For me, being husband and wife is not enough, a deep friendship must exist between the couple for the relationship to be sustainable. A good home is where the flame of love is kept alive between the couple as it were when they were courting each other. Once there is a genuine friendship there is a bonding in the family.

B

est meal/fruits My best meal is yam.

For fruits, I like a lot of fruits, such as watermelon, orange, paw-paw etc.

34—Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012

GROOVE Extra

Don Jazzy denies rumour of reconciliation with D’banj

BY OPEOLUWANI OGUNJIMI

A

s a result of some publication by a well-known magazine and online bloggers that American rapper and founder of G.O.O.D music, Kanye West, has stepped into the D’banj and •Don Jazzy and D Banj Don Jazzy saga, to reconcile both, Don Jazzy has debunked the story, saying it is false.

Don Jazzy laid the boiling issues to rest when he took to social network, Twitter. According to the former gist making the round, Kanye West was said to be working on reconciling both parties and has as a matter of rumour, threatened to kick the kokomaster out of his G.O.O.D music label if he fails to settle his score with Don Jazzy.

But in Don Jazzy’s tweet, where a fan with Twitter name, @nope2farmerz, asked him to confirm the truth behind the story.

Don Jazzy then replied at exactly 6:46 AM on Monday, 21st of August, saying there was bot truth behind the story.

Michael Collins ?@DONJAZZY False. thanks for asking. RT @nope2famzers: @DONJAZZY Pls How tru Is De Kanye Donjazzy And Dbanj Story Sir!!!Confirm?

Julius Agwu, Skales, Ara’s mother motherss mak makee Supermom las 0 lastt 110 Julius Agwu

I

t was tough but in the end only ten of the 20 celebrity Supermoms made it into the semi-finals. Only five mothers will make the last five..

The ten finalists, according to the producers of the TV reality show are the mothers of musiccomedian and entertainer extraordinaire, Julius Agwu; visually impaired songwriterproducer, Cobhams; contemporary gospel singer, Kenny Saint Best; Fuji music star, Obesere; On-Air-personality, Yaw; sensational talking drummer, Ara; and Empire Mates Entertainment debutante, Skales.

The other finalists are the mothers of one half of enduring hip hop duo, Artquake, Ice K; Platinum-haired bombshell, Tony Tetuila and highlife revivalist, Flavour.

According to the executive producer of the show, Sola Fajobi, a five-minute review of the stories of each mother would be aired this weekend, during which viewers can vote for the five mothers that would make it into the finals.

“It’s getting more interesting and exciting now because for any mother that has made into the top ten, it means she’s a super woman and her story must have cut across the broad spectrum of our viewers in Nigeria and beyond. We hope that viewers and fans of the shows and the celebrity children of these mothers would keep the votes coming in,” Fajobi says.

Ex-militant, MASSOB member rock Nigeria Got Talent audition

I

t was the turn of Lagos to showcase its talents on Saturday and Sunday August 18 and 19, in the ongoing auditions for Season 1 of Nigeria’s Got Talent, reality TV show. As expected, the Mega-city of Lagos, had the highest turnout of hopefuls, coming on the heels of, after impressive outings in Abuja.

Yet again, some of Nigeria’s hottest undiscovered acts, as well as some bizarre ones, dazzled and displayed at 1, Bamako Street, Ojodu, venue of the Contestant displaying auditions. his talent at the The high hopes and expectation the competitors had Nigeria got talent could be felt and seen as the first to audition was audition Freda Francis, a singer and guitarist, who actually arrived at the audition venue by 5:30am. Present there, were also, Harry Blaq and Sparko Brown, singers. Harry used to be a militant with warlord Tompolo, but accepted the Federal Government’s Amnesty program and is now a student of Lead University studying Mass Communications. Sparko Brown on the other hand used to be a member of Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB).

They both sang beautifully and skillfully.

VANGUARD, FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012—35

By AYO ONIKOYI E-mail: sayonikoyi@gmail.com

Wedding bells for Elfreda Edewor ?

D

rop dead gorgeous and girl-about-town, Elfreda Edewor who has had her name implicated in several romances with notable figures, including •Elfreda newly-married Super Eagles Edewor star, Osaze Odenwinge, a senator, whose name is better left unsaid may soon have rumour-shnoopers off case if the gist reaching our ears is anything to go by.

The gist which is from a reliable source has it that Elfreda is now in a hot but quiet relationship with a guy who is single, unlike her usual prospects and that their romance is not a fling and may very well hit the altar soon.

Stunning looking Elfreda Edewor, runs a PR outfit, ORCHARD. She is known for her high network clients and has also handled a lot of high profile job. She also sells luxury wrist watches to her high net worth male clients.

•Oba Rilwan Akiolu

Oba of Lagos goes on hunger strike for missing Gawat

T

he Imperial ruler of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, is a king who takes the affairs of his people very seriously and the monarch takes it even more serious, especially when the subject in question is an illustrious son of Lagos like Alhaji Rasaq Aremu Gawat, NTA Moslem programme presenter who has gone missing

since 10th of July. It is no longer news that His Majesty is “surprised and disheartened” over the matter and if our source got it spot on, the royal father may very well be on hunger strike as the Idel Fitri celebration that held on Sunday and Monday was “everything short of what it used to be in the palace” The source, who is close

to the Olowo Eko, as the king is fondly called by his subjects (meaning the custodian of wealth of Lagos) told SP that His Majesty was not forthcoming in celebrating the Idel Fitri , because he could not imagine himself celebrating when the Missing Gawat is still not being found. The source disclosed that the king has not been happy and has been working

Commissioner Kayode Opeifa’s love for ‘Ponmo’

•Kayode Opeifa

C

omrade Kayode Opeifa, the State Lagos curre nt Comm ission er for Trans portat ion who was also a one-time Special Assistant to the Governor Babatunde Fashola on Transportation is a man who isn’t wet behind the ears when it comes to social etiquettes in fact he is a man known for his high taste and social grace but for as long as he doesn’t catch the sight of ‘Ponmo’,

C M Y K

the hide of cattle, which the former activist is said to be crazy about At an event recently in Lagos, where the crème de la crème of Lagos hi societ y were in attendance a service boy nearly caugh t the ire of the comm ission er when the innocent boy could not provide the scientist-turned engineer with more ‘Ponmo’ after the commissioner had finished the first serving that came his way.

Mr Opeif a is said to have queri ed the servic e boy severally on why he could not provide him with more ‘Ponmo’ and he said to have bypassed the boy and went straight into the kitchen just at the back of the hall to meet the person in charge for his favourite part choice in meat.

Some few minutes after the commissioner who must have gone throu gh a bendi ng sessio n of propo sition ing appeared with a plate full of his favourite ‘Ponmo’.

tirelessly behind the scene to make sure the man is found and reunited with his family.

A

lhaji Gawat runs a programme on NTA 10 Edide Eji Sari especially during the Ramadhan period with a segment of the programme consisting of a quiz session where callers are rewarded with cash and handsome gifts. He is a very popular figure among the Moslems who benefit immensely during the Holy month and it is said that the presenter holds the royal father in a very high esteem as he heaps praises upon praises on the monarch at every turn during the course of the programme.

•Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia

Plans in top gear for Samuel Ogbemudia’s 80th birthday

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five-star General’s treatment awaits Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia, a two-time governor of the defunct Midwest and Bendel States who will join the league of octogenarian comes

September 17, 2012. The 80th birthday celebration which is being packaged by several committees is expected to be a threeday carnival-like event involving not just the ordinary people of Edo state but also the top echelon of the state.

The day one of the celebration, according to the chairman, planning committee, and former Minister of Works, Engr.

Chris Ogiemwonyi, will start with a breakfast prayer followed by a novelty football match which will be opened to all and sundry.

To follow on the D-day, September 17, 2012 will be a fund-raising luncheon in proclamation of the Osaigbovo Ogbemudia Foundation, which is said will pursue humanitarian values followed by a public lecture as well as the launching of three books to mark the end of the celebration.

Who’s who at Ephraim Faloughi’s daughter’s wedding

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obody expected anything less. The names of the couple’s parents draw enough water to drown hi-society in glamour and glitz and they did just that. The couple, Ugochukwu Onochie and Ayegbatonye Doris couldn’t have asked for more fulfilling wedding as the country’s biggest names gathered to witness their being joined together as man and wife.

After the solemnisation of matrimonial rites at Our Lady of Perpetual

•Dr. Ephraim Faloughi

Help on Musa Yar’Adua Street, Victoria Island, the wedding train moved to the Civic Centre where the reception held. The couple were looking ravishing enough to catch all the

attention but it was the father of the bride who stole the show when he made his entrance through the water-way at the back of the Civic Centre, on an elaborately decorated canoe, accompanied by an entourage clad in flamboyant traditional attires.

It was a marriage of harmony. The groom’s people were not unfamiliar with that of the bride’s. The father of the bride and the father of the groom are no strangers either.

36—Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012

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O not let the headline deceive you. Facebook was not originally meant to be hijacked by criminals to perpetuate vices let alone those that extend to murder. I t was a social utility developed in 2004 by five friends, Mark Zuckerberg, Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz and Chris Hughes ,who share a hostel room in Harvard college. The aim was to make it a platform to connect people with friends and others who work, study and live around them.

In fact, t he website’s membership was initially limited by the founders to Harvard students, but was expanded to other colleges in the Boston area, the Ivy League, and Stanford University. It gradually added support for students at various other universities before opening to high school students, and eventually to anyone aged 13 and above.

However, the social site has grown beyond borders with a membership surge that spreads like wild fire. As of June 2012, Facebook has over 955 million active users and more than half of this number is using the site on a mobile device .

For the emerging markets like Nigeria where mobile subscription grows in geometrics, the number of people accessing the social site from their mobile phones increases by the day.

In a recent statistics published by SocialBakers, Nigeria was ranked the number one country in the world with over

would be made to look so and the negative impacts are beginning to take hard tolls amongyouths across the world.

For instance, it has been over the news, how a young Nigeria female student Miss Cynthia Osokogu and only daughter of General Frank Osokogu (rtd), was allegedly lured and murdered in Lagos from her Abuja base, by friends she met on facebook. That is only one of the examples of negative impacts of social interaction on facebook.

It was gathered that Cynthia had known and chatted with her alleged killers on facebook for several months upon which she decided to pay them a visit. In the process, they reportedly got to know that she owned a boutique in Nasarawa State, following which they faked a business proposal that lured her to their den.

On her arrival at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, on July 21, 2012, she was said to have been picked up by the two undergraduates and driven to a hotel in Festac Town, where she was allegedly strangled to death after dispossessing her of personal belongings including money, personal effects and her mobile phone.

Unfortunately, Cynthia is not alone. Many Nigerian youths, particularly ladies have confessed to experiences close to what took Cynthia’s life.

The danger is that facebook even admits teenagers from the age of 13 and above and since k ids today are growing up in a digital world with access to devices 24/7, using many of these devices, such as smartphones, tablet computers, three to four years before they even know how to read or write, it is only imaginable how vulnerable the world is going to become.

Unfortunately, responsible use of devices and applications is not intuitive. So an early challenge for parents is to educate kids on what is good and what is bad device usage. However, this in itself is often tough because many parents truly are behind in understanding some of these devices and their applications.

The facebook of death?

80% Facebook mobile penetration.

However, the risk of this development is that other uses of the social site are beginning to emerge. Advertisements, promotions, job hunting,

business propositions and dating, among others, are all part of the Facebook activities today.

Meanwhile not all of these activities are genuine even though they

Danfo spins big money now!

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anfo is a slang for commercial buses in Lagos, Nigeria. They are known for their reckless and crazy driving antics. Most danfo drivers are drop-outs and in most cases, never do wells, explaining why they are mostly involved in vices, poor road usage, little observation of road signs and outright flouting of driving codes.

However the fare is usually cheap, attracting to it huge patronage particularly in large cities.

But to operate the kind of Danfo that mobile device giants, Nokia, has built, takes intelligence, digital know how and strict adherence to rules.

Built by two local mobile app developers Bayo Puddicombe and Zubair Abubakar, danfo is a mobile game app which mimics the bizarre movements of the danfo vehicle in a game that releases tension and strengthen the nerves of players. The app within three months of getting into the Nokia Ovi store, attracted a huge download running into millions.

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However, due to that massive interest of game lovers in the Danfo app, Nokia decided recently to relaunch the app in a game tagged Danfo Reloaded, dolling out hundreds of thousands in Naira to winners.

According to Nokia, the game, a car dodging adventure set on the streets of Lagos, creates a certain Mr kunle, a danfo driver trying to raise enough cash to get his own bus before he loses his job. Kunle was reliably informed that the owner of the bus was planning to disengage him and so needed to get his own bus before the bubble bursts. Kunle has only 8 days to do that, meaning that competitors have eight days to raise the 16,000 naira down payment for the bust.

The game favours users of Nokia Asha 200, 201, 302, or 303 who would download the DANFO RELOADED game on their Nokia Asha devices from the Nokia Store , play the game and upload their scores to Facebook or Twitter.

The rule is that the two highest scores for the week will win 100,000 Naira every week!

The competition started last week with Nokia

handing out prizes to the winners.

Meanwhile, two players, Samuel Afolabi and EtejereEdafeoghene emerged Wednesday as winners of the second draw of Nokia’s Danfo Reloaded Competition.

The duo was presented with a sum of N100,000.00 each as

reward for being the highest scorers for the week.

Speaking at the prize presentation, Head, Developer Experience, Nokia West-Africa, Mr Teemu Kijaarvi said that Danfo Reloaded competition was a way to reward loyalty to the brand.

VANGU ARD, FRID AY, A UGUST 24, 2012—37 ANGUARD, FRIDA AUGUST stage of our lives has passed. This is howwepassdailystagesonourwayto the everlasting abode. Indeed, continuationofgooddeedsatalltimes is the character of righteous people; remember, theactsofobediencedonot have a specific time. Oh Allah! let us knowthetruthandenrichustowards sticking to it and let us know the Tel: 08098097290 email: isholaism@yahoo.co.uk otherwisesothatwecanabstainfrom it.

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After Ramadan, what next? glory to God for bringing the situation undercontrol.

Inspite of all that, no month is comparabletoRamadaninthelivesof a Muslim. That is why any sincere MuslimwillalwayswishthatRamadan stays,oratleastwishesto livethespirit of the mongh throughout the year.

But now, Ramadan, 1433 AH is over.

Whatnext?Whatcanwedotolivethe spiritofRamadanuntilnextRamadan?

Wehavetocontinueasthoughweare in Ramadan. Keep the good deeds, charity,fastingfor6daysinthemonth of Shawwal, fasting on Mondays &Thurdays, giving alms to the poor, loving our neigbours as ourselves no mattertheirreligion,observingthefive daily salat at the appropriate time, observing the night prayers (Tahajud at least 2 rakats every night), reciting the Holy Quran (at least a page every day), abstaining from all evil deeds

such as lies, promiscuity, back biting, malice,hatredamongothers.

TheQur'ansays:"Oyewhobelieve, fear Allah and let every soul look to whatithasputforthfortomorrow-and fearAllah.Indeed,Allahisacquainted with what you do.) And be not like those who forgot Allah, so He made

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LL the praises and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. May His Peace and Blessing be upon our Holy Prophet, Muhammadatalltimes.

Itisimportanttostillsay toall Muslim brothers and sisters and of course the readers of this column, though belatedly, “Eid Fitr Mubarak”!! May Allah accept our fasting and all our righteous deeds in the most blessed monthofRamadan.Amin.

The new cloths, visits to friends, sharing love and happiness; and the sumptuous delicacies, the exchange of gifts and of course the greetings and messagesthat marked the day weresoulliftingandenoughtoconfirm the popularity of Islam. It was indeed a joyous 3-day celebration to commemorate the 30-day spiritual activities.

ItwasatimetogivegratitudetoGod for the grace to be part of the intense spiritual renewal and emerging as a betterbeing. Remember, notallthose who started the month weregiventhe gracetofinishit.Alhamdullilah.Therewere others who could not have the grace to fully celebrate the day as a result of one impedimentortheother.Weheardofsome areasinKanoandBauchiwheregunmen threathened to resume duty and worshipers were scared to go to prayer grounds for their eid prayers. Infact, a reliablesourceindicatedthataprominent Muslim in Kano could not go out as a resultofsecurityreports. Butwestillgive

themforgetthemselves.Thosearethe defiantlydisobedient.)Q59:19-20.”

DearbrothersandsisterinIslam,be concernedmoreabout theacceptance ofyourdeedsthanthedeedsitself, for, nooneisimportantbeforeAllahaccept the pious one.

With the departure of this month, a

We have to continue as though we are in Ramadan. Keep the good deeds, charity, fasting for 6 days in Shawwal, fasting on Mondays &Thurdays, loving our neigbours as ourselves no matter their religion, observing the 5 daily salat at the appropriate time, observing the night prayers, reciting the Holy Quran, abstaining from all evil deeds among others

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Umurah The Umrah is a holy pilgrimage of theMuslimstoMakkah.Itisotherwise called the lesser hajj. Going on such apilgrimageishighlyrecommended asMuslimswillhavetheopportunity toobservetheiritkafinKaabahaswell as devote the last ten days of Ramadan, a period of istijabah, for prayers.Although,itcanbeperformed at other times of the year except the month of Hajj which is dedicated for the full Hajj rites. Vice President Namadi Sambo returned from UmurahontheSallahday.Muslim governors like Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Ibikunle Amosun, Raji Fashola ofOsun, Ogun and Lagos respectivelyandafewothers werein the Holy land to take advantage of the period. But for those of us who missed the opportunity like me, the Hajj period is another better time.

May Allah spare our lives. Amin.

Have a blessed day!

EID-IL-FITR: Okoya tasks Muslims on peaceful co-existence Lets continue the deeds

By Ebun Sessou

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IGERIAN Muslims have been urged to seize the opportunity of the Eid-el-fitr to demonstrate virtues that promote good neighbourliness and peaceful co-existence.

Chief Imam, Morufdeen Akintola, Idiat Abeke Memorial Mosque, Lekki made the call at the prayer ground organised by the Okoya’s family to felicitate with Muslim faithful.

In an interview with journalists, he said, the only way to enjoy the blessings of Allah at this

Ask Your Imam For the 6 fasts in Shawwal, can one count as fasts to make-up also for those lost in Ramadan?

Answer:As-salaamu alaikum. The six days that a Muslim is encouraged to fast during Shawwal are separate from making up for days missedinRamadan.Aperson may fast during the month of Shawwal to make up for days missed during the month of Ramadan. However, if that you want to get the reward of the Hadith of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) about fasting Ramadan and 6 days of Shawwal to have the equivalence of fasting the whole year, then, if you should fast the 6 days in Shawwal for Shawwal and not for Ramadan. Later on, you may make up for lost missed days in Ramadan.

Thank you for asking. Allah knows best.

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time is to reflect on how the ideals and virtues of peace, harmony, brotherly love, selflessness, tolerance, honesty, fairness, justice and equity, taught by Islam can be employed in addressing the challenges confronting the country.

His words: “we have lost so many innocent souls in this country adding that the Nigerians should live together as true believers.

We should also emulate the exemplary attributes of Islam which are love, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence.“ On Boko Haram, he said, Nigerians are gullible and that is the reason why they easily embrace propaganda. A lot of people are perpetrating evil through this name and

Nigerian government has been silent.

Our government should live up to their responsibility in solving this problem, he said.

Meanwhile, Mr. Olanrewaju Okoya, in his

goodwill message called on Nigerians to be their brother’s keepers, adding that people should make sacrifices in order to be able to make the country a better place.

Olanrewaju Okoya and Bolaji Okoya at the Idiat Abeke Memorial Mosque Prayer Ground for the Eid-el-Fitr prayer.

Echoes Resources holds Parents-Teens symposium ALHAJA N F. Alimi, a school administrator in Offin Ile, Ikorodu, Lagos has identified home crisis, unhealthy relationship between spouses and lack of adequate time for the children as bane of societal ills pervading the society.

She stated this at a symposium organised by Echoes Resources in collaboration with the CDA of Offin Ile recently.

Alhaja Alimi who spoke extensively at the event tagged ‘Parents-Teens Symposium’ advised parents to shun bad behaviours as they are the first role models of children.

Others who spoke at the event include: Adesoji Adegoke, CDA chairman, Offin-Ile, Mrs Ologe Idochika, Monday Obadan and Pastor Lanre Bajulaiye of Lagos State Ministry of Education.

Pastor Lanre Bajulaiye, a Public Relations Officer in the Lagos state Ministry of Education said parents should set their priorities right and give adequate time to their children and wards so as to become responsible members of the society adding that all hands must be on deck to make the society better.

“There is need to change our orientation and moral

values. Every parent has a responsibility to sow a seed in the lives of the younger ones even outside your home. We will all account for whatever we do and the impact we made in the lives of the younger ones.”

Mrs Ologe Idochika advised government to always sponsor programmes on how to properly raise children in order that they will become good future leaders of our society.

Monday Obadan sia parents have a lot to do to instill good moral values in the younger ones tp make the society better.

By Harun Rasaq

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HE month of Ramadan has come and gone. Let those who have done good according to ‘Ali (RA) have a greater concern for the acceptance of their deeds than the amount of deeds they have performed and also continue on the same for the best of all acts of obedience are the ones followed up with its like.

A Muslim must continue the act of goodness exemplified in the month of Ramadan, Among the deeds of the month which we must carry over is fasting. Therefore, it is highly encouraged to observe certain recommended fasting after Ramadan and to understand that some fasting are not recommended in Islam for example Siyaamud Dahr (fast everyday of the year) and others that we shall mention later. The recommended fasts include: 6 days of Shawwal (the tenth month of the Islamic calendar) as narrated by Abu Ayyub (RA) that Allah’s Messenger, (SAW), said: “whoever fasts during the month of Ramadan and then follows it with six days of Shawwal will be rewarded as if he had fasted the entire year.” It is a misconception that these 6 days of fasting must be undertaken consecutively, as there is no hadith that supports or stipulates this

notion. Also it is not allowed begin fasting on the first day of Shawwal which is the day of Eid ulFitr.

Fasting on Mondays and Thursdays: (i) it was narrated from Abu Qataadah al-Ansaari that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) was asked about fasting on Mondays. He said: “On that day I was born, and on it the Revelation came to me.” (ii) It was narrated that ‘Aa’ishah (RA) said: The Prophet (SAW) was keen to fast on Mondays and Thursdays.

Fasting for 3 days in every month: (i) it was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (RA) said: “My close friendthe Prophet (SAW) advised me to do three things which I will not give up until I die: fasting 3 days of each month, praying Duha, and sleeping after Witr.

The Day of ‘Arafat: The Prophet said: “The ‘Arafat fast redeems two years - one past and one future.”

Day of Ashura: Ibn ‘Abbas (RA) said: “I know of no other day than Ashura, which the Prophet fasted in recognition of its merits over all other days”.

Month of Muharram:The Prophet (SAW) was asked about the best fast next to Ramadan. He said: “alMuharram.”

Month of Sha’ban: ‘Aisha (RA) said: “The Prophet (SAW) used to fast for a complete month only in Ramadan. Next to that he fasted most often in Shaban.

38—VANGUARD, FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012

ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF TRADE UNIONISM IN NIGERIA

•An empty Ikorodu road in Lagos ...outcome of the fuel price hike strike

Photos: Kehinde Gbadamosi

When Uba Ahmed worked against Labour movement This is the twelfth edition of the serial on OWEI LAKEMFA's latest work: "One hundred years of trade unionism in Nigeria". The eleventh part was published yesterday.

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Ena

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The Labour Ministry under Ahmed imposed sole administrators on the unions and NLC. The NLC’s businesses including the Labour Transport Services, LTS, and finance house were seized and ran aground

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ITH these objectives in mind, the Federal Military Government has decided on a new National Labour Policy which will involve limited government intervention in certain areas of labour activity in order to ensure industrial peace, progress and harmony. The Federal Military Government does not believe in politicizing the trade union movement. On the other hand, the union activity especially at the central level is so important in our economic and social life that Government has of necessity to be involved to some extent”.

The regime had merely given hints about its intentions and had not come out to openly oppose the unity of workers. However, on the eve of the December 18, 1975 NLC inaugural conference, the regime clamped down on Labour leaders carting all those they found into detention. Despite this, the next day the City Hall, Lagos venue of the inaugural Conference was filled to capacity.

The junta had decided to boycott the occasion. But with the failure of its strategy of stopping the inauguration, it thought of new tactics. Overnight it changed its mind about

attending.Wahab Goodluck, the President of the NLC related what happened before the conference. “A few days to the actual launching of the NLC, a few top leaders of our Congress approached the Federal Commissioner for Labour, Major General Henry Adefowope in person to confinn acceptance of an earlier invitation to him to attend and address the conference.

sible criticism” for its ‘new’ Labour Policy.

After this preamble, Adefowope meandered to the regime’s main motives. First he claimed that the regime had decided to respond “to legitimate demands made on

unions enjoy a unique privilege of protection under the law in circumstances in which other pressure groups in society; such as political parties have been banned following the change of government in 1975.” In his last sentence, General Adefowope wished the new NLC “every success and prosperity in the years ahead.”

After Adefowope delivered the junta’s message, the conference went on, it was as if there had been a rude intervention, now it was necessary to proceed. On May 21, 1976, Adefowope called a press conference on “The Affairs of the Nigeria Labour Congress” and announced that:

Ideological warfare There and then, he expressed his inability to attend. But on the day of the opening of the NLC conference, a message was received barely ten minutes to the opening time that the Commissioner indicated that he was to address the opening session.”

Without ceremonies and with little courtesies Adefowope read his address in which he accused the Labour Movement of allowing two decades of “disunity and ideological warfare,” and harbouring “ill-informed and ill-motivated persons masquerading as trade union leaders. He also claimed that trade union accounts were not being properly audited and that the Government had been “subjected to irrespon-

Senator Uba Ahmed...Labour movement's nightmare

Government to undertake an exercise similar to that which has recently been completed in the public services of the country,” in the Labour Movement. He argued that " ...The Federal Military Government is justified to institute such an inquiry since trade unions by virtue of their privileged position under the law, are public institutions and the public interest is deeply involved in their operation, administration and financing.”

He laboured to add that “Trade

(i) “The Federal Military Government does not intend to accord registration to the Nigeria Labour Congress, as at present constituted, under the Trade Unions Decree No. 31 of 1973 …” (ii) The Government has decided to appoint an Administrator, who will be assisted by a committee of trade unionists selected on their own merits to coordinate and administer the affairs of all Registered Unions. (iii) The Administrator shall act Continues on page 29

VANGUARD, FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012—PAGE

Continues from page 28

as a trustee for the protection and administration of the funds and properties of the four former central labour organisations until a general delegates’ conference of all the affiliates of these organisations is convened for the purpose of ratifying the constitution of a new central trade union body and electing a new leadership. A decree providing for these measures will shortly be promulgated by the Government”.

In a move which remains unprecedented in the colonial and post colonial history of Nigeria, Adefowope went abroad to demonise the Labour leaders in the country which included nationalists and patriots like Michael Imoudu, Wahab Goodluck, Haroon Adebola and Jackson Udofot Akpan. At the International Labour Organisation (ILO) 63rd session in Geneva on June 9, 11977, Adefowope as Nigeria’s Minister of Labour told the world: “We in Nigeria today have embarked upon a programme that will ensure the emergence of ‘bona fide’ trade union organisations in the country to cater for the interest of our working classes in the society and to cooperate with our government in the numerous welfare projects now being undertaken in the country.

Dangerous situation We had faced in the past a dangerous situation in which disregard for probity and public accountability had characterized the activities of some public institutions, including the trade unions.

The present regime in Nigeria will not tolerate indiscipline and is committed to a new trade union structure in the country which will ensure that workers can elect their leaders in accordance with a code of conduct consistent with the government’s overall national programme of enforcing discipline in all facets of public life.

We have, since arrival in Geneva, heard of moves from certain quarters which would want us to continue to tolerate the existence of the dubious and discredited trade union leadership in Nigeria, all in the name of freedom of association and of trade union rights. This we will not do. It is these same quarters which have given encouragement to the irresponsible trade union leadership in our country in previous years. If international solidarity of the world trade union movement will result in the exploitation of the many by a self imposed few, then the aims of the founding fathers of the concept of the workers’ liberation, would have come to nothing”.

At his address to the inaugural conferences of newly restructured industrial unions held from October 31-November 12, 1977, Adefowope sought some reconciliation with the Labour Movement,

he even acknowledged the pioneering role of Imoudu whom the military had banned the previous year from trade unionism.

He tried to justify the Military’s ban on the NLC and major Labour Leaders by arguing that in any society, “Institutions like leaders grow old and are replaced by new leaders and institutions … The trade unions in Nigeria are a branch of the social tree and not an artificial appendage”.

Uba Ahmed: It was the Worst of Times: Alhaji Uba Ahmed was a trade unionist who in the First Republic was Secretary of the Northern Federation Labour. During the December 1964 general strike when Labour protested against the allegedly rigged general elections, young Ahmed disassociated “northern” workers from the strike. In the Second Republic, he was elected into the Senate and became Secretary of the ruling National Party of Nigeria, NPN. When the military struck on December 31, 1983, Ahmed fled the country and became a fugitive.

When the most rapacious military regime in the country’s history; the Abacha regime came into existence, it appointed Ahmed its Minister of Labour in 1994. He was a nightmare to the Labour Movement. He saw a traitor in the face of every labour leader that refused to support him. Various ‘security reports’ were written or concocted on Labour leaders. In 1994, the two oil unions; NUPENG and PENGASSAN went on strike for the validation of the June 12, 1993 Presidential elections. The two unions were proscribed along with the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, which allegedly failed to stop the unions’ strike.

The Labour Ministry under Ahmed imposed sole administrators on the unions and NLC. The NLC’s businesses including the Labour Transport Services, LTS, and finance house were seized and ran aground. Perhaps the

most devastating anti-labour piece of legislation in our history was the Trade Unions Decree 4 of 1996 which ousted the courts jurisdiction from hearing any suit challenging the validity of anything done by the regime on Labour.

Although the decree merged unions, it left out senior staff unions from its schedule thereby technically banning them. But the most controversial aspect, and perhaps the main reason for the decree was the eligibility clause Section Gen. Sani Abacha...merged unions 33 (7) which stated that “No person shall be eligible to contest any elective ers like Michael Imoudu, Nduka post under the Central Labour Eze, Gogo Chu Nzeribe Wahab Organisation on any trade unions Goodluck, Haroon Adebola and … unless he is a member of the Samuel Udoh Bassey were full trade unions”. time trade unionists.

This decree was followed by the severe repression of trade union Elective activities; workers seminars, positions workshops and meetings were This was to disqualify full time routinely broken up by armed trade unionists like General Sec- policemen or armed thugs, Laretaries who are employees of bour leaders were beaten up. unions, from contesting elective Ahmed directly threatened Lapositions in the NLC. Before the bour leaders, and on one occadecree, the Abacha regime had sion, physically attacked the then fixed dates for new NLC elections General Secretary of the Senior following the 1994 ban of the NLC Staff Consultative Association, SESCAN (now the Trade Union Leadership.

But the problem was that regime Congress, TUC).

To further strengthen the drawas not comfortable with the two leading contenders; Paschal conian Decree 4 of 1996, two new Bafyau, the NLC President the Decrees 24 and 26 of 1996 were regime had removed, and Adams enacted. The first decree banned Oshiomhole who was Bafyau’s the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU; the Non Acadeputy in the NLC. The two some were General demic Staff Union, NASU; the Secretaries of the Railway and Academic Staff of Polytechnics, Textile unions respectively, and ASUP; and the Senior Staff Assowere under the NLC constitution, ciation of Universities, Teaching eligible to contest. So Decree 4 of Hospitals, Research and Related 1996 banned candidates like Institutions. On the other hand, Bafyau and Oshiomhole. In La- Decree 26 invested in the Labour bour history many the major lead- Minister, executive, legislative

Mobile policemen getting set for action

and judicial powers over the Labour Unions and NLC. Salisu Nuhu Mohammed whom Ahmed appointed in May 1995 as his Personal Assistant described Ahmed in an April 28, 1996 interview in The Guardian as “A consummate politician, very warm and friendly … (but) he is a dyed-in the wool conservative who is unforgiving. He is governed by spontaneity”. When General Sani Abacha passed away, Ahmed’s commission also passed away. The new regime under General Abdulsalami Abubakar scrapped the hated decrees and the NLC was restored back to the workers in September 1998.

To be concluded

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When Uba Ahmed worked against Labour movement

39

Perhaps the most devastating antilabour piece of legislation in our history was the Trade Unions Decree 4 of 1996 which ousted the courts jurisdiction from hearing any suit challenging the validity of anything done by the regime on Labour

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40—Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012

Minister tackles sickle cell disorder

Group flays rehabilitation of N-Delta ex-militants

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IVIL Rights Con gress of Nigeria, CRCN, has condemned the continued payment of billions of naira to pacify ex-Niger Delta militants, saying there was nowhere in the world where “freedom fighters are paid for fighting.”

President of CRCN, Mr Shehu Sani, who spoke in Kaduna State, yesterday,

BY EBELE ONUORAH

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INISTER of Health, Prof.

Onyebuchi Chukwu, has declared his continuous support and commitment to the reduction of the burden of Sickle Cell Disorder, SCD, in the country through sustainable partnership and collaborations with stakeholders.

Chukwu, at a book presentation titled: Sickle Cell Disorder-Early Warning Signals, in Lagos, said: “We shall continue to support efforts by stakeholders directed at reducing the burden of the disorder in the country.”

Represented by the ministry’s Desk Officer on SCD, Dr. Alayo Sopekan, he said that special centres for SCD had been provided with a variant machine to ensure that diagnosis of the disorder is accurate and suspected newborns are screened for the disorder.

Author of the book and Chairman Board of Trustees, Dabma Sickle Cell Foundation, Pastor Dickson Ibekwe, advised that it was pointless getting involved in marriages with mixed memories of happiness and regrets.

COMMISSIONING: Prof Barth Nnaji, Minister of Power (2nd right); Arch Ishiaku Darius, Minister of State (Power) (right); and Mr. O. A. Udeh, CEO, Ughelli Power Plc, during the commissioning of GI 18 in Ughelli Power Plc.

ANNIVERSARY: From right: Mr. Sanya Adeleke, Commander, FRSC, Oluyole Local Government; Prince Ayodeji Aleshinloye, Chairman, Oluyole Local Government and Mr. Sulaimon Oladejo, an Okada rider beneficiary of free security coded helmet and reflective jacket, as part of activities to mark Aleshinloye's one year in office. Photo: Dare Fasube.

Rotary's non-discriminatory —DG

BY LAJA THOMAS

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HE District Gover nor, Rotary International, District 9110, Nigeria, Dr. Kamoru Omotosho, has lamented that many people were still not correctly informed about what the Rotary Club stands for. He said that the notion has led to a lot of misconceptions in society.

The DG stated this during a public relations seminar organised by the District 9110, at the Rotary Centre, Ikeja, Lagos, for new club presidents and director of public relations, comprising Lagos and Ogun, which fall under the district.

Omotosho, who was a former President of Rota-

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ORT HAR COURT— CHAIRMAN, Senate Committee on Petroleum Downstream, Senator Magnus Abe, has told Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, that the Federal Government will only pay subsidy for verified claims.

Senator Abe, at a forum of the Federated Correspondents Chapel of the Rivers State chapter of Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, yesterday, said the nation would not be forced to make payment for what he termed fictitious claims.

Urging the Federal Government to charge those behind the disputed claims to court, Senator Abe, said government should stick to fair trade practice.

He said: “We stand with the Federal Government not to pay disput-

C M Y K

ry Club of Ikoyi, said: “It is imperative to educate Nigerans on activities and programmes of Rotary and clear some misconceptions about what it stands for. Our doors are open to Christians, Muslims and individuals from other faiths as members, with the focus of rendering service to the society.”

He noted that in a society such as ours, government cannot possibly provide all the infrastructure and amenities needed by the people, adding, "we at Rotary see the provision of infrastructure and social amenities for the people as a form of our contribution to humanity and society at large."

Group cautions Imo PDP

NUPENG: FG'll only pay subsidy on O verified claims —Senator

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

said: “The widely revealed and reported payment of billions of tax payers' money to leaders of the Niger Delta militants stands condemned.

“The revelations clearly expose the facade and the inherent fraud in the truce and the amnesty programme. A nation that buys its peace is a nation indebted to war."

ed claims until they were verified. Those verified should be paid. The Federal Government can’t pay disputed claims.

Government should charge those behind fictitious claims to court.

Let it be subjected to judicial process.”

Fielding questions on the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, before the Na-

tional Assembly, Senator Abe, said Nigerians would be given opportunity to contribute meaningfully to it before it becomes law.

He enjoined all sections of the country to look beyond oil as the mainstay of the nation’s economy, adding that all states should explore their potentials for the

overall development of the country.

“We should look beyond oil in this country to tackle the challenges of poverty. I am happy governors of the Niger Delta have started working along this line,” Abe said.

He said poverty had remained an issue in the country because of the over dependence on oil.

Foreign investors arrive A-Ibom, commend Akpabio

A

GROUP of foreign investors based in the United States of America has arrived Akwa Ibom State in response to a recent foreign business and investment trip embarked upon by Governor Godswill Akpabio to the United States.

Members of the team include Mrs. Duni Hebron, of Hebron Group Incorporated, Houston Texas; Mr. Thomas Lindstrom the Managing Part-

ner, Califco Group, LLC, Los Angeles, USA and Arch Mac E-Nunu, who is also of the Califco group, a multi-disciplinary company with over 200 years experience and specialty in the design, planning, construction, management and maintenance of real estate and infrastructural development projects.

The team members said they were impressed with the advancement of Akwa Ibom State in the area of

infrastructure.

Leader of the delegation, Mrs. Hebron, praised the governor for providing quality infrastructure to the people of the state.

Conducting the visitors round the various project sites, the commissioner for Information and Communications, Mr. Aniekan Umanah, explained that the facilities are a testimony of Governor Akpabio’s passion for the state.

WERRI—A socio-politi cal group, Committee 21, has called on the national leadership of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to prevail on its leadership in Imo State to stop festering the new landscape of Imo with "political sores and bad breadth."

In a statement by Collins Ugwu, the group said they have observed with calm the untidy theatrics of PDP on the tenure expiration of their "selected local government impostors",packaged as elected chairmen and councillors.

The group observed that in all democratic engagements, contests and disagreements are certain, but are settled within the frameworks of constitutional interpretation.

Ugwu said: “Judicial process, as inconvenient as it might be, does not allow recourse to selfhelp by either party until the whole matter is finally determined.

“It is, therefore, a matter of grave concern that while this basic process is on-going at the highest court of competent jurisdiction, those who have waited through from the court of first instance to the Appeal Court, suddenly lost their patience to allow the wheel of justice complete its course.

The group called on Governor Rochas Okorocha to remain firm and accommodating in his mission to drive development in the state.”

Madam Afiakurue dies at 87

M

ADAM Akan Afiakurue has died at the age of 87. She died after a brief illness at her residence in AkaiAfi Udesi in Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

Until her death, she was an accomplished trader and farmer. A statement by her son, Mr. Daniel Afiakurue said burial comes up on September 7, 2012 at Uboro-Oro in UrueOffong Oruko LGA. She is survived by children and grandchildren.

Late Madam Afiakurue

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012 — 41

The untold story of Hilary Clinton’s visit in Nigeria (2)

By HUGO ODIOGOR, Foreign Affairs Editor

This is the concluding part of the piece. The first part was published last Tuesday

H

E said when you deny the media access to information, they are bound to get it one way or another and when that happens, the media should not be crucified for not presenting its report to favour the powers that be. It was a glorious night for the media as the NIIA boss told the audience that the traditional distrust between government officials and the media establishment in the country is not healthy in democratic governance.

According to him the NIIA is working on a plan to ensure that diplomatic correspondents and editors periodically and build a relationship that last beyond summoning them to cover events. Vanguard can authoritatively recall an encounter with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja in November 2011 when it was

doing public office holders and political actors should not expect favourable report.

Even as Prof. Adefuye gave account of the visit of the US Secretary of State, there was noticeable absence of officials of the ministry. Rather than chastise the media, perhaps what Ambassador Adefuye needs is to advise officials of the ministry to purge themselves of their pathological arrogance and acknowledge the that the media industry has well qualified and intelligent personnel that have acquitted themselves creditably in even in the area on diplomacy and diplomatic practice. They have also made supreme sacrifices including sacrificing their lives in the course of performing the duties, in the interest of the country. The examples Alechenu Akogun, Chris Imodibe, Tayo Awotusin, Dele Giwa, et al are shining examples of unbiddled patriotism and service to fatherland.

What Ambassador Adefuye

,

When you deny the media access to information, they are bound to get it one way or another and when that happens, the media should not be crucified for not presenting its report to favour the powers that be

doing a story on visa rip-off and the stress that Nigerians were being subjected to obtain visas to United States and European countries. Vanguard reporters that went to the ministry were asked to put their request in writing which was eventually filed away by officials of the ministry who told the reporters that they were under strict instruction from the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Olugbenga Ashiru, not to respond to media inquiries. It was not long before the Ministry was badly exposed when South Africa deported Nigerians over issues relating to yellow fever inoculation.

As clearly enunciated by Prof.

Akinterinwa, the media had a role to play in maintaining checks on the other three arms of government, it has a role to monitor and report activities of those in public offices without fear or favour. According to the NIIA boss, blacking out the media or concealing public information from the press is a futile exercise because they would get the information by whatever means and in so

,

would not share with his audience is that the United States is not happy with the growing influence of Al-Qaeda in West Africa, the Boko Haram insurgency, the potential threat of Israeli attack of Iran, the blockade of the Strait of Homuz and its impact on supply of oil to the West. The United States would not want to be jacked around by Arab countries in the case of Israel’s attack of Iran.

First the United Sates and other European nations are worried by the Islamic insurgency and the repudiation of western values by the radical shiite sect of Islam and their jihad ideology which has find expression in attacking Americans.

US strategic interest in Nigeria Former Director General of NIIA, Prof George Obiozor, who was also onetime, Nigeria’s Ambassador to the US, was at his best when he gave a brilliant breakdown of the

r-l: President Jonathan, Ashiru, Amb. Adefuye and US Secretary of State, Clinton ...in Abuja

unwritten account of America’s interest in Nigeria and the raison d’etre of the Clinton visit at the time she did. According to Prof Obiozor, Nigeria is a rising power and a regional hegemon which the US cannot ignore at this critical stage of the historical fluctuations between war and peace in the international system.

Enduring characteristics According to Prof. Obiozor, the purpose of the visit must be seen beyond the niceties of diplomacy of the enduring characteristics of US interest in Nigeria, which has become the fourth largest supply to the US. It is the in the tradition of realistic pragmatism that US will want to “secure the supply source of oil because any further outbreak of war in the Middle East could force the US to buckle”, hence Washington was using the goodwill of the Clintons to negotiate with Nigeria to ensure the Gulf of Guinea remains secured especially, with the presence of African Command in the territorial water to secure the passage of oil to the West. The Gulf of Guinea is the second most strategic energy source for the US and China has shown more than cursory interest in this region.

Prof Obiozor told his hearers that Washington is not a passive observer of the socio-political developments in Nigeria as it US would not want a

repeat of what happened during the Nigeria civil war when US left Britain to sort out the situation, but London bungled the assignment which reached its climax when the Federal Government approached the former Soviet Union.

The Secret Enemy Another keen watcher of international politics Barrister McAnthony Ndukaeze told Vanguard that the visit of Mrs. Clinton is to send a clear message to the Nigerian leadership that Washington will not fold its arms and allow Al-Qaeda to take over the West African Sub region.

With Nigeria, the most populous black nation on earth contending with the Boko Haram insurgency, the US would not fold its arm to see the success of Boko Haram. According to Barrister McAnthony Ndukaeze, Islam has become the secret enemy which the Unit-

ed States wants international cooperation and collaboration to contain. The US is therefore concern about destroying the structure, command and control of Boko Haram which the Americans are reluctant to classify as a terrorist group, because it will give them a status that it does not deserve within the global community. Rather, it would rather work with Nigeria’s security agencies to defeat Boko Haram.

Ndukaeze said: “There are growing concerns that the activities of Al-Qaeda in the Maghreb now poses greater threat to the United States, than in Asia where the use of drone strikes has incapacitated the leadership of Al-Qaeda in the Arabia Peninsula and in the Asia countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan”.

Concluded

42—Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012

The coats, songs and flags of true federalism

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, GBENGA OLARINOYE, SAMUEL OYADONGHA, JIMITOTA ONOYUME DAPO AKINREFON, JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU, GBENGA OKE, ABDALLAH EL-KUREBE, AUSTIN OGWUDA, OLASUKANMI AKONI & ABDULSALAM MUHAMMED

D

EMOCRACY was just taking shape in the country in 1999 and President Olusegun Obasanjo was on his first official visit to Cross River State.

Obasanjo was standing at attention for the national anthem for the commencement of one of the functions of the day when he suddenly flustered at the tune he heard.

It was not the tune that he as Head of State bequeathed to the nation in 1978, twenty or

THE cacophony over the shape and structure of Nigeria’s federalism generates further controversy as more states produce their flags, anthems and crests to define their independent identities. Are the insignias reflective of more steps towards true federalism, break up or what? so years earlier. Shocked by what he was hearing, a livid Obasanjo interrupted the serene ceremony and ordered the immediate stoppage of what was later explained to him was the Cross River state anthem.

Harried by the reaction of Obasanjo the Donald Duke administration for the rest of its tenure made it a duty not to play the anthem whenever Obasanjo visited the state.

However, all other functions of the state since the introduction of the anthem in November 1999 have been heralded by the state anthem and the national anthem.

Besides the anthem, the Duke administration also introduced a state flag sometime in November 1999.

The flag which is a strip of blue-white-blue is hung in most institutions in the state, while the state song written in two stanzas, is sung in most occasions including public and private schools before the national anthem.

The seeming innovation by Cross River was in reality not a new phenomenon to the country. Even after Cross River, a handful of other states in the country have also introduced state anthems, flags, seals,

crests or coats of arms to give identity to the states.

As at last count, ten states have introduced flags, crests or other forms of identity distinguishing them from the national coat of arms and national flag recognized by the constitution.

Serious controversy The states include Lagos, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Ogun, Ekiti, Kwara, Cross River, Rivers and lately Bayelsa.

The phenomenon which had bothered some, however, raised

serious controversy after the Bayelsa State administration earlier this month introduced a state flag and crest.

The introduction followed the passage of the bill, Bayelsa State Flag, Coat of Arms and Anthem Law 2012 by the Bayelsa State House of Assembly earlier in the month.

Following the quick assent of the bill by Governor Seriake Dickson, his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel IworisoMarkson, defended the new law saying it was meant to mark a clear identity for the state which is almost wholly dominated by the Ijaw ethnic group.

“Our decision to have state symbols and songs, are as a result of our belief in true federalism as a cardinal

Continues on page 43

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012—43

The coats, songs and flags of true federalism Continues from page 42 cornerstone of Nigerian nationhood and it is in exercise of our inalienable rights as a federating unit.”

“This is a right, which we cannot be denied of since several other states with the same rights have equally exercised. That the decision taken by our government in this regard is also as a result of our commitment to the propagation of Ijaw culture, language, history and ideals.

That this decision also creates a platform for us as a government to rally our people for positive development within the context of a united, egalitarian and democratic Nigeria.”

Had it been any other state, not many would have bothered.

But Bayelsa is the home state of President Goodluck Jonathan whose principal aim in office is to defend the territorial and other symbolic identities of corporate Nigeria.

Remarkably, Governor Dickson who was by several accounts planted by President Jonathan as governor in very controversial circumstances could not have carried out the act without the president’s approval.

Was the president or his chief associate aiming to sound a note of discord in the federal republic?

Not surprisingly, the

*Lagos State logo

*Jonathan the federalism in Nigeria that being a state within the federal constituency of Nigeria he can do certain things within the limits of statism without compromising the integrity of Nigeria. He may be practicing federalism at an advanced stage,” Enang told newsmen recently.

As Senator Enang opined the proclamation of a state anthem and coat of arms are

As Senator Enang opined the proclamation of a state anthem and coat of arms are part of the schemes by agitators for the operation of true federalism to advance their cause development in Bayelsa State has stirred sharp division among concerned stakeholders.

Senator Ita Enang a lawyer who was in the House of Representatives with Governor Dickson between 2007 and 2011 was quick to call on President Jonathan to call Dickson to order.

“The President should not just think that this is the matter of the state. Agreed it is a matter of the law of the state and persons who are aggrieved should go to court but coming from Bayelsa state, the state of the President, I think the he should be more concerned about it.”

“Although the governor may have a reason for playing up

part of the schemes by agitators for the operation of true federalism to advance their cause.

Speaking at the recent retreat organized by the Senate Committee on Constitution Review, SCCR, in Asaba, the Delta State Capital Governor Rotimi Amaechi had claimed the primacy of his loyalty to Rivers State even above Nigeria.

“We want the Federal Government to reduce the responsibilities that they have as well as the resources that they have because I am first of all a Rivers citizen before I became a Nigerian.”

Not surprisingly, Rivers State which had its own state flag long before Cross River

reinvented the phenomenon in 1999, is reportedly redesigning a new flag after Cross River adopted the blue and white flag used by the state.

The Rivers State Commissioner for Information, Mrs Ibim Semenitari told Vanguard that the state is redesigning its flag because what it had, had been taken over by Cross Rivers State.

“We do not have an insignia.

What we have is our brand logo. We used to have a flag but we are currently redesigning as Cross Rivers state adapted our flag and exact colours as theirs so we need to differentiate it”, she explained.

Rivers state, however, has a brand logo which was launched on December 1, 2010 to re brand the state as a home for investors.

*Kwara State logo

Vociferous ethnic groups Meantime, the Ogoni ethnic group, one of the most vociferous ethnic groups present in the state has its own anthem and flag. The anthem opens virtually every serious gathering of the Ogonis in any part of the world. When interpreted the anthem calls on Ogoni sons and daughters all over to resist oppression, exploitation, and embrace education as the pathway to celebration.

Not long after Rivers started its rebranding, the then new Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN administration in Osun

*Bayelsa State logo State conceived by its own plan of re-branding adopting a state anthem, flag and coat of arms to buttress its claim of Yoruba renaissance.

The new cultural cum political identity for the state was

unveiled by the Rauf Aregbesoal administration in early 2011 at a public ceremony in Oshogbo, the State capital.

At every public function the national anthem is usually *Continues on page 44 C M Y K

44—Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012

escape from the suffocating uniformity which is killing this country promoting individuality. So, it is good as a concept and it is perfectly valid legally.”

There's nothing wrong —Yadudu Professor Auwwalu Yadudu who was Legal Adviser to then Head of State, General Sanni Abacha and presently Professor of Law at Bayero University, Kano agrees with Sagay on the legality of the move by the states.

“For me, there is nothing wrong over states adoption of flags, coat of arms and anthems. As far as I know, there is no law barring any state from having its own anthem, flag or coat of arms,” he told Vanguard in an interview.

“Historically, there are states that did so in the past. In 1967 when 12 states were created under Gowon, Kano state then had his own flag. So, a state having its own coat of arms, flag and national anthem might be a means of recognition for

*Ondo State logo

*Oyo State logo

*Osun State logo

The coats, songs and flags of true federalism Continues from page 43 rendered first and is normally followed by the state anthem while the reverse is the case at closing ceremonies with national anthem being rendered last.

The evolvement of state anthems and flags drew serious caution from the Sokoto State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Nuhu Adamu and the state chairman of the Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, Barrister Al-Mustapha Abubakar.

The duo in separate interviews with Vanguard noted serious legal implications on any state having its own Anthem, Coat of Arms and Flag, especially if not used side-by-side with the National ones.

Abubakar described the action as a violation of Sections 24(a) and 5(3)(c) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for any state to have its own Flag, Anthem and Pledge.

Section 24 (a) of the 1999 Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria states, “It shall be the duty of every C M Y K

citizen to abide by this Constitution, respect its ideals and its institution, the National Flag, the National Anthem, the National Pledge, and legitimate authorities.”

Sections 5(3)(c) of the Constitution states that “The executive powers vested in a State under subsection (2) of this section shall be so exercised as not to - endanger the continuance of a federal government in Nigeria.”

It's constitutional — Sagay Constitutional lawyer Professor Itse Sagay, however, differs asserting.

“It is absolutely constitutional,” he said in an interview with Vanguard.

“One thing I see about Nigerians is that, we are insecure, Nigerians like uniformity. Everybody wants one flag but that is not uniformity.

Once any federating unity tries to express its individualism, people begin to quiver and shake that Nigeria is going to pieces and yet, that is the only way Nigeria can survive if there is diversity.”

“There is nothing in the Nigerian constitution which prohibits states from having their own flags. In fact, the issue of flag is not even mentioned in the constitution, nor is the issue of coat of arms mentioned. It is in the residual list which enables states legislate on the matter,” he added.

“So, they are absolutely free to have their own flags, to have their anthem, to have their own coat of arm, provided they are not rejecting the national one.

So, you can see the two side by side. In Lagos state and you can see the Lagos coat of arms, nobody can challenge it. I think most of the states in the south have it; it is an exercise of a right under federalism, which expresses individuality and autonomy of the state and that it is not a unitary system in which only the federal government has personality.

The federal one is for everybody and apart from that, the states are entitled to have their own.”

“Not only that, I think it is very healthy because it emphasises the federal nature of Nigeria giving room to

enterprise.”

Akorede particularly noted that the new crest is now used in conjunction with Federal Coat of arms on letter heads, call cards, print and TV publicity materials as well as the state’s website. He however said that, “the federal coat of arms retains prominence over the new state logo in state protocol because we recognise that fact that we are part of a Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

Each state should be encouraged — Obono-Obla Radical Calabar lawyer Comrade Okoi Obono-Obla dismissed insinuations of illegality in the adoption of the insignia and anthems by the states saying it was in furtherance of true federalism.

“We should not be contradicting ourselves. We cannot be blowing hot and cold on this issue of true federalism.

In one breath we clamour for federalism yet in another we frown when some States wants to put in place structures to put

I think most of the states in the south have it; it is an exercise of a right under federalism, which expresses individuality and autonomy of the state such state.”

Yadudu, however, notes that the motive of the state taking such a decision would be of crucial importance.

Kano which used to display a coat of arms in the past has under the Rabiu Kwankwanso administration again been displaying the insignia as a mark of identity.

The practice by the Kwankwanso administration is, however, not upon a recent law.

Kwara is, however, the only state in the geographical north that has enacted a law to establish a state insignia.

Participatory development The Senior Special Assistant to the governor on Media and Communications, Dr Muideen Akorede explained that the Kwara State government created a new crest as a symbol of rallying the people for participatory development by giving them a greater sense of identity through a unifying symbol.

He said in an interview with Vanguard that the new crest is also part of the state government’s renewed drive for greater domestic and foreign investment inflows, stressing that the new crest illustrates “our strong cultural and traditional institutions as well as our strengths in agriculture, solid mineral development, tourism and

in practice the tenets of federalism.

“In the days of the Regions, the Regions had their own Police, anthem, coat of arms and flags. The Western Region even had her own Court of Appeal. These trappings of Regional autonomy were abolished by the Unification decree that was promulgated

by General Aguiyi Ironsi to usher into the country a unitary system of government which is consistent with the military command structure.”

“It was this decree that precipitated the counter coup against Ironsi. The North saw the decree as an attempt by General Ironsi to establish the hegemony of a certain group.

This was a deliberate misinterpretation. The military wanted to promote national unity and integration because they wrongly assumed that federalism was causing disunity.

“So we should encourage every State to have its own Police, anthem, flag, cost of arms, Court of appeal.

“The current brand of federalism being practiced in the country is not working. The federal government is unwieldy, bloated and has its pies in so many things it should not ordinarily dabbled into. There must be devolution of powers from the Federal level to the States. This is the only way this country will move forward,” Obla stated.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012 — 45

M

ANY Nigerians will not understand the sudden change in the popularity of President Goodluck Jonathan's government after the ce;ebrated victory in the 2011 election. Many believe that if elections are held in many progressive states in the country today, the ruling party would suffer reverses more humiliating than the Edo State case.

The President was seen before the April 2011 elections as “God-Sent” and the one who would liberate the people of Nigeria from the political and economic woes of the past. Judging by the stature of President Goodluck Jonathan, this view is not misplaced.

The sudden turn in political fortunes has been demonstrated through public reactions on the oil subsidy question and other domestic issues which might have culminated in the dismal failure of the ruling party to secure victory in the last Edo State election.

The ruling party and its leadership have been under severe strictures for poor performance and lack of diligent application to progressive governance.

Of recent was the alleged “face-off ” between the Executive and Legislature on budget implementation.

However, watchers of President Jonathan continue to have implicit confidence in the President and in his ability to perform to the best of his ability in the present turbulent and politically charged atmosphere.

Many analysts are convinced that the problems of the President arise out of the difficult terrain of the country and the peculiar nature of Nigerians who are noted for their lack of patience and understanding.

That Nigerians are difficult to govern is axiomatic, and that the political leaders are slippery is a matter of fact. It may, therefore, be difficult for a godly person to succeed in the midst of political treachery and sectional insurgency.

With Boko Haram bombs at appointed places, it might be nearly impossible for sanity to prevail.

Thus the need for iron determination to survive. Nigerians might be looking for a Winston Churchill, a former British Prime Minister to fire their imagination during the period of depression.

The Churchillian “ we will not

Nigerian economy which depends largely on one export commodity on the one hand and places heavy reliance on imports of capital goods and raw materials in the other, devaluation will not be in the best interest of the country, I therefore wish to state without any equivocation that under the present circumstances, this administration has no intention of devaluating the Naira”. owever, another enlightened contribution was given by a former Head of Civil Service, Chief Allison Ayida who noted in his “Reflection on Nigerian Development” that `the way out is to evoke a new strategy involving less dependence on imports and the promotion of local manufacturing and agricultural production. Oil revenue should be seen as providing the fuel for engineering the growth points.

If we can manage the domestic economy properly and efficiently, the external sector will gradually assume less importance and the Naira will find its level in the floating basket of currencies`. It is a pity that oil money is distributed to take care of the current expenditure (70 – 80 per cent) of both the Federal and State budgets and not more on capital expenditure. The question is how can economic reform succeed in an environment which is unfriendly to poverty eradication policies?

And also, in a state of partial darkness – lack of power.

On the question of political reforms, it has become an old song which has lost its melodious stanza. Perhaps Olubunmi Cardinal Okogie saw the right vision in 2001 when he advised that “Nigeria should sit down and work on the Constitution. The agitation for national conference has been on for long and I think this is the time to hold it. We cannot run from it for much longer. The more we run, the more necessary it becomes.

One thing I fear about this nation is this, a civil revolution. I see a civil revolution in this country and I fear it – you hear of ethnic militias everywhere, it is telling us something…”

There was no Boko Haram insurgency at that time, but ethnic and religious clashes.

If the political and economic situation is viewed against the present nonchalant attitude towards reality, this is the time to reverse it to the more positive posture.

Sms only 07059197616

H

07059197616

Why a sudden change in political fortunes? surrender”, we will fight in the air and beaches……” was enough to fuel the resistance of Britons during the Second World War and Britain eventually triumphed. After the depression of the last Olympics, perhaps the President`s mind was captured in the article titled “JONATHAN AND THE LONDON OLMYPICS” by Dr Reuben Abatti, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Jonathan. As a crafty Journalist, Dr. Abatti supplied what is necessary to lift up the dampened minds of the nation.

The new message is that the nation has to do many things of the past and more new things to encourage and improve sports if the nation wants to achieve glory in future global competitions. “We are a country of gifted people”, he said. “We must identify those areas in which this country can excel and work hard at them”. “We must win medals and bring glory to our nation”, he advised. “I mean serious business. We must get our acts together”. Like all other appeals after failures, the private sector is looked upon to do a salvaging job. Nobody has suggested ways of encouraging the private sector to invest in sports when it has to grabble with its own existence in an unfriendly economic environment.

For instance, what are the incentives from government for encouraging private

investments into sports development?

Most of the problems of the Federal Government and its leadership are based on what people see as promises made and not kept. Reading through 2012 edition of Our Daily Bread some few days ago, I came across this interesting passage: “when people say with a sigh, `Promises, promises`, it is often when they have been disappointed by someone who failed to keep a commitment, the more it happens, the greater the sadness and the deeper the sigh”. igerians have listened patiently to the promises of reforms, reforms, and yet they are no visible revolutionary reforms. The economic reforms have brought paper-growth of GDP without appreciable growth rate in general employment. The picture today is that of a depreciating currency (N) and unfavorable high exchange rate in a tightened monetary stance that perpetrates deepening poverty in the country.

Unfortunately, the 2012 budget has been less emphatic on devaluation and stunted growth of the economy. As I have written before on Devaluation, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, a former President was bold and categorical in his 1983 Budget Speech when he said “ I have followed with keen interest the on-going debate on the devaluation of the Naira, I am convinced that given the present structure of the

N

'FG alone can't fight Boko Haram'

BY LAJA THOMAS

A

BDULLAHI Abdulmajeed is the President Nigerian Youth United Action Coalition, NYUAC. In this interview, he explains why government alone cannot tackle insecurity in the country. Excerpts: What are your major concerns about Nigeria?

As a youth of this country, I continue to feel the pain of seeing fellow citizens suffer untoward distress; physical and psychological torment while the country continues to lose precious lives daily. As a youth of this country, I am saddened when I see the outcome of long years of hard work and huge monumental investments being destroyed daily, namely; schools, hospitals, bridges, institutional buildings, private residences, investments and various industries.

I feel aggravated by the sight

of colossal and apparent signs of the disintegration of our dear country manifesting in startling proportion daily.

Uncertainty and despair is fast becoming commonplace in most parts of the country and the people are crying out for peace.

As a group of youths united in action, we stand amongst a large and growing community of young people who have committed time and resources to the imperative task of reexamining what really are the underlying factors responsible for ethno religious crisis and insurgency in Nigeria.

This review has left us appalled at the web of contradictions, the fragile "evidence," the accountability denied and the seeming inability to tackle the menace of violence and terrorism.

I have come to the conclusion that a mass citizens support and participation in the collective quest to rid this country of all factors and elements of underdevelopment will definitely

reposition the country and its people firmly on the pathway of sustainable development.

We are aware that development is grossly impossible in the absence of peaceful coexistence and harmony. We are appalled by the seeming willingness of some people in this country to accentuate the status quo (with little more than a whisper of criticism), a deeply troubling indication as to the state of our Republic.

What will you say led our country to this alarming state of insecurity?

Under- development and poverty is getting accentuated at an alarming rate. It is instructional to note that Nigeria as a country has gone through difficult moments, characterized by the prevalence of ethno religious violence and of course political destabilization crisis that has resulted in the loss of thousands of precious Nigerian lives, separation of fam-

*Abdulmajeed ilies and the destruction of economic and social infrastructures.

The reoccurring crises amplified by the emerging trend of insurgency and terrorism has compelled thousands of Nigerians to

abandon their places of domiciliation to seek refuge in their towns of origin or in neighboring states. While the country battles perennially with ethno religious and political crisis with the quantum of dismal and far reaching consequences on innocent citizens unabated, a new and more dangerous dimension of hostility and bloodshed has suddenly resurfaced in the annals of Nigeria affairs.

Militancy, insurgency and several acts of terrorism are fast becoming the medium adopted by different segments of the country’s population to register some form of discontent, reservation, cry of marginalization or alienation of their ethno-religious groups or regions.

Our major concern is that young people who are also the most vulnerable to the aftermath effects of these incidents are mostly used to power the uprisings ignorantly. This crisis is gradually destroying our social fabric and threatening to paralyze our economy.

46—Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012 Edited by MCPHILIPS NWACHUKWU 08026350360 E-mail: chimeena@yahoo.com

By YUSUF ABDALLAH USMAN

A

VERY large number of Nigeria’s priceless artefacts left Nigeria’s shores long before the country came into being as an independent nation.

The high point was the infamous assault on Benin in 1897. Dispossessing Nigerians of their heritage went on throughout the period of colonial domination and more recently it has been rearing its ugly head through looting of heritage archaeological sites and museums.

The National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Nigeria, the organ charged with the responsibility of preserving Nigeria’s antiquities considers the return of all these objects an issue of paramount importance that is why it is paying quality attention to it including setting up of a special unit to handle it.

It must be stated however, that since 1996 thefts of antiquities have not been recorded from National Museums collections.

So the claim that the recently intercepted terracotta pieces in US were stolen from National Museum Lagos is absolutely false.

No object has been stolen from any Nigeria museum since the last series of burglaries in the early 1990s. Even then, Lagos museum was not involved and all the stolen pieces were put on ICOM red list. Indeed many of them have since been recovered and returned to the museums.

Looting of heritage The looting of heritage archaeological sites and Museums has been an age-long and worldwide problem. In Nigeria the problem reached epidemic proportions in the 1990s when Nok and North-western Nigeria’s (Kwatarkwoshi) archaeological sites were massively raped and ripped of their priceless objects.

These objects were spread throughout Western Europe and the USA illustrating the devastating scale of the problem.

While the problem abated in the beginning of the new millennium, recent field studies indicate that it has not fully stopped.

Multi-pronged approach: At the onset of the present Management of the NCMM in 2009 under the leadership of Yusuf Abdallah Usman, the issue of looting of archaeological sites by illegal diggers reduced due to the use of a multi-pronged approach. Within the last three years the Commission has embarked on several sensitization programmes involving law enforcement agencies,media, local community and traditional rulers at Abuja and Kaduna and also in the rural areas especially at Nok and Janjala. In the meantime , approval to employ six hundred security and crafts men to police our heritage site is awaiting cash backing from the

Some of the stolen works returned

NCMM and return of Nigeria's antiquities budget office.

From the legal perspective, the Commission has made substantial progress in her bid to review her laws with a view to tightening the loose ends against the smuggling of antiquities.This review will give the Commission the power to the unequivocal proclamation that all antiquities buried under the ground are the properties of the Federal Govern-

,

sion is obliged by its Act to collect them even when it does not readily have funds to pay compensation, for the simple reason that these are the heritage of the nation and so cannot be allowed to remain outside the protection of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments.

We are currently dialoguing with the vendors with a view to finding means of compensating

tion. Accordingly we try to regulate the activities of these vendors in order to balance curatorial needs with scientific archaeological considerations.

In the meantime the Commission in pursuing restitution and return, has adopted approaches that are firmly anchored within the framework of the foreign policy direction of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which is principally dialogue rather than undue combativeness. These efforts at dialoguing have brought us into discussions with nations,

particularly our West African neighbours through the auspices of ECOWAS. This is necessary because most smuggled artefacts are taken out through the borders we share with these nations.

The Commission in its effort at getting our objects back to Nigeria has also been operating through the ICOM/UNESCO framework and has also been dialoguing with professionals in the foreign Museums.

We indeed believe that dialogue is more productive than confrontation. This however must not be misunderstood as weakness on our part. We do believe that our professional colleagues abroad and the law enforcement agencies will continue to cooperate with us in our legitimate pursuit for the return of our antiquities.

Under the leadership of Yusuf Abdallah Usman, the issue of looting of archaeological sites by illegal diggers Grand Awards Night for Wole Soyinka reduced due to the use of a multiPrize for Literature holds Sept. 8 pronged approach

,

ment of Nigeria.It will also make it possible for the Commission’s Antiquities Inspectors to search and arrest, with or without warrant, malefactors. The Commission will equally be endowed through provisions in the reviewed law with the power of prosecuting offenders.

The Commission has some registered antiquity vendors who bring objects to it for acquisition.

Through them, the Commission has acquired very good and invaluable objects. However, in recent times due to dwindling financial resources the Commission has been unable to pay as at when due.

When the vendors bring in these antiquities the Commis-

them. Thus we are seeking intervention funds from the Federal Government to enable us defray the debt owed them in order to prevent the objects from being sold to foreigners and private collectors. It is important to note that the issue of purchase of Antiquities is of prime importance to the nation. Meanwhile, we appreciate the understanding and patience of the vendors who are helping us to continually increase the number of our collections besides other means of acquisition such as: field collection, donations, seizures and restitution. It is pertinent to note that objects taken out of their archaeological context have little significance to social and historical reconstruc-

T

HE Grand Awards Night of the fourth edition of Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa sponsored by telecommuications company, Globacom comes up on 8th September at Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos starting at 4.00pm prompt.

Organisers of the event, The Lumina Foundation confirmed that former President of Ghana, Mr.John Agyekum Kufour will grace the occasion as the Chairman . Also in attendance is the Executive Governor of Lagos, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola who will be the host, while Mr. IbikunleAmosun, the Executive Governor of Ogun State is expected to be the Special Guest of Honour.

As part of plans to spice up the event, top artists have been lined

up to entertain at the Grand Awards Night . Leading the pack is the masked artiste, Lagbaja .Also expected to add colour to the night are Crown Troupe with their energetic steps and Nerfetiti, a new sensation group with their unique style.

The first edition of Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa was held in 2006. It was established by the Lumina Foundation in 2005 as a Biennial Award for the best literary work produced by an African. It honours Africa’s great writers and causes their works to be appreciated. It celebrates excellent writing, promotes scholarship and makes books available and affordable by subsidizing the publication of books in the top list of the judges.

Vanguard , FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012 —47

VISIT: Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State (right) presenting a souvenir of Uncommon Transformation to the Ambassador of Ireland, Dr Patrick Fay during a visit to the Ambassador in Abuja, yesterday.

PROTEST: Offa residents protesting the sacking of Prince Saheed Popoola, the only Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, member among the 16 council chairmen in Kwara State by the Local Government Election Petition Tribunal in Ilorin, Wednesday.

State Police: How Amaechi averted crisis in Governors' Forum

BY EMMANUEL

AZIKEN, POLITICAL EDITOR, HENRY UMORU & WOLE MOSADOMI BUJA—THE na tion’s 36 state governors have temporarily patched up the crack in their unity and possible loss of their domineering influence with a resolution to seek more consultations on the establishment of state police.

Meanwhile, the Inspector General of Police Mohammed Abubakar, yesterday, expressed opposition to the establishment of state police saying that it would be used by the governors for political vendetta.

Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State also yesterday, amplified reasons for the opposition of northern governors to the establishment of state police.

Contrary to claims that the divisive proposal for the establishment of state police led to the low attendance at the Wednesday night meeting of the Nigerian Governors' Forum, NGF, Vanguard learnt yesterday that the issue did not come up after all.

Governor Chibuke Amaechi, the Chairman of the NGF, Vanguard learnt, did not allow the issue to be discussed at the meeting which was attended by only ten governors and with eight others being represented by their deputies.

Governor Amaechi at the meeting was said to have ruled that the governors should go and do more consultations with stakeholders in order to allow a harmonious decision to be taken.

“Amaechi resolved that since the issue was becoming too cantankerous that the governors should go and do more consultations on the issue,” an associate

A

of one of the governors present at the meeting told Vanguard last night.

Prior to the meeting hosted by Governor Amaechi at the Rivers State Governor ’s Lodge in Abuja, a sharp division had emerged among the governors after their northern colleagues broke out from an earlier initiative to push for the establishment of state police.

The absence of the Chairman of the Northern States Governors' Forum, Dr. Babangida Aliyu of Niger State at the NGF meeting, chaired and hosted by his Rivers State colleague, Chibuke Amaechi had elicited fears of a sharp division in the ranks of the governors. The meeting which lasted barely 90 minutes also did not produce a communiqué.

Aliyu’s absence was despite the fact that he was in Abuja on the morning of the meeting and held a function in the Niger State Gov-

ernor’s Lodge which is a stone throw away from where Amaechi hosted the meeting in the Rivers State Governor’s Lodge.

Aliyu was represented at the meeting by his deputy.

Aliyu it was learnt departed immediately for Minna following the inauguration of a peace panel instituted by Northern States Governors to study the state of insecurity in the region to attend a function in Minna where he was expected to present vehicles and equipment to security agencies.

An aide of the governor told Vanguard, yesterday: ”We had to leave for Minna immediately after the inauguration because of a previous appointment in Minna where the governor was to give out some vehicles to the Police.”

An aide of one of the northern governors reasserting the opposition to state police said yesterday: “We all know how governors have been accused of

intimidating their opponents and you can see it in the way the conduct of the local government elections have been done where opposition parties were not given a free hand. So, you can imagine what will happen if the governors now have police in their hands, they will not allow their opponents to even contest,” an associate of one of the governors told Vanguard last night.

Besides the fear of the state police being used as a tool of political oppression, the northern governors it is claimed, are being accused of wanting the status quo to continue on the fear that they may not have enough funds to establish state police.

Governors present at the meeting were those of Rivers, Ekiti; Ondo; Ebonyi; Kaduna; Sokoto; Akwa Ibom; Kogi and Kano while the Deputy-Governors were those of Abia, Delta; Adamawa; Bayelsa; Nasarawa; Imo; Oyo and Lagos.

Why we recommended scrapping of Police Affairs Ministry —Osayande

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

B

ENIN CITY— Chairman, Police Service Commission, PSC, and Presidential Committee on the Reform of Nigerian Police Force, Mr Parry Osayande, (rtd), yesterday, said the recommendation made by his committee for the scrapping of Ministry of Police Affairs was not personal but in the best interest of the Police.

He said: “I have no personal quarrel with the Minister of Police Affairs, who is my friend. My only interest is what is best for the

police force.”

Osayande, who described as laughable, insinuation that his Commission wants to usurp the powers of the Ministry by recommending the scrapping of the Ministry of Police Affairs, said that funds for the police should be managed by the Inspector General of Police, whom according to him, is more familiar with the problems of the force.

“Our recommendations were not based on sentiment but for the good of the nation. For instance, if you go to Gombe State, they have finished the whole

police institution there.

Yobe is empty, I had toured these places but I don’t think the Minister has. If they went on tour, they will know how to organise the buildings and the type of vehicles required there.

“Has the Minister ever been to Yenagoa or Obudu, but we have policemen in all these places. You cannot just sit down and award contracts and the Inspector General of Police does not know. I am not against the Ministry of Police Affairs. Look at our Police Colleges, they are dead."

Police kill robbery suspect The police source, who in Lagos craved anonymity, said on

I

KORODU—A member of a notorious five-man robbery gang, which had terrorised residents of Ikorodu area of Lagos State and its environs, has been killed during a gun duel with the police. Vanguard gathered that, the deceased bandit and members of his gang had an encounter with the police when they invaded a house at Odogiyan Estate, Ikorodu and dispossessed the inhabitants of their cash and other valuables.

Police source disclosed that a distress call was made to the Divisional Police Officer, Sagamu Road Police Division, Mr. Benard Ediagboya, who was said to have been on trail of the bandit for a long time and he mobilised his men to the scene.

arriving the scene, the police met the bandits trying to escape in a Hilux Jeep and made tactical efforts to apprehend them, but the bandit, on sighting them, opened fire and the police responded.

“This led to an exchange of gun fire which lasted 20 minutes. But one of the bandits was gunned down while others escaped in their bullet ridden Hilux jeep.

Spokesperson of Lagos State Police Command, Mrs. Ngozi Briade, who confirmed the report said, a locally made gun and some charms were recovered from the scene.

She added that the police were currently combing the entire area to arrest other fleeing members of the gang.

Protest in Offa as Tribunal sacks only ACN LG boss in Kwara

BY DEMOLAAKINYEMI

I

LORIN —THERE was tension in Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State, as no fewer than 10,000 protesters took to the streets, Wednesday night and yesterday morning against the judgment of the Local Government Election Petition Tribunal, which Wednesday, sacked the Chairman, Prince Saheed Popoola, the only Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, member among the 16 council chairmen in the state.

The tribunal ordered rerun within 90 days.

Prince Popoola told reporters, yesterday, that he was shocked by the reaction across Offa by people of all ages, particularly non-politicians.

He said since they were expressing their feelings,

he had no choice than to join them and ensure that the protest was peaceful.

He exuded confidence that anytime the election is conducted the majority of the people of Offa would still vote for him because they were the ones who asked him to be their chairman in the first place.

He warned the PDP-led state government against appointing a sole administrator pending the outcome of his appeal.

Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission, KWASEIC, had cancelled the election conducted in October 30, 2010 following violence that marred the exercise, and ordered for a re-run in January, 2011.

At the end of the re-run conducted under tight security, KWASIEC declared Prince Popoola of the opposition ACN as the winner.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012 — 48

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012 — 49

50—Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012

country improves, we insist that none of our youths should be posted to serve the compulsory one year national service in any part of these areas in the North”.

Speaking at the event, Chief HID Awolowo said the coming together of Yoruba elders under the umbrella of Yoruba Unity Forum will make Yoruba land a great nation just as she prayed that the insecurity going on in some parts of the nation will not come down to the South-West.

According to her, “We sent people to the Southern Leaders Conference in Uyo to represent us at the Southern Nigeria’s Peoples Assembly (SNPA) to solve some of the major issues affecting Yoruba land.”

Rt Rev Bolanle Gbonigi, in his submission, said it was time for Yoruba leaders and elders to work hard and come out strongly to defend their rights as Yoruba land had been marginalised for too long.

Yoruba under one umbrella

*Former Lagos State governor, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, Mrs HID Awolowo and Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade at the forum yesterday

Yoruba elders decry worsening insecurity, graft •HID Awolowo, Ooni, Gbonigi urge unity

BY GBENGA OKE & DAUD OLATUNJI

I

KENNE – Following the insinuation of the looming incursion of Boko Haram insurgents into the South West geopolitical zone,Yoruba leaders, under the aegis of Yoruba Unity Forum (YUF), yesterday declared that proactive steps have been taken to curtail the incursion. There had been wide spread speculation about the plan of members of the dreaded Boko Haram sect into the region which had hightened the tension in the region.

The leaders, who converged on the Ikenne, Ogun State residence of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo met under the leadership of Yeye Oodua, Chief (Mrs) HID Awolowo, allayed the fears of the people in the region over the incursion of Boko Haram.

Yoruba elders also called on President Goodluck Jonathan and all organs of government especially the Judiciary to prosecute the war against corruption without fear or favour.

They urged Yoruba leaders irrespective of political affiliation to join forces and protect the

socio-economic and political interests of the region on account of what they described as marginalisation of Yoruba land.

In a communique signed by retired Archbishop of Akure Diocese, Rt. Rev. Bolanle Gbonigi; and Senator Femi Okurounmu and made available to reporters stated that the meeting unanimously endorsed the report of the Uyo meeting and ratified its decision.

Security situation The forum said “the meeting examined seriously the security situation in Yoruba land, the possibility of Boko Haram incursion into the zone and took proactive steps to ensure the zone is not caught unprepared”.

It further said the meeting had resolved to intensify efforts to ensure that Yorubas, who have not yet identified with YUF are brought into its fold soon.

The forum which deferred the adoption of Southern Nigeria Peoples Assembly (SNPA) draft constitution to a later date, however pointed out that the SNPA was not a gang-up against

the North but to strengthen the unity of the country.

According to the forum,the SNPA was jointly set up in July in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State by delegates from the South-South, South-East and South-West zones.

Lamenting the continued threat to lives and property in some parts of the country especially by the activities of the Boko Haram Sect that have led to increasing loss of innocent lives especially Christians and Southerners and worsening corruption, the group asked the President to take urgent steps towards convening a National Conference to produce a truly people’s federal constitution to guarantee a united and stable Nigerian nation.

Reading a communique jointly signed by Southern Nigeria leaders – Rt. Rev Bolanle Gbonigi (South-West), Chief Edwin Clark (South-South ) and Chief Mbazulike Amaechi (South-East), the group said the impunity with which corrupt practices were being perpetrated in the country as revealed by various probes such fuel subsidy, pension fund and Securities and

Exchange Commission, has had cancerous effects on the economy.

According to the group: “The President should not hesitate to rid his government and the nation’s security forces of all persons of dubious loyalty and

,

“There are lots of Yoruba groups that meet from time to time yet nothing comes out of such meetings. So there is need for all of us to come together under one umbrella to move Yoruba land and Nigeria forward.”

Speaking in the same vein, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade implored Yoruba leaders never to allow the Yoruba race to go down adding that the Yoruba race had always being on top and should remain there.

His words: “God has us on top and we should work hard in order not go go down. There is need for us to come together to ensure we do not come down. Once our minds are clear towards achieving this goal, we will continue to move up”.

Prominent personalities at the event include Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade; Mrs HID Awolowo; former Alliance for Democracy, AD Senate Leader, Senator Akinfenwa; Ondo state

Leaders and elders of the North should take more pro-active responsibility to manage their restive youths with a view to bringing the Boko Haram menace to an end

to treat the activities of the sect as treason and apply the relevant laws on the culprits and their sponsors.

“Leaders and elders of the North should take more proactive responsibility to manage their restive youths with a view to bringing the Boko Haram menace to an end in the manner Southern elders and leaders have been doing to effectively manage the insurgence in their respective areas”.

It went further, “until the security situation in volatile and life threatening areas of the

,

Deputy Governor, Ali Olanusi; former Attorney General of the federation, Prince Bola Ajibola; former Lagos state Governor, Alhaji Lateef Jakande; Chief Ebenezer Babatope.

Others are former Deputy Governor of Lagos state, Kofoworola Bucknor; former Minister of Health, Prof Adenike Grange; Alhaji Shitta Bey; Most Reverend Ayo Ladigbolu, OPC leader, Otunba Gani Adams; Senator Iyabo Anisulowo; Senator Anthony Adefuye,Chief Deji Ariyibi; and Reverend Dr Isaac Adeniyi.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012 — 51

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VANGUARD'S LAGOS OFFICE YOU CAN B O O K Y O U R A D V E R T S AT OU R L A G O S I S L A N D O F FI C E — VA N G U A R D MEDIA LIMITED (LAGOS OFFICE) K I O S K 4 8 E A S T P AV I L I O N T B S , LAGOS.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012 — 52

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012 — 53

S

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012

PORTS minister, Bolaji Abdullahi surely means well for our sports but he simply doesn’t get it.

While lamenting on our failure at the 2012 London Olympics, the minister assured that Nigeria will win five gold medals at the next games in Rio de Janeiro and that the next Sports Festival in Lagos, the Eko 2012 Games will be the springboard for good performance in the next Commonwealth Games and the Olympics.

News on radio and television had it that the minister also said that Nigeria must win the next Nations Cup in South Africa and that if it means sacking the technical crew to do so the sacking should be done without delay. I will not take on the minister on this since his office has denied that he ever made such a statement.

Better.

But it will still be good for him to understand the state of our sports including football.

Our sports is down and out. And we reaped what we sowed in London. It is only football, through the programme Stephen Keshi and his crew introduced that we are trying to rebuild. However, that is not even total because we are rebuilding from the top. It is wrong.

But Keshi is only playing his part. Others should play theirs too. The rebuilding should start from the schools, the academies, U-17 and U-20. The problems we have now in soccer would not be there if we had serious programmes at these levels. But we talk so much and do nothing. Keshi was appointed Super Eagles coach, he consulted some people and started a programme to identify and train local players after many foreign-based players disappointed over time.

T

he fact is that Nigeria lacks top class players even in Europe and our continued reliance on them exposed us to the reality when we could not even qualify for the last Nations Cup. And now that Keshi has started rebuilding from the top, it is the responsibility of the minister of sports and his education counterpart to ensure that rebuilding starts from schools from where the Nigeria Football Federation will key in. And winning the Nations Cup in South Africa may be possible but considering the state of our football and the ongoing rebuilding process it will be difficult, somewhat uphill task. A semi-final or final outing is

banking on one person to win gold for us. Blessing got to the final of 100m and for somebody who had just run sub 11 seconds for the first time one week to the games we expected too much from her. She did well in London.

A

No, it’s not possible Sports Minister

,

54 —

Can we introduce competitions at all levels, from community to zonal and regional, state and national levels?

,

possible after which we may begin to dream of lifting the cup in 2015. A cup victory will be a surprise.

I say the same to the sports minister on the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. It will be shear magic to win five gold medals in Brazil. It will not be possible for Nigeria to achieve that. It simply means that those who tutored Bolaji to promise five gold medals do not have a grasp of what it takes to win Olympic gold. In some organized countries that may be possible. But I can’t say that of my beloved country. Bad.

F

irst, I want to ask Bolaji from which sports will the gold medals come? Football? Shall we qualify? It could be possible if we qualify and field over-aged players. Track and field? Who will win gold from there?

Blessing Okagbare? We went to the London Games

ll the medal winners were already sub 11 sec onds runners. Blessing will be 27 at the next games in Brazil and I suggest she concentrates on Long Jump then but for now she can go on with her 100m for I see her making impact in this area in the next one or two years. But will she run for Nigeria? Will athletes continue to spend their money preparing for the games?

Will government not release money a month or two to the games and expect wonders? Can corruption be a thing of the past in our sports? How possible will that be when corruption is the order of the day in other sectors? Are those who run Nigerian sports not Nigerians and part of the system? Will the money voted for sports be spent on sports? Shall we not have our top ministry officials staying in places like Savoy Hotel where the least room rate is 1,500 pounds (About N397,500) a day? Shall we continue to bank on the annual budget before we plan for competitions like the Olympic Games? Can’t those who run our sports find an answer to the practice of returning all unspent monies to the Accountant General of the Federation?

Can’t they tie monies to projects and stop finding alibi in financial regulations? Can we have a true National Sports Commission that will be run by experts with integrity? Can we have a policy that will make physical education a must in our secondary schools like Jamaica did? Can our schools have sports curricula and sports grounds made a must in our schools?

Can we introduce competitions at all levels, from community to zonal and regional, state and national levels for age grade levels so that our Sports Festival will be our own Olympics where our best compete? Until some of these things are done, the festival cannot be our springboard to great performance in sports and Nigeria may never win five gold medals in one Olympic Games. Is the sports minister reading this? Those who wrote the script of five gold medals in one Olympics should tell him Onochie Anibeze said it is not possible because of the way we run sports.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012 — 55

Don't be cheap Rob tells Blues Put up or shut up over Moses

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OBERTO Martinez has labelled Chelsea “cheap” over their pursuit of Victor Moses.

The Blues have made several bids for Wigan’s highly-rated striker, including one believed to be around £8million.

But the Latics are holding out for £10m and Martinez has warned the Londoners to stump up or keep shut.

He said: “You will get all sorts of speculation and talk but the reality is every player has a valuation.

“If a club matches that valuation then maybe you have to sit down with the player and there is a decision to be made. “Here, for all the talk and speculation, we have never had an offer which matches what the

club wants — so at that point, all the rest is cheap talk.”

Martinez reckons Moses, 21, is worth every penny of Wigan’s £10m valuation.

He added: “Victor is an incredible young man and I think the maturity he showed on Sunday is not normal in a 21-yearold.

“It has been a real joy to see him grow over the last few seasons. We made a massive investment in him as a young man and we are very proud of him.

“If there is nothing to consider, it is not an issue.”

Moses joined Wigan from Crystal Palace on a three-and-a-half-year deal midway through the 2009/10 season for £2.5million.

TARGET ... Manchester City want to prise David Luiz away from Chelsea

West Ham, Sunderland battle for Osaze W

EST Brom striker Peter Odemwingie is a transfer target for both West Ham and Sunderland, but the Baggies are only prepared to sell if their £10million valuation is met.

Although Odemwingie remains an important part of the first team at West Brom they are will-

ing to listen to offers given the player’s age, according to the Daily Mirror. New manager Steve Clarke is well stocked in the striking department, having secured deals this summer for Romelu Lukaku and Markus Rosenberg, who will compete with Shane Long and Marc-Antoine For-

tune for a starting place.

West Brom rejected a bid from Qatari club AlGharrafa for Odemwingie earlier this summer, but they are prepared to let the 31-year-old Nigeria international leave to allow other areas of the squad to be strengthened. Sunderland and West Ham are desperate

Blues no to City’s £30m Luiz bid

C

HELSEA have re jected Manchester City’s £30million bid for David Luiz.

City boss Roberto Mancini needs defensive cover with Micah Richards crocked for 10 weeks. Luiz was axed from last night’s win over Reading while Chelsea and City tried to thrash out a deal — though the Brazilian centre-back claimed on Twitter he has a knee injury. Chelsea were angered by the Tweet and Luiz has been fined.

Boss Roberto Di Matteo said: “This social media thing is all around us now. We’ll deal with it internally.”

But Luiz is still a big part of boss Roberto Di Matteo’s plans and City will need to significant-

ly up their offer to prise him away.

Flamboyant Luiz, 25, arrived at Stamford

Bridge in a £21m deal from Benfica in January 2011 and became an instant hit with the fans.

Eagles’ list out on Saturday Continues from B/P deliberated on it at its meeting in Abuja on Friday.

“There is no misunderstanding as some people are trying to make out.

It is a matter of procedure. There is a Technical Committee and it has the responsibility to look at the list submitted by the Head Coach.

“The Technical Committee will deliberate on ths list on Friday and by Saturday, we can make it public. Of course, the

home-based players are already known; they are already in camp. The curiousity is about whichforeign-based players will come for the match,” said Ikpeme.

The Super Eagles will fly to Monrovia on 6th September for the final 2013 African Cup of Nations qualifying fixture, first leg match against the Lone Star, billed for the Samuel Kanyon Doe Stadium on Saturday, 8th September.

for attacking reinforcements, and with the transfer window closing in just over a week they could be tempted into an eight-figure bid for a player who has scored 27 goals in 63 games in his two years in England.

West Ham have been frustrated in their attempts to lure Andy Carroll to Upton Park, while Sunderland’s pursuit of Steven Fletcher is stalling.

40 secret assessors for nationwide league

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HE Nigeria Nation wide league (NNL) board has concluded plan to appoint 40 secret assessors for the final league matches in order to maintain the credibility of the league as well as successful and hitch-free competi-tion scheduled to hold next weekend across the country The NNL Chairman, Alhaji Ahmad Muhammad Mu’azu Kawu dropped this hint in a statement issued in Kano.

According to him, as the board executing its league matches across the country without reporting any incident at match venues, there is need to maintain the standard aimed at sustain the tempo.

Kawu said that his board has concluded plan to appoint about 40 match assessors for the final league matches in order to avoid match fixing as well as to concluded credible football season.

The chairman said that despite the financial constraint facing the board, the NNL remains the best organise league in recent time and called on multicooperation organisation to come to aid of the league with a view to develop the league at grassroot levels.

He commended the leadership of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for their usual support and cooperation given to the board.

2012 Bankers Games: Skye Bank open title defense against Stanbic

O

RGANIZERS of the Nigeria Bankers Games (NBG) have confirmed that the highlights of the 2012 matches will be broadcast on the SuperSports Blitz, the news update channel of Africa’s leading satellite television channel even as the kick-off date has been fixed for September 2 at the University of Lagos Sports Complex.

Fela Bank-Olemoh, the Chief Executive Officer of MediaVision Limited disclosed shortly after the draws which had the SuperSports crew in attendance that the broadcast of the match highlights is

another milestone in the history of Nigeria Corporate Games.

Olemoh in a brief speech before the draw last Friday took stock of the company’s involvement in the NBG and declared, “When MediaVision Limited took over the organization of the Bankers Game over a decade ago, we promised to continually raise the profile of the competition through world class organization that will not only create value but also yield emotional and physical wellbeing for all participants.

Paralympians storm Heathrow Continues from B/P and delegates expected throughout the day.

Despite a nearby fire causing delays of 15-20 minutes in the first two hours of the day, he added, Paralympian arrivals were progressing “very smoothly”.

Athletes touching down at Heathrow said they were pleased with the welcome they received. “I have been very well looked after and everyone is smiling,” said Jan Apel, a 61-year-old SKUD 18 yachting competitor from New Zealand arriving at Terminal 3.

Colin Harrison, 51, the skipper of the Australian three-man Sonar yacht

team who lost his right arm to cancer when he was 28, agreed. “We’ve had a fantastic welcome here at Heathrow with plenty of helpers around,” he said.

More than 400 wheelchair users are expected to arrive at Heathrow on Wednesday and, while the airport has built specialist lifts and other facilities in preparation for the Paralympics, the challenge has been arguably biggest for the airlines flying in the athletes.

British Airways (BA) is transporting teams from 25 countries, including ParalympicsGB, who have been training abroad and are thought to be arriving next week.

Along with the athletes, BA is also transporting around 300 wheelchairs and other sporting equipment.

“It has been a mammoth operation that we have been planning and preparing for since the 2008 Beijing Games, when we flew Team GB and ParalympicsGB home on a gold-nose aircraft,” said BA’s operations director, Andy Lord. “It is a privilege to fly thousands of athletes, their coaching teams and their sporting equipment into London for the Paralympic Games and follows on from the great service we delivered for the Olympic Games.”

VANGUARD, FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012

Wes or Osaze estt Ham, Sunderland battle ffor

Eagles’ list out on Saturday

S

UPER Eagles’ Head Coach, Stephen Keshi will release his list of players for next month’s 2013 African Cup of Nations final qualifying match against Liberia on Saturday, 25th August.

NFF’s Director of Technical, Dr. Emmanuel Ikpeme said on Thursday morning that the muchawaited list of foreignbased players will be made known at a press conference at the Teslim Balogun Stadium on Saturday afternoon, after the NFF Technical SubCommittee must have Continues on Page 55

Paralympians storm Heathrow ...face sex assault charges

A

THLETES compet ing in the Paralympics have begun jetting into Britain in large numbers, on what is expected to be the busiest day at Heathrow airport in the runup to the Games.

A spokesman for the airport said about 200 people, including around 80 wheelchair users, arrived on Wednesday morning, with a total of 2,100 Paralympics competitors

Continues on Page 55

Nigerian delegation arrives London for the Paralympic Games

Arsenal won’t finish in top 4 — Eduardo • Slams club for selling RVP, Song DUARDO has in the top four this sea- a long time to recover E slammed Arsenal for son. The Croatia hitman, from losing their two best selling Robin van Persie who now plays for Sha- players once again.

•Osaze

and Alex Song — and fears they will not finish TODAY'S

PUZZLE

khtar Donetsk, believes his former club could take YESTERDAY'S

Eduardo said: “It’s a big

mistake to sell them — they were the most important players last season.

“When you lose two players like that, your chance of finishing in the top four will be less.

“Every year it’s similar — they lose players, buy players, make them class players and the next year they sell again.”

ANSWERS ACROSS DOWN 1 Trite (5) 2 Direct (3) 5 Halve (6) 3 Skilful (6) 8 Elude (5) 4 Record (3) 10 Appear (6) 5 Ray (4) 11 Bedouin (4) 6 Climbed (6) 14 Defame (6) 7 Shaft (6) 15 Showcase (7) 9 Evolve (7) 18 Entrap (3) 12 Managed (3) 19 Cover (3) 13 Nibble (4) 21 Trade (4) 16 Too (4) 23 Design (5) 17 Giant (5) 24 Nourishment (4) 20 Quandary (7) 27 Friend (3) 22 Assert (4) 29 Pin (3) 24 Agent (6) 31 Mesh (7) 25 Candid (4) 32 Talented (6) 26 Dedicate (6) 34 Observe (4) 28 Bandage (6) 35 Affair (6) 30 Obtain (3) 38 Cut (5) 33 Repose (4) 39 Modern (6) 36 Tree (3) 40 Centre (5) 37 Stray (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Deceit 5, Sphere 9, Ditto 10, Random 11, Elapse 12, Libel 14 Sled 17, Dip 18, Trap 20, Solid 22, Chest 23, Tubular 24, Peace 26, Tower 29, Arch 30, Let 32, Wane 33, Mania 35, Credit 36, Riddle 37, Meted 38, Letter 39, Decree.

How to Play Sudoku

THE VIGILANTE

DOWN: 1, Duress 2, Cancel 3, Idol 4, Timid 5, Steep 6, Poll 7, Expire 8, Exempt 13, Bitumen 15, Lover 16, Ditch 18, Throw 19, Ashen 21, Due 22, Cat 24, Parcel 25, Accent 27, Wander 28, Revere 30, Later 31, Tired 33, Mine 34, Aide.

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.

Printed and Published by VANGUARD MEDIA LIMITED, Vanguard Avenue, Kirikiri Canal, P.M.B.1007, Apapa. Phone: Newsroom: 018773962. Deputy Editor: 01-8944295. Advert Dept: 01-7924470; Hotline: 01-8737028; Abuja: 09-2341102, 09-2342704. E-mail: editor@vanguardngr.com, news@vanguardngr.com, letters@vanguardngr.com. Advert:advertproduction@yahoo.com Website: www.vanguardngr.com (ISSN 0794-652X) Editor: MIDENO BAYAGBON. Phone: 01-7742861, All correspondence to P.M.B. 1007, Apapa Lagos.

6—Vanguard , FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012

Flood kills 4 in Jigawa

D

UTSE—A HEAVY downpour on Wednesday in the Kiyawa Local Government Area of Jigawa, killed four persons, destroying houses and crops, the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports.

It will be recalled that the Nigeria Metrological Agency had listed Jigawa among states in the country that would be affected by flooding this year.

Alhaji Basiru Maje, ViceChairman of the Local Government, told NAN yesterday in Dutse that no fewer than 10 villages were affected by the flooding.

Maje said two persons, one Kabiru in Adede Village and Ibrahim Sani of Dangoli Village were killed by the flooding which also destroyed about 1, 500 hectares of farmland. “Apart from the people that died, farmlands, houses and animals were destroyed, ” he said.

Similarly, Malam Hakilu

Idi, a resident of Dangoli Village said apart from the two dead men, unidentified corpses of a woman with a baby on her back, were also found in the village.

Idi said the flooding overflowed the bridge on Kafingana River and submerged farmlands, explaining that one of the dead men in Adede Village was on his farm when the flooding occurred.

Maje said a committee had been set up by the council to evaluate the extent of damage in the affected areas.

He said the council had made arrangements to distribute relief materials to the flood victims, calling on the Federal and state governments to intervene to prevent further occurrences.

NAN reports that the newly-constructed KiyawaBirninkudu highway was also damaged by the flooding.

Substandard products: Trade Ministry gets presidential backing

M

INISTRY of Trade and Investment has received a presidential backing to ensure a drastic reduction in the substandard products across the country before the end of 2013.

The Minister of Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga, disclosed this during the inauguration of the Consumer Protection Council’s Products and Services Listing and Monitoring Programme (Proserve) in Abuja, yesterday.

Aganga said his ministry would intensify the fight against substandard products across the country, in line with its Industrial Revolution Plan and Local Patronage Initiative.

He said, “The present administration, led by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, attaches great importance to the development of our local industries. The main barriers to increased productivity of our local industries have been identified and we are already working on them.

And one of the areas that have been identified has to do with sub-standard products.

The President has asked for a presentation to be made to him at the Economic Management Team by the Directors General of Standards

Organisation of Nigeria and the Consumer Protection Council on substandard products. This shows how seriously the President takes the issue of substandard goods.

“Yesterday, the ministers signed a performance contract with Mr. President and one of my Key Performance Indicators is to reduce the level of substandard products across the country. And within the next few weeks, I will be signing KPI contracts with the DGs of SON and CPC on the reduction of substandard products across the country.

My target is, perhaps, to reduce the level of substandard products to about 30 per cent by the end of next year. But I am going to ask them to possibly reduce to it to about 15 per cent. So, this is to assure Nigerians that the government is taking serious action against the substandard products.”

The Minister noted that in addition to reducing the current level of substandard products , his ministry had also embarked on policies and programmes aimed at promoting the patronage of made-in-Nigeria products.

He added that the initiative would help to boost the productivity of local industries, create jobs and generate wealth for Nigerians.

SSS PARADES SUSPECTED KILLERS OF OYERINDE—State Security Service parades suspected killers of Oyerinde in Abuja yesterday. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan.

Oyerinde: SSS hands over 6 suspects to Police zPolice to harmonise case files with SSS

BY KINGSLEY OMONOBI, SONI DANIEL & CALEB AYANSINA

A

BUJA—THE State Security Service, yesterday, handed over the six suspects arrested in connection with the killing of the Principal Private Secretary to the Edo State Governor, Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde, to the police for prosecution.

The suspects, Mohammed Ibrahim Addullahi, Raymond Onaijite Origbo, Chikezie Edeh, Saidu Yakubu, aka Iman, Sani Abdullahi Abubakar and Hassan Bashiru, were handed over to the Special Armed Robbery Squad, SARS, at the Police Headquarters, Abuja.

Before the handing over, the SSS Deputy Director of Public Relations, Marilyn Ogar, had denied claims that the suspects paraded in respect of Oyerinde’s murder were the same earlier paraded in connection with the abduction of two expatriate construction workers.

Ogar said it was not true that the three young men paraded by the service on March 14, 2012 in connection with the kidnap of Christopher McManus and Franco Lamolinara of Stabilini Visinoni Construction Company were the same shown to the public on August 1, 2012 as the killers of Oyerinde.

SSS denies re-cycling of suspects She explained that the

three suspects, who abducted the two foreign workers, were Bashir Ibrahim aka Adda’u, Ibrahim A. Habibu and Gambo Maiborodi, whose ages ranged between 19 and 20 years while those who killed Oyerinde were men between the ages of 26 and 46.

Ogar said, “For the avoidance of doubt, both groups have no link whatsoever, as they were apprehended for difference offences, at separate locations and at different times. The service therefore wishes to state emphatically that at no time has it recycled suspects.

“Even though some of the suspects were paraded in the same clothes, they are in no way the same and any attempt to link both groups is diversionary and intended to trivialise and politicise the murder of Oyerinde, thereby aggravating the pains and agony of his family and friends.” It was not immediately clear when the police would begin the trial of the suspects, as they indicated that there was need to harmonise the different sets of suspects before proceeding with the case.

The 10 suspects who are presently in police custody are; Muhammed Baba Yelwa, Idris Abdulhamid, Hassan Aliyu, Garba Usman Maisamari, Danjuma Musa, Muritala Usman, Auta Umoru and Umaru Adamu (alias Duna), Moses Asamah Okoro (alias Moses Auchi) and Rev. David Ugolor.

However, the alleged

mastermind of the killing, Rev. David Ugolor who was in police custody secured an order from court to be released from detention, but the order was not obeyed by the Police.

Police to contest court order on Ugolor Briefing newsmen in Abuja on the development, the Police Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, explained that the Nigeria Police Force and SSS were not in any way having unhealthy rivalry as insinuated in some quarters.

“Rivalry between Police and SSS does not exist, we are intricately joined together”, he confirmed, revealing that, the Police and SSS are to harmonize their case files for proper prosecution.

“It may interest you to know that Abubakar Lawal, one of the suspects currently in SSS custody was arrested by the police. He was arrested by men of Rejiya/ lemo Police station in Kano on May 31, 2012 and handed over to SSS in the best tradition of interagency cooperation. Efforts are on going to consolidate and harmonize the two case files.

“Our goal is not to prosecute or convict at all cost. Our goal is simply to secure the interest of justice, to get justice not only to those in the detention, but also to the deceased, the victim, his friends, relatives and to Nigerians. We will not be stampeded to do anything that is not professional”,

Mba added.

Speaking on the order secured by Rev. Ugolor, Mba maintained that Police authorities would contest it in the court of law, just as he noted that all accusing fingers were pointing in the direction of Rev David Ugolor as mastermind.

“During the parade on July 27, Garba Usman Maisamari (a suspect) positively identified Rev David Ugolor, but he denied it. The Police lawyers as I am talking to you are in court to contest that order before embarking on prosecution”, Mba said.

He continued, “The investigation has been painstaking, challenging but we have been encouraged. Over 36 stolen phones were recovered.

Investigators visited several states; Kano, Kebbi, Adamawa, Delta, Lagos and several parts of Edo states.

The gang used two motorcycles for the operation, one provided by Umaru Adamu alias Duma and the other by Danjuma Musa. A total of three guns were used. Usman Adamu provided two, while Muritala Usman provided one.

It will be recalled that, a week after the Nigeria Police Force had paraded some suspects, the State Security Service, SSS, on August 1 paraded another six suspects, who allegedly killed Olaitan Oyerinde.

Oyerinde was murdered in his residence at No. 65, 2nd Ugbor Road, GRA, Benin by four gunmen on May 4, 2012 by unknown gunmen.