SUICIDE BOMBERS IN SOKOTO, Gunmen attack Sambo'shouse, police stations

...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 61677

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ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012

SUICIDE BOMBERS IN SOKOTO

N150

Omagbemi urges Aviation Minister, Dele Ore to sheath swords —P.6

2012 Budget: Okonjo Iweala insists on 56% performance

—P.6 BOMBED—AIG Muktari Ibrahim inspecting the damage at his office in Sokoto after a suicide bomb attack yesterday. Inset: His official car, wreckage of the bomber's car and the damaged police zonal headquarters after the attack. Photo: Abdallah elKurebe/NAN.

Gunmen attack Sambo's house, police stations •AIG's office bombed in Sokoto; 4 killed, 8 injured •One killed, police officer injured in VP's Zaria house •David Mark condemns attacks, calls for dialogue

SUBSIDY SCAM:

Two more oil marketers docked, detained •P.5

BY KINGSLEY OMONOBI, INALEGWU SHAIBU, LUKA BINNIYAT & ABDALLAH EL-KUREBE

PINI JASON Power is nothing •P.17 without control

Mr & Mrs

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BUJA—GUNMEN, yesterday, attacked a house under construction belonging to the Vice President, Namadi Sambo in Tudun Wada area of Zaria, Kaduna State. This came as two suicide bombers also, yesterday, attacked two police formations in Sokoto, killing a

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4 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012

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POCKET CARTOON

Gunmen attack VP Sambo's house, police stations Continues from Page 1 policeman and a woman, while the two bombers also died in the process.

Meanwhile, Senate President, David Mark has condemned the bombing of Sokoto zonal office of the Nigeria Police.

The Acting Police Public Relations Officer of the Kaduna State Command, DSP Abubakar Balteh, who confirmed the attack said the policemen guarding the house repelled the gunmen but a cobbler was killed by a stray bullet as a result of the exchange of fire between the three gunmen and the police.

The cobbler died while one of the policemen was shot on the leg”, he said.

It would be recalled that the Vice President’s residence was razed during the violence that erupted in some parts of the north after the last Presidential election.

Suicide bombers attack police stations in Sokoto It was the first time such bomb attacks would be carried out in Sokoto State, regarded as the heart beat of Islam, more so during the holy month of Ramadan.

The first of the bomb attacks was carried out at the office of AIG Zone 10, Sokoto at about 10.46am The blast shattered the office of the AIG and damaged his official car while, the impact also

affected the office of the Divisional Police Officer and other shops opposite the zonal police headquarters.

Speaking with newsmen at the scene of the incidence, the AIG, Alhaji Mukhtari Ibrahim said that the bomber and a police corporal, Ismail were killed while eight other police officers had various degrees of injuries.

“We had an unfortunate incident where a suicide bomber rammed into the headquarters with car and killed himself. A police corporal, by name Ismail was also killed and eight other officers were injured,” Ibrahim said.

Police authorities in Abuja confirmed that four persons including two suicide bombers, one police officer and a lady hair dresser lost their lives in the two bomb attacks targeted at the office of AIG Zone 10, Sokoto, and a Police Station located at Angwar Rago area of the state.

Force spokesman, CSP Frank Mba who made the confirmation, explained that the first suicide bomber tried to make his way through the main gate to the office of AIG Muktari Ibrahim to achieve his sinister aim but was prevented by security measures put in place by the police.

He subsequently decided to go through a second gate that was securely locked but some policemen were also keeping guard there. He rammed the explosiveladen car on the gate, killed himself in the

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

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

I

T is often said that we create and maintain prob lems because they give us a sense of identity.

Perhaps this explains why we often hold onto our pain far beyond its ability to serve us.

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

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

process and injured one of the policemen on guard. The officer died before he could get to the hospital. Six persons who were standing nearby sustained minor injuries owing to shock.

In the second attack, the suicide bomber targeted the Police station at Angwar Rago but met it heavily protected by Police personnel. He then made a detour apparently to find another way to the station. On the road, however, the bombs in the Volkswagen Gulf salon car he was driving exploded killing the bomber and a lady hairdresser who was opposite the exploded vehicle.

CSP Mba disclosed that security has been beefed up in the Sokoto metropolis and that AIG Muktari has deployed police re-enforcements including Police Bomb disposal experts and anti-terrorists squad to the nooks and crannies of the state to ensure law and order. He added that investigations has already commenced into the bombing incidents.

Mark condemns Sokoto bombing Meanwhile, Senate President, David Mark has condemned the attacks. Senator Mark in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Kola Ologbondiya lamented the spate of bombings in the country. He urged the Boko Haram sect to embrace dialogue as a way to end the mindless killings of Nigerians.

Mark also lauded security operatives in the state, and urged them to put more efforts in curbing the activities of the sect, pointing out that the recent attack shows that the security operatives may have become complacent.

The statement read: “The security agents in Sokoto State appeared to have perfected the method of thwarting the activities of these nefarious men before this latest attack.

“But the security agents in Sokoto State must not allow this ugly incident to cow them.

They must rise to the challenge and return Sokoto to its peaceful

state.”

The Senate President further urged political and religious leaders in the country to continue to appeal to the members of Boko Haram to accept the dialogue overtures offered by the Federal Government.

According to him, “the Federal Government will not dialogue with itself.

It has to dialogue with those who are disenchanted with the system, particularly, leadership and members of the Boko Haram sect.

“We shall continue to call on members of the sect to accept the dialogue overture offered by the Federal Government. We also urge our political and religious leaders to continue to appeal to the sect to listen to the voice of reason."

Gunmen exchange fire with police in

Sokoto

Just as the Police in Sokoto are battling to contain the two incidences of bomb blasts, which occurred in the morning hours of yesterday, some unknown gunmen attacked the Arkilla Divisional office this evening at about 6.55pm.

According to Vanguard source, two people approached the police division on a motor bike and opened fire and

the Police also fired back and an exchange ensued.

When Vanguard contacted the PPRO, DSP Sani Salihu, he confirmed the story but said that no casualty was recorded.

"This is true. Two unknown gunmen went to the Division on a motorcycle and started firing.

There was exchange but, as I talk to you now, no casualty has been reported," Salihu said.

Meanwhile, security has been beefed up in Sokoto metropolis.

SUBSIDY SCAM: Two more oil marketers docked, detained

BY ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH & MICHEAL OLADEPO

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AGOS—TWO more oil marketers, O l u w a s e u n Ogunbambo, Habila Theck and their company, Fargo Energy Limited accused of swindling the Federal Government in oil subsidy scam were arraigned, yesterday, at an Ikeja High Court on a six count charge of conspiracy, obtaining money under false pretence, forgery and using forged documents.

They were accused of defrauding the government of N979,653,110.28. They, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge The prosecution alleged that the offences they committed are contrary to section 8 and punishable under section 1 (1)(2)(3) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria as well as sections 363 and 364 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria No 11, Laws of Lagos State 2011.

According to the charge, the accused persons and the oil company “on or about February 10, 2012, with intent to defraud, conspired to fraudulently

obtain N976,653,110.28 from the federal government of Nigeria by falsely representing that the said sum represented subsidy accruing on importation of 13,627,084 litres of Premium Motor Spirit(PMS) purportedly purchased from Sealac Petroleun Limited and imported into Nigeria through MT Diplomat and MT Milleura which representation they knew to be false”.

It further alleged that the defendants and the oil company “on 14th day of October, 2011 at Lagos and within Ikeja judicial division, with intent to defraud and in order to facilitate your obtaining money by false pretence from the federal government of Nigeria, under the Petroleum Support Fund, forged a document titled “Certificate of Origin, Port of Loading Antwerp Belgium” dated 14th day of October, 2011, purporting the document to have been issued by Sealac Petroleum Limited”.

Shortly after their pleas were taken, their counsel, Mr. Babajide Koku (SAN) informed the court of his plan to move their applications for bail.

However, he said he

had two different applications, one of which was dated July 25, 2012 and forwarded to court last week and a new one filed yesterday morning.

He then applied that one the bail applications dated July 25, 2012 be struck out substituted with the new application.

He said the move was to react to the counter affidavit filed by the EFCC which opposed the bail for the 1st defendant.

The prosecution then urged the court to grant it time to react to some fundamental issues raised in the new application filed by the defence while the defence asked for two days to react to all issues raised in the counter affidavit of the bail application.

While conceding the need for an adjournment, the prosecution urged the court to order that the accused persons be detained in the custody of the EFCC pending when their applications for bail will be argued.

The trial judge, Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo ordered the detention of the defendants at the EFCC and adjourned the matter till Wednesday, August 1, 2012 (tomorrow) for argument on bail application.

6—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012

CJN warns judicial officers

N500m scam: Resign now, PDP tells Ikuforiji

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

BY HENRY UMORU

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BUJA—THE Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday called for the resignation of the speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji over alleged N500 million scam.

The PDP noted that it was disheartening and unfortunate that in spite of the progressive posture of the party, no chieftain of the ACN has been prosecuted in its controlled states despite what the PDP described as ‘’the barrage of cases of misconduct in these states.”

Reacting to call by the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN that the PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur must step down now, the PDP said, “The ACN has also turned the other way in the case of a N500 million fraud allegation against the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly. There has been no call for the Speaker to resign. Till date, there is no record of any ACN official or chieftain standing trial in any ACN controlled State despite the barrage of cases of misconduct in these states”.

Suicide bomber, 3 gunmen killed in failed attack on mosque

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ANO—THERE were heavy explosion and sporadic gunshots last night at Janbulo area, along Bayero University Kano Road, following a failed attempt by a suicide bomber to blow up a mosque while prayers were going on.

The attack resulted in the death of the bomber and three gunmen.

An eyewitness said the suicide bomber ran past in a vehicle in an attempt to detonate the bomb inside the mosque while the Muslim faithful were praying.

A member of the vigilant group providing security in the area suspected the movement of the suicide bomber and alerted the police who countered the plan.

According to the source, the incident drew the attention of several people who ran helter-skelter in various directions to avoid the cross fire between the gunmen and the police.

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EFCC ARRAIGNS SUBSIDY SCAM SUSPECTS—Mr. Habila Theck, (left); Mr Oluwaseun Ogunbambo, (3rd left), Fuel Subsidy scam suspects and Economic and financial Crimes Commission's, officials during arraignments of the suspects at Ikeja High court, Lagos by EFCC yesterday. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele.

2012 Budget: Okonjo-Iweala insists on 56% implementation zSays I'm transparent and prudent

BY EMMA UJAH, ABUJA BUREAU CHIEF

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BUJA—THE Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, insisted, yesterday, that the 2012 capital budget implementation as at June 20, was 56 per cent and that she was managing the budget transparently in the best interests on the generality of Nigerians.

Responding to criticisms over the implementation of the budget, especially by members of the House of Representatives, she said transparency and prudence remained the key priorities of the Federal Government in the management of the 2012 budget.

The minister in a statement issued by her Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr Paul Nwanuikwu said “Our objective is to achieve both higher budget implementation and better management of the country’s resources. We will not toy with public resources because they belong to all Nigerians”.

The minister explained that the Federal Ministry of Finance was not holding any budgeted funds back, as alleged in some quarters and that more releases of funds would soon be witnessed.

She gave details of the implementation of the N 1.3

trillion capital budget as follows: releases so far: N404 billion; cash-backed portion of the capital budget: N324 billion; and percentage of cash backed portion that has been utilised: 56 per cent.

The minister further said the improvement in implementation ratio from 39.2 per cent by the end of

May to 56 per cent utilisation of cash backed resources by June 20 was made possible by the direct leadership of President Goodluck Jonathan who is personally leading the drive for better budget performance.

Dr. Okonjo-Iweala expressed confidence that there would be further

improvement in the level of implementation before the end of the year.

According to her, in order to “maximise results, the ministry is careful and methodical in releasing funds to MDAs” and that there was more room for more implementation, given the rate achieved so far.

Omagbemi urges aviation minister, Dele Ore to sheath swords

BY CHARLES KUMOLU & GBENGA OKE

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ONCERNED Aviation Professionals, a lobby group in the aviation sector, has called for a truce in the cold war between Aviation Minister, Princess Stella Oduah and the President of the Aviation Round Table, Captain Dele Ore. The group in a statement by its President, Captain Tito Omaghomi said the face-off between the two was further compounding the crisis in the sector.

Tito a former Federal Airports Authority, FAAN, Advance Ground Instructor and pilot, made the intervention against the background of claims by Ore, a former pilot with the defunct Nigeria Airways that Oduah threatened his life during a recent telephone conversation.

Captain Ore had petitioned President Goodluck Jonathan, National Security Adviser,

Col Sambo Dasuki and the Inspector General of Police over the issue which he claimed happened on 27th of July, 2012.

“We had a sigh of relief with the decision by the Minister of Aviation to remodel most of our airports across the country with the belief that investors will be encouraged to invest in Nigeria even though some sections still feel the minister did not carry them along with the ongoing remodelling of the airports.”

“In the middle of all these, Dana Air had a fatal accident on June 3, 2012 taking Nigeria back to the critical issue of air safety and recently, a prominent senior citizen of this great country who was a pilot with former Nigeria Airways Ltd, Captain Dele Ore accused the Minister of Aviation of threatening his life during a telephone conversation between these two very important personalities. Where do we

go from here if we are really working towards moving the aviation industry forward?”

Continuing, he said: “this is a moment of sober reflection and there is need to embrace peace in order to move forward because we can only succeed in turning back the hand of the clock if we continue with these unpleasant controversies hanging in the air.

“Captain Dele Ore is a gentleman who means so well for the growth of the aviation industry.

“We have had some very good managers in the past but what went wrong is the big question. The increase in the number of air travellers in recent times should encourage the growth of the aviation industry yet most domestic airlines in the country are still operating under tremendous financial pressure and air travellers are not left out".

BUJA—THE Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Mariam Aloma Muktar, yesterday, warned judicial officers in the country to henceforth discharge their responsibilities with “ethics and integrity”, saying the era of lip service to good conduct in the Nigerian Judiciary is over.

The CJN who made the declaration at the opening of a workshop for Chief Registrars, Secretaries of Judicial Service Commissions/Committee, said it was high time the image of the judiciary was improved with a view to regaining public confidence in the system.

Justice Muktar who was represented by another female Justice of the apex court, Justice Olufunlola Adekeye, said the judiciary was central to the continued existence of the Nigerian society, noting that “once the public loses its confidence in the organ of government charged with adjudication and justice delivery, then that society is no doubt set for extinction.”

FG should set up aircraft leasing coy — Report

BY LAWANI MIKAIRU

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HE Technical and Administrative Review Panel on Domestic Airlines,TARPDA, has urged the Federal Government to set up an aviation leasing company to assist airlines operating in Nigeria to acquire new aircraft.

This was one of the recommendations of the panel, inaugurated in June 2012 by the Minister of Aviation following the crash of Dana Airline plane in Iju-Ishaga, Lagos, which killed more than 153 people on board.

The panel, headed by Retired Group Captain John Obakpolor, came up with the 59 findings and 41 recommendations.

The panel recommended that ‘’an aircraft leasing company with an initial investment of $10 billion should be set up by the Federal Government to acquire modern aircraft from major manufacturers and lease to qualifying air operators at preferential rates.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012 — 7

Fitch Ratings raises fresh crisis alert on Nigerian banks

BY GABRIEL OMOH, BUSINESS EDITOR

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PROFESSOR OMOTOSHO VISITS VANGUARD—From left: Mr Gbenga Adefaye, Editor-in-Chief/ GM Publications, Mr Mideno Bayagbon, Editor, both of Vanguard Newspapers and Prof Kole Omotosho, renowned writer and activist, during a visit to the corporate headquarters of Vanguard Newspapers in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Biodun Ogunleye.

Insecurity: Mixed reactions trail Obasanjo, IBB warnings zThey've not said anything new — CPC

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, POLITICAL EDITOR & TONY EDIKE

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IXED reactions ranging from commendation to criticism, yesterday, trailed Sunday’s joint declaration of former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Ibrahim Babangida on the state of insecurity in the country.

While regional groups, including the Arewa Consultative Forum and Afenifere welcomed the intervention of the two elderstatesmen, the intervention received thumbs down from Ohanaeze which flayed the duo for failing to take heed during their separate stewardships of the country.

The Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, in its reaction dismissed the intervention as nothing new even as it affirmed that its national leader, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, himself a former Head of State, would not team up with the former rulers in their campaign.

The CPC spokesman, Engr. Rotimi Fashekin told Vanguard yesterday that Buhari had already categorized the Boko Haram insurgency as a variant of three forms with the political variant,

allegedly embedded within the Goodluck Jonathan administration.

Former President Obasanjo and former military President Ibrahim Babangida had in an unprecedented joint statement on Sunday appealed for peace in the country and suggested a strategic engagement with community stakeholders towards resolving the crisis.

said: “It is a bit late as we had expected it before now.

We were all waiting for that because they had to speak.

I had once said the leaders who were supposed to speak have not done so because the Boko Haram is a menace and we cannot just look on and watch. I am sure that people will respect their views and halt these dastardly things.”

They are hypocritical Dialogue is the — Ohanaeze answer — ACF Welcoming the joint plea of the former rulers, the ACF spokesman, Anthony Sani said: “What we have said is that there is no where in the world where force has ever worked on terrorism. We gave examples of Iraq, Palestine, Afghanistan and we have given example of Somalia and we came back home and said Yar`Adua used force in 2009.

“It was against that experience that we said let us try talking to them and we have been very consistent on that. We don’t want to give it a northern or religious colouration.

We support their idea — Afenifere Afenifere leader, Chief Reuben Fasoronti while welcoming the intervention

Ohanaeze Ndigbo on its part described the effort of the two former leaders as largely hypocritical, saying that the dialogue they are canvassing was never allowed during their respective tenures.

Engr. Ralph Ndigwe, National Publicity Secretary of the apex Igbo sociocultural organisation told Vanguard: “There is nothing special about Obasanjo and Babangida calling for national dialogue or constructive engagement.

“When Obasanjo was in government for eight years, people were clamouring for national conference. Odi people reacted, they went and finished the whole village, ransacked every where and killed everybody because they killed one soldier. Today, he is out of government and talking

about dialogue. Babangida did the same thing.

“Babangida and Obasanjo are senior members of the Council of States let them go to the Council of State and ask the council to call for dialogue; they don’t have to continue to deceive us through all these paper talks".

The CPC also demurred, saying that there was nothing new in the joint statement from the two former leaders.

It said: “These people have not said anything new, except we want to be economical with the truth.

Quite a number of people have said it in the past ” Insisting that the situation demands a political solution, he said the CPC national leader would not join the refrain of the two men, saying that Buhari was a marked man by his critics who would twist anything he says to suit their political tunes.

“The unfortunate thing is that there are many people who are waiting to hear what Gen. Buhari says and use it for cheap political points and that is why the man has often refrained from making statements because he knows that we are not dealing with sincere people but we are dealing with very dishonest people, the party said.”

“Buhari is not like one of

ITCH Ratings has raised fresh alert on the growing loan facilities in the Nigerian Banking sector that might lead to another round of nonperforming loan crisis. Fitch in a newly-published special report on Nigerian banks said the recent rapid credit growth in the banking sector may give rise to weakened asset quality and higher non performing loans if left unchecked.

The report which was released yesterday said the intervention of “Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON, during 2010 and 2011 led to a significant reduction in non-performing loans in the Nigerian banking sector.

Fitch Ratings said it believes there has been a marked improvement in banks’ asset quality, with AMCON playing an important role in maintaining stability. Fitch report said “Rapid underlying credit growth of 30-66 per cent was evident in most of the Fitch-rated in 2011 which the agency considers will be a negative credit driver if left unchecked.

“The increase in credit extension follows two years of pedestrian loan growth during Nigeria’s banking

crisis. Fitch believes that the extent of the crisis was itself exacerbated by the previous credit boom and expects non-performing loans to begin to tick up as the new lending seasons”.

The report further said “Fitch believes that internal capital generation needs to be addressed in the sector as the generous dividend policies demanded by investors are not conducive to sustainable loan book growth in the mediumterm. The new report considers that many Nigerian banks have thin levels of Fitch Core Capital, which are lower than is appropriate for Nigeria’s difficult operating environment. Sustainable Fitch Core Capital ratios will be a key rating driver for any future positive action on the banks’ viability ratings”.

It further said “cost to income ratios are relatively weak across the sector, with most banks reporting ratios of 60-75 per cent during 2011. GTB is a positive outlier with an efficiency ratio of 46.7 per cent in 2011 following a track record of well contained costs. The agency considers that improved efficiency will be a key differentiator for the more successful banks and will support earnings growth and ultimately contribute to better internal capital generation.

N1bn capitalisation: PenCom okays 18 PFAs ...threatens to revoke licences of others

BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG

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BUJA—NATIONAL Pension Commission, PenCom, yesterday, said 18 Pension Administrators, PFAs, met the new N1billion minimum capital base and threatened to revoke licences of those that failed within the next 28 days.

In statement by the Head of Communication unit, Mr Emeka Onuora said the commission announced that while two PFAs failed to meet the new capital requirement, four had been acquired by other PFAs, stating that First Guarantee Pension Limited, FGPL, was still under regulatory intervention. he explained that ARM Pension Managers Ltd, Leadway Pensure Ltd, Premium Pension Ltd,

Sigma Pensions Ltd, Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers Ltd and Trustfund Pensions Plc, had met the N1 billion requirement.

It will be recalled that the commission had on May 31, 2011, issued a circular giving the PFAs up to June 30, 2012 to meet the new requirement.

Other PFAs that met the requirement are “Aiico Pension Managers Ltd, APT Pension Fund Managers Ltd, Crusader Sterling Pensions Ltd, Fidelity Pension Managers Ltd, Future Unity Glanvills Pensions Ltd, IEI-Anchor Pension Managers Ltd, NLPC Pension Fund Administrators Ltd, Legacy Pension Managers Ltd, Oak Pensions Ltd, Pensions Alliance Ltd, Penman Pensions Ltd and Royal Trust Pension Fund Administrator Ltd.”

8—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 26, 2012

NAICOM fraud: Court reserves Oct 17 for adoption of addresses A BUJA—AN Abuja High Court last Thursday reserved October 17 for the adoption of addresses on alleged N10.4 million fraud levelled against two former officials of the National Insurance Commission, NAICOM, Okechukwu Chukwulozie and Adedolapo Ogungbe.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, in 2007 charged Okechukwu Chukwulozie, Angela Chukwulozie, a wife of the first accused and Ogungbe with the crime.

Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi gave the date after the third accused person (Ogunde) had presented her defence.

Ogunde, a former Deputy Commissioner in charge of Finance and Administration, had said that the N3.5 million she received from the organisation was her legitimate entitlement.

The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that ICPC had filed a threecount charge of corrupt against Ogunde.

The prosecution alleged that the third accused used her position to illegally withdraw the amount to furnish her apartment in Maitama. Ogunde, however, said the money was her statutory in lieu of 28 days allowance meant for her position upon assumption of office in 2005.

“I used the money to make the place habitable as I bought curtains, four airconditioners, micro wave, refrigerator, beddings and a set of upholstery. I have done no wrong as the money was officially meant for me and two other executive commissioners.

“In fact, Mr Badugu Useni, a commissioner in charge of operations, was paid before me. My allowance was unnecessarily delayed and I became aggressive in November 2005.

I was advised to suggest a name that the money could be remitted to and I used Mrs Aina Attahiru, my friend and Managing Director of Barn Root Homes Creation. It would also interest the Court to know that I and the first accused were not paid the monetisation allowance that formed part of the prosecution’s evidence.”

NAN reports that while Ogunde is facing a threecount charge, the first accused (Chukwulozie) is charged with eight of the 15 charges. The second accused and wife to the third accused was charged for allegedly aiding and abetting the crime.

The accused persons denied participating in any complexities that led to the alleged fraud. ICPC had alleged that the actions of the accused persons were offences which contravened Sections 12 and 19 of its Act.

East-West road ready Dec 2014

BY CHRIS OCHAYI

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BUJA—FEDERAL Government, yesterday, assured Nigerians, particularly, people of Niger Delta region, that the N349.8 billion contract for the dualisation of the EastWest Road, will be completed by December 2014.

Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe, who gave the assurance, while addressing newsmen on progress on the road, said all necessary steps that would fast-track the projects had been put in place.

Orubebe said the Niger Delta Ministry was working with ministries of Finance and Justice, the Debt Management Office and

financial institutions to ensure accelerated funding of road projects across the country.

He explained that so far N156 billion had been spent on the East-West Road, adding that the budgetary provision to the ministry could not cover the remaining N193.8 billion needed to complete the project.

The cost of the project, which was first awarded in 2006 for N204 billion, has now increased to N349.8 billion, with the completion date now December 2014.

He blamed the delay on the project on insecurity and lack of fund.

Orubebe said: “In order to complete the project by 2014, according to the pro-

gramme of work and cash flow projections for the four sections, the additional funds required in 2012 was N34.4 billion, while funds required for 2013 will be N86.5 billion and funds finally required for 2014 will be N50 billion.

“From SURE-P budget for the ministry, N21.7 billion is to be utilised for the East-West Road project this year. Going by these appropriations, it is likely that these funds will be enough to complete the project by December 2014.”

“The history of the EastWest Road is replete with hiccups due to poor funding coupled with serious terrain and human problems,” he added.

Health Minister laments poor funding for disease prevention

BY BEN AGANDE

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BUJA—MINISTER of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, said, yesterday, that the National Assembly’s reduction of the ministry’s budget proposal on disease prevention, surveillance and control, which is a major mandate of the ministry, from N582 million to only N78 million has had adverse effects on its response to disaster and emergency areas.

According to the Minis-

ter, the reduction of N4.4 billion from the ministry’s budget, affected three major areas including disease prevention, disease surveillance, disease control due to violence among others.

He said the reduction of capital project of the Ministry’s Headquarters from N19 billion to N14.57 billion affected responses to emergencies from terror attacks, natural and manmade disasters.

He said that President Jonathan has however, indicated a preference for

completion of old projects instead of initiating new ones. He further explained that the design of such new projects alone take up to 14 weeks, even without the procurement and award of contract processes.

He said: “But there are also those that have not been completed, if you rather insist that we do new programmes obviously there will not be enough money to complete those other previous constituency projects that are there."

Vanguard , TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012—9

Briefly

Ekiti LG workers give ultimatum over new pay

BY GBENGA ARIYIBI

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DO-EKITI—EKITI State Local Government workers have given the state government a14day ultimatum within which to pay them the N19,300 minimum wage or incur their wrath.

The government had paid N19,300 as minimum wage to workers in the state civil service leaving out local government workers.

Operating under the aegis of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, the council in a statement, yesterday, by its secretary, Mr. Victor Adebayo, noted that the government had promised to pay N19,300 to all workers in its employment since last December, “irrespective of whether one works for the state or local government.''

BY EVELYN USMAN

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KEJA—THE Lagos State Police Command has arrested 20 suspected members of robbery gangs which specialised in snatching vehicles in the metropolis.

Recovered from the suspects, among whom was a 60-year-old hunter and a Benin Republic citizen, were 23 vehicles, 12 arms, 54 ammunition, number-plates, telephones and wrist watches that were reportedly stolen.

Parading the suspects, yesterday, at the Command headquarters, Ikeja, the Commissioner of Pollice, Mr. Umar Manko, said one of the vehicles, a Toyota Camry, was trailed to a building somewhere around Ajah through the tracking de-

Lagos police parade 20 alleged car snatchers zWe operate during gridlock — Suspect

zBank driver held for allegedly stealing 19 ATM cards vice, where the suspects were arrested while attempting to dismantle the device.

The Benin Republic suspect, who gave his name as Azeez Abiodun, said he belonged to a nineman gang which specialised in snatching vehicles during traffic hitches.

The 24-year-old suspect, who claimed to have joined the gang last year, said the type of cars his gang usually snatched was determined by the choice of the receivers.

He said: “Yes, I belong to a robbery gang that specialised in snatching cars. What we do is that wherever there is ‘hold up’(gridlock) we will storm the area on motorcycles and begin to shoot. ''In the process, motorists would flee the scene, abandoning their vehicles. At that point, we will make our choice of vehicles and zoom off. At other times, we will stand by the roadside, pretending to be waiting for commercial buses and when the right

Lagos seals 38 drugs stores

How the bubble burst

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

The bubble, according to Manko, burst following a report at Ikorodu division by a motorist whose Toyota Sienna Space bus was snatched at gunpoint. Consequently, operatives from the Special Anti-Robbery Squad,

L

AGOS—NO fewer than 38 illegal drugs stores in the state were, weekend, sealed by a team of the Lagos State Task Force on Counterfeit, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods to rid the state of illicit drug store operators.

The illegal drugs stores are in the Ajegunle and Apapa environs in the Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Area and Apapa-Iganmu Local Council Development Area of the state.

Ashafa for youth training

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

L

AGOS—SENATOR Gbenga Ashafa, representing Lagos East Senatorial District, has called on well-meaning investors to embark on youth energy training programmes.

Ashafa noted that lack of sponsorship and other factors had discouraged a number of talented youths from acquiring further knowledge, necessary to tackle insufficient energy and power supply in the country. He said this while addressing participants undergoing Lagos Youth Energy Career Programme, in the state.

time comes, we will strike. ''We know most of the areas where there are always traffic and we focus mainly on Ikorodu area. ''Most times, we sell the cars for as low as N100,000 or N200,000 and share the proceed among ourselves. At other times, our receiver would pay us N50,000. This happens if we bring a car he did not demand. ''But we make quick money from phones and laptops because they are easier to sell. We sell them for as low as N3,000 or N4,000, depending on the type. The money realised from phones is also shared among us. But most times, we hide some of the stolen phones and secretly sell them to make more money because our superior sometimes give us stipends.”

Some of the recovered vehicles

Dana inquest: Witness condemns crowd control at plane crash site

BY ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH & MICHAEL OLADEPO

L

AGOS—THE on-go ing coroner’s inquest into the June 3, Dana Airplane crash in IjuIshaga, a suburb of Lagos, continued, yesterday, with a relation of one of the deceased cabin crew, Mr. Adewale Adeniyi, condemning the crowd management at the scene of the crash.

Adeniyi, a lawyer, who testified before the Lagos coroner, Magistrate Oyetade Komolafe, said there was no coordination as relatives and onlookers were running heltersketer preventing real rescue of the victims.

The witness, who said he raced to the scene of the accident to rescue one of the cabin crew, Vivian

Ositeyi, who, he said her husband called him from London to attend to her plight, disclosed he couldn’t access the scene for 30 minutes.

He said soldiers were beating them with horsewhip while an helicopter was hovering around the scene blowing dust on the rescue workers.

Meanwhile, the coroner has re-scheduled the appearances of oil companies, television stations and other witnesses summoned to give evidence on the incident.

According to the Komolafe, Television Continental, TVC, Channels and African Independent Television, AIT, were to appear before the coroner tomorrow to show clips of the scenes of the Dana airline crash recorded on

the day of the incident.

The TV stations appeared yesterday before the court with the tapes as scheduled but failed to come with the necessary equipment to play and view the tapes.

The development made the Coroner, Magistrate Komolafe, to adjourn the matter till tomorrow as the day had been scheduled for viewing of their recordings.

Earlier, Mr. Oludare Falana, from Falana and Falana law firm, at which instance the coroner is sitting, had urged the court to order the television stations to bring equipment needed to play back their recordings.

Falana had argued that since the coroner inquest is a fact-finding court, it will save the parties a lot of time.

A lawyer from the Ministry of Justice, Mr. Akinjide Bakare, had cautioned against sacrificing diligence on the altar of speed.

Bakare said while it might be convenient to take evidence from some witnesses orally, it would be better for the television stations to circulate copies of their clips to all interested parties for them to watch in their offices or home and to come back with questions.

This position was also suported by counsel to Dana Airlines, Chief Bolaji.

A staff of Dana airline, Gbenga Osikoya, told the court that since government agencies had already appeared before the coroner, there was no need for the video clips of the television stations.

swung into action and arrested the nine suspects at different locations in the state while the receiver, one Kola Oti, a resident of Ibafo, in Ogun State, was said to be on the run.

Items recovered Recovered from the nine-man gang, according to Manko, were the stolen Toyota Sienna with number-plate GJ 565 EKY; a Toyota Corolla with number-plate RSH 689 AE; a Honda Accord, number-plate LSD 537 AM; two unregistered Toyota Camry and Odyssey, three single barrel locally-made short guns, 24 live cartridges and one expended cartridge.

According to Manko, the suspects would be charged to court soon.

Meantime, the police in Lagos also foiled attempt by a driver of a new generation bank to withdraw money, using the ATM card of a customer of another bank.

When the driver was searched, he was reportedly found with 19 ATM cards belonging to customers of a new generation bank. Also found on him, was a cash of N652,000 which he had allegedly withdrawn using the ATM cards in his possession.

His arrest, Manko said was made about 8.30 p.m. last Thursday, following an alarm raised at the Ogba branch of the bank.

Manko said: “On July 26, around 8:30pm, there was a distress call that there was commotion at GTB, Ogba branch. On getting there, the suspect, Dare Oladunjoye, was seen with 19 ATM cards.

He was arrested and at the time of his arrest, he had cashed N652,000.

The matter is under investigation.”

Oladunjoye claimed the ATM cards were given to him by their owners. He claimed that: “I lent the owners money and whenever I lend out money, I usually collect their ATM cards and their Personal Identification Numbers. I release them after they would have paid me. If they did not pay me back, I would use their ATM cards to withdraw money from their accounts.

10— Vanguard , TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012

BY OLA AJAYI

I

B A DA N — G OV E R NOR Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State is in London in search of investors.

However, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media, Dr. Festus Adedayo, dismissed the insinuation that the governor travelled with his wife, members of his family and some commissioners for the Olympic Games.

Though it was claimed that the Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Bimbo Kolade and his Trade and Commerce counterpart were on the entourage, the Agriculture Commissioner attended the weekly state executive meeting at the Executive Chambers, yesterday.

Vanguard called the Press Officer to the wife of the governor, Mr. Deji Babalola, to ascertain if Mrs. Florence Ajimobi went with her husband.

He said he did not know anything about the issue.

He said: “I’m not even in that vicinity. I will get back to you.”

Justifying his claims that the governor did not go

Ajimobi storms London for foreign investors for the Olympics, he said in a statement that the governor went to the New World Nigeria Investment and Business Summit holding at the Dorchester Hotel, London.

He said as the largest producer of cassava and poultry in Nigeria and its arable 27,000 square kilometre land mass and a market population of over 6 million people, Oyo holds great prospects for any investor in agriculture.

He quoted the governor as saying the participation of the state in the forum put together by the Nigerian Bank of Industry, BOI, was to further drive the quest for foreign investors in Oyo State, adding that he was overwhelmed with the response of prospective investors.

Ajimobi’s London visit is coming few days after the Oyo State Government allegedly sent wives of state legislators on a jamboree to the United Kingdom.

The governor, whose state recently suffered a devastating flood that

rendered many citizens homeless, was said to have travelled with a team

expected to be hunting for foreign investors at the Olympics.

From left, Dr. Kunle Hamilton, CEO, Virgin Outdoor Ltd; Prof. Daniel Awodiya, the Author; Prof. Ralph Akinfeleye, HOD , Mass Communication Department, University of Lagos and Mr. Olumide Ogundero, former DGM, First Bank Plc, at the book launch of ''Human Communication; Principles , Processes , & Contexts' by Prof. Awodiya, at Yaba, Lagos. Photo:Diran Oshe.

S-West PDP flays ACN's call for Tukur's resignation

I

BADAN—PEOPLES Democratic Party', PDP, in the South-West has de-

scribed as “stupid, nonsensical, reckless and hypocritical” call by the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, for the resignation of PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, over the indictment of his son, Mahmud, in the oil subsidy scam.

The party said ACN should first remove the logs in its eyes before seeking to remove the spec in other peoples eyes.

PDP Zonal Publicity Secretary, Kayode Babade, said it was laughable that ACN which kept silent over the trial of the Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, who is standing trial before a Federal High Court in Lagos for stealing

and laundering N500 million, could ask Tukur to resign because his son was facing trial.

He said: “As at today, Mr. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, who is standing trial for alleged stealing and laundering of N500 million still presides over the affairs of the House. The moral sheriffs in ACN have not deemed it necessary to ask the Speaker to resign or step aside until the conclusion of his criminal trial.

“Also, ACN has not said anything about the conviction of the House of Representatives Minority Leader, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, by the Supreme Court of Georgia, United States of America, for defrauding his client of $25,000.

Akeredolu denies alleged ACN members' decampment to LP

BY CHARLES KUMOLU

L

AGOS—THE Rotimi Akeredolu Campaign Organisation, RACO, has debunked media reports that no fewer than 10,000 Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, members had decamped to the Labour Party, LP, describing it as a ploy by Governor Olusegun Mimiko to deceive voters in the state.

It also accused the governor of not keeping faith with the pledge he made to meet the needs of Ondo people, as well as serving only one term.

In a statement by its Di-

rector of Media, Publicity and Strategy, Mr. Idowu Ajanaku, RACO noted that some ACN chieftains, who were alleged to have decamped to LP had debunked the claims.

He said: “It has, however, come to the notice of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, in the state the calculated and malicious attempt by Gov. Mimiko and his LP to give the wrong public perception that we are out to undo him by all foul means. To achieve his ignoble aim, he has gone to town to hawk loaded lies on the streets of desperation for power.''

Briefly

70 yrs retirement age excites VC

I

JEBU-ODE—Prof.

Segun Awonusi, ViceChancellor, Tai Solarin University of Education, TASUED, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, yesterday, said the 70 years retirement age for professors would bring stability to university system.

Awonusi said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria,NAN, in Ijebu-Ode. He said the new retirement age would bring stability to the university system as it would allow for proper mentoring and supervision of young crop of academics by experienced professors.

Why I left ACN,

by Agunloye

BY DAYO JOHNSON

A

KURE—A former governorship aspirant of Action Congress of Nigeria,ACN, Dr. Olu Agunloye, yesterday, said he left the party because of the intrigues in the choice of the party's candidate, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu.

He blamed the leaders of the party for his exit from the party.

The spokesperson of the Omoluwabi Platform, Mr Wemi Ajegbemiga said in a statement in Akure that the intrigue in ACN would work against Akeredolu SAN in the election.

Mimiko names team

A

KURE—ONDO State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, yesterday, appointed a team of technocrats and politicians to man his re-election bid.

Tagged Mimiko Campaign Organisation, the team is headed by Mr Akin Adaramola as it DirectorGeneral.

Adaramola, a former Head of Service in the state is the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning.

He is to be assisted by Mr. Clement Faboyede, Commissioner for Community Development and Cooperative Services, who is Director of Campaign Operation.

A former Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Kolawole Olabisi, is also to man the Campaign Office as the Director of Media and Publicity.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012 —11

APSAN denies petition against Delta LG Auditor-General

BY FESTUS AHON

U

PROTEST: Ex-militants protesting alleged non-payment of allowances since January 2012, in Benin City. Photo by Barnabas Uzosike.

Outcry as oil spill takes over River Ethiope

BY GODWIN OGHRE

S

APELE—A LONG stretch of River Ethiope, which is the main source of drinking water for rural dwellers in Ethiope West Local Government Area and Ovwore, Eko, Amukpe, Okirighwre, Sapele Okpe and Ogorode communities in Sapele Local Government Area of Delta State, has been polluted by crude oil, leaking from one of the oil pipelines belonging to Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, which runs across the river, at Eko village.

The people of the affected communities have cried out to the federal and state governments, as well as NNPC, Federal Environmental Protection Agency, FEMA, and security agencies to come to their aid and evaluate the crude oil from the river, which is

their only source of drinking water and fish farming.

Chairman of Amukpe Community, Deacon Believe Edeki told Vanguard in Sapele, yesterday, that the crude oil pollution had already killed a large quantity of aquatic lives in the river and hampered fish farming, which is the major occupation of the rural dwellers on the bank of the river.

Deacon Edeki said the situation could aggravate the insecurity situation in the area, as youths, who were hitherto fish farmers, may resort to crime in order to survive.

He said if the river was not cleaned and the pollution removed immediately, there might be an out break of cholera and other diseases.

He noted that the people had made several

Rivers warns against attack on Fire Service personnel

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

P

ORT HAR COURT— RESIDENTS of Port Harcourt, Rivers State and its environs, have been enjoined to stop attacking men of the state fire service on social services.

Commissioner for Special Duties in the state,

Mr Emeka Nwogu, lamented the attitude of some residents to fire fighters from his ministry, when they responded to distress calls, pleading that men of the fire service should be given the necessary support at scenes of fire outbreak to achieve results.

He said: “I appeal to

Delta sanctions LG workers over closure of Ughelli South council secretariat

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

A

SABA—CHAIR MAN of Delta State Local Government Service Commission, Chief Nkem Okwuofu, yesterday, said that the Commission had issued queries to some workers of Ughelli South Local Government Area for shutting the council last week.

Okwuofu, yesterday in Asaba, warned that the state government would

entreaties to NNPC, but the corporation has been paying deaf ears to their plight. He said the pollution has affected marine activities in the area.

He added that the Federal Environmental Protection Agency that was contacted was yet to show up to assess the extent of damage caused by the pollution to the lives of the people of the area.

not tolerate any form of lawlessness, saying “I instructed that we should give queries to all of them (Ughelli South council workers) for that unruly behaviour.”

Worried by the closure of the council secretariat, she said, the commission immediately summoned the chairman of the council and workers involved in wrangling over Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, election into Ughelli South

branch of the union to her office in Asaba.

She said: “I ordered them to open the gate and if they had any grievances, they would be addressed at a later day. But today, I am speaking officially, we are not members of NULGE and we will attend to NULGE issues when they are reported to us. But for now, let them know that none of them has the authority to lock up the gate of the council."

our people to stop attacking our firemen. They have constraints such as traffic jams while rushing to fire scenes. They are our brothers and sisters, who volunteered to help in times of emergency.”

It will be recalled that some residents had destroyed two fire fighting vehicles and also beaten up men of the fire service at Igwuruta Roundabout, recently, when they responded to the petrol tanker fire that consumed several houses in the area.

The Commissioner who spoke to Vanguard, appealed to residents to ensure that they have access roads to their property, noting that this would help in times of emergency. “Another constraint we have is the pattern of buildings in urban areas, as people give little space for access roads. When there is fire outbreak, it is difficult to access their houses," he said.

GHELLI—ASSO CIATION of Public Service Auditors of Nigeria, APSAN, Delta State chapter, has described as false, media reports that the AuditorGeneral for Local Governments in the state, Mrs. Mary Njokanma, was petitioned for alleged forgery of certificates and date of appointment.

The body, in a statement, yesterday, by its Public Relations Officer, Mr. Andrew Omonikeme, said that such petition was never dispatched to the office of the Auditor-

General for Local Governments, adding that it was aimed at tarnishing the image of the AuditorGeneral.

Noting that the publication was the handiwork of mischief makers, who were hell bent on sowing a seed of discord between the Auditor-General for Local Governments and the state government, Omonikeme urged members of the public to disregard the publication “as it does not have any backing because no such petition had been received by the office of the Auditor General and its department.”

No ghost contract c'ttee in Ogbe-Ijoh—Emotonghan

BY EMMA ARUBI

W

ARRI—THE peo ple of Ogbe-Ijoh community in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, have said that there was no project monitoring and ghost contract committee in the community.

Secretary-elect to Ogbe-Ijoh clan Governing Council, Mr. Emmanuel Emotonghan,

who made the clarification in a statement, yesterday, said that the creator of the so-called office was only “taking advantage of the leadership vacuum occasioned by litigation before the state high court in Warri to parade himself in the media as Secretary.

He described the group as impostors who constituted and inaugurated the purported ghost contract committee.

Govt re-opens Gbagi's shopping mall

BY EMMA AMAIZE

W

ARRI—THE Rob inson Gbagi shopping mall, belonging to former Minister of Education and industrialist, Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, which was temporarily shut Saturday by Delta State Government over environmental sanitation offence, has been re-opened.

Vanguard learnt that it was re-opened for business, on Sunday, after the

issue that led to the closure was sorted out with the Ministry of Environment, which said the market and its surroundings were dirty.

Eminent Deltans, including the former Minister of Information, Chief Edwin Clark, had intervened in the ensuing feud between Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan and Gbagi over the matter.

A source told Vanguard that both men had been invited to a meeting.

Egbema community congratulates Oshiomhole

W

ARRI—EGBEMA Traditional Council and the people of Egbema Kingdom both in Warri North and Ovia South-West local government areas of Delta and Edo states, yesterday, congratulated Governor Adams Oshiomhole for his resounding victory at the recently concluded governorship poll in Edo State.

In a statement issued by the Chairman of Egbema

Traditional Council, Chief David M. Bubor, the people pointed out that Governor Oshiomhole’s victory was the manifestation of his good work in the past four years.

Bubor, while assuring the people of Edo State that Governor Oshiomhole will continue in his good work, also charged Edo people to continue to support his administration.

12—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012

Cop killed in attempt to rescue kidnapped Govt House staff

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

A

SABA—A STAFF of Due Process Office, Government House, Asaba, Delta State, was, weekend, kidnapped with his son in the state.

Police authorities gave his name as Mr. Duke Okeze. He was rescued, yesterday, though one of the policemen involved in the rescue mission was killed in the process, while the son of Mr. Okeze, kidnapped along with him received bullet wounds.

Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Charles Muka, in a statement, said: “Mr. Okeze of Due Process Office, Government House, Asaba, was kidnapped by unknown gunmen along with his son. But they were rescued at 6.30a.m., Monday, by a combined team of SARS, STORM in Issele-Uku division at Atuma Iga. “Three suspects, including a lady, were arrested and his Toyota Corolla car was recovered. In the process of rescue, his son, Emma,

sustained minor bullet wounds from the kidnappers’ guns while a police Corporal was killed. Efforts are on to arrest other fleeing gang members.”

He added that “Three

Urhobo youths condemn attack on Uduaghan's convoy

BY FESTUS AHON & GODWIN OGHRE

U

G H E L L I — URHOBO National Youth Council, UNYC, yesterday, condemned the reported attack on the convoy of Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, by some misguided youths in Oghara, Ethiope West Local Government Area of the State.

Meantime, the people of Oghara, home town of former governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, have denied media reports, that they attacked and actually attempted to assassinate the governor, who they described as “our own amiable son of the com-

Ex-militants protest non-payment of allowances

BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

B

ENIN—HUN DREDS of ex-militants, yesterday in Benin City, Edo State, staged a peaceful protest over alleged non-payment of their 18 months’ allowances. They called on President Goodluck Jonathan to immediately remove his Special Adviser on Niger Delta Matters, Mr. Kingsely Kuku.

The former militants, who alleged that they

armed robbers, including one dressed in National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, uniform were arrested in Asaba, with a rifle, three battle axes, three cartridges, a laptop and a camera.”

were under the Phase II Programme for rehabilitation of ex-militants, stormed the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, secretariat in Benin City, with placards bearing various inscriptions, such as “Justice Must Prevail, We Need Our Money,” “Kingsley Kuku Must Go,” “11 months, no payment, We need our Money,” among others.

Emomomemi Ezebri and Julius Bank, who spoke on behalf of their colleagues, blamed their plight on Mr. Kuku.

munity.”

They also denied attempting to assassinate Governor Uduaghan, who they described as a “a laudable governor and a good patriot of the community.”

In a telephone chat with Vanguard, Unugbrogodo of Oghara Kingdom, Chief William Ibori, elder brother of Chief James Ibori, told Vanguard that the people of Oghara Kingdom hold both the former and the current governors in high esteem and would not do anything to jeopardize the lives of both men.

A prominent palace chief, who spoke on condition of anonymity, alleged that the attack on the governor ’s convoy was the handiwork of mischievous persons.

Urhobo National Youth Council, in a statement by its National President, Mr Henry Baro, said: “We condemned in the strongest terms, the reported attack on the convoy of Governor Uduaghan, while on official assignment at Oghara by some misguided youths in the community over chieftaincy matter.

“It is our belief that no matter how strong our grievances, recourse to violence and taking laws into our hands will only exacerbate the situation.

Such grievances can only be properly addressed through dialogue and negotiation."

Edo NUJ sets up interim c'ttee

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

B

ENIN—NIGERIA Union of Journalists, NUJ, Edo State chapter, yesterday, set up a three-man interim committee led by Mr Kelvin Okonzuwa of News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, to run the affairs of the union until an election was conducted.

Other members of the

committee are Messers Courage Afia and Friday Isewede. The congress took the decision following the expiration of the tenure of the Friday Obanor-led administration.

During the congress, two of the chairmanship aspirants, Desmond Agbama and Rowland Osakwe, described their alleged disqualification

from the chairmanship contest as fraudulent and urged the National leadership of NUJ to properly screen all the aspirants, saying that disqualifying the other aspirants in order to pave way for the immediate past chairman to run unopposed was an attempt to deprive them of their right as members of NUJ.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012 —13

Orji accuses commissioners, perm secs of fund diversion

BY ANAYO OKOLI

U

MUAHIA—GOV ERNOR Theodore Orji of Abia State has accused his commissioners and Permanent Secretaries of diverting state fund and would sack and prosecute any of them caught.

Governor Orji handed the threat to them when he met with 10 commissioners and permanent secretaries from 10 ministries over the dwindling internally generated revenue of the state.

The 10 ministries are Health, Environment,

Commerce and Industry, Lands, Urban Renewal, Agriculture, Transport, Public Utilities and Finance.

Orji who was visibly annoyed said he had facts that nine of the state’s revenue generating ministries had been pocketing all the revenue generated instead of remitting the funds to the state account.

The governor directed the commissioners to immediately close all their ministries’ accounts opened to deposit funds meant for the state government treasury

and also directed them to disband all touts engaged as revenue collectors.

Orji who lamented the dwindling Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, and the state’s over dependence on the federation allocation revenue for the development of the state, charged the commissioners to “go home and think about how to increase the revenue of the state apart from Ariaria market in Aba.” According to the Governor, their "fraudulent activities and incompetence had

made the state government to engage the services of a consultant, and warned that apart from the consultant, “Any other revenue collector in the state is illegal and should be disengaged with immediate effect.”

Orji accused the commissioners of turning Ariaria market into their revenue collecting place, with multiple taxations on the traders in the market, instead of looking into the various industries scattered in Aba and other parts of the state including private institutions.

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

O

WERRI—AN Owerri High Court presided over by Justice Nonyerem Okoronkwo, has sentenced Uchenna Uhuegbu, from Odunmara, Orodo, Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State, to death for the murder of an 18-month-old baby girl.

Uhuegbu was charged for killing the baby girl, Chimuanya Iwuagwu, also from Odummara, Orodo, on May 17, 2009, in very bizarre circumstances.

Chronicling how the innocent suckling was murdered, Justice Okoronkwo recalled that

Man to die for killing baby the deceased Chimuanya was heading to throw away refuse with an elder relation and was accosted by the accused on their way.

The Judge agreed with the prosecution that “because the accused was very familiar with the family of the infant girl, her relation had no problem leaving the two and proceeded to throw away the refuse.”

Apart from believing the prosecution’s account, the Judge equally ruled that since the little girl’s relation did not find the duo on her return, it was for the accused to account for the baby that was left in his care.

Justice Okoronkwo co quoted the confessional statement Uhuegbu made to the police, especially how a mystery voice advised him to kill the little girl if his life was to be better.

Olaitan: Rights groups worry over Ugolor's arrest

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

B

ENIN CITY—THERE is fresh tension within the members of the civil society organisation in Edo State as to the whereabout of the Executive Director of the African Network for Environment and Economic Justice, ANEEJ, Rev David Ugolor who was picked last Friday evening by policemen handling the investigation into the killingofthePrincipalPrivateSecretary to Governor Adams Oshiomhole, Olaitan Oyerinde.

VanguardgatheredthatUgolor was arrested after one of the suspected killers of late Olaitan identified David as one of their sponsorsandhewassaidtohaveidentified Ugolor as the David when he was paraded along other persons by the investigating team from the Force Headquarters, Abuja.

However, members of the civil society organisations described the arrest of Ugolor as “another attempt by police to divert attention,” contending that the arrest was “curious since his arrest was done immediately the governor traveled abroad.”

When State police spokesperson Anthony Airhuoyo, was contacted, he explained that the officers investigating the matter were from the Command but a special investigating squard from the Force Headquarters, saying he did not have the details of Ugolor’s arrest.

14 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012 — 15

16 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012—17

M

Y caption today is borrowed form the pay off of the Pirelli tyre advertisement. I find it very profound whenever I contemplate the appeal to importance and the relish of power by people. Nigerians love their power and always like to wield it exclusively. For example, during the days of police check points, if you queried a policeman for standing dangerously on the middle of the highway to flag down a vehicle hurtling down at the speed of 160 kilometres per hour, he simply retorts: “You want to teach me my job?” Nigerians at every opportunity exhibit this type of infallibility in exercise of their power. That is why many things go wrong for us!

In recent times, members of the National Assembly have shown us that they are not in the mood to brook any opinion from us who presumably “elected” them into office. The mood has been to crack down on anybody and any institution that stands in their way. They summon anybody at the slightest provocation. Even the President of the Federal Republic is not spared! They order the sack of any member of the executive that crosses their way, and once the fatwa is pronounced on you, you become un-person, unfit to attend a seating of its committee. As someone said, we are witnessing the emergence of an executive legislature!

Nobody is in doubt about the National Assembly’s power of oversight, except, perhaps the National Assembly itself. The three prominent Investigative probes of the House of Representatives—the Elumelu power (no pun intended) probe, the Herman Hembe Capital Market Crash probe and the Farouk Lawan Subsidy probe—have all been tainted by corruption allegations. The disgraced Hembe Committee yielded way to the Hon. Ibrahim Tukur El-Sudi Committee. On 17 July, the ElSudi Committee submitted its report to the House of Representatives. The report did not surprise a few in its observations, conclusions, tone and acerbity. Its inelegant language, grammar and syntax did not do justice to the powerful Committee, either.

From the preponderance of submissions by various stakeholders, it was clear why the Capital Market crashed.

But what was rather surprising was what the Committee chose to make of the submissions. It seems the Committee only heard what it wanted to hear, from whom it wanted to hear it, took only what submissions

Power is nothing without control it wanted to take and peremptorily dismissed those that seemed to run counter to preconceived conclusions. If we remember previous encounters between the National Assembly and the Governor of the Central Bank, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, it could not surprise anyone that those who had previously stepped on the toes of the National Assembly were made to taste the powers of the House. There seems to be an old boy network in operation. I was not surprised that Sanusi and Mustapha Chike-Obi were treated in the report like hostile witnesses. I chuckled when I read Femi Otedola’s submission to the Committee. Perhaps ,if he appeared before the Committee after his saga with Farouk Lawan, it was predictable what reception he would have got, given that another House Committee chairman had called him “stupid”. So, nobody expected that Ms. Arunma Oteh, the embattled Director General of the Security and Exchange Commission, would be recommended for a National Award after her encounter with Hembe!

Well, we don’t have to teach the Committee its job! But a few things were very puzzling in the report. One was the ease with which the Committee deprecated institutions and individuals in obvious de-marketing terms without sparing a thought to the possible consequences to the future of the very institution it set out to save! The report gave weight to what it called the CBN Governor, Sanusi’s “contradictory regulatory policies”, “the overbearing posture of the CBN”, “injection of unearned cash into the economy by the CBN”, AMCON’s bonds based on “dubious

One good thing is that the report is still to be debated by the House.

The House should thoroughly look into it and give it a facelift.

Reading the report is like eating a plate of rice with a lot of stones!

valuations of NPLs” and “the roles of NDIC, CBN, AMCON, CAC,” as the reasons for the crash of the Capital Market. The report described the nationalization of Afribank, Bank PHB and Spring Bank as “contrived in misrepresentations of monumental proportions” and “built on forgeries, with presentations and appearances of fraud and corruption”! My God! It appears no institution connected with the financial sector in the country has any credibility!

Why would any foreigner not de-invest?

Some of the reasons adduced by the report for the crash of the Capital Market were correct, in fact pretty obvious. But we cannot ignore the role of a general and persisting uncertainty in the political and economic environment in capital flight. Moreover, high incidence of corruption, especially among the highest institutions in the land is one of the greatest catalysts for capital flight.

Differentiating Sanusi and Chike-Obi Honestly, reading through the report one gets the impression that the Committee hurriedly ended its assignment. Going through the list of documents demanded from the CBN and AMCON, the conclusion would be that had the Committee received all of them, it would still be purring through them by now. If those documents were as vital to the probe as it made us believe, then it should not have wound up sitting leaving the report with such a huge gap. The frustration of not getting the documents led the Committee to lash out at AMCON and CBN to the extent of not differentiating Sanusi and Chike-Obi from the institutions they head.

One did not expect the report of a serious and highly controversial probe to resort to mere conjectures and speculations or to draw conclusions from taking some expressions literally. For example, we all know that Sanusi shoots from the hips and sometimes rustles feathers. But when he likened the capital market to a gambling casino known as ‘kalokalo’ and Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, former Governor of CBN likened it to a

game with snake, they were merely saying that “investors are ultimate risk takers”.

Is there any investment that is without risk, or that is not a gamble? Prof. Soludo said that Stock Market crashes are never permanently prevented. The Committee has the powers to reject that, depending on its belief or not in the nature of boom and burst. But it was an absolutely embarrassing imputation for the Committee to say that Soludo’s was implying that “once he (Soludo) is not the one in charge that no one else knows what to do!”

In another conjecture the Committee said: “The CBN had not done anything within itself. This, perhaps, could be reason why the former Governor of the CBN felt that the capital market crash would continue to occur in Nigeria”.

Another conjecture: “Since the CBN does not account to anybody, but to itself, one could only infer at best, that the CBN has a lot to hide regarding its contribution to the fall in the financial assets’ prices”. A speculation: “Since SEC gains from increased trading volumes, it may relax regulatory actions that have the potency of reducing trading volumes”.

There were a few contradictions in the report. In one breath the Committee said that “AMCON remains an institution that is under no effective regulation as it accounts to no one”. In another breath, it admits that “yet it is regulated by the CBN”. There seems to be a mix up about the roles of the CBN and AMCON and who among them is a regulator of what!

The Committee lamented that “The CBN also made it impossible for the Committee to verify allegations that the various capital verification exercises conducted by it were based on allocation of figures that do not represent actual capital levels of the (intervened) banks…” In other words, CBN used cooked evidence to intervene in the banks in 2009. But in paragraph 13 “the Committee findings revealed” some of the same reasons for which CBN sacked the management of Afribank, Finbank and others.

When the Committee observed that “The apex security body SEC looked the other way” while the banks in Nigeria were going to the capital market frequently, one is compelled to ask under whose watch in SEC and NSE did that happen? It is curious that throughout the report, Musa Al Faki was mentioned only once; in connection with alleged wrongful termination of some staff of SEC! After her voluptuous appearance and high voltage presentation, the report only mentioned Prof. Ndi Okereke Onyiuke in parenthesis in a line and half pleading that allegations against her are subjudice!

One good thing is that the report is still to be debated by the House. The House should thoroughly look into it and give it a facelift. Reading the report is like eating a plate of rice with a lot of stones!

OPINION

I

BY EMMANUEL OZAH

MPEACHMENT has become a reckless demagogue in our House of Representatives. Members who feel that they are not receiving enough attention on their request for constituency funds in the budget have threatened to impeach the President.

Sometimes, none PDP members in the House think that the only way to settle their political differences is to threaten the president with impeachment.

May be, they should first start by impeaching their members who have made it a habit to fist-fight on the floor of the House like primary one school children.

The President can only be impeached on grounds of “GROSS MISCONDUCT” or for the abuse of the powers of his office or for breach or non-compliance with the provisions of the constitution which he sworn to uphold.

Impeaching the President on account of his failure to fully implement the budget is a non-impeachable offense.

Nigerians understand that the budget is an element of

Impeaching the President demagogue

economic planning and national development and an instrument of generating economic growth, but full implementation of the budget is not an exclusive responsibility of the President.

To fully implement the budget will require the synergy of the Ministries, departments and the agencies of Government and, indeed, the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP). In addition, the lack of full budget implementation is due to inadequate procurement planning and service level agreements with the Ministries, departments, and Agencies of the Government (MDAs) From my many years of experience in this field and in contracting and Procurement, the problem solely lies in inadequate acquisition planning, financing and related schedules. The solution to full budget implementation might be for Nigeria to try zero-based-budgeting system

and see how it could work out for our needs.

Another very serious issue is the calibre of those who are supposed to make full budget implementation possible and that is the BPP; because the success of the totality of these endeavours depends on that agency.

Unfortunately, the President inherited this agency and its staff from his predecessor and no effort has been made since he came into office to recognise and staff the agency with professionals in the field. The Procurement Act (Section 7(1)) stipulates that: “ there shall be for the bureau a Director–General who shall be appointed by the President on the recommendation of the National Council on Public Procurement after Competitive selection process and the DG shall hold the office for a term of four (4) years and may be removed from office on the basis of manifested incompetence.” Perhaps, where we should start from solving the problem of full budget implementation is from the root. *Dr. Ozah, a public affiars commentator, wrote from Abuja.

18 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012 POLITICIANS are out again to prove that their desires are more important than Nigeria’s future. Their emphasis on state creation as an important point in resolving the Nigerian question remains misplaced.

The reality is that the legislators must feel beyond their own pulses. State creation is critical to Nigeria’s challenges. If there is a point at which diminishing returns sets in for States, Nigeria probably passed it more than 25 years ago.

Many reminisce about the regions, particularly the first three that established the few development notches Nigeria still has.

More States fragmented resources, human and physical, minimising development and escalating calls for more States.

Proposals abound about solutions to the quagmire that Nigeria landed with creating States. Some have suggested creating six more States to afford each of the geo-political zones six States, while the zones would operate like the former regions.

This proposal would have implications for the National Assembly, where the number of legislators and their comforts would be

Only P oliticians W ant Politicians Want States abridged in line with their lower contributions to governance. The zones would have regional assemblies, no state assemblies.

More sweeping suggestions include scrapping States, creating regions and more local government areas to bring governments closer to the people, and save costs that state bureaucracies consume.

If the devolution of powers is factored in, it is expected the regional assemblies would be busier, than the National Assembly which membership would be almost part time.

None of these seems to be getting to the National Assembly, which still considers state creation an important factor for the survival of the country.

“If Nigerians agree that there is need for more states and that there are injustices that needed to be addressed in area of state creation, and they believe that the imbalances need to be adjusted in all parts of the country, we must address it. If Nigerians agree in that regard, we can build consensus around it and go ahead to create the State. I think it is something we are going to give a trial because there are valid requests that need to be addressed,” Deputy Senate President Ikechukwu Ekweremadu said.

Creation of states does not promote the justice Ekweremadu preaches. Where would those whose requests are rejected find justice?

It is more obscene where most senators pushing the cause are dreaming of new States where they would retire as governors.

Politicians want States for their selfish ends, it is not about justice which Section 14 (2b) of our Constitution summaries as, “The security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.” The National Assembly and governments have largely ignored this provision in their 13 years’ quest for justice.

OPINION

BY TOCHUKWU EZUKANMA

A

MAJOR problem of Nigeria is the oil money. Oil money is extraordinary in that it does not come from any national effort, toil or sweat. It comes not from any agricultural, manufacturing, scientific or technological endeavour. It results not from our resourcefulness, innovation or ingenuity. It is a windfall; it, literally, drops from above.

The monthly financial allocations from the Federal government to state and the local governments are similarly windfalls. They hover like clouds in the sky, and then, drop like rain every month, emptying into the outstretched and expectant hands of state governors and local government chairmen. The problem with such hand-outs is that it is hard to handle them with thrift and accountability. As the hackneyed but instructive saying goes, “easy come, easy go” Nobody labored for the money. Consequently, nobody feels particularly responsible for it because it is, particularly, nobody’s money. So, the governors and the politicians can be remiss and extravagant in their expenditure of their allocations. And because the people do not have a strong sense of ownership of these hand-outs, their demand for accountability and transparency in their spending is halfhearted. A very powerful antidote to the office holders’ lack of accountability and the people’s almost indifference to the handling of public funds is internally generated funds, of which taxation is a major source.

As a simple example: if the inhabitants of a town collectively determine their budget for the administration of their small town for the year, and decide to tax themselves equally or based on a formula that determines the tax for every individual. It will be very difficult for whoever that is entrusted with the disbursement and expenditure of this fund to be careless with it. The contributors of this money will

The perils of taxation without credibility feel that the money belongs to them and can confidently demand a detailed account of its spending. Also, they will feel empowered and justified to punish whoever has appropriated or misused the money.

Therefore, the attempt by the Babatunde Fashola government to get the residents of Lagos State to pay their taxes is splendid. But is the government surprised that many residents of Lagos State are reluctant to pay their taxes?

They are unwilling to pay their taxes because of their profound distrust of the Lagos State government. The inhabitants of the state, like most Nigerians, cannot trust their governors, legislators, local government chairmen, etc. This is because all tiers of governments in Nigeria have, for so long, lied to the people and stolen from them.

W

e can all rant, rave and pen diatribes against the Federal government for its corruption, extravagance and theft of public funds. But corruption, extravagance and theft of public funds are not the preserve of the federal government. State and local governments are all equally culpable of the same offenses. Despite the socialist and populist posturing of the Lagos state ruling elites, they are just as corrupt, arrogant, scornful of the masses and prone to stealing from the public coffers like the governing officials in other states and at the federal government. So, like the federal government and other governments in Nigeria, the Lagos state government lacks credibility.

Consequently, the people do not trust the Fashola government; they do not believe that their tax money will be

put to the most constructive use. His administration can prove its credibility if it curbs its corrupt practices, end the stealing of the people’s money and become accountable and transparent in its expenditure of public funds. Then, it will earn the confidence of the people. And the residents of Lagos State will pay their taxes, not under threat of punishment or promises of reward, but wholeheartedly.

The 18th Century German sociologist, Max Weber, defined power as “the ability to get others acting in accordance to your will”. And the eminent American diplomat, John Galbraith, distinguished between three types of power: condign, compensatory and conditioned. He wrote that every exercise of power, to a varying degree, must involve one or more of these forms of power. Unlike condign power (predicated on punishment or fear of punishment) and compensatory power (based on the promise or denial of reward), conditioned power is the most effective form of power. The exercise of this type of power is based on people being conditioned – understanding and/or agreeing – to the need to obey. Therefore, they obey the rule not because of fear of punishment or promise of reward but because they are convinced of the necessity to do so. Therefore, they obey the law, even, when there is no one positioned to watch over them or to enforce the law.

Instructively, this most effective form of power (getting others to act in accordance to your will) is based on trust. If the government of Lagos State can earn the trust of the people, the people will obey its laws, including, the tax laws without coercion or cajolement, that is, willingly. On the other hand, without this trust, the government must resort to tough-handed measures like hectoring and punishing Lagosians to pay their taxes. Still, it will fail in its tax drive.

•Mr. Ezukanma, a social commentator, wrote from Lagos.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012— 19

, A

COLLEAGUE of mine who taught in South Africa informed me that President Nelson Mandela had regular meetings with the heads of departments of political science.

Mandela’s practice would therefore appear as a validation of Colonel Sir William F. Butler’s recollection of the following opinion of Charles Gordon: “It is needless to say that Charles Gordon held a totally different view of the soldier’s proper sphere of action and with him the building part of the soldier’s profession was far more important than the breaking part… The nation that will insist upon drawing a broad line of demarcation between the fighting man and the thinking man is liable to find its fighting done by fools and its thinking by cowards” (Chapter I FM 3- 07 Pp. 1-i) This quote is an effective way of bringing to the table of the Nigerian Security Discourse “The U.S Army Stability Operations Field Manual N0 3-07, The 2009

University of Michigan Press Edition. It is an unrestricted publication released for dissemination to the constituencies with intellectual interest in how the United States Army is preparing for its international commitments.

In the foreword to the University of Michigan Press Edition Michele Flournoy and Shawn Brimley described as follows in broad terms the three components of the US Army’s international security mission: “Ensuring that the world’s oceans, cyberspace, common airspace, and orbital space remain relatively free and open for travel, commerce, and communication should constitute core missions for America’s military, and those missions are fundamental to the maintenance of US interests.

America’s military forces are likely to be utilized for two other core missions directly countering those state or non-state actors who attack US interests at home and abroad: and engaging in pre- or post

,

conflict stability operation to prevent or redress state failure and the resulting adverse regional and global consequences. Most of these tasks will be cross cutting and joint by nature, and all agencies of government need to be prepared to act in support of national objectives. Placed within America’s broader strategic context, stability operations clearly constitute an extremely important pillar of a likely 21st century national security agenda, and ensuring that the US military is able to perform these operations effectively will remain a central task of uniformed and civilian defense leaders”.

The above description of U.S Army’s 21st century security agenda preparation clearly shows that the US Government has evolved a happy balanced team of its fighting and thinking men who together can ensure that security agenda setting remain “a central task of the uniformed and civilian defense leaders”.

Cost of free education

BY CLEMENT OFUANI

T

“

HERE is no free lunch anywhere,” my friend said to me. “Not even in Freetown,” he added. It was a joke but contained enormous wisdom. In our elementary economics which another respected friend of mine often derisively refers to as O.A. Lawal economics, we learnt the concept of cost as the opportunity given up. Cost is not therefore just the price we pay for an item but what we give up to attain a particular thing. It has often been said that those who consider education expensive should try ignorance, implying that ignorance is more expensive than the price we pay to earn education. Education as an economic activity involves the expenditure of resources, so it is not free. It has what accountants will describe as cost of production no matter where it is delivered. Every level of education from kindergarten to tertiary education and advanced seminars has defined cost of production and where it is commercially produced, the cost of production could include a profit element for the service providers.

The concept of free education stems from the reasoning that education should be a social service and that when citizens receive good education, invariably, society as a whole benefits from the increased productivity resulting from the educated citizenry. As a social service, it is argued that the benefits of education are not restricted to the beneficiary and therefore the society as a whole should contribute to a common pool to make it accessible to everyone. In today’s world, that premise can be extended to include the fact that the whole world benefits from the investment in educating a person. For, apart from the person’s contribution to global productivity, migration often means that the society that

bore the cost of the investment through free education subsidizes the society that receives the immigrant. Given Nigeria’s migration pattern, it is unarguable that she has been subsidizing the US and UK economies in this regard for a while now.

The common pool to fund free education in a given society is the tax revenue of government. Free education is, therefore, only free to the beneficiary in monetary terms but the cost remains as a burden to the general society. Incidentally, there is a direct correlation between the cost of production of the service and the quality, all things being equal. Without going into the ideological dialectics, human beings generally desire value for money. This is often more so, when the money is coming out directly from the individual’s pockets.

Way back in the early '80s, when the exchange rate of the Naira was about 50Kobo to one US dollar, a prudent family could comfortably train their child through a four-year programme in Nigerian universities of comparable global standards with aggregate expenditure of not more than five thousand Naira which would be the equivalent of ten thousand US dollars. Arguably, there was also substantial government support to keep the cost to the individual families at that level.

The only problem was that the government seemed to have been spending future revenues because by the mid-eighties, it could no longer sustain the public expenditure on social services, especially with the forced liberalisation of the economy and the re-pricing of the domestic currency relative to the US dollar.

As a consequence, public sector wages stagnated as did non-oil tax revenues of government. At that point, the question that confronted government was whether it was still feasible to run the free education programme. Without getting immersed in

A principal aim of my Tuesday Column is to contribute to the development of the capability of Nigerian political leadership to see the importance of building an integrated team of uniformed and civilian leaders whose central task is to set the nation’s security agenda. A leaf can be borrowed from the work that has produced this US Army Field Manual N0 3- 07. This manual is only possible because the U.S Army itself is led by a team of thinking fighting men and fighting thinking men. It is noteworthy how many civilians were brought into their maturity within the ranks of the US Armed Forces, prior to branching out to develop civilian careers. How to accomplish this blend of intellect and soldiering in Nigeria is a daunting task given the institutional gulf between government and society in the first place; and given the consequent differentiation of institutions based on professional specialisation.

Participant involvement Thinking and fighting have been assigned as a function of office to office holders, whether so prepared before for the office.

The difficulties arising therefore from this bureaucratization of responsibility should be partially addressed by the educational institutions. But even this remedial avenue is also constrained by the same phenomenon of bureaucratization. The education that Nigeria’s fighting and security leaders receive from the universities is when not “textbookish” often not based on lessons learnt from participant

,

US's approach to Security planning

The education that Nigeria’s security leaders receive from the universities is often not based on lessons learnt from participant involvement in security operations

I am thoroughly flummoxed that in today’s Nigeria and global reality,free education is still being used as a campaign tool without telling the people the true cost of the free education

,

the ideological battle, the real issue for government should have been to courageously re-evaluate the funding sources in the face of declining public revenues. Unfortunately, inability to carry out the re-evaluation seemed to stem from and was exacerbated by the growing perception of misappropriation of resources in the public sector owing to corruption. It would appear that government as a result, lacked the moral authority to face up to the reality of the issue of insufficient funds for social services, including education.

A

cting in denial, government pretended that free education was still available to the citizens but did not tell them at what cost. By the early nineties, it had become obvious to the elite that the cost of the free education on offer by government was declining quality and in response, they began to pull their children out of the free public schools to the rather expensive private schools. This phenomenon was at that point in time, common with primary education but it was not long before the bug caught up with the secondary education. At the tertiary level, the combined forces of the students unions and organised labour managed to hold the pretense for a longer period but soon, state-

involvement in security operations.

The costs of this bureaucratic formalisation of roles and assignment of tasks in the Nigerian setting are on public display in the present security setting. The Saturday Vanguard July 14, 2012 carries the comment of the Attorney General of the Federation; we quote: “The Federal Government, yesterday expressed its concern over the increasing spate of violence across the country, saying it is “working hard to stem the gradual descent into anarchy by diligently prosecuting all those indicted for civil disturbances to serve as deterrence”. The story may be an overly parsimonious summary of what the AGF said.

However what is summarized suggest that the measure to stem this sliding into anarchy is to make the task that of the Nigerian Police. What analysis of the security condition of Nigeria has led to this idea? The FM 3 - 07 shows such an answer could be derived within the framework of stability operations.

“FM 3 -07 stability Operations reflects a long journey by the American Military and a series of hard operational lessons learned by the post-Cold War generation.

It underscores recognition that in addition to fighting and winning our national battles, the military will continue to be called on to bring peace and order to societies under stress. As doctrine, FM 3- 07 fills a profound intellectual void by describing the complex 21st century landscape and articulating the military’s unique role in bringing order to chaos” (Ibid Pp. XV).

Continues next week

owned universities were charging higher fees than federal universities and they were to be overtaken by the private universities of the early 2000.

While government continued to pretend that it was still offering free education to the people, the elite soon realised that the new generation teachers of the private schools were largely products of the derided public schools that they could not send their children to. This was really the classic case of the chicken coming home to roost. The response of the elite to this discovery was to begin sending their children abroad with the United Kingdom and the United States topping the list. Soon enough, Ghana, Togo, South Africa and so on joined the league of recipients of the children of the Nigerian elite in search of good education.

Despite this massive vote of no confidence in the free education system, government and politicians continued to use it as a tool for staying in power. The masses who think that they are not paying for the foreign education of the children of the elite have only to consider that at the macroeconomic level, the outflow of the nation’s foreign exchange to pay for that foreign education is a major contributor to the declining value of our domestic currency and therefore the consequent decline in the value of their earnings. But worse is that the products of our school system are now generally regarded as unemployable.

I have met many chief executives lamenting their inability to recruit manpower in Nigeria today even as we bandy about incredible statistics of graduate unemployment. In addition, our economy is paying hefty premiums annually to attract foreigners to do jobs that we could have easily trained Nigerian youths to do. I am thoroughly flummoxed that in today ’s Nigeria and global reality,free education is still being used as a campaign tool without telling the people the true cost of the free education. *Mr. Ofuani, a commentator on national issues, wrote from Asaba, Delta State.

20 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012 — 21

NAPTIP secures 169 convictions against child labour

BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG

N

ATIONAL Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and other related matters, NAPTIP, has secured a total of 168 convictions in the past nine years of operations, saying not less than 41 cases were currently pending at the Lagos zone.

This came as Joint Task Force, JTF in Lokoja, Kogi, intercepted 20 vehicles conveying more than 103 children, suspected to have been trafficked.

NAPTIP Lagos Zonal Commander, Mr. Odetunde Adedayo spoke at a Training for media Practitioners on human Trafficking and forced labour, organised by International Labour Organisation, ILO, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, UNODDC, and funded by the European Union, EU, Adedayo said the property of the traffickers had equally been confiscated and forfeited by the agency in accordance with Section 44 of the NAPTIP Act. According to him, “We have secured successful prosecution of over 168 offenders. The victims have received psycho-social and medical counseling including family tracing.

Victims have been successfully trained in various vocations and empowered with start-up kits to set up own business while others have been enrolled in various schools by the agency” He explained that “Nigeria is regarded as one of the few countries in the world with an anti-trafficking law and an Agency set up to combat Trafficking in Persons, TIP. The law prohibits Trafficking in Persons and provides penalties including monetary fines, imprisonment, forfeiture of assets and passports, and liability for compensation of victims in civil proceedings. Imprisonment terms range from 12 months to life.”

From left: (seated) Andrew Alli, President & CEO, Africa Finance Corporation and Admassu Tadasse, President & CEO, Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank, PTA Bank; (standing) Mr. Alex Gitari, Finance Director, PTA Bank; Mr. Taiwo Adeniji, Director, AFC; Ms. Aliya Shariff, Vice President, Investments, AFC, and Mr. Francis Namboya, Principal Finance Officer, PTA Bank at the facility renewal signing between AFC and PTA Bank in Nairobi, Kenya

Transporters get health scheme as Insurance firm, unions partner

BY ROSEMARY ONUOHA

S

TANDARD Alliance Insurance Plc, SA, Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners, NARTO and the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, have flagged off a

CIBN, financial institutions to brainstorm on corporate governance, SMEs financing

BY PETER EGWUATU

F

176.15

+2.10

2,335.00

+19.00

22.54

+0.04

105.89

+0.63

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

0.2674 25.5246 189.8648 242.3401 41.2885 232.9723 158.0645 154.84 231.6635 1.9816 24.2512

0.2774 25.6071 190.4779 243.1227 41.4218 233.7246 158.5749 155.34 232.4116 1.988 24.33

0.2874 25.6895 191.091 243.9052 41.5551 234.4769 159.0853 155.84 233.1596 1.9944 24.4087

CBN Exchange rate as at 30/07/2012

health insurance scheme for members of the two unions.

At a ceremony in Obajana, Kogi State, the management of SA stated that they are concerned with providing succour to drivers of heavy duty dry cargo trucks who are often sadly involved in

OLLOWING the slow pace of tackling financial crisis in Nigeria, and Africa in general,the C hartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN)and financial institutions across the country have concluded arrangement to deliberate on issues that affect corporate governance, financing of the real sector, foreign investments inflow, amongst others.

The Managing Director/Chief Executive, First Pension Custodian Limited, and Chairman, Consultative Committee on 6TH Annual Banking and Finance Conference, Mr. Akin Fanimokun, who disclosed this, weekend in Lagos, said, “ The aftermath of the financial crisis which swept across the globe led to all time fall in standard of living, trading activities , export earnings , banks credit commercial activities, among others. As the developed economies made bold steps towards recovery and reconstruction African countries were still battling with so many socioeconomic challenges”

To this effect, he declared that the forth coming Banking and Finance conference scheduled to hold in Abuja from September 11, 2012, in collaboration with the Alliance of African Institutes of Bankers (AAIOB) will deliberate on issues that affect Africa continent and come up with measures towards repositioning and transforming their economies for sustainable growth.

Fanimokun, stressed the need for African leaders to focus more on creating friendly environments that will encourage and promote healthier and resilience financial system as a core catalyst for sustainable economic growth, development and transformation in the continent with positive global impact.

According to him, “The choice of the theme: Transformation of the African economy: Financial services industry as catalyst” is apt as discussion at the conference will include: e –banking habits- prospect and challenges; Financing the real sector- Issues and Resolutions; Corporate Governance, Ethics and Professionalism; Fostering an effective inter –African Trade- the way forward.”

accidents leading to serious injury or in some cases, their death.

Flagging off the project tagged NARTO/NURTW Dry Cargo Truck Drivers’ Accident Health Insurance Scheme, Mr. Kassim Ibrahim Bataiya, National President of NARTO, explained that the event was the crowning glory of a project conceived between the two organisations over two years ago and designed to benefit both the owners and the drivers of the heavy duty dry cargo trucks that ply the Nigerian roads on daily basis.

Bataiya said “The annual statistics provided by the Federal Road Safety Commission on the rates of accidents on our roads and the resultant serious injuries and deaths create the urgency for this scheme.”

“Sadly enough, prior to this moment, in the event of any such accident, the affected driver or his mate as the case may be, was left to his fate with no financial reprieve extended to either of them in case of injury or to their families in case of death, thus the necessary motivation needed to spur them for greater productivity was lacking,” he said.

The president explained that the above gave rise to the resolve of the two unions in partnership with Standard Alliance Insurance Plc and Generationext, to pursue this insurance scheme aimed at providing financial succour and reprieve to the injured and to the family of the dead dry cargo truck drivers resulting from accidents in the course of their work.

Noting that the financial package provides for treatment for the injured and burial expenses for the dead, Bataiya explained “It is still only a reprieve as money cannot compensate for loss of life or permanent disability resulting from an accident.”

22—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012

CIS reads riot act to errant stockbrokers

BY MICHAEL EBOH

T

HE newlyconstituted executives of the Chartered Instituted of Stockbrokers have read the riot act to errant stockbrokers, promising to mete out strict sanctions on anyone found culpable of malpractices and unethical conduct in the Nigerian capital market.

Speaking in an interview in Lagos, Mr. Emmanuel Ajayi,

Registrar/Chief Executive, CIS, said the Institute is committed to the strict enforcement of the rules and regulations guiding the conduct of its members in the capital market and will deal decisively with any member found violating the rules.

He said, “If people are doing something wrong, stockbroker, or any professional who claim to be a stockbroker should be doing that thing right. And what

this means is that; in my tenure, as the registrar of this Institute, I will ensure strict discipline.

“There is no room for any wrong doing operator to hide. We are also being upright and we are ensuring that no one is oppressed in any way.

“It is going to be good reward for good performance and punishment for erring operators who have gone contrary to our rules.

“There are rules and

regulations within the institute put in place by both the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, and the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, that guide what and how operators are to operate.”

Ajayi further stated that the CIS is devoted to ensuring professionalism of stockbrokers, through various capacity building initiatives that will impact positively in transactions in the

capital market.

“You cannot professionalize what you do not have; it means that we ensure that whatever products that are being put out in the market are of high quality.

“Don’t also forget that there is need for further practical training in addition to having the theoretical background.

These stockbrokers have gone through theoretical training in the higher institutions days and in the CIS qualifying exams programme, what we will do at the CIS is boost their practical capacity and enhance their professionalism,” he declared.

The CIS boss called on

the federal government to urgently put in place policies and programmes that that will help drive the recovery of the capital market.

According to him, there is still the need to put certain structures in place to ensure that the market recover very quickly, meaning that government’s policies should be consistent, positive and geared towards ensuring that the market recover.

Ajayi, however, called on market operators to support the various policies instituted by government to drive the growth of the market, while also ensuring that they abide by the various rules instituted to ensure sanity in the market.

Recapitalisation boosts Union Bank’s first quarter profit to N8bn

BY PETER EGWUATU

F

From left: Ms Aruma Oteh, Director-General, Securities and Exhange Commission, SEC; Mr Oscar Onyema, CEO, Ngerian Stock Exchange and Mr Ositah Egbuche, Chairman, Dimension Data, West Africa, at the Nigeria Economic Summit Group CEO's forum with the Finance Minister on the state of the Nigerian Economy in Lagos. Photo Lamidi Bamidele

Global executives seek improvement in internal audit functions

BY PETER EGWUATU

E

RNST & YOUNG’S recent research on ‘The future of internal audit , highlights that 75 per cent of respondents believe strong risk management has a positive impact on their long-term earnings performance and an equal percentage believe that their internal audit function has a positive impact on their overall risk management efforts.

Also, the global survey of 695 chief audit executives (CAEs) and C-suite executives also reveals, 80 per cent of organisations acknowledge that their internal audit function— a key player in managing risk—has room for improvement.

This finding is particularly important

for African companies as they gear up to take advantage of the opportunities offered by Africa’s strong growth prospects. “During Ernst & Young’s last Strategic Growth Forum in Africa, held in March 2012, we heard that seven of the 10 fastest-growing economies globally over the next five years will be in Africa. This begs the question: Are internal audit functions in Africa geared to be strategic advisers to their organisations during this time of rapid growth?” says Edward Okaro, Ernst & Young Risk Leader for Africa.

Okaro says that the Strategic Growth Forum identified the top risks facing African countries going forward. Among these risks, the Forum noted are the infrastructure gap,

regulations and compliance, developing a successful growth strategy, the ability to operate across Africa at a low cost and political uncertainty. “Internal audit will have to help organisations navigate these risks—and they will need the right skills to do so effectively,” Okaro adds.

Corroborating further, Mrs. Bunmi Akinde, Senior Partner, Advisory for West Africa, Ernst & Young, believes that achieving a strategic alignment with the business is the only way that Internal Audit can truly create value and assist the organisation in achieving its business objectives.

“The current business landscape all over the globe, Nigeria inclusive, is such that company’s risk appetite and profile

are constantly changing thereby necessitating an enhancement of Internal Audit Function,“ Akinde said.

OLLOWING the success of its recapitalization and restructuring exercise, Union Bank of Nigeria Plc has grown its group’s net profit by 69 per cent to N8 billion in the first quarter of 2012 compared to 2011.

Interim report and accounts of the Bank for the year ended March 31, 2012, presented in compliance with the International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS), showed that group bottom-line performance was driven by significant improvement in the profitability of the bank as net profit rose by 127.2 per cent to N6.32 billion in 2012 as against N2.78

FSDH gets ‘A’ rating for financial stability

F

IRST Securities Discount House, FSDH, Limited has been rated ‘A’ by Agusto & Co for financial stability and its ability to meet up with its obligation.

According to a statement by the company, Agusto, by this rating, is re-affirming that FSDH remains a financial institution in good financial condition with a strong capacity to meet its obligations.

The company said, “The rating rationale reflects FSDH’s strong capitalization, good

liquidity profile, good asset quality, good market position and the stability and experience of its management team.

“In the course of the exercise, Agusto & Co. recognized its expectation of the income pressures resulting from the lull in the fixed income market as well as the impact of the more challenging operating environment as it concerns earnings and profitability.

“FSDH has maintained this rating over the past three years.”

billion in 2011. Group net profit thus spiraled upward to N7.62 billion compared with N4.51 billion in corresponding period.

Earnings analysis showed a bright outlook for the bank with basic earnings per share of N1.17 in first quarter 2012 compared with 18 kobo posted in comparable period of 2011 and a loss per share of N14.06 recorded for the full-year ended December 31, 2011.

With the first quarter net earnings indicating earnings yield of more than 26 per cent at current share price on the secondary market, the report showed impressive investment outlook for the bank. Annualized, the first quarter earnings implied probable basic earnings per share of N4.68 for the full year ending December 31, 2012, showing greater prospects with earnings yield of some 106 per cent at current market consideration.

The report showed that Union Bank continued to improve on the efficiency and profitability of its core banking operations as net interest margin improved from 72.9 per cent to 74 per cent. Interest income stood at N20.8 billion while net interest income was N15.33 billion. Net fee and commission income rose from N3.33 billion to N6.63 billion, representing an increase of 99 per cent.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012—23

Oil search: ‘River Basins still hold some prospects’ •Expresses concern over lack of oil, gas investment

By CLARA NWACHUKWU

A

S scepticisms rise on the possibility of Nigeria finding oil in the nation’s river basins, industry regulator has reassured that there is no giving up, as there is still hope of making commercial finds.

The Director, Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, Mr. Osten Olorunsola, gave the reassurance last week, when the House Committee on Upstream, made an oversight visit to the DPR Headquarters in Lagos.

Notwithstanding that hundreds of millions of naira that have been sunk into the search, he argued that the Federal Government is convinced that there are still commercial prospects in the basins, even as Nigerian and Chinese explorers conclude the first phase of search in the Chad Basin, using state of the art technology without much success.

of access to oil fields during the Niger Delta crisis.

Against this backdrop, “It will take another five years to get back to success and we hope to make corrective steps as quickly as possible,” the DPR boss said, adding that “Only one major final investment decision, FID, (Total’s Usan) has been taken in a very long time.

He noted the while the Niger Delta was in crisis, investment drive shifted to other parts of Africa, as practically every country in Africa has either found oil or gas in commercial quantities.

“So there is the need to ensure investment flows, as competition is now very stiff not

only to boost employment generation, but also increase production capacity,” he argued.

Olorunsola further revealed that of the 388 oil blocks in the country, only 173 have been allocated to various companies, leaving 215 still awaiting bid rounds. And of the 315 fields, only 70 percent of these are producing, with 30 percent undergoing exploration and appraisals stages.

Besides, he noted that most of the nation’s current productions are in the hands of the multinationals, with the 26 marginal field operators contributing very little to the volumes.

He added that it is hoped that

the passage of the PIB, the participation from the indigenous players will improve more than over the past 50 years of oil production, as there is the need to incentivize the indigenous players to do more.

Responding to the issues raised by the Chairman of the House Committee, Upstream, and leader of the delegation, Hon. Muraina Ajibola, expressed satisfaction with the progress made by the industry regulator, in terms of budget implementation, revenue generation and transformation of the industry.

Commercial quantity Olorunsola insisted, “All that is needed is to find oil in commercial quantity in the river basins and the whole scenario will change, just as it did with the deep water region, which grew as soon as Bonga found commercial oil.”

Olorunsola, who put Nigeria’s current reserves at 36 billion barrels and daily crude production at 2.5 million barrels against producibility of 3.2 million bpd, expressed concern over the dearth of investments in the petroleum industry.

He attributed the trend to the non-passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, and the lack

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

••records $7.2bn earnings for Q2 2012

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HEVRON Corporation has announced that production increases from project ramp-ups in Thailand, the United States and Nigeria were more than offset by normal field declines, the shut-in of the Frade Field in Brazil, maintenance-related downtime and dispositions.

This is coming on the heels of disclosures by the corporation that it recorded a profit of $7.2billion for second quarter, Q2, 2012.

This was contained in a

NUPENG, JEPTFON suspend strike?

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ATIONAL Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, and the Jetties and Petroleum Tank Farm Owners Association, JEPTFON, on Friday suspended it two-day old strike.

This is contained in a communiqué jointly signed by NUPENG, JEPTFON, the Group Managing Director of NNPC, the Executive Secretary, Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, the Minister of State for Finance, and the Minister of Labor.

The NUPENG President, Igwe Achese and JEPTFON’s, Enoch Kanawa, signed for the unions, while Chief Emeka Wogu, Dr Yerima Ngama, Mr Andrew Yakubu and Mr Reginald Stanley, signed for the federal government.

Petroleum subsidy

Chevron announces production increase BYYEMIEADEOYE

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statement posted on the corporation's website. The statement read in part that worldwide net oil-equivalent production was 2.62 million barrels per day, bpd, in Q2 2012, down from 2.69 million bpd in the same period of 2011.

The company said it purchased $1.25billion of its common stock under its share repurchase programme.

Worldwide net oil-equivalent production was 2.62 million bpd in the review period down from 2.69 million bpd in the

corresponding period of 2011.

“Our second quarter earnings and cash flow were among our strongest ever, even with softer oil markets,” said Chairman and CEO, Mr. John Watson.

“Despite current weakness in the global economy, we continue to invest in our longterm growth projects to help deliver affordable energy to meet future demand. We took several important steps to advance our major upstream capital projects, in particular achieving milestones in our

natural gas development projects in the Asia-Pacific region. We also expanded our global exploration resource acreage, including new leases in the Gulf of Mexico where we already hold a significant position.”

The statement also listed important recent upstream milestones in various parts of the world including Australia, Asia, Middle East, Europe, and America, while also divesting non-core assets and furthering new growth investments.

The communiqué made available over the weekend, stated the Ministry of Finance had commenced the payment of the Petroleum Subsidy for 2012.

It also assured the unions that the issuance of Sovereign Debt Notes for verified and processed batches would be concluded within two weeks.

The Federal Government assured NUPENG that steps would be taken on the issue of access roads leading to the refineries in Port Harcourt and Warri, just as the NNPC said it would complete the `Turn Around Maintenance, TAM, of the refineries as planned and ensure availability of crude for them.

It was further resolved that JEPTFON “shall open the jetties and depots owned by its members.”

It will be recalled that NUPENG had embarked on strike over the nonpayment of the 2012 Petroleum Subsidy arrears, state of the refineries, bad roads as well as the restructuring of loans of JEPTFON members.

24—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012

German energy U-turn powers EU Saharan dream •Desert economics not proven yet

SPE annual conference, exhibition opens next week

By OSCARLINE ONWUEMENYI & KUNLE KALEJAYE

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Prospect of financial support The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, has raised the prospect of financial, legal and practical support.

“A vision can be more concrete than just a dream. It can be a political vision,” said Michael Koehler, head of cabinet in the EU’s Energy Commission. “Trade in renewables between Northern Africa and Europe is longer just a dream.

It is declared EU policy.”

Massive national subsidies made cloudy Germany Europe’s biggest solar market.

They are viewed as unsustainable and are expected to disappear when 52 gigawatts (GW) of solar capacity have been installed. It stands at 28 GW. Solar power accounts for about 4 percent of Germany’s energy mix, but swallows about half of the 13 billion euros in costs Germany’s end-consumers pay for the expansion of renewables.

EU money, used in a more far-sighted way, could trigger private investment to improve grid connections between continents, though it needs approval from member states.

T

•Wind plants like this will soon be dotting many parts of North Africa

A possible beneficiary could be French consortium Medgrid, set up in 2010 to develop grids across North Africa and into Europe. Last year, it signed a cooperation deal with Desertec.

In the single energy market sought by the Commission, desert power could be dispersed widely, but Germany, the EU’s biggest economy and biggest energy user, is particularly in need.

Following the Fukushima nuclear disaster in March 2011, Germany decided to phase out atomic energy, effectively meaning that 20.5 gigawatts (GW) in capacity will go offline by 2022. That increases its need for renewable energy if it is to continue to meet goals to reduce CO2 emissions.

Libya.

Merlin predicts that will change.

“In Algeria and to some extent in Morocco, in these two countries our project can develop in the short term. Tunisia will come. Libya will come. We will see what will happen in the East,” he said.

The consortium, whose founders include power and grid firms Alstom, Areva, EDF and RTE, is looking at underwater connections through the Strait of Gibraltar and between Italy, Tunisia and Algeria via Sicily or Sardinia.

Between Turkey, Syria, Jordan and Egypt, the plan is for an overhead cable.

The Commission has a role in reducing investment risk.

“It’s a difficult investment

,

ERMANY’S decision to abandon nuclear energy and dwindling domestic subsidies for renewables have stoked a dazzlingly ambitious plan to expand Europe’s energy market into North Africa, with an array of giant solar and wind plants glinting in the desert sun.

Desertec, a German consortium set up in 2009, envisages Europe will import up to a fifth of its electricity from solar and wind parks in North Africa and the Middle East by 2050, Reuters reported.

Spread over 6,500 square miles - more than half the size of Belgium - Desertec’s projected delivery of 1,064 terawatt hours (TWh) would be almost enough energy to power the whole of Germany for two years.

With a projected budget of 400 billion euros ($492 billion), it has been dismissed as too expensive, too risky and too big.

The upheaval of the Arab Spring, the revolutionary wave of popular protests and uprisings that began first in Tunisia in late 2010, has added to the doubts.

Business leaders say the economics are not compelling yet, but some say technological advances and judicious use of EU money could change that.

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The European Investment Bank estimates each euro of EU energy money could lure 20 euros from institutional investors through A-grade project bonds it hopes to launch next year

Most opportunities Medgrid Chairman Andre Merlin, said Germany offered “the most opportunities” for importing energy from the south, but the aim is for twoway traffic, with the EU also exporting any surplus.

Politically, the atmosphere is difficult, particularly in countries where rulers have been forced from power by civil uprisings, such as Tunisia and

,

framework. That’s exactly why we have to work at the international level to build frameworks to bring the risks down,” said Paul van Son, CEO of the Desertec Industrial Initiative (DII), the executive arm of Desertec.

DII brings together companies including Siemens, RWE, Munich Re and ABB. To embolden such investors, the Commission said it was

considering measures ranging from legal frameworks to training.

In addition, depending on member state approval, relevant infrastructure could be ranked as an EU “project of common interest”, benefiting more than one EU nation.

That would entitle it to funding from an anticipated 9.1 billion euros earmarked for energy transmission infrastructure, as part of the 1 trillion euro 2014-2020 EU budget. Discussions to finalise the multi-year budget are ongoing.

Institutional investors The European Investment Bank estimates each euro of EU energy money could lure 20 euros from institutional investors through A-grade project bonds it hopes to launch next year.

For the solar industry, the business case has yet to be proven, but the changing economics in Germany are making them look at North Africa and the Middle East more closely.

“We have to focus on sustainable markets; basically we’re talking where no subsidies are needed,” said Lettemieke Mulder, a vice president at First Solar.

“We believe that the concept is good,” she said of the North African region. “So far there is great potential.”

Christian Kjaer, CEO of the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA), was more sceptical.

“It (Desertec) is based on the notion you can produce energy much more cheaply by importing it than by producing it locally,” Kjaer said. “I very much doubt that is true now. It might be true in 2050.”

HE Society of Petroleum Engineers, Nigeria Council, SPENC, said its 36th SPE Nigeria Annual International Conference and Exhibition, NAICE 2012, will hold between the 6th and 8th of August 2012, at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Expo Center Victoria Island, Lagos.

The SPE is reputed as the largest volunteer/individual-member organization serving professionals worldwide in the upstream segment of the Oil and Gas industry. SPE provides a global forum for the sharing of knowledge and exchange of technology to meet the world’s energy needs both today and in the foreseeable future.

The Chairman, SPE Nigeria Council, Sir. Ikechukwu Okafor, recalled that the first local section of SPE in Nigeria (the SPE Lagos Section) was established on the 26th of March 1973, as the 61st SPE International Section.

Three years after, the first SPE (NAICE76) was held in 1976, to bring together stakeholders from the public and private sectors of the Oil and Gas industry to address common challenges and discuss emerging opportunities in Nigeria.

Sharing of best practices Over the years, this annual event has grown to become the flagship event for sharing of best practices and new technology towards the development of the Oil and Gas industry in Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa, Okafor added.

He explained that in view of the changes taking place in the World Energy dynamics and the Environmental effect of Oil exploration and Exploitation, this year’s event will focus around the theme: ‘Future of Oil & Gas: Right Balance with the Environment and Sustainable Stake holders Participation.’

According to him, "The conference will provide a forum for healthy dialogue and purposeful engagement between stake holders on the future of oil and gas development with focus on the environment. The aim is to stir our members and the general public to embrace and promote environmentally sustainable development of Oil and Gas in Nigeria while taking advantage of new opportunities in the global energy market.".

This year's conference will feature two special panel discussion sessions. The first will hold on Tuesday August 7th 2012 on the topic ‘Technology, Research and Development:

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012—25

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Waste controversy: Contractor apologies to Kaduna Refinery •KEPA denies harm to environment

Shell explains

BY LUKA BINNIYAT motive for ADUNA – The contractor K engaged to dispose of the waste from the Kaduna RefinN'Delta ery and Petrochemical Com(KRPC, has apologised divestments pany, for dumping some of the waste

T

HE Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited, (SPDC, has again clarified that divestment of its interests from some assets in western Niger Delta does not mean it is pulling out of that operational area or Nigeria.

“We are not leaving the western Niger Delta because of insecurity or environmental issues,” said Managing Director, Mutiu Sunmonu. “We are also not leaving Nigeria. I have continued to stress the point that that the divestment of our equity from some oil blocks in the Niger Delta is a strategic refocusing of our portfolio.”

Sunmonu was reacting to media reports that Shell was ending its operations in Western Niger Delta because of rising insecurity and generally unfavourable operating environment.

at an undesignated site.

The incident caused an uproar in the community, with allegations that the waste was toxic, and led to the death of some children and animals.

The waste, which was dumped on a farm in Rido village just behind the Refinery last month, caused a division in the community between those who said it was harmful and those who thought otherwise.

While the controversies raged, the Kaduna State Environmental Protection Authority, (KEPA, in its recent report declared that the waste

was not toxic or dangerous to public health and the environment.

The apology by the Contractor, Chimbache Invest (Nig) Ltd, which was signed by its Managing Director, Chidi Onwuegbuche, followed a query issued it by the Executive Director, Operations of the KRPC, on June 22, 2012 in a letter with the reference KRPC/ HSED/100.

Part of the query read: “KRPC management has observed with great displeasure the embarrassment caused her following your refusal to adhere to the terms of contracts entered into with you. Your actions have created some reputational damages to the organization following widespread reports of purported negligence on our part both in the print and electronic media.

“You would recall that the

scope of work clearly specified that all waste removed from the scrap yard were to be dumped at KEPA approved dump site. This you have breached."

The KRPC management then demanded the contractor to remove the waste, and tender an unreserved apology to it. It also added, “you are also to note that whatever liability is incurred in the cause of this development will be entirely borne by you."

In response, the contractor wrote the Managing Director of KRPC, and copied the Manager, Health, Safety and Environment on 5th July, saying, “We view the incident that occurred as an obvious omission on our part. It was not a deliberate act to create an unpleasant situation that would portray KRPC in bad light knowing full well that KRPC

Long term position He said: “Our asset sales are aimed at strengthening our long-term position in Nigeria. In fact, what this means is that our interests are being transferred to consortia of indigenous independent companies in support of government policy of encouraging the growth of Nigerian companies in the oil and gas sector and will deliver many opportunities for them. It does not mean we are leaving. For example, SPDC continues to operate the Forcados Terminal in Western Niger Delta.”

Sunmonu also dismissed allegations that SPDC had sold properties including its offices in Warri to some state civil servants as untrue.

C M Y K

•L-R: Author, Fundamentals of Energy & Environmental Journalism, Mr. Udeme Akpan; Deputy Director/Press Secretary to the Minister of Water Resources, Mrs Badejo Akinola; General Manager, Corporate Services, Seplat Petroleum Development Company Nigeria Limited, Mr Mose Onuwe; Editor, National Mirror, Mr. Seyi Fashagba; and Prof. Hilary Inyang of the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, during the book launch in Lagos, last week.

is a responsible corporate organization.

“As you are aware, we have executed several jobs in your company in line with the terms and conditions of terms stipulated in the contract agreements and brief often before the commencement of any job. All these we have satisfactorily adhered to.

“What transpired in the course of executing the clean –up site is highly regretted. We owe KRPC our sincere apologies for having dump waste on an undesignated place. It was never our intention to create such an awkward and uncomfortable situation. We understand and acknowledge the mistake and resolving the matter.

Preventing similar issues “While we cause this unpleasant experience, we are able to see where we went wrong. We believe acquiring this insight will allow us learn, grow and prevent similar issues in future” Meanwhile, KEPA in its Laboratory Result Sheet, with the reference EP/141/vol.iii/412 dated 10th July, 2012, said it took some sample of the waste at Rido village on the 19th of June and took two weeks to analyse it.

After tabulating the analysis under, Parameters, Sample and Standard, it summarised that.

“The confirmatory test shows that result obtained within acceptable limits, therefore the refuse dumped is not harmful to environment and public health”. The report was signed by its Director of Laboratory Services, Lawal M Usman.

Group tasks lawmakers on PIB timeline N

IGERIAN legislators have been urged to draft a time table to fast track the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, which has just been sent to it by the Executive.

This is one of the resolutions arrived at by the Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, which recently held a round table to discuss issues concerning the passage of the bill.

The groups argued that such a time table will enable Nigerians participate actively in a transparent process which gives sufficient time for public hearings.

Among others, the CSOs equally urged the executive to: Continue to sustain the political will required to push the PIB through the National Assembly.

The Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resource to mass produce hard copies of the Bill for access by members of the public and disseminate the PIB 2012 through its website as well as that of the NNPC, NEITI and all other relevant agencies of government. * Set up of a Civil SocietyLabour Working Group on the PIB and urge all Civil Society and Labour

Movements in the Country to join hands with the group to engage the National Assembly and other Stakeholders for Speedy passage of the Bill However, the CSOs criticized the discretionary powers conferred on the President and the Minister of Petroleum on oil licensing, and argued that this runs against transparency and accountability being sought for the industry.

Acxcording to the organizers, “The Roundtable was designed to provide a platform for Civil Society Organisations, CSOs and

Labour Movement, Media, Rights Groups, Women's Groups to get a de-briefing from the CSO-Labour representative on the Task Force on PIB, and analyse the outcome of the committee's work and proffer strategies to get the National Assembly to pass the Bill into Law. The Roundtable was attended by 53 representatives of Civil Society Organisations drawn from NGOs, CBOs, Trade Union Congress, Nigeria Labour Congress, academia, individual Nigerians and Oil communities.

26—Vanguard, TUESDAY,JULY 31, 2012

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2012—27

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PHCN steps up meter installations STORIES BY KUNLE KALEJAYE

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HE Management of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company, said it is set to step up the distribution process for prepaid meters within it zone.

Reaffirming commitment to implementing the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC’s 18-month deadline for adequate metering in the country, the Chief Executive Officer, IKEDC, Mr. Chris Akamnonu, noted that already, the company had been installing 6,000 meters every month, and would step up the process to 9,000 by August, 2012.

The decision to step up the process, he said, was in line with NERC’s directive that Nigerians be adequately metered within the given timeline.

He said, “Currently, we meter every new customer as they come. We don’t want to be estimating electricity bills for new customers.”

Akamnonu said functional

meters would not be replaced, while explaining that it was not only prepaid meters that give accurate billings. “Aside from prepaid meters, other forms of meters can also give accurate billing,” he added.

Part of the revenue accruable from the new tariff, he said, would be committed to acquiring new meters.

Speaking on the reviewed tariff, the IKEDC boss said, “Government has good intentions reviewing electricity tariff. Government intention is genuine, and it is to make the sector to survive. The revenue generated will be used to support power generation, distribution and transmission. Investors will come in based on the competitive tariff.”

He, however, said that the company has observed some billing anomalies in some areas under it, and had made conscious effort to address the inconsistencies.

Akamnonu reminded members of the public that the company had stopped the collection of meter maintenance charge

NGC expresses commitment to community wellbeing

T Wife of the Governor of Imo State, Mrs. Nkechi Okorocha, commissioning the Chest Clinic donated recently to the state by: Star Deep Water Petroleum Limited (a Chevron affiliate), and its partners Famfa Oil Ltd.; Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation; Petroleo Brasileiro Nigeria Ltd.; Statoil Nigeria Ltd.; and Texaco Nigeria Outer Shelf Inc. (a Chevron affiliate) in the Agbami project

and connection fee, adding, “Customers have the right to get connection wires and employ the services of qualified personnel to do their connection. We charge nothing now.”

He said it is not the company’s intention to oppress any customer through excessive billing, stressing that customers should endeavour to present their cases with all sincerity and truthfulness.

Akamnonu, however, cleared the air on the allegations of outrageous bill linked to the new electricity tariff introduced by

the Federal Government recently.

He said the series of allegation raised by some consumers in the print media are not a true reflection of what the utility company billed them during the affected period; rather, it was a campaign to tarnish the image of the company.

He insisted that the current billing is not up to 300 per cent increase as some customers claimed, adding that the billing is “just averagely 38 per cent increase in line with the new tariff structure, while some areas are even paying lower.”

HE Nigerian Gas Company, NGC, has reaffirmed its commitment to maintain a sustainable relationship with its host communities.

The Managing Director of the company, Mr Saidu Mohammed, made this known during the official commissioning of the Doctor’s quarters for the Ijede Health Center in Ijede community, Ikorodu Lagos.

Saidu, who was represented by the Executive Director, Services, NGC, said that developing people’s wellbeing, which is paramount to the thrust of its corporate social responsibility.

“Our presentation of Doctors’ Quarters is a token of our contribution to the development of this community, which we cherish dearly as our immediate neighbour and stakeholder. The project is integrated with all basic amenities ‘ required of a standard residential apartment. On our part as a Company, we shall continue to solicit for your co-operation and assistance in the sustenance of peace and good neighbourliness.”

28 — Vanguard,TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012

Banks to establish common data base to tackle fraud — CBN

By BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE

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ANKERS’ Committee is to establish a data base on customers’ identity, which will be accessible by all banks, so as to check the incidence of fraud through multiple identities.

Deputy Governor, Operations, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Tunde Lemo disclosed this while fielding questions from journalists at the opening of a two day workshop on Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards and the Cashless Nigeria.The workshop was organised by the apex bank in partnership with Phillip Consulting.

He said the data base, is an information portal that will contain identity of all customers of banks including their fingerprints, and all the banks will have access to the portal. He said the portal is to check a situation whereby a customer defrauds a bank, and goes to another bank, using another set of identity.

regard, it was observed that there is compelling need for the banking industry to have something unique to it. He said, “The NIMC idea is very good. It is something we all have to migrate into, in the future, but until that is done, we will have to have something that the industry can use and that is what we are doing.

“Today, the need is very compelling for the banking industry to have a unique data base that will be available to all. Then when NIMC is ready, all of that may be migrated to NIMC

portal or we have an idea by which there is complete integration. But we have not really jettisoned any partnership that is possible with NIMC. But the banking industry as an industry will like to hit the ground running by having something that is unique to them, that can be available to all the banks even as soon as possible.”

He said that the need for measures to combat fraud in the industry have been made more compelling by the cashless policy due to concerns about security of electronic payment transaction.

He said, “One major concern noted by the CBN during the stakeholders’ engagement sessions on cash-less Lagos was the fraud risk or the security of e-payments channels. I am delighted to note that compliance with PCIDSS helps to mitigate risks associated with prevalent use of bank cards and payment channels.

“One of the objectives of the workshop is to sensitize practitioners and stakeholders on the relevance of PCIDSS, with a view to helping them to meet the CBN‘s deadline for its compliance.

Identification portal He said, “Yes the Bankers Committee has taken a decision on that, there is a sub-committee and they are working very hard on biometric based unique identification portal that will be available to all the banks. So that we can have unique account data base that will be very ubiquitous and ensure that we have unique identification for all the customers across the entire industry. It will take effect as soon as possible.

They have started meeting.”

He said that though the Bankers Committee had earlier intended to partner with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) in this

ETERMINED to ensure Nigerian accountants and auditors are not excluded from taking part in international practice, the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRC) has initiated processes for the country’s membership of the International Forum of Independent Audit Regulators (IFIAR).

This was disclosed by the Executive Secretary of the FRC, Mr Jim Obazee, while welcoming the management of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) led by the President of the Institute, Mr Adedoyin Idowu Owolabi, to the corporate head office of the Council in Lagos.

Obazee also disclosed that the FRC is currently seeking

E

UROPEAN Central Bank President Mario Draghi must back up his pledge to do what it takes to protect the euro when the bank’s policymakers meet on Thursday or else face deep disappointment from investors hungry for - and expecting - immediate action.

In his boldest comments to date, Draghi said last week that, within its mandate, the ECB was ready to do whatever it takes to preserve the euro, fuelling expectation it could revive its bond purchase program as it did a year ago when it started buying the government debt of Spain and Italy.

But that is far from certain.

The ECB might instead explore new policy tools such as outright asset purchases, or quantitative easing, something its peers in Britain, the United States and Japan are already using to stimulate growth.

There have also been recent suggestions that it could empower national central banks to broaden their asset buying abilities.

The ECB is under intense pressure from within and outside the euro zone to intervene and bring those governments’ soaring borrowing costs under control as the debt crisis deepens and increasingly poses a risk to the global economy.

World Bank expresses concern over rising food prices From left: Chief Executive Officer, Financial Reporting Council Of Nigeria, FRC, Mr Jim Obazee; ICAN President, Mr Adedoyin Owolabi, undergoing a biometric data registration, by officials of FRC, Mrs Kate Aliu and Mr Joseph Agunbiade, when Owolabi and his team paid a courtesy visit to the FRC office in Lagos.

Nigeria set to join global audit regulators body

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ECB under pressure to save euro

support of the United Kingdom FRC for Nigeria to be approved as meeting the requirements of the EU statutory Audit Directive which will allow Nigerian auditors, accountants and firms to practise in European Union countries without being compelled to register again with the EU regulators or being subjected to their oversight.

He therefore implored the Institute and its members to brace for the challenges of the reviews and requirements that will be necessary.

Obazee also recalled some of the measures that the body which is a

parastatal of the Federal Government supervised by the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment has already taken since it came into being via the FRC Act no 6 of 2011.

Significant public interests This include initiating the process of issuance of a country code of corporate governance for private and public sectors, facilitation of the first phase of the adoption of the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), review of financial statements of listed and significant public interest entities as well as putting in

motion machinery for quality control of professional accounting firms.

Stating the important position Nigeria occupies in the global financial reporting circle, he said the country will be participating in the standards setting process of IFRS at drafting and implementation stages.

He also charged accountants and auditors as well as firms to brace up for more responsibilities in view of the new opportunities created by the FRC Act. Owolabi pledged the commitment of the Institute to achievement of the goals of the FRC, stating that both bodies are partners in progress.

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HE World Bank on Monday said it stood ready to help governments respond to a broad-based run-up in grain prices that has again put the world’s poorest people at risk and could have lingering detrimental impacts for years.

“We cannot allow short-term food-price spikes to have damaging long-term consequences for the world’s most poor and vulnerable,” World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim said in statement.

“The World Bank and our partners are monitoring this situation closely so we can help governments put policies in place to help people better cope,” said Kim, a public health expert facing his biggest challenge in two months on the job.

A severe drought in the U.S. Midwest has cut projected grain yields dramatically, reviving memories of 2008 when a sharp increase in food prices caused riots in some countries and raised questions about the use of crops to make biofuels.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012 — 29

30—Vanguard, TUESDAY,JULY 31, 2012

Police clamp down on fake Airforce, LASTMA officers

By CHUKWUEMEKA RUTH

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HE police in Lagos has arrested three persons that have been parading themselves as Air force officers. Police sources said the suspects have been dispossessing people of their hard-earned money and property in the guise of being officers of the Nigeria Airforce.

The able-bodied men were also said to be harassing and intimidating unsuspecting members of the public concerning land matters to the extent that dubious and wicked people pay them and erect buildings in lands that do not belong to them.

They send owners of such property forcefully away from their lands in order for these land speculators to grab the lands. However, luck ran out on them when they were arrested recently at Idimu area of Lagos State.

In a related development, two persons posing as officials of Lagos State Traffic Management Agency, LASTMA, have also been caught. Police sources said the suspects have been deceiving and extorting money from poor Nigerians. According to the sources, they have also been involved and active in illegal duties.

Lagos State Police boss, Umar Manko who paraded the suspects said: “We are working and that can be seen in the arrest of these criminals. We have advised that Lagosians should be alive to their environment. They should also not hesitate to report any strange activities to the appropriate quarters. You can see that land speculators make use of fake uniformed men to cause trouble in Lagos. I am warning all those that engage in such nefarious activity to desist forthwith because we must eventually catch up with them.”

•Fake Airforce officials

led to his going to seek for solution from a prophet, saying “my wife refused to help me with the prophet’s advice, though she knew that it was a matter of life and death for me.”

Israel told the court that the prophet asked him to buy a white dish and fill it with all the denominations of naira notes and it must be carried by his wife to a certain place, but his wife (Toyin) refused doing such.

The respondent pointed out that he had to look for another woman who carried the dish and was compelled to marry her, adding “in fact, I had to lie to the woman that I was never married before she agreed to help me with the ritual.

Abandoning the family

•Fake LASTMA officials

My husband has become fetish since he joined politics —woman tells court

By BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

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37-YEAR-old woman, Mrs Toyin Owoyomi, has

told an Oshodi Customary Court in Lagos that since her husband joined politics in Ekiti State, he has become adulterous, fetish and has

Contact the Inspector-General of Police on this e-mail policemonitor@npf.gov.ng When to be used: (a) When providing information on the activities of criminal groups, terror gangs or other forms of organized crimes such as; armed robbery, kidnapping, human trafficking, advanced Fee Fraud, arms trafficking etc. (b) When reporting cases of breach of public peace or imminent breach of public peace. (c) When providing information relating to ongoing criminal investigations by the police and other law enforcement agencies.

C M Y K

abandoned their matrimonial home for five years to live with another woman.

She said: “Since my husband joined Ekiti State politics in 2007, he has become fetish; he visits herbalists and does strange things, like buying white dishes and clay pots. I had a miscarriage that almost claimed my life and I have been having terrible dreams and revelations that my husband is up to something.”

Estranged husband

•MD Abubakar, InspectorGeneral of Police

Toyin who resides at 2, Pako Close off Dopemu, Agege, Lagos, filed the petition, asking the court to dissolve her 15-year-old marriage with her estranged husband, Israel Owoyomi, whom she claimed visits herbalists and wanted to use her for money rituals.

Denying the allegations,

“I did not abandon my family.

She was aware that I needed to stay in Ekiti State when I joined politics, so that my people can know me more.”

Meanwhile, the couple’s marriage that is blessed with two children was dissolved by the the respondent (Israel) said his court’s president, Mrs. A.I. estranged wife harassed and Olorunimbe, who noted that it called him names appeared that the just to belittle him estranged couple and his political was tired of the career, adding that marriage and all his political efforts to reconcile opponents were both parties had already using the failed. divorce case “Since both against him.

My wife parties consented In his words: “I to the dissolution did not abandon my refused to of their marriage, family. She was help me with this court has no aware that I needed choice than to to stay in Ekiti State the prophet’s dissolve the when I joined advice, marriage between politics, so that my Toyin Owoyomi people can know though she and Israel me more. During knew that it Owoyomi. The that period, I had a two children of the spiritual attack and was a matter marriage should I went to a prophet be in the custody of life and to seek for solution of their mother, for my problem.” death for me while the He accused his respondent wife (Toyin) of not continues with the assisting him at a payment of their period that he needed help, upkeep allowance and school following a spiritual attack that fees” the court stated.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012—31

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BY JUDE NJOKU

UILDING materials constitute a key element in housing construction. In fact building materials account for between 60 - 80 percent of the entire cost of housing construction.

This means that access to decent accommodation in Nigeria will continue to be elusive until the scarcity and prohibitive cost of conventional building materials and components are checked. It is an irony that 52 years after the attainment of independence, Nigeria’s standard for building products still reflect our inherited colonial standard. Little or no encouragement is given to indigenous manufacturers of building materials who are usually thrown out of business by the influx of substandard materials imported from China and other Asian countries.

The use of these substandard building materials has been variously fingered as one of the major causes of collapsed buildings that dot the nation’s landscape. Most Nigerians go for them (substandard materials) because they are sold at ridiculously low prices when compared with the ones manufactured locally.

Most of these materials, according to experts in the construction industry, are made to European standard •Ongoing housing project and are therefore unsuitable for the tropical climate in subSaharan Africa. In most cases, “C” grade materials which are very close to their expiry dates, are imported by unscrupulous businessmen who are ready to make huge profits at the expense of the lives of Nigerian users.

Built Environment experts who spoke to Vanguard Homes & Property decried the paucity manufactured ones. Take for of local building materials example cables, Nigerian and their high costs when cables are by far superior to compared with imported ones, imported ones; same applies to and called on the government Aluminum profiles. But to create the enabling Spanish and Italian tiles and environment for local sanitary wares are of very high manufacturers to grow. standards. Imported doors A Lagos-based Architect, Mr. however come in varying Emeka Izuwah noted that the grades but some local high cost of production has manufacturers are equally compelled many local coming up with very good manufacturers to close shop. quality doors but will need to “There is paucity of local increase the variety in types to building materials especially compete favourably with finishing items to start with, imported brands. Paints are while there is a flood of cheap however mostly limited to local finishing materials especially brands and presently come in from China. While discerning various quality depending on and wealthy clients will often the manufacturer”. prefer imported building materials (from Europe), most of our people will readily go for the most affordable China products. Due to the cost of manufacturing, most of our OSQUITO nets accord local manufacturers have ing to news-medical.net, either packed up or are an online publication, help producing at costs higher than keep mosquitoes away from the imported ones. Some of the imported materials do not people and greatly reduce the conform to any form of infection and transmission of standard specifications. malaria. The nets are not a perHowever construction fect barrier and they are often materials like sand, granite, treated with an insecticide decement and wood are purely a signed to kill the mosquito before it has time to search for a local affair,” he said.

Asked whether imported way past the net. Insecticidematerials are superior to their treated nets ITN are estimatlocal substitutes, the Archiplex ed to be twice as effective as CEO responded thus: “Not all untreated nets,. Although ITN imported building materials are proven to be very effective are better than locally against malaria, less than two

HIGH POINTS •Building materials account for between 60 - 80 percent of the entire cost of housing construction but most of them are imported from China and other Asian countries •Most of these materials either substandard or are not meant for our tropical climate •Most cases of collapsed buildings in the country were due to the use of substandard materials •The non-enforcement of the provisions of the National Building code is responsible for the influx and use of substandard materials

•Heap of rods at a construction site

Dearth of affordable building materials:

Experts proffer solutions

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O

n what should be done to popularise the use of locally sourced building materials, Arc Izuwah said:”We need to create the environment for manufacturing to thrive competitively while deliberately creating a policy that favours local building materials. The cost of manufacturing has discouraged many producers while the few still hanging on are producing at high cost while competing with often cheaper imported brands.

Power and Finance must be made available at affordable rates so that the finished

product will be competitive”.

Continuing he said:” Building materials constitute about 70 percent of the cost of a building. By creating an enabling environment for manufacturers of building materials, we can reduce the cost of building substantially while creating employment for our people and invariably reducing our growing security challenges. A situation whereby tiles, doors, plumbing and electrical fittings are all coming in from China simply sustains their own industries at the expense of ours- a situation we must quickly redress. Specifiers

must take deliberate steps at encouraging clients to patronise locally manufactured materials while Research and Development must be sustained on how to better exploit local materials.

Also speaking in the same vein, a Lecturer in the Department of Architecture at the University of Lagos, Akoka, Mr David Adio-Moses attributed the incessant collapse of buildings to among other reasons, the use of untested products and building materials and the absence of adequate regulations and sanctions against offenders.

HAZARD

Pros and cons of using bed nets percent of children in urban areas in Sub-Saharan Africa are protected by ITNs. Since the ‘’Anopheles’’ mosquitoes feed at night, the preferred method is to hang a large “bed net” above the center of a bed such that it drapes down and covers the bed completely. For maximum effectiveness, the nets should be reimpregnated with insecticide every six months While distributing mosquito nets is a major component of malaria prevention, community education and awareness on

the dangers of malaria are associated with distribution campaigns to make sure people who receive a net, know how to use it. “Hang Up” campaigns such as the ones conducted by volunteers of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement consist of visiting households that received a net at the end of the campaign or just before the rainy season, ensuring that the net is being used properly and that the people most vulnerable to malaria, such as young children and the elderly, sleep under it. A study con-

ducted by the CDC in Sierra Leone showed a 22 percent increase in net utilization following a personal visit from a volunteer living in the same community promoting net usage. A study in Togo showed similar improvements. The cost of treating malaria is high relative to income and the illness results in lost wages.

A study by JE Ehiri and others in 2004 suggests that sleeping under insecticide-treated mosquito nets is a cost-effective and efficacious method of controlling malaria.

32—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012

Corruption: Estate Surveyors partner EFCC, Code of Conduct Bureau

BY JUDE NJOKU

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LARMED by the high rate of corruption in the procurement of housing projects in Nigeria and the false or unverifiable assets declarations made by political office holders, the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers, NIESV, has initiated moves to partner with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the Code of Conduct Bureau, to stem the prevalence of corrupt practices in real estate transactions.

Already, the leadership of the Institution has met with top shots of anti-graft agency and the Code of Conduct Bureau, with a view to forging a symbiotic relationship that will assist both organisations in their fight against corruption in the country.

Disclosing this during an interactive session with newsmen in Lagos, NIESV President, Mr Emeka Eleh gave further reasons why the land professionals deemed it fit to collaborate with the two bodies.

He lamented that most of the assets declarations done in Nigeria were anticipatory of what would be amassed while in office.

Said he: “A couple of weeks ago, we were at the Code of Conduct Bureau; we were equally at the Office of the Secretary to the Federal Government, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim. One of the issues that we raised had to do with assets declaration. By virtue of the laws of this country, every public officer is supposed to declare his assets upon assumption of office and upon leaving office.

Our position is that by the laws of this country, it is only estate surveyors and valuers who are registered by ESVARBON, our regulatory body, that are authorised by law to determine the value of real estate assets all over the country. With regards to assets declaration that have to do with real estate assets, unless those assets are valued and their values confirmed by our members, declarations outside this, would not be in conformity with our laws”.

On the partnership with EFCC, Mr Eleh explained that it is meant to create a platform through which suspicious real estate transactions can be reported and probed.

The NIESV President called for government’s intervention in the housing sector because of the critical need to provide decent and affordable shelter for millions of homeless Nigerians. He also decried the fact that most land in the country are dead assets because they don’t have valid title documents. Eleh noted that if the government could intervene in the aviation and agricultural

sectors, nothing stops it from intervening in the housing sector. ”Our hope and desire is that everything being done now will culminate in a National Land Commission. The National Land Commission should be headed by a qualified professional in land resource management, ideally an estate surveyor and valuer and should be a person of cabinet rank. This is because we believe that if we have ministers managing all sectors, land resources should be managed in such a way that the person managing it, will report directly to the President. We believe it is appropriate, the same way you have the Surveyor-General of the country, to have a Valuer-General who will also superintend the value system that we have in the country to ensure that at all times, value allocations are in consonance with

Cement Dangote cement per bag of 50kg ---N1,800.00 Burham Cement per bag of 50kg ---N1,800.00 Elephant cement per bag of 50kg ---N1,800.00 Sandcrete Blocks 6 inches vibrated per block---N130 9 inches vibrated per block---N150 6 inches hand mould per block---N80 9 inches hand mould per block---N90 Sand Soft per tipper load ---N13,000 Sharp double tipper load---N23,000 Gravel double tipper load---N25,000 Gravel single tipper load---N18,000 Granite per tipper load----N120,000 Reinforcement 8 mm (153) pieces per ton ---N125,000 10 mm (153) pieces per ton---N136,000 12 mm (93) pieces per ton---N161,000 16 mm (93) pieces per ton---N172,000 20 mm (53) pieces per ton---N122,000

•A property seized by EFCC market realities,”he said.

He called on the Federal Government to strengthen the Federal Housing Authority, FHA, to enable the agency play a leading role in the provision of social housing in the country. Noting that a major component of housing cost goes to the provision of infrastructure, Me Eleh enjoined both the state and Federal governments to develop the needed infrastructure as part of their social housing policies.

He also called for the adoption of a

Development: Lagos woos Canadian firm

BY KINGSLEYADEGBOYE

I

Building materials watch

N its avowed commitment to pro mote best practices that will enhance and support government’s drive to attract infrastructure to the state, Lagos State Government has begun talks with a Canadian firm, Messrs SNC Lavalin ( PTY) Ltd to explore and determine areas of possible partnership.

Disclosing this at the weekend, Mr. Ganiyu Johnson, Special Adviser to Governor Babatunde Fashola on Works and Infrastructure, assured that the state government is irrevocably committed to promoting best practices that will enhance and support government’s drive to attract infrastructure to the state.

Lagos state, he said, represents the best investment haven on the continent of Africa given its market size and the policy options being

pursued by the administration to ensure and guarantee adequate return on investment.

Johnson who also noted that the state government has embraced the concept of public procurement that is transparent and in line with international best practices, added that apart from direct contract, the government has equally adopted Private Public Partnership PPP to ensure that long term risks are adequately identified while funds are allocated to ensure that there is an efficient use of public resources.

While assuring prospective investors on the security of their investment, Johnson restated that such partnership will be mutually benefiting as dividends of democracy will promote a stable polity that will guarantee return on investment.

Woods Timber (hard) 1x1x12---N1,000 Timber (hard) 2x2x12---N800 Timber (hard) 2x4x12---N700 Softwood 2x2x12---N260 2x3x12---N300 Plywood 3x3x8---N3,500 2x4x8---N2,400 Roofing Sheets Corrugated iron sheets per bundle---N10,000 Asbestos (Super) 4x8 per piece---N1,600 Asbestos (Solo) 4x6 per piece---N1,500 Wall tiles (ceramic) 6 x 6 per square metre-------------------------------------N1,200 20 x 20 (China) per square metre------------------------N1,100 20 x 25 (China) per square metre-------------------------N1,400 Floor tiles (ceramic) 14 x 14 (Spain) per square metre------------------------N1,800 14 x 14 (Brazil) per square metre-----------------------N1,420 13 x 13 (Spain) per square metre-----------------------N1, 550 45 x 45 (Spain) per square metre-----------------------N1,900 40 x 40 (Marble Spain) per square metre-------------N3,800 30 x 30 (Marble Spain) per square metre-------------N2,000 Plumbing Materials Galvanised conduit pipes per length 20 mm diameter -----------------------------------------N170 25 mm diameter--------------..........................................N170 PVC conduit pipes 20 mm diameter per length ----------------------------N120 25 mm diameter per length-----------------------------N130 Source-----------Cement tiles and building materials market along Lagos/Abeokuta Expressway.

QSRBN seeks massive investments in construction & building sector

BY CHRIS OCHAY I

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HE Quantity Surveyor Registration Board of Nigerian, QSRBN, has called for collaboration between the Federal Government and stakeholders in the Construction and Building sector of the economy in order to facilitate massive investments in the sector to enable it make decent contributions towards achieving the policy.

The QSRBN, which came up with this resolution at the end of its second conference on

Building and Construction Economic Round-Table, BCERT 2, in Abuja, suggested that efforts should be made to ensure more efficient utilization of what is allocated to the sector.

The two day conference with theme: “the Role of the Building & Construction Sector in Achieving Vision 20:2020”, was attended by over 300 participants from public and private sector organizations and professionals.

The communique signed by the President of QSRBN,

Alhaji Husaini Dikko and Registrar, Godson Moneke, further challenged the government and its relevant agencies to adopt more pro-active measures to contain the general security challenges in the country.

They called on quantity Surveyors, the government and related professionals and organizations to fashion out ways and means of reducing the high costs of Building & Construction projects in Nigeria.

“Government and QSRBN

should intensify measures to instil sanity, particularly transparency and accountability, in the sector.

Continuing, they called on the Government and the sector professionals to resolve outstanding issues that adversely affect the sector, such as the Land Use Act; local production of building materials and their optimum utilization; strengthening the primary mortgage system; social housing; and Building and Construction project financing.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012—33

Environment Minister inaugurates ENVIRONMENT WATCH committee on Great Green Wall About 95, 300 Nigerians •Pledges to fight land degradation, desertification

die yearly from firewood smoke – ICEED

BY JUDE NJOKU

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•Desertification

BY KINGSLEY ADEGBOYE

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INISTER of Environment, Mrs. Hadiza Ibrahim Mailafia says the Federal Government will partner with relevant organisations to check the problems of land degradation, desertification, food insecurity and impoverishment of communities in the dry land regions of Nigeria.

Speaking at the inauguration of a technical committee to review the current strategy and approach to the implementation of the Great Green Wall (GGW) programme in collaboration with the European Union, the Minister declared that “the Federal Ministry of Environment is fully committed to the implementation of the Great Green Wall Programme in Nigeria and has already embarked on baseline studies, with a view to developing action plan that would ensure effective conclusion of the programme”.

Mrs Ibrahim Mailafia said her Ministry is making efforts to mobilize funds from external sources in order to enhance the performance of the programme.

She lauded the European Union, EU, for taking a leading role in supporting the implementation of the Great Green Wall Project since 2007.

Nigeria is a beneficiary of the EU support project. The Minister stated that the implementation of the Great Green Wall has commenced with support projects across the countries involved.

The African Union Commission, AUC)is presently implementing two support projects in 13 countries to develop action plans and projects portfolio for the implementation of the Great Green Wall. The first project is funded and executed by Food and Agriculture Organization FAO, through a technical cooperation programme covering five countries, C M Y K

including Chad, Dji bouti, Ethiopia, Mali and Niger. The second project for the Sahara and Sahel Initiative is cofunded by the EU, Global Mechanism of the UNCCD and executed by FAO and covers eight countries – Algeria, Burkina Faso, Egypt, the Gambia, Mauretania, Nigeria, Senegal and Sudan.

Members of the inaugurated Technical Committee on European Support for the Great Green Wall Programme in Nigeria are Mr. Taye Haruna, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Environment who is the Chairman, Dr. Bukar Hassan, Director, Drought, Desertification Amelioration in the Federal Ministry of Environment, and Mr. E.C. Emecheta, Deputy Director in the same Department.. Others include Mrs. Kate, Project Officer, representing the European Union, Mr. Chamberlain Okoro, representing National Planning Commission, and Mr.V. E. Malu, representing

•Mrs. Mailafia National Planning Commission as member The terms of reference of the committee include: review the current strategy/approach to the implementation of the great green wall programme; identify areas of interests of the European Union EU, as they relate to sustainable land management of dry lands in Nigeria, identify specific activities and location for EU intervention in the programme, develop a costed work plan for implementation in the country and carry out any other activities that can add value to the programme.

non-governmental or ganisation working on the environment, Messrs International Centre for Energy, Environment and Development, ICEED, has called on the Federal Government to establish a National Cooking Energy Programme. The call was necessitated by the fact that about 95, 300 Nigerians die every year from smoke coming from firewood use. The NGO which warned of the consequences of government’s poor funding of rural electrification, lamented that Government funding for rural electrification and cooking energy for poor people has declined over the years. These facts were contained in a recent study carried out by group. The report warned that without a new national programme on rural electrification and clean cookstoves, the number of poor people in Nigeria will grow exponentially.

The study found that Federal Government budgets for rural electrification have consistently declined over the past decade. As Nigeria’s population grows, the proportion with access to electricity is declining. The study stated that the ongoing power sector reforms will deepen this trend should new national rural electrification programmes be launched.

The study warns of a deepening North and South divide in access to energy services. According to the report, “Northern Nigeria is consist-

ently lagging behind in the proportion of households connected to the grid. For instance, while almost all households in Lagos have access to grid electricity, over one million households in Kano are not connected to the grid. Families in the North are more likely to be dependent on firewood use than Southern families. The trend is the same for access to kerosene and cooking gas, Mr Ewah Eleri, Executive Director of ICEED said.

Continuing, he said: “Not only has rural electrification fallen out of the policy radar of the Federal Government, Nigeria has no history of tackling the crucial issue of cooking energy. About 95, 300 Nigerians die every year from smoke coming from firewood use. At 0.4kg/person, Nigeria has one of Africa’s lowest per capita use of LPG or cooking gas - a paradox for an LPG exporting country”.

The study called for the launching of a new National Rural Electrification Pro gramme under the Power Sector Reform programme. It further called on the CBN and the Bank of Industry to set aside a proportion of the power sector intervention fund for off-grid power projects using renewable energy. The report calls on According to Eleri, “energy is a crucial element in efforts to grow incomes and escape poverty. Without an expansion of government programmes and private sector investments in providing energy for Nigeria’s poor, the transformation agenda will fail”.

Eight new members join coalition to reduce short-lived climate pollutants D

ENMARK, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Jordan and the United Kingdom have joined the international initiative to cut a range of climate-damaging pollutants that also have health and agricultural impacts.

The Stockholm Environment Institute has also become the first research institute to become a partner in the Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants.

It brings to 21 the number of partners which are now part of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce ShortLived Climate Pollutants which

was launched in February this year.

The Coalition, the secretariat of which is hosted by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), is targeting worldwide emissions of black carbon or ‘soot’, methane and hydroflurocarbons (HFCs).

Fast action to reduce shortlived climate pollutants can have a direct impact on climate change, with the potential to reduce the warming expected by 2050 by up to 0.5 degrees Celsius.

At the same time, by 2030, such action can prevent millions of premature deaths, and avoid the annual loss of more than 30 million tons of crops.

The Coalition complements actions taken by countries under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and other actions targeted at carbon dioxide.

The announcement of new national partners (see quotes from the new partners in the notes to editors), several of whom signalled their commitment to join at the last G8 Summit in the United States, came as members of the Coalition today discussed the progress of five international initiatives to accelerate action on these harmful pollutants.

The G8 also commissioned the World Bank, which is partner in the CCAC, to “...pre-

pare a report on ways to integrate reduction of nearterm climate pollution into their activities and ask the World Bank to bring together experts from interested countries to evaluate new approaches to financing projects to reduce methane, including through pay-forperformance mechanisms.”

The outputs will be available in early 2013.

The Initiatives were agreed at the first ministerial of the Coalition held in Stockholm, Sweden in April during the celebrations of the 40th anniversary of the first UN Conference on the Human Environment.

34—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 31, 2012

Ever seen a ghost before? This is one from Rolls Royce. Finished in Infinity Black, with a Cassiopeia Silver upper twotone, the Geneva Ghost features an interior design scheme that perfectly reflects the two-tone theme.

Okoya-Thomas, auto industry players laud Nigeria Auto Market Guide C

HIEF Molade OkoyaThomas, an icon of the Nigerian auto industry and top players in the industry have given kudos to the maiden edition of the Nigeria Auto Market Guide, a book which serves as a directory for the Nigerian auto industry.

The prominent industrialist made this remark recently at the formal presentation and launch of the maiden edition of the Nigeria Auto Market Guide in Lagos.

He also commended the editors and publisher of Nigeria Auto Market Guide for their initiative to tap from the opportunities provided by the Nigerian auto industry.

Unique contributions He said: “These three young Nigerians who have been following the sector in the last two decades have in their own unique way contributed their quota to the industry by this work.

“I therefore recommend this publication to everyone who has something to do with the auto industry directly or indirectly, especially companies and government agencies who

wish to purchase or change their fleet as well as individuals”.

Okoya-Thomas who is also the Chairman of CFAO group in Nigeria stated that “the auto industry plays a very vital role in the economy of every nation. Apart from being one of the major employers of labour, the auto industry plays a catalytic role in the economic development of any nation and Nigeria is no exception.

“With a population of about 170 million people, there is no doubt that the Nigerian auto industry has a big role to play in the development of our country. This is why I feel that the sector is yet to be fully harnessed.

“Though the sector has been bedeviled by many challenges, ranging from poor infrastructure, unstable foreign exchange rates, inconsistent government policies, multiple taxations, to mention but a few, operators in the sector have continued to give their best to ensure its survival.

He expressed hope that “government could address the challenges so as to move the sector forward considering the important

roles it plays especially in the creation of employment for our youths.

The Chairman also expressed pleasure at the turn out of captains of industry who graced the occasion including, Managing Director of Toyota Nigeria Limited, Mr. C.K Thampy; MD, Globe Motors, Mr. Victor Oguamalam; MD, Hyra Motors, Mr. Seyi Oyinlola; MD, BKG Exhibitions, Mr. Ifea-

nyichukwu Agwu; MD, General Motors Nigeria, Mr. Tony Arenyeka; Executive Director of Toyota Nigeria Limited, Mr. Kunle Ade-Ojo; Group Executive Director, Lanre Shittu Motors, Mr. Taiwo Shittu; Marketing Director, Elizade Motors, Mr. Olu Tikolo and General Manager Briscoeford, Mr. Oseme.

Also present were the

representatives of the Lagos State Commissioner for Transport, Director-General, National Automotive Council, Director-General, Nigeria Institute of Transport Technology, Managing Director, Federal Road Maintenance Agency, Weststar Associates, distributors of Mercedez and Chrysler products and Managing Directors of some blue chip companies.

Also in attendance was

the Technical Director, Automative Internationl America, Mr. Tim Bruce.

“Your presence here today underscores how seriously you take the industry and your zeal to move it forward,” Chief Okoya said.

In his address, the Managing Editor of Nigeria Auto Market Guide, Mr. Frank Kintum, noted that “There is no doubting the fact that the Nigeria Auto Industry has come a very Continues on page 35

VALUGARD enters Nigeria with full range

A

UTOMOTIVE Care Products Limited in collaboration with Automotive International of America has launched ValuGard range of products into the Nigerian market.

The Valugard products which were unveiled at Sheraton Hotels and Towers, Ikeja, recently

by Igwe XI of Orlu, Imo State, His Majesty Dr. Patrick Chinedu Acholonu, include Fabric Protector, Leather and Vinyl Protector, PF Paint Sealant, PF Undercoating and PF Rust Preventive among others.

Presenting the products to selected players in the auto industry, the

Technical Director of Automotive International Incorporated, Mr. Timothy Bruce, noted that all Valugard products are already approved by major automobile manufacturers across the globe.

He said that products from Automotive International are designed to exceed the standards of major carmakers worldwide. He said: “Automotive international products are endorsed by the GM, Ford, DaimlerChrysler, Hyundai, Mazda-Nissan, Renault, Mitsubishi, Saab, Satun and others.

According to Mr. Bruce, Valugard Protec-

tive Coating is designed to protect the original colour of vehicles from harmful detergents often used in washing by many car-wash outfits.

He said the Frabric Protector is a resin-based formula which thoroughly encases every fiber and thread of a vehicle’s fabric preventing it from absorbing spills, while Leather and Vinyl Protector beautifies leather interior surfaces and protects it against permanent stains.

“Unlike dimenthal and polydimenthal siloxane based products, Valugard Leather and Vinyl protector is a specially

formulated acrylic coating that lasts for years and does not evaporate from the treated surface” he added.

He noted that the new Generation 7 Paint Sealant formula also features an amino functional polymer-copolymer resin which provides outstanding protection against fading, chalking and oxidation while providing a deep, long-lasting high gloss shine as durable as it is attractive.

According the presentation, Valugard undercoating is a flexible micro wax-based coating designed to insulate, quiete protect the underbody from corrosion.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 31, 2012—35

THP to mark 20 years operation with opening of Lekki facility

T

HE Honda Place (THP), the exclusive authorized distributor for Honda brands in Nigeria, has revealed plans to build a comprehensive facility in Lekki Peninsula – Nigeria’s fastest growing commercial and residential district.

The facility is designed to bring unprecedented standards and sophistication to the sale and after-sales operations of the Honda brand in Nigeria, matching and

The new Honda Odessy due for launch in Nigeria

Elizade harps on regular vehicle servicing •Trains drivers

F

OREMOST Toyota dealer, Elizade Nigeria Limited, has advised motorists to take the regular servicing of their vehicles very seriously as it prevent unnecessary breakdowns and waste of money.

Elizade which recently organised a two day training for drivers on how to keep their vehicles in good conditions at all times said it was cheaper to do regular service than to carry out repairs resulting from negligence.

Elizade said when the service is delayed or denied, the engine or other major components of the vehicle are exposed to early damage and the owner may pay heavily for that.

Training for Toyota drivers Deputy General Manager of the company, After-sales, Mr. Sayo Oluwaniyi, stated this during the two day training for Toyota drivers drawn from all over the country.

He said that it was important to service a new vehicle after the first 1000km, adding that the next and subsequent service should be done after covering 5,000km.

Even when the car is not in use, it is advisable to carry out the service because the engine oil and other component could solidify or get damaged as a result of long parking.

He explained those who maintained their vehicles through regularly service spent less as they hardly embarked on any major repair work.

C M Y K

“Maintenance is cheap; repair is expensive,” he added.

Giving example with a certain customer who drove his new car for over nine months, covering thousands of kilometres, without changing the engine oil, which later resulted to a huge problem, the Deputy Manager advised drivers to avoid such situations.

He said, “The man

started noticing strange noise from the enigine; he ignored it. When it began to inhibit its movement, and it was getting out of hand, he decided to bring the vehicle here,” he explained.

According to him, the oil had become ‘cake’ and this had done a lot of damage to the engine, thus requiring a huge amount to fix the vehicle.

Oluwaniyi described as erroneous the view that it was cheaper to maintain a Toyota vehicle outside than doing it at the dealer’s workshop.

He explained that accredited dealers had special tools to diagnose vehicles’ problems, used original spare parts and work with precision in accordance with the manufacturer’s direction. The process at the dealers’

workshop, he stressed, might be long but thorough and would keep the vehicle’s engine intact to the end of its lifespan.

Elizade After-sales DGM said the company had specially trained technicians to handle all kinds of problems that might be found with Toyota vehicles.

Coscharis breaks record with 4 year/120,000 km Ford free service

A

leading automobile distributor in Nigeria, Coscharis Motors has launched an extended service programme for the Ford brand by offering vehicles a four year free service or 120,000 km whichever comes first.

The Ford models for the scheme includes Expedition, Explorer, Edge,

Escape, Taurus, Fusion and Focus. This offer which is the first of its kind by any Nigerian auto dealership started on July 3 and will end on October 2.

The areas covered in the Free Service offer are Tyre rotations, Engine oil and filter changes, spark plugs, clutch discs,

engine belts and hoses, wiper blades, replacement of brake pads, and linings when worn, shock absorber replacements among others. According to Coscharis Ford, this offer is coming shortlyly after its comprehensive maintenance repair package on Ford, entitled The Works Car Care Package which

Okoya, auto industry players laud Nigeria Auto Market Guide Continued from page 34

long way.

From the involvement of private investors to the participation of government, the industry has passed through a lot of metamorphosis over the years-importation of different brands, local assembling, marketing innovations etc.

“But you will agree with me that one thing that has been lacking in this industry is the absence of a single compendium that encompasses all the genuine players in the industry.

Today, the market is saturated with all kinds of brands, distributors and

dealers, but the unfortunate thing is that not all are genuine.

“It is in this regard that the Nigeria Auto Market Guide (NAMG) is published to serve as a reliable directory and hand book for the Nigerian Auto industry”.

According to him, the NAMG will, among other things, enable patrons of brand new vehicles deal with the genuine auto distributors and dealers in the country; serve as an avenue for genuine Auto distributors and dealers to market their products; serve as a guide to prospective investors in the industry; and provide sa-

lient resource about the industry”.

is a vehicle check-up created exclusively to offer oil and filter change, fluid top-off, AC System check, and 27 point inspection that attracted 20 per cent discount on the Works Car Care package.

The promotion is targeted at existing customers, lapse customers, and prospective customers as well, which objectives were to improve customer relationships, increase parts and labour sales, increase service drive traffic among others.

exceeding global standards in the industry. This would be THP’s newest addition to its impressive string of Honda dedicated facilities, extensively situated in the country.

The opening of the multi-faceted facility is scheduled for 2013, marking THP’s two decades of dedicated association with the prime Honda brand.

Over the years, THP has entrenched the Honda brand firmly in the Nigerian market and seeks to take the brand to the next level in the competitive Nigerian automotive scenario.

The new showroom and aftersales facilities are designed to enhance customer experience to international standards, whilst respecting unique Nigerian tastes and preferences.

THP’s plans centre around the growing strategic importance of Lekki and its captive consumers, and its long term vision to grow the Honda brand into a highly customer focused operation.

Amongst other features, the facility will a special focus on after sales services highlighting the best industry practices propagated by Honda Motor Company, Japan.

The service standards, systems and processes are designed to meet THP’s ultimate objective of achieving the highest customer satisfaction.

M r.

Deepak Daryanani, THP’s Director, Sales & Marketing, said “the whole objective is to make ownership of a Honda vehicle a great life time experience.

Mr. C.K. Thampy Managing Director, Toyota Nigera Ltd (m) flanked by Mr. Kunle Ade-Ojo Executive Director (l) and Mr. Andrew Ajuya, Marketing Manager during the quarterly media chat at their Lekki office recently,

36 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012

Why can’t I have her?

Though I have not been able to really establish any reason why sexual relationships between in-laws are frowned at, I have been able to establish that it is not entirely a taboo in the society. I can count a couple of people who have done this and the heavens have not fallen down.

However, no matter how much argument you want to put up, getting most people to consent to such a relationship is almost like talking to a brick wall. This was exactly what happened to the young man in the story you will be reading today.

Kenny, (30) a banker, narrates his escapade as a young undergraduate.

He insists several years after that he still does not understand why everyone was against his affair with his sisterin-law.

Dear readers, please your views/opinion and contribution to this story is very much welcome. Our address remain: The Human Angle, Vanguard, P.M.B. 1007, Apapa, Lagos. Happy reading!

Till today, I hardly go to visit them unless it is very necessary. My brother’s wife makes me feel terrible, like a rapist or something of sort. It happened during my undergraduate years at the University of Lagos.

The girl involved is my sister-in-law, (the younger sister of my brother ’s wife) and she was also an undergraduate at the School of Nursing on Awolowo Road, Ikoyi.

I had known her for

about three years before the affair started. Both our parents reside in Ibadan, thus my brother ’s home was like my second home in Lagos when I am in school. I was in my third year then, while Lande had just wrapped up her first year in school.

Actually, the affair started

,

H

i,

the kitchen while she had a bath and rushed out to make sure it had not burnt.

As she walked back to her room, I looked at her and the thoughts came back to me. From then on, I began imagining what she would look like without the towel. I was excited and thrilled at

She suggested that we forget about it all, squeezing my fingers as she spoke,that was all the encouragement I needed

during the holiday period, she was preparing for her second year then.

I had arrived before her to spend my holidays as usual, and was using the guest room. But when she came, I had to vacate the room to the boys’ room so she could have some privacy.

However, most times I end up sleeping in the living room since I would have dozed off while watching a late night movie.

I didn’t know what got into my head as I had never looked at the girl affectionately before then and I doubt if she too had ever had any feelings for me.

Perhaps, we were just out to have fun. It was her backside that I first noticed one afternoon while we were both watching a movie. It was a bit big and round. It looked very firm too and I was fascinated.

But the thought soon vanished from my mind.

A few days later however, she ran across the living room from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her bust. She had been cooking something in

,

the pictures that formed in my head.

First, I tried to shake them off but they refused to go. Soon I began to justify to myself, why it would not be so out of place if we started dating.

One, we were age mates and adults too.

Though Lande addressed me as ‘brother’, I was only a year and a few months older than her. Being a student of a higher institution, there would not be anything like taking advantage of her.

If she didn’t want me, all she had to do was say so.

Thus, a few days later, I summoned up courage and playfully slapped her backside. I tried to prepare for whatever reaction I will get from her. If she expressed anger, I will apologise, assuring her it was a mistake, and if she did not seem angry, then, my prayers had been answered.

I miscalculated. Lande was really annoyed. She almost bit my head off.

She warned me never to try such a prank with her ever again. I was ashamed after that

episode and tried to keep to myself a bit. I didn’t want her lo know what my real motives were, at the same time, I did not want the incident to damage the existing warm relationship between us.

But one afternoon, our relationship took a new dimension. We were both at home as usual, everyone else had gone out to the office and the children to school. She called me to come and have my lunch.

After taking my seat, she came to my back and pushed my head jokingly and said, “What is wrong with you, Kenny”? “Like how” I asked.

And she said, “I think you have been trying to avoid me lately, or have you lost your nerves?” I laughed inside me secretly, but still pretending to be hurt. I told her that I didn’t want to annoy her again by playing too much with her. Then to my surprise, she apologised that she didn’t mean to be that harsh on me.

She suggested that we forget about it all, squeezing my fingers as she spoke. That was all the encouragement I needed. If she didn’t want me too, she would not have called me by name and even squeezed my fingers.

After I finished my meal, I kissed her on the neck and she did not say anything, but smiled.

The next day, I took her on the floor of the living room.

She was so nice and experienced, more than I had imagined. In fact, I had never really been that intimate with a girl at that time if you know what I mean. I had been doing it, but always it was something rushed, done hastily for the fear that the girl could change mind. But this was different.

Girls! They are so good at pretending! I could never have guessed that Lande was that mature sexually. When my brother and her sister returned from work, she treated me just like before, as if nothing ever happened between us in the afternoon.

To be continued

Asisted by Onozure Dania

Friends Searching Males

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•Dear readers, please note that neither Vanguard, nor Yetunde Arebi will be liable for any error in the publication of requests on the Lovezone that may result in any form of embarrassment to any member of the public.

Also note that we do not run any match-making agency in or outside the country. Any reader who transacts business with anyone claiming to be our agent does so at his/her own risk.

Henceforth, only messages sent through the numbers readers want to be contacted on will be published.

This notice is necessary in order to serve you better in our refreshingly different style. To get your requests published, just text it to the code number 33055. For further enquiries, call 08026651636. Cheers!

Stand out from other girls

BY ONOZURE DANIA

E

very girl wants to feel pretty, be noticed and stand out in a crowd. Sometimes, you wish to be a celebrity, a star. But what really makes a girl different from every other girl? It is the way you have fun, no matter where you are or what you are doing.

Always try to have fun because guys are usually attracted to girls who have fun. When you are out with your friends, make it your goal to have a good time.

That is all you have to do.

If you are genuinely laughing, dancing and smiling, guys will gravitate toward you naturally. Just think about it: everyone wants to be around fun people.

Show your intelligence by always picking something up to read because real men are attracted to women who are intelligent. So every once in a while, reach for a newspaper instead of the tabloids.

Guys aren’t always interested in discussing who broke up with who in a relationship.

Approach him, it may sound scary but if you can gather the confidence to approach a guy first, he’s guaranteed to take special notice. Guys report confidence as one of the most attractive features in a woman.

You don’t need to say something witty or drop a pick up line. Getting a guy’s attention is as easy as saying I like your sweater or shoes and really it doesn’t take any thing from you.

Respect your morals.

What I mean by this is that don’t let things move too quickly too soon, physically. During an intense hook up, it’s easy to get caught up in the moment. But stopping him before things go too far will actually impress him. By explaining nicely that you just aren’t comfortable doing certain things yet, you force him

to see you as more than a hook up. He will understand that you are not that kind of girl and will respect you for actually having morals.

The way you portray yourself through clothing goes hand in hand. Dress yourself the way you want to be addressed. If you choose a tight top and a short skirt instead of a comfortable fitting flowery dress, he’s much less likely to consider you girlfriend material.

Try to incorporate pearls or a delicate lace accent, because it always adds a touch of class to any outfit.

Be a good friend. Most girls sometimes forget that it’s not only how you act towards him that matters.

Men naturally look for kind, caring traits when looking for a girlfriend because it signals high maternal capabilities. It’s impressive to them if you are consistently a great friend.

For instance, if you’re talking to a cute guy and your friend comes up to you upset and in need of your attention, don’t blow her off for the guy.

Apologize, get his digits, and politely leave to tend to your girlfriend.

He will be impressed with your selflessness. Equally, another important thing is to be mindful of your behavior to everyone around you.

Guys scope out a room just as much as ladies do.

So for example, don’t be rude and pushy in a crowded area. Instead, use your manners to show that you are polite and classy.

You don’t have to wear red lipstick, a little black dress or make sure your hair looks absolutely perfect in order to stand out from other girls. It’s not about looking pretty. You don’t have to mold yourself into this all desirable girl.

Getting noticed is all about flaunting what you already have. Just show your fun side, your smarts, your confidence, your morals and your compassion and class

08171959404 •A guy resides in Lagos, needs a neat and wealthy lady. 08038040475 •Olu, a businessman, needs an educated and employed, God fearing lady, for a serious relationship, that will lead to marriage. 08036094404 •Damilola, 26, a student and resides in Lagos, needs a pretty, caring and God fearing girl.

07083704442 •Bobo, 40, resides Asaba Delta state, needs a lady, aged 40- 60. 08055384186 •Rhema, 30, 5.8ft tall, dark in complexion, needs a single mother, for a relationship. 08067767006 •Barry, a student, needs a slim, sweet and hot girl, for a serious relationship.08166246523, 08038326084 •Francis, 30, a graduate, resides in Lagos, needs a nice and influential lady, aged 25-40, for a wonderful relationship. 08064907674 •Frank resides in Warri, needs a lady. 08156468857, 07088252263

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012 — 37 YOUR LUCK TODAY

LEISURE

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 LIBRA; Similar to yesterday but, today more emphasis’ll be on money. Thus those of you who are more financially ambitious’ll have better and rewarding day than others. However that is not to say you should neglect your health.

SCORPIO; Positive things are happening from (and around) you. The more enterprising you are the better for you today.

And some of you will be mixing business & pleasure without harm. Lovers can have their way moderately.

SAGITTARIUS; This is your day when things’ll go according to your plans. And you’re advised to hit very hard not minding minor pressure from your base.

CAPRICORN; Once again success would come if you experiment with good ideas rightly at the right time. Those of you travelling are in for an exciting day.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Better grooming

By Richard Eromosele

G

ROOMING simply means the things you do to keep yourself neat and clean. These include keeping your clothes clean, keeping your hair neat, clean and tidy, cutting your finger nails etc.

I can hear you ask; how do you practice better grooming?

The truth is that there are no hard and fast rules as to what constitute better grooming.

However, there is a

TERROR MUDA

general perception about the right form of grooming among people of different communities such as — biological community, ethnic, social, religious etc.

Like the saying

in “Never say goodbye”

goes, dress the way you want to be addressed. Same thing with grooming. Let your hair be neat and clean, let your clothes be thoroughly clean etc. In all the moderate.

By Lanre Kehinde

AQUARIUS; Early part of the day may bring you good opportunity along your business/business lines. Work and your health must be taken very seriously PISCES; Like yesterday the Moon will operate from your Star sign again to the betterment of your cause. Think of both your immediate and far future now.

ARIES You can still count on the supports of your tried and trusted friends. But it’s imperative you keep secrets as much as you can positively do.

TAURUS; The more receptive and willing you are to give and take co-operation the better for you today. It’s wrong of you to neglect your friends in need now.

GEMINI; You’ll have the needed opportunity to consolidate on progress you have recorded yesterday along your career/ business lines. Try to work harder.

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in

“Princess Shii’

By Andy Akman

CANCER; Element of luck will work favourably for you.

Therefore you’re advised to expand the scope of your tentacle for better results. It’s another fairly favourable day for lovers who are more enterprising today.

LEO; Joining forces with other people is not a sin but it’s important everybody knows the clear term of the venture , be it of short or longer duration. Be very practical.

VIRGO; Many of you’ll travel either physically or within your mind; whichever one you’re involved with the out come will be favourable. Be more receptive, especially if your priority is commercial success. Take your new ideas more seriously today.

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

BASIC CHARA CTERIS TICS CHARACTERIS CTERISTICS OF CAPRICORN Because they rarely day dream, Capricorn natives are set of practical people. This is because Capricorn is ruled by Saturn - the planet of career, sceptical and material things Although, the spirit of pessimism often times tempt the Capricorn born people, to succeed they will need to develop strong will that is indispensable to achievements of higher order because, series of challenges will come his/her way before he/she finally makes it to the top. Most natives of Capricorn are forced to shoulder many responsibilities early in life.

Career building comes first in their priority lists which often leads to enviable career achievements that guarantee recognition. And another name for Capricorn is PATIENCE. Yet, he/she can appear mean in the business circle. And tell you that seriousness and business are synonymous. Above all, they are endowed with leadership capacity.

Capricorn ‘s quality is cardinal, element is the earth. The cardinal aspect makes a natural leader with strong ability for hard work. Natives of cardinal signs crave for action and strongly desire prominence and often times make success of their love of action and desire for importance through relentless efforts. The earthly connection with Capricorn further confirms innate ability for hard work and practicality . Saturn is the planet of hard task, delay, depression, frustration, frustration but reward after so much struggles.

Being a difficult teacher, Saturn usually takes its natives through many different tasks, challenges and delay. All these are meant to teach them virtues of patience and hard work.

However, Saturn usually brings its natives recognition and reward. The cautious side of Saturn always manifest in all Capricorn born people thus, but it is necessary for them to watch that side of their characteristics as they often push their cautious side too far and most of the time it results to black mood.

VIRGINIA

Commen3

dadadekola@yahoo.com

by Lawrence Akapa

38 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012

Ogba brings refreshing hopes to Team Nigeria Akinyemi laments A kayak crash J thletics Federation of Nigeria president, Solomon Ogba has always been seen in sports circles as the man with the

onathan Akinyemi’s dream of winning a medal for Nigeria at London 2012 was over in 190 seconds. And all he feels is disappointment of not living to expectations after he was tipped to do well in men’s Kayak KI event.

Akinyemi became the first Nigerian canoe competitor in the history of the Olympics and due to some careless mistakes he failed to make the final 15 competitors for the medals at stake. His Olympic dream became a reality earlier this year when he clinched his spot in a race-off against his hero, Togo’s Benjamin Boukpeti, a surprise bronze medalist in Beijing.

“I’m disappointed to go out but very proud to have represented Nigeria, and been part of the opening ceremony, and I hope that there will be more Nigerians to follow me,” he said.

“It sounds crazy but I was really pleased with the way I paddled today but the time penalties make it look awful on paper,” Akinyemi, who amassed 60 seconds worth of them, told reporters. “It’s one of those things isn’t it.”

Akinyemi grew up in Warrington in the north west of England and was initially set on becoming a motorbike racer.

midas touch. And, indeed, the man whose performance in Delta State as Sports Commissioner dwarfed all the other states in Nigeria has brought his magical touch to bear in athletics. At very difficult times where Team Nigeria struggled, Ogba and his Athletics Team had brought relief, respect and excellence to the country. At the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi and the All Africa Games in Maputo, Ogba and Athletics walked with their noses in front.

And out here in London for the 2012 Olympics, Ogba has promised that his team would do their best.

‘’I’m not promising anything extraordinary. All I want to see here is for our athletes to get to the semifinal stages of their different events. From there, anything can happen’’, Ogba said modestly at the Nigerian House which has become a bee-hive of activities for Nigerians and non Nigerians who come to savour the delicacies of the country and wine and dine with Nigerian Nollywood stars. ‘’The athletes are ready and I am moved by their commitment. My brother, we are looking at semi final spots for them and from there, anything can happen’’, Ogba reiterated.

Youthful Seychelles swimmer enjoys the moment

*Jonathan Akinyemi

“

Instead of a bike, his mother Heather bought him a canoe and he has been paddling ever since.

Born to an Nigerian father and English mother he went through the junior canoeing ranks in Britain before deciding to move to

experience life in Lagos as a 17-year-old.

“I wanted to get back to my roots. Growing up in Warrington is not that easy as mixed race kid. Nigeria really supported me and I narrowly missed the 2008 Olympics,” he said.

Senegal resist ttemptation emptation tto o writ e of write offf opponents

A

fter recording a high profile win against Uruguay with ten men, Senegal are refusing to write off their last group A opponents United Arab Emirate.

A win against the UAE will see the Senegal through to the quarter-finals. Senegal are second in Group A, behind Team GB on goals scored, and face the UAE in their final group A match at the City of Coventry stadium on Wednesday.

Senegal assistant coach Aliou Cisse insists the game will not be an easy one for his side.

“We held Great Britain to a draw and beat a great team in Uruguay, but that does not mean that we are the group favourites.”

“We need to perform in every match, at 100% capacity. I think our last match will be our most difficult one. The UAE are a good physical team and could have beaten Uruguay in their game.

We cannot underestimate them.”

Senegal’s win against Uruguay was the first by any African team at the London 2012 Olympics.

Inspire a generation” is the official slogan of the London Olympics and Seychelles swimmer Aurelie Fanchette is the embodiment of it.

The 14-year-old, already a veteran of the 2011 world championships, Fanchette was the slowest competitor in the 200 meters freestyle heats on Monday but the time of two minutes 23.49 seconds was not what really mattered even if it was a personal best.

It may have been more than 26 seconds slower than Italy’s world record holder Federica Pellegrini, and she was still some 20 meters from the wall after everyone else in her heat had finished, but nobody was left in any doubt about her determination.

As the crowd roared in support, the cheers rising to a crescendo as she completed the final few meters, she got the job done.

“It’s great, it’s just really something to be proud of and as the English say ‘inspire a generation’,” she told Reuters afterwards, speaking with the confidence and composure of one much older.

“Being here amongst the best of the best, I felt really

proud and excited. So many things are going through my mind but it’s just amazing being here among such great swimmers.

“It’s great knowing that there’s people who will always support you no matter your age. It really is inspiring for me as a 14year-old swimmer, knowing that there’s a crowd out there that’s cheering for you and wishing the best in your race.”

*Aurelie Fanchette

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012 — 39

Toriola’s conqueror quits S

wedish table tennis veteran Jorgen Persson who beat Nigeria’s Segun Toriola in the first round, has said he will not compete in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics after his seventh attempt to win an Olympic medal was thwarted in the London Games.

Persson lost his secondround match 0-4 to Croatia‘s Andrej Gacina in the men‘s singles at ExCeL here..

“I won`t be at the next Olympics. If you can`t pass the second round here, there will be no chance for Rio. The game`s getting quicker and quicker and everything has to come to an end. And this is the end,” Persson said.

During the 28-minute match, Persson could hardly withstand Gacina‘s fierce attacks, losing 5-11, 6-11, 711 and 4-11.

“He put the pressure on me and unfortunately I could not change the game.

It was his game all the way.

He made it difficult for me,” Persson said.

Persson has competed at every Games since table tennis became an Olympic sport at Seoul 1988. The 1991 World Champion beat Toriola of Nigeria in the first round Saturday.

Persson said he still enjoys playing table tennis, but he hasn‘t figured out what he will do next. “Maybe I‘ll play the league matches in China.”

Another seven-time Olympian, Jean-Michel Saive of Belgium also lost in the second round. He was beaten by Kalinikos Kreanga of Greece.

The most senior female paddler in London, Luxembourg‘s Ni Xia Lian was defeated by 16-year-old

*Segun Toriola ... Olympic veteran American Ariel Hsing.

The only veteran that shone Sunday was Spain‘s He Zhiwen. The 50-year-old player trailed 0-3 but fought

MARTA: USA a major threat to Brazil women B razil women football star, Marta recognized that the USA are the only major threat to their ambition to win the soccer gold at London 2012.

The Brazilians will play Great Britain today in the group E pairings, according to Marta though there is the pressure of meeting up to expectations, but the her teammates are cool and calculated in the Games.

This time, she says, there is a sense that things won’t go wrong again for Brazil’s women’s football team - the way they have so many times before. There is a feeling that this could finally be the time Marta and her teammates can be the ones celebrating a major title at the end.

“I don’t think that this time the team is too nervous when it enters the field,” she said. “I feel the girls are calmer, they are just really conscious of the work that they need to do. They know what this team can do, they know that we can go all the way.”

Marta and her talented teammates have come agonizingly close to a major triumph several times.

Brazil has finished second in the last two Olympics, falling to the United States

both times in the gold medal match.

It also had a heartbreaking defeat to the Americans in the quarterfinals of last year’s World Cup in Germany, when the team allowed a last-minute equalizer in extra time before eventually losing in the penalty shootout. In the 2007 World Cup final in

China, it was Germany which ended Brazil’s dreams of victory.

Brazil was fourth in the 1996 Atlanta Games and in the 2000 Sydney Games.

Brazil’s triumphs in women’s football are limited to South American championships and gold medals at the 2003 and 2007 Pan American Games.

back, trusting his sophisticated skills and vast experience. He defeated Polland‘s Wang Zengyi 4-3.

Toriola who is also made

Marta said the United States remains the main team threatening to keep Brazil from winning again, although she also expects problems in a possible matchup against World Cup champion Japan. Britain could also make it difficult playing at home.

“We know it’s not going to be easy no matter which team we play,” Marta said.

“But this time the feeling is that we can handle it.”

his sixth Olympic appearances was dumped in the first round . He has made no remarks about his future at the Games.

Judoka breaks medal in bathroom accident

A

Brazilian judoka accidentally broke his Olympic bronze medal when he brought it into the shower. Now he’s fighting to have it replaced.

Felipe Kitadai said he was carrying the medal everywhere. He took it with him to the shower as a joke, then dropped it while trying to keep it from getting wet.

Kitadai told Brazil’s GloboEsporte.com that the part holding the medal’s string broke, and now he can’t wear it around his neck. He said there’s also a small dent on it.

Kitadai won the bronze in the men’s 60-kilogram division Saturday.

The Brazilian Olympic Committee says it will request a new medal even though it knows the International Olympic Committee has no obligation to give Kitadai another one.

40—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012—41

42—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012

Congress of Nigeria, ACN dominated Southwest dismissed aspersions against him saying: “You all know that I am a child of Awolowo. I can also tell you that Mimiko is a child of Awo and he is a true progressive. He is not like those who call themselves progressives but are only so in name but behave like thugs.”

Another remarkable person present at the occasion was Dr. Olu Agunloye, former Minister of Power and Steel who was making his first public appearance on the same platform with Mimiko since the two of them fell out over the Labour Party senate ticket for Ondo North in the days leading to the 2011 general elections.

Longstanding buddy

*Mimiko: This is the way

Baba Suwe goes missing in Ondo Governor Segun Mimiko’s declaration for a second term last Wednesday was a gathering of diverse sorts with different strokes

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, POLITICAL EDITOR

I

T was a tough job getting the Nollywood actor, Babatunde Omidina, popularly known as Baba Suwe into the newly built Democracy Park in Akure, Ondo State, last Wednesday.

Escorted by his Nollywood colleague, Jibola Dabo, the two thespians were visibly stressed by the overflowing cheer and enthusiasm of the crowd who pushed and shoved the security men as they made every effort to catch a glimpse of the celebrities seated inside the SUV that snaked towards the gate of the Democracy Park.

The pair were in Akure for Governor Segun Mimiko’s formal declaration for a second term in office on the ticket of the Labour Party.

The presence of Omidina, Dabo and many other artistes almost gave the occasion away as another celebrity show. There were, however, also many other politically minded men and women including many Yoruba leaders who came to endorse

the unprecedented attempt to achieve a second term by the incumbent governor of the Sunshine State.

No governor of the new Ondo State has succeeded in achieving a second term in office since the state came into its own in the early nineties. The previous governors of the state Adebayo Adefarati and Segun Agagu ended up serving single terms in office.

Remarkably, the two of them were stopped from achieving a second term partly because of the opposition mustered by the political machine of Mimiko.

Nollywood celebrities But last Wednesday in the ambience created by the Nollywood celebrities, musicians and some of the leading politicians from the Southwest, Mimiko and his handlers seemed to have the landmark of a second term in view.

Among others present were former Finance minister and presidential candidate of the

former All Peoples Party, APP, Chief Olu Falae; Yoruba leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Odua Peoples Congress, OPC founder, Dr. Fredrick Fasehun; Afenifere leader, Chief Reuben Fasoranti among many others.

There was also a strong representation from the labour unions as shown in the presence and assertions of the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar and president of the Trade Union Congress, TUC Comrade Peter Esele.

Though many of them gave ringing endorsement to the second term aspiration of Mimiko, the seemingly apolitical assertion of Baba Suwe was outstanding in its affirmation of the need for a second term for Mimiko.

Noting that he had not been to Ondo State for nearly ten years, the celebrated actor said he could not find his way when he arrived the day before, noting that the roads were all changed and he had to be guided through.

“I saw things like Tinubu Square and in fact, I thought I was in Lagos,” he said to the

Mimiko had dumped his longstanding buddy, Agunloye in favour of Senator Ajayi Borofice allegedly following the intervention of the monarchs in the senatorial district. Borofice after the gift of the ticket and seat to him was to dump Mimiko within months and decamp to the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN where he struggled vainly with Agunloye and others for that party ’s gubernatorial ticket.

M

imiko in his comments at the occasion promised to build upon the achievements of the first term.

Mimiko who was wide cheer of the crowd. accompanied by his wife, Other Nollywood celebrities Olukemi to the occasion said: present included Foluke “I am convinced that this event today is not by Daramola and coincidence. I must Dele Odule. appreciate our Also present workers in this state was the for their unequivocal prominent support and Y o r u b a Falae, solidarity at all times. musician, This day is a A d e w a l e Adebanjo, vindication of our Ayuba. effort to turn around F a l a e , Fashehun in the fortune of this A d e b a n j o , their separate state. God has used Fashehun in us to translate our their separate comments at vision into reality.” comments at the occasion “Today, we thank the occasion spoke loud of God for what he has spoke loud of used us to do in the how Mimiko in how Mimiko last three and a half his present in his present years. This period is term has a challenging one for touched the term has our nation and I’m lives of the touched the very optimistic that people of the tomorrow will be Sunshine State lives of the better for our country. and endorsed people of the I want to appeal to him for a Sunshine State you to remain calm second term. and peaceful. I know Adebanjo in and endorsed that they will come to a seeming provoke you but response to him for a please do not allow M i m i k o ’ s second term their provocation to many political cause chaos in the rivals in the state.”

A c t i o n

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012 — 43

44—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012

Maternal & child health:

Reprieve as ExxonMobil commissions N150m PHC in Nanka Community

BY CHIOMA OBINNA

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HE 21-year wait for a befitting maternal and child health care centre, the Nanka community, in Orumba North Local Council of Anambra State, came to an end last week with the official commissioning and hand over of the Ofu-Obi Comprehensive Health Centre by Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited, EEPNL, with support from Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC. Prior to this landmark, Nanka, one of the most populous communities in the state was solely dependent on a health centre established through community effort in 1949.

Although, it has become a norm in the state that a Primary Health Centre must be located within 15 minutes reach so that all residents can have access to health care, the situation was different in the erosion - ravaged community.

Most hit in the community are their women and children who

travel far to access health services.

Investigations revealed that the lack of accessible health centres has deprived so many women in the area attention by skilled health attendants and several now patronise traditional birth attendants which in results to an increase in maternal and child deaths.

In 1991, youths in the community under the auspices of OfuObi Age Grade took the bull by the horn and embarked on a hospital project with the sole aim of providing a befitting health centre for the community. But their efforts were halted at the roofing stage in 1997 by lack of funds.

It was gathered that the project started after an approval by the Anambra State Ministry of Health, Enugu, in 1991 and the foundation stone laid by the then Governor of Anambra State, Dr. Chukwuemka Pius Ezeife in 1993. Since then, several governments have come and gone with promises unfulfilled.

In the words of one of Mr.

• Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State with Director of Communication & Government Affairs, Exxon Mobil, Mr. Paul Arinze and Dr. Pat Utomi of the Centre for Values Leadership, during the formal commissioning of the Ofu-Obi Comprehensive Health Centre, Nanka, Anambra State last week.

Patrick Okeke, "Various launchings have been done and passed governments made promises but nothing was done."

The project no doubt was overgrown with weeds and the health of the people became endangered.

However, reprieve came in 2006, when Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited, EEPNL. A subsidiary of ExxonMobil and operator of OPL 133 in production sharing contract with NNPC, the EEPNL extended its corporate social responsibility to the Age Grade and the people of Nanka. Governor Peter Obi approved reconstruction of the hospital in 2007. Today, Ofu Obi Comprehensive health centre is a reality and is expected to be one of the facili-

ties in the state geared towards achieving the MDGs. "We have been longing for this.

It has been overdue. At least, our pregnant women will no longer travel far for their health needs and child birth. The benefits are enormous. We thank Exxon Mobil for this gesture. The fate of the hospital and that of Nanka community have now changed following the completion and equipping of the hospital by Exxon Mobil," a member of the community said.

With the hospital in operation, critical health watchers say the challenges of transportation, access to quality healthcare which are mostly major contributors to maternal and child mortality are now over.

The Governor , Mr. Peter Obi

who gave kudos to Exxon Mobil said the project was in line with the Anambra Integrated Development Strategy, ANIDS. Obi assured the state would meet targets of the health-related MDGs: "We cannot build a better Nigeria without a better community. I thank the people of Nanka of being alive to their responsibilities. The facility is being taken over by Anambra State but the success depends on Nanka people. Please, do not see it as government property.

"We know the important place health has in the development of societies. We have constructively improved healthcare in Anambra State by refurbishing not just the primary health centres in the local councils so that all residents can have access to health care within a 15 -minute reach; we have also refurbished the secondary health centres and the tertiary health centres," he added.

Executive Director EEPNL, Mr. Jide Ayo - Vaughan, said the hand over of the N150 million project was a practical demonstration of their commitment to corporate citizenship and community development especially in countries and communities where they operate.

Ayo-Vaughan announced that the company has concluded and signed an agreement with an NGO - the Centre for Population Research and Development, CEPRED, for management and delivery of primary health care Continued on Page 45

Group seeks inauguration of Presidential Task Force on injection safety

BY SOLA OGUNDIPE

A

GROUP, the Global Initia tive for Safe Injection and Medical Waste Management, GIFSI, has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to inaugurate a Presidential Task Force on injection safety as a way of checkmating the unwanton proliferation of unsafe injection practices in the country.

Making the call in Lagos weekend in commemoration of the 2012 World Hepatitis Day, Executive Secretary & National Coordinator, GIFSI, Mr. Goddie Smith Ereoforiokuma, said no measures have been put in place to

•Mr. Goddie Ereoforiokuma.

ensure effective monitoring and compliance with the National policy on Injection safety and healthcare waste management within health systems in the country, since the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, issued a public ban on the manufacture, sale, distribution and use of standard disposable hypodermic syringes and mandated a switch over to the manufacture, importation, sale and use of Auto disable (Ad) syringes (re-use prevention injection devices), Ereoforiokuma, who presented an advocacy position for Presidential intervention, said the move was imperative to assure injection safety in the nation’s healthcare system, noted that it was for the actualisation of the goal of garnering support and co-operation of all industry players to guarantee sustained supply of the safety injection devices in the long term.

In his view, the development of the National policy on Injection safety and healthcare waste management provided the basis for the development of relevant ancillary guidelines and strategies that would ensure that safe injection and proper health care

waste management practices within health systems.

“In line with the recommendations of the National Policy on Injection Safety, this measure was aimed at reducing the risk of transmission of Hepatitis B & C, HIV/AIDS amongst other bloodborne medical conditions. Intended to help improve injection safety, the action was not sustained due to lack of enforcement and therefore was unsuccessful, as standard disposable syringes are still the standard devices being sold and used in healthcare delivery points all over the country, long after the expiration of the deadline of April 2009.

Phased approach The GIFISI spokesperson recommended a phased approach to switching over to the Ad syringes in healthcare facilities within a stipulated time frame.

He said this would enable a methodical but steady progress towards successful transition to sustainable use of Ad syringes and reasonable time for sustainable capacity building programmes that will target an opti-

mum number of healthcare workers at federal and state levels within the context of infection prevention and control.

“It is important to emphasize that the support and co-operation of all industry players is required to guarantee sustained supply of the safety devices in the long term. Adequate allowance of a minimum of four to six months lead time as well as accelerated licensing (by NAFDAC) must be taken into consideration for those devices that need to be imported to augment local production.

He observed that for the actualisation of the goal of garnering support and co-operation of all industry players to guarantee sustained supply of the safety in-

jection devices in the long term, a Presidential intervention is imperative. “To this end GIFISI, whose terms of reference will include the responsibility of midwifing the recommended measures while also providing effective monitoring and evaluation towards ensuring compliance .

The special task force which advisedly should operate in an extra-ministerial capacity will be empowered to work in collaboration with all relevant sectors, ministries, departments and agencies without undue interference that will engender bureaucratic impediments. It is our hope that such definitive action will be replicated by the states.” he stated.

LUTH marks 50 with free health services

A

S part of activities ear marked to commemorate its 50th anniversary, the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, Idi Araba, Lagos, is offering a variety of free and discounted health services to the public. The free health exercise which includes free cleft lip palate surgery, cancer screening, cataract treatment among others,

kicks off in August. A 50 percent reduction in cost of specialized procedures would also be offered on first-come, first-served basis.

The Chief Medical Director, Prof Akin Oshibogun said the activity is specially targeted at enabling indigent persons have access to comprehensive healthcare services. “We are trying to play around the number Continued on Page 46

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012—45

Experts prescribe vaccination as key to prevention of hepatitis

BY CHIOMA OBINNA

W

ITH about 200,000 annual deaths in Nigeria from Hepatitis infection, experts have harped on the need for testing, treatment and early vaccination of Nigerians to curb the menace which has a current prevalence rate of over 20 per cent.

Speaking during a free hepatitis screening organised by the Medical Women Association of Nigeria, MWAN, experts lament the silent nature of the disease saying that an infected person could live with the disease for up to 25 years without knowing it.

Dr. Gabriel Ogunyemi, of the Society for Gastroenterology and Hepatology of Nigeria, SOGHIN, sad: "Though hepatitis vaccination started in developed countries in 1992, it only started in Nigeria in 2005 therefore anybody born before then is at a high risk of getting infected "Mothers should ensure their children are vaccinated immediately, at four and 24 weeks after birth especially in areas where mother-to-infant spread of the virus is common. Children and adolescents younger than 18 years not previously vaccinated should also receive the vaccine.

The complete vaccine series induces protective antibody levels in more than 95 percent of infants, children and young adults. The vaccine protection lasts at least 20 years and is possibly lifelong.

Further, Gabried noted: "Hepatitis B virus is transmitted between people by direct blood to blood contact or semen and vaginal fluid of an infected person. Modes of transmission are the same as those for HIV but the Hepatitis B virus is 50 to 100 times more infectious as it can survive outside the body for at least seven days. During this time, the virus can still cause in-

fection if it enters the body of a person who is not protected by the vaccine.

"If acute hepatitis is not treated as soon as possible, it can cause chronic liver infection that can later develop into liver cancer, and 90 percent of infants infected during first year of life develop chronic infections while 25 percent adults who become chronically infected during childhood die from liver cancer."

President, Medical Women Association of Nigeria, MWAN, Dr. Dumebi Owa urged people to pay more attention to personal and environmental hygiene.

"Less emphasis should not be placed on treatment but prevention through massive awareness campaigns. There is need to apply those strategies use during election to comb the nucs and crannies of the country in letting our people know about this silent killer that is currently killing our people,” she stated.

• Participants st the month-long school-health grassroots cardiovascular health programme organised by Chike Okoli Foundation in Lagos recently.

... As NIMR, SOGHON advocate early diagnosis

BY EBELE ONUORAH

T

HE Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) in collaboration with the Society of Gastroenterology and Hepatology in Nigeria, SOGHIN, have advocated early diagnosis as the way forward in management of viral hepatitis and diseases associated with it.

Director-General, NIMR, Prof. Innocent Ujah, who spoke during a symposium held to raise awareness and understanding about viral hepatitis said experts owe the public the obligation of constantly informing and educating them on common health problems and their prevention.

Ujah said that hepatitis is deadly yet

largely unknown by Nigerians. He put the global rate of Hepatitis B and C at about 490 million, adding that HIV and the diseases are two areas that should not be allowed to mix.

Hepatitis, a disease that is most often symptom - less is caused by one of five Hepatitis viruseswhich leads to an inflammation of the liver and in turn causes soreness and swelling. When inflammation of the liver occurs, it interferes with the livers ability to function.

Lack of blood supply to the liver, poisons, autoimmune disorders, excessive alcohol use, an injury to the liver and taking certain medicines can also cause hepatitis.

Astymin rewards 175 school children in Lagos

BY CHIOMA OBINNA

U

NDOUBTEDLY, nu trition remains a major factor that can influence a child’s performance in school. According to experts, proper nutrition is said to prevent many medical problems, including becoming overweight, developing weak bones, and developing diabetes. It is also

a major determinant of individual’s overall health.

Apparently, to promote nutrition in school children as well as reward academic brilliance and expand frontiers of learning, Fidson Pharmaceutical Plc, launched “ASTYMIN Brilliance Reward, ABR” in Lagos.

However, to further en-

sure that the benefits of nutrition are seen in the performance of the children, no fewer than 175 exemplary students were last weekend rewarded for excellence.

The 175 students are expected to join the 105 rewarded last year as part of the Astymin family.

Presenting certificates to the students, during the

L-R: Group Human Resource Manager, Fidson Healthcare PLC; Mr. Ernest Onyenekwe, MD/CEO, Mr. Fidelis Ayebae, Sales & Marketing Director, Olugbenga Olaleye and General Manager Marketing, Mr. Ola Ijimakin, at the 2nd Astymin Brilliance Reward last week in Lagos. Photo: Joe Akintola

2nd Astymin Brilliance Reward held at the Grange School, GRA, Ikeja, Sales/ Marketing Director, Olugbenga Olayeye said their persistent hard work and diligence has paid off.

“The outstanding qualities in your academics are

Data from SOGHIN shows that about 19 million Nigerians are infected with Hepatitis B with North Central and North East regions having the highest prevalence.

In 2010, World Health Organization (WHO) declared July 28 of every year as World Hepatitis Day with a call for comprehensive approach to the prevention and control of the viral disease.

Of concern to SOGHIN is the need for the Nigerian government to assist in increasing access to testing and treatment.

Common modes of transmission of these viruses include receipt of contaminated blood or blood products, invasive medical procedures using contaminated equipment and for hepatitis B, transmission from mother to baby at birth, from family member to child, and also by sexual contact.

Ujah called for collaboration to ensure that Nigeria direct result of your disci- ans are aware of the displine and Astymin wants to ease andable to prevent it.

Associate Professor and ensure that this discipline C o n s u l t a n t is properly rewarded and Gastroenterologist at continuously promoted. LUTH, Dr. Funmilayo Lesi, While others were procras- urged Nigerians to take tinating, you were studi- bold steps towards ous,” he noted. preventing the disease.

ExxonMobil commissions N150m PHC in Nanka Continued from Page 44 services for a year.

He was optimistic that the investment would improve the quality of health care for children, women, men, youths and elderly that would be using the centre.

The project was managed for EEPNL/NNPC by Centre for Values in Leadership (CVL) which served as the project manager, utilizing engineers from the company's community construction unit to ensure strict adherence to upstream Nigeria standards.

Former Anambra state Commissioner for Health, Prof. Amobi Ilika, said the new centre would boost progress the state has made

towards achieving the MDGs on health.

Currently, the maternal mortality ratio in the state is less than 100 per 100,000 live births, while immunisation coverage is over 85 per cent.

In a welcome address jointly signed by the President General, Nanka Patriotic Union, Chief Damian Okoye and his Secretary General, Mr. Patrick Okeke Emezue, the duo urged the state governor to put necessary machinery in motion towards integrating the facility into the health system of the state. "We urgently request that access and exit roads to this facility be constructed by your government. These among

others, shall assure our benefactors that our government matches words with action.”

The Executive Director, CREPED, Bishop Ezeh said already, a Board comprising members of Nanka community, representatives of the state Ministry of Health, select and experienced medical experts from Nanka have been set up while plans are underway to procure an ambulance to compliment the donated equipment and enhance health services.

The new health centre consist of an out-patient depart OPD, consultation rooms, laboratory, theatre, male/female wards and children's ward.

46—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012

To the garlic and beyond!

Swipha repackages Fansidar as Swidar

ARLIC - one of the best and most flavorful spices out there. Add some to your grass fed meat, your veggies; even in a stir fry and wonderful tastes abound thrilling your palate. What you may have not known is that this odorous little bulb is one of the best detoxing foods available. Fresh garlic, not garlic powder or garlic salt, stimulates the liver into producing detoxification enzymes which helps in filtering out toxic residue from the digestive system. WOW! - All that and it stinks, too! UGH! A nice use of garlic is to roast garlic cloves in extra virgin olive oil, when the cloves are tender it is ready. Pour the oil back into its container through a strainer and then put the garlic cloves into a covered container and refrigerate both. You now have garlic infused olive oil which is great for lightly stir frying veggies and you also have soft cloves which can be blended in with sauces, etc.

A few words about this pungent little bulb - BE CAREFUL! I know of people here in the U.S. that drink garlic water and eat garlic cloves thinking that they're doing a great job detoxing their bodies and they are, but there is a down side to that philosophy. Eat too much garlic and the odor will start leeching through your skin and breath so you end up smelling

WISS Pharma Nigeria Limited, Swipha, is now producing Fansidar, its popular brand of Sulphadoxine Pyrimethamine, SP as Swidar at the same plant where Fansidar has been produced for over 35 years.

Speaking recently at the product introduction, the company’s Chairman/CEO, Mr. Colin Cummings said the re-introduction of Fansidar as Swidar is in line with the approved World Health Organisation’s recommendation for use in the Intermittent Preventive Treatment of malaria in pregnancy.

The company also introduced Talen, its brand of Bromazepam, indicated for the adjunctive management of psychosomatic disorders such as hypertension, ulcers and other anxiety and stress related disorders.

Cummings said Swipha has taken this initiative to introduce her own brands as part of her long-term corporate strategy which includes marketing the products beyond the Nigeria Market, especially as it pursues the WHO Certification and prequalification of her products.

He further stated that for over 30 years swipha has engaged in the manufacturing and marketing of Benzodiazepines of high quality to consolidate its rich history with Benzodiazepines in the Nigerian Pharmaceutical Market.

G

Julia Fortune

The Cancer

FIGHTER

juliafortune@hotmail.com

like, you got it, GARLIC! So be careful.

Garlic is a wonderful agent for eliminating toxins but too much and you could end up eliminating your friends as well.

Over the past few weeks we have discovered many ways to help detox and eliminate harmful chemicals, metals, and other toxins from our bodies using a variety of foods. The human body possesses a filter to detox itself (the liver) and an elimination system (the intestines) to rid itself of bad things and keep us healthy.

So here's the question - what do all the foods we have looked at the past few weeks have in common? If you said they all assist and/or increase the liver and intestinal functions you are correct, you get an "A plus" and a gold star. Did you try any out? Are you open to sharing what you have tried? Detoxing isn't magic, your body does it automatically; it doesn't fly in

the face of modern science, again because it is a bodily function. But in todays "modern world" we are subjected to toxins, heavy metals, and chemicals that our bodies weren't meant to come into contact with and in that light, I have shared with you what has helped me and to pass along information on everyday foods that assist your body in its normal functions. As your body eliminates those toxins, metals, and chemicals, you will undoubtedly see a change in how you feel and you should have more energy. Over the next few weeks I will be discussing the importance of exercise and the three main areas that you need to exercise on a consistence basis. Until then - live well!

You can read more about detoxing and its benefits in my book "Chronicles of a Cancer Survivor". Available at Glendora International Bookstores - Ikoyi, AlausaIkeja & Abuja; all correspondence to juliafortune@hotmail.com

S

LUTH marks 50 with free health services Continued from Page 44 50 so all our services would revolve around that number so that we have 50 people benefiting from each of the free services we are rendering,” he noted.

Milestones recorded by the institution over the last five decades are renal transplantation, delivery of a set of quintuplets, the 1st IVF baby in the country and the largest neonatal intensive care unit in the country.

Plans are on to introduce modern health services such as capsule endoscopy, total hip and knee replacement,

small incision cataract surgery, laparascopic surgery and open heart surgery and procedures.

Some of the staff participated in national studies to determine the resistance of malaria to certain anti-malarials, the result of which led to policy change on anti-malaria therapy as it concerns Chloroquine resistance. Our staff was also part of study team that looked at prevalence of goitre and the findings influenced the national salt iodisation policy to control goitre.

COMMON SEXUAL PROBLEMS AND THEIR NOVELTY BASED SOLUTIONS (ADVERTORIAL)

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OOD day sir. Please what is the ideal age for a man to get married? Thank you – Chima Dear Chima, there is no ideal age for a man to get married.

Sometimes one can have all the basics in place such as a university education, a good job, a house and a stable income and still not be mentally ready. So a man should get married when he feels ready to ensure he gets it right. But he must do so before he is 35. That way he can raise his kids before he grows old – Uche My marriage is breaking up because I cannot perform well. My penis grows soft easily. There is no prolonged and good hardness and I ejaculate fast. I can only go for one round and of course I cannot get her to orgasm – Musa Musa you are experiencing erectile dysfunction and it can be cause by a variety of illnesses such as diabetes mellitus, neurological disorders, cardiovascular disorders, atherosclerosis and multiple sclerosis. Prescription drugs such as antihistamines, tranquilizers, appetite suppressants and anti-depressants can also cause this and so can prostate cancer surgery and bladder removal surgery.

You also did not mention your age because old age also causes erectile dysfunction. As men get older, their bodies and organs begin to shrink including their veins.

This shrinking of the blood vessels restricts blood flow to the penis thereby causing weak or no erection.

I am hoping you have no serious illness behind this.

Try taking an erection supplement. It helps a lot. Natural herbal supplements such as Sex Volts and Libigrow help facilitate greater blood flow to the penis for very strong erections. These supplements also give energy and erections on demand for several rounds of performance.

As for your premature ejaculation, using a delay cream during intercourse will reduce your sensitivity and help you last longer. I write about them almost every week and delay creams such as Emperor’s Delay Cream and Rock Hard Delay Cream are very good for this. Once your performances improve, your wife will be more

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012 — 47

48— Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012

them.

Lagos’ unsuccessful plan to phase-out Danfo: The introduction of the now popular Lagbus by the Lagos State government, some years ago, no doubt signified some attempts by the state government to improve on the chaotic transportation system in the city. It is on record that despite its explosive population, which enumerators had put at over 18 million people, the city has been battling with the problem of finding a suitable means of conveying this vast population of residents from one place to the other.

For instance, before the advent of the Lagbus, a public private partnership initiative between the Lagos State government and some investors in the state, the former capital city had been under the siege of the Molue and the yellow buses, popularly known as danfo.

Fresh hope but for how long “It is no longer business as usual for Lagos State residents and road users who are bent on going against traffic laws and regulations. Right now, measures are in-place to ensure that offenders are brought to book.”

This is according to Bisi Yusuff, a lawmaker representing Alimosho constituency 1 and the Chairman House committee on Transportation, Commerce and Industry who added that there is severe punishment awaiting road offender in the state.

•Molue buses in Lagos...can they be phased out?

Traffic offenders

Lagos: Still at the mercy of danfo drivers •Govt will have its say, danfo drivers will have their way

BY LEKE ADESERI, South West Regional Editor, EVELYN USMAN & EBUN SESSOU

O

F all the problems facing Lagos, the worst might be traffic. Chaotic traffic in Lagos is man-made - a phenomenon as destructive and inevitable as the rains that falls anytime of the year. “There is no weekend for traffic in Lagos,” some residents believe. Traffic is every day. Lagosians have words for traffic the way Eskimos have words for snow: congestion, logjam, lock-down, holdup, gridlock, deadlock, and the wonderfully evocative go-slow.

Summary of danfo drivers’ psyche: The most popular commercial bus in Lagos is known as a Danfo. Someone at a time said that “the average Danfo driver either has psychological

imbalance or they are possessed by some spirit of self destruction.

“They drive like they get a medal every time they bash or scratch their vehicles, and they have no problems scratching yours. Who else would change lanes without indicating or race into an express road without looking out for other drivers knowing very well that he do not have the right of way? Danfo drivers of course. They have never ceased to amaze me with the kind of risks they take, the norm for them is for the conductor to hang by the door, and shout to attract passengers, they just seem unable to sit down in the bus ..”

According to him; “Clearly the Danfo driver is unpredictable and unwell, plus they think they are stunt men.”

Case study: Sometime in

June, the Lagos State Government issued a 48-hour ultimatum to commercial bus operators, danfo drivers, in Ikorodu, especially those indiscriminately discharging and loading passengers at the town’s roundabout, to move to the designated motor park at Sabo or face the wrath of the law. The order by the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, said the move was aimed at ensuring the safety of lives and free flow of traffic in the area.

Special offences The General Manager of LASTMA, Babatunde Edu, issued the order during a meeting jointly organised by the agency and the Lagos State Task Force on Environmental and other Special Offences for

the National Union of Road Transport Workers and the Road Transport Employees Association of Nigeria at Alausa, Ikeja. The following week, life was back to ‘normal’ with the danfo drivers doing the exact opposite of what the order stipulated.

Although some efforts were made to arrest some of them, the government had to abandon the enforcement drive because the commercial bus operators are fond of flouting traffic rules and regulations. They always drive in directions prohibited by the law and have turned every nook and cranny of Ikorodu into parks rather than using the dedicated spaces allocated to

In a chat with Vanguard, he said further: “Traffic offenders will not go unpunished. There are measures in-place to ensure that traffic offenders do not go unpunished. And that is what agencies like Motor Vehicle Administration is embarking upon.

Its operation is already in place, right now, there are bigger plans by the agency.”

His words: “This agency is saddled with the responsible of tracing any vehicle with its number plate. A motorist can be traced to his or her house through his or her number plate.

Therefore, it is no longer needed for any traffic agency to run after traffic offender. The only thing is to get the number plate and anyone who is caught will be brought to book.

Again, anyone who violates traffic light rules and regulations would be fined the

Traffic offenders will not go unpunished. There are measures in-place to ensure that traffic offenders do not go unpunished

Continues on page 49

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012— 49

Lagos: Still at the mercy of danfo drivers Continues from page 48

sum of N30,000.

While calling on Lagos residents to take the responsibility of arresting traffic offenders and handing them over to the appropriate agency for proper prosecution, he said, “anyone who wants to arrest traffic offenders must be extra careful and such individuals must know that they have limits. The first step is to capture the number plate of the vehicle and hand over the information to nearest law enforcement agent for proper arrest and prosecution.”

Why commercial buses flout traffic order From investigation, it was observed that some vehicles which violate traffic order when intercepted, are found to be owned by uniform men, officials of LASTMA and leaders of NURTW or the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, RTEAN. Most of them are familiar with senior officers at the other end of the divide.

Most times when erring com-

mercial vehicle drivers are apprehended, calls are immediately put through to their owners who in turn, speak with the officials of the contravening agency, at the end of which the vehicles are released. In some

cases, the drivers turn out to be serving or retired uniform men who usually plead for the essence of esprit de corps .

At times also, it was discovered that some of the arresting officials bow to the temptation

of corruption by accepting gratification which are never remitted into government coffers, before the vehicles are released to the owners, an action commercial vehicle drivers gladly opt for.

It was reliably gathered that sometimes, some impounded vehicles are taken to LASTMA offices but would not be parked inside the yard, apparently to give the erring motorists an impression that they meant business. This, however, occurred when a huge amount is demanded .

•The molue at a typical bus stop in Lagos

25 RULES OF ENGAGEMENT:

Lagos Driving lesson 101 1. When in doubt, accelerate!

2. Be prepared to ram into anything stopping you that is wearing uniform in Lagos (police, traffic warden, FRSC, Kai brigade,

fire brigade, VIO, LASTMA, LAMATA, LASWA) 3. If you get caught by any chance, do not allow them to enter your car, if they happen to get

•Lagos commissioner for transportation, Kayode Opeifa

in do not drive from that spot (veer off traffic & settle promply), and if they don’t agree, pretend that you are calling your uncle who is in the army (believe me it always works), never follow them to any sort of office except you are ready to pay ten times more than what was demanded.

4. Never give police or VIO your original particulars (whether expired or up to date).

5. Danfo drivers believe they are immortal. Never yield to the temptation to teach them otherwise.

6. Okada riders have a pact with suicide, avoid them like a plaque.

7. Avoid BRT buses in all ramifications, they have no brakes.

8. Taxi cabs (oko asewo) should always have the right of way, all of them have been driving in Lagos for 25 years.

9. Never, ever, stop for a pedestrian unless he flings himself under the wheels of your car.

10. The first parking space you

HORNING IN LAGOS •‘Horn’ when someone executes a dangerous maneouvre.

• ‘Horn’ when you’re about to move off.

•‘Horn’ when you’re about to overtake.

•‘Horn’ when someone is about to overtake you.

•‘Horn’ when turning into a road.

•‘Horn’ when emerging from a road.

•‘Horn’ back when someone horns at you. It’s considered good etiquette.

•‘Horn’ when you hear a chorus of horns. Don’t worry if you don’t know what all the ‘horning’ is about.

•‘Horn’ when you’re happy.

•‘Horn’ to the beat when you’re playing music in your car.

Good luck, as you expeditiously navigate through Lagos and hustle and bustle!

Source: Mayowa Owoeye (facebook notes)

see will be the last parking space you see. Grab it. Survival of the fittest you may say!

11. Learn to swerve abruptly. In Lagos, potholes (and sometimes car-holes) are put in key locations to test drivers’ reflexes and shock absorbers,( I saw one man fishing in one of the potholes last week).

12. There is no such thing as “one-way” in Lagos. Expect traffic from any direction at all times.

The okada riders are the experts in this area.

13. Never get in the way of a car that needs extensive bodywork, except you want to spend your whole Saturday at the panel beater’s place.

Morning rush hours 14. Morning rushhours are equivalent to Lagos grand prix (who gets to the junction first).

15. There is no such thing as a short-cut during rush-hour traffic in Lagos. Everybody might be inclined to take that ’short-cut’.

16. When asking for directions, always ask at least three people.

Lagosians always claim to know every inch of the city - even areas they’ve never been to.

17. Use extreme caution when pulling into service lanes. Service

lanes are not for breaking down the traffic, but for speeding, especially during rush hour.

18. Never use directional signals, since they only confound and distract other Lagos drivers, who are not used to them.

19. Similarly, never attempt to give hand signals. Lagos drivers, unused to such courtesies, will think you are making obscene gestures to them. This could be very bad for you in Lagos.

20. Hazard lights (popularly called “double pointer”) is not, (as commonly supposed) used to indicate a hazard. It is a warning to you that he is a bonafide Lagos driver, he’s headed ’straight’ and as such, will not stop under any circumstance.

Take him extremely seriously especially if he backs it up with a continuous blast from his “horn”.

21. At any given time, do not stand on the zebra crossing expecting traffic to yield to you, or else you will have to explain to the on coming traffic whether you look like a zebra.

22. Speed limits are arbitrary figures posted only to make you feel guilty.

23. Remember that the goal of every driver is to get there first by whatever means necessary.

24. In Lagos every spot is a potential bus stop. FRSC and LASTMA know that too. It is in their constitution.

25. Above all, keep moving.

Even with a flat tyre!!!

In Lagos every spot is a potential bus stop

50—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012

Telecom subscribers caution against demolition of base stations

Ondo guber poll: Mimiko appoints campaign team

BY UDO IBUOT

T

O

NDO State Gover nor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, yesterday appointed a team of technocrats and crack politicians to man his re-election bid. Tagged Mimiko Campaign Organisation, the team is headed by Mr Akin Adaramola as it Director General.

Adaramola, a former Head of Service in the state is the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning. He is to be assisted by Mr Clement Faboyede, an Engineer who is designated as Director of Campaign Operation. Like Adaramola, Faboyede is the Commissioner for Community Development and Cooperative Services. He is to coordinate the campaign and would be assisted by a deputy and four assistant directors during the duration of the campaign.

A former Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Kolawole Olabisi, is also to man the Campaign Office as the Director of Media and Publicity. Other Directorates include; Security, Health, Welfare, Transportation, Mobilization amongst others.

Delta lawmaker assures on constituency devt

BY FESTUS AHON

U

GHELLI—DELTA State House of Assembly member, Mr Alphonsus Ojo, has reiterated his commitment to the development of all communities that make up his constituency.

Ojo, representing Ukwuani constituency, spoke during a ‘thank you’ visit to Umutu, Akoku, Ebede, lziokpor, Amai, Ezeomu, Umuebu and Obiaruku wards one to ten.

The lawmaker, elected on the platform of Democratic Peoples Party, DPP, said “since the people gave me the mandate overwhelmingly to turn things around both in 2007and 2011, it is customary to show appreciation to them after the support, know their needs and plead for correction when the need arises."

Newly promoted Assistant Comptroller of Customs, Ibrahim Turaki, being decorated with his new rank by the Customs Area Comptroller of Seme command, Comptroller Sahabi Sadiq and the Divisional Police Officer of Seme, CSP Haruna Yahaya.

HE National Asso ciation of Telecommunications Subscribers, NATCOMS, yesterday, urged the Lagos State Government to stop the Urban Furniture Regulatory Unit, UFRU, of the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, from further demolition of telecommunications base transceiver stations, BTS. NATCOMS said in a statement by its national president, Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo and national secretary Mr. Bayo Omotubora, that the activities of the agency had adversely affected the telecommunications needs of its members, stressing that the agency’s resort to self-help and unprovoked aggression was a total negation of the rule of law professed by the state government.

The association said

that UFRU’s claim that it was acting to protect lives of people in the affected areas was a subterfuge, adding that its actions endangered the lives of the citizens much more than a fallen telecom BTS. It said: “Just imagine in a moment of security challenges such as discovery of planted bomb, kidnapping, rioting, armed robbery siege, medical emergency, earth tremor, etc, when those distress calls need to be made, and the BTS are no longer there to relay the signals, the ensuing perils would be worse.”

NATCOMS noted that the installation of BTS is regulated by the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, and that there was a procedure to guarantee the safety of the infrastructure and the people living around it.

Court stays judgment on First Guarantee Pension Limited From left: Mr. Folorunso Ola, Managing Director, Western Concrete Limited; Senator Oluremi Tinubu; Comrade Ayodele Adewale, Chairman, Amuwo Odofin Local Government and Mr . Martins Odupitan, Council Engineer, during the foundation laying of Bola Ahmed Tinubu's legislative building in Amuwo Odofin.

Insecurity: C-River holds talk-shop for traditional rulers zHarps on formation of vigilance groups

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU

C

ALABAR—DE TERMINED to forestall any threat to security of lives and property in the state, Cross River State Government has held a talk-shop for royal fathers with a charge to them, to use age grades in their communities to maintain se-

curity and detect any strange movement within the state.

Meanwhile, the paramount ruler of Calabar South and Muri Munene of Efut Kingdom, Munene Efiong Mbukpa, has commended Governor Liyel Imoke and the state Security Adviser for organising the talk-shop and taking the issue of security serious-

Duke hosts Culture ministry’s Dress Nigeria show

I

N a bid to promote Nigerian fabrics and cultural industries, Minister of Culture Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Chief Edem Duke, will host his Ministry ’s Dress Nigeria/ Body Adornment workshop and fashion show, tomorrow in Abuja. The event is in collaboration with Fashion Association of Nigeria and Legendary Gold Ltd. The Ministry in a state-

ment, said major attractions at the event include a runway show, featuring professional and kid models, cultural dances, exhibitions and paper presentations on the art of bead making and body decorations.

Participants will also get to know and purchase Nigerian fabrics, such as Popo, Luru and AkwaOcha, the popular AsoOke and Adire as well as the famous Ankara at the event.

ly.

Addressing the royal fathers in Calabar, the state Security Adviser, Mr. Rekpene Bassey, said though insecurity was more serious in the Northern part of the country, the state would not wait until it was faced with the same precarious situation before taking measures to prevent it.

He said: “It is for this reason that Governor Imoke had approved this talk-shop to sensitise and remind us about the worrisome security situation in our nation and therefore prepare our minds to face the reality of the moment.”

Presenting a paper on The Role of Neighborhood Security Watch in the Maintenance of Peace, Law and Order in our Community, Bassey said that criminals in the neighborhood do not come from the outer space or forest, but rather they live within the communities.

BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG

A

FEDERAL High Court sitting in Abuja, has stayed the execution of the judgment nullifying the dissolution of the Board of First Guarantee Pension Limited, by National Pension Commission, PenCom. PenCom had dissolved the board of First Guarantee Pension Limited, following which the later went to court, challenging the dissolution

by PenCom. The court nullified the dissolution.

Dissatisfied with the court judgment, PenCom appealed against same

and meanwhile, headed back to another court, praying it to stay the judgment, which was granted.

It will be recalled that PenCom while performing its regulatory functions, had intervened in First Guarantee Pension Limited, a Pension Fund Administrator, PFA, and took over its management.

The commission’s intervention, after a routine examination, it was gathered, allegedly revealed unsound corporate governance practices. The intervention led to series of court actions against the decision of PenCom to intervene in the PFA.

Church holds Superfest confab

BY EBELE ORAKPO

T

HE 2012 edition of the annual Superfest, an interdenominational conference aimed at training men and women for uncommon achievements in life and ministry, will take place from August 1, through 5 at the Abundant Life Gospel Church Headquarters, Iju Road, Agege, Lagos.

Briefing journalists in his office, the Presiding Bishop, Abundant Life Gospel Church, Dr. Kola Onaolapo, said the theme for this year’s Superfest is Grace for more.

He said: “Everyone who needs more needs more grace and our expectations are very high.

Apart from preaching, teaching and diverse workshops meant to remould participants to manifest God and impact their communities, the conference will also feature a business segment meant for professionals to interact and network.

“The business segment tagged: Grace for Impact, will feature Dr. Cosmas Maduka, Chairman, Coscharis Group and Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi, the Senator representing Ekiti North."

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012 — 51

52—Vanguard , TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012

Bauchi House considers bill on compulsory HIV test before marriage

BY SUZAN EDEH

B

AUCHI—BAUCHI State House of Assembly is set to pass a law for compulsory Humane Immune Virus, HIV, test before marriage in the state.

Mr. Iliyasu Zwall of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, representing Lere/ Bula State Constituency in the House, sponsored the bill, yesterday, which seeks for a law to compel intending couple to undergo compulsory HIV

test before marriage to reduce the scourge of the virus in the society.

The bill has passed through first and second reading and has been referred to the House Committee on Health for further consideration.

Similarly, a bill for the merger of School of Agriculture and Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic has been referred to the House Committee on Education after it passed through first and second reading, yesterday.

GIFT: Mrs Charity Eziegbo, on behalf of Vanguard Newspapers, presenting a portrait of Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River State to his Chief of Staff, Mr. Alex Aegbona, at the Government House, Calabar.

I won't change stance on state of nation, says Bakare

BY CHARLES KUMOLU

C

ONVENER of Save Nigeria Group, SNG, Pastor Tunde Bakare, has said he will not water down his position on state of the nation, as suggested by Lagos State Director of State Security Services, SSS, during their last encounter. He insisted that he was never arrested by the SSS. He said he had nothing against President Goodluck Jonathan, as his position on current events in the country was informed by bad governance, misappropriation and embezzlement of state funds.

Briefing newsmen in Lagos, yesterday, Bakare said he was ready to plead guilty on his stance on the manner Nigeria was being governed in this dispensation.

He said: “Let me make it clear that SSS operatives did not arrest or interrogate me for eight hours. The State Director of SSS and his men treated me with respect and dignity.

“If I am being asked to tone down my message because of my perceived partisanship, those asking me to do so have only succeeded in precipitating a tone up.

“The State Director himself had earlier visited me here at the Latter Rain Assembly in November 2011, making the same request that I tone down my message where politics is concerned, especially with regard to the person of President Jonathan.”

On the recent arraignment of some petroleum importers over subsidy funds, Bakare said: “Concer ning all the window-dressing, the shenanigans and the charade going on in respect of the subsidy thieves, it is my opinion that the efforts of this government cannot deliver justice, neither are they meant to.

Wike flags off 2012 admission into unity Schools eral Unity Colleges, yester- current poor state and

M

INISTER of State for Education, Mr. Ezenwo Wike, has urged principals of the 104 Federal Unity Colleges across the country to move the schools away from the status quo by displaying professional competence and quality leadership.

Flagging off the selection and placement exercise into Junior Secondary 1 and Senior Secondary 2 classes in the Fed-

day, Wike reminded the principals that they should see themselves as leaders, who are directly responsible for achieving qualitative improvement in the nation’s unity colleges.

He said: “We recognise that today’s principals face more complex challenges from a new generation of learners as well as high expectations from parents, who are dissatisfied with the

achievement of these colleges.”

On the admission policy of the unity colleges, Wike said while admission into the schools was not automatic, especially for over-subscribed schools, officials must not unfairly deny placement to any qualified candidate, who meets the mandatory requirement of the college of his/her choice.

“If you think my present stand is against Jonathan’s person, then you goof. It is against bad governance, misappropriation of state funds, embezzlement of public funds and spending money like water without appropriation.

“I am against whoever does any of such things.

Let it be known to you that neither I nor SNG marched for Jonathan.

“We marched for constitutionality; for the constitution to be followed regardless of who that action favours or doesn’t favour.”

Developing the fear of God

F

ASTING IS ordained in order that we may gain taqwa, as Allah – the Most High – said: “O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed upon those before you in order that you may attain taqwa.” Qur’an 2:183 Fellow Muslims! Let your fasting be a shield with which you protect yourselves against sins at all times. The Prophet (s.a.w) said: ‘Fasting is a shield.

Let no one of you – during his fasting day – behave in an obscene manner, or become angry. If anybody abuses or fights with him, let him say: I am fasting.’

(Bukhari & Muslim) So we should ask ourselves, after each day of fasting: Has this fasting made us more fearful and obedient to Allah? Has it aided us in distancing ourselves from sins and disobedience?

Be conscious of your gazes, see not evil, speak no evil about anybody but submerge your inner feeling with the presence of God. See Allah even though you see Him not but He sees you at all times. In this part of the world where crazy wears filled the environment, one needs to be careful never to treat obscenity with a second gaze.

The purpose of fasting is to control the soul and refine it and to protect the limbs. The Messenger of Allah said, ‘Whoever does not refrain from falsehood in sayings and deeds and acts of ignorance, Allah has no need of his abstention from food and drink.’ (Bukhari).

Fasting is not merely abstaining from eating and

drinking.

A fasting Muslim is seen to be meek with high level of self restraint. What is meant by the month of Patience is the month of Ramadan …so fasting is called patience because it restrains the soul from any thing negative.

So, fasting is a means of learning self-restraint and patience. With patience we are able to strengthen our resolve to worship Allah five times daily and cope with life’s ups and downs.

With patience we are able to restrain our souls from provocations, transgressions and able to subdue the soul’s ill temperament.

We are able to overcome greed and stinginess and thus give part of our surplus wealth in charity.

We should also try to purify our hearts and intentions duringthemonth,seekforgiveness of sins and gained nearness to Allah.“Whosoeverreachesthe month of Ramadan and does not have his sins forgiven, and soentersthefire,andthenmay Allahdistancehim,”theProphet said.

Let us use this month to renew relationships with Allah and of course to fellow human beings. It is human to err, relationships may have been broken during the year, and we should try and clear up any disputes or bad feelings with other Muslims or non-Muslims.

So we ask Allah to grant us theabilitytochangeourselves for the better, during this blessed month, and not to be of those who are prevented from His Mercy and Forgiveness. Indeed He is the One whoHearsandHeistheOne who answers all requests.

Massalla-led APGA accuses INEC officials of sabotage

BY CHRIS OCHAYI

A

BUJA—ALHAJI Sadiq Masalla faction of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, has accused officials of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, of tampering with some vital documents submitted to the electoral umpire prior to the convening of its National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting.

Alhaji Masalla, who made the accusation in Abuja, insisted that rather than submit a resolution of two-third membership of

the National Working Committee, NWC, as claimed in the “private letter” handed over to Chief Victor Umeh last Thursday, purporting to authenticate Umeh’s leadership of APGA, it was the resolution of two-third of the party’s NEC convening the meeting that was forwarded to the commission.

He explained that from the tone of letter given to Umeh, “some people must have tampered with the documents in INEC possession and misrepresented the true facts.

“We, therefore, call for a thorough probe into the

tampering with official documents by some of the commission’s officials and the deliberate misrepresentation of the facts.

“Even now, we are yet to receive the copy of the letter signed by the commission’s secretary, four days after it was purportedly written and four days after the said letter was handed over to Chief Umeh.

“If the said letter was actually written, then the commission would have erred in its judgment since the premise for its conclusion was indeed wrong and uninformed.”

53 — Vanguard,

TUESDAY TUESDAY,,

JULY 31, 2012

Syria’s UK en ects envvoy def defects

T

HE Syrian chargé d’affaires in London, Khaled al-Ayoubi, has resigned, the British Foreign Office said yesterday. “Mr al-Ayoubi has told us that he is no longer willing to represent a regime that has committed such violent and oppressive acts against its own people, and is therefore unable to continue in his position,” the Foreign Office said in a statement.

Al-Ayoubi was the most senior Syrian diplomat serving in London, it added. “His departure is another blow to the Assad

regime. It illustrates the revulsion and despair the regime’s actions are provoking amongst Syrians from all walks of life, inside the country and abroad.

“We urge others around Bashar Al-Assad to follow Mr al-Ayoubi’s example,” the Foreign Office said.

This came as President Bashar Al Assad’s troops intensified their onslaught on Aleppo on yesterday, firing artillery and mortars while a fighter jet flew over a district the army said it had retaken the day before.

However, opposition activists denied government forces had entered the Salaheddine district, which lies in the southwest of the country’s biggest city and straddles the most obvious route for Syrian troop reinforcements coming from the south.The Syrian military stepped up its campaign to drive rebel fighters out of Aleppo on Moyesterday, firing artillery and mortars while a fighter jet flew over a district the army said it had retaken the day before.

Colorado gunman gets 24 counts

T

HE former graduate student accused of killing 12 people in a shooting spree at a Denver-area movie house made a second court appearance yesterday as prosecutors and defense lawyers sparred over a mysterious package sent to his psychiatrist. James Holmes, 24, was arrested shortly after prosecutors say he opened fire at a packed midnight movie premiere of “A Dark Knight Rises” on July 20.

Criminal charges against Holmes, who has remained jailed since his arrest, were expected to be formally presented at yesterday ’s hearing.

Holmes, a San Diego native, was a doctoral student of neuroscience at the Anschutz campus before dropping out recently.

He is also accused of wiring his apartment with enough explosives to have leveled the entire

• James Holmes building had they been detonated. It took author-

ities several days to safely dismantle and dispose of the booby traps.

The rampage in the Denver suburb of Aurora ranks as one of the nation’s bloodiest mass shootings in recent years. It left 12 dead and 58 injured, several critically. Ashley Moser, the critically injured mother of the 6-year-old girl killed in the rampage, suffered a miscarriage, her family said.

Uganda warns of Ebola virus with the victims,” Yoweri

T

HE Ugandan presi dent has called on people to limit physical contact with each other, after a victim of a deadly outbreak of the Ebola virus was reported in Kampala, the country’s capital, for the first time.

“The Ministry of Health are tracing all the people who have had contact

Museveni said in a state broadcast on Monday, adding that 14 people had died in total since Ebola broke out in western Uganda three weeks ago.

Palestinians slam Romney

P

ALESTINIANS ac cused U.S. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney on Monday of undermining peace prospects by calling Jerusalem “the capital of Israel”, ignoring their own claims to the city and most world opinion. Romney used the term on Sunday to sustained applause from his Israeli audience in the Holy City, during a trip to present himself as Israel’s closest ally ahead of the November 6 election contest with President Barack Obama.

“We condemn his statements. Those who speak about the two-state solu-

tion should know that there can be no Palestinian state without East Jerusalem,” chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat told Reuters yesterday.

•Museveni

Russia prosecutes ’Pussy Riot’ The women from the

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HREE women who protested against Vladimir Putin in a “punk prayer” on the altar of Russia’s main cathedral went on trial yesterday in a case seen as a test of the longtime leader’s treatment of dissent during a new presidential term.

band “Pussy Riot” face up to seven years in prison for an unsanctioned performance in February in which they entered Moscow ’s Christ the Saviour Cathedral, ascended the altar and called on the Virgin Mary to “throw Putin out!”

54 —

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012

Beac h vvolle olle yball? It’s fun and flesh Beach olleyball?

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HAT’S just sex,’ the Swedish journalist next to me said, as two 20-somethings gyrated on the beach volleyball court to the strains of the Muse track Feeling Good. ‘Is it always like this?’ Certainly not.

This is a first for us all.

The poor chap looked a little overwhelmed by the experience, sitting in a scaffold stand in the heart of London as middleaged men plucked up the courage to wolf whistle.

The groups of lagerwielding lads had the same look as they entered this magnificent arena on Horse Guards Parade and attempted to make sense of it. Beach volleyball at London 2012 does not deal in subtlety, you see.

Just flesh. Lots and lots of it, everywhere you look, from 9am until midnight.

There won’t be much work done on Downing Street with this all-day festival going on in their back garden. And we haven’t even mentioned the bikinis yet.

‘It’s got to be post-watershed, beach volleyball,’ joked BBC presenter Gary Lineker.

It certainly leaves very little to the imagination, not just in terms of the women’s skimpy kit.

But it’s being delivered in a cheeky, slapstick way in London ‘Are you enjoying it?

Are you excited?’ yells the announcer over the regular blasts of pop music, as if he was speaking to his deaf grandmother, reminding us occasionally of the score, initiating the dreaded Mexican waves and ordering:

Ladipo storms London with Band of 1 7 17 •Ready to lift Team Nigeria with Trumpets trumpets and songs that

P

A MATTER OF FLESH•••Skimpy bikinis have made for an eye-catching experience at the beach volleyball competition.

‘Clap Horse Guards Parade!’

It’s an interactive experience for spectators, who are instructed to stand up, clap, cheer and do the

conga.

No wonder the queues for refreshments were lengthy — a beach volleyball ticket is the equivalent of a four-hour aero-

Akinyemi proud of Games debut

J

OHNY Akinyemi be came Nigeria’s firstever Olympian to compete in the Canoe Slalom today.By his own admission, the 23-year-old had a tough day in the kayak at the Lee Valley whitewater course, but cheered on by a delegation from Nigeria’s government, he said he was just pleased to be taking part.

Akinyemi, whose father John is Nigerian and mother Heather is British, had been part of the youth set up in the UK until he visited family in Lagos five years ago.

It was there that he was

persuaded to represent Nigeria, and with the prospect of competing at London 2012, the offer was too good to turn down.Akinyemi finished 21st out of 22 competitors in the K1, with the top 15 going through.

It’s been a real privilege to have been given the opportunity to represent Nigeria at the Olympics.

His best time of 104 seconds was 17 seconds off the pace after he hit four gates in the first run and incurred a 50-second penalty in his second run for missing a gate altogether.

er set tto o run OLYMPIC MARATHON: Bank Banker for Nigeria her nomination certificate ous marathon to qualify.

A

N employee of Dia mond Bank Plc, Esther Obiekwe, has become the first ever Nigerian woman to represent the country at the marathon event of an Olympic Games following her nomination by the Athletic Federation of Nigeria to compete at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The marathon event will take place in London on August 5, 2012.This was made known to newsmen in Lagos during a reception held at Diamond Bank Plc’s corporate Head Office, where Esther Obiekwe presented

bics class.

The whole event is truly surreal: fun and entertaining, but utterly bonkers.

RESIDENT General of the Nigerian Supporters Club, Dr Rafiu Ladipo made a grand entry into the London 2012 Olympics with his band of 17 ready to chant down London and lift the spirit of Team Nigeria athletes as they fight for medals. ‘’We’ve arrived here and I promise you things will never be the same again. Team Nigeria athletes are going to soar higher as we will propel them with drums,

to the Board and Management of the Bank shortly before her departure for London. The athlete also received a return ticket to London courtesy of the bank.

Obiekwe who works in the bank’s Corporate Banking division said, “Although I am not a full time athlete due to my work schedule as a banker, I have participated in some of the world’s top marathons including Athens, Berlin, Boston, Dubai and now the Olympic Games.

“Out of these, only the Boston and the Olympics require one to run a competitive time in a previ-

I qualified for both and have been selected to represent Nigeria in the

Sam Ocheho Handball: Lagos bows to Delta

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OFF THE TARGET . . . Nigeria’s boxer, Muideen Akanji (L) defends against Darren O’Neill of Ireland during their round of 32 Middle (75Kg) bout of the 2012 London Olympic Games. O’Neill was awarded a 15-6 points decision. Photo: AFP

British rowers shatter Olympic best

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HE double world champions destroyed the previous mark, set by Germany in Barcelona 20 years ago, by nearly five seconds as they won their heat in 6:44.33.

It was a commanding performance from Grainger and Watkins, who left world bronze medallists New Zealand trailing home in second place around two lengths behind. The British Double Scull pair are now un-

will rattle the venues where they fight, run , kick or punch”, he said.

The team headed straight to the Olympic Village but could not gain entry as they were later met by Nigeria Olympic Committee Admin Manager, Emma Nweri who explained that they needed passes to get to the Village.

Nweri also informed them on the process of getting tickets to be part of Team Nigeria’s events at the Games. ‘’I’ve spoken to NOC President, Engr Sani Ndanusa. We want to ginger them on with our support. That is what they need to do well at the Games”, Ladipo emphasized.

beaten in 22 consecutive races and their victory will have laid down a marker to their nearest rivals Australia, who pushed them close in the final of last month’s Munich World Cup regatta. The Great Britain men’s Eight qualified for the Olympic final with a victory over Canada and Netherlands in today’s repechage.

The new-look Great Britain crew made a fast start and quickly opened

a three-quarter-length lead over reigning Olympic champions Canada to take control of the race.

The Canadians, Holland and Australia all put the pressure on in the final stages and succeeded in closing the gap.

But Britain remained calm, rowing within themselves at 36 strokes per minute to seal the win and a place in Wednesday’s final.

HE Lagos State Handball team was off to a flying start went took on their counterparts from Delta but suddenly fissled out after taking a 2-0 lead early went their youthful opponents dominated the game after going into a 3-2 lead at the ongoing Sam Ocheho Invitational Handball Championship The Lagos team, made up of veterans who came together a week ago, lacked fitness and tired out early towards the end of the game allowing the Delta girls to seize the initiative. A sour point for the winners was the sending off of Goalkeeper mercy Peter, who fouled a Lagos attacker outside the arc, two minutes to the end of the game.

Bemoaning their loss, Coach of the Lagos team II, Kate Osho said her team would do better in their next game after it was beaten 18-11 yesterday in the Championship, which entered day two yesterday.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012 — 55

Sports Minister gives Team Nigeria vote of Table Tennis, Boxing teams hit Lagos today confidence T M

INISTER of Sports Bolaji Abdullahi, says he is confident that some members of Team Nigeria will win medals in spite of the early ouster of some of the country ’s athletes to the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Abdullahi said in London on Monday against the backdrop of the early defeat of a boxer and the entire table tennis team.

He said that the defeats came in spite of Nigerian team’s impressive preparation ahead of the games.

He said that the harmony and cordial relationship amongst members of the team to the games would ensure that Team Nigeria’s outing to the tournament was successful.

“Perhaps the most important achievement coming to this competition is that all of us are on the same page unlike in the past. Nobody is quarreling, nobody is fighting with anybody.

“You have not heard that the NSC and NOC, everybody is fighting and so all of us are in the same page.

•Bolaji Abdullahi You can see the federation here. I think that is a major achievement and that will form basis for other things that will come.

“We have tried very hard, we have prepared very hard, we‘ve had the best preparations going into a major tournament like this.

“So, it is my hope that our preparation will be good enough to take us a step forward from our previous performance. I am confident that things will go well in the end. I have reasons to believe we are going to win medals.”

Marriot Hotel on Duke Street here to see him. He is well known in the international sports family.

But Bolaji Abdullahi, the sports minister of Nigeria does not even know him.

However, Olatokumbu Thomas knows that the minister is new to sports and would not blame him but those in the sports ministry and the Nigeria Olympic Committee whom he said were yet to brief the minister adequately on important sports matters.

Thomas is an Executive member of FINA, swimming world governing body. Swimming has up to 47 gold medals and said to fetch money for IOC more than other sports. That is how big swimming is here. And one of those who run the sport in the world is our own Thomas.

“The minister doesn’t know that I exist,” he said in a chat with him at the lobby of the hotel.

Other top sports officials here payed tribute to him as they passed by. They said pleasant things and hailed the Nigerian who is a Vice President of the world body. This reporter had visited in company of Amaju Pinnick, Delta State sports boss who said that he was here to learn a few things about swimming.

“There are only about three Nigerians in the Executive Committees of world bodies but the minister doesn’t even know us what more relating with us for the interest of sports in our country,” Thomas la-

mented before pouring out his heart on a matter he felt Nigerians must know.

“I don’t care if they don’t care about me but I care for Nigerian sports.

Do you know the embarrassment Nigeria brought to me here? Two Nigerians qualified to swim here in the Olympics. They had already been registered to compete here and accreditation already issued. But the sports ministry advised the Nigeria Olympic Committee to withdraw them from the Olympics because they felt that they would not be able to win anything.

It was unbelievable.

Members of FINA here are asking me what is wrong with Nigeria? It is a good question that I want the sports ministry and NOC to answer. Do you know what it means to an athlete to qualify for the Olympics and compete there? It is the greatest stage for any athlete. And there are always surprises. Even if the athletes don’t win the experience gathered at the Olympic Games is unmatchable. Have all the other athletes we entered won in their events? Were they ever hoping that all of them would win? Why must they exclude swimming because they felt we would not win? Something must be wrong with us and I really want the leadership of NOC and the National Sports Commission to explain to Nigerians what the problem is. People have been nasty to our sports and it is unfortunate. I weep for Nigeria.”

•Toriola Lawal Lukman would fly Lufthansa(8.a.m) in the six-hour flight to Lagos.

No stopping Ye

Y

E Shiwen, the teen age Chinese swimming sensation who is becoming the talk of the Olympic Games, delivered another stunning performance in the heats of the women’s 200m individual medley.

Ye has made the headlines, and aroused suspicion of doping in senior swimming circles, after covering the last 50m of her 400m individual medley faster than Ryan Lochte – and indeed Michael Phelps –

What's wrong with Nigeria?

Continues from BP

HE Table Tennis and Boxing teams to the London 2012 Olympic Games would leave London and arrive Lagos today. The teams have lost out in their respective events.

The Table Tennis quartet of Segun Toriola, Aruna Quadri, Funke Oshonaike and Edem Offiong and the Boxing duo of Muideen Akanji and

did his in winning gold in the men’s event.

On Monday morning the 16-year-old was back in the pool for the event she won the world title in last year, and she produced another startling display.

Ye’s time of 2.08.90 equalled the mark she set to win gold in Shanghai last year and it was also 1.6 seconds quicker than any other qualifier for Monday night’s semifinals, among them Great Britain’s Hannah Miley.

•Ye Shiwen

Bakare happy with Nigeria’s basketball ranking

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’Tigers Coach, Ayo Bakare says he is happy with the ranking of Nigeria’s basketball team amongst the top 12 teams in the world.

Bakare said on Monday in London that hard work guaranteed the team qualification for the London Olympics in spite

of the difficulties.

He said that the team would not allow challenges to demoralise it as it would take advantage of all the chances that would go its way as well take each matchastheycame.

“These are 12 best teams in theWorld,soyouwillbestupid not to have any worries going

into this game.

“It’s the best 12 teams in the world; any game you play is very critical; of course we are worried .”

Bakare said that though his teamwon60-56intheopening

match against Tunisia, his boys were nervous.

“I have to psychologically raise their morale so as to be able to face up to the challenge of their upcoming matches.”

Lawal Continues from BP outing of the Boxing event of the London Olympics left many wondering if he was a journeyman.

Lukman looked awful and conceded points easily to his conqueror, Jordanian Almatbouli Ihab who raced to a 5-3 lead in the first round. After a pep talk by his coaches, many thought that would bring him back but he continued to drop his guards and allowed Ihab who showed awesome power and speed to hit him with a flurry of punches. The second round was pathetic and he lost it 2 – 6.

At this stage, it became apparent that the only miracle that would allow him to cross the

hurdle would be a knock-out punch. He came out smoking with some left and right combinations but the Jordanian was in no mood to suffer humiliation. He danced away from trouble and allowed the Nigerian to exhaust himself chasing him. While moving away from Lukman, he repeatedly picked precious points before the seconds ran out.

Lukman lost and ended Nigeria’s journey in the men’s boxing event following his compatriot’s (Muideen Akanji’s ouster in his earlier fight on Sunday.

Ogoke Edith Agu, the only female boxer remains the only survivor in the sport.

Basketball Continues from BP Their opponents, Lithuania suffered a set-back in their opener against Argentinawhodismissedthem102– 79 and today out there at the Basketball Arena, Lithuania will be attempting to assuage their fans when they confront the Nigerian Tigers in a match that many describe as mission impossible.

President of the Nigerian Basketball Federation, Alhaji Tijani Umar is not carried away by plaudits that have come the way of the Tigers after their feat against Tunisia in the opening game.. ‘’I’m happy with the kind

raves that have come the way of the Nigerians but we must play one game at a time. What is certain is that we will play well but, there is no predictions and no assumptions”, Umar who led the Tigers to achieve the monumental result of playing in their first Olympics said.

The Nigerian Tigers are the rave of the moment at the Olympics and many Basketball faithfuls are tipping D’Tigers to cause sensation in a group that includes power-house, the American Dream Team Basketball.

VANGUARD, TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012

Lawal worsens Nigeria’s boxing woes

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What’s wrong with Nigeria?

AWAL Lukman has everything to be your ideal Boxer. Height, frame and agility. But his display in his first Continues on Page 55

Basketball: D’Tigers Vs Lithuania No predictions, no assumptions — Umar

N

IGERIA’s Basket ball team, D’Tigers will be on the march again today when they play their second game of the Basketball event at the Olympics. The Nigerian team routed their African Champions, Tunisia, 60-56 to set tongues wagging and sent out warning signals that they are here for business.

Continues on Page 55

•Thomas wants NSC, NOC to answer

SUCKER PUNCH••• Ihab Almatbouli (R) of Jordan exchanges blows with Lukmon Lawal (L) of Nigeria during their Light-heavyweight (81kg) boxing bout at the London 2012 Olymipic Games. Lawal lost 19-7. PHOTO: AFP HE aura he radiated was infectious. The respect paid to him made this reporter momentarily feel good as a Nigerian.

You would need a special pass to get into his Continues on Page 55

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TODAY'S

PUZZLES

YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

UP TO IT ••• Nigerian forward Anthony Skinn (L) shoots despite Tunisian guard Marouan Kechrid during the Group A basketball match Nigeria beat Tunisia 6056. AFP PHOTO.

Medals Table Country China USA Italy France South Korea Russian North Korea Kazakhstan Japan Romania

G 8 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1

S 4 5 4 1 1 0 0 0 3 2

B 2 5 2 3 2 3 1 0 3 0

Total 14 13 8 6 5 5 3 2 7 3

Table Tennis, Boxing teams hit Lagos today — Page 55 More Olympic stories on Pages 38 & 39

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 4 Rascal (5) 7 Required (6) 9 Zero (3) 10 Adhesive (3) 12 Swoon (5) 13 Aim (4) 15 Plain clothes (5) 17 Mob (6) 19 Ponder (4) 20 Moving (5) 22 Label (3) 24 Narrative (7) 27 Speck (3) 28 Stagger (5) 31 Legend (4) 33 Oar (5) 37 Lantern (4) 38 Store (5) 39 Consume (3) 41 Individual (3) 42 Displace (6) 43 Listened (5)

DOWN 1 Puzzle (6) 2 Leave (6) 3 Plead (3) 4 Analyse (4) 5 Purport (5) 6 Secluded (8) 8 Mute (4) 11 Throng (9) 14 Den (4) 16 Accomplishment (4) 18 Reared (4) 21 Part (8) 23 Hairless (4) 25 Stupor (4) 26 Hush (4) 29 Logic (6) 30 Occur (6) 32 Hate (5) 34 Expensive (4) 36 Loan (4) 40 Golf peg (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Wrap 4, Mar 6, Spam 9, Tap 10, Harassed 11, Alas 14, Pad 16, Heath 19, Mediocre 21, Prone 23, Entrance 24, Earth 27, Ewe 31, Tape 33, Henchman 34, Tin 35, Mend 36, Mad 37, Dent.

How to Play Sudoku

THE VIGILANTE

DOWN: 2, Rear 3, Peal 4, Massacre 5, Rude 6, State 7, Pal 8, Apart 12, Smite 13, Odour 14, Pop 15, Drone 17, Agony 18, Hades 20, Entwined 22, Ere 25, Abate 26, Trend 28, Whim 29, Shed 30, Main 32, Pin.

e-mail: rowolove@yahoo.co.uk

Place a number (1-9) in each blank cell. (No line can have two of the same number).

Each row (nine lines from left to right), column, (also nine lines from top to bottom) and 3 X 3 block within a bold block (nine blocks) contains number from 1 through 9. This means that no number can appear twice in any block, column or row.

No mathematics is involved – no adding, subtraction, division or multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination.

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