Mar 15, 2014

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I like my man to be in

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ORMER Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, yesterday justified her deeds in office, saying that she acted with dignity.

Appraising herself before a gathering of stakeholders in the aviation industry, including civil servants and pilots, Oduah, whose tenure was rocked by her purchase of two bulletproof cars for N255 million, insisted that she did “the right thing” while in office.

She said because there is dignity in labour, she did her beat, urging the stakeholders to also do their beats for pos-

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 2014

I acted right, says Oduah in valedictory speech John OFIKHENUA and Faith YAHAYA, Abuja terity to judge them fairly.

She said she was sure that with the support of the stakeholders, her successor would “do the needful,” noting that a structure is already in place for her successor to exceed the feat she recorded.

Oduah maintained that Nigerians deserved selfless service, which she said the ministry and stakeholders under her watch collectively offered.

The former minister was in high spirits throughout the session.

With a retinue of admirers, she strolled into the Protea Hotel, Asokoro venue of the event at 12.06 pm in a purple gown with silver embroidery and a purple head tie to match.

She ignored the speech her media aide, Mr. Joe Obi, prepared for her and spoke extempore .

Oduah said : “I want to thank everybody in the ministry for their support. It was Einstein

that said I am strong as I am because you allowed me to stand on your shoulders, and all of you here allowed me to stand on your shoulders and so I want to say thank you.

“Most of you don’t know Obi. He likes to write and he has given me five pages to read. Obi, my apologies, I want to decline.

“I am not going to read this because I really don’t have anything to say but to say that what we did, we did it collectively.

•From left: Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal; leader of the Korean parliamentary delegation, Hon. Shin Hak Youg; Deputy Speaker, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha; Member Korean Parliament, Hon. Han Kiho and Korean Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Choi Jong-Hyun, at the formal inauguration of Nigeria/Korea Parliamentary Friendship Group held in Abuja

Amaechi, Fashola, Ribadu, others tackle F G on corruption, insecurity

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OVERNORS Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Babatunde Fashola (Lagos), Adams Oshiomhole (Edo), Tanko Al-Makura (Nasarawa) and Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), as well as former Chairman, Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, yesterday in Lagos declared that the Federal Government is off the course in the fight against corruption in the country.

They spoke yesterday at the Third Retreat of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) held at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

President Goodluck Jonathan, according to them, is not just doing enough to tackle the daily occurence of corrupt practices across the country.

They also deplored the rising level of insecurity in the Northeast, especially against the backdrop of yesterday’s invasion of Maiduguri by Boko Haram insurgents.

The Chairman of the NGF, Gov. Rotimi Amaechi, insisted that Nigerians wanted explanation on the alleged missing $20 billion oil money.

He said that effort by anyone to sweep it under the carpet would not work.

Exressing shock at yesterday’s invasion of Maiduuri by Boko Haram insurgents, Amaechi said the state of insecurity in the nation had become worrisome.

He told the Federal Government to wake up to its responsibility and deal with the incessant threat to the nation’s stability by terrorists.

Almakura said: “The issue of

Leke SALAUDEEN, Musa ODOSHIMOKHE and Innocent DURU insurgency has become a routine in the country. Everyday you wake up to hear that people are slaughtered without any sign that it will abate.

Lives are being taken with impunity, nobody is sure of what will happen to him in the next minute.”

Ribadu said that the tendency by the generality of Nigerians to indulge in corrupt practices would be minimised if leaders lived moderate lives.

“Show us how to behave and we will follow you. If we have less private jets,we see you live in moderation, we will follow and copy you, “ the former anti-graft boss said.

He said that corruption was a major threat to development, saying Nigeria would be far better fighting it.

Ribadu advised state governments to put in place mechanisms to check corruption in their respective states.

He described corruption as a deep-rooted malaise which could not be fought by centrally-controlled agencies alone.

He said that the active involvement of the states in the fight against corruption would check leakages and promote development.

“The states can do more and achieve more in the fight against corruption because they control a substantial amount of development resources.

“If they leave the fight to centrally controlled agencies alone, we will not get the de-

sired results.”

On the Maiduguri attack, he said: ”As I am talking to you now, part of Maiduguri is under attack and people are being killed. This is a sad note for our country. I believe security is not what you can restrict to internal mechanism alone. We have reached the level where the country should seek international assistance to end the killings in the country.”

Governor Fayemi said there would always be a problem “when the gap between abject poverty and inexplicable wealth is so wide as you have it now in the country.”

He added: ”Any society that has problem with economy always ends up with insecurity.

It is unfortunate that after many people were killed recently, the Federal Government still went ahead to host the centenary celebration.”

Speaking on Building System and Institutions that Prevent Corruption, Governor Fashola said corruption in the country has reached a level where everybody must rise to nip it in the bud.

His words: “People’s social status is incompatible with their income. They host social parties every weekend, feeding about 150 people and spraying money without recourse to the negative effect.

“If you can step on your own sweat, something is fundamentally wrong. There is a leakage somewhere that bankrolls the reckless spending. We reward people for no honour achieved. The police are corrupt because their pension had been looted.”

Governor Oshiomhole

urged Nigerians to rise and fight corruption, noting that the dysfunctional effect of corruption is visible in all departments of the country’s national life.

“If we all judiciously make use of the resources at our disposal, there will be less cases of corruption and those factors that induce corruption will be minimal, “ he said.

Also speaking, former Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Offenses Commission and Justice of the Court of Appeal, Justice Mustapha Akanbi, stressed the need for the political will to fight corruption.

Building system and institutions that prevent corruption, he pointed out, should be given adequate attention.

He said: “When Nuhu Ribadu, former EFCC chairman and I were fighting corruption, we knew it was possible to take anybody to court.

But the story is different today.

When the former Aviation Minister, Mrs Stella Oduah was accused of corrupt practices, it took government a long time to remove her from office. But in the case of Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the President did not waste time to suspend him.”

He maintained that any person who must be a leader or president must be transparent in the discharge of his duties to the people.

Prof. Akin Oyebode of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) said: ”It is an unwarranted assault on the nation’s integrity which needs to be fought to the hilt if Nigeria is to survive.

While it continues to threaten our national survival, no ef•Continued on Page 4

“And what we did, we did for our people, and I say Nigerian people deserve what we have done and I believe that anyone who is coming next will do far better than what we have done because the structures are there, the roadmap is there, the compass is there.

“They cannot but follow what is already in place. Anything other than that will be disservice to Nigerian people, and aviation is pivotal to our growth.

“Therefore, the next coming person, I believe with your support will do the needful.

Most people don’t understand what the needful means...

“Today is a day for me to tell Nigerians that there is dignity in labour. You must do anything and everything in prioritising what Nigerian

people need and what they deserve, and when you do that, posterity will not judge you unfairly.

“Also when we started, we did not play to the gallery. We did not prioritise the media because it was not about them; it was about Nigerian people; it was about doing the right thing. And without being immodest, I think we did the right thing, I think we have done our beat and we pray that the next people will do their beats. And if all of us continue doing our beats, Nigeria will become transformed.

“I want to thank Mr. President for the opportunity given to serve in spite the large population, it is a privilege and i am indeed privileged to serve Nigerians and i thank everyone for their support.”

THE NATION SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 2014

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 2014

60 Boko Haram insurgents killed in foiled ‘jailbreak’ •Curfew on Maiduguri now 2pm to 6am •Civilian JTF combs city for fleeing insurgents T HE Islamist sect, Boko Haram, yesterday lost at least 60 of its members during a five-hour daylight attack it launched on the Giwa Army Barracks, Maiduguri.

The sect had launched the dawn invasion with gunfire and explosions in a desperate bid to free its members detained in the military facility.

Over 250 insurgents were said to be in detention in the barrack at at the time of the invasion.

The Ministry of Defence confirmed that the invaders were repelled.

The invaders failed to set free any of the detainees they had set out to rescue.

The insurgents were said to have stormed into Maiduguri by land and water, using the Ngadda River channel behind the University of Maiduguri to stage the multi-pronged attack.

It was shortly before 7am.

Once they were inside the city, they split into smaller groups and headed for the barracks, but the soldiers fought back with military jets hovering above.

The Defence Headquarters said four soldiers were wounded in the bloody encounter.

Children who were on their way to schools when the shooting erupted cried in fear and confusion.

Panicky workers and other residents also scampered into safety.

Multiple witness accounts said that the gunmen opened

Yusuf ALLI, Managing Editor, Northern Operation, Gbade OGUNWALE, Abuja and Bodunrin KAYODE, Maiduguri

fire on civilians and torched several homes as they passed through the residential neighbourhood of Fauri.

Students at the University of Maiduguri reported hearing sustained gunfire throughout the morning.

A top security source said yesterday that the Boko Haram attack ended in a crushing defeat for the sect.

Said the source: ”You know we have been interrogating captured Boko Haram suspects in Giwa barracks in the last few weeks. But Boko Haram leadership got intelligence report on where their members were detained.

“So, at dawn on Friday, they invaded the barracks and attempted to break through the gate of the detention facility. In the attempt to repel the insurgents, vigilant troops engaged them in bloody encounters for more than five hours.

“In annoyance, the rampaging Boko Haram members threw explosives at the detention centre, which led to the death of many of their detained members.

“We have recorded more than 60 deaths, but we are still taking stock as at 3pm on Friday.”

Police deny attack on University of Maiduguri

Maiduguri - The Borno State Police Command yesterday denied that suspected Boko Haram insurgents attacked the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) campus.

The Commissioner of Police, Lawal Tanko, made the denial in Maiduguri.

“The story indicating that the university had been attacked is not true.

“What happened was that the insurgents passed through a river channel behind the

university to launch the attack on the barracks,’’ he said.

Tanko said that the university campus was safe as both students and lecturers had been adequately protected.

He, however, confirmed an attempted attack on the Giwa Barracks, Maiduguri, by suspected members of the sect.

“It is true that there is an ongoing exchange of fire between security agents and some suspected insurgents, but the incident is limited to the

barracks area alone,” he said.

Also, Ahmed Mohammed, the Chief Information Officer of the university, corroborated the claim of the commissioner.

“The university camp was not attacked, the attackers only used a narrow river side near the campus to carry out their nefarious act.

“Many people assumed that the university was affected because the hostilities took place near the campus,’’ Mohammed said.

The source said that once the attack failed, the terrorists took to their heels but were given a chase by troops on land and from the sky.

The source added that the population of Boko Haram fighters had been depleted significantly since “ we started the bombardment of their camps” hence yesterday’s attack to get their detained colleagues to rejoin them.

Asked why the military kept the captured Boko Haram members in detention in Maiduguri, the source added: “We had planned to relocate

the captured insurgents to Cross River but the state rejected the the move because it does not want security challenges.

“All the states in the southern part have also turned down plans to establish detention centres in their areas. They say they do not want Boko Haram harboured or interrogated on their soil.”

The Defence Headquarters through its spokesman, MajGen. Chris Olukolade, said four soldiers were wounded during yesterday’s encounter.

He said: “Pockets of terrorists

apparently in a move to boost their depleted stock of fighters this morning attacked a military location in Maiduguri with a view to freeing their colleagues who are being held in detention.

“The attack has been successfully repelled with heavy human casualty on the terrorists. Some of the victims of the terrorists’ fire in their efforts to break into the detention facility, included those they came to rescue.

“Many of the terrorists and their weapons have been captured. Four soldiers were

wounded and are being treated.

“Hot pursuits by land and air operations are ongoing along with cordon and search of surrounding localities.

“No institution has been reported attacked, although the effect of firing from the encounter could be noticed in surrounding facilities in Maiduguri. Details will be given “It is believed that this terrorists’ attempt is in response to the intensity of attacks on their strongholds in camps at Talala, Monguzum, Sambisa forests, Gwoza, Mandara mountains as well as the general area of Lake Chad.

The camps have been destroyed and many insurgents killed.”

At the end of the battle, civilian JTF members were said to have carried out a search for fleeing members of the sect in Maiduguri, arresting scores of them and turning them over to soldiers.

Meanwhile the curfew in the city has been reviewed. It will now run from 2pm to 6am as against 9pm to 6am previously.

Amaechi, others tackle FG on corruption, insecurity •Continued from Page 2 fort should be spared to bring it to the heel.

“Nigeria has enough laws and institutions to combat corruption. The architecture of the war against corruption seems adequate even if there might be the need for re-tooling here and there.

“A situation where anti-corruption agencies are denied the wherewithal to sustain the anti-corruption crusade smacks of a calculated attempt to disembowel and incapacitate them.”

Also present at the retreat were Senator Bukola Saraki; Governor Aliyu Wamako (Sokoto); Deputy Governor of Imo State, Eze Madumere; Dep. Governor of Osun State; Grace Laoye-Tomori; Governor Adams Oshiomhole (Edo); Governor Tanko Almakura (Nasarawa); Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Moses Adeyemo; Dep. Governor of Ogun State, Segun Adesegun; Prof. Grace Alele Williams; Governor Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti); Deputy Govenor of Kwara State, Elder Peter Kishira and Governor Abdullazeez Yari (Zamfara).

In a communique at the end of the retreat, the Governors’ Forum said that the anti-corruption battle should be “anchored on a massive programme of national valuereorientation involving the state sector, private sector and civil society.”

According to them, the “debilitating impact of corruption on national development and the adverse human development indices requires a concerted effort to combat corruption in both private and public sectors of the Nigerian economy.”

They added that the fight against corruption “needs strong political will, moral

leadership, certainty of sanction and commitment of governors to succeed and pledged to fill the role.”

On security, the governors reiterated their commitment to “pursue cooperation on security management, including sharing of information and placing emphasis on human security needs of our people.”

They called for the reintroduction of teacher training colleges across the country as part of the effort to enhance educational quality and access.

The forum adopted its Strategic Plan for 2014-2016.

•Some of the weapons recovered from members of the Boko Haram sect in Maiduguri yesterday

Boko Haram: 500,000 Nigerians displaced, says UN High Commissioner

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HE UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay yesterday said that about 500,000 Nigerians have been displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency.

The New York based Human Rights Watch said that the situation has sparked a humanitarian crisis.

Pillay, speaking to reporters in Abuja, also called for a regional approach in containing the insurgency in the Northeast.

With what Nigeria is currently passing through, she said that the Boko Haram challenge could no longer be treated as the country’s internal matter.

She said that the National Security Adviser, Mr. Sambo Dasuki, has, accordingly, agreed to facilitate access to the areas affected

by Boko Haram insurgency by humanitarian agencies and human rights monitors.

She said: “The actions of Boko Haram have grown increasingly monstrous. The group has targeted some

•Recommends regional approach to curtail insurgency Yusuf ALLI, Managing Editor, Northern Operation people simply because of their religion or professional occupation, and indiscriminately killed and maimed many others. They have burnt down houses, churches, clinics and schools.

“They have murdered children in their beds. Some of its members are reported to have abducted and raped women and girls.

“Close to half a million people have been displaced inside Nigeria and some 57,000 are now reported to have spilled across borders into neighbouring countries.

Farmland has been abandoned, and the food security in many areas has most likely been compromised as a result of the terror that Boko Haram has sown.

“In such circumstances, the Government has of course had no option but to deploy the army and other security services.

“However, it is vital that government forces do not exacerbate the problem by taking actions that displace, endanger or kill civilians.

She said although there had been alleged cases of human rights violations by troops curtailing insurgency, there was assurance by the NSA that the excesses would be checked.

She added: “Many people I have met with during this visit openly acknowledge human rights violations have been committed by the security forces, and these have served to alienate local communities and created fertile ground for Boko Haram to cultivate new recruits.

“While the scale of such abuses is not clear, the Government is evidently aware they are counter-productive, and I was assured by the National Security Adviser that steps are being taken to rectify excesses.

“A good first step came in the form of the establishment of a Joint Investigation

Team by the Chief of Defence Staff to review cases of those detained during counter-terrorism operations against Boko Haram.

“The outcome of that review, announced in December 2013, indicated that 500 individuals were recommended for trial, 167 for release, with 614 other cases deemed inconclusive.

“In order to inspire confidence and deter further illegal actions, it is important that transparent investigations into alleged violations by security forces are also carried out as a matter of course, and essential that credible and reliable information about what is going on in the North East becomes more readily available.

Pillay said that the decision of the NSA to facilitate access by humanitarian agencies and human rights monitors to the areas affected by Boko Haram insurgency would ”not just enable humanitarian assistance to be provided to civilians in

need, but may also deter further excessive acts, combat impunity and help dispel any unfounded rumours tarnishing the reputation of the forces engaged in the extremely challenging task of combating Boko Haram.”

She recommended a regional approach to tackle Boko Haram insurgency.

She said: “With thousands of refugees fleeing from Nigeria, and arms and fighters reportedly flowing across international borders in the other direction, this terrible conflict is no longer solely an internal matter.

“I suggested to the National Security Adviser that a regional approach to combat terrorism, resolve the conflict and alleviate the hardship of all civilians that are caught up may be an option worth exploring with neighbouring countries and the broader international community, and I also raised this issue with the Minister of Foreign Affairs. I call on States within the region to enhance their collaboration with Nigeria.”

NEWS 5

THE NATION SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 2014

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HE Northern Elders’ Fo rum (NEF) yesterday asked the National Assembly to investigate the puported act of insubordination by Service Chiefs to the Minister of Defence, General Aliyu Gusau .

The Deputy Leader of the NEF, Dr. Paul Unongo,told reporters in Abuja that the alleged insubordination,if true, was a dangerous development.

Unongo said: It is not done in the Armed Forces. It dents the credibility of the minister. If they refuse to appear before him, what right has he to oversee the entire Defence Forces?

"Disrespect is not tolerated in the Armed Forces. If he resigned, I support him. If he did not resign, what happened? I heard Mr. President pleaded with him to withdraw his resignation letter.

"This is a serious issue that the National Assembly should investigate because it is an attack on our democracy.

This is a very serious thing in a democratic set-up.

"When such a thing happened in the United States, the Head of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces was dismissed. The President is allowed to choose anybody whom he feels can do the job.

"This kind of thing should never be tolerated. Such officers should be flushed out of the system because if hey are not flushed out, it is dangerous for our democracy.”

Dr Unongo,Second Republic Minister of Steel Development, hoped that President Jonathan “will take note of the grave implications inherent in the drama of his Armed

Gusau: Northern elders demand probe of insubordination •Defence Minister meets Service Chiefs •Feud likely to be resolved Yusuf ALLI, Managing Editor, Northern Operation, Sanni ONOGU, Abuja Forces refusing to carry out instructions of civilian cabinet ministers appointed to oversee their various departments.”

He added: "To oversee these functions, Mr. President invites cabinet ministers to assist him run the departments and the military is a department.

“These heads of the Armed Forces, according to the Constitution, unless they have changed it, are directly under a director within the Ministry of Defence.

"This is a man that has been a General for over 20 years with the Nigerian Armed Forces. This is a person that became the Chief Spy; his nickname is the Chief Spy of the Nigerian Federation.

"This is a man that all governments, including this present administration, tap his knowledge and I know this person and how long the Government of President Jonathan tried to get him to accept this position of Minister of Defence.”

Meanwhile, the Minister of Defence, General Gusau yesterday met with Service Chiefs in what appeared a likely resolution of the crisis of confidence between the

minister and leaders of the Armed Forces.

Gusau and the Service Chiefs reviewed the situation in Maiduguri and other parts of the North-East.

A reliable source, who spoke in confidence, said the Service Chiefs, led by the Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, decided to honour the invitation after

the intervention of the Presidential Villa.

The source said: "The Defence Minister and the Service Chiefs met to iron out grey areas on the management of security challenges and out to forge a common front.

"I think we are closer to the resolution of the misunderstanding between the minister and the Service Chiefs.

"We expect a better co-ordination of all operations against the Boko Haram insurgents in the North-East."

Asked if the Service Chiefs will now report to the minister, the source added: "Not likely because National Security Agencies Act does not mandate them to do so.

"But what yesterday's meeting has achieved is the need

for mutual respect and how to collaborate without friction.

"It is also about drawing inspiration from Gusau who is respected globally as an expert in counter-insurgency.

"The crisis in Maiduguri was a catalyst for the session between the minister and the Service Chiefs. It jolted all of them into action."

Police re-arraign former Gulf Bank MD, others FORMER Managing Director, defunct Gulf Bank Plc, Johnson Adeyeba, was yesterday re-arraigned before a Federal High Court in Lagos by the police for alleged N12 billion fraud.

Adeyeba was re-arraigned alongside seven others, including a Briton, Gareth Wilcox, charged with his companies-Ibom Power Company and LYK Engineering company, as well as a lawyer, Uche Uwechia.

Other accused are Ignatius Ukpaka and John Ezugwu who are also charged with their company, Taurus Shelters Ltd. The accused were re-arraigned on an amended 21count charge bordering on fraud and financial malpractices.

They all pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The first to fifth accused had on December 23, 2013 been arraigned before the court to

Precious IGBONWELUNDU

which they pleaded not guilty.

They were alleged to have converted over N12 billion from the defunct bank in the guise of granting loans and overdraft facilities to various companies without appropriate accounting records.

The accused were alleged to have converted and appropriated a total of $55.3million and over N3.7billion belonging to the bank.

Part of the money was said to have been used to finance a non-existing refinery, while the others where converted to personal use.

The alleged offence was said to have contravened Section 390 of the Criminal Code, Laws of the Federation, 2006.

Justice Mohammed Yunusa had granted them bail in the sum of N200 million each,

with two sureties each in like sum.

When the case was called on yesterday, prosecuting counsel, Dania Abdullahi, informed the court of a consolidated charge, including the names of two more accused and their company, Ukpaka, Ezugwu and Taurus Shelters Limited.

Abdullahi prayed the court for the accused to be re-arraigned on the amended charge.

After their re-arraignment, counsel for the fifth accused, Revell Ogunde (SAN), prayed the court to allow the accused continue on the bail earlier granted by the court.

Lawyer representing the sixth to eight accused, Linus Omeye, also prayed the court to allow his clients enjoy the conditions of bail granted to the other accused who had

previously been arraigned.

Justice Yunusa granted the prayers of defence counsel.

Meanwhile, Ogunde informed the court that he had filed a motion challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear the suit.

He argued that the police had no constitutional right to prosecute financial crimes without the authority of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Ogunde stressed that the offence against the accused is a general offence which was embedded on the residual list, and so, can only be entertained by the state High Court.

He, therefore, urged the court to strike out the charge against his client.

His submission was supported by the lawyer to the sixth to eight accused, hence the court adjourned the matter to April 14 for ruling.

3RD EDITION OF NGF RETREAT IN LAGOS

•From left: Former Chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum, Senator Bukola Saraki; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN); NGF Chairman, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi and Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi at the third edition of the NGF held in Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos... yesterday

•From left: Edo State Governor, Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole; Sokoto State Governor, Aliyu Wammako; Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief, The Sun Newspapers, Femi Adesina and Zamfara State Governor, Abdul-Aziz Yari Abubakar

•Retired Justice of the Court of Appeal and former Chairman of ICPC, Justice Muhammed •Professor Grace Alele Williams and Sunny Irabor Mustapha Akanbi and former EFCC Chairman, Nuhu Ribadu

PHOTOS: Dayo ADEWUNMI and Solomon ADEOLA

THE NATION

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ECALLING the lifetime of the former President, the late Umoru Musa Yar’Adua, President Goodluck Jonathan has said that he might have remained the Governor of Bayelsa State, but for the good role played by Yar’Adua.

He spoke in Katsina State on Thursday night during the state banquet organized in his honour by the Katsina State Government.

Without Yar’Adua, he went further to say that he might not have become President of Nigeria.

He said: “My visits to Katsina are always a kind of homecoming. As you all know, without the role played by your great son, President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, in my political career, I would probably still be in Yenagoa as Governor of Bayelsa State.

“Without him, I probably wouldn’t have been President of Nigeria today. He was a very good boss. He was hon-

SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 2014

But for Yar’Adua I might have remained Bayelsa Governor, says Jonathan Augustine EHIKIOYA Abuja est, forthright and patriotic. He had a great vision for Nigeria and set out to do things in a different and original manner.

We all take consolation in the fact that he gave his best during the short period that he served our country.

“If he were here today, I have no doubts that he would be impressed with the visible transformation that is taking place throughout the length and breadth of this state. Governor Shema and his able team deserve commendation not only for initiating new projects, but also for ensuring the completion of all the projects initiated by our late beloved President Umaru Yar’Adua

who, by providence, was his, and also my own predecessor in office,” he added.

Commending the state governor, Ibrahim Shema, he said: “Since our arrival this morning, we have gone round parts of the state to inspect and commission projects, and the projects that I have seen, are quite inspiring and highly commendable. They confirm what well-meaning indigenes of the state have often told me about the government’s commitment to improving the welfare of the people.

“Let me use this unique opportunity to specially commend Governor Ibrahim Shema for the outstanding work that he is doing. He has shown with his commitment

Court frees ex-House panel chair on Capital Market Hembe

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EPREIVE yesterday came the way of former Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Capital Market, Herman Hembe.

The Court of Appeal, Abuja discharged and acquitted of charges of fraud and illegal conversion made against him and one other by the Economic and Financial Commission (EFCC).

The EFCC had accused him of converting about N600,000 estacode given to him in October 2011 by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for a training programme in the Dominican Republic.

Yesterday, the Court of Appeal, in a unanimous judgment, upheld Hembe’s argument that the EFCC failed to

Eric IKHILAE, Abuja establish a prima facie case against him to warrant him being subjected to trial based on the charges preferred by the commission.

Justice Joseph Tine-Tur who delivered the lead judgment particularly held that what the EFCC did was not prosecution but persecution.

The judge held that the proof of evidence and the evidence given by the witnesses called by the EFCC did not establish a prima facie case against Hembe.

Justice Tine-Tur further held that the Abuja High Court, which granted leave to the EFCC to prosecute Hembe based on the charges preferred, erred and should not have

granted such leave.

He described Hembe’s trial as a waste of precious judicial time.

The judge held that the appellant did not comit any offence known to law, but that at best, what transpired was an administrative oversight for which Hembe could have been asked to make a refund.

He consequently quashed the charges and discharged and acquitted him.

Hembe and his deputy, Chris Azubogu, were charged with alleged conversion of the estacodes given to them by the SEC to travel abroad for a conference.

They challenged their trial and made a no-case submission which the trial court refused, prompting Hembe to appeal to the Court of Appeal.

Presidential aide linked to smear campaign against Sanusi

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N aide to President Goodluck Jonathan is believed to be the brains behind a smear campaign linking the suspended governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN),Mallam Lamido Sanusi, to the recent upsurge in violence by Boko Haram.

Sanusi was suspended by the president last month after exposing a multibillion-dollar hole in the oil accounts.

Mr Sanusi’s allies say he is the target of a campaign to tarnish his credibility as a whistleblower, the most outlandish claims being from a certain “Wendell Simlin”.

A group of Lagos cyber sleuths set out to track the identity of the mysterious Mr Simlin behind the slur and after a painstaking examination of the properties of the word document concluded that the smear campaign was the handiwork of the presidential aide.

Gbenga Sesan, a member of Paradigm Initia-

tive, an internet advocacy group, said the mail came via the government internet service provider in Abuja.

Other metadata matched previous emails sent under the presidential aide’s name.

An internet search showed his photograph on his Facebook page and threads revealing a connection between the two going back to 2010.

“All of these things individually are maybe not enough to be conclusive, but when you combine the email header, the Facebook page, the threads and the word document properties it is very compelling,” said Feyi Fawehinmi, another member of the group investigating.

Neither the man nor Mr Simlin could be reached for comment and neither replied to emails.

A senior government official said: “If he did something, he is on his own.”

Fenog celebrates record time N a feat its Executive Direc execution of project tor described as unprec

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edented in the history of underground pipe laying worldwide, an indigenous oil and gas servicing company on Thursday completed the laying of 20inch pipes across 3.45km river in a contract awarded by a major oil company.

It was gathered that the indigenous company, Fenog Nigeria Limited (FNL), achieved the pioneering feat within one month.

Before the feat achieved by the Warri, Delta State-based oil servicing firm in the Amukpe/ Escravos pipeline project, it had set previous landmark records

in the laying of 24" pipes across the 1.7-km Escravos River in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State and 24" pipes across 2.82kilometre/ObOb Kwale River in Delta State for Agip Nigeria Oil Company (NAOC).

Briefing newsmen on FNL’s latest achievement, its Executive Director, Mr. Mathew Tonlagha, said: “The one that is very close to what we have achieved, as available record shows, was the laying of 3.9 km, but that involved the laying of just 12” pipes, and it was achieved in one year.

“But in our own case, we laid 20” pipes across 3.45 km river in just one month in the Amukpe/Escravos pipeline project.

“You can see that this is no mean achievement that we have recorded worldwide. This is an improvement over what we did in the Chevron project when we laid 24”across 1.7kilometre Escravos River in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State and 24" pipes across 2.82-kilometre/ObOb Kwale River in Delta State for Agip Nigeria Oil Company (NAOC).

that what matters most in governance are the people, not politics. By justifying the trust that the people have reposed in him, he has also made the Peoples Democratic Party, our great party which he once served as Deputy National Chairman, very proud indeed.”

He extended his condolences to the government of Katsina State, people of the state and families that lost loved ones in the attacks on innocent villagers in Faskari and Sabuwa local government areas.

“We totally condemn the attacks which were carried out by unidentified gunmen,” he said.

He also noted that Katsina State is an important beneficiary of his administration’s nationwide road construction and rehabilitation drive.

“In Katsina, our administration has already completed the following roads: the Jibia – Kaura Namoda Road with a length of 97.10Km and the 97kilometre Katsina-Daura Road at the total cost of N11 billion and the Funtua-Dayi – YashiCharanchi Junction of 166 kilometres at the total cost of N5.6bilion.

“Apart from the completion of these roads, the Federal Government has also awarded the contract for the dualisation of the first phase of the KanoKatsina Road to terminate at Yankamaye, the border village between Kano and Katsina states.

“The construction of another 10 kilometres road from Kankara to Gurbi, with a long span bridge which will provide

a short-cut from southern Katsina State to neighbouring Zamfara State, has also been contracted,” he added.

The President also assured the people of the state that the contract for the 2nd phase of the dualisation of the KatsinaKano Road from Yankamaye to Katsina metropolis will soon be awarded.

“The Federal Ministry of Transport has also initiated discussions with the Katsina State government for the construction of a dry port in Daura.

“We are also doing a lot in agriculture. As I pointed out at the palace of His Majesty, the Emir of Katsina, we are intervening in the agriculture sector, not as a rural development programme, but as a business with emphasis on growth across the value-chains.

“Here in Katsina State, in 2013, 210,000 farmers benefited from the Federal Government Growth Enhancement Scheme, in partnership with the Katsina State Government.

“As part of the Agricultural Transformation Agenda, I launched the dry season farm support programme to increase our food production and stimulate job creation for the youth. In 2013, over 3,300 rice farmers from Katsina State benefited from the dry season rice farming support of the Federal Government, with free seeds and subsidized fertilizers.

The impact was dramatic, as Katsina State rice farmers produced a record 13,000 MT of paddy rice which added an estimated N1bn to the local

economy and created over 6,000 jobs.

“Katsina State is the largest producer of cotton in Nigeria.

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development were supporting the revival of cotton production in partnership with the Katsina State government. Over 65,000 cotton farmers in Katsina State received improved cotton seeds and fertilizers. Four ginneries in Katsina State were revived with financial support of the Federal Government.”

President Jonathan assured the people of the state that the Wind Mill power project located in the Rimi Local Government Area of the state will soon be completed.

He gave the assurance when he inspected the 10 megawatts power project during his two-day official visit to the state.

The Federal Government, he said, would work with the state government to ensure the project is completed and put to use as soon as possible.

The Ministry of Power officials who conducted President Jonathan round the project told the President that the wind power project, the first of its kind in West Africa, was 90 per cent completed and would be ready for commissioning in three months.

The funds for its completion were said to have been captured in the 2014 budget.

The project was stalled for some months in 2012, following the kidnap of one of the consultants.

THE NATION SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 2014

COMMENTARY 7

Deterrence, security and stability n my way to Lagos Island last Thursday, in the intractable go slow traffic that has become the norm at Mile 2, and which must be the worst traffic jam in the world, I listened to a sports broadcaster on FM radio berating the organisers of the Nigerian Football League for insisting that Abia Warriors must play its league matches in Maiduguri by all means. Meanwhile callers to the sports programme had phoned in that Maiduguri was under attack by Boko Haram and that the Barracks in the town was being bombed. One of the callers, a lady, asked pathetically that listeners should pray for them in Maiduguri. The Sports broad caster indignantly called the league managers names, for being insensitive and inhuman by asking for football to be played in Maiduguri, in spite of the security situation. In the course of my trip which normally should not be more than 30 minutes but which nowadays takes three, a press release was read by the same sports commentator from the league organisers, announcing that the league matches scheduled for Maiduguri had been postponed indefinitely because of ‘security intelligence’ from Maiduguri.

On getting out of the traffic snarl I headed for my laptop and found the headline on bbc that said – Hundreds invade Maiduguri. The story specifically stated that the Boko Haram invaders struck at several parts of the town especially the University of Maiduguri, the Giwa Military barracks and a GRA in the town. This then was the state of my mind before writing this analysis of today. I felt empathy with the people of Maiduguri and my heart went out to them. For this was where I was posted for my national service and we had our orientation at NECAS - then North East College of Arts and Science – now University of Maiduguri which was attacked by Boko Haram last Thursday at dawn.

The way and manner of the invasion of Maiduguri

by Boko Haram showed clearly the bloody audacity and impunity of this blood thirsty Islamic Militant group now rated the most beastly in the world for its penchant for killing innocent people especially school children in their sleep. However it is the sports broad caster’s warning and the reaction of the League organisers that provided the frame work for my topic of today. I ask - if Boko Haram had been deterred early enough, would it have been in a position to attack a sprawling state capital like Maiduguri without the state security or the Army stationed there not having an inkling till the terrorists struck? Could the successful impunity of Boko Haram in striking targets easily in the North East have emboldened Fulani Herdsmen who attacked the convoy of Benue State Governor Suswan in the North Central part of the nation?. And could the same have been the case in Katsina state this same week, where Fulani herdsmen attacked some villages and the security personnel were said not to be at their post because they were preparing for the state visit of Mr President

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which took place and at which he berated the attackers as usual for their dastardly act? As someone clearly said in Governor Suswan attack, the fight between the Tivs, who are mostly Christians and the Fulani herdsmen, who are Muslims could easily degenerate into a religious war and that is not a comment to be taken lightly in terms of the peace, security and stability of the Nigerian nation.

Perhaps there is need for a definition of terms before we go on here. By deterrence I mean the ability or capability of the Nigerian state or indeed any state for that matter, to decisively deflect or kill any threat to its security in such a way that the initiators of such mischief will think twice, or indeed would have paid such a huge price, that they will never repeat the misadventure again. That to me is deterrence at national and regional levels and it should be the same world wide or on global levels. Given the spate of Boko Haram killings in Nigeria and the incessant orgies of human beings there is no deterrence in the reactive, military strategy of government to this terrible Islamic militancy that says on the surface that it is against western education.

Security is about the safety of life and property and that is in jeorpady in the North East and North Central of Nigeria right now given the fact that 69 were people were killed in Katsina in one day while a university campus was invaded in Maiduguri and a military barracks bombed in the process with the attendant loss of lives and property. Stability of course is contingent of security being in place. Yet in Nigeria the business of governance goes un unperturbed and undisturbed as if security is in place which is a parody of the principle of stability, the precursor of peace and equanimity, which are the sine qua non for growth and economic progress in any nation.

So, we are saying that the Federal government needs to give Boko Haram a bloody nose, militarily, that will be fatal l to its existence, to deter it from killing Nigerians at will, and for sport as at now in Northern Nigeria. How this is done is immaterial, and we need not know, because the end will justify the means as long as the hellish terrorists are put out of action on Nigerian soil. It is in the best interest of the Jonathan Administration to do this urgently no matter whose horse is gored, as for now, this is the best way to show that the government is not like the infamous Roman Emperor Nero of the Ancient Roman Empire, who historically fiddled, while Rome the capital of the Empire, burnt in those days of old.

On the international scene Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the vote in the invaded Crimea’s Parliament tomorrow to decide whether Crimea remains in Ukraine or goes with Russia, is another example of the failure of deterrence in global diplomacy. Whereas in sports as in business the sentencing of the Bayern Munich and Germany ‘s 1974 World

Cup hero and former President and CEO of the current World Club Champions, Uli Hoeness for three years for tax evasion is a victory for deterrence in business and sports administration. Let me elaborate further on these two issues.

In Ukraine, most predictably, the vote in the Crimea tomorrow will go the way of the Russians as the Russian Ukraineans are dancing to the tune being played from the Kremlin, with the Russian President Vladmir Putin, the conductor of a grand regional orchestra of unilateral invasion. The US and EU have asked Russia to withdraw to no avail. Which is to be expected, as Russia has invaded the Crimea for good, but is ready to parley over the invasion, which it knows to be a military fait accompli, immune to all diplomatic negotiations on sanctions now and in the immediate future by the US and its, allies the EU. Sanctions have not deterred Putin from violating international law and defying with contempt , his classification by US President Barak Obama as being on the wrong side of history, when he invaded the Crimea in Ukraine very recently.

Lastly, the jailing of Uli Hoeness sends a strong message to the business and sports sectors in Germany and the world at large, that nobody is above the law in Germany and that paying tax is a vital civic and social responsibility for both business men and corporate bodies. Of course the sentencing is a dent on the corporate image of Bayern Munich.

But Hoenes has publicly regretted his mistake and resigned from his post at Bayern while thanking all the friends he made there, before proceeding to jail.

In one swoop therefore, the German economic machine, the best in the EU has sent a message of deterrence successfully to crooked tax evaders and potential ones in Germany that no matter how highly placed and popular they may be, tax evasion has zero tolerance in business in Germany. At the same time the punishment has guaranteed the security of the German tax system and cemented the stability of the German economy as the economic engine room of Europe. Which is something the EFCC in Nigeria should ponder over. As well as the so called whistle blowers who seek relevance when asked to show transparency, by running to the courts to claim immunity on whistle blowing, thus threatening the stability and security of the system they were expected to regulate and protect in the first instance.

THE NATION SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 2014

8 COMMENTARY

Still on the Abuja ‘Owambe’ Save for officials’ anxiety that some Boko Haram elements could be lurking around any corner, Abuja - Nigeria's capital city of politics and voodoo economics - is in a party mood. Already, smart businessmen and women, journalists, emergency contractors, genuine and questionable consultants, low-class pimps and high class courtesans are perfecting strategies to make the best out of the three-month shindig as the Presidency is billed to officially 'unveil' the appetising menu on Monday, March 17, when the Justice Idris Kutigi-led National Conference Committee would be inaugurated

by President Goodluck Jonathan. Those conversant with what goes down whenever activities of this nature take place in Abuja would readily admit that free-flowing cash is not always in short supply. All it takes to scoop some dough in seasons like this is having an idea or meeting one of ‘them’, the Kleptocrats who run things. Sometime, a well-thought-out strategic repositioning gets one close to those in charge of disbursing the freebies that come with every talk shop that had been organised to 'cement' our oneness as a nation irrespective of what happened to the recommendations of such talk shops!

From the look of things, the Jonathan National Dialogue promises to offer more entertainment not just because of the quality of names that found their way into the delegates' list but also because of the kind of 'comfort' that the lucky delegates stand to enjoy in a city brimming with money, power and hot legs. I’m sure no one has any problem decoding what hot legs stand for. Snippets from the yet-to-be-passed 2014 budget indicate that the government has allocated N7bn from the Service Wide Vote for the dialogue even before the Senator Femi Okurounmu-led Advisory Committee on National Dialogue submitted its report to Jonathan.

For now, no one can say for sure if the Okurounmu committee, tried as they did, truly came out with recommendations that reflected its terms of reference which included, among others, to consult expeditiously with all relevant stakeholders with a view to drawing up a feasible agenda for the proposed national dialogue/conference; make recommendations to government on structure and modalities for the proposed national dialogue/conference; and make recommendations on how representation of various interest groups at the national dialogue/conference will be determined. The committee was also saddled with the responsibility of advising the government on a time frame for the national dialogue/conference; its legal framework, legal procedures and options for integrating decisions and outcomes of the national conference into the constitution; and advise the government on any other matters that may be related or incidental to the conference.

Although the jury is still out on what can be done with the outcome of the Justice Kuitigi confab. Two main reasons have been adduced for this. First, there is the belief that the National Assembly, which is the only body that is constitutionally empowered to make laws for the good governance of the country, might not be disposed to any attempt to whittle down or tamper with its overriding powers by accepting the recommendations of a non-

statutory body. The body language of members does not suggest a preparedness to shoot oneself on the foot! Second, aside the fact that the authorities might find it difficult to convince members of the two chambers who are torn apart along political divide to accept the recommendations and make moves to reflect them in a new constitution, some have argued that failure to put such recommendations to a referendum might render the report useless. It may just as end up in the trash can of history just as many others in the past. But then, this is still within the realm of speculations since the conference is set to convene in Abuja next week.

However, what is not a subject of conjectures is the amount that would be spent on 'logistics' for the National Conference Secretariat, accommodation, feeding and other miscellaneous activities for the 492 delegates made up of 'elder-statesmen', representatives of professional bodies, civil society groups, politicians, human rights activists, monarchs, youth and politicians. Like a friend put it, the list is a blend of "thieving billionaires, moderate millionaires, innocent kobonaires and privileged criminals!" What is important is that this potpourri of Nigerians would be gathering in Abuja in the next few days to discuss how best we can live together as peoples of the same nation. As would be expected, they are not doing it for free. This talk of a lifetime comes with the kind of perks that would make the forever struggling Nigerians groan with envy and salivate with bitterness.

It was the same way most Nigerians were smitten and became punch drunk with riotous rage tucked within their armpits when, in January 18, 2005, former President Olusegun Obasanjo sought an approval of the sum of N932m from the National Assembly to fund a three-month National Political Reform Conference billed to start midFebruary of that year. In that particular instance, Obasanjo was kind enough to avail the lawmakers details of what the money would be used for. Delegates were to earn N21.68million as sitting allowance and N650.25 million as allowances in lieu of accommodation. Also included was the sum of N1.7million for return flight tickets from London, Washington, Beijing and Johannesburg in addition to N28,800 for return flights to Abuja for the inaugural session and subsequent conference meetings. Delegates, Obasanjo noted, would be given N14, 400 for airport taxi and local transportation within Abuja while there would be a provision for, at least, two CVU long wheel cars to be hired and fuelled at a total cost of N2.9 million. That was in 2005.

Today, eight solid years after the Obasanjo jamboree came out with a report which never saw the light of day and eight years after his third term agenda was quashed by both chambers of the National Assembly, President Jonathan would need N7bn or more to host his chosen ones to a talk show. It is bad enough that, up till now, he has not officially written the National Assembly to make formal request for the funds and neither has he publicly avail us details of the spend.

All that we are privileged to know, according to an exclusive report published by this paper early January, is that N11bn would be drawn from the perennially abused and callously raped Service Wide Vote with N7 billion going to the National Dialogue while N4 billion will be expended on hosting the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Abuja.

It's that simple and it's called voodoo economics. You need not worry

Knucklehead With

Yomi Odunuga E-mail:yomi.odunuga @thenationonlineng.net SMS only: 07028006913 yourselves how they came about this humongous aggregate.

Just rest assured that nothing is too small to spend on those who have opted to create time out of a busy schedule, to discuss the way forward for a country on the throes of disintegration and a citizenry forever harangued by the challenges of daily living.

Pity.

But if you are one of those persons who insist on the breakdown of every appropriated figure, then this news report would interest you. According to a scoop by one of the leading newspapers, the delegates are billed to enjoy the sort of reception fit only for royalties. Beyond the talks, jibes, drama and occasional fisticuffs that ordinary Nigerians would be treated to at the International Conference Centre venue of the talk show, delegates would also have the freedom of being ensconced in Abuja's red carpet treatment status with a monthly accommodation stipend of N4m each and a daily feeding allowance of about N30,000 for three rounded meals! Ha! Life sure can't be on the down side for any delegate regardless of his status. The N30,000 meal ticket per day, if the report is true, could pay the salary of most Nigerians for four months. And that's why some people see this latest national dialogue conference as the most expensive talk shop ever organised in this country. But then, who cares?

We do understand the argument that Abuja is an expensive town with its peculiar security challenges at a time when terrorists are threatening to disturb its peaceful ambience. We are also not unmindful of the fact that the Obasanjo confab was some eight years gone and things couldn't just remain the same. Even the beautiful, fair weather friends that line roads leading to major hotels in Abuja no longer charge stipends for services rendered!

We can even decode why some of the delegates need extra funds for 'personal logistics' in the spirit of 'body no be wood' and a labourer deserving his wage. We also know that some lifestyles have to be maintained by some privileged delegates. But then, in line with its avowed commitment to transparency and accountability in the transformation agenda, it shouldn't be difficult to spell out how much each delegate will get for agreeing to disagree and being ‘patriotic’ enough to attend a talk show which is long on promises and could end up to be abysmally short on delivery if the delegates are to strictly obey the 'no-go areas' command by Mr. President. Or should it? And so, we ask: how cheap is this talk and what impact will it have on the price of fish in the market?

‘Religionalisation’ of presidential politics: A bad precedent N the past few months, Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan, n Senator Olubunmi ADETUNMBI n has embarked on a church visitation exercise some have now humorously christened ‘church tourism.’ It started with a trip olution Russia where some of the to Jerusalem, the Holy Land. Nineteen governors, as well as worst atrocities mankind has some serving ministers and key government functionaries experienced took place. A multiincluding the ever voluble President of the Christian Association ethnic and multi-religious society of Nigeria, CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, accompanied the like ours is certainly not immune Nigerian President on a pilgrimage of sorts to Israel on what to the dangers awaiting a nation could be termed a spiritual sojourn of discovery. At the end of which allows power and politics the spiritual odyssey, hands were laid on the President and to lie comfortably on the shoulders prayers offered for his success. of its religious institutions. The Perhaps still energized by the spiritual rebirth he experienced fragility of Nigeria will be further after the trip bankrolled by public funds, the president embarked exacerbated by heightened relion a church voyage with the usual array of top government gious and ethnic tension which is functionaries and spiritual leaders in tow. In the last few months, indirectly being stirred by the the president has visited over six churches and still counting. The President’s ‘church tourism.’

Dunamis church has played host to the new found love of the Many across religious and even number one citizen who worshipped there a few weeks ago. The political divides agree that these Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Living Faith politicized church visits are harmChurch and the Apostolic Church, Utako, including some ful on the long run to the presinotable churches in Lagos have also opened their doors to the dent’s score card which is dismal President who has more or less used their hallowed pulpit to at best and his warped political advocate what many have tagged, ‘the political patronage of the calculations. The question must • Jonathan average church goer.’ be asked: why has GEJ allowed The Nigerian Constitution clearly grants the President freedom religion to take the centre stage of of association, religious affiliation and worship. But it must be his campaign rather than corruption, jobs, security, defence spendnoted firmly that he also holds a unique position as an embodiment ing, education etc? As a political analyst puts it succinctly, church or of the ethno-religious diversities of over 160 million Nigerians. not, issues of performance with measurable indices are what would Therefore, President Jonathan should pursue his religious belief define the next elections. Therefore, the President should refrain mindful of his status so that he’s not seen as politicizing religion or from using the pulpit to make policy statements of government. religionizing politics or further polarizing an already fractured nation Like every other Nigerian, the President is free to worship in dangerously along ethno-religious cleavages. churches or mosques if he so chooses, but pulpits and sacred altars The President has been criticized severely in the past for being a should not be platforms for partisan political statements by presimaster at playing the ethnic and religious card whenever it suits him dential aspirants. The president’s speeches from the pulpits of best politically. His recent visits to churches filled with Nigerians who prominent churches have begun to attract disparagement from a more or less share his religious beliefs, while harmless on the surface, large segment of society and sadly are perceived as a subtle camundoubtedly gives credence to this school of thought. Given the paign for votes from the altar. Many say that this is not the first time vehement defence by the President’s handlers, Nigerians are to the President would play the religious card in his political voyage. In expect more of such visits in coming weeks as Jonathan has vowed to 2010, before the 2011 presidential election, he visited the RCCG to worship at least once every month at churches outside the presidensecure the votes of Christians. Two years after that presidential electial chapel. By using the intimidating paraphernalia of office to sway tioneering, he paid another widely publicized visit to Redeemed a religious segment of the society to his side, President Jonathan has Camp to give thanks to God and asked for prayers to enable him taken the manipulative exploitation of religion for partisan political rule the country. The President has the freedom to decide his religains to a level unbecoming of a statesman. This desperate deploygious leaning and worship in any Christian denomination of his ment of faith as a tool for political eligibility or qualification for elecpreference. However Nigerians, including those of other faiths, also tion or reelection into office is a dangerous precedent. own the inalienable liberty to express their dissatisfaction at a situaIn retrospect, the President must be urged by well meaning tion where the nation’s Chief Security Officer and number one citiNigerians to learn to separate the pulpit from politics even if he banks zen makes sensitive political pronouncements in churches. on the voting strength of the church in his mission to succeed himself The President needs to be called to order quickly in order to avert in the face of mounting opposition within and outside his party. a potentially divisive situation in the ever tense ethno-religious History has shown that when politics is brought into the church, or country like Nigeria. As canvassed by no less a religious figure than the church into politics, society is worse off in the end. The suppresPresident of the Catholic Bishops Conference, Ignatius Kaigama, the sion and manipulation of the society by the state, through the church President needs to stop forthwith his politically motivated visits to and religion, dates back to medieval Britain and 20th century pre-rev-

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churches and the usage of church pulpits to indirectly request for votes of Christians. Bishop Kaigama is not just a lone voice in this call. A prominent clergyman, George Ehusani, puts it succinctly “I think that the current President is mixing politics with religion. He is the President of the whole Nigeria; he is not only the president of Christians. He is a Christian who is President but while a Christian is President in a country that is 50% Christian and 50% Muslim, you have to be careful.”

For the church, it is time to take up the gauntlet against this subtle presidential onslaught on its age-long independence. It is wrong for the President to bring the soapbox into the church. I also don’t think pastors should allow their pulpits to become public policy platforms for politicians, it contaminates the gospel. The sanctuary is a hallowed chamber and should not be debased by politics of transient power. This is a desperate bid of a Christian politician to use the church for a subtle endorsement without reference to the capacity to perform and deliver welfare to the people as Jesus Christ did by feeding the multitude, healing the sick and giving hope. The President should be encouraged and advised to rise above partisanship and religious bigotry and scale up to the status of a statesman. The burden of personal desires and the clamour for power is real and it takes the grace of God to rise above these. The President should ask God for this exceeding grace to overcome self and all primordial desires that do not edify him, the church and the nation.

No one should commit the error that my views are ‘anti-Christian.’

No! Far from it! I am a confessed believer in the Person and the Divinity of Jesus Christ and He constitutes the centre of my being and hope for eternal life. I, therefore, consider it degrading to the status of Christ to be dragged into the politics of temporal power in a manner that excludes people of other faiths that Jesus gave His life for. And if Mr. President feels he must continue on his religious trail, I enjoin him to visit Pastor Tunde Bakare’s Latter Rain Assembly, he should also extend his worship to churches in Yobe, Adamawa, Borno and Benue states. If Mr. President cannot worship with the Christian community in these volatile states, then he should stop henceforth this obnoxious religious campaign.

On a final note, from the accounts in the Holy Bible, priests took messages of God to kings of nations and read riot acts to them through the famous quote, ‘Thus sayeth the Lord God.’ Ironically, we are now faced with the situation where an un-ordained person climbs the altar of God to say “Thus sayeth the President”. This is a reversal of spiritual protocol as we know it in the Holy Bible and this is a subordination of spiritual authority of priesthood to the temporal powers of the President.

Indeed the President needs to be careful in his new found vocation.

His decision in the coming weeks will determine if Nigerians have a President who shares the yearnings and aspirations of all Nigerians, irrespective of tribe or religion or a leader who quickly retreats into his religious or ethnic enclave to achieve transient political gains. This is not exemplary leadership and clearly not the mind of Christ.

•Senator Adetunmbi is Senator representing Ekiti North and the Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Interior

THE NATION SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 2014

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•Decrepit...

A view of one of the police barracks

Life has been hellish for us –Widows of deceased police officers Story on pages 14,15&44

Widows of policemen have sad tales to tell of life after their husbands. But is the police institution also fair to their living officers and rank and file? Facts show that the institution still needs a lot of reforms, which must be backed by special federal intervention, writes JUDE ISIGUZO

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 2014

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‘Is it a crime to be married to a policeman?’

Widows of deceased policemen have sad tales to tell. And things are hardly better for living officers of the force either. JUDE ISIGUZO writes that the institution needs a lot of reforms via special intervention by the Federal Government

T is almost five years that Ijeoma lost her husband, Peter Otoh, a corporal in the Nigeria Police before he died. But Ijeoma’s agony has made the memory of her husband’s death so fresh that she feels as if he only died yesterday. Although Ijeoma and her husband were not living large before the latter passed on, they lived together as a happy couple until November 4, 2009 when Otoh, who was serving with the Police Mobile Force (PMF) in Ikeja, Lagos, died. He was said to have been poisoned.

A few days after Otoh’s death, Ijeoma was ordered to vacate the family’s apartment in the barracks, where she had stayed with her husband and children for years. Perhaps it would have been easier if the police had paid her late husband’s entitlement, but the

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only money the police paid her was the sum of N100,000 meant for her husband's burial expenses. Even that was paid long after the funeral rites had been concluded. She had to borrow money to bury her husband, a common practice among police widows.

There have been instances where colleagues had to contribute money to foot such expenses. One of such cases occurred some years ago when a Deputy Superintendent (DSP) of Police and Acting Commander in charge of Police Mobile Force (PMF) 20 Squadron at Oduduwa, Ikeja, had to raise money for the family of a colleague who died during an exchange of gun fire between the police and some bandits. Policemen and civilians wept openly for the family as the then DSP moved from the office of one senior officer to the other to raise money for fuel and other expenses as the remains of the deceased police officer was being conveyed to his Ogoja home town in Cross River State.

Mrs Otoh, a mother of two children now aged 14 and 11, had to turn to the street after she and her children were kicked out of their apartment in the barracks. To survive, she and her children had to start begging, while a makeshift shanty became their home for many months. With time, however, some good Samaritans gave her some money with which she went into petty trading. However, she still lives at the mercy of relations for her children’s school fees.

As might be expected, the poor widow has no kind words for the police. Indeed, she believes that choosing a career in the police was the greatest mistake her husband made. She also vows never to allow any of her children to join the police.

She said: "Are we supposed to die because our husbands who served their fatherland diligently and with dedication in their life times are no more? Is it a crime to be married to a policeman or to be fathered by one? Why won’t the police pay us what they owe our husbands and allow us to live normal lives?

"The money that was supposed to be paid to us immediately my husband died was

,

Are we supposed to die because our husbands who served their fatherland diligently and with dedication during their life time are no more? Is it a crime to be married or given birth to by a policeman? Why will the police not pay us what they owe our husbands and allow us live normal lives?

,

Our dilemma, by Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO) Frank Mba, in this interview with JUDE ISIGUZO, defends the police on allegations of corruption and blames some of the difficulties encountered by policemen on poor budgetary allocation.

HY is it that the fuel dumps are no longer functional, police workshops are moribund and there are no dump sites for recovered or contraband vehicles, even when there are provisions for them in the NPF budget? Is anybody diverting the funds?

The inability of our fuel dumps to function effectively is as a result of poor budgetary allocation. To fuel police vehicles alone, we need not less than N10 billion annually for the more than 9,000 existing police vehicles at the average of 30 litres per day for short distance patrols. This does not include motorcycles and generators.

In 2013, for instance, due to competing demands for limited federal funds, only N600 million was allocated to the Force against this required sum, while the actual release fell short of this budgetary allocation. The story is not different with our workshops as well as our vehicle maintenance budgets.

The above scenario clearly makes effective discharge of our responsibilities extremely difficult.

There is also allegation of massive fraud in the MSS Department. Investigation reveals that officers who work in that department conspire to prepare the salaries of

W

not paid until almost one year after his death. We had to borrow money to bury him. My husband's relations have abandoned me and my kids. They do not care or ask about our welfare. We are on our own.

“Sometimes I regret that my husband opted to join the Nigeria Police Force. The police have not been fair to my family.

Maybe it is a crime to be a policeman in this county; a job in which you put your life on

deceased policemen, which they eventually pay to themselves. It was gathered that they have a way of making sure that the names of deceased policemen and women never leave the nominal roll until maybe their families are paid their final entitlements, which takes years.

As part of efforts of the present Police administration to reposition the Force for a more effective service delivery and transparency in the Mechanised Salary Sections (MSS), the IGP, on assumption of office, ordered the posting of police officers with finance/accounting background as well as proven track records as officers-in charge of MSS and police pay offices to commands and formations nationwide.

The O/C MSS and pay offices were not only warned to desist from any fraudulent act, they were also given intensive lectures by experienced experts from the Budget Office of the Federation, Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Inland Revenue Service and Bureau of Public Procurement, where issues of salary administration, among others, were discussed.

Since then, there has never been any reported case of fraud associated with any of my personnel in this section. the line to ensure the security of others and yet you are not appreciated even in death.

They are never cared for in life, and in death, their families are treated with scorn."

Unlike the Otohs, the wife and children of Inspector Dominic Ogar (42), who died on January 10, 2012, did not have to live on the streets after they were evicted from the barracks.

Ogar’s widow, Esther, said: "Immediately

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 2014

15 •Police Housing scheme, Idimu

•Presentation of cheques to widows and relatives of late police officers in Rivers State

•Lugbe Housing scheme

What is your comment on the filthy and dilapidated state of the police barracks in the country?

There is no denying the fact that before now, the state of police barracks in the country was very poor and disheartening. In fact, not only the barracks, even our police stations, police posts and other facilities were not such that one could be proud of. Of course, the reasons for the poor state of the barracks were all too obvious, ranging from insufficient number of barracks relative to the ever growing police population and the lack of •Mba proper attention paid to these barracks in the past, ostensibly arising from poor funding, to poor hygiene habit on the part of some barracks occupants and so on.

Thanks to MD Abubaka administration, however, things are getting better by the day in this area. It is an incontestable fact that the barracks, police stations, police commands and formations all over the country are neater and more aesthetically appealing now than before. The present police administration preaches and demonstrates that cleanliness is next to Godliness, and any unbiased and objective critic will readily see that things are no more the way they used to be; they have certainly changed for the better. he died, officers from the Provost Department of the Police came and started threatening us with a quit notice. They said there was a new law that six months after the death of a policeman, his family must move out of the barracks. It was with the N200,000 insurance money paid to us that we moved to Alagbole, Akute, Ogun State, where we now reside," Esther explained.

She added that apart from the insurance

With their meagre resources, heads of various police commands, formations, stations, posts, etc now go the extra mile to ensure that they live up to the standards set by the IGP and his management team. The police hierarchy has also been able to sensitise and win the confidence of relevant stakeholders to the plight of the police with regards to barracks accommodation and other housing challenges.

In Abuja, for instance, police barracks such as Dei-Dei, Gwagwa, CityGate, Maitama and Police Cantonment have already been transformed or are in the process of being transformed. Dei-Dei Barracks, which is the largest police barracks in Nigeria, for instance, can now boast of electricity, water, roads and a 50-bed hospital equipped with an ambulance. These facilities were not there before, but thanks to MTN and a friend of the IGP, one Mr. Bailey, the police personnel in Dei-Dei Barracks can now smile better.

Have you not seen the trees and flowers planted by Police Officers Wives Association (POWA) in Dei-Dei and other barracks to make these barracks more beautiful and aesthetically satisfying? The present police administration is also building at least one or two police barracks money, no other money had been paid to her. She said: "My father-in-law died because of the shock of his son's death. That was after my husband's burial. But I could not attend his burial because I was battling with serious illness at that time and I had no money.

"My husband's relations believe that I have collected his entitlements and that I am lying to them. They no longer believe what-

in each state of the federation to help in solving the housing needs of its personnel. No doubt, more can still be done and all hands must be on deck in this regard.

Policemen have complained of not being paid their allowances after UN missions. How true is this?

Certainly not true. Conversely, since the current IGP came on board, he has introduced a system whereby allowances are given to peacekeepers. There is no way an officer of the Nigeria Police Force can be denied their allowances after embarking on a mission.

Needless to say that going on mission is no tea-party. It entails a lot of sacrifice. The fact that officers and men till date demonstrate so much eagerness to go on mission despite the enormous sacrifices involved in doing so is enough evidence that they are not being short-changed.

When is the IGP doing to check and control corruption in the force?

To his credit, the IGP has done so much in the area of tackling corruption in the Force. Recall that immediately he assumed the mantle of leadership of the Nigeria Police Force, he, conscious of the need to confront corruption headlong, ordered the dismantling of roadblocks nationwide. Nigerians have expressed satisfaction with this position and have noted that cases of extortion, accidental discharges and other ills associated with road blocks are now no more.

The IGP also instituted the IGP Monitoring Unit for the sole purpose of preventing and checkmating corruption among police personnel. You will also find that the office of the Force Public Relations Officer also treats complaints from the public against police officers.

ever I tell them. They have abandoned me and my children, who are dropping out of school because I can no longer afford their fees. The IG should help us to facilitate the payments so that we can reap from where our husbands sowed.

“The hardship is becoming unbearable.

We are living in abject poverty, even when we are supposed to have a little to sustain us. The last time I was called at the C-Pay of-

,

Force spokesman Frank Mba

These facilities were not there before, but thanks to MTN and a friend of the IGP, one Mr. Bailey, the police personnel in Dei-Dei Barracks can now smile better.

Have you not seen the trees and flowers planted by Police Officers Wives Association (POWA) in Dei-Dei and other barracks to make these barracks more beautiful and aesthetically satisfying?

,

fice, I was asked to go get a letter of administration ready. Another person from the same office called to say that our file was at the Budget Office, Abuja, and that if I knew anybody that could help me to facilitate it, I should call the person. But since I do not have anybody there, what do I do? The only person that I have always relied on is God", she said.

Continued on page 51

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 2014

19

‘Those ogas should realise that we’ll all die one day’ Continued from Page 15

A senior policeman, whose wife died in service as a seargeant, said: "If a policeman or woman dies, their families are entitled to the money for the burial expenses. Before, it was N20,000 for the rank and files and N50,000 for Inspectors; that is for those who died as a result of illness. Recently, it was increased to N100,000 for the rank and file and N200,000 for Inspectors.

“But if a policeman is killed on duty, he or she gets N500,000. If a policeman is killed on duty and his family did not officially report to the department in charge of the burial expenses two months after the incident, the family forfeits the money.”

He added: "The burial money is supposed to be given to the family immediately, but that is not the case. My wife died as a sergeant six years ago, but we are yet to get her insurance money. She was sick. We have been going to the Police Pension Office to get this money but they are not forthcoming. The last time we visited the Pension Office, they gave us a form to fill and they said they would pay in batches. The C-Pay department is in charge of payments for deceased policemen, but if you visit that office now, you will discover that hundreds of families of policemen and women who died in service more than seven years ago have not received their entitlements.

"The Mechanised Salary Section (MSS) is the department charged with the responsibility of preparing vouchers for the payment of police salaries. The department has a lot of corrupt policemen whose stock in trade is to prepare vouchers for the salaries of deceased policemen and pay the moneys to themselves. They make sure that the names of the deceased policemen remain on the payroll so as to perfect their fraudulent act. This set of policemen in the MSS Department will do anything to remain in that department.”

But the Force Public Relations Officer, Mr. Frank Mba, said the current police leadership had put in place a mechanism to check such fraudulent acts.

Like Otoh and others, the family of the late Moses Zuwanang, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) who died in Bauchi State, has been unable to collect his entitlements eight years after his death. The situation has thrown his wife and children into untold hardship. His widow, Veronica, and their two children, Jummai and Vera, who were teenagers when their father died, are calling on the police authorities to release the entitlements of their late breadwinner to ameliorate their sorrow.

Veronica, a full-time housewife, said her husband developed a headache on January 17, 2006 while on duty in Futuk, Alkaleri Local Government Area, Bauchi State.

Zuwanang enlisted in the Police Force on January 12, 1975 and had about four years left to retire before his death. Veronica said her husband had to excuse himself from duty to go to his house in Futuk to rest because of the persistent headache, but he died a few hours later.

The widow said: “No one cared about us.

His relations were making plans for us to go back home immediately, but I asked how we would collect the money when his entitlements were released. How are we going to fend for ourselves? I was just a housewife. What would I be doing at home?”

Veronica said the police gave her N30,000 for the burial of her husband. She said three months later, the police gave the family N130,000 which, according to her, was described as the insurance money.

She said: “I was called and given N130,000 in one office at the command.

They said it was insurance money, and that it was there for four months. It was one ASP that gave me the money. Most of them have retired.

“If that is all we have, what can we do?

We have no one to help us except God. My children have been managing since then.

One of them went to the polytechnic, and that is how we have been managing.

“People have been helping us. And when the Mission saw the hardship I was going through with the children, they offered me a job as a cook. Even on the house rent, I have received several insults and threats because we can barely pay. I am paid N8, 000 monthly, while the rent is N30, 000 per annum for a room and parlour apartment.

The whole house is leaking, but we don’t

•Mrs Ewenike have a choice.”

The widow of the late police officer pleaded with the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Abubakar Mohammed, to release her husband’s entitlements. In tears, she said: “Death will come to everyone. Let them pity a housewife like me whose husband died on duty. They should help the children with money. Life has been difficult for me and my children. Now, I have developed high blood pressure because of the problem we are passing through. Relatives and the police have abandoned us.

“My husband served the police for more than 30 years, but instead of releasing his entitlements, they are paying his family with suffering. Can’t they even take up the training of the children he left behind? They didn’t give us his entitlements. How would we train the children? They have no pity at all. It is sad that they are sitting on my husband’s entitlements eight years after his death. I have made several trips to Abuja to no avail.

“They keep asking me to bring this and that, but nothing has come out of it. Someone said we should bring his file number.

He said they were working on it. We haven’t heard about it again. Nobody has pity on us at all. Even his colleagues would just be looking at you as a burden and try to avoid you.

“My only cry is that they should pay my husband’s entitlements so that his children can move further in their education, so that we can get a better place to live. We have suffered a lot. The government should pity us.”

Saved by The Nation A story published by The Nation newspaper last year was the one that saved the widow and children of the late Inspector Ambrose Ewenike who died on February 10, 2012 while serving with the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Alausa, Lagos. His widow, Calista, and her children were relocated to another barracks in Ogba after the newspaper reported their plight as they were thrown out of the barracks by the Police Provost Department.

Calista told The Nation: "My husband's burial expenses have not been paid up till now. It was only his insurance money that we got and that was late last year. It was The

•An old Police fuel dump

•Mrs Otoh Nation’s story that rescued me and my children last year when they wanted to throw us out of the barracks.

"I have submitted all the documents the welfare department requested for the payment of my husband's entitlement but we have not had anything from them. Last week when I visited the place, they told me to go home and just be praying because they do not know when it will be ready. ”According to them, they are handling the files of those that died between 2005 and 2006, and that because somebody in the department defrauded it of a huge sum of money, they could not say when payment would continue.

"We now live from hand to mouth. We beg to feed. We beg to send our children to school. At times I wonder why of all the professions in the world, my husband chose the police. Those of them up there are feeding fat and sitting on our money, while we are made to suffer for no fault of ours.

“Two of my children are in Federal Polytechnic, Bida, and may drop out if help does not come fast. My last child was in a private school before her father died. I wanted to withdraw her but the proprietor refused.

She said my daughter must finish from there. Now, what she does is to record the fees, hoping that any day police pays, we will pay.

"My husband was the breadwinner in his immediate and extended family. He was like their only shining star. So, we cannot even go to the relatives because they don’t have. I am begging the IGP to settle what they owe my husband so that his years in the police will not be a waste and so that those of us he left behind will continue with our lives.

“My husband served this country and the IGP is the head of the police. He can find a solution to these problems if he wants."

Last year alone, 93 policemen were killed in Nasarawa State. Some of the widows, who pleaded anonymity, alleged that those in charge of their late husbands’ entitlements sometime go as far as demanding sex to facilitate the processing of their vouchers.

One of them said: "My brother, these policemen... are very embarrassing. They do not hide it. They tell you to sleep with them so that they can facilitate your payment

process. In fact, you would be shocked to know those that are making these sexual advances. They are people you think were close family friends when your husband was alive. It is a shame.

“I do not know where we are heading to in this country, but God will help us. There is no guarantee even that when you sleep with them, the money will come out. So, why consider that as an option?"

Genesis of degeneration In the beginning, the police force was an enviable institution. A retired Assistant Commissioner of Police, popularly known as Auty Ayo, once told The Nation how her admiration of a female traffic warden at a junction in Ibadan, Oyo State, made her to become a policewoman. She said the woman was so neatly dressed and discharged her duty in such a way that she could not be ignored.

Those were the days policemen were provided with everything they needed to effectively perform their duties. Their uniforms were changed every six months. Kits and boots were issued free of charge. Allowances were paid for special duties and dry ration was provided for policemen deployed for duties on public holidays.

Money was provided for policemen to relocate when transferred to other states.

It was also gathered that fuel dumps were in every state command for use by officers and men. All a policeman needed to do was to go to the fuel dump and get his tank filled for patrol and other operational duties. The litres of fuel collected were recorded against the division in the service register.

Police workshops were available to service patrol and other official vehicles. Barracks were built in abundance and were very neat. Officers who chose not to live in the barracks were paid housing allowances enough to rent apartments outside the barracks.

But all that is in the past. Policemen today do everything for themselves. They kit themselves, fuel their vehicles, and buy their uniforms, boots, and stationeries. They service their official vehicles and there are not enough accommodation in the barracks for them. When officers and men are transferred from one command to another, nothing is provided. Those who do not have family friends they can squat with where they are posted sleep in abandoned offices and car parks.

This situation is more prevalent among officers and men posted to expensive cities like Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt. An Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), who was recruited into the force as a Constable in 1980, told The Nation that a lot has gone wrong with the police force.

He said: "Senior officers were lodged in hotels for about three months, while junior officers were given transport allowance and were allowed to stay at the recreation (junior officers mess) until they got accommodation. The police force was taking good care of its own then. But while there are still provisions for all these in the police budget, someone somewhere is pocketing the money."

Speaking further, the officer, who will be retiring from the force by 2015, recalled that when he was posted to the old Cross River State after training, living in the barracks was a choice. He said: "We had so many decent and clean barracks then, and it was a choice to live in the barracks. Housing allowance was paid to those who did not want to put up in the barracks. Now that the barracks are dirty, filthy and smelly, people struggle to live in them but can't even get accommodation. Policemen even bribe to get space, and they are paying to live in the barracks.

"When the going was good, there was something known as 'dry ration', which was given to officers and men on special duties and those who worked on public holidays.

The make-up of dry ration includes cornbeef, biscuit, milk, soft drinks, and so on.

Our Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) then got allocations to run their divisions. If not in cash, all the materials needed to run the division was provided.

“We had a fuel dump where policemen on duty could go and take fuel for patrol and other operational duties. There was a fuel attendant who took record of the fuel allocated to each division and area com-

Continued on page 45

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 2014

20

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 2014

45

•The road leading to Ekemeku Roundabout

,

ASABA:

Nightfall in Asaba is literally a kaleidoscope of colours, from bright street lightings and neon signs hanging over buildings on its major streets. A carnival atmosphere often pervades the night at the popular relaxation spot, Delta Parks, at Ekemeku Roundabout

,

•A street in Asaba at night

•Ekemeku Roundabout, Asaba

New ‘Mecca’ of film makers

SABA, the Delta State Capital, has witnessed an impressive socioeconomic change since the advent of democracy; the recent influx of Nollywood producers into the town has further cemented its status as a ‘Mecca’ of sorts in the movie industry.

Unarguably, it has become a magnet attracting the biggest players in the film industry in Nigeria.

A

n Okungbowa AIWERIE, Asaba n

Asaba, the picturesque town on the banks of the River Niger, may have upstaged its more illustrious neighbours in the South-East including Enugu, Onitsha and even Lagos, the commercial nerve centre of the nation, as the choice destination for filmmakers.

Film crews shoot films regularly in broad

,

Over time, Asaba became a small picturesque town with properly laid out streets, street lights at night coupled with a conducive atmosphere .The inhabitants are peaceful and friendly and that is a key to attracting filmmakers, not really from Onitsha but more from Enugu and Lagos.

Lagos is over crowded; commuting in Lagos is difficult. But in Asaba, you can access anywhere in 15 minutes

,

daylight on the ever-busy Nnebisi Road in the city and other locations in neighbouring communities.

Unsurprisingly, Asaba is not the only community enjoying the attention of filmmakers. Other communities bordering it are also reaping from the boom as film crews have ventured hinterland in search of ideal shooting locations in Ibusa and Okpanam communities in Oshimili North, and Ogwashi-Uku , Aniocha South LGAs. But why are filmmakers unable to resist the allure of Asaba ?

Aesthetically, Asaba is a small, but well-planned town with a relative good network of roads. Following the urban renewal efforts of the incumbent administration, some of the hitherto deplorable roads have received a facelift.

Nightfall in Asaba is literally a kaleidoscope of colours, from bright street lightings and neon signs hanging over buildings on its major streets. A carnival atmosphere often pervades the night at the popular relaxation spot, Delta Parks, at Ekemeku Roundabout.

Efforts by the Ministry of Environment to keep a clean and tidy environment have

Ci

enhanced the beautification initiatives of the current administration with street sweepers toiling day and night to keep the town clean.

Also, the Ministry of Special Infrastructure has engaged in the building of functional modern primary, secondary schools, junction improvement and bus parks which has transformed Asaba into a modern town.

Besides the efforts by government to develop infrastructure, private investors have contributed to the pace of development with its presence in the hospitality industry. The hospitality business has grown in leaps and bounds in the last decade with high rise hotel buildings dotting the landscape.

In addition, Asaba residents enjoy a good night out, evidenced by the numerous outdoor bars where alcoholic beverages, barbecued fish and chicken, suya and other local delicacies are sold.

A film producer, Wasky Okwy Oguegbu, puts Asaba’s popularity among film makers down to the hospitable nature of the indigenes. According to Mr. Oguegbu, in some other communities, indigenes are

Pe a c tYs

•Uduaghan hostile and uncooperative, a situation which scares filmmakers away.

His words: “You know, the whole thing started in Lagos. Then, it moved down to Enugu and Onitsha and now, it is Asaba.

Asaba is popular because of the locations.

In some other cities, you pay much in terms

of high hotel bills and the villagers are hostile to film crews. But in Asaba, we are well received. The Delta State government provided a conducive atmosphere for the industry to thrive. I will tell you the truth, the film industry is moving to Akwa ,Anambra State. But Asaba still remains the capital of Nollywood in Nigeria”.

Oguegbu , who holds the view that the film industry is heading back to Akwa, Anambra State, thinks the biggest incentive for film makers in Delta State is the issue of adequate provision of security. He commended the state government for collaborating with security agencies and ensuring that the town is safe.

He called for government’s grants to enable producers improve on their quality. His words: “The first incentive to come to Asaba is security. We enjoy relative peace here. Delta State is safe to an extent and security agencies are doing their best. We feel secured working here in Asaba. Security is the biggest incentive by the government to

us, but for grants, we want the government to explore that area also. With RMD (Richard Mofe Damijo) as Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, I know he is planning something for us”.

Continuing, Oguegbu is of the opinion that beautiful locations abound in Asaba and its suburbs, but he commends individual home owners for welcoming filmmakers with open arms despite the scourge of kidnappings in many parts of the nations.

His words: “Another factor is that there are many good shooting locations as with any part of the country, but the difference here is that the owners are very receptive.

In some other places, the youths will storm shooting locations and make outrageous demands. This unwholesome behaviour by youths drives us away. We have beautiful locations and palatial houses. In other places, the owners may not be willing to open up to you due to the high incidence of kidnappings, but Asaba residents are welcoming. They do not care, they allow us to shoot in their homes and we appreciate it”.

Richard Mofe-Damijo is happy with this

trend of affairs, attributing the modest pace of infrastructural development in the city to Delta Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan.

His words: “It is a good development.

I think the pace picked up under the administration of the present government.

All the credit should go to Governor Uduaghan. Over time, Asaba became a small picturesque town with properly laid out streets; street lights at night coupled with a conducive atmosphere .The inhabitants are peaceful and friendly and that is a key to attracting filmmakers, not really from Onitsha but more from Enugu and Lagos. Lagos is over-crowded; commuting in Lagos is difficult. But in Asaba, you can access anywhere in 15 minutes and with an airport in place, it became a bigger incentive for filmmakers.”

One major factor in attracting Nollywood, according to Mofe-Damijo, was the regular meetings with stakeholders in the movie industry to seek solutions to challenges faced by movie producers.

He said: “What I did in adding to the vision of Governor Uduaghan in making sure that Delta State, especially Asaba, is a destination for the movie industry is for me to meet the movie producers from time to time. We structured hotel deals for them with over 50% rebate for those who go through the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. ‘’My office also intervenes when they have problems with security agencies; at times, they are caught with toy guns and I have to intervene. We assist if they need the cooperation from other agencies; I give them letters to facilitate their operations”.

He urged stakeholders to subscribe to the Film Office initiative by the Delta State government, adding that the office when fully operational would cater for the welfare of any movie crew in the state.

He expressed disapproval to the non-chalant attitude of filmmakers to the issue of regulation which, he said, they have been shying away from. Damijo noted that regulation was crucial to the growth of any industry, expressing dismay at the attitude of some producers to the idea of a film office.

He said a film office will guarantee everyone’s rights. “Time was when there was talk of government getting some things back, even if it is some form of registration. As usual, nobody wants to pay money, every one runs from taxation.

These initiatives we had to suspend because after a lot of stakeholders meetings, filmmakers kept pleading that the films barely break even .We have had to suspend some measures we planned to implement, including starting up a film office, which in the long run, they would have benefitted from. ‘’This initiative of a film office, in my opinion, is desirable as every crew that visits this town should ordinarily register with my office. What has happened over the years is that it is only when there is a problem that they run to us for help. I have been woken up at 2.00am over and over to intervene when film crews have problems. Over time, we want to structure the activities of filmmakers but now, we are more than happy to let everyone in”.

He said he was not worried about the future of Asaba losing its appeal to Nollywood , saying: ”The governor is leaving no stone unturned in terms of aesthetics and infrastructure. That in itself guarantees what happens in the future of filmmaking in this town. If you have a town where people can fly in easily, if you have a town where there are more than 2,000 hotel beds, if you have a town where people can move around at any given time, people will want to come. So all of the things we are doing as a government in ensuring that we finish strong is what is being done by this administration”.

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 2014

38

T

HEIR relationship was one that captured the imagination of many, with some observers equating their love story to that of the mythical Cinderella and her Prince Charming. Unfortunately, unlike the latter, the romantic liaison of the 'glamour boy' of Nigeria's new generation preachers, Pastor Chris Okotie of the Household of God Church, Lagos, and his then heartthrob, Stephanie Henshaw, did not have the 'happily ever after' ending of most fairytales.

Their four-year marriage crashed like a house built on sandy, shaky foundation with a cryptic statement by the charismatic pastor to his congregation on June 24, 2012, which did not throw any light on what led to the break-up of their high profile union.

To Pastor Okotie, who had been married before to Tina, it might not have come abruptly as issues that led to the collapse of the marriage must have dragged between the couple for a while.

Just like his separation from the first wife, Tina, many of the church members were numbed, devastated by the news.

But more of the church followers clung to the pastor and to the church with great devotion. Pastor Okotie remained a special attraction to his members. Many wept for him on our visit to the church immediately after the second separation took place. They said they loved him, that they felt sorry for his unsuccessful marriages but vowed to continue with

Paul UKPABIO the church.

Nearly two years after, a thick wall of speculation and mystery still surrounds their marital break-up. Pastor Okotie, who, according to reports, had promised in 2012 that he would reveal to the world in the new year what his wife did to him to make him end their marriage, has not fulfilled his promise.

In the early days of the split, the pastor, from close observations at the pulpit, looked troubled as he sang and did his solo performances during church services. Most of the female members were there to cry along as he sometimes sang in tears with some encouraging him to sing and give more.

Over a year into life as a bachelor once again, Pastor Okotie has bounced back to life. He is now more relaxed at the pulpit and outside. The pains may linger around once in a while but the pastor is at ease with himself. He has come out to boldly say that he is not interested in marriage again.

His church media department has equally stated the same to the ears of whoever may doubt that declaration.

But then, the number of beautiful ladies flocking to the church has increased.

Some well-known members of the church, who initially left, have even returned from the self-imposed exile abroad to fellowship there once again.

And if you don't know it, Pastor Okotie has not compromised his standards. His glamour lifestyle continues. The classy perks around the church remain. While many speculate about his inner most privacy, the pastor went on a spending spree few weeks back when a church source is said to have confirmed that he spent a whooping N120 million for a Rolls Royce Coupe, 2014 Bespoke Edition and another N33 million for a Range Rover.

Our attempt to get the pastor to talk did not succeed, but questions begging for answers include: Will the women folk truly allow this charming pastor to live a successful life of bachelorhood at just 55 plus? And is this pastor truly capable of withstanding all the wiles of all those beautiful 'born again' ladies in his church and outside it?

Who is 'perfect' enough for Pastor Okotie? Who has all the love that can keep Pastor Okotie from bachelorhood? Whose head fits the cap of Pastor Okotie's wealth and luxury lifestyle and at the

same time fits his spiritual needs? Where is that possible Mrs. Okotie hiding? Will she ever appear? Will she ever let him maintain that declaration of 'no more marriage'? Only time will tell.

What church members say The Household of God's Church, which Okotie leads as the main pastor, is one of the 'new wave' churches in the country that attracts some of the 'happenin g crowd' in town w i t h celebrities like movie and music s t a r s , b e a u t y queens, top professiona ls, the elites and the nouveau r i c h e amon g

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 2014

its members. The marital woes of their youthful, charismatic pastor have left many befuddled, with some wondering if there will be light at the end of the dark marital tunnel for him.

Gloria Doyle, musician and member of the church, is of the view that the decision to stay single or married again is a personal choice of the pastor. "If we want to follow what the word of God says, it is a two-way thing," she said. "If you can stay alone and control yourself, fine, especially since he has tasted marriage twice before now. As a minister of God, if he feels he can contain himself, it is better for him to stay single. But if he feels he cannot contain himself, like you know, searching and moving from one lady to the other, then he has to go and get married. That is what the bible says.

“So, it depends on the side that he finds himself. If he believes that he has tried the first marriage and then the second marriage, which, to me, was very abnormal, in the sense that it was not supposed to crash since they had been friends for about 19 years. If they have been friends for 19 years, then why get married only to crash it within four years? I call it abnormal because they should have made a success out of it."

Shedding some light on the intense struggle among some of the female church members to capture the handsome church leader for themselves, she revealed: "Of course, before I left Lagos, I know how it was there; it was a competition of some sort. Every girl in the church wanted him!

Many of them were turning to fair ladies over night because they thought he likes fair ladies. So, they were using all sorts of things to turn themselves to fair ladies to gain his attention.

“Some were leaving because they were like, they couldn't get his attention. Ladies were trying all sorts of things to make sure that they could

39 probably be the one. I had a very good close friend there then who said it that she could do anything to become Mrs. Okotie (laughs). I used to laugh at them then. There is no woman that will not want to spend her life with someone like that. That is the simple truth.

"My sincere advice to him is to settle down, know his passion, and know the kind of woman that can fit into his passion before he gets married again.

One thing I know is that God created a man and a woman for companionship.

Money cannot fill in that gap. Having people surround you cannot fill in that gap because somehow at some point, they will go. When you talk about friendship and marriage, you are talking about someone that can fill in every moment with you.

“The book of Proverbs says charm, which is beauty, is deceitful and beauty itself is vain. A God-fearing woman would be greatly praised. That is the kind of woman he needs to get married to. As a man of God, we expect that he understands the bible more than we do.

He should be able to understand the woman t h a t wou

ld fit into his calling as a minister of God. After that, he should get married. But if he feels that he wants to stay as a bachelor, it is still obtainable.

"One thing I know is that God created a man and a woman for companionship.

Money cannot fill in that gap. Having people surround you cannot fill in that gap because somehow at some point, they will go. When you talk about friendship and marriage, you are talking about someone that can fill in every moment with you.

Sincerely, Pastor Okotie may say he is contented, but he is not a happy man. When you see a happy man, you know he is a happy man.

I don't see Okotie as a happy man.”

Another member, who simply gave her name as Mandy, however, debunks that, insisting that the Pastor is, indeed, a happy man. "You are asking if my pastor is a happy m a n ?

Absolu tely, he is a

•When Pastor Okotie and Stephanie were exchanging marital vow

happy man. Why shouldn't we be happy? He is happy. I am happy. We are all happy. Do you need a wife and children before you are happy? In most cases, it is not so. Let me tell you, our happiness is predicated on Christ. So that gives us joy. We have joy. Wife and children do not add or remove anything in you. You are who you are in Christ.

And that is what matters."

She is also supportive of the Pastor's choice of acquiring an ultra-expensive new Rolls Royce car, stating: "My Pastor has just acquired a Rolls Royce. If he has that, it means I have it too. You know, my Pastor is still looking very young, even in his mid 50s. He is single again. And he is happy.

“No, my pastor is not going to get married again. He is married to Jesus. He needs his Rolls Royce, even now that he is single. What is wrong in a single driving a Roll Royce? Do you need a wife and children to drive a Rolls Royce with you? There is time for everything. My pastor is over 55; he doesn't need to drive a Rolls Royce to impress ladies. He doesn't even need to impress ladies for anything!

He doesn't need such impression."

Another member, Joy Davies, believes the pastor could stay single for life if he so desires. "The pastor is a holy person who thinks differently from every other member of this church and the society. I think the pastor might want to free himself from things of the world and wouldn't want to get married again. It is okay for our pastor to remain single till the rest of his life, if he so desires," she noted.

Also speaking on the issue, Lanre Idowu, a member, said: "He has not changed his mind about his intention not to re-marry. I don't know if he is happy or not. He has not given me authority to grant an interview on his behalf, so I don't know. But in an interview he granted on this matter some time ago, he insisted that he will not get married again.

"Please let our Pastor be, it is his personal life," maintained James Ekundayo, a member. "If he desires to marry again, I am sure that none of us will be able to stop him. It is his life, whether he is a pastor or not, he still has his personal life to live. As an adult, he has a right to decide how he wants to live.

Personally, if he re-marries, I will celebrate with him and other members of our church over it. But if he doesn't, that is not my immediate business but his own. My pastor is happy and I am happy at the church," he posited.

Stella Monday, an irregular attendee of the church, attributes the pastor's problem with marriage to his wealth. As she stated: "I have not been attending church recently, but I think the Pastor can re-marry. I mean, why not? There is nothing wrong with it. I did not know that he said he will not re-marry, like I told you earlier, I have not been to church for some time. Well, if he said so, then let us see how long that will last (laughs).

But somehow, within me, I do not think he is a happy guy. And I don't know why I think so.

"From what I perceive, I always think that he could be happier. He is too lonely and sometimes, I think that too much money may be a problem. You know, sometimes when somebody has too much money, controlling it becomes an issue. Pastor Okotie is a wealthy man. He has a lot of money. However, you can't change people. The women who want to marry him will have to learn to accept him and thread softly around him. I guess that should be the solution. But I know one good thing about him. He knows how to spoil women. So if you are a lady and the pastor spoils you, just know that it is your luck.”

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 2014

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W

HEN did you leave the country?

It has been 34 year exactly that I left. After I left Nigeria, I was initially in Brazil, then I went to New York for about eight years before I went to the United Kingdom.

How do you feel coming back home after decades of your living abroad?

One of the things I regret in life is that I took my career as my love; I don't want to say too seriously. But I was quite blinkered; I was so focused that I didn't come home. This is my fourth time of coming home, which is not very good. I was so obsessed in getting a career that I did not come home. I was here four years ago when my father died. It was then that I took the decision that I would relocate. So it took me four years to do that.

What has changed in your perception of Nigeria?

I was born in Lagos and I grew up in the state. But I went to secondary school in what was then called Bendel State. What I think of Lagos in particular is the Lagos I retain in my mind in the 1970s. But the then Lagos disconnects from the reality I see now and what I had in my mind as Lagos because I was not coming home as frequently as I should. I think I am sort of paying for that in some sense. For instance, I find Lagos overwhelming now; it just seems too much.

So, I am having to re-learn, to re-adjust, and I found Lagos to be far bigger than I remember from the 70s. I went to some places to see patients and I was told the area is Igando. I never heard those places when I was growing up. I didn't know there were places like that in the days when I was growing up. There is also one area called Egbeda. I didn't know there was such an area. The Lagos I knew ended shortly after Ikeja, Ketu and Lagos Island. That was Lagos back then as far I was aware. So, everywhere is changed.

I think to some extent, I had a romanticised idea of Lagos in particular because for me, Lagos is a home even though in terms of parentage and origin, I am from Delta State. So I am having to realign and feel a bit of disconnect. Having said that, I think there are parts of Lagos and the country that are more vibrant now than I remember as well; things are happening now that I don't think were happening. But when I came, Nigeria is a lot more bubbling.

A lot of things are happening here. Like in the UK, for instance, you cannot go to any party white or black without playing Afro music. And this is Nigerian music.

One of the best things that happened to those of us that live abroad is the growth of Nigerian music. Another thing that changed the way people saw us, especially those of us who live abroad, was Nollywood, which came to change the views of other blacks from the Caribbean about Nigerians. They saw Nigerian movies and saw how black people live. They felt that these are black people in charge of their own country. So, Nollywood did fantastically well for us; it made us get a lot of respect around the world.

So, when I came in, I went to the Computer Village in Ikeja; it is fantastic. I drove through Oshodi and the street where I grew up, I didn't recognise those places again. Lagos is fantastic. There are bits of new things; there are bits of roughness, which used not to be there. I feel a bit of hyper-energy, which was never there. Lagos has always been dynamic. You wouldn't miss New York, Rio De Jenario and London too much. But here, there is another feeling.

How long have you been practising as a neurologist?

I started working in 1987. That is a long time ago. But since 2004, I have been managing my own team and head my department. Basically, what we focused on is neuro-rehabilitation. In post-surgery, we try to make sure that people actually have the best care. This exposed me to the management end of my career because for years, I was just a clinician in the strictest sense. But later, I was the head of a department, and sort of manager in human resources. For the first time, I know it is not just prescribe what you want; you have to manage resources. That is what interests me

I regret being away from Nigeria for so long —UK-based Nigerian neurologist who returned home after 34 years Michael Egbejumi-David hails from Delta State, but lived abroad for more than three decades. He left Nigeria after secondary school during which he lived in Brazil, United States and United Kingdom, where he studied neurology. In the UK, he worked as public health officer and became Head of Neuro-Rehabilitation Department. He also found time to write articles and books. His first novel, The Final Come Down Came, was published in 2010. Weaved with delightful humour, the story is one of a contemporary relationship journey and the everyday experiences of professional Nigerians as seen through the eyes of a female doctor living in the UK. WALE AJETUNMOBI spoke to him. Excerpts.

now; I will be more interested in managerial role even it if it is something at the policy level.

As a physician, one affects life of patients, one at a time. But if you are playing a policy role, then you can detect what happened on a macro level and you affect a bunch of people a whole community - at a time. So, I think that is what I found out in management; it is not just me and my patient. It is what you do to affect the whole population. That is what interests me now; how to manage a healthcare system. In fact, I went back to school and I took a postgraduate degree in management of healthcare system. I did that for about 10 years and that's where I see my interest.

Is this the motive for your coming home?

Well, my motive of coming back here is quite broad. I don't want to get old abroad at all. In London, I see a lot of black people isolated in their later years. This is not nice given where we come from, our society and community. Here, you play one role or the other in your community; you contribute your experience in terms of counsel to the

community. In the main, especially for people I called Afro-Caribbean, the reverse is the case. They become quite isolated the

older they become. They are not relevant and almost locked away from the society.

People come to look after you; social worker and carer might come and make tea and bread for you. And that is the only person you see that day.

I just don't want to be in such situation. A lot of our people have grown old and are experiencing such situation. So, I didn't want any of that; I have always wanted to come home. In fact, I came home in 1985, wanting to settle immediately after I finished my programme. I applied to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), but they gave one sort of long story. I just left the country immediately. So, I had always wanted to come home. My motivation is not just growing older. Yes, I would love to be in a place where I can manage the healthcare system on a macro level that would benefit people. So it won't be just me and my patient, one on one.

What other things do you do in the UK apart from being a physician?

I do a lot of writing. I am what you would call a social commentator on online and black publications around the world. A few

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 2014

•Dr. Egbejumi-David

W

HEN did you leave the country?

It has been 34 year exactly that I left. After I left Nigeria, I was initially in Brazil, then I went to New York for about eight years before I went to the United Kingdom.

How do you feel coming back home after decades of your living abroad?

One of the things I regret in life is that I took my career as my love; I don't want to say too seriously. But I was quite blinkered; I was so focused that I didn't come home. This is my fourth time of coming home, which is not very good. I was so obsessed in getting a career that I did not come home. I was here four years ago when my father died. It was then that I took the decision that I would relocate. So it took me four years to do that.

What has changed in your perception of Nigeria?

I was born in Lagos and I grew up in the state. But I went to secondary school in what was then called Bendel State. What I think of Lagos in particular is the Lagos I retain in my mind in the 1970s. But the then Lagos disconnects from the reality I see now and what I had in my mind as Lagos because I was not coming home as frequently as I

51

should. I think I am sort of paying for that in some sense. For instance, I find Lagos overwhelming now; it just seems too much.

So, I am having to re-learn, to re-adjust, and I found Lagos to be far bigger than I remember from the 70s. I went to some places to see patients and I was told the area is Igando. I never heard those places when I was growing up. I didn't know there were places like that in the days when I was growing up. There is also one area called Egbeda. I didn't know there was such an area. The Lagos I knew ended shortly after Ikeja, Ketu and Lagos Island. That was Lagos back then as far I was aware. So, everywhere is changed.

I think to some extent, I had a romanticised idea of Lagos in particular because for me, Lagos is a home even though in terms of parentage and origin, I am from Delta State. So I am having to realign and feel a bit of disconnect. Having said that, I think there are parts of Lagos and the country that are more vibrant now than I remember as well; things are happening now that I don't think were happening. But when I came, Nigeria is a lot more bubbling.

A lot of things are happening here. Like in the UK, for instance, you cannot go to any party white or black without playing Afro music. And this is Nigerian music.

One of the best things that happened to those of us that live abroad is the growth of Nigerian music. Another thing that changed the way people saw us, especially those of us who live abroad, was Nollywood, which came to change the views of other blacks from the Caribbean about Nigerians. They saw Nigerian movies and saw how black people live. They felt that these are black people in charge of their own country. So, Nollywood did fantastically well for us; it made us get a lot of respect around the world.

So, when I came in, I went to the Computer Village in Ikeja; it is fantastic. I drove through Oshodi and the street where I grew up, I didn't recognise those places again. Lagos is fantastic. There are bits of new things; there are bits of roughness, which used not to be there. I feel a bit of hyper-energy, which was never there. Lagos has always been dynamic. You wouldn't miss New York, Rio De Jenario and London too much. But here, there is another feeling.

How long have you been practising as a neurologist?

I started working in 1987. That is a long time ago. But since 2004, I have been managing my own team and head my department. Basically, what we focused on is neuro-rehabilitation. In post-surgery, we try to make sure that people actually have the best care. This exposed me to the management end of my career because for years, I was just a clinician in the strictest sense. But later, I was the head of a department, and sort of manager in human resources. For the first time, I know it is not just prescribe what you want; you have to manage resources. That is what interests me now; I will be more interested in managerial role even it if it is something at the policy

level.

As a physician, one affects life of patients, one at a time. But if you are playing a policy role, then you can detect what happened on a macro level and you affect a bunch of people a whole community - at a time. So, I think that is what I found out in management; it is not just me and my patient. It is what you do to affect the whole population. That is what interests me now; how to manage a healthcare system. In fact, I went back to school and I took a postgraduate degree in management of healthcare system. I did that for about 10 years and that's where I see my interest.

Is this the motive for your coming home?

Well, my motive of coming back here is quite broad. I don't want to get old abroad at all. In London, I see a lot of black people isolated in their later years. This is not nice given where we come from, our society and community. Here, you play one role or the other in your community; you contribute your experience in terms of counsel to the community. In the main, especially for people I called Afro-Caribbean, the reverse is the case. They become quite isolated the older they become. They are not relevant and almost locked away from the society.

People come to look after you; social worker and carer might come and make tea and

bread for you. And that is the only person you see that day.

I just don't want to be in such situation. A lot of our people have grown old and are experiencing such situation. So, I didn't want any of that; I have always wanted to come home. In fact, I came home in 1985, wanting to settle immediately after I finished my programme. I applied to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), but they gave one sort of long story. I just left the country immediately. So, I had always wanted to come home. My motivation is not just growing older. Yes, I would love to be in a place where I can manage the healthcare system on a macro level that would benefit people. So it won't be just me and my patient, one on one.

What other things do you do in the UK apart from being a physician?

I do a lot of writing. I am what you would call a social commentator on online and black publications around the world. A few newspapers in Nigeria, including The Nation, have published some of my articles.

So, that is something I also want to pursue.

I've got something to say and I've got my style of saying it. The feedback from readers is very positive and this encourages you to do more. So, I want to do a bit of sociopolitical commentary on a regular basis. I have had a book published and I have

Policemen's widows Continued from page 19

mand.

"When it comes to the United Nations Mission, there is one called 'proper UN'.

This has to do with missions outside Africa. It was originally meant for the junior ranks like Constable and Sergeant.

Inspectors were not even included. But because of the kind of allowances the policemen are paid while they are on these missions, senior officers hijacked it.

Most of them in the ranks of ASP, DSP, SP, CSP and even ACP reduce their ranks just to go on these missions. When they get to their countries of assignment, they wear the rank of Sergeant, and when they come back here, they hang their original ranks.

"If you do not have a godfather, maybe a very senior police officer, a minister or a member of the National Assembly, you cannot go on these missions. This class of personalities must recommend you. The missions within Africa are less lucrative because the policemen do not get their money directly from the UN. The police high command collects the money on their behalf. The money is never paid to men.

“What the high command does is to pay for accommodation, laundry and feeding in their country of assignment.

When they are through with their assignments, they would come back and are made to apply for their allowance.

Sometimes it takes as long as five years before they are eventually paid.”

Mba, however, denied this allegation.

He told The Nation: “It is certainly not true. Conversely, since the current IGP came on board, he has introduced a system whereby allowances are given to peacekeepers. There is no way an officer of the Nigeria Police Force can be denied the allowances due to them when they embark on a mission.

“Needless to say that going on mission is no tea party. It entails a lot of sacrifice.

The fact that officers and men till date demonstrate so much eagerness to go on mission despite the enormous sacrifice involved is enough evidence that they are not being short-changed.”

The slumps called barracks The sorry state of police barracks nationwide is also disheartening. When Sir Mike Okiro was announced the 13th indigenous Inspector General of Police, his first assignment was a tour to ascertain the state of barracks in Lagos and other

major cities in the country. During the Lagos tour, Okiro wept when he saw the squalour called barracks, which was occupied by his officers and men at PMF20 barracks in Ikeja and Elere barracks in Agege. Five years after he left office, the two barracks are now death traps as no renovation has been carried out.

A visit to the PMF 20 barracks recently showed that most of the buildings were in a decrepit state. The roofs of some of the buildings were weak and sagging. The windows and doors of most of the buildings were damaged. Some of the buildings had no roofs at all. Some of the residents used mats to cover their windows.

A policeman, who pleaded anonymity, said: “Since the buildings have fallen into disrepair, things have been difficult for me and my colleagues, as we have no hope that something would be done soon.

Here in the barracks, if we think we have security, it is a pure lie, because when you are sleeping in a place that has no windows and doors, automatically, our lives are not safe because we can't sleep with our two eyes closed.

“Our own situation is still better. But to talk of the rank and file, how much is their salary? If we (officers) are tired of staying in the barracks, we can afford to rent apartments outside. But the rank and file cannot. How much do they earn that they would rent an ordinary room outside?

“And then we say we have a government. To be sincere, what is killing us in Nigeria is insecurity. Another thing is that the police are not permitted to speak with the media because nobody would like to lose his or her job. You can imagine, in our barracks, we don't have any gutters to channel water into the drainage system.”

Another officer said: “Life is difficult for some officers like us in the barracks because we don't have freedom of information. The day you open your mouth to speak to the press, you should be prepared to lose your job. The only day you are allowed to speak to newsmen is when you have retired from the force.”

Mba said the accommodation challenges are being addressed. He blamed the state of the barracks on lack of proper attention paid to them in the past due to poor funding, poor hygiene habit on the part of some barracks occupants and so on.

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Email: counselling@faithoyedepo.org

Benefits of banana

Here are some benefits of good banana to the body

THE NATION SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 2014

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Aregbesola, Ooni, others grace Oduduwa University President’s daughter’s wedding O NLY a man in the mould of the Maye of Ife, Osun State, Chief Ramon Adedoyin, could have drawn the high calibre of people that gathered in Ile- Ife, Osun State for the wedding of his daughter, Adeyosola, last Saturday. It was a gathering governors, lawmakers, academia, monarchs, politicians and students. The event, which held at the expansive hall of Hilton Hotel, Ile Ife was symbolic as it was memorable.

As early as 10 am, guests had started arriving at the exotic hall decorated with white ribbons and touches of red to depict the royalty and peace Adedoyin is reputed for. Before Adeyosola and her heartthrob, Kehinde, were ushered in, the gorgeously dressed bride’s father and his beautiful wife, Iyabo, were the cynosure of all eyes. Neither the perfectly fitting pink buba of Mrs. Adedoyin nor her husband’s trade mark cap could escape the eyes of guests.

Like the bride, the parents of the bridegroom, Pastor and Deaconess Olayinka Jesutowo, were also dressed in exotic pink lace. The bridegroom, who spruced up in red jacket on black trousers matched with a white shirt, a black bow tie and a gold wristwatch, danced joyfully with his bride, and the two were supported by their scores of happy friends.

The President and Pro-Chancellor of Leads University, Ibadan, Oyo State, Prof. Jide Owoeye, who was the chairman of the ceremony, came with his wife. While advising the couple, he described marriage as an important institution which requires the couple to make their love and friendship eternal.

“Your husband should be your best friend; your wife should also be your best friend,” he counseled.

A member of the House of Representatives, Hon Rotimi

n

Gbenga ADERANTI

n

Makinde, who supervised the cutting of the wedding cake, told the couple to do the cutting only when he had spelt Ife (Ile-Ife), the name of the bride’s town. Describing Ife as the source of love, he urged the new couple to continue to love each other. The session was spiced with Onyeka Onwenu’s popular song, ‘One Love,’ in the background. The popular song was chorused by many a guest.

Sweet Mother, the popular song of the late Prince Niko Mbaga, ushered in the wife of the Ooni of Ife, Olori Adedolapo Sijuwade, who represented her husband, Oba Okunade Sijuwade. Princess Sijuwade who was designated the mother of the day, congratulated the new husband and wife on their journey into a critical phase of their lives. She advised the couple to see marriage as a sacrifice. Adeyosola, she said, should always respect her husband while Kehinde should cherish his wife at all times.

She reminded the couple that challenges would come, but they should leave everything to God at such moments.

The atmosphere was electrified when the Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, arrived at the venue, as shouts of ‘Symbol! Symbol!’ dwarfed the music that played in the background.

The couple later performed their first assignment—feeding each other. But the couple chose not to perform the ritual in the conventional way. They brought into it what many described as ‘swag’, turning the exercise into a session of high drama to the admiration of many.

The Governor Aregbesola prayed for the new couple,

describing marriage as the foundation of the family.

“Everything starts from marriage,” he said. “My advice to you is to learn to tolerate each other, though there may be challenges.”

He advised the couple to take a cue from their parents who have been married for many years.

The governor, who stood for several minutes, spiced the occasion with a song by the late fuji maestro, Ayinde Barrister, which was chorused by most of the elderly people in the hall.

A former Deputy Governor of Osun State, Senator Iyiola Omisore, who represented the Vice President, Namadi Sambo, also advised the couple to be tolerant of each other, saying that doing so would help in sustaining the marriage.

The bridegroom stole the show when he grabbed the microphone to sing love songs to the admiration of guests.

Others at the ceremony included the senator representing Osun East Senatorial District, Senator Babjide Omoworare; the Owa of Otan Ayegbaju, Osun State, Oba Lukman Adesola Ojo Fadipe; Ijaodola, Lowa Adimula of Ife Oba A.O.E Fadiora; Obaalaye of Ipaye Alaye, Oba Awofeya; the Jaran of Ife, HRH Adekola Adeyeye; the Aguro of Ife, Aaare Muyiwa Omisakin and former President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Chief John Odeyemi and his wife.

Also in attendance were Prof. Kayode Alao of the Obafemi Awolowo University; Chairman Chi Nigeria Limited, Chief Michael Onagbola; representative of the Edo State governor, Comrade Aigbe John; Omooba Aderemi; Chief John Agboola; Prof. Bamisaye and Chief (Mrs) Olayinka of Yinka Foam, Ilesha, Osun State.

• From left, wife of the President/Pro-Chancellor, Lead City University, Ibadan, Oyo State; President/Pro-Chancellor, Professor Jide Owoeye; President/Pro-Chancellor, Oduduwa University, Ipetumodu, Osun State, Dr. Ramon Adedoyin; the groom, Kehinde; Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; the bride, Adeyosola, and bride’s mother, Mrs. Iyabo Adedoyin

•Parents of the bridegroom, Pastor and Deaconess Olayinka Jesutowo

• Senator Babajide Omoworare and Ramon Adedoyin

•Owa of Otan Ayegbaju, Oba Lukman Adesola Ojo Fadipe

•Rotimi Makinde

•Olori Adedolapo Sijuwade

•Chief John Odeyemi and wife

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 2014

NEWS

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How we plotted kidnap of Boy’s killing by police five-yr-old boy –Suspects sparks protest in Ado-Ekiti O n Kolade ADEYEMI, Kano n

police team of the Special Anti-Robbery Squard (SARS) has been blamed for the death of a young boy, Oluwaseun Awoyemi, in the Ojumose area of Ado-Ekiti, capital of the State.

The incident reportedly followed the invasion of the house where the deceased was staying with his grandmother by a gang of four armed officers who claimed to be looking for someone who had allegedly assaulted another boy in the area.

Oluwaseun, who was said to be observing a siesta in his room at the time, was dragged outside and dealt some several blows before he was shot by two officers who later took his corpse away and deposited same at the State University Teaching Hospital.

When The Nation visited the scene of the incident yesterday morning, thick dried blood covered the room, while sympathisers stood in groups discussing the incident.

A survivor of the attack, Mrs. Lucia Afolayan, told The Nation that the four uniformed men came to the house around noon, noting that the policemen shot the victim in the scrotum and chest, killing him instantly.

Mrs. Lucia, who claimed to be approaching seventy years, explained she came from her house in another area of the capital to Oja Bisi to buy some food stuffs, noting, "hardly

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•Police shot him in self-defence –PPRO n Sulaiman SALAWUDEEN, Ado-Ekiti n had I settled down to talk with guns. They pointed the with my sister, the victim's guns at us and were going grandmother, when the four from room to room looking of them came, shouting for the boy said to have "where is the stupid boy, beaten someone. where is the stupid boy."

"They met my son where Continuing, she said: "They he was lying after taking his entered the first room where food. They dragged him out the boy was lying and and beat him. He was able to grabbed his trousers with the free himself and ran into anbelt, brought him outside and other room. My sister went started beating him. When he into that room with him, begwas able to free himself, he ging that he should follow ran into another room. I fol- them. While she was doing lowed them and appealed that, they went into the room that he should follow them. and killed Oluwaseun. He One of the two officers who was my only dream. What came into the room shot him, can I do?" the bullet also hit my arm. ImShe called on the Governor mediately he fell and died.” of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Confirming the account, Fayemi to support the family grandmother of the deceased, to bring the perpetrators of Mrs. Abigael Awoyemi, ex- the killing to book. plained that a neighbor, The Police Public Relations known as Baba White, had Officer of the Command, Mr. earlier came to the house Victor Babayemi, while conaround 9 am, seeking to see firming the incident, said it the boy who was said to have was the deceased that first beaten his son. made attempt to kill the police She said: "We were all before the latter "played a around and we came begging smart one by first pulling the him to be calm. The two of trigger." them fighting were even said According to Babayemi, the to be friends. But the man police had come to the house kept shouting ‘where is the when they "received a distress boy?’. The boy, Taye, came out call from someone that he was and said it was him. robbed in the area", adding, "Despite our appeals, Baba "when they got there, the poWhite still beat Taiye before lice cordoned off the area and he accepted our pleadings. saw Seun and other boys who After, he left and we thought were suspected of having it had ended there. Surpris- committed the robbery. ingly, he came back with four "So, when the police had police officers, all of them identified the house, they

went after the boys. Immediately they saw the police, they rushed inside, and in the course of searching the rooms, Seun, who was holding a dane gun, jumped from the ceiling into a room. But unknown to him, a policeman was already in the room and when he wanted to pull the trigger, the police then opened fire on him."

He, however, assured that investigations were on to get to the roots of the incident, assuring that "whoever was found complicit would be dealt with.”

Findings by The Nation revealed that Baba White, the man who allegedly invited the policemen, was being held at the State Police Headquartres and was assisting in the investigations.

Meanwhile, the killing sparked protests in the area, as friends and family of the victim claimed that the police killed him without any justified cause.

The aggrieved youths, said to number about 30, reportedly wielded dangerous weapons, including cutlasses, bottles and stones, and made bonfires around areas like Ojumose and Okesa, disrupting the free flow of vehicles in the area.

About three vehicles were also seen occupied by detachments of police officers, who were possibly deployed to keep guard around the area to forestall further breakdown of law and order.

‘Afe Babalola not dropped as confab delegate, he opted out’ HE rumour making the round that the name of elder statesman, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN) has been dropped from the list of delegates to the National Conference has been denied.

A press statement, signed by Tunde Olofintila, Head, Public Relations, Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, stated that

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the legal luminary opted out of the conference as a result of ‘pre-scheduled scheduled and confirmed national assignments outside the country’.

The statement read in part: “The attention of Elder Statesman and Founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Aare Afe Babalola, SAN, has been drawn to some

publications in some national dailies that the long-standing proponent and protagonist of National Conference was dropped as a Delegate to the National Conference.

For the records, when Babalola read in several national dailies on March 7, 2014, of the decision of the Federal Government of Nigeria to appoint

him as a Delegate to the upcoming National Conference, he felt a deep sense of honour to have been so considered worthy of this appointment.”

The statement stated further: “He considered it a very welcome development, not entirely because of the personal recognition it accords his various contributions to the development of Nigeria, but also because it is a confirmation of his many suggestions in papers, articles and lectures in the last 12 years and particularly his paper to President Goodluck Jonathan on the allimportant subject matter of National Conference.

“Very contrary to the assertion and some insinuations that the legal icon was dropped, it was he who wrote to the President upon reading about his nomination in the media, pleading that another person be appointed on account of his (Babalola’s) inability to attend the Conference due to some pre-scheduled and confirmed national assignments outside the country.

“Babalola who was the Chairman of the Revenue and Fiscal allocation in the 2005 National Conference remains an unrepentant advocate of one Nigeria governed under a non-presidential federal constitution which concedes only specific powers to the federal government while developmental matters, cultural and traditional, religious and residual matters are left for the states under a new regional or zonal arrangement similar to a less expensive 1963 parliamentary constitution which was made by our fathers.”

NE of the four suspects arrested in connection with the kidnapping and killing of a-5-year old school boy in Kano State, yesterday told newsmen that he mistook the N2m ransom paid to the group for N2, 000.

The suspect, Bashir Musa (25), whose bank account was used for the payment of the ransom, explained that he was not part of the original deal to kidnap the boy, maintaining that the group only used his account to receive the ransom.

According to him, his brother, Aliyu Mohammed (17), who hatched the plot, told him that his friend’s parent would use the account to send his school fees.

“When I received the alert, I called my brother to inform him that they have paid N2,000 into my account, not knowing that it was N2m. I never knew it was N2m,” he said.

Musa, who spoke to newsmen at the DSS headquarters in Kano, said it took Aliyu Mohammed, the mastermind of the plot, about three weeks to perfect the plot to kidnap five-year-old Aliyu Aminu.

“When I came to Kano in search of my school fees after gaining admission to a polytechnic in Katsina State, I met Jamilu Mohammed, aka Sarki, who engaged me to carry out the kidnap operation. He was the one who initiated the operation, but I was the one that executed it.

“I was able to lure him with biscuits and sweets on a daily basis before the operation. I also wore the uniform of his school to disguise as a student.

“The boy came to me immediately after school hours the day I finally kidnapped him. We walked with him without people noticing. After I succeeded in kidnapping him, I was the one that wrote the letter that we sent to the boy’s father through one Almajiri. I was the one that negotiated the ransom. The money was paid into my brother’s account. I executed it, but it was Sarki who engaged me and threatened to kill me if I exposed the deal,” he said.

Also speaking, the ring leader of the gang, Jamilu Mohammed (31), confessed that he organised the kidnap, adding that he injected the boy to make him unconscious so that their operation will be successful.

According to him, “I have never seen or met the boy’s father, and I don’t even know whether he secured any contract as peddled by people. It may be a coincidence.”

The Kano State Director of SSS, Mr. Basset Eteng, while parading the suspects, described kidnapping as new trend in the state, saying “we will not allow it to gain ground in the state. This is why we are urging the people of the state to be vigilant and report any unwarranted movement around them.”

Gombe Police Command decorates 158 58 officers and men of the Gombe State Police Command were yesterday decorated with new ranks, with a charge to see their promotion as a call to greater responsibility.

The state Commissioner of Police, Abdullahi Kudu Nma gave the charge during the official decoration of the officers and men at the Police Officers Mess in the state capital.

“To be considered for promotion is a call to do more and to ensure that you fly the flag of the Force higher. Therefore, be sure that the rank does not swell your heads because you must be accountable for whatever you do.

“You are expected to continue to show exemplary behaviour, to show the lower ranks why you are promoted. You must be accountable in whatever you do because you will always be accessed.”

He told members of the Command to develop themselves for distinguished services, as promotion is no longer an issue of luck, but performance and intellect.

In his remark, the Commander, 301 Artillery Regiment, Gombe, Colonel Lebosina Albert Lebo, charged the police officers and men not to see promotion as routine activity that could make it lose its essence, but to see it as additional responsibility based on input.

He told the officers that their subordinates could be used to evaluate them, and solicited for the cooperation of the rank and file in order to “to avoid some unfriendly conditions”.

“I have warned my soldiers that if any of them is physically involved with any Police or otherwise, I will personally deal with him,” he added.

Speaking for the newly-promoted officers, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Mohammed Makinta, said that they were all happy as a result of the exercise, giving all the kudos to the CP for his exemplary leadership.

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…344 promoted in Enugu n Chris OJI, Enugu n

OT fewer than 344 police officers of various ranks have been promoted by the Enugu State Police Command.

The promoted ranged from constable to assistant commissioner of police.

Decorating the officers at a ceremony, the Enugu State Commissioner of Police, Abubakar Adamu Mohammed, charged the newly-promoted men and officers to be more dedicated and professional in their duty and performance.

He also charged them to show greater commitment in the service to their fatherland.

According to him, “You are to see your elevation as a call to greater service. And to this end, you must be dedicated and professional in your duty. That is the way you all can reciprocate the gesture of the Inspector General of Police.”

The police commissioner further urged the newly-promoted officers to uphold the rule of law, as their promotion was a mark of high responsibility.

The CP was assisted in the ceremony by the Deputy Commissioner of Police A.G. Adaji; Assistant Commissioner of Police, Administration, Imakop Okpongkpong and Area Commander Enugu metro, Suleiman Isa among others.

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58 INTERVIEW

Chief Nana Ogbodo is a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Enugu State. He contested the senatorial election in 2007 but lost in controversial circumstances.

But aside all that, he is better known for his fiery and fearless political viewpoints, always delivered in a peculiar fashion. In this interview with CHRIS OJI, our Enugu correspondent, Chief Ogbodo bares his mind on a wide range of issues regarding Enugu.

OU'VE been silent for so long, why? I ask so because a lot of people expected you to have commented on the political events in Nigeria, especially in Enugu, your home state.

Thank you for remembering me this time around. Having said that, it might be necessary to say that I am, indeed, happy with the way things have been going on in my state especially. I am happy with the vision and prudence of the present administration. Even the most implacable critics cannot but spare some praises for the administration of Governor Sullivan Chime. It would be difficult for me to comment authoritatively on the administration of Dr. M.I. Okpara who was widely

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‘Nnamani’s purported return to PDP is gossip’ spite of the events that handed over victory to my opponent, acclaimed to have done very well because I was rather too young to know much. But of all the administrations I have witEx-Governor Chimaroke Nnamani. I confronted him head-on, I challenged him to a public debate. I publicised my resume and nessed in the state since the time of the old East Central State, none has shown these monumental results as the present was able to showcase that I was better equipped to represent our people. I think that should be the debate; challenging your administration. We have not only enjoyed peace, we have witnessed all-round development that is overtly altruistic. Enugu opponents to a public intellectual engagement that would reveal your edge over them. To me, engaging in such puerile has been recreated in all ramifications, and I can only pray God blackmail that this is a woman or man, she is only married to to continue to guide him.

But there is a seeming silent war over the governor's posiour son and not born of our ancestors is, to my mind, timid and cowardly. The proponents of this odd campaign are equally tion that power should shift to Enugu North Senatorial District in 2015 and that serving members of the National ignorant of what the law says on this issue, neither are they abreast of the engaging template of partisan politics as opposed Assembly who have spent two tenures should give way.

What's your view on this? to traditional Igweship stool.

What I expect anyone who is interested in representing us at I should ask you what you think is wrong with such propoany level to do, is to tell us why his choice would better serve sition? The template of federal character which is enunciated in our constitution is to the effect that all sections of the counour people's interest. Yet, this is what obtains where the fainthearted lay claims to valour and the tainted to sainthood. Who try and/or the state as the case may be, should be made to have a sense of belonging in the governance of such entity. If are these people now fighting for the so-called ‘Nkanu interest’?

And what are their antecedents? the governor feels that equity demands that a certain section of the state should be made to have a sense of belonging, he Talking about your opponent in the 2007 senatorial election, Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani, he said recently that he has was right within the ambit of the fact that as the governor come back to PDP and has under the platform of the I don't engage in speculative gossip. even declared his intenPeoples Democratic Party (PDP), he is the leader of tion to go back to the Our constitution does not permit a Senate... the party in the state.

First and foremost, I don't But the final decision person to belong to two political parties resides with the elecengage in speculative gostorate. This is even more at the same time. He is still the leader of sip. Our constitution does not permit a person to so because in a multithe People for Democratic Change party democracy such belong to two political parthat we practise, it is a farties at the same time. He is (PDC) and he could not have still the leader of the People cical dream to begin to abandoned ship without our knowing. for Democratic Change talk about zoning outside the internal party mechaand he could not He could not also have joined the PDP (PDC) have abandoned ship withnism. What if PDP, for out our knowing. He could instance, decrees that power without our knowing is zoned to the West and not also have joined the another party, for instance PDP without our knowing.

Therefore, this is not the only gossip that I have heard about again, the PDC decrees that power is zoned to the East, it is the party that works hard and which the electorate have accept- him in recent times. I have equally heard other gossips about ed her programme that would carry the day. the looming danger over the corruption case being prosecuted It smacks of laziness for the other parties in the by the EFCC. So much has been said of recent about him, so I do not know which one to comment on. Having said that, I state to begin to fret over an internal party arrangement of the PDP. Are they now would not be personally surprised if Nnamani, the former govadmitting that it is only the PDP that is ernor, succumbs to the venal humour that he is still relevant in Nkanu politics. capable of winning elections? The Did he not contest the 2011 election? leader of the PDP in the state where I belong to has revealed our stratThat election thoroughly exposed him. He was trounced by egy to win the next elections in Senator Gilbert Nnaji and Nnamani's party, the PDC could not the state vis-à-vis the zoning even win a seat at the state House of Assembly. It is now very formula, and as a loyal party clear to all that all the noise about Chimoroke's "political man, I have no objections machine" is all about being governor of the state at the time.

He claims he is on a mission to rescue the Nkanu man. But to it. Concerning the suggestion that party memunknown to him, he is the one who needs redemption or rehabilitation. His consuming passion was to reduce us to ordinary. bers who have spent reasonable time on one posiBut Nkanu is like the proverbial phoenix, we have risen from tion should consider oththe ashes of his politics. ers, it would only be How do you feel about his coming back to PDP? objectionable to habitual As far as I know, he is not yet back to PDP, he is still the hypocrites. And the very leader of the PDC. We are not aware that he has resigned from issue that makes the PDC, which he founded, and on which platform he contesthypocrisy the worst of ed and lost the last senatorial election. Before now, it was fashsins is that even repenionable to discuss such things as Chimaroke's political machine, tance from it is on its own the so-called Ebeano machine. hypocritical.

In 1999, when Chief Jim Nwobodo disagreed with the PDP, Enugu East, your senahe moved his followers to the little known Alliance for torial zone, promises to Democracy (AD) and won all the seats he needed. That's politibe a zone that will excite cal machine. Where is Chimaroke's so-called political machine the pundits come 2015. A now? By his desperation to join the PDP, he has acknowledged lot of issues have been that he cannot even exist outside the party. So, where is his releraised ranging from vance? imposition to exclusion, In 2006, he de-registered every person and decreed that it is to put it mildly, a lack of a only he as the governor and by implication, the leader of the level playing field. What party in the state, that would approve of any application. But is your reaction to this? he now wishes to rejoin the PDP without the knowledge of the You know I vied for this leader of the party in the state. The registration which he denied position in 2007 and many, others he now seeks desperately. Chimaroke Nnamani is trying till today, can affirm that I to recreate yesterday. But that would remain a dream, a nightdefeated my opponent in mare indeed.

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•Chief Ogbodo

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NEWS

Abia Police parade suspected robbers, childT traffickers, kidnappers HE Abia State Police Command has recorded a big victory in its fight against crime in the state, parading ten suspected armed robbers, two suspected child traffickers and four suspected kidnappers, with a promise to charge them to court as soon as investigations into their cases are concluded.

Speaking with newsmen while parading the suspects, the state Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Adamu, said that four of the suspects were arrested when one Cyril Ezuma approached Francis Ogbonna and showed interest in driving his Toyota Sienna.

Ugochukwu UGOJI-EKE, Umuahia

Adamu said that the plan was to drive the car, with registration number YG 836 ENU, on the bases of hire purchase. Ogbonna was said to have agreed to the deal, but asked Ezuma to come back in the evening to formalize the agreement.

"But before evening of that day, armed robbers came and took the car away. Ezuma also failed to return for the car as arranged.”

The police boss said the car later developed fault as it was being taken away with a fake plate number, GA 466 ABJ. He gave the names of the suspects as Nkurume Uwaoma, Emeka Ugwom, Cyril Ezuma, Princewill Nnabugwu and Eze Fidelis.

The Command also paraded another set of four armed robbery suspects who specialized in operating on motorcycles. They were alleged to have robbed one Mbaizu Charles

of his Toyota Camry car and two mobile phones and an ATM card.

The CP said the suspects were arrested by his men while on routine stop and search operation along Uzuakoli/Ohafia road.

According to him, a police team intercepted the car carrying the trio of Eze Ogwe, Emeka Aluwa and Ikechukwu Johnson, who were allegedly on their way to sell the car in Aba. The suspects were said to have attempted to bribe the police-

men with the sum of N10,000.

Two suspected child traffickers, Obioma Adieze and Esther Nwachukwu, both indigenes of Umuokiri village Nvosi in Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area of the state, were also paraded.

The suspects and two others, said to be at large, allegedly attempted to steal a two-year-old baby, Stella Ajuziogu.

Also paraded were four suspected kidnappers- Jonathan Joshua, Kelechi Chukwu, Chikaodi Uwa and Abraham Joshua. They were accused of kidnapping one Faithwin Nnenna.

Honour for Fashola, Oshiomhole, Obasanjo others HE Institute of Information Management (IIM) will today honour notable Nigerians, including Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola and ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo, at its maiden investiture ceremony at the Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja Lagos.

Others include Olowu of Owu Abeokuta, Oba (Dr) Olusanya Adegboyega Dosunmu, Minister for Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, Director - General of National Identity Commission(NIC), Bar. Chris Onyemenam, Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun and his counterparts from Osun, Edo, Kano and Akwa Ibom states.

Speaking on the event, President of the institute, Dr. Oyedokun Ayodeji Oyewole, said: “This is an all important event and the very first one for that matter in the whole of Africa. We shall be honouring those who have excelled in different sphere of the economy with influence on information management.”

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Nine burnt to death in Jigawa auto crash n Ahmed RUFA'I, Dutse n O fewer than nine persons were burnt to death yesterday night in an auto accident in Gamji-gyedi village, Ringim Local Government Area of Jigawa State.

According to reports, the accident involved two buses, a Volkswagen Sharon and Toyota Computer Hiace, with registration number, JHN 82 XA, said to be fully loaded with passengers.

An eye witness, who spoke with our correspondent, said the bus lost one of its tyres, resulting in a head-on collision with the Toyota car approaching from the opposite direction.

Confirming the accident, the state's Commandant of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Mr. Muhammad Gidado, said his men rescued the survivors and took them alongside the remains of the dead to Ringim General Hospital.

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•R-L, Okoli Akirika, the MD/CEO of Neimeth International Pharmaceutical Company, Emmanuel Ekunno, Maxi Ohuabunwa, Gov. Peter Obi, Oselloka Obaze, Maurice Iwu and Thomos Osobu during the flag-off of the construction of the facility of Neimeth International Pharmaceutical company at Awawbia by Gov. Obi

Teenage cult member shot dead in gun duel HE Mission road and Ugbague axis of Benin City, capital of Edo State, was thrown into confusion last night, when a 14-year-old boy, identified simply as Mayowa, was shot dead during a gun battle by rival cult groups.

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n Osemwengie BEN OGBEMUDIA, Benin n The incident, which ocThe late Mayowa, accordcurred at about 9pm, forced ing to sources, was a member residents of the area, noted of the Aiye confraternity. for high concentration of According sources, trouble commercial sex workers, to started from a beer palour run for dear lives as sound of over an argument between guns from the rival groups late Mayowa's friends and boomed for several minutes. other boys in the bar.

It was gathered that both sides made frantic calls to their friends who stormed the place and engaged themselves in a gun battle.

It took the intervention of Policemen drafted to the area to restore peace after several minutes of fighting.

My administration attracted N51b investment in first quarter –Obi OVERNOR Peter Obi of Anambra State has said that his administration has attracted over N51 billion investment to the state within this first quarter.

Governor Obi was speaking while performing the ground-breaking ceremony of a Neimeth International

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Pharmaceutical company at Amawbia.

Governor Obi, who said his administration placed much importance on promoting conducive environment and encouraging investors to establish in the state, expressed satisfaction that multinational companies al-

ready in the state were expanding their companies because of the immediate success recorded.

The Governor assured the company that the state government would provide all necessary support and encouragement to actualize the project.

Fear of Boko Haram invasion as gunmen here was confusion and attack banks in Kebbi pandemonium on

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Thursday night in the ancient city of Argungu in Kebbi State, as rumours about the presence of the dreaded Boko Haram sect spread round the town.

Terrified residents of the town ran helter-skelter, making efforts to contact friends and families, including security agencies to confirm the story.

The State Commissioner of Police, Benjamin Uche Onwuka, who responded to a call by our correspondent at about 10.pm, denied the rumour, saying the story of invasion by the Boko Haram

•It was robbery –Police n Khadijat SAIDU, n Birnin Kebbi was not true.

Onwuka explained that it was a case of armed robbery.

According to him, three armed robbers, who were operating on a motorcycle, attacked and robbed the government-owned Savings and Loan Bank in the town.

The armed robbers were said to have later attacked a new generation bank in the town, where they shot and killed two persons, including the

policeman on guard, while two other persons sustain injuries He said the armed robbers were later confronted by some security agencies and youths in the town, and arrested one of them.

“What happened was not an invasion by the Boko Haram. It was an armed robbery attack on two banks in the town. One of the suspects was arrested with an AK-47 Riffle and rounds of ammunition.”

The Chairman of the Company, Dr. Bright Orjiakor, represented by a director of the company, Prof. Maurice Iwu, said Governor Obi had demonstrated acumen in attracting investors by promptly allocating land for the project.

Dr. Orjiakor said the facility would cost six billion naira when completed and generate about three hundred skill labour, in addition to over one thousand support staff and service personnel.

The President General, Amawbia Town Union, Chief Dan Mmaduka, assured that the community would cooperate with the company to make the project a reality, adding that Governor Obi had remained responsive to the needs of various communities and every part of the state.

In another development, Governor Obi has presented certificate of recognition to the new traditional ruler of Igboukwu community in Ayamelum Local Government Area, Igwe Professor Onuora Nwuneli.

Embrace peace, Senator tells Osun people n Gbenga ADERANTI n HEAD of the celebration of the annual Ife Day, in Ile-ife, Osun State, today, Senator Babajide Omoworare, representing Osun East (Ife/Ijesa) Senatorial District at the Senate, has asked the people of the state to embrace peace.

While congratulating the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade Olubuse (II), his council of Obas and chiefs, Ife elders, the organising committee, Ife indigenous organisations and citizens at home and Diaspora on the 2014 Ife Day, he asked the citizens of the state to turn out in large number and participate in the ongoing voters registration exercise.

According to a statement, signed by the media aide to Omoworare, Tunde Dairo, the event will be attended by the governor of the state, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and all other dignitaries within and outside the state.

“It is very crucial that we draw needed lessons of this period by giving absolute peace which is crucial for speedy and sustainable development of Ifeland a chance. As a people of divine and manifest destiny to lead the noble and pacesetting Yoruba race, we cannot afford to occupy an obscure place among the race and other nationalities in Nigeria. Violence imposed underdevelopment must be a thing of the past as we all must unite in peace and harmony regardless of our political, religious, economic or philosophical divides,” Omoworare said.

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SPORT EXTRA Brazil 2014: Eagles begin final preparations May 26

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IGERIA Football Federation (NFF), Assistant Director, Communications, Ademola Olajire on Friday said the Super Eagles would commence their final preparations for the Brazil 2014 World Cup on May 26.

Olajire told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that this was because most of the team’s players would still be engaged with club activities up till then.

“The players will be busy with their clubs until the middle of May and can only be available towards the end of May. “So, the team cannot be expected to be in any serious preparation for the World Cup finals until then,’’ he said.

Olajire said Nigeria’s training for the Mundial

would commence when most league competitions in Europe must have been concluded.

“The players are expected to arrive at the team’s camp in the U.S. on May 26, two days to the international friendly with Scotland.

“Right now, the players are still committed to club activities until the second week of May when most of the leagues in Europe will end.

“The players will have about two weeks’ rest period before the May 26 deadline for arrival in camp,’’ he said.

Olajire said competition for places in the team had become more intense as players have been seeking to impress the team’s head coach Stephen Keshi for possible invitation.

Whose headache?

•Continued from back page

•Keshi

LMC suspends NPFL matches in Maiduguri

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IGERIA Professional Football League [NPFL] matches billed to hold at the ElKanemi Stadium in Maiduguri has been “suspended.”

The League Management Company [LMC] Limited announced the suspension of all Premier League matches in the troubled northeastern

city of Nigeria on Friday via its official Twitter handle.

The suspension of matches in Maiduguri will start with the game between El-Kanemi Warriors and league leaders, Abia Warriors, scheduled among match day 2 fixtures.

The LMC Limited has advised all clubs participating in the Nigerian premier division to “await further

directive” on the new home ground for El-Kanemi Warriors.

“El-Kanemi Warriors vs Abia Warriors’ Week 2 match put on hold. All NPFL league matches scheduled for Maiduguri suspended. All Glo Premier League teams have been advised to await further directive,” stated the management company.

Costa Rica 2014: ‘Play well, get senior World Cup call-up’

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ALCONETS head coach Peter Dedevbo has challenged the Flamingoes to perform at the 2014 FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica to get automatic enlistment in his team.

The nation’s cadet team will kick off their title campaign at the biennial global football showpiece in the Central American state on Sunday against Group D opponents, China PR. The cadet World

Cup is being held from March 15 to April 4.

Dedevbo, who guided the side to a quarterfinal finish in the immediate past edition in Azerbaijan, said the offer is to further motivate the players to give their best at the World Cup. “Any Flamingoes player that excels at the World Cup will join my World Cup team. The side’s top scorer, Chinwendu Ihezuo will be a sure pick if she maintains her form and

three, four others will be welcome in our final preparations for the World Cup in Canada later this year,” said the Delta Queens coach to supersport.com.

Dedevbo charged the side to avoid defeat against the Asian giants, China, in the group’s opening game on Sunday.

“The Flamingoes must strive to avoid defeat against China on Sunday who incidentally are their toughest group opponents.”

cially with the way the Ivoriens battle back to a 2-2 draw against Belgium in Brussels penultimate Wednesday. The fighting spirit shown by the Ivoriens against the Belgians has been the missing link in their previous games. If they sustain that style, then Africans can celebrate the way they did in 2010, when Ghanaians held the world spell-bound until they were eliminated by the Uruguayans. Please, don’t remind me of the Luis Suarez handling of the ball for the penalty kick which Asamaoah Gyan lost. Looking back, Gyan’s penalty loss still hurts. One must commend Africans for the way they rallied behind the Ghanaians until they lost. Show me one striker who hasn’t lost a penalty kick? Better luck in Brazil, Gyan.

I won’t be discussing Nigeria’s chances because we hate the truth. Whatever happens to the Super Eagles in Brazil would be discussed at the post-competition level. At that time, it would have dawned on us to always see the task of doing well at the Mundial as a four-year plan. We are experts in setting up panels to find out why we failed in competitions. Yet, we repeat the same mistakes.

Belgium leads the pack of upstarts at the World Cup who would spring surprises, given the way their nationals are playing in the big European clubs. If they stick to their current form and show the resilience they exhibit with the European clubs over their first three group games at the Mundial, then they could be the team of Brazil 2014 World Cup. To stretch the argument further, I foresee a semi-final pairing of Spain, Brazil, Germany and Netherlands, although my hunches tell me not to foreclose Portugal and the Netherlands.

What a tight order where the world may not see Gonzalo Higuan, Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, Angel Di Maria and Javier Mascherano. Argentines have the talents but lack the tactical savvy to hit the semi-finals, largely because their talisman Messi isn’t at his best yet. Poor Messi. He has won every trophy there is to be won in the beautiful game, except the World Cup. Will Argentina lift the diadem in Brazil? Read my lips.

A strikers’ battle will be seen when Spain and Netherlands meet in one of the Group B matches. On parade will be Alavro Negredo, Pedro, Diego Costa, the Brazilian star who opted to play for the Spaniards, David Villa, Llorente, Fernando Torres, Michu, Tello and Soldado. The Spaniards have a line of good strikers. But their coach has been able to fix the puzzle of those he uses during matches from their contributions during international friendly matches. That they are the world’s best buttresses this fact. Mention must be made of the massive improvement of the Spanish La Liga, unlike in the past where it was a twoteam competition.

Netherlands’ list comprises Kuyt, Robin Van Persie, Robben, Huntelaar and Depay. If names win matches, it should be a stroll in the park for Spain. But, wait for it, both teams met in the finals of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, and it was a nail-biting 1-0 victory grabbed at the closing minutes of the game by Xavi.

Group G where Portugal, Germany, Ghana and USA would fight for the qualification tickets would be the toughest, with the game between Portugal and Germany being the decider. If Ronaldo stays fit, then the two will qualify. But they must watch the Ghanaians, who have the penchant for upsetting the apple cart. This Black Stars side doesn’t look good enough to create any upset in Brazil.

The way Portugal demolished Cameroon shows that they are ready for the world. But the Portuguese rely so much on Ronaldo. Against the bigger countries, Ronaldo would be caged and that would be their albatross.

Hosts Brazil are ready to win the trophy. They have jettisoned the strictly Samba style for an adapted system that has incorporated the ruthless European finishing in front of the goalpost. And with strikers such as Neymar (when I remember that this boy played at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos in 2009 as U-17, I shed tears), Hulk, Fred and Jo, it is only appropriate to flow with the Brazilians as the next World Cup winners.

Doubters of this Brazilian squad must sit back and watch the matches of the 2013 Confederations Cup. The Brazilians have improved tremendously. They handled the home fans’ pressure with ease. They scored goals with aplomb. If they sustain the tempo, gusto and cohesion exhibited at the 2013 Confederation Cup, it is only fair to crown them winners.

But my friend has taken me to task by insisting that Nigeria will upstage the world by lifting the Brazil 2014 World Cup diadem. Please, don’t wake me up from this sleep. Oba Khato Okpere, Ise!

TOMORROWPUNCHLINE IN THE NATION

SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 2014 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM VOL.9, NO. 2788

But don’t expect that deliberations on power sharing as a subject at JNC will extend to true and genuine empowerment of the masses of Nigerians. Don’t expect to hear passionate and genuine respect for the rights of free association, of assembly, of rallies and demonstrations to be expressed at JNC. —Biodun Jeyifo

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HAT exactly is the fundamental problem with Nigeria? Why has such a richly endowed country in terms of human, natural and material resources failed to actualize her vast potentials or fulfil the purpose for her existence over five decades after independence? The primary purpose of a state is to promote the security, welfare and economic well- being of her citizenry. On virtually all indices, Nigeria exhibits symptoms of chronic state fragility bordering on catastrophic state collapse. Why does Nigeria remain superficially great only as regards population size and land mass?

Why, in the gripping imagery of Claude Ake, does the country display the senescent symptoms of old age without having gone through and experienced the vigour and vitality of youthfulness?

Many would argue that the problem is with the perceived structural deformity of the country. A fundamental re-structuring of the country, from this perspective, is thus the cure-all for her myriad afflictions. The problem is that there are multiple and often contradictory perceptions of the kind of re-structuring imperative for national liberation and redemption.

This column, for instance, has consistently advocated the radical decentralization of powers, responsibilities and resources from the centre to the sub national units of the federation.

We have strongly supported the advocacy for the creation of state police, drastic scaling down of items on the exclusive list of the constitution, a fundamental review of the revenue allocation formula in favour of the sub-national units of government as well as separation of the office of the Accountant General of the Federation from that of the Accountant General of the Federal Government to promote more accountable and transparent management of the country’s resources. There is also the need for enhanced institutional autonomy of critical agencies like the police, electoral umpire and anti-corruption agencies and also strengthening local government autonomy if that does not mean liberating the third tier of government from the strangle hold of the states only to subordinate them to the more stultifying dominance of the Federal Government.

There are, however, those who, for instance, want a complete re-design of the architecture of the federation by what they describe as a return to regionalism. I believe this is one of the items on the agenda of the South West delegates to the President Goodluck Jonathan’s exceedingly suspicious National Conference. Now this demand is utterly ridiculous. Let us take the South West as an example. The APC governors – Babatunde Fashola, Ibikunle Amosun, Rauf Aregbesola, Kayode Fayemi and Abiola Ajimobi – are widely acknowledged to be performing admirably in the radical modernization of infrastructure and the provision of social welfare services to the citizenry in their states. There is a veritable and undeniable wind of developmental renaissance blowing across the South West just like in some other states across the country.

Nigeria: A crisis of structure or values?

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Map of Nigeria What then is the rationale for a return to formal regionalism? What sense does it make to create another level of regional bureaucracy with the attendant implication for cost of governance in an already over-administered territory like Nigeria? Is a state like Lagos, for instance, which is more populous than at least 30 African countries, ready to subordinate its autonomy to political control from Ibadan, which was the headquarters of the old western region? As I have said before, regionalism is itself a form of undesirable centralism. Yes, geographically contiguous states will benefit tremendously from socio-economic cooperation and collaboration in diverse sectors. But there is no need for the creation of a formal, constitutionally recognised level of regional government to achieve this. Yet, some‘leaders’ of the Yoruba have reportedly taken it upon themselves to set up a monitoring committee to ensure that the unelected South West delegates to Dr Jonathan’s conference do not deviate from an agenda drawn up without consultation with the broad masses of the people.

It is utterly comical.

There is also the call for a return to the parliamentary system of government. This is because of the perceived phenomenal cost of the presidential system of government as well as

The emergence of the requisite visionary, competent and developmentoriented leadership we need has been subverted by the absence of the values of honesty, integrity, restraint and responsibility without which any structural or institutional changes will make absolutely no difference

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the enormous powers vested in the office of the President. The point is that the irresponsible use of presidential power is not necessarily inherent in the presidential system of government. It is the responsibility of an effective legislature, a courageous and independent judiciary, a free and vigilant press and a vigorous civil society to ensure that presidential powers are not abused. And the truth of the matter is that, notwithstanding our various shortcomings, the Nigerian political system is slowly but steadily developing the capacity to tame the abuse and misuse of power.

If it was left to the Umaru Yar’Adua cabal, would Dr Goodluck Jonathan ever have assumed Nigeria’s presidency? The answer is no.

But public pressure ensured that the rule of law prevailed. If President Jonathan were to have his way, would former Aviation Minister, Princess Stella Oduah, have been dropped from his cabinet for her culpability in the gross misuse of public funds? We all know the answer. But Jonathan ultimately had no choice but to bow to public opinion. Despite the strong support he enjoyed from the presidency, wasn’t the brazenly partisan Joseph Mbu deployed from Rivers State as Commissioner of Police? In 1999, we had no anti-corruption agencies like the EFCC and ICPC. At

least they exist today even if largely ineffective. It is inevitable that with time they will begin to more effectively perform their statutory functions as public pressure mounts.

There are many other examples. Under no system will we reach the desired democratic and political Eldorado in a day. Politics as Aristotle pointed out, is a never-ceasing process of civic education and incremental consciousness.

The return to a parliamentary system of government will not by itself automatically result in the responsible, accountable and transparent utilisation of power. After all, it was under the parliamentary system in the First Republic that the Federal Government under the leadership of the Prime Minister, Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, illegally interfered in the affairs of the Western Regional government, sacked the legitimate Action Group government, imposed an administrator on the region and later blatantly rigged elections in favour of Chief SLA Akintola’s Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP). This resulted in the breakdown of law and order in the region, precipitated the first coup and ultimately led the country to the civil war tragedy.

In the same vein, there is absolutely no iron law that says our presidential system must be as expensive as it currently is. There is nothing which says that either the size of the executive councils or the length of convoys both at the federal and subnational levels should be so unwieldy. Even under the parliamentary system of government, our legislators will allocate outrageous, indefensible salaries and allowances to themselves if we are stupid and docile enough to allow them. After all, perceived corruption epitomised then by the ‘ten per cent’ syndrome was one of the reasons cited for the January 1966 coup that over threw the First Republic. Those who lauded the coup then would have seen with the benefit of hindsight that there can be no miraculous, quick fixes to political problems. In the same way, there can be no single National Conference that will once and for all solve all Nigeria’s problems. There can be no dialogue to end all dialogues. Democracy is an on-going process of ceaseless dialogue and continuous problem solving.

Nigeria’s socio-political and economic problems have been over-diagnosed. What we have lacked is the requisite quality of visionary political leadership we need to apply the all too well known solutions. For instance, President Jonathan does not need a National Conference to tell him that it is indefensible keeping a fleet of 11 presidential jets. The 1999 constitution has already provided for a review of the Revenue Allocation formula every five years. Does the PDP-controlled Federal Government have to flush seven billion Naira- down a National Conference drain before doing that which is right and lawful? The emergence of the requisite visionary, competent and developmentoriented leadership we need has been subverted by the absence of the values of honesty, integrity, restraint and responsibility without which any structural or institutional changes will make absolutely no difference.

Ade Ojeikere on Saturday talk2adeojeikere@yahoo.com

Whose headache?

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UPER Eagles fans seem to have many questions over their darling team’s com position. One school feels strongly that the status quo should remain, arguing that strengthening the Eagles under any guise could destroy the team’s homogeneity. The other school feels that the old order got their rewards after lifting the Africa Cup of Nations diadem.

For those in this half, the Brazil 2014 World Cup is serious business. Besides, many of those who lifted the Cup in South Africa have lost their form. They warm the bench in their European clubs.

But what do the Super Eagles coaches feel about the thoughts from the two divides? Are the coaches confused? Could they have made mistakes when picking the squad that secured the Africa Cup of Nations for Nigeria after 19 years? Would it not be appropriate to pick

players who are playing regularly for their European clubs than stick to a squad of benchwarmers? Should loyalty to the coaches – not to the nation - be the key condition for picking players? Would it be wise to pick players who would rock the boat if made to sit on the bench? Should players’ discipline be sacrificed on the altar of picking experienced stars?

Or are we back to the drawing board?

The simple solution to these posers will be for our coaches to emulate what others do.

Others pick players who play regularly. This factor helps them to fit into any system the coaches want to adopt. It is for this reason that coaches contact the managers of clubs for which their countrymen are playing, to find out what the issues are - for those who are on the bench or injured.

Besides, coaches endeavour to visit clubs to watch key games involving their wards. These visits create the environment for the coaches to know their players’ off-the-pitch activities.

The synergy between the players’ clubs and the coaches ensures that every detail is known to both parties.

It is for this reason that many of the European players going to the World Cup play regularly. Disputes between the players and club coaches are easily resolved. Indeed, those players who don’t feature in the coaches’ plans for this season were told bluntly to seek for clubs elsewhere to get regular shirts.

Brazil’s first choice goalkeeper Ceasar stayed with relegated Queens Park Rangers (QPR) of England. Clearly, national team managers counsel the players on their career to the advantage of their countries. Not here. Our coaches want our players to show enough commitment before they are invited.

Watching the recap of European matches played last week on television, football pundits knew why certain players were fielded and others benched. Tactical changes made were informed by the trends of the matches.

Most times, even before the changes were made, pundits guessed correctly those to be dropped. And they were spot-on in their choices.

Brazil 2014 World Cup will be a strikers’ show, with countries such as Brazil, Spain, France, Portugal, Germany, Uruguay, Argentina and the Netherlands leading the pack.

Have I unwittingly listed likely quarter-finalists? No; football isn’t mathematics. It is a game of surprises. Shocks. Yet, I would be very shocked if none of the eight listed makes it to the quarterfinals.

Have I ruled out Africans? Certainly not, but I foresee Cote d’ Ivoire making the desired impact for the continent - for the first time. In recent times, they have been the best playing African nation. Their players are regulars across the globe, yet they totter, with nationals blaming their players’ off-the-pitch activities for their poor performance.

In Brazil, things would change. The Ivoriens’ golden generation may be Africa’s pride. This feeling is getting stronger, espe

•Continued on Page 63

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