Sun News - October 18, 2012 by The Sun News

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UNIPORT 4

Village head docked for murder ...12 others too •Varsity suspends HoD who joined students’ protest Page 6

Another mob video hits the internet

Doctor arrested for selling new-born baby THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2012 VOL. 7 NO. 2476

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First Lady returns, says...

I didn’t do tummy tuck Page 5

‘My husband loves my stature’

Page 6

•Mob pushes torchlight into private part of lady accused of stealing cell phone

Seven foreigners kidnapped in Bayelsa Page 9

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Another bloodbath in Mubi

Back to where I belong... Left: President Goodluck Jonathan welcoming the First Lady, Dame Patience, to the Presidential Villa Abuja, yesterday. Above: First Lady acknowledging cheers on alighting from the aircraft that brought her back from Germany

Another bloodbath in Mubi

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UNIPORT 4

Village head docked for murder

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2012 VOL. 7 NO. 2476

...Many feared dead in JTF, Boko Haram duel in Potiskum

First Lady returns, says...

...New mob video hits internet

I didn’t do tummy tuck

•Torchlight pushed into private part of lady accused of stealing cell phone

‘My husband loves my stature’

...12 others too

Page 5

Page 6

Doctor arrested for selling new-born baby Seven foreigners kidnapped in Bayelsa

Page 9

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Back to where I belong... Left: President Goodluck Jonathan welcoming the First Lady, Dame Patience to the Presidential Villa Abuja, yesterday. Above: First Lady acknowledging cheers on alighting from the aircraft that brought her back from Germany

ONDO GUBER: •IGP in Akure, reads riot act

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Fire guts Emir of Ilorin’s palace Page 13

Oshiomhole sacks Perm Sec, 41 school inspectors Page 9

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2012 VOL. 7 NO. 2476

•Akeredolu storms Pages 7 & 12 Owo •Mimiko thanks citizens, urges vigilance

First Lady returns, says...

I didn’t do tummy tuck Page 5

‘My husband loves my stature’ Back to where I belong...

President Goodluck Jonathan welcoming the First Lady, Dame Patience, to the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday.

Traditional ruler docked for murder ...Another mob video released •Torchlight pushed into private part of lady accused of stealing cell phone Page 6

Confusion in Ekiti as PHCN man is electrocuted Page 11

DAILY SUN Thursday, October 18, 2012

SUNG GIRL

Thursday, October 18, 2012, DAILY SUN

2013 budget: Senate sets condition for early passage •FG implemented 2012 budget by 30% –Maccido From ADETUTU FOLASADE-KOYI, Abuja

resh indications emerged yesterday that the frosty relationship between the National Assembly and the Presidency may affect early passage of the 2013 budget. More than a week after President Goodluck Jonathan presented N4.92 trillion budget estimate to a joint sitting of the National Assembly, feelers from the Senate indicate that the upper legislative chamber may not commence work on the budget until its 56 standing committees conclude oversight functions on Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). Senate Appropriation Committee Chairman, Ahmed Maccido, gave the indication in Abuja on Wednesday. The House of Representatives began consideration of the 2013 budget on Tuesday. In an interview with Daily Sun, Maccido disclosed that contrary to figures bandied by the Executive, the 2012 budget had been implemented by only 30 per cent. The Appropriation Committee Chairman said the figures were collated from documents submitted to the Senate by the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation. “I believe even the Executive would agree with the fact that the budget has not reached more than 30 per cent implementation. “The figure was taken from documents given to us from the office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (we all have them) because there were releases, cash-backings. There is the actual budget itself and based on all these, that was where we got the 30 per cent budget implementation figure from. So, based on those figures, we made our deductions and arrived at that figure. “The onus rests on the Senate to verify that because as it is now, we are going on oversight functions to the MDAs and not just sitting in minister’s office and bringing documents for us to look at. No, we will go out to the field to see what is happening. “If, for instance, N1 billion has been earmarked for a particular project, say, a road, we want to go to site to see for ourselves the level of work that has been done on that particular road. Is the work on that road commensurate with the N1 billion budgeted? If not, we will come back and report to Senate that, that road is not up to the amount earmarked for it. “We will make our own deductions and conclusions and pass them on to the Senate. From there, we will know what to do. As I said earlier, it is not a matter of agreeing with the House or the Executive but actually, we have the same stand. “All we are going to do is to debate the budget estimates and after that, we will not touch the budget again until such a time when we have finished with our oversight functions.”

Reps reject Senate’s $78 oil benchmark By IHEANACHO NWOSU and CHUKS AKUNNA, Abuja

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he House of Representatives, yesterday gave reasons it would not adopt Senate’s $78 oil benchmark for the 2013 budget, insisting that its $80 benchmark was in the interest of the nation’s economy. The Reps also warned that the 2013 budget might not work well with the current expenditure being higher than the capital expenditure. President Goodluck Jonathan, last week, announced a budget of N4.92 trillion for 2013 fiscal year. N2.41 trillion was allocated to recurrent (Non-Debt) expenditure and N1.54 trillion for capital expenditure. The debate on the budget, which began yesterday is scheduled to continue today. House leader, Mulikat Adeola Akande, had listed Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), education, power, security, agriculture and health as areas in the budget that would be given priority . She urged her colleagues to give the budget the attention it deserved in the interest of the nation. Addressing newsmen yesterday after the executive session held before the plenary, House Committee Chairman, Media and Public Affairs, Zakari Mohammed, said the House would not shift ground on the $80 oil benchmark. He said the hardline position of the House was based on the need to end the current culture, which he said was deliberately pegged at a lower amount so that revenues from oil sales were deducted and taken to the excess crude accounts. According to Mohammed, the House is seeking to bring to bear, a system where all monies from oil sales would be appropriated and used for the execution of capital projects and other legal needs of the country.

DAILY SUN Thursday, October 18, 2012

Thursday, October 18, 2012

DAILY SUN

President Goodluck Jonathan congratulating ICPC boss, Prof. Nta Ekpo, shortly after the oath-taking by the latter at the State House, Abuja, yesterday Photo: BAYO OBISESAN

Chirman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Abubakar, and Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko at the governorship election 2012 stakeholders meeting in Akure, Wednesday

Newly elected member, Plateau State House of Assembly and widow of former Majority-Leader, Mrs. Kaneng Fulani, taking the oath of allegiance during her swearing-in ceremony in Jos, Wednesday. Photo: NAN

COVER Dame Jonathan returns From JULIANA Abuja

TAIWO-OBALONYE,

early two months after Nigeria’s First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan was reportedly flown to Germany over an undisclosed ailment, President Goodluck Jonathan’s wife, yesterday returned to a carnival-like reception at the presidential wing of the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja. Mrs Jonathan arrived into the waiting arms of her husband, her son, mother-in-law, friends and well-wishers amid tight security. She however, dispelled speculations that she was away to undergo tummy tuck, a form of cosmetic surgery. The crowd, comprising mostly women, youth groups and traditional dancers, were dressed in colourful attire, dancing and singing praises to God for her safe arrival. As she alighted from the aircraft, there were so much pushing and shoving among the crowd who struggled to catch a glimpse of Mrs Jonathan. A few others, however, kept a distance in order not to be trampled under foot. Among the dignitaries who came to receive her were female ministers, led by the Minister of Petroleum, Diezani AlisonMaduekwe who said, “We thank God she is back and she is well”. Dame Jonathan who looked pale and emaciated, was not bedecked with jewelry and make-up as usual. Rather, she was dressed in a multi-coloured caftan and a matching head tie as captured live on Nigerian Television Authority (NTA). The first lady thanked God for giving her a second chance to serve Nigerians, particularly women, children and the less privileged. The First Lady who berated those who insinuated that she would die like Gen. Sani Abacha, Mrs Stella Obasanjo and President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, urged Nigerians to pray for those in government, adding, it was a privilege to serve at this time. “I thank God Almighty for bringing me back safely to Nigeria. Wherever there are

•Says ‘I didn’t go for tummy tuck’ •My husband loves my stature good people, there are also bad ones. “They are few Nigerians that are saying whatever they like but not what God planned because God has a plan for all of us. And God has said it all that where two or three are gathered in His name, he will be with them. And Nigerians gathered and prayed for me and God listened and heard their prayers. So, I thank God for that. “At the same time, I will use this opportunity to tell those few ones that are saying that anybody that goes into the villa or Aso Rock will die. They mentioned Abacha, they mentioned Stella Obasanjo, Yar’Adua and other

people. Why didn’t they mention those ones that went there with their families, succeeded and still came out alive. “We should remember that Aso Rock is the seat of power and that is where God has ordained for we Nigerians that our leaders should rule from, and rule us right. God is wonderful and his infinite mercies endure. “At the same time, I read in the media where they said I was in the hospital. God almighty knows that I have never been to that hospital, I don’t even know the hospital they mentioned. “I have to explain what God has done for

HAPPY TO BE BACK ...Dame Jonathan with her husband, President Goodluck Jonathan, mother-in-law, and son, in Abuja, yesterday.

me. I do not have terminal illness, neither did I do any cosmetic surgery, talk less of tummy tuck. My husband loves me as I am and I’m pleased with how God created me. I cannot add anything. “But at the same time, I will use this opportunity to thank my beloved husband and my children and my staff in general and all Nigerians for standing by me during my trying time. “God has given me a second chance to come and work with the women of Nigeria, children and the less privileged. I have come to serve Nigeria. I have come to work with Nigerians. I’m there for them. Once more, I am pleased to be back. I love Nigerians, they are my family,” she concluded. Before then, the First Lady had returned to the warm embrace of her husband, children and her mother-in-law, Mrs. Eunice Jonathan and her domestic staffers at about 5 p.m. Her staffers burst into songs in her local dialect, clapping and dancing. The song, when translated, meant “Thank you God. You have done us good. Thank God. Lord, you have done us good. Thank you”. They wore printed T-shirts with her pictures and these messages printed on them: “We love you, we miss you, welcome back. May you live long”. Other dignitaries who were at the Airport were Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, the Minister of Culture and Tourism, Chief Edem Duke, Minister of State, Education, Mr Nyesom Wike, the Chief of Staff to the President, Chief Mike Ogiadhome, State House Chief of Protocol (SCOPE), special advisers, media, her Chief Personal Physician, and other media aides working in the presidency. Meanwhile, the First Lady’s Senior Special Assistant on Media, Ayo Osinlu, who hitherto, refused to pick journalists’ calls while the First Lady was away was also around to welcome his boss. When approached to arrange for the First Lady to speak to newsmen, he objected. “No! Do you want to kill her? She has to rest. Go to your beat, is this your beat?”

6 DAILY SUN Thursday, October 18, 2012

NEWS Fifth columnists have infiltrated Presidency -Senate From ADETUTU FOLASADE-KOYI and IHENACHO NWOSU, Abuja

he Senate, yesterday raised the alarm that fifth columnists have infiltrated the Presidency and are working at cross-purposes with President Goodluck Jonathan. The Senate therefore, warned the president that his aides were deliberately stoking impasse between the National Assembly and the Presidency, with comments attributed to them disparaging the National Assembly. Senate President, David Mark wondered why the President still retained some of the aides who were bent on causing a rift between the executive and the legislature. The upper legislative chamber identified some of the fifth columnists to include the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, his Special Adviser on Political Matters, Ahmed Gulak, and blamed them for disparaging the leadership of the National Assembly over comments attributed to them during President Jonathan’s 2013 budget presentation, last week. Gulak reportedly referred to members of the National Assembly as “illiterates” while Okupe accused the federal lawmakers of becoming dictatorial. Only recently. In its response to Gulak’s assertion that bills awaiting president’s assent would not be signed, Senate had threatened to veto the president if he refused to append his signature to the bills. Meanwhile, the Presidency had washed its hands off the aides with President Jonathan’s Adviser on National Assembly, Joy Emodi, saying, the duo were on their own. Their views, she said, did not reflect the mind of the president, nor his relationship with the National Assembly. The Senate therefore, urged the president to caution his ministers, special advisers and other aides against making inflammatory statements that could strain the cordial relations between the two arms of government. Contributing to the debate, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu urged the Senate to exercise its constitutional powers and veto Bills left unsigned by the president. “Now distinguished colleagues, this (Gulak) is the Political Adviser to Mr. President that is supposed to be directing him on political affairs, but is simply telling him that he doesn’t need to bother himself sounding our views and knows what to do. “If I were Mr. President, he will not last one day in my office because he is just putting him on the path of confusion and conflict with an institution that has no problem with him.”

Another bestial mob video circulates on internet •Nigerian lady stripped, assaulted over alleged phone theft •Condemnations trail the action By TESSY IGOMU

young Nigerian lady has fallen victim of another mob action barely two weeks after the gruesome murder of four students of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) in Umuokiri, Aluu Community, Rivers State. The lady who was accused of stealing a phone was shamefully assaulted in the video clip, which has gone viral on the internet. The incident took place at an upscale shopping mall in Lagos. The mob descended on the lady, stripped her naked and beat her to a pulp. This happened amidst cheers and jeers from onlookers who were busy videoing the detestable act. Despite efforts to ward off the several blows rained on her, she had objects inserted into her private part by the mob. At a point, a man successfully inserted a torchlight into her private part, while others held her legs apart to make the bestial act easy. All efforts by the helpless lady, who was weeping profusely and pleading, to cover her nakedness with both hands failed, as the mob tugged at various parts of her body. Meanwhile, several reactions have trailed the disturbing video, with some describing it as an act that debased humanity. They questioned the absence of security operatives in such an upscale shopping mall, and why the internal security did not make an effort to hand over the suspect to the appropriate authority. According to most saddened by the impunity at which the mob carried out their dastardly act, the mob action is gradually becoming an accepted behaviour, warning that it should be nipped in the bud before it gets out of hand. They also averred that anybody accused of any crime is considered innocent except proved otherwise by the court. No one, they stressed, has the right to take life or subject another fellow human being to dehumanizing treatment. Unanimously, they agreed that security operatives should live up to their responsibility of securing the lives and property of citizens.

•Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi, flanked by renowned writer, Elechi Amadi and Mrs. Koko Kalango of Rainbow Book Club at the opening of the 5th Garden City Literary Festival in Port Harcourt, yesterday.

UNIPORT 4: Traditional ruler, 12 others docked, remanded in prison From TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt

hirteen persons including a young lady were yesterday arraigned before a Port Harcourt Magistrate Court, over their alleged role in the killing of four students of the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The accused persons, including a 59-year-old traditional ruler, Alhaji Hassan Welewa, ex-sergeant Lucky Orji, 43, Lawal Segun, 28, Cynthia Chinwo, 24, George Nwadei, 20 and Ekpe Daniel, 30 years old. Others were, Okoghiroh Endurance, 24, Gabriel Oche, 33, Ozioma Abajuo, 23, Endurance Edet, 27, Ikechukwu Louis Amadi (a.k.a Kapoon), 32, David Chinasa Ogboda, 30, and Chigozie Evans Samuel, 22 years. Accused persons are facing a five-count charge, which include conspiracy and murder. Count 1 charge reads: That the 13 accused persons and “others at large on October 5, 2012, at Omuokiri, Aluu Community in the Port Harcourt Magisterial District, did conspire amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit: murder and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 324 of the Criminal Code Cap 37 Laws of Rivers State, 1999. Count 2 reads: That the accused persons and others at large on the same date and place in the aforesaid Magisterial District, “did murder one Ugonna Obuzor by lynching and burnt him to death and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 319 of the Criminal Code cap 37 volume 111 Laws of Rivers State, 1999.”

They were also accused of murdering Lloyd Toku Mike, Chiadika Biringa and Tekena Elkanah, by lynching and burning them to death and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 319 of the Criminal Code Cap 37

volume 111 Laws of Rivers State, 1999. No plea was taken, and the Chief Magistrate, Emmanuel Woke, of Court 1, ordered that the accused persons be remanded in prison custody. Woke stated that the court

lacked the jurisdiction to try the case due to its nature and directed their case files to the Director of Public Prosecution for legal advice. He adjourned the matter till December 20, 2012, for continuation.

...HoD suspended for taking part in students’ protest •He says, I deserve commendation, not sanction From CHRIS ANUCHA and CANICE UZOUKWU, Port Harcourt

he University of Port Harcourt has set up a panel to investigate the role of suspended Head of Department (HoD) of Philosophy, Dr. Andrew Efemini, during the protest by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), over the murder of four students of the university. The panel is expected to submit its findings to the institution’s Senate for further action. The Vice Chancellor of UNIPORT, Professor Joseph Ajienka, disclosed this yesterday while briefing newsmen, at the Governing Council, Chambers, Senate Building, University Park. He, however, disclosed that he met with Dr. Efemini on Tuesday, where he (Efemini) expressed regret over his role in the protest. He also said the suspended HoD protested the inclusion of names of some people in the list of panel members. But reacting to the claim that he regretted his role in the protest, in an exclusive interview with Daily Sun, Dr. Efemini admitted that he met the vice chancellor on

Tuesday and apologised for the throw of pebbles and sachets of pure water at him by the students, and not over his participation in the protest. He said instead of asking him to face a panel, the VC should commend him for representing him and other lecturers, who he said, failed the institution and Nigerians, by keeping away from the protest. “The VC and UNIPORT authorities should commend me for representing them in the protest and not to ask me to appear before a panel. Everybody, who didn’t join the protest is wrong, we are still talking, ‘we versus them.’That the VC and others did not join the protest and control the situation is even not acceptable to me. So, I was actually working for him, by engaging in what I did. I was representing him, though, he did not send me. It was actually what he should have recommended me for,” he said. On his demand that some persons be excluded from the list of panel members, Dr. Efemini said it was ridiculous to put the names of the Chief Security Officer (CSO) of the institution and the Dean of Students Affairs, as members

of the panel. According to him, the duo should be facing a panel by now, for not preventing the protest. The vice chancellor, however, insisted that by virtue of Efemini’s position, as the acting HoD of Philosophy Department, he was expected to act in public good, and not inciting the students. He said: “We must be courageous enough to bear the responsibility of our actions and inactions. The Head of Department (HoD), is a statutory member of the university administration, who is responsible to the vice chancellor through the Dean of the Faculty in the discharge of his or her duties.” He explained that in enlightened societies, where subordinates have cause to openly disagree with their superior officers on matters of principle, anchored or personal convictions or ideological differences, they resign honourably. “One level of leadership or authority does not undermine a higher level of leadership in the pursuit of personal principles or ideological differences, let alone make inciting public statements on a very delicate situation that is capable of engineering a mob action.”

DAILY SUN Thursday, October 18, 2012, 7

NEWS From 2013, promotion no longer based on result in MDAs From JULIANA TAIWO-OBALONYE, Abuja

aring any last minute change in plans, from 2013 promotion in five Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) will no longer be based on promotional examination but on performance that makes impact on Nigerians. The pilot ministries that Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) is proposing to begin this new policy with are, ministries of agriculture, education, finance, health and works. In the same vein, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) will dump analogue operations and embrace automation of all its activities as from January 2013. Briefing State House correspondents after the council meeting, the Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, said the FEC, presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan, welcomed the proposal of the FCSC which was in line with the performance contract system introduced by the Federal Government recently. President Jonathan had in August signed a performance contract with members of his cabinet in line with Federal Government’s decision to produce a bi-annual evaluation report on the performance of ministers. Maku said the FCSC made a formal presentation of the report to council following the outcome of its annual conference held in June comprising both the federal and state service commissions, to discuss development and public service. “One key issue that was reported today was that the FCSC, in partnership with State Civil Service Commission (SCSC) have formally adopted a proposal to use the performance contract system introduced by the Federal Government as the basis for career promotion in the federal civil service. “This indeed was presented to us and the commission is proposing that by 2013 five MDAs, namely ministries of education, agriculture, health, finance and works will be adopted as pilot MDAs to introduce the new system of promotion based on performance. “Previously, promotion in the civil service has always been through the regular civil service examination that are written by civil servants. In view of the new introduction of the performance contract systems into the MDAs, the FCSC is now considering the possibility of using performance measure, which is the essence of this contract system as a basis for promotion. “Essentially, what they are proposing to do is that, rather than conducting exams for top civil servants like directors, they will wait on the outcome of performance measurement which will be conducted MDAs wide to determine if the directors have delivered on their mandates.”

Watch your utterances, PDP warns elected representatives From TAIWO AMODU, Abuja

week after President Goodluck Jonathan presented the 2013 budget to a joint session of the National Assembly, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Working Committee (NWC) yesterday reacted to remarks by Senator David Mark and Aminu Tambuwal, Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives, respectively. Mark in his speech had said the National Assembly was not a rubber stamp parliament. Tambuwal, while presenting vote of thanks had made some observations, which he noted were infractions on the part of the presidency in budget implementation and execution. Among such infractions, according to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, was what he viewed as poor releases of fund and poor utilisation of such funds by agents of the Federal Government. “As I speak, interim field oversight reports from House committees on the 2012 budget implementation are clearly unimpressive both in terms of releases as well as utilisation and this is a great challenge to all of us. It is important to state at this point the clear provisions of Section 8 of the Appropriation Act to the effect that approved budgeted funds shall be released to MDAs ‘as at when due’. “This is sadly observed more in breach. The Composition of the Public Procurement Council provided under the Public Procurement Act is very critical to budget implementation. The sanctity of extant legislations and respect for the rule of law are critical hallmarks of true democracy. We therefore once more call on Mr. President to expeditiously constitute this council to free the Federal Executive Council (FEC) from the burden of contract administration, so they can concentrate on the more sublime issues of their constitutional roles and responsibilities. Incidentally, the present Constitution of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) has been identified as one of the bottlenecks to effective capital budget implementation.” The Speaker in his remarks equally faulted the $75 benchmark for price of crude oil in the proposed 2013 budget and further proposed $80 per barrel.

•Dr. Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosunmu, Chairman, Awolowo Foundation; Prof. Ladipo Adamolekun, member; Prof. Akin Mabogunje, member; Chief Emeka Anyaoku, chairman of the committee and Chief Olanihun Ajayi at the Obafemi Awolowo Leadership Prize Selection Committee meeting in Lagos yesterday.

Ondo guber: IGP orders restriction of movement in Akure •Vows to deal with erring politicians From MOLLY KILETE, Abuja

he Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Dahiru Abubakar, has ordered the restriction of movements in and around Akure, the Ondo State capital, from 6am-6pm, beginning today, as part of efforts to ensure adequate security for the forthcoming gubernatorial elections in the state on Saturday. Similarly, the IGP has ordered the restriction of movement in and out of Akure from 6am-8pm, from tomorrow, Friday, except for persons on essential duties. He has also sounded a note of warning to politicians and political office holders who may want to cause trouble during the elections to think twice “as the police will enforce to the letter, all laws relating to the elections and law breakers appropriately dealt with in accordance with the law of the land.” The IGP said no politician or political office holder would be allowed in the monitoring of the election as it was not their duty to do so. To this end, travellers had been advised to use alternative routes to get to their destinations so as not to break the new order, which the IGP said was aimed at curtailing the influx and movement of undesirable and criminal elements in and out of the state before and during the election. Abubakar, while expressing regrets over the inconveniences road users and the general public may suffer as a result of this restriction, appealed for understanding and cooperation of the people, saying “the restriction is essentially to ensure the effective security of citizens, election officials and

materials. It is a strategy to curtail the influx and movement of undesirable and criminal elements in and out of the state before and during the election.” He, however, gave an assurance that adequate security logistics and manpower had been strategically deployed to achieve a most conducive electioneering atmosphere and that policemen for election duty had been properly trained, briefed and sensitised on their roles as stipulated in the Electoral Act. He said the police personnel were expected to be professional, non partisan, civil but firm in their approach and relation to the public and at the

same time strictly observe Force Order 237 on the use of firearms to ensure that inalienable rights of the citizens we`re not trampled upon. A statement from the Deputy Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, while advising politicians to play by the rules, warned political office holders and all dignitaries not directly involved in the conduct of the election to cast their votes and return to their homes. He said, “on no account must they be involved in monitoring of election, as the police will enforce to the letter, all laws relating to the elections and law breakers appropriately dealt with in accordance with the law of the land. The IGP, while urging citi-

zens of Ondo to come out enmasse to exercise their civic right, as the police assisted by other security agencies, had mapped out plans to ensure that voters vote without fear of molestation from any quarter, equally advised them to shun violence and all forms of thuggery and called on parents to keep close watch on their children and wards in order not to allow them to be used by unscrupulous politicians for criminal purposes, as the full weight of the law would take its course on anyone apprehended. He also called on people of the state to remain vigilant and report all suspicious movements or dealings to appropriate police authority.

Ondo’ll be the most credible election in Nigeria –Jega From TUNDE RAHEEM, Akure

he Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Atahirru Jega yesterday said that the Saturday governorship election in Ondo State will be the most credible, freest and fairest in the history of Nigeria Jega said though the last governorship poll in Edo State was adjudged the best election ever conducted by the electoral body in the history of Nigeria, there would be a lot of improvement in the Saturday Ondo State election, which would make it the best compared to the Edo election. The INEC chairman made the assertion at the Governorship Election 2012 Stakeholders’ Meeting in Akure. He said all the resident electoral officers (RECs) in the

country had been deplored to the state led by INEC National Chairman in the South-west, Prof. Lai Olorode as part of measure to ensure free and fair election in the state The INEC boss, however, appealed to political parties in the state to comply with the rules and regulations of the game, saying it was imperative for the politicians to display high sense of maturity during and after the election He stated that democracy was the best option for Nigeria and Nigerians and all hands must be on deck to ensure the smooth running of democratic in the country. “It is the tradition of INEC to meet with all the stakeholders on the extent of our preparedness for the election. I know this state is called the sunshine state and we are praying the sun should shine on the INEC by ensuring the election is successful. Nigeria loves democracy and we have

aspired for it for a very long time. The only way a country can practice a real democracy is through credible free election. “We are appointed into office of INEC, we have recognised the importance and the punctuality of any election for democratic development and we have tried our best to discharge the obligations made on our subjects to improve the electoral process. “On previous elections conducted by INEC under my leadership, people have seen positive change and remarkable improvement in the electoral process. Though we have not been perfect, there have been challenges but if you look at the past history of elections and compared with what we have done since April 2011 general elections, it is clear to the whole world that we have raised the bar. The challenge for us is not to allow the bar to slide back but to meet the international standard.

8 DAILY SUN Thursday, October 18, 2012,

NEWS N1.1bn subsidy scam: Arisekola’s son, others get bail By FAITH OMORUYI

bdulahi Alao, son of Ibadan based tycoon, Alhaji Abdulazeez Arisekola-Alao has got a reprieve as a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja, on Wednesday granted him bail in a N1.1billion subsidy fraud charge. Abdulahi was earlier arraigned before Justice Habeeb Abiru as well as Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo on a nine-count charge for subsidy fraud by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in July 2012. But in a fresh N1.1 billion theft charge brought against Alao, before Justice Lateefa Okunnu this month, he was arraigned along with Opeyemi Ajuyah, Olanrewaju Olafusi and two companies; Majope Investment Limited and Axenergy Limited on a sixcount charge of conspiracy, obtaining by false pretence, forgery and altering. Delivering her ruling on his bail application, Justice Okunnu granted him bail in the sum of N75 million with two sureties in like sum and also released his co-defendant, Olafusi to be guaranteed by Sterling Bank, employer of Olafusi. The court ordered the bank to pay N100 million bond on behalf of Olafusi as part of his bail conditions. “The bond should be backed up with a bank guarantee to be deposited with the court’s chief registrar.” It directed that Alao’s sureties must be gainfully employed and resident in Lagos but one of them must have landed property of substantial value within Lagos. Another condition for his bail is that one of the sureties must be a director of a public private company.

Navy expels 55 trainees for forgery By PHILIP NWOSU

he Nigerian Navy said it has expelled 55 trainees of its Basic Training School (NNBTS) located in Onne, Rivers State. The Flag Officer Commanding Naval Training Command, Rear Admiral Azubuike Ajuonu said the 55 trainees were expelled from the institution for various certificate irregularities. According to the FOC, trainees consisting of 51 males and four females were investigated after they presented their certificate for recruitment into the force, “and we discovered during the verification exercise that they got the recruitment by presenting false certificates.” He said that the verification was done in conjunction with West African Examination Council (WAEC) and the National Examination Council (NECO), adding that the 55 persons found to have either forged their certificate or altered their results to gain entrance into the service had been handed over to the police. Indeed Admiral Ajuonu said the handing over to the police which, was done in Port Harcourt did not foreclose the case, adding that, “I have instructed the Commandant of the Nigerian Navy Basic Training School (NNBTS) to ensure that they follow the case till the culprits are jailed.” He said that discovery of the 55 trainees with forged documents should serve as deterrent to other prospective trainees aspiring to join the force, adding that, “anybody coming must be ready to defend the certificate they are presenting. Nobody will be allowed to get into the Nigerian Navy with forged certificate.”

Culture minister harps on role of culture in development By CHINONYE AMADI

inister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Edem Duke has urged Local Government Chairmen and top officials to appreciate the critical role they play in socioeconomic and political transformation of the nation. The minister stated this at the opening ceremony of. a twoday national workshop on culture entitled : ‘The SocioEconomic Transformation of Local Government in Nigeria.’ He noted that lack of consideration for culture, the fourth pillar of sustainable development had been the bane of peace, unity and national integration in Nigeria, adding that culture should be integrated into development plans, policies and programmes. Duke commended the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO) and its partner, Edge Academy for the initiative of engaging the operators of the third tier of government in a meaningful exchange of ideas that would go a long way in enhancing the aspirations of Nigerians. He re-assured Nigerians that the Federal Government was mindful of the challenges confronting the local government administration. He said President Goodluck Jonathan had sent a bill to the National Assembly to stop Joint State and Local Government Account and therefore, had no doubt that the move would grant the councils financial autonomy.

• R-L: Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Eugene Juwah; Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson and Director, Regulatory and Government Affairs, Etisalat Nigeria, Mr. Ibrahim Dikko at the Etisalat Nigeria stand during the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) 2012 Conference, held in Dubai recently.

I ‘ll be disappointed if you fail Nigerians, Jonathan tells new ICPC boss • Swears in five perm secs From JULIANA TAIWO- ity. “Positions given to us by OBALONYE, Abuja God is for service to humanity resident Goodluck and I believe it’s a privilege Jonathan yesterday swore and opportunity to serve in the new chairman of Nigerians faithfully.” He specially told the ICPC the Independent and Corrupt Practices Commission chair that security reports (ICPC), Mr. Nta Ekpo, with a showed that he was one of the charge to him to live to his credible Nigerians right from much-touted credibility, say- when he was in his state and ing he will be personally dis- urged him not to disappoint all appointed should he fail who put their trust in him. “For the ICPC chairman, Nigerians. This is even as he charged you have been an acting chairthe Federal Civil Servants to man for sometime. We have ensure that bureaucracy did observed and I know you have not become a stumbling block been making some changes to to progress and development make sure that ICPC becomes more functional and effective. of the country. “Every day you hear He further stated that while political office holders had Nigerians talking about corlimited time to deliver on ruption. Of course that is why promise to Nigerians, civil ser- during the Obasanjo adminisvants who were constitutional- tration, ICPC and EFCC were ly backed to stay on for 35 established by Acts of years, might not be in a hurry like the politicians but with understanding and synergy Nigerians could be faithfully served. From ISMAIL OMIPIDAN Ekpo was appointed as act- and AKEEB ALARAPE, ing chair of the commission in Saudi Arabia November 2011 and confirmed by the Senate earlier hursday October 25 has this month. been announced by The President also swore in Saudi Supreme Court as five permanent secretaries of the Arafat Day. Consequently, the Federal Civil Service fol- this year’s Eid- el-Adha day lowing the retirement of their for Muslims across the world predecessors from their states. would come up on Friday, The new permanent secre- October 26. taries are Alhassan Gana An official announcement (Niger), Sunday Jegede by the Saudi Supreme Court (Ekiti), Dr. James Obiegbu stated that since ‘nobody (Imo), Ambassor Sani Bala sighted the Dul Hijjah cres(Katsina) and Folashade cent (new Moon) on Monday Yemi-Esan (Kogi). evening, Tuesday October 16 In his charge, President Jonathan told the newly is the 30th day of Dul Qaada appointed federal officers to and Wednesday is the first bear in mind that the various day of Dul Hijjah.’ Eid-el-Ahda or the feast of positions they had attained in life were made possible by sacrifice, which is held in God for them to serve human- memory of Prophet Ibrahim

Parliament. “So, I believe that you will bring this your wealth of experience and commitment to bear on your job as chairman of ICPC. You have to change that institution, you have to make Nigerians know that we are committed to reducing corruption. “As somebody who reads widely about animals, I know that human beings are born greedy by nature but we must stop people from stealing or taking what does not belong to them. In any society that you allow people loose, you will see people doing the wrong thing. So we must stop people from doing the wrong thing. “I also use this opportunity to plead with all Nigerians that for us to really confront corruption the way we want to, everybody must be involved. All arms of government the

executive, judiciary, the parliament and all individuals, all corporate bodies including NGOs, Civil Society Organisations, community and even faith based organisations must be involved. If people donate money to you that you are not sure of the source please return it. If we must fight corruption all of us must frown at it. You should not give a chieftancy title to somebody you don’t know his source of income, that is my thinking, that is my belief. If you do that, you are encouraging that person to be corrupt. So I believe if all Nigerians work together, we will be able to reduce corruption. “We believe that corruption is one of the stumbling blocks in terms of our development efforts and you are in a unique position to make history for this country,” he told Ekpo.

October 25 is Arafat Day –Saudi authorities

and his son, Ismail, comes up every 10th day of Dul Hijjah. On the Arafat Day, millions of Muslims would stand in prayer on the mount of Arafat near Makkah, which signifies the peak of the annual pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia. No fewer than three million pilgrims are expected to assemble at Mount Arafat on October 25. Already, about 1.3 million people from all countries of the world have arrived Saudi Arabia preparatory to the annual pilgrimage. Daily Sun investigations, however, showed that of the 85, 000 pilgrims to be airlifted by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), over 80, 000 pilgrims had been airlifted as at yesterday.

NAHCON’s Commissoner in charge of Planning, Research and Information, Dr. Saleh Okenwa confirmed on Tuesday that 78, 260 Nigerian pilgrims had arrived Saudi Arabia for the Hajj rites. He assured that NAHCON, in conjunction with the accredited airlines, would beat the deadline for airlifting of pilgrims, which had been fixed for Saturday October 20. Meanwhile, most Nigerian female pilgrims deported at the inception of the airlifting of pilgrims have returned to Saudi Arabia. It was gathered that out of 1, 460 intending female pilgrims deported over lack of male guides, 1, 344 had arrived Saudi for the pilgrimage.

DAILY SUN Thursday, October 18, 2012, 9

SOUTH-SOUTH Flood: Mouka donates 500 mattresses, pillows to victims in Delta From PAUL OSUYI, Asaba

he management of Mouka Limited yesterday donated 500 pieces of mattresses and pillows to victims of flood in relief camps in Delta State. Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the company, Mrs. Peju Adebajo presented the materials to the Chairman of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Dr. Tony Nwaka in Asaba, the state capital. Mrs. Adebajo announced that the company would give 10 free mattresses for every 100 bought by any organisation, government or individual that would like to make more donations of mattresses to alleviate the sufferings of the flood victims. She said the company’s donation was to help cushion the effect of the unfortunate incident, which she described as a national disaster and an act of God. “This presentation is our own little effort of reiterating Mouka’s commitment to the people and communities in Delta State. We also want to identify with the Delta State Government in its effort to mitigate the adverse effect of the flood in several communities affected. “Mouka Limited sympathises with the people and government of Delta State in general and the affected communities in particular, who have been displaced by the flood with homes and means of livelihood destroyed. The incident, which has affected thousands of Nigerians and property across different states of the country is quite unfortunate,” she lamented. Mrs. Adebajo expressed hope that the company’s gesture would complement efforts of the state government in bringing solace to the affected victims.

Dickson tasks agric board to diversify state’s economy

12-member board of the Bayelsa State Agricultural Development Company Limited has been formally inaugurated with a mandate to diversify the state’s economy beyond oil and gas. Inaugurating the board at the Executive Council Chambers of the Government House, Yenagoa, Governor Seriake Dickson said the company was incorporated by his administration not just to guarantee food sufficiency after the flood, but to devise ways of creating value added chain in massive food production for local consumption and export. To this end, Governor Dickson charged members of the board to develop a blueprint within the shortest possible time on how the state could be involved in food production, particularly in crops such as cassava, plantain, banana and fisheries, as well as establish large storage facilities that would be second to none in the world. Describing agriculture as dear to government in its restoration agenda, the governor noted that if the agricultural firm succeeds government would have made tremendous impact in stimulating the local economy and creates job opportunities for the people. He remarked that government had already signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a foreign technical partner for the cultivation and processing of cassava for local consumption and principally for export.

Group donates to flood victims

eppa Wanno Pyramid Club of Nigeria has donated relief materials including food items, clothing materials, domestic items such as soap, drugs and cash worth N.4 million to victims of flood camped at Agenebode, Headquarters of Etsako East Local Government Area, Edo State. Over 3, 000 displaced persons are currently camped in Agenebode. Speaking at the presentation of the relief materials, Chairman of the Benin chapter of the club Mr. Tom Eshemogie, who represented the president of the club, Mr. Michael Otu, stated that apart from contributing towards alleviating the plight of the victims, the club was of the view that those affected should have a suitable accommodation from where they could go out to pursue their daily livelihood. The club therefore appealed to the Federal Government to establish permanent rehabilitation centres for the victims displaced by disasters across the country. Addressing the victims, the club appealed to them to be calm and trust in God who would turn their story to glory. Receiving the relief materials on behalf of the council, the secretary to Etsako East Local Government Area, Adams Oshiobugie lauded the gesture of the club and called on similar groups to rise up to the task of being the keepers of their fellow men. He thanked the club, especially for the cash donations, which was targeted towards educating the children in the various camps, as well as provides wears for them.

•Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson (centre) his Deputy Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John-Jonah (retd) (left) and the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Edmund Allison-Oguru (right) cross-checking a document during the inauguration ceremony of the Bayelsa State Capital City Development Authority at Government House, Yenagoa.

Gunmen attack French vessel, kidnap 7 foreigners From FEMI FOLARANMI, sources said the Joint Military Pennington River. He howev- gunmen attacked a vessel and Task Force( JTF) Operation er said the identity of the for- abducted seven persons made Yenagoa

unmen suspected to be sea-pirates yesterday attacked an oil vessel along the coast of the Niger Delta and kidnapped seven expatriates. Though the names of the abducted foreigners were yet to be ascertained, checks however indicated that six of them are Russians, while the last is an Estonian. According to investigations, the oil workers were working for French Vessel, Bourbon International Limited and were navigating the waterways between Delta and Bayelsa states when they were attacked. Security sources said the kidnapped foreigners were part of a 15-man crew of Bourbon Liberty 249, the other eight workers believed to be Africans had already arrived at Nigeria Port, Onne. The vessel was believed to be sailing from the Pennington Offshore Terminal Situated at 16 miles SW of the entrance to the Fishtown River and consists of two SPMs. Impeccable security

Pulo Shield and the Forward Operation Base, Nigerian Navy have held a meeting on the incident. The Media Coordinator of the JTF, Lt. Col Nwachukwu who confirmed that the incident occurred along the

eigners remained unknown. He explained that the military had authorized the deployment of naval officers along the waterways to launch a man-hunt for the abductors. His words: “I can confirm to you that some unknown

Oshiomhole fires 41 school inspectors, demotes principal

overnor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State yesterday announced the removal of 41 zonal inspectors and chief inspectors of education and local government education officers over non-performance and negligence of duty in continuation of the on-going sanitization of the state education sector. The decision, according to him, was the outcome of a continuing performance audit. Also, the governor announced the demotion of the Vice Principal of New Era College, Mr. S.E Akhabue, from Grade Level 15 to Grade Level 14 for being a perpetual latecomer.

While meeting the affected school inspectors and officers at the Government House, the governor disclosed that the administrative details of the change in the school inspectorate would be made known in the coming days. It would be recalled that the governor had paid series of unscheduled visits to public schools across the state in the last two weeks, where he made mind-boggling discoveries bordering on absenteeism or dereliction of duty by teachers. Addressing the inspectors yesterday, Oshiomhole said: “It’s obvious from what I’ve seen today and from what you’ve told me that you’ve all breached your basic duties,

Delta appoints commandants in relief camps

elta State Government is to appoint camp commandants in all the rehabilitation centres in the state to ensure that there is order and equitable distribution of relief materials to flood victims in the camps. Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan who announced this during an interactive session with journalists said the commandants of the camps would have the power to intro-

up of six Russians and One Estonian national. We have deployed our naval elements to comb the area and track down the kidnappers. We have also alerted all operational bases.”

duce measures that would properly address the needs of the victims and check lawlessness. According to the governor, the appointment of commandants would streamline activities and ensure orderliness. The governor promised that he would continue to improve facilities in the camps to ensure that the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) enjoy the basic necessities of life.

He promised to provide three square meals a day for the victims, but frowned at the attitude of some Deltans who infiltrate the camps to feed whenever it was time for food to be served. The governor gave assurance that he would do something to stop the unwholesome attitude of those infiltrators who were not affected by the flood, but were cutting short the ration of flood victims.

which is to monitor schools and file basic reports, which among things, should include reports on those present and absent so that government can take steps to assist those who want to work to remain and those who don’t want to work to go home. “Edo State Government has lost millions of naira of taxpayers’ money because of your failure to do your duties. “You are guilty of negligence of duty and even abandonment of your duties. I believe that most times, you don’t even come to work. We do not need this set of zonal inspectors of education, chief inspectors of education and local government education inspectors. “The days are gone when people don’t do their jobs. It’s shocking that you recognize that you are supposed to have written reports, yet you fail to do so. “I am happy that parents and guardians are returning their children and wards to public schools as a result of the massive investment we have made in the education sector, yet, you who are to ensure that teachers work do not do so. “I’m not hiding the fact that only those who are willing to work will keep their jobs. Everybody must be accountable.”

10 DAILY SUN Thursday, October 18, 2012

SOUTH EAST 75-yr-old native doctor nabbed for preparing charms for kidnappers From TONY OSAUZO, Benin

75-year-old-native doctor, Akugbe Ugbo, specialised in preparing “good luck” charms for kidnappers has been arrested in Benin. The suspect was said to have prepared the charms for a kidnap gang headed by one Anthony now on the run. He was paraded along with suspected kidnappers, cultists and drug dealer paraded by the 4 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Benin, after he was named by two of the kidnap suspects, Jacob Umoru and Moses Otoro who revealed that the charms given to them by the native doctor failed them. The Septuagenarian native doctor who neither denied nor corroborated his involvement said the gang leader, Anthony, was a son to him and that he helped Anthony to buy a piece of land to start a building before he was arrested. In his confession, Jacob said he received N600,000 from a ransom of N6 million paid them by a female victim before he was arrested, while Moses said he had been involved in five kidnappings. Four other suspects, Ogue Michael, Osas Omoh, Osato Ogiraka and Ahomafan Lucky were arrested by soldiers attached to Operation Thunderstorm at Ugbiyoko, while attempting to escape with a female victim identified as Mrs. Bridget Ize-Iyamu. Another three kidnap suspects, Ogiefo Atekha, Friday Dafe and Hilary Igbinomwanhia, were arrested after their victim, a poultry farmer, got information of plans to kidnap him. Other suspects paraded by the army were two students of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, identified as Eseni Christian and Osazuwa Evbimarumwen were paraded for attempted murder. Osazuwa said they were on a revenge mission to kill a fellow student when their shot missed their target and hit a commercial motorcyclist, adding that their target killed a member of their cult called Livinus. Also, six students of the College of Education, Ekiadolor were arrested for wearing military uniforms within the campus. The students said they were members of Man-O-War and that they used to wear the military uniforms during their handing over ceremony. Also paraded was a notorious female drug dealer, Mabel Nze, who had earlier been arrested by soldiers in August this year and handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

Stakeholders task DisCos on power plans

takeholders in the power sector have called on the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) and the National Council on Privatisation (NCP) to ensure that bidders who emerged winners in the power sector privatisation process are able to deliver electricity to Nigerians. The stakeholders, who asked that their identity be veiled, said it was not enough to emerge a winner, adding that what was needed was consistent availability of power. “We are sure that any credible bidder will be pleased to present their plans on how they intend to achieve the promise they have made in their loss proposals. This is very important. What Nigerians want is available power on a consistent basis, not unachievable plans designed only to win competitive bids that result in no change,” they said, adding, “it is also important that the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) discharges its statutory duties to ensure that the distribution companies are financeable and financially stable on a sustainable basis. “As was indicated by the chairman of the NCP technical sub-committee, this is not the end of the process. It has been confirmed that there will be further checks as specified in Section 121 of the RFP; ‘Commercial Offers of a Bidder must be feasible based on the technical proposal submitted’. This must ensure that the bidders are being consistent and that they can deliver their proposals.” They urged the Federal Government and BPE to ensure that the bids announcing the winners are consistent with business plans submitted by bidders and that they are feasible so that investors and lenders would be able to commit their capital to the Distribution Companies (DisCos) with confidence. The concerned stakeholders cautioned that Nigerians would not be happy if poorly performing publicly owned utilities, become poorly managed privately owned companies, neither will it be desirable that a few years down the line, these successor private sector companies run into financial bad weather or are used to fleece power consumers through higher charge-out rates beyond the Multi-Year Tariff Order (MYTO) tariffs. However, the stakeholders commended the transparent and professional manner the exercise was conducted, saying the process has inspired confidence in investors and the public alike.

•From left: Vice Chancellor, Nnamdi Azikwe University, Awka, Prof. Boniface Egboka; Chairman, Senate Committee on Education, Sen. Uche Chukwumerije; a member of the committee, Sen. Babayo Gamawa and Anambra Commissioner for Education, Dr. Uju Okeke, during an oversight tour of the universit by the Senate committee in Awka yesterday.

Police arrest medical doctor, 2 others in Aba for child trafficking when the mother was still who bought the baby but that From OKEY SAMPSON, two suspects were arrested. During interrogation, unconscious. she was on the run. He added Aba

olice in Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State, have arrested three people, including a medical doctor (names withheld) for alleged child trafficking. Daily Sun gathered that the medical doctor based in Abayi in Osisioma Ngwa Local Government Area of the state and two others, Nzekwe and Ogechi were arrested following the disappearance of a baby boy delivered at the doctozr’s hospital. A police source revealed that one Peace Pius, an itinerant pregnant trader of 63 Rivers Road, Warri, Delta State, who was abducted while on transit to Aba, was made unconscious and kept in the custody of Nzekwe in conspiracy with Ogechi. The two suspects were later said to have taken their victim to the doctor’s hospital where a caesarean operation was performed on her and her baby removed. However, when Peace regained consciousness in the hospital, she was reported to have demanded to see her baby but was told the baby was dead. Peace who did not believe what the doctor told her went to some of the nurses who were around when she was delivered of the baby but were oblivious of what the doctor had earlier told her, who informed the woman her baby was alive. It was then that Peace reported the matter to the police and in a swift operation by a team of crack detectives led by Anari Anari, the medical doctor and the other

police were said to have discovered that Peace was hypnotised before being taken to the hospital where she was successfully delivered of a baby boy but that the suspects sold the boy to a woman

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Abia State Command, Onyeke Ezekiel, confirmed the incident. He said the suspects had taken the police to the woman

that the police were intensifying efforts to arrest her and appealed to members of the public to volunteer information that would lead to her arrest.

Some heads of tertiary institutions are stealing funds –Chukwumerije •Describes Okopoly as fastest growing institution in Nigeria From GEOFFREY ANYAN- some were engulfed with abject mediocrity and stealing. WU, Awka He said, “the answer is yes hairman, Senate or no. Some are running into Committee on brilliant cases of very prudent Education, Senator Uche management of resources and Chukwumerije yesterday very, very imaginative devisberated some heads of higher ing of means of expanding the institution in the country for base of their Internally mismanagement of funds of Generated Revenue (IGR). their institutions and being Some others have gone into clogs in the wheel of advance- cases of very, very abject mediocrity and stealing and of ment of the education sector. Chukwumerije, who said course in such areas you run this after his committee into decay, you run into staginspected projects at the nation, you run into relegation. Federal Polytechnic, Oko, So what I can say generally is Anambra State, also described this; it depends on one area to the polytechnic as the fastest one area and the critical differgrowing institution in the ence is what? Factor of leadership.” country. Further commending the The committee chairman, who was touched by the infra- leadership of the institution for structural development and using its IGR judiciously, the changes that had taken place education committee chairin the institution, assured it man said, “from what I have that the committee would seen on ground in terms of make strong recommendation infrastructural development, for its take off grant which had staff discipline and security, I been denied it since the take am convinced that Federal over of the institution by the Polytechnic Oko is the fastest Federal Government in 1992. growing institution in the Responding to the issue of country and it is made possible management of fund by terti- because of committed leaderary institution heads, ship. This is one of the few Chukwumerije stressed that institutions that, apart from while some of them were busy infrastructural development, developing their institutions, instills disciple in the staff and

is also concerned about security.” On take-off grant for the institution, Chukwumerije whose entourage included Senator Babayo Gamawa said, “that is self-evident necessity. In view of the fact that virtually with bare hands they have achieved so much and what they have achieved from IGR alone is what, if done by any other means except this direct labour, will require about four, five times the amount of money. “I think for the places I’ve been to, the Poly in Nekede run by Mrs. Njoku and this one have more than convinced me about what the factor of leadership could do in any situation; it could move mountains.” The Senate committee chairman also said that threat of erosion at the permanent site of the school was another evident necessity and assured that as soon as they got back they would bring it to the notice of the appropriate committee, adding that his committee would likewise take it up as part of the infrastructural issues that had to be addressed.

DAILY SUN Thursday, October 18, 2012, 11

SOUTH WEST Agric promotion through cooperatives, antidote to hunger, poverty –Ajimobi

overnor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State has identified the promotion of agriculture through agricultural cooperatives as the only solution to hunger and poverty in Nigeria. The governor, while speaking during the 2012 World Food Day celebrations held at the Parliament Building, Secretariat, Ibadan, noted that hunger constituted the basic problem of sustenance of life as it was a reflection of people’s inaccessibility to right quality of food needed for healthy living. Speaking on the theme of this year’s celebrations “Agricultural Cooperatives: Key to Feeding the World,” Governor Ajimobi, who was represented by his deputy, Chief Moses Alake Adeyemo, stressed the need to move agriculture from subsistence to commercial level through agricultural cooperatives. According to him, agriculture offers all the opportunities to be self-employed, earn a living, improve the livelihood of individuals and chase away hunger. ``If we are determined to improve the economic situation, reduce unemployment, joblessness, crime and other societal menace especially among the youth, there is the need to first of all combat hunger with improved agricultural practices that will ensure food security,’’ the governor said. In his welcome address, the state Commissioner for Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development, Mr. Bimbo Kolade said that government had removed all obstacles to credit facilities for farmers and intending farmers in order to ensure food security in the state. The commissioner said government had also created easy avenue to access loans through the Agricultural Credit Cooperatives of Oyo State coupled with the repackaging of commercial agriculture credit loan scheme.

Awolowo Leadership Prize Selection Committee meets By COSMAS OMEGOH

head of the Obafemi Awolowo Leadership Awards holding in December 2012, the Selection Committee yesterday met for the first time to outline the sterling qualities prospective awardees must possess to be given a look in. The Committee, headed by the former commonwealth secretary general, Chief Emeka Anyaoku met in Lagos with some members of the event’s technical committee to brainstorm on the criteria nominees for the inaugural awards must meet to be associated with the ideals of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, former Premier of the defunct Western Region. Rising from a three-hour closed door meeting attended by some eminent Nigerians, Chief Anyaoku, who briefed journalists, said: “As you know, this is the inaugural meeting of the Selection Committee. We have been deliberating on the questions of the winners of the Awolowo Leadership Awards. We had a very useful, constructive, first meeting and we will be meeting again in a months’ time to continue with our deliberations. “We talked about the qualities and attributes for which Chief Awolowo was known. We are much of the view that the winner of the award must be somebody who has demonstrated capacity for representing or reflecting if not all, most of those qualities of late Chief Awolowo.”

Court frees robbery suspect after 5 yrs By FAITH OMORUYI

Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja, yesterday discharged and acquitted a 32-year-old man of an armed robbery charge five years after arrest. The trial judge, Justice Habeeb Abiru discharged Bolarinwa Ishola due to the prosecutions’ lack of diligent prosecution. Delivering his ruling on an application by the defence for discharge, Justice Abiru noted that there had been no improvement on the matter despite several adjournments. He, therefore, discharged and acquitted the suspect of the charges of armed robbery. The Lagos State office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had preferred a two-count charge of armed robbery against him in May, 2011. He had been accused of conspiring with others now at large to rob a house at Ketu in April 2008. Earlier in the trial, the prosecution witness and landlord of the allegedly robbed house denied knowledge of such incidence. During proceedings yesterday, the prosecution counsel, P.C. Alu, asked for adjournment to enable them produce another witness in court. But the defence counsel, Adigun Orunmila objected to the DPP’s request for adjournment on the ground that there had been many adjournments in the matter without the prosecutor bringing any other witness.

• Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, Senator Felix Kolawole Bajomo and Gombe State Governor, Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, at the 42nd Annual Accountants Conference of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), held in Abuja yesterday.

PHCN staffer electrocuted in Ekiti

From CHARLES ADEGBITE, fault on the pole. The intensity of the power Ado-Ekiti surge caused a serious damhere was panic yesterday age to Isaac’s body, as his along Satellite/NTA Road cloth and body got burnt as a in Ado Ekiti as a staffer of result of the intensity of the the Power Holding Company electrical impulse . The victim’s body had been of Nigeria (PHCN) Plc, Mr. Samuel Job Isaac was electro- deposited at the morgue of State University cuted while working on a high Ekiti Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti. tension electric pole in the Brown said Isaac was area. Sympathizers who employed about three years besieged the scene were ago and had got cognate expeshocked at the tragic fate of rience to handle sensitive the middle-aged man while electrical work. Brown said he suspected the fire service men were making efforts to remove his that the victim must have died of a situation he described as remains from the pole. The PHCN Public ‘back-feed’ on the high tenRelations Officer, of the Ekiti State District, Mr. Kayode Brown, said the victim was working on the feeder to detect some faults on the high tension that had occasioned From BAMIGBOLA GBOpower outage in the area. The deceased, who was an LAGUNTE, Osogbo Electrical/Electronics n Osogbo Magistrate Engineering graduate of Osun Court yesterday State College of Technology, ordered a 35-year-old Esa-Oke, was said to have died, having received a dead- man, Johnson Akinwale to be ly shock from 33Kva high remanded in prison custody tension wire that suddenly for allegedly attempting to snapped, hitting him in the kidnap a two and half years back while detecting electrical old girl, identified as Okunade

sion, which he branded a very uncommon phenomenon in power. The PHCN spokesman said a professional was stationed at the control room as these professionals were deployed to work on high and low tension electrical poles in the area to prevent any back feeding. He said he was deployed alongside other technicians and professionals in sectionalizing the network in the area to correct certain faults. “We have to get to the root of this matter because cases of back-feeding is very rare

while working on high tension and nobody uses generator that could warrant such situation , so we are at a loss about the cause of his death,” Brown said. The Chairman of Ado Local Government, Mr. Sunday Ibitoye, who visited the scene of the incident, expressed shock about the incident. Ibitoye, who described the situation as pathetic , called on the management of the company to unravel the cause of Isaac’s death, having detected that such scenario was rare in electricity work.

Man, 35, remanded over attempt to kidnap 2-yr-old girl

Jelilat. The accused, who was arraigned before Magistrate Olusola Aluko on a two-count charge of felony and kidnapping was said to have committed the offence on October 11, 2012 at Sabo area of Osogbo alongside others who had absconded. The charge sheet read

Police beef up security in Ila-Orangun over death of students From BAMIGBOLA GBOLA- of law and order by students who reside in the town. GUNTE, Osogbo Also, officers of the Nigeria ecurity in Ila-Orangun, Security and Civil Defence headquarters of Ila Local Corps (NSCDC) and other Government Area of para military organizations Osun State was yesterday were drafted to the troubled beefed up following the vio- community and were stalent protest embarked upon by tioned in major parts of the students of the state College of town including the palace of Education over the death of the Orangun of Ila and the two of their colleagues who local government secretariat. The students, who went on died in a ghastly motor accirampage on Tuesday had vandent. The state Police Command, dalized property at both the it was gathered ,drafted a team palace of the Orangun of Ila of mobile police officers and and the local government secanti-riot policemen to the town retariat. The irate students also set to prevent further breakdown ablaze the office of the Federal

Road Safety Corps (FRSC) located in the town during the protest, claiming that officials of the FRSC neglected their duty posts, hence, the cause of the accident which claimed the lives of their colleagues. It, however, took the intervention of the Orangun of Ila, Oba Wahab Oyedotun and the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Sunday Akere, who rushed to the town while the protest lasted to avert bloody clash between the students and members of the host community, as the later had wanted to revenge the destruction of their property.

before the court reads in part “that you Johnson Akinwale and others still at large on 11th of October, 2012 at about 4.20pm at number 190, Sabo road, Osogbo did attempt to kidnap one Jelilat Okunade.” Police prosecutor, Mr Oladoye Joshua told the court that the accused had through his action committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 516 and 509 of the criminal code cap 34, vol 11, laws of Osun state, 2003. The accused person, however, pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge leveled against him when the charges were read. However, the presiding magistrate, Olusola Aluko ordered the defence counsel, Mr. Sunday Atofarati to file a formal application for the bail of his client and therefore ordered the accused to be remanded in Ilesa Prison custody. He, thereafter, adjourned the case till November 16, 2012 for the filing of the bail application.

12 DAILY SUN Thursday, October 18, 2012

ONDO GUBER POLL COUNTDOWN Police adequately prepared –Mshelbwala, CP By NGOZI UWUJARE

he Ondo State Police Commissioner, Mr. Danladi Mshelbwala, has said that the command is fully prepared for Saturday’s gubernatorial election in the state. The commission said the people should rest assured of adequate security. He enjoined them not to hesitate to come out en-masse to carry out their civic responsibility, urging them to disregard the rumour being circulated that the election would be violent. Mshelbwala said enough policemen had been mobilised to provide security before, during and after the election, adding that different departments were on ground like PMF mobilemen, anti-bomb, anti-terrorism and conventional. “We are set; each polling unit will be fully protected and so the people should not entertain fear of ballot box snatching. We are also expecting all other state police commands, force headquarters and other security agents to be involved to protect the people and ensure that the election is conducted smoothly.” He urged the youths to shun violence and avoid being used as thugs by politicians, saying, “if anybody allows himself to be used as thug and tries to disrupt the election, such person will face the full wrath of the law and the consequence will be unpalatable.

Cleric sues for peace

he President of Islamiyat Tijanniyat in Yorubaland, Alhaji Usman Sabitu Akanfe has appealed to all governorship candidates and their supporters to eschew violence during the governorship election coming up this weekend in Ondo State. Akanfe, also known as “correction prophet” because of his claims to both Christian and Islamic religions, made the appeal in Ibadan in a statement made available to newsmen. Warning against bloodshed that might occur as a result of desperation of some leaders to snatch power at all costs and desire of some to retain power for their selfish motives, Akanfe called for the avoidance of orgy of violence that was experienced during the 1983 election in the state. “I have consistently been counseling our political leaders and their supporters to keep away from blood sucking demons which most of them were consulting for power. Idolatory will lead them nowhere but hell fire,” he admonished. Akanfe who recommended that Christians, Muslims and atheists should pray for genuine repentance if the country was to enjoy peace and stability, added that the signs which he saw were frightening. “Prayers in churches and mosques should commence immediately. Thugs have been mobilised to cause mayhem but God would intervene, by frustrating their efforts to cause mayhem in the state,” he added.

RMG canvasses violence-free polls •Deploys 5,000 election monitors

s citizens of Ondo State go to the polls on Saturday to elect their governor, the Chairman and National Coordinator of the Rights Monitoring Group (RMG), Aduwo A. Olufemi, yesterday called on politicians and their supporters in the state to imbibe the spirit of transparency in all the facets of the election, even as he disclosed that the group has trained about 5,000 professionals to monitor the poll. He stated this while addressing a group of party supporters in Lagos where he advised them to shun all acts of violence, noting that since the creation of the state, it had been known for peaceful, free and fair elections. His words: “I’m happy that the so much awaited 2012 governorship election is here at last and it is the duty of every Ondo citizen to go out to vote. And I know within me that the political parties and their candidates are doing their best to ensure that we have a successful election on Saturday.”

Why Ondo people should vote for Mimiko –Delta LP From PAUL OSUYI, Asaba

member of the National Working Committee of the Labour Party (LP), Emeka Nkwoala, has given reasons why incumbent Governor Olusegun Mimiko must win the governorship election in Ondo State this Saturday. Nkwoala who is the Delta State chairman of the party, told Daily Sun in Asaba that the Nigerian electorate had become more sophisticated to the extent of not “ignoring sterling performance in casting their votes. “Mimiko’s works in the past three and half years speak volume; he has touched every sector to transform the state. Elections in Nigeria these days are based on performance and the antecedents of individual candidates and the records of political parties.”

•L–R: Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Funmilayo Olayinka; Governor, Kayode Fayemi, his wife and founder, Ekiti Development Foundation (EDF), Erelu Bisi Fayemi, during the inauguration of Ekiti Food Bank, an initiative of EDF and Centre for Family and Reproductive Health Initiatives in Ado-Ekiti, yesterday.

Mimiko thanks Ondo people ...Alerts voters to oppositions’ antics on election day

he Mimiko Campaign Organisation (MCO) has thanked the people of Ondo State for their support and show of love for the state Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko while his campaign for re-election lasted. It assured the people that Mimiko, who is the candidate of the Labour Party (LP), would not disappoint them when re-elected for a second term as he would continue to work for them with renewed vigour to take the state to greater heights. MCO in a press statement while expressing gratitude to the people on behalf of the governor, however, urged the people of the state to be alive to their civic responsibilities to come out in their numbers to cast their vote and stand by their decision to ensure the continuation of a performing governor who had turned the state into a cynosure of all eyes within the space of three and a half years. According to MCO’s statement signed by its Director of Publicity and Media Relations, Mr. Kolawole Olabisi, the opposition parties in the state had mapped out series of plans to rig Saturday’s election because it was obvious that Dr. Olusegun Mimiko could not be defeated in a free and fair election. “As we are writing this press statement, the opposition parties are running from pillar to post with evil plans to thwart your popular wish which is to return Dr. Mimiko for a second term based on the monumental progress which he had brought to Ondo State within a short time. “Indeed, aside from bringing in sensitive election materials which they hope to plant into the polling units with the connivance of some compro-

mised officials of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), they have also brought in fake military, police, youth corps members and civil defense uniforms to try to intimidate you, the electorate on the day of election to enable them switch genuine ballot papers with already thumb printed ones on the election day. “Also, according to the rigging blueprint of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) which we are privy to, they are to use these fake military and police officers to carry out what they termed the USIEKITI module. By this, INEC’s presiding officers and polling agents are to be

attacked as soon as they leave INEC offices with ballot papers for their various polling units on the day of election; the ballot materials would thereafter be snatched and destroyed by these fake officers. These attacks are to be carried out in places where they know they cannot win. This was the system they used in Usi Ekiti, one of the strongholds of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the election re-run in the state thereby disenfranchising the whole community.” The MCO therefore called on the people to be vigilant and be on the lookout for agents who would be scouting

for people to bribe to lure them to vote for their party at the polling units. “When you see a strange face lurking around your unit, shout and get the attention of the security personnel that would be attached to each unit. They want to buy your vote with a view to leading you into second slavery. “They have nothing for you but aggravated poverty, repatriation of our resources to their godfather in Ibadan, Lagos and Osogbo, scrapping of our famous Abiye hospitals, mega schools, mother and child hospitals, our neighbourhood markets, free school bus shuttles, among others because they say you don’t deserve them in Ondo State,” the statement stated.

ACN asks INEC to speak out on accreditation of partisan groups

he Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to speak out urgently on the decision by the commission’s Election Monitoring and Observation Unit to register glaringly partisan groups as observers of Saturday’s governorship election in Ondo State. In a statement issued in Abuja yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said if INEC failed to speak out on the issue, it meant it was not serious about organising a free, fair and credible election on Saturday. It said the general perception out there was that at least two of the groups accredited to monitor the election, Women Arise (WA) and Rights Monitoring Group (RMG), were partisan and should not have been accredited to observe the election. ACN reiterated its earlier

statement that the fact that the President of WA, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, was the wife of Mr. Yinka Odumakin, who had publicly stated his support for one of the contestants in the election, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, had raised the red flag over the group’s neutrality, a pre-requisite for any group observing an election. Also, the party said the fact that Femi Aduwo of the RMG was a known supporter of Mimiko should automatically rule the group out of being accredited as an observer for the poll. To date, Aduwo was yet to deny being a supporter of Mimiko, or that his group had been inexplicably issued with 1,500 tags instead of the 100 given to other groups, with the alleged plan to give some of the tags to LP thugs on Saturday. “The issues we have raised are key to the success or otherwise of the election and none of the groups has faulted us. WA, whose president has

reacted to our statement, has only engaged in personal attacks than substance. The group has not told Nigerians how it can be expected to be neutral despite the marital links of its president to an acknowledged supporter of one of the contestants,” it said. ACN said that apart from the virulent attacks mounted by Okei-Odumakin, it was obvious that WA was not a respectable, neutral and allembracing group it had made itself out to be. No selfrespecting women’s group would denigrate women, whether or not they were in purdah or eleha as the group said. No group that called itself an “independent organisation with a board made up of eminent Nigerians and thousands of members across the country” would cast aspersion on the religion of many of its members. Or did WA not represent the interest of Muslim women?, the party queried.

DAILY SUN Thursday, October 18, 2012,13

AREWA

Flood: Benue govt to rehabilitate displaced persons From ROSE EJEMBI, Makurdi

enue State Government yesterday disclosed that it has commenced negotiation with the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) to see how flood victims in the state can be rehabilitated. Governor Gabriel Suswam, who made this disclosure in Makurdi while receiving relief materials from Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation, explained that the N500 million granted to the state by the president during his broadcast last week would be used judiciously to resettle the displaced people. He, however, expressed fear over possible food shortage in the next season due to the large expanse of farmland that had been washed away by the flood. “We are negotiating with the Federal Housing Authority to resettle people at low cost estate. We need to relocate them to a new area so that we can destroy their former structures that were submerged in order to avert future disaster.” While commending the foundation for its show of love to the state, the governor promised that the items donated would be evenly distributed to the victims across the state. Earlier in a remark, leader of the delegation, Justice Mamman Nasir sued for peaceful co-existence in the northern region of the country, stressing that unity and peace were the ideals lived and exhibited by the late Ahmadu Bello.

JTF, Boko Haram in gun duel in Potiskum

nother gun duel rocked Potiskum , the commercial centre of Yobe State yesterday after a bomb explosion believed to have been thrown at the security forces by the Boko Haram. Many people including a policeman and soldier were believed to have died in the fight which lasted for over three hours. The Joint Task Force ( JTF ) could not, however, confirm the number of casualties both on their side and the sect. All the major roads including the Kano-Maiduguri Highway were cordoned off as motorists and passengers on night journey with luxury buses from Lagos were compelled to temporarily suspended their movement for over four hours. JTF spokesperson, Lieutenant Eli Lazarus said the task force acted on information in the early hours of the day about an alleged plan of the Boko Haram sect to carry out coordinated attack in Potiskum. Lt Eli, a statement said that “In the early hours of yesterday , men of the JTF acting on information, cordoned off a suspected terrorist hideout in Anguwan Jaji Area of Potiskum town in Yobe State. In the process of searching the area, Improvised Explosive Devices were thrown at our troops. “Exchange of fire between men of JTF and the suspected terrorists followed. Some arms were recovered and the search is still ongoing,” he disclosed.

Bauchi Assembly harps on completion of road projects From PAUL ORUDE, Bauchi

he Deputy Speaker of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, Salah Abubakar Dumba has stressed the need to ensure efficient execution and completion of ongoing road projects for the benefit of the people. Dumba, who is the chairman, House Committee on Assessment of ongoing road projects made the statement while inspecting Alkaleri -Fultuk and Ningi -Burra Road projects. He said that urgent steps should be taken now given the limited resources and the vital role those projects would play. He said the position of roads in Ningi -Burra and Alkaleri - Futuk which carried both human, agricultural, economic and commercial traffic suffered negligence during the immediate past administration. Frowning at the slow pace of work, the lawmaker said while government was doing everything possible to stop the plight of rural dwellers, contractors handling road projects should reciprocate the good gesture by living up to expectation. Earlier, the site Engineer on Alkaleri – Fultuk road project, Musa Gagara, who received and conducted the 23-member committee said the project was awarded to messer Sano Rich field at a contract sum of N2, 997, 328, 560.82, covering a total length of 82 km with two bridges, seven box culverts and 110 pipe culverts completed. Gagara said the project had attained 75 per cent level of completion with double faceed dressing of 7.3 metres carriageway and 1.5 metres shoulders on both side.

• (L-R) Dr. Folasade Omolara Yemi Esan, Alhaji Sani Salau Bala, Mr. James N. Obiegbuma, Chief John Sunday Femi Jegede and Amb. John Alhassan Gana taking the oath of office as federal permanent secretaries at the Council Chamber, State House Abuja yesterday. Photo: BAYO OBISESAN

Another bloodbath in Mubi ... Early morning bomb blast, gun battle rock town

here was bomb explosion in a major market at the centre of Kasuwan Kuturu town in Adamawa State yesterday. The incident, which occurred yesterday morning recorded a number of casualties. As at the time of filing this report, the death toll had not been ascertained but the Adamawa Police Command confirmed the incident to Daily Sun. An eyewitness said there were sporadic shootings between the security operatives and suspected Boko Haram gang after the explosion. When Daily Sun visited the police headquarters in Yola, the service commanders were said to be having an exclusive security meeting on the development in Mubi. The Police Public

Relations Officer, DSP Mohammed Ibrahim declined comments on the death toll, saying that journalists would need to exercise patience pending when adequate report from the Mubi Area Command and the security chiefs in the state would be ready. Another eyewitness told Daily Sun that about 20 persons were rushed to Mubi General Hospital but could not ascertain if they were dead or alive. The eyewitness said the

scene of the explosion had been cordoned off by the police. Wednesday is usually the designated market day at Kasuwan Kuturu town, which often attracted traders from across Adamawa State and the neighbouring states of Borno, Yobe and Cameroun Republic. Kasuwa Kuturu is located close to Diamond Bank, where the bomb exploded in the early hours of Wednesday when the traders were getting

Fire guts Emir’s palace From LAYI OLANREWAJU, night engulfed by fire. The fire incident, which Ilorin occurred at about 10. 00 pm. section of the palace affected the main reception of the Emir of Ilorin, (Fadaa) of the emir’s palace. Daily Sun gathered that the Alhaji Ibrahim SuluI Gambari was on Tuesday incident was as a result of

70 intending pilgrims from Ilorin zone stranded From LAYI OLANREWAJU, had earlier in the afternoon informed those affected that Ilorin about the non-issuance of o fewer than 70 visas to them. One of the female intendintending pilgrims from Kwara State pri- ing pilgrims, who did not vate were yesterday stranded want her name in print and returned to their various lamented the situation . She urged the state governhomes over the inability of the state pilgrims welfare ment to urgently put in place board to secure their visas to modern equipment to facilitate registration of pilgrims. perform this year’s hajj. In his remark, the Ilorin The intending pilgrims who were mostly women Zone coordinator of the were seen sitting helplessly at National Hajj Commission the board’s office with no one (NAHCON), Alhaji Musa Ubandawaki said despite the attending to them. Daily Sun investigations at hitches faced, the operation the hajj camp and pilgrims was successful. He said the welfare board showed that issue of Mahram had been the last batch of the pilgrims, the only obstacle that affected 285 in number had already the operations in some states of the federation. left for Saudi Arabia . According to him, with the A source told Daily Sun that all the board members new happenings, if prepara-

set for the business of the day at the market. Daily Sun gathered that several persons were reportedly wounded and had been hospitalised at Mubi General Hospital. It was gathered that traders in the town closed shop as soon as the explosion occurred and sporadic shootings ensued. Security was further beefed up following wanton killings of innocent persons in Mubi and its environs as well as the recent killings of over 40 students in three academic institutions in the area.

tion for next years hajj could commence in earnest with the collation and merging of Mahram done right at the local government, it would be better. He noted that the local governments knew themselves and that whoever was merged with another right from home as Mahram, he or she would not reject it as they might likely be related from the locality they came from. Ubandawaki commended the Kwara State Government for their effort in ensuring that the pilgrims left for the holyland in good time. He also urged the intending pilgrims to obey laws of the holyland, advising them to always remember to pray for peace and harmony in their country.

electrical fault. It was gathered that valuable items worth millions of naira were destroyed by the fire. The state government has, however sympathised with the monarch over the incident. Speaking after inspection of the scene of the incident , the leader of government delegation, who is also the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Isiaka Gold said government was touched by the incident and prayed God to forestall any future re occurrence. Gold, who was accompanied by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and Communities Development, Alhaji Issa Bawa, Special Advisers, Emergency and Relief Services, Alhaji Musa Abdullahi and Security, Alhaji Yinka Aluko respectively assured the Emir of government ‘s assistance Earlier, the Emir, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari , had thanked God that no life was lost as a result of the incident and also thanked the state government for its concern.

DAILY SUN Thursday, October 18, 2012

Foreign Affairs Egyptian teacher punishes girl for not veiling

• President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts governor, Mitt Romney, pause as they participate in the second presidential debate, on Tuesday Photo: Associated Press

Obama hits back in fiery second debate A

more aggressive Barack Obama buried the memory of a poor first showing as he and Republican presidential challenger Mitt Romney clashed in the second presidential debate in New York. Mr Obama, perceived to have lost their first encounter, came out swinging on the economy, tax and foreign policy. Snap polls after the debate suggested Mr Obama “won” the contest, although by a narrower margin than his opponent was perceived to have won the first. BBC North America editor Mark Mardell says Mr Obama has stopped the panic in his camp. What Team Obama would have dreaded was anything that contributed to a narrative of decline and defeat for the Democrat as he bids for a second term, our correspondent adds. A CBS poll of undecided voters who watched the debate gave it to Mr Obama, 37% to 30% with 33% calling the debate a tie. Meanwhile, a CNN poll of registered voters who watched - not just undecided - gave the debate to Mr Obama 46%-

39%. The morning after the debate, the candidates were back on the campaign trail, targeting their messages at voters in swing states. Mr Romney was scheduled to spend the day in the state of Virginia and Mr Obama in Iowa, while their running mates - Congressman Paul Ryan and Vice-President Joe Biden - were bound for Ohio and Colorado respectively. In the town hall-style forum at Hofstra University on Long Island, the candidates roamed the stage, circling, interrupting

and at times heckling one another as they took questions from an audience of 80 undecided voters. The moderator, CNN’s Candy Crowley, often had to intervene to keep order. The 11 questions from the voters present ranged from gun control to Libya to immigration, but the main focus was on the economy. The most dramatic clash came over foreign policy, and the attack last month on the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya, which left the US ambassador and three other

Americans dead. Mr Romney sought to portray the attack as evidence of the Obama administration’s failing foreign policy and he suggested Mr Obama had dithered over admitting a terrorist attack had occurred. Mr Obama shot back that he had said so the day after the attack, in an appearance at the White House. The Republican challenged this, saying: “It took the president 14 days before he called the attack in Benghazi an act of terror.” When Ms Crowley con-

firmed that Mr Obama had indeed called the attack an “act of terror” the day after the attack, the president told the moderator: “Say that a little louder, Candy.” The president also accused Mr Romney of using the Libyan events for political purposes. “While we were still dealing with our diplomats being threatened, Governor Romney put out a press release, trying to make political points, and that’s not how a commander-in-chief operates,” he said.

UN nuclear chief rejects Iran’s accusation

he U.N. nuclear chief said on Wednesday that Iran’s allegation his agency may have been infiltrated by saboteurs was baseless and voiced concern about “intensive activities” at the Parchin military installation that his inspectors want to examine. Years of diplomacy and sanctions have failed to resolve a stand-off between the West and Iran over its nuclear activity, raising fears of last-resort Israeli military action and a new Middle East war destabilizing to the global economy.

Yukiya Amano, who is seeking to unblock a longstalled investigation into suspected nuclear weapons research in the Islamic state, also said he hoped for a new high-level meeting with Tehran soon but no date had yet been set. His agency’s relations with Iran have become testy in recent months. Iran’s atomic energy chief said in Vienna last month that the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency may have been infiltrated by “terrorists and saboteurs”.

Western diplomats have dismissed the Iranian allegations against the IAEA as a maneuver to divert attention from Tehran’s stonewalling of its inquiry. “Sometimes it is not useful to dignify these claims by providing an official answer,” Amano said in London when asked about the saboteur allegation - apparently based on Iranian perceptions that inspectors pass on their findings to Western intelligence agencies. But, the veteran Japanese diplomat said, “this is baseless

... We are not involved in these activities.” His comments about Parchin will likely reinforce suspicions among Western diplomats that Iran is still trying to remove any evidence of illicit nuclear-related activity at the site southeast of the capital Tehran. Asked whether Iran was continuing to dismantle the facility, which U.N. inspectors can now only monitor via satellite imagery, Amano told Reuters during a visit to London: “Yes.”

teacher in southern Egypt punished two 12-year-old schoolgirls for not wearing the Muslim headscarf by cutting their hair, the father of the girl said yesterday, in an incident that stokes concerns over personal rights following the rise of Islamist political movements. The governor of Luxor province where the incident occurred called the teacher’s actions “shameful” and said she had been transferred to another school. But rights groups say that some Islamic conservatives have been emboldened by the success of groups like Muslim Brotherhood and the ultraconservative Salafi trend in parliamentary and presidential elections and have been increasingly brazen about forcing their standards on other Egyptians. The incident follows a surge in legal cases against Egyptians, mostly Christians, who allegedly showed contempt for religion. It also comes amid a fierce debate over how the role of religion will be defined in the country’s new constitution. The preponderance of Islamists on the panel drafting the document has alarmed liberals and religious minorities.

Cambodia agog for former King • As body arrives Phnom Penh

he body of former King Norodom Sihanouk has been returned to Cambodia for a week of official mourning. His coffin was flown from the Chinese capital Beijing, where he died on Monday of a heart attack aged 89. Tens of thousands of people lined the streets near the airport in the capital, Phnom Penh, as the plane carrying Sihanouk’s body touched down. Grieving Cambodians wore white shirts with black ribbons, and flags flew at halfmast after the news of his death. In the capital, students sang songs before offering flowers at the royal palace. “In the king’s whole life, whatever he did was for the country, not for himself,” Lay Rithiya, a law student, told Reuters news agency. “So we are here to mourn him and we consider that he is a hero and I have never had this sadness in 20 years.” Officials from the US, China, North Korea, Japan and other countries have also sent messages of condolence.

DAILY SUN Thursday, October 18, 2012,

Foreign Affairs Congo demands sanctions on Rwanda, Uganda

• Cambodians burn incense stick as they offer prayers in front of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia yesterday. Photo: AP

UN Peacekeeper killed in Darfur O

ne international peacekeeper was killed and three wounded in an ambush in Sudan’s western Darfur region on Wednesday, the international force UNAMID said, two weeks after four Nigerian peacekeepers were killed, UNAMID, the world’s largest peacekeeping mission, was deployed by the United Nations and the African Union in the arid western territory after fierce fighting in 2003 which forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes. Unknown assailants ambushed an UNAMID convoy 10 km outside Hashaba North in north Darfur, UNAMID said in a statement, without disclosing the nationalities of the casualties. Earlier this month, four Nigerian peacekeepers were killed and eight wounded in an ambush near El Geneina in western Darfur. A total of 43 peacekeepers have been killed since UNAMID was set up,

according to the force. Violence in Darfur, where mostly non-Arab rebels took up arms against the government in Khartoum, has ebbed from a 2003-04 peak but international efforts to broker peace have failed to end the conflict.

The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Sudan’s President Omar Hassan al-Bashir and other officials to face charges of masterminding atrocities in the region where Sudanese troops and allied Arab militias have sought to crush the

US, Israel hold major missile defense drills

he United States and Israel will hold a major missile defense exercise in Israel this month, sending a message of close cooperation as both countries weigh their options over Iran’s nuclear program. The three-week exercise, the largest the allies have ever held, will simulate a variety of long and short-range missile attacks that Israel could face during a regional conflict, said the commanders in charge. Asked whether it sent a message to Iran, which has warned of an all-out war should Israel try to strike its nuclear facilities, Israeli Brigadier General Nitzan

Nuriel said: “Anybody can get any type of message from this exercise.” “The fact that we are practicing together and working together is a strong message by itself,” Nuriel said during a conference call with reporters. Offering a more guarded response, his U.S. counterpart, Lieutenant General Craig Franklin said the exercise, “is not there to send a message”, adding that it has been in planning for more than two years. “This exercise will improve the cooperative missile defense of Israel and will promote regional stability and help ensure our military

Guinea releases arms bound for Mali

uinea has released a container of arms destined for strife-torn Mali, officials said Wednesday, after holding the shipment for more than two months, underscoring the deep suspicion toward Mali’s military ever since soldiers overthrew that country’s democratically elected government. Abdoul Kabele Camara, Guinea’s minister of defense, said that a delegation from ECOWAS, the body representing nations in West Africa, had come and inspected the

rebellion. Estimates of the death count vary widely. Sudan’s government signed a Qatar-sponsored peace deal with an umbrella organization of smaller rebel groups last year, but the major factions refused to join.

cargo, which included several tanks and armored personnel carriers, as well as ammunition. “The arms have been released — I can affirm that,” Camara told The Associated Press by telephone. “The Malians sent a delegation to see us. ECOWAS came and inspected the container, and we did an inventory. Together we decided that we could release it. We are now waiting for the Malians to bring the necessary equipment to transport the arms.”

The arms were intercepted sometime in August at the port of Conakry, Guinea’s sea-facing capital located on Africa’s Atlantic coast. The arms had been ordered by Mali’s exPresident Amadou Toumani Toure, who was ousted in a coup in March by a clique of military officers. The leader of the coup was forced to hand power to an interim civilian government, but many believe he is still calling the shots in Mali, a landlocked nation which shares a land border with Guinea.

edge,” he said. More than 3,500 U.S. personnel will take part in the drill, about 1,000 of them in Israel, Franklin said, putting a total price tag on the exercise at $60 million. The weapons will include U.S. Patriot missile batteries and an AEGIS ballistic missile defense ship, along with the multi-tiered missile defense system that Israel has been developing. All but one of the launches will be simulated. Martin Dempsey, the U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will observe part of the drill, said Pentagon spokeswoman Lieutenant Commander Wendy Snyder. Dempsey confounded some Israeli leaders in August when he told reporters the United States did not want to be “complicit” in an Israeli attack on Iran. He also warned that go-italone military action risked unraveling an international coalition that has applied progressively stiff sanctions on Iran, which insists that its ambitious nuclear project is purely peaceful. An Iranian military commander said last month the Islamic Republic would make no distinction between U.S. and Israeli interests and will retaliate against both countries if attacked.

emocratic Republic of Congo yesterday demanded targeted sanctions against Rwandan and Ugandan officials accused by a U.N. experts panel of backing a sixmonth-old insurgency in its volatile eastern borderlands. The U.N. Security Council’s Group of Experts said in a confidential report seen by Reuters that both Rwanda and Uganda were supporting the M23 rebels, who are expanding their control of parts of Congo’s mineral-rich North Kivu province, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes. Rwanda accused the head of the Group of Experts for “pursuing a political agenda”. Uganda called the allegations “rubbish, rubbish, rubbish”. However, the report is likely to hurt regional efforts to end to the crisis through the International Conference for the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), currently chaired by Uganda. The experts, who monitor compliance with U.N. sanctions and an arms embargo on Congo, singled out Rwandan Defence Minister General James Kabarebe as heading M23’s de facto chain of command. They also said that senior Ugandan officials had provided M23 with “troop reinforcements ... weapons deliveries, technical assistance, joint planning, political advice and facilitation of external relations.” Congo’s government spokesman Lambert Mende said on Wednesday that those named in the report as backing the rebellion should be placed under U.N. sanctions. “It’s more important than ever, as now we have proof that the drama in North Kivu is being manipulated by criminals who hold positions of power,” he told Reuters. “We’ve taken note of this report which confirms what we already know about Rwanda and contains new information about Uganda ... We’re in contact with our neighbors in Uganda over these very serious allegations,” he said. While Kinshasa has regularly accused Kigali of meddling in Congo since an interim report in June revealed Rwandan links to the rebels, Uganda has up to now played a key role in the search for a regional solution. “The leaking of the report by the Panel of “Experts” can only be in bad faith and intended to cause mischief and undermine the regional efforts to find a durable solution to the conflict in Eastern DRC,” said Okello Oryem, Uganda’s deputy minister for foreign affairs. Oryem complained that Kampala had not been given an opportunity to respond to the charges.

France sneaks cash to Syria

rance has been sneaking large sums of cash — $2 million in all — to civilians in Syria to help rebel-held towns rebuild bakeries, dispose of garbage and set up a police force. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius met Wednesday with representatives of about 20 countries to share details about the secret French aid program and encourage others to join it. Five people from local Syrian revolutionary groups that have received the secret funds also attended. A dozen countries have started or are starting such programs, a French official close to the program told journalists. The United States is among the nations funneling aid to local Syrian councils that provide essential services but it was unclear whether Washington was using the cloak-and-dagger route the French have opted for to hand over cash. When questioned, the U.S. Embassy said its two representatives at the Paris gathering “focused on ways to better coordinate our assistance.” The French program, which started in early September, aims to help people in rebel-held zones survive, maintain institutions and bolster the civilian face of the Syrian revolution to prepare for a post-President Bashar Assad era. The French official said after three border handovers of funds, France is now looking for a more efficient way to deliver the money, hopefully thorough a non-governmental organization. The official was not authorized to speak publicly about the issue. “In concrete terms, we want to provide aid to a segment of the population that is not covered by the traditional humanitarian channels,” Fabius told the gathering, adding that there was a risk that the Assad regime interferes with aid shipments going through standard channels. “And, little by little, as these civilian revolutionary committees are elected, these zones are run freely and show what the Syria of tomorrow will be after Bashar has gone,” Fabius told reporters. The Syrian conflict began as peaceful protests in March 2011 against Assad’s regime. Since then, more than 33,000 have been killed, activists say. France has been a leader among western nations seeking the ouster of Assad, pressing for EU sanctions among other things.

DAILY SUN

Thursday, October 18, 2012

NewsPlus Bye, bye Bayelsa Flood sinks entire state; towns, farmlands washed away •Dickson seeks help as water threatens Govt House From FEMI FOLARANMI, Yenagoa

•Submerged Bayelsa communities

or residents of Bayelsa State, who witnessed the flood that tormented the people in 1969, the current flood that has been ravaging the state since September 29, can easily be likened to the Biblical flood that devastated the earth in the days of Noah. Well, these are no longer the days of Noah; in Bayelsa, it is the time of Governor Henry Seriake Dickson. And for about three weeks, Dickson has been in grief as more Bayelsa communities are submerged by the furious flood that has overrun entire clans, swept farmlands away, shattered hopes and turned great dreams into nightmares. Isampou and Sabagriea, both in Kolokuma/ Opokuma Local Government Area, were the first communities the flood visited. The disaster, however, did not hug the headlines as the situation in Kogi, Adamawa and Anambra States •A bus washed away on were on the front burner. By October 1, the the collapsed Okogbe Road Bayelsa flood had assumed a dangerous dimension. Within the twinkle of an eye, Sagbama, Amassoma, the university community, iniheadquarters of Sagbama Local Government tially tried to resist the flood but it was eventuArea, was under water. The Divisional Police ally humbled as one house after another gave Station and Governor Dickson’s constituency way to the raging waters. Even the link road to office while he was in the House of the community was not spared. It collapsed, Representatives, were also sacked. His country leaving people with no option but to access the home at Toru-Orua was submerged. Odi, community through a speedboat from the Biseni, Adagbabiri and other coastal communi- Yenagoa waterside. ties were the next port of call as the communiThough the Dickson government had, soon ties succumbed to the flood. after its inauguration, commenced the opening In Biseni in Yenagoa Local Government up of the natural canals in some parts of the Area, an entire clan of seven communities was state, it could not stop the flood from submergsacked. Majority of the people were trapped, as ing Igbogene, Agudama- Epie, Akanfa, Opolo, there was no way they could be rescued imme- Okutukutu, Obele, Swali, and Azikoro, all subdiately. Dickson, who was on tour of the flood- urbs of the capital city. ed areas in a helicopter, could not find any land. The devastating effect of the flood is being Moved by the development, he ordered the felt in the economic and social life of the peoimmediate evacuation of people, living in the ple. Bayelsa State has been cut off from other seven communities and set up a relief camp in parts of the country as the Patani section in the Samson Siasia Sports Complex. Delta State and the Okogbe section in Rivers

•Some residents sacked by the flood.

Photos: FEMI FOLARANMI

State along the East-West Road, which has become impassable. Consequently, food prices have skyrocketed while trucks have become the preferred mode of transport to Ahoada and Elele where buses have relocated to for passengers going to Port Harcourt. Mr. Collins Cocodia, the Governor’s Special Representative in Sagbama, blamed the flood on the poor dredging of the River Niger. “Instead of dredging the river to land, they were poorly dredging from the river into the river. It naturally blocked the flow and the drain. The situation is very bad. Taking a tour of the communities affected would move you to tears as lives have been ruined,” he said. Senator Emmanuel Paulker representing Bayelsa Central Senatorial District visited Amassoma, Okoloba, Zarama ,Tombia, Koroama, Okolobiri, Opokuma, Famgbe, Opolo and Igbogene. He appealed to the people to remain calm, noting that the flood was a natural disaster. According to him, only God can stop the situation going by its magnitude and its spread across Nigeria. The Minister for Environment and Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Flood disaster, Hajia Hadiza Ibrahim Mailafia, after a tour of Bayelsa State, described the situation as a national emergency. Binabi Dressman whose house was affected in Sagbama explained that his fear was whether he would be able to reorganize his life after the flood. Hear him: “Everything I have worked for in life has been destroyed by the flood. I don’t know where to go now with my family. My little farm where I have invested all my life savings is gone. I don’t know where to start.” Dickson, who was in the United Kingdom when the flood started, has been making frantic efforts to save his people. In his first speech to the people, Dickson recalled the early steps taken by his administration to tackle the menace of flood in the capital, which he said was the saving grace for most residents of Yenagoa. Said he: “I would like to sympathize with all the communities ravaged by flood in the state. As you will recall, our government took early steps to address the issue of blocked drainages in Yenagoa metropolis. That has significantly prevented a disaster in our state capital, despite the downpour and flood. “However, the same cannot be said of communities outside of the state capital, where rising water level has displaced people from their homes, farmlands and businesses. I want to seize this opportunity to empathize with them. In the course of the week, I will personally undertake an on-the-spot assessment of all the affected communities ravaged by flood.

Already, as you are aware, government has directed that relief materials be made available to the affected persons and communities. More support will come your way, once the committee that government will soon inaugurate swings into action and make its findings available to government.” True to his words, after undertaking a tour of the affected communities, the flood victims’ relief camp was established as the condition of the people became critical. He spoke further: “The flood disaster is very serious in Bayelsa State, and I have set up a special committee to tackle the issue. It is very clear that the authorization I gave in terms of immediate provision of relief materials is not enough. Everyday, even as I speak, the water levels are rising. Places I visited that had hopes have now been submerged. We really have a disaster on our hands. I want to assure the people of Bayelsa State that their government is on top of it. This is a natural disaster, which no human being can control. The only saving grace is that very early in the life of this administration, we took pro-active steps to prevent flood in Yenagoa, if not, flood would have taken over and we would have no place to go. I have just directed that communities that have been submerged should be evacuated. I have designated the Sports Complex as our main refugee camp. It is because we are water people and we are no strangers to water, if not so many people would have died. “In most communities, no basic activity can take place again. Schools have closed down, people have abandoned their houses, and nobody is going to farm. So it is a major disaster. Odi is now submerged. Amassoma is almost gone, in Biseni there is nowhere to land, Isampou has been submerged. I urge all Bayelsans to stand with each other during this period. This is when we need each other. We should watch over all our little children. As a government, with the committees we have set up, we are going to ensure adequate food supply. The Commissioner for Health would ensure that steps are taken to prevent breakdown of any epidemic during this flood emergence or after.” On Friday, October 12, Dickson accompanied President Goodluck Jonathan to the president’s country home at Otuoke to assess the situation. It was not threatening, and they both heaved a sigh of relief. But it was a sigh heaved too early. Barely two days later, between Sunday, October 14 and Monday, October 15, flood overpowered the community and submerged Jonathan’s house,

•Continued on Page 17

DAILY SUN

Thursday, October 18, 2012

NewsPlus Enugu family, businessman at war over land From PETRUS OBI, Enugu

T •Victims at the Samson Siasia Stadium

Bayelsa: Going, going... •Continued from Page 16 forcing Dickson to order the evacuation of the people to a relief camp. Everyday when he wakes up, Dickson says his heart is in his mouth as he measures the water level seriously threatening to submerge the Bayelsa State Government House. Even in the face of the uncertainty of his own house, Dickson’s sight is beyond the immediate as he is already thinking of what would become of the people in the face of acute food crisis and threat of communicable diseases after the water recedes. Jonathan shares this thought with him. The president explained that his major preoccupation is how the people would survive after the flood. “I have been going round the whole country to see things for myself. The flood situation is a global thing. It is quite devastating in Nigeria. Most communities - and in some cases, entire clans - are under water. But I promised Nigerians that the government is working very hard to ensure that they are rehabilitated immediately the flood goes down. Our interest is how people would survive after the flood and we are working hard on that. People’s farmlands have been destroyed. This flood situation in the lower Niger Delta looks like that of 1969 which I personally witnessed.” Mailafia is also of the view that there might be a food crisis after the flood, and she has advised that measures should be put in place to save the people. And to Paulker, the threat of diseases is a reality. “I believe strongly that epidemics like water borne diseases, resulting from this calamity cannot be ruled out, and I would like to advise government to avert such crisis.” A United Nations group, Stakeholders Democratic Network (SDN) released a report of its tour of flood-ravaged communities in the Niger Delta. The Country Coordinator, Comrade Inemo Samiama said a serious disaster is in the offing. “The devastating floods have taken over a large percentage of the Niger Delta region, causing colos-

•Collapsed Amassoma Road

sal damages to lives, property, farmlands, domestic and wild animals and rendering an already poor populace impoverished. Many affected people are in horrific living conditions. Many that are in the displaced camps are also in terrible conditions. These conditions pose a serious threat to their health and the health of others. If not properly handled, there will be disease outbreaks and that will worsen an already bad situation. Many are truly traumatized; they feel hopelessly helpless and will need professional help to get over their experience. “People in the Delta appear shocked by the sheer magnitude of what is unfolding, while some communities have either been cut off or are in danger of being so. The options are to wade, swim or boat away in the swiftly moving waters. The waters have been rising for at least a week, without significant warning or recommendations for evacuation from the authorities. Roads are now being swamped – including the main east-west artery – reducing further the opportunities for full-scale removal of the population. Food is getting scarcer for those now in crowded refugee camps. The reported death toll, so far, is still low at over 100, but could go much higher. “Those affected number several millions, with whole towns under water and villages washed away. Emergency medical services are overwhelmed in Bayelsa, while emergency sanctuaries are rare and under-supplied, if not under water. This is the worst flood in the region since 1969, but is believed to be potentially worse. The implications for the future, in this already impoverished area, are frightening. Agriculture had been devastated and life-stock missing, if not drowned. The impact on oil and gas production has also yet to be assessed. So far, the national and international media have taken little notice, while the both state and federal governments have been slow to react in what is a large-scale disaster. With the water levels in the region still rising and some experts saying that the upriver dams may not be able to contain the deluge, this humanitarian catastrophe needs an urgent national and international response.” According to Dickson, the flood disaster has created a crisis of multiple dimensions, with communication facilities and public structures collapsing. To tackle the food crisis that is imminent, he has directed the Ministry of Agriculture to build three storage sites for food in the state. The House of Assembly has also given him approval to withdraw N1.5 billion from the Consolidated Savings Account of the state to tackle the situation. It was learnt that part of the money would be used to procure relief materials for the people, while some would be used to buy food to be distributed to farmers for sale. Already, the government has ordered that 10,000 bags of rice be purchased by the government. The worse is yet to be over but Dickson seems to be on top of the situation. He has appealed to other political appointees who have been indifferent to flood victims to show more sympathy as the states struggles to get the flood nightmare behind it.

he Ugwuokwor family of Alulu Nike, Enugu East Local Government Area of Enugu State, has dragged Daniel Nkwonta, an Enugu-based businessman, and Okwudili Nnaji to the police for allegedly trespassing into the family land. The two were also accused of demolishing a bungalow, belonging to Mr. Chinekwu Ugwuokwor. Addressing newsmen in Enugu, Mr. Ugwuokwor expressed shock over how Nkwonta allegedly led a team of armed soldiers, thugs and policemen from Abakpa Police Station to demolish his house in the family premises at Alulu Nike. “They arrested and took me away to the Abakpa Police Station and completely demolished my bungalow of two bedrooms, with a sitting room, kitchen, toilet and bathroom as well as the compound wall fence, leaving only the gate standing. Mr. Ugwuokwor claimed that the destroyed building and wall fence, which were completely demolished, were erected on the family’s ancestral land and had never been a subject of any dispute between them and Daniel Nkwonta and Okwudili Nnaji. He further claimed that there was no decipherable legal basis upon which the act could be justified. “Having arrested and detained me, one of my kinsmen, Maduabuchi Ugwuokwor, got wind of the demolition and went to the scene and confronted Nkwonta, who in turn threatened to deal with him if he stood in his way to possess the land, which he said belonged to him. “Nkwonta did not produce any evidence or court order by which he was authorised to undertake the demolition but allegedly paraded uniformed and armed soldiers and thugs alongside three policemen, who were used to effect the demolition. He called for the immediate intervention of the Inspector-General of Police to bring the culprits to book and prevent them from making good their threat of killing him and taking possession of his land. “I didn’t know the man before now. This is my village and we have been living here for a long time. That is where we have been living; we have no other place but than here. And we told the government so when they talked about acquiring the same land for an estate.” But in his reaction, Nkwonta told our reporter that the land was part of the Sun

City Government layout, which was duly allotted to him and for which he has a certificate of ownership. Said he: “People are very funny. I was away for treatment abroad. I was away for sometime, so, maybe, they thought I would die and the man went and erected a fence and started building. In three weeks, they quickly erected one hut and they were building it day and night. “I have my C of O, I have my allocation paper. This is not new; it is how they take people’s land in that area when they see that they can take your land. But I am not that kind of person. Yes, I told them that if I saw them on my land again, I would treat them like criminals. “Look at his defence; that it was their ancestral home and that government took the property from them without compensation. I left the gate for them because it did not enter into my land. Even the next land they want to take does not belong to them. It belongs to the government. “That place is no longer an ancestral land. It has long been taken over by government and is now known as Sun City Layout. My allocation letter was signed on February 25, 2001 and the Certificate of Occupancy was signed on March 4, 2009. “The DPO came into this matter and I told him that if I saw them in my land I would treat them like armed robbers.” Nkwonta maintained that what was erected at the centre of the land was a hut rather than a two-bedroom bungalow as claimed by Mr. Ugwuokwor. “I don’t enter into somebody’s property; that’s why I left the gate. The DPO warned them to stay away from the land, that this man has allocation and he has C of O. “They still have the temerity to go to the media to embarrass me. Ask yourself one thing; if the land belongs to them, will they rush to the media? No, they will go to court. Because they know they don’t have any papers. “Of course, I pulled down the fence. They took over my land and fenced it into their own; what should I do, clap for them? They went and fenced a land that has a Certificate of Occupancy because I was sick abroad. I don’t know how they got information that I was sick abroad. Maybe they thought I would die, I don’t know. People are very wicked. “Work is continuing on the land. I have told the DPO, the case file is there. I learnt they petitioned the State CID, that I said I would kill them. I am not mincing words, if I see you in my land I will treat you like an armed robber.”

•The demolished building

DAILY SUN Thursday October 18, 2012

The presidential intervention on floods F ollowing the recent flood that ravaged many parts of the country and destroyed lives and property, the Federal Government, last week, doled out N17.6 billion to states and agencies to cushion its effect. Out of this amount, N13.3 billion will be distributed to the states according to the impact of the flood on them while government agencies responsible for providing relief would receive the remaining N4.3 billion. Government also categorized the states into four groups for the purpose of disbursing the intervention fund. States in the first category such as Oyo, Kogi, Benue, Plateau, Adamawa, Delta, Bayelsa and Anambra will be given N500 million each, while states in the second category – Jigawa, Kano, Bauchi, Kaduna, Niger, Nasarawa, Taraba, Cross River, Edo, Lagos and Imo – will receive N400 million each. Kwara, Katsina, Gombe, Ogun, Ondo, Ebonyi, Abia and Rivers states in the third category will each be given N300 million while Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Yobe, Enugu, Ekiti, Osun, Akwa Ibom and Borno states, as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in the fourth category will get N250 million each. Also, the Ministry of Works will receive N2.6 billion; the National Emergency Management Agency, N1.16 billion and Ministry of Environment, N350 million; National Commission on Refugees, N150 million while the Presidential Committee on Disaster will get N100 million. President Jonathan also set up a National Committee on Flood Relief and Rehabilitation headed by business mogul, Aliko Dangote. Members of the committee include Olisa Agbakoba, Mike Adenuga, Tony Elumelu and Prof. Dora Akunyili. The government’s intervention is appropriate and we advise the states and agencies concerned to use the largesse to ameliorate the suffering of the flood victims. Let the states and the agencies allocated the huge sums put them to judicious use. The victims

should be taken care of. They should be given money to rebuild their homes and enough capital to set up businesses or farms. Now that members of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) have raised an alarm over the possibility of epidemic in the flood ravaged areas, there is the need for the health authorities to intervene and give people in the affected areas the necessary healthcare needs. Already, NMA officials hinted that there are outbreaks of cholera and typhoid in some of the camps set up for the flood victims. Apart from setting up the fund raising committee, government should put in place a technical team that will get to the root of the matter and design future contingency plans. The team should be made up of experts with technical knowledge of flood control mechanisms. The team should also liaise with the relevant government agencies on how to channel flood and avert future floods. We recall that before the current flood, weather experts at the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) warned of the disaster, the states to be affected and the need to evacuate those living along the disaster routes to safer places on high grounds. Such warning ought to have been heeded by those concerned but unfortunately it was not. The states affected heard the warning but did not heed the advice, hence, they were caught napping by the flood. The recent flood in the country has, more than any other thing, demonstrated that our leaders should begin to take weather predictions very seriously. We are suffering the effects of flood today because the concerned officials did not heed the weather warnings. It is wrong for government to wait for disaster to occur before responding to it. We should learn how to manage flood disasters. Our response to emergency situations including the present flood havoc is not the best. Let all the committees, concerned states and agencies work in concert to ameliorate the plight of flood victims.

COMMENT

LETTER

Nwosu: A trailblazer in journalism

HAVING survived a terrible armed robbery attack on Wednesday 23,2012,which he narrated personally in Wednesday FrankTalk column of Daily Sun of Wednesday 5th September 2012 which happened to be his birthday proper, one is tempted to speculate that Steve Nwosu, the 44 years old seasoned journalist and Editor of Daily Sun has something special with Wednesday. Just as the great scientist once shouted eureka upon making an invention, so also has Nwosu echoed ‘Yes, I am alive’ as his testimonial exclamation to God first for his mercies and grace and then to his uncountable fans. Steve Nwosu, like Paul McCartney, has joyously expressed “I am alive and well and unconcerned about the rumours of my death. But if I were dead, I would be the last to know”. As a 21st century journalist and a trail blazer, Nwosu thinks globally and acts globally. He is among the two persons that motivated me as a teenager to enter the university, the first was Mr. Chris Ebosie, whom I always watch closely as he knots his tie and dress up before going to office.

Nwosu on the other hand unknowingly sowed a seed in me by his smartness and ingenuity in journalism. And today he has become my mentor and role model. Besides, having understudied Steve, I have also come to believe that he is a good student of literature. He does not write in vogue that was why Paul McCartney captured him when he said “I think people who create and write, it actually does flow, just flow from their head, into their hand, and they write it down. It’s simple”. In my own opinion, I will like to say here that style is the man himself. Steve’s style is simple. Nwosu is not just an embodiment of excellence but also an epitome of philanthropy. In the same vein, whenever a man decides to carve his name on the hearts and not on stones, legacy is said to have been born. I have also joined thousands of people who are direct beneficiaries of Steve’s magnanimity and serendipity to share the humane stories that are traceable to him like those two men sharing the story of Jesus on their way to

THE DIRECTORATE TONY ONYIMA Managing Director /Editor-in-Chief FEMI ADESINA Deputy MD/Deputy Editor-in-Chief ETHEL NMEZI Executive Director, Finance/Admin ALAN JONES Executive Director, Technical PAUL ONYIA Executive Director Marketing ERIC OSAGIE Executive Director, Special Services EDITORIAL STEVE NWOSU Editor, Daily ONUOHA UKEH Editor, Saturday FUNKE EGBEMODE Editor, Sunday SHOLA OSHUNKEYE, Editor, Magazines ABDULFATAH OLADEINDE Deputy Editor, Daily FEMI ADEOTI Deputy Editor, Daily IKENNA EMEWU Deputy Editor, Nation’s Capital BRUCE MALOGO, Deputy Editor, Saturday BEIFOH OSEWELE, Deputy Editor, Magazines EMEKA OKOROANYANWU Group Business Editor CHIDI OBINECHE Political Editor CHRIS ANUCHA Acting Bureau Chief, ( South-South) CHIDI NNADI Bureau Chief, (South-East) YINKA FABOWALE Bureau Chief (South-West) ISMAIL OMIPIDAN Bureau Chief (North-west) EDITORIAL BOARD AMANZE OBI Chairman, Editorial Board CORPORATE SERVICES NETA NWOSU A.G.M. Corporate Services ADVERTISING/MARKETING DEMOLA ABIOYE Business Development Manager NNENA SHUAIB Asst. Manager Business Dev. (Abuja) SALES & OPERATIONS DAMOLA LAJUMOKE AGM, Sales & Operations NWOKOCHA OBI Sales & Distribution Manager REMI QUADRI Manager, Copy Sales FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION OBIOMA OGUKWE Accountant JOHNSON OGWUMIKE Internal Audit Manager PATRICK ENILAMA Principal Human Resource Manager

IFY ANYALECHI Procurement & General Services Manager

MISSION ‘To practise journalism in the classical newspaper tradition of presenting the news and features in an exciting style, with impact, objectivity and appeathat generate returns to all stakeholders: the society, the investors and the practitioners’

Emmaus. Nwosu was not born with silver spoon in his mouth, but achieved greatness by engaging his mind into the world of possibilities and by acknowledging and appreciating the roles by his destiny helpers on his onward journey to greatness. He kept his dreams alive having in mind the kind of not-too-rich family background he came from. He also understands that achieving anything requires faith and belief in oneself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. He rose from grass to grace because he believes that all things are possible for those who believe. He has literarily transformed the face of his family. He has taught many how to catch fish and discouraged idleness. He is a detribalized man in words and action, his marriage decision will attest to that. However, as an arrowhead in journalism, C.K.Webb has revealed Steve’s virtues when he said that “a writer does not dream of riches and fame, though those things are nice. A true writer longs to leave behind a piece of themselves, some things that withstand the test of time and is passed down for generations”. The irony of the whole thing is that Steve did not covet or crave for riches and fame but they came to him. When talking about the fame he now enjoys, you heard him extending gratitude to famous men who celebrate him as they poured in sympathy and empathy in

respect to his ordeal. They include: President Goodluck Jonathan, Vice President Namadi Sambo, Senate President David Mark, Aliko Dangote, Dimeji Bankole etc. This shows that Steve really has left legacies in prints for generations to come. Nevertheless, his closeness to God has made him to make some grateful statement “I have tried to define and understand this ‘Grace’, but it takes a bigger shape each time I think I am getting closer to a working definition. I eventually gave up –content with the fact that Grace is something (usually, favours) which you don’t merit (or deserve) but which God in his infinite mercies, still lavishes on, anyway”. Moreover, Steve’s lucid writing pattern has become a principle coupled with his usual ability to build context in his write up before introducing new points has always given his works coherentordering principles. Steve like Ernest Hemingway has come to exhibit that “there is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed”. I therefore end my story saying that Steve Nwosu is one of the greatest journalists in the world who play out the saying that “writers writ to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect”-Anais Nin. BY UZOMA JUDE chimajudy@yahoo.com 08032217442 CMYK

DAILY SUN

Thursday October 18, 2012

The Igbo dilemma (1) “ VIEWS FROM The primacy of political or economic power: The Igbo dilemma” was the title of a scintillating keynote address Prof. Anya O. Anya, sent to me as the National Chairman of Pan Ndi-Igbo Foundation USA (PNF USA) on the occasion of Pan Igbo Political Conference in May 2005 to deliver on his behalf. In the light of Igbo perennial problems, Anya’s address is aptly relevant today. Anya is a leading member of the Nigerian intellectual community who played a key role in piloting the intellectual content of the Vision 2010 Report. The content of his address is significantly relevant in the current Nigeria’s socio-political environment. The excerpts: There is pain in the Igbo heart. There is confusion in the Igbo mind. There are excruciating aches in the Igbo body politic and society. The source of all that is the dilemma that faces every Igbo man and woman as he/she observes or participates in the affairs of contemporary Nigeria. There are varied explanations for the pain, for the confusion and for the aches. Some ascribe them to the apparent disunity that seems to be a persistent but uninvited guest in any conclave of the Igbos since the end of the Biafran war. Some would rather lay the blame on the so-called marginalization of the Igbos. If you belong to the disunity school, then the solution to the problem lies within the Igbo context. If you, however, believe in the marginalization thesis, then obviously the solution lies outside the Igbos – indeed in the Nigerian context given the skewed and irrational political and economic arrangements, which seem deliberately designed to offend and constrain the Igbos. The question really is: between disunity and marginalization, which is the cause and which is the effect? Or put another way, we seem to be in the chicken and egg situation. Perhaps, we need to start from the beginning or as our compatriot the revered Chinua Achebe would put it: we need to know where the rain started to beat us. There is evidence that the Igbos have been in their present location in South East Nigeria for the last 5000 years. As I showed in the 1982 Ahiajoku lecture, the Igbo culture bears the imprint of the forest location where the culture developed, for example, in the rugged individualism, which is emblematic of the people. As the Igbo Ukwu bronzes attest by 968 A.D., the culture had blossomed into a sophisticated civilization whose genius is underscored by the fact that the quality of

AMERICA

Acho Orabuchi a_orabuchi@yahoo.com the Igbo Ukwu bronzes was clearly better than the Benin and Ife bronzes that came along 500 years later. It has been suggested that there is a 500-year hiatus or gap in the tapestry of Igbo history; this it has been speculated could have arisen as a result of an epidemic rather than war. The recovery of the civilization had just started when the depredations of the slave trade was visited on the people and with it the colonial interregnum. History teaches that unlike the situation in other parts of Nigeria and West Africa, the occupation of Igboland was a protracted and piece-meal affair, which was achieved literally village by village as a result of the decentralized political organization of the people. While this must account for the republican temper of the people, it has also bred a short-term perspective in the people’s appreciation of their history, which can often be mistaken for a lack of the sense of history. What is more, it does explain to some extent, the misunderstanding and under rating of the achievements of the culture by the colonial authorities. The important point to note is that the history, politics and culture of the Igbos bear the imprint of their ancient origin, of their adaptation over the centuries to their environment and of their salient difference from their latter day compatriots, the Yorubas and the Hausas. When the Igbo man attempts, often unsuccessfully, to imitate the political and cultural usages of these latter day compatriots, he does a grave injustice to himself and to his roots. The justly recognized, feared even if resented industry, drive and intelligence of the Igbos are the consequences of their successful adaptation and acculturation to their forest environment. “Man know thyself” is an advice that the Igbo can use with great benefit and which should

breed in them a degree of circumspection, caution and discretion in the adoption of foreign modes and usages rather than the loud and often ostentatious mien that we present to the outsider. It should breed in us a resilience of spirit and an inward looking and proud affirmation of who we are rather than the self-deprecating and whining disposition that seems to have overtaken us and particularly the younger generation. For it must be stated with some pride that the zest and zeal with which our people embraced western education and which enabled them in thirty short years (1934 – 1964) to overtake and some may say to “dominate” the social, political and economic landscape of modern Nigeria was unprecedented. Indeed, the exploits of the scientists and professionals in the Biafran war and after were in itself a worthy testament of the genius and resilient spirit of our people. No other African group in modern times have shown as much pluck and serendipity. There is, therefore, a lot to be proud of. Most unfortunately, the current reality and portents extant in the Igbo heartland are different and often discouraging. On the social front, we project a picture of a society, which is not only fraying at the edges but one whose center seems unable to hold together. From one homestead to another, from one community to the next and indeed throughout the five states of the Igbo homeland, there is disaffection and a general lack of the sense of solidarity and social harmony; chieftaincy disputes, violent crimes, youth restiveness, lack of trust in one another is shown in various ways – it is often as if no one in particular is in charge. There is a general lack of respect for the elders and for the leaders. On the political front, it is as if there are no more rules. It is no longer the politics of service and

decorum as we saw in the days of Zik and Okpara but rather a cash and carry political system in which the highest bidder is the victor no matter how unsavory his/her political past may have been. The leaders of the political system at the local, state and national level are often men of questionable credentials and past. It is as if a sense of responsibility and integrity has become hindrances rather than aid to the emergence and sustenance of a leadership elite that cares and serves the people. The result is the abandonment of the politics of principles and ideas for the rule of the mob-thugs and toughies are often the ones that dictate political outcomes. The result has been a general repudiation and lack of interest in the affairs of the community and the state by members of the professional and leadership elite. The debacle in Anambra State over the last six years are merely the inescapable demonstration of the general lack of leadership and the requisite sense of propriety and responsible social values in the wider community. The invasion of the traditional institutions by these flight-by-night “leaders” is the most vivid illustration of the social dysfunction that has become the measure of the state of depravity and dissonance in our body politic. The harvest has been the collapse of our economic centers of Aba and Onitsha. Yes, what passes for business still goes on there but the army of unemployed and the declining numbers in the schools remain a testimony and a reminder that governance has taken leave of the pursuit of the welfare of the people and the maximization of the common good. On the farms and in the markets, the daily grind to make a living takes its toll on the health and the well-being of our citizens with the unkempt and unsanitary coditions of daily existence in our towns. While erosion ravages the land, the flight of the young and able-bodied men and women from Igboland to the slums of Lagos, Abuja and even Port Harcourt is a constant reminder of the failure of our collective leadership in Igboland. As the able bodied and gifted youth pour out of the Igbo heartland, the rhetoric of our “leaders” rises in its strident proclamation of the good they have done and against all the evidence of decay and decline. What can be done? How did we get to this pass?

Ekwueme: Celebrating a Lodestar at 80 BY OKEY IFIONU

ach time I have written on Dr Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme, Nigeria’s Vice President in the second Republic, I have faced the challenge of deciding how to handle the historical part of the job. History, after all, is not just what happened but our interpretation of that. Ekwueme is more than Samuel Johnson’s ‘man of history’. He approximates Alexander Pope’s ‘complete man’— a man of many perspectives, at once a maker as well as student of history. Looking at the life of such a figure at 80 is both exciting and tough. Dr Ekwueme is not just a living political icon or statesman, especially in a country where these terms have lost their etymological purity. At 80, he remains a multi-disciplinary lodestar in more ways than some would concede. Quite a few commentators have characterised him as a man from the outer space— some sort of a meteor as far as Nigerian politics is concerned. For me, Ekwueme is more than all that. In 1981, as a young, impressionable undergraduate, I had my first political spat with my father over this man of distinction. It was something I didn’t like but couldn’t help. This father-son political difference came in the wake of the acrimonious rivalry between the political campaign organisations of then governor Jim Nwobodo of the old, bigger Anambra state and then vice - president Alex Ekwueme. The issue for my family at that time was who of the two central characters was over-heating the state, and dividing its people along political paths. For my father who had been a staunch Zikist, Nwobodo couldn’t be the one as long as he was a member of the Nigerian People’s Party (NPP) on whose platform Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe had run for president. As many would recall, the NPP was wide-

ly embraced by the Igbos mainly because they perceived it as the party that offered their own— the great Zik of Africa— a platform to aspire to the presidency of Nigeria. You could say that admiration for Zik made the NPP the party of first choice in the then two south eastern states of Anambra and Imo. The evidence was there in the electoral fortunes of the party in both states. Nearly all their candidates came out swinging in the general election of 1979, notwithstanding their merit or lack of it. For my father as indeed most Anambra people Nwobodo was a political scion of the legendary Zik and any criticism of his political methods was tantamount to an assault on Zik. Of course, I had a problem with that kind of logic and I politely told my father so. I said also that from the look of things, Ekwueme did not seem to be a political trouble maker. All he seemed to be after was to get Anambra state to benefit from federal funding of some vital projects but that the NPP top guns in the state appeared to be unduly politicising that. I told my father that Anambra state could benefit immensely from the centre if the governor would relate more cordially with the vice president regardless of their party differences; and that I thought the Anambra people should not be misguided to see Ekwueme as their enemy. Then I pointed at some of Ekwueme’s people-oriented legacies long before he became vice-president— the hospitals, colleges, trans-community scholarship schemes, etc — to demonstrate to my father that Ekwueme couldn’t be the political opportunist the NPP in Anambra state painted him to be. I couldn’t altogether convert my father but then I noticed that his support for the NPP became less fanatical and a bit more rational. Gradually, Ekwueme’s urbane manners endeared him to the more politically savvy in the state. There is nothing in this narrative that conveys a personal relationship with Ekwueme as at that time. It would take another twenty years before I had my first close political

dealing with Ekwueme. Although as a practising journalist then I had followed his political career reasonably well, my first personal encounter with this great thinker, patriot and workaholic was during his days at the Constitutional Conference where in both comportment and quality of ideas he outclassed his compatriots. As a newspaper editor then who had also worked as politics editor I was thoroughly fascinated by the nuances of Ekwueme’s political thoughts. Indeed you could argue, just as Prof. Chukwuma Soludo rightly suggested in his tribute earlier in the week, that Ekwueme is a man that saw tomorrow. Yet I think that it was not just that he saw tomorrow, he charted a path towards harnessing it even though many were not far-sighted enough to see what he had seen. When therefore in 2002, Dr Ekwueme invited me to work as his media adviser, it was with great enthusiasm that I accepted the challenge. As a presidential aspirant, he left you in no doubt as to the direction in which he would take the country if elected president. He worked tirelessly on his presidential manifesto, taking a hard look at every line and every policy promise. His solid faith in the future of Nigeria was and is still anchored on his conviction that Nigeria is a big tent in which co-habitation can only thrive if every part of the country had equal sense of belonging and is treated with dignity. Such a tent cannot withstand the winner-takes-all propensity that has all but ruined our polity. How to exorcise this demon influenced all his political submissions for the stabilisation of the nation. As you can imagine, it wouldn’t be exactly a champagne party working for such a first class intellectual and idealist, but clearly it was worth it, in terms of the intellectual rigour he compelled all his staff to apply to their job in the course of serving his presidential campaign organisation. As I had written elsewhere, as far as Nigerian politics is concerned, the former

vice president is indeed a rare breed, an avatar of some kind. His social philosophy is encapsulated in something like: “with charity and equity to all in all things.” In simple and complex matters, Ekwueme is a man of honour, a man of his words, a man who would stand by his friends in all conditions. And talking about his friends, they cut across all human divides. Yet he treats all with respect, even when he doesn’t agree with them. Not for him the morbid self-aggrandisement and narcissism of present day politicians! If he is largely unsung today (and he is, no doubt), it is a choice he consciously made, if you ask me. He lets his work speak for him. But in a country where all manner of villains, charlatans and half-wits parade themselves as heroes and champions, how many people really care about good works? That’s the tragedy of our times! Ekwueme’s greatest legacy and sociopolitical value would lie in his capacity to make us periodically rethink certain assumptioms about Nigeria’s fate. His is the sort of leadership Nigeria needs, especially at a time like this— genuinely selfless leadership. But alas, in the nation’s current political terrain I am looking hard to find a locum for a retiring Ekwueme. Perhaps I need a new pair of glasses but my doctor assures me I don’t. Building on the Ekwueme federalist template was quite an apt subject for the colloquium marking his 80th birthday. I hope our political class would rise to the challenge. To Ide Aguata, leader, patriot and statesman extraordinaire, I offer my sincere prayers. At 80, may you remain an indelible pencil in the hands of God. You are blessed already and I believe God will continue to keep you for much longer, till your work on this side of the divide is done. Happy birth day! Revd. Ifionu, a former deputy-managing director of THISDAY Newspapers, is the Vicar of Emmanuel Anglican Church, Lagos Mainland CMYK

DAILY SUN

Thursday October 18, 2012

War memoir and swings of ethnic politics By Ifeanyi Afuba

s at mid October 2012, no bookstore in Nigeria is known to have displayed copies of Chinua Achebe’s Biafra war memoir, There was a Country, released in Britain late September. Yet as early as October 3, a crowd of Nigerians resident in the country has been denouncing the author and his work as a product of historical revisionism. It is therefore clear that ninety-nine per cent of these critics have done so without setting their eyes on the book, let alone turning through its pages. Their only contact with Achebe’s over 350 page book is a 2000 word excerpt first published by The Guardian of London. Relying on a minute excerpt as representative of a book is either an act of intellectual dishonesty or a function of illiteracy. And to fail to read a book and then proceed to disparage it and or the author is rude, pedestrian and playing to the gallery. Playing to the gallery in the instant case is pandering to sentiments and ethnic politics. Achebe, an Igbo has committed the crime of throwing light on the errors and human weaknesses of Obafemi Awolowo, the Yoruba chieftain around whom a number of myths and legends had been woven. Awolowo was a revered political leader of his people so much so that even some educated Yoruba believed the tale in town at the time that Awolowo had been sighted in the moon and was thus destined to win the 1983 presidential election. It is in keeping with the myth of being Nigeria’s greatest politician; master strategist; and greatest political thinker that nothing capable of diminishing Awolowo’s stature coming espe-

cially from an outsider should be conceded. Ethnic politics is a reality of our condition. Just as economic factors, class, and personality influence political behaviour and choices, so also does race or ethnicity. Students of political science in the 1980s should be familiar with the interesting work Ethnic Politics in Nigeria authored by marxist scholar Okwudiba Nnoli. There is nothing inherently wrong with ethnic consciousness. What is objectionable, however, is the ideology or practice of ethnic discrimination. Mainstream Yoruba political consciousness has a history of selective sensibility and inconsistency bordering on ethnic discrimination. Were Achebe to be a Yoruba, he probably would have been spared the present uproar over his war memoir. Even if he was to be upbraided, perhaps it would only be a matter of time before he would be rehabilitated in another seasonal somersault. When in 1987, Achebe cautioned that the late Awolowo did not qualify for state burial as being demanded by his followers, he was abused by some Yoruba political leaders and in Yoruba – controlled media. This was in sharp contrast to the reception of late Fela Anikulakpo Kuti’s sobering assessment of Awolowo’s legacy. Without mincing words, Fela had stated that Awolowo was the leader who introduced tribalism into Nigerian politics. Mum was largely the response from the Awo camp to Fela’s damning verdict. To the anger of many Yoruba, the late Moshood Abiola was in strong opposition to Awolowo’s Unity Party of Nigeria in the Second Republic. Abiola deployed great energy into his job as Chairman of the rival National Party of Nigeria in Ogun State, bringing into the bargain, his huge wealth and media power. The influential

Concord newspapers owned by Abiola were mobilized to undermine Awolowo’s presidential ambition by diminishing his politics and the achievements of his party - controlled states. The newspapers regularly described the five UPN governors as ‘expensive governors.’ But the butt of the media campaign was reserved for Awolowo himself as evident in the Maroko land deal. This serial expose which cast doubt on the socialist thoughts of the sage generated disaffection and suspicion among Awolowo’s disciples on the source of the scoop. There is no public information of Abiola’s apology to Awolowo. What then secured massive Yoruba votes for Abiola when he ran for presidency in 1993? Ethnic politics. Chief Olusegun Obasanjo had earlier attracted misgivings of Awolowo and his diehards for not interpreting the transition electoral law in 1979 to favour Awolowo’s candidature in the election. When in 1989, Obasanjo published his autobiography, Not My Will, in which he drew comparisons between his attaining the office of Head of State without nursing the ambition and Awolowo’s presidential frustrations after strenuous efforts; he further incurred the wrath of this camp. In 1999, the Yoruba showed Obasanjo what they thought of him when they expressed electoral preference for Olu Falae whose presidential prospects seemed brightened with Alliance for Democracy/All Peoples Party joint ticket. Obasanjo won on the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party all the same. In no time, the former soldier who had little regard for democratic culture had committed a number of impeachment offences. Nigerians were alarmed at Obasanjo’s dictatorial style. House of Representatives Speaker, Umar Ghali Naaba moved to set the impeachment process in motion but the Yoruba political establishment left no one

in doubt that they were more concerned with preserving a ‘Yoruba presidency’than strengthening our fledgling democracy. But the greater somersault was still to come. In the prelude to the 2003 general elections, the Alliance for Democracy which governed the Yoruba states struck a deal with Obasanjo. Their supporters would be directed to vote for Obasanjo’s PDPin the presidential election while in return, the PDP will not attempt to rig the governorship and other elections in these states. What could have impelled the AD governors on this flirtation with a rival they neither agreed with his antecedents and vision nor with the ideology of his political party? Ethnic politics. It is this easy submission to ethnic politics that has continued to fuel the unwarranted attacks on Achebe over his war memoir. Fired by the emotional zeal to protect our icon, Achebe’s detractors cannot come to terms with the documented evidence of Awolowo’s acknowledgement that he indeed pushed for the use of starvation as weapon of war. General Yakubu Gowon, equally indicted by Achebe for the starvation policy in his comment yet on the issue did say that he (Gowon) does not regret the actions he took. This is impliedly an admission of the policy as he would have sought to clear his name if the facts were different. There was indeed a country called Biafra. The 1967 -1970 civil war is an indelible part of Nigeria’s history. It is by studying its pathways and openly discussing its impact that we can learn the lessons. Those who were on the Biafran side during the conflict do not owe anybody any apology. Mistakes were made on both sides. It is futile for anybody to seek to intimidate former Biafrans into silence on the writing of the civil war history and literature. Afuba writes from Nimo, Anambra State.

Combating the threat of flooding ADEREMI IBIROGBA

looding is a global phenomenon that has continued to constitute a major threat to cities and indeed nations across the world. At present, in most major cities of the world people are being displaced and in some instances killed by ravaging flood similitude of the Noah period described in the Holy Bible. With the prediction of more rains by experts, most cities of the world are currently battling with the reality of a flood ravaged year. In Nigeria, the magnitude of flooding being presently experienced is, without doubt, beyond the scope of agencies and organisations responsible for handling national emergencies. Various parts of the country are currently grappling with the destructive consequences of flooding. In states such as Kogi, Plateau, Anambra, to mention a few, people are faced with various threats of different environmental hazards. In Kogi, for instance, the people now live in awe of dangerous reptiles such as snakes and crocodiles. The extent of the damage caused by flooding has made the federal government to come out with a ‘Marshal Plan’ of action to bring relief to victims of the disaster as well as guiding against future occurrence. In a recent early morning broadcast last week, President Goodluck Jonathan assured Nigerians of his government’s readiness to tackle the danger of flooding in the country. Aside from promising to release funds to three categories of states hit by flooding in the country, President Jonathan equally set a Committee consisting of eminent Nigerians with the primary objective of raising fund to provide succor for flood victims across the country. From the foregoing, it is quite clear that flooding is no longer a situation that can be politicized. Recently when the Lagos Bar Beach experienced a surge, the opposition in the state tried, though unsuccessfully, to give the natural incidence a political colorations. In its bid to find its voice, at all cost (even if it means being insensitive to the plights of victims of the ocean surge), the opposition ridiculously and callously called for the resignation of the Governor state over the matter. How laughable! Now that almost half of the states in the country are in danger of flooding, do we call for the resignation of all the governors? Or better still, do we call for the resignation of the Mr.

President? Moments of natural disasters offer unique opportunity for the people, irrespective of political and religious dissections, to bond together and collectively tackle the misery created by the force of nature. When the United States of America faced, perhaps, its darkest moment in the wake of the Al-Qaida air assault, its people were united in forging a common front against global terrorism. No wonder president Obama of the Democratic Party was able to finish what former President George Bush of the Republican Party started when he finally nailed Osama Bin Laden. This is a clear demonstration of the fact that human lives are too precious to play politics with. If not for the proactive measures which the Lagos State Government has been taking with regards to the environment in the last twelve years, the flooding situation in the country would have been more devastating. What we experience in Lagos anytime it rains is mere flash flooding which is natural to most coastal places. This is the outcome of the amount of work that the state government has done in sanitizing the environment in recent time. Ironically, when the state government started its environmental regeneration programme, which led to strict enforcement of regulations that had been evaded for long, the same group of people that are now employing the flooding incidence to cause mischief were quite vocal in their condemnation of the programme. When the state government was converting hitherto abandoned loops into parks and gardens, they were the ones that thundered: ‘is it flowers we will eat’. Being a natural occurrence, flooding often time defies scientific solutions. Clearly, public safety and good sense call for scientific response to flooding. However, while upgrading environmental infrastructure is important, engineering fixes alone will not suffice. According to renowned ecologists Donald Hey and Nancy Philippi, despite the massive construction of levees throughout the upper Mississippi Basin during the 20th century, annual average flood damage during that time more than doubled. Consequently, what is needed across the country is a comprehensive plan to add ecological infrastructure to complement engineering infrastructure -specifically to expand wetlands and re-activate floodplains so as to mitigate future flood risks. Re-creating wetlands and re-activating floodplains in strategic locations will result in a more robust and resilient

flood protection system. With more extreme weather and devastating floods likely in store in the months ahead, according to experts, public safety and economic security depend on enlisting nature’s defenses along with our engineered ones. Instead of letting this ecological infrastructure degrade further, the federal and state authorities should work to expand and rebuild it. Furthermore, certain negative practices easily aid flooding. Despite, the availability of civilized options for waste disposing as provided by Lagos Waste Management Authority and its other PSP partners, people still turn canals, streams and drainages into refuse dumping sites. It is so bad that while it is raining, people come out to toss their refuse into the flowing water body. No matter the level of government’s preparedness at tackling flooding, such practices would continue to negate its goals. As much as the government is doing its bits, NGOs, Community Development Associations, the media, members of the Civil Society and all well meaning individuals and groups in the state should partner with the state government to achieve attitudinal change towards the environment. Perhaps, more importantly, states being affected by flooding should judiciously make use of the federal government intervention fund. They need to take a cue from Lagos State which has been investing heavily in the recovery, rehabilitation and construction of several drains such as the Macgregor, Achapo, and Orile Canals are constantly being cleaned up. A major channel called System 5, which runs all the way from Surulere, down to Apapa, through Orile and through Ajegunle, has equally been dredged. At the last count, aside from routine maintenance that runs into thousands, major construction and drainage works completed and on-going are in excess of 500. To avert future disaster, there is need for effective collaboration among emergency response institutions, across the country, to ensure swift response thereby reducing the number of causalities. To those that have incurred one loss or the other through the recent flooding in the country, one can pray that the Lord give them the fortitude to bear the loss while those living in flood prone areas should vacate those areas for now. God bless Nigeria. Ibirogba is Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Lagos State

Tambuwal’s hard facts BY EMMANUEL ONWUBIKO

ednesday October 10 2012 was extraordinary in the political annals of Nigeria. On that great day, President Goodluck Jonathan broke a record as the first elected President in over a decade to have presented a budget proposal of the coming calender year within three clear months before the commencement of the actual implementation. Officials of the Federal Ministry of Finance should be commended for this uncommon feat. October 10 2012 would also be remembered by all right thinking analysts in Nigeria as one day when the leadership of the National Assembly put behind them the notorious political espirit de corp or the “family affair” tendency of the ruling People Democratic Party and spoke truth to power. The Senate President, David Mark, was quoted to have told President Jonathan that the National

Assembly members will thoroughly and comprehensively go through the proposed 2013 budget before passing it into law to become the Appropriation Act of 2013 for implementation by the executive Arms of government to meet public good. The Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, gave the vote of thanks in which he passed the message of most Nigerians to President Jonathan. The Senior Special Assistant on Media and Public Affairs to President Jonathan, Dr. Doyin Okupe, didn’t take the home truth with equanimity. This is sad. The Speaker who is a well respected legal mind, pointed out to President Jonathan the urgent need to take some steps so as to confront the hydraheaded monster of corruption and economic crimes occasioned by fraudulent awards of contracts by the various Federal ministries and agencies of government. Tambuwal also indicted the federal agencies for

failing to adhere strictly to the implementation of the current 2012 budget. His words; “As I speak, interim field oversight reports from House Committees on the 2012 budget implementation are clearly unimpressive both in terms of releases as well as utilization and this is a great challenge to all of us. It is important to state at this point the clear provisions of Section 8 of the Appropriation Act to the effect that approved budgeted funds shall be released to MDAs “as at when due”. This is sadly observed more in breach”.The Speaker also disclosed thus;The composition of the Public Procurement Council provided under the Public Procurement Act is very critical to budget implementation….” The Speaker is right because it is preposterous to note that all that the Executive Council of the Federation does weekly is to award bogus contracts that are never implemented. This is the reason for the near-total collapse of basic infrastructure in most parts of the country. The entire Federal

road infrastructure in the South-East has collapsed and flash floods and erosion have also taken over most communities in Nigeria including the home town of the president. One other area touched upon by Tambuwal is on the area of high deficit and the overwhelming financial crisis occasioned by domestic borrowing to finance this deficit in the 2012 budget. ?“There must be transparency, accountability and probity in the management of our resources generally, given recent developments that indicate our exposure to unforeseen natural disasters. We certainly, for instance, cannot take the protection of our environment for granted”,Tambuwal charged. Tambuwal spoke most Nigerians’ mind when he said: “We must therefore, continue to work together to redeem this nation from the clutches of poverty and disease. Onwubiko writes from Lagos

DAILY SUN Thursday, October 18, 2012

Memories

Philip Nwosu 08176449110

R YOU S U SEND HOTOS P OLD wosu@yahoo.co.uk phillipn e-mail:

Today in History

US takes over Alaska this day in October 1867, byproduct of President 1867 theOn US. formally took possession Johnson’s own unpopularity. As of Alaska after purchasing the territory from Russia for $7.2 million or less than two cents an acre. The Alaska purchase comprised 586,412 square miles, about twice the size of Texas, and was championed by William Henry Seward, the enthusiastically expansionist secretary of state under President Andrew Johnson. Russia wanted to sell its Alaska territory, which was remote, sparsely populated and difficult to defend, to the U.S. rather than risk losing it in battle with a rival, such as Great Britain. Negotiations between Seward (1801-1872) and the Russian minister to the U.S., Eduard de Stoeckl, began in March 1867. However, the American public believed the land to be barren and worthless and dubbed the purchase “Seward’s Folly” and “Andrew Johnson’s Polar Bear Garden,” among other derogatory names. Some animosity toward the project might have been a

the 17th U.S. president, Johnson battled with Radical Republicans in Congress over Reconstruction policies following the Civil War. He was impeached in 1868 and later acquitted by a single vote. Nevertheless, Congress eventually ratified the Alaska deal. Public opinion of the purchase turned more favorable when gold was discovered in a tributary of Alaska’s Klondike River in 1896, sparking a gold rush. Alaska became the 49th state on January 3, 1959, and is now recognized for its vast natural resources. Today, 25 percent of America’s oil and over 50 percent of its seafood come from Alaska.

East Germany leader ousted The communist leader of East Germany, Erich Honecker, was on this day in October 1989, forced to step down as leader of the country. After 18 years in power, he will be replaced by Egon Krenz, currently the head of internal and external security for the Politburo. The official reason for his departure is said to be “ill health” but failure to deal with the tide of discontentment sweeping the country and the party is thought to be the real reason. Up to 120,000 people marched in Leipzig on Monday to protest against a lack of political reforms and thousands of people are continuing to leave the country in search of better opportunities. The recent visit of Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev is also being seen as a contributing factor to the downfall of Mr Honecker. The Soviet leader was highly critical of the

1989

East German leadership saying there was a need for people to feel involved with their country and to have their opinions taken seriously. The placement of Mr Krenz is being seen by the opposition as a change of tactics rather than a change of direction. The banned opposition movement New Forum said: “Krenz’s appointment shows the Communist party has no intention of sharing power. Reform under him is unlikely.” Mr Krenz, who at 55 is the youngest member of the Politburo, has been groomed to take over for more than a decade by Mr Honecker. The news has so far received mixed reactions.

A young Umaru Dikko, under the watchful eye of a teacher at Barewa College, Zaria, in the 50’s. Dikko was a powerful Federal Minister in the Second Republic under President Shehu Shagari (his brother-inlaw). He was at the centre of the 1984 ‘Man in a Crate’ bungled kidnap attempt in London. The saga strained Anglo/Nigerian diplomatic affairs for two years.

Pipeline explosions kill 700 in Nigeria 1998

On this day in October 1998, a pipeline explosion in Jesse, Nigeria, killed 700 people. The resulting fire burned for nearly a week. Nigeria is an oil-rich country on the west coast of Africa. The oil fields are controlled by several multi-national corporations in cooperation with the Nigerian government. Very little of the proceeds from oil exports reaches the average citizen of the country and millions of people live in abject poverty. In fact, gas pipelines run right through impoverished villages. One such pipeline ran through the town of Jesse, where it became commonplace for residents to steal oil from the pipeline to supplement their meager incomes. This was known as “bunkering” and was taking place on October 18, when a helicopter was dispatched to disperse the people assembled at the pipeline. Just after the helicopter arrived, a massive fireball shot up 100 feet into the sky. The exact cause of the explosion remains unknown. The pipeline explosion incinerated hundreds of people instantly. Others died from agonizing burn injuries. The fire burned so hot that rescue workers could not approach the scene for six days. Meanwhile, survivors, some suffering from terrible burns, were afraid to go to the hospital for fear that they would be charged with theft or be blamed for causing the fire. Finally, specialists from Houston, Texas, arrived with firefighting foam that helped the firefighters extinguish the blaze. Heavier security surrounding the pipelines was instituted in the wake of this disaster.

DAILY SUN

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Spate of vandalisation worries NSCDC boss By NGOZI UWUJARE

he Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), has condemned the wanton destruction of critical government infrastructure in some parts of the country. Its Commandant General, Dr Ade Abolurin, said the spate of vandalisation and destruction of critical infrastructure of government necessitated management’s new strategies in providing maximum security around these installations. To this end, he ordered the immediate deployment of personnel to provide round the clock surveillance and monitoring of vital oil and gas installations, telecommunications

equipment and other critical infrastructure in all the commands. Abolurin decried the incessant fuel shortage resulting in endless queues in most filling stations across the country as a result of the persistent vandalisation of petroleum pipelines by vandals who earn their living from economic sabotage: “The current state of the nation demands that all hands must be on deck to ensure proper working condition of all our nation’s infrastructure as this will aid the growth and development of our economy to meet up with the pressing agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan to deliver the dividends of democracy to all Nigerians regardless of political

class or affiliations.” He said security agencies must be ready to give good information to enlighten the public. Abolurin said a monitoring team has since been set up to ensure strict compliance of this directive. He observed that the corrupt ambition of some unpatriotic Nigerians has plunged the country’s infrastructure into a state of disrepair; hence the need to rise above compromise as the money to be reinvested by the government is used to fix damages caused by vandals. Meanwhile, the Federal Government has said that it has no plan to merge the NSCDC with any other agency, even though the Stephen Oronsayeled presidential committee recommended its merger with the Nigeria Police. Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, gave this hint when he led the good governance team to the Civil Defence Academy, Sauka, Abuja. He said the focus and judicious use of resources by the management of the NSCDC was noteworthy and urged other heads of agencies to emulate the corps. He described Abolurin as an example of a

•Abolurin honest public servant. He stated that the best practices being campaigned by the government could be seen physically at the corps, adding that the corps has come to stay, contrary to speculations about its merger in some quarters. Abolurin told the team that all the projects inspected at the academy cost the corps N1.5billion. The academy comprises NSCDC administrative block, fish pond, dog training ground, staff quarters, auditorium, parade ground, clinic, bank, church, mosque, hostel, senior and junior and senior officers mess, indoor games facilities, football pitch, and a well equipped information and communication technology building.

Pomp as Ndigbo observes New Yam festival in Agbara By BROWN CHIMEZIE

Agbara, Ogun State, recently assembled to celebrate the n a bid to promote Igbo cul- New Yam festival. That day, the people danced ture among ndigbo in Ogun State, Ohaneze ndigbo in to rich tune of Igbo music as titled men exchanged pleasantries with their staff and elephant tusks. The event was event attended by Chief Engr EC Odogwu (Onowu ndigbo of Ogun State, Ogbuesi Austine Nkeze (President, Ohaneze Ndigbo of Ogun State), Chief Iyke Ihejirika (Chairman Ohaneze ndigbo Agbara), Paul Ezeokoli, (chairman Valley Park Hotel), Chief CY Nwachukwu, Chairman Igbo Council of Chiefs and chief, Cosmos Onuoha, Chairman Imo/Abia progressive Union. The group commended ndigbo in Agbara for their peaceful conduct which has resulted in peaceful coexistence among them and their neighbors. Speaking on the importance of the festival, Ogbuesi Austin described yam as the king of crops that is highly respected in Igboland, hence the celebration, to create awareness among ndigbo and other Nigerians. Further, Chief Ihejirika commended ndigbo in Agbara for their commitment towards the promotion of Igbo culture outside their states of origin. “Such measure has resulted in what we are witnessing today. Today we can proudly say that no Igbo man has involved himself in any crime that could bring an embarrassment and shame to our cultural heritage.” In the same vein, Onowu ndigbo in Ogun State, Engr EC Odogwu described the unity and progress among ndigbo in Agbara as excellent adding that with such stride, chief Ihejirika would soon be invited to the state exco of Ohanezendigbo to make inputs that would further enhance the development of ndigbo in the state.

DAILY SUN

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Re: How not to be a spokesman Thanks for your writeup on Maku. You nearly said he is an irritant. He is our Goebbels. He overreaches himself. He started badly trying to prove he is better than Akunyili who was not a juornlist. With Maku, Jonathan does not need Okupe. He respects only his principal for the fear of his job. He loves to say “there is no going back on ....” He has earned a lot of hatred for the goverment. I pray God will deliver him from the spirit of arrogance of power. Thanks. Dola Ogunsi I read with joy your article, “How not to be a spokesman” in the Daily Sun, 27/09/2012. Thanks. May your pen never cease. That man is the parrot of the 21st century. 08131104282 Femi, I read your article in Daily Sun. Anyone who is capable of this is evil. I like your boldness. Nigeria needs people like you. Hope to know you better. Innocent O. 08064335973 Nigerians are often silent on issues. I fault your position on Labaran Maku, because you have never been Minister of Information, I would have guessed how you respond to issues. Allow President Goodluck Jonathan to do his work and be positive for once. People are under the burden of criminal policies like casualisation and contract employment (modern slavery), no one cares, not even the legislators. Dr. O. Dady, Kaduna, 0802913180 Femi on “How not to be a spokesman”. A brilliant piece served as breakfast to two birds of the same feather, flushed and wasted together. 08036333016 The Minister of Information is working hard to save his job. For this reason, he utters words to Nigerians no knowing the implication in order to convince his boss. That he is doing his job well. This will also enable him to get attention from the Presidency for re-appointment, in case of cabinet change. He should apologise to Nigerians for his utter-

ances, because we are in democratic settings. ed by the Presidency, Maku was right Words have to be spoken with respect. in his claim that resolutions are mere08179322168 ly persuasive constitutionally, not mandatory. That was confirmed by Femi, I think you were rather unfair to Labaran the House of Representatives Deputy Speaker, Maku in “How not to be a spokesman.” I see him when our respected Senator Uche Chukwumerije as a very reliable, sincere and hardworking medi- threatened Jonathan’s impeachment to the surum of disseminating politicies and programmes prise of many who rever him on the issue. of government to the people. For CBN Governor Sanusi Lamido, his royal By his duty as government’s “megaphone,” he descent I suspect beclouds his decisions; most has done excellently. His job does not include times. Lai Ashadele, Lagos, 07067677806 decision-making, but dissemination of such decisions. So, why blame him for laundering his Careless leaders employer’s laudable or otherwise programmes, as Jonathan is the worst unprepared President required by him? Nigeria ever had. This is a country where anyAnd on chambers’resolutions not being adopt- thing goes. Leaders can act carelessly, they are

lvan, in reacting to your piece titled “Blood thirsty cannibals?” on page 23 of this paper published on October 11, 2012, I want to pick the man-made disaster which is the Aluu Four and leave the natural disaster, which was assisted by man’s negligence. On the Aluu Four, my people have a saying that says: “When we drive away the kite, we then ask the chicken why it strayed into the open for the kite to see it to prey upon”. Another proverb says: “A child, who says his mother will not sleep, will not sleep also”. If the presence of a man brings danger and commotion in the market place and peace the day he did not show up, then you can imagine what manner of man is that. I don’t believe the Aluu Four are the only student that visited that village. Others living there among the villagers and nothing happened to them. So, who stirred the beehive? It is when truth and justice is denied, that anarchy and jungle justice sets in. We have all expressed so much anger and sentiment over the Aluu Four but we should pause and address the major issue so that lessons will be learnt and future occurrence avoided. It will help students in tertiary institutions to stop behaving like a law unto themselves. In the days when university had respect, villagers pampered students in tertiary institutions, who lived among them. They assisted them and treated them well. They even defended them from any aggressor. In those days students, comported themselves well. They showed good examples in character and behaviour. But that was then. Today, you can see what is happening with the lives of our so-called leaders of tomorrow. Students are now using cultism as an instrument to unleash terror on their fellow students, their community, university authority and even, the larger society. If you want to be recognised in school and feared, the best option is cultism, NOT academic excellence.

Femi Adeoti femotadeoti@yahoo.com 08186847248 eulogised. This is the worst government in Nigerian’s history. In defence, Nigeria’s problems did not start with Jonathan. Agreed! But, he should have assessed the problems and his capability before coming to power. After all, pre-Rawlings Ghana was worst than Nigeria of today. But Rawlings came, saw and conquered, even as he is celebrated worldwide today. 08034282719

Re: Mimiko’s many sins Your detailed analysis of the man, Mimiko, is that has always made the people mere spectahighly impactful, thought provoking and well tors where they are supposed to be in charge. articulated. Our problem as a nation has Let them keep wasting their time. Ondo always been politicizing what ought not be people know where their bread is buttered. politicized. Mr. Iroko as you fondly call him as Ifeanyi O. Ifeanyichukwu, Abuja always proven his mettle even as a minister in 07030981551 the Obasanjo cabinet. Nwobodo, Lagos, 08038245695 Femi, the thrust of a political party’s campaigns shows the calibre, in greater percentACN and its twin sister, PDP, should stop age, of its human contents. It takes a ‘bastard’ attempting to abort a pregnancy after birth. to call another person one. Iroko’s is coasting home to victory. He has So, Iroko should just ignore political misalways been attacked left, right and centre creants, demeaning comments and unwarrantsimply because he decided to make Ondo ed accusations by people, some of whom have State people feel the impact of good and question marks about their parental backvisionary leadership. grounds; traceable to motor parks or underHis opponents simply want him to join the bridges but were fortunate to be salvaged by crowd, nothing more. To them, good gover- God-sent human-hearted-people who trained nance and how the governor is giving food them to enviable human level which they are account of himself is immaterial. Mimiko and now abusing. Rochas Okorocha (Imo State) have unnecessarily become victims of bad press because May God bless those surrogate pilots of the unusual creative style they have adopted to their lives. How soon some forget their past! pull their people out of age-old corrupt system

Re-Blood thirsty cannibals? By DARLINGTON AGOMUO

Alvan Ewuzie

alvanatsun@yahoo.com

Let Iroko go ahead with his noble programmes for Ondo. Who did not hear about a certain party making overtures to Iroko but he proves his integrity by aborting their ignoble lure. Ask Mimiko to be focused and undeterred by comments from losers at birth. “Mimiko’s many sins” Lagos. 07067677806 Take it or leave it, by now ACN must have booked all available rooms in all hotels in Ondo, Ekiti states, just to house thugs. It happened in Ekiti the other time, Mimiko & Co should beware. 08057119494 Well, Ondo State governorship election is a concluded matter. It is Iroko all the way because of his performance. Achievements will speak volumes for his re-election bid. We keep our fingers crossed and see what October 20, 2012 will look like in the election. Gordon Chika Nnorom, Umukabia, Abia State.

SNAP Shots

With such a 07082020392 lifestyle, it is only natural With the way this matter has been judged by the that Nemesis, kharmic law, the envious and hapless students and the society, will find a way to media, I don’t think anybody will ask rational take their pound of flesh on such deviants who questions in favour of the villagers. We have indulged our youths, Nay university undergraduconstitute an out law. Unless we want to deny the truth, our universi- ate so much. That is why they have got out of ty system has been destroyed by the activities of hand. The Aluu Four should have been avoided if student cultist. They have killed and maimed only the students had exhibited higher wisdom as many of their fellow students. They have frustrat- university undergraduates. If the villagers acted ed many, deformed many, and cause misery to out of ignorance, how do you explain the action and reaction of students? They exhibited the same many . Why should somebody hide under the toga of angst against the villagers. It means that, all things studentship to perpetrate evil and become lawless? being equal, the students are more barbaric than Why should a student leave the primary reason for the villagers we are condemning. In a situation where students are above the law being in school and go into criminality? Is it not on record that cult students obtain degrees by “force of the university authorities and student union and intimidation.?” Lecturers, who refused to government, when police cannot arrest and prose“cooperate” never lived to tell their stories. The cute them because their well-connected parents society saw all these and kept quiet. Meanwhile will make phone calls, how do you resolve issues, involving them? A parent, who claim he does not God is watching. How could four boys, who are suspected to be know the character of his son or what he is doing, cultists, go to collect “debt” and you expect it to be is not a good parent. Students have since lost their respect on the altar of cultism. That is why people peaceful? There are ways of going about certain things if no longer treat them nicely. From all accounts, nobody said those boys were it is of good purpose. The Aluu Four had the police, their parents and guardians, the student from poor homes. Nobody said they were just union govt., the chief of the village to report to strolling along the road and some people pounced before embarking on their journey of no return. on them. People are even silent on their backInnocent and good students don’t behave like that ground character because they are dead. but because impunity and arrogance is the order of The anger and heartlessness expressed by the the day, everybody has keyed into it in order to mob is as a result of frustration and misery the vilbelong. If intruders invaded your house and you lagers have suffered in the hands of cultists, who have means to protect yourself, will you keep claim to be above the law. You and I know very quiet? well that if those boys were taken to the police staNobody is condemning the invasion of Aluu vil- tion, they wouldn’t have spent a day there. If the lage by students (or cultists) in a reprisal attack. Of story of Aluu Four can stop impunity, arrogance course, it is the right of students to take laws into and lawlessness through cultism on our campuses, their own hands and cause mayhem, not so? They so be it. If not we wait for the fire next time. have the right to do what they like, but when angry Darlington Agomuo, Public Affairs Analyst villagers does the same, it becomes news. Who 08022905726 will compensate the villagers for the destruction of their property?

We have lost our souls The incident is a clear indication that this generation has lost value for life. The numerous prayer houses will have no effect if the people have no value for lives. Emma Abba, 08132697130 Moral rebirth needed I agree with you that there is need for moral rebirth in the land. My fear is that it will be an exercise in futility under the present social system, based on irresponsible individualism. The oppressed must unite and wrest power from the present class. Amos Ejimonye, 08039727512 Let’s preserve our civility Barbarism has taken over souls. I could not watch video of the sad event to preserve whatever remained of my civility. I am dismayed but not shocked, after all cult boys in the universities cut off enemies’ heads and hang them on sticks. We have a society that makes Frankenstein look like an altar boy. Uche Ewgu, 08037787156 Sign of end times Alvan, the unusualness of the spate of violence paints a gory picture of its magnitude. To many listeners of the BBC violence is a global feature now. And whether we like it or not, it is sign of the end time; as predicted by the scriptures. We should at our contending issues and realistically provide solutions to them…let us adopt federalism, under a legal document, for ten years; with a proviso for any zone to opt out if it does not work thereafter. Lai Ashadele, 08023632992 Lord help us I weep for the state of this country…what more can I say? We won’t give up on you lord, help us. Prisilla, Kaduna, 08095704705

DAILY SUN

Thursday, October 18, 2012

ArewaReport Boko Haram: A new voice from the Shehu of Borno From TIMOTHY OLA, Maiduguri

rom Borno State last weekend came what appears like a bold move to tackle the lingering Boko Haram insurgence in the state and some parts of the North. The Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Umar Garbai Elkanemi, who had also lost some of his siblings and close relations to the gunfire of the militant sect, summoned his council of chiefs. They were led by the Waziri of Borno (Prime Minister of the Emirate) and prominent elders in the state, including former petroleum minister, octogenarian Shettima Ali Monguno, first elected governor of the state, Alhaji Mohammed Goni (1979-1983), his successor in 1983, Alhaji Asheik Jar’ma, Chairman, Presidential Committee on Insecurity in the North East, Gaji Gatimari, among others. The Shehu had surreptitiously received pockets of criticisms over his alleged silence on the incessant bombings, killings and attacks by the Boko Haram sect in the state. Though the royal father had continued to call the people to pray fervently for God’s intervention, many insisted he ought to make clear pronouncement on the problem as well as what some residents tagged excesses of the Joint Task Force (JTF) troops. But at a crucial meeting in his palace that Friday morning, the Shehu maintained that his comment, especially on JTF, might not have changed the situation since the troops were sent by the Federal Government: “Many people expect me to say something but the truth is that I don’t have control over the JTF.” He promised the people that the emirate would henceforth be making its position on the security situation known to the public. The killing of an army lieutenant through explosive devices believed to have been planted by Boko Haram and alleged reprisal by soldiers, which left many people dead while over hundred houses, shops and business premises at Gwange were burnt seem to have ignited the weekend move by the emirate. The frustrations, pains and anguish among residents of Maiduguri, the state capital and ironically the headquarters of the sect are palpable. Tragically, a serious humanitarian crisis may gradually creep into the troubled city except the security situation is critically reviewed. This is because more residents are being displaced and dislocated on daily basis both by Boko Haram activities and the military reactions to various attacks. While the local media keep beaming the news and photographs of lost children particularly after each deadly attack, women and children move from one part of the city to another in search of abode. Also, hundreds of young men, engaging in petty trading like fruits, confectionaries and consumable items, have been sacked from their businesses, making them susceptible to crimes and veritable foot-soldiers for the sect activities. But then, it is doubtful if the security situation has really improved. “When you think respite has come, you will just wake up one day and learnt many people have been killed somewhere and you just can’t go out because shooting is taking place somewhere. So in reality, it is getting worse each day though the people in the security circle say they are winning the battle but for anybody who lives in Borno, you know the claim is far from the truth,” a Maiduguri-based journalist who did not want his name in print stated. Secretary of Borno Elders Forum, Alhaji Mali Gubio, expressed similar position: “After four years of the insurgence, the crisis is rather growing bigger and bigger and there seems to be no hope or respite for us in Borno. The Shehu summoned us to a round table to chat a course, to find a means of overcoming this problem in our land. “The meeting was summoned by the Shehu of Borno over the security challenges in the state and some other issues. We have been in this situation for a long time and he feels that it is high

Shehu of Borno addressing the meeting time we take the bull by the horn. It is apparent that no authority in this country wants to end this crisis. It is also apparent that the Federal Government has forsaken the people of Borno State. The President has shown non-challant attitude towards the plight of the people of Borno. No government, no authority in Nigeria has shown any concern apart from the use of force to crush the rebellion going on in our state. It is clear that there is nowhere in the world where insurgence like this can be thrashed out with the use

of force. “If the use of force is the remedy to the problem, we would have seen peace by now. In this direction, the Shah has called for prayers, support, cooperation and idea from everyone in Borno State and else where so that we can together tackle this problem. “Therefore, the royal highness has called on elected officials in the state, business men and women, our elders and governments at all level to put heads together to find solution to this prob-

lem. It is now apparent that only the people of Borno can solve their problem.” He disclosed that some “far-reaching decisions” were taken at the meeting even as he expressed the hope that the impact of these decisions would begin to manifest after two weeks of the meeting. This is a new voice from the Shehu and the people are hoping that the “far-reaching decisions” of the wise men will bring the muchexpected peace to Yelwa, the once-upon-a-time Home of Peace and Hospitality.

‘Mubi massacre, UNIPORT horror; 2 tragedies, too many’ From DESMOND MGBOH, Kano

r. Nwanne Chioke is national president, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Alumni Association. The alumni leadership, which has its current secretariat in Kano State, responded to recent tragedies in tertiary institutions in the country, especially the massacre of students in Mubi, Adamawa State and the killing of four students of the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Excerpts: Mubi massacre We were told that 25 to 40 students were killed in that sad episode and any right-thinking fellow ought to be sad about the development. We condemn the killing in its entirety. While we sympathise with the security agencies involved in the fight against terror because they seem overstretched at this time, I think there should be some intelligence gathering so that we will begin to attribute some worth to lives because it now seems that the lives of Nigerians are worthless. It is high time the security agencies depended more on intelligence. It is better to nip these things in the bud than coming dismally late after lives have been destroyed. More hostels as a way out We can attribute this incident as one of the consequences of the failure of universities and tertiary institutions to get cheap and affordable accommodation within the campuses. If the students were resident in the hostels, it definitely could not have been that easy to murder them in this size and number. But much as this is so, let us also look at the situation from the angle of the government. Those looking for admission, annually, are

Dr. Chioke too many. It is really very difficult for government to provide hostels in the way we had it in the 60s and 70s for the simple reason that there is a great explosion in the number of those going to school today. But individuals and businessmen can build hostels around the schools and these structures be provided with a common security arrangement. Private entrepreneurs too can build hostels within the school premises and then when they have recovered their money, the structures can now be turned to the schools. The sad truth, however, is that Nigerians do not know how to give money. Nigerians give money when it has become too late. There could be endowments and other things that can help ameliorate the burden of building of these hostels on the management of these tertiary institutions.

Holding vice chancellors responsible for students’ security. I think government is correct in that regard, to try to hold the heads of these institutions directly responsible for the security of their students. This is very proper. That is what they should do. I may not say for all of them, but definitely some of them are selfish. The security of their students, ordinarily, should be paramount to them, should be uppermost in the decisions and calculations they take as administrators. Universities’ internal security arrangement may not match the terror challenge in Nigeria today. With the kind of security challenge we are faced with, it is high time that universities opened up the security arrangement to include and embrace the regular security systems like the Nigeria Police and others. The university internally recruited security men are no longer capable of containing the challenges. We saw what happened in Bayero University, Kano (BUK), when some people were attacked and killed in the Church within the school. There is no way that the internal security officers employed by BUK could have stopped the security breach that occurred on that Sunday. Universities’ internal security officers have their own limitations. They don’t have guns, they are ill-trained and sometimes, they are retired and tired policemen, including being seriously aged. Horror meted on four students of University of Port Harcourt This is extremely barbaric and sad. I want to ask those who partook in or supervised the Continued on page 25

DAILY SUN

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Arewa Report Katsina @ 25: Blow your trumpet, Madaki tells Shema

Muibat Shehu

Mother of 5 needs N6.5m for spinal cord surgery in India From ABDULGAFAR ALABELEWE, Kaduna

uibat Shehu, a Kaduna-based petty trader and mother of five, has been down with spinal cord injury, following an auto crash since 2011. After several months, in and out of orthopaedic hospital, within which she was delivered of a baby boy through caesarian section (CS), the motionless accident victim now bleeds badly. Muibat and other family members were involved in a motor accident while returning to Kaduna from Suleja in August last year where they had gone to pay condolence visit to some family members, following the death of one of them, who died after a surgery. The accident, according to the Ogbomoso, Oyo-State born Muibat, left her mother with severe fracture and her with spinal cord injury, which she initially took for ordinary backache. Although, they were taken to a hospital in Suleja immediately after the auto crash, their cases were referred to Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Shika, Zaria, where her mother was admitted for surgery. Muibat’s case was further referred to Dala Orthopaedic Hospital, Kano, where she spent five months on admission. Unknown to Muibat, wife of a roadside automobile mechanic, Shehu Bello, she was carrying her fifth baby, at the time of the accident. It was after spending few weeks at Dala that doctors confirmed she was pregnant: “I was in the hospital for five months before I was discharged. The doctors at the Kano hospital told us that since I was pregnant, I needed to be going for antenatal because they don’t deliver babies in their own hospital. I was going for antenatal and at the same time going to the orthopaedic hospital on appointment.” The victim spoke from her hospital bed at a private clinic in Kaduna: “When my pregnancy was eight months, the doctors discovered that, I would not be able to handle delivery, due to my condition. So, I was delivered of the baby through CS (Caesarian Section) at the eighth month. The boy has been in the custody of my mother since then.” But despite undergoing spinal cord surgery at Dala, she said her condition worsened, considering the severity of the pain she has been going through. Muibat said having tried all their best at the Kano hospital, which gulped about a million naira raised by her poor family members, a consultant advised that they

(Muibat’s family) fly her to an India hospital. She disclosed that even though her poor family was already overwhelmed by the expenses incurred on her treatment at the Kano hospital, they did not waste time in contacting Apollo Hospital, New Delhi, India. The reply they got was that she may need what they described as “solar surgery” and subsequent long term neuro rehabilitation at the approximated cost of N6.5million, including drugs, accommodation, feeding and traveling allowances. Muibat said she has been living with the pain at the home, until about six weeks ago, when she started bleeding consistently through the

previous surgery point on her back. This again prompted her family to take her to a private clinic in Kaduna for dressing, before she was placed on admission about a month ago, as the bleeding continued. Though, the Indian hospital had sent visas to Muibat’s family to fly her there for the surgery, the combined efforts of her family members have not raised half a million naira. It is on this note that, Muibat’s family is appealing to kindhearted Nigerians and government to help raise the amount to safe her life, as her six monthold-baby (Muhammed), is yet to feel her mother since birth.

former military administrator, Colonel John Yahaya Madaki (rtd.), has advised Katsina State Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Shehu Shema, to embrace the media more so that his government’s laudable achievements can be projected to the public. Unlike his predecessor, the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, who, according to Madaki, was never bothered about media perception of his government, Shema should endeavour to cultivate the media so that what he is doing can be more known to the Nigerian public. Madaki said this during the state’s silver jubilee dinner and inspection of the Shema administration’s projects. Captain Acholonu (rtd.), another former military administrator of the state, noted that given all that he saw, the governor had surpassed all the former governors’ achievements put together. General Lawrence Onoja (rtd.), a former administrator too, was full of praises for Shema who, he observed, was gentle on the face but deep in terms of bringing development to the people. He said he was even more delighted to know that despite the lean resources of the state, the governor could put up solid structures without borrowing a dime either from within or outside the country. Others at the dinner include a former governor of Kaduna, Alhaji Lawal Kaita, and a former President of the Appeal Court, Justice Abdulahi. The dignitaries inspected Turai Yar’Adua Maternity and Children Hospital, Barhin Housing Estate, Katsina Craft Village, Umar Musa Yar’Adua University, Katsina 250-bed Orthopedic Hospital, new Government House, Katsina Stadium still under construction and a windmill. Madaki was particularly excited by the windmill project capable of generating 30 megawatts of electricity, saying if many state governors doing much less than the Katsina governor were showcasing their projects, Shema should do no less so that people can learn from him. Responding, the governor said the state had gone a long way since 1987 when it was created. He restated his passion to uplift his people, saying he was building on the foundation laid by his predecessors.

Internet can’t consume NIPOST – Kogi APM From EMMANUEL ADEYEMI, Lokoja

...Too many tragedies T Continued from page 24 killing of these boys, Can you kill your child because he steals a phone? Would you be happy if your own son is killed even if he had stolen a car? There is a big problem in Nigeria. Gradually, some of us have degenerated below the level of animals. Really! Animals, as we know them, they don’t behave like some of us do. You cannot come to a jungle and see where animals of the

same specie are killing each other. Animals only pick what they need, but we pick both what we need and what we don’t need. This is barbaric. But let the government get to the root of that matter and arrest everybody that played a role in the gory saga. They must be thought a lesson that we must begin to respect the sanctity of human lives. No matter what was stolen, it is not sufficient to justify the killing of these boys. Conflict of interest between host communities and university’s students It is not entirely strange to have records of students of universities having one form of difference or another with their host community. Two things are responsible. It is not entirely the fault of the students neither is it entirely the fault of the host community. But I just think that the authorities that run the universities must make a very serious effort to integrate the students and their host community. They must reach out, must go beyond themselves to sell themselves to their host community. The communities have a problem also. There is this feeling that, ‘we gave them all our lands, we are their host’ and therefore, the university and the students must be slaves to our culture and values. The host community must under-

stand that these students are from diverse cultures and backgrounds and they are young and exuberant people. Some of the things they do may not exactly tally with what the community will want them to do; hence the community ought to be tolerant, knowing that their own children school elsewhere. I just believe there should be a symbiotic relationship between the community and the university. Hike in school fees in UNN. I don’t think that there is any hike in school fees at UNN. There is nowhere in the world where students determine their school fees. The Vice Chancellor lately told me that they had provided an Internet service that was stronger, that had a greater capacity than what was available in town, a breakdown of which is responsible for charging the students N33 per day. This sum is what translates to N12,000 per annum. I also understand that the internet services provided to the students cost the university (for Enugu campus alone) about N150 million par annum. And somehow, these things must be paid for. If you go to town to browse, you are charged close to N200 per hour, a big difference to N33 per day. Therefore, if the students are asked to pay N33 pay day, I think it is very benevolent of the school’s administrators. But as alumni, I think we would get to the school and try to speak to the students and their leaders and make them understand the intentions of the university. It is not an increase in school fees. For students who are not using the internet services… well it would be difficult to establish that. I don’t know any reason why any student would not want to use the internet in this present time.

he Area Postal Manager, Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST), Kogi Territory, Mr Simon Adoyi, has promised to reposition the postal service for more effective service delivery and productivity. Adoyi made the commitment during the recent World Postal Day. While appraising the innovation of technology especially, that of Internet services to the contemporary world, he said it would be grossly erroneous to assume that the role of NIPOST could be totally wiped out or submerged by such innovation For example, he said it was only NIPOST that had the capacity to accept the conveyance of cargo and parcel delivery to any part of the world at the fastest and cheapest rate. He said, apart from providing philately services and rendering other essential services to the public, NIPOST has been repositioned under the new national management to provide services with a well-trained and motivated manpower that has the capacity to surmount any challenge The APM disclosed that under Kogi territory, 31 post offices have so far been established across the 21 local government areas in the state while the establishment of post offices in Ajaka, Ibaji, Ugwalawo and other towns are at advanced stage.

Muri Baba

DAILY SUN

Thursday, October 18, 2012

By WOLE BALOGUN

hen God graciously gave Mr. Sebastine Ohaya and his beautiful wife, Mrs. Clara Ohaya a baby boy six months ago, their joy knew no bounds. Moreso, that he is a baby boy. The parents were highly excited and gave thanks to the most high. But joy as the saying goes, does have a slender body, that easily breaks. Things began to turn sour for the Ohaya about a year ago when they suddenly discovered that he could not breathe normally. Worried, the parents had rushed him to a hospital where they got the shock of their life: little Chimezue was diagnosed to have got three holes in his heart!. Such ailment, according to the doctor, could only be cured by flying the little boy to India for a surgery that would gulp N3.5M. To his poor Mum, the world began to crash at that moment. She has since remained a shadow of her former self, cuddling little Chimezue and praying fervently that some day help would come their way. Fighting back tears, Mr. Ohaya, a native of Eziachi in Orlu Local Government Council, Imo State, said: “It all happened on November 11, 2011, at the Osborne Hospital, Ejigbo, Lagos. We had traveled for my father’s burial in the

Please save Chimezue

Six-month old baby needs N3.5m to survive hole in the heart problem •Has three more months to live… east. We suddenly discovered that the boy wasn’t breathing normally. So we took him to Orlu general Hospital and at the hospital, they carried out series of tests and they put him in the oxygen for two days and thereafter diagnosed that he has three holes in his heart. After taking him again to several other hospitals and we were given the same story, we have been going different places seeking for help. His mother has not been herself since that time. Even me, I’m just taking it with the heart of a man. We have sought for money from ever places and people we know but no help has come our way. I am only petty trader and his mum who is also into petty trading as well, has even stopped doing anything. She has remained in the village with my son. I’m more agitated now because the time the doctor gave for my baby to live remains only three weeks today, (October 16, 2012). We want compassionate Nigerians to help us

urgently. We don’t want to lose Chimezue like we lost the baby boy who came immediately after our first baby. He has been a very

wonderful bundle of joy to us. His coming into our life five years our firstborn gave us immense joy. We pray that God would use

compassionate people to restore that joy. ” Account details of the Oyahas with the Zenith Bank is Sebastine Ohaya, 2002066051. His mobile numbers are 08160321836, 07034418120

Thursday, October 18, 2012

DAILY SUN

POLITICS...&Polity Ekweremadu Committee:

The agenda for new constitution

•Ekweremadu

•Ndoma-Egba

•Uwechue

•Abubakar

From ADETUTU FOLASADE-KOYI, Abuja

failed attempts, Nigerians nevertheless showed faith and commitment to the cause. Together, we all broke the jinx, making a historic success of that effort by recording the following breakthroughs: Handover to Vice President/Deputy Governor settled: This particular matter became a major political challenge in 2010 during the unfortunate illness and eventual demise of late President Musa Yar’Adua. “To avoid such occurrence in future, the National Assembly amended sections 145 and 190 of the Constitution to make it compulsory for the President and a Governor, respectively, to transmit a letter to the National Assembly or State Assembly, accordingly, to enable their deputies to act whenever they are proceeding on vacation or unable to discharge their functions. And where this is not done, the Vice President or Deputy Governor automatically begins to act after 21 days of the absence of the President or Governor. Remaining term of office when a President/Governor wins re-run: Whereas the Supreme Court of Nigeria in a landmark ruling on the matter brought before it by Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State main-

tained that a Governor’s or President’s term begins to run from the date he/she was sworn in, Governors such as those of Ekiti, Cross River, Adamawa, and Kogi States whose elections were annulled, but who won the reruns, also thought this applied to them and carried on as such. Consequently, sections 135 and 180 of the Constitution were amended to straighten the intendment of the Constitution to the effect that “in the determination of the four year term, where a rerun election has taken place and the person earlier sworn in wins the rerun election, the time spent in the office before the date the election was annulled, shall be taken into account.” Status of the National Industrial Court settled: The status of the National Industrial Court, NIC, as a Court of Superior Record was settled through the amendment of Sections 6, 84, 240, 243, 287, 289, 292, 294, 295, 216, 318 and the third Schedule and Seventh Schedule of the Constitution. Section 254 was also inserted. Thus, the NIC is now of the same status with the High Courts as Courts of superior record. Independence of INEC: One of the landmark achievements of constitution amend-

ment in the 6th National Assembly was the securing of both administrative and financial independence for the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC in line with international best practices and popular demand by the Nigerian people. This was achieved by amending Sections 81, 84, and 160 of the Constitution. While these amendments enables INEC to draw its funds directly as First Line Charge, Section 160 as amended provides that “in the case of the Independent National Electoral Commission, its powers to make its own rules or otherwise regulate its own procedure shall not be subject to the approval of the President. Qualification for INEC membership: The Constitution had erroneously provided that a candidate for nomination for membership of INEC should hold the same qualifications as one seeking election into the House of Representatives. This naturally includes membership of a political party. This could not have been the intention of the drafters of the constitution. Therefore, we amended Section 156 of the Constitution to insulate INEC members from partisan politics. Fixed time for disposal of election petitions: Our electoral processes have hitherto faced the challenge of too many rigmarole and undue delays in election petitions. Since justice delayed is justice denied, Section 285 Subsections 5-8 were amended to provide for a timeline for filing, hearing, and delivery of judgment/returns on petitions. Petitions must be filed within 21 days, judgement delivered within 180 days from the date of filing of the petition, while every appeal arising from tribunal or Court of Appeal in an election matter must be delivered 60 days from the date of the delivery of judgement by

Carry-over from Sixth National Assembly The journey to a further amendment of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) started almost immediately the Senate Constitution Review Committee (SCRC) rounded off work in 2010.

hortly after the National Assembly and two-thirds of the state Houses of Assembly approved the amendments, which galvanized and guided the April 2011 elections, the Senate collated those clauses, which did not pass through and set them on the front burner as the agenda for the Seventh Senate. It is pertinent to quickly recall the landmark achievements recorded by the Sixth National Assembly in amending the Constitution. Two previous attempts failed but with the Senator Ike Ekweremadu-led committee, several breakthroughs were recorded such that the panel was about to break the jinx associated with the exercise. In his words at the opening ceremony of the two-day public hearing, which held at the ECOWAS Parliament auditorium at the International Conference Centre in Abuja, Ekweremadu recalled some of the landmark achievements of the last exercise. He equally proffered explanations for some of the amendments: “You would recall that right inside this arena in October 2009, just about three years ago, Nigerians gathered for the legislative ritual of public hearing towards the amendment of the 1999 Constitution. “Amidst widespread doubts and cynicisms at the time over the ability of the Senate and indeed the National Assembly to successfully amend the 1999 Constitution after many

“Amidst widespread doubts and cynicisms at the time over the ability of the Senate and indeed the National Assembly to successfully amend the 1999 Constitution after many failed attempts, Nigerians

nevertheless showed faith and commitment to the cause. Together, we all broke the jinx, making a historic success of that effort.”

•Continued from page 28

DAILY SUN

•Continued on page 27

Thursday, October 18, 2012

POLITICS...&Polity Renewed quest for a people’s constitution

the tribunal or Court of Appeal. Reduction in the number of judges on Election Petition Tribunals: Before now, both the National and State Houses of Assembly Election Tribunal and the Governorship Election Tribunal consisted of a Chairman and four Members. So, Section 285 and Sixth Schedule of the 1999 Constitution were amended to reduce the composition of both Tribunals to a Chairman and two Members and the quorum to Chairman and a member. This was done with a view to quickening the dispensation of justice at the tribunals. It means there are more judges available for appointment into the tribunals, while fewer judges are needed for a tribunal to sit. Financial autonomy for the National Assembly: A milestone was also scored by securing the financial independence of the National Assembly from the Executive arm. Given the vital role of the National Assembly, it was indeed an anomaly to have an arm of government which is the direct representative of the people and which is supposed to oversight the executive and help check excesses in line with the principle of checks and balance to be dependent on the same executive arm for funding. Regrettably, the same could not be achieved for the State legislatures as that amendment could not muster the required two-thirds of the State Houses of Assembly to pass as amended...” Setting the agenda, ground rules for Constitution amendment Almost immediately after Senate President David Mark inaugurated the SCRC under the leadership of Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, memoranda stealthily poured in. Unlike past exercises, this time around, it seems that the Ekweremadu committee is poised to garner and allow views from Nigerians to serve as guide Perhaps in a novel move targetted at public participation aimed at populist influence on a new Constitution, the Ekweremadu committee collated all the contentious issues in the society. At the same opening ceremony, Ekweremadu quickly reminded participants on the thematic areas of focus of the public hearing. “Following our earlier call for memoranda, the Committee has at the last count received a total of 231 memoranda in addition to 56 other memoranda proposing the creation of additional states. Nigerians have poured out their minds on the way forward for the country, especially on the following key issues: Devolution of powers; state creation; constitutional recognition of six geopolitical zones; The local government system; fiscal federalism; residency and indigeneship; the Nigerian Police; and rotation of offices. Others are: Immunity clause; executive (should we continue with the current two terms of four years, or will a single term serve us better? Are we better off with the presidential system or should we return to the parliamentary system of the First Republic. Can we crossbreed both systems?) Other areas include: Judicial reforms to strengthen justice delivery; the desirability or otherwise of a mayoral status for the Federal Capital Territory; extraction of the Land Use Act, National Youth Service Act, and Code of Conduct from the Constitution to make their amendments easier and faster in response to emerging realities without going through the rigours of constitution review; amendment of provisions of the Constitution pertaining to state creation and boundary adjustment. There are also the issues of constitutional roles for the traditional rulers; and of great import too, the protection of gender and special interest groups.” Although Ekweremadu has set out the agenda for the committee, even before the national public hearing which held in Abuja last week, some salient issues stick out. They are: state creation, state police, devolution of powers and fiscal federalism. In fact, before the Senate ever opened its doors to the public to air their views on these

“Nigerians have poured out their minds on the way forward for the country, especially on the following key issues: Devolution of powers, state creation, constitutional recognition of six geopolitical zones, the local government system, fiscal federalism, residency and indigeneship, the Nigerian Police and rotation of offices.” factors, Nigerians from all walks of life and across political divide have already agitated over these issues. In fact, some regional associations have called on President Goodluck Jonathan administration to convene a Sovereign National Conference (SNC) but the executive and the legislature insist that there can be no two sovereignties in a Federation. Senate Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba has consistently toed this line of thought and even argued further that since the National Assembly is made up of representatives of the people, it would only be natural if they could channel their grievances through them and have them addressed. This could perhaps be the reason for the solemn pledge Ekweremadu set out in his address: “I must admit to you, that we are not unmindful of the sensitivity of the issues at stake or their implications to the overall structure of the Nigerian state. However, let me assure Nigerians, once again, that we the members of this Committee, and indeed the National Assembly are united and resolved from the outset to handle this onerous task with open minds and with our eyes focused on democratic growth, national interest, and posterity. “As you would recall, this Committee did not issue any communiqué at the end of our brainstorming retreat in Asaba because members could not have any positions on any of the issues except that taken by the generality of Nigerians through their inputs into the process. “Today, I still stand by that unequivocal assurance that we have no agenda except that which you, our fellow countrymen and women, have set or will set for us. “The only interests we have to protect are those of our hard won democracy, the masses of our people, and posterity. We will ensure that tackles of ideas are traded in the open with decorum and that superior arguments prevail so that Nigerians would readily take the total credit or blame for the outcome of this exercise. “However, I must reiterate that we will not be intimidated by any form of subtle or outright threats or blackmail. While we will

endeavour to always guide the debate, providing valuable and correct information that would assist Nigerians make the right decisions of their own freewill on all the issues at stake, we will not join issues with anyone or group that may want to deliberately distract or inflame the whole process. “We will not fear to legislate for the good of our country, just as we will never legislate in fear. Nigeria is bigger than every one individual...” Discordant tunes on new Constitution Even though the Senate has set out its agenda and made it known, for the umpteenth time that the Constitution review process would be driven by Nigerians, some groups are still resolute on their demands and would want them reflected in the new Constitution. For instance, apex Igbo cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo on Friday threw its weight behind fiscal federalism, recognition of six regional structures in the constitution and establishment of state police. Besides, the Igbo group canvassed a single term tenure of six years for the President and holders of elective office. In fact, the group would want rotation of executive offices while advocating that the President should be allowed to choose his deputy. Ohanaeze top chieftain, Dr. Olisa Ebigwei articulated the group’s position in a paper titled: “The position of the Igbo nation” at a two-day public hearing on the review of the 1999 Constitution convened by the Senate Committee on Constitution Review in Abuja. Ohanaeze canvassed six regions corresponding with the present six geo-political zones as the federating units to be headed by an elected Governor General. “Apart from stopping the inevitable distraction from the time and attention of the office holder in the quest for a second term, a single tenure eliminates the crucial and unfair advantage enjoyed by an incumbent with access to vast official facilities, which are not available to his of her co-contestant in the conduct of electoral campaigns.” The body also said that the office of the President shall rotate among the six regions. “When a vacancy occurs by whatever cause (demise, incapacity on health grounds,

•Jega

•Adoke

impeachment, resignation) the Governor General from his/her region shall assume the office of the President of the Federation for the remainder of the six year tenure allotted to that region.” The body said that each region should enjoy the same powers and autonomy as was the case at independence in 1960 “shorn of the distortion that came with military rule and to determine the number and responsibilities of the states and local governments in the region.” On fiscal federalism, Ohanaeze noted that at independence, revenue sharing formula was 50 per cent on derivation to the region of origin, 20 per cent to the Federal Government while the balance of 30 per cent was shared equally among the regional governments including the regions of origin. It said that the formula was reconfirmed in the 1963 Republican Constitution. To make more funds available to the proposed six regions, Ohanaeze recommended 30 per cent based on derivation and 70 per cent to be shared by the Federal Government and the six regions taking into account the reduced responsibilities of the Federal Government and the increase in those of the regions. It said that the agreed allocation for the six regions should be shared equally among them. Even the Inspector General of Police Mohammed Abubakar did not shy away from taking a public stand against creation of state police. Represented at the public hearing by David Abua, the IGP insisted that Nigeria is politically immature for state police. “Nigeria Police was established to take care of all anigerians wherever they are in the country. The reason why people are agitating for state police is because the central policing system is grossly underfunded. “Lack of funding is the reason for the agitation of state police. If there is adequate funding, police would be able to perform better. Across the states of the Federation, police work together with the state governments. So, of what need again is state police? “Nigeria is not politically mature to have state police now because if we allow state police now, it would create unnecessary rivalry... Nigerian peculiarity does not allow state police.” But former Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Mr. Simon Okeke countered the IGP. He contended before the committee that “Nigeria is mature enough to have state police. Among other reasons he advanced, Okeke wondered “how state governors can be chief security officers of their states without having authority over their security matters in their states...” It got more interesting when the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Justice Minister Mohammed Adoke opposed state police and advocated retention of the immunity clause in the Constitution. He, however, advocated devolution of powers from the federal government to states and local governments that would be reflected on the composition of the Exclusive, Concurrent and Residual Legislative Lists. Nigerians take charge of new Constitution After all said and done, it seems Nigerians have saddled the Ekweremadu committee with more clauses for amendment than it did in the last exercise, which may be too cumbersome in the long run. Understandably, Nigerians are eager for change in the polity and want some of these changes reflected in the Constitution but there are so many contentious issues now that it would be a miracle if some of them scale through with this particular exercise. Besides, for the first time, state legislatures have now come forward to demand for financial autonomy; something which was unachievable in the last exercise. In its bid to ensure financial autonomy for the legislative arm of government, the National Assembly amended the Constitution by putting their finances on the First Line Charge.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

DAILY SUN

Community extols lawmaker over electrification

he Abiola Community made up of over 10,000 residents has commended the lawmaker respecting Akinyele State Constituency 1, Mr. Joshua Kolade Olagunju for his achievements in office including his presentation of a transformer to the community. The chairman of the community, Evangelist Michael Ojo, gave the commendation at the official presentation of the transformer by the lawmaker. He stated that the community had been without functional electricity for the past 20 years adding that successive administration have always been paying lip services to provide them with a transformer. Ojo maintained that the provision of the transformer would help improve the

social and economic lives of residents of the community. “The donation of this 200 kvs transformer would solve once and for all our suffering and bring succur to our people”, he declared. Ojo further admonished the lawmaker to keep faith with his electioneering campaign by providing social infrastructure for the electorate in his constituency. “This gift, a 200 kva transformer is coming to us at a time when we all thought there is no more hope for us to enjoy good electricity supply”, he added. The community leader posited that unlike other elected functionaries who would neglect their constituency, Mr. Kolade Olagunju has continued to align himself with the needs and economic lives of residents of the community.

“Kolade is a good politician of sound record. He has not forsake us unlike those who would neglect the people. He is a decent and principle politicians,” he insisted. He, however, assured that the community would safeguard the transformer and prevent it from been vandalised by men of the underworld. Ojo, however, called on the state government to urge the Indepenent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to provide polling booths in the community, lamenting that they usually trekked about 5 kilometres to cast their votes. The community leader3r also pledged the unalloyed support of the community to the Accord Party in future elections due to Mr. Kolade Olagunju's lofty achievements since assuming office.

ANJET re-organizes, commits to viable tourism industry By EMEKA ANOKWURU

he Association of Nigerian Journalists and Writers of Tourism

(ANJET) has reconvened after a long absence from the tourism scene with a commitment to bring the vast wealth of the experiences of its members to

bear on the industry and ensure that the cause of the Nigeria tourism industry is given the attention it desired across the country. In a statement released by the body for travel and tourism journalists in Nigeria after its meeting in Lagos, the second for the month of September, the body urged its members to close ranks and work together for the good of the tourism industry and avoid any politicking that would affect its becoming a united body. It therefore, resolved to build a stronger body that would earn the respect of the industry and be a reference point. Also, the body resolved among others to contribute its best to the building of a viable tourism industry by ensuring that it upholds the tenets of journalism profession in its reportage by drawing attention to issues affecting the industry. The body also pledged to interface with all the relevant associations and professionals in the industry in its drive to give a stronger voice to the industry. It would also resume its monthly roundtable discourse on issues related to the industry, visit destinations across the country and engage state governors, tourism boards and committees as well as ministries, parastatals and other government agencies on working to develop the industry. As a first step to announcing its presence again on the scene, the body is planning a series of courtesy calls on some of the tourism associations and practitioners while also deliberating on a formal re - launch of the body, investiture of its patrons and officers as well as the first roundtable session for the year.

DAILY SUN

Thursday, October 18, 2012

ARTS By DAMIETE BRAIDE, UGOCHI EZZINNADI and NGOZI AGU

“W

e are worried about what our government is doing about art structures in the country because we cannot find anywhere in the world where artworks are being destroyed or removed from public places. In developed countries, artworks are highly respected and placed at public places for people to see, and the works represent their cultural heritage.” Prince Yemisi Shyllon of The Omooba Yemisi Adedoyin Shyllon Art Foundation (OYASAF) made this statement in Lagos last week when stakeholders in the arts community and the Society of Nigerian Artistes (SNA) held an interactive session with journalists. According to the popular arts collector, following the renovation going on at the Murtala Mohammed Airport, Lagos, and other airports in the country, the works of living and departed heroes of this country were being destroyed or threatened. Shyllon hinted that stakeholders were very concerned and worried that works of the leading legends of Nigerian art at the Murtala Mohammed Airport and those by the late Nigerian artists like Agbo Folarin were now being threatened or displaced at the Murtala Mohammed Airport. Shyllon recalled that in Surulere area of Lagos, Yusuf Grillo’s mosaic mural is no longer in view, following the building of Adeniran Shopping Complex. His words ‘It has been destroyed and we are concerned that the owners of these public edifices are not the Nigerian government, but they are Nigerian people. We believe that we should draw the attention of Nigerians to the fact that they need to have a collective interest and patrimony in the works of great Nigerian artists which are being threatened in various airports right now. We think that it is not too late to invite great artists through the

of SNA, described the development as being totally distasteful and condemnable. In the arts, when we say that something is in the public domain, what we mean is that everybody can lay claim to the economy because it is the tax payers’ money. It is a general patrimony, once your work is in the public domain, it is everybody who owns it. Everybody has a right to it. “ According to the ethics of the profession, if a work is in the public, the owner of that work has copyright to that work. So if you must tamper with the work, you should at least consult the artist, if you must renovate the work, you should at least consult him. The people who own the works have a say on that artwork, I don’t think this has been done.’’said Nnabuife. The SNA secretary further hinted that all stakeholders in the arts were involved in a meeting with the National Assembly and the Ministry •Engr. Shyllon of Culture and Tourism in the passing of a bill to protect the artworks. The proposed bill has passed the first and second to our pride and a nation and as a people.’ In the same vein, foremost contemporary reading of the National Gallery bill, and that a artist, Yusuf Grillo, buttressed Shyllon on the section of that bill covers works in public poor state of Agbo Folarin’s work, adding “We domain. It addresses who protects is and what should not only talk about the Murtala should and should not be done to the artworks. Mohammed Airport, we should talk about our It is unfortunate that after passing the first readworks in public places. It is going round in the ing, it has been waiting for the second reading country, works are being demolished and at the Sixth National Assembly. replaced with flowers, we want a situation At the end of the deliberation, it was agreed where we can find out if there is a law which that a team be set up to visit the airport and a makes it possible to move any artwork. I am thorough report made on what needs to be done. particularly pained by the removal of the art- Also, a seven-man committee, consisting of works at the roundabout in Warri, and not just stakeholders would be set up to visit the planting flowers there.” He said. Minister of Tourism and Culture and the In the same vein, Chuka Nnabuife, Secretary Ministry of Aviation to address the issue.

Artworks in public domain deserve respect, say artists SNA to be part of a committee for the renovation and rebuilding of new airports. According to him, both at the International and local wing 2 of the Murtala Mohammed Airport, there are supposed to be nine works by Yusuf Grillo, which were done in cement. Today, the works are missing from their original positions as at penultimate Wednesday. I think this is an example of the misuse or lack of perception of the importance of art works. The British government will not treat the works of Henry Moore like that at the Heathrow Airport. Foreign governments will not treat the works of great artists anyhow at their airports, But here, we seem not to know the essence of great works

Otuasega: Drama unveils injustice against women By SOLA BALOGUN

“

This life is very hard and unbearable. Suffering is killing us, there is no good school and There is no scholarship” These are the voices of women from Otuasega, which literarily means Sega’s land. It is located in Ogbia Local Government Council of Bayelsa State, about 30 minutes drive from the state capital, Yenagoa. The people trace their origin to Oloibiri, the first community where oil was first explored in the Niger Delta. The people are of Ijaw ethnic group with a common ancestry traced to Olei; who is said to be the father of Ogbia. The occasion was the public performance of drama and dissemination of the findings of a project titled Local Voices and Choices: Promoting Grassroots Agency in the Niger Delta Through Participatory Drama and Video organised by the Nigerian Popular Theatre Alliance (NPTA). NPTA is an international NGO based in Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria. Though located close to the famous Oloibiri where oil was first exploited in Nigeria and although Otuasega is in the same Local Government with the President Jonathan Goodluck’s home town Otueke, the general picture here is that of underdevelopment like most communities in the Niger Delta. The people do not fare better than most Delta communities. Otuasega is less than 20 minutes drive from Otuoke. The general picture of the Niger Delta, where the Otuasega community is located, is that of a place devastated by oil spills from the mining activities of Shell, Elf, Halliburton, etc. leading to serious pollution and destruction of livelihoods. The recent acknowledgement by Shell of the devastating effects of the massive oil spill is a clear case of an environment under threat. There is also gross negligence of accountability and transparency at different levels of the political spectrum. In general, governance has not worked for the poor in the area. As a result, the

•Guests during the event Niger Delta has been pervaded by a general sense of insecurity. It has been characterized by violence, social unrest, and criminality. Pitched battles are frequently reported between oil companies and militia, between militia and government, and between warring communities and chieftaincy rivals. The tensions in the region are intensified by a complex web of politicians aiming to secure constituencies/power bases, kidnappers demanding ransoms, circuits engaging in oil bunkering, and local groups fighting for land/water entitlements and revenue redistribution. While many of these actors publicly claim to act in the interest of the Niger Delta people, the voices of ordinary citizens are hardly ever heard in the public media and their needs and demands tend to be largely ignored in the public policies of state and local governments. With a population of a little over 10,000 made of mainly fishermen and farmers although some of the inhabitants’ still do menial jobs with the

oil companies, construction companies etc. The people cut the picture of suffering. Survival seems the major objective here. The entire Otuasega community is a settlement divided into two parts by the only motorable road said to have been constructed by Shell Petroleum Development Company. There is a graded road on the left side of the town on the way to the palace said to be a federal road. The creek on the right side of the community is completely taken over by water hyacinth and children could be seen on canoes floating on the creek openly defecating. And, women are visibly struggling as they paddle their canoes on the difficult water hyacinth. They said that their farmlands are on the other side of the creeks. Just to the right on the entrance to the community, is one of the Shell facilities with gas continuously flaring away. Some of the effect of which can be seen in the community is evident on the corrugated roofing sheets rotting away. One old man lamented that they had to change the zinc

used in roofing their houses almost every other year and that in the past people lived for well over a hundred years; but these days, it was rare to find a seventy year old in the village, with people coughing and dying of strange ailments. By the end of the discussion, it was agreed that the water hyacinth problem has become too big for the community (women) to handle and as such some form of external intervention was needed so the people resolved to contact Shell and Daewoo Construction Company to help out. The meeting resolved to contact the oil companies for their intervention through advocacy by the Community Development Committee (CDC) accompanied by a video letter covering the state of the creek.. Professor Oga Steve Abah, leader of the Nigerian Popular Theatre Alliance/Theatre for Development team, said: “Our original intention was to use the tools of video and drama to give voice to the voiceless in the Niger Delta; to enhance their ability to take positive action devoid of violence. How do you get women, youths and the men to start talking about their common problems and finding solutions without resorting to armed struggle that has become the hallmark of the Niger Delta crises recently? In some respects we succeeded. At the end of the day, the project ‘Local Voices’ helped to bring to public arena the voices of the women, the problem of the teenage girls, the increasing inability of the men to handle family and community issues and the drifting of the youth away from support for their community. The project also trained members of the Community Development Committee (CDC) on leadership. The project team concluded that if what they hear from the women and men are anything to hold on to, then the project has made impact. As the project ended, Professors Jenks Okwori and Samuel Kafewo who were part of the facilitating team said: “We have worked enough over these past three years with the CDC and community members for them to take the issues forward.”

Thursday, October 18, 2012

DAILY SUN

ARTS

The lawyer’s companion By FAITH OMORUYI

new monthly magazine, The Nigerian Lawyer (TNL), has just hit the newsstands with hard knocks on the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) and the Council of Legal Education. According to its publisher, Osa Director, the magazine aims to report and analyse the Nigerian lawyer with a focus on law, issues of law and lifestyles of lawyers in order to promote rule of law and the Nigerian lawyer as an agent of good governance and development. The lead story on the cover of the maiden edition (September 2012) features activist and lawyer, Bamidele Aturu, condemning the Council of Legal Education with the headline “What the Council of Legal Education is doing is evil”. Another lead story is a commentary, which gives a damning verdict on the recent NBAelections while the other front page story is on the success story of the newly appointed Chief Justice of Nigeria, Mariam Aloma Mukhtar. Another side attraction is on a lawyer, who was debarred for gross indiscipline. The magazine starts by listing its contents and the pages where every item could be found. The contents include the following topics: Law Perspectives, a word from the Publisher, list of editorial advisory board members, The struggle to lead the Bar, Lagos State New Tenancy Law, Always First, Women in the Law, Lawyer Disbarred for fraud, Lawyer in the Diaspora, Dangote scores another first, while the cover interview is entitled A rebel with a cause, EFCC tackles financial crimes, Law and Religion, Lawyer’s wardrobe and Sports. In its analysis of the recent NBA election in which Okechukwu Wali (SAN) emerged winner as against his co presidential aspirant, Emeka Ngige (SAN), the magazine holds that tribal and religious groupings detracted from the credibility of the NBA election process adding that both contestants were locked in contest of accusations and counter accusations of endorsement through press statements and advertorials from both parties. “TNL investigation shows the election was a close call for the presidential aspirants. But neg-

ative influence of primordial sentiments and subtle intervention from those in high places allegedly influenced the outcome of the election. “A very highly placed government official who is a lawyer was said to have held a party for delegates and indulged them to return all easterners in the election. Hence, it was not a surprise that a very experienced, versatile and tested journalist and lawyer, Gbolahan Gbadamasi, former Judicial Editor of the Guardian Newspapers lost to a rookie like Ahan Obi from Onitsha bar in the race to occupy the office of Publicity Secretary. “However, irrespective of these shortcomings, the NBA election was seen by some lawyers as the best organised in the bar’s history.”(Page 12) Meanwhile, a good thing about the magazine is that it has a column for the law every reader needs to know and for this edition, it is the Lagos State new tenancy law. Everything contained in the state’s official gazette on the new law is listed. TNL does not forget to trace the rise of Nigeria’s first female Chief Justice, Justice Miriam Aloma Mukhtar to her present position under the title “Always First”. Describing her as a daughter of destiny, the magazine asserts that in a male-dominated society and profession, her achievement is commendable and historic. In the power interview with Aturu entitled “A Rebel with a Cause”, Aturu was quoted as saying that the Council of Legal Education is charging Law School fees which are too high and atrocious. “The money they are charging is atrocious and too high. Where do you want the children of the poor to get N250000 as law school fees?” He is also quoted to have condemned the new increase in electricity tariff but he advised young lawyers not to cheapen themselves by not believing in themselves and or dabbling into fraudulent deals. The 68-paged magazine also traces the process which led to the debarment of a lawyer, George Ohioma. He was disbarred by the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) over fraud on January 26, 2010. It also features Nigerian lawyers practising in the diaspora and this edition is titled “Law Practice is more regulated in Canada”. A

By AKINSOLA OMIDIRE

Nigerian trained lawyer, Toul Adewumi who is practising in Canada believes that law practice is more regulated in Canada than in Nigeria because lawyers cannot do anything wrongthere and get away with it. There is also the column for law news across Nigeria. Apart from law news, there is a column for lawyers’ wardrobe and this edition is entitled “The best of black and white” to inform lawyers about how they could make best of the restriction to the lawyers’ dress code of black and white. In spite of all these, there are errors of the printer in the letter ‘i’ and ‘l’ in: ‘prof le’ instead of‘profile’(page 12); ‘brief y’instead of ‘briefly’ (page 13); ‘f rst’instead of ‘first’(page 24); ‘f led a f ve count charge’ instead of ‘filed a five count charge’ (page 52). While the magazine carries a reasonable cover price. the fashion corner, that is, lwyers’ wardrobe, ought to be illustrated with more pictures, particularly for the female lawyers. It is still a good handbook for both old and young lawyers especially in terms of history and current affairs.

JRT storms Abuja with plays ahead yuletide By SEGUN AJAYI

ore than three decades after Abuja became Nigeria’s full blown federal capital, the city, in spite of its accelerated growth, cannot boast of a robust theatregoing culture. To lovers of the thespian arts, this is inconceivable, given the opulence and grandeur of one of Africa’s greatest cities. However, the city still bubbles at night, thanks to the exotic hang outs, classy night clubs, choice hotels and restaurants that dot the city. The fun spots and variety entertainment the city offers not withstanding, there is a missing link; the live stage. But then, the reasons are not far fetched. Although, Abuja comes as a virgin land, largely unexplored by theatre practitioners, the city is not insulated from some of the encumbrances of the live stage in the contemporary Nigeria. Aside the combative home entertainment and engaging social media networking, the absence of theatre infrastructure has been a bane of theatrical enterprise in the capital city. Abuja is yet to own a purposely-built theatre. That is not to say that Abuja had never been served with live drama, it’s just that the efforts had been inconsistent and uncoordinated; they were mere flashes in the pan. One man who has been in the vanguard of planting a theatre-going culture in the nation’s capital is Mr. Jude Oteh who is also the Artistic Director of the Jos Repertory Theatre (JRT). A core professional and committed thespian, Oteh is not a stranger to the Abuja terrain, as he once told this writer that it was easy for JRT actors and crew to commute to Abuja from their Jos base.

He told Daily Sun on phone recently that over the years, his group had evolved a regular feature at the capital at an interval of six weeks. However, This theatre proprietor and prudent manager, beginning from next Monday, October 8, through December, is storming the federal capital with three plays, Eloise is under an Almond Tree, Kafka’s monkey and other plays and the epic, Queen Amina of Zazzau, as part of its 2012 theatre season at the nation’s capital. Eloise is under an Almond Tree is in collaboration with the Embassy of Spain, Abuja, in commemoration of the Spanish Week. The performance is billed for the Lagos Hall of the Transcorp Hilton Hotel on Monday, October, 8. The play will be followed with the Nigerian adaptation of Colin Teevan’s classic “Kafka’s monkey and other stories” at the Akwa Ibom House, adjacent to the Federal Ministry of Finance. The play runs for two days, starting from, Thursday, October 24 through Friday, 25th, of the same month. The theatrical treat for Abuja residents will also feature Wale Ogunyemi’s epic, Queen Amina of Zazzau” which

•A scene from Sizwe Bansi is Dead

A mirror on marriage at Nimbus

is making a return to the 12 years after, at the Merit House Auditorium, Maitama. There is also going to be a matinee for schools on Saturday November 24. Before now, Abuja theatre lovers had savoured plays from JRT stable, including Wole Soyinka’s The Trials of Brother Jero, The Lion and the Jewel, Authol Fugard’s Woza Albert, Sizwe Bansi is Dead by Albert Camus, Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, adapted for stage by Biyi Bandele, and Arrow of God, another stage adaptation which was christened, When the Arrow Rebounds, among others. On the prospects of a thriving theatre in the Federal Capital, Otteh in a telephone chat admitted that the future was promising. According to him, the onus rests on the goodwill of the group and the extent to which it could go into partnership with others who share in its dream. To that extent, the group had joined efforts with the national secretariat of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), and the Abuja Literary Society not only for awareness creation, but audience mobilisation. The composition of the city, reputed to be inhabited by civil servants and politicians with frosty appetite for the arts not withstanding, the University of Ibadan Theatre Arts graduate foresees hope. “there is also the issue of Abuja being a city inhabited by civil servants and politicians and in order to take care of that, we have scheduled our shows for Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. We also have matinees on Saturdays for parents who may not want to take their children out at night. We may not have struck a balance yet but I know that we’ll be able to accommodate all these people with time.”

he sleepy neighbourhood of Ikoyi on Lagos Island came alive recently when art patrons, artistes, tourists, musicians, civil servants and professionals from all walks of life gathered for the seventh edition of the yearly Dinner, Dancing and Discussion night. Held at the Nimbus Art Gallery, the forum afforded attendants time to deliberate on topical issues affecting the polity. At the event were Dr. and Mrs. Femi Aribisala and others, like Creative Director, Nimbus Chike Nwagbogu, renowned lawyer, Olumide Bamgboye (Bob Fay) and Hon Ojelola Olugbenga. Two topics were deliberated upon- Is marriage overrated? and Nigeria, a failed state. Akagbogu in his submission said marriage is overrated in the Nigeria society because of the pressure people get from their parents. He observed that if at the expected time and age, although it varies from one culture and tradition to the other, a young man and woman who is not married, would receive the pressure to get married. Nwagbogu said, people get married for various reasons based on perception of the institution. He said marriage should not be rushed into since it’s a life time thing and that people need to be patient to get their partners. In his submission, chairman of the event, Femi Aribisala said there is the perception that if you are not married, you are an outcast. But the irony of it is that people who said you should get married are not happily married themselves. Marriage is much more selfish, it is now regulated by the society. Also contributing, an official of Ikoyi\Obalende Local Government, Hon Ojolola Olugbenga said marriage should be based on understanding between individuals. People should take time to get their partners, it’s not a thing you should rush into because it’s a life-time union. I’ve been married for over a decade and I give God the glory that amidst various challenges I encountered it’s still intact. Renowned lawyer cum art patron, Olumide Bamgboye said marriage is not overrated because people marry for self interest. Bamgboye said at times loneliness can be worrisome and individuals need to share feelings, problems and sort out issues with others. At times, you need somebody to talk to and so, I’m in support of marriage.’ Mrs Aribisala said parents usually believe their children should get married and take care of them at a certain age and if you are not married at the expected time, your parents will be worried and disturbed. No marriage is not overrated in Nigeria, it’s the culture and values that various individuals try as much as possible to conform with’ On the second topic, Is Nigeria a failed state? Akagbogu said yes and gave instances of children of rich men enjoying certain privileges at the whims and caprices of the less privilege. Aribisala spoke on the contrary that Nigeria is not a failed state. He said there is a democratization of corruption in Nigeria and that is what is causing the problem. He gave instances of the Lagos of ten years ago compared to the present day which has witnessed rapid transformation. Lagos has greatly improved tremendously in terms of infrastructure if given enough time Power Holden Corporation of Nigeria [PHCN] will improve on it’s services.

•Aribisala

DAILY SUN Thursday, October 18, 2012

Cassava from Ekiti By TOPE ADEBOBOYE

cross Ekitiland these days, exciting things are happening on the farms. And if the vegetables, cassava, rice and other crops scattered around the newly resuscitated farm settlements in Orin, Iyemero, Ikun and other places in the state could talk, they’ll tell you that the refreshing transformation is being driven by the Kayode Fayemi administration. That, of course, would be nothing but the truth. From time immemorial, Ekiti has been an agrarian enclave. Since when their forebears migrated from Ile-Ife and settled amidst the hilly terrains of Ekitiland, agriculture has remained, for the rural folks, more than a pathway to economic empowerment. Blessed with fertile lands and a clement climate, agriculture soon became a burning passion, a way of life. In the old Western Region, for instance, it is known that Ekiti land offered more than 40 per cent of the entire cocoa products of that era. A few towns in Ekiti land are even named after some food crops! Ijesa-Isu, for instance, simply translates, Ijesa of yams! But over the years, just as it happened in many other sectors of the economy all over Nigeria, the agriculture potentials of Ekiti were abandoned. Thick thistles invaded the flourishing farms, and the crops simply disappeared. In no time, agriculture in Ekiti fell into a coma and died. Totally bereft of ideas that could rid their state of its beggarly attitude, some past leaders of the state just forgot the farms, electing to line up perpetually for the paltry funds from Abuja. But a new breeze is blowing all over the land. Across Ekiti, life is gradually returning to the farms, courtesy of the current administration in the state. And as the Kayode Fayemi administration celebrates its second year in office this week, the government can give itself a pat on the back for deciding to get back to the basics in its resolve to banish poverty that has for long ravaged its people. Babajide Arowosafe, an agriculturist and agric administrator, is Commissioner for

Cassava flour from Ekiti

Fish farmers in action

Life returns to Ekiti farms •Gov Fayemi has laid new foundation for agric, says commissioner Agriculture and Natural Resources in Ekiti State. He explains that the government of Kayode Fayemi has been working on unleashing the commercial potential of agriculture in Ekiti. He tells Daily Sun that the government has been doing a lot in the area of production and of course, getting markets for the products turned out in the state. “What we’ve done is to lay the foundation,” Arowosafe informs. “If you look at the eightpoint agenda, you will realise that it is in number three, which relates to agriculture, that we have specifics. We said we would create 20, 000 jobs using agric as a platform for job creation, and in terms of our internally generated revenue, we said we would contribute 50 per cent. We also said we want to become the world leaders in cocoa, oil palm and cassava, rice and vegetables, which can actually do very well here.” As proof of its passion for agriculture development, the government acquired thousands of hectares of land and got them ready for agricultural purposes. Vast lands were acquired and cleared in different parts of the state, including Oke-Ako, Iyemero and Irele. More were cleared and made ready at Iyemero area for irrigated agriculture, designed to be used for dry season crops. The government also expanded the Ero Dam for irrigation purposes. The security challenges bedevilling parts of Northern Nigeria, especially bombings by the Boko Haram sect, led to a scarcity of food items in the southern parts of the country, including Ekiti. But it was also some kind of blessing. The commissioner explains that the

state was forced to try out some seeming impossibilities, which led to a number of revealing results. “Early in the year, prices of vegetables just skyrocketed. So when I came in, we said we should try vegetables in some of the farms. It became an eye opener. We discovered that we could grow peppers, tomatoes, onions, carrots and other crops. We discovered that they are even better than what we have from some parts of the North. So, we are just setting the pace for huge productions now. We have some of these vegetables at Gede farm settlement. Just recently, we discovered that water melons can grow very well here. What that tells you is that Ekiti State is beginning to plan for possible export of vegetables. It will take one year for us to get the certificate that is required for us to do that from the relevant federal agencies, but we have started the process.” One of the initiatives being applauded, not just in Ekiti but across the country, is the Youth Commercial Agricultural Development (YCAD) programme, through which the Fayemi government has been stimulating the interest of the young ones in commercial agriculture. “What we just did was to create a programme that would cause a crowding in of youths into agriculture and sustain them within that particular state,” he noted. And the programme is achieving results, declares the commissioner. At its inception, some people had expressed scepticism at the programme, saying youths could never be lured into agriculture. Such doubts have since evaporated, as the programme has continued to astonish many people with its success. Designed to take 1, 500 youths off the labour market, Y-CAD (Youths for Commercial Agricultural Development) was also programmed to turn the farm settlements across the state into centres of excellence in agricultural production as well as ensure an all-year production of cash crops. Participants are engaged in the production of rice, cassava, vegetables, oil palm and cocoa. Government also made available an enabling environment for the youths interested in the programme. Today, Y-CAD is adjudged a huge success in all ramifications. “Right now, the participants in the programme are 150 on the arable side alone,” says Arowosafe. “They are on the farms, doing cassava for the government. They are not just doing cassava one hectare; they are doing five hectares, 10 hectares, 15 hectares.” Those recruited were given training in agrobusiness start up and management, during which they were tutored in the commercial production of high value crops including rice,

cassava, oil palm and cocoa. The programme was launched on April 12 this year, by the state governor, alongside the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development. The government gave the participants access to land and access to credit facilities. But it’s not the usual way of doing things where you would cut some land for the people to farm. What the government did was to invest heavily in opening up land for agriculture to thrive. “In the past, what government did was to procure tractors, and then say, ‘we’re developing agriculture.’ But Governor Fayemi said no, we must first make the land tractor-able. So we opened up lands. We also deal directly with manufacturers of fertilizers and agrochemicals. And each Y-CAD participant is entitled to an expandable credit facility of N1.4million minimum. It’s performance-based, which means you can get up to N50 million if you are performing. So, if you do five hectares and you spend N500, 000, and you want to expand it to 10 hectares, you have that facility. So the limit is endless so far as you can perform on the field.” Besides the direct participants, many more people are also being engaged under the programme. Those who work with the participants on the farms are indirect beneficiaries of the programme. Overall, the programme would take 1, 500 youths off the labour market. 7000 hectares of cassava plantation has been established already, while an additional 1000 is being prepared for additional cassava production at a total cost of N280million. A huge cassava processing factory has been established at Orin. The British America Tobacco Nigeria Foundation and FADAMA III project are also collaborating to construct a million dollar cassava cottage industry in the state. The factory is expected to hire about 3, 450 women and youths. In other areas of agric too, the administration has not fared badly. Cocoa production has been resuscitated, and the farmers are just too happy. The government also initiated the Cocoa Growth Enhancement Programme, where 15,000 farmers are supported with agro-chemicals and fertilizer worth N46, 000 each. Already, 150, 000 cocoa seedlings have been distributed to cocoa farmers, and the government plans to raise 500,000 cocoa seedlings for next year. The government is also doing a lot to transform the oil palm business in the state. And on the rice farms, a lot of positive things are happening. Right now, over 200 farmers have been trained in modern rice production. It is learnt that over 750 hectares of rice have been cultivated, costing the government N58million. Ekiti is also involved in several projects that promote and develop agriculture. These include the National Programme for Food Security (NPFS), Root and Tuber Expansion Programme (RTEP) and the New Rice for Africa Dissemination Project, among others.

DAILY SUN Thursday, October 18, 2012

In Ekiti, beat your spouse and go to jail, courtesy Erelu Fayemi, the First Lady

L-R: Speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly, Dr. Adewale Ominrin; Deputy Governor, Mrs. Funmilayo Olayinka, Governor Kayode Fayemi; and Erelu Bisi Fayemi, during the signing into Law of the Gender-based Violence (Prohibition) Bill initiated and promoted by the governor’s wife, at the Executive Chamber of the Governor’s Office.

Erelu Fayemi By FEMI ADESINA

he has brought colour, verve and panache into the office of the First Lady, and you can confidently say the Ekiti woman is today having a ball, with Erelu Bisi Adeyemi there to look out for her, and protect her interests. With a background in activism, after a bachelor’s in History, and a master’s in Gender and Society, you really do not expect less from this vibrant and passionate woman. Consider her career history, and you’ll then understand why the Ekiti First Lady does all she’s involved in today, to complement and support her husband: In her years in the UK, where she had been born in the early 1960s, Erelu Fayemi worked in the Department of Health and Social Services, and then became the Director of Akina Mama wa Africa (AMwA), an international development organisation for African women. Again, she established the African Women’s Leadership Institute (AWLI), a training and networking forum for young African women. Over 5,000 African women have been trained by the Institute today, and are now in senior decision-making positions in their various countries. Daily Sun recently met with the Erelu of

Isan kingdom, in Oye Local Government Area of Ekiti State, and the Ochiora (People’s Leader) of Imezi Owa, Ezeagwa Local Government Area of Enugu State. And she was asked to assess her husband, Dr Kayode Fayemi, as governor of Ekiti State in the past two years. She admits that there is the tendency to be partial in her assessment, but quickly adds that whatever she says would be verifiable. “Looking at what has happened in two years, it has become apparent that Dr Fayemi is a man of his words,” Mrs Fayemi submits. “He made commitments and promises, and he’s been keeping them. He has established a vision for the people, promised to take them to a place where they’ll be proud to be Ekitis, and he’s doing it. In infrastructure development, education, dignified environment, healthcare, women empowerment, he’s doing so much.” Women empowerment. How can you ever engage Erelu Fayemi and this won’t be a major issue of discourse? She reels off the achievements of her husband’s administration in that direction. “Ekiti is the first state to domesticate the law on violence against women. The state today has four female lawmakers, as against none in the past. There are other women in the upper echelon of the civil

and public service.” Ekiti has the law prohibiting gender-based violence, arising from a bill co-sponsored by Erelu Fayemi. Why was such a law needed? Was the Ekiti man particularly violent against the woman? “Violence against women is not peculiar to any part of the world,” the First Lady responded. “You have it even in the Holy Bible, and each generation must find a way to address it. Nigeria is a signatory to the Convention on Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), but there has been no political will to close the gap between law and implementation. But our law is very comprehensive, it covers many aspects. Lots of good things have come from it, and it has raised the awareness on violence against women. A lot of men now say, Ah, you want me to run foul of Erelu’s law? So, they refrain from violence against their women.” The bill prohibiting gender-based violence was signed into law by Gov Fayemi on November 21, 2011. The bill had been cosponsored by the First Lady, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Social Development and Gender Empowerment, Office of the Special Adviser to the governor on Planning and Millennium Development Goals, as well as the state chapter of International Federation of Women Lawyers. The legislation protects both the male and female gender against physical and psychological abuse and violence. The new law also frowns on harmful traditional practices such as Female Genital Mutilation and widowhood rites, imposition of dress codes under any guise, child marriage, and criminalising pregnancy outside marriage. How has the state been able to enforce the law, particularly in the area of prosecuting those involved in domestic violence against their spouses? Mrs Fayemi says: “Yes, we have challenges, in that it’s very difficult to prosecute the cases, especially in respect of sexual violence. The infrastructure is not in place yet to protect and support the victims. Soon, we will inaugurate a management committee on the law, and put in place

processes to encourage people to come out with such cases. We will try and reduce the level of impunity. It’s going to be work in progress, but we’re on the right track.” Erelu Fayemi has equally championed the Ekiti Development Foundation (EDF). What’s it all about? “It was established as an opportunity to bring back to Ekiti the work I’ve done in international circles. We focus on complementing the work of the government. We work on women’s rights, health, maternal and infant mortality, we also do lots of work on arts and culture. Again, we do a lot on social welfare, getting people to fend for themselves, and developmental efforts for women generally. We support civil society organisations, cooperatives, associations, networks and community based groups.” President Barack Obama of the United States of America, on a visit to Ghana a couple of years back, had said Africa does not need strongmen, but rather strong institutions. How does Mrs Fayemi view this, visà-vis her husband’s position? “We must build institutions that are sustainable and long-lasting,” she posits. “We need strong institutions at all levels. My husband will be extremely happy if he leaves strong institutions as legacy. He seeks a rebranding of Ekiti as land of honour, and he wants the core values of honesty, integrity, hard work inculcated in all. “We need strong leaders as well as strongmen. Kayode Fayemi is an example of a strong leader. You don’t become a strong leader by necessarily telling people ‘I don’t give a damn.’ We need leaders who are compassionate, intelligent, can listen, and study the signs of the times. We need selfless leaders, strong to build strong institutions.” Dr Fayemi coasted into office in 2010, in a blaze of glory. And the expectations from him were high, rather too high in a state with lean finances like Ekiti. So, in the first year in office, there were a lot of murmurings from the average Ekiti people. Two years down the line, however, the songs are changing. People now see hope in the horizon, as the policies of the administration are emerging. How did Mrs Fayemi feel when it seemed her husband was going to lose the support of the people? “It was a tense period,” she admits. “When you get negative feedback, it gets to you. I’m glad it was a phase that has passed. People can now look back and see that Rome was not built in a day. I was low and reflective at that time, but now, my enthusiasm has been revived. People can now see results, and I’m glad. Ekiti people have fared better under Gov Fayemi, and this is just the beginning.” •Tomorrow: Gov Fayemi speaks on 2 years in office

34 DAILY SUN Thursday, October 18, 2012

Lessons from Okorocha, by IBB

n the life of every individual, an institution or a nation, there always comes such a time when it is appropriate to stop and take stock of goals that have been achieved or those that have failed; of activities that have been carried out, of mistakes that have been made and, of course, of lessons that have been learnt in the pursuit of all past causes, dreams and ambitions. For Rochas Foundation and, indeed, the man upon whose shoulders the vision of the Foundation has been borne these past years, now is time for such reckoning as the Foundation celebrates its 10th year anniversary and the 50th birthday of its President and Founder, His Excellency, Owelle Anayo Rochas Okorocha, a man of many parts who has, equally, excelled in almost all. Today, we have all come to celebrate the vision that, ten years ago, laid the very foundation for the total eradication of ignorance, hopelessness in the lives of many a Nigerian child. Today, we have come to celebrate the success story, which the Rochas Foundation represents not only in our consciousness as a responsive and responsible part of the Nigerian society, but as an institution of unity, national integration and cohesion, which in its allencompassing operational philosophy has continuously sought to erase the lines of differences in religion, ethnicity and even class which have, sadly, continued to define our nation. Through the establishment of the Rochas Foundation Colleges in Kano, Owerri, Jos as well as in Ibadan and other cities across our nation, including the free tuition, accommodation and all that the students from diverse backgrounds enjoy at no cost, the Foundation has continued to lay the kind of solid foundation that even politics has failed to achieve in our country. The Foundation has its simple, yet altruistic, vision of education for every child, trained more than 5000 Nigerian youths in Secondary Education and, I am told at the last count, it has graduated over 500 students from the University. This is just in the area of education alone. In the last ten years of existence, too, the Foundation has set and broken records in other areas of human empowerment, human capital development, conflict resolution, peace-building, character-moulding and national re-birth. All of the above have been achieved with such visible results that I would not want to bore you with mentioning them here. But these are tangible reasons to celebrate. Your Excellencies, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, the story of Rochas Foundation cannot be told without recourse to its President/ Founder, Owelle Anayo Rochas Okorocha, whose very life as a person and the features that characterized his growth and development can, without doubts, be said to be the greatest motivation for the role he has, eventually, undertaken to play in the lives of the less privileged ones in our unjust society. The pathetic grass – to – grace story of Owelle Rochas Okorocha, who by dint of hard work, discipline, strength of character and total commitment to purpose, was able to conquer the limitations that sought to hold him down as a child, would forever be pointer to the truism that “the world must bend to allow to pass the man who knows where he is going”. The story of Owelle Rochas Okorocha typifies the resilient spirit of

one who accepts no defeat, who surmounts all obstacles and dares his fears with open arms. From a lowly beginning in the cold, winding streets of Barkin Ladi, Plateau State to the cozy atmosphere of the Imo State Government House, Owerri, Owelle Rochas Okorocha has had his fair share of challenges, of life’s battles and the lessons that he would, ultimately, hand over to the generation next. As a former hawker in the street of Barkin Ladi, he has a story to tell. As a former classroom teacher, he has a story to tell. As one who had twice sought to rule this country, he has stories to tell. As a former member of the Constitutional Conference, a member of the Federal Character Commission and other Boards, Owelle Rochas Okorocha has loads of stories to tell. As a foremost Philanthropist and Governor, there are stories to tell. And to think that all of these have happened in just the last fifty years! Your Excellency, Governor Anayo Rochas Okorocha as, I wish you a Happy Birthday at 50. To your Foundation, the very vehicle of your philanthropic warfare, I, also, wish a sound 10th year anniversary. My dear Governor and younger brother, I welcome you with open arms to the golden age of 50. As one who has gone over seventy myself, I must quickly add that every age comes with joys and challenges. So, as you turn this new bend in the race of years, I wish you good health, deeper insight and more wisdom, all of which are needed to build a better Imo state, a better Nigeria and a better society. May the coming years make for the realization of your God –ordained dreams and may all of us who share in these celebrations with you have reasons to invite others to share in ours. Your Excellencies, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I cannot end this piece without congratulating Owelle Rochas Okorocha on the massive infrastructural development Imo State has witnessed under his Rescue Mission Agenda in the past 17months of his Administration. I wish to call for support for the Governor from all Imo people in order for the Governor to achieve more. While I would like to say that, given his pedigree as a performer, one is not in doubt that he is doing so well, but one is pleasantly surprised at the transformation Imo State has witnessed in short a time. Again, given the intricate nature of politics, your Excellency, the Governor, I would want to encourage you to close ranks with all and to continue your good work, especially in the areas of your radical attraction of foreign Direct Investment for the development of industries, the tourism and hospitality business and your ingenious involvement of people in your administration. All of the above are lofty goal and objectives, which very impact may not be immediately felt or noticed. Yet, you must continue on this visionary path that has the greatest potential to lay a solid foundation for a greater tomorrow in Imo State. Surely, education is one such path and I thank God you are a four- star General in that regard and that Imo people who possess some of the best brains in this part of the world cannot but follow. Mr. Governor, as an all forms of governance, criticisms would come. I advise that you weight everything on its merit and allow superior reasoning prevail. By so doing, you will not only avail yourself of your own wisdom, but that of your advisers and even that of your detractors, all to the betterment of Imo State. Finally, Your Excellency, Imo State Governor, let me end by telling you the story of a rich man who went to the god, Zeus to make him live forever and enjoy his life forever. Zeus, in reply to his plea, had only a simple directive: “Go and sell all you have and give the proceeds to the poor before returning to me to grant your request”. The rich man did exactly as he was told. He sold all he had, shared the proceeds to the poor and returned to Zeus to receive his dose of immortality. And then the surprise from Zeus, “Yes, you can now live forever, for you have given everything you had to men”.

• Speech by Gen Ibrahim Babangida in Owerri on Gov Rochas Okorocha’s 50th birthday anniversary and 10th year of his foundation.

Radiant Digest “...The letter killeth but the spirit gives life.” II Cor 3:6

www.radiantencounterfemiblogspot.com; radiantlife@yahoo.com;

Evang. Femi Olaoluwa 080561568736, 08022556887,

Reminiscence of ‘Mama Mission’ at 50

My best decision: Engaging in rural evangelism – Pastor Stephen

ust a brief encounter with Pastor Mrs Christina Stephen at home, office- anywhere, you will discover in no time that her whole body, soul and spirit are buried in village and rural evangelism. If Christy is not witnessing Christ to unbelievers, she is telling and encouraging fellow believers the need to be committed in soul winning, most especially village evangelism. Little wonders, the Pastor with the Foursquare Gospel Church and the National Coordinator of Light and Life Global Mission decides to celebrate her 50th birthday, which comes up Saturday, November 10, 2012 at Igbodile Mission Camp Ground, Ipesi, Ogun State. Born December 4, 1962 at Ipesi, Ogun State and got born again on March 10, 1985 during her Youth Service in Port Harcourt, Pastor Stephen revealed the genesis of her engagement to mission field. “Among many things God used to convince me to rural evangelism was during the 1994 Foursquare Gospel Church leaders Retreat, the Lord strongly impressed it in my heart that I engage in mission work.” “Later, the Lord showed me a vision where I found myself at Ipesi, my place of birth where a very old man challenged me to do something about the destruction that was about befalling the land. God also used the film, Agbara Nla (Ultimate Power) by the Mount Zion film Production to warn against disobedience to heavenly commission so as to escape the evil that befell one of the characters in the film. To God be the glory, the Light and Life started during the burial of my mother in 1994. We have not done some remarkable mission work at Ipesi and environs, He has been faithful in meeting our needs to raise a team and partner with other like-minded ministries to extend the work to many villages and other rural areas across the nation. “So I want to say that the most memorable and best decision of my life is to walk in faith in the purpose for which I was a created. I’m gratitude to God who has kept me in trying times even when I turned to the arm of flesh that failed me woefully. That is why my best Bible hero is Esther, whose mind was fixed on nothing else but the king. My daily prayer is for God to grant me the grace to be more focus on Him.” Igbodile Mission Camp Ground God has blessed us with a 32-Acre of land

Pastor Stephen with the vision to build Camp Ground to accommodate camp for prayer and retreat rehabilitation centre where lives of people will be transformed, a school for the villagers/missionary children, missionary quarters where interested missionaries can retire to. I believe God that in the next 5 to 10 years, the camp auditorium; Dormitory and Guest Houses should stand on the land for the Camp to be in full operation. With God, the Bible says, all things are possible. Mark 10: 27. My 50th birthday and 2012 Missionary appreciation I want to use this year Missionary appreciation and empowerment programme to celebrate my birthday because there can be no better person to give my gold to than those who have left all to do the Master’s bidding-missionaries. I want to give my gold (golden age celebration) to missions with a fresh commitment for greater service. My most treasured desire My most treasured desire in years ahead is that I and my household will continue impacting the world with righteousness and leave our impression upon the hearts of men and women, whom the Lord will pour His treasure and in turn plough back into soul winning. For more information on how to reach out to missionaries in villages and rural areas, call the Missions Public\Media Relations Officer, Evang Femi Olaoluwa (08056158736)

Planted for divine purpose Text: Psalms 1:1 –3 he Bible says that such a man or woman who has respect for God and His word, delights in His way of God is counted worthy and blessed. The Bible says a man who fears God will delight in the thing of God is like a tree planted by the River side (Rivers of waters) does not lack. He brings forth fruit in the season and out of season, that everything he does shall prosper. That is why you are taught to recognize the very purpose God created you. The very moment you deviate from the original purpose for which God plants you, your destiny is at risk. But it is most unfortunate that men and ladies today live carefree and careless life. Ojoka Yet many of such people go to church and profess to be Christians. But the word of God warns that

those who call the name of the Lord must depart from iniquities. (2 Timothy 2:19). Remember that neither God nor His word changes. As no power of the enemy was able to abort the divine purpose of the Lord Jesus no evil plan will succeed in your life in Jesus name. A man or woman planted for a purpose should be able to affect lives positively. Moses was planted and destined to save lives and inspite challenges that he faced, he was able to overcome. In conclusion, always remember that the way up is the same way down. You should help somebody today and leave a legacy that will become your testimony as a man or woman planted by God for a divine purpose. Christian Pentecostal Mission Int’l, (Winners’ Centre) dedicates the ultra modern Church cathedral, Saturday, October 20, 2012 at Ojota, Lagos . •For prayer and counseling, call Rev Godwin Ojoka on: 08033062447, 08033514193. E-Mail: enjons@yahoo.com

•Call or send SMS to Evang Femi Olaoluwa (08056158736) for publication of your Christian message or testimony in The Sun.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

DAILY SUN

WATCH

CRIME EDITED BY OLA AGBAJE E-mail: olapen4ever@yahoo.com

I made 500% gain patronizing vandals –Suspect By CHIOMA IGBOKWE

Chinese company based in Ikorodu, Lagos State (name withheld) has been indicted on its alleged involvement in vandalization of crude oil pipeline. The company which produces plastics, especially rubber foot wear, was implicated by suspects arrested recently by operatives of the Inspector General of Police Special Task Force on Anti-Pipeline Vandalisation Unit, Force Headquarters Annex, Lagos. The suspects: Alison Vitus, Polycarp Ajeh, Amechi Iloama, Onekule Roman and Chukwuebuka Ezema were arrested by the police on their way to deliver the products to the alleged Chinese company. The policemen, Crime watch learnt, also impounded their Mack truck with registration number, XX574APP . Confirming the arrest, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Friday Ibadin, who is in charge of the Task Force, said the police acted on a tip off that some suspected vandals were on their way to Lagos to sell crude oil scooped from vandalised pipelines. “On October 3, 2012 policemen led by the Sector Commander, Lagos, DSP Onaghise Osayande, tracked them down in the process of discharging 33,000liters of Crude Oil as ordered by a Chinese company, in Ikorodu area. In the course of investigation, we discovered that these vandals broke through Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipeline in Auchi, Edo State where these products were taken. Investigation is still on to ascertain why anyone should aid and abet the stealing of crude oil which NNPC has the sole right to process or sell,” Ibadin explained. In his confession at the police station, Vitus who lives in Asaba, Delta State, said that he was into genuine oil business before he was introduced into bunkering by a man known as Papa with the prospect of making

“It is called business and that is where I am guilty. I was carried away by the fact that I made more than a million naira per delivery. I suspected that the product

was vandalized but like I said, if they can travel as far as Kogi or Auchi to Lagos undetected who am I to reject such business proposal” 500% interest selling crude oil. His words: “I felt it was a better way of making money when Papa who I met in the course of my business, told me that I could make much gain in this business undetected. He was the one who organizes the boys that vandalized the pipelines. My duty was to bring my truck close to an agreed spot and they would load it with any product that is available. “In recent time, he has supplied me crude oil popularly known as black oil. All we do is to pick it up at Auchi. Normally my driver Chukwuebuka would drive my truck with registration number XX574APP to meet papa at Auchi where the truck would be loaded with 33,000 liters of crude oil. I would wait at Owo where I consider safe enough to take delivery of the products because I didn’t want a case of any eventuality. I usually pay a million naira for every 33,000 liters supplied. All I needed to do was to pay N500, 000 advance and pay N500, 000 as soon as the product is delivered. On where the products were sold, Vitus said: “I was linked up to a rubber processing company (name withheld) based in Ikorodu which was willing to patronize us. We contacted one Polycarp Aje who deals in black oil. He was the one who negotiated with the company. This was so because; he has a way bill that can be used to cover the illegal movement of the

product. He was expected to sell the product for N1.8million. So far, we have supplied black oil to that company twice and severally to other companies in Lagos. On how they have been evading arrest, he said: “I knew it would be easier to manoeuvre since there are no police checkpoints along the route that we follow but if we should stumble on any security men we would tip them and they would allow us to go. The day we were arrested I thought it was business as usual, I never knew that there was another task force.” Another suspect and the driver of the truck, Ezema admitted that he had joined the team severally to load crude oil or PMS from NNPC pipeline from Okene in Kogi State and Auchi in Edo State. He said: “I applied for a job as a driver and my job description is to carry my employer’s truck to wherever he ask me to and at the end of the month, I would be paid N50,000. I would get to the spot at Auchi or Okene where they would transfer the stolen crude oil into my tanker and I would take it to Lagos. My oga would also ensure that a way bill has been provided as a cover in case we meet any taskforce on the way. He was always behind to ensure our safe arrival in Lagos. On how they dispose of the products, Chukwuebuka said: “We sell the products to a Chinese company that makes rubber slippers.

•Suspect It is the duty of Polycarp to negotiate with them while I drive the truck into the company.” Another suspect, Iloama, who lives at Awada, Onitsha, Anambra State, claimed that he was introduced into the business by Vitus who is the chief financier. “We loaded twice from Okene in Kogi State. We loaded from the pipeline inside the bush and were taken to a company at Ikeja area of Lagos.” Initially another suspect Polycarp insisted that he never knew that the products were illegal. In his words: no one sees an opportunity to make good money and let it pass. Officially, crude oil is sold for N97 per litter but instead of that price I offered them N94 which any business man would gladly accept. For 33,000 liters, we got N3, 102,000. On how he got to know that the company could buy, he said: “I am a business man, so when papa called me that he had crude to sell I decided to find a market. Normally, I get the product from Apapa or Mosimi depot and the Chinese company is one of our customers. When I got this offer, I took it to them and negotiated. They accepted to buy, that was how I started supplying these products from papa through Vitus. When asked if he was given any way bill or receipt, he said: “Initially, they sold the first 33,000 liters with a receipt but I did not bother to confirm because for me to sell I have to use my own way bill. Subsequent ones, I simply accepted the product because if they managed to travel from Auchi to Lagos undetected, that means there is no problem.” On the 500% percent gain, Polycarp said: “It is called business and that is where I am guilty. I was carried away by the fact that I made more than a million naira per delivery. I suspected that the product was vandalized but like I said, if they could travel as far as Kogi or Auchi to Lagos undetected who am I to reject such business proposal.”

DAILY SUN Thursday, October 18, 2012

CRIME

WATCH

How I organised 2 graduates, technician robbers to steal arrested for kidnapping N8m from our bank –Bank driver T A From NGOZI UWUJARE, Ibadan

By CHRISTOPHER OJI

staff a new generation bank, has given a graphic account of how he organised armed robbers to rob the bank the sum of N8 million. The suspect, Taiwo Aremu, a driver with the bank (name withheld) was among the eight suspected armed robbers arrested by the police for allegedly robbing Matori, Mushin branch of the bank. In an interview with Crimewatch, Aremu confessed that before the robbery operation, he consulted •Suspect an Islamic Cleric (Alfa) who after some prayers told him that the operation would be successful. “If the Alfa had predicted otherwise, I would not have participated in the robbery but I did not regret it, because, we were successful.” Giving a graphic account of how the robbery was organised and executed, he said the journey into armed robbery started when he was contacted by a supervisor in the bank to get him a panel beater that would assist in repairing his vehicle. He said he contacted his very close friend Afeez, a panel beater who visited the supervisor in the bank. “Immediately, Afeez came out from the bank, he told me that I should think of my life. I became worried until he eventually hit the nail on he head. He then told me that we could make big money from the bank.” “When I asked how, he told me that I should reveal to him the day the bank staff were always relaxed, and leave the rest for him. So, I told him that it was usually on Thursdays. He now told me that he would organised some boys who would raid the bank on Thursday.” Continuing, he said Afeez also told him what to do on the d-day. So on the particular day, Afeez and his gang struck, I had already opened the door for them. You know the staff were busy in the meeting when they struck.” He said when the boys stormed the banking hall, they held everybody in the meeting hostage. “We were able to get N8 million from the vault. Although, I was not inside the banking hall, but I can confirm to you that the total amount collected was N8 million while our men picked some amount on the counter. Aremu said his own share of the loot was N1 million. “When I collected the N1 million, I gave my spiritual father, Alfa Muktar Eleduwe N307,000 for his answered prayers.” He said he was so grateful to God for the money he got from the operation. “But I promised God that I would not go back to robbery again.” He said he was shocked when the gang came again requesting for his assistance the second time but he told them he was not interested again. “So, on September 26, 2012, the gang stormed my bank again but they were not lucky as they were arrested in the act of the robbery.” Swearing before detectives quizzing him he said, “I swear before God and man that I did not go with them the second time, but I had no alternative than to rely on fate but it refused to smile at me. But for the first robbery, I participated fully because, I followed in the planning and its execution.” On his own, Alfa Eleduwe said: I am actually an Islamic cleric, Alfa, I know Taiwo Aremu. He used to come for prayers, yes, he told me of his intention to go for big money. It was later that I understood that it was armed robbery. He is my very good faithful, I have prayed for him because I love him so much.” On how much Aremu gave him, he said, “really, he gave me N307,000. I used N40,000 to buy ram and 30,000 to buy other materials to pray for his progress.” Alfa who said he regretted his action wants the police to forgive him, as he vowed not pray for criminals again. Confirming the story, Lagos State Commissioner of Police (CP), Umar Manko said on September 26, 2012 one Ahmed Ajofoba and Saheed Olawunmi and other members of the gang had stormed Sterling Bank but after a shoot out with the police, two of them were arrested. Manko said during interrogation, the two suspects mentioned eight others who were also arrested by the force. He said further investigation revealed that they were the same gang that robbed same bank and one other on May 25, 2012 and August 29 2012 respectively. Manko warned that the era of raiding banks by armed robbers was over, warning criminals to either quit the state or risked the police wrath.

he Anambra State Police command has arrested two suspected kidnappers who are graduates of tertiary institutions and a technician over alleged roles in theft of cars in the state. The Crimewatch gathered that the first suspect, Olisa Igweike is a Business Administration graduate of Oko Polytechnic Anambra State. He graduated in 2006. Speaking with Crimewatch, Igweike said “ I did my part-time programme at the Oko Polytechnic and I was searching for employment before I joined the gang. We wanted to kidnap the son of a Delta State House of Assembly member in Asaba but unfortunately, it was not successful,” he explained. “I have involved myself in various armed robbery operations in Awka where we robbed people who came for shopping in supermarkets. We usually attacked them, snatched their cars and sold them at Onitsha where Ifeanyi , a motor technician always assisted in looking for buyers and after the sales he usually collects his own share of the proceeds,” he said . Another suspect, Paul Obinna, an OND graduate of Federal Polytechnic, Auchi, explained his involvement: “I graduated in 2005 and I studied Statistic/ Computer. I was involved in an attempt to kidnap the son of a member of the Delta State House of Assembly. It was the brother to the member of the House of Assembly that brought the business of kidnapping and he was our link before we were rounded up by the men of Special Anti-

Robbery Squad (SARS) just before we carried out the operation. “We were also involved in armed robbery in Awka, where we robbed the victims of their cars and we sold the cars at cheaper prices. We do sell the cars between the ranges of N250,000 to N300,000 and after that we would share the money,” he stated. The Commissioner of Police, Ballah Nasarawa told Crimewatch that the three suspects were currently at the SARS custody and they were being investigated. He said two of the suspects are graduates of different polytechnics and that they attempted to kidnap the son of a member of the Delta State House of Assembly with his brother’s assistance. Nasarawa said that the two graduate-suspects had been involved in various armed robbery operations and cars snatching in Awka area. He said the police had received several complaints from the victims before they were rounded up by men of SARS. “We also arrested their receiver, Ifeanyi Nnabife, a motor technician at Omoba Face One, Onitsha who usually look for buyers for the stolen cars by the robbers and normally collect his own share of the proceeds,” he explained. The officer in charge of SARS in the state police command, a Superintendent of Police (SP), James Nwafor, said that the suspects were rounded up when they were about carrying out an armed robbery operation .

Parents accuse extra-judicial ki From KASSIDY UCHENDU, Nsukka

ereaved parents of two young men whose bodies were discovered at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) have fingered soldiers from the 82 Division, Nigeria Army as killers of their children. According to the aggrieved parents, Ferdinand Onah and Peter Obute, their children were abducted and later killed by a team of soldiers who dumped their remains at the UNTH morgue as “unknown corpse.” The alleged extra judicial killing by soldiers in Enugu State, of an engineering undergraduate of the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), Chukwuebuka Onah and Obiechina Obute, a Fine and Applied Arts graduate of Enugu College of Education, Technical is now causing ripples in Nsukka. Obiechina aged 27 and Chukwuebuka aged 25, were allegedly arrested on July 10, 2012 by a team of heavily armed soldiers led by Lt. Yusuf at Cleson Guest Inn, Ofulonu Road in the university town of Nsukka and whisked to the 82, Division, Nigerian Amy, Enugu and alleged killed the following day and their bodies taken to the office of AntiKidnap Squad which in turn, took them to the UNTH morgue as “unknown corpses.” The arrests of the young men according to Crimewatch investigation may not be unconnected with alleged cultism offence in which the children of a very prominent Nigerian politician and a military top-notcher were allegedly killed. Crimewatch gathered that parents of the suspects met their children alive at the office of the Nsukka Urban Military •Late Obute Patrol Base on July 11, and that all their plea to have their children handed over to the police for interrogation was Obute said. The parents regretted that the soldiers did not tell them refused by the soldiers. their children’s offences and lamented that six weeks When their plea failed, Crimewatch learnt that the two parents followed the soldiers who carried their sons in a white after, they recovered their children’s corpses at the Hilux van until they entered 82 Division Headquarter in UNTH Enugu morgue tagged “unknown corpse” When Crimewatch asked to the parents if they thought Abakpa area of Enugu and the heavy iron gate closed behind them. “All efforts we made to have contact with our sons that their children might have been connected with any failed as the soldiers manning the gate refused us entry,” cult activity, one of them said, “I don’t know. I don’t know if my son is a cult member. He is an adult and is

CRIME

Thursday, October 18, 2012

WATCH

DAILY SUN

Police recover multimillion naira fake products By MATTHEW DIKE

(SON) will be invited to look into the case”. He said the suspect was arrested at his sales head office at Cooperative Line, Bridge Head, Building Material Market, Onisha, Anambra State. He said the product sells for N1, 050 each for a particular category that are 12 pieces per carton. The second category sells for N650 while the other sells for N440. The items were loaded in two long trucks from Onitsha to Lagos. “He has been doing the business for a very long time until we got a tip off and put up a petition to the police since September 25. The police went into action and arrested him on September 27.

man has been arrested for allegedly importing fake Abro PVC cement gum worth several millions of naira into the country. The man simply identified as Elochukwu was arrested by police detectives attached to the Area ‘B’Apapa Police Command following a tip-off that he imported the products from China. Police detectives were said to haave trailed the fake products to Anambra State where they arrested Elochukwu. Crimewatch gathered that 4,900 fake Abro PVC cement gums were recovered from the warehouse where he stored the product. The original Abro products were usually imported from United States of America (USA) by Coscharis Group. The group complained to the •Suspects police that someone was faking the product which the company had the legal right as sole marketer in “The suspects didn’t succeed in the kidnapping attempt on the son the country. of an Honourable member of the Delta House of Assembly and they The spokesman of Coscharis Group, Ambassador later switched over to armed robbery,” he said. Nwameme explained that the company is the sole The third suspect, Ifeanyi Nnabife said: “ I am a motor technician importer of the product in the country and that the and also a receiver of stolen cars. My workshop is at Omoba Face original products were made in USA. He said By CHRISTOPHER OJI One, Onitsha. I am responsible for looking for buyers when they nobody or company has the right to market the brought stolen cars and after selling the cars, I used to collect five product in Nigeria and that was why the group had he Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Umar thousand naira (N5,000) as my own share . to report the suspected fake marketer to the police. Manko has traced the reason youths indulge in crime Nasarawa said that the police recovered a locally made pistol, cars “Only Coscharis has the right to market the prodto drug abuse. and other stolen items from the suspects adding that the suspects uct in Nigeria. Standard Organisation of Nigeria The Commissioner of Police who was speaking during would soon be charged to court. interactive section with the Team 3 course of the National Defence College (NDC) at his office in Ikeja, said the average age of those who engage in criminal activities, especially armed robbery was 23. According to him: “Recent statistics have shown that most crimes are committed by youths between the average age of 23. This portends a great concern. I came in March 2012 and between then and now, the average age of criminals that engage in major crimes are within the range of 23. It is imperative that a robust youth orientation programme be put in place. He said he discovered that most of the sophisticated crimes like robberies that the command has been able to smash, the age of those involved were within the ages of 23. “By the time they are in operation, they are dreaded but at the UNTH mortuary and tagged it “unknown corpse”. How when caught, they become sober and blame it on Satan. You can they tag his body “unknown corpse” as if they picked him will then see clearly that the confidence was built up by the as a victim of road mishap?, he cannot be unknown to them use of drugs.” because, after they arrested him in Nsukka, they brought him He noted that the peculiarity of Lagos state contributed to to our house to search his room but did not find any incrimithe prevailing crimes ranging from robbery, murder, fraud, nating items” complained Mr. Obute, father of Obiechina, a trans- border crime and of recent kidnapping. Adding that Fine and Applied Arts graduate, who was killed by soldiers the command had always risen up to the challenges by takattached to the Nsukka Urban Military Team with one undering the fight right to the robbers hideouts which had led to graduate, Chukwuebuka Onah several arrests and recovery of arms as well as rescuing of “What I cannot understand is which law empowered soldiers kidnapped victims. to use masquerade to identify suspects, arrest them, try them He however, attributed the achievement to the support of and kill them less than 12 hours after arrest. I am sorry for the state government and collaboration from sister services , Nigeria, I am only crying out for other parents who are potenparticular the OP MESA. He revealed that the command tial victims. As for me, my son cannot come out again”, Mr. had so far received a total of 4000 vehicles from the state Onah, father of Chukwuebuka Onah who was killed together government, including gun boats to patrol the waterways in with Obiechina lamented. addition to 114 vehicles and 40 motorbikes from the local Both bereaved parents regretted that none of the petitions government to facilitate the command’s patrol. they wrote to the Commanding Officer 82 Division Enugu, the Earlier in his address , leader of the Team 3 delegation, Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Ihejirika, immediately their sons Brigadier General Imomotimi Birigeni explained that the were arrested and after they discovered they have been killed purpose of the study tour was to carry out a feasibility study by the soldiers was responded to. on its theme ‘Youth Empowerment and International They said they were made fools by the soldiers at the 82 Security in Lagos Division Enugu who made “us engage in abortive and agonizState’ with a view to ing merry-go-round of all the police stations in Enugu in finding solution to the search of our sons, not knowing they have killed them and cause of youths deposited their bodies at the UNTH mortuary, Ituku Ozalla, involvement in near Enugu and tagged them “unknown corpse,” the bereaved crimes, a developfathers told Crimewatch. ment he described as They said they searched for their sons for over six weeks alarming. before someone advised them to go to the Anti-Kidnap Squad •Onah At the end of the Enugu a.k.a Fire-for-Fire, to make enquiries. tour, the team comresponsible to his actions. Even if he was, the soldiers have It was there the bereaved parents said they were told that the prising 15 participants no right under the law to arrest, try and execute them’ soldiers brought the corpses of their sons to them and they and nine administraThey alleged that when they asked to know their offence, deposited them in the UNTH morgue and had to tag them tive and Support Staff a soldier simply quipped; “you will read it in the newspa- “unknown corpses” because the soldiers did not tell them their according to Birigeni, per.” They also alleged that the person the soldiers used as names or their offences, but only said they were criminals. would proffer possian informant to identify their children at Cleson Guest After identifying their children’s corpses at the UNTH ble solution on the House was masked. morgue, Mr. Onah and Obute had to apply to the indulgence of youths “My problem is not so much that soldiers killed my son, Commissioner of Police, Enugu who released the corpses to in crimes to the gov‘Obi’, but that after they killed him, they deposited his body them because they could not find any offence they committed. ernment for further •Manko action.

Manko blames youths involvement in crime on drug abuse

soldiers of lling of children

DAILY SUN

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Aluu four: Auchi Poly students condemn killing By ZIKA BOBBY

he Auchi Polytechnic Students’ Union has condemned the gruesome murder of four students of the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, saying “the act is barbaric and evil.” Speaking with Daily Sun at the weekend, the vice president of the union, Comrade Sunday Queen called on Nigerians students to condemn the act, urging the Nigerian government to bring the perpetrators to justice. She said: “ We the students of the Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi, Edo State, hereby condemn the action carried

out by the people of Aluu Community in River State on our fellow students. It is an act of injustice and those involved should be punished according to the laws of the land. The people of Aluu Community sentenced four Nigerian students of University of Port-Harcourt to death without trial, thereby taking laws into their hands. I hereby call on the Federal Government, the Rivers State government and all security agencies to intervene in the matter and bring to book the perpetrators of this injustice against Nigerian students. An injury to one is injury to all. We will keep our fingers crossed to see what the gov-

ernment would do about the situation and if nothing is done concerning the murder of these four students, then we will take the matter to the international community. We will mobilize the entire Nigerian students and take our case to the international community. “It is a shame that nothing was done by our security agencies when this crime was being committed by the people of Aluu. It is also a big shame that nothing has being done since the crime was committed. I hope this will not end up like many others that never saw the light of the day. Justice must prevail in this matter, because it may be you next time,” she concluded.

‘Executive/Legislative harmony vital for progress’ By RAZAQ BAMIDELE

ood rapport between the Executive and Legislative arms of government has been described as vital to the growth and progress of any society that desires good governance that comes with genuine democratic process. This assertion was contained in a statement signed by the Patron of a group known as Goodluck Ebele Jonathan Admirers Club, Mr. Dare Falade where he urged the National Assembly to

cooperate with Mr. President with a view to collective move the country forward for the benefit of all. “The politics of constant conflicts between these two arms of government may be good, but I can assure you that what is good politics, does not necessarily work in the real world. What works in the real world is cooperation among the arms of government,” Falade submitted reminding that “democracy does not have to be a blood spot but translation of values into our public policy.”

Against this backdrop, Falade is of the conviction that, every Nigerian was supposed to key into the transformation Agenda of the President believing that “the debate will inspire and grow new ideas and success for the country.” The cordial relationship between the two vital arms of the government, according to him, would define direction and lay ground-work for greater and effective institutions on which the country would attain further greater heights.

DAILY SUN Thursday, October 18, 2012

Maurice Archibong 3-time winner, travel & tourism reporter of the year actsreview@yahoo.com 08056180050

Travels

•Amb and Mrs. Obisakin (sixth and fifth from right), Ataoja of Osogbo and his Olori (seventh and eighth from right), NIDO, Cotonou Chapter President Aderinto (third right) etc.

Yoruba community boosts Nigeria’s image in Benin Republic

You make our work easier – Nigerian Ambassador

…Nigerians and Beninese should feel at home in each other’s country – Alajase of Ilu-Ajase

traditional ruler in Porto Novo, Alajase of Ilu-Ajase, Oba Sani Onikoyi, Abesan V, has advised Nigerians living in Benin Republic to refrain from seeing themselves as aliens. Speaking during the 10th anniversary celebration of Osogbo Progressive Union (OPU) in Benin Republic on, September 9; the monarch observed that the visiting paramount ruler of Osogbo, Ataoja, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun, was not in Benin Republic as a stranger, but should be seen as merely on an inspection tour of home. While reminding that Porto Novo, capital of old Dahomey, is an aboriginal Yoruba settlement; Oba Onikoyi implored Nigerians in Benin to consider themselves at home and Beninese living in Nigeria to do likewise. The royal father, while enjoining Nigerians living in Benin Republic to be of good conduct at all times, added: “Gege bi mo ti ma nso fun yin, ihin ile, ohun ile: As I have often said; here (Benin Republic), is home; and there, (Nigeria) is also home”. The Alajase again: Ki lo de, t’aafi nso be (Why do we hold this view)?

•Ataoja and Olori

•Alajase of Ilu-Ajase and his Olori The reason is that Benin Republic is not a foreign land to any Nigerian, he intoned; adding, in Yoruba: “You are at home and should feel free to live and prosper”. Oba Onikoyi nonetheless had another advice for his Nigerian audience, when he remarked: K’oye ki omo kan o gbagbe orisun re o… (I’m not saying that any of you should forget your roots…). I pray that it shall be well

with you both here (in Benin) and also over there (in Nigeria). Expectedly, this traditional ruler’s comment elicited a thunderous applause from his audience, and; truly, it was not the first time the Alajase would make such declaration. It could be recalled that, at the formal inauguration of the founding executives of Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO), then known as

•Dahh Eahou d’Agbanhizoun (right) and another Fon chief Nigerian Community Union (NCU) that graced the event with their presat Hall des Art in 2002, Oba Onikoyi ence. Although the celebration, which had expressed the same sentiment, much to the appreciation of held inside the Forme et Sante Nigerians and Beninese nationals •Continued on Page 41

DAILY SUN Thursday, October 18, 2012

TRAVELS

Why is Lagos State Government after the boatman?

•Amb and Mrs Lawrence Olufemi Obisakin •Continued from Page 40 (Fitness and Heath) Gym Club located behind Stade Dedokpo in Akpakpa, Cotonou; was organised by Osogbo indigenes living in Benin Republic, Yoruba from all parts of Nigeria and Benin Republic took part in the festivities. Also speaking at the same forum, which was partly powered by Femi Ventures Promotion, the Nigerian Ambassador to Benin Republic, Ambassador Lawrence Olufemi Obisakin, said that the good conduct of Yoruba-born Nigerians living in former Dahomey has made life easier for members of our country’s diplomatic mission in that neighbouring country. In his address, Ambassador Obisakin, who was accompanied to the event by his wife, Mrs. Cecilia Gbemisola Obisakin, observed that since he assumed office as envoy of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan in Republique du Benin; no Yoruba-born Nigerian has been involved in any trouble that called for his mission’s intervention. Ambassador Obisakin, who went on to implore every Nigerian living in Benin to be of good conduct because, “God is behind you, when you’re doing good”; pointed out that “Nigerians are not criminals, we are a great people” and a very enterprising lot, whom God has richly blessed. He added that, Nigeria could be likened to an elephant; whose movement could not be impeded by mere flora. “The elephant does not need anybody to make a way for it. Whereever the elephant decides to tread becomes the way. The elephant chooses its path and the plants simply gives way”, he intoned. Concluding, Obisakin said: “God bless Nigeria” even as he implored every Yoruba and indeed all Nigerians resident in Benin Republic to remain of good conduct and live within the ambit of the laws of their host nation. Aside the Nigerian Ambassador and the Alajase of Ajase, another very important personality at the well-attended event was the Ataoja of Osogbo, paramount ruler of the Osun State capital, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun. In his address, Oba Olanipekun amid prayers for all and sundry, observed that Osogbo indigenes living in Benin Republic were doing well; which informed his decision to travel to the neighbouring country for their event, even though it came hot on the heels of the 2012 Osun-Osogbo Festival, which was just-concluded at the time. The Ataoja thanked the organisers of the event and everyone that turned up to felicitate with Osogbo community in Benin, even as he prayed for God to guide all the participants safely back to their destinations after the fiesta.

•A former head of mission, Nigerian Embassy, Cotonou

•Alh Sefiu Alao (middle) with Otun Sobaloju of Osogbo (right)

The event featured performances by the Laredo Fuji Organisation led by Cardoso Fuji maestro, Sefiu Alao, who was decorated with a chieftaincy title, Dahh, on that day. In his address, Mr. Fatai Abimbola Oladimeji, Chairman of Yoruba Community in Cotonou thanked Ataoja and other royal fathers as well as the Nigerian Ambassador and other dignitaries for making out time to attend the event. Speaking further, Oladimeji observed that Osogbo indigenes living in Benin Republic were not doing badly as could be seen from the fact that the local Yoruba community had picked him, an Osogbo son, as their Chairman. Other distinguished guests at the event included Amb Abudu Razaq Siyanbola, OPU National President; Hon. Iziak Faramade, Chairman of Osogbo Local Government Area; Dahh Eahou d’Agbanzihoun; Owe Oniketu of Ketu, Oba Alao Aladeife Agbolawolu; and, Chief Yemi Elebuibon; Pastor Julius Adebamibo Aderinto, President of NIDO, Cotonou Chapter; Pa Ibrahim Adewunmi, Patron of Yoruba Community in Benin Republic; Mr. Ishola Bello, immediate-past Chairman, Yoruba Community in Cotonou; Mallam Saliou Karim, El-Hadj Adekounle Aremou alias Baba Soro soro of CAPP FM; and, MCs Dauda Oho as well as Arole. •Mallam Saliou Karim with Alhaja Kaanisuru

n recent times, things have not been the same for Lagos Water Ways Authority (LASWA). A creation of contradiction in Law and constitutionality this Lagos agency saddled with creating conducive atmosphere for water transportation, has found it self entangled with Federal Inland Water Ways Authority (NIWA), also a federal outfit with similar mandate to police and ensure safety in Nigerian’s vast waterways. Apart from this sore thumb in its operational focus, the Lagos agency is also riddled with staff restlessness and a near absence of any form of relationship with stakeholders, particularly private boat operators. The agency’s problem which increases by the day is a creation of an inept leadership which puts the cart before the horse so to say. An agency that breaks the law, engages in brigand and area boys’ mentality in the discharge of its so called mandate tells of the kind of madness on Lagos water ways. Indeed, the current leadership of this agency appears to be in a hurry to deal with all perceived enemies and is so intolerant of opposing views or suggestions. A law unto itself, it in disgusting to note that the outfit could brazenly accost and run aground equipment of private boat operators in the guise of enforcing laws. Imagine, accosting a boat filled with passengers mid sea and had their engines removed, beating of boat captains and illegal toying of boats at jetties where they are anchored. These and many other illegalities by LASWA have simply exposed the seeming hidden agenda of Lagos government in its quest to control the water ways. I recall that Jide Cole as pioneer head of this agency had brought some sense of professionalism at its take off and proactively created a platform to engender growth and open the business to wider investments. This he did by visiting private operators, sharing in their aspirations and challenges and creating a template to expose them to best transportation practices through seminars and workshops. However, a Jide Cole is no longer in the place to drive the agency to a glorious height. Then came a new experimental leadership with Juvenile tendencies which collapsed the gains of Fashola’s vision in this critical area of development. What even troubles most observers is the agenda of this new leadership to run a ground the business of one Nigeria’s most hard working and exemplary boat operator, Mr. Gani Balogun. Till date, no one has come out in the open to tell the world what this boatman has done wrong. To visit with area boys and pull down his business at Badore jetty near Ikorodu to which the state legitimately handed over to him under public/ private initiative is to say least not palatable. Those of us who know the pains to which Mr. Balogun, popularly known as Tarzan, experience to grow his business to a reputable outfit, still marvel at this kind of treatment to a private institution in Nigeria’s 21st Country. I’m aware that Mr. Balogun do not owe the state in taxes and has over the years contributed to the growth of water transportation in Lagos nay Nigeria. An advocate of transparency in all ramifications, it is to the credit of Balogun that water transport operators in Lagos and all over the country, ply the trade the way it should be done elsewhere in the world. Balogun introduced and ensured that operators and passengers must wear life jackets and boats must have all life saving accessories. He organized the private sector to work with states and federal governments to ensure a viable sector that can create jobs and provide an alternative and reliable means of transportation for Nigerians. Balogun led by example and is known to Lagos government and the traditional and

People & Tourism

Frank Meke mekefrank@yahoo.co.uk 08023184600 (sms only)

local institutions as a bridge builder, an enduring partner in development and progress of the state and its people. He has ensured for over ten years that students and members of the security agencies living in riverine communities in Lagos ride on any of his branded boats free of charge. During health campaigns to rural riverine areas, Mr Balogun provided his boats Pro Bono which helped the state health officials discharge their duties without let. He also put the state on global investment map on water transportation when he single handedly constructed giant car ferries which helped Lagos to decongest the roads at the height of traffic jams. Indeed, the state tourism officials during the tenure of Senator Afikuyomi as tourism commissioner, took pictures of this encouraging and innovative template and displaced it to the world in New York and London, as the gains of Fashola’s open private sector investments in Lagos. To say that Mr Balogun has represented Lagos well in this business is an understatement. He is the face of Water transportation in Lagos and in Nigeria and so let the envious souls that want to run him out of town hold their peace. What Fashola should do is to encourage Balogun to help the state become another Eldorado in water transportation business. In other countries where the best are consulted and encouraged, the likes of Balogun would have been at the forefront of helping Lagos arrest the decay in LASWA and position it as an example to other littoral states. I’m of the opinion that hounding Balogun’s businesses with security agencies without any known or provable facts, will only drag the state government into disrepute and would lead other potential investors to back out of the states’ economic revival agenda. On the other hand, the state as represented by LASWA is free to approach the law courts if it has any irresolvable issues with Balogun rather than become a witness and a judge in its own case. We shall continue to keep our eyes on this matter to which we expect the governor and his commissioner for transport to play a peaceful role or let the world know their stand.

•Fashola

DAILY SUN

Thursday, October 18, 2012

MONEY

Entrepreneur, Property & Investment guide

By KELECHI MGBOJI

n recent time, the spending of N4.287 billion part of Imo State bond proceeds has been a subject of controversy between the administration of ex-Governor Ikedi Ohakim and that of Governor Rochas Okorocha. Whereas the state Finance Commissioner, Mr. Chike Okafor, insists there is nothing on ground to justify spending of N4.287 billion by the past administration, the former Commissioner of Finance, Mr. George Irechukwu, gives a clean bill of health to the administration under which he had served, saying they were very prudent in management of the funds. In this interview, Okafor denied the allegation that N13.3 billion balance of the bond has been wasted. Excerpts: N13.3 billion bond proceeds intact The money is intact otherwise we couldn’t have applied for change of utilization. The process of applying to SEC for change of utilization is such that you cannot even submit applications if the funds are there. SEC has its own way of investigating. When a bond is issued, there are parties including trustees and underwriters who are parties to the bond issue. And you cannot go to SEC and apply for change of usage or to utilize a certain balance of the bond proceeds on other projects if the money was not there. Otherwise, why are you applying? Why are you seeking SEC approval to utilize the balance to probably fund or finance certain projects if the money is already frittered away. But I don’t want to join issues with anybody as to whether the money is there or not.

. Okafor

Over N4bn proceeds of Imo bond wasted I don’t want to respond directly to allegations of the opposition in the state. But what I want to say is that the processes are there; and for us to have met the processes of application and you (Daily Sun) confirmed from SEC that such request or application was filed by this government, goes to confirm that the N13.3 billion balance of the bond proceeds is intact. If the money was not there you won’t even start the process in the first instance. Going for balance Yes, we are going to return to the market to pick the balance of the N40 billion medium term loan. Once we get the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approve our application to channel the funds to projects other than those originally stated in the bond prospectus, we return to the market to pick up the balance in a second tranche. We are hoping to go back, it is cheaper. It is a fixed coupon rate. It was a N40 billion bond issuance programme. Who says we can’t go back to pick the balance and develop Imo? What is more important to us is developing Imo and of course proper utilization of the

– Okafor bond proceeds. Projects financing When God said let there be light, was there lighter in his hand? No, there was not even kerosene nor fuel. But there was light. Where there is a will there is a way. What is more important is that we have a governor who has a vision and is determined to deliver to Imo people. What is important is that we have a governor and a government who is not corrupt. This government is funded and founded on zero tolerance to corruption, no wastages. So, whether the resources are lean, there is an economic maxim that says “if you cannot increase your earnings, you cut down your expenses. That is what we are doing. No security vote, no estacodes. Our 2011 budgetary appropriation act, over N6.5 billion was appropriated for security vote. This governor came and gave it up, is that not huge enough. So what are we talking about? We don’t call parties in government house every weekend and drink Champaign and expensive wines from choice wine factories in the world which, before now, was the norm in Imo State. We don’t throw parties and frolic about. In fact, there are no wastages in this administration. That on its own is enough. We are also working on our internally generated revenue (IGR). It was a meager N400million when we came in but now it is N800 million, and we are looking to hit N1 billion by December. Strategy We have re-jigged our board of internal revenue and it has become more effective, responsive and responsible. Institutions that hitherto were not paying taxes are now paying taxes. And we also discovered that there were leakages before we came. The changes that the governor has made in treasury department via board of internal revenue are all geared towards blocking those leakages. In August, we realized over N750 million from IGR. When we came in it was meager N380 to N400 million; and the maximum was N420 million. But today, if the board of internal revenue generates anything less than N750 million, it is not unacceptable. So, we are looking towards hitting N1billion in December from where we met it in May 2011. SEC approval There is no compelling provision that says the funds must be tied to certain projects that generate returns, no. You can also borrow from the bond market to refinance an already existing debt. You can borrow to refinance an existing obligation. Let’s take for instance you borrow from a commercial bank at a going rate of 21 percent, the sum of N25 billion. You can go to the capital market and borrow N5 billion at 14 percent interest to refinance that borrowing. So there is nothing that says you must tie the funds on projects that

“Some of the projects they claimed to have executed are water projects. But we discovered that some of the water projects were financed with intervention funds by the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) agency” yield returns on investment. Are you aware that the National Assembly is kicking against borrowing to refinance debts? Yes, but there is an already existing law which hasn’t been amended. Until the existing law is amended, or repealed we have to work according to the provisions of the existing law. Of course, some concerned Nigerians are also questioning borrowing to refinance debts, but until the current statue is changed, it is binding on us all. So, in conclusion the current law has not been changed as regards to accessing funds from the capital market. Are there significant work done to justify the spending of N4.287 billion? You may have more information than I do. The prospectus is there and the projects they said they were going to execute are stated in the prospectus. And specific percentages of the N18.5 billion supposed to be channeled to various projects are all stated in the prospectus. In fact, there is nothing to show for the amount of N4.287 billion previous administration claimed to have spent. As in Oguta Wonder Lake project where they claimed to have spent N390 million, there is nothing on ground to show for what was spent. Some of the projects they claimed to have executed are water projects. But we discovered that some of the water projects were financed with intervention agency funds by the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) agency. Some of the MDG-funded water projects appear in the list of projects they claimed to have executed with part of the

Continues on page 43

DAILY SUN Thursday, October 18, 2012

MONEY Entrepreneur

Investing in cassava production T .

Okafor

Nigerians are kicking against borrowing to refinance debts Continued from page 42 proceeds of the bonds. There are about 17 of such water projects. And MDG is an intervention agency. Its funds come separately, and the projects are also executed and monitored separately. Mix-up When we came into government, the governor Owele Rochas Okorocha, gave us instruction to focus on moving the state forward. He said that he did not want distractions, and of course if we had gone on loud to say what was done wrong in the past before we came in, we wouldn’t have been where we are today. So we don’t want distractions; we are not looking at what was done in the past. Rather what is important to this government is that we have a four year mandate to develop the state. And definitely, Okorochas is determined to deliver on his promises. The Governor is not looking at what happened and what immediate administration did. He is looking at what posterity can credit to him. What goes on in his mind is: What can we do to improve the situation of Imo State? He has a four-year mandate, and his tenure has gone almost midway. Yes government is a going concern but what is important to us as a government is we don’t want to leave Imo where we met it. So, we don’t want to trade words or join issues with anybody. That is an unnecessary distraction. How is the government going to cope with N1.5 billion debt servicing liability arising from the bond annually? We are paying N375 million monthly, and it is deducted at source. The deduction has been on since 2009 and it is ongoing until 2014. That is to say about N1.5 billion is taken away from our monthly allocation. That is what we met when we came in. There is also another N6 billion loan taken from the United Bank for Africa (UBA) on the eve of the gubernatorial election. We are also servicing the loan, and what the money was used for, we do not know. Yet the previous administration claimed that it did not pay severance packages of officials that served the government. The question is with all that money why did the administration fail to pay the entitlements of those that served under it? Why were the entitlements passed on to this administration? Well there is litigation on this matter, so the court will decide on the issue. But one poser yet remains: Somebody lost election May 6, and knew he was going to handover May 29, why didn’t he pay his subordinates? That is to say he had over 22 days as executive governor, why didn’t he pay entitlements of his subordinates?

he Federal Government still enforces the ban on importation of some items that can be easily produced in this country. At the same time encourages those interested in export to develop the local production of those exportable products and at the same time encourages self-reliance on local food consumption. The present government has paid attention on the development of agriculture and other non-oil exportable products. Cassava production, processing into chips & pellets, industrial starch, ethanol, garri, flour and foofoo is still a very lucrative agro- industrial project. Every hand should be on deck to encourage cassava production either through provision of funds or through encouragement of production for export market. Here some of those potentials are discussed. Cassava is an important annual food grown throughout Nigeria. It is tuberous and has the ability to thrive in poor soils and has considerable resistance to drought. It is also used to refer to the root of this tropical plant. It is botanically called manihot esculenta and also called maniac or tapioca. Cassava is seen as readily available raw materials for establishment of small and medium scale industries in Nigeria. Nigeria’s staple garri is produced from the root of this crop. Export types Cassava for export includes dry cassava leaves, chips, pellets, cassava meal, flour and starch and ethanol. All these products can be export. Detailed research reports and feasibility studies report on establishment and running of any these aspects of the project are available and would be given to prospective investors. Uses Cassava is used mainly for producing animal feed. The dry roots chips and pellets are usually preferred by industrial animal feeds producers in America and Europe. Alcohol is also extracted from cassava. Textile industries and food industries need starch. Production Nigeria is a major producer of this tropical crops with output conservatively put at over 50, 000 metric tones. However, until 1996, cassava and its allied products were on the export prohibition list. From 1996, its ban was lifted. With this policy action, Nigeria exporters were given the opportunity to develop export markets for this product. Apart from Nigeria other major tropical developing countries that produce cassava include Brazil, Thailand, Indonesia and Zaire. Nigeria’s over 60,000 metric tones is almost totally processed and consumed locally.

UBA Godwin ubagodwin@yahoo.com 08034494437, 08023664368

Export Globally, only 15 percent of total production of cassava is exported with Thailand being the major exporter of cassava products. As earlier stated cassava and its derivatives were de-listed from the export prohibition lists since 1996 and any Nigerian can invest and export any processed product(s). Its export is now encouraged among other food crops for which Nigeria is a major producer by present administration. Direction of export The direction of cassava export is mainly Europe and North America with European Union accounting for about 90 percent of the total buyers. Details of the foreign buyers of industrial starch, cassava chips & pellets and cassava flour would be given to prospective investors on contacting the writer. About 30 percent of cassava production globally s used for starches and other industrial products and only less than one percent is processed into ethanol particularly in Brazil. It is a choice animal feed material because of its high carbohydrate content. It is however mixed with protein source such as Soya beans. Europe market overview The Europe is the major importer of cassava for animal production. Details would be given to prospective investors. Animal production being the main attraction of Agriculture in Europe, accounted for about 70 percent of total agricultural output. The compound feed formulation is the main attraction for cassava. About 90 percent of the traded cassava in the Europe is from the developing countries, Such as Nigeria. Main suppliers are Thailand (about 85 per cent), Indonesia (about six percent), sub Saharan Africa is yet to contribute significantly to world trade in cassava with about three (3) percent recorded in the early part of the millennium. The principal buyer of cassava in the Europe is Netherlands, (accounting for over 40 percent of total Europe imports);Germany (about 20 per cent), Belgium and Luxembourg (about 13 percent), France (eight percent), U.K (10 percent) and Italy (two percent). Details breakdown would be given to prospective investors the exportable quality standard. Transportation and handling Transportation and handling constitute high levels of cost of inputs in preparation of cassava for export. This is due to the bulky nature of the product. This cost could be as high as 50 per cent of

total cost. Proper management of cost reduction programme is therefore recommended for those who wish to venture into the export of cassava as reduction of costs will afford better competitiveness. Cassava pellets are usual cheaper to transport and handle than other exportable processed cassava products like industrial starch. The standard of the product is very important. Quality Feed millers are very critical about quality. Consistency of quality is very important for them to maintain the standards of their products. Quality is usually in terms of nutritive value. Minimum standard specifications are as follows 70 percent, 70 percent and 62 percent stand for chips, flour and pellets respectively while moisture content is 14 percent, fibre five percent and ashthree percent content for all the three products. Details would be given to prospective investors on contacting the writer. Chips are normally white or near white, clean, free of mould, foreign matter insect damage and without off odours. Length of chips should be 45mm. It should be noted that if quality standard is not maintained the export project is bound to collapse. Therefore must be worked out carefully. Packing Packing is done in sacks of cotton, multi-craft paper bags or clean jute bag; pellets should be uniform in shape and size, less fragile and should be compatible for handling, storage and transportation. Palletising equipments exist for production of pellets. Prospective investors should not afraid of the quality control because the writer through years of experience can guide any investor to success. The current price of Thailand hard pellets (Nigeria’s equivalent) is as high as 3,500 DM per tone, industrial starch $2,500 US per tone as at January 2011(please note that the international price fluctuates and project plan market price) would be worked out based on the current. Processing plants The plants and machinery for setting up the cassava chips and pellets, industrial starch and flour are locally available. However, arrangements can be made for foreign machines on request. There are foreign machines from Brazil, South Korea, Japan, India etc. Prospective investors would be given the details and would be comprehensively worked out in the bankable feasibility studies report. The raw materials, labour and all other required inputs are locally available. All other essential details including accommodation, manpower, production technology, packaging and marketing will be embodied in a bankable and comprehensive feasibility report for prospective investor.

Ginger processing for cash Edwin Agbaike krisedbrilliant@yahoo.com 08098525122, 08023381900

he demand for ginger ale, ginger beer, biscuits and other ginger flavored products is expanding locally as well as on the international markets. You can set up a small-scale ginger processing plant and realize more profit from exporting the processed ginger powder concentrate than selling the raw ginger products. There is also attractive local market for processed ginger products by beverage, food, confectionery, soft drink, and pharmaceutical factories in Nigeria. Major raw materials required for ginger processing includes raw ginger, which grows abundantly in Kaduna and Plateau

States. Other raw materials are lime oils; lemon oil, acetone, ethanol glycerol, sucrose, sodium acetates and other chemicals can be sourced from the open market in Nigeria. The machinery and equipment required will include washing and drying machine, cold extractor, milling machine, stripper and hammer, material handling equipment, bagging facilities and other fixtures. All these equipment are available locally. Production of ginger powder and concentrates involves the following process: The raw ginger is cleansed, dried and milled. Thereafter, the resultant product goes through a process of desolventization encapsulation and extraction, depending on which end product is desired. Site should be closed to source of raw material and final market for products. Sitting a plant in Kaduna, Jos or Lagos city will be very ideal. The location of plant must be accessible to transportation to move raw materials to plant site and final products to market. It is also very essential to have basic infrastructures like water,

electricity and good access roads. Cost of setting up a small scale ginger processing plant ranges from about N370,000 to N1.2 million, depending on expected outputs. The viability of this project is not in doubt. Moreover, the returns are high with very short payback period. Processed products could be exported to ECOWAS sub-region and European countries. Local supplies could be made to confectionery, soft drink and pharmaceutical factories in Nigeria. Since the raw materials are 100% locally sourced and easy to come by, this project stands a good chance of attracting finance from the banks, where individuals or corporate bodies are assisted with funds ranging from N500,000 to well over N50 million. A well-packaged feasibility report is a prerequisite to securing finance for the project. For details on how to implement this project or any other, please contact us. We are willing to assist potential investors on any aspect of the project. Prospective investors may get in touch with us.

DAILY SUN Thursday, October 18, 2012

MONEY Entrepreneur

Govt should build more houses for people – Ilelabola has not been easy. But the high cost of acquiring C of O as well as its time consuming nature scare people away. People prefer to start building houses immediately after acquisition of land to avoid misuse of available fund while waiting for the C of O. Yet, government insists every land owner must have it. This situation affects patronage in this area of our business. Certificate of Occupancy Normally, it supposed to take between three to four months, but what you discover is that even when you have provided every requirements, paid all the charges, it still takes six to eight months to get it. The cause of this you know is internal bureaucracy. They try to mystify the process. Whether you comply with their demand or not, your documents will still take days before it could come out. So we always tell our clients to exercise patience. Some clients will insist on going with us. In such cases, the officials will assure the client that the C of O will soon be ready, yet it takes months without getting the documents. Cost The cost for every C of O varies by location of the land. For instance, when you get a plot of land at Okokomaiko, in Ojo local government, you have to start with survey plan which is fixed at N120, 000. If your land is located at Victoria Island, the price for a survey plan is pegged at about N300, 000, the same with Ajah for the same size of land. This document is usually needed to process a C of O. After that, you proceed to the office of the Surveyor General for other documentations. The price of a C of O also depends on whether the land is free or not, from government acquisition. If it is not free from government acquisition, you first of all pay ratification fee to enable you get all needed documents. This is not the same with a land that is free from government

acquisition. So, for you to acquire any land in Lagos, you have to go to the Lagos State ministry of land located at Alausa to verify the status of that land. If a buyer did not do this, speculators will sell the land to such a person. But after the buyer has developed it, government will come and demolish any building in that land and dispossess the buyer of it. Selling lands Since we started operation, we have not been involved in selling any land which our client would eventually lose to the government. We have not recorded such incidence. We do our verification before buying or selling any land. That does not mean we have not encountered desperate clients who want land, whether it is free from government acquisition in the future or not. Some land speculators capitalize on their desperation to sell lands that should not be trespassed to them without proper documentation. In the area of building plan, I would say that the first determinant of a good architectural drawing is what the owner wants. You will first of all ask the owner what he or she wants to build: a story building, block of flats or a duplex. The next thing is to determine the size of the land. You cannot design when you don’t know the size of someone’s land. Urban and regional planners Yes, before we start building, we have to submit the plan to the ministry of urban planning. They have to give a sign of approval to your design before you can submit it to the state for registration and approval. If you are taken to a swamp to plan or design an estate in it, what can you do? When you say a swamp, you are either referring to a marshy land or absolute swamp. In the case of absolute swamp, you have to understand

Nigeria will benefit from Vibrant Gujarat Summit – Kumar

company from Nigeria wants to make investment there. We have robust infrastructure, we have continuous power supply and it is absolutely peaceful estate. So, businessmen from Nigeria will find it a very ideal investment destination. MoU In fact, the NIPC has been our partner for the last three years. Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between government of Gujarat and NIPC. In the last two years of the Vibrant Gujarat Summit, the NIPC participated. In the last summit, NIPC headed a 15-member delegation from Nigeria. Balance of trade It is in favour of Nigeria because a lot of crude import from Nigeria goes to India. So, it is a trade surplus for Nigeria. But then, it is mutually-beneficial. The trade between India and Nigeria for the last two years, has grown by 40 percent in both import, as well as import. So, in the last two years, there has been a phenomenal growth in terms of trade between India and Nigeria We want the trade to flourish. A lot of Indian companies are here like Airtel and like in the power sector and others. Diversification Telecoms, Agriculture and also knowledgebased industry. Like this Vibrant Gujarat Summit that will be a forum for knowledge sharing, universities across the world will be participating. The universities in Nigeria can collaborate with Indian universities as well as other universities participating. Nigeria is a fertile soil for prospective investors Yes, there are a lot of potentials in Nigeria. We are very much convinced. For instance, two years ago, we came with a delegation and this is our second visit. In 2010, we came here and that led to the NIPC leading a delegation to Gujarat. And now, we are back here. So, we are taking it higher and higher. At the end of this business interaction, what should Nigerians expect? They can expect to have ties with Indian companies and Indian companies can join hands in the development of Nigeria.

By CHIMA NWOKOJI and VERA WISDOM

n this environment, the major legislation regarding land acquisition has been the Land Use Act of 1978. The Act establishes a uniform system of landholding for the entire country. With the involvement of fraudsters nowadays in land acquisition transactions, many land owners have lost millions of properties to government demolition exercise. That is why the Managing Director of M.S.A Ventures, Mr. Mathew Ilelabola wants government to build more houses. He warns those intending to acquire land to exercise caution in choosing not only land agents, but also real estate agents and expert land surveyors because various tiers of government are becoming increasingly interested in who owns and builds on what land. In this interview, Ilelabola, explains more. Excerpts: The company For about eight years, we have been involved in architectural drawings, land surveying, construction of projects, processing of building and Certificate of Occupancy for our clients scattered all over Nigeria. We also supervise constructions. Our major selling points are prompt service delivery and affordable price. Over the years we have been in business, we have got clients who came on the recommendation of other satisfied customers. Challenges We have encountered a lot of challenges based on government policies on building and land acquisition. When we design and submit to appropriate authorities for approval, we pass through a lot of difficulties. Before now, it was not as difficult as it is today. With government policy requiring C of O before approval can be given, it

From AIDOGHIE PAULINUS, Abuja

he Gujarat Trade and Government Delegation from India, was in Nigeria recently to create awareness about the forthcoming Sixth Vibrant Gujarat Summit at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar, India. Leader of the delegation, Pankaj Kumar, among other issues, spoke on how Nigeria would benefit from the summit, saying “Nigeria is the biggest trading partner of India in Africa.” Below is Daily Sun’s encounter with Kumar who also heads the Gujarat Maritime Board in India… The Delegation The Government of Gujarat organizes Vibrant Gujarat every two years and it is a global hub for investment and more than 100 countries participated in the last two editions. The Nigerian Investment Promotion Council (NIPC) had also participated and there was a delegation from Nigeria also. So, in order to take that further, this is what has been the intention here. And this time, it is not only combined to invite business delegation from Nigeria, but we had a meeting with the

.Kumar

Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) also. And ECOWAS has also agreed to send their delegation for this business summit. Nigeria-India partnership There are a lot of common issues between India and Nigeria. For instance, Nigeria is the biggest trading partner of India in Africa. We have lots of trading relation with Nigeria and there are lots of sectors like renewable energy, oil and gas, fertilizers, petro-chemical, tourism, health and human resources where we can work together. And more than that, in this global business hub, more than 100 countries are participating. So, Nigerian businessmen can enter into lots of agreements with companies across the globe for both inward and outwards investments in Nigeria. This morning, the meeting was attended by more than 50 business delegates from Nigeria. It was attended by Abuja Chamber of Commerce President, Dr. (Engr) Solomon and also, by the Executive Secretary of NIPC, Mr. Mustapha Bello and they also talked about mutual investment by Nigeria and Gujarat, and India. Investments Nigeria is the largest business partner of India in Africa. There are a lot of sectors there where Nigerian companies can invest and there are a lot of sectors in Nigeria where Indian companies can invest. It could be in the infrastructure, it could be pharmaceuticals and it could be cement and a host of other sectors: agriculture, agro-processing and all the other sectors, including telecom sector where the Indian companies can come and make investment in Nigeria. Once this business delegation comes to Gujarat to participate in the Vibrant Gujarat, then it will be a meeting point between the business community from Nigeria and the rest of the world. They can further explore the mutually-beneficial business propositions and also, take that further, especially if any other

. Ilelabola that this job is a collective job. We can give you a design of what we believe should fit into that particular place. We will work in conjunction with a structural engineer who will determine how many structures that can stand on the land because of its topography, when reclaimed. Also, before we design, we must have a survey plan of the land. Lagos construction works From my own perspective, the governor of Lagos State is trying in the area of construction. Roads in the state are gradually getting better. There are some areas in Lagos that you will go and you discover that the state government is trying in the area of housing. But the area government should look into is policy review and implementation. There are some policies that should be reviewed and some should be given proper implementation. When you go to certain ministries in the state, some documents that people should get in thirty days going by what is placed in the notice board, takes close to six months before you get them. At Alausa there, you will see several public notices telling the public not to give money for processing of any document, but the truth remains that your job cannot move if you don’t give money. It is just like a police station where you will be told that bail is free, but you cannot get any suspect out of cell without paying money. Whether you are a lawyer or the managing director of a big company, you must pay. But generally speaking, policies are good but implementation is the problem. I think the governor should send external persons to process some of these documents so that he can understand what I am saying here. Contracts outside Lagos I have done a lot of jobs outside Lagos. For example, I have moved from our Durbar Junction Mile 2 Estate here to execute jobs at Ogun, Oyo and even Enugu. While there, I discovered that policies on land acquisition and documentation are almost the same with that of Lagos State. All the documentation must be intact before you proceed to another stage. There are people from different states that after designing, they take us along to supervise the application of our designs. I have discovered that all over Nigeria, the land Act applies. In Ogun State, I discovered that their documentation is faster. As for charges for such jobs, it is negotiable. If it is government charging people, it is not negotiable but we in the private sector, we put a lot of things into consideration before charging clients for any job. Expectation from government We expect that government should create enabling environment to assist growing businesses like ours to blossom because unemployment is increasing on daily basis. If you organize a low key career fair targeting about 50 jobless people, you will be surprised that more than 500 persons will throng the venue. I attended one job fair recently where about 450 unemployed graduates attended a job fair in Lagos. Government should build more houses for the rich and poor. We still have virgin lands in Ajah, Ikorodu and even in Festac here. Fashola’s government should emulate what Alhaji Jackande did in terms of building affordable houses. Lagos state tenancy law The tenancy law might be good for those who have old buildings. They must have recouped their investment over the years. It is not a good law for new buildings considering the cost of building materials nowadays. You cannot recover your money in good time if after building a house, you start collecting a year rent from tenants.

DAILY SUN Thursday, October 18, 2012

Property MONEY Enugu civil servants to live in modern estates By PETER ANOSIKE

• Oshodi modern market

FG to limit road construction to priority areas – Minister Stories by MADUKA NWEKE

he Federal Ministry of Works has said that it is limiting its road construction and other infrastructural development in the country to priority areas. It says that due to Federal Government’s limited resources, it is giving priority attention to roads infrastructure projects that have direct impact on the nation’s economy. Speaking recently in Lagos, the Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen, disclosed that the ministry under his watch inherited a portfolio of about 168 projects requiring about N1 trillion to complete, stressing that on account of the global economic downturn, there was the need to prioritise the completion of these projects to first of all include those that are crucial to the nation’s economy. He said, “We have targeted all the roads leading to the sea ports, refineries, the major arterial roads and major dual carriageways. These priority projects are the Abuja-AbajiOkene dual carriageway; the Enugu-Port Harcourt dual carriageway; Benin-Ore-Sagamu dual carriageway; the LagosIbadan expressway; the section II of the Ibadan-Ilorin expressway; Kano-Maiduguri expressway and the second Niger Bridge”. Mr. Onolememen, who was in Lagos on inspection of the rehabilitation work at the Third Mainland Bridge, announced that construction work on the second bridge across the River Niger at Onitsha will begin in the first quarter of next year (Q1 2013), adding that the reconstruction of the International Airport Road in Lagos into an eight-lane carriageway will also start the same time. The minister noted that the rehabilitation of the third mainland bridge was currently a week ahead of schedule, hop-

...Needs N1trn to complete ongoing projects ing that it was possible to complete the bridge’s rehabilitation before the proposed due date of November 5 this year. “The deadline we have given to Lagosians on completion of the maintenance work will not change but rather we will work hard to see if we can get some mileage of say a couple of weeks. I thank Lagosians for their patience and perseverance”, he said Onolememen said that Federal Government’s intention for the second Niger Bridge was for real, adding that the decision was that the counterpart funding for the bridge has to come from the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment (SURE) Programme. “When the SURE Programme was put together,

the second Niger Bridge featured prominently and one of the decisions at the time was that the counterpart funding of the project will have to come from the SURE programme. That is why, if you look at the SURE key programmes, over N20 billion was budgeted for the second Niger Bridge. That represents 30 percent of federal government’s counterpart funding of this particular project.” He disclosed that at a recent Federal Executive Council meeting, a consultancy advisory committee was inaugurated “because we are determined to do the ground-breaking ceremony of the second Niger Bridge in the first quarter of next year.” He also revealed that many international consortiums have

expressed interest in the concession of the second Niger Bridge who, “as a matter of fact, are very vast in the issue of concession and are big names from Germany, Australia, France, Italy and many European countries”. On federal government’s involvement in the proposed fourth mainland bridge, Onolememen said, “many people are not aware that the Federal Ministry of Works conceived and designed what is called the second Lagos outer ring road whose first section will take off from Apapa and Tin Can Island area through Sango-Abeokuta and empty into the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. The reason for this project is to permanently decongest the nagging traffic problem on the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway and to provide a good alternative.

New housing estate opens in Lagos

he Nigerian housing sector received a boost recently in Lagos as Emmanuel Court was opened at Parkview Estate in Lagos. In the words of the developer, Mr. Olu Okeowo, the mortgage was provided by a reputable bank in Nigeria for those who need the facility at interest rate of 16 and 17 percent. “At this rate, it is still high but when you consider the cost at which we produce each unit of these houses, you find that it is competitive,” he stated. Okeowo said that the court which has over 50 housing units parades modern facilities including swimming pool, central sewage system; central generator, water treatment plant; industrial borehole and a gym, all of which are expected in this estate that targets high net-worth individuals. Parkview Estate, an upscale settlement in Ikoyi, apparently harbours a good number of the wonders of modern architec-

ture that make Ikoyi an exclusive address in Lagos. It is amazing what modern building technology has been able to do with brick and mortar in this neighbourhood. And this is where Emmanuel Court also sits. Shedding light on his business, Okeowo said: “For us, property development started as a hobby and we thank God today that the effort in that direction is rewarding.” He said that their main interest used to be steel fabrication in which they did a lot of tank farms and pipeline work in Port Harcourt. “As time went on however, the work we were doing became so enormous and stressful and when I looked around, I discovered that some notable industrialists were just building houses and maintaining them and their businesses were booming.” Okeowo, who is the chairman of Gibraltar Group, observed that the good thing

about property is that no matter the recession, it remains a viable investment asset class, adding that “armed robbers cannot steal them; they don’t disappear like stocks; you can see what you have done in brick and mortar and people will always find a place to live in”. On property market challenges and recovery, he doubted the arguments that Nigeria is the third fastest growing economy in the world. He was also uncomfortable with government’s claim that the economy is growing, stressing that “such a statement is hard to believe because it can’t be so with a lot of people hungry and homeless”. “The recession in the property market has its good side because it will create a better building model for businesses that are built on realities rather than shaky foundation. Once your prices are considerate, you will get out of it,” he reasoned.

ivil servants in Enugu would soon be living in ultra modern estates like their counter parts in advance countries of the world. This is as a result of a new close knit community known as Century City being developed in the Coal City. The community is located in an area zoned as Independence Layout Phase 11, which is about 5-minute drive from Independence Layout phase 1 and 8-minute drive from the Akanu Ibiam Airport. The land area which covered about 1,097 hectares is designed around the style and comfort offered by the most advanced European cities whilst retaining broad African influences. According to the developers, the Enugu Life style and Golf City, on completion would be the best place in Nigeria to live, work, learn and shop. The structures and infrastructure are constructed with cutting edge and cost effective technology that accentuates finesse and sustainability The man behind this vision is the state governor, Sullivan Chime, who in his campaign manifesto in 2007 promised to make Enugu, “the best place in Nigeria to live and work and bring up children”. The promise was contained in the four-point agenda of his

administration for a coordinated and accelerated economic development of the state. The agenda focuses on physical infrastructure (roads, housing, water, and electricity), economic expansion and employment, rural development, and service delivery and good governance. The concept of the city is built around four strategic functions which are residential, commercial, social and recreational and environmental and security. Some of the key infrastructure that would be in place on completion would include state of the art electronic security system, water treatment plant, steady power supply, street lightings roads, dams and walkways. Some of the estate facilities would include Recreation Park, shopping mall, club house, 18 golf courses, 9 hole golf course, hotel security post and fire station. The land in the estate is divided into gardens with different prices. Some of them include Palms presidential gardens which consist of tripe exclusive plots. The plot size ranges from 2,301m2 and 2,892m2 and each has a frontage of the golf course or green area. The Rose Garden which comprise of executive homes. Plots of land in this area would range between 1,194m2 to 1,258m2.

Why govt can’t achieve 1m housing units per annum – Experts

he inability of the federal government to achieve the one million housing units on an annual basis has been attributed to lack of structure to implement the plan. Experts who spoke on the issue at a Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA) forum in Lagos faulted the government’s housing policies, querying the veracity and sincerity of its recent pronouncement on one million housing units annually. For instance, Professor Timothy Nubi, of the Faculty of Environment Sciences, University of Lagos, noted that more than seven cities in the country have populations above one million, lamenting that the country still lacks real estate backed capital market instruments, significant social housing and new town development initiatives for several decades. Nubi stated that housing in Nigeria is estimated at 2.3 per 1,000 inhabitants with over 70 per cent of the population lacking decent quality urban life. He wondered how government is going to drive this initiative bearing in mind the peculiar environment we operate. As for Johnson Chukwuma, an estate manager, Nigeria has a worrisome housing situation with only 10.7 million housing stocks; 10 percent home-ownership level; about 5.5 per cent annual urbanization rate, and a staggering 16 million housing

units deficit. According to him, over 80 per cent of the nation’s housing market transactions are rentals. He explained that because there is no form of mortgage in the country, people don’t have the capacity to buy and so have to rent. He said, “If the people in this 80 per cent rentals had access to mortgage, things would be better and quality of life would be improved. For quality of life alone, something just has to be done about mortgage because there are many people who have capacity to buy but are renting”. Chukwuma further noted that Nigeria is the only country where a home seeker may have about N5 million, an equivalent of $35,000, yet he cannot present it as a down payment for a decent accommodation, arguing that “this is because something that you can call middle class starts from N20 million”. In his opinion, the President of Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), Emeka Eleh, said that social housing is critical if government is involved. Eleh argued that “if government is talking about housing for all, there is no way it will not have social housing component.” He recalled that the Federal Housing Authority (FHA), was established to provide social housing.

DAILY SUN Thursday October 18, 2012

49 BUSINESS NEWS

DAILY SUN Monday, August 1, 2011

Daily Domestic Flight Schedule

ARIK AIR Lag-Abj: 07.15, 09.15, 10.20, 15.20, 16.20, 16.50, 18.45 (Mon-Fri/Sat/Sun). Abj-Lag: 07:15, 09.40,10.20, 12.15, 15.15, 16.15, 17:10, (Mon-Fri/Sat/Sun); 12.15, 15.15, 16.15 (Sun) Lag-PH: 07:15, 11.40, 14.00, 16.10, 17.15 (Mon-Fri) 07.30, 11.40, 15.50 (Sat) 11.50, 3.50, 17.05 (Sun) Abj-PH: 07.15, 11.20, 15.30 (Mon-Fri) 07.15, 16.00 (Sat) 13.10, 16.00 (Sun) PH-Abj: 08.45, 12.50, 17.00 (Mon-Fri) 08.45, 17.30 (Sat) 14.40, 17.30 (Sun) Abv-Beni:08.00, 12.10 (Mon-Fri/Sat) 08.56, 12.10(Sun) Benin-Abj:09.55,13.30, (Mon-Fri/Sat) 10.50, 13.30(Sun)

PRIMARY MARKET AUCTION (PMA) TENOR

AMOUNT

RATES% ISSUE DATE

91 Day

37,489.76

12.00

19 Sep. 2012

182 Day 63,730.99

12.60

19 Sep. 2012

1 Year

13.87

05 Sep. 2012

60,000.00

MAJOR EXCHANGE RATES – PARALLEL MKT (AIRPORT AS AT 25/09/12) CURRENCY

BUYING (N)

USD 158 POUND ST. 250 EURO 206 Source: FMDA

SELLING(N) 159.50 253 210

Blueprint on patronage of local IT products out soon – FG By BISI OLALEYE he Federal Government has disclosed that its strategy for canvassing for patronage of ‘Made in Nigeria’ Information Technology (Infotech) products and services will be ready soon. According to the Minister of Communication technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, who disclosed this at an Information and Communication Technology investors’forum in Lagos recently, the Federal Government, through her ministry, is working a framework that would place priority on the development of local entrepreneurs with level playing fields to make it easier for Nigerians to do business with fellow Nigerians. The Minister explained that, as part of the framework being developed, the Federal Government has recently directed that computers and laptops of certain configuration purchased through appropriated funds should be locally assembled or manufactured in Nigeria. “The government is also working on providing regulatory framework that will offer support and protection for intellectual property rights and privileges of the local entrepreneur and on technology-

based policies such as tax-breaks, tariff/levies concession,” she said. Johnson, who noted that IT entrepreneur investment in local content development will bring income to the economy and help alleviate poverty, added that such investment could make Nigerians become producers and creators in the high value areas of the knowledge economy being driven by ICT. According to her, “The ministry’s local content agenda is premised on a national imperative to ensure that Nigerian and Nigerians participate more meaningfully in one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy. “There are five major areas in the national local content agenda for ICT and they include software and services, device production, cards manufacturing, ICT infrastructure input and skills development.” Noting that the government was aware that local software industry, for instance, has tremendous potential for local content development, Johnson said “we are beginning to pursue policies and programmes that encourage a culture of patronage and consumption of locally developed software.”

Los-Abv: 09.55, 13.30(Mon-Fri/Sat) 10.50, 13.30(Sun) Lag-Enugu: 07.10, 13.45, 18.30(Mon-Fri) 07.10, 14.00(Sat) 10.20, 13.45, 18.30(Sun) Enugu-Lag: 08.30, 12.00, 18.25 (Mon-Fri) 08.30, 12.00, 15.40(Sat) 12,00, 18.25(Sun) Abj-Enugu: 08.30, 12.00, 18.25, (Mon-Fri) 08.30, 12.00, 15.40 (Sat)12.00, 18.25 (Sun) Abj-Enugu: 10.30, 17.05(Mon-Fri) 10.30(Sat) 17.05(Sun) Enugu-Abj: 08.50, 15.25 (Mon-Fri) 08.50 (Sat) 15.25(Sun) AERO CONTRACTORS Lag-Abj: 06.50, 13.30, 16.30, 19.45 (MonFri/Sat/Sun), 12.30(Sun) 16.45(Sat) Abj-Los: 07.30, 13.00, 19.00 (Mon-Fri/-Sat, 10.30, 14.30, 19.30 (Sun, 18.30 Sat) Lag-Benin: 07.45, 11.00, 15.30 (MonFri/Sat/Sun) 12.30 (Sun 15.30 (Sat)

Mr Segun Ogunsanya, Managing Director, Nigeria Bottling Company (3rd left); Mr Hobson Eseoghene and Ms. Omaye Okoedion, both trainee managers at a reception for members of the 2012 Management Trainee programme of NBC. With them is Mrs grace OmoLamai, Human Resources Director, NBC. The event took place at the NBC head office in Lagos.

Ben-Lag: 09.15, 12.30, 17.00 (MonFri/Sat/Sun) 17.00 (Sat) 14.00 (Sun)

Over 5m Nigerians now on pension scheme – PenCom

CHANCHANGI AIRLINES Los-Abj: 7.15, 10.00, 13.30, 15.30, 17.30

He stated that in line with the consolidated From AMECHI OGBONNA, ISAAC ANUMIHE, MADUKA NWEKE and BIMBO OYESOLA, efforts of 2011 financial year, the recapitalisation programme has been concluded as pension Abuja fund administrators have raised their capitalisan estimated 5.28 million Nigerians from tion from N150million to N1billion, stressing the public and private sectors have so far that those that failed to meet the deadline have registered for the contributory pension been taken over by other stronger institutions while two have their licences withdrawn. scheme(CPS) since inception in 2004. He added that the commision has aggressiveThis was disclosed in Abuja Wednesday by the Director General of the National Pension ly intensified its compliance efforts by pursuing Commission (PenCom), Mr Mohammed Ahmad, legal action against defaulting employers. He said that compliance by the informal secat a national workshop for financial reporters and tor received a modest boost during the year with Business Editors. In his welcome address, the PenCom boss the appointment of recovery agents including explained that, in addition to the figure, about lawyers, accountants among others. In addition, he pointed out that the commis54,558 retirees from both sectors have collected over N151.52 billion lump sum while an estimat- sion issued its regulatory and supervisory phied N1.77 billion is paid out monthly as pension. losophy which is risk-based and consultative He explained that assets worth N2.94 trillion has investment regulation that would allow multiple been accumulated at the end of September, 2012. fund.

Abj-Lag: 08.00, 11.45, 13.40, 15.30, 17.30 Lag-Kad: 10.45 (on Fri), 17.00 (MonFri/Sat/Sun) Kad-Lag: 7.30 (Mon-Fri), 08.00 (Sat/Sun IRS AIRLINES Lag-Abj: 9.45, 11.45, 2.45 (Mon-Fri), 9.30, 12.45 (Sat & Sun) Lag-Kano: 6.15 (Mon-Fri), 16.30 Sat&Sun Kano-Lag: 07.30 (Mon-Fri), 10.30 (Sat & Sun) OVERLAND AIRWAYS LAGOS LOS - ILR Mon - Fri 0715hrs LOS - MNA Mon, Wed & Fri 0715hrs LOS - IBA Mon - Fri 0715hrs

IBADAN IBA - ABV Mon - Fri IBA - LOS Mon - Fri

Inflation drops to 11.3% in Sept By STEVE AGBOTA

0800hrs 1700hrs

ILORIN ILR - ABV Mon - Fri 0900hrs ILR - LOS Mon - Fri 1630hrs ILR - MNA Mon, Wed & Fri 0900hrs MINNA MNA - ABV Mon, Wed & Fri MNA - ILR Mon, Wed & Fri MNA - LOS Mon, Wed & Fri ABUJA ABV - ILR Mon - Fri ABV - IBA Mon - Fri

0920hrs 1520hrs 1520hrs

1500hrs 1500hrs

According to the Pencom boss, 21 states have adopted Contributory Pension Scheme and 14 others have issued legislation that would enable them comply, while only one state is yet to take action towards compliance. With about N2.86trillion of assets so far generated as at last August, the public sector has contributed about N800 billion while about 55per cent or N1.57 trillion was accumulated by the private sector. The funds were invested in authorised markets with portfolio limits and performance benchmarks. Ahmad explained that the Act allows about 35 per cent of pension can be invested in corporate debt instrument but regretted that due to the scarcity of the debt instruments, only about 2 per cent so far has been invested in the sector. He explained that the future of development finance lies in the pension fund assets.

he composite Consumer Price Index (CPI) has shown that inflation dropped to 11.3 per cent year-on-year in September compared with the 11.7 per cent of the preceding month, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), has said. The official report released yesterday on the CPI by NBS stated that a monthly basis, the composite CPI was higher by 1.01 per cent when compared with the rate of August 2012. The Bureau attributed the relative moderation in the headline index on a year-on-year basis to the relative slower rise in the “core” index as it increased to 13.1 per cent year-on-year from 14.7 per cent in August, while food index increased to 10.2 per cent from 9.9 per cent over the same period. NBS stated that the moderation in the core index was partially due to base effects, as the sharp rise in

the index exhibited in September 2011 that the relative rise in September 2012 may be muted, which was the case. Afurther analysis of the CPI on urban and rural basis indicated that the urban inflation rate was recorded at 14.2 per cent year-on-year while the rural index showed a 9.1 per cent year-on-year increase. Analysing the trend further, the agency reported that the urban ‘All Items’ index increased by 1.2 per cent month-on-month, while the corresponding rural index increased by 0.89 per cent, when compared with the rate of increase in August 2012. “The percentage change in the average composite CPI for the twelve-month period ending in September 2012 over the average of the CPI for the previous twelve-month period was 11.9 percent. The corresponding 12-month year-on-year average percentage change for Urban and Rural indices was 12.9 percent and 11.1 per cent respec-

tively,” the report stated. On the Composite Food Index, it says that the index “increased year-on-year by 10.2 per cent to 131.5 points. This was 0.3 percentage points higher than 9.9 per cent recorded in August compared to the 1.1 per cent month-on-month increase in the preceding month. The rise in the Food Index was mainly due to higher food prices in various classes led by potatoes, yams and other tubers, fruits, bread and cereals as well as other foods. The higher food prices partially reflect impact of the floods on the production of certain crops as well as movement of food products to markets across the country.” “However as harvesting of crops began in late July and early August, this impact on food prices has not been as severe. The average annual rate of rise of the index was 11.1 per cent (year-on-year) for the twelve-month period ending in September 2012.”

47 Monday, BUSINESS August 1, 2011 49 NEWS

DAILY SUN Thursday October 18, 2012 DAILY SUN NAME OF CURRENCY BUYING

CENTRAL

US DOLLAR 154.78 155.28 POUNDS STERLING 250.6353 251.4449 EURO 200.2079 200.8547 SWISS FRANC 165.3986 165.9329 CFA 0.2848 0.2948 WAUA 237.5652 238.3327 YEN 1.9933 1.9997 YUAN/RENMINBI 24.6264 24.7064 RIYAL 41.2725 41.4058 DANISH KRONA 26.8473 26.934 SDR 238.7017 239.4728 Official exchange rates as at 28/09/2012

SELLING 155.78 252.2546 201.5014 1664672 0.3048 239.1001 2.0062 24.7864 41.5391 27.0207 240.2439

NIBOR TENOR

RATE

CHANGE

DATE

Call 7 Day 30 Day 60 Day 90 Day Source: FMDA

10.6667 11.2083 12.9167 13.4167 13.8333

0.12 -0.04 -0.25 -0.29 -0.58

28 Sep, 2012 28 Sep, 2012 28 Sep, 2012 28 Sep, 2012 28 Sep, 2012

Stop diverting petrolem products, marketers warned From DENNIS MERNYI, Abuja

orried by the persistent fuel scarcity in the country, the management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC) have warned petroleum products marketers against products diversion and hoarding. According to NNPC Acting Group General Manager, Public Affairs, Mr. Fidel Pepple, who disclosed this in a statement in Abuja Wednesday, NNPC through PPMC has released enough petrol to sufficiently meet the demand in Abuja and its environs and that the continued existence of long queues at filling stations across the city makes the warning necessary. “Going by the quantity of PMS that has been released by PPMC from the Kaduna Refinery for distribution to Abuja, we are not supposed to have queues at all in any filling station. On Monday, 71 trucks of

PMS were loaded from the Refinery in Kaduna designated for Abuja, but the report we have shows that only 18 trucks arrived Abuja. On Tuesday (yesterday), 45 trucks of PMS were loaded from Kaduna to Abuja, only 25 arrived. This clearly shows that some marketers are diverting the product, thereby causing unnecessary hardship to Nigerians,” he explained. He said NNPC has alerted the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) about the development and that PPMC is working in conjunction with the DPR to unravel the identity of those involved in the unpatriotic act, adding that all those found to be involved will be severely sanctioned. Mr. Pepple called on motorists to avoid panic buying as there is enough stock of PMS in the country to meet demands and that NNPC was doing everything within its powers to resolve the distribution challenge being experienced as a result of pipeline vandalism.

International Flight Schedule

CROSS RATES

Ethiopian Airlines Lagos-Addis Ababa (daily) Departure time: 12:15 pm, Arrival time: 1:15 pm Contact no: 014611869/029

AFRIQIYAH AIRWAYS Lagos-Tripoli Tue, Wed, Thur and Sat Departure time: 01:30am, Arrival time: 22:25 pm Contact no: 012711506 BRITISH AIRWAYS Lagos-London Heathrow (daily) Departure time: 11 pm, Arrival time: 5: 50 pm Contact no: 012792690 0r 014615870-5 TURKISH AIRLINES Lagos-Istanbul Mon, Tue, Thur Sat Departure time: 10: 10 pm, Arrival time: 8: 10 pm Customer care no: Not available DELTA AIR Lagos-Atlanta (daily) Departure time: Btw 3pm and 5pm, Arrival time: 10:30 am Contact no: 014483111 EMIRATES Lagos-Dubai Daily (2 flights) Departure time: 3pm, 8.50pm, Arrival time:1pm, 6pm Contact no :01-2717600 LUFTHANSA Lagos-Frankfurt (daily) Departure time: 10:05 pm, Arrival time: 19:08 Contact no: 014612222, 0414480963 AIR FRANCE Lagos-Paris (daily) Departure time: 11 pm, Arrival time: 14:14 pm Customer care no: 01-4610777, 012617959 SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS Lagos-Johannesburg (daily) Departure time: 10:30 pm, Arrival time: 8 or 9 am Customer care no: 2702681-5

L-R: Mr John Chidi Emeanu; Engr. Obinna Nwachukwu (centre), MD, Davenza Global Nig. Ltd; Mr Emael Fouani of Fouani Nig. Ltd (LG representative) and Engr. L-R: Head, Strategy, Lagos Business School, Sir Chris Ogbechie; Managing Director, Red Star Express, Alhaji Sule Bichi and Founder/Director, Red Star Express, Mr Sunny Allison; Chairman, Alhaji Mohammed Kogona; chairman of the occasion, Prof. Joe Irukwu; author of the book, Mrs. Ejine Nzeribe and Chairman, Enterprise Bank, Mr Emeka Onwuka during the cutting of cake to mark the 20th anniversary of Red Star Express in Lagos.

QATAR AIRWAYS Lagos-Doha Daily Departure time: 9:45 am, Arrival time: 7:55am Contact: 012798888/014633333

Finance Ministry frustrates budget implementation – FRC

KENYA AIRWAYS Lagos-Nairobi (daily) Departure time: 11:05 am, Arrival time: 10:42am Contact: 012719433

Such frustrations, said Mordi, included sourcFrom CHUKS AKUNNA and IHEANACHO ing copies of the Appropriation Bill and delays NWOSU, Abuja from the ministry in presenting quarterly reports. “Ministry of Finance doesn’t keep to time. Tell iscal Responsibility Commission (FRC) yesterday blamed the alleged poor perform- them to bring something in August, they do it in ance of the 2012 budget on the activities November. We have not seen the first, second and third quarterly reports on 2012,” disclosed of the Ministry of Finance. The House of Representatives had recently Mordi, adding that, “without report, there is threatened a showdown with the Presidency nothing to work with.” The FRC official told the lawmakers that his over the matter, threatening to impeach President Goodluck Jonathan if the performance level did- commission “had written several reminders to the Ministry of Finance to send the reports, but n’t improve. However, appearing before the House of they have consistently failed to respond. I don’t Representatives’ Committee on Finance, the know why,” he said. The Commissioner also lamented that the FRC’s Commissioner on Policy and Standards, Dr. Sylvanus Mordi, said that his commission Ministry of Finance rebuffed attempts to source always found the activities of the Finance copies of the 2012 Appropriation Act, and had to resort to photocopies from the National Ministry frustrating.

Assembly. He also blamed the ministry for blocking information on the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), an act, he said, violated the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007. Mordi explained how the budget of the agency was slashed from over N900 million in 2008 to N592 million for 2012, saying “it is like some people are unhappy with our existence.” He disclosed that for 2011 the commission recovered over N64 billion operating surplus from certain corporations, and urged the lawmakers to help it strengthen its operations. Responding, the chairman of the committee, Hon. Abdulmumini Jibril, tasked the commission to provide details of the operating surpluses of all agencies, and assured it of the support of the National Assembly.

Create massive jobs to avert crisis, FG warned By CHIMA TITUS NWOKOJI

r Dick Kramer, Chairman, African Capital Alliance, on Wednesday, warned that the rate at which Nigeria economy is growing without employment opportunities for its teeming population constitute a time bomb waiting to explode, if nothing urgent is done to address the situation. Kramer said the private sector should be assisted with consistent business friendly policies that support the private sector, so that it can be the engine of growth, adding that the leadership of the country can learn a lot from Singapore or Brazil in terms of job creation and inclusive growth. As at the end of the second quarter, the Nigeria economy recorded an impressive growth of 6.28 per cent compared to 5.4 per

cent forecast for sub-Saharan Africa. In his 2013 budget speech, President Goodluck Jonathan had said that there are also improvements in other macro-economic indicators. According to him, inflation has dropped from 12.9 per cent in June 2012 to 11.7 per cent in August 2012, and the government’s goal is to reduce it further. Kramer observed that the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) might not be the solution to nation’s economic problems. He said this in Lagos while delivering a keynote address on ``Deregulation and Nigeria’s Investment Climate,’’ at a seminar organized by Nigerian-South African Chamber of Commerce (NSACC).?According to Kramer, the PIB raises major questions that need to be fully debated and resolved. ‘‘We need to ascertain the feasibility of the bill. Can we afford the risk of a sharply lower

oil production? How do we expand local capacity and participation in the oil sector? Should government be an operator or regulator? How do we maintain the required technological capability to optimize Nigeria’s petroleum industry?” Kramer asked. The financial expert called for comprehensive debates to address issues that are expedient for the survival of the bill. He believes that there is need for a public-private partnership in creating a platform that would address salient issues concerning the Petroleum Industry Bill; stressing that certain global market forces might lead to a drop in the demand for crude oil and its products in the nearest future. The financial expert advised that Nigeria could only survive any revenue crunch if crude oil proceeds were utilized in building a diversified economy.

CHINA SOUTHERN Lagos-Beijing via Dubai Tuesdays, Thursdays Departure time: 12:15pm, Arrival time: 10:30 am Tuesdays, Thursdays. Contact: 01-4610777 or 01-2617959 EGYPT AIR Lagos-Cairo Mon, Wed, Thur, Fri & Sun Departure time: 2pm, Arrival time: 1pm KLM Lagos-Amsterdam (daily) Departure time: 11pm, Arrival time: 8:30pm Contact: 01-4610777, 01-2617959 VIRGIN ATLANTIC Lagos-London Heathrow (daily) Departure time: 10:20 am daily, Arrival time: 5:30 am Contact: 01-4612750, 01-4612747 ARIK AIR Lagos-London Heathrow (daily) Departure time: 10:05pm Arrival 7.00pm Lagos-New York Tuesdays and Thursdays Departure time: 11:20pm Arrival 6pm Lagos-Johannesburg (daily) Departure 11.15pm Arrival 4.15pm Lagos-West Coast (Freetown, Banjul & Dakar) Mon, Wed & Fri Departure 8:00am Arrival 6.45pm Lagos-Accra (daily) Departure 8.00am, 5pm 8.45pm, 5.45pm Contact: 01-2799999.

DAILY SUN Thursday, October 18, 2012

BUSINESS NEWS Devenza Global Nig Ltd opens new branch

evenza Global Nig. Ltd on Saturday October 13, 2012, unveiled its new branch at No 22/24 Ago palace way, Okota, Lagos state. Performing the opening ceremony, its Managing Director, Engr Obinna Nwachukwu, said that every LG product you purchase has two years working warranty with after- sales service maintenance and prompt delivery is also assured. He further disclosed that if any LG product develops

fault, it can be taken to any LG showroom or LG dealer where they are purchased for repair or replacement. He enjoined all Nigerians to buy LG products as it is the best in Nigeria and West Africa as a whole. He also used the opportunity to thank Mr Mohammed Fouani and the entire management and staff of Fouani Nig Ltd and LG electronics Korea. The opening ceremony featured exhibition, sales, interactions and entertainment.

C’River farmers to implement programmes to boost food security From JUDEX Calabar

L-R: Mr John Chidi Emeanu; Engr. Obinna Nwachukwu (centre), MD, Davenza Global Nig. Ltd; Mr Emael Fouani of Fouani Nig. Ltd (LG representative) and Engr. Chidiebere Onuegbu, representative of Classic Dove Nig. Ltd, at the OKORO, pivotal role of cooperatives in commissioning of Davenza Global Nig. Ltd, at Okota, Lagos recently.

he Cross River chapter of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) has again promised to support total implementation of Agricultural programmes of the state government to ensure food security and poverty reduction. According to its Chairman, Mr. Sam Inyang, who stated this at the Agric Fair to commemorate 2012 World Food Day in Calabar government requires the cooperation of all to make the various agricultural programmes succeed. His words: “We in the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, partners and frontline stakeholders in the agric business will continue to give the state government our full support and cooperation. This is to ensure full implementation of all its agricultural programmes aimed at ensuring food security and poverty alleviation in Cross River.” The number one farmer in the state said that the theme for this year’s celebration “Agricultural Cooperatives: key to feeding the world’’, was very significant in view of the

commodity value chain. He said that the present emphasis in agric business has positioned the cooperatives as core interventionists through its unique potential to sustain and strengthen all activities of the commodity value chain. “What is now left is the political will and policy stability by the government to ensure the present tempo in the agricultural sector is maintained,” he added. Inyang, however, said that most cooperative societies in the state were not living up to expectations just as they lack strong and organisational skills. “What we have is a multiplicity of cooperative societies that are not viable. They depend on sourcing for loans outside their cooperatives,” he said. According to him, a well organised cooperative should be able to source for microcredit loan from their member rather than sourcing for loans from outside their cooperatives. He disclosed that the association has over 60 cooperatives and that most of them had accessed part of the state government’s N1 billion microcredit scheme.

Quacks not helping human resource profession – CIPM boss By LOUIS IBA

iqued by the rise in quacks offering human resource and personnel services in the country, the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (CIPM) is to start the issuance of licences to qualified professionals, said its President, Mr. Abiola Popoola. The licence, Popoola said, would be renewed every three years and licencees are expected to undergo some form of training and re-training programme to boost their skills and knowledge on the profession. “We are going to introduce a regime of human resource licensing; that means for you to be a human resource personnel, you must have a license which must meet particular requirements and the license must be renewable every three years,” Popoola said. “For people to be relevant in the society, every professional must always upgrade his/her

knowledge and skills. The licence to all practising human resource personnel will introduce professionalism into the profession and get rid of quacks,” he added. Popoola who said there was the need to increase awareness on the human resource profession, noted the decline in values in the country, especially among contemporary youths and said school curriculum should be upgraded to teach students values that would be beneficial to them and the larger society. “I advocate the shaping of youthful values from primary school level and not only when they get to the place of work,” Popoola said. “The orientation of teachers at primary school level and their parents is very important in achieving this so they bring up their children right because it will be late at the stage of managers trying to shape people’s behavior. All our educational system must have an input of moral training and civility in them,” he added.

ASSBIFI warns Union Bank to reinstate sacked workers By BIMBOLA OYESOLA

he Association of Senior Staff of Banks Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI), yesterday charged the management of Union Bank of Nigeria to immediately reverse the sack of over 400 staff last Friday to avoid industrial crisis. In a statement jointly signed by the National President of the Union, Comrade Emeka Ogene and the General

Secretary, Comrade Obukese Orere, ASSBIFI said the recent action by the Union Bank management was not in compliance with Collective Agreement. “We urge the management of Union Bank Plc not to mistake our continuous call for dialogue for weakness as failure to comply with the terms and the letters of our Collective Agreement will leave the Unions with no option than application of all trade union means to seek justice,” the

statement said. The union lamented that the Management of Union Bank, without any consultation, unilaterally terminated the appointments of over 400 staff without any offence even when most of them have rendered sound services over the years without blemish. Stressing that the management’s recent action negates labour law, the leadership of the union said in pursuit of industrial harmony ASSBIFI had

Leverage on ICT to tackle crime, FG urged By BISI OLALEYE

he Federal Government has been urged to leverage Information and Communication Technology tools to tackle economic leakages, insecurity and crimes in the country. According to the president of the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), Mr Demola Aladekomo, who gave the advice at the IT Conference and Awards ceremony organized by the Lagos Chapter of the Nigeria Computer Society, recently, since 2010 the nation started having a new Nigeria fraught with suicide bombings and where corruption is assuming incredibly unprecedented dimension in history. He blamed the situation on the uncontrolled population explosion without the necessary legacy system to support it, on the way out, he suggested the need “to create a bio-database of each citizen so that in the case of any criminal occurences, perpetrators can be trailed and tracked.” However, he was quick to commend the Federal Government’s recent action on setting up a committee saddled with the task of harmonizing all the disparate database in the country for forensic investigation and intelligence purposes. In his own presentation, the Registrar, Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria, Mr. Sikiru Sheu, disclosed that with a unique Identity Numbers assigned to Nigerian citizens, as currently being driven by the

Federal Government through the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), “We would create more opportunities to the tune of about 10 million jobs since we would have tackled ghost workers syndrome as well as addressing our unprecedented extant security challenges.” Also speaking, Chairman, Education/Science and Commmunication Technology Committee of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Wahab Alawiye-King, said that ICT has become key in any

economy as a veritable tool to combat an array of challenges confronting the economy. He said the time has come for Nigerians, given the increasing level of insecurity to life and its economic resources to invest in ICT to boost the economy and the security of the citizens. “We can deploy ICT to combat crimes and other economic tragedies we are confronted with as a nation. We can use ICT economically, socially and politically to solve some of the challenges in our society.”

earlier written the management on 29th September, 2012 on the need to respect the sanctity of the Collective Agreement between the Management and the Unions, but to no avail. It added: “The existing collective agreement states clearly in Article 5 the Terms and Conditions under which staff could be relieved of their jobs involuntary. In this case, the terms under redundancy should have been applied, instead it was the rule of the thumb that was used. “The Union held a meeting with the management on 5th September, 2012 and it was agreed that if staff were to involuntarily exit the bank, due process - Collective Agreement terms-will be adhered to. “With these steps, the Unions under the NLC felt that they have done enough reminders to the Union Bank management on the need to avoid industrial crises in the bank. Surprisingly, on Friday October 12, 2012, the management of Union Bank, without any consultation, unilaterally terminated the appointments of over 400 staff without any offence by these staff.

Imo declares war on adulterated petroleum By KELECHI MGBOJI

n a radical effort to wipe out merchants of adulterated petroleum products, Imo State Government has launched a team of security patrol with a two-week ultimatum to nab culprits. The State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, said the campaign was timely to save citizens of the state from the dangers posed by such nefarious activities and petrol stations that rip off customers, warning culprits to put a stop to it or close shop. Prince Eze Madumere, who represented the governor during the hand-over ceremony of a Security Patrol van, noted that Imo State Government had noticed with disgust how some bad eggs in the downstream sector engage in some nefarious activities all for excess gain. Madumere vowed that gov-

ernment would not spare any culprits no matter how highly placed; stressing that Imo people deserve the best bargain for petroleum products and distribution. “You can imagine a situation where you visit a fuel station only to go home with higher percentage of water than the real product. At some point, for highly technical vehicles, one may end up losing his engine,” he lamented. Also speaking, the Chairman of Task Force on Petroleum Products Distribution, Comrade Benneth Korie, revealed the preparedness of his team to fight against adulterated petroleum products, which he described as criminal. The Head of Task on Petroleum Distribution frowned at large scale destruction of vehicle engines as a result of adulterated product. He, however, revealed that

Petroleum Product dealers have been put on notice of the two week ultimatum to desist from such criminal act or face the music. Meanwhile, the petroleum Task Force has asked the general public to go for water testing kit to always ascertain the quality of the product they buy while asking the general public to report dealers that are found defaulting the effort of the Government on fight against adulterated products. He further advised that those who could not get the kit for the water testing should approach their office at Orlu Road Secretariat for help. Comrade Korie also reiterated the Government’s effort to bring to an end the practice of adjusting petroleum products pumps for illicit gains and also warned those involved in such to turn a new leaf as Government will not spare anyone caught in the dastard act.

DAILY SUN Thursday, October 18, 2012

BUSINESS NEWS By KELECHI MGBOJI and JAMES AKWU

fter introducing additional nine stocks to the original 16 stocks while market makers traded on, the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) yesterday added three more stocks to the list, making it 28. The three new stocks on which market making will commence today were United Bank Plc; Ecobank Transnational Plc and Skye Bank Plc. A statement by the NSE explained that the inclusion was in line with the phased introduc-

NSE raises market-making stocks to 28 tion of additional stocks to the list of stocks in the baskets of market-makers as the NSE promised to do over a period of six months. The initiative which kicked off in September 2012 with 16 stocks had nine other stocks added two weeks back. The additional three additional stocks now bring the number of stocks that Market Makers are making market on to 28. The nation’s stock market has been reacting positively since the commencement of market

making on the bourse as the market capitalisation and All-Shares Index that stoop at N8.077 trillion and 25,373.83 respective on the eve of the commencement, rose to N8.628 trillion and 27,077.66 at the close of trading activities on Monday, October 15, 2012, representing an increase 6.8 per cent. Meanwhile, profitable trading continued on the floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE)

yesterday with value of the stocks rising by whopping N26.9 billion. At the close of transactions, both performance indicators of All-Share Index and market capitalization appreciated by 0.3 percent. Specifically, the index rose 84.51 basis points to 27,194.13, up 27,109.62 while market capitalization rose by N26.928 billion to N8.665 billion, up N8.638 billion recorded on Tuesday. Stockbrokers attributed the sustained profitable trading to a combination of factors including the operation of market makers, inflow of some foreign portfolio investments, and gradual return of local investors.

THE DAILY STOCK SUMMARY AS AT 17/10/2012 1st Tier Securities Sector Company name Main Board AGRICULTURE Crop Production OKOMU OIL PALM PLC. PRESCO PLC Sub Sector Totals Livestock/Animal Specialties LIVESTOCK FEEDS PLC. Sub Sector Totals Sector Totals CONGLOMERATES Diversified Industries A.G. LEVENTIS NIGERIA PLC. TRANSNATIONAL CORP. OF NIG PLC U A C N PLC. Sub Sector Totals Sector Totals CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE Infrastructure/Heavy Construction JULIUS BERGER NIG. PLC. ROADS NIG PLC. Sub Sector Totals Real Estate Development UACN PROPERTY DEVLPT CO. LTD Sub Sector Totals Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) SKYE SHELTER FUND PLC Sub Sector Totals Sector Totals CONSUMER GOODS Automobiles/Auto Parts DN TYRE & RUBBER PLC Sub Sector Totals Beverages—Brewers/Distillers CHAMPION BREW. PLC. GUINNESS NIG PLC INTERNATIONAL BREWERIES PLC. NIGERIAN BREW. PLC. Sub Sector Totals Beverages—Non-Alcoholic 7-UP BOTTLING COMP. PLC. Sub Sector Totals Food Products DANGOTE FLOUR MILLS PLC DANGOTE SUGAR REFINERY PLC FLOUR MILLS NIG. PLC. HONEYWELL FLOUR MILL PLC

Sector Company name

1st Tier Securities No of Deals

Main Board FINANCIAL SERVICES Insurance Carriers, Brokers and Services SOVEREIGN TRUST INSURANCE PLC STANDARD ALLIANCE INSURANCE PLC. WAPIC INSURANCE PLC Sub Sector Totals Micro-Finance Banks

Quantity Traded Value of Shares(N)

15 17 32

34.02 14.41

115,033 623,607 738,640

3,923,097.30 9,052,114.87 12,975,000

14 14 46

1.55

5,318,480 5,318,480 6,057,120

8,243,214.00 8,243,000 21,218,426.17

15 92 62 169 169

1.57 1.18 40.30

409,799 13,763,311 482,310 14,655,420 14,655,420

643,236.52 15,983,974.36 19,395,592.40 36,023,000 36,022,803.28

28 1 29

31.00 10.07

27,470,543 400 27,470,943

837,937,633.88 3,828.00 837,941,000

8 8

11.07

237,875 237,875

2,646,977.50 2,647,000

2 2 39

100.00

120 120 27,708,938

12,000.00 12,000 840,600,439.38

4 4

0.50

1,093,000 1,093,000

546,500.00 547,000

1 37 34 172 244

3.99 266.33 12.73 138.90

20,000 214,411 10,579,754 2,016,904 12,831,069

83,600.00 57,467,624.90 140,474,967.81 279,621,430.93 477,648,000

8 8

40.95

3,897 3,897

154,913.85 155,000

60 146 37 34

8.12 5.61 66.00 2.47

1,044,483 4,807,889 359,676 492,600

8,453,889.52 26,870,567.03 23,738,381.40 1,207,056.16

No of Deals Quotation(N) Quantity Traded

Main Board CONSUMER GOODS Food Products N NIG. FLOUR MILLS PLC. 1 NATIONAL SALT CO. NIG. PLC 34 U T C NIG. PLC. 10 Sub Sector Totals 322 Food Products—Diversified CADBURY NIGERIA PLC. 82 NESTLE NIGERIA PLC. 76 Sub Sector Totals 158 Household Durables VITAFOAM NIG PLC. 29 Sub Sector Totals 29 Personal/Household Products P Z CUSSONS NIGERIA PLC. 70 UNILEVER NIGERIA PLC. 72 Sub Sector Totals 142 Sector Totals 907 FINANCIAL SERVICES Banking ACCESS BANK PLC. 209 DIAMOND BANK PLC 222 ECOBANK TRANSNATIONAL INCORPORATED 94 FIDELITY BANK PLC 368 FIRST BANK OF NIG. PLC 608 FIRST CITY MONUMENT BANK PLC. 122 GUARANTY TRUST BANK PLC. 334 SKYE BANK PLC 283 STANBIC IBTC BANK PLC 28 STERLING BANK PLC. 59 U B A PLC 410 UNION BANK NIG.PLC. 100 UNITY BANK PLC 304 WEMA BANK PLC. 30 ZENITH BANK PLC 413 Sub Sector Totals 3,584 Insurance Carriers, Brokers and Services AIICO INSURANCE PLC. 68 CONTINENTAL REINSURANCE PLC 16 CUSTODIAN AND ALLIED INSURANCE PLC 9 EQUITY ASSURANCE PLC. 1 GOLDLINK INSURANCE PLC 4 INTERNATIONAL ENERGY INSURANCE COY P LC 2 LASACO ASSURANCE PLC. 1 LINKAGE ASSURANCE PLC 29 MANSARD INSURANCE PLC 22 N.E.M INSURANCE CO (NIG) PLC. 31 NIGER INSURANCE CO. PLC. 3 PRESTIGE ASSURANCE CO. PLC. 8

Sector Company name

Quotation(N)

20.41 5.95 0.73

358 376,627 117,587 7,199,220

7,306.78 2,236,240.33 85,842.01 62,599,000

30.00 680.00

1,979,036 231,842 2,210,878

59,312,536.90 156,146,435.37 215,459,000

3.40

473,460 473,460

1,658,315.15 1,658,000

27.40 41.50

1,001,494 683,860 1,685,354 25,496,878

27,082,040.60 28,397,810.70 55,480,000 813,545,459.44

9.18 4.25 12.30 2.18 17.00 3.50 20.25 4.00 7.20

26,657,866 25,888,478 799,235 24,585,945 29,453,300 6,999,186 28,094,516 22,317,957 835,609 1.79 8,614,248 32,417,812 687,048 62,238,138 1,037,642 47,159,782 317,786,762

241,836,116.44 111,588,613.57 9,793,229.94 50,781,104.15 500,760,467.81 23,469,551.43 567,005,912.61 89,493,693.60 6,030,768.29 15,419,503.92 166,626,964.73 5,161,395.35 36,817,499.66 601,832.36 847,176,163.61 2,672,563,000

3,585,021 7,209,280 622,200 1,700 31,500 21,726 87,731 23,566,000 1,625,319 2,822,743 35,000 314,506

2,391,423.46 6,492,823.20 899,106.00 850.00 16,124.00 10,863.00 43,865.50 11,783,000.00 2,895,216.44 1,449,372.03 17,500.00 162,633.00

5.22 7.78 0.59 0.58 18.00 0.71 0.90 1.49 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 1.76 0.51 0.50 0.52

No of Deals Quotation(N) Quantity Traded

2 1 2 199

Value of Shares(N)

0.50 0.50 0.57

55,000 150,000 2,408 40,130,134

Value of Shares(N)

27,500.00 75,000.00 1,324.40 26,267,000

Sector Company name

No of Deals Quotation(N) Quantity Traded

NPF MICROFINANCE BANK PLC Sub Sector Totals Mortgage Carriers, Brokers and Services ABBEY BUILDING SOCIETY PLC Sub Sector Totals Other Financial Institutions ROYAL EXCHANGE PLC. Sub Sector Totals Sector Totals HEALTHCARE Pharmaceuticals EVANS MEDICAL PLC. FIDSON HEALTHCARE PLC GLAXO SMITHKLINE CONSUMER NIG. PLC. MAY & BAKER NIGERIA PLC. NEIMETH INTERNATIONAL PHARMA PLC Sub Sector Totals Sector Totals ICT Computer Based Systems COURTEVILLE BUSINESS SOLUTIONS PLC Sub Sector Totals IT Services TRIPPLE GEE AND COMPANY PLC. Sub Sector Totals Processing Systems E-TRANZACT INTERNATIONAL PLC Sub Sector Totals Sector Totals INDUSTRIAL GOODS Building Materials ASHAKA CEM PLC BERGER PAINTS PLC CAP PLC CEMENT CO. OF NORTH.NIG. PLC DANGOTE CEMENT PLC DN MEYER PLC. IPWA PLC LAFARGE WAPCO PLC. PORTLAND PAINTS & PRODUCTS NIGERIA PLC Sub Sector Totals Electronic and Electrical Products

Sector Company name

1.15

4,036 4,036

4,439.60 4,000

1 1

1.37

3,000 3,000

3,930.00 4,000

15 15 3,800

0.55

600,000 600,000 358,523,932

318,000.00 318,000 2,699,155,788.10

6 38 9 13 4 70 70

1.26 1.20 39.00 1.63 1.30

165,296 2,965,491 18,394 271,418 60,500 3,481,099 3,481,099

208,029.76 3,368,161.53 731,998.76 446,791.62 75,020.00 4,830,000 4,830,001.67

6 6

0.50

5,272,000 5,272,000

2,636,000.00 2,636,000

2 2

2.41

1,120 1,120

2,564.80 3,000

1 1 9

3.84

4,000 4,000 5,277,120

14,600.00 15,000 2,653,164.80

65 7 20 61 22 24 8 31 5 243

18.05 8.01 1 28.30 6.14 120.00 2.67 0.64 56.50 3.62

647,943 1,999 230,470 1,689,281 3,176,048 298,599 179,000 799,509 269,500 7,302,349

11,322,829.48 99,401.88 6,471,206.00 10,410,193.08 381,121,812.61 791,079.15 116,168.18 45,079,996.96 975,590.00 456,388,000

No of Deals Quotation(N) Quantity Traded

Main Board INDUSTRIAL GOODS Electronic and Electrical Products CUTIX PLC. Sub Sector Totals Packaging/Containers BETA GLASS CO PLC. NIGERIAN BAGS MANUFACTURING COMPANY PLC Sub Sector Totals Sector Totals OIL AND GAS Energy Equipment and Services JAPAUL OIL & MARITIME SERVICES PLC Sub Sector Totals Integrated Oil and Gas Services OANDO PLC Sub Sector Totals Petroleum and Petroleum Products Distributors CONOIL PLC ETERNA PLC. FORTE OIL PLC. MOBIL OIL NIG PLC. MRS OIL NIGERIA PLC. TOTAL NIGERIA PLC. Sub Sector Totals Sector Totals SERVICES Automobile/Auto Part Retailers R T BRISCOE PLC. Sub Sector Totals Courier/Freight/Delivery RED STAR EXPRESS PLC Sub Sector Totals Employment Solutions C & I LEASING PLC. Sub Sector Totals Hospitality TANTALIZERS PLC Sub Sector Totals Hotels/Lodging IKEJA HOTEL PLC TOURIST COMPANY OF NIGERIA PLC. Sub Sector Totals Media/Entertainment DAAR COMMUNICATIONS PLC Sub Sector Totals Printing/Publishing ACADEMY PRESS PLC. LEARN AFRICA PLC UNIVERSITY PRESS PLC.

Sector Company name

Value of Shares(N))

39 39

1.35

764,870 764,870

981,502.80 982,000

4 45 49 331

9.53 1.70

35,054 1,184,093 1,219,147 9,286,366

333,914.62 2,003,388.53 2,337,000 459,707,083.29

42 42

0.60

1,604,668 1,604,668

945,281.64 945,000

174 174

11.70

2,575,143 2,575,143

30,720,667.35 30,721,000

13 9 16 10 2 8 58 274

20.79 2.20 10.25 115.00 30.68 130.00

7,418 78,200 168,503 5,800 1,000 8,065 268,986 4,448,797

147,368.46 165,375.99 1,735,442.50 671,754.84 29,150.00 1,048,483.63 3,798,000 35,463,524.41

21 21

1.92

533,273 533,273

1,026,132.55 1,026,000

10 10

3.00

146,000 146,000

443,934.40 444,000

2 2

0.50

24,200 24,200

12,100.00 12,000

1 1

0.50

15,000 15,000

7,500.00 8,000

16 1 17

1.14 4.53

786,583 300 786,883

889,301.10 1,320.00 891,000

2 2

0.50

102,000 102,000

51,000.00 51,000

10 6 8

3.41 2.01 4.50

134,922 44,188 242,000

468,644.70 89,000.10 1,082,984.00

No of Deals Quotation(N) Quantity Traded

Main Board SERVICES Sub Sector Totals Specialty SECURE ELECTRONIC TECHNOLOGY PLC Sub Sector Totals Transport-Related Services AIRLINE SERVICES AND LOGISTICS PLC NIGERIAN AVIATION HANDLING COMPANY PLC Sub Sector Totals Sector Totals Type Totals Grand Totals

Value of Shares(N)

1 1

Value of Shares(N)

421,110

1,641,000

1 1

0.73

1,000 1,000

700.00 1,000

9 35 44 122 5,767 5,767

2.46 5.90

211,912 472,013 683,925 2,713,391 457,649,061 457,649,061

521,674.46 2,801,942.88 3,324,000 7,396,234.19 4,920,592,924.73 4,920,592,924.73

NEWS

50 Thursday, October 18, 2012 DAILY SUN

SUN SPORTS Golf: I’d have started earlier - Senate President's wife By AYO ADEMOKOYA

“H

ow I wish I started playing golf earlier enough, may be, I would have been among one of the best women golfers ever to come out of Nigeria or play better golf in a better tournament. “Right now, I only play to exercise, enjoy and exercise myself, I also meet new friends from all walks of lifeto let you know that the social benefits of golf is immeasurable, that is why I am using this opportunity to urge women to play more the game of golf as it is a game one can play until one is very old and at one's pace. It makes one really healthy. “These are the statement of the wife of the Senate President of Nigeria, Mrs. Helen Mark during an exclusive interview with Daily Sunsports in Abuja yesterday. Mrs. Mark, who is the brain behind the forthcoming First Women Golf Open Tournament slated for 26 to 28th of October at the Otukpo Golf and Country Club, popularly called St. Mark Akpegede in Benue State, further said that though she was into playing squash before her husband, an avid golfer lured her in to the Game about 11years ago. “My Husband (Senator David Mark) happens to be a keen golfer, so each time I followed him to golf courses to play, I thought what a boring game these men are involved in, I often thought the whole exercise is a waste of time as I keep wondering how grown up men would be chasing a small white ball into a hole here and there. Later, he urged me to try trail it and I found out that health wise, it is good for my general well being, met friends almost every day, I am fitter and smarter”. She, however, confessed that she was not rated in any category for now, but enumerated the economic benefits the game could bring to the community, state and the country as a whole. “Since St Mark Akpegede was commissioned on the 11th of November last year, it has brought much goodwill to the people of Otukpo and Benue State. Tourists find time to come down to Otukpo to play and it has created employment opportunities for our teeming youths. Also during competitions, even the okada riders and petty traders have one thing or the other to sell, while people in the hospitality industry smile to the bank before during and after the competition. “Otukpo Country Club was built to contribute to the development of the Benue State and I am very happy that the purpose it was built for was never defeated. “Let me use this opportunity to tell Nigerians that South Africa reaps as much as $650 million annually from organising golf tournament and I believe we can do better in Nigeria only if we are determined to harness and tap the economic potentialities the game has to offer. “At Otukpo, we have had various golf tournaments for the youths, professionals, Amateurs i.e David Mark Tournament for the Youth, David Mark Youth Academy etc, and as I have told you the people of the state especially those living in Otukpo are the ones benefiting more as there are jobs for everybody. It could be okada riders or even pure water sellers. “More visitors pour into the state during each tournament and increase the economic activities in the area, that is why I believe this first edition of Open Golf Tournament designed for women would be unique and the success that would be recorded would be more than what we use to experience. “This Women Open is very special as you know that whatever is championed by women or any event meant for women is always different and unique. We are expecting more than 150 women golfers from all over the country for the two-day event and let me also use this opportunity to invite our men. Mrs Helen Mark use the opportunity to debunk the rumor that the game of golf is elitist, saying she has never believe in any form of stratification in life not to talk of sport. “I think people should first of all show more interest in the game and stop believing that the game is for the crème de la crème of the society. if I don't know much about other golf courses in the country, at least, I know about the one we have at Otukpo where we have boys from the streets becoming caddies and later professional golfers. “There is nothing like stratification in the game. Those boys were welcome to explore their inborn talents and learn, regardless of their background, kits were bought for some of them with outstanding qualities and they are accepted for what they are. Well meaning Nigerians even promised to support outstanding performers. I think about 10 professional golfers, out of which two local boys who were from Otukpo were taken to South Africa and other European tour for them to evolve in the game. I believe those who say this have never come closer to any golf course not to talk of watching and understanding the game. Mrs Mark also used the opportunity to express gratitude to the partners of the programme and pray the partnership would continue annually. “I want to thank those who had been running around with me and for me to make sure that we organise a successful tournament as you know a tree does not make a forest. “I want to particularly thank the main sponsor of the programme, Princess Stella Odua, the Aviation Minister for the Federal Republic of Nigeria for her support. She is the sole sponsor for now and we expect other sponsors to come in later and I promised as they come join us, I'll make their names public. “ I also want to thank the Director General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, for his effort, while there are other sponsors partnering with us too who I'd like to thank . “I hope and believe that during this maiden edition, all of us would come together to do this for our women in Nigeria, as well as make it an annual event .” Mrs Mark and her husband

NEWS

Ikpeba defends Keshi on home Eagles Stories by ROMANUS UGWU, Abuja

igerian former international, Victor Ikpeba, has said that though he was not surprised that only two home-based players played in last weekend’s AFCON tie against Liberia, it was, however, not an indication that he has turned his back on them. Speaking exclusively with Daily

Sunsports after the match in Calabar last weekend, the Super Eagles’former prolific forward argued that Keshi could not afford to abandon the home-based, considering the performance of the defenders that stood-in for injured Joseph Yobo. Asked if he was surprised with the limited number of home-based players used in the victory over the Lone Star, Ikpeba, responded: “I was not surprise because if we could still have the two

SiaOne tournament holds in Abuja Stadium Saturday

uper Eagles’ former chief coach, Samson Siasia, will on Saturday at the Abuja National Stadium organise a day football tournament for eight football academies. The Eagles’ former handler, who made the disclosure in Abuja, said he was targeting the players strictly under 20 years, adding that the first session of matches would be played between 8 a.m and 12 noon, while the second session for the third placed and final matches would hold as from 4p.m. Siasia, however, disclosed that he got the inspiration to organise the tournament when some football academy clubs invited him to see their players.

“Some academies are inviting me to see how good their players are. So, I just decided on Monday to hold a day tournament under the auspices of my academy, the SiaOne Academy, holding this coming Saturday at the National Stadium, Abuja. “Eight football academy clubs have already been pencilled for the one-day football tournament. The names of the participants are: SiaOne Football Academy, Waters Soccer Academy, Pioneers Academy, Gwarinpa, Virgin Kids Academy and Makson Football Academy, all based in Abuja. ASMART Football Academy, Owerri, Rochas Foundation Football Academy, Jos, Swansong Football Academy, Asaba, Delta State,” Siasia disclosed.

central defenders to replace Yobo, it is one of the positives of assembling home-based.” “If it were before, the coach would be under pressure if any key player gets injured. However, we saw these homebased standing in stoutly for the injured Yobo. We have to understand why Keshi has more pros because most of the home-based were match rusty, owing to the end of the domestic league. “I think we should congratulate Keshi because he has shown that he has much experience. It is not a fluke for him to qualify Togo to World Cup. His experience has come to play in the last game and credit to him and the players for making Nigerians very proud,” he noted. The prince of Monaco, as friends and acquaintances fondly call him, further contended that though the victory over Liberia won’t make the Eagles automatically regain their fear factor in the continent, it would be the beginning of the recovery of its pride and respect in Africa. “We should not get carried away because we defeated Liberia. Though we cannot say Liberia is a smaller country when it comes to football. This victory is the road to start regaining that respect and pride. This should be the beginning and we have to do everything for that pride Nigerian football is known for to come back,” he said.

Ahead S/Africa 2013

Don't abandon home boys, Ndubuoke tells Keshi By GEORGE ALUO

eneral Manager, Heartland FC of Owerri, Chief Fan Ndubuoke, has commended the Coach Stephen Keshi-led Super Eagles for booking a ticket to the South Africa 2013 Africa Nations Cup, but was quick to warn the coach not to abandon players plying their trade at home. Keshi in the game against Liberia last Saturday started only two home-based players, with another two watching from

the bench. Faulting Keshi's judgment, Ndubuoke said some of the foreignbased stars that started the game did not really justify their inclusion. “ I'll like to appeal to Coach Stephen Keshi to look home-wards as he starts preparation for the competition proper. Eagles did well but there are a couple of foreign-based players in that team whose performances did not justify their inclusion. He should try and watch local matches and I’m sure he will find a good number of home-based players who can do better than some foreign-based play-

ers did in the match against Liberia,” he said. Ndubuoke noted that one thing going for the Eagles is the present harmonious relationship existing among the Super Eagles technical crew and prayed for such to be sustained._“I want to give kudos to the technical crew for making sure there was no bickering among them. The two assistant coaches, Sylvanus Okpara and Daniel Amokachi have shown that they can work together with Keshi. I'll like see this loyalty sustained. In the past, bickering among technical crew members was the bane of the team.

DAILY SUN

Thursday, October 18, 2012

SUN SPORTS Copa Lagos to recruit volunteers

olunteer scheme for the next edition of Copa Lagos is due to be launched next week. The Beach Soccer Tournament, which has banking giant, FCMB, as one of its sponsors, will be recruiting a new batch of volunteers for the 2nd edition. Last year Copa Lagos managed to attract in excess of 100 volunteers during the event. Last year, volunteers were able to gain valuable work experience in the sports industry. Positions volunteered for included player's assistant, media staff, usher, concert staff, ticketing and others. In addition to the work experience, volunteers were also granted access to back stage areas with their accreditation. They also met with players, watched the action live, took pictures with the international cheerleaders, and were presented with certificates to commemorate their participation. The volunteer process is due to be officially opened in a weeks' time an announcement is due to be made on the Copa Lagos Twitter page @CopaLagosBs, on the website www.copalagos.com and on F a c e b o o k https://www.facebook.com/copalagos. Kinetic Sports officials have indicated that a significant amount of resources had been used to improve the volunteer scheme for this year. The improvements are intended to make the process much smoother and organised. Commenting on the volunteer scheme, the Media and PR Officer Steven Apampa, said: “The volunteers last year were fantastic and key figures spoke very highly of them. It is well known that you can't have a successful tournament without great volunteers, that is why we are determined to make improvements for them this year.” The tournament begins on the 14th December and will feature 4 teams; so far Nigeria, Argentina and Lebanon have been confirmed. Everyone is waiting and speculating on the identity of the final team a separate announcement is expected.

EKO 2012 to go global

he Lagos State Government has promised that events of the National Sports Festival will be made available to Nigerians in the Diaspora and the global audience. This is coming on the heels of a partnership agreement with a live streaming outfit “Vodstreet.” Chairman of Media Publicity Sub Committee, Mr. Wale Edun, made this known in Lagos after sealing the deal with the service providers, Crown Initiatives of Finland. According to him, sports enthusiasts across the globe will have the opportunity of watching the festival and related contents live on their phones and various mobile devices such as Blackberry ‘phones, Ipads, Androids and on-line on the festival Internet domain www.eko2012ng.com , hinting that the highlights of any of the events they may have missed during sports fiesta could also be recalled on the website. “This has never happened in the history of sports festival, but it must happen now to underscore the point that Lagos is the “Centre of Excellence”. He explained that Nigerians that will not be in the country during the fiesta should not entertain any fear as they would be able to watch and follow the games. Edun added that, the committee is working very hard to ensure that Nigerians enjoy every minute of the games.

NEWS 2013 Nations Cup

It 'll be unfair to set target for Keshi, Eagles – Okocha

agles’ former captain, legend Austin 'Jay jay' Okocha, is opposed to setting targets for the Super Eagles or the coach, Stephen Keshi in the imminent Nations Cup.

Mikel predicts crunchy London derby

ikel Obi says he expects a tough derby for Chelsea against Spurs on Saturday coming soon after the international break. Chelsea is top of the EPL with 19 points from seven matches, five points clear of fifth-placed Spurs. The London derby will take an extra dimension as Chelsea will be up against its former manager, Andre Villas-Boas. Mikel, who at the weekend was on international duty for Nigeria against Liberia in a 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, said it would be a daunting task at lunch time at White Hart Lane. “Any game after the international break is always difficult, playing against Tottenham will always be tough, and now that it has our former manager, it may be even tougher. “We know what we expect from them and we will neutralise them and get victory, so we can remain in the top position. “It is also an opportunity for us to widen the gap at the top, and I know we can do it.” Andre Villas-Boas will face his former employers for the first time since he was dismissed in March and he will also square up against his assistant, while he was in charge of 'The Blues', Roberto Di Matteo. Chelsea does not have the best of records following internationals and has only won three of its last seven matches after such a break, with its most recent result being a goalless draw with Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road earlier this season.

Okocha, who was at the UJ Esuene Stadium to cheer the Eagles to a 6-1 victory over Liberia's Lone Star in the final round of qualifying match for the 2013, AFCON, made the remark, while watching the Eagles capped off a fine 8-3 aggre-

gate success for Nigeria. Okocha beaming was quick to praise the boys for their "outstanding feat." “I want to commend the players for this outstanding feat (of beating Liberia 6-1). I’m very happy that we have made it to the Nations Cup. That was our main target

World Peace Cup records more entrants

he maiden edition of the World Peace Cup to be staged in Nigeria from November 2 to 16, 2012 is gathering momentum as more wrestlers have signed to participate in the $50,000 prize money duel. According to the Local Organising Committee (LOC) Secretary General, Jide Salau, "two world renowned wrestlers of towering heights, above seven feet and matching body sizes and enormous body weights of more than 300 pounds each have been added to the train of international grapplers coming to Nigeria for the world Peace Cup Project." One of the wrestlers named Rosey 3minutes, said he would be a spectacle to

watch. Others expected are: Malta the Damager and Juju Bukor. The event is already gathering momentum and much anticipation. Already, tens of thousands of Nigerians are already “Signing Up For Peace” at the projects websites www.worldpeacecupproject.com and www.signupforpeace.com . Others are doing same via the SMS platform. Corporate organisations and other agencies are already enlisting as event partners. The organisers of the event have confirmed how overwhelmed they are by the kind of buy-in that the event has so far enjoyed by peace-loving Nigerians and socially responsible corporate citizens.

and I am sure that every Nigerian is happy that we have qualified for the competition.” Okocha, a member of arguably Nigeria's finest football side that won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1994, will however not set targets for the current side ahead of the 2013 AFCON. “It would be unfair for me to set a target for the team because we have been struggling recently. “We have taken a huge step (by qualifying for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations) in making sure we get to where we want to be,” he said. The 2013 Africa Cup of Nations will kick off on January 19 and Okocha said the Nigeria team would have adequate time to complete preparations for the tournament. “Three months is enough for us to prepare for the competition. We will go there and try to do our best, but as I said earlier, it would be unfair of me to set a target for the team,” he said. Okocha made his debut for Nigeria in 1993, scoring 14 goals in 73 international appearances.

Darts players at a recent exhibition event in Lagos.

CAF Champions League 2nd leg semis

Sunshine gets Oboabona’s boost By CHIMABI UCHENDU

igerian international, Godfrey Oboabona, is expected to join Sunshine Stars for their trip to Egypt to face Al Ahly for the CAF

... May miss Ocheje Champions League semifinals second leg this weekend, while goalkeeper, Moses Ochejem is a major doubt as he is yet to resume training owing to ill

health since the team played a 3-3 draw against Al Ahly in Ijebu Ode a fortnight ago. Daily Sunsports reliably learnt that

Imo sports ambassador decries impostors’ antics

hen he retired from professional football, the recently appointed Imo State Sports Ambassador, Hon. Sir Prince E. O. Ogbonna, felt he owed the society some gratitude for turning around his fortunes for the better. He went ahead to set up Prince Ogbonna Development Foundation (PODEF) through which he facilitated the rehabilitation, employment and emancipation of several Nigerian youths in sports and other spheres. He has a formidable football academy, where youngsters have been discovered and given a sense of belonging. In partnership with his foreign technical partners, the Owerri-based academy has continually churned out players of high repute, who have proved their mettle in

local and international clubs. He has also been neck deep in philanthropy, which involves huge investment in orphanages, SOS Villages and old people's homes. But his amiable and gigantic investment in humanity and massive input in the development of Nigerian football is being threatened by the activities of a group of fraudsters, which is bent on rubbishing his hard-earned integrity and good track record. Ogbonna, who is an uncle to Italianbased professional footballer, Angelo Obinze Ogbonna, and was instrumental to his (Angelo's) rise to fame and fortune, has, while raising an alarm over the criminal tendencies of those in question, vowed to bring the perpetrators to book. The South East Youth Sports Federation of Nigeria (YSFON) Ambassador, who arrived in Nigeria a

few days ago from Europe to discover that impostors have raided his office and carted away vital documents. He wondered why some disgruntled individuals should use the name of such a pious organisation to perpetuate fraud. “My organisation has been in the forefront of addressing injustice and equality in the Nigerian society, especially in sports, where we have picked so many young persons from the gutter and given them a sense of belonging. We have a track record that is unquestionable,” said Prince Ogbonna. “Why they chose my organisation, PODEF, is completely beyond my imagination. However, we will go to any length to ensure that the name of our highly revered outfit is not dragged in the mud by desperate scammers.”

Sunshine might travel with only one goalkeeper, Henry, as the reserve goalkeeper, Segun Oluwaniyi, is yet to return from South Africa where he went for trails Oboabona was in the heart of the defence for Nigeria's Super Eagles in their 6-1 win over Liberia's Lone Star on Saturday in a 2013 Africa Cup of Nations. Ocheje has been in good form since they started the CAF Champions League campaign and has been instrumental to the teams survival to the semi final. Sunshine Stars' Head Coach, Gbenga Ogunbote, said the centre-back should re-join the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) as the team is prepared to leave for Egypt this week. "We are expecting him to join us for the trip to Egypt. We missed his service in the first game and we are happy to have him for the second game because he adds quality to our defence and the team in terms of leadership and experience." The Akure Gunners' manager is not ruling out the possibility of an upset against the Cairo Red Devils. "No doubt, they're always the favourites, but that doesn't mean we are already out of it . There's still the second leg to play and we will go there to fight till the end," he said.

52 Thursday, October 18, 2012

NEWS

DAILY SUN

SUN SPORTS

NEWS

IPRO, FIJI out with darts community grassroots initiative

s efforts intensify to promote and encourage a grassroots campaign for the development of Darts, International Pro Games Limited (IPRO) and FIJI Ventures Limited, are set to adopt a grassroot approach similar to the Dutch model for developing darts through a community darts programme and the Darts in Schools programme, where 60 private schools have been shortlisted to join a group of public schools in the pilot scheme. The proposed maiden edition of the Inter School Darts Championship shall take place in April, 2013. The community programme, a grassroots development project which offers Nigerians a first-hand opportunity to try their hands on darts started in October with the 100 per cent Naija exhibition, which at held at Mega Plaza and was used to mark Nigeria’s 52th anniversary. Five other exhibitions are proposed before the end of year. The exhibition event featured 47-game and 47-game double check out. Meanwhile, in the international arena, 23-years-old ditch, Michael Van Gerwen staged an incredible comeback from 4–1 down to win the 100,000 pounds first prize money at PartyPoker.com World Grand Prix title with a 6–4 defeat of Mervyn King at the Citywest Hotel in Dublin on Sunday night. Van Gerwen won the fourth, but missed six darts for the fifth set as King moved 4–1 up and just two sets away from winning the title. The Dutch ace, though, won six straight legs to kick-start his challenge in pulling back to 4–3 before winning the eighth set 3–1 to square the game. He then came from 2–0 down in set nine to lead the game for the first time, before sealing victory in style by taking the next set 3–0, completing the win with a superb 145 checkout. “It’s the best day of my life,” said van Gerwen, who moves up to eighth in the PDC Order of Merit. “Mervyn was fantastic at the beginning of the game and I couldn’t concentrate, but he gave me some chances and I started finishing better. “I’m not a person who gives up so this feels very good for me I’m so happy to have won.” Van Gerwen started brightly by winning the game’s opening leg, but a miss at double 14 for a 148 finish in the second allowed King to level before the Norfolk thrower hit double eight and double 10 to win the set. The pair traded the first two legs of the second set, but King edged the third before landing tops to win the set 3–1. King took out fine finishes of 102 and 93 to lead in the third set, and though van Gerwen replied with a 13-darter, he was unable to save the set as King powered in a 152 checkout to lead 3–0 in the game. Van Gerwen took out tops and double eight to win the first to legs of the fourth set, with King repying with a 120 checkout - as his opponent waited on tops - before missing double 18 to level as the 23-year-old stepped up to hit double eight for the set. A brace of double top finishes put van Gerwen 2–0 up in the fifth set, and he hit a 177 in the third leg only to miss two darts at double 14 and one at double seven for the set. King hit double top to save the set and double four to level, before three more misses from van Gerwen, this time at double eight, let him in to hit the same bed to snatch the set and lead 4–1. The Dutchman, though, found another gear to race through the sixth set and begin his fightback, finishing 75 and 87 before taking out double top to win the set without reply. He repeated the feat in the next, landing tops and a 92 finish before firing in a 131 finish to take a sixth straight leg and pull back to 4-3. The pair shared the eighth set’s first two legs, but van Gerwen then landed a brace of double 12 checkouts to take the set 3–1 and amazingly level the game. King hit back to lead in the ninth set, posting double four before landing a brilliant 12- darter, with the pair trading 180s before the Englishman tok out 117. Van Gerwen, though, landed double 16 to save the set and punished a miss at tops from his opponent to level on double 12. Van Gerwen was then immediately away with a 152 score in the deciding leg - having switched his opening double from tops to double 16 - and although King replied with a 180, the Dutchman hit tops with his third dart to lead the contest. He then hit double 16 to win the tenth set’s opener, and after King missed three darts to hit back he finished 79 on double 11 to move a leg away from the title. Van Gerwen, though, saved the best for last as he completed a remarkable comeback with a superb 145 checkout as he followed up his 2006 World Masters victory with the PartyPoker.comWorld Grand Prix triumph. “This feels amazing and it’s a dream come true for me,” added van Gerwen, who knocked out Colin Lloyd, Adrian Lewis, Andy Hamilton and Wes Newton to reach the final. “When I was 4–1 down it should have been 3–2, but after that I threw two very good sets to put him under pressure. “The game’s only over when the last dart is in the double and although Mervyn is a brilliant player I didn’t think he would play so well all through the game. I was starting better on double 16 and double 18 and my scoring and finishing got better. “When I got back to four-all I thought ‘I’m going to win this’and it happened.” Van Gerwen moves up to a career-high eighth in the PDC Order of Merit following the triumph, and overtakes five-time World Champion Raymond van Barneveld to be the leading Dutchman in the world rankings. “It’s a dream for me,” said van Gerwen. “Raymond is a brilliant player and to go above him is amazing. “I started the year as the No. 38 in the world and now I’m No.8, so it’s unbelievable for me. “I need to work on this and get more consistency. I’ve got a lot of work to do in the next couple of months but now I know what I feels like to win a major tournament like this - it’s the best thing in the world.”

Umoru Balami (winner of the last Chevron Tennis Classic, (l) and the runner-up, Emmanuel Idoko.

Chevron reiterates youth development through tennis By CHIMAOBI UCHENDU

hevron has been involved in full sponsorship of two tennis events namely: The Junior Tennis Clinic and the Junior Masters Tournament. The events are aimed at youths between 5 to18 years of age. While the clinic provides the avenue for the youth to show case their skills where worthy participants are selected to participate in organised tennis circuit and tournaments within and outside the country, the Junior Masters tournament on the other hand, is a national circuit event organised in collaboration with Prime Sports firm and the National Tennis Federation (NTF) to select national junior representatives for local and international tournaments.

The Tennis Clinic

This is a Chevron-sponsored event usually held in the third quarter of the year, which is aimed at engaging the youth particularly during the holiday period; to develop their tennis skills and to afford them the opportunity to participate in lawn tennis organised events and tournaments. The long term benefit of the initiative aims at developing skillful tennis players that would be able to earn a sustainable living in Tennis. The programme targets mostly at the less privilege in the society even though it is usually open to all shades of interest groups. The organisation and hosting of the event is handled by Prime Sports, a sports consulting firm to Chevron under the supervision of Mr. Chris Enahoro. The processes involved inviting the sporting firm (The Prime Sports) for a formal meeting where issues relating to proposals and budget are extensively discussed. Upon acceptance of the terms by Chevron, the organisers are then given the approval to proceed with their proposal. Interested youths are thereafter invited to assemble at a predetermined date, usually lasting for not more than 3 weeks, for the clinic. The clinic culminates in the selection of 15 worthy participants to form the Chevron Youth Tennis Team that would be trained and sponsored for competitions within and outside the country. It is worthy to men-

tion that the clinic is a yearly sponsored event targeted at youths of between 5 and 18 years of age. The programme has produced a sizeable number of national lawn tennis players at all age groups.

The Junior Masters Tournament This is a one-week Under-18 grade national tennis tournament hosted in collaboration with the National Tennis Federation (NTF). It is a wholly Chevron- sponsored tournament which aims at providing a level playing field for state participants to compete for laurels. Participants for this event are drawn from all states of the federation and FCT. In all, it is expected that 2 players and a

coach from each state of the federation would attend the tournament. Unlike the Junior Tennis Clinic, Chevron is expected to provide trophies, gifts and scholarships for the best four participants at the tournament. The event usually takes place in the last quarter of the year and it is held at the Lagos Tennis Club by Tafawa Balewa Square, Marina Lagos. The overall winner at the tournament went home with N100,000, while the runner-up receive N70,000. The two semifinalists received N50,000 each while 12 players who reach quarter finals receive a total of N120,000. The prizes were accompanied by other gifts such as tennis rackets, tennis shoes, shirts and short and tennis bags

all branded with NNPC/Chevron logos. Mr. Fawthrop, informed that the tennis tournament, which was initiated in 1999 and is executed by NNPC/Chevron Joint Venture, with technical support from the Nigerian Tennis Federation (NTF), is open to participants drawn from the NNPC/Chevron Junior Tennis Programme and young players selected through competitions organised across the country. The Chevron Managing Director also pointed out that, beyond a competitive stand point, the Junior Tennis Masters Tournament enables the formation of bonds, friendships, and most importantly, improves communication skills among youths.

Governor’s Cup: Atseye falls to Japanese star

hough he lost, Henry Atseye showed Nigerian spirit in his Futures 1 second round match in the ongoing Governor’s Cup Lagos Tennis Championship at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Onikan yesterday. Atseye pulled up a surprised performance against tournament’s third seed, Japanese Kento Takeuchi. The Nigerian teenage bravely won the first set of the match 6-3, but lost the second set 1-6. However, he could not survive the arsenal power and fast pace of the Japanese in the third set, which ended in favour of Takeuchi 7-5. The result thus ended the ambition of Atseye to progress to the quarter final of the first leg of the competition

sponsored by FCMB and Etisalat Nigeria. Unlike Atseye, Onyeka Mbanu was an easy prey for top seed Kamil Capkovic of Slovakia as he was beaten in straight sets of 6-1,6-1, while Sanni Adamu also lost to Alesandro Petrone 6-2,6-2. Spain’s Enrique Lopez- Perez beat compatriot Borja Rodriguez Manzano 6-4,6-4. Egyptian Sherif Sabry overpowered Portuguese Andre Gaspar Nurta in 6-3,7-5 game. Terence Nugent of Cote d’Ivoire was not so lucky in his game against Alesandro Bega of Italy as he was beaten in straight sets of 6-3,6-3, while Egyptian Karim Mohammed Maamoun defeated Jordi Arreu of Venezuela in 6-3,6-2 game.

South African Ruan Roelofse beat Egypt’s Karim Hossam 2-6, 6-4, 6-3. In the women’s singles, top seed Russia’s Nina Bratchikova had an easy ride over compatriot Sofia Dmitrieva 6-1,6-2. Israeli Ester Masuri lost to South African Chanel Simmonds 60,6-0. Israeli Valeria Patiuk beat Stamatia Fafaliou of Greece 63,6-3, Swiss Conny Perrin defeated China’s Jia Xiang Lu 62,6-1. Chinese Jia-Jing Lu beat Michaela Frlicka of Germany 60,6-2. Nigerian Samuel Omoile and Bayo Phillips of USA defeated the duo of Clayton Gilberton of South Africa and Yu Takahashi of Japab 7-5, 6-2 in the Men’s Doubles.

Nigeria set to stage African Athletics Masters

ormer African athletics greats are gearing up for the second African Athletics Masters championships billed for Lagos in May 2013. The masters championships is an avenue for former athletics stars to recall their glorious years and also socialise with their former rivals on the track. Top Nigerian stars such as Chidi Imoh, Mary Onyali, Henry Amike, Falilat Ogunkoya and other African legends like Frankie Fredericks and Maria Mutola are being expected to compete at the championships. Nigeria was given the right to play host to the championships after the inaugural African masters championships last year in Johannesburg, South Africa.

According to Gloria Obajimi, who is the President of Nigeria master, the country was selected by the African masters sanctioning body, because Nigeria has an impressive record of athletes who were champions in Africa in the past. “Besides at the world masters championships last year in Helsinki, Finland, we were encouraged to get ourselves organised in Nigeria. “This was because Nigeria has a greater number of athletes in African,” said Mrs Obajimi a former Nigerian international and national 800m champion. The local organising committee for the championships, has been meeting and members are brainstorming on how to present a memorable championships. The Nigeria masters had its first national championships last year in Calabar.

DAILY SUN Thursday, October 18, 2012

DAILY SUN

Thursday, October 18, 2012

A clash of Titans or civilizations? (1) P

rofessor Tam David-West emphasised that there was genocide and insisted that anyone that denies the genocide is as good as denying the holocaust. The Nation. 13-10-12. Of course, I used my weapon, which was writing, to express my disapproval of the (Biafran) civil war into which we were about to enter. These were people who’d been abused, who’d undergone genocide and who felt completely rejected by the rest of the community and, therefore, decided to break away and form a nation of its own. Professor Wole Soyinka. Telegraph of London. 16-10-12 Textually or, on the face of it, the recent brouhaha between Professor Chinua Achebe and Chief Obafemi Awolowo is a clash of titans. It is an epic contest of a literary giant against a political juggernaut. Or, even at an expanded level, of their ethnic nationalities against each other and each, rooting for the homeboy. Contextually, however, it is furtherer than that. It is a clash of civilisations, of worldviews. If we did a philosophical audit of our several nations entrapped in our geographical state, we would probably come up with the following among others: The Yoruba are Ogboni, their universe is Ogboni suffused. Ogbonism is the finest expression of the Yoruba worldview and metaphysics. It is true Ogbonism is a fairly elitist thing but we have to understand as natural history teaches, Ogbonism is the finest fractional distillation of all that comes before it. That is the fineness of an elite, any elite, can be deduced from the textures at the bottom of her society. It is imaginable one concedes, other top-end variant metaphysics, could be construed or constructed. It is, however, certain that whatever metaphysics that exists at the top, could not have been constructed without the preceding bottom and body-structures. That is immediately the bottom is set, our options to construct the top are not limitless. That is the roof of the Oba palace say, cannot be borne by, and hanging in the air. The very body-architecture that it crowns must define, sustain and bear it. That is if you know the roof, the top, you can imaginatively work out the body-architecture and vice versa. However we have to make certain clarifications. The Ogboni as it was and existed before the Europeans came, is not exactly the Ogboni that is today or as it is presently understood. To give a telling example, the Ogboni today is sometimes translated or equated to a homegrown freemason. It is not. The confusion is a confusion of non-philological or exact/variant translations. And this was inevitable as the Oyibos came and wanted in on the Yoruba. And to reach the Yoruba, they translated Yoruba language, that is, Yoruba worldview, which languages are only vehicles, using European categories and not just words. But languages are not developed to be translated. They are developed to be consumed by their owner communities. They are developed as self subsisting worlds and views. But cross language contact insists on translations and the dilemma begins. (Perhaps one wonders, is this why Islam objects to the category translation of her Suras?) What a language or its world views or categories morph into, is now mistakenly taken as what it was in the beginning. And some of this evolution or morphing comes ironically, from the very mistranslation itself. We can now confide that the Ogboni in pre-European Yoruba land is part of a designed system, of the rule of cognitive elites. That is Ogbonism properly translated is a technocracy more than anything else. Truth is that then, in preEuropean Yoruba land, the Ogboni were a repository of the highest knowledge of the land, as knowledge was then understood. And those elders, who had it, formed a trade union, a self serving conclave as it were. That is Ogboni is a trade union organized for power, even if masked as scholarship; with a captive populace who so believed or were so deceived. The truth is that wisdom then, like in pre-scientific Europe was magic. That is the magical was, the E=M2 science of their age and the Ogbonis had decisive advantage or superiority, plus trade union organization. That is the beginning/assumptions of the

The Turf Game Jimanze Ego-Alowes alowesjimanze@yahoo.com

08033009539

•Awolowo

•Achebe

“ Our societies are our subliminal fate as well as our unseen but greatest teachers. And this is true, even for outlier individuals.” Ogboni, as against what it has evolved into today. It may all have been false or even a fraud, the whole Ogbonism. But all that is not important. What is important is that it was believed to be authentic, and true, and this informed all other actions. To help memory, let us restate, that this masked formulation, of the pursuit of naked power, in the guise of scholarship, even humanism, is quintessential Ogboni, and explains much that is wondrous about them, extant or defunct. We can now safely say that Awolowo is Ogboni. That is his subliminal inheritance and metaphysical education is Ogboni. And these inheritances and assumptions act as interferences in us against our more formal education. And these interferences, like in physical sciences, could be destructive or constructive as the case may be. What is also important, is for us to understand, that at the moment of crisis, each man despite his formal diploma, and what it states, returns to the certainty of his mother-milk education, that is the metaphysics of his fathers; that is to the very unstated assumptions or worldviews, his fathers constructed and fed him, through his weaning milk. These inheritance metaphysics, more than any other, are our greatest and most penetrative teachers. Our societies are our subliminal fate as well as our unseen, but greatest teachers. And this is true, even for outlier individuals. In that sense it is not just Awolowo, even Adeboye is Ogboni and Ogboni suffused. At any moment of crisis he will abandon whatever scriptures or diplomas he has or claims he has, and return home, to that which he is certain, which is Ogboni. I give an example. I was once in a Broad Street cafe nursing a cup of coffee for breakfast. And in, walked Chikel Uba, an old classmate in the 1950s of Otu Onitsha. And in the course of our discussion he told me how Adeboye praised Awolowo, that he was a good man. I asked why and he quoted the priestly one: That but for Awolowo, I, Adeboye, would not have gone to school, not to talk of being a Professor of mathematical functions or something. And we were disputing it and I tried to tell Chikel, who tells he is

a pastor under the same Adeboye, that because a man done you good, you cannot say he is a good man. All you can say is that he is a good man to you, and or your people and stop at that. And the argument got a little bit testy and in some heat I questioned the whole business of even trading on Christ. And he was about to feel agitated and up to things physical, and I reminded him where I am coming from; a retired, battle scarred, not coup made, Rtd. Colonel, Biafran Army. As he calmed down I now asked; did the same Adeboye, pastor and all, not tell or know, that this man, his good man and hero, Awolowo arranged to have 2 million, mainly innocent little children and their new mothers, who are not his people, murdered and in joy? Is a man who gives his people free education and kills millions of others, then a good man, even if we are to worship a God under his brand and canopy, tithes and all? Is this Ogboni logic? Now if you crossed over to Oru na Igbo, the crowning metaphysical formulation is Ofo. What the Ogboni is to the Yoruba, the Ofo is to the Igbo. However we must be quick to note, it is not as content, but as service equivalents. Ofo is not a cognitive dictatorship or technocracy. Ofo is the rule of democracy, as a balance of powers and not necessarily of votes. It is the superintending philosophy of the Igbo worldview. It insists on Ahiazuwa, open contest for the emergence of the best without inheritance privileges, or structures that suggest that. We can safely say that Achebe, Bishop Okonkwo are Ofo, are Ahiazuwa, and would in moments of crisis lapse into those, little matter the scriptures they officially subscribe to. Studiedly and also no less interestingly, Ofo unlike the Ikenga is un-carved and indeed must not be carved. There are levels of lessons for all Oru na Igbo here. Ofo is of the genus of Detarium Senegalensis. The same is applicable to the Arewa, the Egbesu and others. That is we can safely say, General Gowon is Arewa or whatever deities his ancient fathers worshiped. Religions were and still are ideologies, and not just a road map to an afterlife, of which even the devil is

not certain it exists. Let us give some more public illustrations. When Wole Soyinka who is Ogboni-Nigerian, won the Nobel Prize, he and Achebe, an OfoNigerian, had a writer’s spat. Responding to a controversy raised by the press Achebe charged that Soyinka winning the Nobel Prize does amount to his being the Ashiwaju of Nigerian literature. Soyinka later replied that he is not contesting Achebe being the Ogbuefi of Nigerian literature. Of course the import of the writers’ verbal tirades was lost on many, who thought it was just an issue of two bigname literati in verbal war. No. It was deeper than that. In the Soyinka-Ogboni worldview kingship/leadership is quickly granted and concentrated in one man who most distinguishes himself. So it was easy, natural, in fact it is Ogboni, for the Yoruba to anoint a Soyinka an Ashiwaju of Nigeria literature. Their assumptions, wrong, were that Nigeria is one cultural jurisdiction. Now in the Achebe/Ofo universe, even if you are the best, you are not granted kingship or leadership. The Igbo insist on your being at best, and whatever, only one of the Lords of the Clan. The clan must be ruled by all adult free men, even if ritually you are the chairman of the council of achievers or elders. No one man, no matter his achievement shall be king or deity. And this leadership formulation is abstracted from the body-architecture below. So what Achebe had objections to which is in consonance with the Ofo worldview, but at variance with the Ogboni-suffused, is that no man whatever his achievement shall lead Nigerian literatures. He can only be one of the Lords of the Clan, here of the written world. In the Igbo worldview there must be many Ogbuefi, and this must be open-ended. For the Yoruba, Ashiwaju is by definition a precluding and exclusive position. So when Achebe writes: Okonkwo, who had risen so suddenly from great poverty and misfortune to be one of the lords of the clan; he is not being a motormouth. Things Fall Apart. He is being the recorder and preserver of our collective subconscious, of our Ofo metaphysics. To repeat the metaphysical assumption, is that in Oru na Igbo, the clan must be ruled by an open-ended committee of free-standing lords and not a lord, or a closed conclave of them. And when Soyinka writes: but in the house of osugbo, those who keep watch through the spirit recognized the moment; he is conceding the exclusive cognitive powers of the Ogboni. Death and the king’s Horseman. For non-initiates, Osugbo is a variant name for Ogboni. Thus the two, Achebe and Soyinka come from two different metaphysics and leadership worldviews. Their clash was thus inevitable, at both the personal and the totemic levels. Even more interestingly, when Professor Kola Omotosho wrote a comparison of Achebe and Soyinka, and I read the excerpts, I laughed till I lost a rib. Textually the Professor’s comparison was superlative, excellent. But contextually it was canned ignorance, expiry date and all. All he did was to use Ogboni metrics to judge and measure an Ofo-mandate creation. Interested readers may read the related chapter in my book: Nigeria a Future in ruins…?

Pa Alphonsus Akpan Akpabio, 77, goes home

erhaps there will never be an end to the rites of self-portraiture. A man bears children, not so much as to continue the lineage, as it is also to leave his self-portrait behind. We never got to meet Pa Akpabio in person, even while the great man was well and alive. But in his son, Dr. IG Akpabio, a blazing portraiture of his father, one can say; there goes Pa Akpabio, one of the most illustrious men of ours, or indeed of any age. As the final rites and journey begin on the 20-10-12, we share in the sorrow of our great friend, Dr. IG. Medical Director, Cedar Hospital Group, Lagos. And our prayers? That God give the dead, repose, and the family the strength to bear the irreparable loss.

N150 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2012 VOL.7 NO. 2476

The Achebe question haunts

n the midst of the storm that Chinua Achebe’s foray into the Biafran debacle has generated and continues to generate, it is my considered view that we should, at this point, pause for a while and divest the issue of its pugnacious connotations so that the debate will, in the long run, generate creative discussions that will serve the cause of humanity. A cursory look at the tone of the debate so far shows that one side of the divide – those who have risen in defence of Obafemi Awolowo – missed the point from the outset. They muddled up the issue for the late elder statesman who, while he was alive, had explained his role in Biafra. They set out to do the job for him without knowing, or ignoring the fact, that he had done so himself. Some of the earliest commentators who merely flew off the handle without giving a thought to the substance of the issue absolved Awo of the starvation policy that wiped out a large chunk of the civilian population of Biafra. Even a certain Femi Fani – Kayode, who called himself a historian, claimed that it was Chukwuemeka Odumegwu – Ojukwu, the leader of Biafra, not Awo, that starved the Biafran populace. If only he knew that Awo had, 29 years ago, accepted responsibility for the action, but only tried to justify it, Fani Kayode would probably have found relevance in other issues rather than on Biafra where he has displayed pitiable ignorance. But a historian, which is what Fani – Kayode said he is, ought to know the facts of history It is not only Fani – Kayode that is guilty of the mistake of illicit jump, another fellow called Ayo Adebanjo fell into the same disrepute. He tried to explain or rationalize Awo’s 20 pounds policy. He had difficulty doing so because he did not know the issues. Again, if only he knew that Awo had, himself, responded to the issue, he would have saved the reading public the mumbo jumbo that he passed off as explanation. Since Awo spoke for himself before he died, there ought not be any controversy as to whether he played the role ascribed to him during Biafra. They are facts of history which the man at the centre of the morass did not deny. If some of the interlocutors had read Achebe before jumping into the fray, the issue would have centered on the motives behind Awo’s actions, which is what Achebe highlighted, not on the act itself. What Achebe expressed in that aspect of the book is an opinion. He wrote: “It is my impression that Awo was driven by an overriding ambition for power, for himself and for his Yoruba people.” Those who do not agree with Achebe can attack this impression of his. But before doing that, they must acknowledge first that the actions on which his impressions are based actually took place. But they did not do so. Instead, they chose to mix up the facts of history and a writer’s impressions. They took one for the other and, consequently, inflicted a festival of falsehood and distortion on the issue before us. Through their hasty intervention, they have, unwittingly made Awo to look guilty in the eyes of the discriminating public. If we leave Awo to his devices, I will be inclined to say that the man did not do anything wrong. When the Nigerian government declared war against Biafra, it set out to win the war. Nigeria saw Biafra as a rebellion which must be brought down. Therefore, if starvation would help Nigeria to achieve that objective, it would make sense to employ that strategy. Achebe admitted this much when he wrote: “There is, on the surface at least, nothing wrong with those aspirations”. But the snag is whether such policies are permissible in war. Achebe argues that they are not going by international conventions on human rights. Those who feel that Achebe is wrong on this score ought to do

AMANZE OBI

BROKEN TONGUES

amaobi@yahoo.co.uk

Achebe one thing – convince the world about the propriety of such actions so that Achebe’s argument will be weakened or thrown overboard. But they have failed to do so. We must now leave emotions behind and face the issue of Biafra for what it is. From the excerpt published in The Guardian of London which is what most of us have only read so far about Achebe’s “There was a country: A Personal History of Biafra”, it is easy to see the reason for Achebe’s intervention in the Biafran war story. Achebe says: As a writer, I believe that it is fundamentally important, indeed essential to our humanity, to ask the hard questions, in order to better understand ourselves and our neighbours….. In the case of the Nigeria – Biafra war, there is precious little relevant literature that helps answer these questions”. The most fundamental of these questions, for Achebe is: “Did the federal government of Nigeria engage in the genocide of its Igbo citizens – who set up the Republic of Biafra in 1967 – through punitive policies, the most notorious being starvation as a legitimate weapon of war?” As far as Achebe is concerned, there is an “information blockade around the war”. He wonders whether this is “a case of calculated historical suppression.” For the literary icon, the war should be discussed and even taught to the young so that we do not repeat the errors of the past. These are Achebe’s aspirations and intentions in the book. Going by some of the reactions to the

book so far, there are those who hold that Achebe should not have written about Biafra, especially at this time. Such people believe that the book is an incitement. It will remind Nigerians of what they have already forgotten. Now, I invite those who think this way to take a good look at Achebe’s declared intentions. As a writer, Achebe will be doing a disservice to humanity if the truth of a momentous historical event such as Biafra is not told. Before the book was released, an interviewer had asked Achebe why it took him so long a time to come up with a book on Biafra. Achebe’s response was:“I was not ready”. But the book itself provides a clearer answer, which is that the available literature on the war have not helped to answer the fundamental question of the debacle, to wit: Did the federal government of Nigeria engage in the genocide of Igbo citizens – who set up the Republic of Biafra in 1967 – through punitive policies? That is the essential question that Achebe has raised. The question haunts. It will continue to do so until a satisfactory answer is provided. This, for Achebe, is the real reason for writing the book. Now, is there anything wrong with this? Who is afraid of this question? Can it be true as Achebe feared that there may be an information blockade around the war with the aim of suppressing history? If we recognize the status of Achebe as a world acclaimed scholar and critic, we should consider ourselves lucky that we have a man whose critical insight has awakened us from complacency. If we are a liberal-minded people, we will pick up the gauntlet provided by Achebe. He has challenged Nigeria to answer a question for all times. How can we, as a people, be here analyzing and trying to situate the situation in Rwanda and Darfur when we had something more horrendous in Biafra? Achebe’s argument is that we need to talk about Biafra in all its ramifications, answer the knotty questions arising from it, teach the history of the conflict to the young so that we will not be doomed to repeating the mistakes of history. The book is therefore a necessary intervention. It jolts us into a certain realization that the lessons of Biafra will be better served when we discuss it and tell all the truth about it. Even though Achebe has helped us through his intervention, the effort that went into the book serves his conscience more. As a writer, Achebe owes himself a duty to tell the story of the world and its situations the way they are or the way he perceives them. In the case of Biafra, he has waited for years on end for the nail to be hit on the head. But we appear to have dwelt on irrelevances so far. But Achebe has finally stepped forward to give us the raw materials to work with. Let Nigeria and Nigerians find the right answers to the Achebe questions. As for the likes of Ebenezer Babatope who in response to Achebe said that the battle against falsehood has started, we are waiting for him to tell us the truth about the war. Unfortunately, he may not be able to do this because he is weighed down by two major handicaps. First, his plan to speak for Awo has been overtaken by events. Awo spoke for himself before he died. Secondly, Babatope is not an expert on Biafra. He is therefore not in a position to handle the Achebe question. Nonetheless, we still expect those who have informative perspectives on Biafra to come up with them, not those who think that a historical encounter such as Biafra can be reduced to beer parlour gossip.

National League rolls out programme for Super 4 …Threatens to deal with boycotting clubs By ROMANUS UGWU, Abuja

igerian National League (NNL), has yesterday in Abuja, rolled out the programme for the two-day end of season Super-4 involving the promoted clubs to the Nigeria Premier League to determine the actual champion of the 2011/12 league season. Addressing the media in Abuja, NNL’s Chairman, Chief Emeka Inyama, said that due to combination of factors which scuttled the two arrangements previously put in place, the league board has finally decided to host the tournament in Abuja, adding that it would commence on Sunday, October 21. “This media parley is to formally announce the arrangements for the Super 4, which will be used to determine the real champions of the National League. It would be a two-day programme commencing on Sunday, October 21. As you know, it was initially meant to hold outside Abuja, but due to some logistics and finance, it will now take place in Abuja for proper supervision. “We will have two matches daily. Trophy and prize money will be presented to the clubs. Formally, it was N500,000, but we will give monetary reward of N300,000. I want to also announce that we invited major stakeholders, especially in the ministry and National Assembly. “We have also invited the Super Eagles Head Coach, Stephen Keshi for the tournament. We want him to come and see the quality of the second tier league in Nigeria. We are going to apply some glamour into the tournament,” he noted. Speaking further, the lower league boss, however, warned that his board would apply the severest disciplinary measure on any club that boycotts the tournament, stressing that it is statutory for all clubs to participate. “We are going to be very serious about the statutory stipulation concerning the tournament. Nations Cup 2013

West Brom prepares to lose Osaze

est Brom boss, Steve Clarke, said he would have cover for Osaze Odemwingie and Youssouf Mulumbu should they be at next year’s AFCON. Odemwingie’s Nigeria and Mulumbu’s DR Congo have both booked their places at the South Africa finals. And should the pair earn call-ups, they would leave The Hawthorns ahead of the tournament, which takes place between 19 January and 10 February. But Clarke said he believed he had other players in his squad capable of filling the void. “We spoke about it at the start of the season,” said Clarke. “We knew we had the possibility of losing Youssouf if he decided to come out of international retirement, which he did. “I’m not really sure about Peter. He hasn’t been called up to a Nigeria squad since I’ve been here. I don’t know what his position is. “We discussed it and we think we have enough in the squad to cover any absences in January.”

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