OBJ, Yar'Adua, GEJ misused N1.2trn — Senate Report

...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 61872

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ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013

Rivers Speaker alleges plot to •Pg.14 impeach Amaechi

N150 D I A M O N D BANK—From left: Dr.

Alex Otti, Group Managing Director/CEO Diamond Bank Plc; with HRM Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, Chairman and Nkechi Nwosu, Company Secretary, at the 22nd Annual General Meeting of the bank held at Civic Centre Lagos. Photo: Akeem Salau.

OBJ, Yar'Adua, GEJ misused N1.2trn

— Senate Report

BY HENRY UMORU & JOSEPH ERUNKE •Says Special funds Accounts abused in 10 years BUJA—A RE •It's also indictment on N'Assembly — Mark A PORT of the Senate Committee on Public •EFCC, ICPC should be invited if...— Ekweremadu Accounts, presented to the Senate, yesterday, re-

vealed how the Federal Government under three successive administrations from 2002 to 2012, grossly abused funds from the nation’s Special Funds Accounts to the Continues on Page 5

COLUMNISTS:

OGAGA IFOWODO •P.19

ROTIMI FASAN •P.19

DEAR BUNMI

•P.42

Mr & Mrs

CHARGED—

15 alleged Russian sailors charged with illegal importation of arms into Nigeria, are led by a Russian embassy official before the judgment hearing yesterday. The matter was later adjourned to May 13, 2013 at the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos. Photo: AFP.

N43BN SUBSIDY SCAM: Amnesty talks for Boko Ifeanyi Ubah arrested, Haram will fail — Shehu Sani •P.9 granted bail —P.10

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C M Y K

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POCKET CARTOON

paid back several years after such loans were granted.

BAGA REPORT—President Goodluck Jonathan (R) receiving the Report on Baga Killings from the Chief of Defence Staff, Vice-Admiral Ola Ibrahim at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday.

State House photo.

OBJ, Yar'Adua, GEJ misused N1.2trn — Senate Continues from Page 1 tune of N1.2 trillion.

According to the report presented by Senator Ahmed Lawan, Chairman of the committee, the said amounts cut across the Natural Resources Account, Derivation and Ecology Accounts and Stabilization Account.

The Special Funds Accounts, comprising Development of Natural Resources Account,

Derivation and Ecology Account and Stabilization Account were being maintained by the Federal Government of Nigeria. Senator Ahmed Lawan in his submission said that the amount was misappropriated between 2002 and 2012 by the governments of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Late President Umaru Yar ’Adua and current President Goodluck Jonathan, add-

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

Others can stop you temporary but you are the only one that can stop yourself permanently, see you at the top.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

T

HROUGHOUT life you’ve been through a conditioning process that’s created a mindset overflowing with I am nots. As a schoolchild with a less than satisfactory grade on your report card, you thought to yourself, I am not smart. You place anywhere other than number one and say, I am not talented. You feel criticized and believe that I am not good. You look in the mirror and compare yourself to a glamorous movie idol or homecoming queen and tell yourself, I am not attractive. Your relationship fractures and you think, I am unloved or I am unworthy. These, and many more like them, are repeated throughout your developmental years and into adulthood, and become your core defining self-concept — Wayne Dyer Run through as large an inventory as you can of the things that you would like to define your life.

Then make the shift in your imagination from an I am not or I am hoping to become to I am. You want what follows I am to be congruent with your highest self, which is God. Beginning with your inner dialogue, simply change the words that define your concept of yourself. Redefine your self-concept by choosing the words that you opt to place into your imagination. Try this rewording of your inner world as a beginning step to accessing the assistance of your higher self and fulfilling your desires.

ing that the governments at various levels abused the Special Funds Account by making several releases not related to what the accounts were designed to achieve.

Breakdown of the report showed that N710,489,494,960.6, N149,881,359,210 and N191,780,136,241 were reportedly misused by the three administrations in the Derivation and Ecology Account; Development of Natural Resources Account and Stabilization Account respectively.

According to the committee in its report, within the period under review, the sum of one trillion, five hundred and eighteen billion, eight hundred and seventy one million, three hundred and fifty seven thousand, four hundred and twenty six naira, sixty four kobo (N1, 518, 871, 357, 426.64) was the accruals to the special funds accounts.

The sum of one trillion, two hundred and thirty five billion, one hundred and sixty six million, seven hundred and eighty one thousand, three hundred and forty seven naira, fifty two kobo (N1, 235, 166, 781, 347. 52) was the total payments from the special funds account.

Also, five hundred and eighty billion, nineteen million, six hundred and eighty two thousand, seven hundred and thirty eight naira (N580, 019, 682, 738) was re-

leased as loan; and three hundred and forty seven billion, nine hundred and ninety seven million, five hundred and eighty three thousand, and eight naira and forty one kobo (N347, 997, 583, 008.41) yet to be recovered from various loans beneficiaries.

The Report Senator Ahmed Lawan, earlier in his presentation of the report said: “The operation of the Natural Resources Account is grossly abused because several releases under this account were not related to the intendment of the account.”

Out of a total of N329, 329, 745, 916 granted as loan, N200, 585, 790, 991. 64 is still outstanding under the Natural Resources Account; under the derivation and Ecology Account, a total of N61, 000, 000, 000.00 was granted as loan leaving an outstanding of N30, 000, 000, 000.00.

“Several approvals made from the special funds accounts do not conform to the purposes for which the funds were established; and there were no operational guidelines for the administration, regulations, approvals and procedures for the release of money from such funds.”

It also noted that loans granted from the accounts have not been

Involve EFCC, ICPC — Ekeremadu In his contribution, the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, called on the Public Accounts committee to undertake further inquiry to determine whether loans given from the special funds accounts had been recovered.

Ekweremadu said in an event where the monies have not been recovered, the Senate should invite the EFCC and ICPC to wade into the matter, as failure to do so would be interpreted by the public as the National Assembly abdicating from its responsibilities.

He said: “Section 8(82) (of the constitution) said, no money shall be withdrawn from the consolidated revenue fund of the federation except to meet expenditure.

“In this situation, we have seen where monies meant for ecological fund are being used to develop airports, to build malls and then to build abattoir. So that is the crux of the matter.

Most of them according to the report of the committee, indeed all of them, have not been recovered.

“This committee will need to do further work to ensure that they hear from the other side of the divide or this matter be referred to the EFCC or ICPC to do further investigation."

Also commenting, the Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma Egba said the impunity shown in the report confirmed his earlier belief that the nation’s public finances still remain opaque after 14 years of democratic governance as they were under military rule.

His words: “All the misapplications of funds carried out by the executive in the special funds accounts since 2002 are clear attestations of an opaque public finances in Nigeria where for now, transparency and accountability are rules not adhered to, in anyway by the executive arm of government.”

Deputy Majority Leader, Senator Abdul Ningi who also doubles as Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Public Accounts, said: “This is sheer crass executive recklessness and the National Assembly indifference to it."

N'Assembly to be blamed too — Mark Meanwhile the Senate did not exonerate itself from the blame, stressing that the abuse was an indictment on the National Assembly because if they had carried out their work effectively, the problem would have been discovered before now.

Senate President David Mark, while reacting to the absence of guidelines for the operation of the special funds account, said: “We are taking it for granted that these funds exist and they can be used in any way and manner. And I think that is truly an indictment on the National Assembly. It is a wake up call for the National Assembly to do its work properly.

“It is an intervention fund in several areas and they are also specified: Development of mineral resources, Derivation and Ecology fund and Stabilization Account. Our problem here is how these funds are being utilized.”

He demanded from the Chairman of the Committee as to whether there were guidelines on the appropriation of such funds.

6—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013

Pastor in court for allegedly raping 3 pupils

Lagos CJ releases couple with baby, 134 others from Kirikiri

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Prison grossly over-populated —Controller Some suffer from HIV, tuberculosis, hypertension – Dep Controller

BUJA—EMMAUEL Matthew (50) was yesterday, arraigned before Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf of the FCT High Court for alleged rape of three pupils in his school.

Mathew, who is the pastor and General Overseer of The Choice Bible Church, Mpape, and proprietor of the primary school where his victims attended, was arraigned on a six-count charge of rape.

He was accused of having carnal knowledge of two seven-year-old pupils and a nine-year-old on different occasions in his school office without their consent, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 283 of the Penal Code.

Mathew pleaded not guilty to the three-count charge, while the presiding judge ordered the prosecuting counsel to amend the remaining three-count charge against the accused.

The prosecutor, Stalley Nwodo, urged the court to fix a date for the amendment of charges.

Baba-Yusuf granted the prosecutor’s application and adjourned the matter to May 8 for amendment of charges and re-arraignment of the accused.

Kidnapped policeman killed by abductors in Borno

BY NDAHI MARAMA

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AIDUGURI — GUN MEN suspected to be terrorists, Monday, in Pulka town of Gwoza council area of Borno State kidnapped a police officer attached to the Criminal Investigation Department, CID, named Watha Yaga.

The gunmen, Vanguard learnt, killed their victim the following day and dumped his remains at the outskirts of Ndaba village.

The corpse of the deceased, according to a reliable source “has been found in a remote village called Ndaba near Gwoza Local Government Area of the state.”

The police officer, according to sources, was seriously interrogated by the suspected terrorists, but when he could not volunteer the needed information, he was killed the following day without demanding any ransom.

BY ONOZURE DANIA

L

AGOS — LAGOS Chief Judge, Justice Ayotunde Philips, yesterday released 136 inmates form Kirikiri Prisons, Lagos, majority of who were awaiting trials.

Among the 136 inmates released was a couple who had been in prison since 2011 where the wife gave birth to a son who is a year old.

The wife, Comfort Ude, 32 and her husband, Bassey Ude, 35, were released from the Female Maximum Security Prison and the Medium Kirikiri Prison.

Comfort who was first released brought to the notice of the Chief Judge the plight of her husband who was arrested for the same offence.

Comfort who was a house help in Magodo area of Lagos, said she stole a jewelry from her employer, adding that she could not sayhow much it cost but her husband was arrested alongside her.

Comfort’s husband, Bassey, who claimed to be a caterer and steward said the incident happened on March 5, 2011, when his wife stole the jewelry from her employer and showed it to him.

According to him, his wife actually stole the jewelry but he was arrested along with her on March 15 and they were both brought to the prison 15 days after, adding that while they were there, the wife gave birth to their son whom he used to see in court only when their case came up for mention.

Ude who was filled with joy said he would go back to his employer, but that if he rejects him, he would ask for payment for the job he did.

nine inmates from the Kirikiri Female Maximum Security Prison and 127 from the Medium Security Prison.

Earlier, 40 inmates in the medium prison had been released while 80 others were release yesterday, adding up to the 127 inmates.

Said: “We have gone through the list of those recommended for release. So for those of you qualified to be released, you are very lucky that your name has come up. Go and sin no more.”

She urged them to turn a new leaf and go out to contribute their quota to the society, adding that she will do her best to de-congest the prisons.

Some suffer from HIV, tuberculosis, hypertension — Dep Controller Meantime, the Deputy Comptroller of the Female Maximum Prisons, Mrs Leticia Isioma Onwile, in her welcome address said it was the first time a Chief Judge would be visiting the female prisons in Nigeria.

She said they had 207 inmates

with 36 of them convicted while169 were awaiting trial.

Sixty were condemned.

Onwile said the three cells were over-crowded with each accommodating 44 inmates.

According to her, some of the inmates that were released were suffering from various sicknesses like HIV, tuberculosis, hypertension and others, adding that in the past two weeks a particular inmate, Gloria Okon, had been in and out of the hospital.

She said some of the inmates that were released yesterday had spent nine years behind bars. She also said there were four pregnant women and nine babies in the prison.

The CJ after releasing the nine inmates at the female prisons, said she was very sad that there were still some of them that are awaiting trial, who are going to be left behind, but that she would look in to the matter as quickly as possible.

Prison grossly over populated — Controller Also, the Deputy Comptroller of Prisons of the Kirikiri Medium

Security Prison, Mr. Tunde Ladipo, disclosed that in his 23 years of service, yesterday was the first and only time a Chief Judge fraternized with the prison.

He said that former CJs had been unable to do so, adding that the CJ kept her words when she visited the prisons last September and promised to visit again.

According to him, there are 2,496 inmates in the prisons, 2,344 of which are awaiting trial while 152 were convicted. He said the prison had capacity to cater for only 1,700 inmates.

Ladipo who commended the CJ and the Lagos State judiciary, said there was need for her to visit the prison more often, adding that she should also consider those that have been convicted, noting: “Let this hand of fellowship also be extended to them.”

In her response, the CJ said: “To err is human, but to forgive is divine. Big men had been in prison, rich men had been in prison. I don’t think enough has been done, I will keep on doing it until I retire.”

CJ charged released inmates to ‘go and sin no more’ The Chief Judge, who was accompanied by senior members of the judiciary including judges and the Chief Registrar, released

A truck over loaded with bamboos along Asaba/Onitsha road. Photo: AKPOKONA OMAFUAIRE.

Okada rider sentenced to death for robbing colleague

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

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SABA — A High Court sit ting at Isiokolo, Delta State has sentenced to a 25-year-old commercial motorcycle rider therwise known as Okada, one Etanuwoma Ogheneoro, to death for robbing a fellow rider.

Prosecution had told the court that the convicted robber, in connivance with others at large on January 30, 2010 at Kokori within the Isiokolo judicial division robbed Felix Itirikpe of an undis-

closed amount and other valuables, thereby committing an offence punishable under sections 6 (b) and 1 (2) (a) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act Cap R11 Volume 14 laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004”.

Prosecution led by Mrs. C.E. Eronmwon, Deputy Director, Ministry of Justice called two witnesses to prove its case while the convict called no witness but testified for himself.

According to prosecution, “the convict abandoned his Okada and boarded another while pretending to be a passenger but half way into the journey at a lonely path he signaled to his gang members who came out from hideout and disposed their victim of the said motorcycle.”

He was, however, arrested with the aid of the local vigilante and handed over to the police and was equally identified in court by the said victim during trial.

The trial judge, Justice A. O.

Omamogho in delivering judgment, yesterday, stated that “prosecution has proved beyond reasonable doubt ingredients of the offence against the accused.

“I disbelieved the evidence of the accused while I hold that prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt ingredients of the offence of conspiracy against the accused the convict with two others now at large robbed their victim of a SkyGo motorcycle while armed,” the judge said.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013—7

9,660 tested HIV positive in Lagos within one year — Govt Distributes 520,000 male, female condoms To end kidnapping soon

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI, CHIOMA OBINNA & MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO

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AGOS— THE Lagos State Government, yesterday. disclosed that 9, 660 residents of the state tested positive to HIV virus of the 102,279 patients examined in the last one year.

The government also said 431 healthcare facilities across the state would be shut for contravening the state healthcare standards.

The state government, however, said it was impossible to guarantee total free healthcare services for the over 18 million residents of the state, noting: “There is no adequate fund to provide the services.”

Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, who disclosed these during the 2013 ministerial briefing on the activities of his ministry to commemorate the sixth year of Governor Babatunde Fashola’s administration, said to prevent the increase in HIV virus, the state government through the Lagos State AIDS Control Agency, LASACA, distributed 520,000 male and female condoms across the state.

The commissioner also saidthe state government has established HIV/AIDS counselling and testing centres in health facilities across the state, a measure to check the prevalence of the

scourge within the state.

He explained: “These centres provide clients with all they need on HIV/AIDS, counselling, treatment and others. It is another of our strategy, among so many to check the problem.”

Kidnapping''ll end in Lagos soon, govt assures Meantime, the state government, yesterday, assured residents that cases of kidnapping

and terrorism would end very soon in the state.

Special Adviser to Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State,on Political and Legislative and Power Bureau, Mr. Teslim Folami, gave the assurance during the 2013 ministerial briefing on the activities of his ministry to commemorate the sixth year of the governor’s administration.

Folami said it was very unfortunate that such cases were beginning to be noticed in the state, rated as the safest in West Africa.

Workers of Obingwa local council of Abia State during a protest march over alleged delay in the payment of salaries, arrears of promotion and leave allowances, yesterday.

DELSU student hacks into Uduaghan’s phone

BY EMMA AMAIZE

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ARRI— A 400-level medi cal student of Delta State University, DELSU, Abraka, in Delta State, has been arrested by the police for allegedly hacking into Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan's phone.

The student, who failed in pharmacology and pathology course sent a text message, purportedly from the governor, to the Vice Chancellor, Prof Eric Arubayi, requesting him to upgrade his scores.

Vanguard gathered that enraged Govenor Uduaghan asked the vice chancellor to report the matter to the police and ensure the student was arrested when the matter was brought to his knowledge, as he never sent such message.

The affected student in a statement to the police, however, denied the allegation.

Investigation by Vanguard showed that the matter was causing ripples in the university, as the university authorities, appar-

He said: “We realised that corruption cases, extra-judicial killing and others were increasing daily. And when one walks or drives in the street, you will be panicking not to be kidnapped.

“We know that it is the sole responsibility of the Federal Government to address such cases but since they are not forthcoming, the Lagos State government will not sit back and watch its citizens kidnapped.

“That was why we have sent the anti-terrorism bill to the state House of Assembly for passage into law and immediately it is passed, cases of kidnapping would be nipped in the bud.”

ently responding to the request, upgraded the score of the student in pharmacology.

The poser by concerned stakeholders is: Assuming, but not conceding that the text message emanated from the governor, should the vice chancellor

have altered the scores of a student that failed his examination?”

This is, however, not the first time the governor’s phone had been hacked into by fraudsters.

They had hacked into his Airtel and MTN phone numbers in the past as well as his email address.

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ARRI— THREE persons, including two lovers, Godstime Bisa and Fine Boson, aged 26 and 15 years respectively, were Monday night, allegedly burnt to death at Egbemene community, Warri Corner, Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State in a suspected adulterated kerosene blast.

Vanguard was informed that the explosion, which affected five persons, occurred when one of them, who were inside a room, tried to refill an already

lit lantern.

According to a source, “unfortunately, only the two lovers, who hail from Ekogbene community in Burutu Local Government Area lost their lives,” our source hinted.

“Property worth millions of naira were damaged in the ensuring inferno, which happened at about 11.30 pm. The deceased persons were rushed to the Central Hospital, Warri, but they died all the same.”

Speaking to Vanguard on the incident, Tuesday, coordinator of the Ijaw People Development Initiative, IPDI, Comrade Austin

BY UJU MBANUSA

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ENAGOA — THE Bayelsa State Police Command, yesterday, described as untrue, reports that its Commissioner of Police, Mr Kings Omire, has refused to hand over since his retirement.

Some reports had it that trouble was brewing at the command following the CP’s refusal to hand over in spite of signals from the Force Headquarters, Abuja and the Office of the Assistant InspectorGneral of Police, Zone 5, to that effect.

But the command in a statement signed by its image maker, Akhigbe Alex, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, maintained that the CP was still officially in charge as a result of pending administrative issues which had to be resolved between the command and the Force Headquarters.

It, however, explained that the CP submitted his letter of retirement on April 21, 2013 on account of age, adding that he had also prepared his handover notes which was still awaiting signature.

He said: “It is therefore, unprofessional and morally indefensible that unfounded speculations abound on the pages of some national dailies that he has refused to hand over after his retirement, without cross checking from the outgoing CP."

Two die, 12 injured in Edo road crash

BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

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ENIN —NO fewer than two persons were said to have died while 12 others sustained various degrees of injuries in a road traffic accident, yesterday, at Igieduma, along the Benin-Auchi

2 lovers, friend die in Delta kerosene blast

BY EMMA AMAIZE

‘Why Bayelsa CP is yet to proceed on retirement’

Ozobo, said: “This is a mysterious death, no one expected the two lovers will die so cheaply.

“I have visited the community, the people are very curious to know how such a minor fire could claim two lives and left three seriously burnt. The Ijaw people are equally handicapped over the attitude of security operatives and government hospitals because they assume that any Ijaw person burnt by fire is an oil bunkerer or pipeline vandal.

“So they either inject the victim dead or call security men to arrest the victim. This shows that the life of Ijaw man has no value."

highway in Uhunmwode Local Government Area of Edo state Meanwhile, the Police in Benin is investigating the case of two brothers who died in an accident involving a strayed cow, a motorcycle and car even as the owner of the cow is now cooling his feet with the police.

According to the Iruekpen Unit Commander of FRSC, Mr. Eshiet Udeme, the accident involving a Toyota Hiace bus travelling to Benin from the North occurred due to fatigue of the driver.

FRSC sources disclosed that the remains of the victims had been deposited in an unnamed hospital in the area.

The accident in Oben Community, outskirts of the state capital, resulting in the death of two brothers, Jude and Emeka Louis, occurred when the motorcycle they were riding from work allegedly had a head-on collision with a Volkswagen car.

Both motorcycle and car were allegedly trying to avoid killing the cow, which, however, sustained injuries from the accident.

8—Vanguard , WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013

Alleged felony: Leadership reporters get N1m bail

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

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BUJA—THE Abuja Divi sion of the Federal High Court, yesterday, allowed two Leadership Newspaper reporters, Tony Amokeodo and Chibuzor Ukaibe, accused of forging a document purported to have emanated from the Presidency, to go home after they deposited N1million.

They were released on bail after they pleaded not guilty to a six-count charge that was preferred against them by the Federal Government.

Aside depositing N500, 000 each, trial Justice Ademola Adeniyi ordered the accused persons to provide two sureties who must not only be an owner of a verifiable landed property in Abuja, but must swear an affidavit of means.

The Federal Government had alleged that the accused persons who it charged alongside the media outfit, committed felony to wit: “forging of document titled Bromide of the Presidential Directive and place same on the front page of Leadership Newspaper of April 3, 2013.”

It told the court that they knew that the said document was false, but published same, “with the intent that it may be used or acted upon as genuine and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 467 of the Criminal Code Act Cap ‘C’ 38 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.”

Besides, it alleged that the accused persons conspired amongst themselves and committed felony by forging/ making of a false document, having on it the seal, signet or sign manual which purports that it was a presidential directive from the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Though the Federal Government, hitherto, listed four accused persons in the previous charge it filed against the Newspaper house , however, it eventually de-listed the 3rd accused, Taiwo Omilani, who it said was at large.

Meantime, the newspaper organization which was represented by one of the Group Executive Directors, Dr Mike Okpere, denied the allegation, just as counsel to the company, Mr Femi Falana, SAN, challenged the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the suit.

Hearing on the substantive case was adjourned to May 16.

Grounded aircraft: Reps condemn action; say it's witch-hunt of political opponents Rivers govt explains, wonders why State was singled out for sanction Expresses suprise over allegations of illegality, abuse of process

BY OKEY NDIRIBE & JIMITOTA ONOYUME

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HE House of Represent atives, yesterday, condemned the grounding of an aircraft, a Bombardier BD 700 Global Express jet, belonging to the Rivers State Government by the National Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, describing it as “ witch-hunt” of “perceived political opponents”.

This was as the Rivers State Government expressed dismay over allegations of illegality and abuse of process by officials of different agencies in the aviation sector on the status of the aircraft.

The House of Representatives which condemned the grounding of the aircraft following a motion sponsored

by Ahmed Idris, representing Wase federal constituency in Plateau State, said the incident “raises serious issues as to the abuse of powers by the executive and the use of state machinery to with-hunt perceived political opponents”.

Leading the motion under matters of urgent national importance, Idris, who is also the chairman of the House Committee on Federal Character, said the action of the agency smacked of “impunity, lawlessness and political vendetta”.

The Speaker Aminu Tambuwal who criticised the executive arm for the action, described it as “detrimental to any democracy and tends towards dictatorship and draconian tendencies typical of the military era.”

He, therefore, mandated the House committees on Justice and Aviation to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident

Action dictatorial, smack of impunity, lawlessness and political vendetta — Reps Adopting the motion, the House directed the two committees to “investigate the justification and circumstances surrounding the grounding of the Rivers State aircraft and report back to the House within two weeks”.

The BD 700 Global Express aircraft which was conveying Governor Rotimi Amaechi

PUBLIC HEARING—From left: Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Justice, Ali Ahmad; Speaker ,House of Reps, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal; and Minority Whip of the House, Samson Osagie, during a public hearing on Administration of Criminal Justice Bill, 2013 at the National Assembly, in Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan.

and Aminu Tambuwal was last week grounded by NAMA for what the agency called non-compliance with the aviation regulations as regards maintenance of aircraft.

Full story of our aircraft — Rivers State govt Meanwhile, Rivers State Government, yesterday, expressed dismay at the statement attributed to officials of different agencies in the aviation sector on the status of the aircraft, insisting that the said aircraft was owned by the state government.

The state Commissioner of Information and Communications, Mrs Ibim Semenitari said, “It is pertinent to note that all of the information and queries about this aircraft have only been through the media.

Rivers State Government had not received any communication from the Ministry of Aviation or any of its agencies querying the status of its aircraft even up till this moment. “ Rivers State Government is surprised to read about matters of administrative procedure and allegations of illegality and abuse of proc-

ess in the media. The state government wishes to note that this press briefing and the various issues raised arose only after the embarrassing incident of a delay of the aircraft and its passengers at Akure on April 26, 2013 “The state government wishes to note also that the issues raised in this press briefing will be the third reason adduced for the delay of the Rivers State Government’s aircraft in Akure.

However, for purposes of clarification and in keeping with its policy of rendering “transparent and accountable stewardship” to Rivers people, we would wish to state the following for the avoidance of doubt, that the Aircraft N 566 RS arrived Nigeria and has been operating since October 2012.

It was bought by Rivers State Government and registered as a US Aircraft in the first instance, to preserve value and provide ease of operation and sourcing of available pilots.

“To qualify for N registration, operator must be a US citizen hence RVSG entered into a trust with Bank of Utah Inc, a bank that specialises in aircraft trust.

The relationship between the state government and

Bank of Utah is that of a trustor and trustee. All N registered Aircrafts enjoy the privileges of a US citizen. Trust agreement for the purpose of N registration is common in the aviation industry.

“It is important to state that there are other aircraft owners in Nigeria with N registered aircraft. This practice is because of the ease of movement that N registered aircraft are privileged to enjoy.

We do not therefore understand why Rivers State Government has been singled out.

The clearance referred to was PH-Accra- PH and not AccraPH-Accra as stated. The aircraft was being operated through a local operator, Caverton Helicopters, pending approval of importation licence by Minister of Aviation.

“Request for this licence was filed by the operator on behalf of the Rivers State government and this was expressly stated in the request filed on August 27, 2012 and received in the Minister ’s office on September 4,2012.

Rivers State Government is a responsible sub national and guardian of the resources of its people. It will at all times and in all circumstances act within the confines of the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

Vanguard , WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013—9

Boko Haram amnesty talks 'll fail — Shehu Sani

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, POLITICAL EDITOR

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XPLORATIVE talks by the Fed eral Government towards an amnesty for members of the Boko Haram insurgency will fail as it is a mission impossible, civil rights activist, Mallam Shehu Sani has predicted.

Sani who rejected his appointment into the Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges in the North told Vanguard that he would not reconsider his decision to withdraw from the committee despite appeals from the Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, and other stakeholders in the North.

Sani, who is generally believed to have, at one time made contact with the Boko Haram leadership told Vanguard that the presidency’s approach to the insurgency would not in any way lead to peace as he cited earlier experiences in which he said he was disgraced by the administration.

Sani said he and Dr. Datti Ahmed, who is also believed to have made useful contacts with the Boko Haram leadership were left in the loop by the administration after they had helped to establish contact with the insurgent group.

While affirming his commitment to the realization of peace in the troubled north, he said: “I am passionate about returning this country to the path of stability but the government has in the past frustrated our efforts and refused to implement the reports of our contacts with the insurgents and I choose not to be part of a fruitless exercise that will lead us to nowhere.

“My withdrawal and that of Dr. Datti Ahmed was informed by our experience with the government and the very fact that we don’t want to be messed around again.”

Faulting the composition of the committee, he said: “Almost all of those who are in this committee have never before taken their time to engage in what we engaged in the last three years and I believe that they will have a dosage of what we had in the past.

"What we need to understand is that a mistake has been made right from the announcement of the amnesty which led to the group rejecting it out rightly.

“What the government could have done would have been to first engage through a mediating party, a discreet consultation with the insurgents so as to build confidence and trust and achieve a ceasefire before the commencement of any work.

“But what the government did was simply to want to dictate the terms of peace without even the inputs of the insurgents and this is the area where the government derailed and if you are going to Lagos from Kaduna and you take

the road to Maiduguri, no matter the credibility of your driver and the passengers in your bus, you will never reach Lagos.”

Insincerity of FG Noting how he had been let down by the administration in the past, he said: “The Boko Haram gave us about three opportunities to reach out to the government and in this period we gave the insurgents our word that the government is serious about it and we failed them because we were disappointed by the government and all the reports we have written have the input of the leadership

of the insurgents and we also reached out to the highest level of government.

“So, if now that they gave us that kind of opportunity that we disappointed them after assuring them that the government means business and it is for peace, how do you imagine our names just flashed on TV as members of a committee without first of all going back to them to explain to them that this is a new initiative.”

Noting the difficulties in dealing and communicating with an insurgent group, he said: “Sometimes to send a message takes about three weeks to reach its destination and to receive a

reply takes about another three to four weeks. So, I wonder how a committee would want to finish their assignment within 90 days. I wonder how we will be able to achieve peace in that aspect of it.

"But where the government has failed is that it has not done its home work, it simply wants us to be part of a magical team because it is a magical game. The president told them to go and perform magic and we are not magicians.

“For the president to tell them to go and perform magic he is inadvertently telling them that they are on a mission that is impossible,” he said.

MEETING—From left: Chairman, Forte Oil, Mr. Femi Otedola; Chairman, Visafone, Mr. Jim Ovia; and Chairman, Access Bank Plc., Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imokhuede, during the Economic Management Team Meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida.

N1.4bn subsidy scam: You have a case to answer, court tells suspects

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

A

BUJA—JUSTICE Olasum bo Goodluck of an Abuja High Court, yesterday, okayed three accused persons, Helyn Aninye, Chizobam Ben-Okafor and Pon-Specialized Services Limited, for trial following their alleged complicity in an N1.4billion subsidy scam.

Consequently, the court struck out an application that was filed by the accused persons, urging it not to grant the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, leave to prosecute them on allegations bothering on fraud, forgery and conspiracy to obtain the sum of N1.413, 507,951.50 from the Federal Government by false pretence as subsidy under the Petroleum Support Fund.

In a ruling, Justice Goodluck, maintained that the accused persons have a case to answer.

According to the judge, “at this stage there is no requirement to consider facts before the court; what is needed is to determine if a prima facie case against the accused persons is established.

“I am of the view that the proof of evidence suggests elements of forgery and obtaining by false pretences and I therefore overrule the objection of the accused persons and hereby grant leave to prosecution to prefer charge against them.”

Criticism of FG: Tambuwal, Labour Minister express mixed feelings ...okay prosecution of perpetrators of Baga killings

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

A

BUJA—AS insinuation over his possible ambition in 2015 mounts, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, yesterday, took a subtle swipe at the presidency, insisting that Nigerians have the right to criticize the policies of government.

Tambuwal who made the assertion at a national retreat on human rights, organized by the House of Representatives in conjunction with the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre, PLAC, maintained that “people must be able to criticize the policy of government without the fear of having their rights or privileges abridged.”

In his speech read by the Majority Leader of the House of

Reps, Mulikat Akande, the Speaker, noted that “citizens deserve to have basic amenities, be able to live like human beings and feel secured in their own country.

“While some appreciable efforts have been made in this regard, we feel there is still a big room for improvement. So much more deserves to be done to put our country at the top of the human rights pole. This is why we should not relent in our effort to take our people to the promised-land.”

The Speaker said there was need to amend Chapters 2 and 4 of the 1999 constitution.

Meanwhile, barely 15 minutes after the Speaker finished his speech, the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Nwogu, mounted the rostrum and countered him,

stressing that though Nigerians have a right to criticize the government, he argued that such criticism must be constructive.

He said: “It is not enough for anyone to just come out and criticize the government or encourage others to do so. This administration is one that has a listening ear, so, I urge you to come out with your advice or constructive criticism that will move the government forward, but not to denigrate the occupiers of positions,” he added.

It would be recalled that President Jonathan had earlier declared himself as the most criticized President in the world.

Meantime, the Labour Minister, disclosed that President Jonathan has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the Baga killings and has vowed to take measure of justice against anyone found culpable or any

soldier that failed to follow rules of engagement.

He said, “we should desist from throwing figures. If we are deciding that inquiry should be conducted, then we should allow them to come out with the official figure of victims.”

The House of Reps, through its Committee on Human Rights, called for a thorough investigation into the Baga incident with a view to arresting and prosecuting soldiers responsible for the killings.

The Committee further condemned the continued loss of the lives of innocent Nigerians due to the activities of terrorists in the country.

The Chairman of the Committee, Beni Lar , lamented that over 4,000 people have been killed by terrorists in the past few years.

According to her “we violate a fundamental principle, respect for the integrity of the person, which include freedom from arbitrary or unlawful derivation of life".

10 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013

Anglican: Odedeji installed Bishop of Lagos West

BY EBUN SESSOU & OLAYINKA LATONA

R

T. Rev James Olusola Odedeji has been installed as the new Bishop of Diocese of Lagos West, Anglican Communion.

He succeeds Rt. Rev Peter Adebiyi, who retired as the Bishop of the church at the age of 70.

Odedeji became the second Bishop of the Diocese of Lagos West at 45 years.

Before he became a Bishop, he served as Canon, Archdeacon and dean of the Diocese under the leadership of Rt Adebiyi.

The Eko-Ajala born Bishop from Ikirun area of Osun State also served in Lagos State Civil Service for 24 years.

In his sermon, Odedeji charged the people to join in the service of God as laid down in the principles and doctrines of God. Speaking on Doing God’s work in God’s way, he called on the church to work on God’s agenda, maintain close relationship with God and seek continually the will of their Creator.

He said: “I see my appointment as God’s finger that has changed my calling into glory.

"I could look small but I know that God has sent me an errand and I know He will see me through”.

Burial

B

URIAL ceremony of late Mama Christiana Gisanrin, 87, begins tomorrow with a wake keep at St. Paul’s Church, OdeOna, Ibadan, at 5p.m.

Next day, Saturday, is lying-in-state at her residence in Gada, Odo-Ona from 8a.m to 9a.m., and funeral service at St. Paul’s by 11a.m.

Reception follows at Open Field, Sabo Area, Ibadan.

N43bn subsidy scam: EFCC arrests Ubah, grants administrative bail Rep in court over Turaki’s N36bn fraud surety

BY SONI DANIEL, Regional Editor, NORTH & ENYIM ENYIM

E

CONOMIC and Finan cial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday, arrested the Managing Director of Capital Oil and Gas Industries Limited, Mr. Ifeanyi Ubah, for allegedly defrauding the Federal Government of over N43 billion under the fuel subsidy fund.

He was later released on administrative bail. Ubah, who spoke with Vanguard on telephone, denied the incident, saying that his detractors cooked up the story to tarnish his hard-earned reputation.

A security source told Vanguard that Ubah was picked

It was routine invitation— Ubah

Ubah said: “The invitation

by EFCC is routine and there is nothing wrong about that. I drove them in my car to their office and we exchanged pleasantries and it lasted for more than 30 minutes and I left.

“So anybody who is claiming that I was arrested is only trying to smear my image and tell white lies. Those who have nothing doing dwell in

rumours and hearsay and it does not speak well of them.

“I went there and they asked of the subsidy matter, in which the police and the court had cleared me and you know that the court ordered that I should be paid compensation for damages. So after that I left. Does that mean that I was arrested?”

He then urged his supporters and the people of Anambra State not be cowed by what he called the antics of enemies of the people, adding that no amount of intimidation would stop him from rendering selfless services to the people.

This was even as a member of the House of Representatives from Jigawa State,

AWARD: From left— Mr. Steve James, National President, Dance Guild of Nigeria; Prof. Duro Oni, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Administration, University of Lagos, UNILAG; and Erelu Abiola Dosumu, Erelu of Lagos, Personality of the Year awardee, during the World Dance Day organised by the Dance Guild of Nigeria in Lagos. PHOTO: Diran Oshe.

Adeboye prays for NYSC members G ENERAL Overseer, The Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, will hold a special prayer session for members of National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, on Sunday, May 5.

The session will hold at The Throne of Grace Parish, RCCG National Headquarters, Redemption Way, Ebute-Meta, Lagos at 8.00a.m. on The Lord Will Bless the Work of thy Hand.

A statement by the Assist-

ance Pastor in Charge of Special Duties, Pastor Goke Aniyeloye, said RCCG was aware of humanitarians services rendered by NYSC members and the challenges they face, hence the need for divine intervention and guidance.

Physiotherapists seek partnership with NNPCN

BY NNAMDI OJIEGO

N

late Mama Gisanrin.

up from his Maitama mansion in Abuja and taken to EFCC’s head office, where he made a written statement before being released on bail later in the evening.

ATIONAL President, Nigerian Society of Physiotherapy, NSP, Dr. Taiwo Oyewumi, has charged the newly-inaugurated governing council of the National Postgraduate Physiotherapy College of Nigeria, NPPCN, to work in tandem with NSP to make the college a model.

Oyewumi spoke during the

inauguration of the governing council of NPPCN at Yaba, Lagos.

He said that a model NPPCN would engender improved clinical expertise among the country’s physiotherapists.

Oyewumi, however, added that NSP was committed to furthering the physiotherapy profession and improving global health by encourag-

ing high standards of physical therapy research, education and practice.

He noted that the association, being a member of the World Confederation for Physical Therapy, WCPT, believed that every individual was entitled to the highest possible standard of culturally-appropriate healthcare delivery in an atmosphere of trust and respect for human dignity.

Abubakar Bwari, was, yesterday, summoned by the court following the failure of the former Jigawa Governor, Saminu Turaki, to appear in court and stand trial over his alleged stealing of N36 billion of state funds.

Bwari reportedly stood surety for Turaki in court.

Why he was arrested— Source

At EFCC, a source said the commission moved against Ubah following his failure to honour earlier invitations to answer questions on the subsidy fraud.

According to information, Ubah was first invited to meet with the operatives on April 11, but he failed, necessitating another invitation on April 19, which he also allegedly spurned.

At the time of filing the report, Ubah was said to be answering questions from the operatives at the Abuja office of the commission.

The arrest is believed to be part of ongoing investigation and prosecution of persons and organisations that allegedly defrauded the Federal Government of about N1.7 trillion in dubious subsidy claim for the importation of premium motor spirit.

At the last count, more than 40 persons and organisations had been arraigned in court

by EFCC for their involvement in the scam.

Wilson Uwujaren, spokesperson of the Commission confirmed the arrest but declined further comments.

Accusation

When his firm was accused of taking money through fraudulent means last year, Ubah had accused the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on the Verification of Subsidy Claims, Mr. Aig Imoukhuede, of bias and witch-hunting, following what he called ‘failed business deal’ they had together.

However, a 23-page report released by the Special Fraud Unit of the Police on November 5, 2012, alleged that Capital Oil and Gas received N43,291 billion for the importation of 538.74 millions litres of fuel through forged documents.

The SFU report detailed how top government officials in the Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulating Agency, Nigerian Ports Authority, Department of Petroleum Resources and Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency colluded with the firm to cook up documents.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013—11

Nigerian docked over acid attack on another Nigerian in London

BY UDUMA KALU, with Agency Reports

A

FTER a young Nigerian woman, Naomi Oni’s face was left severely scarred by acid thrown on her in east London in December, police have charged another Nigerian woman, Mary Konye, over the incident.

Naomi Oni, 21, was partially blinded and needed skin grafts after acid was thrown on her by a person wearing a veil after the Victoria’s Secret shop assistant got off a bus on Lodge Avenue in Dagenham, east London in the early hours of December 30.

Mary Konye, a Nigerian also 21, from Canning Town, east London, was last Friday charged with throwing or casting a corrosive fluid with intent to burn, maim, disfigure, disable or do grievous bodily harm at Oni. Konye will appear in custody at Redbridge Magistrates’ Court today. Police had previously arrested a 28-year-old male but he was released without any further action.

Naomi suffered horrific burns to her face, leg, arm and head

and was left partially blind after a person dressed in a niqab threw acid over her as she returned to her home in Dagenham, following a shift at the Victoria’s Secret store in

the Westfield Shopping Centre in Stratford.

She also lost her hair and eyelashes in the incident and had undergone several operations since.

Doctors had feared that she would be permanently blinded, but after intensive treatment at a specialist burns unit, she recovered sight in her left eye and partial sight in her right eye.

SEC MEETING: From right— Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State; Dr. Adewale Ominrin, Speaker, State House of Assembly; Mr. Sontoye Wakama, State Commissioner of Police, and Mr. Tamuno Irowarisima, State Director of State Security Services Command during the stakeholders’ meeting on security in Ado-Ekiti, yesterday.

Osun, Olasunkanmi disagree over Aregbesola's performance

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN & GBENGA OKE

F

ORMER Minister of Youths, Senator Akinlabi Olasunkanmi and Osun State government, yesterday, disagreed over the achievements of the Governor Aregbesola-led government in the state.

Olasunkanmi, who is now a gubernatorial aspirant on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in a session with newsmen, declared Aregbesola’s three year stewardship as a failure, which has only counted success in the realm of propaganda.

However, in a swift reaction, Osun State’s Director of Communications, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, said the concept of PDP’s project commissioning is using N1 million to execute a

project and spending N10 million to commission it, which he described as waste of people’s resources.

Olasunkanmi said: “Aregbesola will be three years in office come November. Have you seen him commission any project since he assumed office?

“The only thing he has done was when he came out to engage 20,000 youths in Yes’O programme, where he asked them to be sweeping streets and paying them N10,000 each.

Responding, Okanlawon said: “When PDP was in government, the entire road project they commissioned for almost eight years was less than 500 kilometres of road.

“But in less than three

years of Governor Aregbesola’s administration, he has completed over 600 kilometres of road across the state, apart from 10 kilometer road per local gov-

ernment, which is ongoing right now.

“This administration has developed the state capital and I can tell you that there are many intra-city roads."

Ekiti immortalises late Dep Gov

BY GBENGA ARIYIBI

A

DO-EKITI—EKITI State Government has finalised arrangements for the immortalisation of late Deputy Governor, Mrs Funmilayo Olayinka.

Governor Kayode Fayemi had, during the burial of his late Deputy, pledged to immortalise the late Olayinka.

In a statement by Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Yinka Olujimi, in Ado-Ekiti, yester-

day, Fayemi named the civic centre, currently under construction, after her.

The centre, being built near the Government House complex and billed for completion by the end of the year, would be known as Funmilayo Olayinka Civic Centre.

The governor also announced the naming of the newly-constructed Atikankan-Baptist Church Road in Ado-Ekiti as Funmilayo Olayinka Drive.

Ajimobi inaugurates market board

G

OVERNOR Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State has inaugurated a 21-member Market Leaders’ Advisory Council to oversee the affairs of traders in the state.

The inauguration, which took place at executive council chambers, was witnessed by representatives of market men and women from the 33 local government areas of the state.

The Council is headed by a popular Ibadanbased market leader, Alhaji Dauda Oladapo.

Speaking at the occasion, Governor Ajimobi charged the market leaders to always explain government’s policies to traders.

He urged them to call government’s attention to any of its policy that needed to be put in order.

Police kill 3 robbers

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

A

BEOKUTA—OGUN State Police Command, yesterday, said that it had killed three robbers during a gun duel with a gang of armed robbers, who were robbing road users on Ijebu-Ode/ Benin expressway.

Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Muyiwa Adejobi, who disclosed this to newsmen in Abeokuta, said that the policemen attached to Ogbere Division, led by Alimi Akanbi, confronted the robbers at 1. 30p.m.

Adejobi said: “The patrol team was on patrol of the expressway as usual when they encountered the robbers attacking road users at Alafia junction near J3.

“The police team engaged them in fierce gun battle. Two of the robbers fell, while others escaped. One of them was arrested with bullet wounds but died on the way to hospital.

“He named other members of the gang before he died.”

Ondo First Lady tasks women on child care

BY DAYO JOHNSON

A

KURE—WIFE of the Ondo State governor, Mrs Olukemi Mimiko, yesterday, expressed concern over the way women abandon their responsibility to their children, while in search of material wealth.

Mrs Mimiko spoke in Akure at the April edition of her meeting with various women groups across the 18 council areas of the state.

According to her many women have dropped their responsibility in the home front in search of worldly and material wealth.

She said: “Parents have gone against the Biblical injunction which says ‘train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it’.”

She pointed out that it was responsible for the attendant social vices in the society.

12—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013

ECGDF urged to prevail on Chevron over youth empolyment

Bloated wage bill: Rivers uncovers N1.8bn excess payment

W

P

ARRI—CHAIRMAN, Gbaramatu/Egbema Host Communities Welders and Fitters, Mr. George Timiyan, has urged the Chairman of Egbema/ Gbaramatu Communities Development Foundation, EGCDF, to prevail on Chevron Nigeria Limited to employ people of the communities as well as tackle the issue of contracts for the communities.

Speaking during a courtesy call on the EGCDF Chairman, Chief Michael Johnny and his executive on their successful election and swearing-in, Timiyan noted that Chevron was taking the communities' welders and fitters for granted.

He said: “If you provide amenities for your host communities and they do not have jobs, the amenities are useless. We are not happy with the last in-house employment Chevron did in 2003, coordinated

by Jececo Nigeria Limited, where only eight persons were taken, six welders and two fitters, whereas they have 115 persons and above working there."

Garden of Life Assembly holds deliverance vigil

G

ARDEN of Life Assembly, in Sapele, Delta State, will hold its powernight of salvation, healing and deliverance service on May 3.

A statement by Dr. Philip Edward, said the vigil, with the theme: Nothing is impossible with God, will hold at the church compound, 8, Crudas Road, Sapele.

BY EGUFE YAFUGBORHI ORT HARCOURT—A GLUT of over N1.8 billion has been discovered in the monthly wage bill of Rivers State public service.

Chairman, Rivers State Council of Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, Mr. Chris Oruge, disclosed this while briefing newsmen on Labour ’s preparedness to celebrate today’s Labour Day in the state.

He said the excess payment was discovered by a Joint Labour/Government Investigation Committee from a misguided implementation of the special salary scheme for medical health professionals in the state.

He said following government’s complaint of an overbearing wage bill, which had made it clash with labour over non-implementation of certain workers' incentives and entitlements, the committee discovered that many persons were earning undeserved stuffed salaries.

“This is not even the issue of ghost workers. You know that medical health profes-

sionals earn special salaries.

But we have a situation where anybody who works in the ministries employing these health professionals now enjoys this higher pay.

“As a result, we have a worrisome drift of civil servants into these ministries, such that an accountant, administation offic-

er or secretary working in say, the Ministry of Health, earns three times or more than his counterpart in other ministries. The policy does not say anybody working in health ministry must earn bigger. The special salary is for only health professional only,” he added.

ANNIVERSARY: From left: Deputy Managing Director, Operations, Addax Petroleum, Mr. Yong Chen; Chairman of Board, Addax Petroleum, Mr. Xinmin Wu; Managing Director, Mr. Carnelis Zegelaar, and General Manager, NAPIMS-NNPC, Mr. James Jack, at the Addax Petroleum 3rd anniversary celebration of Nigerian content in Lagos. Photo: Biodun Ogunleye.

Suspension of 27 Rivers Assembly members ridiculous —Abe

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

P

ORT HARCOURT— SENATOR Magnus Abe has called on the 27 members of Rivers State House of Assembly, who were suspended by the state chapter of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on Monday, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to ignore the action of the party.

Urging the state lawmakers to go about their constitutional responsibility of making laws for the state, Senator Abe described the action of PDP in the state as ridiculous.

He said: “I think it is ridiculous and it is clear that the socalled PDP executive that was foisted on the state is there only to destroy the party, because anybody who is a legislator will tell you that nobody, by the laws of this country, is supposed to

intimidate the legislature in the execution of their constitutional duties.”

Continuing, he said what the Felix Obuah-led PDP did amounted to to undermining the constitution of the country.

"This is a clear effort by somebody to undermine the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It has never happened anywhere," he added.

Media practitioners urged to be objective in reportage

BY FESTUS AHON

U

GHELLI—EXECUTIVE Secretary of Delta State Bursary and Scholarship Board, Mr. Peter Amromanoh, has charged media practitioners to be objective in their reportage.

Amromanoh, who gave the charge shortly after he was presented with ‘Golden Excellence Award’ 2012/2013 of Community News, stressed the need for journalists in the country to carry Nigerians along in their news coverage.

Dedicating the award to the state governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, the state Commissioner for Higher Education, Prof. Hope Egh-

He said the committee had already taken steps to resolve the issue, adding that “in the next couple of months, the irregularities would be addressed, so that government can better address the lingering wage issue that affects the generality of workers.”

agha and all students of the state origin across the world, he appealed to Nigerian journalists to always portray the country positively.

Noting that the state govern-

ment was committed to the wellbeing of its students, he charged them to reciprocate government gesture by excelling in their chosen academic pursuits.

Health coverage in Nigeria less than 30% —NMA

BY CHIOMA OBINNA

M

EDICAL doctors in Nigeria have decried poor healthcare services to citizens, saying that the country could not boast of 30 per cent health coverage to the people.

The doctors, under the aegis of the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, blamed what they

described as "grossly inadequate health coverage” on delay by the Presidency to appoint a substantive head to the National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS. Speaking to journalists in Lagos, President of NMA, Dr. Osahon Enabulele, said government had not shown enough commitment to the health of Nigerians.

Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District passes vote of no confidence on Etok

S

TAKEHOLDERS of Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District of Akwa Ibom State have passed a vote of no confidence on the senator representing the area in the Senate, Dr. Allyosius Etok, on grounds of alleged poor performance and lack of respect for elders of the area.

The stakeholders have also initiated the process of recall of the senator from the National Assembly.

The decision was reached at a meeting of the senatorial district convened by the Itai Afe Annang, Okuku Pius Eside and chaired by the senatorial district Chairman, Mr Imo Ibokette, at the Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area council hall.

The stakeholders include past and current National Assembly members, past and current state House of Assembly members, commissioners from the area, past and current council chairmen, members of Peoples Democratic Party executive at all levels, traditional rulers, women and youths.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013 — 13

14—Vanguard , WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013

Our empowerment programme is for every youth in Abia — Govt

Anambra 2014: Group adopts Andy Uba as sole governorship candidate

BY LEVINUS NWABUGHIOGU

A

WKA — A group, Ihiala Progressive Youth Movement, IPYM, has adopted Senator Andy Nnamdi Uba, as its sole candidate for the 2014 gubernatorial elections in Anambra State.

Senator Uba represents Anambra South Senatorial District in the Senate.

The group said after a thorough analysis of the profiles of the current aspirants in the race for the gubernatorial seat in 2014 elections, Senator Uba was the man eminently qualified to steer the ship of the state.

FCTA to build 5,000 low-cost houses in FCT

By LAIDE AKINBOADE

A

BUJA — THE Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), yesterday, approved and released 4.6 hectares land at Mamusa District for the construction of 5,000 low-cost houses in the territory.

Minister of State for FCT, Olajumoke Akinjide, presented the affordable housing allocation letter for a c c e l e r a t e d development of the land to the Millard Fuller Foundation and Federation of the Poor (FEDUP).

According to her: “FCT Administration is committed to ensuring a dynamic policy of decent and affordable housing for residents of the FCT.” She noted that the affordable housing programme of the FCTA was being executed through a public-private partnership initiative, with the FCT Administration providing the required land as well as primary and secondary infrastructure.

BY ANAYO OKOLI

U

MUAHIA — ABIA State government has said its youth empowerment programme was not meant for only those who support Governor Theodore Orji but for every youth in the state.

From left: The Most Rev. & Mrs. E. Adebola Ademowo (rtd), former Bishop of Lagos, Rt. Rev. “The election period is over & Mrs. James Adedeji, new Lagos West Bishop; Most Rev. Adeboyo Akinde, Bishop of and the governor wants to Lagos & Archbishop of the Ecclesiastical Province of Lagos, and Rt. Rev. Babatunde Adeyemi, empower every youth in the Bishop of Badagry, during the celebration of ministry and enthronement of Rt. Rev. James state, irrespective of which political party he or she beAdedeji, as new Bishop of Lagos West, at AVMCC, Ikeja, Lagos. Photo: Diran Oshe longs to.

"Governor Orji is governor for all and wants to build on the future of the youths in the state irrespective political leaning,” the government said in a statement

BY EMMANUELAZIKEN, Democratic Party, PDP loyal to Rivers State.” issued yesterday.

Political Editor & JIMITOTA Governor Amaechi and its “We have been reliably Speaking through the ONOYUME replacement by a new informed that a fake mace has Chief Press Secretary to AGOS — THE political executive that has been been smuggled into the state to the Governor, Mr. Ugocrisis in Rivers State disowned by Amaechi and his enable the five members of the chukwu Emezue, the edged towards alarming political followers. house hold an emergency government explained dimension, yesterday, after the Last Monday, the new session even when the house that the youth empowerSpeaker of the State House of leadership of the party in the adjourned sine die on Tuesday, ment programme was Assembly, Hon. Otelemaba state led by Mr. Felix Obuah April 23, 2013. going round the state to Amachree revealed plans by suspended all 27 members of “The Abuja plan on ground is ensure that youths were five members of the House to the House loyal to the governor to falsely impeach the Rt. Hon. gainfully engaged. initiate impeachment from the party and declared Speaker and the Executive According to him, govprocedures against Governor their seats in the legislature Governor of Rivers State Rt. ernment decided to emRotimi Chibuke Amaechi. vacant. The suspension has Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi power the youths of the The Speaker in a statement been rebuffed by some House and create confusion through state with the mind to said the ultimate plan by the members. varied responses, which they secure their future. five members who are In the latest development, hope will make the state Emezue said the reportedly collaborating with yesterday, the Speaker of the ungovernable and provide youths had done a lot others outside, is to create a House, Amachree said: “The them with a some kind of for the state in ensuring condition of political instability leadership and members of the warped basis to introduce peace and security, that would lead to the Rivers State House of Assembly emergency rule in Rivers." pointing out that govproclamation of emergency rule wish to bring to the notice of “Furthermore, there are strong ernment fought hard to in the state. the people of Rivers State and indications that some persons sustain it after the bad The statement followed recent Nigerians some of the have been detailed exclusively days when kidnappers political developments in the dangerous moves by the Felix to create systemic collapse of and armed robbers held state including the sack of the Obuah-led PDP to cause security in the state, putting sway with their nefarileadership of the Peoples general chaos and confusion in lives and property in danger.” ous activities.

Speaker alleges impeachment plot against Gov Amaechi L

Reps probe banks, courts over funds of dead Nigerians

BY OKEY NDIRIBE & EMMAN OVUAKPORIE

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BUJA — THE House of Representatives, yesterday, passed a resolution to probe delays usually encountered by relatives of deceased Nigerians while attempting to have access to the funds of their departed loved ones.

In order to enable the House adequately address the situation, the Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal, directed the Committees on Judiciary, Justice and Banking to convene a stakeholders’ meeting to find a way out of the situation which is believed to be very common.

Abiodun Abudu-Balogun, who sponsored the motion on the need to stop the pains, noted the trauma beneficiaries

of such funds usually go through in their efforts to access their funds.

“It is high time Nigerians were saved from these harrowing experiences,” Abudu-Balogun said.

He said while the process of obtaining letters of administration by such bereaved families at probate divisions of state and federal

high courts was very cumbersome and corruptionridden and banks that were custodians of the funds often use “both official and unofficial hurdles to frustrate beneficiaries.”

The lawmaker stated that unofficial statistics put the figures of such unaccessed funds with banks at between N400 billion and N1 trillion,

adding that obtaining a single letter of administration usually lasted over a year.

Speaking in support of the motion, Mr. Peter Akpatason submitted that it was quite unfortunate that family members whose lives had been made miserable by death of their bread winners would be subjected to more pains by these undue bottlenecks.

APGA crisis: Umeh applies to be joined in court

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

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WKA — THERE was an other stormy session at the Federal High Court, Awka, yesterday, following an application by the national chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Chief Victor

Umeh, asking to be joined as a party in the suit filed by Mr. Charles Nwazojie for himself and on behalf of other elected officials of the party.

Those standing as respondents in the suit are the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, the Inspector General of Police, IGP,

Anambra State Commissioner of Police, APGA, Chief Maxi Okwu who was elected as the National Chairman during the party’s recent national convention in Awka and Mr. Egwuoyibo Okoye, who was elected the Anambra State chairman of the party.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013 —15

Corruption related offences should not have any option of fine — CJ, Fed High Court Says administration of criminal justice too slow

BY OKEY NDIRIBE AND EMMAN OVUAKPORIE

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BUJA — CHIEF Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta, yesterday, suggested that corruption-related offences should not have any option of fine in the dispensation of justice in Nigeria.

Speaking at a one-day public hearing on ‘the administration of Criminal Justice Bill 2013' organised by the House Committee on Justice, Auta said: “When penalities are stiffened, the incidence of commission naturally comes down but when they are relaxed, the opposite is the case. Corruption related offences should not have any option of fine. ”Most of us still remember the hue and cry that greeted the discretion a judge recently exercised in favour of imposing a fine of N750,000.00 on a culprit who had allegedly stolen money running into billions. ”To most Nigerians that sounded like a slap on the wrist, but if there was no option of fine, at least, seeing the offender cooling off in prison would have been somewhat psychologically therapeutic. “ Speaking further on administration of criminal

justice in Nigeria, Auta said corruption was the only reason that could explain the snail’s speed with which the administration of criminal justice was moving in Nigeria, adding that if it was not checked, it would curtail judicial growth in Nigeria.

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, observed that “as

a country, we need to pay more attention to our laws, particularly those pertaining to the system of criminal justice administration. ”This is because it is impossible to have a sound economy without a solid foundation of good laws that can curb anti-social behaviours and other disruptive tendencies.

”As we develop plans and strategies for the economic and other forms of reforms, we also need to develop plans and programmes for creating sound laws and procedural systems consistent with our commitment with our legislative agenda. ”....It is a great disservice to our country when our criminal justice system is perceived as

Court grants leave for hearing on APC acronym

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU

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From left: Mr. Peter Eshikena, MD, FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria Plc; Mr. Jacobs Moyo Ajekigbe, OFR, Chairman; Ms Evelyn Oputu, Director and Mr. Freek Rijna, Chief Operating Officer, at the 40th Annual General Meeting of FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria Plc, at Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos. Photo: Akeem Salau

Insecurity, kidnapping of foreigners: IGP meets, dialogues with foreign envoys in Nigeria

BY KINGSLEY OMONOBI

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BUJA — THE Inspector General of police and his management team, yesterday, held a closed door meeting with foreign diplomats in Abuja.

The meeting came on the heels of conflicting reports sent home by the envoys about the security situation in the coun-

try, some of which portrayed Nigeria as a no-go area.

It was also learnt that the meeting was convened due to the kidnapping of foreigners working in Nigeria, particularly recent abduction of expatriates in Bayelsa State by militants, recent kidnap of French nationals who were released after over $3million

ransom was allegedly paid to Boko Haram as well as activities of ANSARU, all of which had been giving the diplomats cause for concern.

Present at the meeting were ambassadors, heads of mission, Defence attachés, including Ambassador of Bulgaria, Mr. Miroslav komarov; French Ambassador, Mr.

First Lady refutes allegation of ill-health

BY BEN AGANDE

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BUJA — THE First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, yesterday, said the decision not to join President Goodluck Jonathan to his forthcoming official visits to South Africa and Namibia had nothing to do with her health.

Reacting to an online publication that the First Lady was being dropped from the trip because of deterioration in her health, Special Assistant to the First Lady on Media, Ayo Osinlu, said: “ The report is absolutely untrue and a

inefficient and incapable of punishing wrong-doing.

The Chief Judge of Nigeria, CJN Justice Miriam Alooma Muktar, represented by Justice Kumai Akkas, said “the administration of Criminal Justice Bill is a proposal for any Act to make provision for speedy and efficient administration of criminal justice in courts.

creation of the wicked expectations of the writers.

"The First Lady is not an official of the Federal Government of Nigeria, and is, therefore, not under obligation to join every foreign trip made by her husband, as his statutory duty to foster both bi-lateral and multilateral advantages for the country. ”The First Family is, therefore, at liberty to determine what trips they make together. Meanwhile, the mischief behind this online medium’s sudden worry that the First Lady is not

on the President’s trip abroad is betrayed by the fact that the same medium led its allied choristers to belly-ache in the past about the frequency of her presence by her husband’s side on official engagements outside the country.”

Buttressing his assertion that the First Lady was not in any way in bad state of health, Osinlu said she had been involved in series of activities that underscored the fact that she was in good health.

Jacques Delabriole; Iraq’s Ambassador, Ali Abass Bandar and Ambassador of Czech Republic, Mr. Jaroslav Siro.

Others are Italian Ambassador, Roberto Colamine; Switzerland Ambassador, Dr. Hans Rudolf Hodel; Deputy Ambassador of Palestine, Moteb Jouda; Norwegian Ambassador, Jan Erik Rasmussen; Austrian Deputy head of mission, Mr. Stefan Veit; Deputy head of mission; and Australian High Commission, Mr. Neil Sanderson.

Also in attendance were Deputy head of mission, German Embassy, Mr. Kiemens Momkes; Deputy head of mission of South Sudan, Ambassador David Buom Choat; and African Union representative, Mr. Godwin Kabowei.

Speaking before they went into closed door session, the IGP, Mohammed Abubakar, said the Police was collaborating with the governments of the various countries to jointly fight insurgencies and other crimes.

BUJA — THE Fed eral High Court sitting in Abuja, yesterday, granted leave for commencement of hearing on the suit brought before it by African Peoples Congress, APC, seeking judicial review of decision of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, not to register it as a political party.

African Peoples Congress is a political association that had applied to INEC for registration with the acronym APC, but the electoral umpire rejected the application, alleging that it did not supply the residential addresses of its national officers in the form filled with the commission.

The ruling appears to have created tension and uncertainty within the ranks of the merging political parties, under the aegis of All Progressives Alliance, APC, because of its implication.

It was gathered that the application which was granted yesterday by Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has now opened the door for full legal battle which may shape the road to 2015 general elections.

The legal implication of this ruling, which is a fundamental step towards the full blown trial and adjudication on the APC acronym battle, has seemingly placed a big hurdle on the path of the merging parties, as the real owner of the APC franchise can only be determined by the court of law.

16—Vanguard , WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013

CHIEF P. N. OMEDE'S BURIAL The burial of late Chief P. N. Omede, famous industrialist, businessman, community leader and father-in-law of Mr. Oma Djebah, former Delta State Commissioner for Information, currently Senior Adviser to Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State on Foreign Relations, held at Ebedei, Ukwauni Local Government Area of the state, last weekend. PHOTOS: Nath Onojake.

Ogor Omede (left) and Pastor Olise Omede, children of late Pa Omede.

From left— Rt. Hon. Victor Ochei, Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly; Mr. Oma Djebah, Senior Adviser to Delta State Governor on Foreign Relations; his wife, Kewe; Prof. Amos Utuama (SAN), Deputy Governor of Delta State, and Mr. Fred Majemite.

From right— Mr. Djebah, Prof. Utuama, Senator Pius Ewerido and Mr. Ochei.

R-l: Senator Pius Ewherido, senator representing Delta Central, Prince Johnson Erijo, deputy majority leader, Delta State House of Assembly and Chief Godswill Obelium, prominent political leader from Ndokwa nation

Prof. Utuama (left) and Mr. Djebah.

From left— Mr. Djebah, his wife and Rt. Hon. Ochei.

— 17 Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013— “It is certainly more agreeable to have power to give than to receive.”- Winston Churchill

A

When Governors sneeze… contemplate for a President who wants a ticket. They have already shot down his pet project around the national leadership, and have effectively grounded the Bamanga Tukur chairmanship. They will walk around Chief Anineh for a while, since he appears to be holding an olive branch, but they are unlikely to sheath their swords.

The damage to the PDP in the President’s stronghold, the South-south, is largely the handiwork of the governors.

Those among them who have dug in in resisting Jonathan’s ambitions will encourage Amaechi, but stay in the shadows. The new PDP governors’ chair, Godswill Akpabio will wield a stick, but whether it is the big stick or a straw will be determined by the manner Amaechi’s seeming rebellion is affected. No one believes governors Sule Lamido and Ameachi when they claim they have no hand in the plethora of billboards and posters proclaiming their ambitions to run in 2015 on the PDP’s presidential ticket. Nor, for that matter, does anyone believe that Dr. Muazu B. Aliyu is as innocent as he says he is; or that Shema is not Jonathan’s pointman in the north; or that Yuguda has no presidential ambitions of his own. They could all be innocent of course; but in a political party where integrity and credibility are in very short supply, Nigerians would rather hang them as guilty than see them as injured parties in a war which takes no prisoners.

T

he power of governors goes be yond determining the President’s political fortunes. They can frustrate key policies, such as the Sovereign Wealth Fund. Some can raise storms around key legislations such as the Petroleum Industry Bill (P.I.B), and substantially cripple them. They can frustrate constitutional amendments and other legislations they do not like. On the other hand, they are supreme in their states.

They have local governments and the legislature in pockets, and huge resources which they use as they please, thanks to weak or corrupted regulatory

BY HOPE EGHAGHA

M

Y first encounter with Chinua Achebe was through the sociological cum literary eyes of the immortal and seminal Things Fall Apart (TFA), first as a secondary school aficionado of the in-any-form written word. As impressionable young men, writers James Hadley Chase, Sidney Sheldon, Barbara Cartland, Nick Carter, Harold Robbins, Erle Stanley Gardner and the rest of the thrilling Western junk had dominated the consciousness of our group. Achebe, through TFA, later returned to me as a required read in Form Three, and changed my focus permanently, forever. My Literature teacher, one Sunny Ade Oloba (where would that man be now?) made additional difference. The gusto with which he taught Achebe, Cyprian Ekwensi and African Literature, only added fuel to the fire of love for this ‘simple’ African writer!

I was completely taken in by the ‘simplicity’ of the novel, of the hero who boldly, individually struck against the intruding colonial forces, masquerading as agents of a superior culture, religion and political machinery. To be sure, before developing the appropriate critical appraisal tools, we faulted Okonkwo for attacking the civilising band of white men. Much later, with maturity, we came to understand Okonkwo’s fall as a tragic occurrence, a C M Y K

mechanisms they set up themselves.

In the next few months, the maneuvers around presidential tickets in 2015 will intensify. Governors will sneeze, and the nation will catch cold many times. PDP governors have President Jonathan’s political future in their hands for now. If he can find a weapon in the party’s considerable arsenal to whittle down their powers and resistance, he will sleep better. But it will have to be the type of instrument which gives them the assurance that he can win an election in 2015; will be a better candidate than any of them; will protect them from the law after 2015; and will guar-

,

N amusing report in one of the dai lies last week claimed that PDP governors are demanding N46b worth of projects for their states for voting for President Jonathan in 2015. Apparently, the new leadership of the PDP Governors Forum is spearheading a move to get the President to acknowledge the loyalty of his colleagues by siting at least one federal project in each PDP state.

The report says they will take up the issue with the President this week. The same report claimed that chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees appealed to them to avoid divisive tendencies, to commit more firmly to the party and forgive past transgressions. He also drew their attention to security challenges in the country, which can only be solved by cooperation of all governments.

If this report is true, it will speak volumes of the difficulties which the PDP is facing at its top echelons. Spin it right or left, but a meeting of PDP governors taking place at a period of unprecedented rancor among them which resolves to ask President Jonathan to give more for their loyalty can only mean that the governors are yet to enlist in his project.

Presumably this is the same meeting which the governor of Rivers State was reported to have half-attended. This could be the same meeting which discussed whether to allow Amaechi to continue as chairman, or put the President’s man, Governor of Katsina State on his seat. It could be the meeting which was deadlocked over the matter, and may have resolved to allow them to slug it out in an election.

The drama around Ameachi will suggest that the BoT Chair’s efforts to whip governors of the PDP into line has not been entirely successful. It would appear that the Rivers State governor is being chased left, right and everywhere, including airports which refuse his planes approval to take off, but it is very doubtful if he is implementing a onegovernor agenda. Chances are that Amaechi is the arrowhead of an entrenched resistance against President Jonathan, which has a number of options and flexible strategies.

Governors are very powerful people.

There is a way they are, collectively, more powerful than the President: they control party structures in their states which at critical moments, can make or mar presidential ambitions. President Obasanjo was the first near-victim of the awesome powers of their grip over delegates that turn into zombies from state capitals to Eagle Square and back. Vice President Atiku Abubakar saw the effect of PDP’s labour from 1999 to 2007 on his ambitions in 2011. Twenty-three of them in the PDP is a nightmare to

In 2015, Nigerians will have a chance to elect people into offices who will not treat the law, public funds and their mandates as personal property. A substantial improvement in the quality of our democratic process can be made if governors who will serve, rather than be served by a weak system are elected

,

antee that as many of them as possible get to the Senate. But he has to be President first, and this is the big issue.

Many do not believe he will win. Others will not dare campaign for him openly.

Governors in the emerging opposition will also be extremely influential in determining political fortunes of ambitious flagbearers. With six governors, the ACN holds the aces here in terms of determining who is a candidate, and whose ambitions are scuttled. The CPC, with a solitary governor, will appear to be in the weakest position, yet, it will put forward its leader as the most qualified to win the ticket and the elections.

The ANPP has a number of ambitious members who may think they can effectively step in, and their governors may team up with ACN governors to squeeze General Muhammadu Buhari out.

The framers of our constitution could never have envisioned creating the albatross which governors have become around our democratic process. For all their powers, northern governors have failed to make a dent on poverty in the North. They have watched over the escalation of an insurgency in their midst, and have limited themselves to funding security operations and setting up committees on it. There are quite possibly more almajirai today in the north than there were in 1999, and the economy of the North has virtually collapsed under their watch.

G

overnors in the South-south have cornered the unprecedented resources accruing to their states around government houses, cronies and favoured circles which pass for communities. Criminal activities around oil and gas are increasing, and the threat of increased violence is feeding sentiments that there is still scope to make more money from kidnapping and crude theft than waiting for government contracts or being an ex-militant. In the Southwest, an elaborate arrangement allows governors and their leader to keep out opposition and the public away from massively-subsidised politics using public funds, while the choreographed image of real development are created in the media. Governors in the Southeast have erected high walls and retreated, leaving the space to marauding criminality which is ravaging some of the most enterprising communities of the nation.

In 2015, Nigerians will have a chance to elect people into offices who will not treat the law, public funds and their mandates as personal property. A substantial improvement in the quality of our democratic process can be made if governors who will serve, rather than be served by a weak system are elected.

Taking a break…

This column will go on a break while I attend to some important national assignments.

OPINION Honouring the memory of Chinua Achebe waste of the huge human resource which the continent had in stock in the period in question. The language was captivating, fresh; its deep referents were close to the nuances of my Urhobo ontology, as represented by my Udu mother ’s nightcap narratives. Reading Achebe’s now legendary sentence: ‘among the Ibo the art of conversation is regarded very highly, and proverbs are the palm-oil with which words are eaten’, opened the ears of eyes and eyes of my ears. With all the proverbs issuing from Obierika’s wise tongue, I could not resist reading and re-reading TFA, puzzled

by Unoka, attached to Ikemefuna, shocked and thrilled by the ogbanje motif. Later, as I read Arrow of God, No Longer At Ease, A Man of the People, and Anthills of the Savannah, and much later There was a Country, followed by digesting critical works on our subject’s oeuvre, the Achebe world view was not as simple as the naivety of the formative years had suggested.

Achebe’s narrative is that of the Igbo, of Nigeria, of Africa, of the world. The platform certainly is Igbo religious/cultural cosmology, full with all the accoutrements of language, ethos, and ancestral presence, and even politics. Yet, Achebe’s is a peephole

into the unflattering narrative of the African experience, the tension between the periphery and the centre, between the empire and the willy-nilly subjects who had no say in the cascading trajectory of their disjointed lives, and the need to interrogate how and when ‘the rain began to beat us’. If the cultural framework and sociological referents of the early writing were essentially Igbo, the message in my view was certainly bigger than the immediate geography of the subject matter. Perhaps, this accounts for the ascension into and the permanent residence of TFA in the canon of world literature. How come the capture of the big picture through the small canvas of our own Umuofia etched itself into the memory of the world?

Our own Umuofia? Yes, our own Umuofia, a nearmythological time and place of which we are proud, our local differences notwithstanding. For, Umuofia was not just Igbo, not Nigeria. It was Africa.

Continues on pg 18 *Prof. Eghagha, is Commissioner for Higher Education, Delta State.

18 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013 FOR years, Workers’ Day, May 1, has become a day of lamentations. It used to be the sole reserve of workers to wail about their poor living conditions, a first step to demanding more wages.

Governments have joined the lachrymal offerings. These days they complain about the pain in the purse workers have become. Some governments claim huge wage bills leave no resources to tackle development challenges.

Another frequent complaint is ghost workers, a matter taken light, though it costs governments billions of Naira.

However, Workers’ Day still remains the celebration of liberation workers earned to negotiate improved working conditions. It came with tears and blood. The ever trenchant tune of workers’ demands dates to days employees only understand force during negotiations.

Not much has changed. Only last year, most of the messages employers delivered centred on high wage bills. Workers complained about the decreasing purchasing powers of their earnings and insecurity, not just of jobs, but more importantly of lives.

Things have worsened slightly since then.

Saluting Our W or ker s Wor ork ers More workers have been sacked. More are getting paid less regularly. Youth unemployment is trumpeted so high that it appears that other segments of the populace are employed.

Statistics on unemployment do not reflect the consequences of a populace with millions of unemployed youth, who have no chance of acquiring skills or work experiences, yet they are touted as leaders of tomorrow. What type of tomorrow would it be when it comes?

Ghost workers have taken their places on most government pay rolls, their numbers are unknown; their demands on diminishing government resources are equally unknown.

Ghost workers are the excuse for not employing new people. The challenge, with its eerie bearings, has defied solution.

Workers have more worries. Their

retirement benefits are in doubt, though they are losing their jobs by the day. When it comes to pensions, the trials of some pension administrators, suspected of fiddling with more than N100 billion of police pension funds, tell most workers that few rewards await them in or out of service.

These concerns would line speeches union leaders would deliver across the country. Governments, and other employers, would in like manner list their expectations from workers. Not even the workers would celebrate, for there is little to celebrate.

Questions are still posed about the quality of contributions workers make to the economy. Strikes, as instruments of negotiations, are well and alive. We only hear about unions like the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, is when they are threatening to proceed on another strike.

As workers mark their today, the extra challenge is to ensure their relevance is built on making the economy work.

Happy Workers’ Day to our readers.

OPINION

BY HOPE EGHAGHA Continued from yesterday's pg 17

I

T was the minority of the world. It was the Black race. It was thus Umuofia in Igbo, yet not Igbo. Umuofia in an imaginary Nigeria; yet not Nigeria. Why has the classic, TFA, found a niche in any clime where there is identity struggle, where literature is taught? Where the colonial encounter has severed links, destroyed bridges, exploited weaknesses, destroyed local heroes, displaced cultures? Because it speaks to all of humanity, the exploiter or the exploited, the possessor and the dispossessed, Black and White races, no matter the geographical setting.

In subsequent novels, Achebe entered into the contemporary world, dwelling on a wide range of themes and concerns, from the challenges of the post-independent nation to official corruption and the political dynamics of a modern dictatorship. The predictive A Man of the People placed him in the prophetic mould, speaking for the weary Nigerian, frustrated by the political heists of the 1960s which reached its crescendo in January 1966, resulting in the pestle-entering-the-mouth years of 1967 to 1970. He was a man of the

Honouring the memory of Chinua Achebe(2) people of Nigeria. But of course, from the small he went to the big; ‘ where one thing stands, another can also stand”, Achebe would later say.

Through all the novels, of course we saw, came to know and embraced Achebe somewhat personally. We could almost speak for him, read his thoughts and pontificate on his philosophy, his disenchantment with what the political leaders had done to the dreams of Nigerians in the aftermath of independence. We empathized with him and even blamed our shortcomings when a road accident confined him to a wheel chair. We could swing with him when he wrote The Trouble with Nigeria, placing the burden squarely on failed leadership. We agreed or disagreed with him when he wrote There was a Country, the last testament he wrote before he danced into the night of his life in far away America. He was an icon, a voice of dissent and a voice of consent, but above all a voice of hope for the dispossessed. If we were in the time so poignantly captured in TFA, Achebe would certainly have been elevated to the pantheon of deities. So

let it be with the spinner of words as he returns home with the bounce of one of the ancestral spirits who presided over disputes in TFA; let him return home as a conqueror of the world space whose final space though located in Ogidi, is the nation that gave him birth.

I

n concluding this tribute to Chinua Achebe, a man who ‘though dead yet speaketh’, we do not need a prophet to conclude that with translations into 60 languages across the world, TFA, his greatest work in the fictive genre, will never die; Achebe will never die. His place in the pantheon is eternally assured, even long after all the pussyfooting elements of the Nobel world are gone. When a big tree falls in the forest, we do not need a town crier’s gong to alert the world. The fall itself is the announcement. Or do we wet the floor for our pathway when we return from the stream after a bath? Ehn, do we?

When or where was it heard that baby lizard laid eggs for its mother to hatch?

When or where was it heard that the breasts of Omotekoro removed to the back to feed her infant a week after

birth? When baby ants strut on the fallen tree with words of bile, it does not reduce the power of the belly of the tree.

Ask Ojighele who cut off his nose to put anger inside the belly of his face. It is goodnight Albert Chinualumogu Achebe, iroko among irokos, torch bearer, survivor of many battles, and agile dancer on the floor of fluid narratives.

As a writer, Achebe’s overall concern for humanity, for Africa, for Nigeria, for the Igbo, was an inquiry into ‘when the rain began to beat us’ that we started entering our ‘house through another man’s gate’. He was concerned that though that boy called us ‘father, we still bore a hand in his death’; that, ‘a man who asked you for your god must have a terrible story one should not pry into; that, when things began to fall apart, we failed to remember that there was once a country. Umonwu Ogidi-Africa, kachifo! Umonwu Ogidi-Nigeria, to ode!

Umonwu Ogidi-Igbo, oda ro!

Concluded * Prof. Eghagha, is Commissioner for Higher Education, Delta State.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY,MAY 1, 2013— —19

, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua: Three years after (1)

I

T’S exactly three years ago this week since President Umaru Musa Yar ’Adua died after an unhappy presidency that was from the very beginning marred by illhealth. Had he been left alone in the quietude of Katsina or allowed to go home in deserved retirement when his body could no longer bear the burden of the office in which he was imprisoned, Yar’Adu might still be with us today.

Nigeria has never been fortunate to have a leader whose ambition matched his preparedness for the foremost office in the land. The preeminent office in the largest Black country in the world has always been the preserve of the most brigand politicians in bellowing babanriga or starched khaki. But in Yar’Adua we were saddled with one of the squarest pegs in the roundest holes. He was from the very first an unprepared president.

Perhaps also a reluctant one- if he had been left to follow the promptings of his heart. Yet Yar’Adua’s failure was not for want

of mental qualification. He might not have been the most nimbleminded of our leaders but he was not the most addlebrained either.

He was the first university-trained Nigerian head of government. And although lacking the decisiveness of one who always knew where he was headed he was in many respects nevertheless more driven, for example, than Goodluck Jonathan who seems to have inherited Yar’Adua’s predilection for executive fumbles without the Katsina man’s natural grace to self-correct. Jonathan’s modesty appears a put-on, the false modesty of a man conscious of his own inadequacies but also of his ability to fob them over in equal measure.

After all he, unlike Yar ’Adua, possesses a PhD which in our parts can cover for a multitude of intellectual sins. His apparent surefootedness, all bravado no doubt, appears more misplaced by the day even as he seems doomed to repeat the mistakes of history.

But Yar’Adua, with no obvious

Had he been allowed to go home in deserved retirement when his body could no longer bear the burden of the office in which he was imprisoned, Yar’Adua might still be with us today

,

cerebral pretensions, carried himself with the sure complacency of a prince whose confidence resided in the knowledge that his forebears ruled their kingdom not on account of the sharpness of their minds but in the legitimacy conferred by blood. And like a monarch, the only thing that would separate him from his throne was the only thing that could have separated him from it aside abdication: death. He clung to power or, rather, he was made to do so to the bitter end even when his rule (reign?) was, by the time he passed, no more tenable than it was justifiable. Yar’Adua died, alas, as much a victim of power as he was a power predator. Thus, when news of his death filtered in that night of May 5, 2010 his emotional balance with Nigerians was far overdrawn. Upon hearing the news of the president’s death that night, a neighbour had

gleefully shouted: ‘Olorun mu Turai! (God punish Turai!)’ It was saddening to hear this said of someone who had just died. But it was also understandable in the context.

In the final six months of the president’s life, Turai, his wife, had acquired the image of a Lady Macbeth, a loathed and loathsome monger of power. No woman in the country was more hated and feared, ultimately despised for what seemed her raw ambition for power. She held governance in a lockdown and practically brought the country to the very brink of disaster by her single-minded desire to keep her husband in office even when the man had apparently lost the capacity to make rational decisions.

Rational decisions If anyone doubted the power of a woman, a wife in the life of an ailing and, worse yet, powerful man, the last six months of the Yar ’Adua presidency would definitely have made a believer of such person. Hers couldn’t have been a case of ignorance of what to do. She sought and welcomed no assistance. Her ignorance, if one could call it so, was wilful.

Turai’s management of Umaru’s health bordered on spousal abuse.

I say this in spite of the agreeable picture Segun Adeniyi seeks to paint of her in his account of the Yar’Adua years, Power, Politics & Death. Evidence from this book exposes the silences in Adeniyi’s account. As chief spokesperson of the Yar’Adua presidency Adeniyi provides an insider view of some of the intrigues that marked this sorry period of Nigeria’s history. A

period when a coterie of corrupt journey men in the corridors of power joined hands with a desperate housewife to hold the country in its jugular and sought to strangle it. If Turai’s name features so prominently in a discourse that looks back to her husband’s presidency three years after his death, it’s for us all to remember where we came from for we are a forgetful people, too prone to consigning our recent past to the period before history. We need to remember the role of certain individuals in the unfortunate history of our country, a recurrent cycle of pain, misfortune and avoidable disasters.

An account of the Yar ’Adua presidency without Turai will not and cannot be complete. Turai from all indications wielded as much power as Yar’Adu even if Nigerians would only see her manipulative hand in the dying days of Umaru’s presidency.

Nigerians ought to speak of the Umaru/Turai presidency the same way they speak of the Buhari/ Idiagbon regime. Theirs was a joint presidency. Thus early in the life of this administration Patience, whose husband the then Vice President, Goodluck Jonathan, had been reduced to a mere ‘office boy’, felt sufficiently aggrieved to voice her displeasure to a group of women visiting her. Asked, ‘How is Oga?’ Patience who is today both ‘First Lady ’ and Permanent Secretary and is obsessed about building a secretariat for African First Ladies after a bruising battle with Turai Yar’Adua for the land on which the building would be constructed replied: ‘My husband is in the office reading newspapers.. Abi no be newspaper Turai say make im dey read?’

What must the law-abiding masses do to be heard by Jonathan?

HAT do the Nigerian people have to do to be heard by their government?

As you read this, President Goodluck Jonathan is busy trying to impose amnesty on a bloodthirsty jihadist group that feels insulted by the idea. For all we know, the recent bloodbath in Baga — 200 bodies and still counting — may be partly Boko Haram’s way of avenging the slur! But the more frenzied the holy warriors’ killing and maiming spree, the stronger the commitment to dialogue with them.

Admittedly, the precedent was set by Jonathan’s deceased boss, Umaru Yar’Adua, with his programme of amnesty for militants of the Niger Delta who had taken to arms, kidnapping and sabotage to press home their demands for fiscal federalism, also known by the misleading shorthand “resource control”. Still, it is clear that the aims of one militant struggle, its excesses notwithstanding, can be met by constitutional means, and those of the other only by scripture.

So the answer to the question that begins this essay is obvious: The people must take up arms, form themselves into militias, and wage murderous campaigns that lay waste to entire neighbourhoods, towns and regions. Only bloody violence, for Nigerian governments do not hesitate to crush peaceful protests with tanks and bullets. For merely singing and drinking “pure water” in the streets, Jonathan rolled out the tanks to quell the January 2012 petroleum subsidy scam protests. If “we, the people” are to be heard, we must speak with guns and bombs and oceans of blood in our hands. Even better if we can block the flow of petrodollars to the treasury or render an entire region of the creaky republic ungovernable.

Reminds you of that time-worn phrase, “the balance of forces”, and it explains the

C M Y K

government’s double standards in its treatment of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra. While Jonathan bends over backwards to placate Boko Haram, he is vigorously prosecuting MASSOB’s leader, Ralph Uwazurike, together with six of his comrades, for treason. So amnesty for Niger Delta militants and Boko Haram but death for MASSOB because … well, MASSOB is neither shutting down oil wells nor trying to establish with bombs, bullets and tears the New Jerusalem east of the Niger.

Bloodthirsty militants What, then, is Jonathan telling lawabiding citizens if not that they must first become bloodthirsty militants before he listens to them? Otherwise, why has he been so eager to set up advisory panels on every imaginable problem but the most important: that of making a genuine nation out of the mere “geographical expression” or “mistake of 1914” called Nigeria? In just three years, Jonathan has set up so many committees it is hard to keep count. A partial list: the General Danjuma presidential advisory council on ways of cutting the behemoth Federal Government to size; the Justice Belgore committee on review of outstanding constitutional issues; the Adamu Fika committee on review of the reform processes in the Nigerian public service; the Lateef Adegbite committee on public awareness on (sic) security and civic responsibilities; the Steve Oronsaye committee on rationalization and restructuring of Federal Government parastatals, commissions and agencies, essentially a replication of the Danjuma committee; the Sheikh Ahmed Lemu panel

on the civil disturbances that trailed the 2011 general elections; the panel of governors of the Niger Delta to strengthen the Niger

,

W

If Jonathan could think like a bold statesman, rather than as a squeamish politician, he would seek nominations from the public and set up forthwith a preparatory committee for a Sovereign National Conference

,

Delta Development Commission and make it accountable; the Nuhu Ribadu special task force on petroleum resources, as well as several ministerial and legislative committees.

On April 4, Jonathan set up a committee to advise him on “the feasibility or otherwise” of granting amnesty to Boko Haram. Twenty days later, he constituted the Turaki implementation committee in the hope of restoring peace to the Northern region. But Boko Haram’s goal of an Islamic republic amounts to a total renunciation of the Constitution, of the basic

governing principles of the federation. Their jihadist cause is certainly not a matter for dialogue among a few handpicked individuals reporting to the president. It is, rather, part of the National Question, different aspects of which have every corner of the country seething with barely containable fury.

If Jonathan could think and act for a moment like a bold statesman, rather than as a squeamish politician, he would seek nominations directly from the public and set up forthwith a preparatory committee for a Sovereign National Conference. Its terms of reference, loosely stated, would be to consider the feasibility or otherwise of convening a Sovereign National Conference wherein Nigerians, as citizens, would for the first time decide on the terms of peaceful co-existence; agree on the structure and fundamental objectives of the state, and devolution of power from the centre to the federating units; collate opinions from different ethnic, sociocultural and professional groups on the modality of the conference, including a specific time frame for its activities culminating in a people’s Constitution subject only to ratification by plebiscite; the manner of ensuring stability of government during the period of the SNC until the elections to usher in the new republic.

But, of course, Jonathan will not do the most needful thing in our country today, so I will remind him of those prescient words of John F. Kennedy: “Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent change inevitable.”

20—Vanguard , WEDNESDAY WEDNESDAY,, MAY 1 , 2013

Debate of the masses

Airport robbery: Matters arising

BY EBELE ORAKPO

T

*The fake Police superintendent and the haul of Indian Hemp loaded in his car

Mission of no return for fake police SP and Indian hemp dealer F

OR 45 years old Augustine Odogwu, an indigene of Delta State, life has taken an ugly twist as his lucrative business of many years has come crashing after he was arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency,NDLEA, for being in possession of 108 kilogrammes of weeds suspected to be Cannabis Savita(Indian Hemp).

Vanguard Metro, VM, learnt that luck ran out for Odogwu when he was caught at a military check point near Gadar Maiwa village in Ningi Local Government Area of Bauchi State. The suspect, it was also learnt, disguised himself as a Superintendent of Police by dressing himself as such in a uniform complete with a conspicuously displayed a police I.D card No 10084.

A reliable security source in Bauchi told VM that the suspect, clad in his fake Superintendent of Police uniform,was arrested after his car, loaded with 108 kilograms sacks of leaves suspected to be Indian hemp, was stopped at a checkpoint.

The security source said: “After the man was arrested the first preliminary investigation revealed that he was not a policeman and he was handed over to the Nigeria Drugs Law Enforcement Agency NDLEA , Bauchi State Command, C M Y K

for further interrogation”.

Confirming the arrest, the NDLEA Commandant, Parah Julius Bawa, told newsmen at the Command’s headquarters that Odogwu and two other suspects who are at large concealed the deadly weeds inside the booth of a brown Toyota Avalon Saloon car with Lagos registration number MUS 937 BB driven by the suspect.

According to the NDLEA boss: “The fake police superintendent

,

BY SUZAN EDEH, Bauchi

January and March. The drug, he said, was recovered from 56 suspects and from among them is a notorious drug dealer called Turaki Mohammed of Misau Local Government Area of Bauchi State.

In his confession, the suspect, Augustine, said that he was a Police Sergeant for six years before he was dismissed in 1992.

According to him: “I have been earning a living from this illegal drug business for over four years.

I have supplied more than five states with Indian Hemp; it was when I tried coming to Bauchi to supply them that I was unlucky and got caught

used the police uniform to beat security checkpoints from Abbi in Delta State to Bauchi State, where he was not lucky to escape. The Command’s investigation revealed that the Delta-born Odogwu who resides in Ondo State where he operates his illegal business was dismissed from the police in 1993 and had been trafficking in Cannabis Savita for more than four years. He was previously arrested about two years ago for a similar offence, but was later released”.

Bawa disclosed that the Command also seized 194.23 kilogramme of the illegal drug between

,

Although I reside in Ondo State, I have supplied more than five states with Indian Hemp. It was when I tried coming to Bauchi to supply them with the drug that I was unlucky and got caught. I really regret my actions because of the shame it has brought on me and my family. It is true that I was dismissed from the Police, but I got the Superintendent uniform through a friend who has a serving Supo friend in the Police”.

The suspect disclosed that he was sorry for his actions, saying that it was hardship that led him into the act.

HINGS are hap pening in this country oo. The more you look, the less you see!” exclaimed Abbey, a commuter in the Ikeja-bound bus. “Imagine the amount of money the airport robbers got in a single operation!”

“To be honest with you, I think the robbers did us a favour. If not for them, we wouldn’t have known that huge sums of money leave this nation regularly because, according to the informant who works at the airport and probably gets peanuts as salary, huge sums of money leave the airport every Wednesday night. So the question we should be asking is: Whose money is it and where is it being taken to and for what purpose?” noted Nkechi.

“Hmm, left to me, I wouldn’t blame the robbers, they only went to take their own share of the national cake. It was the case of ‘out-thieving the thieves,’” saidMark.

Killing of innocent people “Yeah, right, but the only thing I did not like was the killing of innocent people,” stated Mercy.

“This shows you that our policemen can work when they want to. Because two policemen were killed, they went all out to fish out the robbers,” said Abbey.

“Sure. At least they have stopped mounting roadblocks and collecting bribe from motorists,” replied Mark, to which Yinka said: “For where? A few weeks ago, at the Pako Bus-stop along Lawanson road, a policewoman barked at the driver of a commercial bus to park.

His offence was that he had passed that route five times that day without giving her money.

“The passengers pleaded with her to let the driver take them to Lawanson and come back

but she bluntly refused.

The driver offered her his driver’s licence to keep so he could go and drop off his passengers, still she refused. After over 30 minutes, the passengers had to find their way; unfortunately, she cleverly covered her name tag. I think such bad eggs should be reported to the authorities to be dealt with. She was supposed to be controlling traffic but you needed to see the kind of traffic her action caused on that narrow road.”

“Back to the robbers, what annoyed me most was the so-called pastor among them who got his share and instead of relocating from his wooden house to a better place, he used his share of the loot to buy two vehicles which he dedicated in his equally wooden church.

That is just to show you that their time was up. He who the gods want to destroy, they first of all make mad. What he did was akin to madness,” said Nkechi.

“Ah, God don suffer! I doubt if he is a pastor.

That guy is a re-branded babalawo. You know they put on suits now but the only difference is that they still put on bathroom slippers.

“Opening a church has become one of the easiest ways to make money and our people are so gullible,” said Mark.

“The searchlight must be beamed on those taking the money out. Who sent them? This is the second time I am hearing that huge sums of money leave the airport everyday. They come in suitcases with armed escorts so everyone looks the other way,” stated Yinka.

Said Mercy: “Forget about fishing out the thieves. They are the ogas at the top. The matter will die a natural death and don’t be surprised if the informant is killed to silence him for ever.”

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013 — 21

IFC unveils platform to expand women entrepreneurs’ access to finance I

NTERNATIONAl Finance Corporation IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, will manage the Women’s Finance Hub, an initiative launched at the Spring Meetings of by the Group of 20’s Global Partnership on Financial Inclusion to improve access to financial services for women entrepreneurs and promote the sharing of knowledge and best practices.

The hub is an online platform to help advance access to finance for women-owned businesses by disseminating research and information on critical issues related to the women’s market. It will also address gaps in data, promote collaboration in knowledge sharing, and highlight innovation and best practices in expanding women’s access to finance.

The hub was launched during a ceremony at the 2013 Spring Meetings of the World

Bank Group and IMF. Its creation was made possible with key support from several members of the Group of 20 ad-

vanced and developing economies—including the United States, South Korea, Turkey, Germany, and the

United Kingdom—that have also consistently championed women’s access to finance issues in the G-20 financial in-

From left: Michael Dauda, Tope Aladenusi, Rafael San Maguel Carrasco, Yomi Olugbenso, and Tony Olukoju, all of Deloitte, at the cyber security breakfast session organised by the company, in Lagos.

clusion agenda.

“Women-owned enterprises represent significant untapped economic potential,” said Nena Stoiljkovic, IFC’s Vice President for Business Advisory Services. “It will take much more than credit to unlock that potential. It will also be necessary to expand financial literacy, leverage best practices, and put in place policies and regulations that remove barriers to women’s participation in the economy.

The Women’s Finance Hub will provide an important boost to global efforts in these areas.”

More than 200 million small businesses in emerging markets cannot obtain the credit they need to grow and generate much-needed jobs. The challenge is even more acute for women-owned businesses, which account for more than 30 percent of these firms. The financing needs of these enterprises reach about $320 billion a year. But credit is not the only barrier for these enterprises—they also need tools, know-how and networks.

‘Nigeria records modest success in linking oil industry to economy’

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HE UN Economic Commis sion for Africa (ECA) says Nigeria’s effort to improve linkage between its oil and gas industry with other sectors of the economy achieved only a modest success. It said the modest success was due to limited production capacity of state owned-oil company and monitoring functions. The Commission in a statement by its Information and Communication Service, made available to the News Agency of Nigeria in Addis Ababa, also blamed the little progress on the restiveness in the Oil-rich Niger Delta region and other multifaceted crises in other parts of the country.

Another factor responsible for the little progress was the restiveness in the oil rich NigerDelta region, according to this year’s Economic Report on Africa (ERA2013). The report was co-authored by Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the African Union (AU), the statement said. It said that oil and gas sector contributed an average of 76 per cent of the Federal Government’s revenue between 1980 and 2000, accounting for 97 per cent of the export over the same period.

“But the business is dominated by foreign multinationals among which Shell is the biggest operator, accounting for 43 per cent of the country’s crude

oil.’’

According to the statement, the outcome of government’s efforts to increase local content has not met its target due to the absence of legislation, weak monitoring and supervision capacity by the NNPC, as

well as its limited capacity to carry out independent exploration and production activities. The statement also blamed the country’s slow economic growth on the neglect of the non-oil sector, especially agriculture, which was the main-

stay of the Nigerian economy in the 1970s. “Agricultural commodities such as Cocoa, Cotton, Palm Kernel, Groundnut and Rubber, which were in the commanding height of the economy before the 1970s were neglected as crude oil took

pre-eminence. Nigeria is the World’s fourth-largest Cocoa producer. The beans are responsible for 36 per cent of the non-oil export receipts. Yet, not much has been done to encourage the value addition in this sector.’’

Firm to train Nigerian entrepreneurship teachers in USA

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IA Global Consultancy Services is set to promote an entrepreneurship training programme for Professors, Lecturers and Directors of Entrepreneurship Development Centers (EDC) from Nigerian universities and other tertiary institutions, to be held at Babson Education Center in Massachusetts, USA in August 2013.

The programme which is being facilitated in Nigeria by the Coordinator of USA-Africa Entrepreneurship Project Group, Larry C. Fejokwu, is offered to prepare Nigerian entrepreneurship educators to effectively teach entrepreneurship.

Fejokwu noted in a statement that on completion of the program, participants will: Understand the powerful logic of entrepreneurial thought and action, and how it can be taught and applied

to entrepreneurs; Comprehend the entrepreneur and the entrepreneurial mindset; Recognize key process and content aspects of teaching entrepreneurship; Appreciate the value of the case study method and the growing popularity of other experiential and actionbased method; Building a network of like-minded educators who are dedicated to innovation in entrepreneurship education and; Deeply understand specific content areas related to entrepreneurship education.

“It is an intensive four-day program, and Nigerian educators will explore the art and craft of teaching and learning entrepreneurship.

The program provides an introduction to entrepreneurship thoughts and action, and participants will experience cutting-edge

between theory and practice teaching method for in teaching.” today ’s environment.

Nigerian fellows will also be exposed to realities of teaching in -0.85 133.05 an uncertain entrepreneurial world.

2,333.00 -31.00 The Babson symposium for Nigerian 17.32 -0.04 fellows will ensure a balance of academic and practitioner’s perspective.

To this end, participating 103.48 +0.32 Nigerian institutions are 93.93 92.70 encouraged to send an academic member and practitioner as a team CURRENCY BUYING CENTRAL SELLING to the USA – Babson 154.75 155.25 155.75 p r o g r a m . B a b s o n ’ s DOLLAR POUNDS 240.4041 241.1809 241.9576 mission is to develop EURO 202.8618 203.5172 204.1727 a n e v e r i n c r e a s i n g FRANC 165.1724 165.7061 166.2397 1.5813 1.5865 .5916 international cadre of YEN 0.2896 0.2996 0.3096 c a p a b l e CFA 232.367 233.1178 233.8686 e n t r e p r e n e u r s h i p WAUA RENMINBI 25.0993 25.1808 25.2624 educators w h o RIYA 41.2645 41.3978 41.5311 understand the KRONA 27.2007 27.2885 27.3764 233.5487 234.3033 235.0579 importance of creating SDR intellectual and practical connections CBN Exchange rate as at 30/04/2013

22 —Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013

Sustain yourself in disability

BY RITA OBODOECHINA

A

NYONE can become disabled at any age and at any time. An automobile accident, a weekend sports injury, a household mishap, and a wide range of chronic or sudden illnesses can create a short or long term disability that makes it difficult or impossible for you to work.

Supposing you suffer an injury or long-lasting illness that makes it impossible for you to work, what happens? Disability insurance is one of those things that no one ever thinks they need, but you need to know that you could still pay your bills if you were to become temporarily or permanently disabled.

Many people are surprised to learn that accidents cause relatively few disabilities. According to research conducted by a leading disability consulting firm, 90 percent of disabilities are as a result of illness, such as diseases of the musculoskeletal system, connective tissue, circulatory system and various forms of cancer. Death is inevitable, disability isn’t, and that’s why many more people buy life insurance than disability insurance. However, for most people between the ages of 20 and 65, the risk of disability is far greater than the risk of death.

What is Disability insurance?

Disability insurance provides financial remuneration in the event that health problems or accidents leave the policy holder unable to work.

Health insurance pays for the cost of medical expenses, but disability insurance helps pay for normal living expenses if you cannot work, and is one of the types of insurance people cannot afford to be without.

Financially, disability can be a disaster if you don’t have disability

insurance. If you are disabled, you lose your earning power, but your living expenses don’t change.

Disability also may come with enormous costs for medical care and rehabilitation.

The purpose of disability insurance is to offset some of those costs and to protect you and your family from financial ruin, by giving you time to recover your health and livelihood or to make arrangements for long-term care.

Things you should know

Disability insurance does not cover your entire income, rather it typically cover up to 60 percent of your total annual salary. So even if this does pay out, your income will be significantly reduced. Insurers keep the coverage at this level to ensure that people are not encouraged to stay permanently off work. The cost of the policy will vary considerably according to a number of different factors. The longer that you have to wait before you can make a claim, the cheaper the premium will be. That aside, you will need the

highest monthly benefits that you can obtain according to your personal circumstances, that is unlikely to be cheap.

Disability insurance is a critical form of coverage. If you and your family are reliant on your income to survive, then you need disability insurance, because you are simply too important an asset to go uninsured.

Why you need disability insurance One can never foresee when tragedy will strike, whether it is a car or household accident or a diagnosis of heart disease. Unanticipated misfortunes are the reasons it makes sense to have disability insurance.

This type of insurance replaces a portion of your income if injury or illness renders you unable to work Premiums for disability coverage vary based on your age, income, the type of work you do, and the policy provisions you choose. In general, the greater the coverage the higher the premium.

With disability insurance, you can still move on with your life

Tits Bits....Tits Bits....Tits Bits....Tits Bits....Tits Bits....Tits Bits....Tits Bits....Tits Bits....

Sovereign Trust targets youth development

S

overeign Trust Insurance Plc, said as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), it is partnering Teenage Life, a nongovernmental agency on mentoring and development, of youths and secondary school pupils in Lagos State.

In a statement, the company said the focus of the initiative is to effect positive behavioural change in the life of young adults through effective education and sensitisation on pertinent health issues.

The Project Manager, Jessica Braimah, said, “The Teenage Life Project sets out to secure the future of young people by providing them with enduring moral compass as their guide for navigation in the passage of life.”

She noted that it is pertinent for C M Y K

youths to be appropriately sensitised and empowered with adequate knowledge and skills that will enable them adopt pre-marital sex abstinence as the most preferred option for the prevention of sexually-transmitted diseases and the prevention of teenage pregnancies as well as abortion.

She said to amplify the sensitisation and advocacy reach, the organisation has adopted an interactive radio programme that is focused on youth and family life with regards to everyday moral issues.

She said the main objective of the programme is to reduce to the barest minimum, such societal malaise like prostitution, rape, teenage pregnancies, abortion and HIV/AIDS transmission.

A&G creates awareness

A

& G Insurance Plc recently

embarked on a road show to boost insurance awareness.

According to the company’s Director of Business Development and Strategy, Mr. Dotun Onipede, the purpose of the road show was to create awareness for insurance business.

Onipede said “With the various development taking place all over the world, including Nigeria, the relevance of insurance cannot be ignored. Nigerians must know that insurance is important. They cannot do without it.

SA Insurance supports memorial foundation

S

tandard Alliance Insurance Plc has been hailed for recently throwing its weight behind the 2013 Charity Golf Tournament organised by the Daniel Ogechi Akujobi Memorial

Foundation at the Ikoyi Club 1930.

Commending the company, the Foundation’s Programme Manager, Mrs. Clare Henshaw, said “We recognise the impeccable reputation of Standard Alliance Insurance Plc in promoting sports in Nigeria and are convinced that through your continued support, we will weave a tapestry of hope for the less privileged members in the society.”

Mr. Tom Imokhai, Managing Director of Standard Alliance, said “As a corporate citizen with high respect for social responsibility, we see it as an honour on us to support programmes of this sort which aim at giving back to the society.

“It is the society that has ensured our continued success through their patronage. It was, therefore, not out of place to give the support we could to the Foundation which has been doing much to affect the lives of the very needy in our midst.”

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013 — 23

BY ROSEMARY ONUOHA

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TATISTICS from the National Pension Commission, PenCom, shows that about 15,760 employers are defaulters of the Contributory Pension Scheme, CPS. Accordingly, over N2.5 billion of employees’ monies are being withheld by these employers.

Unfortunately, the figure increases on daily basis even when these monies are deducted at source from the workers’ salaries.

Sadly enough, such practice falls short of the Pension Reform Act, 2004 which stipulates that employers must remit all deducted pension money from workers’ salaries to the CPS. A basic point to note is that an employer is obliged to deduct and remit contributions to a custodian within seven days from the day the employee is paid his salary while the custodian shall notify the PFA within 24 hours of the receipt of contribution.

Need for employers to comply with the CPS

Why employers should comply

I

Other objectives of the CPS

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ther objectives of the CPS is to assist individuals by ensuring that they save to cater for their livelihood during old age; establish a uniform set of rules and regulations for the administration and payment of retirement benefits in both the

•Pensioners don’t have to queue up if employers comply with the CPS public and private sectors; and stem the growth of outstanding pension liabilities.

The new pension scheme is contributory, fully funded, based on individual accounts that are privately managed by Pension Fund Administrators with the pension funds assets held by Pension Fund Custodians and is under strict regulation by the National Pension Commission, PenCom.

The CPS is contributory

U

nder the CPS, the employees contribute a minimum of 7.5 per

Did YOU KNOW? RETIREMENT SAVINGS ACCOUNT, RSA.

A Retirement Savings Account is a requirement under the Pensions Reform Act 2004. It is the account used to capture information of the contributor as well as the monthly pension contributions of the contributors from all sources- employee, employer. It also shows the return on investments over time. Contributors can access this account via Internet, SMS, telephone etc to check their balances, view last few transactions, request a statement and amend or change details.

ADDITIONAL VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTION The Pension Reform Act 2004 allows contributors to save funds in excess of their mandatory 7.5 percent contributions, thereby maximisies his/her resources for retirement. It should also be known that such contributions can be withdrawn after five years tax free.

PenCom promise The National Pension Commission, PenCom, has urged employers to comply with timely payment of their pension contributions. PenCom assures of security of pension assets even as they are making efforts to ensure compliance of employers as well as ensure effective service delivery by operators.

,

t is expedient for employers to comply with the stipulations of the CPS because it replaced the old ‘Pay As You Go Defined Benefit Scheme’ that was burdened with a lot of problems and increasingly became unsustainable.

Against the backdrop of a huge deficit, arbitral increases in salaries and pensions, as well as poor administrative structures, the need for pension reform became glaring.

Accordingly, the CPS, powered by the Pension Reform Act, 2004 was created. Therefore, the key objective of the new scheme is to ensure that every person who has worked in either the public or private sector receives his retirement benefits as and when due.

An employer may elect to contribute on behalf of the employees such that the total contribution shall not be less than 15 percent of the basic salary, housing and transport allowances of the employees

,

cent of their basic salary, housing and transport allowances. Employers shall contribute 7.5 per cent in the case of the public sector. Employers and employees in the private sector will contribute a minimum of 7.5 per cent each. An employer may elect to contribute on behalf of the employees such that the total contribution shall not be less than 15 per cent of the basic salary, housing and transport allowances of the employees.

Contribution and retirement benefits are tax exempt and fully funded. The contributions are deducted immediately from the salary of the employee and transferred to the relevant retirement savings account.

By so doing, the pension funds exist

from the onset and payments will be made when due.

The Retirement Savings Account

T

he employee opens an account to be known as a Retirement Savings Account, RSA, in his name with a Pension Fund Administrator, PFA, of his choice. This individual account belongs to the employee and will remain with him through life. He may change employers or pension fund administrators but the account remains the same. The employee may only withdraw from this account at the age of 50 or upon retirement thereafter. This withdrawal may take the form of a programmed monthly or quarterly withdrawal; a purchase of annuity for life through a licensed life insurance company with monthly or quarterly payments; and a lump sum from the balance standing to the credit of his retirement savings account provided that the amount remaining after the lump sum withdrawal shall be sufficient to procure an annuity or fund programmed withdrawals that will produce an amount not less than 50 percent of his monthly remuneration as at date of his retirement.

With any of the above options and the regular remittance of monthly contributions by employers, there is an assurance that the pensioner will have sufficient funds available to him for his old age.

SEND YOUR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS TO insuranceandyou@yahoo.com

24 — Vanguard,WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013

The Verdict in SEC vs UBN and 19 others From left: Executive Director, Market Operations Technology, The Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, Mr. Ade Bajomo; Chief Executive Officer, NSE, Mr. Oscar Onyema; Chief Executive Officer, C & I Leasing Plc, Mr. Emeka Ndu and Executive Director, Business Development, NSE, Mr. Haruna Jalo-Waziri at the bell ringing ceremony in commemoration of the listing of C & I’s Corporate Bond admitted on the Daily Official list of the NSE.

Stockbrokers back SEC’s directive on dividend warrant stoppage

BY NKIRUKA NNOROM

T

HE Association of Stockbroking Houses of Nigeria, ASHON, has said that the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, decision to stop the issuance of dividend warrant effective rd from 3 June, is in the interest of the capital market, and will help arrest the spate of unclaimed dividend if implemented.

Speaking to Vanguard in Lagos, the association president, Mr. Emeka Madubuike said the move was part of the processes to ensure that the market gets better on continuous basis. He said, “People just need to do the right thing. People need to follow the processes; there is nothing wrong about that. If you see something that is right, you don’t have to be biased.

You know in Nigeria, unless you put a deadline, people tend not to do anything. The issue of e-dividend has been on for over four years.”

“You know the issue of unclaimed dividend has been a long outstanding problem and I think the position the SEC has taken is that they are trying to resolve that problem so that we

don’t add to what is already there.

“We encourage investors to go to their registrars, fill the form and go to their banks to get endorsement that they are the owners of the account. We as stockbrokers also do it for our clients; if you go to most offices of stockbroking firms, you will have those forms and it is one of the services we render to our customers,” he added.

Following the continuous rise in the level of unclaimed dividend, the Sec last week announced that starting from rd June 3 this year, shareholders will no longer be issued dividend warrants.

“The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has therefore requested all investors of public companies to forward their bank account details to their respective registrars and stockbrokers on or before June 3rd to facilitate the electronic payment of future dividends.

Any shareholder who fails to comply with this directive risks the chance of forfeiting future dividend except in the event that a shareholder specifically requests in writing for a continued issuance of dividend warrants,” the apex regulator said.

African Paints records 153% profit growth in 2012

By NKIRUKA NNOROM

A

FRICAN Paints Plc appears to be coming out of the woods as the profit accruing to the company after taxation and other expenses for 2012 rose significantly by 153 percent.

The audited financial statement for st year ended 31 December, 2012, showed that African Paints recorded N26.696 million as profits, compared to loss after tax of N50.06 million achieved in the corresponding period of 2011.

The increase in profitability was inspite of 54 percent upward movement in taxes paid by the company to the C M Y K

government, which stood at N612,000, as against N398,000 in the previous year. While the revenue for the period dropped by 60 percent to N23.490 million in 2012, from N58.719 million in 2011, the management succeeded in bringing both cost of sales and distribution/administrative expenses considerably down.

Cost of sales for the period improved by 37 percent to N34.114 million from N54.293 million in the same period of 2011. Similarly, distribution and administrative expenses improved by 20 percent from N23.933 million recorded in 2011 to N19.179 million in the review period.

th 19 Respondent testified amongst other things that none of the parties he was giving evidence for was involved in the alleged transactions st and that apart from 1 Respondent, the others were non-executive directors who were not involved in st day-to-day running of the 1 Respondent’s business.

Arguments exchanged amongst th the parties included whether the 5 th th – 9 and 14 Respondents were deemed to have admitted the claim against them once they failed to adopt their witness statements. Also st th th th whether the 1 , 10 – 13 and 15 th – 19 Respondents acted to conceive an artifice, device or scheme, and/or refrained from acting to restrain the st action that culminated in 1 Respondent purchasing its own shares and whether the written th statement of the 19 Respondent is th competent as it relates to the 10 – th th th 13 and 15 – 18 Respondents. th th th th 10 – 13 and 15 – 19 Respondents maintained that they

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HE Investments and Securities Tribunal, IST, delivered judgment on 26/11/2012 in respect of an originating application filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, in which certain reliefs were sought against Union Bank of Nigeria Plc-UBN, B. Ebong, S. Ayininuola, A. Obigwe, K. Adeyemi, A. Abdullahi, E. Emeruem, W. Mbah, A. Esangbedo, M. Yakubu, A. Abubakar, M. Ahmed, J. Akinyele, E. Edozien, I. Gobir, F. Odimegwu, O. Olusanya, C. Udofot, L. Idowu and E. Odikanekwu.

The Respondents were alleged to have engaged and/or participated in a scheme and or artifice enabling UBN to either directly or indirectly fund the purchase of its shares and thereby retaining the beneficial ownership of the shares as well as creating a false and misleading appearance of active trading of Union Bank securities and or shares.

Third Respondent filed a Notice of Preliminary Objection challenging the jurisdiction of the Tribunal to entertain rd the matter. Submissions were that 3 Respondent was only a director and not a registered capital market operator as contemplated under Sections 38 and rd 315 of ISA 2007 and hence 3 Respondent fell outside the scope of parties indicated in Section 284 of the Act. However, the Tribunal in assuming rd jurisdiction found that the 3 Respondent is a market participant as defined in Section 315 of the Act and that the Applicant is mandated by Section 13 of the Act to take action against violation and possible violations of the Act. At the trial, the Applicant had one th th th witness. The 4 , 14 and 20 Respondents each testified for himself/ th herself while the 19 Respondent st th testified for himself and the 1 , 10 – th th th 13 , 15 – 18 Respondents.

Applicant’s witness tendered several exhibits including exhibits AW2J and AW2K covering board resolutions on procurement of loans of $150million and N12billion from Merrill Lynch and HSBC Bank Plc respectively as well as exhibits AW2M and AW2S covering Assets Management Agreements made in 2007 and 209 respectively between Union Trustees Ltd and Falcon Securities Ltd. th 4 Respondent stated amongst other things that deposits from Merrill Lynch st and HSBC were to improve 1 Respondent’s liquidity and that he was not aware at the material time of the facility granted Union Trustees and th Falcon Securities. 14 Respondent stated amongst other things that the alleged scheme never formed the subject matter of any Board th deliberation. 20 Respondent testified amongst other things that as Company Secretary/Legal Adviser, she executed board resolutions for the transactions with Merrill Lynch and HSBC but that the resolutions were not presented to st the entire Board of the 1 Respondent.

The Respondents were alleged to have engaged and/or participated in a scheme and or artifice enabling UBN to either directly or indirectly fund the purchase of its share

,

were not liable for any act purportedly done by other persons st within the 1 Respondent without their knowledge and/or consent. th The 7 Respondent indicated that he was not liable for the alleged th breaches while the 8 Respondent indicated that the Applicant did not plead any material facts in its pleadings requiring his response. th The 4 Respondent argued that he could not be held vicariously liable st for the activities or actions of the 1 th Respondent. The 20 Respondent maintained that she did not come under the provisions of Section 305 subsection 3b of the Act and hence she had no liabilities in respect of th the credit facilities. The 14 Respondent argued that he should not be held liable for the alleged infractions which according to him commenced on 13 November 2007, two days before he retired from the st Board of the 1 Respondent.

The Applicant replied to the submissions of the Respondents and the Tribunal subsequently entered its decision. ….TO BE CONCLUDED NEXT WEEK.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013 — 25

DIARY Select ICT events zInterop 2013.

Holds 6-10 May 2013 in Las Vegas, USA

MTN leads other S-African firms in FDI into Nigeria

zFOSE 2013.

Holds 14-16 May 2013 in Washington D.C., USA zCTIA WIRELESS 2013 2123 May 2013 in Las Vegas, USA

BY ADEKUNLE ADEKOYA

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zSatCom Africa 2013. Holds 27-30 May 2013 in Johannesburg, South Africa. zKITEL 2013.

Holds 28-30 May 2013 in Almaty, AT MNP LAUNCH: Director, Inter-Connect Clearing House, Mr. Alban Ofili-Okonkwo (left) and ExecKazakhstan. utive Vice Chairman/CEO, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Eugene Juwah, at the flag-

New inventions shaping life and living

Hand-cranked video viewer

NCC bids to regulate management of telcos

BY ADEKUNLE ADEKOYA

F The Bioscope combines old technology with new to make movie-viewing a more controllable, intimate experience.

Created by Jon Stam and Simon de Bakker, it is a digital movie player with the speed and direction of the movie controlled by its hand crank. The 3D printed plastic case holds a micro LCD screen, which functions as the viewfinder. Once a USB stick has been instated in the device, the user can turn the hand crank to create forward or backward motion at whatever speed they choose. According to the creators, the Bioscope commands the viewer’s full attention and allows them to play a deeper role in their movie-watching experience.

I N S I D E

ROM today, the Ni gerian Communications Commission decidedly is moving into management regulation of telcos operating in the country, following its resolution to “immediately enforce and implement Accounting Separation on the dominant operator.”

Not only that, the telecoms regulator bids to fix prices in some segments of the telecoms market by requiring operators

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Preview

off of the Mobile Number Portability Scheme at the MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos, last week. In the middle is Mr. Osondu Nwokoro, Director, Regulatory Affairs, Airtel Nigeria.

Dell supports healthcare with Intel-powered tablet

to set tariffs within a price cap and price floor to be determined by the regulator.

At the weekend, NCC designated MTN Nigeria as the dominant operator in the Mobile Voice segment of the nation’s telecommunications market, which the regulator also said is “not effectively competitive.”

In a document, Determination of Dominance in Selected Communications Markets in Niger-

Nigerian subscribers have been handed the power to hire and fire their service providers depending on what kind of services they are rendering

HP rolls out ElitePad tablet

ia, posted on its website, the telecom regulator noted that “the mobile voice market is not effectively competitive and is still highly concentrated with an HHI (Herfindahl Hirschman Index) of 3063. MTN has a 44% market share of subscribers within this market.

There is also a wide differential (of about 300%) between on net and off net calls and this is indicative of the likely establishment of a calling club for MTN subscribers.”

As a result of this, the NCC resolved that the Dominant Operator in the Mobile Voice market, in this case, MTN Nigeria, shall be required to adhere to the following obligations: a) Accounting Separation: The Commission will immediately enforce

and implement Accounting Separation on the dominant operator; b) Collapse of On-net and Off-net Retail Tariffs: The differential between the on–net and off net retail tariffs will be immediately collapsed. The tariff for on net and offnet will be the same, and subject to periodic review; and c) Submission of Required Details: The Commission may require the dominant operator to submit details on specific aspects of its operations from time to time as the need arises.

To curtail dominance by another operator, the regulator informed all and sundry in the document that it “shall make a determination of pricing principle to address the rates charged for on_net and off_net voice

Continues on page 28

Travelex begins technology cash distribution for CBN

HEN last week tel ecoms giant, MTN Nigeria, signed a $3 billion (about N470 billion) syndicated loan deal involving 17 Nigerian and seven foreign banks, watchers of the ICT sector were delighted at the growing importance of the sector in terms of foreign direct investment. Already, MTN Nigeria is market leader in the mobile voice segment of the telecoms market with about 44 per cent of market share.

With substantial investment in broadband as well, through WACS, MTN Nigeria and Glo-

zNEWS ANALYSIS bacom, the second national operator control 62 per cent of the public terrestrial transmission infrastructure in Nigeria.

The success of MTN in Nigeria in just a little over a decade highlights the benefits to the Nigerian economy of the ending of apartheid and attainment of black majority rule in South Africa.

To say that Nigeria spent money on the South African struggle may be an understatement; the country devoted colossal resources into the antiapartheid struggle in South Africa and may be reaping the fruits of her investments in the future of that country.

But not many people know that one of the big brands that first came to Nigeria, in broadcasting, is Mutichoice, which operates the pay TV, DSTv. John Ugbe, managing director of Multichoice Nigeria told newsmen recently that his compaContinues on page 26

Ekiti students get 100,000 IT solutions from Procentric IQ

26 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013

MTN leads other S-African firms in FDI into Nigeria Continues from Page 25 ny has “paid over N7.1 billion in value added tax and company tax since 1999 and our capital investment is in excess of N3.5 billion in broadcasting infrastructure and innovation services.

Some of the other big brands that recently berthed in Nigeria include Tiger Brands, which bought over the flour milling operations of Dangote Group. It has also bought substantial equity in UAC Foods, Nigeria’s only thriving foods company. Before Tiger Brands hopped in on the back of UAC Foods and Dangote Flour, brewing giant SAB Miller, the world’s second largest brewer bought Pabod Breweries in Port Harcourt and Standard Breweries in Ibadan.

Both are expected to be launch pads for its produ c t s expected to hit the Nigerian market soon. Apart from South African beer, wines and other beverages from the rainbow country have flooded Nigerian markets.

Hitherto, before 1999, wine lovers almost exclusively drank wines from Europe, but in the last few years, the sheer popularity of South African wines, especially from the Western Cape is amazing. Today, there are scores of Nigerian and South African firms who import and distribute South African wines and beverages.

One area in which relations between Nigeria and South Africa has helped redefine living is in the area of shopping.

For long, the open market system has defined the shopping mode nationwide; supermarkets were few and offered little difference. But in no time, big shopping malls started springing up as operators like Shoprite, Game, and others came in. Today, their ranks have been swelled by the entrance of others like Spar, Woolworths, Mr Price, and others. There is no gainsaying the im-

pact of these organized retailers on the Nigerian shopping habit as more of them spring up in the twons and cities, with growing patronage.

In the leisure and hospitality arena, the South Africans have been trying to spruce up things in Nigeria. A casual visitor to Johannesburg, South Africa cannot but notice the presence of a highly developed hotel and hospitality industry, with hotels and guest houses available just about any and everywhere. In Nigeria, from the late 90s and thence, major South African hotel groups have landed in Nigeria and helped raise the bar of hospitality service. They include Sun International (Federal Palace), Tsogo Sun (Southern Sun Ikoyi Hotel), Protea Group, which now has hotels in many states of the federation, Legacy, and others. Of course, South African Airways was and is still the carrier that facilitates the comings and goings of people t h a t m a k e t h e s e businesses work.

A joint venture between SAA and our defunct Nigerian Airways which would h a v e helped grow our national carrier was abruptly terminated and propelled in another direction which eventually saw the death of the carrier.

As a result of apartheid, financial dealings between Nigeria and South African businessmen used to be routed through London, but since 1994, South African banks have opened shop here, and Nigerian banks there, too. Today, Stanbic IBTC, Standard Chartered, Rand Merchant Bank, NedBank (which was part of MTN’s $3bn deal) are operating in the country.

But it is obvious that the balance of trade, as things stand, is in the favour of South Africa.

What are Nigerian businessmen doing to address the balance?

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The success of MTN in Nigeria in just a little over a decade highlights the benefits to the Nigerian economy of the ending of apartheid and attainment of black majority rule in South Africa

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LOBAL PC maker, Hewlett Packard, HP, last week in Lagos rolled out its latest innovation in mobile technology, the HP ElitePad 900 business tablet powered by Intel Atom Processors for optimal performance.

The new device, according to the PC maker promises to ease work load by providing support for existing business applications with capacity to be tailored to suit industryspecific software and hardware options.

The new Intel-based HP ElitePad has state-of-art features including ; trueto-life video meetings, digital dual array microphone with SRS audio, camera and flash with 8.0 megapixels of vivid details in photo’s or video, top security for data protection on lost devices as well as integration services that make for easy deployment of the ‘ElitePad’ across a worldwide enterprise.

The Channel Sales Manager , West Africa, Morakinyo Ipoola during the launch said that the device was designed to work with the existing IT environment to provide a familiar enterprise class set-up experience as well as a personal experience that allows a seamless integration from the living room to the boardroom,

HP rolls out ElitePad tablet

The ElitePad tablet from HP adding that, “It is simply a device for business and beyond”he said.

“The new HP ElitePad is a smart and secure device that is effective for transforming business. The ElitePad is a clear example of HP’s attention to high quality materials and craftsmanship with an Intel-powered operating system for top notch technology and rugged

exterior that is built to last,” he said.

Similarly, the the Country Manager, Intel Corporation, Nigeria, Olubunmi Ekundare explained further that Intel is an innovation-centric company, passionate about the kind of technology that drives productivity and efficiency in all areas such as healthcare, education, business and more.

“With the Intel Atom Processor powering the operating system of the ElitePad, users can make the most of a touch interface that gives the device a unique interactive feel that makes it both fun and useful for business,” he explained.

— EMEKA AGINAM

Dell supports healthcare with Intel-powered tablet

BY EMEKA AGINAM & JOY OBOMASE

A

S the 2015 target date for achieving the Millennium Development Goals( MDGs) approaches with wide debate as to what development goals the global community should set next especially on health, leading computer manufacturers, Dell, has embarked on a transformation agenda with the launch of its new Intel-powered tablet for healthcare.

The new Intel-powered tablet was launched last week in Lagos during a conference set up to facilitate the engagement of industry leaders and experts.

For one thing, the conference sought to explore the way forward with information technology and its application to healthcare within the Nigerian context to meet the needs of its citizens.

Speaker after speaker at the vent With the new solution, the hardware maker seeks to enhance the use of technology in healthcare by introducing a new dimension to healthcare products and services that make for better diagnosis and treatment, better communication with patients, linking doctors with other doctors and gen-

erally enabling healthy living.

At a discussion during the launch of the product, the Client Product Marketing Manager of Dell, Annie Odo Effiong during the plenary session said that it was necessary to highlight the current perspectives in innovative technology towards improving healthcare solutions and increasing business growth and healthcare development.

“For more than 28 years, Dell has empowered countries, communities, its customers and indeed people everywhere to use technology in the realization of

their dreams. Today, we celebrate the launch of the Dell tablet with Intel inside that will deliver technology solutions in healthcare anywhere, any day.” She explained.

Speaking on Intel’s mobility solutions, the Market Development Manager, Intel Corporation, Olufemi Babajide explained that Intel, more than driving PC technology, was keen on enhancing user experience of mobile technology in every field of endeavor.

He assured that Intelpowered devices strengthen information security

thereby enhancing doctor/ patient interaction.

In healthcare settings, he said that mobile technology can encourage collaborative workflows, thereby enhancing patient outcomes, adding that Intel powers the next generation of Ultrabooks, tablets, devices, and smart phones in the hospital, clinic, and home.

“For us at Intel, championing the cause of technology in Nigeria, Africa and the world is at the heart of our business and this has informed our innovative nature from inception till

SIGNING: Globacom’s Group Chief Operating Officer, Jameel Mohamed (middle),and ZTE’s Managing Director , Zenghong Ma signing the dotted lines of the a $500 million Glo network modernization and expansion contract with ZTE, in Lagos on Monday, while Globacom’s Executive Director, Special Projects, Mike Jituboh looks on in admiration.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013—27

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28 —Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013

Heritage Bank, CWG, Infosys partner on finacle core banking solution

BY EMEKA AGINAM

O

NE of the leading commercial banks in the country, Heritage Banking company limited has partnered with Infosys, a leading universal banking solutions provider for the deployment of Finacle banking solution.

With this development, Computer Warehouse Group the local business partner of Infosys in Africa is right in the middle of the coalition playing an integral role in the implementation and golive support of Finacle solutions at Heritage Bank.

The Chief Information Officer, HBC, Mr. Ike Williams in his reaction to the new partnership , said that HBC team are optimistic that Finacle Technology platform would drive their banking innovation, and position them as the best in Electronic banking in the markets, whilst also creating added value and banking convenience for their customers across Nigeria.

“We intend to make a difference.. Deploying innovative solutions that make our business and operations unique, accessible, customerfriendly, reliable and secure, is a continuous process for us, and we will not relent in that drive.” he said.

Similarly, the software Division Head of CWG, Mr. Femi Ibine said; “We are delighted to be a part of this success story and are strongly committed to ensuring that Heritage Bank is among the other Finacle customers in Africa, who enjoy the superb after sales support services CWG local team provides from her 24x7 Support Hub located in Lagos, Nigeria”.

For Austin Okere, CEO, Computer Warehouse Group; “This partnership is indeed a stepping stone and confirmation of HBC’s determination to deliver excellent customer service that will truly harness their customers’ wealth and grow it for today and future generation as quality banking technology like Finacle is a necessity to achieving and exceeding customers’ expectation.”

He also affirmed that CWG as usual, will give HBC unreserved support that will ensure superior competitive advan-

tage for Heritage Bank in the Banking sector.

It would be recalled that when Heritage Banking Company (HBC), formerly SocieteGenerale Bank of Nigeria (SGBN) regained its operating license from Central Bank of Nigeria, it was clear that the era of innovation has come to the Banking Financial Services landscape in Nigeria.

HBC team understood and embraced the application of technology as the engine of innovation and excellent customer

service experience and hence the partnership to deploy Finacle core banking application.

Finacle core banking solution is a comprehensive, integrated, yet modular and agile business solution, addressing all the core needs of banks, in easy-to-configure modules. Finacle provides all the building blocks of business functionality, enabling users to configure products and processes flexibly in order to adapt to a dynamic environment.

L-r: Mr. Kunle Olaifa; Business Head, Hand Held Products, Samsung Electronics West Africa; Mr. Emmanouil Revmatas; Marketing Manager, Hand Held Products, Samsung Electronics West Africa; Ms. Olajumoke Okikiolu and Media and Public Relations Manager, Corporate Marketing, Samsung Electronics Africa at Samsung Electronics’ Monthly Breakfast Meeting with the media in Ikeja, Lagos.

Start-ups jostle for seed funds from LAN

A

T least five start-up entrepreneurs with great business ideas have been selected and are currently jostling for investment support from members of the Lagos Angel Network (LAN) to grow their businesses to the next stage..

In a pitch event slated to hold next week at the newly refurbished Digital Bridge Institute, Oshodi Lagos, the shortlisted companies including Fix My Gadget , C a s h e n v o y , BookNowNow, SkinIT and Giga layer who have already passed through a screening round will be

able to pitch for LAN investment.

The Lagos Angel Network brings together high net worth individuals seeking to invest in and mentor Nigerian technology start-ups. Members, of which there are currently 15, are expected to commit at least one million naira per year to the investment pool. There is however no upper limit in their commitment abilities.

The project, like the Lagos Innovation Hotspots Map, Silicon Lagoon and others is backed by INNOVATE LAGOS.

NCC bids to regulate management of telcos Continues from page 25

calls for all other operators.”

Similarly, in the upstream segment of the market (comprising spectrum, tower sites, network Equipment, Wholesale Broadband/ Internet Access, and Wholesale Leased Lines and Transmission Capacity), the regulator noted that “ MTN and Glo jointly control about 62% of the public terrestrial transmission infrastructure which is a bottleneck resource in the provision of voice and data services.

There are concerns that operators playing in the wholesale and retail sub segments of these markets have the leverage to “squeeze” the margins of their competitors who are also their customers.”

As a result, NCC designated GLO and MTN

“as joint dominant Operators in the Wholesale leased lines and transmission capacity sub segment of this market.”

In respect of this, both GLO and MTN shall be required to comply with the following: a) Price Cap//Price Floor: The Commission will come up with a price cap for wholesale services and price floor for retail services, and subject to periodic review. b) Accounting Separation: The Commission will immediately enforce and implement Accounting Separation on the joint dominant operators. c) Submission of Required Details: The Commission may require any of the joint dominant operators too submit details on specific aspects of its operations from time to time ass the need arises.

L-r: President, Student Union Government, Ekiti State University, EKSU, Adeoye Aribasoye; Manager, Youth Segment, Etisalat Nigeria, Idiare Atimomo; Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Development, Ekiti State University, Prof. (Mrs.) Esther Aderibigbe; winner of a Picanto car, Awolope Roland; Dean Student Affairs, EKSU, Prof. Adanlawo Isaac and Specialist Retail Promotion & Marketing, Etisalat Nigeria, Obi Chukwunonso, during the presentation of car to raffle draw winner, at Etisalat Cliqfest Seminar (Day 2), at EKSU

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013—29

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Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013 — 31

UN WSA award: Nigeria begins search for local e-content innovations

Travelex begins technology cash distribution N for CBN

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BY PRINCE OSUAGWU

ETAIL foreign ex change, Travelex, last week commenced the pilot roll out of the recently strategic outsourcing partnership it had with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). This is even as it announced investment of over one million pounds (about N240million)in infrastructure, human capital development and equipment in its Nigerian operation The strategic partnership with CBN resulted in the establishment of high technology cash distribution centre with a pilot scheme in Lagos and with a plan to roll out in other parts of the country to process the forex requirements of BDCs. The initial phase of the roll out is for Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano. The Lagos centre is already operational with 920 out of 944 BDCs order placed, recording smooth transactions within two and half hours. The rest will enjoy the service after perfecting their registration into the service which is entirely an electronic system. It’s a leap from manual to technological update According to Tony Enwereji, General Manager, Travelex Nigeria, the cash distribution centres project is a migration away from the manual to an electronic service system. He explained that it is a system managed process that ensures transactions are fully automated. This effort is geared towards bringing BDCs in Nigeria into a world of International best practices.

“This is quicker, faster and more efficient. It requires biometric identification (finger prints) of the BDC operators and a card to gain access with every detail, including the picture tracked. The system has a quick audit trail and takes a maximum of 32 seconds to process a request. The system is automated, no manual over-ride, there is also provision to confirm and count your cash”, he stated. In all, he stated that compliance is critical to Travelex and they hope to improve and resolve any issue that arises from the pilot exercise.

He noted that the CBN partnership is buoyed up by confidence in Travelex’s global experience and reach as the world’s leading foreign exchange

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VISIT: From left: Femi Ibine, AGM, Expert Edge Software (division of CWG) and Ike Williams, CIO Heritage Bank during a visit of Computer Warehouse to Heritage Bank's office, in Lagos. specialist and the leading supplier of outsourced foreign currency services.

The company however said that as an indication of its clear resolve to develop world-class financial services in the country, it has in the past two years, invested over one million pounds (about N 2 4 0 m i l l i o n ) infrastructure, human capital development and equipment in its Nigerian operation. For the company, this is to ensure smooth foreign exchange services to the Nigerian financial system.

Director, Sales and Bank Notes, Travelex Group UK Ltd. Mark Smith, at the weekend noted that the one million pound investment is a testimony to the group’s commitment to expanding and modernizing foreign exchange transactions in Nigeria.

Smith expressed optimism that the investment will yield the desired result, while underlining Travelex’s Commitment to increased investment in Nigeria.

“Travelex has invested a million pounds in Nigeria in the last two years in an effort to build a worldclass service in the country and we are investing further. We want to open more bureau de change (BDC) offices in airports across the country.

“We are hoping to bring more products and services for the BDCs. We are employing more and more Nigerians, and I think our success and commitment is likely to attract more British companies to come and do business in the

country”, Smith stated.

As part of the intended investment, the company will build six new BDCs to be located in the new look airports in Lagos, Abuja and PortHarcourt.

This project is designed to enhance smooth forex services to Nigeria’s increasing international passenger traffic trade and also offer quality services and employment to more than 100 Nigerians in the short term.

While acknowledging that the Nigerian

business environment like many others around the world remains quite challenging, the Travelex senior executive described his company’s experience in the Nigerian economy as good and worthwhile.

“The cost of doing business here is high because of infrastructural challenges. We know it is not easy but we can’t give up because we know it will be worthwhile in the long run. We are determined to continue doing business in the country ”, he reassured.

IGERIA has begun search for local econtent that has global relevance for the United Nation 2013 World Summit Award.

This year’s edition will be hosted by ICTA, the Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka.

With UN WSA database opened for nominations, Nigeria’s nominations and national pre-Selection contest starts from April 18th to June 30th 2013; contestants from the 6 geo-political zones are expected to submit their e-content innovation projects for their Nigeria’s preselection of 8 best. The ultimate highlight of the global WSA 2013 is celebrating international eContent delicacies at the WSA World Congress 2013.

With the great support of ICTA, WSA is going to host the smartest and most creative e-Content producers in Colombo, Sri Lanka from October

MTN Next Business Titans reality TV show debuts

BY LAJA THOMAS

M

TN Business Next Titan has made its debut on national and terrestrial television stations. Aired, for the first time, weekend, the

Ekiti students get 100,000 IT solutions from Procentric IQ

BY PRINCE OSUAGWU

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ROCENTRIC IQ a leader in the development of commerce and industry in Africa and fostering the business that drives economic growth and technological advancement across the continent is delivering IT solutions to 100,000 students and 18,000 teachers in Ekiti State. By this feat, Procentric IQ become the first company to pioneer socio-economic transformation through e-learning in the state.This was disclosed by the Business Development .Manager, Mr. Nsikak John on the sidelines of the Awards night of the Titans of Tech Conference and Expo held in Lagos. The company won the “best education company in IT” for delivering e-learning solutions at the lowest cost in Ekiti State.

He maintained that the

support structure being set up for Ekiti State has world class service levels and employs a minimum of 10 indigenes. This is in addition to training 10 to 15 interns every quarter thus creating a pool of resources for the state to draw from and export to other states when necessary. Also, Ekiti state is getting a fantastic deal because the over eight servers used for these operations as well as cost of maintenance is borne entirely by procentric IQ. These equipments will help enhance the delivery and quality of content to students and expose teachers to a variety of best in class teaching methods that will enhance their productivity, he stressed.

Mr. Nsikak said their elearning solutions suite provide an innovative way to meet total learning imperative effectively and economically through cus-

23 through 25, 2013.

The World Summit Award (WSA - http:// www.wsis-award.org/) is a global initiative to select and promote the world’s best e-Content, started in 2003 in the framework of the United Nations’ World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) with the 1st WSIS conference held in Geneva.

The award which takes place on a biannual basis, in collaboration with UNESCO, UNIDO, UN GAID is done through national contests, a global contest, held every 2 years, and numerous content-focused national and international conferences and workshops.

The UN World Summit Award is being coordinated in Nigeria to promote an increased impact of Nigeria’s technological innovations on global stage on charity by the Eminent WSA National Expert for Nigeria, Mr Amos Emmanuel, President Programos Foundation.

tom made web enabled learning solutions for educational institutions and corporate organisations.

Furthermore, he maintained that their e-learning solution takes knowledge transfers and collaborations to a new level because learning becomes smart, self paced, interactive and measurable. This leads to higher efficiency within the educational value chain.

The Business Development Manager noted that apart from, their offerings in the education sector, they also design business management solutions for industries, government agencies, finance, manufacturing sector, and others. “We equip our clients with the tool to build, sustain and expand proud African businesses that are prepared to compete in the global economy”.

television reality show takes into account the current drive for entrepreneurship, among the over one million Nigerian youth population, from whom 16 selected contestants have been placed in an academy to be supervised and nurtured by seasoned entrepreneurs and international business consultants.

Scheduled for Channels TV, ONTV and DSTV channel 254, the reality show will be aired continuously, for the next 13 weekends.

Every week, the 16 talented young contestants will strive to earn support and investments for their business ideas, by competing with each other and working as teams, when the occasion demands.

The entrepreneurship reality TV show host is one of Nigeria’s popular on-air-personalities, Toolz. Her ability to bring out the best in her guests, through questioning and character penetration, will help to bring out the best in the contestants, who are expected to use their business acumen and creativity to surmount challenges.

32 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 1,, 2013

Continued from last week In your opinion, we didn’t deserve to win the Nations Cup? That’s not what I’m saying.

I mean that we don’t have a strong team yet. We don’t have a team that take on the world. God felt we have suffered a lot and tried to make us happy with the Nations Cup trophy. That’s good.

So President Jonathan was not realistic when he charged the Eagles to go and win the World Cup? He was not being realistic.

They really have to tell the president the truth. They say things to please the President, things that are not realistic. If the President wants sports to grow, they should put the structure in proper perspective.

But people must be there to do things right and you have condemned the ones there...

I’m not condemning anyone.

I’m telling you the way things are. We have not gotten it right. Another Olympics will come and you will see what will happen. The government needs to restructure our sports. The President has the power. He is the commanderin-chief.

And what about the FIFA hammer in the event of government interferences?

What FIFA hammer? I don’t want to talk much. I’ve worked with FIFA for over 12 years, so which FIFA hammer are they talking about? FIFA knows Nigeria’s issues and FIFA knows that government pumps in a lot of money into football and if you get the right people sitting and talking with FIFA on these issues, FIFA itself will even help Nigeria. FIFA can help us make the right changes but we must do them the right way. They are ready to help Nigeria but they know our antecedents and they laugh at us. Anytime I go there, they laugh at us, they say “Anthony, what’s going on?

What is wrong with your guys?” We haven’t got our house in order, and unfortunately, you have bad advisers. Don’t let me talk because if we cannot put our sports together too bad.

Elections into board of sports federations hold soon...

Which elections? Aren’t they the same characters who would return? These are not true professionals. Its the same old story, same old song.

What the president needs is to actually restructure the ministry of sports and bring in experts, who are not politicians but technocrats,

FIFA can help us change our football – Kojo Williams

’

BY JOHN EGBOKHAN

But someday, somewhere, by the power of God that created everyone, the truth will come out. I never give up, I’m a silent fighter, I don’t make too much noise.

’

who can put the place in order and get our sports running again.

Are you tired?

I’m never tired, tired of what?

Are you going to throw your hat in when the FA elections hold next year?

No, no, no way, I’ve been there before.

But it was a brief spell?

But I was there.

They didn’t allow you to takeoff Of course not, they saw the blueprint, they accepted it. The said everything I brought was fine but then they were compromised by the minister and some characters in the ministry. I don’t want to mention their names. They had their plan to an extent. I was told that I should hand over the national team to them and just handle the league, and I told them that it was not possible. I asked when the

national team fails, who is going to be responsible?

There were so many intrigues and once the members of the FA were compromised, it was over. They said that I was always shouting at them and banging on the table. That was the reason they gave for impeaching me.

It’s laughable Were they telling the truth?

Of course not, I’m a well-

bred and a cultured man. I will never bring myself to that level. Those guys were not well-bred, they were liars, elderly people lying. When they met with CAF president, they didn’t know I was with Hayatou, and they were lying to hm and when they left, the CAF president told me to see how backward my people were. It was disgraceful..

How did you feel then?

I felt cheated. I felt I was deprived of a chance to change our football. They lied and unfortunately, that’s why I said same guys compromised. Vanguard and ThisDay stood by the truth. I felt stabbed in the back. I didn’t even feel sad, I felt I had done my best and walked away because they didn’t want anything good for the country. But someday, somewhere, by the power of God that created everyone, the truth will come out. I never give up, I’m a silent fighter, I don’t make too much noise.

The people who put you down, where are they now?

(Laughter). I don’t know where they are. I don’t celebrate the failure of people.

It’s not good. You can never cheat truth. I wanted to do something good for Nigeria but people stabbed me at the back, God will fight for me.

How did you cope?

I was just doing my business, working with FIFA doing other consultation jobs and bringing up my kids. I had more time to build on other things. God has vindicated me, going by what’s happening to our football.

Slovenia’s Skomina to ref Barça-Bayern

S

lovenian Damir Skomina has been named as the referee for Wednesday ’s Champions League semifinal second leg between Barcelona and Bayern Munich. He is the official who oversaw the group stage game between Real Madrid

and Manchester City, when Mourinho’s side won 3-2 with a last-minute goal.

Skomina, aged 36, has been an international referee since 1st January 2003. After officiating lower level games, at the Beijing 2008 Olympics and in the Europa League, in

recent years he has consolidated himself as a Champions League regular.

The Slovenian also refereed the final of the last UEFA Super Cup between Chelsea and Atlético de Madrid.

Beckenbauer apologises to Barça F

ranz Beckenbauer has apologised for the comments attributed to him by German daily ‘Bild’, which led FC Barcelona to contact Bayern Munich, who passed on the following statement from its honorary president.

“I apologise if what I said has been misunderstood. I only meant that Barça will do

whatever it can to get to the final, but nothing against the rules. When I say they will do anything, I mean putting pressure on their rival – something that is commonplace on the pitch and which I myself used to do as a player and then as a coach”, explained the man nicknamed ‘Der Kaiser’.

“Barça are one of the biggest and most honest clubs in the world and has my full admiration. I’m convinced that fair play will prevail in Wednesday ’s match. Both teams will do their all and come out all guns blazing to try to reach the final – that’s all I meant to say ”, the statement continued.

•Skomina

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY WEDNESDAY,, MAY 1,, 2013 — 33

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SPLASH

Messi: Bring on the comeback L

eo Messi does believe it is possible to pull off the feat of eliminating Bayern. Although it looks almost impossible to turn around the 4-0 scoreline from the Allianz Arena, the Argentinian has come out with a rallying call: “Bring on

the comeback”.

Barcelona fans are dreaming of a magical evening, but they know that it largely depends on Leo Messi. On China’s answer to Twitter, Messi regretted that “the victory got away from us at the end” in Bilbao, but set his sights on Wednesday’s game against Bayern: “Now let’s bring on the comeback!!!”

Bayern eye two goals against Barca

•Messi

Muller warns against Messi backlash

J

upp Heynckes was categorical prior to travelling to Barcelona that Bayern should not park its bus in front of the goal at the Camp Nou: “We should defend with a high line. We need to try and score a goal or two. That is also a possibility”.

Heynckes is really looking forward to the return leg of the Champions League semi-final and is up for the fight: “We need to impose our playing style”, he told the Bavarian club’s website.

The German coach is clear on how to face up to his club’s coming opponents: “Barcelona is an incredibly classy outfit and will give it everything. That’s to say, they’ll press the ball from the start and try to put us under pressure”.

B

•Gomez

a y e r n Munich forward Thomas Muller has warned his teammates to expect to face a very different Lionel Messi to the one who flopped in Germany in last w e e k ’ s Champions League semi-final first leg.

Messi was one of a number of Barcelona stars who were far from their best as Bayern ran out 40 winners at the

Barca will put us under pressure —Neuer

M

anuel Neuer expects Barcelona to put Bayern Munich under pressure in Wednesday ’s match at Camp Nou in an allor-nothing attempt to make it to the Champions League final.

“We have to invest everything to avoid a catastrophe.

They ’re wounded but they’ll still do everything they can to make the final. They’ll put us under incredible pressure,” he was quoted as saying on the official Bayern website.

The shot-stopper previously played at Camp Nou with Schalke in 2007-08 and he has not forgotten about the atmosphere and the behaviour of the ballboys five years ago.

“I remember the special

atmosphere and how the ballboys reacted to Barcelona taking the lead. They stopped throwing the balls back onto the pitch. I kept coming close

•Nuer

to a yellow card, because it made me so mad.

“So it could be that the balls fly back onto the pitch very quickly on Wednesday.”

Allianz Arena but Muller believes the Argentina ace will provide a far sterner test in the second-leg clash on Wednesday.

“Barca away at Camp Nou that’s a completely different proposition altogether,” Muller told a press conference on Tuesday.

“They will come forward at us a lot more than in the first leg, they’ll have more shots on our goal and more possession, which is their strength. I think we’ll see a different Messi in this game.

“Everyone knows that he is the core of their team. If you score 50 goals every season, then it’s clear that the team will depend on you. I don’t

really know what his situation was in the first game in terms of fitness, but he came off the bench at the weekend and scored a great goal. I think we’ll be much busier with him in this game.”

•Muller

Vilanova’s dilemma

J

avier Mascherano is the recovered. big question mark for The Barcelona manager has tonight’s Barça’s game.. The to decide whether to rush him Argentine centre-back was back for his team’s most subjected to a medical important game of the season, examination on Monday and or give him more time to fully he’s a big doubt for the recover. Even if rushing him Bayern game, leaving Tito back isn’t ideal, the state of with a dilemma as to whether the Barcelona defence means to rush the former Liverpool that Tito might include the player back or not.

Argentine if the player and Tito Vilanova will make his doctors all agree. final decision on w h e t h e r Mascherano will feature in the squad this Tuesday, since he’s been out of action for a month and there is still some uncertainty as to whether his knee •Vilanova has fully

34 —Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013—35

C M Y K

36 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013

C M Y K

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013—37

From left: Appex Nurse, General Hospital Ajegunle, Titilayo Aregbe-Ajayi; Reckitt Benckiser Beneficiary, Uju Ezekwere; Assistant Brand Manager, Reckitt Benckiser, Edeje Abua with Baby Ezekwere during a hospital visit to commemorate the World Malaria Day, 2013, at General Hospital Ajegunle, Lagos.

VISIT — From left: Mrs. Evelyn Obidike, Acting Zonal Controller, Nigerian Export Promotion Council, NEPC, Lagos Office; Nilmini Rubin, Senior Adviser, United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs and leader of delegation; Rolf Olson, Eric Williams and John Isemede, Director-General, NACCIMA at a stakeholders interactive session with Nigerian exporters in Lagos

C M Y K

38 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013

The new rest room

New conveyor belt waiting to roll

MMI: Mixed tales for travellers over remodeling ••It’s pain before gain, says FAAN

I

NSECURITY, inadequate infrastucture, irregular power supplyhave been a recurring decimal at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja Lagos. Only recently, a gang of robbers made the car park where the local bureau de change transact their illegal trade their port of call, endangering the lives of all airport users that fateful day.

One does not need deep reflection to know how as a nation we arrived at this sorry path. The answer is obvious: absence of a consistent and well-articulated national policy, excessive bureaucracy and bad management had been the story of the nation’s aviation industry.

For if the truth must be told, our domestic and international airports cannot meet even the minimum in aviation standards.

But all that is beginning to change, thanks to the aviation Road-map of the present administration and determined effort of the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah. As one took a long walk round the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja recently, one can indeed beat the chest that change is about to come to this over 30-year national edifice- a change that has been long over due. The Federal Airport Authority of

Nigeria, FAAN’s, appeal to air travellers to bear with it for the inconvenience caused as a result of its remodeling efforts was quite visible as one approaches the terminal. Indeed, the entire airport area is one huge work in progress. How long will travellers continue to be inconvenienced? this reporter queried. Not for much longer was the quick response from the construction engineer.”

Travel processes About a month and we would wrap up this ‘show’ and the new conveyor belts would be up and running at both the ‘D and E’ (D for Delta,E for Echo) wings of the airport”, he informed with a quick smile.

Several travellers milled about the departure hall, going through the various travel processes. Yes, the look on those faces suggest they were having a trying time, what with the noise from the construction work. From all indications, they were putting up with the inconveniences handsomely. For some, the look was that of of optimism,that these inconveniences wouldn’t be for much long and that there would be something to show for it all while others just couldn’t be bothered. This was the feeling of Mr. Justin Duru, a Dubaibased business man who is one

of such optismistic travellers.

According to him, with the completion of the remodelling efforts, the International Airport, Ikeja, could surpass the minimum international standard prescribed by the International Civil Aviation Organisation, ICAO, for such terminals.

Said he: “It would be a total waste of the nation’s resources if something meaningful does not come out of this entire project.

Travellers have been inconvenienced for some time now and we’ve taken it in our stride because we believe this exercise is good for our aviation industry. But air travellers would want to see this whole thing wrapped up quickly”.

Expression of displeasure Mrs. Nzogi Chukwuemeka was not quite pleased with the pace of work and she did not shy away from expressing her displeasure. “I use this airport regularly,” she began. “To tell you the truth I’m yet to be convinced about what they(referring to FAAN) are remodelling when this place is still as hot as hell.” When she was told that the remodelling effort would take care of that, she only rolled her eyes heaven ward in disbelief.

Mrs. Chukwuemeka’s reaction can be forgiven. This airport has

been in a state of disrepair for so long that even one with great faith in our government might become a doubting Thomas. But this reporter was informed that the chillers were a challenge because they were as old as the airport and the initial engineers who fitted them cannot be reached.

The most FAAN can do, therefore, is to start the process all over, an official disclosed. Apart from the

,

By JUDITH UFFORD

Communications of FAAN, would enhance passenger facilitation.

The new figures more than double the existing immigration counters and screening points at the moment.

Conveniences have always been sore points for many travellers at this and other airports. But this has been taken care of in the on-going efforts as both the International and just recently commissioned General Aviation Terminal, GAT, now boast of state-of-the-art rest rooms.

An interesting angle to the Road-map of the aviation industry is the aerotropolis project. An internationally embraced concept, aerotropolis is about building cities with complete infrastructure around airports.

This new business module is another window to attract foreign

On completion of the expansion project, the terminal will have a total of 24 immigration counters and 20 security screening points

cooling problem, the remodelling efforts would take care of the long queues at the immigration and security counters as well as deal with the long wait at the baggage collection point. According to officials, on completion, the three huge conveyor belts have the capacity to handle a total of two flights on arrival at the same time.

Unlike the present situation where baggage point to conveyor is about 120 metres, once completed, baggage point is less than 10 metres to the conveyor.

On completion of the expansion project, the terminal will have a total of 24 immigration counters and 20 security screening points. This according to Mr. Yakubu Dati, General Manager, Corporate

,

investment and grow local economy, this reporter was told.

To this end, business owners such as bureau de change, food courts, etc, are being encouraged to take up the expanded spaces within the airport area. Within the terminal building, some bureaux de change had taken up counters and business was in full swing.

According to Dati, more of such business owners are being encouraged to do business within the terminal instead of the car park. Although, Food Courts have not started fully, it is believed they would become operational once work is completed.

Added to this is enough space for many shopping outlets, including duty-free shops of Continues on page 39

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013— 39

Mixed tale for travellers Continues from page 38

Tears of joy for indigent VVF victims

BY PETER OKUTU, Abakaliki

I

T was indeed a moment of joy and jubilation as the National Obstetric Fistula Centre in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, treated and discharged 25 more indigent women who had suffered obstetric fistula after many years of failed attempt to get medical solution.

The women came from different parts of the country and were treated free following the established policy put in place by the wife of Ebonyi State Governor, Mrs. Josephine Elechi at the commencement of the centre in 2008, before it was taken over in 2011 by the Federal Government as the The discharged women at the event first National Obstetric Fistula Centre in the country.

These women had before coming to have been enhanced during this period.

“Furthermore, over 2000 women have the centre suffered in the hands of medical quacks, spent huge sums of received free screening for cervical and money in a bid to get quick treatment so breast cancer, while women with prethat they could escape alienation from malignant lesions have equally received free treatment and are on family members.

Most of them came to the centre with follow-up.

“My initiative is complementing the the hope of paying for the treatment but did not know that it would be carried out efforts of the state government in free as this was the high point of their promoting maternal health and testimonies when they were discharged preventing the formation of new cases of obstetric fistula. There is the last week at the centre.

In their separate testimonies, some of maternal mortality and morbidity law the women who spoke with Vanguard introduced by my initiative and passed Features, VF, namely Mrs. Lydia into law. The National Obstetric Fistula Mgbabor from Cross River, Agwu Centre in a bid to deliver more services Blessing from Enugu, Nwankwo Ijeoma to a greater number of sufferers of this from Ebonyi, expressed joy over the free scourge and in line with the treatment they had received at the centre Presidential mandate that one third of adding that the initiative was laudable the VVF patients be repaired in 2013, as it would ensure accelerated the centre has commenced the provision of free surgical repairs to the states of the southern To end fistula we need to work and Middle Belt zones, collectively to provide access to beginning with the treatment of 21 patients reproductive health services, from Delta State only recently”. She added that eliminate gender based social the United Nations and economic inequalities Population Fund, UNFPA, had declared that an estimated two to three million eradication of the scourge the country. women and girls are living with fistula The National Obstetric Fistula Centre in Nigeria and other developing in Abakaliki, had since its inception in countries.The UNFPA was the first 2008 treated and discharged over 1600 development partner to collaborate with indigent clients across 20 states of the Mrs.Elechi’s NGO, Mother and Child federation.

Care Initiative, MCCI, programme in Mrs.Elechi made this known during 2008. the visit of the Country Representative Speaking at the occasion, Mrs. of United Nations Population Fund, Akyeampong expressed delight at the UNFPA, Mrs. Victoria Akyeampong and giant strides recorded at the centre, her team to the Centre in Abakaliki. courtesy of the existing partnership Mrs. Elechi who witnessed the between UNFPA and MCCI. discharge of 25 more clients explained “The prevalence of fistula therefore that the Centre specialised in the is an indication of underlying socioprovision of free treatment, training of economic factors such as gender medical and paramedical personnel, inequality and poverty. To end fistula rehabilitation, research and prevention we need to work collectively to provide of Vaginal Fistula, VVF, among women. access to reproductive health services, “Since its inception, over 1600 indigent eliminate gender based social and patients from over 20 states of the economic inequalities, prevent child federation and over 195 clients with marriage and early child bearing and uterine prolapsed from the state have keep our young girls in school”. received free treatment in the centre and The Medical Director of the Centre, the capacity of several medical personnel

,

Dr. Sunday Oduoye, advised the discharged women to stay away from sexual intercourse for at least six months to give room for the proper healing of their bodies.

international standard. As part of the income generating effort, a new hotel and modern car park is proposed just outside the terminal building and a 19- room transit hotel within the terminal “We intend to build a temporary car park near the church. We would have a gate separating the car park from the church. So, there would be no meeting point. Shuttle buses for arrival would be provided to bring passengers to the car park,” Dati informed.

To deal with the power situation, a new power station which has been test run is being prepared for commissioning. The station which has six engines with a capacity of 4850Kva per engine is expected to improve power supply at the airport.

According to the engineer on site, two of the engines are expected to run simultaneously. The engineswhich are fully automated, he informed, would be powered by PMS rather than diesel because, according to him, diesel takes time to pick and this would delay operations in the airport.

,

40—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013

•Ikuforiji

•Fashola

Tenure extension bill raises issues

Lagos:

A PROPOSAL to extend the tenure of elected local government chairmen in Lagos State from three years to four years opens the ruling Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN to allegations of tenure gerrymandering.

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, POLITICAL EDITOR, DAPO AKINREFON & EBUN SESSOU

I

N the opinion of a leading member of the Lagos State

House of Assembly it is the best bill to have come under consideration of the House in recent times.

The amendment bill to the Lagos State Local Government Administration

Law, 1999 is, however, laced with serious controversy, the kind of controversies that the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN use in taunting the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Now, the ACN is the one

being taunted and it is not surprising that many otherwise eloquent canvassers of the ACN are shying away from making comments on the bill.

Many of them even go the extent of denial. The bill aims to extend the tenure of the incumbent local government chairmen and councillors, a move, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP alleges to be another sign of desperation on the part of the ACN leadership of the state.

The amendment follows a communication from the Lagos State governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola to the Lagos State House of Assembly for an amendment to the laws governing the administration of local governments in the state.

The bill aims to extend the tenure of the chairmen of the 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in the state from three to four years.

The incumbent chairmen who were all elected on the platform of the ACN came into office in October 2011 and under the existing law are expected to hold office until October 2014 when they would either seek re-election or vacate office under the three year tenure system.

However, the bill now under consideration in aims to review section 27(3) of the present law to allow the extension of the tenure of the incumbent office holders to

Continues on page 41

Wh CN is jitt er Whyy A ACN jitter eryy — Gani Lagos PDP spokesman

W

HAT is your reaction to the reverses suffered by you in the Appeal Courts The interesting thing is that most of the tribunals gave us judgment but they were all turned down by the Court of Appeal and none of the cases at the Court of Appeal was dismissed based on the evidence that we gave, but were dismissed on the technical ground that we ought to have filed and heard the matter within 30 days.

Now, we filed within 30 days but we couldn’t control adjournments. To issue adjournment is sacrosanct to the tribunal. But we know that at the end of the day that the people’s court is the real court.

We filed petitions in seven local government areas challenging the chairmanship results. They were Badagry,

Ikoyi-Obalende, AgbadoOkeodo, Yaba LCDA, Eredo, Shomolu and then Apapa.

Three of those were dismissed at the tribunal level, but four were given to us, Badagry, Ikoyi-Obalende, Yaba and Agado-Okeodo. In the case of Yaba LCDA it was decided that LAISEC should go and conduct a rerun, because the court found out that the (ACN) chairmanship candidate was not validly nominated because the vice-chairman that ought to be a registered voter in that constituency is not.

The implication of that is that the ACN was ab initio not validly part of that first election and as such should not be in the rerun. Now they have gone on appeal based on their calculation that the technical issue of 30 days will be capitalised on.

•Gani But how can you say that an election matter should be calculated within 30 days? It is not possible.

After these setbacks, will you

be going for the next round of elections?

We have resolved that never again will we boycott elections in Lagos State. Not only because we want to participate, the people are yearning for change. The PDP remains the only potent alternative. Yes, we have rattled them. This is part one now, we are going to improve on our planning so that in the next election it would not be that we will just participate, we will participate, win and retain our mandate.

We will do everything possible and we can also look at it that it is now obvious that they want to hold on to power.

How can a party insist that they will continue to hold on to power? Now they have taken a bill to the State House of Assembly for extension in the

Continues on page 41

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013 —41

Lagos:

Tenure extension bill raises issues

Continues from page 40 four years.

Another critical provision in the bill is a clause that would also limit the term of office of the chairmen to two, meaning that no single individual can stay in office for more than eight years.

Supporters of the bill say it is aimed at synchronising the tenure of the local government administrators to that of other office holders at the federal and state levels.

“It is born out of the fact that the current local government law is outdated because it can no longer meet the challenges facing the tier of government and that is why there is need for a new law to strengthen the local councils in the state,” Hon. Moshood Oshun, chairman of the House Committee on Local government and chieftaincy affairs told Vanguard in an interview.

Other critical stakeholders including the lawyers flay what they allege to be an

PDP. After making what some saw as a good showing in the 2011 local government elections the opposition party believes that another round of local government elections before the 2015 general election would expose the underbelly of the ACN in the state.

Though none of the seats was declared in its favour the PDP was able to win some four seats at the election tribunal, though all the seats judicially declared for it have been reversed at the Court of Appeal.

PDP spokesman in the state, Mr. Taofik Gani alleges that the bill is a far more potent variant of the controversial third term push during the Olusegun Obasanjo regime.

“This is worse than third term that they blackmailed the PDP with,” Gani told Vanguard in an interview.

Grassroots election

•Igbokwe attempt to shift the goal post in the middle of the game.

The most virulent opposition, however, has come from the

This is a good bill — Mosun THE Chairman of the Committee on Local Government Administration and Chieftaincy Affairs, Lagos State House of Assembly, Moshood Oshun in this interview explains the rationale for the new Local Government Amendment Bill 2013 saying it is to reposition the administrative system of the local government system in the state. Excerpts:

W

HAT is your opinion on the new Local Government Amendment Bill 2013 ?

It is born out of the fact that the current local government law is outdated because it can no longer meet the challenges facing the tier of government and that is why there is need for a new law to strengthen the local councils in the state.

The truth is that, the mode of operation of the local council system can no longer meet the demand of this new generation.

And that is the same for other bills that are yet to be changed.

Most of the bills are old and the society is changing everyday therefore most of the bills have to change. Basically there are some bills that have changed.

There are many things that had changed in the administration of our local governments and so we are on the verge of enacting a new bill that would indicate what the people want. The new bill is seeking to amend the existing law on its administration, mode of operation, tenure of elected members of the council, among others.

The new bill will give

interest of the ACN because they cannot risk another grassroots election before the general election of 2015.

So, they want to avoid that because the next local government election is due before the next general election and they want to have hold of all the local government areas to be pseudo comfortable for the general elections.”

“These people tag themselves as democrats, progressives, but they are worse,” he said.

Lagos ACN spokesman Joe Igbokwe who denied knowledge of the bill, nevertheless, called for caution saying: “Wait until the house takes a decision on that, then we can talk. For the fact that somebody presented something in the hallowed chambers of the State House of Assembly does not mean it is automatic. Let us wait and see because this is democracy.”

“We know that it is in the

Right now, the bill is still pending until the public hearing is conducted. And that is why we are not in a rush to enact this new bill.

Do you support the new bill?

Of course, I support the new bill. It is like changing a car to suit the new environment. The society itself needs a new bill.

We need a bill that would checkmate the activities of the local government.

What stage is the bill right

now?

It is still pending until the public hearing is done and we are not in a rush to enact the bill. We need to put the right thing in place for our people.

The bill is to make sure that the local government runs the way it is supposed to be run, there is need for checks and balances in the local government and also make the local government local closer to the people.

Wh CN is jitt er Whyy A ACN jitter eryy — Continues from page 41

•Oshun enough opportunities to the House of Assembly to assess the councils’ performance. We are not talking about extension, what we are saying is that there is need for a new bill to be created for a standard local government to be run. That is

why we need the stakeholders to come and brainstorm on what the bill should look like after which we will then take it up from there. We are going to organise a public hearing where stakeholders would come to share their opinions.

middle of the game. This is worse than third term that they blackmailed the PDP with.

The bill is before the House of Assembly and has passed the first reading.

The deputy speaker has said that they are going to pass the bill because it is in the interest of Lagosians.

But we know that it is in the interest of the ACN because they cannot risk another grassroots election before the general election of 2015.

So, they want to avoid that because the next local government election is due before the next general election and they want to have hold of all the local government areas to be pseudo comfortable for the general elections.

So these are the issues. These people tag themselves as democrats, progressives, but

Gani

they are worse.

But your party is said to be perennially divided in Lagos?

Even though the ACN is the ruling party in Lagos but based on our statistics, we know we have a larger number of PDP supporters in Lagos State.

Dissenting opinion If you have a party as large as that that allows democratic expression and dissenting opinion, you must give room for the minority to have their say and for the majority to have their way.

I am not going to deny that at a certain point in time that there were quarrels, but I can confirm to you and you can quote me that Senator Ogunlewe now sits with Chief Bode George, Senator Obanikoro now seats with Bode George.

42—VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013

Would he ever learn to trust again?

Why do I go for men who are rats?

Dear Steph, When a pattern evolves, as it does here, luck has nothing to do with it. What is pulling

the string is not luck; it’s you.

I don’t mean by this that we get what we deserve from life; but we often get what we think we deserve.

So why do you think you deserve nothing better than a series of unloving, abusive men?

At 30, you’re entering a decade in a woman’s life that com-

’

Dear Bunmi, I believe I have the worst luck in men! When I was in my early 20s, I gave up my career to support my fiance’s dream of starting his own business. Five years later, he slept with my best friend.

Then I met an abusive man who I dated for more than a year. He got worse, so I left him.

I then vowed to give men a break only to meet a much older man who was a widower.

He showered me with gifts and treated me like a goddess— or so I thought until I discovered he’s been texting at least two girls, who sent revolting photographs of themselves to his e-mail. Am I destined to only find men who are mentally sick? I’m now 30.

Steph, by e-mail.

bines maturity with fun. What you need to do is resume your career and find like-minded friends.

In the meantime, take better care of yourself— alter your appearance to mark a new beginning and you’re bound to change your pattern— and your luck!

’

Dear Joy, The trick to enjoying better love-making is to follow your instinct, especially now the euphoric experience of falling in love is on your side. Having said that, I recently came across these methods of making your love life even better.

You might want to try some or all of the tips!

1) Most of the nerves in the v.g..a are at its entrance. So get your man to penetrate with just the tip of his private part.

2) The U-spot is about one inch in. It responds well to gentle stimulation.

3) The classic G-spot is about two inches in— you’ll get the most stimulation by making love with you on top.

4) The A-spot is further back than the G-spot. Try making love in a more upright position, like sitting on the edge of the bed.

5) For some women, the cervix— right at the back of the priavte part — is a key spot.

Use the missionary position to achieve deep penetration.

6) The back wall of the private part gives completely different feelings. Kneel on the bed and try making love doggy style.

I’m fed up with diets not working Dear Bunmi, I started university last year and put on a lot of weight. So I gave up the foods I loved and exercised three times a week— but I’ve actually put on weight. I’m really upset about this.

Food is all I think about now and I’m fed up with watching every bite while my friends eat what they want.

I no longer have the time to exercise and I’m broke. So if I buy special food on campus, I can’t afford the gym.

Help!

Augustina, by e-mail.

C M Y K

Dear Shirly, When your partner is behaving this way, it’s always hard to decide when you should walk away or when you should hang in there.

Walk away if your man is convinced it won’t work, as

there’s not much chance it will. Action speaks louder than words.

Not phoning and missing dates mean he’s already made his decision. Also, when he says things like: “You’re too good for me,” know he’s letting you down gently. And if he is wobbling where you’re keen, the difference in your feelings say it all.

On the other hand, you should hang in there if he’s unsure about issues unrelated to you— these can be resolved. If his doubts are due to a life stage, for example, he wants to change jobs first, then be patient with him.

If he lets you know he’s thinking of building a future with you and willing to discuss his doubts, then bear with him.

The trick to enjoying Can’t afford viagra better love-making is to for my wife and mistress! follow your instinct, esmind as she was more than Bunmi, pecially now the euphoric Dear I am in my early 50s and financially capable of looking have been married for over 20 after a child. If she eventually years. Years ago, I started gets pregnant, and my wife experience of falling having this fear of failure and gets to know about it, how it leads to my being almost would I explain my sudden in love is on impotent. We only managed virility?

Chima, by e-mail. to make love very occasionyour side ally until it eventually

Can I make this good love-making better?!

Dear Bunmi, Since you’re determined to bring love-making out of the closest and present it as the most natural and the healthiest way of showing affection to the one you love, would you have any tips to guarantee you hit the spot every time you make love?

I’m having a very sizzling relationship that’s giving me a lot of happiness and would love to take it to the max. Can you help? I know this is out of your general line of questions but a hint or two wouldn’t come amiss.

Joy, by e-mail.

Dear Bunmi, I was with this lovely man for close to six months and I thought our relationship was solid.

Recently, however, he confessed his last ex had cheated on him with another friend and he’s scared of being hurt all over again.

Since then, he’s been very irregular on his visits. Do you think I’m wasting my time hoping the relationship will thrive?

Shirly, by e-mail.

Dear Augustine, What you say makes me believe you left home, maybe for the first time, to go to university. You left your source of sustenance and control— your family— to learn how to sustain and control yourself.

I suspect that your inability to lose weight is due to sneaky self-sabotage— you’re using uncontrollable weight to prove that you aren’t up to looking after yourself.

University environment is a large one and you can easily join a slimming group, which will give you companionship

as well as incentive. There’s no need to join a gym. Just persuade a few friends to join you for a daily run or walk in any of the parks.

Denying yourself food only keeps their flavours growing in your mind. The key to satisfaction is not abstinence, but moderation.

You say food is all you think about. Please start thinking about your ambitions and relationships, about skills, adventure and possibilities. Forget your diet and take charge of your life. You can do it. And guess what? It’s fun!

stopped.

Early in the year, I met this ravaging lady at a business conference and we clicked right away. It was obvious love-making would be on the cards, yet the familiar fear of impotence returned. Thankfully, men like me now have a saviour— Viagra.

I took it and it had an amazing effect on me. I was able to make passionate love to this new discovery of mine. Now, I’m in a quandary. The magic pill, Viagra, doesn’t come cheap.

I wish I could give the same consideration I gave to my mistress to my wife. But quite frankly, I can’t afford it. Since my wife hasn’t complained about her sexless life, why should I stir up problems for myself?

Only, this new woman wants a child by me. I told her I couldn’t afford to have a child as I was already paying through the nose for the three we have. She said she didn’t

Dear Chima, You are not ready to satisfy the wife at home but would rather spend lavishly on your mistress? You can’t eat your cake and have it you know.

Obviously, you must have had the Viagra solution for a while and you quickly resorted to it when a vixen showed up.

Now is payback time.

But do you really want this child? Would your marriage be able to survive this mammoth deceit? And did you ever wonder if your uncomplaining wife wasn’t getting it somewhere else? Finally, will your mistress stick to her promise not to ask for childsupport?

Put your thinking cap on and tell this lady to look for a chap who will be willing to commit himself to proper fatherhood. In the meantime, why don’t you discuss your Viagra solution with your wife? She might be able to shell out some money towards your sexual happiness!

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

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013 —43

Cleric urges FG to stop blood-letting in Nigeria

BY OLAYINKA LATONA

L

AGOS — DIOCESAN Bishop of Lagos, Anglican Communion, Most Rev. Adebola Ademowo, has called on the Federal Government to urgently put necessary machinery in place to stop shedding of innocent blood in the country.

He also call for equipping of the Police Force with modern gadgets to combat the wave of crime in the country.

Ademowo, who made the call at a media briefing organised by the Diocese of Lagos to announce the 32nd Synod of the Diocese, said numerous killings in the country were culminating in degeneracy in social values and the sanctity of life.

He called on government to take urgent action regarding groups’ killing and wasting of people's lives and property in the Northern part of the country.

He said: “The Federal Government needs to address, very urgently, the serious problem of insecurity in the country. There is insecurity, unemployment and our values and standards are nose-diving.

“We need divine intervention. This country is on a downward slope.

Government should address other socio-economic problems like unemployment, insecurity, corruption, greed and lack of electricity supply.”

The governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, is expected to grace the occasion. Some of the issues to be discussed at the Synod, with the theme, “Counting Your Blessing” are the church growth, reports from the Cathedral, issues in the various archdioceses, directorates and the theological college.

The Synod is scheduled for Sunday, May 5, 2015, at the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, Lagos.

Okorocha gives N.2m to driver that hit him

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

O

WERRI — THE driver of the Mercedes Banz 200 saloon car, Mr. Osita Nnewuihe, who allegedly rammed his vehicle into the staff car of Imo State governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha, was yesterday given N200,000 cash to repair his car.

Doling out the money, yesterday, at Government House, Owerri, Chief Okorocha said Nnewuihe was a former councillor in Oru East Local Council

Area of the state.

He thanked God that nothing serious happened to the young man, stressing that he ran into the governor ’s convoy unknowingly.

“The young man was arrested and detained by the police for about one week before I gave an order that he should be released from detention,” Okorocha said.

The governor said he was “back, strong and healthy” and thanked Imo people for

A

BUJA — AS part of the activities to mark the 2013 Workers' Day tomorrow, the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC and the Trade Union Congress, TUC, will today flag off 6,000 housing units for workers in the civil and public service to help ease off the perennial accommodation problems Nigerian workers encounter.

National Vice President of NLC, Comrade Promise Adewusi, who disclosed this, weekend, while addressing journalists on the activities marking the 2013 May Day at the Labour House, Abuja, also said that this year ’s May Day will be special as it will be part of the activities lined up for the celebration of Nigeria’s 100 years of existence.

Adewusi said: ”The May Day celebration is a joint celebration between the Nigeria Labour Congress and the

ASUU disowns UNIZIK splinter group

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

A

From left: Senator Walid Jibril, Secretary, PDP Board of Trustees, BoT and Chairman, Governing Board, Raw Materials & Dev Council; Mr. Saadu Salahu, Head, Public Relations Unit, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Abuja and Abdul Razaq Lawal, member, Governing Board, Federal Poly, Ede Osun State, at an event, in Abuja.

NLC, TUC flag off 6,000 housing units for workers today

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU

remaining peaceful and prayerful since he left the country for medical treatment oversea.

He called on road users to be very careful about the way they drove and declared that Nnewuihe had become his personal friend.

Speaking also, Mr. Nnewuihe expressed happiness that nothing serious happened to the governor and wished him well.

Trade Union Congress. This is the May Day before the Centenary Celebration, and it will be special.

“The President of the country, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan will be present, and members of the diplomatic corps willbe part of the celebration.

“The centenary celebration is solely funded by the private sector. All materials for the May Day celebration were produced by local textile companies. The contract was given to those who have unions.

“On Tuesday this week there would be a May Day Symposium at the International Conference Centre, Abuja as a flag-off of the May Celebration, whose chairman is the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Ayim Pius Ayim.

“Three papers will be presented at the symposium, which will be on corruption, 100 years of Nationhood; challenges of development, and Security. While there will be three speakers and five discus-

sants that day.

“Awards would be presented to outstanding Nigerians who have immensely contributed to the development of the country, but it excludes current serving government officials.

“Also, there would be a flagoff of 6,000 housing units across the federation by NLC and TUC by launching a website at the Eagle Square, Abuja where the May Day celebration will take place

WKA — NSUKKA zone of Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, yesterday, disowned the ASUU splinter group formed recently by some aggrieved lecturers of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, UNIZIK, Awka, over the manner its local ASUU branch was being run.

The Nsukka zone of ASUU comprises Abia State University, Uturu, Anambra State University, Uli, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Enugu State University of Technology, Enugu, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka and University of Nigeria, Nsukka and the members were in Awka on a solidarity visit to the UNIZIK ASUU. Coordinator of Nsukka zone of ASUU, Dr. Chidi Osuagwu, said at a news conference in Awka that the group known as ASUU NAU Progressives, which is a breakaway group from UNIZIK ASUU, was not recognised by ASUU. He added that as a registered trade union in Nigeria, ASUU was one united and very disciplined body.

Nsukka LG budget: Councillors accused of bribe-taking

BY CHINENYEH OZOR

N

sukka — THE 2013 budget of Nsukka Local Government Council, Enugu State, was allegedly signed into law without due process of legislative proceedings.

Vanguard gathered that the budget was never read on the

floor of the legislative council for once as the councillors allegedly collected N50,000 each as gratification from the executive arm to pass the budget.

A competent source at the council said: “I can tell you that the budget was never read by the councillors on the floor

of the House before it was signed into law by the chairman, Mr. Tony Ugwu.

“Let me also inform you that none of five supervisory councillors was invited by the legislative arm of the council to defend any part of the budget. What the councillors did was to send it back to the

chairman for that purpose.

“The entire process could better be described as executive rascality without due process of legislative proceedings. Enugu State House of Assembly should as a matter of necessity, investigate the recklessness of the councillors on the 2013 budget of the council.”

44—Vanguard , WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013

Ugolor to IG: Don't play God with Ojerinde's murder

Olu of Warri celebrates 26th anniversary

BY EMMA ARUBI

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

W

ARRI—ITSEKIRI monarch, HRM Ogiame Atuwatse II, will, today, commence activities to mark his 26th coronation anniversary as the Olu of Warri.

According to a programme of event, a praise day service at the palace field will take place in Warri, today.

Tomorrow, there will be paying of homage, traditional dances, performances and the Olu’s address to the Itsekiri nation at Ode-Itsekiri (big Warri), the ancestral home of the Itsekiri.

Friday is the coronation lecture, free health care services and lawn tennis tournament at the palace field and the Warri Club venue.

B

ENIN—FOLLOWING the confusion that had trailed the investigation into the murder of Mr. Olaitan Oyerinde, former Principal Private Secretary to Governor Adams Oshiomhole, about a year ago, Executive Director of African Network for Environment and Economic Justice, ANEEJ and bosom friend of the deceased, Rev. David Ugolor, has asked the Inspector-General of Police not to play God over the mur-

der.

It will be one year on Saturday, May 4, when the former governor ’s aide was killed, while the controversy over the two conflicting reports submitted by the Department of State Security and the Police, as regards investigations into the murder, was yet to be resolved.

However, Ugolor, who was arrested and detained for over a month by the police over the murder, had vowed to continue to fight, until Oyerinde’s killers were

brought to book.

While reacting to a recent interview by the IG on the issue, Ugolor said: “I will encourage the IG not to play God with the murder of Olaitan.

“The suspects they paraded three days after I was illegally arrested gave graphic details of how they carried out the murder of Oyerinde.

“The Police, on hearing that the Department of State Security, DSS, paraded suspects, who confessed to killing Olaitan Oyerinde, were

CAN tasks Northern leaders on peace process

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

P

ORT HARCOURT— CHRISTIAN Association of Nigeria, CAN, has called on Northern leaders to be actively involved in the drive for enduring peace in the northern part of the country.

National President of CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, made the call in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, during the inauguration of the new leadership of the South-South chapter of

Ugeh made Ogbelani of Illah

O

GBELANI of Illah in Oshimili-North Local Government Area of Delta State, HRH Obi Nwabuenu Mebu has conferred the chieftaincy title of Ochendo of Illah on Chief Uche Ugeh.

Obi Nwabuenu said the title was in appreciation of Chief Ugeh’s numerous contributions to the development of Illah.

He said Ugeh had over the years identified with the peaceful co-existence in the community, adding that as a former Special Adviser to the state governor, he used his position to attract basic infrastructure to the area.

the body.

He said peace would be achieved when the Northern leaders take up the responsibility of identifying members of the Islamist sect, Boko Haram, for dialogue.

According to him, they should emulate leaders in the Niger Delta region, who headed to the creeks for peace meetings with the ex-militants before lasting peace was achieved in the region.

He said President Goodluck Jonathan, who was Vice President then under late President Umaru Yar’Adua, left the comfort of his office in

Abuja to hold peace parley with the ex-militants.

He said: “No Federal Government committee was set up before amnesty was granted to the ex-militants in the region,” adding that the leaders of the region, including himself, became actively involved in the peace process.

Earlier in his remarks, new Chairman of CAN, SouthSouth, Most Rev. God-Dowell Avwomakpa, said the body would engage in aggressive evangelism in the region, adding that all steps should be geared towards the promotion of harmonious living.

quick to dismiss the DSS suspects as fake.

“The police claimed at the time that they had the authentic killers as if they were in a competition with DSS. Why was the police quick to dismiss the DSS suspects?

“If the IG wants to demonstrate to Nigerians that he meant well in the investigations, the suspects he received from the DSS ought to have been handed over to a neutral set of police officers.

"They could then investigate them further to confirm the veracity of their involvement or otherwise, reconcile whatever his first team had done and give him perhaps an unbiased report.

“If for no other reason, for transparency. This will clear the doubts that were so obvious with the Peter Gana-led investigation.

“Instead of towing that most plausible path, the DSS suspects were handed over to the same set of so-called detective led by DIG Peter Gana and Deputy Commissioner of Police, Chris Ezike, who had messed up the investigations by framing me up using old suspects in various police cells in Benin City as contained in their own reports.”

DESOPADEC assures on projects in Isoko communities

BY FESTUS AHON

U

GHELLI—COMMIS SIONER representing Isoko on the board of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, Mr. Joseph Ogeh, has assured that the commission would embark on more projects in Isoko towns

and villages.

While inspecting projects that were awarded by the new board, Ogeh said: “There is no community in Isoko that does not have at least one DESOPADEC project.

“If there is any community in the 19 clans in Isoko, where DESOPADEC project

is not going on, it means that the contractor has not mobilised to site.”

Appealing to such communities to be patient with the contractor, he said: “DESOPADEC no longer give mobilisation to contractors. What the commission does is to create the avenue for them to access funds from

By Bartholomew Madukwe

PEOPLE SPEAK

08102479985

the banks and other financial institutions."

Some of the projects visited by the commissioner include the four-kilometre Uto Road, Igbide; Eboh-Iyede solar water project; Ogewho solar water project; Oghara-Iyede community hall; Igbide solar generator water project and Emede solar water project.

(nwamad@yahoo.com)

What's your take on rotational presidency?(4)

W

HY will there be rotational presi dency? Is it all the zones that are interested in the presidency?

What happened to the polls? The issue should be who has Nigeria at heart? Let the person come out and the electorate will decide.— Miss Elile Mokwenye, Model.

T

HE clamour for rotational presidency is because every zone wants development as a president will definitely do something for his people. But I do not think it is in line with our constitution. So it is a ‘ no.’— Mr. Ben Onyekachi, Communicator.

A

LTHOUGH we know that our votes do not count in most elections held in this part of the world, I still believe that the people should be allowed to make their choices. In fact, that is what democracy is all about. So, no.— Miss Aibel Tosin, Student.

I

do not think rotational presidency is Nigeria’s problem.

Our problem is more of leadership. Any good leader can come from anywhere, as long as the leaders has vision. We should forget about rotating the office of president.— Ebereke Kelechi, Student.

I

T is true that all zones should be carried along in the running of the affairs of this country, but it will be risky to say that we should then adopt rotational presidency. It is risky. Our call should be for basic amenities for all.— Miss Osondu Benedicta, Teacher.

A

good leader can come from East, West, North or South. If the office of the president should be moving from one zone to another zone, what if the people do not like the person from a particular zone? It will be hard on the president.— Mr. Nelson Azubuike, Cleric.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013—45

Foreign Poly Project in Delta suffers setback

Nonfunctional prison facilities hamper dispensation of justice —Dickson

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

B

OMADI—THE Foreign Polytechnic Project, a partnership between a United Kingdombased tertiary institution and the Bomadi Vicariate of the Catholic Church, has suffered financial setback in its efforts to complete the permanent site building at Bomadi, Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State.

Bishop of the Vicariate, Most Rev. Hyacinth Egbebo, said in view of government’s alleged refusal to allow programmes kick start at St. Brendan’s College premises, the management decided to embark on completion of the ongoing building project at the permanent site in Olomubou, Bomadi town.

Christians urged to emulate Jesus

C

HRISTIANS have been charged to emulate Jesus Christ’s virtues, so as to make Nigeria a better place for all.

The charge came during the inauguration of Archb i s h o p Goddowell Avwomakpa, as Christian Association of Nigeria's, CAN, new Chairman for South South at Christ Missionaries Crusaders Church, Ekpan, Warri, Delta State .

Delta State governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, who was represented by his deputy, Prof Amos Utuama, described Avwomakpa as a man, who turned a forest into a city of God.

Unuafe passes on

C

HIEF Matthew Unuafe, of Okpe Isoko in Isoko North Local Government Area of Delta State, is dead, aged 75.

Burial comes up May 4, at his compound 2, Ovie Street, Okpe-Isoko, with entertainment of guests at Okabara Primary School, Okpe-Isoko.

He is survived by many children and relations, among whom are Mrs Bridget Erue and Mr Monday Unuafe.

Late Chief Unuafe C M Y K

Y

E N A G OA — B AY E L SA State governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson, has identified the absence of functional prison services as one of the factors militating against the quick dispensation of justice in the country.

Receiving the visiting Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro, who was in Yenagoa, yesterday, for the commissioning of the state prisons, Dickson blamed the delay in dispensing justice and congestion of the prisons across the country on inadequate facilities.

Assuring the minister of his administration’s support, Dickson said that the presence of a functional Prisons Service in the state would, to a large extent, ensure speedy dispensation of justice, especially in the aspect of criminal cases as well as reduce the cost of litigation.

He said: “The delay in the dispensation of justice to prisoners in the state was oc-

casioned by the absence of a federal prison in the state as our indigenes had to be transferred to Ahoada Prisons in Rivers State, which posed challenges for litigation and transportation.

“Without a federal prison, the infrastructure of a justice administration system, par-

ticularly that of the criminal justice system, is not complete and we in Bayelsa, over the years, have had that problem. So, I thank the Federal Government for the decision to establish a federal prison in the state.

“Before now, as you rightly said, our Awaiting Trial In-

VISIT: Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State (middle); Lady Valerie Ebe, Deputy Governor (3rd right); Hauwa Evelyn (5th left); Mrs. Cecilia Udo Essien (4th left), during a courtesy visit at the Governor's Office, Uyo.

Edo LG polls: We're studying agents' reports —Labour Party

BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

B

ENIN—EDO State chapter of Labour Party, LP, yesterday, in Benin, said it was studying reports of its agents across the state on the outcome of the local government elections held on April 20, before communicating its next line of action to members and supporters.

The party, in a statement by its state Chairman, Mr. Sam Omede, urged members and supporters to remain calm, peaceful and go about their

normal duties, adding that they should place their hopes in God. The party said that it was unfortunate that results released in the 17 local government areas of the state by Edo State Independent Electoral Commission, EDSIEC, where elections purportedly took place, had been dogged with controversies and outright rejection by the two main opposition parties, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and Labour Party, and called for a revisit of the entire electoral process.

The party, however, con-

gratulated the courage of its members, “who were swayed by the issue-based campaign that was executed effectively across the state. We are grateful to you for the unprecedented support, earned strictly on the basis of what we stood for, without financial or material inducement.

“We regret the needless waste of time, energy, resources and more significantly, the inability of most of you to cast your votes due to sundry manipulative innovations by those in positions of authority. You are the heroes of democracy.”

2015: Patani PDP denies endorsing Rep for 5th tenure

BY EMMA AMAIZE

W

ARRI—THE leader ship of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Patani Local Government Area of Delta State, has denied adopting the member, representing Bomadi/Patani Federal constituency in the National Assembly, Mr Nicolas Mutu, for a fifth tenure in 2015.

Chairman of the party in the area, Mr. Godbless Omoniye, made the disclo-

mates and those who have to be detained or kept in custody for one reason or another are usually taken to places of detention outside Bayelsa State. That meant a lot of inconvenience and cost to them and their relations as well as created a lot of problems for their legal representatives.”

sure at an enlarged meeting of party leaders, attended by the Deputy Speaker of Delta State House of Assembly and member, representing Patani constituency, Mr Basil Ganagana and former state chairman of PDP, Dr. Pius Sinebe, in Patani.

Also in attendance were the Commissioner, Special Duties (DESOPADEC), Delta State, Mr. Tonye Timi, chairman, Transition Committee, Patani Local Government Area, Dr. Chris Ekiyor,

former commissioners, Mr Raymos Guanah and Brave Enodeh.

While soliciting the cooperation of party faithful in the advancement of the human capital and infrastructural development of the area, Omoniye frowned at the attitude of some opinion leaders in the area, who were in the habit of instigating their supporters to blackmail elected and appointed indigenes from the area in the social media.

Land owners offer N7m to families in Delta community

BY FESTUS AHON

U

GHELLI—OWNERS of the site acquired by Midwestern Oil and Gas Company Plc, at Umusadege-Ogbe community of Otagba-Ogbe, Ndokwa West Local Government Area, Delta State, have offered N7 million to seven families in the community in appreciation of their support and cooperation since the acquisition of the land by the company.

President of the land owners, Mr. Alex Ikuni, while presenting the money to the community, noted that the people were solidly behind the land owners throughout the agitation for their compensation from the company’s management.

He enjoined the people to redouble their support and cooperation to the land owners. Receiving the money on behalf of the community, Chief Francis Obigbor, thanked the land owners for the kind gesture and assured them of the community’s continual support. He, however, advised the people of the community, particularly the land owners, to always follow constitutional means in agitating for their rights.

46—Vanguard , WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013

WEDDING—Prince and Mrs Ebiyemi Kelly Emiko (middle) flanked

By Prince Ebiyemi Emiko, father of the grooom (left) and Princess BRIEFING—From left: Chairman, organising committee for the Capital market night, Kate Emiko (right), during the Holy Matrimony between Ifeoma and Mr. Greg Otsu; Treasurer, ASHON, Mr. Sam Onukwue; Chairman, Mr. Emeka Ebiyemi Emiko at the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, in Madubike; members, Ms Ify Ejezie; Mike Kasit and Mr. Jude Chiemeke, at a brief- Surulere, Lagos. Photo: Biodun Ogunleye. ing on the forthcoming Capital market night in Lagos.

ROUNDTABLE—From left: Alternative Dispute Resolution Consultant to the Lagos Court of Arbitration, LCA, Mrs. Olusola Adegbonmire; Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer, Lagos Court of Arbitration, Megha Joshi and Member, Board of Directors, Lagos Court of Arbitration, Fabian Ajogwu, SAN, at the LCA Media Round Table in Lagos.

TOUR—From left: Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello; Director, Public Affairs and Communications, Pastor. Fola Adeyemi; Permanent Secretary, Office of the Drainage Service, Mr. Muyideen Akinsanya; and Assistant Director, Drainage Constructions and Dredging, Mr. Henry Johnson, during a tour by the Commissioner to drainage projects sites at Ajiran Town, Lekki Lagos. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi.

WEDDING—From left: Mrs Funke Ogundeji, representing the late bride's mother; the couple, Mr and Mrs Olayemi Ajiboye Abifarin and Chief Kolawole Sowale, bride's father during the wedding of Damilola Sowale and Olayemi Abifarin at the New Estate Baptist Church, Surulere, Lagos.

Photo: Shola Oyelese.

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RECEPTION—From left: President, Osun State Baptist Conference, Rev. Testimony Onifade; Osun State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Titi Laoye-Tomori; President, Nigeria Baptist Convention, Rev. Supo Ayokunle; Osun State Commisssioner for Environment and Sanitation, Prof. Olubukola Oyawoye and Chairman, MicCom Golf, Prince Tunde Ponle at the reception for the Executive Committee of the Nigerian Baptist Convention in Ada, Osun State.

BRIEFING—From left: Tolu Williams, Content Manager; Mark Reguard, Chief Marketing Officer; Cordelia Ekeocha, Corporate Communications Manager; Francis Ebuehi, Chief Operating Officer; Jesse Oguntimehim, Head, Customer Service; Princess Adelokiki, Acquisition Specialist; and Oye Akideinde, Business Development Manager during a briefing by Spinlet Ltd in Lagos.

WORKSHOP—From left: Mr Tope Banjo, Senior Brand Manager, Grand Cereals Ltd; Miss Damilola Sobowale, CEO, Smids Animation Studio; Miss Omotayo Bakare, Blogger/Online Analyst and Miss Olufunmilayo Oyatogun, CEO, Bailiff Africa during the First Women in Media Workshop in Lagos. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele.

BRIEFING—From left: Miss Sade Olorode, Personal Assistant; Mrs Yinka Ogunde, Principal Consultant Edumark Consult and Mrs Fisayo Balogun, Client Executive Officer Edumark Consult at a briefing on the Total School Support Seminar and Exhibition in Lagos.Photo: Akeem Salau.

Vanguard Vanguard,,

WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013

—47

YOUR LUCK TODAY

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 GEMINI; Those of you who are more firmed are in for a rewarding day. In whatever you do today it is important you don’t forget both immediate and far future.

CANCER; You will have more to gain keeping both your personal and financial secrets. Take good advantage of your sex appeal to enhance your love life positively.

LEO; You are becoming more determined to the betterment of your cause. However this is not the right time to re-arrange (and/or) re-plan your finances.

VIRGO; Giving priority attention to either day-to-day working activities or long term career related issue is not bad at all but you must be as practical as possible.

LIBRA; It will be wrong to drop ambitious plans along your career line because of minor disappointment. Take your good friends more seriously.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

By Richard Eromosele

I

guess your im mediate answer to the above question is NO, I am not a thief. But pause a bit. Let us together do the following analysis: Have you at any time been allocated time to

Are you are thief? speak in an occasion and you exceeded the time allocated for you to speak? Have you at anytime come to work late, yet, at the end of the month

you got paid for work you did not do? Have you at any time taken another person’s turn without his permission?

You see, in some

TERROR MUDA in “Never say goodbye”

ways, consciously or unconsciously we have stolen. So, let us learn to do things when we should do them and in the right proportion. Above all, let’s never cut corners.

By Lanre Kehinde

SCORPIO; Time is fast approaching for an important actions concerning you career and/or business lines. Don’t allow friends to mislead you. Be very practical.

SAGITTARIUS; It is good to express yourself gracefully , but it is equally good to watch what you tell others so that you don’t promise what you can not deliver.

CAPRICORN; The best for you today is to give priority attention to practical way to improve on your working pattern and encourage better understanding at work.

AQUARIUS; It is nice to rely on yourself but nobody can be an Island on his own; meaning that you will need to be as co-operative as necessary to be successful today.

PISCES; Good advice from the veterans within your base of operation will go long way to get things done the proper way to the betterment of your cause.

ARIES; If you take good advice from your tried and trusted friends you will not have cause to regret but if you become reckless it would back-fire. Be loving.

TAURUS; You like it or not, domestic related issues will become prominent on your mind. Career and financial affairs can bring you unexpected success today.

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in

“Princess Shii’

By Andy Akman

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

Do I have future?

Dear Joshua, I want you to tell me the day of the week I was born, how the planets lined up when I was born and what both immediate and far future have for me.

Franklin Abuja.

Dear Franklin, You were born on a Monday as indicated by your horoscope data given here under. You have future. I hope you will take what you will find seriously and utilise them.

THE HOROSCOPE DATA DAY OF BIRTH=MONDAY SUN SIGN = CANCER ;SUN IN 6TH DEGREE OF CANCER. MOON SIGN = ARIES ;MOON IN 24TH DEGREE OF ARIES STELLIUM SIGN = LEO MERCURY IN 1ST DEGREE OF LEO* VENUS IN 22ND DEGREE OF LEO* MARS IN 17TH DEGREE OF LEO* JUPITER IN 22ND DEGREE OF SCORPIO SATURN IN 3RD DEGREE OF CAPRICORN URANUS IN 14TH DEGREE OF LEO* NEPTUNE IN 4TH DEGREE OF SCORPIO PLUTO IN 2ND DEGREE OF VIRGO NORTH NODE IN 8TH DEGREE OF LIBRA SOUTH NODE IN 8TH DEGREE OF ARIES NUMBERS OF PLANET HOSTED BY GROUP OF STAR SIGNS (ACCORDING TO QUALITY & ELEMENT) ARE; CARDINAL = 3 FIXED =6 MUTABLE = I FIRE = 5 EARTH = 2 AIR = NONE WATER = 3 PUSHFUL INFLUENCE = 50% NON-PUSHFUL INFLUENCE = 50% FINAL DISPOSITOR (PLANET AT HOME)= AMBITIOUS SATURN THE FUTURE TRENDS For the past few years you have entered an endless cycle of material success. And your 46th year on earth is meant to be a powerful turning point with major emphasis placed on MONEY and LOVE. Talking of money, it will come through your work . However the great challenge here is how to hold on to your profits as there are indications of you expending too much of your funds on either women or woman. It is not clear if it is on business or your normal responsibilities. But mind you if it is on business you will need to tarry a while because such may not yield the desired result. Actually if you go into joint venture with a woman during your 46th & 47th years on earth you are more than likely to be cheated; to be fore warned is to be fore armed.

Romantic aspect of it is if you don’t want another wife you will need to be very careful; as romantic escapade can result to avoidable trouble and/or sorrow (God forbid).

Please take me very seriously here, Please! Please!!

Please!!!

What is more important about this year 2007 is that you will need to be more careful with money between now, the whole of February and first half of March.

C M Y K

VIRGINIA

Commen3

dadadekola@yahoo.com

by Lawrence Akapa

48—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013

3,000 benefit from SURE-P in Jigawa

Plateau Govt, NULGE to settle out of court

BY ALIYU DANGIDA

J

D

UTSE—NO fewer than 3,000 indigenes of Jigawa State have so far benefited from the SURE-P of the Federal Government, the state coordinator of the programme, Alhaji Alhassan Barma has said.

Speaking in Dutse, while flagging off the programme as well as the distribution of some materials to the people of the area, Alhaji Barman said the Federal Government initiated SURE-P to give the teeming unemployed youths ample opportunity to be self reliant in the society.

He added that the beneficiaries who would be drawn from the 27 local government areas of the state would receive monthly stipends of N10,000 each, pointing out that the money would be paid to them for a period of 10 years, after which they would disengaged for other people to benefit.

Yobe approves N787.5m for purchase of Urea fertiliser

D

A M AT U R U — YOBE Government says it had approved the purchase of 6, 000 metric tonnes of Urea fertilisers at the cost of N787.5 million in preparation for the 2013 farming season.

Alhaji Idi Gubana, the state commissioner for agriculture, gave the hint, yesterday, when he spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Damaturu.

“Government has procured N35 million worth of assorted improved seeds and, N35 million worth of chemicals for early distribution to farmers”.

Gubana noted that 40 tractors with implements had also been procured “in addition to what we have on ground to make it available and affordable to all farmers in the state."

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BOARD MEETING—From left: Managing Director/CEO The Infrastructure Bank Plc,Mr Adekunle Oyinloye; Director Infrastructure Bank Plc/Deputy President Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Promise Adewusi and Vice Chairman The Infrastructure Bank Plc,Mr Johan Kruger during The Board Meeting of Infrastructure Bank Plc in Lagos.

Adamawa imposes dusk-todawn curfew on Michika LGA Y

OLA—THE Adamawa government has imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew on Michika Local Government Area of the state following security threats and growing tension in the area.

In a statement signed and issued last night by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Kobis Thimnu, the government said the curfew was with effect from April 30.

The statement also announced a ban on the use of motorcycles in the area dur-

ing the period.

The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that there had been growing tension in Michika following two separate attacks by gunmen in which one person was killed and three others sustained injuries.

Mr Mohammed Ibrahim, the Public Relations Officer of the state police command, said on Sunday that gunmen on motorcycle had opened fire on people in an area, killing one person and

injuring another.

“Prompt reaction by the police led to the killing of one of the gunmen and recovery of some weapons,” he said.

Ibrahim said on Monday that gunmen on motorcycle had opened fire on farmers in a village, injuring two persons.

NAN reports some residents as saying there was tension in the area as people were worried where the next attack would occur.

Women group condemns indefinite suspension of Bauchi female lawmaker

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, POLITICAL EDITOR AND SUZAN EDEH

L

AGOS—WOMEN Ad vocates Research and Documentation Center, WARD-C, has condemned the indefinite suspension placed on Hon. Rifkatu Samson Danna, the only female member of the Bauchi State House of Assembly for over one year now.

This was even as the Bauchi High Court presided over by the State Chief Judge Justice Ibrahim Zango was told yesterday that any rule or law made by state House of Assembly that violates Nigerian law and the 1999 Constitution as amended, is illegal, null,and void.

Lagos lawyer, Chief Femi Falana, SAN, and counsel to

the suspended member of the House of Assembly, Samson Danna, representing Bogoro State Constituency, made this known in a written address in support of an originating summons in a suit filed against the Speaker, Bauchi State House of Assembly and the Bauchi State House of Assembly.

However, Mrs. Abiola Afolabi-Akiode, the Executive Director of WARDC, the woman advocacy group, told Vanguard that the male dominated House exceeded its bounds when it clamped down on Danna giving the impression that women are to be seen and not to be heard.

Danna who is the only female member of the House was eight months ago suspended from further partici-

pation in the activities of the House after she raised objections to the transfer of the headquarters of one of the local governments in her constituency.

“It raises certain questions.

One, to what extent can the House of Assembly keep a member who is elected by her constituency out of the house and for over eight months and when there is nobody acting on behalf of the interest of her electorate or her constituency,” AfolabiAkiode told Vanguard.

“Secondly, the fact that she is the only woman and that she raised an issue, their response to her makes us to understand that they are of the opinion that women are not to speak, that they can only be seen and not to be heard and that for us is a major issue.”

OS—THE Plateau Government has agreed to settle matter with the state’s chapter of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, out-ofcourt.

The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, recalls that the state government had sued the union and 12 others in December 2012 for embarking on a strike.

When the matter came up for hearing in February, the President of the National Industrial Court, Justice Babatunde Adejumo, advised the parties to settle out of court.

At the resumed hearing on Monday, the counsel to the defendants, Mr Gani Kazeem, SAN, told the court that the Attorney General of the state, Mr Edward Pwajok, invited him for a meeting. Kazeem informed the court that the State Government had asked him to file its defence to see its grievances before the discussion could commence.

Vacant NHIS headship slowing health coverage in Nigeria —NMA

L

BY JOSEPHINE IGBINOVIA

AGOS—THE Fed eral Government has been urged to speedup the appointment of a substantive head for the National Health Insurance Scheme-NHIS. Bemoaning the effects of the continued absence of headship for the scheme, President of the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, Dr. Osahon Enabulele, said the vacuum had hindered the full expression of the various packages of the NHIS. Speaking during the flag-off of NMA’s medical mission at Makoko community Monday in Lagos as part of activities for its 53rd National Conference, Osahon regretted that over 70% of Nigeria’s total health expenditure was still borne by innocent Nigerians.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013 — 49

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50—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013

Tears, smiles as church opens community clinic Saturday, April 6, 2013, was an unusual day for Yelwan-Zuba community of the Federal Capital Territory. For, it marked an end to avoidable deaths in the community following an establishment of a standard health centre for the neglected area by the Foursquare Gospel Church, reports Joseph Erunke.

W

HAT would make a man cry on a day his kinsmen were rolling out drums in large numbers to celebrate the establishment of a cottage hospital in their community? The questions asked by those who saw Alhaji Inuwa Awalu wailing uncontrollably at one of the four corners of his small two-bedroom apartment in YelwanZuba, a community in *Rev. Isaac Komolafe cutting the tape to the Federal Capital Ter- commission the health centre. ritory, on Saturday, April The 4-bed N4.5 million health centre, 6, 2013 were endless.

The community jubilat-ed as the built by the Kubwa branch of the church Foursquare Gospel Church, Kubwa 2 with full resident personnel including a branch, commissioned a cottage hospital medical doctor, a nurse and midwives, all it established in the area to address the active members of the church, was comhealth problems of the inhabitants, who missioned for use in the community. They have been without any form of health are to provide a 24-hour health services facility. Awalu’s action was precipitated by in the area.

Giving reason for the gesture, the an incident which claimed the lives his 22-year wife, Aisha and her unborn child General Overseer of Foursquare Gospel three years ago. Aisha had died on the Church, Rev. Felix Oduoye, represented way to a clinic in Zuba, a town about 20 at the occasion by the District Overseer, kilometres from the community, during Rev. Isaac Komolafe, said the church had felt the plight of the people when it came labour.

Aisha’s case was one among many to the community for evangelism some 10 deaths in Yelwan-Zuba Community years earlier.

The initial idea was to establish a church because of the absence of health facility in the community. “There was no maternity/ for them after which it would consider other clinic except the Zuba Maternity Centre, necessary social amenities. He said the which is 20 kilometres from our commu- church was not only concerned about nity. She started labour around midnight evangelism but also the health and socioand we had to beg one of our neighbours economic well-being of the people, sayto rush her to Zuba Maternity Centre, but ing it was in such regards that it interbecause of the distance to the hospital and vened by building the hospital for the the bad state of the only road leading out Yelwan-Zuba community. He assured that of our area, she died with the baby before having accomplished its mission in the we could get to the maternity. If something two areas, the church would focus on other like this was here then, my wife, Aisha needs of the community.

Rev. Komolafe recalled how as a child, and our unborn child would not have died”, Awalu struggled to explain why he he was bitten by a poisonous snake while on his way from the farm where he had was wailing to curious reporters.

Many have lost their lives in similar cir- gone to pluck pepper for his mother, saycumstances; so the coming of the clinic to ing the presence of only hospital in the the community was a big relief to the area established by missionary then, saved his life. inhabitants.

GKM Laity charged to be steadfast

T

HE Laity Council of the Church of God’s Kingdom Mission, GKM, has been advised to be steadfast in their service of God. Making the advice was the Arch-minister of GKM, Bro. Roland Oghene in an address to the 2013 annual Laity conference of the church, noting that it is an attribute of God’s grace that permits man to be involved in the building and development of the New Jerusalem.

“Let us not be weary in our onward march to anti C M Y K

typical Canaan. Those of us who have been called to partake in the build-ing and development of New Jerusalem to the exclusion of the high and mighty of the world should jealously guard his grace and prove ourselves worthy of His calling by selfless and dedicated service”, the Archminister told the congregation.

In his address, chairman of the conference, Bro. Mike Orugbo adm-onished the church to wake up from its slumb-er in order to do the work of God

conscient-iously for the blessing of God to rest on the peo-ple.

He appealed to the Laity to be committed, amenable to change where necessary and in accordance with the scripture, eschew ind-iscipline and make for adequate funding of the church and Laity secre-tariat for improved services in God’s vine-yard. Highlight of the conference held at the mission headquarters in Warri was the setting up of eight committees for easy church administra-tion.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013 — 51

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52 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013 — 53

UN favours sending drones to Africa D

ETERMINED to tackle the security challenges in Africa, the United Nations has expressed a favourable disposition to deployment of drones to the continent.

Blue-helmeted United Nations peacekeepers deployed in African countries may soon have a new tool in their arsenal: the surveillance drone.

Drones are heading to the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as part of an intervention force to root out the rebel groups that have destabilized the region for years. Meanwhile, the UN is mulling the idea of unarmed drones sent to Ivory Coast as the country recovers from nearly a decade of civil unrest.

Experts say unarmed drones could give oftenb e l e a g u e r e d peacekeepers an edge in missions where they can be outfoxed by guerrillas, who often have greater numbers and more local knowledge than UN forces possess.

“It’s an essential tool that’s ideal for many missions,” says Walter Dorn, a professor at the Royal Military College of Canada and a former consultant to the UN. Already officials are looking at whether drones may be useful for peacekeeping in South Sudan, he says. “It can also be very valuable if you’re sending out a patrol to have a UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] in advance so you can tell the conditions of the road, if bridges are washed out, or even if there are ambushes on the road.”

In Ivory Coast, militants loyal to former president Laurent Gbagbo are using the dense forest along the country ’s border with Liberia to hide out and stage attacks.

Peacekeepers often show up at the sites of these attacks too late, or are victims themselves.

Seven blue helmets from Niger were killed last June in an attack blamed

on the militants.

In a report sent in March to the Security Council, SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki-moon proposed sending drones to Ivory Coast even as he planned to pull out several hundred blue helmets.

The secretary-general also proposed the deployment of drones during the planning stages of the Congo intervention force.

The force’s conception came after the M23 rebel movement’s takeover of provincial capital Goma.

Peacekeepers initially fought back against the rebels but later retreated.

Zuma visits frail Mandela S

OUTH African President Jacob Zuma said he found Nelson Mandela “in good shape and in good spirits” yesterday but a video of his encounter with the ailing antiapartheid icon belies

Willem-Alexander becomes Dutch king

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I L L E M Alexander has been sworn in as king of the Netherlands following the abdication of Queen Beatrix.

He became the country’s first king since 1890 when his 75-yearold mother signed the abdication deed earlier yesterday after 33 years on the throne.

Huge crowds of orange-clad partygoers were in Amsterdam to pay tribute.

Now known as Princess Beatrix, the former queen maintained a recent Dutch tradition of monarch’s handing over power to a new generation.

Wearing the royal mantle, the new king swore to uphold the constitution at a colourful enthronement ceremony in the Nieuwe Kerk, a decommissioned church, before a joint session of the Dutch parliament.

“I swear that I shall defend and preserve the independence and territory of the state with all my powers,” he said.

“That I shall protect the

general and individual freedom and rights of all my subjects and shall use all available means granted to me by law for preserving and promoting general and individual prosperity as I befitting of a good king....

So help me God almighty.”

Crowds in the square outside cheered as the announcement of his inauguration was made from a balcony overlooking the square amid trumpet fanfare.

The queen had

•South African President Jacob Zuma, visiting frail looking former president Nelson Mandela, yesterday.

announced her intention to stand down in January, saying her son was ready to reign and that it was time for the throne to be held by “a new generation”.

She formally relinquished the throne at a short ceremony in the Royal Palace on Tuesday, signing a statement transferring the monarchy to her son “in accordance with the statutes and the constitution of the Kingdom of the Netherlands”.

those cheery words, showing him with a vacant look on his face.

It’s been more than three weeks since Mandela was released after a 10-day stay in the hospital, the third time in five months that he was hospitalized for a recurring lung infection.

“We saw him, he’s looking very good, he’s in good shape,” Zuma told the South African

ESCUE officials in Bangladesh yesterday said they had given up hope of finding more survivors from a garment factory complex that collapsed killing hundreds, as the government came under pressure to do more to enforce building safety standards.

At least 390 people have been confirmed dead in what is just the latest incident to raise

serious questions about worker safety and low wages in the poor South Asian country that relies on garments for 80 percent of its exports.

Representatives of major international garment buyers - some facing sharp criticism in their home markets for doing too little to safeguard the mostly female workers making their clothes - met industry representatives

report corresponds with his own appearance, as you saw.”

But the SABC video shows Mandela in an armchair, his head propped up by a pillow, his legs on a footrest and covered by a blanket, looking grey-skinned and unsmiling with his cheeks showing what appear to be marks from a recently removed oxygen mask.

US demands more facts on Syrian chemical weapons

P

RESIDENT Barack Obama yesterday said that the United States would wait until it has more details on the evidence of chemical weapons use in Syria before altering its strategy toward the strife in that

Anger as Bangladesh ends search for fire survivors

R

Broadcasting Corp. on the doorstep of Mandela’s Johannesburg home. “We had some conversation with him, shook hands, he smiled, as you can see him, that he’s really up and about and stabilized.

“We’re really very happy, we think that he’s fine,” Zuma said. “The doctors are happy and we are happy. The (medical)

on Monday and agreed to form a joint panel to put together a new safety plan.

With no hope left of finding further survivors, heavy machinery has been brought in to clear the mass of concrete and debris from the site in the commercial suburb of Savar, about 30 km (20 miles) from the capital Dhaka.

country.

Obama has called the use of chemical weapons a “ red line,” but the United States has not radically changed its approach to Syria in the days since an administration official announced that the chemical weapon sarin had been used on a small scale.

The United States doesn’t yet know “how they were used, when they were used, who used them,” Obama said, adding that “when I am making decisions about American national security and the potential for taking additional action in response to chemical weapons use, I have to make sure I have the facts.”

On Tuesday, a

spokesman for the Free Syrian Army said that the rebels had secured what they believe is an unexploded chemical weapon deployed by the regime in Idlib. The FSA will try to get the unexploded canister out of the country for testing, he said.

“If the Syrian regime doesn’t want to allow the UN investigation team in, we will do all we can in order to present the evidence to the international community because we have the moral and national obligations to our people and our nation,” Louay Almokdad said.

At least 13 people were killed in a blast in the Syrian capital Tuesday, the government said.

54—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013

Planning Minister’s belief in Nigerian Vision 20:2020 not in doubt

BY IKECHUKWU EZE

O

UR attention has been drawn to the Vanguard story of Thursday, April 25, 2012 entitled ‘Vision 20: 2020 target, not realisable – Minister’, which we view as a deliberate misrepresentation of the statement made earlier that day by the Minister of National Planning, Dr Shamsuddeen Usman, CON, while briefing the leadership of the Peoples’ Democratic Party on the 2012 achievements of his ministry.

In the said story which was first published on Vanguard website on Wednesday, April 24 and was later picked up by few other newspapers the following day, apparently originating from this initial source because of their unmistakable similarities, your newspaper claimed that the Minister of National Planning declared that the Nigerian Vision 20:2020 was no longer realizable.

We insist that the claim was the direct opposite of the assertion made by Dr. Usman at the event, where he clearly made the point that “implementing the National Vision 20:2020, the National Implementation Plans and the Transformation Agenda, continues to remain our priority.”

The Minister was on record to have stated further that in “2012 NPC continued to drive institutional transformation for

the Minister had said in response to the question: “Where were we in 2009 when we started the process? We were number 44.

By the end of 2011, we were number 39 and by the end of 2012 we were number 36. This is progress…What I am saying is that even if we are not number 20 by that time, if by 2020 we are number 25. I will be a proud man.

The reason is that we are consciously moving and doing all the necessary things to move up there.” It is obvious that any reporter who conveniently dwelt on the above assertion while willfully ignoring the build-up argument and the main plank of the Minister’s presentation, was merely being unprofessional even at the risk of deceiving his readers.

Even then, there is no way the above statement which is an obvious narrative on the progress being made by the country towards achieving the NV20:2020 could support your contradicting headline that the Minister had abandoned the Vision, no matter how thin you wished to stretch logic and the so called reportorial latitude.

It is instructive that while your reporter chose to represent the Minister, many others who are guided by the ethics of the noble profession, had no problem delivering the truth to their audience. One of such reports

,

It is on record that Nigeria has remained the largest African recipient of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the last ten years

effective achievement of NV20:2020, First National Implementation Plan (1st NIP) and the Transformation Agenda, through evidence based planning and policy advice, policy-oriented research agenda, improved research and statistical management as well as review of techniques for computation of CPI, GDP, poverty and unemployment.”

Poverty and unemployment It is true that when prodded further by a reporter who doubted the chances of realizing the Vision given the unrelenting pervasive global economic downturn, the Minister made the following assertion to underscore his point, which your reporter conveniently chose to copiously quote without recourse to Dr Usman’s earlier distinct statement. In this wise,

,

which was published in Leadership newspapers of the same day appropriately quoted the minister as stating that “the Federal Government was doing the necessary things to achieve the country’s vision” to be among the top 20 economies by the size of the nation’s Gross Domestic Products (GDP) by the year 2020.

The point which the Minister has consistently been making is that the Nigerian Vision 20:2020 which is driving this adminstration’s Transformation Agenda, could still be realized if the nation did all that was required as captured in the comprehensive Vision document.

In the same vein, Dr. Usman had never held back from explaining that the NV20:2020 was not a done deal but a roadmap which clearly points to what needs to be done by way of diligent hardwork towards achieving the desired goal.

We wish to place on record that

Map of Nigeria

the Commission and the Minister, have continued to repose hope in the Vision, as a realistic long term growth and development roadmap for the country, in line with this Administration’s demonstrated determination, disposition and capacity to do things differently, to bring about change and the needed economic growth and strategic development.

Comprehensive reforms This determination is evident in the comprehensive reforms going on in different sectors towards infrastructural renewal, promoting sustainable development and the growth of the nation’s economy. Power and agriculture are for instance, two areas that are undergoing a total revolution.

While power is being radically privatized to ensure steady power supply and open the floodgates for massive opportunities in investment and entrepreneurship; agriculture is being transformed along the value chain, to achieve food security, boost exports and create mass employment.

As the co-ordinating arm and the pivot of the government’s economic planning, the National Planning Commission, NPC, has continued to play a major role towards the effective implementation of the Transformation Agenda and the Vision 20:2020. It is common knowledge that under the leadership of Dr. Shamsuddeen Usman, National Planning Minister, the Commission had spearheaded Nigeria’s return to strategic development planning, after about three decades of abandonment.

ones Nigeria seeks to overtake) has remained either static or continues to regress, Nigeria’s economy has maintained a robust growth trajectory, averaging seven per cent in the last three years. Recent data posted by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) put Nigeria as one of the fastest growing economies in the world, after China and India, as a result of the impressive growth of the nation’s economy.

It is on record that Nigeria has remained the largest African recipient of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the last ten years just as it has continued to drive growth in the continent with significant inter-African investment. A recent report by Ernst & Young, a global accounting firm, put Nigeria ahead of other African countries while forecasting an average of $23 billion per year in FDI inflows into the country and not less than 95,000 new jobs, in a continent where the total annual FDI portfolio stands at $40.6 billion.

Inflation pressure Added to this positive signal is the improvement in inflation pressure which is now National Planning Minister, Shamsudeen Usman stabilizing at a single digit, going The minister’s scorecard in this by the recent CPI figures released regard includes capacity building by the National Bureau of for MDAs, development of Statistics. These are obviously Monitoring and Evaluation sound indicators that are framework for the Government, attracting positive international regular conduct of M&E attention and receiving rave assessment on the performance reviews globally, as pointers to of the Federal MDAs, better days ahead. development of ministerial Furthermore, many scorecards in line with the Vision international analysts and rating and Transformation Agenda as agencies, including Fitch, have well as the co-ordination of Mr continued to upgrade and President’s performance positively revise the country’s agreement with the ministers. business profile. What is currently Even as some chose to ignore the lacking is the appreciation and remarkable achievements of this buy-in of some critical segments administration, many analysts are of the society, including a section impressed that Nigeria has of the media. continued to record economic In other emerging economies progress over the years; a development that feeds into the where similar programmes are country ’s improving GDP succeeding, there exists manifest citizen’s enthusiasm towards ranking. owning the Vision, with people from all walks of life playing their Massive roles towards its implementation.

We wish to end this piece with a infrastructure rhetorical question which the HM himself usually asks those who We are not ashamed to admit take delight in savaging the that there are gaps requiring NV202020 to wit: Would they improvement, especially in rather that the country continued massive infrastructure upgrade, to drift as before without a strategic but we will not shy away from long term plan? highlighting the fact that the prevailing macroeconomic •Ikechukwu Eze is Technical fundamentals look strong. It is Adviser (Communication) to the instructive that, while growth in Minister of National Planning the developed and many Commission Abuja emerging markets (including the

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013—55

By UDUMA KALU, BASHIR ADEFAKA

F

REEDOM of speech is clearly under attack in Nigeria to day. For two weeks, the Nigerian government has clamped down on four media houses, fining radio houses, closing down some, banning television documentaries and charging journalists to court.

Yesterday, trial of three Leadership editors facing criminal charges for a report alleging a plan by President Goodluck Jonathan to undermine opposition parties continued in Abuja. They face up to life imprisonment if found guilty.

The editors, Tony Amokeodo, Taiwo Ogunmola, Omilani and Chibuzor Ukaibe were arrested by the police and charged with 10 counts, including forgery and publishing falsehoods. A fourth journalist, who was not in court, was charged along with them. Their April 3 story also alleged the government planned to cut fuel subsi•Aturu • Adeshina dies. The newspaper said it stands by the story.

•Sani In February, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) revoked licence of the Wazobia FM in Kano State due to its Hausa programme Sandar •NGE, Falana, Sani, Aturu warn against dictatorship Girma which was said to have incited the killing of nine female health workers in the state. The NBC last week penalised four in Nigeria and advocates against reason for holding the journalists Wazobia FM licence over the going ahead to withdraw its liradio stations for ‘unprofession- corruption and greed in the coun- is unbelievable”, and that to ask polio controversy, Adeshina cau- cence. On the fines, the NGE al broadcasts.’ It fined FRCN try. The body said the documen- journalists to disclose the source tioned that the issue should have boss challenged the government Kaduna zonal station and Liber- tary had contents that “are high- of their story before they are re- been properly investigated if truly to justify act purportedly ty FM, both in Kaduna; and Ad- ly provocative and likely to incite leased is nothing but kidnap- any law had been broken before breached by the FM station. amawa Broadcasting Corpora- or encourage public disorder and ping by the state. “The government ought to know that freedom tion and Gotel Radio, in Ad- undermine national security.” amawa State. Liberty Radio and In his reaction, human rights of the press is meaningless Federal Radio Corporation of Ni- activist, Shehu Sani, noted how without sanctity of the source. geria (FRCN) were slammed an Abia based musician Prince This is an elementary truth,” with N2 million fine each by the Possible Onwughara, whose Aturu said.

NBC over phone-in discussion album Ochichi nchigbu (Bad resident of the Nigerian programmes. Liberty radio drew Governance) was detained. OnBy ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH Guild of Editors (NGE), the angst of the government af- wughara had decried the deplorter a caller opposed a nationwide able state of roads in Abia. Sani Mr. Femi Adeshina, who mainAGOS Lawyer and human rights activist, Mr. Femi tour by the Information Minister, also told about the absence of a tained that no journalist worth Falana, SAN, has said the enabling law permitting Labaran Maku, meant to laun- regular face on NTA Tuesday his salt would disclose the source the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation, NBC, to clamp down der the image of the government. Live because government asked of his information, frowned at on the media, especially the broadcast houses has become NBC ordered that Liberty Radio the NTA to stop giving platform licence withdrawal, fines and obsolete and illegal under a democracy. Falana therefore critics on brings in the information minister for critics on the Tuesday live pro- banning of urged the media houses to challenge such law and the punas a guest. gramme. “Freedom of speech government media. His words: ishment imposed, as it violates their right to fair hearing.

Last week, the film and censors and expression is clearly under “No journalist worth his salt will He also noted that Mr Yushaib Shuaib, the spokesperson disclose the source of his board banned the airing and attack,” Sani said. for National Emergency Management Agency was sacked distribution of the documentary, Calling the detention of the information. The government is for embarrassing the Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-IweaFuelling Poverty, a 30-minute film leadership journalists “habitual merely chasing after the wind. la, while Mrs Ibim Semenitari, the Rivers State Information which documents the systematic repression,” Lagos based lawyer, A bloody waste of time,” he said.

Commissioner was interrogated by the National Security Adpropagation of massive poverty Mr. Bamidele Aturu said, “the On withdrawal of Kano-based viser for “security breach” over a press statement issued by her. Aides of President Jonathan usually issued rebuttals or joined issues with critics, he said. “Let the Jonathan Administration be reminded that neither the colonial regime nor the military junta which foolishly criminalised freedom of speech succeeded in cowing Nigerians to HE Nigeria Media Merit and entries are expected to con- utable corporate bodies and insubmission. Thus, in Award (NMMA), has ex- form to these guidelines. dividuals identifying with the Nwankwo v The State tended its call for 2013 entries.

The NMMA Awards started promotion of excellence (1985) 6 N.C.L.R. 228 The earlier deadline was with just 10 categories at incep- through life endowment of the the Court of Appeal March 31, 2013. tion in 1992. It has since grown awards. declared the proviMr. Dayo Adetukasi, project to 51 categories with most repsions of the Criminal coordinator of the award body, Code relating to seditold Vanguard that though the tion illegal and unconnew deadline is yet to be anth stitutional and urged nounced, the submission conNigerians to resist any tinues.

AWSON, Thomas & Colmove to use the mawhich include board members, Adetukasi therefore asked •Falana leagues better known as chinery of the State to clients and loyal suppliers. journalists and oganisations to LTC Advertising, one of the naerode freedom of exIn an interview with the Group continue to submit entries for tion’s advertising agencies in Nipression in the country.”

Managing Director, Pastor reward of the best works pubgeria will celebrate its 25th anniIn a statement he issued in Lagos, Falana said, the law Charles Abraham, stated that the lished or aired in the Nigeria versary to mark its existence in promulgated by the military to impose fines on media housagency was incorporated on Ocmedia in 2012. All entries subth the IMC industry in the country. es has become illegal under the current constitutional dis1986 and officially comtober 27 mitted in the print and broadThe event which is billed to hold pensation, and that since it is only a court can try, convict menced full business in Novemcast media categories will be rd in Lagos will have in attendance and impose fine on any person or corporate body, the NBC of the same year. ber 3 collated and assessed by the Captains of Industry, especially lacks the power to impose fines on media houses or close “The anniversary is to appreNMMA Panel of Assessors, in the Integrated Marketing them down without a court order. ciate the founding members, celcomprising eminent practitioCommunications as well as cor“It is legally untenable on the part of the NBC to turn itself ebrate with clients and loyal supners, scholars and veterans of porate organizations into the accuser, the prosecutor, the witness and the judge pliers who have contributed imthe Nigeria media industry.

The theme for the anniversary: in the secret trial of media houses which are alleged to have mensely to the growth and deThe entry rules had been pub“25 Years into the Future” will be violated the law," he said. velopment of the agency” said lished in the Call for Entries replicated in two separate events, Pastor Charles. guidelines, and all entrants

Knocks as FG’s crack down on media grows

NBC lacks power to impose fine on media houses — Falana

P

L

NMMA extends deadline for entries

T

LT&C to celebrate 25

L

Anniversary

56— Vanguard,

WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013

SHOCKING REVELATIONS OF ARMED ROBBERY/KIDNAP

Pastor provides gun for our ••fingered also in death of policeman

By IFEANYI OKOLIE

S

OLOMON Eze, a 30year-old pastor, who is currently cooling off at the dreaded cell of the special anti-robbery squad, SARS, Ikeja, Lagos over an alleged case of armed robbery and kidnapping is finding it difficult to maintain his innocence.

The Abia State-born suspect, who was arrested with an Ak 47 rifle, told Crime Alert that he is a deliverance minister at The Bride Assembly, a Church located at Ijesha area of the State. He explained further that the rifle found in his possession belongs to a friend he met at Ikire prayer mounting in Osun State.

However, police sources intimated Crime Alert that Eze was arrested during investigations into the gruesome murder of a police corporal, Iweka Ramat, at Kirikiri area of Lagos State.

Sources said Eze and one of his colleagues were accosted inside a taxi cab by a police patrol team at Berger axis of Kirikiri Town in February 2013 and while the police attempted to search them, they bolted out of the cab and the policemen went after them. The police officer, Ramat, who went after Eze was later found dead in an isolated part of the area after a deafening sound of gunfire was heard.

The taxi driver was taken into custody and later transferred to

•The sealed storey-building arrest six other members of his gang identified as Sunday James, 29; Emmanuel Iloakazi, 26; Ikechukwu Okafor aka Osuofia I, 37; Obinna Egbugha, 26; Ikechukwu Chedom, and Christian Ezinkwo aka Alhaji, 3, while two addition-

,

The first person we kidnapped paid N1m ransom and my share was N100,000. Emmanuel received N200,000 since he was the leader. The second victim paid N1m and we shared the money in the same manner

the SARS where he was interrogated. It was gathered at that point that Eze contacted the taxi driver on the phone before he picked them. “We retrieved the phone number from the taxi driver and we contacted the network provider who furnished us with Eze’s home address. On April 4, 2013 the officer in charge of SARS, Sp Abba Kyari led a team of crack operatives to Eze’ s apartment at No.113, Idowu Street, Olodi Apapa, Lagos, around 2 am in the morning where they apprehended him. He later took the operatives to an apartment in Ikorodu area of the state where they recovered an Ak 47 rifle with number 6090. When we interrogated him further, Eze led us to

,

al AK47 rifles, 11 Ak47 magazines loaded with 30 rounds of live ammunition, were recovered from them,”the source added.

When Crime Alert spoke with Eze who hails from Osisioma village, Abia State, he said the AK 47 rifle belongs to his friend Uchenna. According to him “On October 15, 2012, I met a brother, Uchenna where I used to pray for people – Mountain of Mercy, Ikoyi, Osun State. After three days’ prayer, he started calling me. He asked me where I live and do prayer. I told him that I live in the Leadway Estate, Eruwe. He later came with one Ogonna on January 2. Ogonna collected my number and left. I did not see him for more than a

month until I was about traveling to Anambra for a church programme. I left them in Ikorodu and travelled to Anambra. I was there when my brother, Kingsley called me that the police had arrested him because of me. I was arrested and brought to SARS. Uchenna told me that his brother used to bring cars from abroad and asked me to follow him to bring them. We went and brought a

•CP Lagos State, Umar A. Manko•• equal to the task

Toyota Camry car. He gave me N30, 000.

“I only prayed for Uchenna before my encounter with them. I am married. My wife sells fruits and she is carrying a sevenmonth pregnancy. It was James that put me into trouble because

•Pastor Solomon Eze-suspect

I arrested him. I did not participate in four armed robbery and kidnap operations as he is claiming. I don’t even know that I was arrested for belonging to a robbery/kidnapping gang. It is a surprise to me because I have never been involved in this type of

Families of kidnap victims in ••develop fear of God and release them

By CHIDI NKWOPARA, Owerri

T

HE Nwagwu and Ihekwoaba fami lies have expressed worry that “there is still no clue” to the where about of their bread winners, Barrister Dan Nwagwu and Architect Emenike Ihekwoaba, several months after they were kidnapped and held hostage by their abductors.

While Ihekwoaba, the Principal Secretary to former Imo State Deputy Governor, Sir Jude Agbaso, was kidnapped and held since August 2012, Barrister

Dan Nwagwu has remained in his captor ’s den for three months.

Nwagwu’s family made it’s lamentation in a two-page press statement signed by Sir Nnamdi Nwagwu and made available to newsmen in Owerri. “We plead with those who are holding Barrister Dan Nwagwu hostage for these three months to develop the fear of God and respect for human life by releasing him unharmed to us. Their reward will be abundant blessings from God”, Sir Nwagwu passionately pleaded.

While saying that the rumor that their

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013

— 57

Assault occasioning harm:

SUSPECTS IN LAGOS

operations

later increased their ransoms for subsequent operations. “We later started demanding N2m as ransom.

After our last operation, we bought a jeep for N1.5m and the remaining money was shared equally. I got N70,000 and that was the last time I saw the gang,” he said. The suspect said the gang was much organized as every member had his own role to play. According to him, a gang member had a duty of feeding and looking after victims while in captivity. He said, “Emmanuel was the one responsible for spotting people that we will kidnap.

He was the one who usually contacted the families of victims and he also collected the ransom.“Pastor’s job is to provide the guns that the gang will use. I only follow the gang but I don’t carry guns.”

Kidnap of a prominent person

•Other suspects and their weapons case.”

Sunday James who is the second in command to the gang said “ I am from Ebonyi State but I live in Coker, Orile, Lagos. I was introduced to the gang by Victor Emmanuel, who is the leader of the gang.

In January, Emmanuel rented an apartment in Ajah area and in February, we started the business

fully. Whenever we kidnap, we take the victim to the apartment.

We have kidnapped four people so far. “The first person we kidnapped paid N1m ransom and my share was N100,000. Emmanuel received N200,000 since he was the leader. The second victim paid N1m and we shared the money in the same manner.” The suspect however added that they

Imo plead for mercy

•A victim- Bar. Nwagwu

son had been killed created panic among friends, relations and compatriots, the family however reaffirmed their trust in God that their son’s captors will let go one day.

“We trust God and believe that our son, Dan, is alive and that his captors would develop some milk of human kindness to get him released to us”, the family prayed.

He appealed to anybody who may have useful information as to the where about of their abducted son not to hesitate to make such information available to the family or security agencies.

When asked how the gang usually picked its victims, the suspect said anyone seen in a flashy car was a potential victim. He said, “Emmanuel usually sits on the passenger side and anytime he spots someone in a flashy car, we trail the person and then grab him or her. We then dump the victim’s vehicle somewhere before contacting the family. We have never kidnapped a prominent person.”

The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, Umar Manko, told newsmen while parading the suspects that, “ in our efforts to rid the state of kidnapping, we were able to identify two groups of kidnappers, we have been able to uproot one group and we believe that the other group is responsible for the kidnap of the LCDA boss. We also sealed off two of the kidnapper’s dens located at Ikorodu and Ibeju-Lekki and a storey-building belonging to one of the kidnappers located at Ajangbadi area of Lagos.

Bizman docked in Onitsha, granted bail

By OKONKWO EZE, Onitsha

A

prominent businessman based at Onitsha, Anambra State, Chief Jonathan Okpagu has been arraigned before an Onitsha Chief Magistrate’s Court on a fourcount charge of conspiracy, breach of peace, assault occasioning harm.

According to the prosecution, the accused person and others now at large had on April 22, this year at No. 24, Bright Street, along Niger Bridge-head, Onitsha, did conspire with others at large to commit felony to wit: assault occasioning harm.

The prosecution also stated that the accused persons and others had on the same day and venue, armed with dangerous weapons, including guns and machetes, attacked the complainants, Chiedozie Ifeanacho, Chinonso Nwanwuna and Amechi Oputa gave them serious bodily harm.

The leading counsel to the accused person, Barrister C. J. Asiegbu, made an oral application for the case to be struck out for lack of diligent prosecution because, according to him, the complainants had deliberately refused to come to the court to prosecute their case.

Asiegbu also applied for his bail on self recognizance since he is so prominent that he cannot jump the bail for any reason.

But opposing the applications, the police prosecution counsel, Charles Nwogu

(ASP), told the court that the complainants could not come to the court because they were hospitalized as a result of the injuries they sustained during the attack on them. He, however, promised that they would be in court on the next adjournment date. On the application for bail, the prosecution counsel opposed it on the ground that granting the accused person bail could jeopardize the arrests of those still at large, adding that besides, it could be difficult to find the accused if any of the complainants dies as a result of the injuries, now that they are still in the hospital.

In his ruling, the presiding chief magistrate, Mr. M. N. Okonkwo, warned that he could strike out the case if in the next adjournment date, the complainants failed to come to the court.

On the other hand, Okonkwo admitted the accused person to bail not on self recognizance as prayed by the defence counsel because he is not a civil servant who could be easily tracked down in his office but in the sum of N500,000 with one surety in the like sum, a passport photograph and an affidavit of means.

According to the magistrate, the surety must have a landed property within the magisterial district and the address of such landed property must be confirmed by an Assistant Court Registrar (ACR).

Foreigner docked for stealing employer’s N14.5 million property

By BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE & MICHAEL NWOPOKE

A

31-year-old cook, Amoussou Eusebe, was yesterday arraigned before an Ebute-Meta Magistrate’s Court in Lagos, for allegedly stealing jewelry valued at N14.5million, property of his employer.

The accused, who was said to be from Republic of Benin, working as a cook to the employer, is facing a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing. Employer of the accused, Mr Babajide Ayoade, of No. C32,Grace Court

Estate,Makoko Area of Yaba,Lagos, had complained to the police that Eusebe entered his house and stole assorted types of jewellery. According to the prosecutor, Cpl.Cyriacus Osuji, the complainant and his family went to church on March 31, 2003, and the accused was the only one in the house. Osuji said the accused entered the complainant’s room and stole assorted types of jewellery.

He noted that the crime was committed at the complainant’s house, adding that the accused resides in the employer ’s house. Osuji also told the court that the accused allegedly stole

the jewellery because he wanted to send money to his wife and child,who reside at Republic of Benin. The prosecutor said that the accused sold the jewellery to a man who is still at large, saying “the alleged offenses contravened Sections 409 and 285 of the Criminal,Laws of Lagos State,2011. “If found guilty, the accused may be jailed for three years in accordance with Section 285 of the Criminal Code.

However, Magistrate, Y.O Okunsanya-Badejo granted the defendant bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties and adjourned the case to May 27 for mention.

58 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013

Hope rises for autistic children through natural language interventions teraction.

With the support of Autistica, the UK’s leading autism research charity, Dr McCleery’s team have now embarked on new work which builds on these findings to design interventions which specifically target the aspects of development where there are deficits in non-verbal autistic children.

Dramatic breakthroughs

Autism is a neuro-developmental disabilities in the world that generally appears before the age of three years and is becoming more common than childhood cancer and diabetes.

BY CHIOMA OBINNA

H

OPE has rises for parents and children living with autism as scientists have found that 24 percent of children with autism were non verbal or minimally verbal and the problems can persist into adulthood. The study published by Autistica consultation noted that professionals have long attempted to support the development of language in these children but with mixed outcomes.

Scientists at the University of Birmingham publish a paper in Frontiers in Neuroscience showing that while not all of the current interventions used are effective, there is real hope for progress by using interventions based on understanding natural language development and the role of motor and “motor mirroring” behaviour in toddlers.

An estimated 70 million people worldwide have autism, a neurodevelopmental condition which is life-long. In Nigeria, “1 in 145 children are autistic and in 2011, prevalence of autism spectrum disorders was 0.8 percent in a south eastern hospital and this means 1 in 100.

Discrimination and stigma Unfortunately, many people who affected are faced with various forms of discrimination and stigma both in the home. Their cases are made worst in countries like Nigeria where little or no attention is paid to persons with disabilities.

Scientists at the University of Birmingham publish a paper in Frontiers in Neuroscience showing that while not all of the current interventions used are effective, there is real hope for progress by using interventions based on understanding natural language development and the role of motor and “motor mirroring” behaviour in toddlers.

The researchers, led by Dr Joe

McCleery, who is supported by autism research charity Autistica, examined over 200 published papers and more than 60 different intervention studies, and found that: Motor behaviours, such as banging toys and copying gestures or facial expressions (“mirroring”), play a key role in the learning of language.

Children with autism show specific motor impairments, and less “mirroring” brain activity, particularly in relation to strangers in whom they show very little interest. This finding may hold the key to language problems overall. Despite extensive use of sign language training to improve speech and communication skills in non-verbal children with autism, there is very little evidence that it makes a positive

impact, potentially due to the impairments in motor behaviours and mirroring.

Picture exchange training can lead to improvements in speech.

Here, children gradually learn to “ask” for things by exchanging pictures. This may work well because it does not depend on complex motor skills or mirroring.

Play-based approaches which employ explicit teaching strategies and are developmentally based are particularly successful.

New studies involving a focus on motor skills alongside speech and language intervention are showing promising preliminary results. This is exciting because these interventions utilise our new understanding of the role of motor behaviours in the development of speech and social in-

In the views of Dr. McCleery: “We feel that the field is approaching a turning point, with potentially dramatic breakthroughs to come in both our understanding of communication difficulties in people with autism, and the potential ways we can intervene to make a real difference for those children who are having difficulties learning to speak.”

CEO of Autistica, Christine Swabey said: “80 percent of the parents in their recent consultation wanted interventions straight after diagnosis. The work shows how critical it is for all intervention to be evidence-based, and that the best approaches are based on a real understanding of the development of difficulties in autism. We are proud to be supporting the next steps in this vital research which will improve the quality of life for people with autism.” A parent of an autistic child, Alison Hardy, said: “The publication of this research is an exciting step in giving us that confidence.”

Go for regular screening for diabetes, Nigerians told

W

ITH about 15 million people in sub – Saharan Africa including Nigeria unaware of their diabetes status and the number expected to rise to around 28 million in 2030, Graceland Foundation is advocating for regular screening for diabetes to avert the looming epidemic. Statistics available has shown that 78 per cent of people with diabetes today in Nigeria and the world at large are undiagnosed.

Speaking during a free health mission organised by Graceland Foundation for residents of Ipaja Estate, Iyana Ipaja, Lagos, Regional Director, of the organisation, Mrs. Mercy Ekpoke, lamented that despite the dangers pose by undiagnosed diabetes enough attention has not been paid to the disease in Nigeria.

According to her, diabetes has long been neglected by the family, society and government. There is need for people to go for regular diabetes screening at least every three months, particularly when they are above 40 years. “When you drink and you don’t exercise and your job is stressful, you have to be going for checkups because these are the things that could cause diabetes. “For you

to know you have diabetes, there are signs and symptoms like going to urinate regularly at night, tiredness, when you feel so shaky sometimes because you don’t know if you are hypo or hyper, or your sugar level is high. These are the signs. Some people experienced weight loss even then when you don’t have these signs you might be having diabetes.”

Continuing, she further decried the complications associated with diabetes. She described diabetes as when the sugar level in the body is not going round, and the body not making use of the sugar in the body.

“When carbohydrate is not there and your body is not making use of the sugar it will bring about high cholesterol, high blood pressure and that can lead to stroke and can also lead to lots of complications even your vision will be affected.”

On the free screening and treatment exercise, she said since 2008, 70 percent of people they screened at each outreach have undetected diabetes. “Today we are targeting to screen about 500 people and most of the people we have screened so far have diabetes without knowing.

Sensodyne takes free dental check to Oshodi market

I

N an effort to advance the Oral Health Policy in Nigeria and also create awareness for the management of dentine sensitivity, Sensodyne toothpaste has offered free dental check to market women and men at the Kairo textile market, Oshodi.

The event which was organised in conjunction with the Department of Dentistry, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, recorded a large turnout of individuals.

Hundreds of market women and men, with visitors alike all thronged the venue and had opportunities of free dental services which included: basic dental check up, tooth filling, tooth extractions and the chance to benefit further treatment in LUTH at a discounted rate.

According to the Medical Detailing Representative, GSK Consumer Nigeria Plc., Dr. Olayinka Osho, the free dental outreach is one of the many innovative ways Sensodyne is creating awareness about dentine sensitivity amongst consumers.

Maintaining good oral health “We want our consumers to be aware of the benefits of maintaining good oral health care as much as possible; and this can only be achieved by providing adequate information. We believe programmes like this can help sensitise people and educate the public. The Oral Health Policy must be adequately advanced in Nigeria and as a brand we are committed to that course” Osho said.

Also, Consultant, Oral Medicine, LUTH, Prof.

Gbemisola Agbelusi counselled the participants on basic oral care hygiene that can help prevent dentine diseases.“Basically, it is globally accepted that brushing twice daily is very essential to keep good oral hygiene.

Ensure you change your toothbrush regularly, not using one toothbrush for too long, avoid using hard toothbrush that could injure your gums, exposing the root of your teeth” Agbelusi counselled.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013 — 59

C M Y K

60—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013

Court blames FG for arms proliferation in Nigeria •declares sack of National Task Force on illegal arms importation illegal

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

A

One of the battered Nigerian girls in Italy

Nigerian girls sold as sex slaves in Italy —Report •As Italy jails Nigerian group for prostituting cancer woman

N

IGERIAN girls are sold into sex slavery in Italy, report by US based Daily Beast has said. The report released by the online newspaper, Daily Beast released last April 19 focused on the Domitiana highway built in 95 A.D. as a thoroughfare, leading north up the boot of Italy from the bay of Naples. The highway is reported to have become a one-stop sex supermarket where up to 600 Nigerian prostitutes can be found at a time along a 30-kilometer stretch of the pot-holed road. The report said across Italy, Nigerian women are forced into the sex trade, essentially kept as slaves who are bought and sold and moved according to a moribund supply and demand.

Some of the prostitutes are young girls, just 13 or 14 years old. Others are in their 20s or 30s.

Many have children. Some are still married to men in Nigeria.

They usually sit on white plastic chairs under umbrellas to protect them from the rain in the winter and the harsh sun in the summer.

The newspaper said the highest concentration of Nigerian forced sex workers is in and around Naples, but they are not limited to the southern reaches.

Two weeks ago, in the central region of Abruzzo, four Nigerian gang members and an Italian taxi driver who allegedly procured prostitutes across the country were sentenced to between nine and 15 years in prison for making 23-year-old Nigerian, Lilian Solomon, prostitute herself even though she was in the late stages of lymphoma cancer. The court in Teramo ruled that the Nigerian band prohibited the young woman from seeking treatment and should be held responsible for her death. She was

represented in court by members of “On the Road” association against sex trafficking, which alerted authorities about her plight.

Solomon testified under oath against the band before she died in 2009. The sentence, four years after her death, won’t bring her back, but it is one small step toward holding the sex traffickers accountable. According to Renato Natale, a local Neapolitan doctor who is a former anti-mafia mayor of Casal di Principe, the majority of the Nigerian girls and women who are sex slaves were sold for around $50,000 by their parents or husbands in Nigeria, often to pay loan sharks or to get families out of debt. Some women paid sums of more than $13,000 out of their own pockets in exchange for the promise to find legitimate work in Italy with the goal of

,

By UDUMA KALU with agency report

she befriended. She said many of the women on the Neapolitan highway try to convince the clients to take them away, but they often get caught and the men are threatened never to return.

“Even the police sometimes pay for sex,” she said. “There is no protection there from anyone.

There is no one you can trust.”She said she was required to pay the Nigerian mafia dons $400 a month for one-square-metre of highway to work off the $50,000 investment. Natale says the Nigerians, in turn, pay a fee to the Casalesi clan of the Camorra organized-crime syndicate, who run the sex trade around Naples.

Natale says the women are not allowed to charge more than $13 a trick - the market rate for street sex in the impoverished south and they are not allowed to refuse customers.

‘Frida,'26, is a former prostitute who now works at a shelter for abused women in Rome.

She said her initiation included vaginal penetration with a hot candle. She has scars on her inner thighs from the hot wax.

sending money home or even eventually bringing their entire families over.

Natale said when they arrived in Italy, they are often raped into submission and plied with drugs and turned into prostitutes. Many of the women have scars on their bodies from a voodoo-style initiation ritual where they pledge allegiance to their pimps out of fear of torture. “Frida,” 26, is a former prostitute who now works at a shelter for abused women in Rome. She said her initiation included vaginal penetration with a hot candle. She has scars on her inner thighs from the hot wax.

She worked on the Via Domitiana for three years before she ran away with one of her clients who

,

Frida says they were afraid to charge more. “They watched us all the time,” she says. “They would drive by or send spies to make sure we stayed in line.”

Prostitution is not illegal in Italy as long as the sex workers are over 18, but it is illegal to pick up a prostitute on the street.

Recently, police have been enforcing the client crackdown on roadside prostitution by fining the clients, so the mob has started buying up apartment blocks along the Via Domitiana and in other parts of the country. They have started moving the women off the streets and into the villas where drugs are sold in the basement and sex is sold upstairs.

BUJA—A FEDERAL High Court sitting in Abuja, yesterday, blamed the Federal Government for the increased proliferation of arms across the country, just as it declared the disbandment of the National Task Force against illegal importation and Smuggling of Small Arms and Light Weapons, illegal.

In a judgment he delivered, Justice Elvis Chukwu, equally set-aside a directive that was issued by the Nigerian Customs in 2011 disbanding the task force, stressing that such action was not only inimical to national security, but also breached the rules of natural justice. Besides, the court dismissed preliminary objections that were filed by the Federal Ministry of Finance and the National Security Adviser, NSA, challenging the competence of the suit on grounds that the applicants, led by its chairman, Dr. Osita Okereke, failed to declare any reasonable cause of action.

The applicants had approached the court and prayed it to determine whether the action of the NSA in disbanding the national task force which was inaugurated by the federal government on July 16, 2010, sequel to an allegation that was leveled against it by Custom authorities, without granting the organization fair hearing, was not illegal, unconstitutional and null and void.

Specifically, Customs had alleged that the organization attempted to usurp its duties by trailing and seizing several containers containing arms that were illegally imported into Ni-

geria. It was further alleged that the task force operated illegally considering that it was not duly registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC. In his judgment, Justice Chukwu, maintained that the respondents failed to prove that the task force usurped duties of any government agency.He said: “The respondents had claimed that the inauguration of the task force was carried out in error. However, the court will want to know at what point this error occurred. From the totality of evidence before the court, it is obvious that there had been a reasonable communication between the applicant and the respondents.

“It is my considered view that there was a breach of the rules of natural justice as the applicants were disbanded without being accorded opportunity to defend themselves. They ought to have been given a hearing before the task force was disbanded. Court has the jurisdiction to exercise judicial review of such decisions whenever there is denial of fair hearing in any proceeding, be it administrative or ministerial.

The court has the powers to declare it a nullity.

“However, let me state that this court will never encourage any organization to meddle in the affairs of a government agency. The mandate upon which the applicant was set up is clear, to identify sources and main routes of illegal importation of light weapons and arms, as well as, liaising with security agencies to combat the menace of arms proliferation."

DHQ, NEMA submit preliminary reports on Baga to Jonathan

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RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, commended the Military High Command, the National Emergency Management Authority, NEMA, and the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development for their swift response to his order for immediate action to investigate the incident in Baga, Borno State, assist and rehabilitate the victims, and make all necessary findings available to the government.

President Jonathan who gave the commendation after receiving preliminary reports of the investigations carried out by the Military High Command and NEMA into the incident also welcomed the plan by the National Human Rights Commission to carry out independent investigations. .

Thanking the Military High Command and NEMA for the reports, President Jonathan said that investigations must

continue, and assured them of his fullest support. He further reiterated his earlier position that where any kind of misconduct is established, the Federal Government will not hesitate in ensuring that due sanctions are enforced and that justice is done.

The President said that what happened in Baga, was most regrettable and unfortunate and reaffirmed his full commitment to doing all within the powers of the Federal Government to speedily end the intolerable threats to national security which have necessitated such confrontations.

President Jonathan will continue to work with the Borno state Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima whom he conferred with last week, to ensure that the people of Baga receive every possible relief and support to facilitate their speedy rehabilitation.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013 — 61

C M Y K

62 —Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013

Tukur’s sacked aides plot comeback

BY HENRY UMORU

A

• Amb. Olugbenga Ashiru, Minister of Foreign Affairs (Centre) with Nigeria Heads of Mission in a meeting in Beijing

Challenges of tackling ill treatment of Nigerian citizens abroad

BY NJOKU SAINTJERRY (Beijing) & VERA SAMUEL ANYAGAFU

I

N late November 2011, there was a published report of crisis in a Nigerian mission in Asia involving Nigerian citizens resident in Bangkok and former officials of the embassy. A video of that scene was posted on YouTube and it quickly went viral with very conflicting reports. Similar incidence occured at embassy of Nigeria in Malaysia, all encompassing from sheer act of the embassies’ official neglect to its citizens.

Precisely February 2013, there was yet another crisis which also erupted as a result of official neglectof the Nigeria mission in Senegal and like the unfortunate crisis in Bangkok, and Malaysia, a video footage got to the internet and also went viral. It is bothering to note, therefore, that Nigerians abroad are dissatisfied with the unwholesome treatment they receive from their missions in different countries abroad.

Strategies: In view of the foregoing, therefore, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was prompted to devise strategies to look into these challenges and work out new and better approach that would help address the welfare of Nigerians abroad.

One of such strategies is the Regional Conference for Heads of Missions divided according to the five regions, and having held earlier meeting in Accra, the group this year, decided to repeat same in Beijing, covering the Asia-Pacific regions where the numbers of Nigerians immigrants are on the increase.

Enumerating countries where Nigerian immigrant status calls for a boost in their consular services, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru, called on the countries heads of missions to consider the welfare of Nigerians that are resident in their respective regions as their paramount responsibility.

Responding to media interview seeking information if the Minister felt satisfied with consular services given to Nigerians resident in the Asia-Pacific regions, covering China, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, The Philippines, India etc, he said, “this is why we are here to address these challenges.” The chief host, H.E.

Aminu Bashir Wali, Nigerian ambassador to China made a presentation titled “The Beijing Perspective” in which he narrated various experiences and challenges facing the Nigeria Embassy in Beijing, Nigerians in Guangzhou and also on the growing expectations of Nigerians in China. Other ambassadors present in the meeting equally gave similar presentations.

Fielding question from newsmen, the Nigerian Ambassador to Japan, H..E. Godwin Agbo, said: “We could hold meeting and make beautiful speeches, but when it comes to realities on ground, it’s a different story. Agbo narrated how he met similar situations when he resumed office in Japan. After studying how the consulate here represented Nigerians, I decided to hold a meeting with all Nigerians resident here in Japan.They

have created a very friendly atmosphere where we mingle with our citizens occasionally through cultural activities and sports.”

Investments: Nigeria has been recording tremendous success in its economic transformation agenda and South Korea has not been left out in the foreign investment drive. Recently, Nigeria agreed to sell Egbin Power Plant to Korea Electric Power Corp (KEPCO) for USD 407.3mn to boost electricity supply in Lagos. And in March 2013, Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) won a USD895 million order to build four liquefied natural gas (LNG) vessels from Bonny Gas Transport, a shipping unit of Nigeria LNG, a contract expected to last until June 2016.Of all the presentation on

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is devising strategies to look into these challenges and work out new and better approach that would help address the welfare of Nigerians abroad told me of their frustrations and expectations and we took time to explain in details to them what entails of our consular services and limitations. I also advised my staff to often assist each and every one of them where neccessary on requestfor any form of consular services.”

Criminality: On the issue of criminality, Ambassador Agbo opinied that it is wrong to criminalize any Nigerian activities, even when there are cases of allegations, unless otherwise, there is a competent jurisdiction from court of law. It is important for Nigerians in the Diaspora to contribute effectively in the type of nation building that would reduce the rift between the embassies and Nigerian citizens in different regions abroad.

Declaring also his position on the issue of consular services, Ambassador to the Republic of Korea and Dean, Group of African Ambassadors, Desmond Akawor, stated Nigerians are hard working people.

In Seoul, many Nigerians are busy responsibly and do not have time for careless behavior. There is less report of conflict with embassy authorities and we

investment promotion drive by the Nigeria heads of missions at the meeting, one of the most remarkable was the resuscitation of a moribund flour mills in Eastern Nigeria by Nigeria Ambassador to Vietnam, H..E. Mazi Mathias Oji Okafor.

Mr. Okafor within the month of March 2013 had led a delegation of Vietnamese businessmen to Enugu to sign agreement leading to the takeover of the moribund Enugu Sunrise Flour Mill for a period of 30 years.

Funding: Ambassador Ashiru felt dissatisfied with lack of adequate funding for the ministry and n a recent development, Chairman , Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Senator Matthew Nwagwu, emphasized on the need to improve funding for the foreign missions.. He further demanded the ministry to address the consular problems facing Nigerians, especially in Guangzhou, China.

consularadvisory@vanguardngr.com

BUJA — All but one of the former many aides of the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Alhaji Bamanga Tukur sacked last week have refused to collect their letters of disengagement.

The former aides Vanguard learnt are seriously lobbying to return to their offices or in the alternative any other office the national chairman could assign them.

Vanguard gathered that the former aides have been mounting pressure on Awwal Tukur, son of the National Chairman, who interestingly was one of the many aides sacked last week.

A source told Vanguard that except the former Special Adviser, Political, Alhaji Ahmed Gusau who collected his sack letter, others have refused to do same with the hope that the National Chairman would rescind his decision.

Vanguard gathered unlike others, that Gusau when he got news of the sack immediately wrote a handwritten letter thanking the Chairman for the opportunity to serve and he gave the letter to Tukur.

It would be recalled that Tukur last Friday bowed to pressure and sacked all his aides including his son, Awwal who was his Special Adviser, Special Duties.

According to Tukur, the move became imperative because of the urgent need to reorganise his office for what he termed, service delivery.

In a statement Tukur personally signed last Friday, he sacked the former Inspector General of Police, Sir Mike Okiro who was until then, the Special Adviser Security Matters to the PDP National Chairman.

Also affected were the Principal Secretary, Senator Ibrahim Ida, Political Adviser, Alhaji Ahmed Gusau, Special Adviser Electoral Matters, Senator Saidu Kumo, Special Adviser, Media Mohammed Ujudud Sheriff and Special Adviser Economic Matters, Chief O. Akindele.

Others were Special Adviser, Inter Party Affairs, Alhaji Shittu Mohammed, Special Adviser Mobilisation, Chief Ishola Filani; Special Adviser Monitoring, Bernard Miko; Special Adviser Governance, Osaro Onaiwo; Special Adviser General Duties; Prince Igwe Uche; Special Adviser National Assembly, Abdullahi Gumel and Special Adviser, Special Duties and Protocol Officer Saidu Sulaiman.

Tukur in the statement said, ‘’after one year in office, the political journey was interesting, challenging and I am better equipped in the general understanding and approaches of the operating system vis-a-viz the relationship between the party, Executive and Legislature which are important components of political governance.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013 — 63

Vitoria Setubal to grace Yekini’s memorial match T

HE Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) has provided two sets of jerseys and balls to the Rashidi Yekini Foundation to kt the exinternationals and former teammates who would trade tackles at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba on Friday in honuor of the late football star,,Rashidi Yekini who died on the 3rd of May 2012.

Barrister Jibril Mohammed Olanren-

waju “They(NFF) promised us in a meeting that apart from gracing the book launch slated for the Jogor centre on Thursday, they would make the ceremonial football match a memorable one.

“The football governing body has been very co-operative and they promised to be present durng the activities to remember an illustrious football hero.

BY JACOB AJOM

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RESIDENT of the Nigeria Cricket Federation, Kwesi Sagoe has been reelected as Chairman of the Africa Cricket Association. His reelection took place in South Africa during the Association’s Annual General Meeting which ended at the weekend.

In a chat with Sports Vanguard, the ACA boss said he saw his reelection as an endorsement of his programmes and a challenge for him to more. “We will continue to spread the game to all parts of the continent and encourage the development of women cricket in line with the goals set by the ICC

Floyd is ready to fight in the UK Floyd

F

LOYD Mayweather's manager has revealed the unbeaten American wants to box in the UK within the next 18 months.

Mayweather, 36, returns to the ring against Robert Guerrero in Las Vegas on Saturday night.

And the WBC welterweight champion is eyeing a fight on British soil to repay the support he has been shown by fans from these shores ever since colliding with Ricky Hatton in 2007.

Speaking on Bunce’s Boxing Hour, his manager Leonard Ellerbe said: “He cannot wait until we can come over there and give the fans of the UK a big, big fight.

“Floyd has a tremendous fan base in the UK and we’re looking at working on something now where he’s going to come over.

“It won’t be for a fight initially, but we’re going to come over there and do some stuff.

“I’m talking with a couple of people now and they’re giving me some options — and Floyd will definitely be coming to the UK. “The UK are his biggest and best fans.

He has a tremendous love affair for the UK fans.”

Mayweather was widely viewed as the villain of the piece in the build-up to his showdown with the popular Hatton.

•Late Yekini

D e v e l o p m e n t programme,” he said.

He observed that the association under his leadership had pursued with vigour the enhancement of the standard of the game in the continent. Kwesi will reign for another two years.

Kwesi Sagoe

Okpekpe Race: Foreign athletes in tomorrow

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HE Main O r g a n i s i n g Committee (MOC) of the Okpekpe 10km International Road Race yesterday confirmed that most of the invited foreign athletes for the competition are scheduled to start arriving Nigeria tomorrow (Thursday).

Director of Organisation, Zack Amodu, confirmed last night that the five athletes from Ethiopia namely, Deriba Merga, Tilahum Regassa, Abere Chane Lema, Sofia

Shemsu and Salam Abere Alebachew are booked to arrive Lagos enroute Okpekpe in Etsakor East Local Government Area of Edo State.

“We are also expecting Moses Masai, Yusuf Biwott, Fredrick Kipchumba, Betty Chepleting and Georgia Rono all from Kenya to arrive Lagos tomorrow enroute Benin. Also on the flight to Lagos, we are expecting Timothy Troitich from Uganda and several others,”

Milo Basketball: Katsina, Zamfara win Confluence Conference crossed by Zamfara who

I

CENTRE OF ATTENTION ... Floyd Mayweather is popular with fight fans in the UK

Sagoe re-elected as Chairman Africa Cricket Association

T was a dramatic turnaround for Zamfara State Girls who came from a six point deficit in the first quarter to topple Kano State girls 12-8 in the final of the Confluence Conference of the 2013 Nestle Milo Secondary Schools Basketball championships in Lokoja, yesterday.

The Kano girls’ who are the zone’s two-time finalist were double-

levelled up in the second quarter while the keenlycontested fourth quarter ended 12:8 in favour of Zamfara.

In the boys’ category, Katsina defeated Adamawa 35 – 33 points The Kogi State Commissioner for Education, Mrs Grace Elebiyo said the people of Kogi are overwhelmed by the opportunity avail them to host the championship.

Eaglets Continues from BP fantastic displays in Morocco.

The Golden Eaglets, runners-up at the African U-17

Championship in Morocco, will represent Africa at the FIFA U-17 World Cup UAE 2013, alongside Cote d’Ivoire, Tunisia and Morocco.

Adeniji-Adele Continues from BP Association chairman, Professor Tunde Makanjuola defeated three other candidates to emerge the zonal representative on the board of the Athletic Federation of Nigeria.

Makanjuola,who emerged winner in his fifth attempt polled three votes ahead of Olumide George from Ondo state who polled two votes while Atlanta Olympics double medallist and reigning African record holder in the women’s 400m,chief Falilat Ogunkoya-Omotayo polled only one vote.

The fourth contestant, Samuel Fatunla, Nigeria’s only internationally recognised track and

field statistician lost as it was alleged that even his own state (Ekiti) delegate did not vote for him.

There were palpable signs hours before voting started that Professor Makanjuola would emerge winner after the Lagos and Oyo state commissioners for sports were locked in a meeting to agree on a consensus candidate.

In the North West, North East and North central zones, the trio of Ibrahin Gusau,former track and field international, Fidelis Gadzama and former Kwara state accountant general, Tunde Abdulrahman were elected unopposed into the board of the AFN.

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013

— Page 63

We will see another Messi

Federation Elections: Adeniji-Adele floored .Oshodi, Makunjuola win

• Muller warns against Messi backlash on Story 33 page

Barcelona Vs Bayern Munich: Kick-off 7.45 p.m.

T

•Robben

HE Nigeria Football Federation has urged Nigerians to troop out to welcome the Golden Eaglests who are expected to arrive the country today after theit silver outing at the U-17 African Championships in Marrakech, Morocco.

The team are due back in the early hours of today at the Murtala M o h a m m e d International Airport, Ikeja. Assistant Director and spokesman of the NFF, Ademola Olajire

PUZZLE

urged Nigerians yesterday to turn out enmasse to welcome the Golden Eaglets.

“The Eaglets deserve a red carpet reception.

They did absolutely well despite not winning the trophy. The Golden Eaglets, who were unlucky to lose the African U-17 Championship trophy to Cote d’Ivoire in Morocco, were playing at the tournament for the first time since 2007.

This team has already been tipped for greatness by several

seasoned and respected commentators across the world.”

Olajire noted that the Eaglets deserve the red carpet reception as they did Nigeria proud with their high-scoring and

Continues on Page 63

•Maigari

winner of the zonal election (South West) into the board of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation.

Oshodi won by five votes to one to return to the board he served in the last four years as a co - opted member.

It was however a sad tale for the immediate past Commissioner for Sports in Lagos state,Ademola AdenijiAdele whose bid to get into the board of the Boxing Federation of Nigeria was rejected by delegates from other South West zone who voted in favour relatively unknown Rotimi Rasheed, a former chief medical director of Ondo State Specialist hospital as the zonal representative on the board of the Boxing Federation.

In Athletics, Lagos State Athletics

Continues on Page 63

QUICK CROSSWORD

Sudoku TODAY'S

AGOS state Commissioner for Sports,Barrister Waheed Enitan Oshodi yesterday in Ibadan emerged the

NFF begs Nigerians to welcome Eaglets

BY TONY UBANI

•Messi

L

YESTER DAY'S YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 1 Cudgel (4) 4 Tear (3) 6 Settee (4) 9 Equality (3) 10 Pennon (8) 11 Spoken (4) 14 Strike (3) 16 Command (5) 19 Filtered (8) 21 Material (5) 23 Deflated (8) 24 Sewer (5) 27 Can (3) 31 Thought (4) 33 Start (8) 34 Tavern (3) 35 Cipher (4) 36 Noise (3) 37 Nobleman (4)

DOWN 2 Tardy (4) 3 Ale (4) 4 Stayed (8) 5 Divide (4) 6 Track (5) 7 Scull (3) 8 Skeleton (5) 12 Enquired (5) 13 Fragrance (5) 14 Concealed (3) 15 Principle (5) 17 Outcoming (5) 18 Prompt (5) 20 Section (8) 22 Male (3) 25 Wireless (5) 26 Stupid (5) 28 Object (4) 29 Blaze (4) 30 Agitate (4) 32 Finish (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS

How to Play Sudoku

ACROSS: 1, Barter 5, Manual 8, Stubborn 9, Omit 10, Ace 12, Steam 15, Cup 17, Ash 18, Err 19, Act 20, Eider 21, Ape 22, Eel 23, Gem 24, Sin 26, Fudge 29, Pet 33, Mere 34, Transit 35, Player 36, Nudity.

THE VIGILANTE

DOWN: 2, Attic 3, Tube 4, Roost 5, Mania 6, Noon 7, Adieu 10, Amass 11, Eaten 12, Shelf 13, Ended 14, Merge 15, Cramp 16, Pleat 25, Ideal 27, Utter 28, Grain 30, Evict 31, Deny 32, Used.

e-mail: rowolove@yahoo.co.uk

P

lace a number (1-9) in each blank cell. (No line can have two of the same number).

Each row (nine lines from left to right), column, (also nine lines from top to bottom) and 3 X 3 block within a bold block (nine blocks) contains number from 1 through 9. This means that no number can appear twice in any block, column or row.

No mathematics is involved – no adding, subtraction, division or multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination.

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