Plot to impeach Amaechi thickens

...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 61892

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ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2013

Plot to impeach Amaechi thickens •S-South gov offers to bankroll it with N7bn •Amaechi is desperate — Suswam; I'm not — Amaechi

•Govs fault Tukur on his suspension

BY SONI DANIEL, REGIONAL EDITOR, NORTH; HENRY UMORU & JIMITOTA ONOYUME

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BUJA—FORCES opposed to the return of Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State as the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, yesterday, made fresh moves to unseat him as governor. This came as some governors have faulted his suspension from the party, saying it was an abuse of the party’s constitution.

Governor Amaechi him

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DEMOCRACY DAY:

Security tightens .P.8

COLUMNISTS: ROTIMI FASAN •P.85

OGAGA IFOWODO GROUND-BREAKING—President Goodluck Jonathan (3rdR); Gov Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu of Niger State (4thR);

Minister of Power, Prof Chinedu Nebo (2ndR); Minister of State for Power, Hajiya Zainab Kuchi (R) and the PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur (L) at the Ground-Breaking ceremony of 700mw Zungeru Hydro-Electric Power Project in Niger State, yesterday. Inset: Gov Aliyu presenting a horse to President Jonathan at the event. Photos: State House.

JONATHAN: The promise and 1-83 8 . s g performance •P C M Y K

EMERGENCY RULE: Reps deny Jonathan access to funds of •P.8 affected states, LGs

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Mr & Mrs

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POCKET CARTOON

COMMISSIONING—Speaker House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal (2ndL); flanked

by Governor Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State (l); the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa'ad Abubakar III ; Speaker of the Sokoto State House of Assembly, Alhaji Lawal Zayana (2r) and other dignitaries at the commissioning of the multi-million naira Agricultural Skills Acquisition Centre as part of activities marking the week-long 2013 Democracy Day Celebrations at Wurno, Sokoto. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida.

Plot to impeach Amaechi thickens Continues from Page 1

self unmoved by report of plans to impeach him, declared that if he was removed, he was satisfied with his achievements and has therefore called on the people of Rivers State to continue to defend their rights,

noting that their votes would certainly determine his successor in 2015.

The anti-Amaechi group, it was learnt, decided at a secret meeting in Abuja on Monday night to impeach the governor within a month.

The decision to im-

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

The sun is still there... even if clouds drift over it. Once you have experienced the reality of sunshine you may weep, but you will never feel ice about your heart again— Elizabeth Goudge. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

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O not let your fire go out or let the hero in your heart and soul perish in lonely frustration for the life you deserved and have never been able to reach. The world you desire can be won. It exists... it is real... it is possible... It’s yours — Ayn Rand “IF you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change the way you think about it”. More life lessons quotes from Mark and Angel Hack - Be happy. Be yourself. If others don’t like it, then let them be. Happiness is a choice. Life isn’t about pleasing everybody. When you’re up, your friends know who you are. No matter how good or bad you have it, wake up each day thankful for your life. Someone somewhere else is desperately fighting for theirs.

The Smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention. Many people are so poor because the only thing they have is money. Learn to appreciate the things you have before time forces you appreciate the things you once had. When you choose to see the good in others, you end up finding the good in yourself. What you do every day matters more than what you do every once in a while. You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading your last one. Things turn out best for people who make the best out of the way things turn out.

peach Amaechi was taken as a last resort by his traducers apparently to prove to their sponsors that although they failed to clinch the NGF leadership through the ballot, they were still capable of getting the governor out of the way before the 2015 election.

Vanguard gathered that shortly after suspending the governor from the Peoples Democratic Party, some powerful politicians met in the house of a PDP chieftain in Abuja and hatched the plot to impeach Amaechi from office.

A source close to the secret meeting, which was also attended by some governors in the PDP opposed to Amaechi’s re-election as the NGF chairman, said that the implications of Amaechi’s victory to the re-election bid of President Jonathan was thoroughly examined during the meeting, which lasted for about four hours.

The forces arrayed against the Rivers Governor, were said to have frowned at the audacity of Amaechi to stand for election against the candidate favoured by the Presidency, thereby portraying the President in bad light.

The anti-Amaechi group was particularly miffed when one of the governors in attendance pointed out that the full

implication of Amaechi’s victory meant that President Jonathan could lose the 2015 election, if the trend of the NGF poll was repeated and called for urgent actions to remove the governor.

The major plank of the anti-Amaechi plot, according to sources close to the matter, is to raise a large chunk of money and compromise a majority of the 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, who are still loyal to Amaechi.

The plot is to get at a reasonable number of the pro-Amaechi lawmakers and add to the five, who are loyal to the Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike, and use them to impeach Amaechi before the end of June.

However, when the foot soldiers complained that it would be difficult to infiltrate the proAmaechi lawmakers and get the required number to oust the governor, a governor from one of the South-South states, reportedly opted to take necessary steps to raise the N7 billion required for the ‘coup’ against Amaechi.

But Amaechi said, yesterday, that he had not done anything to warrant being impeached, saying that the plot against him by his detractors would fail.

The governor, who spoke through the state Information Commis-

sioner, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, said that members of the state House of Assembly are men of integrity, who appreciate the good work that Amaechi is doing in the state and will not be cajoled to embark on illegality.

“The work that Amaechi has done in Rivers State is self-evident and the people are proud of their governor.

If winning a free and fair election of a group of governors has suddenly become an impeachable offence, we leave it to Nigerians to decide.

“But we know that members of the Rivers State House of Assembly are men of integrity and we do not believe that they could be swayed by pecuniary promises,” Semenitari said.

If I am removed, I am satisfied —Amaechi Reacting to his suspension from the party and report of plans to impeach him, Governor Amaechi said it was surprising that his party could suspend him without any reason, stressing that he had left the issue to God almighty.

Amaechi said: “Indeed, it is only the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that has the guts to suspend a governor without a reason. I leave them to God and to you (the people). We must come together to defend Rivers State. It’s not about me; I have served eight years as Speaker, nearly six years as Governor. Even if I am removed tomorrow, I am satisfied that this state, this country and history will recognize and remember me.”

The governor spoke yesterday in Port Harcourt at the opening of an inter party summit with the theme “Cohesive inter party relations

as a panacea for peace and sustainable development in Rivers state."

Chairman of the event, Justice Adolphus Karibi Whyte (rtd) lauded the achievements of Amaechi since he came on board as governor.

Describing opponents of the governor as conspirators with a destructive motive, Justice Karibi Whyte further charged the political class to be transparent and pursue the common good at all times.

Govs fault Tukur Meanwhile, some governors, yesterday, faulted Governor Amaechi’s suspension by the National Working Committee of the party, declaring it as total abuse of the party’s constitution.

Vanguard gathered yesterday that the governors argued that only the National Executive Committee, NEC of the party has the power to suspend a governor and not NWC according to the party’s Constitution, 2012 as amended.

Governors are also key members of NEC besides the National Chairman, President, Vice President and others.

Citing section 59.3 of the constitution, the governors contended that the Bamanga Tukur-led NWC was wrong and the decision must be reversed.

According to the section, ‘’Notwithstanding any provision of this Constitution relating to discipline, no Executive Committee at any level except the National Executive Committee shall entertain any question of discipline as may relate or concern a member of the National Executive Committee, President, Vice President, Governors, Deputy Governors, Ministers, Ambassadors, Special Advisers or member of any of the Legislative houses.”

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6—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2013

Two remanded for kidnap, gang raping of 19-yr-old student

BY OLA AJAYI

BADAN —TWO young men have been remanded in Agodi Prison by an Ibadan Magistrate Court for allegedly using a magical ring to abduct and gang-rape a 19year-old secondary school girl in Ibadan.

The two suspects, according to a police source, were charged with conspiracy, rape and stealing of a Blackberry phone belonging to the victim.

The rape victim said she closed from school at Wofun Iyana Church, and was accosted by the suspects who insisted she should follow them to their residence. But, when she refused, one of them allegedly used a magical ring to hit her on the chest and she was unconscious.

“There is a boy who was not my boy friend. He was a student in that school about two years ago. His name is Biola.

He had wanted to date me several times which I politely turned down. Just last Wednesday, when I closed from school, Biola came to me in company of two unidentified boys and said his mum wanted to see me. "'I asked him what led to the invitation by his mum. I then told him I would not go. Then, one of the two other guys who had a ring on his hand hit me on the chest and I was unconscious. They took me to the residence of one of the two boys and raped me.

“Before raping me, they gave me alcoholic drink and after the crime had been committed, they gave me 'covenant water' threatening me that I would die if I told anybody of the act.”

A top policeman who claimed anonymity because he was not instructed to speak, confirmed the story, saying: “On May 15 at 0815 hours, one Adekola living on Akanbi Street, Molade area of Ibadan reported that his younger sister and a secondary school student went to school and did not return home. All efforts to trace her proved abortive.

"Then about 23:00hours, an unanimous caller called through the victim’s GSM number and identified himself as kidnapper and demanded N6,000. The DCO led other policemen and the victim was rescued."

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3 die, policemen injured in a bid to eject Oba from palace

BY DAYO JOHNSON

KURE— AT least three per sons have reportedly died in Ile Oluji area of Ondo State following move to forcefully eject the traditional ruler of the town, Oba Suulade Adedugbe, from the palace by the youths.

Four others who sustained gun shot injuries are said to be on admission in private hospitals in Ondo town.

Vanguard learnt that the youths in their hundreds, Monday morning, assembled at a roundabout close to the palace in continuation of their protest to eject the Oba from the palace.

A source said the youths met policemen at the palace and while they were surging to over run the palace, the police fired tear gas at them but the youths were resolute.

The police, according to a source, fired sporadically to scare the angry youths and in the process an unconfirmed number were hit and they died.

Irked by this development, some of the youths also fired at policemen and about five were injured in the crossfire.

According to the source, the youths assembled at the police station as early as 8 a.m yesterday demanding the release of

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arrested colleagues.

The protesters were said to have attacked some of the Police officers met at the station and in the process there was a shootout which resulted in the casualties.

The development caused pandemonium in the town as com-

mercial activities were paralysed while banks and other commercial centres abruptly closed for the day.

The angry youths barricaded most junctions within the town just as confusion reigned in the town.

Contacted, the Police image

maker, Wole Ogodo, denied the number of casualty but confirmed that the youths attacked policemen who were deployed to restore peace.

An unconfirmed source, however, said the monarch had relocated and is currently in police protective custody.

Items presented to graduands of Skill Acquisition Centre in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN.

NAFDAC seizes $250,000 contaminated bread improver

BY EGUFE YAFUGBORHI

ORT HARCOURT — AN ESTIMATED $250,000.00 worth of contaminated bread improver (Edlen Dough Conditioner) imported from the USA has been confiscated at the Onne Port in Rivers State by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC. NAFDAC head of Ports Inspection Directorate in Port Harcourt, Dr. Musa Umar, said the product loaded in 10 containers was first suspected by NAFDAC officials at the port in January while thorough examination on April 16 and re-examined in the presence of the importer, clearing agent and manufacturer were done on May 2.

He said findings in the series of investigations confirmed that the product imported by DorcasJedi Investment Nigeria Ltd had already deteriorated and unfit for human consumption by the degree to which the product’s integrity had been compromised.

“Some cartons were soaked and there were evidence of bloated cans and products spilling on to the boxes. Full examination was attempted for all the 10 containers but no product with acceptable physical attributes was seen,” Umar said.

He said the economic loss for the end users (bread bakers) would have been enormous if the

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product was allowed to enter the market as its utility value had been lost.

A representative of the product’s importer, Dr. Ottih Ezuma attributed its spoilage to long

delay from the shipping company that shipped it from Savannah Sea Port in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Customs Area II Command Controller, Magaji Mohammed,

who handed the products over to NAFDAC said his command had likewise handed over to NAFDAC 426 bottles of naturelite children’s multivitamin discovered to have expired.

Police dislodge 53 suspected student cultists

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

BEOKUTA — THE Ogun State Police Command said, yesterday, it had dislodged no fewer than 53 student cultists of

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Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, while on their way to the venue of a nocturnal ritual ceremony in Abeokuta.

Vanguard gathered that the state branch of the National As-

Anambra shuts ASTA office over Okada rider’s death

BY ENYIM ENYIM

NITSHA — THE Anambra State government has shut down a branch of its traffic agency, Anambra State Traffic Agency, ASTA, in Ogidi, Idemili Local Government Area indefinitely, over alleged killing of a commercial motorcycle rider by persons suspected to be staff of the agency.

This followed allegation in some quarters that staff of the agency were responsible for the death of the commercial motorcyclist.

Addressing newsmen, Com-

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missioner for Transport, Dr. Chike Ohamobi, said the closure was necessary to give room for proper investigation of the circumstances that led to the Okada rider’s death.

He, however, refuted the reported death of a couple in the accident that claimed the life of the Okada rider.

The commissioner said security agents had been directed to oversee activities in the motor parks in Onitsha and environs to ensure peace.

He also warned that government would not sit by and watch people take laws into their hands.

sociation of Seadogs, popularly called Pyrates’ Confraternity, hinted the police who laid ambush for the suspected cultists at about 11:30pm last Friday around Lafenwa/Rounda area of the state capital.

Confirming the development, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, said the police received information that some suspected student cultists were planning to hold a ceremony in a suburb of the state capital.

Adejobi, however, said the suspects ran away on sighting the police patrol team deployed in the area.

He said: “They do not belong to a social club. The police will not allow any anti-social group or organisation to operate in the state. If anybody is caught, he would be made to face the full wrath of the law.”

However, a source told our correspondent that the suspects left their vehicles and other items and fled on sighting the police.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2013—7

Kidnap: Justice Rhode-Vivour’s wife, daughter, driver regain freedom

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

BUJA — EIGHTEEN days after they were abducted while on their way to attend a wedding ceremony at Benin, the Edo State capital, wife, daughter and driver of Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour, Monday night, regained their freedom.

Though a senior aide to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Mariam Aloma Muhktar, Mr Ahuraka Isah, who spoke to Vanguard on phone, yesterday, confirmed their release, he however, refused to disclose whether ransom was paid.

It would be recalled that the kidnappers demanded N200 million to free the trio.

Efforts by the Inspector General of Police, Mr Mohammed Abubakar, and the Edo State Police Command to trace the whereabouts of the kidnappers had proved abortive, a development that led the CJN to grant an ad-hoc leave to Justice Rhodes-Vivour to enable him focus on securing the release of his family members.

Aside taking over all the cases earlier assigned to the embattled

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Justice, the CJN personally wrote to President Goodluck Jonathan, demanding his intervention on the matter, just as the Chief Registrar of the apex court, Sunday

Olorundahunsi, wrote to the IGP, seeking the expedition of action with a view to tracking the kidnappers.

It will be recalled that Justice

Rhodes-Vivour’s first son, Rotimi, was kidnapped on September 3, 2012, in Lagos. He was also kidnapped in his car, like his mum and sister.

Zonal Director, North Central, National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, NESREA, Dr William Arabs (left), sealing a mast for failure to follow the environmental due process and poor work at the site in Dadur village, Lantang Local Government Area of Plateau State, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN.

12 crew missing as Chevron-contracted vessel sinks BUJA — TWELVE crew members are missing after a Chevron contracted tug boat sank on Sunday due to rough seas off the country's coast, the ship’s owner said, yesterday.

The Jascon-4 capsized early on Sunday due to “heavy ocean swells” while the vessel was “performing towing operations” at a mooring point around 30 kilometres off Delta State, Chevron’s Nigeria unit said, Sunday.

“Unfortunately all 12 crew members are still missing,” a spokeswoman for the ship’s owner, West African Ventures,

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said.

“Rescue operations involving sea divers are still ongoing and a full investigation into the incident is taking place,” she said. West

African Ventures is owned by Sea Trucks Group.

Chevron Nigeria declined to give an update.

Chevron’s operates offshore

NANS condemn naval officers' attack on students

BY TOBORE OGHENEOVO

AGOS — THE Lagos State chapter of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, Joint Campus Committee, JCC, has condemned the alleged attack on students of Federal Col-

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lege of Fisheries and Marine Technology, Lagos by naval officers said to have assaulted and shot sporadically until three students were feared dead and 30 others injured.

The incident, the group alleged, took place on Sunday night, dur-

Road crashes: FRSC declares four states, FCT notorious

BY CHRIS OCHAYI

BUJA — THE Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, has declared four states and Federal Capital Territory, FCT, as notorious with records of highest number of road traffic crashes and fatalities in the country.

Corps Marshal and Chief Executive of FRSC, Mr. Osita Chidoka, who disclosed this during the inspection of an on-going Trauma Centre at the hospital, Abuja, said the rating was based on positing of highways reports as at the end of 2012 and the first quarter of 2013.

Chidoka who named Bauchi, Kogi, Kaduna, Delta states and the FCT, as the notorious said the

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and onshore joint ventures with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and spends around $3 billion a year on its Nigerian operations, the company says.

Corps was currently working on an engagement plan with the governors of affected states and the FCT Minister to ensure improved road safety practices in their areas of jurisdiction.

He reiterated the commitment of the corps to ensure a zero per cent record on road crashes in any part of the country, in pursuant to the Accra declaration on road safety of 2015 and United Nations decade of action on road safety , 2011-2020.

On the Trauma Centre which has a landing space for air ambulances, the Corps Marshal commended the management of the National Hospital, describing it as “a pride of place to the na-

tion’s health architecture.”

He said when commissioned, the centre would add value to the corps’ drive towards prompt medical care for road crash victims and qualitative advantage to emergency and rescue services in Nigeria.

According to him, the FRSC has through its numerous initiatives, acquired 3,000 Closed User Group, CUG, telephone lines which were distributed among its management team, operatives in the Field Commands and all Federal Medical Centres nationwide, to ensure seamless interface and prompt attention for road crash victims especially those with trauma cases.

ing a disagreement between one Ajose Olalekan, a student of the school and two unnamed naval officers attached to the dockyard on Ahmadu Bello Way. The students are demanding that the Federal Government should produce the naval officers who shot the students within three days.

They also want the hospital bill of the wounded students to be taken care of by the Commandant of the dockyard.

NANS said: “Furthermore, the naval officers should be charged for murder while N5 million should be paid as damages to each of the affected students to cushion the effects of the unwarranted attack.”

Recounting what transpired, NANS claimed that a naval officer slapped the student and in the course of protecting himself, other students came to his rescue and the naval officers mobilised themselves with guns and shot three students.

A statement by the Chairman, NANS/JCC, Mr. Yaqub Eleto further alleged that the shooting continued uninterrupted until 2 am, Monday.

GM, accountant, store-keeper docked over N20m theft

BY SONI DANIEL

ATSINA — THREE former top management staff of the Katsina Flour Mills Limited were, yesterday, dragged before Justice Abdullahi Yusuf of the Katsina State High Court and slammed with a three-count charge of misappropriation of public funds and criminal breach of trust.

The three men, Abdulmalik Ibrahim, Darda’u Idris Safana and Hassan Hashimu, who served as General Manager, Accountant and Store Keeper respectively, were docked by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for allegedly conspiring and embezzling N19, 667,187 from the coffers of the company between 2011 and 2012.

When the charges were read, the accused pleaded not guilty, prompting the prosecuting counsel, Idris Haruna, to request a trial date.

However, defence counsel, C.U Kalu, presented an oral bail application for his clients but Justice Yusuf insisted on a formal application and adjourned the case to June 20, 2013.

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Peace returns to Mushin after violence

BY BOSE ADELAJA

AGOS — RELATIVE peace has finally returned to Mushin, a Lagos suburb, especially the Odiolowo axis after series of violence that claimed the lives of many in the past few weeks.

Speaking with Vanguard, yesterday, Chairman Odiolowo-Ojuwoye Community Development Committee CDC, Mr. Adebowale Adekoya, said series of meetings had been held with government and community development associations and strategies were mapped out on ways to achieve peace.

Adekoya said Policemen dispatched to the area with other law enforcement agents now patrol the area, having warned residents to be law-abiding and report any form of lawlessness to appropriate authorities.

He said the community development associations and committees were collaborating to put an end to the menace.

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8—Vanguard , WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2013

Jonathan kick-starts N163bn Zungeru power project

BY WOLE MOSADONI

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UNGERU, NIGER— PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, kick-started the N162.9 billion Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Project in Niger State.

Jonathan said the hydro dam project when constructed would generate 700 Mega Watts of electricity for the country.

According to him, the Zungeru Hydro Electricity Power Project was conceived 32 years ago in 1982, but due to constraints of funds the construction work could not commence.

Jonathan said his administration had now solved the financial challenge, which was holding the construction of the dam, by making funds available to build it.

He explained that it was in 1982 that the former National Electricity Power Authority, NEPA, identified the potentials of hydroelectric dam in Zungeru.

The president said the event was a history making one, because the power plant would be the largest to be built by his administration.

He listed employment opportunities, agricultural development, and tourism as benefits from the dam.

He said exportation of perishable food through the Minna Airport would also be a benefit from the dam, adding that the airport would be revitalised because of the construction of the dam.

Jonathan called on the people of the state to give him their support to ensure that the project went on smoothly for the period of four years the construction would last.

The Governor of Niger State, Dr Babangida Aliyu, expressed appreciation to the president for making funds available for the project under the Power Sector Intervention Fund.

He commended the Federal Ministry of Power for its readiness to pay appropriate compensations and the resettlement of persons affected by the project.

Aliyu assured the president of the full cooperation of the people of Niger to ensure that the project went on smoothly.

The Minister of Power, Prof.

Chinedu Nebo, said the Zungeru Power Project was now a reality due to the uncommon courage and determination shown by President Goodluck Jonathan.

Emergency rule: Reps deny Jonathan access to funds of affected states, LGAs

BY OKEY NDIRIBE & EMMAN OVUAKPORIE

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BUJA—THE House of Representatives, yesterday, reversed its earlier endorsement of President Goodluck Jonathan’s request to utilise funds of states and local governments under emergency rule. The affected states are Borno, Yobe and Adamawa.

The resolution was passed following a motion moved by Rep. Ibrahim El-Sudi (PDP, Taraba), which was unanimously adopted.

It would be recalled that the House granted the president the power to oversee the funds in question when it approved the emergency proclamation in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.

El- Sudi had said he presented his motion due to public outcry and opposition to the endorsement by Nigerians. especially indigenes of the affected states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa.

According to him, empowering the president contravenes the constitution and several Supreme Court rulings.

He said by presenting the motion, he was “mindful of a near consensus of opinion of Senior Advocates of Nigeria and Constitutional Lawyers across the country regarding the constitutionality of the said section.

He also said he took into consideration, “the provisions of Section 5(2) of the Emergency Powers Act No. 1 of 1961 (as modified) which provides that any such regulation, order or rule may, without prejudice to the validity of anything lawfully done thereunder, at anytime be amended or revoked by resolutions passed by both Houses.

He further drew the attention of his colleagues to fact that the Supreme Court had delivered very clear interpretations on the intent of section 162 of the 1999 Constitution as amended on the finances of the states and local governments and whether the Federal Government could through the National Assembly validly make laws conferring powers or imposing duties on state functionaries .

He recalled that after both chambers of the National Assembly had passed the emergency proclamation earlier in the month, a joint Committee which comprised six members

from the House and five members from the Senate had met to harmonize the resolutions of both houses of the National Assembly.

The legislator said it would be an indirect withdrawal of administrative powers from the governors of the states if they had no funds to carry out their duties, if the presidency failed to release the funds.

He noted that, “on one hand, we said administration remains with governors and on the other, we say fund should be in the hands of the president, how will the governors administer the states.

"Nigeria operated a federalism and the Federal Government had no stake in states and local government funds.

“The issue of budget or funds belonging to the state is a constitutional matter

and the money is not just lying there idle, they have a budget they need to pursue.

The constitutional responsibility of the Federal Government was to provide security for the lives and property of its citizens without recourse to state funds”.

El-Sudi, however, said the president could explore the option of a supplementary budget to fund the emergency rule.

Speaking against the motion, Rep. Kingsley Chinda (PDP-Rivers) said reasons for amendments applied only to normal situations and not an emergence rule as the case might be.

Chinda said: “There should be a balance between the lives of the people and the funds we are talking about.

“No money is equivalent to one's life, so if money will allow for protection, we should not hesitate to spend it".

Ruling on the motion, Speaker Aminu Tambuwal appealed to members to support the motion.

He said as speaker, he would never support an arrogant institution that did not correct its mistakes.

Tambuwal added that: “Attention has been drawn to the constitutional provision of our earlier decision. If we take a decision clearly against the constitution and attention is drawn, we will not lose anything to do the correct thing. We will reject any provision that is against the constitution".

With the adoption, the House revoked completely, Section 3(2) (e) of the Harmonised and adopted Emergency Powers Regulations approved by the National Assembly.

It urged the Senate to give it force of law by concurring and adopting the amendment.

Vanguard , WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2013—9

World Bank, IFC to invest N159bn in Nigeria's energy sector

BY MICHAEL EBOH

BY SONI DANIEL, REGIONAL EDITOR, NORTH

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HE World Bank and its sub sidiary, the International Finance Corporation, IFC, yesterday announced plans to invest about $1 billion (N159 billion) in Nigeria’s energy sector in the next couple of months.

Speaking at the Nigerian Institute of Management’s, NIM, Corporate Leaders Forum in Lagos, Marie Francois Marie-Nelly, World Bank Country Director, Nigeria, said the investments will be in terms of Partial Risk Guarantees for gas supply and Independent Power Plants valued at $800 million and $200 million respectively.

According to Marie-Nelly, who was represented by Ms. Gravette Brown, Senior Investment Officer, IFC Manufacturing and Services — Africa Department, in addition to the planned investments, the World Bank currently has $400 million active in Partial Risk Guarantees for gas supply and over 10 years technical support and advice to the power sector.

Oil theft: Army hands over vessel, 25 suspects to EFCC

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FORUM— From left: Maurice Lakanu, Registrar/Chief Executive, Nigerian Institute of Management (Chartered); Dr. Michael Olawale-Cole, President and Chairman of Council, NIM; Ms. Gravette Brown, Senior Investment Officer, International Finance Corporation (World Bank Group), Africa Department and Guest Speaker; and Dr. Nelson Uwaga, Deputy President, NIM at the Corporate Leaders Breakfast Forum held by the Institute in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: By Oscar Ochiogu.

She added that the IFC, as part of its future investment plan, has a high probability investment pipeline in Nigeria of approximately US$800 million, with

priority given to power, infrastructure, agriculture, housing, Micro Small and Medium Enterprises, MSMEs. She stated that its investment

would also be focused on equity investments with emphasis on corporate governance, climate change and energy efficiency.

She disclosed that the IFC will participate in the activities of oil majors and other Independent Power Projects, IPPs, and also in the privatization of the 11 power distribution companies and six power generating companies.

She noted the World Bank Group is focusing on three key areas of growth in Nigeria, namely: improve infrastructure, especially in the area of power; promotion of sustainable agribusiness and support for SME growth and development.

She said, “we will support public private participation dialogue on private sector participations in power, finance and mobilise gas-to-power and other downstream gas projects.

“In the near term, we will be working with IFC clients and other industrials to outsource their large captive power supply need; we will also participate in gas production/transportation projects and help standardize key agreements in pioneer projects.”

IFC's investment in Nigeria hits $1.1bn Marie-Nelly said IFC’s investment in Nigeria till date, put at about $1.1 billion, is its largest portfolio in Africa and eight largest globally, while World Bank’s financing activities in the country currently stand at $4.66 billion.

She said IFC’s investment is dominated by projects in financial markets, and momentum is building in infrastructure, manufacturing, agribusiness and services.

HE Nigerian Army, yester day, handed over a vessel suspected to have been used for oil theft and 25 suspects to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for prosecution.

The vessel, MT Swordfish, comprising two barges, was arrested by soldiers for engaging in oil theft and economic crimes against Nigeria.

Apart from confiscating the vessel, the soldiers also arrested the three crew members and two staff of the Liberty Jetty Elegbata, Marina, Lagos, where the vessel was detained.

The soldiers also arrested 20 other suspects in connection with the oil theft and detained them along with the crew members.

On Monday, Col. H. I. Dasuki of the 81 Division of the Nigerian Army formally handed over the vessel and the 25 suspects to the EFCC for further investigation and prosecution.

The crew members were: Akume Surprise (Captain), Boglo Babatunde Peter, ThankGod Obozuruike; Korlee Uebari; Francis Eze; Gaius Ike; Peter James; Hafeez Jalaruru, Olajumoke Sulaiman, Kelvin Ajike, Abdulraham Kareem, Oluwaseun Owoade and Ifeanyi Lawrence.

Others were: Alhassan Hoseli, Kennedy Adoge, Bello Taofik, Ibrahim Ajibade, Ibrahim Yakubu, Nafiu Useni, Kenneth Osei, Annas Mohammed, Ibrahim Mohammed, Hamisu Saidu, Sulaiman Musa and Umar Mohammed.

The army also handed over six trucks seized from the suspects as exhibits to the anti-graft agency.

Col. Dasuki, while handing over the vessel and crew to the Commission said the arrest was made at about 0400hrs on 22 May, 2013, following intelligence report.

According to him, the arrest was made by men and officers of “OP MESA” who raided the Liberty Jetty, Marina.

Dasuki urged the Commission to carry out further investigation on the source of the petroleum products and the operations of the vessel.

Receiving the hand-over documents, Mr. Aliyu Aminu, Head, Counter-Terrorism and General Investigations, EFCC Zonal Office, Lagos, assured that the Commission would do its best in investigating the case.

A sample of the product was taken by operatives of the Commission for analysis.

10—Vanguard , WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2013

Why 16,000 JAMB results were cancelled — Minister

Lagos begins construction of 70m gallons water works

BY MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO

BY CALEB AYANSINA

G

A

BUJA—MINISTER of Education, Prof.

Ruquayyatu Rufa’i, has explained that 16,000 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, results were cancelled by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, because of examination malpractices by the candidates.

Rufa’i spoke through Mr. Julius Ameh, yesterday, in Abuja, during the presentation of the Teachers’ Guide for the teaching of the National Values Curriculum, NVC, in Basic Education, which was funded by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, ICPC. She said: ”We shall be resolute in our decisions as there shall be no sacred cows. Nobody, no matter how highly placed, will be allowed to get away with the breach of the law or perpetration of corruption and evil in our colleges and tertiary institutions.”

The minister said the inclusion of the guide into the numerous literature available in the education sector, especially on corruption and value orientation, was an indication of the premium which the administration placed on education and transparency in the conduct of government business.

She said: “It is also an eloquent testimony of the present administration’s determination to heal the wounds of the past quickly, put the ugly past behind and use the new NVC to stretch hands of fellowship to aggrieved Nigerians for complete reconciliation.

"The Nigerian child must be encouraged and taught that integrity pays."

PRESENTATION: FRONT ROW: From left— Brig. Mobolaji Johnson (rtd.); Alh. Lateef Jakande, both former governors of Lagos State; his wife Alh. Abimbola.

BACK ROW: From left— Mr. Adedapo Tunde-Olowu, Mr. Ayuli Jemide, Lead Partner, Detail Commercial Solicistus, and Chief Presenter; Mr. Ben Akabueze, Lagos State Commissioner for Economic Planning & Budget, representing Governor Fashola, and Mr. Emeka Odikpo, author of the book, during the public presentation of Fashola: The Historic Reconstruction of Lagos, by Mr. Odikpo, in Lagos. PHOTO: Bunmi Azeez.

Nigeria airspace gets full radar coverage

BY LAWANI MIKAIRU & DANIEL ETEGHE

L

AGOS—NIGERIAN Air space Management Agency, NAMA, yesterday, said the nation’s airspace would have full aerial radar coverage from today as it migrates from procedural air traffic control to aerial radar control.

Managing Director of NAMA, Mr. Nnamdi Udoh, at a briefing at the agency's corporate head office, Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, explained that the new aerial control would have stations in Lagos and Kano, stressing that Lagos would control the south while Kano would serve the northern part of the country.

Udoh said apart from the system providing seamless transfer of pilots from one radar control to another as aircraft flew from its departure to destination, it would also provide seamless communication between the controller and the pilot from takeoff to landing at the destination.

He said: “If you are taking off from Lagos, you don’t have to change your squak to Port Harcourt, Abuja or Kano. The controller will transfer you seamlessly to the next radar and maintain the same squak to land.

“Squak is the code used by a pilot to communicate with the air traffic controller. Prior to this, we were having procedural aerial control but

now, we are going to use surveillance aerial control.”

With the development, Udoh said, “Lagos-Abuja flight, which currently takes between 50 and 55 minutes, will be reduced to about 45 and 50 minutes.

“And the seamless radar control will save the airlines fuel and money as well as

reduce carbon emission.”

He added that the agency had trained enough personnel to man the equipment and signed a five-year maintenance contract agreement with the manufacturers.

The agreement covers training of local personnel that would take over after that period.

SERAP threatens FG with suit over N700bn expenditure

S

OCIO-Economic Rights ernment has lagged behind and Accountability Project, in the achievement of the SERAP, has asked President Millennium Development Goodluck Jonathan to “proGoals. vide information on the “We are further concerned spending of N700 billion borabout the country’s growing rowed between December 31, debt problem because this 2012 and April 30, 2013, and will continue to weaken the to introduce a moratorium on capacity of this government borrowing.” to fulfill its human rights obSERAP said it will take leligations and commitment, gal action should the governthus throwing millions of Niment not provide the informagerians deeper into poverty.” tion within 14 days.

The organization is relying A letter by SERAP Executive on Sections 1 (1); 4 (a); and Director, Mr. Adetokunbo 2(3)(d)(V) & (4) of the FreeMumuni, and sent to the Acdom of Information, FoI, Act countant-General of the Fed2011, for its request. eration, Mr. Jonah Otunla, said: “Whereas the government has borrowed over N6.54 trillion from national sources and its external borrowing is growing, there is no evidence on the ground to show that the huge sums of money have been put to good use.

“In fact, we fear the money could have been mismanaged, diverted or stolen.

Despite this huge borrowing, the same period also witnessed decreased spending on basic social services such as roads, electricity, health, education, and thus explaining in part why the gov-

O V E R N O R Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, yesterday, said the state had commenced the construction of a 70 million gallon per day water works, aimed at addressing water supply challenge in the state.

The government also said plans had been concluded to commence free medical service to its over 14,934 retired civil servants.

The new project, called Adiyan Water Works Phase 11, is located in Ifo Local Government.

Free cancer screening

S

OROPTIMIST International of Lagos Mainland has said the club will organise free breast cancer screening for about 50 women at the Lagos State General Hospital.

Mrs. Titilayo Ojeifo, General Manager, Industrial Equipment Division, RT Briscoe Nigeria Plc, said this during her installation as the President of the club.

She also pledged a massive facelift for the club’s school in her two-year tenure.

Transition

F

LOUR Mills Nigeria Plc has announced the death of the Managing Director of one its subsidiaries, Apapa Bulk Terminal Limited, ABTL, Captain Emmanuel Omotayo.

Commendation service will hold today at All Souls Anglican Church, Lekki Phase 1 at 12 noon, while funeral service is Friday, May 31, at St. Peters Anglican Church Cathedral, Oke-Kere, Ikere Ekiti, Ekiti State, at 11am.

Late Captain Omotayo.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2013 — 11

Alaafin advocates more roles for monarchs

BY OLA AJAYI

I

BADAN—ALAAFIN of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, has called on Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, in the SouthWest to accord traditional rulers in the zone deserving recognition and roles to play.

The monarch said this in Oyo town, while receiving a Memo-

randum of Understanding, MoU, for the establishment of Oranmiyan Airline from a global investor, Worldwide Holdings.

Oba Adeyemi said: “Government should give the traditional rulers deserving recognition and roles to play. In Europe, America and Asia we have Yoruba people.

“The state governments in the South-West are progressives and we hope they will consider this initiative. Today, we are making history.

“We are making similar efforts in other areas in contributing our quota to the development of Yoruba nation.

The influence of the Obas

AGM: From left— Mr. Joseph Hudson, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Lafarge Cement Wapco; Chief Olusegun Osunkeye, Chairman, Lafarge; Uzoma Uja, Company Secretary/Legal Adviser, and Mr. Alfred Amobi, Finance Director/Chief Financial Officer, all of Lafarge Cement Wapco, at the company's annual general meeting in Lagos, yesterday. PHOTO: Joe Akintola, Photo Editor.

Mimiko swears in caretaker c'ttee chairs

BY DAYO JOHNSON

A

KURE—GOVERNOR Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State, yesterday, swore in newly-appointed caretaker chairmen for the 18 council areas of the state, warning them against illegal recruitment.

The dissolution of the former helmsmen in the council areas followed the expiration of their tenure on Monday.

Former caretaker chairmen, who are still under probe, allegedly went on an illegal recruitment drive during their tenure, following which fraud running into millions of naira was discovered by government.

Presently, the state government is carrying out an audit of its workers in the council areas across the state and a large scale fraud have been unveiled by the office of the Head of Service.

This was said to have caused delay in the payment of salaries of workers in the council areas of the state.

should not be localised.

On Oranmiyan Airline

The monarch said: “Our graduates are unemployed.

This is an opportunity to create an investment that gives prospect of reducing unemployment rate.

“The investors are not requesting money. They are also inaugurating the Yoruba Coalition in Dubai. The challenge is to have the endorsement of government.

“If we succeed, it would reduce the rate of unemployment. The investors asked for three things: they do not want to be involved in politics, they said they would not give or take bribe and Alaafin is the only person that they trust to represent the Yoruba interest.”

At the occasion, Chairman, Yoruba Global Coalition, United Kingdom, Dr. Layo Adeniyi, said: “In keeping with the agreement, the airline would soon take off.

“They made an agreement with Airbus to have four aircraft and they are discussing with Iatter in Canada on way forward.”

Fani-Kayode dumps PDP for APC

BY GBENGA ARIYIBI

A

DO-EKITI—FORMER Minister of Aviation, Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode, has dumped Peoples' Democratic Party, PDP, for All Progressives Congress, APC, describing PDP as a party that lacks discipline, fairness and internal cohesion.

Fani-Kayode said he decided to quit PDP, under which he served as the Minister during the former President, Olusegun Obasanjo’s regime, owing to alleged abuse of powers by the presidency and members of National Working Committee,

NWC, of the party.

Fani-Kayode, who spoke with the newsmen in AdoEkiti, yesterday, shortly after his visit to Governor Kayode Fayemi, said PDP had derailed from the laid down principles and objectives for which the founding fathers of the party were known.

He further expressed his displeasure over the present face-off between the presidency and Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, saying the presidency had succeeded in making Ameachi a national hero with the way he was allegedly being persecuted over his emer-

gence as the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, NGF. He said: "With this open persecution, the Presidency and the PDP NWC are only making hero out of Amaechi.

"Their action was illogical. 35 people voted and this man scored 19 and his challenger, Governor Jonah Jang garnered 16 votes and the loser turned around to say he won the election.

“Automatically, Amaechi remains the popular wish of the Governors’ Forum, who are populated by highly distinguished and intelligent Nigerians."

Ajimobi swears in 6 new judges

BY OLA AJAYI

I

BADAN—GOVERNOR Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State has sworn in six newlyappointed judges of the state High Court, charging them to demonstrate integrity and shun corrupt tendencies in the discharge of their duties.

The appointment of the new judges was announced on May 22 by the governor, thus bringing the number of the judges in the state judiciary to 22.

The new judges include the Chief Registrar of the state High Court, Mrs. O. O.

Olatunji; Mr. Bayo Taiwo, from the Federal Ministry of Justice, Abuja, and the immediate past Vice-Chairman of the Ibadan branch of Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Mr. Lekan Owolabi.

Others are Mr. G. A. Sunmonu, Mrs. O. M. Fadeyi and Mr. E. O. Ajayi.

Governor Ajimobi, while speaking at the swearing-in ceremony held at the House of Chiefs, Parliament Building, Secretariat, Ibadan, urged the new judges to live above board and not use their powers to pursue ends other than justice.

He said: “The powers of a judge are a sacred trust to decide matters between persons or between government or authority and any person and to determine any question relating to the civil rights and obligations of a person.

“Be fine, outstanding, courageous, brilliant and incorruptible judges, who always stand in defense of the truth.

"Keep the fountain of justice pure at all times, and refrain, absolutely, from subjecting it to any pollution motivated by mercenary, primordial or pecuniary considerations.”

Plot to impeach Amaechi thickens Continues from Page 5 In a related development, crisis rocking the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, has taken another turn as Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo will tomorrow formally open, the office of the factional chairman of the Forum, Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State who was declared the chairman of the forum by some governors.

Vanguard gathered that the office which is located in Maitama, Abuja will be declared open at 4pm, tomorrow, by the Vice President.

Amaechi is desperate — Suswam Meanwhile, as controversy continues to trail the last election of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, and the suspension of Amaechi, Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State, has described the embattled governor of Rivers state as a desperate man.

Suswam who made his position known in a state owned Radio Benue interactive programme, aired, yesterday, in Makurdi, said the Rivers State Governor wanted to cajole his fellow governors to endorse his emergence as chairman of the forum.

“When we met at the Nigeria Governors Forum, we noticed that our constitution which was registered was produced at the meeting and we objected to it because we had not seen it in two years."

Governor Amaechi, through his Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs Ibim Semenitari, however, dismissed Governor Suswam’s allegations. He said the forum had a constitution long before he became its Chairman, adding that the body was registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission.

The commissioner also denied that Governor Amaechi was desperate stressing that he had long known that power belongs to God almighty."

“Governor Amaechi is a product of grace and understands that power comes from God and only He enthrones kings", she said.

12—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2013

Delta to introduce BRT in Warri

D

ELTA State Government is to introduce the Bus Rapid Transit, BRT, model in the country’s oil and gas industry hub, Warri.

With this development, and as part of the state government's transport development plan, Warri will be the third city in Africa to develop the BRT initiative, after Lagos and Johanessburg, South Africa.

The state governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, made the disclosure at the on-gonig 60th Congress of the International Association of Public Transport, UITP, in Geneva, Switzerland.

UITP is the international network for public transport authorities and operators, policy decision makers, scientific institutes and public transport supply and service industry and global advocate of sustainable mobility.

It is a platform for worldwide cooperation, business development and the sharing of knowhow between its 3,400 members from 92 countries.

Uduaghan, represented by his Commissioner for Transport, Mr. Ben Igbakpa, said the seven-month old idea from its conception, traffic surveys and feasibility studies, topographic surveys, detailed engineering designs to bill of engineering measurements and evaluation, will now be followed by award of contract, in July.

The Warri BRT scheme, which is driven by the governor, according to Igbakpa, is an expression of political will and recognition of the importance of public transport to a large percentage of the populace.

“With increasing population and economic activities, Warri is set to join the community of the global cities with sustainable, integrated and affordable transport system to meet its economic aspirations.

“The project, which is aimed at creating jobs, will also, through multiplier effect, require personnel and business transactions in the areas of traffic management and enforcement, bus shelters and terminals and segregated lanes constructions,” he said.

NLC, TUC strike in Rivers enters second day

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

that because of Police presence at the secretariat, staff of the

council had not been paid two months salaries, a situ-

ation he said was very unhealthy.

P

ORT HARCOURT— CIVIL servants stayed away from their offices for the second day in Rivers State in compliance with the two-day warning strike, ordered by the state chapters of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC and Trade Union Congress, TUC, to force the Police to allow workers of Obio/ Akpor Local Government Area resume work at the council's secretariat.

Yesterday, the two unions deployed their members to force banks and other public institutions in the state capital, Port Harcourt, to shut down.

Some customers at some banks at Mile One end of Ikwerre Road confronted of the members of the trade unions who had gone to enforce the strike order on the bank workers. They wondered why private institutions, such as banks and other related bodies, would be forced to join the strike embarked upon by civil servants in the state to address issues affecting a local government. It took prolonged explanations from members of the unions to calm some of the customers, who were becoming aggressive.

The banks finally complied with the strike order. It will be recalled that the trade unions threatened a two-day warning strike to press home their demand for the Police to vacate Obio/Akpor council secretariat for workers to resume.

State Chairman of NLC, Mr. Chris Oruge, had told newsmen that all they wanted was for the security operatives to allow workers resume at their duty posts.

He said it was disturbing

INTER-PARTY SUMMIT: From right: Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State; Special Adviser to Rivers State Governor on Inter-party Matters, Mr. Solomon Ebeku and Chairman of the occasion, Justice Karibi Whyte, during the 2013 Inter-party Summit, in Port Harcourt, yesterday. Photo: Nwankpa Chijioke.

Managing Director, FOT Consulting, South Africa, Shrbinseck Darko (left); Commissioner for Transport, Delta State, Ben Igbakpa; Managing Director, Kenya Bus Services Management, Nairobi, Edwins Mukabanah; Vice President, UATP, Abidjan, Cote'D Ivoire, Bi Nagone ZORO; and Managing Director, SOTRA, Abidjan, Cote'D Ivoire, Bouake, MIETE, at the ongoing 60th Congress of the International Association of Public Transport, UITP, in Geneva, Switzerland, yesterday.

Gov Obi, others escape death G

OVERNOR Peter Obi of Anambra State, the Majority Leader of Delta State House of Assembly, Chief Igbuya, and other government officials, yesterday, escaped death as what could have turned out to be an

....As Rivers CP warns Labour against shutting down institutions forcefully

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

P

ORT HARCOURT— RIVERS State Police Commissioner, Mr. Joseph Mbu, has warned labour unions in the state not to forcefully shut down operations at public institutions in their bid to ensure compliance with their strike order.

Noting that such act was an offence, Mbu, at the Police headquarters in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, also accused some top government functionaries in the state of urging the unions to embark on strike over Police presence at Obio/Akpor Local Government Area secretariat.

He maintained that the Police was not a political institution, as his men were at Obio/Akpor council secretariat to protect government property from being vandalised by hoodlums.

He said: “Unions should not barricade offices because they want people to join them in the strike, it is an offence. They should not force institutions to join the strike.

It has come to the knowledge of security operatives that some highly placed persons in government are going round to buy support from the unions to join the strike action against the action of the Police in protecting Obio/ Akpor council secretariat. Policemen are not politicians. We are here to protect lives and property.”

air mishap was avoided by Arik Pilot of Flight W 3788 conveying over 100 passengers from Lagos to Asaba.

The flight, which was supposed to take off at 8:30 am was delayed in Lagos on account of bad weather. Though travellers had boarded the flight, after about two hours inside the plane, they were asked to go back to the departure lounge as the plane could not take off on account of what the pilot described as “terribly bad weather at Asaba.” After about three hours, the flight was boarded again because weather reports showed improvement within the internationally accepted landing standards. By the time it was boarded again, many people who saw the situation as warning from providence cancelled their trips.

On getting to Asaba, the weather became bad again while attempt at landing was difficult. The pilot, who did not want to take chances promptly returned to Lagos.

On reaching Lagos, however, the weather there had al-

ready gone very bad by aviation standard. The plane had to circle around for hours amidst dwindling aviation fuel. It finally landed at 4:45 pm amidst signs of relief from traumatised passengers who clapped in jubilation. The pilot, Captain Sandy Miller, merely told passengers to thank their God for His mercies when they got home.

Speaking to aviation correspondents at the Domestic Wing of Murtala Muhammed Airport, Governor Obi, who travelled to South-Africa on Sunday and came back, yesterday, to Lagos said he was determined to make the flight to Asaba en route Awka because he did not like staying outside Awka more days than necessary.

On whether he was frightened, the governor laughed and said that nothing again should be frightening to a person that governs a state like Anambra. Moreover, he said, he was always at peace with his God and fellow human beings and couldn't worry over the vicissitudes of life.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2013 —13

Nnamani to Jonathan: Declare state of emergency on corruption

BY HENRY UMORU &

A

JOSEPH ERUNKE

BUJA—FORMER Senate President, Ken Nnamani, yesterday, called on President Goodluck Jonathan to declare a state of emergency on corruption, if that will address the problem.

He also said if corruption, which is one of Nigeria’s major problems must be nipped in the bud, especially as it af-

fected award of contracts, attention must be paid to Public Private Partnership, PPP. Speaking when he appeared before the Senator Ayogu Eze-led Senate Committee on Works, Senator Nnamani noted that $8 trillion was currently what the private sector in the world was controlling, adding that it was only the private sector that ccould control corruption.

According to him, it is not business as usual in the private sector, as private investors monitor their businesses.

He added that First Bank Plc, a private sector driven organisation, had a balance sheet that was more than the nation’s budget.

Nnamani was at the Senate with other designated members of the governing board of the Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission, ICRC.

The former Senate President is the chairman of the board of ICRC. The former Senate President, who told the senators that he was coming to the National Assembly for the first time since 2007, was, however, not asked any question by the senators, in line with the National Assembly’s procedures of asking former lawmakers to simply take a bow and go.

Absence of APC Govs stalls merger deliberations

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU & GABRIEL EWEPU BUJA—THE ab sence of governors elected on the platform of opposition political parties in the country seeking to merge to All Progressives Congress, APC, yesterday, forced the Joint Merger Committee to adjourn to June 4 for deliberations on the merger process.

A source within the APC Joint Merger Committee had told Vanguard that the committee had met at the residence of the chairman, Joint Merger Committee in Abuja, to ratify issues concerning the merger with the governors, but the state chief executives did not turn up for the meeting.

But addressing journalist after the adjournment, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs and chieftain of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Chief Tom Ikimi, said the All Progressives Congress, APC, will soon be registered with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as the parties were putting everything together for the merger.

A

‘Work on Lagos-Ibadan railway project to begin soon’

BY CHRIS OCHAYI

A

BUJA—THE Fed eral Government, yesterday, assured Nigerians that the contractor handling the construction of LagosIbadan standard gauge double rail track would soon commence work on the projects.

Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar, who disclosed this in Abuja, while inaugurating the Board of Directors of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC, said government was equally working to ensure that the rehabilitation of the Railway line from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri was completed this year.

14—Vanguard , WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2013

Committee on Coal - to Power generation inaugurated

FG plans importation of 100 integrated rice mills

A

By NOEL ONOJA

A

BUJA — TO fasttrack Nigeria’s ambition of generating multiple sources of power to meet the electricity needs of industrialists and members of the public, the Federal Government has inaugurated a ministerial committee to develop a coal-to-power generation source for the country.

Inaugurating the committee, Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Musa Mohammed Sada, said the inauguration of the committee was necessitated by the fact that Nigeria was endowed with large quantities of coal deposits that could be exploited for coal powered plants to meet the nation’s electricity needs.

He urged the committee members to handle their assignment with all seriousness.

Hon. Ikoforiji Adeyemi, Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly (left), presenting award to Mrs. Ifueko Okauru, MFR, Managing Partner, Compliance Professionls Plc and former Executive Chairman, FIRS, during Independent Newspapers Ltd’s Man of the Year 2012 investiture, at the Federal Palace, Hotel, Lagos. Photo: Shola Oyelese

BUJA — THE Fed- eral Gov ernment has concluded plans to import new integrated mills to boost rice production in the country.

The mills, it was learned, will be fully owned and run by the private sector and financed at two per cent interest rate, with seven years moratorium and 20 years tenure for repayment.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, who disclosed this at the inaugural meeting of Nigeria Agribusiness Group, NAG, in Abuja, noted that the new integrated mills would complement the existing 14 integrated mills.

Alleged missed slot at AU summit: Presidency reacts to CPC angrily

BY EMEKA MAMAH

L

AGOS — THE Presidency, yesterday, reacted to the claims by the National Publicity Secretary of the Congress for Progressive Change, Mr. Rotimi Fashakin, that Nigeria missed her slot in the just concluded 50th anniversary of the African Union, AU, saying Fashakin was not only be-

ing ‘’silly’’ but ‘’foolish.’’

These were contained in a statement signed last night by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Reuben Abati.

The statement entitled,’CPC and Fashakin got it wrong about President Jonathan and OAU/AU at 50th Summit,’ read, ’’We are dealing with such hideous and second rate characters in Nigeria’s public space, belonging to the ACN and the CPC, that they won’t even respect the truth.

The prize for being silly in this regard must go to one Rotimi Fashakin who describes himself as the National Publicity Secretary of the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC. He is an arm-chair critic par excellence and a medieval-era ignoramus.

In a release entitled, ‘President Jonathan’s AU summit gaffe’ (May 28) Rotimi displayed habitual indolence and brainlessness, which I consider offensive and needlessly disruptive.

His subject is the justended AU at 50 summit in Addis Ababa. ‘’I invite more cerebral and decent persons to consider the facts.

President Jonathan as the leader of the Nigerian delegation to the AU summit in Addis Ababa and the 50th anniversary of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) indeed put up a sterling performance, using the opportunity of the trip to further promote Nigeria’s interests and to strengthen Nigeria’s relationships with other countries.

“He held bilateral

meetings with the UN Secretary General and the leaders of Jamaica, Egypt, Swaziland, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire.

He granted interviews to the media, local and international.

“He also participated in a special session on HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, at which he invited other world leaders to the Abuja+12 Conference to be hosted in Nigeria, mid-June.

“President Jonathan is an accomplished diplomat and a responsible leader under whose watch, Nigeria’s foreign policy process and international relations have been strengthened with commendable results. ‘’Fashakin, failing to do minimal research that any right-thinking person would attempt, jumps to the conclusion that President Jonathan missed his slot at the AU and that nobody represented him.

“This is more than 48 hours after I had issued a statement indicating that no slot was missed.

“Fashakin must be so busy he doesn’t even bother to read the news.

No slot was missed because no country was under any compulsion to speak. ’’Any country that wished to make a statement indicated the interest to do so, by pressing the button at its own convenience. Nigeria had indicated an interest to speak, but the President needed to attend an urgent ECOWAS meeting on the Lagos-Abidjan Highway, to be attended by five West African

countries, to take a report by the Nigerian Minister of Works who is the chair of the regional inter-Ministerial body on the proposed LagosAbidjan Highway. I have since circulated the conclusions of that meeting. ‘’While President Jonathan was attending that meeting, Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru, the Minister of Foreign Affairs presented our statement to the OAU at 50 on President Jonathan’s behalf. I have also since circulated the full text of that statement.

“In other words, Nigeria’s voice was heard, loud and clear. Let it be noted that President Jonathan’s attendance of a meeting on the sidelines of the AU Summit was perfectly in order, and he attended quite a number, just as Minister Ashiru was not the only Foreign Minister who spoke on behalf of a President at the Summit.

So where did Fashakin get his information from that nobody represented Nigeria? ‘’The nature of his mental indolence is understandable. In this attempt to pull President Jonathan down at all costs, lies have become standard stuff, mischief a major commodity, and indecency a character flaw.

“President Jonathan does not owe anyone an apology for serving Nigeria diligently and truthfully. Fashakin’s reference to an incident in Australia is also wrong-headed because the allegation is false.”

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2013 —15

Plateau CP urges Berom, Fulani leaders to maintain peace J

OS(NAN)—THE Commissioner of Police in Plateau, Mr. Chris Olakpe, has urged Berom and Fulani leaders to sustain the peace currently existing between them.

Olakpe made the call, yesterday, at a stakeholders’ peace meeting organised by the Plateau Police Command in collaboration with the Special Task Force, STF, on Plateau and other security agencies.

He said the meeting was to assess, review and re-evaluate the earlier agreement by the groups which resulted to “peaceful coexistence after several years of fighting and killings.”

The CP said: “The last time we had a meeting we said there was need for ceasefire and the fire was actually ceased.

“People have been asking me what the magic is and I

have been telling them that the magic is the agreement by the people to seek and promote peace.

“Because of your resolve, those who don’t want us to be in peace will be exposed and will be punished accordingly.”

Olakpe warned the youth against engaging in acts of impunity and lawlessness, stressing that anybody caught taking the laws into his hands would be punished.

Sen. Gyang Pwajok (Plateau North) thanked the people for embracing peace and urged them not to allow the peace to depart.

Pwajok, one of the initiators of the peace meetings, challenged the people to learn how to apologise to each other whenever they went against eachother.

He said: “When you tell your neighbour sorry when you go wrong, it does not reduce anything from you, rather, it brings peace and understanding between the two of you.”

Katsina govt disburses interest free loans to farmers

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URFI(NAN)— KATSINA State Government has commenced the disbursement of interest-free loans of N500,000 each to five trade associations from each of the 34 local government areas.

The Deputy Governor, Alhaji Abdullahi Garba, who performed the ceremony announced this in Kurfi, Katsina, yesterday, said that the gesture was being extended under the state’s poverty alleviation programme.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that associations from seven local government areas in Katsina Central Senatorial district benefiited.

The local government areas were Jibia, Batsari, Kurfi, Rimi, Dutsinma, Batagarawa and Danmusa.

Garba said that trade associations in Katsina North and Katsina South Senatorial Districts of the state had already benefitted from the gesture.

UNIJOS medical school graduates 94 doctors

BY TAYE OBATERU &

HOPE OFOBIKE

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OS—THE Faculty of Medical Sciences of the University of Jos, yesterday, graduated 94 new medical doctors, with a charge to them to uphold medical principles and shun unacceptable medical practices.

Registrar of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, Dr. Ibrahim Abdulmuminu, gave the charge at the induction of the 31st set of new doctors held at the multipurpose hall of the institution.

Represented by Dr. Pito Bello, the registrar cautioned them against unethical practices such as issuing fake medical certificate and indulging in activities unknown to medical practice adding that it was imperative for the new doctors to register with the council.

Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Harward Mafuyai, who spoke in a similar vein, urged them to remain good ambassadors and be guided by the oath they took.

16 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2013 NIGERIANS and their democracy are unique. If elsewhere people delight in the capacities of their government to deepen their liberties, broaden opportunities, our democracy is delivered as structures, visible and tangible.

We call them dividends of democracy.

The lure of dividends, a throw back to the days when the economy supported companies making the returns to shareholders, has created an array of expectations. People expect democracy to translate to instant wellbeing.

Politicians egg them on in the desires for a better life, which they paint in rosy strokes, but often do not deliver.

Where people expect employment, health services, rural development, education, governments point to peace and unity (currently eluding many parts) as dividends of democracy.

Dividends of democracy manifest in renovated schools, repainted hospitals, more vehicles for the judiciary and security agencies. They are celebrated as if their impacts would in a wave wipe out the deep-seated issues distracting the country.

One of them is the tendency to deny the people their rights to choose, especially their leaders.

Choice as a foundation of democracy is reflected

May 29 – Awaiting Dividends in the importance and regularity of elections.

The decisions about leaders must be made in fairer setting and in ways that produce leaders whose acceptability derives from the processes.

Equating physical developments with dividends of democracy could result in dissipating the more important aspects of democracy and by extension accepting any form of rule, as long as it builds better roads and bridges. Democracy is deeper. May 29 and the liberties it has brought since 1999 are reminders of the possibilities of democratic governance.

Democracy awards us vast liberties which our Constitution enunciates. We must expand our

peoples’ rights to life, to ownership of property, to participation in the economy and most importantly, their participation in politics. The rights to security of lives and property are facing challenges; they should be tackled more decisively.

Rights have prospered or withered in various measures in the past 14 years. Nigerians like to be heard, they have been talking. Is anyone listening? More people are agitating for more States or local governments. Others want restructuring, to award the States more powers.

Would Nigerians be free to live wherever they wish? Democracy should induce more economic competition among Nigeria’s federating units and improve lives. Would the current review of the Constitution address these?

Democracy is about the people. The consistent exclusion of the people in decisions about them is undemocratic. It is at the centre of the agitations that question the relevance of democracy and minimises people’s stake in Nigeria.

May 29 can be saved from being a ritual when our governments are about the people and for the people.

OPINION

BY GAB EJUWA

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T is curious how a single word evokes diametrically opposite reactions from people. And yet this contrasting opposition, in more ways than one, spices piquantly people’s use of languages generally and the English language particularly. This is an auspicious paradigm that invests both written and spoke expressions with compelling and by that fact illuminating denotations, gamut and the infinite range of the human mind. Take a relatively compact and monosemous word like “democracy”, for an instructive instance. I have used the word “relatively “ since this same word democracy evinces, in the main, sharply differentiated emphases and certainly incorrigent brittling of tempers.

One would find that while in some climes it attracts to itself a colouring and texturing of egalitarianism in society and transparency of government operation and operatives, bedrocked on accountability to the masses, in other climes it is just a chameleonic verbal mantra deployed at will to apologise for a working system, and to salve the consciences of government operatives whose personalities and actions are immured in cloak-and–dagger stridencies and ambiguities. The Nigerian democratic experience, despite its boisterous vaulting reflexivity and indeed its sybaritic, cut-throat expensiveness, is certainly of the typology of the latter configuration.

Why is ours an apology of democracy? And when did the rain start to beat us?, to quote that great late son of Africa, Professor C M Y K

Nigerian democracy: Whither our splendid ship?

Chinualumogu Achebe.

To answer these questions, it is expedient that we take a cursory glance at the pained evolution of this particular democratic experiment such as we got to have, to hold and to cherish, in the pulpit parlance of nuptials.

The year 1999 easily flits into the mind, the year Nigeria’s potential Hitler, General Sani Abacha, died amidst salacious controversy and the nation’s number one power slot became vacant. Ironically the man who was to succeed the maximum ruler was rotting away in gaol, together with the acclaimed winner of the 1993 presidential election, Chief M.K.O. Abiola of blessed memory.

Now, with the benefit of hindsight, our first blunder, after the conspired death of our legitimate potential president, was to pick on a man who had and still has a military background and mindest, diametrically opposed to civilized governance, to lead a democratic adventure even after we had been pounded black and blue by corrupt soldiers, up to that time, when we should not have touched anything military with the end of a barge pole. That was what informed that crude dictatorial stint of the avuncular Ota farmer, who ruled Nigeria as he would a military command: with steely-fisted draconianism, an unsavoury development replicated by the PDP dominated cash – crunching legislature.

Although he fought tooth and nail for tenure

elongation, but he failed woefully to gull Nigerians who had had enough of his primaeval amala bellicosity and powertoting vindictiveness. When it finally dawned on him that he had become, so to say, a self-made despot and nuisance he expeditiously groomed a quiescent and languid chainsmoking lackey to step into his shoes, in the person of Umaru YarAdua.

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f his predecessor’s tenure was adjudged to be off-putting, Yar ’ Adua’s snailcrawling apology lacked conviction, affirmation, confidence and direction, especially with the former octopus breathing down its back. If there was anything that refracted our positive view of the Nigerian then fledgling version, throwing it up for what it was: A monstrous bastardisation of the original. It was Yar’Adua’s health problem, which a cabal in Aso - Rock was quick to exploit to the maximum material and financial advantage, which revealed the ambiguity and absurdity of our so-called democratic governance, a time of half truths and blatant lies by the pretenders to the throne, including the president’s Lady Macbeth of a wife. Had it not been for the radical intrepidity of Pastor Tunder Bakare and his Save Nigeria Group, the hide and seek merry-go-round would have continued perhaps forever, so to say.

That was how it came to be that President

Goodluck Jonathan sits on the hot chair, a development which angered the North that felt cheated in the succession power game and which crystalised and metamporphosed into the Boko Haram insurgency, the huge rabid and morbid killing machine that at presents, in the words of Professor Niyi Osundare, “harry the hills and fritter the forest” today. And if Nigerians had been fooled by the so-called “fresh breath” symbolism and indeed concepgineering of Jonathan’s presidency and thought there was a silver lining in the cloud of our sociological doldrums, they were soon to be rudely shocked and disappointed by his reprehensible pseudocerebral personality and posturing.

Although reputedly lettered, our man could not and cannot rise beyond the pedestrian in thought, word and deed. Anybody who voiced any criticism, no matter how constructive, was simply out to embarrass the government.

Infrastructural decay reared its monstrous head. The economy was in a shambles, capacity utilization fell to an all time low.

Corruption skyrocketed. Medicare became non-existent. The quality of education plummeted. Nigerian groaned, chastised by Jonathan’s whips. This situation was responsible for the current security challenges heating up our polity. *Mr. Ejuwa, a journalist, wrote from Lagos.

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YOUR LUCK TODAY

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139

LIBRA: BETTER than yesterday as you will be at a more comfortable place today and suddenly discover that your hope is alive. Venus bring you money SCORPIO: ROMANTIC Venus at positive angle may bring matters-of-the heart related temptation through friends. But your best bet now is moderate ambition.

SAGITTARIUS: The best bet for you is to consolidate on progress you made yesterday and look for best way to pacify your new friends.

CAPRICORN: EVERYBODY needs other people’s co-operation just like you today but you will not be compelled by situation to dance to others’ tune; meaning that you can do things your own way and rightly expect success

By Richard Eromosele

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HERE is this song I love to sing even when my voice is not friendly, it goes thus “magnify the Lord, oh’ magnify the Lord, the Lord is able”. My friend let me ask you a question: who do you magnify in your

Who do you magnify? life, your problem, your challenges or your God? The truth is that many of us unknowingly magnify our problem. Yet, we

profess to be children of God. If we truly believe in our God, we will magnify Him above every other thing in our life, including our problem. Or don’t

TERROR MUDA in “Never say goodbye”

you know that each time you place your problem above God, you are belittling Him? Magnify the Lord.

Play down your problem. The Lord is above.

Think about it!

By Lanre Kehinde

AQUARIUS: THOSE of you willing to give others the needed co-operation will be in better position to consolidate on progress you have made recently.

Don’t allow sex to distract you.

PISCES: WATCHOUT for minor and avoidable but costly mistake within your working arena, especially if you are in charge of other people’s money. If you develop new romantic liaison today, it may not last.

ARIES: AS the saying goes “time waits for nobody” it’s important you guard against unnecessary procrastination capable of putting you at tight corner tomorrow. Be loving.

TAURUS: IT’S better you conclude what you’ve been doing for a while rather than starting something new you don’t know when to finish it. Be more family minded.

GEMINI: IF careless remarks are made by you today, it would back-fire at resumption of work tomorrow morning. Those who are eager for romantic attention will have their dream coming true. Be more love

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in

“Princess Shii’

By Andy Akman

CANCER: IF you wait too long before an important (financial) decision is taken, you may find yourself keeping date with what you don’t bargain for.

LEO: Placement of the Moon influences your associates to become more self-assertive. If you take good advice you’ll fare better. However, it’s important you don’t forget your tomorrow with others.

VIRGO: BETTER than yesterday and luckily for you, opportunity to rectify mistakes made yesterday may come today to the betterment of your finances.

Don’t try to buy love with money.

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING Send yyour our dat tr ological datee and place of bir th ttoo the As Astr trological Counselling, PP.M.B .M.B 1100 00 7, Apapa, Lagos 007,

What about me?

VIRGINIA

dadadekola@yahoo.com

Dear Joshua, You have done many people’s horoscope; what about me? I want you to kindly analyse my star and tell me everything about my self. Please take note that I value my health and career than any other thing.

Adedamola, Osun.

Dear Adedamola, What space can take will be given to you hereunder Scorpio and Libra that hosted both your natal sun and moon are members of very strong star signshealth wise.

Scorpio, in particular, has unusual survival ability.

That is to say, even when health related challenges come, your survival endowment will always see you through.

Your major challenge is from your constant worries about too many things, especially on career related issues. Business miscalculation can be another source of health related challenge. You will agree with the fact that both constant worries and business miscalculation can affect one’s circulatory system.

Other things to watch-out for include: Urino-genital organs, minor accident (fire), bones dislocations, a few other times, skin infections and, of-course, fever.

Always take care of the stomach. Please take note that all these are mere warnings as there is nothing fatalistic about them; a good guard, though.

Oil related Neptune was the closet heavenly body to the sun when you were born at positive angle to Pluto in Leo. Thus, having things to do with oil along your career/business lines is not by accident.

Then preponderance of water element and fixed quality in the distribution of the planets when you were born are favourable to commercial involvement with anything liquid.

HOME & AWAY

by Lawrence Akapa

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54—VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2013

JONATHAN AT MID TERM:

The promise and performance A retrospective look at the last two years of the Jonathan administration with a match of his promises and his performance in office.

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HE key imprint of the transformation agenda eralded at the onset of the 2011 presidential election campaign was that Nigeria would be transformed into a new nation in various aspects of endeavour.

Two years into his term, an analysis of the specific promises of transformation shows the administration succeeding in some sectors and also struggling to attain key parameters of the agenda in some strategic sectors.

Jonathan it would be recalled, had during his whistle-stop campaign across the 36 states of the federation , pledged to fix the following sectors; power, economy, energy & gas, education security, agriculture, water resources among others.

He also promised a better deal on the Niger Delta issue, women empowerment, and reforms where necessary.

Infrastructural development Accordingly, the President promised among others; to revive the rail system in the country, complete Lagos to Jebba rail project, intervene and revitalize the moribund Nigeria Machine Tools and other infrastructure owned by the federal government, modernize the ports, complete the second River Niger bridge before the expiration of the tenure, make the Minister of Works to immediately start repairs of the road leading to Murtala Mohammed International Airport, and assist in resuscitating all the collapsed industries in Kano state.

Others are to work towards making Akanu Ibiam airport in Enugu an international airport, seek alternative funding means to repair the Benin-Ore road, give Sokoto-Kotangora road unfettered attention Verdict Two years on, there is a consensus that the President has made remarkable achievements particularly on road construction, as many federal roads are now receiving attention.

However, no new sea ports have been proposed

week, increment in power generation to about 4,747 megawatts by December 2011 and reduction in the importation of generators by at least 90% by the year, 2015.

Verdict Though the government promised about 4,747 megawatts by December 2011, the nation surpassed that mark mid last year when power generation rose to about 4,307.7MW with an additional 170MW,which served as spinning reserve.

•Power Station But after the resignation of then Minister of Power Prof. Bath Nnaji, the power situation worsened as supply dropped to 3,224.3MW. At the moment, the nation is reportedly generating about 3,443MW, as power supply has remained unreliable.

However, further investigations revealed that transmission among others, remain the current challenge in the sector given that most transmission infrastructure are obsolete.

Also power generation companies that emerged successful in the bidding process of the privatization of the sector received their certificates on April 22nd this year. But all these are yet to translate to relative stability in power supply, thereby leading to doubts on the possibility of a stable power supply by 2015.

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BY CHARLES KUMOLU

Two years into his term, an analysis of the specific promises of transformation shows the administration succeeding in some sectors and also struggling to attain key parameters of the agenda in some strategic sectors

Economy The president pledged to work with the private sector and all the relevant agencies to stimulate industrial growth, introduce 5-year term budgeting, diversify the economy, to revive the Ajaokuta Steel complex and Itakpe Iron Ore Company, address the issues of unemployment through diversification of

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•Newly remodelled Airport while many of the country’s major airports have been rebuilt.

Remarkably, the contract for the construction of the 2nd Niger bridge, was recently awarded to Julius Berger Nigeria Plc. Power The nation was promised constant supply of electricity, stable power supply by the year 2015 so that small and medium scale industries can thrive again, exploration of the coal deposits in Benue and Kogi states, construction of more dams, building of more hydro-power stations.

The electorate was also assured that Nigerians would not use generators more than two times in a

•Ajaokuta Steel Company the nation’s economy to that of sustainable agricultural development across the 36 states of federation , reduce production cost by inviting manufacturers of high demand commodities in the Continues on page 55

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The promise and performance country to set up production factories in the country and get industries in Lagos up, bring industries to the Niger Delta, create 1.5 million jobs within 2 years, constitute a special committee drawing experts from the MAN, NACCIMA and related bodies as well as key government officials to deliberate regularly on policies that will improve the nation’s economy among others.

Verdict While the administration is claiming economic growth of 6.5 per cent in the first quarter of 2013 with inflation down to single digit, fiscal deficit of 1.8 of GDP and foreign reserves $48 billion, others have argued that the reality is to the contrary.

An estimated 70% of the nation’s budget is spent on servicing paraphernalia of government, while foreign debts are accumulating.

Education At the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife Osun State, Candidate Jonathan on 12th March 2011 promised a holistic review of the nation’ education policy.

He also pledged to establish at least one Federal University in each state by the end of 2012, improve on hostel facilities across the nation, revamp Almajiri system of education, work towards improving the education sector as a prelude to transforming economy and as means of empowering the people. He also promised to improve on teaching and learning environment in schools and to make every Nigerian of school age to have access to education.

Verdict The administration initiated a programme to provide 400 schools for itinerant scholars in Northern

Energy & Gas The President pledged to make Nigeria go beyond producing and exporting crude oil to exporting refined petroleum products, create 600,000 new jobs in the gas industry , boost gas supply from 1.0 billion cubic feet per day to 10 billion cubic feet by the year 2020, facilitate the enactment of the Petroleum Industry Law with emphasis on local content such that jobs are created for Nigerians among others.

Verdict Actualisation of the promises have been largely

•Almajiri School

•Oil Refinery unfulfilled. The Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB is still stagnating in the National Assembly, Nigeria is still largely dependent on imported fuel even while a large amount of money is still spent on refineries that are not producing at capacity.

The administration has been dogged by its failure to fully address the corruption emitting from the payment of petroleum subsidy to importers and the continued insinuation of the sector as a nest of corruption.

Security Following the general insecurity in the country, Jonathan promised to make anyone caught breaching the public peace to face the full wrath of the law, make sure that no part of the country is allowed to be a sanctuary for criminals, confront headlong ethno-religious violence in the country, ensure there is no sacred cow in the fight against corruption, strengthen EFCC and ICPC to fight crime , eradicate kidnappings impeding entrepreneurship in Eastern Zone , pursue all bombers and terrorists among others.

Verdict Despite the recent declaration of state of emergency in the states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, observers still argued that enough is not being done to curb insecurity.

This is one area that there seems to be a general consensus that the President had not done well.

While kidnapping was at one time only prevalent in the Southeast, it has in the last few years fully spread into a booming industry in some other parts of the country especially in Delta, Edo and Lagos States. Similarly, the administration’s war against graft, has been generally described as weak and unproductive.

Nigeria known as Almajiri.

There is also a reported 15 percent increase in pass rates in school leaving examinations in Nigeria in 2012.

The number of Federal universities in Nigeria was increased by 12 as well, just as blocks of classrooms in 15 states were completed as part of efforts to meet Millennium Development Goals, MDGs. However, the increase in the number of federal universities has been met with criticisms over the administration’s failure to improve on the standard of the existing universities all of which have fallen out of global reckoning. The condemnation is buttressed by the allocation of N426.53billion to the sector, which at about 10%, is grossly below the UNESCO recommendation of 26 percent.

Agriculture Jonathan also promised to boost agriculture through irrigation and maximizing vast mineral

•Jonathan resources in the country, revive the marketing boards to ensure that farmers are no longer cheated on the sales of farm produce while more silos would be built to help farmers preserve their products, provide farmers with information on agricultural production and move towards mechanized agriculture and make each state to specialize in two crops; cash and local crop.

Verdict The administration’s strides in the agriculture sector have been largely commended and the sector is after many years of stagnation again looking up , while the country’s agriculture experts are now the toast of their peers around the continent.

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Despite the recent declaration of state of emergency in the states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, observers still argued that enough is not being done to curb insecurity

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Jonathan has exceeded his promises — Metuh National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh speaks on achievements of the PDP led government in the last two years.

BY HENRY UMORU

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OW would you assess President Goodluck Jonathan led administration in the last three years?

President Goodluck Jonathan has been doing very well, no president of this country has faced the kind of security challenges this administration is facing. It is as if it is a calculated attempt to distract and detract the president from his performance in office.

Notwithstanding this attempt, the president has been able to achieve a lot in office.

We as a party have mentioned severally, that we think that the achievement of this administration is under-publicised. Because we believe from the score cards and the reports of the ministers, from the minister briefing that we have been having, we even in the leadership of the party are shocked and surprised.

Most importantly, we are 100% behind the president in entrenching democratic principles in the party, the body polity in the country. If you look at it, before the coming of the president, we did not have entrenchment of anticorruption in our political process.

We did not have rule of law in our political process. Today, we have one man one vote. We have a situation where people now line up and vote for anybody of their choice.

The president has been able to ensure that the democratic tenet of leadership and freedom of choice to vote for whomever you want, that we have been able to apply it and ensure that Nigerians are witnessing it for the first time.

So on that particular side, we are happy with the president and we give him 100% in that.

On the issue of provision of infrastructure, we are happy with

•Metuh the efforts that are being made.

What we are witnessing now, achievements being done on tarring and repairs of the roads, massive repairs and reconstruction of Nigerian roads, we are happy with it.

We are also happy with what is happening in the agricultural sector. We are also happy with what is happening in the FCT. We are happy with the massive construction in the FCT, trying to lift our capital to be one of the best in the developing economies.

On the issue of power, there is no Nigerian that will say that there has not been some improvement in the power sector. Not as much as we would have hoped for, but there has been improvement. And overall, the president has done well. We often time wonder, what he would have achieved if there was no detraction of security challenges. What

would this president have done if there was no Boko Haram, Nigerians would have been amazed.

We would have been viewing signs and wonders. We are happy so far so good.

We hope that the issue of insecurity will minimize for the president to excel as he has promised. But we thank God and we are happy that he has remained focused in trying to deliver the mandate that was given to him.

As a party is there reason to celebrate May 29?

As a political party, there is ample evidence and reason to celebrate May 29 Day based on the fact that the party has been able to keep an entrench democracy in Nigeria.

And severally, PDP has been able to entrench democracy in the country. We have been able to show that we are fighting for the unity of this country and we prefer the unity of this country.

We have shown that the party carters for all national interests in the country. We have been able to do that. There is cause to jubilate on democracy and be happy and to rejoice for the provision of infrastructure.

But going with the mood of the nation, the women have lost their husbands; the children have lost their fathers to this sectarian violence. It will be a bit inappropriate for our party to come and be rejoicing in the light of these things that are happening in the last few weeks and the last few months.

Reckless, no focus — Fashakin Engr. Rotimi Fashakin, the national publicity secretary of the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, faults President Jonathan’s administration of the country saying he has been more focussed on political self-preservation than on promoting the general good of all.

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DUCATION:Nigerian students have recorded failure in Mathematics and English more than in any other time in the Nation’s history. In the 2013 appropriation law, t he allocation of N426.53billion to the sector takes only 8.67percent of the total budget of N4.92trillion, whereas the UNESCO recommended for the allocation of 26percent of the total budget to the sector which is very vital to national development.

It is easily discernible why the Jonathan regime cannot point at brainy but indigent Nigerians that are on scholarship in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions or abroad.

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•Fashakin preferred the vain-glorious political revelry of setting up nine new universities it had no desire to fund ab-initio!

There is no gainsaying in restating the comatose state of the Nigerian economy under the political governance of Dr Good-luck Jonathan. With over 70% of the State’s budget spent in servicing over-bloated paraphernalia of government and accumulation of foreign debts to finance all the economically unsound fancies of the regime, it is a matter of time before the Nigerian economy plummets under the weight of gross incompetence and unpatriotic handling by the Jonathan administration.

Infrastructure The infrastructural decay in the polity has undoubtedly ensured the closure of many industrial concerns and this has inexorably brought the youth unemployment to an all-time high of over 44%.

As a Party, we are forced to believe that this may just be a deliberate policy of this

So our hearts reach out to Nigerians who have lost their loved ones, who have lost their husbands, their wives, their children, their fathers. We take the issue of this Democracy Day as a solemn occasion to reflect on the activities of some Nigerians who think that democracy is a license for violence; who think that democracy is license to enthrone anarchy. Those who think that democracy is a license to do anything you want. No, that is not democracy.

We plead and we preach that this Democracy Day, that let the spirit of democracy touch their hearts, let them understand that whatever grievance they have, whatever they want to promote, they can go to the ballot box and do that.

Delivering on promises Let them go and vote for whomever they want. Whatever choice that they want, is not through the barrel of the gun.

As a party, what would you tell your members and the opposition?

Our members should remain focused, the president is working well. We are delivering on our promises and we will continue to deliver in spite of attempts to detract us, in spite of the heavy security challenges, we are delivering on our promises. To the opposition, we do hope that they can challenge us on issues, not on insults, not on propaganda, not of propagating falsehood to the entire nation. Let them challenge us on issues. That is our message on this democracy day to the opposition.

administration as a way to continue to have tether-hold on the youth to implement its programme for electoral manipulations. Clearly, this administration seems unfazed by the portent of a burgeoning number of unemployed youth in terms of national security!

Insecurity As a party, we are saddened by the insecurity in the land.

Ordinary citizens can no longer pursue unfettered happiness without fear of forced kidnapping, harassment and possibly, fatal injury. There is full-scale war going on in some parts of the nation state as a result of politically festered hate which had been bred by the president’s hateful politics.

Truly, the divisiveness embedded in the President’s win-at-all-costs brand of politics has inevitably brought us to the sorry-pass of this indescribable conundrum of insecurity!

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Jonathan has exceeded his promises — Metuh National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh speaks on achievements of the PDP led government in the last two years.

BY HENRY UMORU

H

OW would you assess President Goodluck Jonathan led administration in the last three years?

President Goodluck Jonathan has been doing very well, no president of this country has faced the kind of security challenges this administration is facing. It is as if it is a calculated attempt to distract and detract the president from his performance in office.

Notwithstanding this attempt, the president has been able to achieve a lot in office.

We as a party have mentioned severally, that we think that the achievement of this administration is under-publicised. Because we believe from the score cards and the reports of the ministers, from the minister briefing that we have been having, we even in the leadership of the party are shocked and surprised.

Most importantly, we are 100% behind the president in entrenching democratic principles in the party, the body polity in the country. If you look at it, before the coming of the president, we did not have entrenchment of anticorruption in our political process.

We did not have rule of law in our political process. Today, we have one man one vote. We have a situation where people now line up and vote for anybody of their choice.

The president has been able to ensure that the democratic tenet of leadership and freedom of choice to vote for whomever you want, that we have been able to apply it and ensure that Nigerians are witnessing it for the first time.

So on that particular side, we are happy with the president and we give him 100% in that.

On the issue of provision of infrastructure, we are happy with

•Metuh the efforts that are being made.

What we are witnessing now, achievements being done on tarring and repairs of the roads, massive repairs and reconstruction of Nigerian roads, we are happy with it.

We are also happy with what is happening in the agricultural sector. We are also happy with what is happening in the FCT. We are happy with the massive construction in the FCT, trying to lift our capital to be one of the best in the developing economies.

On the issue of power, there is no Nigerian that will say that there has not been some improvement in the power sector. Not as much as we would have hoped for, but there has been improvement. And overall, the president has done well. We often time wonder, what he would have achieved if there was no detraction of security challenges. What

would this president have done if there was no Boko Haram, Nigerians would have been amazed.

We would have been viewing signs and wonders. We are happy so far so good.

We hope that the issue of insecurity will minimize for the president to excel as he has promised. But we thank God and we are happy that he has remained focused in trying to deliver the mandate that was given to him.

As a party is there reason to celebrate May 29?

As a political party, there is ample evidence and reason to celebrate May 29 Day based on the fact that the party has been able to keep an entrench democracy in Nigeria.

And severally, PDP has been able to entrench democracy in the country. We have been able to show that we are fighting for the unity of this country and we prefer the unity of this country.

We have shown that the party carters for all national interests in the country. We have been able to do that. There is cause to jubilate on democracy and be happy and to rejoice for the provision of infrastructure.

But going with the mood of the nation, the women have lost their husbands; the children have lost their fathers to this sectarian violence. It will be a bit inappropriate for our party to come and be rejoicing in the light of these things that are happening in the last few weeks and the last few months.

Reckless, no focus — Fashakin Engr. Rotimi Fashakin, the national publicity secretary of the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, faults President Jonathan’s administration of the country saying he has been more focussed on political self-preservation than on promoting the general good of all.

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DUCATION:Nigerian students have recorded failure in Mathematics and English more than in any other time in the Nation’s history. In the 2013 appropriation law, t he allocation of N426.53billion to the sector takes only 8.67percent of the total budget of N4.92trillion, whereas the UNESCO recommended for the allocation of 26percent of the total budget to the sector which is very vital to national development.

It is easily discernible why the Jonathan regime cannot point at brainy but indigent Nigerians that are on scholarship in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions or abroad.

Rather than ensuring proper funding for the nation’s universities, the Jonathan regime

•Fashakin preferred the vain-glorious political revelry of setting up nine new universities it had no desire to fund ab-initio!

There is no gainsaying in restating the comatose state of the Nigerian economy under the political governance of Dr Good-luck Jonathan. With over 70% of the State’s budget spent in servicing over-bloated paraphernalia of government and accumulation of foreign debts to finance all the economically unsound fancies of the regime, it is a matter of time before the Nigerian economy plummets under the weight of gross incompetence and unpatriotic handling by the Jonathan administration.

Infrastructure The infrastructural decay in the polity has undoubtedly ensured the closure of many industrial concerns and this has inexorably brought the youth unemployment to an all-time high of over 44%.

As a Party, we are forced to believe that this may just be a deliberate policy of this

So our hearts reach out to Nigerians who have lost their loved ones, who have lost their husbands, their wives, their children, their fathers. We take the issue of this Democracy Day as a solemn occasion to reflect on the activities of some Nigerians who think that democracy is a license for violence; who think that democracy is license to enthrone anarchy. Those who think that democracy is a license to do anything you want. No, that is not democracy.

We plead and we preach that this Democracy Day, that let the spirit of democracy touch their hearts, let them understand that whatever grievance they have, whatever they want to promote, they can go to the ballot box and do that.

Delivering on promises Let them go and vote for whomever they want. Whatever choice that they want, is not through the barrel of the gun.

As a party, what would you tell your members and the opposition?

Our members should remain focused, the president is working well. We are delivering on our promises and we will continue to deliver in spite of attempts to detract us, in spite of the heavy security challenges, we are delivering on our promises. To the opposition, we do hope that they can challenge us on issues, not on insults, not on propaganda, not of propagating falsehood to the entire nation. Let them challenge us on issues. That is our message on this democracy day to the opposition.

administration as a way to continue to have tether-hold on the youth to implement its programme for electoral manipulations. Clearly, this administration seems unfazed by the portent of a burgeoning number of unemployed youth in terms of national security!

Insecurity As a party, we are saddened by the insecurity in the land.

Ordinary citizens can no longer pursue unfettered happiness without fear of forced kidnapping, harassment and possibly, fatal injury. There is full-scale war going on in some parts of the nation state as a result of politically festered hate which had been bred by the president’s hateful politics.

Truly, the divisiveness embedded in the President’s win-at-all-costs brand of politics has inevitably brought us to the sorry-pass of this indescribable conundrum of insecurity!

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The promise and performance country to set up production factories in the country and get industries in Lagos up, bring industries to the Niger Delta, create 1.5 million jobs within 2 years, constitute a special committee drawing experts from the MAN, NACCIMA and related bodies as well as key government officials to deliberate regularly on policies that will improve the nation’s economy among others.

Verdict While the administration is claiming economic growth of 6.5 per cent in the first quarter of 2013 with inflation down to single digit, fiscal deficit of 1.8 of GDP and foreign reserves $48 billion, others have argued that the reality is to the contrary.

An estimated 70% of the nation’s budget is spent on servicing paraphernalia of government, while foreign debts are accumulating.

Education At the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife Osun State, Candidate Jonathan on 12th March 2011 promised a holistic review of the nation’ education policy.

He also pledged to establish at least one Federal University in each state by the end of 2012, improve on hostel facilities across the nation, revamp Almajiri system of education, work towards improving the education sector as a prelude to transforming economy and as means of empowering the people. He also promised to improve on teaching and learning environment in schools and to make every Nigerian of school age to have access to education.

Verdict The administration initiated a programme to provide 400 schools for itinerant scholars in Northern

Energy & Gas The President pledged to make Nigeria go beyond producing and exporting crude oil to exporting refined petroleum products, create 600,000 new jobs in the gas industry , boost gas supply from 1.0 billion cubic feet per day to 10 billion cubic feet by the year 2020, facilitate the enactment of the Petroleum Industry Law with emphasis on local content such that jobs are created for Nigerians among others.

Verdict Actualisation of the promises have been largely

•Almajiri School

•Oil Refinery unfulfilled. The Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB is still stagnating in the National Assembly, Nigeria is still largely dependent on imported fuel even while a large amount of money is still spent on refineries that are not producing at capacity.

The administration has been dogged by its failure to fully address the corruption emitting from the payment of petroleum subsidy to importers and the continued insinuation of the sector as a nest of corruption.

Security Following the general insecurity in the country, Jonathan promised to make anyone caught breaching the public peace to face the full wrath of the law, make sure that no part of the country is allowed to be a sanctuary for criminals, confront headlong ethno-religious violence in the country, ensure there is no sacred cow in the fight against corruption, strengthen EFCC and ICPC to fight crime , eradicate kidnappings impeding entrepreneurship in Eastern Zone , pursue all bombers and terrorists among others.

Verdict Despite the recent declaration of state of emergency in the states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, observers still argued that enough is not being done to curb insecurity.

This is one area that there seems to be a general consensus that the President had not done well.

While kidnapping was at one time only prevalent in the Southeast, it has in the last few years fully spread into a booming industry in some other parts of the country especially in Delta, Edo and Lagos States. Similarly, the administration’s war against graft, has been generally described as weak and unproductive.

Nigeria known as Almajiri.

There is also a reported 15 percent increase in pass rates in school leaving examinations in Nigeria in 2012.

The number of Federal universities in Nigeria was increased by 12 as well, just as blocks of classrooms in 15 states were completed as part of efforts to meet Millennium Development Goals, MDGs. However, the increase in the number of federal universities has been met with criticisms over the administration’s failure to improve on the standard of the existing universities all of which have fallen out of global reckoning. The condemnation is buttressed by the allocation of N426.53billion to the sector, which at about 10%, is grossly below the UNESCO recommendation of 26 percent.

Agriculture Jonathan also promised to boost agriculture through irrigation and maximizing vast mineral

•Jonathan resources in the country, revive the marketing boards to ensure that farmers are no longer cheated on the sales of farm produce while more silos would be built to help farmers preserve their products, provide farmers with information on agricultural production and move towards mechanized agriculture and make each state to specialize in two crops; cash and local crop.

Verdict The administration’s strides in the agriculture sector have been largely commended and the sector is after many years of stagnation again looking up , while the country’s agriculture experts are now the toast of their peers around the continent.

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Continues from page 81

Despite the recent declaration of state of emergency in the states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, observers still argued that enough is not being done to curb insecurity

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VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2013 —81

JONATHAN AT MID TERM:

The promise and performance A retrospective look at the last two years of the Jonathan administration with a match of his promises and his performance in office.

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HE key imprint of the transformation agenda eralded at the onset of the 2011 presidential election campaign was that Nigeria would be transformed into a new nation in various aspects of endeavour.

Two years into his term, an analysis of the specific promises of transformation shows the administration succeeding in some sectors and also struggling to attain key parameters of the agenda in some strategic sectors.

Jonathan it would be recalled, had during his whistle-stop campaign across the 36 states of the federation , pledged to fix the following sectors; power, economy, energy & gas, education security, agriculture, water resources among others.

He also promised a better deal on the Niger Delta issue, women empowerment, and reforms where necessary.

Infrastructural development Accordingly, the President promised among others; to revive the rail system in the country, complete Lagos to Jebba rail project, intervene and revitalize the moribund Nigeria Machine Tools and other infrastructure owned by the federal government, modernize the ports, complete the second River Niger bridge before the expiration of the tenure, make the Minister of Works to immediately start repairs of the road leading to Murtala Mohammed International Airport, and assist in resuscitating all the collapsed industries in Kano state.

Others are to work towards making Akanu Ibiam airport in Enugu an international airport, seek alternative funding means to repair the Benin-Ore road, give Sokoto-Kotangora road unfettered attention Verdict Two years on, there is a consensus that the President has made remarkable achievements particularly on road construction, as many federal roads are now receiving attention.

However, no new sea ports have been proposed

week, increment in power generation to about 4,747 megawatts by December 2011 and reduction in the importation of generators by at least 90% by the year, 2015.

Verdict Though the government promised about 4,747 megawatts by December 2011, the nation surpassed that mark mid last year when power generation rose to about 4,307.7MW with an additional 170MW,which served as spinning reserve.

•Power Station But after the resignation of then Minister of Power Prof. Bath Nnaji, the power situation worsened as supply dropped to 3,224.3MW. At the moment, the nation is reportedly generating about 3,443MW, as power supply has remained unreliable.

However, further investigations revealed that transmission among others, remain the current challenge in the sector given that most transmission infrastructure are obsolete.

Also power generation companies that emerged successful in the bidding process of the privatization of the sector received their certificates on April 22nd this year. But all these are yet to translate to relative stability in power supply, thereby leading to doubts on the possibility of a stable power supply by 2015.

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BY CHARLES KUMOLU

Two years into his term, an analysis of the specific promises of transformation shows the administration succeeding in some sectors and also struggling to attain key parameters of the agenda in some strategic sectors

Economy The president pledged to work with the private sector and all the relevant agencies to stimulate industrial growth, introduce 5-year term budgeting, diversify the economy, to revive the Ajaokuta Steel complex and Itakpe Iron Ore Company, address the issues of unemployment through diversification of

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•Newly remodelled Airport while many of the country’s major airports have been rebuilt.

Remarkably, the contract for the construction of the 2nd Niger bridge, was recently awarded to Julius Berger Nigeria Plc. Power The nation was promised constant supply of electricity, stable power supply by the year 2015 so that small and medium scale industries can thrive again, exploration of the coal deposits in Benue and Kogi states, construction of more dams, building of more hydro-power stations.

The electorate was also assured that Nigerians would not use generators more than two times in a

•Ajaokuta Steel Company the nation’s economy to that of sustainable agricultural development across the 36 states of federation , reduce production cost by inviting manufacturers of high demand commodities in the Continues on page 82 C M Y K

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ICC should stop hunting Africans — AU

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HE African Union (AU) has accused the International Criminal Court (ICC) of “hunting” Africans because of their race.

It was opposed to the ICC trying Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta on charges of crimes against humanity, said Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn.

The AU would raise its concerns with the UN, he added.

Mr Kenyatta, who was elected in March, is due to be tried in July.

He denies the charges, which arise from accusations that he

•Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta fuelled violence after disputed elections in 2007.

Analysts say the charges bolstered his campaign in this year’s poll, as many voters saw the trial as interference in

Kenya’s domestic affairs.

He beat then-Prime Minister Raila Odinga by 50.07% to 43.28%, giving him a narrow victory in the first round.

Speaking at the end of an AU summit in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, Mr Hailemariam said the cases of Mr Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto should be referred to the Kenyan courts.

African leaders were concerned that out of those indicted by the ICC, “99% are Africans”, Mr Hailemariam added.

“This shows something is flawed within the system of the ICC and we object to that,” he said.

France calls for action against Islamists in southern Libya

F

RANCE yesterday urged African nations to make a concerted effort to tackle a growing Islamist threat in the deserts of southern Libya.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, speaking on a visit to Niger where suicide bombers attacked a French-run uranium mine last week, said there were signs that Libya’s lawless south was becoming a safe haven for Islamist groups in the Sahara.

“It seems we must make

a special effort on southern Libya - which is also what Libya wants,” Fabius said after meeting Niger President Mahamadou Issoufou.

“We spoke about the initiatives which neighboring countries can take in liaison with Libya.”

A five-month Frenchled military campaign broke Islamists’ hold over the northern two-thirds of Mali, killing hundreds of al Qaeda-linked fighters and pushing others into

neighboring states.

Niger has said the Islamists who carried out Thursday’s twin attacks on an Areva mine and a military barracks, which killed 25 people had crossed the border from Libya. Tripoli has denied this.

Fabius, who travels to Mali on Tuesday, said efforts to address the problem in southern Libya would need support from Tunisia, Algeria, Chad, Mali and Egypt.

Mixed reactions greet EU arms embargo lift on Syria

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ISPUTES between Russia and the West over arming warring sides in Syria on Tuesday dimmed prospects for peace talks that were also clouded by disarray among President Bashar al-Assad’s political foes.

As Western nations debate what action, if any, they should take on Syria, Assad’s main allies , Russia, Iran and Lebanon’s Shi’ite Hezbollah group have been closing ranks behind him.

Russia, which has protected Assad diplomatically since the Syrian uprising erupted in March 2011, said it would deliver an advanced S-300 air defense system to Damascus despite U.S., French and Israeli objections, arguing that it would help deter “hotheads” intent on

intervention in the conflict.

Moscow also accused the European Union of “throwing fuel on the fire” and directly damaging the chances of convening a peace conference by letting its own arms embargo on Syria expire.

France and Britain, the EU’s strongest military powers and most ardent advocates of scrapping the embargo, said they had not yet decided to arm Syrian rebels, but did not have to delay such action until EU foreign ministers next meet on August 1.

Woolwich: Suspect leaves hospital

T

HE 22-year-old man arrested on suspicion of the murder of Drummer Lee Rigby has been discharged from hospital and arrested on suspicion of another offence.

Michael Adebowale was taken into custody at a south London police station on Tuesday, six days after the killing in Woolwich, London.

He was arrested on the

suspicion of the attempted murder of a police officer.

He will be interviewed by the Met Counter Terrorism Command.

Mr Adebowale and fellow suspect in Drummer Rigby’s killing Michael Adebolajo, 28, were shot and injured by police at the scene near Woolwich Barracks on Wednesday.

They have been under police guard in hospital.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2013 — 85

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HE brutal murder of British soldier, Lee Rigby, by two religious terrorists on May 22 is the immediate trigger for this week’s column. The murder which for its sheer brutality has been rightly identified for the barbaric act that it was has left many wondering what kind of hatred could have caused it. It was a throwback to the age of tribal wars and battles when relatively crude implements were the preferred weapons of offence. The attackers momentarily turned a space in the 21st century into the age of head hunters when alike sharp and blunt knives and machetes came in handy as tribal groups tackle their enemies. And so it was that Rigby’s attackers, one of whom has been identified as Michael Adebolajo (Adeboloja?), a Briton of Nigerian descent, set upon their victim with machetes, knives and a meat cleaver. While meat cleavers may not be very familiar sight here in Nigeria, anyone who has seen one of these instruments of British butchers would know what horror

was enacted on the streets of Woolwich, the southeast London community, where Rigby was hacked down in broad day light and before moving cameras.

To make their gory job easier and in apparent recognition of how uneasy it would be to take on a soldier straight on knuckle for knuckle, these terrorists who tried to pass off their ignoble acts as one motivated in defence of their religion, had two things in their favour. One was surprise. The other thing was that they ran their victim down with a vehicle thereby seizing the unfair advantage as they, these cowardly terrorists always do. They proceeded to put on a performance for the cameras with their bloody hands and clothes in full view while asking outraged passersby to take their pictures and/or call in the police. Well, these religious showmen never like to pass up any photo opportunity.

Where they do not exist they create them- they simply must have their time in the spotlight no matter how brief.

In the wake of the attack, Muslim leaders in the UK and around the world have been loud in condemning a terrible murder they claim gives a bad name to their religion. They want the world to believe and accept that their religion is all about peace. This may well be the case but these leaders need to ask themselves why one religion spawns so many murderous elements from within its fold or creates room for people who use its name to perpetrate unspeakable evil. The answer to this may not be so difficult to arrive at giving the kind of utterances some of these so-called leaders routinely spout. The increasing and misleading radicalisation of Muslim youths may not be unconnected to the rhetoric of hate some of the people who speak as leaders of their religion adopt

Who should pay the pilgrim’s passage to paradise?

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AD Nigeria, like Britain, an unwritten constitution, no one would know ours is officially a secular country. Every politician not only wears his or her righteousness like the mark of Cain on the forehead but is also a lay pastor or imam.

Imagine, then, my delight at seeing in the May 23, 2013 issue of Premium Times the headline, “Pilgrimage to Jerusalem, Mecca is a Luxury that Edo Will not Subsidise – Oshiomhole.” Nigeria — going by its church-and-mosque density — is quite possibly the holiest patch of earth under God’s infinite sky. Don’t take my word for it. On a bright morning, count the number of churches in your street — preferably in the Lagos metropolitan area.

(Churches, since Pentecostalism best represents the phoney idea of piety as the multiplication of houses of worship.) Or take a ride along that stretch of the LagosIbadan expressway just outside Lagos now taken over by the holy tabernacles of a thousand and one faiths. Particularly at the time of an All-night Vigil, Deliverance Service, Breaking the Yoke of Satan, Possessing Your Possessions, etc. At the end of the exercise, you will wonder why God has yet to appear in a burning bush and command us to never wear sandals or shod our feet in any way on his holiest plot of earth.

So holy is our country that its current president regularly goes to prostrate himself before a Daddy Overseer, who, to him, is the personal representative of God. So holy that every politician, rigged elections and stolen billions notwithstanding, assures us that he or she was specially anointed into office by God and promptly donates a church to him in

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thanksgiving. So holy that God’s warriors up North have no compunction spilling the blood of infidel and faithful alike, child or adult, to establish his beneficent rule.

Yet the irony is striking: The more pious we are, the more profane and decadent our actions. Even when, for instance, the faithful perform the supposedly solemn duty of a pilgrimage. As I understand it, the Hajj, the fifth pillar of Islam, is obligatory only upon those Muslims able to afford it in physical and financial terms.

Moreover, it need only be performed at least once in the able faithful’s lifetime.

But not so for the pious Nigerian who turns pilgrimage to tourism in order to boast the appellation of Double—and I suppose, Triple, Quadruple, etc. — Al-Haji and two or more gold teeth upon return home.

Speaking of spiritual tourism, it would seem that is now part and parcel of the Christian pilgrimage. No surprise, since there is no Biblical justification for it.

Consequently, the municipal authorities of Jerusalem treat the whole affair as a business. We have it on the authority of a pilgrim, Pastor Mathew Obaze, who, according to another report in Premium Times (22 December 2012), bewailed the commercialisation of the ritual. ‘’The Israelis,” he claimed, take “advantage of people coming into their country.” They see the pilgrims’ mission not from the lofty height of spiritual uplift but from a lowly “tourist perspective”. As for the Nigerian pilgrims, too many of them tend to be “carried away” by the things they see, “things that we don’t have in our country”.

And it is precisely in order to provide those material things that make our

when addressing sensitive issues of religion. They make it look like the religion is always in need of defenders whose only means of operation is violence. We see and hear these in the utterances of some of these self-styled leaders of fast mushrooming organisations that their founders routinely use as platforms for spreading hateful rhetoric.

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ith Nigeria and Nigerians increasingly appearing on the world stage as terror artists there is the need for the state and those genuine Muslims who can truly see what moral burden their religion is being put under to be bold in their condemnation of the activities and, especially, utterances of their members and others who simply use the name of the religion for their own purposes. One such organisation in my view is the Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, whose so-called director, Is-haq Lakin Akintola, has attacked the Lagos State governor and the State’s Commissioner of Education, Olayinka Oladunjoye, as declaring war against Muslims for restricting use of hijab in public schools in the state. Mr. Akintola has probably never witnessed a riot to say nothing of a war yet he makes perfunctory statements on war as if he is ready for one. His belligerent rhetoric, as reported in the Vanguard of May 23 is the stuff on which murderous elements like Adeboloja are weaned. ( And talking about Adebolajo, it is right that Nigerians should reject any attempt to link him to this country.

He may be of Nigerian descent but he is a British product who probably has never set his foot on any part of Nigeria. Nigerians are in my view within their rights to

pilgrims gape, gawk and shop in the holy lands, rather than devote themselves to praise and prayer, that Governor A d a m Oshiomhole announced to officials of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission his decision to stop subsidising pilgrimages.

Displaying a clear understanding of what

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Preaching hate in the name of free speech

The increasing and misleading radicalisation of Muslim youths may not be unconnected to the rhetoric of hate some of the people who speak as leaders of their religion adopt when addressing sensitive issues of religion

Admission to heaven or hell, if the scriptures are right, is strictly on personal merit; the state, a collective entity, has no business paying the pilgrim’s passage to paradise

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the separation of state and religion truly means in practice, Oshiomhole preached, as it were, a secular sermon to his righteous guests. A pilgrimage, he told them, is “a luxury” and he would not spend taxpayers’ money on it. A poor man “who has no roof over his head,” he said, “cannot be spiritually uplifted if he goes to Israel and returns to a state of homelessness.”

Besides, “only [a] clean heart,” and not a pilgrimage, will decide the believer ’s place in the after-life. He would much

reject any link with this scum of the human species. We can do without the negative publicity from him and his likes).

When acts or policies people are opposed to are viewed in martial terms, as belligerent actions targeted at particular groups/ religions or communities rather than issues that could be debated amicably, members of such groups or communities, especially the lunatic fringe, feel justified to launch what they consider appropriate acts of war in retaliation. The process for such radicalisation is often subtle and subliminal but the consequences are not. The attackers of Rigby claimed they wanted to start a war.

Indeed Michael Adebolajo has been described as quiet and easygoing. The same thing we heard about Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the Nigerian underwear bomber, who tried to blow up American planes a few years back.

When did people like these get to that tipping point when they believe they have to commit abominable acts of terror against defenceless people if not by constant exposure to the hateful utterances of so-called religious leaders who turn around, Pontius Pilate-style, to wash their hands off violent acts their utterances caused? There have been too many hateful preachers in our midst in recent times all making glib pronouncements on war- from Asari Dokubo, the expired militia man who blows hot and cold in his attitude to the Jonathan administration, to the cowardly terrorists who have turned Northern Nigeria into a war zone.

This now is time to rein in these preachers of hate before they bring the house down on us all.

rather subsidise education, healthcare, productive ventures “central to the survival of the people”.

But Oshiomhole is not alone in separating state and religion, even if only economically.

Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso has reportedly saved the Godfearing people of Kano State one billion naira by not sponsoring pilgrims. Not to be outdone by his brother governor in invoking the poor, he announced this act of fiscal responsibility at an event in memory of Mallam Aminu Kano, the avowed champion of the talakawa.

Kwankwaso will not spend “monies meant for developing the state . . . on few individuals” when education, transportation and health are crying needs. For which sinful reason, the faithful “prayed against” him. How God hates the poor who cannot go on luxurious pilgrimages!

Allah’s mercies on Oshiomhole and Kwankwaso on this score, I say. In a country that has lost all sense of reason to a virulent, poverty-driven and politicallymanipulated concept of religion, the two governors deserve commendation. “There is nowhere Islam allows for the removing of public funds to sponsor individuals on pilgrimages,” says Kwankwaso.

Admission to heaven or hell, if the scriptures are right, is strictly on personal merit. The state, a collective entity, has no business paying the pilgrim’s passage to paradise.

86—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2013

Lagos to partner CIPM on HR management

By PROVIDENCE OBUH

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L-R: Dayo Babatunde, Financial Sector Leader for West Africa; Bunmi Akinde, Senior Partner, Advisory; Bisi Sanda, Transaction Advisory Services Leader for West Africa and Adekunle Salau, Advisory Leader for West Africa, at the formal presentation of its Private Equity Survey Report to the media in Lagos.

FG sets up committee on Abuja Commodities Exchange privatisation

By EMMA UJAH, Abuja Bureau Chief

Privatisation, NCP, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, last week.

Minister of Industry, Trade and HE federal government Investments, Mr. Olusegun has set up a Steering Aganga, was appointed chairCommitte to oversee the man of the Steering Committee privatisation of the Abuja Secu- on the privatisation and charged rities and Commodities with determining the best way of Exchange, ASCE. A decision to running the Exchange. ASCE this effect was taken at the meet- has not been able to become oping of the National Council on erational twelve years after its establishment owing to what its management claimed was poor funding by the federal government.

-2.9 127.15 Head of Public Communications of the Bu2,250.00 -33.00 reau of Public Enterprises, BPE, Mr. 16.87 0.11 Chigbo Anichebe, said that a privatised ASCE would provide stable prices and a sure mar102.50 -0.14 ket for all agricultural 93.65 -0.50 produce locally and internationally as well as guarantee employment CURRENCY BUYING CENTRAL SELLING for millions of Nigerians DOLLAR 154.74 155.24 155.74 and provide raw matePOUNDS 233.9359 234.6918 235.4477 rials for industrial proEURO 200.1871 200.834 201.4808 duction.

FRANC 160.7187 161.2381 161.7574 YEN 1.5319 1.5369 1.5418 According to him, CFA 0.285 0.295 0.305 “NCP observed that WAUA 230.0661 230.8095 231.5529 ASCE had witnessed RENMINBI 25.2785 25.3606 25.4427 various operational RIYA 41.2607 41.394 41.5273 challenges arising from KRONA 26.8492 26.936 27.0227 SDR 231.3672 232.1148 232.8624 inadequate equity base; impairment of shareCBN Exchange rate as at 28/05/2013

T

holders’ funds arising from operating losses; lack of sector infrastructure like standardised silos and warehouses to store commodities and generate the warehouse receipts that could be traded on the Exchange; the absence of enabling laws to guide the operation of Warehousing Receipt System (WRS); and the lack of patronage by private organisations and relevant government agencies.

Extensive deliberation “However after extensive deliberations, Council adopted core investor privatisation as the strategy for revitalising the Commodities Exchange”. He revealed that the BPE has already commenced work to ensure that the privatisation of ASCE was implemented in a manner that would meet the intention of the Federal Government for the Exchange to enjoy sustainable growth and add value to the Gross Domestic Product, GDP. A major strategy being adopted to stimulate the exchange was the effort towards the passage of the Warehousing Receipt System, WRS, Bill. The Bill which was approved by the Federal Executive Council in 2010 would em-

power the exchange to identify and harness storage facilities across the country to aid the operations of a privatised ASCE. NCP also noted the importance of engaging stakeholder-agencies and development partners in vital discussions on the necessary reform processes and strategy for the privatisation of the Exchange.

Members of the Steering Committee include: Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance; and Ministers of National Planning, Agriculture & Rural Development and Communication Technology.

Others are Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria; Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises and Director General of the Securities & Exchange Commission. Meanwhile, the BPE has commenced work on bills to open up the nation’s transport sector for private investors to build infrastructure facilities and run them.

The D-G of the agency, Mr. Benjamin Dikki, disclosed this at a reception organised in his honour by friends, in Abuja. “We are working on bills on the transport sector - Roads bills, Inland waterways bills, Ports and Harbour bills. We want to make it conducive for the private sector to invest.

HE Lagos State gov ernment has declared its readiness to partner with the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (CIPM) on human resource management.

Lagos State Head of Service, Mr. Adesegun Ogunlewe, made the declaration during the investiture of Mr. Victor Famuyibo as the 16th President/ Chairman of Council of CIPM, noting that human resource management has not been given its rightful place in the public service.

“If you employ human resource officer in the public service today, they look at you and ask what is he talking about. We have plans to train and give certification to our staff. Lagos state is about partnering with CIPM on human resource management because human resource has lost its rightful place in the civil service and we are not giving it the right focus,” Ogunlewe said.

Earlier in his acceptance speech, Famuyibo said that his tenure will build on the legacy left behind by the immediate past president.

“I will be a game changer and not a gate keeper. The present success of the institute would not have been possible without the leadership of the outgoing President, Mr. Abiola Popoola. With the support of my team, we will strive to push the transformation agenda of the institute even further,” he said.

Famuyibo pledged his commitment to deliver on the following projects: accreditation of the institute to award professional diploma; timely completion of the millennium building project; expand the institute’s financial base and; foster strategic alliance with international organisations or agencies and also pay attention to talent attraction and retention. “I have always adopted the service before self method and it is on this course that I accepted to serve in the institute and I promise not to disappoint,” he asserted.

Vanguard,WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2013—87

A Shareholders’ View on SEC vs UBN and 19 Others (Part 3)

Onosode tasks brokers on integrity C

BY WILLIAM JIMOH

HAIRMAN of the Investor Protection Fund (IPF) Board, Mr. Gamaliel Onosode, has admonished stockbrokers to imbibe integrity and broking ethics, saying that it is the only way to succeed in the profession.

Onosode, who stated this during a bell ringing ceremony on the floor of the Nigerian Stock exchange to mark his 80th birthday on Monday, also urged the brokers not to sacrifice integrity and professionalism for short-lived gratification.

His words, “All I can say by way of advice is, please render quality service and you will find out that you cannot help, but make money, but don’t be driven by the love of money because the love of

money is the root of all evil.”

“Walk along the road because you believe it is the right way to walk and if you are rendering quality service, you will find out that there is money to be made at the end of the road,” he added.

“I can testify to the fact that I have never lacked. I can provide reasonable evidence that there have not been any change in my life style between 1958 and 2012. The good experiences I have had can be the same experience of each and every one of you” “I thank God that I have lived a reasonably normal life, normal health and with my mental capacity still reasonably intact, so that I can appreciate the contributions that people like you are making in order to restore the glory of your profession,” Onasode said.

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HE first two parts on the above subject were published in this column on 15 May and 22 May 2013.

Essentially, we have been considering the fallout from the judgement of the Investments and Securities Tribunal, IST, in respect of an originating application, case no IST/LA/OA/20/2010, brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, against Union Bank of Nigeria Plc – UBN and 19 others.

The last nine pages of this judgment is a must-read for all the authorities, namely, Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON, the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE and SEC. This last part of the judgement gives an idea of how persons outside the operational circles of these authorities view the regulatory processes now in place. It was indicated in the judgement that securities are unlike consumer goods for which goods the consumers are protected against dangerous articles and unfair pricing practices amongst other things. Securities regulation must ensure that investors have an accurate idea of what they are buying and there must be a continuous flow of information about companies whose securities are traded on the exchange. Securities laws must also contain provisions prohibiting a variety of fraudulent, manipulative or deceptive practices.

This case is an example of the success of civil recovery under the Investments and Securities Act, ISA, 2007. The Banking and Other Financial Institutions Act, BOFIA, at Section 20 indicates that all the directors of a bank shall be liable jointly and severally to indemnify the bank against any loss arising from any unsecured advances, loans or credit facilities granted to fellow directors and associates as defined in Section 20 subsection 2a but the remedy for noncompliance is criminal prosecution. Given the difficulties that the CBN has had with recoveries through criminal prosecution, one hopes the CBN will seek a review of BOFIA, and in the process add civil recovery procedures for the recovery of loans and advances for which loans and advances bank directors and officials are the beneficiaries.

The CAC has a role to play in the restoration of the rights of UBN shareholders. The CAC should ensure that UBN is in compliance with the Companies and Allied Matters Act, CAMA. CAMA has been enacted in order to ensure that companies owned by several persons can be run efficiently by a Board of Directors and such that the owners and society as a whole would benefit. The CAC should not continue to ignore the fact that UBN purchased its own shares in November 2007 and that the purchased shares are still in UBN’s possession.

The Nigerian Stock Exchange has a surveillance unit for monitoring trading activities and to guard against price manipulations. The unit was not in place in 2007. The judgement of the IST in SEC

vs. UBN and 19 others should lead the NSE to include in its rules and regulations the payment of compensation to persons who purchase or sell a particular security when price manipulation has been established for the particular security. ISA 2007 Part XITrading in Securities, Section 105 to 116, provides for payment of compensation in situations where there are false trading and market rigging transactions.

The judgement of the IST in the case stated that the essential objective of all securities laws is to protect those who do not know market conditions from the over reaching of those who know. In other to give this protection, SEC is empowered to take far reaching remedial and preventive actions against prohibited conduct. The NSE recently penalized three of its members for price manipulations. The NSE should carry out a study to determine for each member

,

• L – R: Chief Executive Officer, the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr. Oscar Onyema; Chairman of the Investor Protection Fund (IPF) Board, Mr. Gamaliel Onosode and Executive Director, Market Operations Technology, NSE, Mr. Ade Bajomo at the Bell Ringing Ceremony in commemoration of Mr. Onosode’s 80th birthday celebration.

If exact information were obtainable at negligible cost, we would not hesitate to impose upon SEC a strict burden to produce the data to measure the precise amount of ill-gotten gains

,

the number of trades that would qualify for compensation over a six-month period from the date the price manipulations took place. The NSE should make the results of the study available to its members so that the members may appreciate what level of compensation they may face if they indulge in price manipulations.

If the appeals courts sustain this judgement, it would imply that a member or members of the NSE gave their support to the UBN. The NSE should also include in its rules and regulations the implications of a similar future occurrence in which any of its members are found to be involved.

SEC and its counsel have done well to bring this matter thus far and one hopes the distractions of the moment would not prevent SEC from being represented before the Court of Appeal.

The judgement shows that detection of false trading and market rigging transactions are best done within a short time frame from when the transactions might have taken place. The judgement makes an implied recommendation at page 60 as follows: “If exact information were obtainable at negligible cost, we would not hesitate to impose upon SEC a strict burden to produce the data to measure the precise amount of ill-gotten gains”. This is a call for SEC to have its own computer systems for monitoring the securities markets. …. CONCLUDED

88—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 29,

2013

DIARY Select ICT events SatCom Africa 2013. Holds 27-30 May 2013 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

EDITED by Adekunle Adekoya

AnDevCon Spring Host Developers Conference. Holds May 28 -31, 2013 in Boston, USA.

‘Mobile subscriber population to exceed 9 bn by 2018’

Mobile Network Performance Management 2013. Holds June 03 - 05, 2013 in London, UK. MVNO 2013.

Holds 4-5 June 2013 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

BY EMMA ELEBEKE

Mobile Video 2013. Holds 4-5 June 2013 in Berlin, Germany.

M2M Forum Europe 2013. Holds June 10-12, 2013 in London, UK.

Preview New inventions shaping life and living

Artificial trees remove CO2 from air

DRAGNET BRIEFING: From left, Emmanuel Eloisa, Head of Business, Dragnet Screening Services; Robert Ikazoboh, Managing Director; Arek Bawa, Chief Operating Officer; Baba Ikazoboh, Head, Biometrica International, all of Dragnet Solutions Limited during a special media parley held in Lagos.

Local content policy'll drive growth, says Obasanjo Lauds Omatek's doggedness in the IT sector

BY EMEKA AGINAM

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NEW breed of artificial trees able to scrub carbon dioxide from the air could help to reduce greenhouse gas pollution.

Developed by Klaus Lackner of Columbia University, the air filtering device features strands of a resinbased material that attracts the CO2 and binds to it— capturing the carbon dioxide directly from the air and creating bicarbonate salt.

Lackner estimates it could take as many as 10 million ‘artificial trees’ to lower the atmospheric CO2 concentrations by 0.5ppm per year. The CO2 can also be released at will by adding water to the material, which could make it useful as a way to supply CO2 to greenhouse plants in order to help ensure healthy plant growth.

ORMER president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has commended the courage and doggedness of Mrs Florence Seriki as an entrepreneur in the nation's fledgling IT industry despite of gruelling challenges, saying that the local content policy, if well implemented, will drive spontaneous growth of the national economy.

Local content advocacy achieved front burner status during Chief Obasan-

able to weather the storm and bring the company back to reckoning.

“Omatek’s new factory is a physical example of what a man can do, a woman can do better. I want to congratulate and commend you because I know this organization has gone through long challenges of finance, and you have endured. I know the history of this company and I know the difficulties it has faced in the last few years,” he said.

According to him, it was

I want to congratulate and commend you because I know this organization has gone through long challenges of finance, and you have endured jo's eight-year tenure as President.

Chief Obasanjo made this remark when he visited Omatek’s new factory in Oregun, Lagos, and noted the challenges the company has gone through in the last few years. He expressed happiness that Mrs Seriki, an engineer who is Managing Director of Omatek Ventures was

Nigeria and all stakeholders in the economy began the process of backward integration.

“I believe that we need to now check the process of backward integration, so that if it is only what we produce locally that will make us provide more jobs for the unemployed, let us begin to encourage our own local industries,” he said. “This

is how other countries that are self-sufficient today started,” he said.

He said that Omatek has proved beyond all reasonable doubt that the best thing to happen to this country is the development of local content policy which is capable of developing the local economy. “Our local content policy should be for every thing that is produced in this country; and you have proved before us that you are capable of developing local content,” he added.

Chief Obasanjo urged the banking sector to rise to the ocassion and support this policy by giving the needed support to the Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs).

To bankers, the former president said: “If you should do what you ought to have done, this country would move faster than it is,” he said. “If they do this, they will improve because the money that local industries make goes back to them. And if they now become major producers of what they are doing in Nigeria, West Africa and in Africa generally and export to other parts of the world, all the money would still go to the Nigerian banks

for development.”

Obasanjo also noted that Nigerian banks have realised that one of the ways to remain in the business is when they help the SMEs to do better, because a bank that is not helping others, a bank that is not helping production, is not helping itself.

“I believe that with the consolidation of banks, we now have stronger banks, strong enough to be more adventurous to help the growth of entrepreneurs in the country.

Stronger banks He specifically commended the Bank of Industry (BoI) on its achievement in helping the economy to grow throught its proactive response to the plight of the SMEs in the country.

“We must enhance our production; we must encourage local production and we must also patronise our local products,” he said. “Bank of Industry has taken the responsibility of helping the industries, also because it has more funds. They need to do more locally Continues on page 89

T ELECOM analysts have said that the world mobile subscription will hit the all time high of 9.3 billion by 2018.

This they said is as a result of the explosion in the number of mobile technology users, especially in Africa.

According to them, Africa has played a large role in reaching these impressive growth records, with the phenomenal ICT explosion that is being witnessed across the world, describing Africa as the continent with the world's fastest mobile phone users.

With this development, even the more advanced network solutions are required to meet the demand for superior performance, and the natural solution for operators is to sign managed services contracts with partners that assume responsibility for activities such as operating and managing their networks.

It is against this backdrop that ERICSSON says it is embarking on pioneering the development of an Experience Centric Managed Services model.

The model it said, offers operators benefits such as continuous service improvement, reduced time to market, access to technical competence, and a shared focus on user experience. The end result is satisfied users, lower subscriber churn rates, higher average revenue per user and a more costefficient operation.

Speaking on this development, the Executive Vice President and Head of Business Unit Global Services of Ericsson, Magnus Mandersson, says: "We're very proud to have passed the 1 billion subscriber milestone, as this confirms our leadership in managed services. We achieved this goal by earning the trust of our Continues on page 89

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2013—89

Draft PKI blueprint coming soon, says Angaye

BY EMEKA AGINAM

there might be multiple relying parties, structured data, formal authorizations, and/or long lifetimes. KPI is the only technology that satisfies the privacy authentication integrity and non repudiation principle of security' he said.

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Local content, lip service

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VERY time I things, like endless pause and think queues at embassies of about the state of western nations for visas, affairs in my dear coun- the unending drug trade, try, I simply end up de- kidnappings, robberies, spairing, even though I ritual killings, and a leknow I should be optimis- gion of other woes. tic. Indeed, I am optimisIn other words, we have tic, for when there is life, failed woefully to apprethere is hope. It is this ciate that which is ours, or hope that one day, Nigeria grow with that which is will get it right that keeps ours, what our “ogas at the me, and I guess, millions top”call local content. of others going.

But I am strongly conWe are a blessed coun- vinced that all along, try. Whichever way any- even those who drafted one wants to look at it, we the local content policy do are blessed. We have not believe in it. Those thousands and thousands also charged with impleof kilometres of arable menting it equally do not land, even though food believe in it. If they did, here is still costly. We they would not sit in ofhave many minerals that fices cooled with air-coneven the superpowers are ditioners from South-East envious of. But Asia, they we have chosen would not to focus only oil, The National wear Italian while buccas h o e s , neers take care Identity Man- French suits, of the rest. agement Com- or write with Even the oil, the mission re- pens made in nation shares cently awarded far away Engwith pirates.

They a contract to land.

And then, the also would most important MasterCard. If not use comresource any we believe in puters whose nation must hardware have, human local content, and software resources. That shouldn’t local come from we also have in card firms have Silicon Valabundance. Niley.

Just been given gerians, whichahead of the ever points of right of first 2011 electhe compass refusal over tions, Presithey come from, dent Goodsuch? are engineers, luck Jonathmathematian isued a cians, archiBuy Nigeria tects, doctors, economists, directive, announced by historians, name it. But Information Minister Lasince we don’t value them at home, they are in the baran Maku. Since then, diaspora enriching other how many offices in the Presidency parade madenations.

What is clear, and which in-Nigeria computers? it seems all Nigerians How many banks in Niagree on is that of all the geria run software develresources a nation needs oped in Nigeria?

Now the 2015 elections to grow, Nigeria has alare coming, and politimost all, except one. You cians are already at each know what I am talking others’ throats over an about.

It is the lack of this par- election that is at least 22 ticular resource that has months away. For that generated all the prob- election — watch it — lems we are grappling INEC will submit a garwith. It is the reason why gantuan bill. How much nationals of this country of that will end up in the will spend more than N90 pockets of foreigners? billion in 2012 educating The National Identity their children in a neigh- Management Commisbouring country; it is why, sion recently awarded a despite acreages of arable contract to MasterCard. If land nationwide we spent we believe in local conmore than N98 trillion tent, shouldn’t local card importing food between firms have been given 2007 to 2011. It is also the right of first refusal over reason why, despite the such?

Our OEMs are strugoccurrence of limestone in gling for survival, and in leviathan proportions in many parts of the coun- the face of massive unemtry, we still import more ployment, especially of than N30 billion worth of youths, can’t we use the cement annually. It is the local content policy to genreason for so many other erate employment?

S part of the federal government effort to chart a new course for the emergence of a digital economy, the National Information Technology Development Agency, (NITDA) will soon come out with a comprehensive document on public key infrastructure blueprint for Nigeria.

A public key infrastructure is a collection of security technologies, procedures, processes, and policies that collectively provide a framework for addressing, using cryptography, the fundamental security issues of policy, authentication, integrity, non repudiation and access control in data communication.

When implemented The blueprint, when fully implemented, according to NITDA Director General, Prof. Cleopas Angaye at the just concluded public presentation of the draft PKI held in Lagos last week would satisfy the yearning and aspiration of the industry and provide a launching pad for the eventual emergence of digital economy which many believe was long overdue.

The second workshop was part of the ongoing en-

Areas of PKI application

Prof. Cleopas Angaye, D-G, NITDA gagement to evolve an acceptable blueprint for the implementation of PKI in Nigeria.

Benefits According to the DG, some of the benefits of KPI implementation will include the following: Creation of digital signatures which is evidence of who did what to whom", that is critical to electronic transactions carrying high legal risks or compliance requirements PKI when integrated into smart-cards is recognized as "the only practical solution [to eavesdropping and account hijacking] today."

Digital certificates can

convey authority information like credentials, licenses, affiliations among others - and digital signatures bind that authority information directly to messages, to decentralize and greatly simplify transaction processing.

PKI digital signatures are persistent over both time and "distance".

At essentially any future time, a digitally signed transaction can be easily re-validated to detect where it originated. *The integrity of digitally signed data is not reduced by being copied or forwarded across systems or across borders.

“So PKI is uniquely suited to complex transaction environments, where

PKI enabled applications, document management system, online line vat returns, registration, e-procurement, import/ export community/customs, police, judiciary details, online tax filling, land records, online/mobile banking and education , according to Angaye are some of the areas of application of KPI technology.

“Nigeria cannot be left behind in this emerging scenario especially if we intend to realize the goal of vision 20 2020 which is to be among the top 20 economies in the world by the year 2020 and also with rate of uncontrolled in the use of cyberspace for communication, transaction etc, it has become become imperative to develop a sustainable and secure platform for cyber accessibility, secured transaction and credible identity” he explained.

‘Mobile subscriber population to exceed 9 bn' Continus from Page 88 customers with our highperformance operations and processes and our skilled people, which are at the heart of Ericsson's services business. This milestone is just one of many on the journey we have undertaken. The next step is to make the transition from traditional managed services to Experience Centric Managed Services."

With well over 15 years of experience in managing multi-vendor and multi-technology networks, Mandersson said Ericsson industrialized the concept of delivering managed services for

Local content policy'll drive growth, says Obasanjo Continues from Page 88

and encourage the development of Nigerian producers to export Nigerian products.”

President Obasanjo praised President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration’s efforts at sustaining some of the policies of his administration.

multiple operators through outstanding Global Service Centers and a strong field service organization.

Ericsson is also a leading Managed Services provider in Africa, a position that was strengthened earlier this year Atlantique Telecom, part of Etisalat Group, awarded her a five-year multicountry managed services contract to span the continent. ‘‘This partnership spreads across Western and Central Africa and supports Etisalat's focus on leading a new generation of operations in Africa while supporting the company's value added services and offerings.

Network operations have traditionally been central to the business of providing communications services. ‘‘During the past decade, however, this has changed. In an age that has seen the introduction of 3G, LTE (4G) and other great innovations, many operators have chosen to appoint a vendor to manage either the new technology or the legacy technology,’’ he stated.

To stand out from the

competition, the Ericsson Vice President said operators need to focus on finding new ways of driv-

ing business innovation and improving quality of experience for their customers.

Sidmach Technologies receives awards

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OP ICT firm, Sid mach Technologies Nigeria Limited has emerged as the winner in the Indigenous software company of the year category at the 2013 Beacon of ICT awards ceremony.

Speaking on Sidmach’s profile, Ken Nwogbo, publisher, Nigeria Communications Weekly and organizers of the award ceremony described Sidmach as a company that has impacted positively in the continuous delivery of best-in-class solutions to the Nigerian market.

He said that the company has engendered profound changes in the way ICT is deployed to serve the average Nigerian.

Among several feats, the company pioneered the use of biometric technology for the registration, verification, and implementation of examination candidates; implementa-

tion of the online result verification system for WAEC and a host of other solutions.

Earlier in his acceptance speech on behalf of the Board, Management and Staff of Sidmach Technologies Nigeria Limited, the Managing Director, Mr. Hassan U. Alao, noted that the ICT industry is made up of great emerging companies. He stated that the award is a motivation to work harder and deliver even better ICT solutions and services to Nigeria.

In his words, “I wish to dedicate this award to the Management and Staff of Sidmach, whose hard work and dedication have made this possible today.

I also wish to thank our partners and customers who have been our pillars of inspiration. Your support has been invaluable and we wish you well in your endeavours”.

90 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2013

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Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2013 — 91

Dutch club to offload Uche D

UTCH club VVV Venlo are to off load ex-Nigeria U20 star Uche Nwofor after they were relegated.

After flirting with relegation for several seasons, VVV were finally demoted to the lower league after they finished 17th on the Dutch top flight table.

Life in the lower league means they can no longer cope with the wage bill they shouldered while they were up.

“Nwofor is one of the top stars they will now have to let go after they were relegated,” a top source informed MTNFootball.com VVV once paraded a huge contingent of Nigeria players, but last season Alex Nkume’s contract was not renewed, Ahmed Musa departed to Russian club CSKA Moscow, while Michael Uchebo moved to Cercle Brugge in Belgium.

Nwofor joined the modest club in 2011 months after he finished top scorer at the African Youth Championship in South Africa, which Nigeria won.

He scored five goals in 27 matches in his debut season and scored eight goals this past season.

He had turned down several bigger profiled clubs including Portuguese giants Benfica to sign for VVV.

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CHANNELS CUP . . . Governor Fashola of Lagos State, Chief John Momoh (CEO Channels TV) and Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State and Amaju Pinnick during the presentation of trophy to Sheriff Obukowho Captain of Ogedegbe Primary School, Warri , winners of Channels National Kids Football championship in Lagos. Photo; Henry Unini

Liverpool to sign Kolo Toure

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IVERPOOL have agreed a deal to sign Manchester City defender Kolo Toure.

The 32-year-old Ivory Coast international will move to Anfield on 1 July when his contract at Etihad Stadium expires.

Toure has made 102 appearances for City since joining from Arsenal for £14m in July 2009 and was part of the team that won the Premier League in 201112.

But he played only 13 games in 2012-13 and was left out of the club’s Champions League squad.

Toure joins the Merseyside club following the retirement of fellow central defender Jamie Carragher and with uncertainty over the future of Slovakia international Martin Skrtel.

Polo : Access Bank-UNICEF dangles $20,000 for Charity Shield

BY SOLOMON NWOKE

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EVENTEEN Polo clubs from across the globe are gearing up for the continent’s premium polo extravaganza as the annual Access Bank UNICEF Charity Shield Polo Tournament gallops off at the Fifth Chukker lawns of Kangimi Resort in Kaduna from May 29 to June 9, 2013. The twoweek long tournament sponsored by Access Bank Plc is in its 6th year running.

The polo fiesta which has been the biggest sporting attraction in Nigeria and

Navy Sailing Club celebrates Children’s Day

indeed, in Africa for the past six years promises to be the most competitive and exciting with a record number of international stars from around the world expected to vie for honours.

Sponsored exclusively by Access Bank Plc, its sponsorship of the multimillion Naira Charity Shield was renewed for another four years after the expiration of the initial contract in 2011; with a handsome offer of Twenty Thousand Dollars ($20,000.00) as prize

money for the overall champions and lots of consolation prizes for runners up.

Speaking yesterday in Lagos ahead of the prestigious tournament, the Executive Director, Personal Banking, Access Bank, Victor Etuokwu, said that proceed from sale of memorabilia at the annual tournament in addition to the N5million donation from Access Bank Plc, would be used to support UNICEF in its campaign against HIV AIDS pandemic”.

HE 2013 Children’s Day Celebration at the Navy Sailing Club, Ojo was marked with a lot of water sport activities for children.

The children took part in 100 meters swimming(butterfly) boys and girls and kayak in U5, U-9 and U-10.

In the 10 years and above 100m swimming race, Abdulmalik Auta beat Daniel Yakwe and Jasper Nyang to the first place while in the 10 years girls and above for the same distance Rakiya Momoh emerged tops ahead of Chika Amadi and Blessing Momoh to the third place.

In the Under 5 race, 4year old Divine Momoh had a convincing win over Nine year old Victoria Eyibio and 6-year old Israel Akpanika while the the boys kayak race, Auta Sanusi finished first place as Ossai John and Auta Sa’ad came in second and third resprectively while in the girls category Momoh Joy finished first ahead of Janet david and Irondi Liberty.

On her part, the Guest of Honour and Mother of the Day and wife of the Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command, Mrs Magarret Ibas expressed happiness at the display of the kiddies noting that they are the real future of Nigeria.

•Toure

PRESENTATION: From left, Etisalat Regional Distribution Manager SouthEast, Francis Nnaike, team captain Shooting Stars of Ezeagu, Eze Remigius, Enugu Rangers Coach, Okey Emordi and Etisalat Manager Mass Market Segment, Mr. Nnamdi Ezeani during Etisalat Easy Starter Football Fiesta in Enugu.

92 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 30, 2013

Cup Draw Thrills as Ogwashi-Uku Seconday School Federation holds tomorrow lif ts Go lifts Govvernor’s Cup T G OVERNOR Emmanuel Uduaghan jogged into the Warri Stadium and electrified the full house.

Thousands of kids cheered. They were at home with him as he took a lap of honor in celebration of Delta’s successes in sports. Just on Children’s day in Lagos on Monday he watched his state team, Ogedegbe Primary School win the Channels Kids Cup at the same venue he lifted the National Sports Festival trophy last December.

The event yesterday was the final of Delta State’s Governor’s Cup. It was a huge success.

And when the crowd cheered his entry he appreciated them by jogging the more round the stadium apparently adding to the show that those who watch games live only enjoy.

When the game started the boys thrilled and made the crowd happier.

At the end, Ogwashi Uku Secondary School emerged champions of the maiden Governor’s Cup in Delta State.

In an interesting final that had a full house at the Warri Stadium and which was live on Supersport, AIT and Channels television

stations the OgwashiUku boys proved book makers right when Victor Odiwanor scored a brilliant goal in the second half and sent their supporters celebrating.

Alegbo Secondary School were expected to enjoy greater support in Warri since they are from Effurun, near Warri. But Okwashi Uku supporters were louder. And their team lived up to expectation.

Ex international Jay Jay Okocha had urged them to make him proud by lifting the trophy. They did and went home with a 30 seater bus and N2m.

They are also to embark on a training tour abroad.

Alegbo and Edjekoka schools that were runners up and third place finishers respectively also went home with buses.

Ranch Bees have failed to pay this money, which is their fine for late registration for last year ’s competition, despite several written undertakings to pay,” said Dr. Sanusi.

All the 20 Premier League clubs in the country, plus 22 clubs from the second-tier National League, nine clubs from the Nationwide League and 12 non-League teams will be involved in the Draw.

NFF upset af aftter Sidne Sidneyy rejects Eagles T

HE Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has labelled Sidney Sam “disrespectful” after the former Germany youth player denied ever wanting to play for them.

The midfielder was believed to be interested in switching his international allegiance from Germany to Nigeria, where his father was

Ron Continues from B/P content.

“I don’t know if he has an offer from PSG. I think Cristiano is the best player in the world.

“We want to build the Madrid of the future around him and I would like Cristiano to be the best paid player in the world.”

Real lost out to on the signing of Brazilian ace Neymar to Barcelona at the weekend.

And Perez added: “If we had been able to sign Neymar without altering the eco-system of the club we would have but there were too many conditions attached.

VICTORIOUS: Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan hands over the trophy to Captain of Comprehensive High School Ogwashi-Uku, Isiekwene Joshua after defeating Alegbo College 1-0 to win the cup. Photo:Akpokona Omafuaire

HE Nigeria Football Federation will on Thursday in Abuja hold the Draw Ceremony for this year ’s 2013 Federation Cup finals.

According to NFF’s Director of Competitions, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, a total of 63 clubs will be in the pot at the ceremony billed for the FIFA Technical Centre, National Stadium Complex, as from 12pm.

No club from Yobe State registered for the annual glamour competition, while Ranch Bees FC of Kaduna would be disqualified from the ceremony should the club’s management fail to off-set, by Thursday m o r n i n g , a n outstandng debt of N200,000 payable since last year.

“The management of

“It would have cost us £130million. I don’t know how much it cost Barcelona.”

Perez wants Zinedine Zidane to lead the club into a new era when Jose Mourinho leaves at the end of the season.

The former France star played for Real between 2001 and 2006 and was named World Player of the Year three times.

His is currently Real’s director of football but Perez believes one day he will take over as manager.

Paris Saint-Germain boss Carlo Ancelotti is the favourite to replace Mourinho, who is returning to Chelsea.

born.

But after being called up for Germany ’s friendlies against Ecuador and the United States, the Bayer Leverkusen player claimed he never intended to represent the Super Eagles.

However, NFF spokesman Ademola Olajire told BBC Sport: “It’s disappointing, disrespectful and not correct.

“If he’s not interested, he’s not interested and no-one is going to beg him to play for Nigeria.

“But to say he was never contacted is false and ridiculous. At the appropriate time we will give more details.”

Sam, 25 has played for Germany only at Under19, Under-20 and Under21 level, making him still eligible to play for the African champions.

And Nigeria had retained hope they could persuade Sam to play for them despite his call-up to the Germany squad.

But ahead of Germany ’s friendly against Ecuador on Tuesday and and the US

three days later, Sam told German sports agency SID: “The 2014 World Cup is still far away but

Continues from B/P United States of America, and South Korea.

“We have a good team who have been responding to training.

We will see how much they have learnt thus far,” said the Flying Eagles German assistant coach Jurgen Press.

Cote d’Ivoire have been the only African winners of this tournament, when they won it three years ago.

Mexico and Nigeria last clashed at U20 level two years ago when the CONCACAF giants defeated the Flying Eagles 4-1 in another invitational tournament in Panama preparatory to the 2011 U20 World Cup in Colombia.

Six-time African champions Nigeria will line up several players like U17 international defender Wilfred Ndidi, Switzerland-based goalkeeper Sebastian

for me it is only Germany that counts. We don’t have to speak about Nigeria.

Eagles Osigwe and new Olympiacos of Greece midfielder Michael Olaitan, who are pressing to make the final 21-man squad for Turkey 2013.

Enugu Rangers striker Alhaji Gero is expected to put behind the death of his younger brother this week as he aims to guarantee his place in the party to Turkey following the emergence of Dolphins striker Samuel Eduok as an attacking option for the team.

Mexico are handled by the experienced Sergio Almaguer and will parade FC Dallas of USA goalkeeper Sanchez Alcaraz along with players drawn from several of the country’s top clubs like Pachuca, Monterrey, Atlas and Cruz Azul.

To qualify for the 2013 World Cup, Mexico won

•Chinedu

five matches, scored 15 goals and conceded only a goal to emerge u n d i s p u t e d CONCACAF champions.

Meanwhile, Organisers announced no fewer than 1512 full internationals have passed through this annual competition and they include the likes of David Beckham, Frank Lampard (England), M a s c h e r a n o (Argentina), Kaka (Brazil), Oman Biyk (Cameroon), James Rodrigues (Colombia), Kolo Toure, Didier Zokora (Cote d’Ivoire) as well as Lilian Thuram, Didier Deschamps and Nicolas Anelka (France).

It has proved to be veritable ground for clubs and scouts across the world to watch firsthand promising prospects in top-class action.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2013 — 93

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94 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2013

Rain disrupts Day 3 in Paris •French Open

R

AIN wreaked havoc on Tuesday’s schedule at the 2013 French Open.

A 2 1/2-hour delay prevented play from getting underway, and more rain came after players took to the courts at Stade Roland Garros.

Ninth-seeded Samantha Stosur got her work in, as the former U.S. Open champion and 2010 French Open runner-up leveled 42-year-old Japanese Kimiko Date-Krumm 6-0, 6-2 in the opening round.

The 29-year-old Stosur has reached at least the

semifinals in Paris three of the last four years.

Third-seeded former world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka is also on Tuesday’s schedule, as the Australian Open champion and U.S. Open runner-up is slated to meet Russian Elena Vesnina.

Stosur powers into second round

T

HE 2010 French Open finalist Sam Stosur is through to the second round of this year ’s event after a comfortable 6-0 6-2 victory over veteran Kimiko Date-Krumm.

It was a wet day in Paris and Stosur did not get on court until early afternoon, due to a twohour rain delay.

When she finally got on court, Aussie Stosur was more than ready for action, and she swept through the first nine games against her 42year-old Japanese

opponent. Stosur’s power game often proves potent on clay and she used her powerful serve and pinpoint groundstrokes to dominate Date-Krumm.

She finally lost a game at 3-0 in set two and Date-Krumm bravely won a lengthy sixth game as well to make it 2-4 but Stosur then powered through the final two games to complete victory in just under an hour and five minutes.

Stosur, who won the US Open in 2011, lost to Francesca Schiavone in the 2010 final at Roland

Garros, but has been somewhat hampered by a right calf injury this season so far.

The ninth seed will have been pleased to have made rapid progress because the weather ensured that the action in Paris had a stopstart nature, and the rain returned in the afternoon after just 90 minutes of play was possible.

“Stosur is so strong and she’s a specialist on clay,” said Date-Krumm. “Today she didn’t make mistakes because I couldn’t put her under pressure.”

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2013 — 95

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VANGUARD, WEDNEDAY, MAY 29, 2013

FRENCH OPEN

Mexico tests F-Eagles wings for World Cup Kick-off: 4.30 p.m.

T

HE readiness of Nigeria’s U20 team for next month’s World Cup in Turkey will be tested today by defending Toulon

International Tournament champions Mexico.

The Flying Eagles open their campaign at the Stade Perruc Hyeres in France by 5.30pm, which is 4.30 Nigerian time.

This will be Nigeria’s first outing at the 46year-old tournament and the Flying Eagles will use it to prepare for the World Cup in Turkey.

Six of the 10 teams at this year’s competition will feature at the U20 World Cup, namely Nigeria, Portugal, Colombia, France,

Continues on Page 92

•Obuh

R

EAL MADRID insist Cristiano Ronaldo will not be sold this summer — because they want to build the team around him for years to come.

The Portugal superstar, 28, has been linked with a return to Manchester United while Paris Saint-Germain are also interested.

Ronaldo last year claimed he was “sad” at

the Bernabeu, sparking speculation he wanted to quit the club.

But Real president Florentino Perez hopes he will stay and believes he should be their main man for years.

Perez said: “He told me in the summer he was sad and I told him we would do everything possible for him to be

Continues on Page 92

NFF upset after Sidney rejects Eagles — P.92

QUICK CROSSWORD

Sudoku TODAY'S

PUZZLE

POWER. . .Maria Sharapova hits a blistering backhand past Taiwan’s Su-Wei Hsieh during their French tennis Open first round match at the Roland Garros in Paris. Photo: AFP

YESTER DAY'S YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 1 Boast (4) 4 Lie (3) 6 Melt (4) 9 Embrace (3) 10 Evaluated (8) 11 Peruse (4) 14 Edge (3) 16 Dulcet (5) 19 Sweater (8) 21 Consumed (5) 23 Tear (8) 24 Topic (5) 27 Base (3) 31 Oven (4) 33 Coalition (8) 34 Observe (3) 35 Asterisk (4) 36 Wand (3) 37 Title (4)

DOWN 2 Corrode (4) 3 Valley (4) 4 Gala (8) 5 Corpse (4) 6 Toss (5) 7 Colour (3) 8 Yawning (5) 12 Separate (5) 13 Sphere (5) 14 Fish-eggs (3) 15 Element (5) 17 Composition (5) 18 Turrent (5) 20 Retreated (8) 22 Novel (3) 25 Elevate (5) 26 Collier (5) 28 Just (4) 29 Daybreak (4) 30 Dross (4) 32 Meadow (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Bright 5, Unrest 8, Distrust 9, Swab 10, Pep 12, Shred 15, Spa 17, Asp 18, Imp 19, Oar 20, Ought 21, Ado 22, Too 23, Can 24, Dry 26, Fetch 29, Kin 33, Ewer 34, Ultimate 35, Symbol 36, Hungry.

How to Play Sudoku

THE VIGILANTE

DOWN: 2, Raise 3, Gate 4, Truth 5, Untie 6, Rash 7, Stamp 10, Proud 11, Party 12, Spoof 13, Right 14, Ditch 15, Spank 16, Adorn 25, Rowdy 27, Equal 28, Catch 30, Inter 31, Grab 32, Omen.

e-mail: rowolove@yahoo.co.uk

P

lace a number (1-9) in each blank cell. (No line can have two of the same number).

Each row (nine lines from left to right), column, (also nine lines from top to bottom) and 3 X 3 block within a bold block (nine blocks) contains number from 1 through 9. This means that no number can appear twice in any block, column or row.

No mathematics is involved – no adding, subtraction, division or multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination.

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