Show respect, Tukur tells 5 Northern govs by Vanguard Media Limited

...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 61936

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2013

KANO BLAST: Ohanaeze, JTF differ on casualties •P.8

Show respect, Tukur tells 5 Northern govs •You don't deserve respect —Nyako •Jigawa PDP defends govs PRO-DEMOCRACY PROTEST

BY SONI DANIEL, REGIONAL EDITOR, NORTH; EMMANUEL AZIKEN, POLITICAL EDITOR, HENRY UMORU & TINA AKANNAM

BUJA—NA TIONAL Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, yesterday took a swipe at five governors from the North elected on the platform of the party, warning them to show decorum, humility and respect him. One of the governors, Governor Murtala Nyako

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COLUMNISTS:

ROTIMI FASAN •P.19 DEAR BUNMI •P.33

Mr & Mrs

RALLY—Protesters during the 'Save our Democracy' Rally organised in Lagos, yesterday, by Coalition of Civil Societies, in response to the Rivers State political debacle. Photos: Bunmi Azeez & Tosin Aladesokun.

Woman sets 11-yr-old maid ablaze over piece of meat 7 C M Y K

RIVERS CRISIS: Police fail to produce Lloyd in court 16

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RIVERS CRISIS—Rivers State House of Assembly members, observers and journalists as they exit Justice LL Nyordee's court after the case against Rivers House of Assembly Leader, Chidi Lloyd was adjourned, yesterday, in Port Harcourt. Photo: Nwankpa Chijioke.

Show respect, Tukur tells 5 Northern govs Continues from Page 1 of Adamawa State, however, fired back, saying Alhaji Tukur does not deserve his respect because he lacks capacity and competence to handle PDP. The other governors are Sule Lamido of

Jigawa State, Mu'Azu Babangida Aliyu of Niger State, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of Kano State and Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State. The PDP chairman in a statement by his Special Assistant, Media,

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

It is true that physical exercise is needed to boost ones energy level, but energy without direction is like motion without vision. Vision brings meaning and clarity into activities and invariably it produces a kind of energy called confidence, which simply means the right perspective of ability to achieve the goal.

TAKE HEART BY ELLA RANDLE

When we lose one blessing, another is often most unexpectedly given in its place — C.S. Lewis

OME decades ago, Charles Dickens wrote about being grateful for everything in life. He said one should reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has many but not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some. This is good advice to warm and comfort the heart. As you go about your business and other activities today, here is a beautiful reminder from the author, Donohue, on the relevance of taking time to stop and smell the roses of gratitude in your life. For balance in your life is a blessing, and just like the joy of the sea coming home to shore, may the relief of laughter rinse through your soul. As the wind loves to call things to dance, may your gravity be lightened by divine grace. Like the dignity of moonlight restoring the earth, may your thoughts incline with reverence and respect. As water takes whatever shape it is in, so may you be about who you become. As silence smiles on the other side of what’s said, may your sense of irony bring perspective. As time remains free of all that it frames, may your mind stay clear of all it names. And most of all may your prayers and contemplations of listening deepen enough to hear in the depths the laughter of Divine Spirit.

Prince Oliver Okpala bluntly told the governors that they must embrace peace and stop dramatizing the country’s few problems, saying it could send wrong signals to Nigerians and the international community. According to him, unguarded utterances and calls by the governors were causing unnecessary political tension and overheating the polity. He added that as leaders, they were expected to show respect to him as an elder. Tukur also warned that as governors and leaders, they must desist from any action that could truncate the nation’s democracy. It will be recalled that a week after a meeting with former President Olusegun Obasanjo; exMilitary President Ibrahim Babangida and former Head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar, the governors had visited President Goodluck Jonathan last Saturday at State House, Abuja. Tukur ’s reply to the governors came on the heels of Bayelsa State Governor, Henry Seriake Dickson’s reconciliation committee that was last week inaugurated when all the problems confronting the party were expected to be resolved. Tukur said: "The recent visit by some governors from the North to the President has raised furore, although the dis-

cussions between the President and the governors was held behind closed doors, the media has been awash with news of the meeting and the issues discussed. “Media reports have it that the four governors who had earlier visited former president, Chief Obasanjo and two former military Heads of State demanded the removal of Dr. Bamanga Tukur as National Chairman of the PDP.”

Tukur's caution Lampooning the governors for the visit to the former leaders without using the available internal mechanism of the party to air their views , Tukur said: "We do not know the veracity of this claim. Suffice it to say, however, that the governors have the fundamental right to meet and discuss with each other and whomsoever they like and may also have the fundamental right to freedom of speech and to air their views on any issue of national importance. “However, in so doing, one would expect them to make comments with decorum, humility and caution. As leaders who the general public looks upon as role models, they are expected to show respect to constituted authority and the elders, which include

Dr. Bamanga Tukur, who have contributed immensely to the peace, progress, development and advancement of this country. “Much as the constitution guarantees certain fundamental freedoms, such as freedom of speech and assembly, there are constitutional limitations to this freedom and the leaders should show wisdom, caution, prudence and good counsel in their comments on national issues as their unguarded utterances and calls can cause unnecessary political tension. “It is also important to emphasize that the PDP, as a political platform upon which the governors were elected, have avenues and internal mechanisms for resolution of conflicts and grievances. The governors are, therefore, advised as party men to avail themselves of these avenues before seeking audience or making public utterances capable of overheating the polity. “More importantly, the PDP has a reconciliation committee entrusted with the task of conflict resolution in the party. The governors, by their action and utterances, have shown contempt to this committee by not deeming it necessary or worthy to take their grievances to the reconciliation committee. “One would have expected the governors to express their grievances privately to the party leadership or the reconciliation committee instead of going public with their grievances before seeking audience with other Nigerian leaders. “There is no doubt that the governors’ peripatetic vision has contributed in no small measure to overheating the polity. The National Chairman of the PDP, Dr.

Bamanga Tukur, has tried all in his powers to bring peace, tranquility and love to the PDP. His three cardinal policies of reconciliation, reformation and rebuilding are aimed at giving all members of the party a sense of belonging. “The National Chairman also has an open door policy and accommodation for all shades of opinion within the party. It is unfortunate that these governors are demanding Tukur ’s removal when Tukur has made immense sacrifices for the peace and progress of the PDP and had extended his peculiar kind of brotherly love to all party men and women. “The governors are hereby advised to embrace peace and desist from dramatizing the few problems within our democracy as these can send a wrong signal to Nigerians and the international community. “The governors, as party faithfuls and responsible citizens of this country holding exalted positions, should desist from any action that tend to overheat the polity and truncate our nascent democratic structure. “Be it known that Bamanga Tukur is a true and committed democratic, patriotic Nigerian, a first-class nationalist and an elder statesman of international repute, whose cardinal aim is to protect our nascent democracy, protect the indivisibility of our country and ensure the progress of our great party, the PDP.” Tukur does not deserve respect; he lacks capacity and competence to handle PDP— Nyako Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State, however, dismissed the assertion of Tukur, insisting that Continues on Page 42

6—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2013

Cripple arraigned over alleged N42,000 theft BY ONOZURE DANIA

AGOS—A 32-YEAROLD cripple, Mustapha Umar, was yesterday arraigned before an Ikeja Magistrate's court, for allegedly stealing N42,000 belonging to one Margaret Nwachukwu. The cripple, who is said to be a beggar and sleeps at Conoil Filling station by the Ikeja general Hospital is facing a one-count charge of stealing preferred against him by the police. He was docked before Magistrate Abimbola OshodiMakanju. The police prosecutor, Inspector Samson Ekikere, told the court that the defendant allegedly committed the crime on July, 27, 2013, at about 10pm, at the Conoil Filling station. Ekikere said the stolen money belonged to one Margaret Nwachuckwu, a trader, who also sleeps at the filling station. It was said that Nwachukwu, who is pregnant, had kept the said sum in her shop, hoping to use the money as medical bills, since she was due to visit the hospital on Tuesday (yesterday), but on waking up the next morning, which was Saturday, she discovered that the money was missing. The prosecutor said the offence committed is punishable under section 285 of the criminal laws No 11 Vol 44 laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2011. The defendant's counsel, Julius Ajibulu, pleaded with the court to grant the defendant bail on a very liberal terms, considering his condition, since the offence is a bailable offence. However, when the charge was read to the defendant, he pleaded not guilty to the one- count charge and Magistrate Oshodi-Makanju, granted him bail, in the sum of N20,000, with one responsible surety in like sum. She further adjourned the case to August 12,2013, for mention. However, the cripple was remanded in Kirikiri Prison pending when he would perfect his bail conditions.

Cross section of people in Bogoro Local Government Area, Bauchi State queuing during the distribution of foodstuffs for Ramada

Soldiers kill two passengers at Bauchi check-point BY SUZAN EDEH

AUCHI— SOLDIERS at a check point in Darazo Local Government Area of Bauchi State mistakenly shot to death two passengers in a commercial vehicle. Locals and security sources in Bauchi who confirmed the incident, said the soldiers killed the two passengers because the driver of the car made a u-turn when he approached the check-point, raising suspicion which made the soldiers to open fire on them. A security source said: “The incident was very unfortunate because we don’t know why the driver decided to defy road block orders and tried to run away, but the army authorities are investigating the matter and whoever is found wanting will be punished. It’s very unfortunate.” Residents of Darazo said when the driver of the vehicle

approached the army check point along Potiskum- YobeMaiduguri road, he violated the check point orders by refusing to move back like other vehicles, instead he just made a u-turn and abandoned the

car and ran into the bush. According to them, "the soldiers became curious, so they opened fire, which resulted in the killing of two passengers."

The residents said the car and the corpses of the two passengers were moved to Darazo Police station while the case was later transferred to the Bauchi State Criminal Investigation Department.

Man, 32, in court over stolen property

BUJA — THE police, yester day, arraigned a 32-year-old man, Abdu-Raheem Lukman, in an Abuja Magistrates’ Court for allegedly receiving stolen property. The Police Prosecutor, Mr Francis Tanko, told the court that Cpl. Ochokwunu Ifu, attached to Wuse police station, arrested the accused, of shop 4, Wooden Complex, Gwagwalada, Abuja. Ifu said the accused allegedly bought two stolen Lister engines, valued at N32,000 from one Abdullahi Lukman of Giri village, Abuja, but were later recovered from him. Tanko said the offence contra-

vened the provisions of Section 319 of Penal Code Law. The offence carries maximum imprisonment of a five-year jail term or with fine or both. The accused, however, pleaded not guilty and denied the allegation against him, saying: “My Lord, I didn’t know it was a stolen engine.”

Senior Magistrate Abdul-Aziz Anka granted the accused person bail in the sum of N100,000 with a surety in a like sum. Anka ordered that the surety must be 35 years old and must reside within the court’s jurisdiction. The case was, however, adjourned till August 14.

2 unemployed docked over alleged N4m cable theft

AGOS — TWO unemployed men, Anayo Okonkwo, 38, and Francis Okafor, 23, yesterday, appeared before an Igbosere

A man having a nap at under the bridge at Cele bus stop on Oshodi-Mile 2 expressway, Lagos, yesterday. PHOTO: BOSE ADELAJA..

Magistrate’s Court, Lagos, over alleged theft of armoured cable valued at about N4 million. The accused, of no fixed addresses, were arraigned on a twocount charge of conspiracy and theft. The prosecutor, Cpl. Emmanuel Ajayi, told the court that the duo committed the offences on July 16 at HFP Engineering complex, Abraham Adesanya Estate, Ajah, Lagos. Ajayi said the accused, at about 3:00 a.m., stole 35mm armoured cables belonging to the engineering company, valued at N4 million. “They were arrested by the police when they were about bolting away with the cables,” he said. He said that the offences contravened Sections 285 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2013—7

Woman sets 11-yr-old maid ablaze over piece of meat zAs doctors place victim on danger list

Police nab 4 kidnap suspects in Enugu

BY EVELYN USMAN

n, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

Man in court for allegedly stealing colleague’s tricycle

AGOS — A 33-YEAROLD man, Kenneth Ugwuanyi, Monday, appeared before an Ojo Chief Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, for allegedly stealing a tricycle belonging to one Adewale Bamgbose, his colleague. Ugwuanyi, a tricycle operator, resides at the Shibiri area of Ojo in Lagos, and is standing trial on a charge of stealing. The prosecutor, Mr Godwin Eze, alleged that the accused, on July 15, moved the tricycle of the complainant away from where it was parked. According to him, the complainant parked the tricycle in front of his residence at Ilaje Street, Ojo, Lagos. The prosecutor said the tricycle, with registration number UMH 247 DC, was later recovered from the accused, who was then arrested. Eze said the tricycle was worth N430,000. According to the prosecutor, the offence contravenes the provision of Section 285 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011. The law prescribes three years imprisonment for anyone convicted of stealing. However, the accused pleaded not guilty to the charge. The Magistrate, Mr Teslimi Shomade, granted him bail in the sum of N430,000 (the value of tricycle), with two sureties in like sum and adjourned the case to August 30.

AGOS — POLICEMEN at Bode Thomas division of Lagos State command, have arrested a woman who allegedly set her 11-year-old house maid ablaze in Surulere area of Lagos, for stealing a piece of meat from her pot of soup. The maid identified as Ita Bassey-Eno who reportedly escaped death by the whiskers, is currently at the Burns and Trauma Centre of the Gbadaga General Hospital, with doctors battling to save her life. Although her mistress, a staff nurse at an undisclosed hospital in Surulere, Mrs Nkese Iroakazi, reportedly denied the allegation at the police station, the ailing girl was said to have managed to state that she allegedly poured kerosene on her before striking a stick of matches to set her on fire. The incident, as gathered, occurred last Saturday at 7, Adeniran Ogunsanya Street, after Ita rushed out of the apartment with fire on her, apparently in an attempt to plunge into a gutter. Unfortunately, she reportedly fell before she could get to the gutter. One of the residents was said to have succeeded in putting out the fire with the aid of a fire extinguisher, before she was rushed to the hospital.

Eyewitness account A resident who simply identified herself as Morakinyo told Vanguard: “I was just alighting from the bus when I saw people gathered in front of the building. When I got there, I saw Ita whom

The victim, Ita Bassey-Eno on her hospital bed...yesterday. we all call Eno on the floor. Then, the flame had been put out. “Two men who attempted to carry her into a car could not because the skin at that time had peeled off. They had to get a slab, placed her on it and rushed her to the hospital. From what I gathered, the girl has spent barely one month in Lagos before the incident. “She was brought from her village in Akwa Ibom State last month alongside another girl called Happiness. Since then, we have not seen either of them going to school. “We heard that while Happiness was in the sitting room, there was a cry from Ita in the kitchen and before she (Happiness) knew what was happening, Ita rushed out of the kitchen and straight to the road shouting for help. “How could someone who has children of her own treat another’s like this? It was even the residents that alerted policemen who came to pick Mrs Iroakazi.”

95% burns When Vanguard visited the hospital, yesterday, a doctor who spoke on condition of anonymity expressed fear about the victim’s condition, revealing that she suffered 95 per cent burns. “It will take a miracle for her to survive. In any case, we are trying all we can to ensure she gets back on her feet. That will entail some surgeries because her private part was badly damaged. “Currently, she wears pampers and that area needs immediate surgery after the injuries would have healed.” Ita was sighted with bandage all over her body, except her face and feet. When a nurse approached her to administer the day’s treatment, she groaned in pains. As at 3 p.m yesterday, police sources told Vanguard that the suspect would be transferred to the state Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba for further investigation.

Traffic snarl along Airport road, coming from Murtala Muhammed International, MMIA, Lagos due to bad portion on the road. Photo: Diran Oshe.

NUGU — OPERA TIVES of the antikidnapping unit of the Enugu State police command have apprehended four suspected kidnappers who specialize on threat kidnap calls and messages to their victims. Information from Office of the state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Ebere Amarizu, yesterday, had it that the suspects who were nabbed recently by the operatives had allegedly threatened to kidnap one of their victims living at Trans Ekulu axis of Enugu. According to the PPRO, the suspects had told the fellow via several telephone calls to consider himself a kidnapped person should he fail to make reasonable amount of money available to them. “Following intelligence gathering and monitoring, the suspects, who gave their names as Igbokwe Onyinyechi Sunday, Ejike Ibe, Belummuo Alexander Chikwado and Zeribe Chinonso Christopher were nabbed and are now helping the police in their investigations.” Similarly, operatives of Nsukka Police Division have nabbed one Onyeneke Eze also known as EkeNweze, said to be a notorious robbery suspect on the wanted list of the police over his nefarious activities within Nsukka and environs. The suspect, according to the command spokesman, is being accused of murder, robber y and other criminal acts. He was arrested by the operatives based on information received from members of the public, and he is also currently assisting the police in their investigations. Meanwhile, the state Commissioner of Police Abubakar Adamu Mohammed, has applauded efforts of his operatives and that of members of the public, saying their cooperation is yielding tremendous result in the fight against crime in the state.

8—Vanguard , WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2013

FG yet to get official notice on UK visa £3,000 bond BY VICTORIA OJEME

BUJA—MINISTER of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru, yesterday, said the Federal Government was yet to receive any official statement from its British counterpart over the 3,000 Pounds Sterling cash bond for firsttime visa applicants from Nigeria and five other Commonwealth countries. The other countries are India, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh. A statement by the ministry ’s spokesperson, Ogbole Ode, said: “Federal Government has already conveyed its objection to the bond payment to the UK government, when the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru, summoned the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Andrew Pocock, to Tafawa Balewa House on June 25. “If and when a communication to that effect is received, Federal Government will take appropriate steps to reflect its national interest.”

Kano blast: JTF, Ohanaeze, hospital disagree on casualties BY ABDULSALAM MUHAMMAD & BEN AGANDE

ANO—THE casualty figures from the multiple blasts that rocked the predominantly Christian quarters in Kano, Monday evening, has increased to 45 dead, according to Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Kano. Briefing newsmen on the development in Kano, yesterday, Chairman, Kano chapter of the pan-Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Chief Tobias Idika, said: “We counted 45 dead bodies and they have all been deposited at the morgue for identification by relations.” “We have records and proof of what we are talking about. I participated in the rescue operations and I am best informed to tell the world what happened regarding the deaths and the injured.” He revealed that 15 people were injured during the blast, adding that the injured were on admission at various government hospitals in the metropolis. He described the attack “as one too many on members of the guest community doing their legitimate business in the city and contributing to its growth. “It is high time those in position of authority rose to stem the tide.” Idika commended the decision of the state government to take care of the medical bill of the injured. He, however, expressed

Hezbollah: Court admits evidence against suspects BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

BUJA—THE Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, yesterday, admitted into evidence 23 sets of exhibits tendered against the three Lebanese suspects allegedly involved in illicit importation of arms into Nigeria. The exhibits, which included guns, cartridge belt holders with ammunition, pellets for air rifles, 150 cartridges, 158 rounds of cartridges, two bound copies of still pictures of arms and ammunitions that were discovered in one of their premises at 3, Gaya Road, off Bompai Road in Kano, two video CDs and witness statements, were tendered against them by Federal Government. Besides, the court, yesterday, took possession of $61,170,000 which one of the suspects, Mr. Abdullahi Thahini, allegedly at-

zAttack won't affect our work— Boko Haram C'ttee

tempted to smuggle out of the country on May 11. The court earlier heard that the suspect, who is the second accused person in the matter, made efforts to bribe officials of the Department of State Security, DSS, that apprehended him at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, when he tried to escape the country to Beirut via a Middle Eastern airline. Meantime, trial Justice Ademola Adeniyi adjourned the matter till today to enable the court see a video clip where the accused persons, allegedly exposed their involvement in the Hezbollah operations. Aside Thahini, others on trial include the co-owner of Amigo Supermarket Limited and Wonderland Amusement Park Resort, Mustapha Fawaz and his compatriot, Tahal Roda. , who was allegedly arrested

SURVIVORS: Mr. Emeka Mba, Manager, New Tarzan Motors (left) and Mr. Emeka Ani, survivors of the Kano bomb blast, in hospital. skepticism on the sincerity of the pledge “in the light of previous experiences where such victims were left on their own after the profit making statement on camera. “We have seen this kind of promises in the past that start and end in camera, and it is our hope this kind of promises by the governor will be translated into concrete action for the benefit of mankind.”

12 died— JTF

Contesting the casualty figure in a statement, the Joint Military Task Force said: “At 9 p.m. on July 29, sounds of simultaneous explosion were triggered by persons suspected to be members of the Boko Haram group between 38 and 41, New Road and Igbo Road by Enugu Road.” The statement by Captain Ikediche Iweha added that “12 persons were confirmed to have died from both incidents, while a couple of others, who sustained various degree of injuries, were rushed to hospital for medical attention. “The latest incidents could have been avoided if citizens had maintained vigilance to observe when packages are dropped as it was in this case, contrary to reports circulating in some media that they were suicide bombers.”

Hospital says 24 dead, 10 injured

Speaking on the development, spokesman of Malam Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Aminu Inuwa, said “this hospital received 24 dead bodies from security agents, and the breakdown of the figure

shows that three out of this figure are female. “We also have in the hospital 10 injured persons that are being attended to by our team of expert. We are doing our best to save lives, and we therefore call for understanding.” He denied reports that the hospital authorities refused to release corpses to relation for interment. He said: “This is an organization. We have a process and we always ensure that it is followed to the letter to avoid backlash, and this is the best practice all over the world.”

Kwankwaso’s pledge

Kano State Government has, however, directed health institutions handling cases of injured victims of the blast to offer free service to them. Kwankwaso, who gave the directive during a visit to the victims at the Murtala Mohammed Hospital, Kano, described the attack “as an attack on Nigeria,” adding that “we will do our best to stop reoccurrence.” In the meantime, JTF has stepped up patrols in the city following renewed onslaught by the extremist group in the city. Armed troops in patrol vehicles were seen all over the city, especially areas designated as “dark spots,” while cautioning residents to be wary and report suspicious abandoned packages. Meanwhile, Federal Government has extended the time frame for the work of the Kabiru Tanimu-led Presidential Committee on Dialogue

and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges in the North by two months to allow it complete its assignment.

Boko Haram C'ttee reacts

This is coming on the heels of assertion by chairman of the committee and Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Kabiru, that despite the bomb blast in Kano State that claimed scores of lives, the committee will continue its assignment. Speaking with State House correspondents after collecting the letter of extension yesterday, Tanimu said that the committee was in contact with genuine members of the Boko Haram sect and that the ceasefire offer was still on course. According to him, the seeming disparate voices from members of the sect on their meetings with the committee represent the various dynamics within them. He said: “There are people who are engaged in it on the basis of ideology or dogma. Some people are doing it on the basis of economic benefits. “Some people are fifth columnists, who will make sure you don’t succeed in whatever you do.” Speaking on the Kano incident, Tanimu said it was really unfortunate that it happened at a time serious efforts were being made by government to ensure that issues were sorted out. He said that some people, who did not wish the country well, were trying to pull the hands of the clock backwards.

Vanguard , WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2013—9

NECA faults FG's job creation efforts, cost of governance BY FUNMI KOMOLAFE & VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG

AGOS—NIGERIA Employers Consultative Association, NECA, yesterday in Lagos, faulted Federal Government's job creation programmes and efforts made to reduce the cost of governance, describing both as inadequate. NECA described the high rate of youth unemployment in the country “as a time bomb waiting to explode.” At its 56th annual general meeting, NECA, the umbrella

body for organised private employers in the country, said the impact of the 7.78 economic growth in the country was not visible. It said: “Whenever our political leaders stand up to address the nation on the state of the economy, let them speak of the number of new businesses and jobs that have been created, the hours of uninterrupted power supply households and businesses have enjoyed, number of Nigerians with improved access to education, healthcare, housing,

transportation and so on. “These are the true measures of growth and development.” While addressing captains of industries who are members of NECA, the association’s President, Chief R. U. Uche, also expressed grave concern over what it called “abuse of oversight responsibilities by the National Assembly, non-deregulation of the downstream sector of the petroleum industry.” It appealed to “the government to weigh economic expediency over political imperative by putting back on the national discourse the removal of fuel subsidy and the bigger issue of enhancing do-

mestic capacity to produce petroleum products.”

Labour Minister lists challenges

Labour Minister, Chief Emeka Wogu, represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr. Clement Illoh, listed government’s challenges in labour administration and sought cooperation of NECA to tackle them. The challenges, he said, are “the provision of productivity and decent jobs for the teeming youth population in an environmentally sustainable manner and the provision of adequate minimal social security protection systems for the aged unemployed, women, children, vulnerable members of the society.

“Provision of adequate system of labour protection and the provision of relevant and adequate skills to march global developments in ICT, is another challenge.” Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, President, Mr. Abdulwaheed Omar, represented by one of his deputies, Mr. Joe Ajaero, cautioned the National Assembly against moving labour from the exclusive list to the concurrent list. He urged NECA to support the struggle to keep labour on the exclusive list of the constitution. Still on the economy, Uche said: “The economy grew by 7.78 percent in 2012 as against the projected GDP of 7.2 percent. We failed to attain our targeted crude oil production of 2.48 million barrels per day and only realised a production level of two million barrels per day. “The exchange rate was relatively stable all year round and inflation was at about 12.1 percent. Against a global GDP growth rate of 3.3 percent, we might, indeed, want to congratulate ourselves on a sterling performance.”

Nigeria among Africa's poorest nations

BRIEFING: From left— Rev. David Ogolor, Executive Director, Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice, ANEEJ; Anyakwe Nsirimovu, Chairman, Niger-Delta Civil Society Coalition, NDCSC, and Deno Adeniran, Executive Chairman, Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, CACOL, at a briefing on the ban of a planned rally in support of democracy in Rivers State, yesterday. PHOTO: Nwankpa Chijioke.

Attorney-Gen, HOCSF task civil servants on information control BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

BUJA—ATTORNEY-General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, Bello Adoke, and the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Alhaji Bukar Aji, yesterday, enjoined civil servants to shift from culture of secrecy to transparency in the conduct of government affairs. Speaking at a two-day workshop on two years of implementation of the Freedom of Information, FoI, Act, 2011, in Abuja yesterday, Adoke said that the Goodluck Jonathan administration signed the FoI Bill into law because of his commitment to openness and transparency. Adoke said that failure by parastatals, government agencies and ministries to comply with the Act would frustrate the commit-

ment of the administration to transparency. He, therefore, called on government agencies to appoint information officers, who would handle requests for information. Adoke said that government remained committed to transparency and would implement the FoI Act to the letter. In his remarks, the Head of Service said: “Reluctance or lack of desire by public officers to shift from a culture of secrecy to one of transparency has also been identified as a militating factor against the implementation of the Act.” He, however, said that efforts were being made by his office and the AGF’s office to encourage and demand that public bodies go beyond SERVICOM and establish FoI units and help line for public use. Aji said that there had been

challenges in the implementation of the law. One of such challenges he said, was the sevenday time limit within which information must be provided. He said: “The system is not yet fully digitalised to cope with this. It may, therefore, be necessary to review the time limit. “I recommend its review from seven to 14 days within which information under the Act may be disclosed.” He also stated that recordskeeping remained a challenge and suggested that proper organisations of records and digitalisation be adopted to facilitate easy access to records. Also speaking, Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Dr. Chidi Odinkalu, commended President Goodluck Jonathan and the National Assembly for passing the FoI Bill

into law. He, however, noted that compliance with the FoI Act remained very low.

However, he cautioned that “ with our Human Development Index ranking 153 (out of 186 countries), coupled with lamentable ratings in health, education and per capita income, Nigeria remains one of the poorest countries in the world and still bunched with the 30 poorest countries in sub-Saharan Africa.” On unemployment, Uche said: “Today, teeming population of our youths are unemployed. This is indeed a scary reality. “It is a ticking time bomb, which, if we fail to defuse as quickly as possible, may erode whatever semblance of social harmony and stability that is left of our polity.”

10—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 30, 2013

Fashola introduces electronic ticketing for BRT, others BY MONSURU OLOWOOPEJO

OVERNOR B A B AT U N D E Fashola of Lagos State, yesterday, inaugurated a Pay-As-You-Go electronic ticketing system for Bus Rapid Transit, BRT buses, ferry and rail transportation system, aimed at phasing out the paper ticketing system in the state. The governor, who spoke while commissioning the system at C.M.S. Bus Stop, Lagos Island, said it was a poverty alleviation programme from the state through the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, LAMATA, to the 21 million residents of the state.

Foreign Minister denies endorsing gay marriages

HE MINISTER of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru, has denied endorsing gay marriages and posting of gay diplomats to foreign missions. Some national dailies reported, weekend, that the minister endorsed gay marriages and was in the process of posting out gay diplomats on foreign missions. But spokesman of the Ministry, Mr. Ogbole Ode, in a statement, yesterday, said: “The attention of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been drawn to reports published in some national dailies of Saturday, 27th July 27, 2013. “In these publications, it is alleged that Amb. Ashiru has endorsed gay marriages, and by extension, gay rights in Nigeria by accepting to accredit foreign diplomats who are gay, posted on tour of duty to Nigeria. “For the avoidance of doubt, at no time did the Minister, either in his public engagements or private encounters, endorse or suggest the endorsement of gay marriages and/or rights in the country. “The Nigerian position on this issue is very clear, and Ashiru has, at every opportunity or forum, reiterated that foreign countries should not impose their values on Nigeria.”

LAUNCH: From left: Mr. Kayode Opeifa, Commissioner for Transportation; Mr. Kehinde Durosinmi-Etti, GMD/CEO, Skye Bank Plc; Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, Lagos State Deputy Governor, representing Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, and Dr. Dayo Mobereola, MD of Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority LAMATA, during the launch of ‘Lagos Connect’ - payment card - for Bus Rapid Transit, BRT, and Bus Franchise Scheme, BFS, travels, in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Bunmi Azeez

FG explains high price of cement BY FAVOUR NNABUGWU

HE FEDERAL Government, yesterday, gave reason why the price of cement still remained high in spite of increase in production, saying it would soon address the challenge. Speaking through the Minister of Industry, Trade and I n v e s t m e n t , M r. Olusegun Aganga, in Abuja, during the 2013 ministerial platform by Industry, Trade and Investment Ministry, the Federal Government lamented that Nigerians had continued to buy a 50kg bag of cement at very high prices ranging from N1,650 to N1,800. The Minister said what government was targeting in the first phase of the backward integration policy of cement, was production and availability which he said had been achieved. According to him: “The first strategy on backward integration on cement was about availability and production of cement that has been achieved. We were spending more than N250 billion on cement importation before now. “That figure should have gone up by now and yet we have the raw materials and we were not producing enough. “We were only producing two million metric tones. We now produce 28 million metric tonnes of cement and we now ex-

port because we have achieved availability and production.” Aganga said the second phase of the integrated policy which would address the issue

of pricing had just started and a committee had been set up to work on it. According to him: “The committee is working on pricing, control, quality use of cement and ex-

port. I can assure you that we are working on that already and we will do everything to ensure that the consumers are protected.” Aganga said government was rigorously implementing the backward integration policy used in the cement industry in other sectors. The Minister noted that history had shown that no country had ever become rich by exporting raw materials without an industrial sector, and in modern terms, an advanced services sector. According to him “the more a country specialises in the production of raw materials only, the poorer it becomes.”

Pirates Confraternity donates borehole BY OLASUNKANMI AKONi

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION of Seadogs, NAS, (a.k.a Pirates Confraternity) has donated a standard borehole to residents of Adeku Village, EgbeIdimu Local Council Development Area, Lagos State. The association also donated educational materials, such as mathematical sets, notebooks, writing, instructional materials, among others things, to representatives of two different schools at old Alimosho.

Vanguard, WEDNEESDAY, JULY

363 people died in 2012 nation-wide flooding — NEMA BY OLA AJAYI

BADAN— NATIONAL Emer-gency Management Agency, NEMA, said, yesterday, that N2.6 trillion was lost while about 2.1million people were displaced in the flood disaster that ravaged 23 states of the country last year. Also, the agency hinted that 363 deaths were recorded out of seven million people generally affected. The agency made this disclosure in Ibadan at the SouthWest zonal awareness flood campaign towards early warning and early action for Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, Non-Governmental Organisations, NGOs, Community based Organisations, CBOs and and Faith based Organisations, FBOs' levels of preparedness in in the South West states. Giving further details, the NEMA South-West coordinator, Iyiola Akande added that 5,970 houses were submerged in 256 local government areas affected. The participants in the programme suggested how to prevent flooding already predicted by Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NIMET. Mr. Akande said: “The prediction painted a more serious picture of what the nation is to ex-

pect this year, 2013 when compared to the devastating effect of the 2012 flood that ravaged about 23 states of the Federation.” In his reaction, the Oyo State Commissioner for Environment and Habitat, Mr. Lowo Obisesan, noted that if stakeholders made efforts, the

flooding would not only be controlled but prevented. The commissioner who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Modupe Omonigbehin said, “if we are all ready to give what it takes, if rivers and streams are allowed to go through their channels without obstruction, we can

rest assured that flooding would be prevented.” The one-day workshop, he added, was a welcome development “as it confirmed the fact that NEMA is proactive towards prevention of flood disaster in the country and this is in line with the thinking of the Oyo State Government.”

31, 2013—11

URBAN RENEWAL: Osun pays N600m compensation BY GBENGA OLARINOYE

SOGBO — OSUN State government has paid the sum of N600 million as compensation to victims of the recent demolition exercise as part of its urban renewal programme in the state. The state government had recently embarked on demolition of structures on major high ways in most parts of the state in continuation of its urban renewal programme.

Omisore has no input in Osun IGR leap — Govt BY GBENGA OLARINOYE

CAMPAIGN: From left, Osun State Commissioner for Environment, Health and Sanitation, Mrs. Olubukola Oyawoye; Ekiti State Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Eniola Ajayi; Osun State Director, Environment, Health and Sanitation, Alhaji Wale Ogungbemi, at National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, South West zonal flood awareness campaign, in Ibadan, yesterday.

PUBLIC NOTICE

THE CORNER STONE HEALING & DELIVERANCE MISSION The General Public is hereby notified that the above named Church has applied for registration under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990. The Trustess Are: 1. Pastor (Mrs) Amuche Nzoniwu 2. Elder Hycenth Nzoniwu 3. Bro. Chisom Isiguzo The Aims And Objectives Are: 1. To preach the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and to draw souls nearer to God. 2. To harness individual efforts in Gospel propagation and spiritual growth in righteousness. 3. To provide Christian Education and Ministry Training for an atmosphere of excellence. 4. To help the needy and the less privileged. Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja within 28 days of this publication. Signed: CHRIS OKOYE & CO. 0803-305-3438; 0708-501-0283

Ex-NURTW chairman accuses Ogun govt of witch-hunt zSays govt wants him to join ACN zNo, the demolition is for devt — ACN BY DAUD OLATUNJI

BEOKUTA — FORMER Chairman of National Union of Road Transport Workers in Ogun State, Tajudeen Baruwa, has cried foul over the recent demolition of his filling station built for N250 million in Sango in Ado-Odo-Ota Local Government Area of the state by officials of the state Urban and Regional Planning Board, describing the action as a witch-hunt. Baruwa, who was chairman during the administration of former governor Gbenga Daniel, accused the ruling Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, of political victimisation, claiming he was being dealt with because he refused all entreaties by certain ACN chieftains in the state to join the ruling party. Officials of the Urban and Regional Planning, weekend, escorted by scores of armed policemen and soldiers stormed the filling station and demolished it for alleged contravention of building plan in the state. Addressing newsmen, Baruwa, who was represented by the man-

ager of the filling station, Taibru Nigeria Limited, Akinboyejo Peter said the company had all the necessary approvals which he said were issued by the state government officials. Displaying copies of the papers from the Ota Zonal Office of the Ogun State Urban and Regional Planning Board and the Department of Petroleum Resources issued to the company for the construction of the filling station, Peter alleged that the action of the state government officials were borne out of political vendetta. But the ACN in its reaction to the allegations said that the demolished filling station must have “obstructed public interest.” The party’s state Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Sola Lawal said that more than a thousand structures, including that of the leaders of the ACN in the state, had been demolished in the course of the massive infrastructure development embarked upon by the Governor Amosun administration. Lawal said: "Across the state, no fewer than a thousand private and public structures have to make way for development."

SOGBO — OSUN State government has faulted claim by the former commissioner for Finance and Economic Development in the state, Mr. Adetoyese Ojo that a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Iyiola Omisore influenced the increase in the monthly allocation of the state from N2 billion monthly to N6 billion, describing the statement as false. Besides, the state government also denied allegation that it has borrowed up to N300 billion since assumption of office, saying the allegation was unfounded and mischievous.

Draughtsmen sue Ogun govt BY DAUD OLATUNJI

BEOKUTA — NIGERIA Association of Draughtsmen in Ogun State, yesterday, dragged the state governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun to court over non-recognition of the association by the state government. Vanguard gathered that draughtsmen and professional architects are usually at loggerheads over signing of building documents and land titles in the state.

12—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2013

FoI Act: Court orders NASS clerk to release emoluments of Senators, Reps BY GABRIEL ENOGHO-

LASE

ENIN—A Federal High Court sitting in Edo State, has ordered the Clerk of the National Assembly, to furnish information on the allowances, salaries and other emoluments released to Senator Ehigie Uzamere as constituency allowances from June 2007 till date. The order also applies to Mr. Nosakhare Osahon, the member representing Ovia North –East Local federal constituency in the House of Representatives. Trial judge, Justice Momammed Liman, granted the order of mandamus, compelling the Clerk of the National Assembly to provide the information, following the suit Mr. Patrick Eholor, founder of One Love Foundation and a social crusader,

through his lawyer, Dan Ogbegie. He had asked the legislators representing the constituencies to avail them records of allowances, salaries, emoluments and other monies for constituency projects but failed to do so and decided to use the Freedom of Information, FoI Act to get the information. Eholor said: “Our action is borne out of the need as civil minded responsible citizens to help these legislators to be mindful of their responsibilities. What we have just done as citizens, is to police the legislators as some of them do not know why they are there.” Maintaining that his foundation will continue to evolve ways to engage public servants across all levels to tackle rots in the fabrics in the society and

failure in the system because the power given to them is in trust, he said many of them were underperforming while some cannot lay claim to any visible projects despite the huge resources they are getting. “We must begin to let them know that while they are in government, where they fail, the provision of the law is there to follow. A lot of these politicians are ‘robbing us,’ we must not allow these bandits in power to continue.” He applauded the FoI Act, which he said hasd helped in no small measure to achieve this feat, as he praised the courage of the judge, for the order of mandamus compelling Clerk of the National Assembly to furnish them the information.

Akpabio visits embattled SSG BY TONY NYONG

YO—THERE was a twist, yesterday, to the face off between Governor Goswill Akpabio and the Secretary to the Akwa Ibom State Government, Mr. Umanah Okon Umanah, with the sudden appearance of the governor at his (Umanah’s) house. Akpabio, who arrived Uyo from the airport at 3pm, drove straight to Umanah’s house with the state party Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, former military governor of the state, Air Commodore Idongesit Nkanga (rtd),

and Sir Emem Akpabio, alongside some of his commissioners. The governor, Umanah, Nkanga, and Sir Akpabio later went into a closeddoor meeting, which lasted about two hours. While details of their meeting were not immediately known, it was believed to be a reconciliatory move by the governor over Monday’s occupation of the SSG’s office by securitymen. No fewer than 20 security operatives had on Monday sealed off the SSG’s Office in Uyo, fuelling speculation that the

Secretary to the State Government was asked to resign. Vanguard gathered that Mr. Udom Nkanang, a Director in Zenith Bank has been tipped for the position of the new SSG, and that he is to be sworn in soon. The governor and Umanah had disagreed last Saturday, when the duo failed to agree as Umanah turned down the offer of the Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, to jettison his gubernatorial ambition.

Ewherido: Senate seat not for shoes and must be money bags —ONUESOKE own able to beat the track BY FESTUS AHON

G H E L L I — FORMER Delta State governorship aspirant, Mr. Sunny Onuesoke, yesterday, said that the vacant Delta central senatorial seat resulting from the sudden death of Senator Pius Ewherido, was not meant for unpatriotic Urhobo descendants and money bags. Onuesoke, during a meeting with select Urhobo youths in his Agbarha-Otor country home, said that the Urhobo nation needed a capable and patriotic Urhobo to step into the Senate to carry on with the good work

started by the departed Senator Pius Ewherido, whom he described as a true and dedicated Urhobo son. He said whoever, was vying for the Senatorial seat must be screened and accepted by the Urhobo Progress Union, UPU, adding “ what the Urhobos need at this time that we are witnessing political low tide is somebody, who can champion the Urhobo cause in the Senate vis-à-vis the federal level. “Whoever wants to take over from Ewherido must go there with his or her

record of our late Senator Ewherido, a man that was committed to the promotion of the speaking of the Urhobo language that is gradually going into extinction. “The vacant senatorial seat is not meant for money bags and is not for sale. It will be given to a trustworthy Urhobo indigene that will go to the Senate and do the needful. So, we as a nation, we must look critically before making a choice on who should represent us at this critical moment in the history of the Urhobo nation in the Senate.”

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 201312—13

Bill prohibiting kidnapping in Edo passes 2nd reading

Passengers stranded at Benin airport over sealing of FAAN office zAs Police arrest ESBIRS boss, Elamah zOshiomhole demands his release BY SIMON EBEGBULEM &

DANIELETEGHE

BY GABRIEL ENOGHO-

LASE

ENIN—A BILL seeking to prohibit the act of kidnapping and for other matters connected thereto now before the Edo State House of Assembly has sailed through its second reading. The bill prescribes death penalty for persons involved in the act of kidnapping. Sponsor of the Bill and Minority Whip of the state legislature, Mr. Kingsley Ehigiamusor, leading a debate on same, said that it seeks to prohibit the act of kidnapping in the state, adding that measures should be put in place to protect the lives of the citizens living in the state. Describing the act of kidnapping as inimical to the society, the legislator, who represents Igbueben constituency, noted that the bill when passed into law will eradicate insecurity in the state as well as protect the society. Other lawmakers, who contributed to the debate were Victor Edoror, Paul Ohonbamu, Mrs. Elizabeth Ativie, Paul Osayimwen and Abdulrazaq Momoh. They condemned the act of kidnapping and described same as unholy occupation, which the youths engage in for quick money. They lamented that the act of kidnapping had risen to an alarming proportion in the state, adding that the unique thing about the bill was that it seeks to proscribe penalties for those who engage in the act and those who facilitate same. Summing up the debate on the bill, Speaker of the House, Mr. Uyi Igbe, re-echoed the views of the lawmakers that the bill was meant to eradicate insecurity in the state and referred it to the House Standing Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters for fine-tuning before submitting its report within 24 hours to the House for consideration.

ENIN CITY—HUNDREDS of passengerswere stranded at the Benin Airport, Edo State, yesterday, after the sealing of administrative building of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, by Edo State Board of Internal Revenue Service, ESBIRS. The board alleged failure to remit the sum of N15million from the Pay As You Earn, PAYE, of its staff to the state government. Members of the Board, it was gathered, sealed off the premises at 5am, which created panic at the airport, as personnel of the Nigerian Air Force, were forced to take over security there. There are conflicting accounts of what transpired. While the Chairman of ESBIRS, Chief Useni Elamah, claimed that FAAN officials locked the entrance and exit of the airport, to create the impression that same was sealed off by the board, FAAN’s Coordinating General Manager, Mr. Yakubu Dati, expressed shock that ESBIRS could take laws into their hands over a matter that could be resolved through dialogue.

“This is coming to us as a rude shock, because they could have explored all lines of dialogue instead of just taking the laws into their hands. To close Benin Airport, is not good for the security and safety of the airport environment. We are appealing to passengers to bear with the situation as we are making efforts to resolve the issue. “ We are worried that despite the enabling law setting up FAAN, which exempts it from paying taxes and tenement rates, the Edo State Inland Revenue Service went ahead to close the airport. We enjoy cordial relationship with the state government, and we are saddened that this is happening. The matter will soon be resolved.” Elamah on his part, said “It is sad that the FAAN manager is trying to give the impression that the Edo State Government sealed off the entire airport. What happened was that they are owing us N15million deductable from workers PAYE. This matter has been on. There was a time we had to resort to judicial means to get our money. “They are owing this since 2011. We had written to them on several occasions to play their part

but they refused. We came here this morning (yesterday) and sealed only the administrative building of FAAN, but when we left, the manager went and locked up the two gates making it look as if the state government locked them up. They want to blackmail the state government but they have failed.” Faulting the arrest of Elamah, Oshiomhole, described same as unfortunate that the police decided to arrest the state revenue boss even after the manager of FAAN, attacked members of the Board and beat up a camera man. He said the state government will pursue the matter to its logical conclusion and called for the release of Elamah.

Oshiomhole reacts

Governor Oshiomhole said: “The Edo State Government did not seal up the airport, the revenue board staff went there peacefully to do their job. The authority of the revenue board went to serve a restraining order at the administrative office of FAAN. It was done in a way to ensure that it does not affect affairs of the airport knowing that the airport is a public place and

as much as we want to collect taxes due to government but we don’t want to inflict pains on travellers, who are not parties to the issue of tax evasion. “Everybody is under the law, no one is above the law. The only thing that surprised me is that the airport manager assaulted members of the revenue board. I have been a bit embarrassed that the Police Commissioner has arrested the Revenue Board chairman and I have asked him to release him he said the arrest was on the orders of the IG. “I had thought that when laws are violated that it is those who violated the law that should be arrested by the police not those who seek to enforce the law. I do not believe that the action of the police is appropriate and I feel we all must ensure that the rule of law is followed. I believe that the revenue board acted properly by going to court to obtain a court order and to serve it in a way that it will cause no inconvenience to members of the public. I believe the matter is under control, I have spoken to the authorities in Abuja and I believe the matter will be handled amicably.”

Elamah’s arrest

However, Chief Elamah was, yesterday, arrested allegedly on the orders of the Inspector General of Police, Mr Muhammed Abubakar, over the Benin airport shutdown. Governor Adams Oshiomohole has, meanwhile, condemned his (Elamah) arrest.

ESBIRS staff allegedly manhandled

On what transpired at the airport, sources close to ESBIRS claimed that while chairman of the board, Elamah, had stormed the airport with his men and forced the airport gates open for the public and in the ensuing confusion, a manager with FAAN at the airport, allegedly beat up the cameraman attached to the Revenue Board for covering the incident.

CONFERENCE: Akwa Ibom State Deputy Governor, Lady Valerie Ebe (right), receiving a gift from the Chief of Naval Staff, CNS, Vice Admiral Dele Ezeoba, during the First Gulf of Regional Maritime Awareness Capability Conference, at Tinapa Lakeside Hotel in DSS, Police rescue situation Guinea Calabar, yesterday. The Edo State Director of Department of State Security, DSS and the state Police Commissioner, Funso Balogun brought the situation under control, when the board members and FAAN staff were between the minister and Gover- state.” BY ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH about engaging in a free for all, as nor Amaechi was for the develDecrying the attacks on the angry passengers expressed bitBUJA—AS events in River opment of the state and protec- minister in the media over the terness over their inability to travel. State continue to draw at- tion of the country’s democracy. Rivers political crisis, Oparah, tention of Nigerians, Minister of According to him, the minister said “The potential disagreeDati speaks State for Education, Chief Ezenwo will not do anything to hamper ment is normal and not because Dati, reacting to the incident, Wike, has said that he has noth- the development of the state and the Minister comes from there said: “We learnt this morning (yes- ing personal against Governor the country in general, adding (Rivers) but for the protection of terday) that some people belong- Rotimi Amaechi. “Minister was an active partici- our democratic institutions. Most ing to the Edo State Inland RevSpecial Assistant on Special pant in the formation of the cur- people who write about Chief enue Services shut the Benin Air- Duties to the Minister, Mr Lam- rent administration in Rivers Wike either do not know him or port over what our staff described bert Oparah in a statement in La- State and therefore, a major are carried away by sentiments.” as non-payment of taxes. gos, said that the disagreement stakeholder in the affairs of the

Rivers crisis: Aide defends Wike

14—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2013

Anambra: INEC overrules Tukur, rejects Emeakanyi as chairman

Constitution Review: Why we supported LG autonomy, others — IHEDIOHA BY LEVINUS NWABUGHIOGU

BY HENRY UMORU

BUJA—THE crisis rocking Anambra State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has taken a dramatic turn as the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, yesterday, overruled the decision of the National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, to endorse Ken Emeakayi as chairman. The electoral umpire, in a letter to Tukur, said it would continue to recognise Chief Ejike Ogbuebego as the state chairman of Anambra PDP, until it was ordered otherwise by court of law because it monitored the congress which produced Ogbuebego. The political logjam in Anambra came ahead of the gubernatorial election fixed for November 16 this year. The office of the National Chairman of PDP was served the letter from INEC indicating its non-recognition of Ken Emeakayi as Anambra State Chairman of PDP. In the letter by INEC Secretary, Abdullahi A. Kaugama, the electoral umpire said: “The Commission was served with several letters on the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party in Anambra State. Several ex parte orders and consent judgements in none of which INEC was a party were attached to the letters. You may wish to be reminded that the Commission monitored a state congress of the Peoples Democratic Party in Anambra State at which Chief Ejike Ogbuebego was elected as chairman of the party in the state. “The Commission accordingly recognised Chief Ejike Ogbuebego as the state chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in Anambra State. The Commission has not been served with any order in which the court nullified the election of the said Chief Ejike Ogbubego as the state chairman of your party in Anambra State. “This is to inform you that the Commission will continue to recognise Chief Ejike Ogbuebego as the state chairman of your party in Anambra State until specifically ordered otherwise by a court of law.” It would be recalled that PDP national chairman had last Monday issued a statement recognising Emeakayi as the chairman of Anambra PDP. C M Y K

BUJA—DEPUTY SPEAKER, House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, said yesterday, that members voted in favour of the 87 clauses in the on-going constitutional amendment in consideration of the yearnings of the people. Ihedioha, who said the House shunned pressures mounted on them by powerful interests to vote otherwise, also noted that the House of Representatives kept faith with the decisions and wishes of Nigerians which had earlier been expressed during the Peoples’ Public Sessions that took place in the 360 federal constituencies of the country on November 10, 2012. Offering details of the voting in a release, the Deputy Speaker, who doubled as Chairman of the Constitutional Amendment Adhoc Committee that collated the proposals, said the House voted overwhelmingly to give full financial, administrative, executive and legislative autonomy to local government councils in Nigeria. According to him, the vote made local councils, a tier of government in Nigeria denied of any revenue allocation from the Federation Account or from the states, created a uniform four years tenure for local government councils, provided for the mode of exercising legislative power of the LGC and their remuneration to be determined by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC, abolished the “State Joint Local government Account and replaced same with the “Local Government Council Allocation Account. He also said henceforth, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, would be conducting elections for local government areas, instead of State Independent Electoral Commission, SIECs. He said: “The Independent National Electoral Commission has been empowered to conduct elections into the local councils, following the abolition of the State Independent Electoral Commission by a vote of 331 in favour, 16 against, and 11 abstentions". "The House vote also endorsed alteration of Section 33 of the Constitution to redefine the use of reasonable force by law enforcement agents to now mean that only a "commensurate, proportionate or equal force can be used in self defence by law enforcement agent.”

This, he said, provided for a more restrained method of policing to protect the fundamental rights of Nigerians.

The House voted overwhelmingly to amend sections 34(2),35(7): 39(3): 42f3): 89(2): Section l29(2): Section 162(1): and other parts of the

Constitution to replace “Nigeria Police Force” with “Nigeria Police. The rationale was to emphasise the civil nature of policing rather than celebrate “brute” force.

VANGUARD BEST DRIVER OF YEAR 2012—From left: Mr Amos Oyedeji, Asst Chief Driver; Mr Solomon Emori, Asst Transport Manager; Mr Emmanuel Alonge Adu, Vanguard Best Driver of the Year; Mr Victor Gotevbe, Administration Manager; Mrs Helen Arowolo, PA to Financial Controller; Pastor Felix Oregbeyiwa, Chief Driver and Mr Francis Orji, Personnel Officer, during presentation of gift and certificate of recognition to Mr Adu as the Best Driver of Year 2012. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2013—15

No re-negotiating 2009 agreement —ASUU ...insists on full implementation of 2009 agreement BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU

BUJA—THE Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, yesterday rejected the Federal Government’s new offer of enhanced academic allowances, insisting that government should first implement in full the 2009 agreement before any other negotiation could take place. National President of ASUU, Dr. Nasir Fagge, who disclosed this to Vanguard, said after consultations with branch chairmen of the union on the new government offer, members rejected it, saying accepting the offer meant starting negotiations afresh. Dr. Fagge said: “They wanted to make an offer on one of the issues in dispute. They said they are more interested in the earned academic allowances, so they said they want to make an offer just like they did in the first instance. “We told them that the issue is not making offers on any item in the agreement. The issue is implementing the agreement. We have consulted our principal (branch chairmen) and our principal is of the opinion that the agreement should just be implemented. “If we say we are going to start talking about offers and rejections and acceptance, it means that we are going back to re-negotiation. “That is the situation and of course, they asked whether we will still attend tomorrow's meeting where they will discuss implementation of the needs assessment report, we told them that we will be there.” The ASUU boss, who said it seemed the Federal Government wanted to reduce the whole agreement to earned academic allowances, said “for us, the agreement has many other things that are very vital for revitalizing university system in this country.” He said the branch chairmen who were contacted on the development rejected any move that would end up in government abandoning an agreement

that was willingly signed and that the union did not want a development where a component of the agreement would be

singled out by government. “They said (branch leaders) that are not interested in renegotiating the agreement for

now, when you implement the agreement then we will talk about re-negotiation,” he said.

Nigeria loses over $1bn annually to piracy—NCC BY CHRIS OCHAYI

From left: Lions Club District 404B Governor, Mr Yinka Bolarinwa; Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi and former Managing Director of Nigerian Breweries PLC, Dr Felix Ohiwerei, during the signing of MoU on youth empowerment in Lagos. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi.

...asks NUC to account for N100bn varsities' stabilization fund BY VINCENT UJUMADU

WKA—THE Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, yesterday, urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to prevail on the executive secretary of the National Universities Commission, NUC, Professor Julius Okogie to account for the N100 billion annual stabilization fund provided by the Federal Government for improvement of facilities in government-owned universities. Chairman of Nsukka Zone of ASUU, Dr. Chidi Osuagwu, at a briefing on the on-going strike embarked upon by university lecturers in the country at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University,

Awka, accused the NUC boss of being a cog in the wheel of university education and development in Nigeria, adding that the strike would not have become necessary if the annual stabilization fund was properly managed. He said: “We have not seen anything done with the stabilization fund. If the NUC has been spending the money as expected, there would not have been this strike in the first place as the issues demanded by ASUU would have been taken care of. “The EFCC and other agencies of government should investigate this matter in the interest of the growth of education in the country. ASUU embarked on the current strike as a result of the failure of the Federal Government to implement the agreement it willingly entered into with ASUU in October, 2009.

“Between 2009 and 2011, ASUU had made efforts in getting the government to implement the agreement by even embarking on warning strikes, but government on its side paid deaf ears to these efforts. “It is important to inform the public that the strike by ASUU is not meant to make any fresh demands on government, but simply and squarely to ask government to rise to the challenges of responsible governance by fulfilling the provisions of an agreement which it freely signed four years ago.” According to him, ASUU feels embarrassed by the rumours making the rounds that the ongoing strike will be called off tomorrow. He insisted that the strike would continue unless the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement was fully implemented.

PUBLIC NOTICE This is to certify that the names Elochukwu John Chiamogwu and Ebuka John Chiamogwu refer to one and the same person. That I now wish to be known and addressed Ebuka John as Chiamogwu. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

BUJA—THE Nigeria Copyright Commission, NCC, disclosed yesterday, that the country was losing over $1 billion to piracy annually. Director General, DG, of NCC, Afam Ezekude, who said this at a training programme on digital/ internet piracy, regretted that the nation’s economy was being depleted daily by piracy and copyright infringements. Noting the trend as a major problem confronting the nation, Ezekude revealed that the commission had entered into a partnership with Google to fight cyber crime which, according to him, is depleting the nation’s economy. He said: “The partnership with Google is something we thought about in the last one year and we have reached out to Google with a view to partnering with them, as we begin to look into the issue of addressing internet piracy. “Who best can provide us with useful guidance and tapes if not Google who are the biggest internet source engine? That is why we approached them and we are now fully on board and obviously that would help us to address infringement of Nigerian creative works on the internet. “No one seems to care about what happens when Nigerian creative works are infringed on the internet with impunity. And we as a Commission are bent on addressing that issue. And Google are very useful partner in that regard. “The Nigerian economy loses billions of dollars annually to piracy. We have a very large market in this country. And that reflects in the amount of loss that we incurred through, because, if the pirates are allowed to continue to do their illegal activities, the government is loosing tax revenue because the pirates don’t pay tax. “The unemployment of our people is higher, the economy suffers greatly and I said it is in the range of billions of Dollars, but if we can try and curb it to certain extent, that figure will drop and government will benefit from the tax revenue and our people would obviously become employed."

16—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2013

Rivers crisis: Police fail to produce Chidi Lloyd in court ...take over venue of pro-democracy rally in PH BY JIMITOTAONOYUME,

EGUFEYAFUGBORHI & BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

ORT HARCOURT—EM BATTLED Majority Leader of Rivers State House of Assembly, Chidi Lloyd is to be formally arraigned before a Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt on charges of conspiracy and attempted murder, today. This is because of the failure of the police to produce him (Lloyd) in court, yesterday. Meanwhile, trial judge in the matter, Justice L. Nyordee, who was just assigned the matter, has been accused of bias, even before trial commenced. The secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, faction loyal to Minister of State for Education, Chief Ezenwo Wike, in a petition, accused the judge of bias. Also, the much publicised Democracy Day rally billed for Liberation Stadium, Port Harcourt, was, yesterday, aborted as the venue was taken over by scores of heavily armed Policemen, as early as 7am. No fewer than eight patrol ve-

hicles were lined up on one side of the busy Stadium Road, while the Police also intensified patrol of major streets, yesterday. It was not clear if the surveillance helicopter that was hovering in the sky early in the day had anything to do with the presence of the Chief of Army staff, Lieutenant General Azubuike Ihejirika in Port Harcourt or the planned democracy rally. The helicopter hovered for several hours. Meanwhile , in Lagos, civil society groups under the aegis of Coalition of Civil Society, CCS, yesterday stormed the office of Lagos State governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN, to register their displeasure over the political crisis in Rivers State. They also warned political jobbers in the country against truncating the country’s democracy. Speaking during the protest, the Coordinator of Coalition of Civil Societies, Mr. Raji Rasheed, said that the protest was about democracy and Nigeria, adding “we are not happy with the show of shame in Rivers State. In 1966, people said such issue was a party one and at the end of the day, military

took over. So, we do not want such thing to repeat itself. All of us must come together and call them to order. We cannot just fold our hands and look.” Also, Coordinator of Concerned Human Rights Nigeria, Declan Ihekaire, said the protest was against anti-democratic elements in the country and the need to protect the nation’s democracy. He said the crisis in Rivers State was capable of crippling the country’s democracy, adding that most of the actors in the Rivers crisis never fought for democracy. On the allegation of bias against the judge handling Lloyd’s matter, lead counsel to the embattled House Leader, Mr. Beluolise Nwofor, who drew the attention of the judge, to the petition, wherein he was accused of bias, said: “The content of the document filed in the court is an affidavit evidencing bias and undue influence of the court against the judge. It was authored by one Benjamin Eke, who you know as the State PDP Secretary. “The charge against Lloyd has been assigned to a judge and there is now an accusation of bias

against the judge, a judge that is yet to hear the charge.” The court, will today, commence, hearing in the matter, with the formal arraignment of Lloyd, which could not take place, yesterday, due to the failure of the Police to produce him in court. Yesterday, the trial judge waited till 4pm for the Police to produce the accused, following which he adjourned till today. On the application for bail for Lloyd, the judge said he needed to give the prosecution benefit of the doubt by adjourning till today in view of shortness of the time, the hearing notice was served on them. Meanwhile, on the planned rally in Port Harcourt, members of the Niger Delta Civil Society Coalition, organisers of the rally were later allowed to converge in a hall on Stadium Road amid tight security to address the media. Chairman of the body, Mr. Anyakwe Nsirimovu, said it was sad that they were not allowed to hold their planned rally at the Liberation Stadium. Lamenting the action of the Police, he said it

was a sad day for democracy in the country. “This is a sad day for democracy in the country, a day when freedom of association was jettisoned. Democracy is not without participation or assembly. We had slated the Liberation Stadium to be the meeting venue. On getting there, the Nigerian Police force had taken over the stadium.” He called on those behind the acts of impunity in the state to stop such acts and allow the rule of law to reign, adding they had not come out to take side with any faction in the political crisis rocking the state but to drum up support for the rule of law. Debo Adeniran, who also spoke, said as civil society members, they had come out to support the course of true democracy, adding that a situation where the minority forced their tyranny on the majority would no longer be tolerated. Emma Ezeazu also spoke along the same line, stressing that they had come to condemn acts of impunity in the state.

Vanguard Vanguard,,

WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2013 — 17

18 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2013 FOLLOWING the declaration of state of emergency in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States in May 2013, a section of patriotic youth in the Maiduguri metropolis organised themselves into a vigilante known as “Civilian JTF”. It was a resounding endorsement of the gallant efforts of the Joint Task Force of the Nigerian military and security services implementing the emergency rule aimed at flushing out the Boko Haram and other terrorist groups scourging the North East and other parts of northern Nigeria. Their emergence was particularly heartwarming, being a bold departure from the tendency of misguided elements who have sought to portray the terrorists as fighters for a particular religion and region. The “Civilian JTF” recognised the danger and damage to the economic and social livelihood of the people wrought by the al Qaeda-inspired terrorists and decided to assist our men and women under arms to bring the insurgency to an early end. The situation, however, started taking a different turn when the much wounded and

"Civilian JTF” should not fight paralysed terror networks started targeting the “Civilian JTF” and their relations for elimination, thus forcing some members of the patriotic vigilantes to take up arms and fight back. Media accounts had it that a contingent of the “Civilian JTF” attacked Boko Haram members at Dawashi village in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State, a venture that ended in the death of not less than 25 civilians. We make haste to caution that law abiding civilians should not be allowed to take arms and join the fight against terrorists. That aspect must be left to the JTF soldiers to handle because they are professionally trained, equipped and mandated to do so.

There are clear evidences that they have carried out their mandate effectively and are moving towards breaking the backbone of the terrorists. The civilians must not join in the military fray. They must stay away from harm’s way. The job of a vigilante in such high-risk security operation is to provide information and extend total cooperation to the military people. Apart from risking their lives unnecessarily, a greater danger of exposing civilians to battle situations includes the possibility of some of these civilians turning into warlords. In the North, such warlords inevitably put on the religious garb. Before we know it, civilians helping to fight terrorists may fall under the influence of politicians and other foreign sponsors to float their own terror outfits. We must avoid this at all costs. We call on the “Civilian JTF” not to lose heart but to intensify their efforts to assist the military to victory. As youth, helping to win the war means they will claim a place of pride when the rebuilding process begins.

OPINION BY PASCHAL ONYIORAH

HERE is no doubt that the Nigeria Police Force has suffered a fate worse than death in the course of our tortuous journey of nation-building so far. Starting from the time after the attainment of our political independence till date, the police in Nigeria has almost always been at the receiving end of the antics of Nigerian politicians, whether in uniform or in mufti. For instance, in the first republic, during the Awolowo-Akintola political struggle for supremacy in the Western region that later snowballed into grave regional crisis, the Nigeria Police Force had received more than its fair share in bearing the brunt of that crisis. Consequently, not a handful of its officers deployed at the time to quell the raging crisis lost their precious lives for a cause they obviously knew nothing about. Arguably, even those who narrowly escaped death by the whiskers and with various degrees of injuries did not in any way receive compensation. Understandably, however, though the Police was not alone in suffering this fate, yet the fact that they were attacked and killed while maintaining law and order at the behest of the then political leaders at the time and without necessarily receiving compensation afterwards, clearly shows the extent to which politicians could go in using men of the Nigeria Police to achieve their individual and group interest. Similarly, apart from the pre-civil war exploitation of the Nigeria Police during which time they were used by the political leaders in military uniform for the ostensible purpose of bringing back the

The Police and Nigerian politicians Biafran secessionist enclave into the Nigeria fold and which invariably occasioned unavoidable death of almost thousands of them, the series of events masterminded by civilian politicians in the wake of the postcivil war period of the second republic politicking further made nonsense of the value rate and respect for the Nigeria Police. Of course, recalling the litany of grueling storms weathered by men of the Nigeria Police in the hands of both the civilian and military politicians during the regime of General Ibrahim Babangida who himself was by no means less manipulative of the Force, there can hardly be enough to say about General Sani Abacha’s side of the same story of manipulation of the Police. For example, one still recalls the extent to which the likes of Chief Arthur Eze, the celebrated moneybag and friend of the presidency, enjoyed the use and protection of men of the Nigeria police while haughtily flaunting his seemingly unbridled desire to impose upon the people of Anambra the person of Mrs. Joy Emodi as the civilian Governor of the state, via the feigned democratic ambience created at the time by his principal, General Sani Abacha. But granted that the foregoing transpired during the military rule which in itself is an aberration, one had expected that the return of democratic leadership in 1999 would have either brought to an end or greatly reduced to the minimum the manipulative tendencies of Nigerian politicians towards men of the Nigeria Police Force.

Unfortunately, the singular incident of abduction of Governor Chris Nwabueze Ngige of Anambra state on July 10, 2003 by a former Assistant Inspector General of Police, now late Mr. Raphael Ige, with full detachment of Police and under the watchful eyes of President Olusegun Obasanjo-led Federal Government shows that the exploitation of men of the Nigeria Police by politicians in an apparently democratic setting is one that has exposed the helplessness and the plight of this set of regimented fellow compatriots, who rather than criticism deserve our sympathy at all times. To therefore blame the Nigeria Police or any of its men whenever politicians are locking horns with one another over their selfish interest that is often devoid of any connection with issues of welfare of the masses is, to say the least, the most uncharitable thing any keen observer of the politics of policing Nigeria would do.

oday, irrespective of the relatively giant strides recorded so far in our various attempts to widen the democratic space in virtually all ramifications, we are still confronted with this dangerous politics of policing Nigeria with its attendant consequences. Incidentally, the Ombatse group in Nasarawa state which was alleged to be responsible for the killing of scores of police and State Security Service officers is increasingly reported as being squarely enmeshed in the struggle for power with the Governor, Mr. Tanko Al-Makura, over

the latter’s rumoured 2015 second term ambition and his alleged desire to dismantle all forms of quasi-political structure of the group, perceived or imagined, deemed to constitute possible threats or a cog in the wheel of the realisation of his ambition. And much as the veracity of all the media reports flying around in this regard is yet to be ascertained, it is outrageous that the precious lives of men of the Nigeria Police Force could be so cheaply taken in the twinkling of an eye on the grounds of alleged political ambition of the Governor and attempts to scuttle it by a group of individuals perceive to be his new political detractors. This ugly development is not only preposterous but also deplorable. At this juncture, the obvious need be stated that it is in no way less appalling that what we are beginning to see in Rivers state can hardly go for an entirely different scenario short of a replica of the political picture of in Nasarawa state. In fact, be it Governor Amaechi’s alleged disrespect to President Goodluck Jonathan or his rumoured Vicepresidential ambition that brought about the raging crisis in Rivrers state or, perhaps, Honourable Nyesom Wike’s speculated 2015 gubernatorial aspiration that is fueling it, one thing both sides will do well to eschew is this usually bad attitude of Nigerian politicians or their proclivities to blame the hapless men of the Nigeria Police Force for their political misfortune or any form of setback arising from their poor political calculation.

*Mr. Onyiorah, a journalist, wrote from Abuja.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2013— —19

, P

ATIENCE can carry a placard and decide to go on the street of Port Harcourt alone or with her side kicks, if she so pleases and nobody would be bothered. But she can’t and must not employ the apparatus of her husband’s office to do that. Each time Mrs. Jonathan opens her mouth to talk she confirms what many suspected: that she has got her husband wrapped around her little finger and can and indeed does twist him in whatever direction she pleases. This confirms Prof. Tam David-West’s statement in an interview with The News that this woman is actually the one controlling her husband and by extension the country. Given the close link between spouses, it may be to idealistic not to expect that they would somehow exert influence on one another. This is to be expected. But there should be a limit to it and the spouse doing the influencing should be careful not to rub it in the face of everybody, especially where those who would be directly affected by the decisions are not accountable to the influential spouse. Which is the case of Patience and the rest of us. She has no constitutional role

as the wife of the president and she ought to show more discretion in the manner she conducts herself. But no, Madam Patience just has to be noticed. She thrusts herself into matters beyond her knowledge or domestic sphere, pushing her husband into avoidable troubles. In ‘A crude game of power’, the May 30th edition of this column in which I first commented on the bust-up between President Jonathan and Governor Amaechi, I traced the origin of the disagreement between both men to Patience. My exact words deserved to be quoted directly: “In spite of denials by the presidency, the latest being the one by Reuben Abati in the immediate aftermath of the Governors’ Forum election, many Nigerians know better than to believe that President Jonathan is uninterested in the outcome of the Forum’s election....[ ]...this informal association has widened the breach in the relationship between two south-south politicians that probably started for reasons traceable not to any personal animosity between them but the bad blood generated by the

outburst of Mrs. Patience Jonathan who embarrassingly chided Governor Amaechi for actions she considered targeted against the good of her people. It is not impossible that in the many months since this open attack on Governor Amaechi, Mrs. Jonathan has succeeded in turning her personal antagonism for the governor into her husband’s. It wouldn’t be too far-fetched then to believe that the unfolding drama between Jonathan and Amaechi is “ traceable to Patience (My emphasis).

atience Jonathan herself confirmed this statement in her remarks to bishops visiting her in Abuja two weeks ago. She traced the fight between her husband and Amaechi to the demolition exercise conducted by the latter in the waterside area of Okrika four years ago. Patience’s embarrassing conduct on this occasion when she openly chided the governor like an

The blind leading the blind BY TOCHUKWU EZUKANMA

ECENTLY, Ralph Uwazurike, the leader of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), called for a one day sit-at-home. I was deeply disturbed that people, especially in Onitsha, heeded his call. But then, the masses barely think, and consequently, are susceptible to political manipulation. No wonder, Adolf Hitler once told an aide, “never worry about what to tell the people because you can tell them anything and they will believe, and the bigger the lie, the more believable it is to them”. It also partially explains why the masses, irrespective of their number, strength and righteous anger, cannot get anything done, unless, they are directed strategically, that is, led. Ralph Uwazurike is an uninformed activist who is strategically misdirecting the Igbo masses. I once met Ralph Uwazurike. He was in Washington, DC with Chukwuemeka Ojukwu for the opening of the Biafran “House”. Eager to assess this then emergent secessionist activist, I listened to him very attentively and observed him very closely. After the event, I penned my opinion of him thus:“Uwazurike is not a sober and reflective crusader on a planned mission with carefully articulated strategies and objectives. He is an impetus man dabbling recklessly into an issue with potentially momentous consequences. He lacks both charisma and oratorical flourishes. He is neither a scholar nor an intellectual; a philosopher nor a deep thinker; a sophisticate nor a cosmopolite. He is a homespun boyish looking man, with an air of arrogance or the self-importance of a parvenu gloating in his new found prominence.” They were to cut the tape, declaring the C M Y K

Biafran “House” open. They were about four hours late. Tired of waiting for them, Prof. Elekwachi of the Biafran Foundation proceeded to cut the tape and declare the Biafran “House” open. About 30 minutes later, Ojukwu, his wife, Bianca, and Uwazurike arrived. Ojukwu spoke first. He apologised profusely for their lateness. Uwazurike made no apology for his lateness. Evidently, not happy that the Biafran “House” was declared open before their arrival, he said, “you could have gone ahead and done whatever you wanted but whatever you did in the absence of Ojukwu and I was useless”. I was stunned and offended by his bare-faced imprudence. I though it was insensitive and insolent. Even, if it was the President of the United States of America who kept his maids and houseboys waiting for four hours, he would have been polite enough to offer them an apology, no matter how understated. So, who is this boorish upstart thrust into the limelight by prattling his neo-Biafran nonsense who thinks he could keep more than 100 men and women, some of them older than him, waiting for more than four hours and not only refuses to apologise for his lateness, but also, had the temerity to term whatever they did in his absence useless. I was dismayed by his delusion of grandeur and false feeling of indispensability. He continued, “Initially, I did not know what I was doing, but, as democracy allows self expression, I decided to express myself”. So, I started talking about Biafra, and as people started listening to me, I continued. I believe that up till now, he still does not know what he is doing. He needs to stop “talking about Biafra,” and first of all, endeavour to know what he is doing. He needs to be tutored on the history of Nigeria and her social and political temperament,

Mummy Patience Jonathan, one wife too many (2)

Amaechi is in trouble with Jonathan obviously for failing to pay Patience what she considers her due as Mummy or mother of Nigerian politicians. Since her husband is the ‘father’ of the country, she must be the mother of the nation

erring school pupil was widely reported by the media and criticised as unbecoming of the wife of a president. To his credit, Governor Amaechi reportedly kept quiet through it all. But it was clear Patience with an elephant’s memory that rivals President Obasanjo’s in malevolence and in recalling past slight, imagined or real- Patience had neither forgotten much less forgiven Amaechi even though she was the one in the wrong. But she recalls that incident to her visitors in the garbled manner of a sophist, telling them that the governor made no consultation before embarking on the demolition exercise. Yet, it is apparent who Patience thought the governor should have consulted- she the wife of the president. She called and begged Amaechi, she recalls to the bishops, to reconsider his decision but the governor would not listen. The governor went ahead to remove the Chairman (actually Patience called the chairman a ‘boy’ and Amaechi her ‘son’-her exact words!) of Okrika local council for hosting her, she alleges further. What further proof do we need that Patience is behind the fight between Jonathan and Amaechi? Uncle Joe has been shadowboxing all the while. His is a proxy war on behalf of and at the instigation of his wife. The very rhetoric Patience Jonathan employs in her public utterances about elected public officials shows she considers them well beneath her as wife of the president. They must appear to as her husband’s employee or worse yet her own domestic staff. But more than showing what Patience thinks of these elected officials and her oversized ego and overweening ways, her statement says a lot about what she considers her husband, the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. For a woman who calls an elected local

To appreciate the incongruity of this method with the Nigerian political environment and his agitation for Biafra, he needs to read the writings of major proponents of nonviolent protest

the strengths and weaknesses of the Igbo nation, and the principles of Nonviolence (which, according to him, informs his activism). And then, the absurdity of his neoBiafranism will crystallize to him. Nigeria is not breaking up because the generality of Nigerians, despite their vociferous denunciations of Nigeria for her multiple woes, are committed to a united Nigeria. The early attempt to create Biafra was the pipe-dream of someone who in his studied disdain for reason and caution scorned the advice of his father and Nnamdi Azikiwe and railroaded his self-appointed Consultative Assembly into assenting to his secessionist bid.

nlike the masses that were whipped into a paranoiac frenzy by Ojukwu’s propaganda and falsehood, the politically perceptive Igbo were opposed to Biafra. Like Sir Louis Odumwgwu Ojukwu (before his death) and Nnamdi Azikiwe, the Igbo political class was opposed to Biafra. However, intimidated by Ojukwu’s broadstroke labelling and chastisement of anyone who disagreed with him as saboteur, they grudgingly conceded, “you can declare Biafra at your earliest possible convenience.” It was not a heartfelt, firm endorsement but the reluctant consent of an intimidated Assembly.

Council Chairman a boy and refers to Governor Amaechi, a political contemporary of Goodluck Jonathan her husband, one who was already Speaker of Rivers House of Assembly when Jonathan was in Bayelsa as governor or deputy governor- if Patience saw this man as no more than her son, then what does she consider the president, her husband? At best the president cannot climb any higher than Amaechi in his wife’s estimation. Which is why she thinks nothing of it when she corrals state apparatus of power and puts them to personal use. Only somebody’s mother who knows the value of power would deem to use it as she does. Even as a mere metaphor, which she didn’t pretend she meant it to be, in what sense can Amaechi be considered Patience’s son? We can understand the servile, even slavish mentality that would make the ‘motherless’ power monger, Evans Bipi, the Rivers State Speaker-manque who called Patience his mother and Jesus Christ on earth (the man sure knows where his bread is buttered)we can understand this case of forlorn orphanage. But what do we make of a state governor being called a son by an unknown quantum constitutionallyspeaking? It’s people like Patience who as head of organisations or establishments insist on their staff calling them Mummy. Amaechi is in trouble with Jonathan obviously for failing to pay Patience what she considers her due as Mummy or mother of Nigerian politicians. Since her husband is the ‘father ’ of the country, she must be the mother of the nation. Truly, truly yeye dey smell! Concluded PS: My condolences on the passing of Mrs. Jonathan’s mother.

Since those nightmare days when the Igbo defeated, battered and tattered stumbled out of the last vestiges of Biafra, we have made enormous progress across the whole spectrum of the Nigerian social life and gained the respect and confidence of other Nigerians. Uwazurike is undermining the credibility of the Igbo. He is portraying the Igbo as subversive, unreliable and troublous elements and implacable, irredeemable rebels. Igbo land is landlocked with large tracts of infertile land and a population density three times that of Yoruba land. But countervailing these disadvantages are the Igbo’s admirable qualities of courage, determination, hard-edged work ethic and enterprising vigor. Our boundless resourceful energies and effervescent entrepreneur spirit are unyieldingly spilling beyond the confines of our regional borders, and have thus, driven us to every nook and cranny of Nigeria. Operating within an expanded frontier – one Nigeria - is to our advantage. Although MASSOB operatives are sometimes armed and violent, Uwazurike professes that he is guided by the principles of Nonviolence Civil Disobedience in his struggle for the actualization of his Sovereign State of Biafra. To appreciate the incongruity of this method with the Nigerian political environment and his agitation for Biafra, he needs to read the writings of major proponents of nonviolent protest: David Thoreau, Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. The Igbo masses, like the masses, universally, are not politically savvy, and therefore need to be directed strategically. The man, Ralph Uwazurike, arrogating to himself the role of directing them, admittedly, does not know what he is doing. Is that not a classic case of the metaphorical blind leading the blind? *Mr. Ezukanma, a commentator on national issues, wrote from Lagos.

20 — Vanguard Vanguard,,

WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2013

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2013 — 21

UBA unveils e-banking security operations to combat cyber threats BY PETER EGWUATU

PROMO: From left: Mrs Sefia Emuejevoke, General Sales Manager, RwandAir; Mrs Lilian Kyantengwa, Senior Manager and Mr Hafeez Balogun, Country Manager during the press conference of RwandAir ‘Fly and Win’ promo. in Lagos.

17,000 Chinese legally resident in Nigeria — Immigration boss … Illegal residents constitute nuisance BY PROVIDENCE OBUH

he number of Chinese citizens regularised and legally residing in Lagos and Ogun zone of the Nigeria Immigration service is about 17,00 according to Comptroller General of Immigration Service, Mr. David Parradang. However the greatest challenge faced by the service comes from Chinese citizens who come into the country with visiting, tourist or business visa and take up paid employment in the country, Parradang said. He disclosed this in his presentation titled: “Improving Immigration Services on Foreign Investment” at an interactive session on investment and security challenges, organised by Nigeria-Chinese Business Council (NCBC) in Lagos. He told the gathering that paid employment is prohibited with these types of visas, but yet these Chinese are employed by their nationals that have companies in Nigeria, which is tantamount

to breaking the rules and worse, the companies that employed them do not render monthly returns of expatriate quota as stipulated by the service. According to him, “It is pertinent to give a breakdown of the number of Chinese citizens regularised and legally residing in the Nigeria Immigration Zone A (Lagos and Ogun States), and the problem encountered by our operatives in managing those working and residing illegally in

Nigeria. “In Immigration Zone A area, we have a total number of seventeen thousand, seven hundred and twenty eight (17,728) Chinese nationals regularised and legally residing here, bulk of the challenges we face come from Chinese who came into the country with visiting/tourist or business visa.” He noted that over the years, the country has progressively adopted appropriate policy measures to promote or

stimulate inflow of foreign capital in the form of foreign direct investment with a view to providing and boosting increased and sustainable economic growth and national well being. “This, however, may not be achievable if the right political, social, cultural and investment environment is not provided. All hands must therefore be on deck if our vision of Nigeria as the economic hub and power house of Africa and indeed the entire world is to be achieved.”

n its bid to prevent fraud and cyber threats,United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, has commissioned a security operations centre and forensic laboratory that provides a complete monitoring of all electronic banking transactions. Speaking at the commissioning of the centre, Group Managing Director/CEO, UBA Plc, Mr. Phillips Oduoza said “UBA took a major step to secure all electronic banking transactions in the bank and protect its customers against cyber crimes and other forms of ebanking threats not minding the huge cost involved. This is the first of its kinds in the country and sub-Saharan Africa as UBA, being a leading bank in the deployment of electronic banking channels, made a deliberate decision to invest in a robust information security infrastructure, processes and skilled personnel as an effective way to manage information security threats. He stated that that any serious banking institution that wants to succeed in this digital age cannot afford to ignore information security as any major compromise of bank’s system and network has potentials for colossal damage. According to him, “We partnered with top information security organisation that worked with the bank to upgrade our information security infrastructure in Nigeria and 18 African countries where we have presence.”

121.3

-0.95

2,273.00

-60.00

16.91

0.44

JTF arrests 608 suspected oil thieves, seizes 24 vessels

he Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta code-named ‘Operation Pulo Shield’, said it has arrested 608 suspected oil thieves in 594 raids carried out between January and June. The JTF spokesman, Lt. Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Yenagoa that oil theft was consequently on the decline. “So far, we have carried out 594 illegal oil bunkering patrols, and several arrests have been made. In the two quarters we are talking about, we’ve scuttled about 748 illegal refineries

within the region and we have impounded 24 sea-going vessels; we equally arrested 133 barges involved in oil theft. And 861 giant open wooden boats popularly referred to as Cotonou boats have been scuttled over this period. “About 910 large surface tanks, which oil thieves engaged in illegal refineries use to reserve the crude have been scuttled. We’ve taken into custody about 608 suspects who are involved in oil theft and oil theft related cases.’’

107.51 +0.34 104.88 +0.18 CURRENCY BUYING CENTRAL DOLLAR POUNDS EURO FRANC YEN CFA WAUA RENMINBI RIYA KRONA SDR

154.76 237.9125 205.4439 166.6057 1.581 0.2941 233.9126 25.2343 41.266 27.5452 234.709

155.26 238.6812 206.1077 167.1439 1. 5861 0.3041 234.6684 25.3163 41.3994 27.6342 235.4673

SELLING 155.76 239.4498 206.7714 167.6822 1.5912 0.3141 235.4241 25.3983 41.5327 27.7232 236.2256

CBN Exchange rate as at 30/07/2013

22 — Vanguard,WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2013

FIRSTWATCH DR. AKINTOLA OMIGBODUN omigbodunaa@yahoo.com

The first results from FBN Holdings (3) T

TRAINING: Centre for Human Security, Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta organised entrepreneurship training for unemployed graduates scheme ETUG. Above, from left: Ayo Teriba, Professor Kayode Ajayi and Professor Peter Okebukola, Director of the Centre. Photo By WUMI AKINOLA

Fidson’s shareholders okay N1.2bn authorised share capital …Seek rights issue BY PETER EGWUATU

idson Healthcare Plc’s shareholders have endorsed proposal by its Board of Directors to increase its authorised share capital from N750 million divided into 1.5 billion ordinary shares of 50 kobo each to N1.2 billion by creation of additional shares of 900 million ordinary shares of 50 kobo each , ranking pari-passu in all respect with the existing ordinary shares. The shareholders at the 14th Annual General Meeting, AGM, in Lagos gave their approval to increase in authorised share capital and also requested that rights issue be floated to shore up the company’s capital base. Some of the shareholders who spoke the minds of others present at the meeting having endorsed all the resolutions put before them at the AGM, commended the company for the 12 kobo per share dividend declared for 2012, which translated to a total of N180 million as against 10 kobo per share declared in the year 2011, totaling N150 million. Specifically, Michael Cole from National Independent Shareholders Association of Nigeria, ISAN, Yakubu Titilayo, Alex Okoh and host of other shareholders said, “We commend our board and management for giving us 12 kobo dividend given the harsh C M Y K

operating environment the company operated in. However, we hope that the dividend will be higher next year to say N1.00 per share. We also commend efforts by the company in ensuring that our products are available in most pharmaceutical stores in the country.” The shareholders cautioned the management to increase its effort at recovering more debts and demanded that hard copies of Annual Report be given to them in subsequent AGMs rather than the electronic copy. “We will prefer a rights issue than any other option of raising the

capital base since our company is doing well. We will all support the offer,” the shareholders echoed. Speaking, the Chairman of Fidson, Mr Felix Ohiewerei, said, “We commend the shareholders for your support and every issues raised will be looked into. Fidson recorded a turnover of N7.168 billion, about the same for the 18 months ended December 31, 2011. Profit after tax (PAT) was N206.889 million, earnings per share (EPS) grew from four kobo in 2011 (International Financial Reporting Standard) to 14 kobo in 2012.”

UACN grows profit by 61% in six months By NKIRUKA NNOROM

AC of Nigeria, UACN Plc has announced profit after tax of N3.4 billion for the six months ended 30th June, 2013, representing 61 percent growth over N2.1 billion posted in the corresponding period of 2012. Details of the company’s unaudited financial statement for the period filed with the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, showed an impressive performance in key performance parameters with profit before tax rising to N5.2 billion within the period

under review. This represents a 51 percent increase over N3.5 billion recorded in 2012. Further breakdown showed that while operating profit advanced by 43 percent to N5.9 billion from N4.1 billion in corresponding period of 2012, gross profit rose by 11 percent to N9.6 billion from the previous N8.6 billion. Also, the company ’s turnover for the period rose to N37.7 billion, as against N30.5 billion in the same period of 2012, representing 24 percent growth.

his column has discussed on 17 July and 24 July 2013 the results of FBN Holdings, FBNH, Plc as provided in the company’s 2012 annual report and accounts. The report at page 162 gives the value of dividends that have not been claimed by shareholders for the period 2003 to 2011 as N8.561 billion. About 70% of this total is for the financial years ending December 2010 and December 2011. An examination of the annual reports over a number of years shows that against any particular financial year, the amount of dividend that remains unclaimed decreases over time. However, dividends which remain unclaimed for over 12 years stand forfeited and the corresponding funds are transferred to the company’s general reserve. It is likely that each year over the next few years, FBNH will write-back to general reserve at least N100million from the unclaimed dividends account. The directors of FBNH can make the company more shareholderfriendly by applying some of these funds to a campaign that would get most shareholders to claim outstanding dividends. The annual report at page 51 gives the total number of shareholders as 1,238,305 as at 31 December 2012. Of this total, 4,138 shareholders each of whom owns 500,001 units of shares and above account for 63.16% of the issued shares, 39,413 shareholders each of whom owns between 50,001 units and 500,000 units of shares account for 15.39% of the issued shares while 1,194,754 shareholders each of whom owns less than 50,000 units of shares account for 21.45% of the issued shares. The first thing that FBNH should do is to produce lists of shareholders that have unclaimed dividends. The lists should be produced for each of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory in Nigeria. The lists should be made available at all branches of FirstBank and all the other subsidiaries of FBNH. Shareholders should then be asked to visit any First Bank branch and offices of FBNH subsidiaries to check if they have unclaimed dividends such that they can be processed to receive outstanding and future dividends. Shareholders who are affected should be asked to complete Change of Address/Confirmation of Address forms as well as to provide their NUBAN bank account details. Also, details would be obtained of the shareholder’s photo identification in the form of a national identity card, national driving licence or national passport. All the information obtained from shareholders would be forwarded from the First Bank branch to First Registrars. First Registrars would be expected to verify the information provided by the shareholders and once verification is successful, First Registrars should pay any outstanding dividends directly into the shareholder’s account. I understand that First Registrars would rather prefer to issue dividend warrants for outstanding dividends. I have asked myself why there should be a difficulty in replacing a dividend warrant with a direct payment into a shareholder’s account. I note that there are no charges to First Registrars besides Commission on Turnover, COT, when a dividend warrant is presented for payment at the Clearing House while there are charges for a direct payment in addition to COT. FBNH should reimburse First Registrars for all such direct payment charges when a dividend warrant is withdrawn and a direct payment made to the shareholder. I have indicated earlier that FBHN should make itself more shareholder-friendly. If FBNH spent N887.7 million as donations and charitable gifts in 2010 and N968.6 million for the same purposes in 2011, should FBNH not spend some money on getting shareholders to correct/update their records so they could receive their dividends? Should charity not begin at home for FBNH and its shareholders? There is also the matter of electronic issue of share bonuses which FBNH and other companies have to surmount if they are to bring their register of members fully into the electronic age. The Companies and Allied Matters Act, CAMA, ties shares firmly into share certificates. All the Central Securities Clearing System, CSCS, Plc does is to keep electronic records of share certificates of various companies and the transactions on these share certificates. Can FBNH find, say, twenty stockbroking firms that would be willing to open investor’s accounts with CSCS for FBNH shareholders who do not currently have such accounts? There are a number of items which are omitted in the 2012 annual report. These include related party transactions especially risk assets outstanding as at 31 December 2012 and a list of donations and charitable gifts. One hopes these will be restored to the 2013 annual report and accounts. CONCLUDED

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2013 — 23

BRIEFS

Crackdown on risks hit Deutsche Bank, Barclays A

$9 billion rights issue and a fresh purge of assets are among the measures Britain’s Barclays and Germany’s Deutsche Bank announced on Tuesday to meet tougher rules on risk, raising concern among investors that regulators will push other European banks into similar action. Unlike their U.S. rivals, which were quickly restructured and recapitalized in the heat of the financial crisis, Europe’s banks are still trying to extricate themselves from the legacy of 2007-09, with regulators in Britain and the continent fearful that some of them are still too big to fail. “If Barclays needs to raise that much capital, and it was relatively well capitalized by European standards, it suggests we’ve got a long way to go in Europe,” said the head of equities at one UK fund manager. We’ll see this creep in Europe, moving the bar higher and higher to get to where the regulators want to go, and we’ve still got a long way to go in terms of capital raising.” Barclays bore the brunt of a surprise new British curb on banks’ risk exposure, requiring it to raise an extra 12.8 billion pounds of capital in the next year. To meet the new target, Britain’s thirdlargest bank by market value said it would tap shareholders for 5.8 billion

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pounds, shrink its loan book by 65-80 billion pounds and sell 2 billion pounds’ worth of bonds, sending its shares sliding over 7 percent. Tougher rules on risk discourage banks from lending, and Britain’s business minister last week accused the country’s central bank of holding back economic recovery by imposing

higher capital levels on banks. In the euro zone, national regulators are pushing banks to get their houses in order in anticipation of the European Central Bank taking over direct supervision of the bloc’s largest banks next year.

ICar dream downsizes to dashboards as Apple takes on foes

Y year end carbuyers will be able to choose from several vehicles that incorporate Apple’s iPhone functions, using Siri voice controls for navigation, texting, e-mails and music. Displacing competitors in the car may be more difficult than in desktop computing or mobile phones, as the technology giant grapples with challenges including extreme temperatures, noisy cabins and long product cycles. “It’s impossible to overestimate the difficulty of integrating an outside software system well into a vehicle,” said Eric Noble, president of industry consultant Car Lab. “Silicon Valley routinely fails to recognize this.” Apple, the world’s largest technolo-

gy company by market value, wants to gain traction as automakers struggle to balance customer demands with safety concerns. BlackBerry’s Software Systems and Microsoft are the main suppliers of automotive operating system software according to researcher IHS iSuppli, while Pandora is the top in-car music-streaming service. Knowing many consumers already use iPhones as cheap substitutes for built-in navigation systems, automakers are working to incorporate Apple’s technology to minimize driver distraction and increase customer satisfaction. Apple’s Siri is already built into General Motors Co. (GM)’s Chevrolet Spark and Sonic small cars, where it has garnered less-than-rave reviews.

Ghana may hold key rate at 16% awaiting Eurobond proceeds

hana’s central bank will probably keep its interest rate on hold as proceeds from a sale of Eurobonds and loans for cocoa purchases boost dollar reserves, giving the regulator room to support a weaker currency. The Bank of Ghana will maintain the policy rate at 16 percent tomorrow, according to seven of eight economists surveyed by Bloomberg. Andrea Masia, a Johannesburg-based analyst at Morgan Stanley, predicts an increase of 50 basis points, or 0.5 percentage point. The currency of the world’s second-biggest cocoa producer declined 7.8 percent against the dollar this year amid increased demand from manufacturers and traders for the U.S. currency in the import-dependent economy. Policy makers unexpectedly increased the key rate by one percentage point at its May meeting to help stabilize the currency and curb inflation, which reached 11.4 percent in June.

24— Vanguard,

WEDNESDAY, JULY 31 31,, 2013

Nigerians deserve proper diagnosis before treatment — Dr. Abiola Ajayi, MD, ROA Hospital & Surgical Centre BY CHIOMA OBINNA

OR about five days beginning Friday last week, all roads led to the ROA Hospital & Surgical Centre, a comprehensive health care located on Arepo Road, off Lagos- Ibadan expressway, Arepo, Ogun State, where a “medical mission” was in session. From dawn till dusk, the health facility was agog as scores of men, women and children from different parts of Lagos and Ogun States, thronged the premises to benefit from the high quality healthcare services put together by the hospital. Numerous procedures ranging from routine and non-emergency medical procedures such as malaria fever and abdominal disorders to those requiring more intensive attention and even surgeries, were carried out by a team of local and internationally-certified doctors, nurses and other Rexonike Ventures and an healthcare providers. There were repairs of hernias expert in medical and and clavicle fractures. information technology, spoke Complications such as shortly after he emerged from prostatectomies, as well as the surgical theartre after the other laparoscopic and completion one of the surgical endoscopic surgeries were procedures earmarked for the taken care of, in addition to a medical mission, stressed that wide range of complaints from too many Nigerians lacked all those who were open to the access to adequate medical recieve the medical service. All care. “The hospital is trying to the high-level interventions give back to the people. We were carried out at highly started this because a lot of people engage in medical subsidized rates. Essentially, the medical tourism leaving Nigeria to go mission was targeted at people get substandard treatment in who cannot access good countries around, but even medical care because they do though they sometimes get not have the means to consult good treatment, it is unfortunate for such a rich a qualified doctor. “The medical mission is country as Nigeria to be in this designed to bring standard position. An expert in general medical care to those in need, medicine, Ajayi, who was and those who otherwise would trained at the Kent State not be able to see competent University and Northeastern medical experts. The main Ohio Universities, College of reason this hospital is open is Medicine, Ajayi remarked because it is trying to give back that the medical mission was to the people,” said Dr. Abiola neccesary to enable every Ajayi, Managing Director at ROA Hospital & Surgical Nigerian get access to affordable, comprehensive Centre/Clinic . Ajayi, who is also CEO, medical service.

• Dr. Abiola Ajayi, MD, ROA Specialist Hospital, Arepo, during the medical mission. “So, we decided to bring to the people what we know of the American health standard. Our Chairman, Dr Rex Ajayi, is a practising urologist in the United States of America for 30 years, He is my father, it was his vision to create a standard hospital in Nigeria where everything done in the United States of America can be done here. Since I've been here, I have tried to make that dream happen.” Although it held its first medical mission last year, ROA Hospital & Surgical Centre has had good outcomes in the numerous intensive care surgeries carried out since inception in 2007. “Over the course of this medical mission and in conjunction with an eye centre in Ibadan, the ROA health Centre is conducting special eye and general health checkups as well as treatment. Surgeries just like the one I just came out of now would normally cost N75, 000, but the patient barely paid N5,000. “For a prostatectomy that

would normally cost N230, 000, the patient spent about N25,000.’ Continuing, the medical Director noted: We see many cases that have been around for long, the people have gone around looking for help, having been able to afford treatment or found someone able to diagnose it. We see many of such. He said the facility does not have limitations. “There is a wide range of consultants from general surgery to urology, gynecologists and there really isn't much we cannot handle. There is a pharmacy, and inhouse laboratory. “We do not make referrals because we have brought in consultants that can handle the referrals. In the future, we hope to begin training in endoscopic and laparoscopic surgery. “Here, services cost far less than in public or private hospitals. The costs are subsidised by as much as 90 percent during the mission. All the consultations are free. As a

NOHL graduates 206 specialist nurses BY ESTHER ONYEGBULA

S part of its resolve to focus on training of sub-specialisation in ortho paedics as well as improve orthopaedic care, the School of Post Basic Nursing Studies, National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos, NOHL, recently graduated 206 nurses from its Post Basic Orthopaedic Nursing and Post Basic Accident and Emergency Nursing Programmes. Speaking during the 11thconvocation ceremony, Medical Director, NOHL, Dr. Olurotimi Odunnubi, who explained that the graduates were already qualified nurses that have come into the school to sub-specialise in Post Basic Orthopaedic Nursing and Accident and Emergency Programmes. Odunnubi, who said the training would help meet requirements during disaster situations, noted that NOHL was focusing more on training and encouraging sub-specialisation for orthopaedic surgeons. He observed that with the increasing rate of accident and emergency cases in the country, there was an overwhelming societal need to reduce the mortality and morbidity. NOHIL Management Board Chairman, Dr. Gbola Adetunji, said: “Nurses have gone beyond the role of caregivers to become key integrators, care coordinators and efficient experts who are redesigning the patient’s experience.”

patient, you're paying far less.” Daily during the mission, at least 100 patients were accommodated in addition to 10 surgeries depending on the severity of cases. There are five operating theatres, and a mixture of expertise comprising Nigerians trained abroad and in Nigeria, as well as some Americans. At last year's mission, 14 expatriates - 10 from the US and other countries - were in attendance.

Expertise and surgery Ajayi assured that the need for health services in Nigeria cannot be underestimated. “I have only just started promoting this place and already we have a large turn out. There is a great need for good health services for Nigerians who are desirous of expertise and surgery and other forms of treatment.” Arguing that there were a lot of medical expertise in Nigeria, he lamented that medical care especially surgery, is expensive. “Here, the average Nigerian doesn't have health insurance like they do in the United States where insurance covers most of the medical costs, but that is not to take anything away from Nigeria. Even in the US, a lot of primary care and a lot of Nigerians are practicing there. We have the knowledge, we just don't have the resources at the common level. “We have a mixture of Western and spiritual medicine. We do go for a lot of home remedies, but I will say that those home remedies, spiritual remedies that sometimes don't make sense. Effort should be made to get proper diagnosis before you start treating ailments.”

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2013 — 25

DIARY

Select ICT events z ITEXPO West 2013. Holds 27-29 Aug 2013 in Las Vegas, USA.

EDITED by Adekunle Adekoya

zDesign & Manufacturing Midwest 2013. Holds 10-12 Sep 2013 in Chicago, USA. z Middle East Telco World Summit 2013. Holds 23-24 Sep 2013 in Dubai, UAE. zP & T EXPO COMM CHINA 2013. Holds 24-28 Sep 2013 in Beijing, China.

Preview

New inventions shaping life and living

Device hides humans from mosquitoes

NCS 2013 ANNUAL CONFERENCE: From left: President, CPN, Alhaja Sekinat Yusuf; Sir Demola Aladekomo, immediate past NCS President; Communications Technology Minister, Mrs. Omobola Johnson; former Petroleum Minister, Chief Don Etiebet; GMD, Omatek Ventures Plc, Mrs Florence Seriki, and ISPON President, Mr Chris Uwaje during the Nigeria Computer Society 11th annual conference, in Osun State. Photo: Emeka Aginam.

Worry over clogs in way of e-governance at NCS forum BY EMEKA AGINAM

The Kite Patch offers an alternative to toxic sprays by using a blend of ingredients that make humans invisible to mosquitoes. The device is a disposable square only 1.5 inches on each side and is meant to be worn on the clothing. It is embedded with a proprietary blend of non-toxic, FDA approved compounds that disrupt mosquitoes’ ability to track humans through exhaled carbon dioxide. Each patch provides 48 hours of protection once it has been exposed to the air. It was developed with the intention of helping stop the spread of mosquito-borne diseases, and pledge money is being used to send the patches to families in Uganda.

XCEPT issues is sues around legal framework, data security, key public infrastructure among others were resolved urgently, Nigeria’s quest for e-government implementation in the 21st century knowledge society may be derailed. These among others were some of the views expressed by participants at the just concluded international conference on e-government and national security under the auspices of the Nigerian Computer Society, (NCS) Osun State last week. For e-government to work successfully, the forum also noted that there was need to establish steps to protect all critical government information infrastructure and secure computer systems and

I N S I On the Microsoft D Imagine Cup E C M Y K

networks in the country. The IT infrastructure, it would be recalled has been porous as a result of lack of legal framework which has made it easier for foreign vendors to control Nigerian cyber space. The forum further noted that Key Public Infrastructure, which is a set of hardware, software, people, policies, and procedures needed to create, manage, distribute, use, store, and revoke digital certificates must be fully implemented for e-government to work out successfully.

z CRM-expo 2013. Holds 24-26 Sep 2013 in Stuttgart, Germany.

Legal background Although e-government if implemented would address majority of anomalies in governance and improve the delivery of government services, major concerns of the stakeholders at the forum was that necessary legal infrastructure must be put in place for a safe cyber space. For majority of speakers at the forum that elected Prof. D.O Adewumi as the new President, the cyber security bill has to be implemented if the country

Unless IT , education, employment creation are given urgent attention in governance, the fight against terrorism and other acts of insecurity may be long-drawn

RIM targets youths with BlackBerry Q5; links NotJustOk for online contest

INEC goes Satellite on constituency delineation

wants to have a safer environment to operate as it would address many security challenges in the country especially online crimes that have been on the increase as a result of lack of legislation that will enable the court to prosecute and punish online offenders. Cyber security bill coming soon Speaking during the event, the Vice President Namadi Sambo, represented by the Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson assured the gathering on speedy passage of the much awaited cyber security bill which is expected to promote e-government. To tighten Nigerian cyber space, he said that there was urgent for the passage of the cyber security law which has a clause that will enable the President Continues on page 27

Time now to embrace cloud computing, say EMC officials BY PRINCE OSUAGWU

S cloud computing gains ground worldwide, Regional Manager for West Africa, EMC Corporation, Mr. Rasheed Jimoh, has argued that since Nigeria has automatically become the business hub of many local and international organisations, there could be no better time for the country to approach the cloud than now. Jimoh was speaking at the first EMC Forum held in Lagos last week. EMC Corporation is a global company which enables businesses and service providers transform their operations and deliver information technology services efficiently. For him, if cloud is where to go, then Nigeria should be at the

Continues on page 30

IDEA, ISPON link up for software hackathon

26— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2013

On the Microsoft Imagine Cup

ARLY this month, the global finals of the Microsoft Imagine Cup held in St. Petersburg, Russia. Like in previous editions, Nigeria qualified after national finals threw up Team LifeSaver, comprising four students from two universities — Obafemi Awolowo University, IleIfe and Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) in Ogbomoso. The four students — Afolabi Olamide, Oluwole Michael, Akinlaja Solomon and Adewale Adeyinka — .had competed in the national finals in the category of World Citizenship. The enterprising boys developed an application called CardioLife, w h i c h helps prevent heart attacks by monitoring heart readings on the fly via the Microsoft Windows Phone as platform. It also provides a rehabilitation programme for stroke patients using the Kinect sensor. This was the project the Nigerian team took to the StPetersburg finals of the software contest powered by software behemoth, Microsoft Corporation. Though the Team Nigeria project did not fly before the judges at the contest, there are many things to cheer about this year’s participation in the event. Away from previous contests when participants virtually scrounged for funds to ease their presence at the contest, it is noteworthy that this year, they got support. The National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, Dell, Nokia and MainOne, supported Team Life Saver. That is commendable, noteworthy CSR initiative from these organizations; I salute them. But it need not stop there because we are nowhere near where we should be in terms of global competitiveness as far as technology goes. Thus, I want to call on

the organized businesses in the country, especially those that are owned by Nigerians to think, walk, talk, work and invest Nigeria when it comes to technology. 53 years after flag independence is more than enough time to stop blaming colonialism and its tendencies to under-develop our country. The issue now is what have we done so far to ameliorate undesirable state of affairs. Nobody, repeat, nobody will develop our country for us; only Nigerians can develop Nigeria for themselves and posterity. We surely cannot develop by continuing to purchase foreign software with billions of naira that benefits nobody here; we can only get to the next level by deliberately patronising that which is ours. It is only after we do so sufficiently that the worldc l a s s quality we pay other countries so much for can be available here. There is an urgent need to change our attitude. It has been observed that Nigerians love their own food, even in England, US, China, and will pay any amount for a plate of home food abroad. That attitude should be transferred to other things made in Nigeria. Since there is no made in China or made in Germany eba, egusi, pounded yam or afang soup, then we can also have made in Nigeria phones, computers, etc. There is no reason why products from Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing, for example, should not be locally accepted; it is ours, and should be patronized so it can grow. Therefore, I commend the CardioLife project of Team Nigeria to the medical business community for adoption, towards commercialisation and use in our medical facilities. It is time we grew.

It need not stop there because we are nowhere near where we should be in terms of global competitiveness as far as technology goes

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UNNING on the re-designed, reengineered BlackBerry 10 software, global leader in wireless innovation, Research In Motion has unveiled the BlackBerry Q5 device in the Nigerian market. The new product, according to the mobile phone maker is now available from authorized carriers and retailers in Nigeria. The all new BlackBerry Q5 smartphone features a QWERTY keyboard in a stunning, youthful design that makes it easy for customers to have fun, create, share and stay connected.

Colours

It is available in black and white color models, and offers a powerful and unique mobile computing experience with its cutting-edge BlackBerry 10 functionality.

Keyboard re-engineered

Features and apps work seamlessly together, allowing every move to flow into the next. With its QWERTY keyboard, re-engineered to optimize typing, and its 3.1” touchscreen, the BlackBerry Q5 smartphone gives users the

RIM targets youths with BlackBerry Q5; links NotJustOk for online contest best of both worlds. The product comes with the BlackBerry 10.1 software. As part of the BlackBerry 10 experience, a peek into the BlackBerry® Hub lets you stay close to what’s important to you without stopping what you’re doing.

Features

The BlackBerry Q5 device is designed with youths in mind — varied colours, high mega-pixel camera, and the BBM Screen-share and BBM video features. Users can create the perfect shot every time with BlackBerry Time shift, and tell their story using BlackBerry story maker and share with friends on Facebook. Using BBM Video with screen share, more than 120,000 apps available on the BlackBerry world store-

front are waiting to be discovered.

RIM teams up with NotJustOk for online contest Meanwhile, BlackBer-

ry has teamed up with popular online platform, NotJustOk to the “BlackBerry Q5 5x5” contest to Nigeria. With this development, Nigerians now have the chance to vote for some of their favourite musicians and artistes' voice notes and decide which artiste gets to have five brand new BlackBerry Q5 devices to give to their fans. According to BlackBerry, the contest will feature popular artists including Tolu “Toolz” Oniru, Terry tha Rapper , Ajebutter22 , Bez and ChiGul. Accordingly, each, artist’s voice notes will be hosted on the NotJustOk website and their fans will have the opportunity to vote for them on NotJustOk and decide which artiste gets to win five devices to give out to their fans. With Emeka Aginam

IDEA, ISPON link up for software hackathon BY EMEKA AGINAM

HE Information Te c h n o l o g y Developer Entrepreneurship Accelerator, (IDEA) in partnership with the Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON) have concluded arrangements to stage a world class Software Hackathon kicking off today at the Tinapa Knowledge City, Calabar, Cross River State The event aims to correct the misconception of 'what a Hacker is and what it is not' and propagate the core values embedded in the concept and passion of technology innovation and creative thinking, through the Hackathon platform. The objective of the forum is to expose Nigerian Software Startup Developers to experience a superlative software coding baptism incorporating entrepreneural business model with impact to leapfrog them into the next level of global development. The event is designed to inspire and add tremendous value to youthful Software Developers and equip them with 21st Century new skills. While iDEA is the Chief Promoter of the Hackathon, ISPON will facilitate and provide Professioinal Technical support for the event.

The event, according to the organizers will instill Team Work Development based on sustainable business plan - which is designed to attract Venture Capitalist and Angel Investors who have an eye for the winning business of the near future. According to Chris Uwaje, President ISPON, the Hackathon was coming on the background that the Hon. Minister of Communication Technology. - Mrs. Omobola Johnson has worked tirelessly to establish a Technology Knowledge Incubator in Tinapa while tasking iDEA to ensure that the facility is operational within the shortest pos-

sible time. He said that when the initiative was viewed against the backdrop that Senator Liyel Imoke, the Governor of Cross River State has for many years endorsed and supported the National Software Competition organised by ISPON for the Tertiary Institution aimed at discovering and building Code Warriors and Startups. For Kevin McArthur, Herb Lainchbury and Donna Horn (Open Data Hackathon Guide) , the Jargon File. Hacker is a Noun and means. "A person who enjoys exploring the details of programmable systems and stretching their capabil-

ities, as opposed to most users, who prefer to learn only the minimum necessary." The word “Hackathon” comes from combining the words ‘Hack’ and ‘Marathon’, and implies a long sprint to create something useful in a single event. Furthermore, the Hacker Ethic originates from the early days of the computer revolution. Indeed, to call someone a “Hacker ” is viewed as a compliment. The Hacker Ethic centers around the principle that information should be free [as in speech], and that people should have the freedom to repurpose everyday devices in new and unexpected ways.

From Left: Professor Sola Aderounmu, Director Information Technology and Communications Unit; Professor Ayobami Salami, Project Manager and Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic; Mr. Femi Williams, Deputy Managing Director, Chams Plc; Professor Bamitale Omole, Vice- Chancellor during the commissioning of the centre of excellence in software engineering at OAU, Ile Ife.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2013—27

Worry over clogs in way of e-governance at NCS forum Continues from page 25

to designate key ICT resources as critical national infrastructure. Robust and secured IT infrastructure: Accordingly, the Minister in her keynote speech said that the development of a robust, secure and shared IT infrastructure managed by the Galaxy backbone

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would enhance e-government services. Skill and talent: She said that the skill and talent to mange the effective and efficient deployment of a substantial IT budget were needed for eg o v e r n m e n t implementation. To make e-government

initiative successful, citizens must also be confident about transacting their businesses over the internet or other ICT channels, she explained. “The internet must be considered safe and secure place with citizens confident to provide sensitive information online. We

must also have secure ways o working and recourse to the rule of law to discourage potential offenders and punish actual ones. The recent experience with ‘Paddy hacker ’ Vice President speech and is only one example of what we can expect if we do not tighten up our secu-

rity” she explained. Proliferation of biometric databases: The apparent proliferation of biometric databases at the national and subnational level key infrastructure required to deliver e-government services to the citizens, according to her , raises concerns about trust in government’s ability to store manage vast amounts of sensitive information. The protection of citizen online activity will mean investments in the systems that reduce the possibility of identity theft and robust privacy laws that protect citizen information that is available online” the Minister further ex-

plained. The immediate past President of the NCS, Sir Demola Aladekomo in address told the gathering that egovernment and national security as the theme of this year ’s conference was borne out of the need to highlight the relevance of IT to governance and national security to ensure real, allinclusive development and transformation of governance through IT, while overcoming the menace of insecurity bedeviling the nation. Fight terrorism with IT Unless IT , education, employment creation were given urgent attention in governance, the fight against terrorism and other acts of insecurity may be long-drawn, he said. He said that egovernment will tackle the problems of p o v e r t y, disease, unemployment and hunger, adding that E-government strategies that work facilitate both public sector and private sector development” he said. KPI to curb cyber crime: Fo r Ta o f e e q Olatinwo, President/ CEO Harmony Wo r l d w i d e I n c s a i d that in our goal to attain vision 2020, the government needs to take advantage of PKI to curb Cybercrime and improve our image He said that KPI if implemented by NITDA will create digital signatures detailing the information about a specific transaction in order to forestall electronic transaction crimes, confirms or authenticate people or parties involved in the transaction, and reduces or eliminates outrageous claims and legal tussles resulting from financial. He recommended that government should approve the PKI blueprint developed by NITDA and start the implementation for all e - g o v e r n m e n t systems, continue and complete the establishment of a fully functional national digital forensic laboratory in the office of the NSA and also work with IT professionals, investors and entrepreneurs to develop a sustainable and secure platform for c y b e r a c c e s s i b i l i t y, secured transaction and credible identity.

28 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2013

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2013 — 29

Arsenal, Spurs,

We don’t ha havve a 1st choice k eeper yye et keeper —- Golden Eaglets’ coach

Newcastle fight to sign

BY JACOB AJOM

Uche

he trio are all keeping tabs on the frontman who plays for Dutch side VVV Venlo. Nwofor ’s pacy and powerful style has seen him likened to Aston Villa’s instant hit Benteke. The 21 year-old bagged 10 goals for Venlo last season, despite their relegation from Holland’s top flight, to earn a

call-up to Nigeria’s national squad. Nwofor was close to joining CSKA Moscow in January for around £3m but they are now facing competition from clubs in England. Chelsea and Benfica were contenders to sign Nwofor before he opted to join Venlo in 2011.

e was a member of the Saudi ’89 squad that produced one of the most remarkable results in Nigeria’s recent football history. Like most goalkeeper ’s, Amadi’s contribution to the squad’s historic feat, the Damman miracle – coming from 0-4 down in the first half to win against Russia through penalties in a quarter final duel – have greatly been undermined by chroniclers of Nigerian football. “I was in goal for the squad and it

and Country Club (IGCC), Asaba has won the Ladies best Net at the maiden Delta Open Golf Tournament which ended on Sunday Uwabor was rewarded with a return flight ticket to Dubai on Business Class. Playing han dic ap 16, Uw abo r grossed 193 and 161 net in the one wee k tou rna me nt wh ich fea tur ed Am ate ur, Ladies and Guests categories dis pla yin g the ir gol f

•Fuludu

Sir, how did it all start? Well, the truth is that as an exfootballer, I thought we could introduce some innovations into football starting from the micro level before we can go to the national level. I wouldn’t just jump to the national level to say I want to be the Secretary General of NFF and all that

stuff. So we must start from our base and I have an Executive Chairman, the Chairman of the Delta State Sorts Commission in the person of Amaju Pinnick who also understands where we are headed. We spoke and he said that he is going to give me the responsibility to organize the State League, as it is. So I took time to think, sat with him and had fruitful discussion and we came out with this model to first organize a play-off that will produce teams that we can classify in the first division, second division and third division so that seeding could be done in the state properly. If we have Warri Wolves in the Premier League and we also have J.

Atete F.C. In the National Amateur League, we must have a state division 1, a division II and division III so that when we are doing seeding, people will know where they belong not by balloting. The second step was how to go about it? We now asked clubs to register, we had 59 clubs in the state w h o registered and we said we must do play-off. We grouped them into different zones, Sapele was the first point. Seven teams came from there and two teams qualified. Everything was done on the basis of percentage so that no person will feel cheated. Eventually, Warri with 15 teams came out with 4 teams, a,b,c and d. The people that topped became the four teams representing Warri Zone. For now we have 16 teams and because of time factor, we will not play home and away basis because that will amount to each team playing 30 matches in the season. That would have stretched to next year. So we thought that the best option was to do an abridged league and the Chairman agreed. First of all, he spoke with Zenith Bank to give us some assistance as a landing point for us to take off from. That granted, we felt we can now start to source for additional

sponsorship so that we can push the game forward. What have been the challenges before you got to this point? Initially there was a lot of skepticism. Usually, when programmes like this are launched, sustaining the tempo becomes a big problem. So people generally welcomed this programme with skepticism. We also had the problem of financing. But when the Chairman of the Sports Commission gave me his word and said he was going to assist us to start before we can start running, we now decided to go ahead. So we went ahead, spoke to the clubs, told them to be firm, let them persevere with us. We also had the issue of referees. Referees are

stakeholders. When we offered them the money that was available, they thought that government must be pumping money into the system which was not true. So we said, please look at the accounts you are stakeholders. If you help us, the coaches will improve, you referees will improve and we can have corporate sponsors to come and put money in the system so that we can have enough money to run it properly. So finance was a big challenge until the Chairman came in. the other issue was the issue of skeptics I talked about. People were feeling that it was not possible but when we finished the play-offs and it was transparent and people qualified based on performance, they now accepted the league as genuine. I have a club called New Vision Academy, they did not qualify. So it gave a lot of credence to the fact that this people are transparent. Zenith Bank is your title sponsors, what effort are you making to attract more sponsors? We need you people – the press- because you are our eye as it is now. If you don’t report this thing, people will not even know what is happening. You will assist us. We have tried to speak to some corporate organizations; the thing is that they always want to see the league going on well before they can say it is is real. They are also skeptical that this people may not be real but

disappoint our teeming fans back home,” A madi said. He said the tournament was the turning point in his career as

•Emeka he left the country to live in Germany. His stay in Germany has

Uwabor, Ogbonna win maiden Delta O pen Golf tourney Angela Uwabor of Ibori Golf artistries.

•Nwofor

Delta State league will bring about real development – Fuludu hat started like a dream has come to manifestation. The Zenith Bank- Delta State Division I League, the brain child of ex-Super Eagles player, Edema Fuludu has perhaps, grown faster than anticipated as 16 teams are jostling for honours. The Delta State Sports Commission appointed Fuludu Chairman of the League Board. The ex-Super Eagles star spoke with our Correspondent on how he charted the rough tracks of beginning a new project to the height the fledgling league has attained through the intervention of the chairman, Delta State Sports Commission, Amaju Pinnick. Excerpts

was a great feeling when we won that match. We were fired by a patriotic zeal and the determination not to

been exciting and challenging. “In Germany, I am a coach, a social worker and a lecturer in schools. I combine all to affect the society positively.” Currently, the former youth international is Golden Eaglets goalkeepers’ trainer. To give informed coaching and make effective use of his expertise, Amadi sponsored himself to a coaching course in Germany last year. “Every winning team must have a good goalkeeper,” he started. “To ensure I dished out the best instructions to our goalkeepers, I attended goalkeepers’ training course in Germany, between June and July last year”.

In the ma le cat ego ry 2, Nwike Ogbonna of Makurdi Golf Club won the best Net playing Handicap 9 with a total Gross of 168 and 140 Net. Mrs. Margaret Atu of UBTH Golf Course won the nearest to the PIN wh ile Ga brie l Okpunor of IGCC won the lon ges t Dri ve in the me n category. Rev ere nd (M RS .) Omatshola Williams won the Best Net Veteran Category

We’ll be a better host —Amadi •2014 Sports Festival By Solomon Nwoke

since we are doing this now and the fixtures are out, clubs are enthusiastic and we have started playing, I believe that when you report it, sponsors will start coming. What will the winner of the League take home? The winner of the league will have a cash prize of N500,00:00 because this is the beginning and as we progress we will look for more funds and improve.

•Dr. Amadi HE Director of Sports in Cross River state, Dr. Jude Amadi has assured all comers to next year’s National sports festival that the south -south state will be a better host just as they are expecting to host the Super Eagles in their next world Cup qualifier in September. Speaking to our correspondent at the 1st Chief E.K Clark National wrestling championship in Warri Delta state, on the preparations so far, the ebullient sports administrator said, “Cross River State is now seen as the Mecca of sports in Nigeria because of the facilities put in

place in readiness for the games and we attribute it to His Excellency Governor Liyel Imoke who has a great interest in sports. Our hosting will increase traffic because of the large number of visitors that will be coming and it will add a lot of economic value to the state. It will also give a big boost to the tourism sector.” Dr Amadi however assured that the festival would not suffer postponement as preparations are already in top gear. He also assured that the state would strive to be a good host, not necessarily, by hosting to win. “There is nothing wrong in hosting to win but we want to host well. We have put everything needed in place, from the facilities, our traditional hospitality and our athletes all to make it a huge success. We are ready and fully prepared. By the grace of God, the festival will not suffer any postponement because this year, the building of facilities is ongoing and the committee is up and doing to make sure we host well. Remunerations for the athletes have been approved by the Governor, so we are fully prepared”, he said.

playing Handicap 27 as she Go ver nor Em ma nue l secured gross 234 and 180 Uduaghan for his unfettered net. support to the development of The Captain of the Ibori Golf Golf in the state. and Country club, Hon (Barr) He advised youths to shun Daniel Mayuku described the violence and idleness while One week golfing fiesta as a encouragin g them to try their hug e suc ces s. He ass ure d han ds in gol f for a bet ter other golfers that efforts are future as well as calling on in top gea r to cre ate new corporate organisations and bon ker s and hol es and governmen t to commit more expand the greens to improve resources to golf. the standard of the game. Nigeria Number one Golfer, Ma yuk u als o tha nke d Amos Kob lar of Ghana had earlier won the professional

Bale valued at £126million

eports in Spain claim that Tottenham have put a £126million price tag over Gareth Bale as Real Madrid continue their pursuit of the midfielder. It had been expected that the transfer of Bale would break the world record transfer fee set at £80million by Real’s purchase of Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United in 2009. According to Spanish paper Marca, Real Madrid will have to pay that fee and double again if they wish to snap up Bale this summer. The paper also reports that Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain have made bids for the Welshman but are not expected to compete with the La Liga side. The Daily Star believe that Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas is finally ready to let his star player leave but wants the deal sorted as quickly as possible in order to find replacements before the start of the season, if needed. Spurs chairman Daniel Levy will push Real Madrid right to

30—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2013

WSI Axon challenges Nigerian businesses on digital marketing opportunities BY JOY OBOMASE

PPARENTLY con sidering that many countries of the world are seriously directing their businesses towards the potentials of digital marketing, a Nigerian internet marketer and Managing Director of WSI-Axon Africa, Chief Edirin Abamwa, has frowned at the low pace at which businesses in Nigeria are harnessing

digital marketing benefits. He said that businesses needed to leverage on full potentials offered by digital marketing, to boost their profitability. In a media parley in Lagos, Chief Edirin said, “it is a sad fact that Nigerian businesses are slow to wake up to this fact and those who now have the awareness seem to be lost on how to proceed. However, we have

come to help them”. Abamwa added that “Today marketers are hungry for guidance and given the importance of digital media, organizations should realize that if they are not active on the internet, they are not paying attention to details. Weather you are a marketer, an apprentice, employee or an employer, digital marketing has an approach that you can benefit from. It is in line

with this that WSI Axon plans to organize a digital marketing training in September.” He said that the digital marketing training will equip participants with the tools they need to assess their organizations social media marketing strategy and help them identify areas of improvement. The training according to him, promises to take participants through a combi-

nation of case studies, best practice examples, and exercise, which will open them to strategies for finding, and engaging, and encouraging brand advocates. “They will also understand how the elements of a digital marketing strategy can bring customers to them, including the power of search engine optimization, paid search, and online advertising. Learn how to strengthen and promote their positive corporate image online, while downplaying or removing negative listing, image online. Be fully equipped on how best to defend their brand from deceitful activities and persons firms online,” he added. Giving an overview of the company, Head, Digital Marketing, Amara Nwankwo, explained that that WSI means, ‘We

Simplify Internet’. She recalled that the outfit, startedoperation in 1995 with head office in Toronto, Canada, although it has over 1000 offices in more than 80 countries with hundreds of Certified experts of the world’s largest network of Internet Consultants that provide advanced digital marketing solutions for businesses of all sizes and industries. According to her, “our goal is to partner with businesses to elevate their online brand reputation, generate more leads through the Internet, tap into new revenue opportunities and take their profit potentials to higher levels. “We provide two major services; Internet Marketing/Consulting and Franchise Opportunity. The West Africa branch of WSI-Axon works with clients to achieve their business objectives.

Time now to embrace cloud computing, say EMC officials Continues from Page 30

forefront of the journey. “As the global IT community examines the tremendous benefits of big data, the efficacy of cloud computing, and the inherent security concerns, there is no better time than now to bring this same conversation to Nigeria. We have hosted the EMC Forum in several countries across the world and each time it has proven to be an effective platform for a convergence of experts and thought leaders to shape the direction of cloud computing and today Nigeria joins the train of success stories”. He also challenged Nigerian businessmen and participants at the forum to ensure that the conversations at the forum, continue to resonate and cause the IT transformation expected in various sectors of the economy. Meanwhile, EMC’s Vice President and Global Chief Technology Officer, Mrs. Patricia Florissi, claimed that the company has seen some impressive growth since it debuted in Nigeria. She said that in 2012, for instance, EMC recorded about $21.7 billion revenue, representing business growth of about 40 per cent across Nigeria. Speaking on the theme ‘Lead Your Transformation’ at the forum, Florissi noted that the four cardinal drivers of IT businesses in this modern age to include Mobility, Cloud, Big Data and Social media. However, she C M Y K

hinted that none of these can flourish without trust, adding that it was the main reason many businesses were not harnessing the right tools to stabilize their operations. She warned that the reason why businesses should take these fundermentals seriously included the recent IDC predictions on growth of data. “IDC projects that the digital universe will reach 40 zettabytes by 2020, an amount that exceeds previous forecasts by 5 ZBs, resulting in a 50-fold growth from the beginning of 2010. “With this data growth and in order to meet the service-level demands required by businesses today, IT organisations should recognise the need to transform their infrastructure and operations in order to address the pressing cost, efficiency, scalability, security, and agility questions that they need to manage”. Florissi also said that “while cloud computing offers the promise of transforming IT and significantly lowering operating costs, it is real-time big data analytics that will fundamentally transform businesses across Nigeria by identifying new revenue opportunities through key competitive insights and timely decision-making and improved customer experience. “At EMC, we strive to help customers achieve their objectives and drive business growth and that’s what we have come to showcase at EMC forum.”

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2013—31

OAU retools for e-learning as next paradigm shift in education BY EMEKA AGINAM

INEC goes Satellite on constituency delineation BY EMMANUEL ELEBEKE

HE Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC says it has concluded plans to adopt satellite services in the proposed review of the electoral boundaries and constituencies in the country. Chairman of INEC, Prof Attahiru Jega disclosed this when he paid a courtesy visit to the National Space Research and Development Agency, NASDRA in Abuja. Jega who expressed satisfaction with the

C M Y K

quality of facility at NASDRE and the capacity of the personnel, said that the review of the country’s electoral constituencies is long overdue as they were developed in 1996 based on the 1991 census. He said that the 1999 constitution empowers INEC to review the division of states into senatorial districts, federal constituencies, state constituencies and FCT electoral wards, at intervals of not less than 10 years. He however, stressed

the need for the review of the existing electoral constituencies in order to ensure more equity in political representation, warning that if electoral boundaries are not adjusted periodically, it could lead to mal-apportionments. He however, urged NARSDRA to partner with INEC to actualize the project through the use of satellite services, by getting high resolution imagery covering the entire nation as at 2012 in hard and soft copies.

“ We will therefore want NASDRA to help us in getting high resolution imagery covering the entire nation as at 2012 in hard and soft copies. We also want imagery showing new settlements in Nigeria by states in hard and soft copies. Also, we will need imagery of population density in Nigeria in hard and soft copies. “INEC will like to have locality list of Nigeria in hard and soft copies as well as street maps of Nigeria in hard and soft copies.

HERE were convinc ing signals that Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife-Ife was retooling for e-learning as next paradigm shift in 21st century education following the formal launch of the center of excellence in software engineering recntly at the University. The centre of excellence which was supported by Step-B/World Bank with a grant of $5.6 million is powered with many facilities including Internet access laboratory, software studio, cloud computing centre, Telepresence, hardware design, and software engineering laboratories respectively, while Skye Bank supported the project with a building worth 180 million naira The facility which is the first of its kind, has the carrying capacity of about 1200 students per use. The establishment of the centre of excellence in software engineering is expected to solve the problems of inadequately prepared post-basic teachers to cope with the 21st century science and technology challenges. However, if fully utilized, the centre is also expected to address paucity of educational software that utilizes teaching aids such as simulation, animations and graphics for teaching and learning of science and technology post basic courses. Commissioning the centre recently at the university , Professor Bamitale Omole, the Vice-Chancellor of the University told the gathering that the major mission of the University with respect to ICT, as documented in the Strategic Plan (2010-2015) was to run a cost efficient and effective academic programmes and institutional management. He said that with the facilities at the centre, teachers and students can interact seamlessly without having to be together in the traditional classroom environment. With most Universities embracing e-learning globally with modern technologies, he disclosed that the mission is to develop ICT to a level such that it will serve as backbone of the university’s development strategy in teaching, curriculum development, innovation, research, administration and service. “As an evidence of this, OAU, was ranked number 1 in Nigeria, during the last webometric ranking. I am also proud to say that OAU has 491 Mbps of Internet bandwidth which al-

lows for fast access to the internet. I am sure that the entire OAU community will make the best use of the equipment. It is also my hope that this Centre will facilitate collaborations between researchers and industry, and sharing of research results. “The good news is that Sir ‘Demola Aladekemo, Group Managing Director, Chams Plc is in the process of expanding the software studio within this Centre of Excellence. Approval has already been granted for the land to execute this project” he said. During the tour of the facilities within the Centre, Prof. G.A. Aderounmu, the ICT Director explained that the centre seeks to create enabling environment for imparting knowledge in science and technology using ICT driven, participatory and student centre teaching and learning approaches. According to him, the goal of the centre was to develop the required local science and technology human resources for the nation's post basic institutions with built-in functional ICT capacity. Explaining further the benefits of the facilities, he said that the telepresence is equipped with Huawei TP3118 product which is tri-screen telepresence system with one row of conference tables seating eighteen participants. This brings people together in a best ever virtual meeting experience, immediately and enjoyable. Synergy between people creates value, reduces cost and help you stray ahead of competition. Lecture delivery to large class and web conferencing are some of the advantages of using the facilities” he said. According to him, the Cloud Computing Environment consists of 7.7 TB cloud server for applications and operating systems and cloud storage of 96TB with 500 virtual terminals. With CaaS as ones of the services deployed in the OAU cloud, he added that web conferencing, video communication services, emails among others help the academic community in e-learning environment. The University Don further explained that the software studio in the centre provides a conducive environment for software developers to meet, interact, and enhance their development skills. The software developers within the studio, he said are responsible for the development of various application software for local and international consumption.

32 — Vanguard Vanguard,,

WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2013

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2013 — 33

Was my boyfriend’s dad that drunk?

I now regret getting married Dear Bunmi, Last year, I had a one-night stand and although we went on a few dates after, my heart wasn’t in the relationship. Then she told me she was pregnant, so I stuck by her. My parents were appalled and I am really miserable. I find myself lying about working late so I can be with my friends and let off steam. I love my daughter but I’m angry and frustrated— I thought my first child would be one of the happiest occasions of my life. I would feel like a bad father and a weak man if I were to end my marriage. What should I do? Jack, by e-mail. Dear Jack, You’ve just provided a sound reason for a proper use of contraception, unprotected s.x make babies and when they come along, you have a life-long responsibility. But you have shown incredible strength as most men wouldn’t have managed the same fate. You’ve stood by a woman you barely know, despite your misgiving and your parents’ disapproval. Now it’s time to make a decision. So start by closing your ears and listening to your heart. You told me about what your parents think about your partner but nothing about what you feel. Do you think you could build happiness with her? Don’t forget the pressure of becoming a parent can bruise the most loving relationship. But your despair might suggest the problem lies deeper. Sometimes quitting is not the coward’s way out, it is a brave thing to do because if you leave, you’ll have to live with these guilty thoughts. So instead of hiding with friends, figure out a way of being a good father without being manipulated by your partner. Tell your partner how

you really feel and let her realise you will support her and your child. Separation is best done by degrees, especially when children are involved. Find a place to stay and visit your partner and child and make those times really positive, constructive and helpful. The break will do you good and you can then reas-

sess your position. Relationships are the toughest game to play and society often condemns those who leave the ones that don’t work. There’s no failure in having tried to make a relationship work. The real failure is living a lie then offering that as a way of life to our children.

‘

Let your friends get their anger out of their systems and wait for the storms to pass. When it does, you can talk to them both separately

’ ‘

Now we’re divorced he doesn’t care for our son Dear Bunmi, My husband and I divorced some years back and we have a 10-year-old son. He seldom visits the boy, though I’ve always encouraged him to. Now and again, I have to shout and moan at him to get him to see that his behaviour is upsetting out son. He then becomes good at picking up our son for a while before the nagging starts all over again. Things have got to a stage where I’m confused about what to do. Should I stop phoning my ex to ask him why he hasn’t turned up and when he will see our son next? If he rings me, should I let him continue having contact? I can’t put up with this any longer. Betty, by e-mail.

Dear Betty, The break up of a family is always tragic. You have been hurt and so have your son and his father. From this complicated and emotional mess, you, a good mother, have salvaged continuing relationship between a father and his son and I admire you for that. You need to persevere with this situation. Your son would have every reason to be angry if you stopped these haphazard visits by his father. Has your son expressed the desire not to see his father? Allow his dad to always feel wanted and welcome. With patience an acceptable visiting schedule could be agreed to by both of you.

I was made to feel the villain Dear Bunmi, A few years ago, my friend and her husband of nine years got divorced. It took her a long time to get over it. Recently, another friend of ours told me she’d started seeing someone. Although she wouldn’t tell me who he was, I realised the new man was our other friend’s ex-husband. I was torn as to whether or not to get involved, but decided it was none of my busi-

Dear Bunmi, I’ve been with my boyfriend for a year now and things are good between us. I’ve met both his parents. Kenny is his mum’s only child but his dad had a couple more kids with other women. He’s however, close to both parents, so its’ important to him that we all get along. Initially, I liked his mum, who was lovely, but not his dad as he somehow looked the unserious type to me. He was always flippant about serious issues, and so touchy-feely for my liking. I tried not to be oversensitive about his behaviour until when he made a pass at me. It was a family get-together and everyone was drinking. It was a local Asun night and we were all outdoors. Feeling a bit woozy, I went to the living room and he was there. Suddenly, he brushed his hand against my boobs, saying “like father, like son.” Then he came over to drape his arm on my shoulders! It looked as if he had an erection. It was horrible and I shouted at him. But he left, saying it was a misunderstanding. I felt really sick and disappointed. Kenny worships his

ness. Now everything has come out and they ’re both accusing me of taking sides. I can’t understand why I’m being painted as the villain here. Motola, by e-mail. Dear Motola, Your friends are too upset now to listen to the voice of reason and there’s very little you can do for now to clear your name. Emotions

are riding high and everything you say will fall on deaf ears. In this situation, people look for someone to blame and at the moment, you’re the ideal candidate. Let your friends get their anger out of their systems and wait for the storms to pass. When it does, you can talk to them both separately, and explain that you only acted in their best interest.

dad, so I can’t tell him what happened. I keep making excuses not to go over to their house but it’s now looking suspicious. How can I handle this? Lucy, by-email. Dear Lucy, I wouldn’t tell Kenny about his dad just yet. You are close to his family so you could try and sort things out yourself. What happened could be a one-off because everyone was drunk. The incident may have been just as embarrassing for Kenny’s dad as it was for you and this may make him think twice about his actions in future. Your man and his dad have a close relationship, so if you tell Kenny, he could blame you and say, you’re jealous of the relationship he has with his dad. The best thing you can do is have a serious talk with Kenny’s dad and warn him never to make a pass at you again. Chances are he is giving himself a worse time than you. I would give this man another chance if I were you. If he repeats the performance, then you should tell Kenny right away.

You’ve stood by a woman you barely know, despite your misgiving and your parents’ disapproval

’

He couldn’t help being jealous Dear Bunmi, After being unattached for quite a while, my friends finally linked me up with my current boyfriend. He was one of the greatest blokes I’d ever gone out with. Things were going so well at first, that I didn’t pay too much attention to his little jealous fits. In fact, I kind of liked them, believing he felt that way because he loved me. But his fits got worse and made us argue all the time. No amount of reassurance seemed to make him feel better. In the end I broke off the relationship because he said he just couldn’t handle his feelings for me any more. But I still love him and want him back, but he has to lose the jealousy first. Is there anything I can do? Munachi, by e-mail.

Dear Munachi, Firstly, you need to be upfront with this man. Let him know you do love him, but he needs to change his behaviours. If you do that, then he’ll realise he has to change. Next, help him to overcome his jealous feelings. For all you know, they could come from the fact that he feels unworthy— so help him believe in himself. Whatever happened, you need to be firm about not letting his jealousy rule your life. He must allow you to go places and make friends without him, so he can gradually learn to trust you. However, if he still insists things are too hot for him to handle, accept that and let him go. As you rightly believe, if he can’t stop being jealous, then he’s not the one for you.

Share your problems and release your burden. Write now to Dear Bunmi, Vanguard Newspapers, P.M.B 1007, Apapa, Lagos. or bunmsof@yahoo.co.uk

34—VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2013

Light at the end of the tunnel? APGA crisis:

MONDAY, July 29 will go down as a special day in the history of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). It was a day that the arrowheads in the rekindled crisis that ravaged the party for about a year – Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State and factional National Chairman, Chief Victor Umeh, decided to sheathe their swords in the interest of the party.

people through APGA and we have been successful in this bid as we have been able to do impossible things in Anambra State. It is the work of the Devil that some problems reared their heads, but those of us who have laboured together were not happy. But today, I can tell you that this is a new dawn in our party. "Having declared the APGA crisis over, I did that with a sense of responsibility, knowing that once I reconcile with my brother, peace will return to the government and the party. Some people lined up behind us during the crisis, but today, they have no other choice than to allow peace to reign in our party. This is a no victor, no vanquished situation.

Landscape of Anambra State

•Obi and Umeh in warm embrace signifying end of feud

HE fence-mending came at a time the party was on the verge of shooting itself on the foot as regards the October local council and November governorship elections in Anambra State, where it is the ruling party. It will also be a huge relief for crises-weary party faithful, who have been assailed by one form of crisis or the other in the last eight years beginning with the Chief Chekwas Okorie-cumVictor Umeh protracted battle for the soul of APGA, which ended last year when Okorie founded the United Progressives Party (UPP). Governor Obi and Umeh had been at loggerheads for several months over Obi’s insistence that Umeh’s tenure as national chairman had expired. Obi in April spearheaded an APGA National Convention in Awka at which Chief Maxi Okwu emerged as chairman. The Appeal Court in separate rulings recognized Okwu and Umeh as chairmen with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) backing Umeh. The lingering crisis came to an end following a marathon parley

between Governor Obi and Umeh at the Government House, Awka. The duo emerged from the marathon closed-door parley beaming with smiles and exchanging pleasantries with party members of the warring factions. Their entry into the Executive Council Chambers of the Government House at about 4:30pm on Monday threw the hall into jubilation. Members of the state executive council who had earlier held their weekly executive meeting left their seats to greet Umeh’s delegates that included Anambra State chairman of APGA, Chief Mike Kwentoh and his deputy who were on the side of Umeh during the crisis.

National convention However, conspicuously absent at the peace deal were Chief Maxi Okwu, who emerged the factional national chairman following the April 2013 convention in Awka, as well as Chief Egwuoyibo Okoye, who emerged the state chairman from that convention. Also absent was Chief Sylvester Nwobu-Alor, the erstwhile special adviser to Governor Obi

on Parks and Markets, who, in fact, motted the idea of the restructuring exercise aimed at removing Umeh and his executive members that emerged from the 2010 national convention in Awka. Signs that the warring factions would sheathe their swords as soon as possible started showing when the two major personalities in the crisis -Obi and Umeh started lending their ears to some stakeholders, who were prepared to reconcile them. One of such personalities was the Anglican Bishop of Enugu, Most Rev Emmanuel Chukwuma, who insisted during a synod in Enugu attended by both men that they must end the crisis as the entire Igbo people were looking up to them. Shortly after that, Umeh met the wife of the late leader of APGA, Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu, who was all the while on the side of Governor Obi and it was reported that she was asked to step into the shoes of her late husband as leader of the party. That issue settled, the proper setting for return to peace in APGA was in place and the next issue was for Obi and Umeh to talk to each other. For several hours, both men were inside Obi’s office hammering out the

reconciliation terms. It’s a new dawn for APGA — Umeh. Umeh, who spoke at the end of the meeting, described the crisis in the party as the work of the devil who always seek to ensure that good things do not endure. Grinning from ear to ear,

BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE & VINCENT UJUMADU

“With the reunion which has come to be, the political landscape of Anambra State will change automatically and those who are making pretences that they will come and take over the government of Anambra State from APGA will be thoroughly disappointed. “Even though we had challenges in our party, the government in Anambra State has remained focused and never derailed as the governor, true to our party manifesto, has applied visionary approach to governance and has been able to make giant strides in developing the state. “The governor has been able to deliver and the achievements he recorded will be our strength in the forthcoming elections. Our late leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu will be very happy at the turnout of events in

However, one issue that Obi and Umeh would look into is Obi’s preference for the party’s governorship candidate for the November 16 election to come from Anambra North in line with his zoning arrangement aimed at giving Anambra North the opportunity to produce his successor

Umeh said: “Today is one of the greatest days in the life of our state and our party. My visit to Governor Obi is to crystallize the various peace meetings we have held in the past and also to declare to the whole world that the crisis in APGA has come to an end. ”Undoubtedly, many people who had followed the events inn our party will be surprised at this dramatic end and it is to the glory of God that I have reconciled with my brother. We have worked together for many years in trying to chart a new course for our

APGA today because what he left for us has remained intact and we have conquered the Devil.” We’ve disappointed APGA’s enemies On his part, Governor Obi credit must go to all those who ensured that peace returned to the party after many political opponents were almost rejoicing that APGA had been torn apart. According to the governor, with APGA now united, the campaign to ensure that the party wins all elections in the state will begin without delay. He also mandated Continues on page 35

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2013 —35

Fasehun, Adams bicker over Al-Mustapha BY DAPO AKINREFON

HE crisis rocking the Oodua Peoples’ Congress, OPC, deepened over the the weekend as founder of the group, Dr Frederick Fasehun and National Coordinator of the group, Otunba Gani Adams bickered over Fasehun's recent hobnobbing with Major Hamza Al-Mustapha. Fasehun’s faction had accused Adams of being sponsored to criticize him for accompanying Al-Mustapha to Kano after his release from prison. On the other hand, the Adams faction dismissed the allegation as laughable and asked Fasehun to name those sponsoring him. Recall that former governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel had brokered a peace treaty between the two OPC leaders but recent accusations and counter-accusations have opened up fresh wounds. As a result of the peace deal, Fasehun was named spiritual head and founder of the group, while Adams was named national coordinator. While the peace treaty was in place, the two leaders were engaged in a cold war as each headed a faction of the organisation. Aside, the recent acquittal of Major Al-Mustapha, who was standing trial over the alleged murder of Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, by the Court of Appeal, has led to the opening of fresh wounds. Al-Mustapha, Chief Security Officer to ex-Head of State, General Sani Abacha, was in detention for 14 years. Adams paid to criticise me —Fasehun Fasehun said Adams’ sponsors were afraid of his acceptance in the North and the mileage it had given his newly formed party, the

•Fasehun Unity Party of Nigeria. In a statement by its National General Secretary and National Publicity Secretary, Messrs Dare Adesope and Sola Edward respectively, the faction warned Adams and others to stop endangering the peace of the Yoruba by casting aspersions on Fasehun. They said OPC was in support of Fasehun’s campaign for the release of Al-Mustapha. They alleged that “we have the names of Gani’s sponsors and paymasters, and if trouble breaks out due to his violent utterances, they will not escape the wrath of Yoruba people. Adams is trying to get undeserved recognition and sympathy for himself, because he has been losing members in droves. It is better for him and his cohorts to stop disparaging Fasehun in the day and coming to prostrate before him at night. These selfappointed critics intentionally

•Adams insinuate that Fasehun collected money from Al-Mustapha to support him.” While they challenged Adams to conduct a survey among Yoruba dwellers in the North on Fasehun’s visit to Kano, they said the result would prove that by accompanying Al-Mustapha to Kano, he (Fasehun) had helped guarantee the safety of lives and property of Yoruba people in the North. Faulting Adams’ criticism of Fasehun’s moves to resuscitate a Second Republic party founded by the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the UPN, they said Adams and his paymasters were afraid that Fasehun’s visit to Kano had given the UPN a political mileage in the North. Fasehun should name my sponsors — Adams Adams, on his part, said OPC’s founder, Dr Fasehun, was on his own following his romance with

Al-Mustapha. However, he denied allegations that he was sponsored to criticize Fasehun. Rising in defence of Adams, the OPC in a statement by General Secretary and publicity secretary, Messrs Tanimowo Babajide and Akeem Ologunro, described the allegation as laughable.

Laughable allegation They accused the OPC founder of misrepresenting the group, maintaining that “there is no gain repeating the fact that Fasehun is misrepresenting the OPC and the Yoruba race in general. His claim that we are losing members in doves is indeed laughable. Let us state here that the truth of the matter is that true members of the OPC who are still loyal to the original cause of the group have left the Fasehun group to join our group, and many more have

shown interest in joining us having realized Fasehun’s deceit. "I hereby throw an open challenge to Fasehun to join me on a walk on the street of any town in Yorubaland for a popularity test if he is truly sure of his acceptance.” They said “we would, however, want him and his cohorts to stick to the subject matter rather than beat around it. Let him be reminded that Otunba Adams’ criticism was based on Fasehun’s unholy romance with AlMustapha, who was fingered in the alleged killing of late Kudirat Abiola, a Yoruba woman and wife of late MKO Abiola, the martyr of our democracy.” Besides, they called on Fasehun to name those sponsoring the national coordinator. "With his threat to name the alleged sponsors of Otunba Adams, Fasehun would do well to come out and name the sponsors now or better still cover his face in shame and keep quiet. Unlike Fasehun, whose antecedents have proved beyond any doubt that he has always had a price tag that can be paid for any time by the highest bidder, Otunba Gani Adams has remained consistent with the dream behind the formation of the OPC, which was to fight for the rights of the Yoruba race and the right for selfdetermination." At this juncture, let us inform Fasehun that the same people who are paying his bills tried several times to enlist the support of Otunba Adams to support their cry for the release of their man, Al-Mustapha, but he rebuffed them on each occasion, remaining steadfast to upholding the Yoruba’s age-long logic. But it is now very clear that Fasehun knows little or nothing about this age-long practice.”

APGA crisis: Light at the end of the tunnel? Continues from page 34

members of the party to spread the message to the grassroots and prepare the people for future elections. Reconciliation spreads to local councils Soon after the Government House meeting between Umeh and Obi, the information spread to all parts of the state and most of the local government chairmen of the party expressed their willingness to reconcile the two groups that were hitherto assembling parallel candidates for the October 5 local council election. Bone of contention However, one issue that Obi and Umeh would look into is Obi’s preference for the party’s governorship candidate for the

November 16 election to come from Anambra North in line with his zoning arrangement aimed at giving Anambra North the opportunity to produce his successor. Though the governor said that during his reconciliation with Umeh that the issue was not discussed, he insisted that his position on Anambra North producing the next governor borders on equity, fairness and honour. Anambra State secretary to Government, SSG, Mr. Oseloka Obaze, himself a governorship aspirant told newsmen after the reconciliation meeting that he was optimistic all the while that the issue would be resolved amicable in the interest of APGA members and people of Anambra State. He said: “Some of us who are close to the governor knew

that he was amenable to peace returning to the party and was prepared to make the necessary sacrifices. This has been proved and everybody is happy for it. With APGA completely united, we will go into the political battle as one body. This is what mature leadership is all about.” We’re yet to have comprehensive peace — Okwu However, Obi’s factional chairman of the party, who emerged from the April convention in Awka, Chief Maxi Okwu, said in a phone chat with Vanguard that he was not part of the fence-mending. “I am not aware. I am in Enugu, I am not in Awka. It is surprising. We want reconciliation that is comprehensive in APGA and all stakeholders should be involved. As a chairman, I am a

stakeholder and should have been involved in the reconciliation. I will consult with those who believe in my leadership and we shall proceed from there,” he said. In a statement by Francis Ede, his senior Media Assistant, Okwu said: The leadership and members of All Progressive Grand Alliance are surprised that our Deputy National Leader, Governor Peter Obi, could unilaterally meet with our erstwhile National Chairman, Chief Victor Umeh and the Anambra State chapter of the party in Awka today (Monday) as part of the reconciliation process. “The Maxi Okwu-led APGA frowns at this turn of event and disowns the purported reconciliation as it was neither

informed nor involved in this pseudo-peace meeting. We believe it is a giant step backward in our collective efforts at restoring peace in our great party. "We are aware that this panicky reconciliation by Governor Obi is due to the Local Government and Governorship elections in Anambra State in October and November 2013 respectively. "A fire-brigade peace process that the party leadership and major stakeholders were not involved cannot address the perennial problems in the party. The authentic APGA leadership with Barr. Okwu as national chairman will soon meet and take position on this and other crucial party issues.” With Okwu’s stance it is to be seen whether at last, there is light at the end of a long tunnel for APGA.

36—Vanguard , WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2013

Security operatives sack A'Ibom SSG's office BY TONY NYONG

YO—SECURITY operatives numbering about 30, Monday, stormed the office of the Secretary to Akwa Ibom State Government, Umana Okon Umana. The plain-clothed security men reportedly barricaded the entire former SSG’s office, moved from one office to the other, locking the doors as they checked the hand bags of staff of the office of the SSG, then ordered them to leave. Details of their discussions were not immediately known, but Vanguard learnt that the SSG had been allegedly forced to resign by Governor Godswill Akpabio. Umana, who was said to have travelled to Abuja on official assignment, was the only high ranking official in Akpabio’s administration who had indicated intention to run in the governorship election in 2015. It was not clear, at press time, whether the SSG had tendered his letter of resignation and no official response had been offered by the state government over the incident. But a principal officer in the SSG’s office, who did not want his name mentioned, told Vanguard that the entire saga was not unconnected with the gubernatorial ambition of the SSG.

Traders protest relocation of Ughelli market BY FESTUS AHON

GHELLI—FOR the second time in less than two months, Ughelli traders, yesterday, thronged the streets of Ughelli town, Delta State, in protest over the state government’s move to relocate the main market in the town to the Ughelli/Ogor ultra-modern market. The protest, which lasted hours, grounded commercial activities in the area. The placard carrying protesters with various inscriptions marched to the palace of the Ovie of Ughelli Kingdom, HRM Oharisi III to express their displeasure. Secretary of the OtorIwhreko community, where the Ughelli main market is situated, Mr. Daniel Uloho, said: “The demolition of the main market, which is the only legacy left behind for us by our ancestors, will have negative impact on the socioeconomic lives of our people. “If the essence of government is to protect and initiate policies that are in the best interest of the people, then government should not use its machinery to oppress the people it is governing.”

Chairman of the Ughelli main market, Mr. Paul Ojakovo, who also spoke during the protest, said “shutting down and relocating the market will endanger the lives of old women and children as a result of the

long distance to the ultra-modern market.” Addressing the protesters, HRM Oharisi III, said: “Ughelli Kingdom is not in support of the decision of the government to relocate the

Detained IYC presidential aspirant gets bail BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

ENAGOA—EMBATTLED presidential aspirant in the forthcoming elections of Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, Mr. Nengi Ikiba, was, yesterday, granted bail by a Beyalsa State High Court sitting in Yenagoa, after spending over one month in detention. Ikiba was arrested by the police on June 19 over his alleged involvement in cultism. Though Bayelsa State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Tonye Ebitibituwa, said Ikiba had confessed to being a leader and founder of a notorious cult group, Icelander, the suspect insisted that he was forced at gunpoint by the police to admit the claims. Ikiba also alleged that he was held by the police for his refusal to step down from IYC election to pave way for a per-

ceived government candidate. The court admitted Ikiba to bail after listening to an oral application by his lawyer, Mr. Ayei Okpa. Okpa had told the court that his client should be viewed as innocent in the eyes of the law in accordance with Section 36 (5) of the constitution, appealing to the court to do justice by granting Ikiba bail in the spirit of Section 35 of the con-

ORMER Minster of State (Education), Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, has joined the race to succeed Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan in 2015 in Delta State. Gbagi, a lawyer and businessman, will be kicking off his aspiration with a rally in Sapele, Delta State on Saturday. The Oginibo, Ughelli South, Delta Central-born politician,

according to his Campaign Secretary, Mr. Bernard Jamaho, is in the race to give Deltans the best in terms of governance and sustainable development after crude oil. In Sapele, Gbagi, a founding member of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Delta State, will parley with Deltans on the way forward for the state. Gbagi, frowned at calls for zoning of the governorship seat and urged all qualified sons and

BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

ENIN—BENIN Zonal Office of Nigerian Copyright Commission, NCC, yesterday, said that it had arraigned before the Federal High Court in Benin, Edo State, six persons arrested for piracy.

daughters of Delta to join the race to enable Deltans pick the best at the polls. He said: “It is irresponsible to zone the presidential and governorship seats. Zoning has never worked in Nigeria. “In the election that brought Governor Uduaghan, people from Delta North, Delta Central and Delta South contested. “You must allow people to vote according to their beliefs.”

Meanwhile, the Commission also said that no fewer than 10 persons were convicted in the past one year for the same offence. Addressing journalists in Benin, Zonal Manager of NCC, Benin, Mr. Michael Madueke, named the six persons arrested to include Nwankwo Ikenna, Godwin Kadiri, Friday Idemudia, Ogunmwonyo Dave, Ogunmwonyi Sylvester and Osawe Osayi. He added that the suspects were arrested at different parts of Benin, following an anti-piracy raid carried out by the commission. He said that the arrested persons were found to be illegally transmitting or re-broadcasting the channels of MultiChoice Nig. Ltd (DSTV) and channels of other broadcasting entities, adding that over N6 million worth of items and equipment were recovered from the suspects.

By Bartholomew Madukwe

PEOPLE SPEAK

08102479985

stitution. Prosecution did not object to the bail application, prompting Justice N. Aganaba to admit Ikiba to bail and adjourned the matter till September 30. Ikiba said: “If they were not afraid of me, why would they be pulling these stunts? They called me several times to step down from the race but I refused. “They said they will deal with me and the next thing I found myself in police custody.”

NCC prosecutes 6 in Benin for piracy

Kenneth Gbagi joins Delta guber race BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE

Ughelli main market to the ultra-modern market. “If government wants the traders to move out of the Ughelli main market, they should build another one for us in the Government Reserved Area.”

(nwamad@yahoo.com)

What's your take on early marriage?

T is morally wrong. The girl-child needs adequate education, better health care and a secured future. These things are not achievable with underage marriage. We must know that teenagers deserve a better life from the adults.— Miss Anastasia Ezeka, Public Relations.

IRST, it is senseless for such an issue to come up as a matter for discussion at the Senate. Is this what we pay them for? Marriage is a contract. Once you are in, it is not easy to come out. A child cannot handle that.— Mr. Kelechi Chidiobi, Businessman.

say a big NO to child marriage. It may not be wrong to say that this practice is common in the North and majority of the Senators are from the North. This is why no Southern senator voted in favour of the bill. Children should be protected.— Mr. Ekene Adichie, Student.

RE Nigerians surprised? The ones that voted for underage marriage already have children as wives at home. In computer, there is a terminology known as Garbage-in Garbageout and that is what we have just seen.— Miss Ilokoli Augusta, Communicator.

HAT portion of the constitution should be urgently amended. Nigerians should protest against this cruel act that will not benefit our children. We must all say “No” to child marriage in whatever guise.— Miss Sandra Anyian, Businesswoman.

HE future of the new generation we are looking up to is about to be thwarted. They are children not brides, so Nigerians should totally reject such menace. I am completely against it as a woman and as a citizen.— Miss Vivian Stephen, Student.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2013 — 37

ASUU vows to continue strike until FG agrees to demands B

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

ENIN CITY—ACADEMIC Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Benin Zone, yesterday, expressed the resolve of members to stay at home for up to 10 years than call off the current strike action embarked upon by the union five weeks ago, if the Federal Government continues to shy away from the agreement it reached with the union in 2009. President Goodluck Jonathan had Tuesday, approved the implementation of the recommendation of the government committee on repositioning of federal and state universities. But the Benin Zone of ASUU described as a shame, government’s refusal to meet its end of the Memorandum of Understanding, MOU, entered with ASUU in 2009, wherein government promised to release N100 billion immediately out of the N500billion it agreed to pay. The Zonal Coordinator, Benin zone of ASUU, Dr. Ighalo Sunny, said yesterday, that part of the MOU signed in 2012 between the Federal Government and the union was that government will increase the yearly budgetary allocation to the educational sector to 26 per cent among others. He said: “It is sad that government has failed to fulfill the agreement on the universities.

WRPC ED gets commendation

ARRI—YOUTHS in the Niger Delta, under the aegis of Niger Delta Youth Mandate for Transformation Agenda, NDMTA, have commended the Executive Director, Operations, Warri Refinery and Petrochemical Company, WRPC, Mr. A. Nzeribe for ensuring the effective functioning of the company and availability of gas to boost the power and energy sector of the country. Addressing newsmen in Warri, National Coordinator of the group, Mr Fiawei Pathfinder, said after considering the efforts put in by Nzeribe to overhaul and restructure the company, through constant maintenance of the refinery for effective service delivery, same has brought sanity to WRPC and has enhanced the effective distribution of petroleum products in line with best practices without favouring any contractor. Fiawei said that the EDO in collaboration with the Managing Director of WRPC, Mr. Paul Ebelley had constructed a new exit road for petroleum tankers to check the incessant traffic caused by tankers on the Refinery Road and some adjoining streets, including the busy NPA expressway.

C M Y K

The N500 billion is not to pay lecturers but to fund infrastructural decay in Nigerian universities. What that means is that government has not shown readiness to implement same. For us, the solution is simple, honour and implement fully the 2009

FGN/ASUU agreement. We believe that the 2009 agreement is the antidote to the debilitating crisis bedevilling Nigerian universities.” Describing the rumour that ASUU will soon call-off the strike as a folktale, he noted that the union appreciates the

interest shown by stakeholders and groups in the crisis, “ but that will not stop us from finding lasting solution to the decay in our education sector. So, even if it takes us another 10 years, we will remain at home until the right thing is done.”

CONFERENCE: From left: Mr. Osayande Igiehon, Chairman, Society of Petroleum Engineers, Nigeria Council; Mr. Chike Onyejekwe, MD, SNEPCO; Mr. Egbert Imomoh, President, SPE International and Chief Don Etiebet, former Petroleum Minister, during the 37th Nigeria Annual International Conference & Exhibition (NAICE 2013), in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Biodun Ogunleye.

Delta community restates support for leadership BY FESTUS AHON

GHELLI—THE people of Diebiri clan, Warri South West Local Government Area, Delta State, have restated their support for the Diebiri Governing Council and Diebiri-Batan community executive led by Mr Ako Samuel and Mr Alex Fenimine respectively. The community said in a statement by Fenimine and three others, that the executives shall remain in office for a period of a year to enable them continue the rebuilding of Diebiri project to a reasonable stage. The statement said: “The decision was reached so as not to truncate or put a stop to the ongoing project. The decision is irrevocable and shall be adhered to strictly by all sons and daughters of Diebiri clan. A contrary move to this by any person or group of persons will be reported to the appropriate authorities.”

Passage

Don’t play politics with killings of Itsekiri, youths warn BY EMMAARUBI

ARRI—THE Itsekiri National Youth Congress, INYC, has warned against politicising the killing of 12 Itsekiri and the burning of seven villages by some Ijaw militants of Egbema extraction. The youths also noted that the Federal Government had failed in its responsibility of securing the lives and property of Itsekiri natives, saying that violence was being encouraged by the refusal of government to bring the criminals to book.

Chairman of the group, Mr. David Tonwe, who briefed newsmen to mark the 24 –day remembrance of the killing of 12 Itsekiri and the burning of some villages by Ijaw militia in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State on July 2, 2013, noted that the recent incident reinforces the theory of a pogrom that had been carefully executed in the past two decades by the Ijaws against the Itsekiri people. He said that the Itsekiri became vulnerable after submitting their arms in accordance with the amnesty programme of the Federal Government,

adding that the July 2 attack was a testament to the fact that governments at all levels were incapable of securing lives and property of the ordinary citizens. INYC called on Ijaw leaders to fish out the killers in collaboration with security agencies, saying that it was not enough to condemn the act as being the handiwork of criminal elements in their midst, even as it expressed regret that the Federal Government had not deemed it fit to send any delegation to visit the affected people and communities.

LAGOS-based busi nessman, Prince Anthony Otchevwere Ivburie, 63, of Udumu Esekwe, Okwighle in Okpe L.G.A, Delta State, is dead. A release by the head of the family Engr. Lawson Ivburie and Mr. John Ivburie said his burial will commence on Friday, August 2, with a wake keep and service of song at his residence, 49, Gafari Balogun Street, Ogudu-Lagos. Lying in state, interment and entertainment will hold on Saturday, August 10, in Ebresamaye compound, Udumu Esekwe, Okwighle. He is survived by the widow, Mrs. Save Ivburie and children, including Mr Peter Ivburie.

NUPENG urges support against pipeline vandalization BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

ENIN—WORRIED by the continued vandalisation of pipelines by unknown persons across the country, the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers of Nigeria, NUPENG, has appealed to the newly elected executive of the Midwest Zone of Independent Petro-

leum Marketers of Nigeria, IPMAN, to cooperate with other stake holders in the petroleum sector with a view to checking vandalisation and oil theft. First Deputy National President of NUPENG, Mr Eddy Ossai, gave the advice in Benin, Edo State, when the Zonal chairman of IPMAN, Mid-West , Chief Sylvanus

Idawekhai led members of his executive to introduce the newly elected members of the Benin Depot branch of IPMAN led by Mr. David Ikhuoria to him. He said: “IPMAN cannot work without the cooperation of NUPENG members. So, I appeal to you and your members to work with other stakeholders to check the vandalisation of oil pipelines and oil theft.”

Late Prince Ivburie

38—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2013

APGA UK chairman declares bid to contest Anambra guber

70,000 Anambra indigenes get free medical treatment

BY DAPO AKINREFON

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

HE United Kingdom chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Mr Onyeka Mbaso, has declared his intention to contest the governorship election in Anambra State scheduled to hold in November 2013. He also commended the truce reached by Governor Peter Obi and APGA chairman, Mr Victor Umeh, saying it was a welcome development for the party. Addressing newsmen of his intention to vie for the plum job, Mbaso said he had what it took to govern Anambra State. Speaking of his intention to improve in areas of health, education, security, unemployment and youth empowerment, the APGA chieftain said “Governor Peter Obi has done well for the state and I want to carry on from where he has stopped and move governance forward. "In spite of growing numbers of aspirants jostling for the governorship position, I think I am the better candidate. Though I live in the United Kingdom, I have always been in touch with my people at the grassroots."

....Emeka, ex-minister joins fray BY GODFREY BIVBERE

ORMER Minister of State for Water Transport and erstwhile chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Prince John Okechukwu Emeka, has pitched his tent with the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, to realize his 2014 governorship ambition. Prince Emeka, who is said to have picked the Expression of Interest form of APGA, is expected to battle with the likes of Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, Mrs Uche Ekwunife and Mr. Oseloka Obaze among others. A tested politician from Anam in Anambra North Senatorial Zone, he contested the senatorial seat in 2011 and defended the mandate given to him through the tribunal only to be edged out under controversial circumstances in a pre-election matter. C M Y K

A BOOK PRESENTATION —Chairman of the event, Professor Charles Ilegbune SAN, of Faculty of Law, University of Abuja (middle); Nnamdi Ebo, Author (2nd left); and Dr Chuma Osakwe, Reviewer of the Book and Military Historian, Nigerian Defence Academy Kaduna (right), and another guest, at the public presentation of the book: 'There Was A Time' in Abuja.

Lamido, Nyako, others want Shagari to intervene in PDP crisis F

BY SONI DANIEL, REGIONAL EDITOR, NORTH

OUR Northern governors, who are still aggrieved over certain developments in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday, took their grievances to former President Shehu Shagari, pleading with him to intervene. The governors, who began their meeting with Shagari at about 11:45 am, were led by the state governor, Aliyu Wamakko. His visitors were Sule Lamido of Jigawa, Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano and Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State. Vanguard learnt that the fifth governor, Babangida Aliyu of Niger State, who would had been part of the delegation, had travelled to Saudi Arabia. The governors are said to have pleaded with Shagari to prevail on President Goodluck Jonathan to

take urgent steps to salvage the party and the nation from certain perilous individuals and agencies bent on derailing the democratic gains already attained by the nation. The governors, who were summoned for talks with President Jonathan at the weekend, appeared to still be upset by the rumoured ambition of Jonathan to run for a second term in 2015. The plan, according to informed sources, is said to run against the interest of the north to present a consensus candidate for the top post. The northern governors are said to be angry that Jonathan was trying to renege on a gentleman's agreement he had with them in 2010 to serve only a term, after completing the remaining tenure of late President Umaru Musa Yar’

Adua. But addressing newsmen after the meeting, Adamawa governor, Murtala Nyako, explained that they were in Sokoto to brief the former President on the state of affairs in the country and seek his advice on how to move the nation forward. Nyako said: “We briefed the elder statesman on the political development in the country and what we think should be done in the interest of the generality of the people”. The five governors had already paid similar visits to former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Ibrahim Babangida and Abdulsalam Abubakar, during which they tabled some complaints against the leadership of the administration and the PDP. Before then, they had paid a

I'm here to restore order, Cardinal Onaiyekan tells Ahiara faithful BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

WERRI—THE Metropolitan Archbishop of Abuja and the current Apostolic Administrator of Ahiara Catholic Diocese, His Eminence, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, has explained that his mission in Mbaise was to ensure episcopal supervision of the diocese. Onaiyekan gave the explanation in a homily he delivered during a Pontifical mass at Maria Mater Ecclesiae Cathedral, Ahiara, to mark his assumption of duties in the diocese. Cardinal Onaiyekan said: "My task and mission is to ensure necessary episcopal supervision of this diocese within the present

interim period, hopefully brief, until a bishop is on seat". He appealed to Mbaise Catholics not to allow the present situation continue for much longer, stressing that nobody will gain from it except enemies of the Catholic Church. He said: "My dear brothers and sisters, every time we drive away a stranger knocking at our door, we run a great danger of driving God Himself away from our homes and loosing the great blessings that God alone can bestow. It is better to take the risk of bringing in an unknown person than to risk rejecting God”. According to the Cardinal, “Ahiara people may have many

legitimate and deeply felt concerns, but as children of the church, we cannot allow anything to distract us from achieving this one objective of a restored, vibrant diocese that is fully active and firmly integrated in tthe family of God, which is the Church”. In their address during a reception for Cardinal Onaiyekan, the Catholic faithful of Ahiara Diocese, Mbaise, explained that their insistence on justice, fair play and due process should not be seen as disobedience to the Papacy. They stated that: "All that Mbaise Catholics are asking for is justice, fair play and due process. Let what is due to a people be given to them”.

WKA—THE Association of Anambra in the United States of America, ASA–USA, medical mission has provided medical treatment to over 70,000 patients in 70 communities in the state since the programme was introduced seven years ago. President of ASA–USA, Dr. Alison Anadi, who gave the figure during the association’s free medical service at Abatete in Idemili North local government area of the state, explained that the annual exercise, which covers all areas of medical practice, had been very successful because of the cooperation and support of the state government. Medical experts in various branches of medicine such as surgeons, ophthalmologists, ENT experts, nurses and general medicine practitioners are involved in the exercise. According to Anadi, the intention of the association is to reach all the 177 communities in the state and commended his colleagues in the diaspora for devoting time and other resources every year to help their home people.

21-yr-old woman, one other arraigned for alleged theft BY ONOZURE DANIA

AGOS—A 21-year- old woman, Kikelomo Akinpelu, and one other were, yesterda,y arraigned before a Lagos Magistrates Court, sitting in Ikeja, for allegedly stealing the sum of N1.3million. Akinpelu, who is facing a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing, preferred against her by the police, was docked before Magistrate Abimbola Komolafe. Police prosecutor, Inspector Iranus Nnamonu, told the court that the defendant and one other at large, committed the alleged crime on June 7, 2013, at Otigba street, computer village, in Ikeja area of Lagos.

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Educationist urges FG to revisit 6-3-3-4 system in Secondary Schools

RAMADAN TALK BY ISHOLA BALOGUN

Observing I’tikaf (2)

BY PETER DURU

AKURDI—AN educationist, Dr. Andrew Abba, has called on the Federal Government to revisit the 6-3-34 system of education in Nigerian Secondary Schools with a view to ensuring its proper implementation or have it s c r a p p e d . He lamented that the purpose of the system was no more being pursued, resulting in the fallen standard of education in secondary schools. Abba who spoke at the 2013 graduation and prize giving day celebration of Vaatia College in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, said “the biggest problem facing Nigeria today is the improper implementation of policies, poor quality of education and the consequent low lives of our people. "The schools we used to cherish in the past have all collapsed, leaving the private sector to seize the initiative. It clearly shows that our secondary schools must strive to avail our children, valueadded education that would make them better citizens in the future.” he said.

INAUGURATION—Vice President Namadi Sambo (2nd right) congratulating the Chairman, Infrastructure Concessions Regulatory Commission Board, Senator Ken Nnamani; while the Director-General, Alhaji Aminu Diko(right);Board member, Engr. Juliet Adeyemi (left) watched shortly after the inauguration of the new Board of the Commission at the State House, Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida.

ROAD ACCIDENTS: Presidency, RTEAN partner on road safety ....1,936 lives lost to road accidents between January and June— FRSC

BUJA—FOLLOW ING the alarming rate of motor accidents and deaths on the nation’s high ways, the Presidency is partnering with the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, RTEAN, to check the wanton loss of innocent lives, even as the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, said no fewer than 1,936 lives were lost to road accidents between January and June this year. The commission’s Pub-

lic Education Officer, Mr. Jonas Agwu, released the statistics in Abuja, while presenting the half year report of the FRSC’s operations in 2012 in Abuja. To this effect, the Presidency and RTEAN are mapping out strategies to jointly sanitise Nigerian roads to make driving pleasurable and to save lives In line with the new partnership, the Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck

Police Inspector, one other killed in foiled Bauchi bank robbery BY SUZAN EDEH

AUCHI—A PO LICE Inspector and one other person were killed in a foiled bank robbery in Alkaleri Local Government Area of Bauchi State. One of the bandits was arrested and was said to be helping the security operatives with their investigation. An eye witness who spoke on condition of anonymity told Vanguard, yesterday, that 15 gunmen stormed the bank in at night and

opened fire on security operatives, leading to exchange of gun fire between the armed robbers and the security men. It was gathered that the Inspector was killed during the gun duel and one of the robbers was captured. According to the witness, “the armed men were able to enter inside the bank but before they could break the vault, the security men reinforced and repelled them.” A security operative told Vanguard that one of the robbers that was caught, took the security men to

the robbers’hide out where security operatives recovered five Ak 47 riffles, eight magazines, two Improvised Explosive Devices, IEDs, a forged Police Identity card and two GSM handsets. "The captured suspect is helping security personnel in investigation.” When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Hassan Mohammed Auyo, said the police was still investigating the robbery incident and would brief the press later.

Jonathan on Youths and Students Matter, Jude Image and the President of RTEAN, Musa Shehu, held a strategic meeting at the headquarters of RTEAN in Abuja. While speaking on the partnership, Image listed the areas of collaboration to include checking of underage driving and curbing driving under the influence of intoxicants by commercial drivers. Image said: “While we quite agree with the fact that some are unavoidable accidents, those that are manmade have been attributed to the fact that most of our brothers that are involved in such accidents are either under the influence of alcohol and other negativities, ranging from Indian hemp and all the rest. "I believe very strongly that we can get this sanitised when it starts with us and the best set of persons to get this done are our parents and particularly the new leadership of RTEAN which we expect to provide a new leadership style. "We have equally come to assure them that we are going to partner together and work together because it involves young people and involves Nigeria as a country and they have the assurance of Mr. President to partner with them.”

AMADAN fast has been prescribed for all Muslims for the development of their souls and to enable them subdue their carnal appetites. This much exertion and sacrifice of sensual desires has been made obligatory upon every Muslim; that he neither eats nor drinks anything nor seek sexual satisfaction during the whole of the blessed month, in compliance with the command of Allah (SWT) and in the process avoid all sinful acts. It is the general, compulsory course of spiritual training and self-purification for the month of Ramadan and for higher spiritual development that I’tikaf (seclusion) becomes necessary. But before you embark on this seclusion, there are some conditions that must be considered. These are: Sound state of mind: Thus, the person must not be mentally unstable; True Faith (Eeman): Belief is the only thing that distinguishes the non-Muslim and the Muslim performing Itikaf. Permission: I’tikaf could infringe on the man’s marital rights with his wife and other members of the family if their consent was not sought. It becomes necessary for the Mutakif to seek permission from his spouse or family before embarking on it. Similarly, if one’s parents are not happy about his absence for days, then the Muslim is not permitted to go forth for this act of worship. One must have the permission of the person or family whom he is responsible to. Intention (Niyyat): I’tikaf must be performed for the purpose of seeking closeness to Allah and not to show off or due to societal, family or peer pressure. Fasting (Sawm) during I’tikaf: The person who is not able to fast, for whatever reason, is deprived from this act of worship. Therefore, if a person is a traveler or one who is not able to fast due to some impediments, he cannot partake in I’tikaf. Place: One must stay inside the Mosque for the entire period for his I’tikaf to be correct.

Plateau injects N14b into agric — Commissioner

L AT E AU — T H E Plateau State Government said, yesterday, that it had injected N14 billion into the agriculture sector to ensure aggressive transformation of the sector. The Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Steven Barko, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Jos. He said that the amount was spent in setting up Agricultural Services and Training Centres (ASTCs) in the three Senatorial Zones of the state to provide mechanised agricultural facilities to farmers, to ensure high yield. He said that the centres were established in partnership

with an Israeli company under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative. “The centres were equipped with modern machinery for mechanised agriculture, improved seeds, fertiliser, chemicals and other farm inputs. They have professionally trained personnel for periodic training of farmers on modern farming techniques. “So far, the Plateau Government has invested more than N14 billion in the centres to strategically reposition the sector for better performance.” Barko said that the centres would provide training to farmers and other agricultural services to large-scale farmers.

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Show respect, Tukur tells 5 Northern govs Continues from Page 5

Tukur by his comportment and conduct does not deserve respect. Besides, he accused Tukur of diverting attention from the core issues of his lack of competence and capacity which he said were at the root of the problems in the party. Nyako was one of the first PDP governors to oppose Tukur’s nomination for the position of PDP National Chairman and grudgingly gave in only after he was person-

ally persuaded by the President few days to the convention last year. “Bamanga Tukur is trying to divert attention from the core issues. It is not the issue of respect for each other, it is not the issue of age or status or international standing. The matter in question is his competence and ability to run the party, his ability to provide fairness and justice to everybody,” Nyako said in a reaction signed by his Director of Press, Sajoh Ahmad.

“He cannot come here to sponsor a group of impostors and call them executives who will disenfranchise us, disrespect us, kick us aside and he turns around and tells us about respect and status. In actual fact, if he thinks his status is not respected, Murtala Nyako has had higher attainments nationally than him,” he said in reference to Nyako who had been the country’s Chief of Naval Staff in the mideighties. Continuing, he said: “If

he can bring in impostors and impose them on the state PDP and cause them to disrespect Nyako, he should not be talking about respect, but that is not the issue at stake. “The issue at stake is his competence, capacity, ability as the National Chairman of the PDP. Is he running the PDP competently enough? Is he providing level playing field? Is he fair and just to everybody concerned? That his media office will continue to remind peo-

ple that he is running the PDP with peace, concord, and understanding when he knows that in the last four months now, they have had four reconciliation committees? “A group that has peace and concord cannot definitely have four reconciliation committees in four months. I don’t think that the two tally. “We are not arguing about respect, about age, about status or whatever, we are talking about competence to run the PDP as an inclusive party that accommodates everybody’s interests.”

Jigawa PDP defends govs The Jigawa State PDP chairman, Alhaji Salisu Mamuda also defended the governors, saying that “it is not out of place for the PDP governors to seek advice from other party elders because of the present crisis within the party,” adding that the party chairman’s wisdom was not enough to solve the problems rocking the party. According to him, Alhaji Tukur should remember that most of the party governors were elected during the tenure of former Continues on Page 43

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Show respect, Tukur tells 5 Northern govs Continues from Page 42

president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and they still have good rapport with him. “Personally, I don’t think that the governors’ decision to meet with him for elderly advice as party stalwart is wrong. Why should our national party chairman take offence? "Nobody is disrespecting the National Chairman, every action of some of our patriotic governors is in the interest of the party. My governor has been very loyal to the party, that is why I respect all his political moves." 2015: Northern governors report Jonathan to Shagari ….We discussed state of the nation— Nyako Meanwhile four of the Northern governors, who are still aggrieved over

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certain political developments in the PDP, on Tuesday, took their grievances to the doorsteps of former President Shehu Shagari, pleading with him to intervene. The governors, who began their meeting with Shagari at about 11:45 am, were led by Sokoto State Governor, Aliyu Wamakko. The others were Sule Lamido of Jigawa, Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano and Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State. Vanguard learnt that the fifth governor, Babangida Aliyu of Niger State, who would have been part of the delegation, had travelled to Saudi Arabia. The governors were said to have pleaded with Shagari to prevail on President Goodluck Jonathan to take urgent steps to salvage the party and the nation from certain perilous individuals

and agencies bent on derailing the democratic gains already attained by the nation. The governors, who were summoned for crucial talks with President Jonathan at the weekend, appeared to still be upset by the rumoured ambition of Jonathan to run for a second term in 2015. The northern governors are said to be angry that Jonathan is trying to repudiate a gentleman's agreement he had with them in 2010 to serve only one term after completing the tenure of late President Umaru Musa Yar’ Adua. But addressing journalists after the meeting, Adamawa Governor, Murtala Nyako, explained that they were in Sokoto to brief the former President on the state of affairs in the country and to seek his advice on how to move the nation forward.

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Wikileak's soldier didn't aid enemy--- US court A

military judge Tuesday found U.S. soldier Bradley Manning not guilty of aiding the enemy - the most serious charge among many he faced for handing over documents to WikiLeaks. But Col. Denise Lind, in her verdict, found Army Private First Class Manning, 25, guilty of 19 of the other 20 criminal counts in the biggest breach of classified information in the nation's history. The U.S. government was pushing for the maximum penalty for the intelligence analyst's leaking of information that included battlefield reports from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. It viewed the action as a serious breach of national security, while antisecrecy activists praised it as shining a light on shadowy U.S. operations abroad. Army prosecutors

contended during the court-martial that U.S. security was harmed when the WikiLeaks antisecrecy website published combat videos of an attack by an American Apache helicopter gunship, diplomatic cables and secret details on prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay that Manning provided to the site while he was a junior intelligence analyst in Iraq in 2009 and 2010. Manning, who early this year pleaded guilty to lesser charges that carried a 20-year sentence, will still be looking at a long prison term when the trial's sentencing phase gets under way on Wednesday. "This is a historic verdict," said Elizabeth Goitein, a security specialist at New York University's Brennan Center for Justice.

Italian black minister reacts to banana stunt

ÉCILE Kyenge, whose groundbreaking term as Italy’s first black minister has been repeatedly marred by racist insults and protests, has reacted with defiance after bananas were thrown at her during a political rally. The minister for integration, who is a naturalised Italian citizen born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, was giving a speech in the town of Cervia on the Adriatic coast last weekend. After the bananas narrowly missed the stage, she chided the unknown culprit for “ wasting food”. On Sunday she said that the unrelenting barrage of hostility since she became minister in April was more vicious than she had anticipated, but would not stop her doing her job.

Cecile Kyenge “I cannot hide that at times I feel tired of the repetition of such serious insults. I did not expect them to be this strong,” she told daily newspaper La Repubblica."

"Manning is one of very few people ever charged under the Espionage Act prosecutions for leaks to the media ... Despite the

lack of any evidence that he intended any harm to the United States, Manning faces decades in prison. That's a very

scary precedent," she added. A crowd of about 30 Manning supporters had gathered outside Fort

Manning

Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood set for mass march say they are non-violent

S diplomats call for a peaceful settlement between supporters of ousted Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi and the militarybacked interim government, Muslim Brotherhood leaders say there will be no compromise. Walls of sandbags have been rising around an encampment of Morsi’s supporters, who plan more marches in Cairo into the evening. At the edge of the pro-Morsi protest camp,

some men shoveled sand into bags while dozens of others guarded the gates, many carrying sticks and wearing hard-hats as they searched bags and patted down anyone attempting to enter. Several blocks into the camp, past the staging area where rallies calling for Morsi’s reinstatement have been held daily for weeks, is the camp’s media center. Pro-Morsi protesters

and unarmed, but they will still fight to protect the women and children living inside the camp.

State radio said thousands of officers had been sent to the central Midlands province yesterday Tuesday, while trucks of police carrying automatic rifles and grenade launchers patrolled in the restive Harare townships of

Highfield and Mbare. The run-down districts of the capital were hotbeds of support for Tsvangirai and were at the centre of several

4,000 people at the service, which was held in a sports hall. Bishop of Pozzuoli, Gennaro Pascarella, urged the authorities to clarify the causes of the accident,

saying: “We must ensure this never happens again.” The coach lost control on a viaduct near Monteforte Irpino, hitting several other cars and plunging into a ravine.

HE train driver in last week's crash in Spain was talking on the phone when it derailed, investigators say. The train was travelling at 153km/h (95mph) at the time, investigators at the Court of Justice of Galicia said. Francisco Jose Garzon Amo was speaking to members of staff at the state-owned railway company, Renfe, they added. Crash investigators had opened the train's "black-box" data recorder to find the cause of the crash, which left 79 people dead. Moments before the accident the train was travelling at a speed of 192km/h (119mph), the court said in a statement. Investigators say the brakes were activated shortly before the crash.

Veteran Pakistani politician elected president

A M N O O N Hussain, a veteran Pakistani politician and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s trusted ally, was elected president yesterday in a vote by legislators for the

weeks of post-election violence in 2008, in which 200 people linked to his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) were killed.

Ex PM leads Mali presidential poll funeral has been held near the southern Italian town of Pozzuoli for the 38 victims of Sunday’s bus crash. Prime Minister Enrico Letta was among about

Spain train driver 'on phone' at time of crash

Zimbabwe tightens security amid today’s poll EAVILY armed riot police have been deployed in potential election flashpoints in Zimbabwe poll showdown today between President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai that remains too close to call.

Meade ahead of the reading of the verdict.

President Robert Mugabe has said he is confident of victory

largely ceremonial post of head of state. Hussain, 73, will be sworn in on September 9 at the presidential palace due to be vacated by incumbent Asif Ali Zardari, who is stepping down at the end of his five-year term. Ousted in a bloodless coup in 1999, Sharif ’s Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) party swept back into power in a May vote that marked the first transition between civilian governments in a country ruled by the military for more than half its history. The new president was elected by an electoral college made up of members of the two houses of parliament and assemblies in Pakistan’s four provinces. Given its dominance in parliament, the PML-N was guaranteed a walkover even before the main opposition party.

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House wife pierces neighbour’s heart knife during scuffle in Lagos BY UJU MBANUSI

aturday, the 22nd of June, 2013, will for a long time remain indelible in the memory of Godwin Olah, 37, following an incident that claimed the life of his 28- year -old wife, Stella, during a row with a neighbour identified as Stella Omoigiafo Gilbert (31). The suspect, a mother of one, allegedly pierced the heart of the deceased, a mother of three aged between 6 and 3, with a knife after a scuffle in their compound. The grieving husband of the deceased who hails from Obudu local Government Area of Akwa-Ibom state, Godwin, told Crime Alert at their number 59, Ojora Street, Ajegunle, Lagos residence that the suspect also inflicted severe injuries on his wife’s hand before piercing her heart resulting to her death. Amidst tears, he narrated his ordeal since the untimely death of his wife.

His story

”It happened that on the 22nd of June 2013, at about 6pm, one of my sisters came calling on us. I decided to carry one small bench at the front of a neighbour ’s house for the visitor to sit inside our room. Immediately, Stella, our neighbour, rushed out of her room and accosted me, asking why I should carry the bench inside. The owner of the bench, on hearing our argument, came out and asked her to let us be, but she refused, instead she went inside, brought out hot water and poured on us. I reasoned that if I engage in a fight with her, it might result to some serious consequences, so, I went to the police station at Ajaromi and reported the case. “ On getting back to the house, I saw my wife lying down on the corridor in front of our room. I shook her but no response came from her, and the lady that engaged her in a fight was no where to be found. Hence, I went back to the station the second time to report of her death. The Police sent an officer to accompany me and see things for herself.

The corridor: where Stella Godwin’s body laid

The Deceased: Stella Godwin

The officer came, saw the lifeless body of my wife on the corridor and we went back to the station where she made her report. The Police also requested that I get a report from the General Hospital here in Ajegunle. I took the body of my wife there and she was confirmed dead on arrival. There after, with the help of some good Samaritans around, I took her body to the Naval hospital mortuary, but she was rejected because we did not go with a police report. I brought her back and laid her on the floor in our room until the next morning. Then, I went back to the police station and was given a police van to convey her to Lagos Island mortuary. She has been at the morgue for a month and three days now. Since then, our children have been sleeping at their aunt’s house, I go there every night to pass the night with them because they can’t sleep if I am not there with them.”

Eyewitness account

rime Alert gathered from an eye witness that after the accused poured hot water on Godwin Olah and his visiting sister, his wife went to her room to accost her on why she should treat her husband and sister in-law in such

manner, a fight ensued between both women and in the process, the accused tried to drag the deceased to the stove where she was cooking to burn her, but when she discovered she could not drag Stella Godwin (the deceased) to the fire, she brought out a knife and pierced through her right arm and her heart. “Stella died as a result of the knife wound on her heart; the fight was so fierce that we all took off, returning only to see Stella Godwin lying in a pool of her blood on the corridor in front of their room,” the eye witness said. Another neighbour also told Crime Alert on condition of anonymity that there have

been a no- love -lost relationship between the two neighbours. “Before that incident, both neighbours had lived like cat and rat in this compound. They quarrelled at the slightest misunderstanding. I wish they listened to us, this would have been averted.”

Genesis

Tracing the genesis of the quarrel between his family and the suspect, the husband of the victim also said he fell out with the accused who also shared the same first name (Stella) with his deceased wife, after he prevented her from using a knife on her (the suspect) sister during a scuffle. “I have lived in this compound for 20 years now. I was here when she rented her room. We lived as good

PHOTO SPEAK

Security summit in Enugu

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Lagos Royal father raises alarm...

...People are after my life! …Calls on the President to intervene BY UJU MBANUSI

Godwin Olah: The Deceased husband neighbours, she was best of friends with my wife. It wasl the day I stopped the lady from using a knife to inflict injuries on her sister during a fight that she saw me, my wife and our children as enemies, “ he stated. It was gathered that the body of the deceased has been conveyed to her home town in Obudu- Akwa-Ibom state for burial; while the accused Stella Omoigiafo Gilbert was remanded in prison custody after she was arraigned at the magistrate court in Ebute Metta.

he last might not have been heard of the scuffle between two highly respected monarchs in Lagos state, as one of the parties, Oba Gbolahan Akanbi Timson, the Jagunmolu of Shomolu/ Bariga area of the state during the week raised an alarm over alleged threat to his life and that of members of his family by some individuals alleged to be loyal to HRH Oba Rilwan Akinlolu, the Oba of Lagos. In a petition addressed to President Good luck Jonathan and copied to the Inspector -General of Police (IGP), Oba Timson stated that a section of the Nigerian police availed themselves as instruments of oppression in the hands of his detractors to unjustly prosecute him and members of his immediate family, neighbours and associates over an on-going scuffle which he traced the origin to a disputed piece of land located at number 33, Shogbamu Street, Bariga in 1998. he said the scuffle is between himself and a man he identified as Wasiu Animashaun stating that unknown to him, the said Animashaun happened to be a close relation to Oba Akiolu. The matter, according to the royal father, created a gap between him and the Oba of Lagos and since then , there has been a ‘no- love- lost’ relationship between the two monarchs. During the parley with reporters which was attended by many of his kinsmen including old men and women, Oba Timson lamented his predicaments in the past fifteen years during which he stated that he and members of his family and neighbours have suffered series of undue intimidation, ranging from loss of lives, raids, unlawful detentions, loss of properties worth millions of naira,assassinations, breach of court orders and court sessions. “I want the Lagos State government to obey court orders, do what is right and call these perpetrators to order because the law is no respecter of anybody; they should give me my dues as the custodian of the stool to my people; they should obey all court orders on the Oba Jagunmolu stool,including the high court judgment of Justice Stitta-Bay directing the state government to install me as Jagunmolu,the

Oba Gbolahan Akanbi Timson addressing news men in Lagos affirmation of that judgment by the court of Apeal, Lagos division and the order of mandamus by Justice Kazeem Alonga of the Lagos High Court directing the Governor to install me as Jagunmolu 111 of Somolu/Bariga. I don’t want to be whisked away and somebody finds my body somewhere. What I have got so far since these intimidation began is the Grace of God surviving me,” he said. He urged the InspectorGeneral of Police to wade into the matter and ensure that justice was done. Inspector General of Police: Mohammed Dahiru Abubakar

How $92,000 scam landed suspected serial fraudster in EFCC net BY IFEANYI OKOLIE

hese are not the best of times for Dr. Princewell Arinze Chukwueze, an alleged fraudster who is currently cooling off inside the cells of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, over an alleged case of fraud involving $92,000. Crime Alert gathered that Chukwueze was arrested in Abuja by operatives of the EFCC penultimate Friday, after more than two months’ frantic manhunt for him. His arrest followed an allegation of fraudulent transactions involving him and a notable Bureau de Change operator in Lagos on May 10, 2013. It was further gathered that, Chukwueze fraudulently introduced himself as Aboki J.

Brown, a Director of African Development Bank based in Cote D’ Ívoire to the Bureau de Change operator at Sura Shopping Complex, Sandgrouse, Lagos. He, initially offered to buy $65,000 (SixtyFive Thousand United States Dollars) from him but later increased it to $92,000 (NinetyTwo Thousand United States Dollars. To pay the naira equivalent of the dollars, he requested the operator to meet him at a branch of Wema Bank Plc in Lekki, Lagos. When the operator got to the bank with the dollars, Chukwueze fraudulently changed the bank where he intended to offer him the naira equivalent of the foreign currency and pleaded with the operator to accompany him in his siren-blaring Toyota Hilux Pick-Up Van to a “nearby branch of Zenith Bank, Plc”.

En route the bank, Chukwueze picked up two armed men on the road who forcefully dispossessed the operator of the $92,000 (Ninety-Two Thousand United States Dollars). Chukwueze was arrested in Abuja while he was employing the same antics to defraud another Bureau de Change operator of $110,000 (One Hundred and Ten Thousand United States Dollars). He was also alleged to have defrauded several Bureau de Change operators in Lagos and Abuja using different gimmicks. One of his victims, a lady who would not want to be named, said Chukwueze duped her firm of $110,000 (One Hundred and Ten Thousand United States Dollars). The suspect was also implicated in some other cases being investigated by the EFCC. Items recovered from him in-

The suspect and some of the recovered cash, mobile phones and cheque books cluded; 21 different telephone handsets, complimentary cards of African Development Bank bearing Aboki J. Brown, fake $15,000 ( Fifteen Thousand United States Dollar

notes), different cheque books of different banks, among others. The suspect, according to a source, will soon be charged to court.

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I.N.C.R.E.D.I.B.L.E:

Nigerian child abducted by Norwegian Child Welfare•Parents want FG to intervene This is the story of a Nigerian immigrant in Norway, whose five-month old baby was taken away by the Social Welfare Services and given to a foster parent of Norwegian origin. CHARLES KUMOLU reports

Emotional trauma This is why the father of baby Okocha wants the Federal Government to prevail on the Norwegian authorities to return the baby. Narrating his predicament to VanguardFeature,VF, Blessing said: ‘’I am a Nigerian and my fiancee, Emma is a Liberian. We both reside here in Norway. My fiancee gave birth to my son in 2013. After the childbirth, the Social Welfare came into our lives. They said that due to her history with them that they have to take her to a mother and child home, in Vilde Horten where they said she will be put to test and see if she is fit to be a mother and raise the child. ‘’The rule in the mother and child home is that if they don’t think you are fit to take care of your child, you are told after a

•Blessing with baby Okocha month. But that was not the case with my fiancee. She was there for three months and nothing was found wrong with her, ‘’ he stated. We will never see our baby again: He further said: ‘’The day she was supposed to go home, they said she should stay for an extra month, that the baby appeared stressed. And he was just four months at the time. She agreed to stay for a month more. On Tuesday June 18, 2013 they came and told my fiancee that they were taking my son away from her and she would going home without the baby. They claimed that the baby was stressed and needed help.’’ In addition, John said: ‘’On

IKE many African immigrants, when the duo of John Blessing and Emma Mansaray were leaving the shores of the continent for Europe, it never crossed their mind that better social life and unrivalled happiness which they were seeking for would be a mirage. Though they left their respective countries, Nigeria and Liberia, at different times, destiny brought them together in the city of Drammen, Norway. As people of same race and colour, who share a similar story of harsh socio-economic realities in their respective countries, starting a relationship was not difficult. The affair which has remained promising till date, eventually produced a baby boy, Emmanuel Precious Okocha in 2013. For the parents, the birth of baby Okocha brought unmatched happiness. But that joy was shortlived. In broad day light of Tuesday, June 18, 2013, their baby was allegedly taken away from them by Norwegian Child Welfare Services, CWS. The development has left in its trail, emotional trauma, psychological torture, anger and regrets for both parents.

of others who had been forcefully taken away from their biological parents and given to Norwegian citizens. We are not the only people who have been treated like this. They take our babies and give them to foster parents and that would be the end of the story. I need my son. I am aware the House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora assists Nigerians in such difficult situations. I am one of those Nigerians; I need every possible help to reunite with my baby.’’ Corroborating, John’s story, Emma said: ‘’I need help; there is so much injustice going on here in Norway. I came to Norway as a refugee, in search of peace but we have been living

I came to Norway as a refugee, in search of peace but we have been living in sorrow, worry and fear; fear of the government, police and child welfare

Thursday June 18, 2013 we had a meeting for the last time, but they later came with Police to take our child. I asked where the child was being taken to and who was going to be raising the child. They brought a young boy in his late twenties and said he’s going to be the one to take care of our boy and we will never see him again.’’ He further said: ‘’I am pleading with the Nigerian Government to assist in getting back my son, else the baby will suffer the fate

in sorrow, worry and fear. Fear of the government, police and child welfare. Our children are being used as business. Many homes are broken while most mothers are lonely. ‘’ I am a mother of five. Four girls and a boy. I need help. I came to Norway in March 20, 2004 with my three children. Jenneh Brima 9 years, Yei Mansaray 4 years and Elizabeth Kenneh 7 months old. We were living in a city, Hedmark, for a short time ; we then later moved

to another city call Alta where my children and I live until they were wrongly taking away from me by the child welfare.’’ Allegations of abduction: Continuing, she said: ‘’This has been going on for many years. We came to this country to find peace but it has been a very bad experience for us. We want the world to know what is going on. We need justice, we need someone who is going to stand , investigate and fight for us. We are many; I have many people in line waiting to receive help,’’ she added. This is happening in the wake of a high-profile custody international battle over two Indian children living in Norway. The authorities claimed that there was emotional disconnect between the kids and parents. Meanwhile, further investigations revealed that the practice of removing children from their parents, is not strange in the Scandinavian country. According to Wikipedia: ‘’The Service has been severely criticized by the Government of India for taking away two children of an Indian couple who are working in Norway. Berit Aarset, who heads Human Rights Alert, Norway, has called the incident “state kidnapping.” She said: “This is not the first time such a thing is happening in Norway. The legal system

favours the Child Welfare Services and they do what they want all the time. Quite often when a Norwegian is married to a non-Norwegian they also do the same thing; they also do this to asylum seekers and in almost every case they say one of the parents have a mental problem just to make their case strong ...that is what has happened in the Bhattacharya case too.”

Private invesigation It further said, ‘’The Child Welfare Services were accused of abduction of two TurkishNorwegian Kids from Turkey using a private investigator. The children were handed to the foster parents who stayed with their parents. Some time later, the foster father was arrested for child sex abuse clearly demonstrating the ineptitude of the child welfare services. Another incident involved a Russian citizen living in Norway. Her shocking statements took many

Continues on page 51

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY31, 2013 — 51

*The newly traine d to a speech on th fabricators listen attentively e occasion of thei r passing out

Nigerian child abducted by Norwegian Child Welfare

*Dr Omarefe Asemota, Executive Director, NIFOR, addressing the trainees

Oil palm processing: PIND/NIFOR partnership raises hope of revival H

ISTORY was made penultimate Friday at the National Institute for Oil Palm Research, NIFOR, in Edo State when five persons who were sponsored to be trained on how to build modern oil processing machines at the institute by the Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta, PIND, graduated. The trainees who commenced the training on June 26, 2013, after an MOU was signed between the PIND officials and the management of the institute led by its Executive Director, Dr Omarefe Asemota, were trained on how to fabricate the NIFOR small and medium scale processing equipment. Dr Asemota who described the colourful event as very remarkable for the institute, said the training had afforded the institute the opportunity to export its expertise directly into the economy of the people of the Niger Delta and Nigerians at large, adding that jobs would be created and the youths from the region will generate income amongst themselves. According to him: “When this opportunity came up we saw it as a very welcome development, to train people who therefore can become extensions from the arms of NIFOR, who will become hopefully worthy ambassadors of this institute without necessarily becoming members of staff. I congratulate our trainees. There is a reason the institute began to develop the machines you came to learn, which we call the small scale processing equipment. It is targeted at small holders who are not resource-rich people. But it is also because it is important to us and to the industry that standard be adhered to and in this particular case I am talking about standard in quality. That is why we needed processing machines that made it possible for us to process quickly but correctly so that the

oil that our people consume will be of good quality. It is important to process well and do it correctly so that we can get the proper standards. And in that process the institute has three versions: there is a standard, there is a medium there is a mini”. While urging the trainees to adhere strictly on quality products, the NIFOR boss asserted that “the machine you have come to study have promoted this institute on the international scale. We do not encourage people who cut corners, we do not encourage people who would want to lower standards. You have come for a training programme, please

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM, BENIN CITY

end when we signed the MOU was less than seven weeks which even in the private sector is a record time. Then the training itself was 20 days, all those equipment manufactured from the raw materials. We are working in the nine Niger Delta states; this is just the beginning of the partnership”. He further pointed out to the trainees that “one thing that is very very important in food processing is quality. If you give people food that is not good they will be sick. NIFOR has staked its name, so try and represent them well so that PIND will be happy. We are going to keep an eye on you. So be very good ambassadors of both

There are quite a number of people benefitting from this; we believe in quality and that is why we have to identify five fabricators for the pilot

be kind enough to adhere to the standard that you have met, that you have been taught. Of course we have discussed with PIND on how to monitor you. There must be transparency, there should be nothing to hide because we are partners. But I also want to say to you that whatever you might need in future like innovations that might come up, be free to make your request, be free to contact us”. In his remarks, the representative of PIND, Mr Sylvester Okoh, who expressed gratitude to the management of NIFOR for making the training a reality, explained that PIND “ is an organisation that was set up by Chevron oil company in the US and the purpose of the organisation is to help people in the Niger Delta to support them to do what they know how to do better so that they will make more money and many more people will have jobs to do. We appreciate the Executive Director for accepting to partner with FIND. Even when we started this initiative we were skeptical, but from the beginning to the

Continues from page 50

PIND and NIFOR”. Charles Elechi, an engineer and staff of NIFOR who trained the beneficiaries, expressed optimism that the trainees would be able to use their skills for the betterment of their respective communities. He charged the trainees to cooperate in terms of exchange of ideas “because you cannot know it all. You must be told that when you install any equipment, we will like to follow up to know how many of these equipment you have successfully introduced into the market”. Speaking also, the Manager, Market Development Projects of PIND, Mr James Elekwachi, explained thus: “After this, the next is the installation of the equipment and that will involve moving this equipment to Ugwuta in Imo State where we will install it for demonstration purposes. Most of these fabricators live around that cluster and that was one of the criteria for selecting them. The primary objective of PIND is increasing employment and income of the people of the Niger Delta.

newspapers’ front pages: “During the court hearings, the judge told me: ‘We give you residence permit, and you give us your son.’ I refused, and then the repressions started. Many times in past Child Welfare Services have been accused on violation of human rights for taking away children from their parents.’’ Another report by an online news medium, ICE News, said more immigrant families are moving out of Norway in order to avoid issues with the country’s CWS. “According to a report published by The Foreigner news, as many as one in six immigrant children are now either taken out of the country or sent back alone to be with family abroad. However, the actual number remains unknown, as there have been no accredited studies on the matter,’’ the report stated. Child Welfare Act of 1992: However, checks indicated that the CWS in Norway was established by the Child Welfare Act of July 17, 1992 to ensure that children and young people who live in conditions that can harm their health and development are given the necessary help and care at the right time. The Act also stated how and when a child can be taken away. In Section 4-17 the law said: ‘’Removing a child from the home without parental consent requires a decision from the County Committee for Social Affairs on the basis of a recommendation submitted by the municipal authorities. The county committee is a government body with an autonomous position in relation to the ministry and the Office of the County Governor. Decisions taken by the county committee may only be overturned by the courts. The county committees are administered under the auspices of the Ministry of Children and Equality.’’

52— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2013

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Vanguard Vanguard,,

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2013 — 53

54 —

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2013

I’ll fire Dortmund to more silverware — Lewandowski R

OBERT Lewandowksi wants to fire Dortmund to more glory — after his summer exit plans were scuppered. Bayern Munich and Manchester United both failed in their attempts to land the Polish striker. Lewandowski is expected to join Bayern on a free transfer at the end of the season. But he insists he is committed to Dortmund for the next 12 months — and proved it by helping shoot down Bayern in Dortmund’s 4-2 Super Cup win on Saturday. Lewandowski said: “I will give everything I’ve got for Dortmund. “It does not matter what happened. I am not interested about that on the pitch. “When I am out on the pitch then Dortmund is all I think about. I want to give it all I got and be successful.” Lewandowski also says he wants leave Dortmund on a high by winning more trophies. He added: “I hope the Super Cup was not the last title.”

•Lewandowksi

Beckham joins Real!

•Ronaldo and Beckham SPORTING legends David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo posed for a photo at Real Madrid’s training session in LA. Ronaldo flashed his pearly whites and threw up a peace sign when he was snapped alongside the recently retired player.

Ronaldo dresses like a nerdy schoolboy R

EAL Madrid star Christiano Ronaldo is caught channelling his inner child on a team trip to LA. The 28-year-old soccer star wore a polo shirt, big backpack, geeky backwards-facing cap and held a little bottle of fruit juice. The Portuguese striker looked like a confused kid on a school trip as he stopped to sign autographs for excited fans outside Hollywood’s Beverly Hills Hotel. Despite the geeky outfit, Ronaldo looked in good shape as he prepares for the coming La Liga season, with his sleeves folded up to show off his chunky biceps.

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Uyo 2013: Edo, Jigawa, Plateau in good start

DO, Jigawa and Plateau states made a good start in the on going national weightlifting championship in Uyo winning three gold medals each on day one. The gold came in from the youth category. The first medal of the game in the 48 kg category went to Mariyan Suleiman of Jigawa who lifted 35 kg in snatch and 42kg in clean and jerk thus making it a total of 77kg. Nomayo Grace of Edo won gold in the 48kg category with a total lift of 150kg while Plateau’s Sunday Bose dusted oth-

er lifters in the 53kg winning two gold medals and a silver. Chairman of Plateau state weightlifting association, Barrister Amos Dashu was on cloud nine at the venue of the competition describing the performance of his lifters as wonderful. “We came to Uyo battle-ready to shock other states. We went about our preparations for Uyo 2013 quietly without making any noise. We will at the end of the day shock states who believe they are not beatable,” Dushu

•Ronaldo

Beckham dropped in on the session and caught up with some of his old teammates at the UCLA campus yesterday. The dad-of-four, who made 116 appearances for the Spanish side between 2003 and 2007, was spotted on the sidelines talking to the coaches. He sported a backwards black cap and rolled-up beige chinos and watched as the squad were put through their paces ahead of the upcoming La Liga season. After the training session, Becks caught up with Carlo Ancelotti’s men, including superstar defender Sergio Ramos. He posed for pics with many of the players and signed football shirts for waiting fans. It’s the fourth year in a row that Real Madrid has added a sparkle to Tinseltown. The Spanish giants are on a four-day pre-season tour of the US before the league kicks off in midAugust. On Friday they will face LA Galaxy - another one of Becks’ former clubs - before visiting Miami, Phoenix and St Louis.

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2013 — 55

Yobo in Eagles plan, says Keshi S

UPER Eagles Head Coach, Stephen Okechukwu Keshi (CFR), has debunked claims making the rounds that he has foreclosed the issue of team skipper, Joseph Tambarin Yobo, returning to the team, insisting that Yobo will sooner than later be back

•Yobo

in the squad. Super Eagles Media Officer, Ben Alaiya, quotes the coach as saying he never spoke to any media organization regarding the return to the national team or otherwise of Yobo in Abidjan during the Eagles CHAN qualifier against the Elephants of Cote D’Ivoire. “He is like a younger brother to me and I want the best for him but there seems to be a desperate bid to create a war between me and my captain and I will always reject that because he remains one of Nigeria’s big football players and we cannot rush him out just like that”, Keshi said The Eagles boss

declared that there are issues he is always misquoted out of context about. “When I speak about the NFF, it’s convenient for people to misquote me, to create crisis between me and my employers but I had never had any problem with them and they have said so. “The Aminu Maigari

NSC, Reps pledge to support Commander’s title fight

PORTS Minister/ Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Bolaji Abdullahi, and the House of Representatives’ Committee on Sports

Manu braces up for MRI results G OLDEN Eaglets coach Manu Garba is confident that he has more than enough numbers to complete his squad if any of his players were to fail the MRI test. The test was carried out last week on all 30 players picked, and while Garba is confident there will be no failures, he remains confident

that the team will not be affected in the event that a few players drop out. “We are still awaiting the official result of the MRI Scan but we have high hopes that all will be well,” Manu said. “The players are responding fast to training and Gods’ willing; we shall have a good team for the World Cup,” he added.

The squad are currently in Calabar, where they have returned to continue their preparations ahead of the World Cup.

S/Leone Continues from BP disqualification of Mohamed Kallon and four other candidates from the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) leadership elections in Freetown on Saturday. Ten out of the 14 Premier League clubs stated in a letter to the Premier League Board (PLB) that “ with immediate effect, they’ll no longer honour any fixture of the ongoing league because they considered the decision to disqualify five contestants as unfair and erroneous”. The clubs are Diamond Stars, Gem Stars, Kambui Eagles, Old Edwardians FC, FC Kallon, Bo Rangers, C M Y K

Ports Authority FC, Mighty Blackpool, Central Parade FC, and Freetown City FC. However, it is believed that the decision for Diamond Stars to boycott the league was not unanimously taken and may be reversed. But other clubs have started acting on their decision - the match between Bo Rangers and Mighty Blackpool didn’t take place on Monday because both clubs failed to honour the fixture. Former Inter Milan and AS Monaco striker Kallon was ruled out from taking part in the presidential race on the grounds that he didn’t meet the requirement of Article 32 (4) of the SLFA Constitution.

led NFF board has been more than supportive of the team we have on ground and nobody should say otherwise just to create sensation. There are channels of communications in the NFF and the Super Eagles and if information do not come though those channels they should be disregarded”.

•Manu Garba

boss, Godfrey Gaiya, have pledged to support the World Wrestling Professionals (WWP) Heavyweight Wrestling champion, Osita Offor, also known as De Ultimate Commander, who is billed to defend his title in Nigeria later this year. The wrestler visited the government officials last week to intimate them of his plans for the title defence, which would also feature music and dance with some world renowned artistes entertaining the audience at the event. Speaking while receiving the wrestler’s delegation in his office at the National Stadium, Abuja, Abdullahi applauded the vision of the fight organizers in trying to mix sports with music, saying that the idea was in line with the NSC vision of marrying sports with music. “This is quite in keeping with our vision at the NSC.''

Neymar Continues from BP face his former club Santos in the Juan Gamper Cup on Friday. Neymar was signed during the summer for nearly £50m, smashing the club’s previous record of £37m for Zlatan Ibrahimovic - although striker Samuel Eto’o did head to Inter Milan as part of the deal. The Brazilian international looked calm as he displayed his exceptional ball control skills, and met up with

the current Balon D’or holder Lionel Messi, with many excited to see the two together in the same team. The forward had been rumoured with a move to the Catalan club over the last few years, with reports last summer claiming a deal had already been done behind closed doors. In the end, the move was confirmed towards the end of May, and Neymar made the move once the European season had finished.

Chairman House Committee on Sports Hon. Godfrey Gaiya (l) welcomes de Ultimate Commander to his office in Abuja.

Rangers Continues from BP Association , Chidi Ofo Okenwa, said, “We are going to appeal our elimination by CAF at CAS. “ This is miscarriage of justice. There is no way we are going to rest until we are justifiably heard. “I describe this as a comic tragedy by CAF in the whole issue of eliminating Rangers from the Confederation cup hence our resolve to seek redress in the Court of Arbitration for Sports,” the F.A boss said. Ofo, who is also board member of Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, insisted that CAF was unfair to the Enugu club side. Also speaking, General Manager of Rangers, Ozor Paul Chibuzor said, “Rangers will fight till we get justice. We are being

victimised and CAS remains our only hope for justice,” The Confederation of African Football, CAF, said Rangers appeal was not admitted on technical grounds. CAF had, disqualified the Nigerian club from the second-tier Confederation Cup on the basis that it fielded an ineligible player, Daniel Emmanuel, a goalkeeper, in their final qualifier against CS Sfaxien of Tunisia. However, as a result of the ruling, Sfaxien replaced the Nigerian club in the mini-league stage of the Confederation Cup. They have since played their first game in the series against fellow Tunisian club Etoile du Sahel. Mali’s Stade Malien and Saint George of Ethiopia are in the same group stage of the club tournament.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 31 , 2013

S/Leone clubs boycott league in support of Kallon

REMIER League clubs in Sierra Leone have decided to boycott the country ’s top-flight league in protest against the

Continues on Page 55

•Kallon

CAF CONFED CUP:

Rangers take case to CAS BY TONY Enugu

EDIKE,

HE management of Rangers International football club of Enugu said yesterday that it has concluded plans to take its disqualification from this year ’s CAF Confederation cup to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) in Switzerland. Reports had indicated that CAF Appeals committee threw out the

PREDATOR: Ivory Coast's Ahmed Cheick Moukoro (l) and Armand Tie Bi (C) vie for the ball with Nigeria's Sunday Mba (r) during the 2014 CHAN qualifying match in Abidjan. Ivory Coast defeated Nigeria 2 - 0. Nigeria qualify 4-3 aggregate. Photo: AFP

Sudoku TODAY'S

PUZZLE

YESTER DAY'S YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

appeal filed by Rangers for lack of merit. Speaking with Journalists at the Nnamdi Azikiwe sports

stadium Enugu, yesterday, Chairman of Enugu State Football Continues on Page 55

Neymar practices skills alongside Messi

A R C E L O N A’ S record £48.6m signing Neymar arrived for his first training session, and he has been included in the squad to

Continues on Page 55

More sports on pages 28 & 29 •Neymar

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Abyss (5) 5 Deaden (6) 8 Vex (5) 10 Recompense (6) 11 Exchange (4) 14 Greet (6) 15 Scorn (7) 18 Nothing (3) 19 Bribe (3) 21 Thicken (4) 23 Dissuade (5) 24 Slave (4) 27 Lair (3) 29 Dolt (3) 31 Daring (7) 32 Squabble (6) 34 Cattle (4) 35 Pamper (6) 38 Skilful (5) 39 Tinted (6) 40 Wigwam (5)

DOWN 2 Hasten (3) 3 Robust (6) 4 Males (3) 5 Muddle (4) 6 Gambol (6) 7 Ace (6) 9 Counselled (7) 12 Pale (3) 13 Tug (4) 16 Inactive (4) 17 Famous (5) 20 Self-punishment (7) 22 Frank (4) 24 Yield (6) 25 Boulder (4) 26 Feigning (6) 28 Pure (6) 30 Marshland (3) 33 Peruse (4) 36 Choose (3) 37 Sheep (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Desist 5, Slit 8, Peace 9, Eel 10, Oven 11, Reap 12, Pious 13, Rotted 16, Live 18, Fray 20, Tor 22, Sin 23, Yen 24, Tine 25, Peck 28, Entrap 30, Tiara 32, Loan 33, Agog 34, Err 35, Merge 36, Bred 37, Street.

How to Play Sudoku

DOWN: 1, Dream 2, Solution 3, Shovel 4, Penitence 5, Scruffy 6, Lees 7, Type 8, Pep 14, Disparage 15, Ban 17, Vie 19, Reprieve 20, Tip 21, Refined 26, Knight 27, Spirit 29, Glib 30, Tame 31, Age.

TWO WEEKS TO LIVE

lace a number (1-9) in each blank cell. (No line can have two of the same number). Each row (nine lines from left to right), column, (also nine lines from top to bottom) and 3 X 3 block within a bold block (nine blocks) contains number from 1 through 9. This means that no number can appear twice in any block, column or row. No mathematics is involved – no adding, subtraction, division or multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination.

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