Govt detains corpse from Liberia

...towards a better life for the people

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VOL. 25: NO. 62200

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

N150

FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014

Killer of Edmark boss flees to Ghana

7

Jonathan appoints •Pgs.9&52 Suleiman Abba new Police IG

EBOLA SCARE IN ANAMBRA

Govt detains corpse from Liberia

By Vincent Ujumadu, Chioma Obinna & Gabriel Olawale WKA —A CORPSE of an Anambra State indigene brought from Liberia, yesterday, caused scare of the dreaded Ebola disease in the state, with officials of the state ministry of health directing security operatives to cordon off the mortuary where the body was deposited pending investigations by experts from the FedContinues on Page 5

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•Quarantines hospital mortuary, staff •LUTH confirms receipt of over 20 specimens •Says none tested positive yet, expects more •Liberia shuts down govt, schools

COLUMNIST: Donu

Ingratitude and treachery •P.17

Mr & Mrs

—P.56

•S-Leone declares state of emergency —P.56

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ANOTHER GOLD —Nigeria's Blessing Okagbare celebrates victory in the final of the women's 200m event at the on-going 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, yesterday. Photo: AFP.

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POCKET CARTOON

DINNER FOR SOYINKA—From left: Prof. Wole Soyinka, Rivers State Deputy Governor, Tele Ikuru; and Gov. Chibuike Amaechi at a birthday dinner in honour of Prof. Soyinka in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.

Ebola scare in Anambra: Govt detains corpse from Liberia Continues from page 1 eral Ministry of Health.

The corpse was brought into the country as a cargo and was taken straight to Apex Hospital and Mortuary at Nkwelle Ezunaka in Oyi Local Government Area of the state, apparently by his relations and waiting for burial.

However, somebody from the community, who knew that the man died in Liberia where there have been deaths caused

by Ebola disease, informed the Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano. The Governor immediately directed the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Josephat Akabike to take action.

Addressing reporters in Awka, yesterday, Akabike said though it has not been confirmed that the man died of the Ebola disease, there was need for precautionary measures to be taken.

He said: “We have already contacted the Federal Ministry of Health and we are expecting them to arrive the state any time from now. We have sealed the mortuary and the hospital and all the corpses and the people working there have been quarantined.

Mourtary, staff quarantined “We are also making efforts to locate the family of the deceased to know their level of contact with the corpse when it arrived the country and everybody who had visited the mortuary will also be quarantined.

“We are surprised how the corpse came into Ni-

geria and Anambra State. It is shocking to us.

“We have directed the police to cordon off the area. Ebola is a very big threat and that is why we are taking all the measures.”

According to him, "the information was brought by somebody who acted fast, following the announcement we have been making since the disease was made known", adding that his ministry has assembled its health team and got all the preventive materials ready.

LUTH tests 20 specimens, all negative Meanwhile, the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, yesterday, disclosed that over 20 specimens of suspected contacts of Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, have been received for analysis at its DNA molecular laboratory, since the confirmed case of Patrick Sawyer, the late Liberian that died of Ebola disease in Lagos on July 25, 2014.

The results of those samples have, however, been confirmed negative by virologists at the hospital. Confirming this yesterday, Chief Medical Director, Prof. Akin Osibogun said: “The samples which were sent from all over the country include mainly those of the late Sawyer’s contacts while he was being treated.

However, as the blood and fluid samples keep trooping to LUTH from doctors, Osibogun said

none has tested positive except that of the late Liberian. He confirmed that the hospital has screened at least 20 blood/fluid samples for the deadly Ebola virus, but also admitted that more were being expected. He expressed confidence that LUTH laboratory has the capacity for the tests which involve high technology.

Continuing, Osibogun said: “The Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, has the capability to make the diagnosis and I am sure you must have heard that the specimens were sent to this hospital and the diagnosis was made in this hospital.

“The specimens keep coming to LUTH because the Liberian patient was only one but we have received more than one specimen. None has tested positive so far. I don’t know the exact figure at this point but at one point we had well over 20 specimens that have been tested from 20 different contacts, people who were likely to have come in contact with the late Liberian. But it is a continuous thing. That 20 may not be a figure to work with because they keep sending specimens".

He noted that “Ebola virus disease has an incubation period of two to 21 days. Some manifest earlier, while some manifest late, but between two to 21 days. The incubation period is used to quarantine the patient. If you keep a patient for one month and the virus does not manifest, the suspect might be let out of quarantine. But what is important is to watch

out for signs and symptoms”.

How Ebola is transmitted Osibogun advised that at this point, it is important to bear in mind how the disease is transmitted. “It is usually by any contact with any body fluid, blood, sweat and saliva. We should wash our hands as often as possible as we can just to reduce the chances of contamination. It is going to be difficult avoiding crowded places.”

He also disclosed that in a disease outbreak like Ebola, it is needful to corroborate lab results with a second laboratory to ensure accuracy of result, which he said they have been doing since the case of the late Liberian.

He said already LUTH has set up a team to handle any crisis arising from an unexpected spread of the disease. He said: “We put in place isolation mechanism, and barrier mechanisms.

Everything is on standby in the event there is any case in the hospital. The Lagos State Ministry of Health and Federal Ministry of Health have also been carrying out enlightenment campaign where they have health education units to educate members of the public on how to protect themselves against exposure and to recognise and to have a high level index of suspicion. So that if there is any suspected case, the report is quickly made.

“I think we should commend that private hospital because they demonstrated high index of suspicion. They were able

to keep the patient and declined to allow the patient leave the hospital and they immediately alerted federal and state authorities.

“The Federal and State authorities have since stepped in to investigate and try to trace the contacts while specimen are still being received and tested to see if any of the contacts are at risk. We need to reduce body contact. People no longer shake hands. The thing about communicable diseases is that there must be an agent that is transmissible from one person to the other. It is either that agent or product of the agent or a part of that agent that must be transmissible from an infected person to susceptible host.

So that is very clear so the virus must go from one person, but in this case, it is virus. But in some conditions, it could be the product of the virus, a toxin from the virus can be transmitted to somebody in some other diseases, but in this instance, the virus must be transmitted from one person to another.

“We have the technology to detect the virus or its products or its parts through DNA technology.

For instance, we have the technology in this hospital to detect even when the person is not sick but it is just in the incubation period which means the patient is already incubating the agent only that it hasn’t manifested the symptoms. The manifestation of the symptoms is the totality of the interactions between the virus and the body. So it takes some time.”

Ebola Red Alert worldwide

Meantime, fears that the West African Ebola outbreak could spread to other continents are growing with European and Asian countries on alert as a leading medical charity warn the epidemic is out of control.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said the crisis gripping Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone would only get worse and warned there was no

overarching strategy to handle the world’s worst outbreak of the disease.

US Christian charity Samaritan’s Purse was temporarily withdrawing its non-essential staff from Liberia, it said, citing regional “instability and ongoing security issues”.

Hong Kong announced quarantine measures for suspected cases, although one woman arriving from Africa with possible symptoms tested negative, while the EU said it was ready to deal with the threat. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has held talks with global health officials on potential measures to halt the spread of the disease. In Britain, where one person has tested negative for the disease, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said it was regarded as “a very serious threat” An emergency meeting had decided that the best approach was to provide “additional resources to deal with the disease at source” in West Africa, he added.

Ebola can kill victims within days, causing severe fever and muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhoea and, in some cases, organ failure and unstoppable bleeding. 57 more deaths from the Ebola epidemic spreading alarm in West Africa have pushed the overall fatality toll from the outbreak to 729, the World Health Organization said yesterday. The 57 deaths were recorded between Thursday and Sunday last week in Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone, the UN health agency said in a statement.

It added that 122 new cases were detected over the four days, taking the total number of confirmed and likely infected cases to 1,323.Bart Janssens, MSFs director of operations, warned that governments and global bodies had no “overarching view” of how to tackle the outbreak. This epidemic is unprecedented, absolutely out of control and the situation can only get worse, because it is still spreading", he said.

Continues on pages 50&51

6—Vanguard , FRIDAY FRIDAY,, AUGUST 1, 2014

Bauchi Police discover explosives, ammunition in Azare

By Suzan Edeh

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AUCHI —MEN of the Bauchi Police Command, yesterday, discovered Improvise Explosive Devices, IEDs buried in a building in Azare, Katagum Local Government Area of Bauchi State.

The Bauchi State Police Command Public Relations Officer, DSP Mohammed Haruna, who confirmed the incident in Bauchi, said the discovery was made around 4:30 pm.

According to him, “the explosive ordinance unit of the command successfully recovered and rendered safe an IED gas cylinder buried in a building site located at VIO Quarters, Azare, Bauchi.

“Other items recovered include 37 rounds of double barrel cartridge. The building was occupied by hoodlums five months ago before they were driven away.”

Vehicles presented to security agencies in Ibadan, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN.

15 die as cultists invade 7 Rivers communities P

ORT HARCOURT — IT was a black day in Egiland, yesterday, as unidentified gunmen, suspected to be

members of a cult group, the Islanders, in the area invaded the Egi kingdom in Ogba/ Ebgema/Ndoni Local

Government Area of Rivers State killing at least 15 residents.

The killers were said to have

Police nab cleric preparing concoction with performed the baby’s naming ceremony the previous day placenta •He •Angry mob sets his buildings ablaze

By Demola Akinyemi

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LORIN— AN Islamic cleric, simply identified as Alfa Gani was, Wednesday night, caught in Laduba, Ogidi area of Ilorin West Local Government Area, making concoction with the placenta of a new baby girl he performed her naming ceremony the previous day.

After the bizarre incident, sources said human parts were also found in the cleric’s residence.

Consequently, angry members of Laduba community pulled down his two buildings.

It took the intervention of policemen who quickly whisked the cleric and his family away to save them from being lynched.

The latest discovery brings to three, the number of suspected human parts markets discovered in Ilorin and Okuta towns in Baruteen Local Government Area in recent times.

The men of Kwara State Police Command had, penultimate week, paraded three human parts dealers, while the police were still investigating a four-storey building along Airport Road in

Ilorin where human parts were also found.

How the suspect was nabbed The latest discovery was made when the community leaders in Laduba decided to raise some volunteers to go round the houses in the area to ask for contribution for the repair of their faulty transformer.

On getting to the suspect’s house, Vanguard gathered, the volunteers were greeted with offensive odour from the house. Worried, they alerted other members of the community about the odour.

The volunteers, subsequently, mobilised more residents to the house of the islamic cleric, asking him to explain the cause of the odour.

But Alfa Gani was said to have feigned embarrassment, accusing the concerned community members of trying to intrude into his privacy.

Vanguard gathered that the development degenerated to argument between him and members of the community who insisted that they must get to the root of the matter.

The suspect, the source

further said, angrily left them in his house to lodge a report at the nearby Oloje police station.

But before his arrival, the residents were said to have forced their way into the house where they met a boy preparing some charms with the baby’s placenta which was the cause of the stench in the first place.

Consequently, the angry mob that had gathered descended on the boy, making him confess that the cleric asked him to exhume the baby ’s placenta to prepare the charms.

In the middle of the confusion, the mother of the baby was said to have rushed to the point where the baby’s placenta was buried only to discover that it was no longer there.

While the commotion lasted, Alfa Gani, according to the source, arrived the scene with some policemen with the intention to arrest those trying to “intrude into his privacy ” but the community rose against them and presented the true version of the story to the Police.

“It was at that point that the police decided to search the

entire house following which they discovered more human parts,” a source said.

The police, it was further gathered, extended their search to an uncompleted building behind the suspect’s house only to discover that the place was being used as a slaughter slab for human parts.

Mob set his buildings ablaze The mob, therefore, demolished the structures and set the suspect’s property on fire.

The presence of the policemen, it was gathered, prevented the mob from carrying out jungle justice on the suspect who was whisked away by the police.

Contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Ajayi Okasanmi, confirmed the incident but said it was not a case of human parts selling.

He said a man was caught with baby placenta and the community descended on him.

Okasanmi said the man was just released from prison where he served a term for similar reason, saying: “We are still investigating the case.”

invaded seven communities in the area: Obagi, Ede, Obite, Egi Town, Obieze, Obimiri and Akabka in the night on motorcycles and shot sporadically, killing the victims and injuring many others.

A reliable source from Egi Kingdom, who spoke to Vanguard, said the boys who invaded the villages were suspected to be members of the Islanders cult, a group that had been terrorizing some parts of the local government area.

The source said the identity of the assailants was betrayed by their chanting as they unleashed mayhem on the innocent citizens.

The source also said that the cult group’s action could not be linked to any known crisis in the area but said it may be a fall-out of the cult activities that have been rocking the local government area.

Vanguard also gathered that the cult boys came back at about 9 am to fire shots in the community but the JTF men intervened.

Contacted, the state Police Commissioner, Mr Tunde Ogunsakin, confirmed the incident but quickly added that the Police were yet to ascertain the number of those killed.

He said: “We are still investigating. The number of those killed may be about six or eight. But we are investigating."

The state Police boss could not give any reason for the action of the cultists. He said calm had returned to the area, adding that security men had been deployed to maintain the peace.

Another community source said the gunmen shot sporadically for about three hours.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014—7

Man kills lover in Lagos, flees to Ghana •Made away with N8m, phones, Range Rover SUV •We are closing in on killer —Police

By Peter Duru

By Evelyn Usman

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AGOS — THE Lagos State Police Command, yesterday, disclosed that it was close to apprehending the 33year-old man who allegedly strangled his lover, a 39-yearold mother of four in her apartment at Green Estate, Amuwo Odofin area of Lagos, two weeks ago.

This is just as it has identified the fleeing suspect as one Kelechi Williams.

All was reportedly going on well for Williams and his international business woman lover and Chief Executive Officer /Managing Director of Edmark International, identified as Njideka Lizzy Nzewe, until July 19, 2014.

According to reports, the late Njideka who was to travel to the United States of America on July 24, 2014, with her kids, had gone to the bank in the company of Williams to withdraw N4 million.

However, at about 2.30 am, Williams allegedly tied her hands, strangled her and thereafter, made away with over N8 million, her phones and her Range Rover SUV. Police sources told Vanguard that the twine used to strangle the mother of four was found on her neck when they arrived.

Police sources further hinted that homicide detectives at Area ‘E’ Command, Festac Town, were closing in on the suspect.

“During investigation, we discovered that Williams have several other names. He fled to Ghana immediately he committed the act.

“Detectives embarked on forensic auditing investigation of his social media networks and with the assistance of INTERPOL, they have been able to locate his hideout,” Police sources said.

Marriage proposal

Preliminary investigations. as gathered, showed that Williams was one of the deceased’s staff.

They were said to have been going out for some years, in the process of which he proposed marriage to Lizzy.

But she reportedly turned down the proposal on the ground of age difference.

Police sources explained: “During investigation, it was discovered that when the deceased business expanded, she employed Williams to manage the Ghana and West Coast branch of her company. Each time he comes to Nigeria, he exports goods to Ghana and circulate same to West Coast. During such visits, he stayed with Lizzy at her private apartment. That could be the

Policeman, bizman shot dead in Makurdi

The late Njideka Lizzy Nzewe reason why it was easy for him to snuff life out of her.

"On the day he killed Lizzy, he drove to the gate and told the

unsuspecting guard that he was going to cash money from the ATM.” Police sources further disclosed that during

investigation, the fleeing suspect was discovered to be on the wanted list of policemen in Angola and South Africa, over undisclosed offences.

Contacted, spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, Ngozi Braide, explained that the deceased was a single mother.

She said: “He strangled the woman with a rope inside her apartment. He locked up the place, packed her money, phones, international passports and about N8 million, which she intended to leave for him to run the business while she would be away.

“Lizzy’s brother, who was supposed to meet her so that they could move her things to her new home in Satelite Town, came over. But after several calls without response, the man became worried when he noticed that everywhere was locked.

“He, therefore, alerted the police at Festac Police Station, which prompted policemen to force the door to the woman’s apartment open and met her lifeless body on the floor.

Investigation is on-going . We will get him.”

Tricycle operators lament extortion, intimidation in Lagos

By Esther Onyegbula

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AGOS — TRICYCLE operators at the PWD Park in Ikeja, GRA, Lagos State have called on the state government to come to their rescue over alleged extortion and intimidation by the chairman of the park.

Trouble, as gathered, started after the park, which was originally operated by commercial motorcycle riders, was allegedly hijacked, after the state government restricted their operation within Ikeja metropolis.

When some of the commercial motorcyclists who reportedly started operating tricycle returned to the park, they met a new management which they accused of extorting money from them.

Vanguard investigation revealed that each tricycle operator pays a compulsory fee of between N15,000 and N30,000 for registration.

Aside, the operators said they pay N1,300 daily to Chairman of the park, a payment they said is never receipted.

Failure to pay the levies, the operators said would be intimidated by thugs who

allegedly work with the new management of the park.

One of the operators who gave his name as Amodu Owonikoko told Vanguard: “This PWD park used to be operated by commercial bike operators in 2011 while the tricycle operators used the other side of the road as their park.

“In October 2012, after the ban of commercial bike riders, a lot of us acquired tricycles to avoid problems with the government.

“Unfortunately when we returned with our tricycles, operators at the other side of the road had occupied our park.

All effort to reclaim our park was futile.

“Instead of making trouble we decided to co-exist with them.

Over the years the extortion that we have been faced with has become unbearable.

“For instance operators who have old tricycles are made to register with N15,000 while those fortunate to buy new ones are made to pay N30,000.

“Apart from the registration fee, we are forced to pay N1,300 daily to the park authorities under the leadership of one Mr. Daniel Ojuola, who used to be a tricycle operator.

However, when Vanguard met with the park’s Chairman, Mr Daniel Ojuola, he declined comments, threatening to sue Vanguard if any of these findings are published.

According to him, whatsoever happens in the PWD tricycle park happens in other parks.

“This is my private business and I have the right to run it the way I want it. Any tricycle operator who is not comfortable with the way things are done in the park should quit,” Ojuola said.

M

AKURDI— A Police sergeant attached to the Benue State Police Command, Bawa Ekoja, and a yet-to-be identified businessman, were in the last 24 hours shot dead by gunmen in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.

Vanguard gathered that the Police sergeant, who was until his death attached to the state’s anti-robbery squad, Operation Dzenda, was gunned down in the early hours of yesterday while on his way home after closing from night duty.

The businessman was on the other hand, gunned down in front of his supermarket on Iorkyaa Ako Street, Wednesday night.

The deceased was said to have met his untimely death at about 9pm when two armed men on a motorbike shot him after dispossessing of him of the money he made from the day’s sales.

According to an eyewitness, “the men in Toyota Camry car waylaid the Policeman, who was on his motorbike in front of Bem Hotel, near the Catholic Cathedral, and shot him at close range.

“The gun shot set everyone scampering for safety while the assailants drove."

Police confirm killing of officer

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, DSP Daniel Ezeala, has confirmed the killing of Bawa Ekoja in an interview in Makurdi.

He said the assailants shot Ekoja several times in the back while riding his bicycle home after closing from night duty at the Police Headquarters.

Kidnapped Senator’s mother: 4 suspects arrested

By Samuel Oyadongha

Y

ENAGOA —THE security agents in Bayelsa State have arrested four persons in connection with the abduction of Madam Florentina Paulker, the mother of Senator Emmanuel Paulker.

The 90-year-old woman was seized in the early hours of Wednesday by armed men who invaded the residence of her grandson at the Opolo suburb

of Yenagoa.

Bayelsa State government in a statement by Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, LtCol. Bernard Kenebai (rtd) said one of the prime suspects was nabbed within minutes of the distress call while three others were arrested six hours later.

The governor’s aide said all the arrested suspects had made useful statements to the police and efforts are on to ensure the prompt and successful release of the victim.

8—Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014

Remi Tinubu: A senator’s steady strides

By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor

T

he event was styled to project three years of people-focused representation for the people of Lagos West Senatorial District. The woman who left several memorable legacies as First Lady in Nigeria’s most populous state, had seemingly relocated her magic wand to the National Assembly where her presence, passion and politics have now won her much regard.

With three bills for a rookie senator, Senator Remi Tinubu obviously could certainly not be categorised among the laggards in the 109-member Senate.

But on this day that she came to report her representation to constituents, Mrs. Tinubu had more than bills to report on. Mrs. Tinubu had made history for herself and family three years ago when she became the first wife to sit in the Nigerian Senate where her husband had earlier passed through.

The family of the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has earned a distinguished place in the polity as the only one to have produced a husband and wife as senators.

A year ago, the lady had shocked many at the same constituency briefing when she told those present to look beyond her seeming physique and privileges to see the other side as an agitator for the oppressed and the common man.

Challenged by a journalist that she spoke like a labour leader, she immediately retorted: “I am a comrade. I said that this is the new face of labour, it is in the blood. I also came from the trenches,” she said with a force that belied the radiance and beauty not normally associated with the

Sen Tinubu... giving her representation account at a press conference

hard men and women of labour.

A year on at another constituency briefing at the same Rehoboth House, Yaba, Lagos, her constituency office, Mrs. Tinubu was the cynosure of all eyes as she opened up on her activities in the last legislative year.

Just as last year, she was surrounded by the high and low class in society who came to hear their senator articulate her stewardship.

Among the guests of the distinguished senator were the Lagos Central APC leader, Prince Oluyole Olusi; State Secretary of the APC, Eshinlokun Sanni; a former Minister of State for Defence, Chief Demola Seriki; former Commissioner for Finance in Lagos State, Wale Edun; Chairman of Yaba Local Council Development Area, LCDA, Jide Jimoh, among many others.

Bills Being that bills are among the most easy reference points for the assessment of lawmakers, Mrs. Tinubu was quick to

prove her mettle with the revelation of her sponsorship of three bills in her three years in the Senate.

The National Social Security Agency Bill, 2011; a bill for an Act to Amend the Labour Act, 2004, and for other matters; and the Lagos State Special Economic Assistance Bill, 2013 are the three bills which have all passed through the first reading.

It was remarkable that two of the bills sponsored by the senator had to do with labour, underscoring her self-description as the new face of labour.

Senator Tinubu has also sponsored two motions, notably, the Motion on Flood Disaster in Lagos and the motion on the urgent need to investigate the imminent collapse of the Third Mainland Bridge, Lagos.

Besides sponsorship of bills and motions, Senator Tinubu has also projected solutions to some of the problems of her constituents in Lagos Central through putting their needs in the Federal Government's budget.

She said: “Also, through the Senate Committee on Education, additional resources were secured to rehabilitate some schools

2015: Give Jonathan automatic ticket — Okon to PDP, Nigerians ...says any other aspirant must wait till 2019

By Henry Umoru

A

BUJA — AHEAD of primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the emergence of the party’s presidential candidate, the PDP Pioneer National Publicity Secretary, Senator Aniete Okon said, yesterday, that having X-rayed the nation’s political environment, he came to a conclusion that President Goodluck Jonathan be given an automatic ticket by the party.

According to him, against the backdrop of President Jonathan’s achievements and the support by PDP Governors’ Forum under the leadership of governor Godswill Akpabio, and other Nigerians,

there was no vacancy in the Presidential Villa.

He added that though as Nigerians, people have the constitutional right to contest, they should wait till 2019 when President Jonathan would have rounded off his second term in office Speaking with Vanguard, yesterday, Senator Okon, a delegate representing Akwa Ibom State at the on- going National Conference, said that even in developed democracies of the world, incumbent presidents were given conventional right of first refusal by the political party and that of President Jonathan would not be different.

According to him: “In PDP, The President has the conventional right of first refusal. The party without excluding any other aspirants, must in the manner of universal convention of parties in most democratic realms invite the incumbent to bear the party’s standard in an election on the incumbent‘s record. In the PDP, we believe that Mr. President has more than made the mark. ”His record, given the distractions posed by the concert of dark intrigues that spawned hydraheaded conflicts and consequential breaches of security that eroded our sovereignty recommends Mr. President to justifiably present himself for re-election.

and provide three classroom blocks with toilet facilities. These are Jibowu Junior High School, Yaba (N21 million); Banjo Primary School, Otumara Ilogbo, Ebutte Metta (N20 million); Christ Cathedral Church Primary School, CMS, Lagos Island (N15 million); Teslim Elias Primary School, Oja Oba, Lagos Island (N15 million); Ansar-uddeen Primary School, Okepopo, Lagos Island (N15 million); and Ire Akari Primary School in Orile, Apapa Iganmu (N15 million).

Projects “Through the Universal Service Provision Fund, Aje Comprehensive High School in Yaba was supplied with 100 computers, one server, two laptops and 110 charging points.

In 2014, projects worth N61.5 million were proposed. Projects expected under the 2014 federal budget are the provision of three classroom blocks with VIP toilets and the supply of five sets of computers, UPS and printers to each of the following schools: Iponri Primary School, Iponri; St. Clementina Primary School, Mosalasi Bus Stop, Surulere; State Nursery/Primary School, Arakan Barracks, Apapa; and Union Baptist Primary School, Oja Oba, Isale Eko.” Mrs. Tinubu, who as First Lady, set a new benchmark for spouses of governors through her New Era Foundation, a platform that she used in stirring the leadership potentials of secondary school children also brought comfort to admirers with the news that she had not abandoned winners of the One Day Governor that she conceived as First Lady.

Besides, as senator, she had also conceived a support scheme for tertiary school students with N100,000 annual support for 26 students selected for the scheme.

“Since the Post-Secondary School Scholarship Scheme, PSSS, was launched, 26 beneficiaries of four-year scholarships receive a N100,000 annually to support their education. The selection was made from 650 can-

didates. The remaining 624 applicants were given a one off N10,000 each to buy books,” she said.

Speaking on her mentorship of the selected students, she said: “Before the commencement of each academic year, I meet the 26 students in an interactive mentoring session. They also attend leadership training at the New Era Youth Camp, NEYOCA in Kayetoro, Ibeju Lekki.

“We launched the Petty Traders Empowerment Capital Scheme, PETECS, and 650 beneficiaries were given N20,000 each to enhance their trades or businesses. The sponsorship of Senator Muniru Muse Under12 boys and Under-15 girls was in continuation of a tournament introduced by my predecessor.

We hadhosted and sponsored three tournaments since I assumed office as a senator,”she added.

“Since the Elderly Citizens Assistance Scheme, ECAS, was launched, it has been a yearly event. This was inspired by the Elderly Citizens Assistance Bill I initiated. A total of 1,300 beneficiaries drawn from the 13 LGAs/LCDAs in Lagos Central Senatorial District receive N10, 000 each with various gift items.

In the 2013 edition, we introduced free health screening.”

“The Youth Empowerment and Skills Acquisition Scheme, YESAS, was initiated, under which 164 youths were trained in various vocational skills by experienced instructors (during three days and five days training programmes). A start-up kit worth N10,000 was given to each of them and N40,000 was also given to them in two instalments.

Free GCE forms “Also, free GCE forms were distributed to 220 candidates during our Seventh Town Hall meeting on June 14, 2013, to enable them make up their results and fulfil their dreams of going to tertiary institutions.

Another 220 candidates will be given GCE forms for 2014 at our next Town Hall meeting on June 11.

Senator Tinubu’s touch is also not only with the academically inclined as she disclosed her support scheme for those not academically inclined who are captured under the Good Boys and Good Girls Empowerment Scheme.

“Under the Good Boys and Good Girls Empowerment Scheme, GBGES, N100,000 start-up capital was provided for 80 beneficiaries drawn from various parts of the state. This programme was introduced to give a second chance to unemployed and idle youths. Due to more pressure from those from my Senatorial District, another set of 11 beneficiaries were added to the list.”

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014—9

Jonathan appoints Suleiman Abba new IGP KINGSLEY OMONOBI, Ben Agande

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WORKSHOP: From left, Communication consultant, Mr. Derwin Johnson; Director General, National Orientation Agency, NOA, Mr. Mike Omeri, and Senior Information Specialist, US Embassy, Abuja Mr. Sani Mohammed, sharing a joke, during the media training workshop for State Directors of NOA, in Abuja, yesterday.

RESIDENT GOODLUCK Jonathan has approved the appointment of AIG Suleiman Abba as the new Inspector-General of Police.

A statement by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, said AIG Abba, currently the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 7, comprising Abuja, Kaduna and Niger states, replaces the incumbent Inspector-General of Police, IGP Mohammed Abubakar, who proceeds on statutory retirement today (yesterday) having completed 35 years in service.

"The incoming Inspector-General, a lawyer, hails from Jigawa State and is an alumnus of the Nigerian Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS. Positions previously held by him in the Police include Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of the Criminal Investigation Department, FCT Command, Deputy Force Secretary and Commissioner of Police, Rivers State.

His appointment is with effect from today, August 1, 2014"

The Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Sir Mike Mbama Okiro in a congratulatory message to the new IGP said it was a deserved appointment.

In a statement by Mr. Ferdinand Ekpe, Assistant Director, Information of the commission, Okiro advised him to rise up to the challenges of his new appointment, noting that as a tested officer who had held various Command positions in the Nigeria Police Force, he had no doubt he (Abba) would bring new perspectives in the search for solutions to the security threats confronting the nation.

Until his appointment, Abba was the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in Charge of Zone 7, Abuja.

He formerly served as the Deputy Force Secretary at Force headquarters and Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Kebbi State Police Command. He was also the Aide de Camp to Mrs. Mariam Abacha. He was also at one time, the officer in charge MOPOL 44 Abuja.

It will be recalled that Vanguard had exclusively reported, yesterday, that President Goodluck Jonathan and the Police council made

Impeachment: You can’t disband my probe panel, Al-Makura tells lawmakers ....Insists only court can sack 7-man probe panel

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri,& Abel Daniel

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BUJA — EMBATTLED Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa State, yesterday, challenged the powers of lawmakers in the state to disband the 7-man panel that was constituted by the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Suleiman Dikko, to probe impeachable allegations that have been levelled against him.

Governor Al-Makura who spoke through his lawyers, yesterday, insisted that the recent call by lawmakers in the state for the disbandment of a probe panel that was constituted by the state Chief Judge meant that they are not really attuned with the modern realities of the law.

Al-Makura's lead counsel, Chief Udechukwu Nnoruka Udechukwu, SAN, contended that under the 1999 constitution (as amended), only a competent court of jurisdiction, has the constitutional powers to sack a probe panel that has already been empaneled by the substantive Chief Judge of the state to determine whether or not he should be impeached from office.

The state lawmakers on Wednesday fled the state capital and relocated to a remote Karu Local Government where they sat for several hours at the end of which they asked the Chief Judge to reconstitute the investigating panel. They are alleging that the panel will not

be fair as four members of the panel were card carrying party members while another panel members was an appointee of the state government.

The Nasarawa state government however faulted the directive of the state house of assembly to the state chief judge to reconstitute the membership of the investigative panel, saying it is unconstitutional.

Addressing a press conference in Lafia the state capital, the Special Assistant to Governor Almakura on public affairs, Hon. Abdulhamid Kwarra described the sitting of the Assembly outside the state capital and decision of the assembly as Ahigh level of legislative insanity."

According to Kwarra, "no rule of the house permits the sitting of the assembly anywhere in the state to conduct legislative affairs of the stat," citing a Supreme Court decision that "the assembly shall only conduct its legislative functions in a legally designated place in the state capital."

Meanwhile the controversial 7man panel commenced closeddoor sitting yesterday at the conference hall of the state ministry of local government and chieftaincy affair in lafia.

It will be recalled that the Nasarawa state Assembly had levelled a 16-count charge against Al-Makura, subsequent upon which they ordered that an impeachment notice which was signed by 20 out of 24 members be served on the governor.

Remarkably, the 20 members belong to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which is the opposi-

tion party in the state, while the four minority lawmakers, are from the All Progressives Congress, APC, which is the ruling party in the state.

One of the charges against Al-Makura, include missing local government joint account fund between June 2011 and April 2012, and from January to July 2013.

It was further alleged that the governor misappropriated and misapplied funds in the joint account and local gov-

ernment Sure-P fund, as well as transferring money in the account to a fixed deposit account.

Besides, the lawmakers, alleged that the governor spent N13,295,000.00 on his wife’s trips to Abuja.

According to the lawmakers, the said offences were a gross violation of section 162(7) (8) of the 1999 constitution.

Udechukwu who is leading a team of lawyers comprising

up of the 36 state governors and the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Sir Mike Mbama Okiro (IGP, rtd) settled for the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 7, Mr. Suleiman Abba as the next Inspector General of Police when incumbent, Mohammed Dahiru Abubakar retires after attaining the mandatory 35 years in service by 31st of this month.

The out-going Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar and his successor had earlier met with President Jonathan at the Presidential Villa.

The duo met with the president for less than 20 minutes before driving out of the Presidential Villa. They declined to speak with the press as they drove out together.

Boko Haram razes churches, issues threat letter

By Ndahi Marama

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AIDUGURI — No fewer than five churches in Kwajaffa, Tashan Alade and other communities in Hawul Local Government Area of Borno were on Wednesday set ablaze by suspected Boko Haram terrorists.

Hawul, a predominantly Christian community in southern part of the state also shares local boundary with Garkida town of Adamawa state which came under attack by some group of insurgents last Sunday killing two soldiers and three civilians with the setting ablaze of Police station.

Hawul is about 30 kilometres to Biu Local Government Area and 220 kilometres drive from Maiduguri, the state capital which is witnessing series of attacks by terrorists suspected to have formed their camps around Zhur, Pelachiroma and Kwajaffa hills and valleys.

Our Correspondent gathered that the gunmen invaded the affected communities on Wednesday in the night targeting only churches using Improvised Explosive Devices and petrol bombs before setting them ablaze.

It was also gathered that the gunmen after destroying the churches told some communities members that their next target was the

Local Government Headquarters Secretariat in Hawul.

Although, no life was lost, the gunmen operated freely without confrontation from either residents or security operatives.

The Caretaker Chairman of Hawul Local Government Area, Dr. Andrew Usman Malgwi confirmed the burning of churches in some of his communities with the threats that “the Council Secretariat will be the next target of the terrorists”.

He explained that the insurgents have now shifted their deadly attacks and destruction to Hawul, and therefore called on the Government to immediately deploy troops to safeguard lives and property of innocent citizens.

10—Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014

APAPA GRIDLOCK: Lagos says road reconstruction is way out

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

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AGOS—LAGOS State Government has said the enduring solution to the persistent gridlock in Apapa - Oshodi Expressway and its environs remained a total reconstruction of the entire stretch of Apapa -Oshodi Expressway and not palliative measure.

Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa, who spoke while commenting on hardship being faced by Lagosians as a result of the gridlock in spite of all interventions, attributed the disorder on the road, especially around Coconut and the Apapa ports to many failed portions of the road.

According to him, the situation led to frequent tanker accidents and most times resulting into total blockage of the road, saying “The problem on Apapa is mainly caused by the bad road. You see, most portions of the road are bad, and that explains why tankers and trucks fall on that road and the gridlock we have there. Untill the road is reconstructed, the problem on Apapa will be very difficult to solve permanently. “ He recalled that the Federal Government had a meeting with the state government in 2012 where it promised to reconstruct the road to end the sufferings in Apapa and accused the central government of failing to fulfill the promise despite the state government implementing 95 per-

cent of its own part of the agreement.

Opeifa said “The Federal Government is yet to fulfill the promise it made in 2012 to reconstruct the road. What they are doing now is palliative work and that will not solve the problem. See the blight spots at the Coconut, Wharf and Creek road sections of that road, and the palliative work is not even extending to those

areas. We have been consistently implementing our own part of the agreement we had with them, part of which was to manage traffic and build inner city roads, but until FG acts, the problem will still be there.''

He said government was constructing no fewer than eight inner city roads and deploying traffic solutions to the area to bring sanity to the road.

The commissioner urged the Nigeria Ports Authority, NPA, and Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, to improve their operational efficiencies with the aim of checking the menace of tankers in the area, adding that the state government would continue to do its best to alleviate the sufferings on the road and urged road users to play their own part by obeying traffic rules.

FORUM: From right; Head, Inspectorate and Compliance, Standard Organisation of Nigeria, SON, Engr Bede Obayi; Head of Department, Trade, SON, Engr (Mrs) Oluremi Ayeni; Director General, Dr. Joseph Odumodu; Director, Special Duties, George Okere and Consumers Protection Council Scientific Officer, SON, Umego Adaora at the stakeholders' forum on Mobile Phones Brand Owners in Ikeja, Lagos yesterday. Photo by Kehinde Gbadamosi.

WORLD BREASTFEEDING WEEK: Lagos calls for early breastfeeding

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

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AGOS—AHEAD of the commemoration of the year 2014 World Breastfeeding Week, WBW,Lagos State Government, yesterday called for promotion and support for early breastfeeding within 30 minutes of delivery, as well as exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months.

Special Adviser to the state Governor on Public Health, Dr. Yewande Adeshina made the call while highlighting activities lined up for the yearly WBW, celebration scheduled to take place from the 1st to 7th August 2014, at all health facilities in the Local Government Areas, LGAs and Local Council Development Areas, LCDAs in the state.

The health facilities, she explained were expected to “provide maternal and child survival services, with particular emphasis on the promotion and support for early initiation of breastfeeding within 30 minutes of delivery, exclusive breastfeeding practice, continuous breastfeeding with complementary feeding from

six months of age to two years and beyond, along with other breastfeeding issues and practices during the weeklong event.

“During the week long exercise, local government areas and Local council development areas in the state would be visited by representatives of the state

Ministry of Health and Primary Health Care Board towards the identification and selection of best LGA or LCDA in nutrition service delivery, particularly as it relates to breastfeeding promotion, support and protection.”

The Special Adviser added that the activities of the Com-

munity Health and Nutrition (CH&N) Link, which is also known as ‘Malnutrition trackers’ would be assessed for the selection of outstanding CH&N Link while awards for both categories will be presented at the Grand Finale of the weeklong celebration.

Aregbesola condemns DSS operatives' ‘show of power'

By Gbenga Olarinoye

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SOGBO—GOVER NOR Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State yesterday condemned the perceived show of power by the men of the Department State Service, DSS, on the streets of the state between Wednesday and yesterday.

The men of the DSS arrived the state on Wednesday masked, shooting sporadically into the air as they moved in convoy through major streets in Osogbo.

Aregbesola spoke at the commissioning of the emergency call centre built by the administration for the effective and efficient se-

curity network around the state.

The governor insisted that under no circumstance should a security agent discharging his duties within his country wore mask to hide his identity.

According to the governor, “we owe it a duty to let the whole world know what is happening here.

This is against the right of the Nigerian people. We’ve all forgotten that we pay the salaries of the security agencies. ''We don’t pay for them to wear mask in our towns. They should only wear masks when they engage terrorists or where seeing them might compromise their safety and securi-

ty. ''What would they say is the reason for what they are doing now other than threat, shock and awe?

So, what this means is that they want to conquer and cow our people, which is a direct assault on democracy. I won’t take gun against them but I will not be quiet. We should all talk and condemn it because this is not about Aregbesola alone.”

According to the governor, the emergency call centre built in Osogbo would “immediately alerts security operatives at the dial of a distress call line (080067866786) that can take 24 calls at a time and 100 (hundred)

LASU graduates 11, 791 ...As Fashola commissions School of Transport

By Ikenna Asomba

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AGOS—NO fewer than 11, 791 students will on August 6 and 7 graduate at the 19th Convocation for the 2012/2013 graduating set of the Lagos State University, LASU, Ojo, even as the Vice Chancellor, Professor John Obafunwa has reiterated that the institution will no longer award any Nigerian with Honorary Doctorate Degree.

Announcing the activities heralding the university’s Convocation for the 2012/2013 graduating students and its 30th Anniversary, Professor Obafunwa said the policy was in line with the suspension placed in 2012 by the Visitor to the University and Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Fashola.

In the breakdown, the Full Time Programme will be graduating 3, 472 students, of which a total of 743 students will be graduating from the Faculty of Arts; School of Communication- 368; Education - 1, 109; Engineering - 134; College of Medicine- 71; School of Transport - 17; Law - 256; Management Sciences- 4, 147; Science- 1, 136 and Social Sciences - 1, 176.” the External System, 5, 685; Diplomas, 12 and Higher Degrees, 2, 622.

He said: “the 19th Convocation and the University’s 30th Anniversary will begin on Friday, August 1, with a Jumat Service at the University Mosque; Church Service at the University Chapel, August 3; Coconut Breaking Festival and Command Performance of a play titled ‘Hard Choice’ written by Sunnie Ododo and directed

by Shina Ayodele, respectively on August 4 at the Badagry Gate Entrance and the University New Auditorium.

The award of Diplomas and First Degrees will take place August 6, that of Higher Degrees on August 7, which will be preceded by ithe commissioning of the School of Transport by Governor Babatunde Fashola.”

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014 —11

Aregbesola gets 5-day ultimatum over boarding schools •Says state debt profile is N38bn

By Gbenga Olarinoye

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SOGBO—PARENTS of public secondary school students in Osun State, yesterday gave the government a five-day ultimatum to return boarding facilities to the schools where the facilities existed before the introduction of new education system by the present administration in the state.

The parents under the aegis of the Parents Teachers Association, PTA, threatened mass protest should the state government fail to return the boarding system before the end of the ultimatum.

Chairman of PTA in the state, Dr Ademola Ekundayo, who received protesting parents in his office in Osogbo, appealed for calm, saying their

request would be channeled to the appropriate quarter.

The state government had in its Schools Reclassification Programme closed all the boarding facilities in public secondary schools in the state.

The parents however appeared uncomfortable with the new education system and called for a reversal of the system, urging the state govern-

‘We have no plan to over-tax Ogun residents'

By Daud Olatunji

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B E O K U TA — T H E Ogun State government yesterday dismissed insinuations that it was planning to introduce new taxes in the state outside the constitutionally recognised taxes in the country.

The government, however, said its Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, had hit N5 billion through intensified efforts to make residents of the state pay their due tax and pledged that it would not put more burden on the people.

Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Wande Muoyo stated this in Abeokuta, at a briefing on the mid-Year performance of the state 2014 budget Giving account of the budget performance for the mid-year, Muoyo said “the overall budget performance stood at 67.17 percent as at June 30, 2014 as against 61.26 percent achievement recorded in the corresponding period in 2013 and 61.87 percent as at March 31, 2014.”

She gave the criteria used to measure the performance, say-

ing “true performance of any government budget should be measured in terms of the impact it has on the citizenry.”

The goal of the state government, according to her, was to “reduce dependency on the Federation Account. Introducing new taxes will be counter-productive and it is not advisable. We don’t have that in our plan and all we are saying is that whatever that is due to the state should be paid.

We are going after what is due to the state and we are not imposing anything new.''

ment to return boarding system to public secondary schools in the state.

Meanwhile, the state government yesterday said the actual debt profile of the Governor Rauf Aregbesola-led administration wasN38 billion.

The opposition parties' candidates, particularly the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Iyiola Omisore and Social Democratic Party, SDP, Elder Segun Akinwusi, the immediate past Head of Service in the state put the state debt at betweenN300bn and N400bn.

Commissioner for Finance, Budget Development and Economic Planning, Wale Bolorunduro, said the figure represented the loans and bonds taken by the government and the money owed contractors handling various ongoing projects in the state, adding that the situation was not gloomy as the state was ranked among the five least indebted states in the country based on the record of the Debt Management Office (DMO), Abuja.

2015: Calls for indigene as PDP guber candidate divide Ibadan

By Ola Ajayi

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BADAN—INDIGENES of the ancient town of Ibadan are now divided over the call by some Ibadan governorship aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, that the party’s candidate for the 2015 governorship election must be given to their kinsman.

This came just as they warned the national leadership of PDP not to accede to what they described as partisan demand of the selected aspirants.

Apart from the earlier warning by Senator Lekan Balogun and Kehinde Olaosebikan that the party should tread softly on the call by the Ibadan aspirants, some Ibadan chieftains of the party led

by Dr. Kola Balogun said yesterday that the party should not make the mistake of presenting an unpopular candidate in the election as this would portend great danger for the success of the party in the state.

Those at the meeting included Alhaji Taofeek Olayiwola, Mr. Remi Alao, Mr. Akeem Olatunji, Alhaji Omilabu Gandhi, Olusegun Olayiwola and Kola Tajudeen.

All of them were former local government chairmen.

Balogun, speaking for them, he said; ”The incumbent government in Oyo State is the most tragic in terms of development and relationship with the masses. Alao-Akala’s government concentrated more on poverty reduction, reduction in unemployment and infrastructural development. We made physical infrastructure our priority and did not neglect what the people now referred to as ‘Stomach Infrastructure.”

Reeling out other achievements of AlaoAkala's government, he said he constructed many roads across the state and there was money in circulation within the state.

Ekiti LCDAs: Ikole community kicks over proposed name of council

By Gbenga Ariyibi

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DO EKITI— LESS than 24 hours after the signing into law the bill for the creation of additional 19 Local Council Development Areas, LCDAs by Governor Kayode Fayemi, the people of Ikole Ekiti had threatened to frustrate the move if the name of Ikole was not reflected in the new council created from the parent council.

The State House of Assembly last week announced the creation of Kajola-Oreniwa Local Government Development Area from the present Ikole Local Government making the new councils to be 19.

In an interview with newsmen, the Elekole of Ikole Ekiti, who is also the paramount ruler of Egbe Oba land, Oba Ajibade Adewumi Fasiku, told newsmen that majority of the towns and villages that made up the new Kajola-Oreniwa fell within Ikole metropolis.

Oba Fasiku said the name of Kajola-Oreniwa would bring a lot of confusion, since most of the schools, churches and other traditional artifacts belonging to his town were cited in the new council, saying “Honestly,nobody is against the creation of additional council from this local government, but the fact is that the name must be changed to reflect the interest of everybody. ''The fact of the matter is that we donated the land in which all these communities later settled upon when they came from their separate places at about 1920s. ''It is our resolve that the name Kajola-Oreniwa must be changed to Ikole West Local Council. ''We don’t want issue that would bring discord and anarchy to our people. If we have earlier being properly consulted, perhaps, this type development would not have been witnessed.''

12—Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014

Edo govt condoles with El-Rufai over son's death

BRONZES RETURN: From

left— Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State; Chief Steve Dunstone; Dr. Adrian Mark Walker; Mr. Parry Osayande and Chief Sam Igbe, the Iyase of Benin Kingdom, during the return of two of the looted Benin bronzes to the Oba of Benin's palace.

PHOTO: Barnabas Uzosike.

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OVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has commiserated with former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and a chieftain of All Progressives Congress, APC, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai on the death of his son, Hamza.

In a message by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Peter Okhiria, Oshiomhole said: “We learnt, with rude shock, the death of your beloved son, Hamza, in a car accident.

“I wish to offer my profound condolence and the commiseration of the people and Government of Edo State on this sad incident. Our hearts are with you and the entire El-Rufai family at this very difficult period.

“Our supplication is for Almighty Allah to, in His infinite mercy, receive his soul with His love and forgiveness and bless him with Aljannah firdausi.”

Burial

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HIEF (Mrs) Victoria Kumuyi, aged 71, is dead. She died April 10.

Christian wake-keep held yesterday at her residence, Plot 63, Otuyelu Close, Chief Okupe Estate, Maryland, Lagos; thanksgiving is today at Christ Apostolic Church, at 13, Salami Street, Maryland.

Internment is at Atan Cemetary, Akoka, Yaba, Lagos. Reception follows at Bola Memorial Anglican Church Hall, Ikeja Lagos.

Oshiomhole wades into Oredo council crisis; new Leader sworn in

By Simon Ebegbulem

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ENIN— FOLLOWING the intervention of Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State in the crisis rocking the legislative arm of Oredo Local Government Area, the new Leader of the House, Mr. Nohayi Obaseki, was sworn-in yesterday.

Suspected thugs had invaded the council secretariat, Wednesday, following rumours that the councillors were set to impeach the chairman of the council, Mr. Osaro Obaze.

Obaze, who reacted to the situation on Wednesday, urged the councillors to follow due process, adding that he decided to remain neutral in the matter since it was entirely an affair of the legislative arm of government.

However, Governor Oshiomhole summoned the warring parties, where he urged the former Leader to toe the line of peace since majority of the councillors had moved against him.

The governor was said to have pointed out to the former Leader that he should have pleaded with his colleagues to allow him resign his position when he noticed that majority were already against him rather than allow them to impeach him.

He advised that the new Leader be sworn in and urged him to ensure unity and peace in the council.

Reacting shortly after his swearing in, Obaseki

A T I O N A L Chairman of All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun is to lead other prominent political leaders to Oshogbo, the Osun State capital to witness

the investiture of Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State as National Chronicle Man of the Year for 2013.

The event, which will hold at the Wocdif event centre, August 4 by 5pm, according

“I am going to work with the former leadership because we are all friends and brothers. I want to state categorically that it is not true that we want to impeach the Chairman.”

Otuaro faults Bebenimibo on Clark, Orubebe

By Emma Amaize

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ARRI— THE Commissioner representing Ijaw in Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, Mr. Kingsley Otuaro, yesterday, said nobody should incite the Ijaw national leader, Chief Edwin Clark, against the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder

Godsday Orubebe, over perceived misunderstanding between them.

Otuaro, reacting to comments by Ijaw activist, Mr. Paul Bebenimibo, who slammed Orubebe for not mending fence with Clark on the chairmanship of Burutu Local Government Area, said aspirants and their supporters in the state should refrain from unguarded utterances.

He said: “Political aspirants and their supporters should rely on the strength and

character of what they can do for the state and not extrapolate on the possible weakness of other aspirants.

“Chief Clark is important to Nigerian politics, not to talk of Delta, his own state.

Therefore, he stands to be acknowledged accordingly by any office seeker.

“The issue is that Papa Clark is a father with a large and understanding heart, who has no record of throwing away the child with the bath water.”

Reyenieju tasks African lawmakers on devt, peace

By Daniel Gumm

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House of Representatives member, Mr. Daniel Reyenieju, has called on African lawmakers to ensure that their primary goals are peace and development in their respective countries.

Mr. Reyenieju, who addressed the Commonwealth

Odigie-Oyegun, others for Aregbesola's day of honour

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dismissed report that they intended to impeach the Chairman, saying “my duty is to carry my people along and I bear no grudge against anybody.

to the Publisher/Editor-inChief of the newspaper, Timothy Okojie-Ave, will also see Senator Gbenga Kaka, Dr. Gloria Elemo, Sir Kesington Adebutu and Mr. Aderemii Awode honoured.

Parliamentary Association, CPA, African Region, at its conference in Arusha, Tanzania, noted that as parliamentarians, they remain the “carriers of dreams and aspirations of the people of this great continent.”

He said they must ensure that Africa achieves ultimate peace, which can only be achieved through addressing the “scourge of underdevelopment, and make it possible for our people to regain their dignity.”

He spoke on Utilising the Commonwealth Parliaments to Combat the Challenges of S o c i o - E c o n o m i c Development in Africa.

Reyenieju, who is the current Vice-Chairman of the

regional body, said this vision “is in the hands of the current generation of leaders in the African continent to move our continent forward to prosperity.”

Reyenieju called for the emancipation of the African youths, as according to him “the youth serves as a reliable reservoir of hope and strength for the future.”

He admonished parliamentarians to always guide and provide stewardship to them for the realisation of the emancipatory mission.

Reyenieju, who represents the Warri Federal Constituency, expressed joy over the positive roles being played by female parliamentarians in the continent.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014 —13

C M Y K

14—Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014

Govs Amaechi, Fayemi eulogise Soyinka

By Jimitota Onoyume

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ORT HARCOURT— GOVERNOR Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State has lauded Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, describing him as a global achiever.

Speaking at a state banquet in honour of the literary icon at Government House, Port Harcourt, Governor Amaechi said Soyinka rose to his towering height through hard work.

The dinner was also attended by Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State.

Congratulating Soyinka at 80, Amaechi thanked him for honouring the dinner invitation, adding that “the reason for same is basically because of the achievements that you have made globally, not just in Nigeria.

“You have in the midst of our so many bad news brought good name to Nigeria. The good thing about your achievement is the fact that it has to do with hard work.

“If you do not read, you will not be a good writer. Nobody can say you can just wake up and become a good writer. Reading begets writing and you must understand what you are writing.”

Governor Fayemi also poured encomiums on Soyinka. He also thanked Amaechi for hosting the literary icon.

MEETING: From left— Mr. Ayibakeme Agba, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government Administration; Mr. Fraser Okuoru, Head of Service; Mr. Markson Fefegha, Commissioner for Information, and Dr. Ayibatonye Owei, Commissioner for Health, all of Bayelsa State, at a briefing after the 42nd Executive Council meeting of the Bayelsa State Government in Yenagoa.

Ex-militants warn against termination of amnesty programme

By Samuel Oyadongha

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ENAGOA—EXMILITANTS in the Niger Delta have said that termination of the Presidential Amnesty Programme in 2015 could trigger fresh crisis in the region.

Coordinator of the exmilitants under the third phase amnesty (Ebipa-Opre Ex-militants Forum), Mr. Ramsey Oyakemeagbegha, in a statement in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, said that the conditions which triggered militancy in the region had not been addressed.

He said: “We are of the view and in support of our leader, Asari Dokubo’s suggestion that the amnesty should continue and not stop, as being rumoured, in 2015.

“Our people are still without potable water, no good education and functional health facilities.

“Pollution occasioned by

the oil industry still continues and there is a multitude of unemployed youth in the land.

“Making 2015 the end of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, as being rumoured, could spell more

trouble for our region and the country. An idle mind is the devil’s workshop. A stitch in time, they say, saves nine.”

The group condemned the upsurge in violent crime on the waterways of the region

and called on the relevant authorities to stem the tide.

The ex-militants also restated their resolve to support President Goodluck Jonathan, if he declares his intention to contest the 2015 poll.

Zoning causes ripples in Ughelli South

By Akpokona Omafuaire

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ARRI— THERE is tension in Ughelli South Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as the agreement allegedly reached by a section of Olomu and Ewu kingdoms members that the chairmanship had been zoned to Ewu has been disregarded by the party Chairman and a concerned group.

A group, AKO-EFE led by some PDP leaders in Olomu and Ewu axis, were said to have visited and presented to the deputy governor, Professor Amos Utuama one of the seven candidates as the chosen

under the special zoning arrangement.

However, when chairmanship hopeful, Chief Godspower Muemuifo’s campaign team visited the Ughelli-South PDP executive at Owhase, the party chairman was said to have insisted that there will be primaries in the council.

Chief Francis Aguonigho, PDP Chairman Ughelli South, said: “I have two decisions to take. I will address all contestants that we need a consensus candidate. I do not want imposition.

“Before contestants bought forms, I told the Deputy

Governor that we will talk to all of them and adopt a candidate, but that if anyone fails to step down, then we will go for primaries.

“I stand for the party’s unity.

Yes, we muted the idea initially that chairmanship be zoned to Ewu, but the executive and leaders could not seat to decide on it. Otherwise we would have come up with a statement.”

On his part, Mr. Monday Emuvakpo, a contestant told Vanguard, “it is not possible that few persons can take such decision.

“We will resist it with our lives.

There must be a level playing ground for all the candidates.”

MOU: NPDC gets 14 days ultimatum on OML 30

By Egufe Yafugborhi

W

ARRI— HOST communities to Oil Mining Lease, OML, 30, in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State have vowed to shut in operations of the oil field’s new operator, the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, NPDC, should it fail to put in place a C M Y K

Memorandum of Understanding, MOU, with the communities within 14 days.

The threat was contained in an SOS message to the company by representatives of the 12 host communities chaired by Michael Idiovwa and Power Oghre, under the aegis of the Oil and Gas Producing Communities in Orogun.

They said: “It is sad enough that Shell Petroleum Development Company, divested from OML 30 without honouring the communities’ agitation for recognition in the exercise, payment of rent arrears and leases and remediation of their environment, among other grievances.”

A senior public affairs official of the company,

who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “The draft negotiated GMoU with the communities is ready.

“It is a process involving the state government’s accent and hopefully it will cement the relationship between both parties.

“Nobody is undermining the host communities on operations at OML 30.”

Vanguard , FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014 — 15

Village head commits suicide 4 days to daughter's wedding

By Eric Ugbor

A

B A — T H E immediate family and relations of Chief Samuel Omeonu Ezengwa, a village head in Umunkita, Nenu Autonomous Community in Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State, have been thrown into shock after the head of the family and a village head in the community allegedly committed suicide by hanging four days to the daughter ’s

traditional wedding.

A source in the area said the body of the village head was discovered hanging on a tree at about 7am Wednesday by a member of his family who had gone out that morning.

Though it was not known his reasons for committing suicide, Vanguard gathered that the incident has put on hold the deceased daughter ’s traditional marriage billed to hold on Sunday, August 3.

A family source said the

night before the unfortunate incident, he had had an intensive discussion with the deceased over his daughter ’s traditional marriage coming up at the weekend, adding that the deceased never showed any sign of depression which had been attributed as a major cause of the incident.

Sources said on hearing of the incident, the Eastern Ngwa Police Division drafted their men to the

area where they had a close session with the immediate family and later left the compound with the man’s body still hanging on the tree.

A villager who spoke on anonymity, said the body of the deceased could only be brought down for burial after some rituals had been performed as demanded by their custom, describing the state of the man’s death as one of the things that “is highly” prohibited by their traditional belief.

U

MUAHIA— GOVERNOR Theodore Orji of Abia State, in Umuahia, yesterday, said the insinuation that All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, was a sign of Igbo unity was only a wishful thinking by those using the name of the late leader of Ndigbo, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, to feed fat at the detriment of their scanty followers.

The governor in a statement through his Special Adviser on Public Communication, Mr. Ben Onyechere, said the people saying they would win the South East in the 2015 general elections, deserved

APGA can't lead Igbo to promise land —Gov Orji pity as were not only naive but also retrogressive and reminded the rest of the nation that Ndigbo did not desire progress and development of their region.

The governor siad: “Against the backdrop of the statement attributable to APGA national chairman in Abia that he will win the state, it is now pertinent to remind them that Ojukwu had left APGA before he died, which was the reason his wife was appointed as Nigerian ambassador to Spain .

“Time has past when a few people will hoodwink the Igbo for selfish reasons with untenable lies because there is abounding evidence to prove that we are still lagging behind in infrastructure development and do not need any body to deceive our people any more.

“History has shown that Igbo are on their own when it comes to opposition politics as no other part of Nigeria is ready to join us in any struggle.

"The Igbo have paid their dues and suffered enough.

The only way an Igbo man will be President is when we continually collaborate with the majority because politics is a game of numbers and not based on sentiment.”

Abia govt to partner NITP on devt

A

By Eric Ugbor

BA—ABIA State government has expressed its desire to partner stakeholders and professionals to tackle the challenges of physical planning in the state and the country at large.

State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Renewal, Elder Godwin Nna, who spoke at the 2nd annual luncheon of Abia State chapter of National Institute of Town Planners, NITP, in Aba, said physical planning and implementation of plans in the country had been left in the hands of successive governments with no political will to plan.

16— Vanguard , FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014

Okorocha gives deputy, chief of staff nod to contest guber polls in 2015

IMPEACHMENT: Enugu Assembly directs CJ to set up probe panel zI didn't commit any impeachable offence —Dep gov

By Tony Edike

By Chidi Nkwopara

O

W E R R I — CONTRARY to speculations, Imo State governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha, has given approval to his deputy, Prince Eze Madumere, Chief of Staff, Sir. Jude Ejiogu, and other senior political appointees in his government willing to contest the 2015 governorship election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, to declare immediately.

According to a release signed by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor, Mr. Sam O n w u e m e o d o , Okorocha gave the directive while addressing party leaders, officials of the party and elective office aspirants on the ticket of the party in the state.

Onwuemeodo also stated that the governor advised aspirants that his looming presence should not deter anybody from aspiring to the highest post in the state.

“Nobody should withhold his or her ambition because of me.

Every member of the APC willing to contest the governorship position of the state should throw his or her hat into the ring.

“There would be a level playing ground for all aspirants in the choice or selection of candidates of the party,” Okorocha told his aides and party loyalists.

Okorocha also told the party stakeholders that the party would conduct mock primaries on September 1, 2014, which would precede the main primary.

“The mock primaries would be communitybased because the candidates the party would back in the primaries proper would be the persons who got more popular support from the people in the communities that make up their respective local government areas, state or federal constituencies, or the senatorial zones,” Okorocha said.

E

NUGU—ENUGU State House of Assembly, yesterday, directed the state Chief Judge, Innocent Umezulike, to appoint a seven-man panel to investigate allegations of gross misconduct and disobedience against the deputy governor, Mr. Sunday Onyebuchi.

The directive

The directive followed the reply of Onyebuchi to the lawmakers on the various allegations upon which the House members served impeachment notice on him last week.

Section 188 subsection 5 of the 1999 constitution gives the Chief Judge seven days to constitute the committee which shall comprise “persons of unquestionable integrity, not being a legislature or political party member” to investigate the allegations.

Section 7b further gave the members of the committee a window of three months within which to submit report of its findings to the House of Assembly.

'I'm not guilty'

However, the deputy governor had in his response, told the state lawmakers that he was not guilty of the alleged acts of gross misconduct in the performance of his official functions brought against him and, therefore, committed no impeachable offence whatsoever.

Onyebuchi, who presented an eight-page defence with several attached documents to the House of Assembly on Wednesday, gave a point-by-point explanation to the three charges preferred against him, including the operation of commercial poultry farm in his official residence and for habitually refusing, failing or neglecting to carry out and or perform the functions of his office as directed by the governor pursuant to section 193(1).

Onyebuchi said he was not aware of any resolution of the State Assembly that banned the operation of commercial poultry in residential premises in the state, pointing out that the poultry in his official residence was built by the regime of Michael Okpara in the defunct Eastern regional government.

On the poultry

According top him, the poultry had been operated by several of his predecessors and that it is not different from the one operated by the governor in his own residence.

He described as untrue the allegation that he refused to represent Governor Sullivan Chime at the flag off of the second Niger Bridge in Onitsha by

PRESENTATION: From left: Chairman of the occasion/CE, Doyin Group, Prince Samuel Adedoyin, Chief Rasheed Gbadamosi, and Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, at the presentation of a book, "Auteuring Nollywood: Critical perspectives on the Fugurine” in Lagos, yesterday.

President Goodluck Jonathan, saying he was present at the event from its inception to the end as shown in the live television coverage of the event.

On the third allegation that he turned down the directive to represent Governor Chime at the last meeting of the South East Governor’s meeting held at the Lion Building, Enugu, the deputy governor explained that the governor did not mandate him to act on his behalf while he was away on vacation.

He added that no manifest of the event was made available to him.

Onyebuchi, who noted that he had worked closely with Governor Chime, who at one time described him as “reliable and loyal deputy who understands the working of government” said it was a shame that allegation of disobedience should be leveled against him

few months to the end of their second tenure.

Loyal deputy

“I have over the years remained a loyal deputy, and it is a shame that it is merely a few months to the end of our second tenure that I have had these allegations leveled against me.

I make bold to say that I have always considered the Governor a brother and a friend,” he told the lawmakers.

Onyebuchi said that Nigeria “is a budding democracy with a very bright future. His Excellency, Mr. Sullivan Chime has indeed been a blessing to Enugu State and there is a lot to be thankful to him for. There is no doubt that when two persons work together in the constitutional marriage termed Governor and Deputy Governor, misunderstandings will arise

Ebonyi founding fathers recommend resignation for impeached speaker

By Peter Okutu

A

BAKALIKI—EBONYI founding fathers who are currently mediating in the crisis rocking the State House of Assembly may have recommended to Governor Martin Elechi that the impeachment of Chukwuma Nwazunku be converted to resignation notice.

This was part of the decisions purportedly reached by the elders when they met with the governor after their discussions with all the House of the Assembly members at the Women Development Centre, Abakaliki.

A source, who pleaded

anonymity, told Vanguard that the elders also agreed that the impeachment actually took place at the hallow chambers of the state House of Assembly.

The elders had met with all the 24 members of the House on Monday to find solutions to the lingering crisis which started when 18 members impeached the speaker last week and replaced him with Helen Nwaobashi.

But the action of the former speaker and a few of the members who opposed the impeachment, led to the police taking over the Assembly complex to avoid breakdown of law and order.

from time to time. The duty of the Deputy Governor is clear. It is to take instructions from and carry out the directives of the Governor.”

Details of his defence

On the allegation that he operated a commercial poultry in his official residence contrary to a resolution of the Enugu State House of Assembly passed on 12 February 2013 prohibiting the maintenance and operation of commercial livestock and poultry farms within residential neighborhoods in Enugu metropolis, Onyebuchi said that “I was never served with any such resolution of the Enugu State House of Assembly nor was any such resolution ever brought to my notice by any official of the Enugu State Government.

“On assumption of office in May 2007, there was an existing official residence for the Deputy Governor of Enugu State. On inspection of the premises I observed that it had on its grounds an area designated and fenced as an Agricultural Unit, with facilities for amongst other things, a poultry farm. I commenced operation of a poultry on the premises in 2008 with technical support from ENADEP and the Commercial Agricultural Programme of the State Ministry of Agriculture.

The said poultry farm was declared in my Asset Declaration and inspected by the Code of Conduct Bureau.

“It is important to state that the structure for the said poultry farm was built by Dizengorf WA Limited during the regime of late Chief M.I. Okpara. The first occupant of the premises was late Chief Nwodo and he operated a poultry farm there. Subsequent occupants of the premises, up to my immediate predecessor in office, operated poultry farms in the premises."

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014 —17

themselves to scary militaristic mayhem and possible death and rape?!

Thousands of British Muslim youngsters are actively supporting Islamic terrorist groups in Africa and the Middle East at the moment; and some of these errant elements have vowed to return to the UK to use the terror skills they ’ve acquired abroad to attack the country that has given them so much.

Their ingratitude and treachery amaze and anger me.

Ingratitude and treachery

T

HE UK is currently awash with depressing stories about British Muslim youngsters who have stupidly abandoned their studies, jobs and families to covertly travel to the other side of the world, so they can assist Islamic terrorists who claim to be waging “holy” wars in Syria, Iraq, etc.

A small handful of these rebellious runaways are White British converts who simply don’t find Christianity appealing. But the majority are the children or grandchildren of Muslims who emigrated to the UK from developing nations.

Some are of African extraction, but Asians are the single largest group; and, amazingly perhaps, a handful of these junior jihadists happen to be female.

The thing that shocks me most about these kids is that many of them are academically gifted and had dazzlingly bright futures ahead of them before they decided to go off the rails and embrace murder and religious extremism.

Somali-British teenage twins, Zahra and Salma Halane, for example, recently passed 28 GCSEs (the exams that British students take at l6) between them.

This is a pretty impressive

*Zahra and Salma Halane

Ingratitude and treachery is a respected Islamic scholar who lectures at their local mosque. And the twins were quite conservative in the sense that they hadn’t been seen in public without headscarves since they were nine years old.

But neither they nor their parents were dour, hate-driven zealots.

Non-Muslim neighbours Ibrahim’s mosque publicly condemns all forms of violence.

He and his wife are, essentially, moderates and pacifists who get on well with their non-Muslim neighbours.

And their daughters were often bubbly, fun-loving and relaxed. On Saturdays, they frequented shops that sell trendy modern clothes. And they were always taking happy, smiley photos of themselves on their mobile phones.

Their peers do not remember them ever once angsting about

,

The thing that shocks me most about these kids is that many of them are academically gifted and had dazzlingly bright futures ahead of them before they decided to go off the rails and embrace murder and religious extremism

achievement when you consider that most of their contemporaries across the UK passed fewer than l0 GCSEs. Salma and Zahra’s outstanding results put them in the top 10% of their year group at the school they attended in Manchester. And their teachers and classmates describe them as hard-working girls who both wanted to be doctors and behaved like normal, carefree adolescents when they weren’t studying.

Their father, Ibrahim Halane, C M Y K

,

blood-soaked foreign conflicts or expressing any interest in Islamic radicalism.

But the Halane household suddenly fell apart in a very spectacular way.

First, Zahra and Salma’s equally intelligent big brother fell under the influence of bellicose fundamentalists and decided to walk away from his excellent career prospects and take off to Somalia and Syria to become a jihadi “warrior”.

Then, for reasons best known to themselves, his sisters de-

cided to join him.

One morning, Mr & Mrs Halane – who were already grief-stricken about their son’s disappearance - found the girls’ beds empty and their passports missing.

It was later discovered that Zahra and Salma had sneaked out of their family home in the dead of night, boarded a flight to Turkey and then crossed the border that separates Turkey and Syria by road. Talk about reckless!

My heart goes out to their deeply distraught refugee parents. Imagine fleeing from Somalia (which has been in a mess for decades, thanks in part to the evil activities of Islamic terrorists) and settling in the UK because you want your offspring to enjoy safer and more fruitful existences,

only to lose two daughters and a son to the very same Islamic terrorism that you fled from!

A jihadi recruit called Yilmaz, himself a young Muslim who grew up in Europe (Holland), was recently interviewed on a British TV station; and he boastfully revealed that he was training girls as young as l6 to “fight for Allah.”

And it goes without saying that some or all of them will wind up being married off to men they won’t necessarily like. Or even just being sexually abused.

God will punish characters like Yilmaz and the Halane boy, who are luring vulnerable, easily-led females - their own relatives included - into dangerous traps. What kind of men would encourage their fragile little sisters to expose

Britain has provided their elders with subsidised housing, social security payments and a stable economic environment in which to build thriving careers and businesses; and the youngsters themselves have received free education, free healthcare, decent standards of living and job opportunities – substantial benefits that their age mates in their countries of origin can only dream of.

The British Government is too liberal.

Instead of unapologetically and ruthlessly retaliating, it is wringing its hands, engaging in postcolonial guilt trips and agonising about how to handle, in a civilized way, serious security threats from Muslim youngsters who are determined to bite the hand that has fed them.

The British Government should quit this weak, pathetic, shilly-shallying, softly-softly approach and put its foot down VERY firmly…and permanently revoke their citizenship and bar them from ever setting foot in the UK again.

Oby Ezekwesili

I

AM extremely disturbed by – and annoyed about - the Nigerian establishment’s negative attitude towards Oby Ezekwesili, the former Minister of Education who is leading the “Bring Back Our Girls” campaign on behalf of Chibok parents.

I am constantly assured by PDP members and supporters of Mr President that Mrs Ezekwesili is an “insincere” or “cheap” attention-seeker who is “just using the Chibok problem as a means of acquiring relevance and hitting back at the Jonathan administration for not giving her any government appointment.”

Why do Oby’s critics find it so difficult to believe that someone can protest about a mass kidnapping that has attracted international concern for genuine reasons and without being

disgruntled or having a murky ulterior motive?!

Is it not necessary – and laudable! - for someone to keep reminding us that so many innocent young ladies have been in bondage for more than l00 days?

Ezekwesili’s detractors would prefer her to keep quiet and mind her business or to sychophantically suck up to the authorities and chase after big jobs or contracts, instead of highlighting a humanitarian crisis that needs to be urgently resolved.

Nigeria is a really sick and cynical society, if you ask me.

Why on earth should an Amazon who possesses the courage and energy to loudly complain on behalf of juvenile victims of terrorism be so heavily insulted?

Shame!

•Ezekwesili Responses to: donzol2002@yahoo.co.uk or to 0802 747 6458 OR 0811 675 9752 (texts only).

PLEASE KINDLY NOTE THAT UNLESS YOU REQUEST ANONYMITY, YOUR COMMENTS MAY BE PUBLISHED, WITH YOUR NAMES AND CONTACT DETAILS ATTACHED.

18 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014 WHAT happened to the Super Eagles in Brazil? Nobody is asking the question, so do not expect any answers. Were fast-paced actions that dismantled the Nigeria Football Federation, restored it to office and finally consumed its President, Alhaji Aminu Maigari, enough to blot out questions about Brazil?

Football is our national opium. When we desire a dose, we forget everything, wallowing in the blissful fantasy it provides. Once the effect wears off, we have our problems before us, worse than what we set out to cure.

This attitude could summarise our national life. We sent a team to the World Cup with variegated expectations. Scandals, like the team refusing to train over entitlements, were not among them.

Further insistence on money that resulted in a presidential jet ferrying millions of dollars to the team - like our Ghanaian brothers – stunned us. Instructively, both teams lost games played after night-long sessions spent splitting millions of dollars to the last cent.

The story is told of the counting and recounting of each player’s dues until the early

Our Football Reflects Us hours of match day. Nothing seems to have been wrong with the incidents in Brazil.

Since the World Cup ended, we have had two mini celebrations that appear to be our own World Cup victories. The Super Eagles made the second round at the competition, the best performance since 1998, though it was a milestone erected at the Eagles’ inaugural World Cup 20 years ago. Then we rejoiced that FIFA did not impose a sanction that could have locked out our football from international competitions for years.

The absurdity of the celebrations say much

about the bland standards we have set for our football, such that we do not care about the billions of Naira we recklessly waste on football at the expense of other sports.

Senate President David Alechenu Bonaventure Mark is among those complaining. He was the leader of the presidential delegation to the World Cup. He had no clue about the wastes in football. Who then is response for these national wastes? Two National Assembly committees (one in the Senate, the other in the House of Representatives) have overseen football and approved its budgets since 1999.

None of the sports committee members, who flooded Brazil, has raised the scandals on the floor of the National Assembly. Their eyes are already set on largesse from the 2015 CAF Nations Cup in Morocco. It promises more benefits for the closed family of football looters.

Election to replace the present board is of more importance to “stakeholders” than curing the ills in our football. The National Assembly should ensure that oversight functions do not literally translate to overlooking the scandals round football.

OPINION

BY ROTIMI GEORGE

W

HILE appreciating God for saving General Muhammadu Buhari's life last week, it occurred to me that Nigerians have been too bothered about what would or wouldn't have happened if the worst had occurred. True, GMB is a cult figure in Northern Nigeria, and his loss in such a violent attack would have thrown the nation into mourning, just like we all are thrown into mourning after every bomb blast and brutal killing by those monsters- Boko Haram.

This Colorado story is one nice one I took from Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State. Akpabio knows many Bible and fictional stories, and understands how to cleverly deploy one from his solid collection, when a direct answer isn't expedient or may bear some unpredictable political consequence. Taking a question from Segun, journalist on TV, in 2011, just about the period he launched his campaigns for a second term in office, the governor looked a bit stunned when he was asked: "Governor Akpabio, what

The Buhari attack: What happened in Colorado will happen here will you do if you lose this election?"

"Segun," he started with a wide grin, "I will want to tell you a story of something that happened in Colorado."

He settled properly into his chair, caressed the microphone for a few seconds, then he told the beautiful story of an American cowboy who rode on his horse to a roadside café.

He latched his horse, sauntered into the café room for a cup of coffee. He appeared nice and was jovial all the while he had his coffee, until he paid his bills, and looked out of the casement window only to discover that his horse was not there.

At once, his face was distorted with rage. Like the fury of gathering tornado, he bellowed in a croaky voice "Where is my horse?" He punched the air and banged the checkout desk with solidly clenched fists.

"If I don't find that horse, what happened in Colorado will happen here, today!"

He paced to the entrance. "What

happened in Colorado will happen here, I warn!" he kept shouting.

The owner of the café rushed out, bewildered and trembling, she asked: " Sir, is there a problem?" The cowboy turned to her slowly, his face red and his veins swollen. "Where is my horse?" he asked in a hoarse whisper, then warned again: "What happened in Colorado will happen n your café today."

The café owner sank into a chair and sighed with relief. She explained to the cowboy that she owned three horses and she noticed that the cowboy's horse was thirsty. She had taken the horse into a shelter just behind the café for water, and that his horse is well and ready to go.

Looking defeated, the cowboy smiled, apologised for his outburst and thanked the café owner.

Another customer who had watched all these happen, was curious and wanted to know what actually happened in Colorado. "Hey big man,"

he said, as he walked towards the cowboy: "What happened in Colorado?"

The cowboy smiled and said: "In Colorado, my horse was stolen, and I walked away very unhappy."

Nigeria has survived worse than the death of one man. We thank God for saving Buhari's life, but the narrative that his death would have caused the Second Civil War is outrageous and stupid. Nigeria survived the killings of Ken Saro-Wiwa, MKO Abiola, Sir. Ahmadu Bello and General Aguiyi Ironsi.

It is also weird for anyone to suggest that General Buhari stage-managed an attack on his convoy. That theory is as ridiculous as blaming President Goodluck Jonathan. This attack on General Buhari should bring the nation to a consensus that we are all in this together, and that as a nation, we must close ranks to defeat the common enemy.

*Mr. George, a political analyst, wrote from Lagos.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, August 1, 2014— —19

A

S reported by Vanguard, of July 21, there is already a plot to kill the report of CONFAB 2014, which is only awaiting some finishing touches on it.

The plot to kill the report includes lobbying senators and lawmakers to kill it after it must have been submitted.

After all the efforts put into it, all the heated and positive debates, multiple meetings by pragmatic and top leaders of this nation; after they have collected all their allowances and enjoyed the fair treatment and largesse of government; after they have made their contacts across bridges, they now look their mates in the face and say: “You wasted time coming for this Confab , we told you it will not work, and it did not work".

It is possible; after all , we had two different CONFABs before this and none of them saw the light of the day, perhaps because one section felt uncomfortable with some portions and killed the entire reports. This has been the case because we found ourselves running a nation where nationhood depends the sharing of oil money, and how to spend it. We can’t really blame those

who want to kill the report, but we can remind them of the implications of their planned actions in the contemporary democratic Nigeria.

Killing the report will mean a colossal waste of the precious time of many Confab delegates; huge resources and opportunity costs squandered by these honourable delegates and the government. While it may be appreciated that those who want to kill the report do not care about costs in governance, many Nigerians of today, are expressing concerns and do care about wastefulness in governance. The plotters have unfortunately displayed how some leaders see and care about the use of the wealth of this nation.

Killing the report will not kill the knowledge and ideas people now have of what Nigeria should be under a proper agreement by the people.

Nigerians now know what ought to be to live happily together as one nation.

Majority of well-meaning Nigerians from all strata of this society still believe in the great potentials of this nation as one country, and that is why unlike this first two CONFAB reports, this one will prevail.

The 19 and other reports of the various committees already

Those in the ignoble plot for the death of the Confab 2014 Report should again think very well and deep; killing the report may swing either way and lead to regrets

,

presented and adopted by the CONFAB, say so much to give the people hope for a better Nigeria. Killing the report, therefore, will breed frustrations from almost all ethnic and zonal entities that make up for Nigeria. It should be clear to all, by now, that Nigeria has changed so much since 1993 when the first credible elections were scuttled. We now have markets for human parts for quick money in the South West, kidnapping in the South East, militancy in the South- South, and Boko Haram terrorists that have joined the traditional jihadists in the North of Nigeria.

I

t is no gainsaying that although much wealth may lie in the North, presently we are depending on the oil and other minerals from the South-South.

Why Aregbesola deserves another term

BY ABIODUN KOMOLAFE “A man shall not be established by wickedness: but the root of the righteous shall not be moved.” - Proverbs 12: 3 AM not a politician but a ‘political animal’. I am also not a card-carrying member of All Progressives Party, APC, but a Rauf Aregbesola sympathiser; and an unrepentant one at that! If I am therefore tagged a politician because of my belief in the progressive credentials of Aregbesola, so be it! In the same vein, if I am labelled an ‘Aregbe wrapper’ as a result of my love for this great man of honour, I owe nobody any apology!

At a time like this, I cannot but remember my days at Ijebu-Jesa Grammar School, IJGS, Ijebu-Jesa when it was all fun travelling to towns and villages, especially within the-then Obokun Local Government Area of the old Oyo State for sports and related social activities. I can confirm that those were relatively good old days when towns were towns and schools were schools. At a time like this as well, one cannot but begin to wonder what became of our government that, for close to three decades, residents of my local government were at the mercy of the state government. No thanks to the bad roads and absence of other social amenities that were naturally taken for granted in saner climes.

Specifically, between 1985 when I left IJGS and 2010, when Aregbesola was sworn-in as Osun State Governor, schools in Osun State had become something else and hitherto passable roads had become such death traps that residents completely got cut-off from the rest of the world. People groaned in the rough of aches and moaned in the tumble of pains. Hunger begat hunger, poverty took the place of affluence and it was as if the gods were angry!

I

C M Y K

Entered the Rauf Aregbesola-led administration on November 27, 2010 and Osun State was again on the path to greatness. Within the first three years in office, Aregbesola saw to the training and empowerment of over 5,000 youths in Information Technology through the Osun Youth Empowerment Technology Scheme, OYESTECH; some thousands of the stand-alone, multimedia, e-learning Opon Imo Tablets were distributed to students while others are expected to benefit from the scheme through local production by a company already sited in the state. Within the same period, no fewer than 750,000 pupils and students were given free school uniforms, with over 3000 tailors trained and empowered to sew school uniforms.

Primary School Funding Grants also increased from N7.4 million to N424 million a year, while Secondary School Basic Funding Grants rose from N171 million to N427 million a year.

During the period under review, tuition fees in state-owned tertiary institutions got reduced by close to 30 per cent even as 254,000 elementary students were fed daily with nutritious meals through government’s O’MEALS scheme, a project that also led to the employment, training and empowerment as cooks of 3000 people.

Since the foodstuff were sourced and prepared locally, the scheme brought about the annual injection of N4 billion into the economy of the state.

Aregbesola’s era also witnessed the inauguration of Omoluabi Garments Factory as well as Omoluabi Conservation Fund into which N4.2 billion reserve has so far been injected.

Also worthy of mention is Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme, OYES, which has succeeded in taking off the streets and engagement of 40,000 unemployed

Each of the federating zones has a fair expectation of when and how to access power at the centre. To stampede any region or zone them out of power may not be the wisest thing to do now if we still want to remain as one nation.

To destroy the gains of 95% over disagreement on 5% is a bad decision in every way!

Since the CONFAB has agreed in all fairness on raising derivation fund from 13% to 18%, the 5% of revenue which is their headache could be split: 2 % to the devastations caused

by Boko Haram in the North East, 0.5% to ethnic and religious violence victims in other parts of the North, and the rest 2.5 % for violence and criminal devastations in the entire South. The idea is to create something reasonable and specific for the North East economy.

It should be remembered that the Amalgamation treaty expired on December 2013.

CONFAB 2014 Report will form the new basis for North and South to exist in one nation.

Touching their report therefore may be laying foundation for frustrations that could destroy the unity of Nigeria, in no time , just as to maintain the status quo will question the basis of trust in Nigeria by Nigerians. The time for a good change in the arrangement of Nigeria is here; it will be unwise to resist it.

The attitude of “if we don’t get it, we waste it ”, need to change in order for all to function in the better Nigeria about to be forged

,

BY CLEMENT UDEGBE

,

CONFAB 2014 report is the way forward for Nigeria

If I am labelled an ‘Aregbe wrapper’ as a result of my love for this great man of honour, I owe nobody any apology

,

youth. Efforts to enrol more youth into the programme is also in top gear. Stateof-the-art police stations were built and patrol vehicles, armoured personnel carriers and related security equipment were also donated to security agencies towards the enhancement of security of lives and property. What about those ‘Stop! Ma P’ara e!’ Aregbesola-constructed roads that adorn the nooks and crannies of the state, in addition to O’CLEAN’s bimonthly state-wide environmental exercise and Agricultural Farm Settlements Project through which 1,765 hectares of land were cleared and prepared for farmers?

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he state was able to build 74 primary health centres and rehabilitated its nine hospitals and 12 comprehensive health centres, thereby aiding the provision of Sustained Free Health Services to all, irrespective of age, gender, political affiliations or religious inclinations.

Through its Free Medical and Surgical Missions Programme, government was able to provide free treatment and surgeries to thousands of citizens; and, through its Osun State Ambulance Service Authority, not less than 400 youth have been trained as paramedics. In the same vein, 123 kilometres of waterways (streams, arteries and canals) were dredged to keep the state flood-free for three years and Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, increased from N300m to N1.6billion without any increase in tax payable by citizens.

from this CONFAB. Some people initially thought that they could use Boko Haram to get amnesty or arm-twist others to get into Aso Rock.

Today, it has not worked out as they planned, and Borko Haram has left their zone worse of economically. They are full of regrets which may be part of the frustration and pain being expressed in the 5% quarrel. To resist and try to kill this Confab Report is to resist Nigeria and the wrong fight against GEJ. Every decision brings inevitable consequences and responsibilities, and the Nigeria of today can throw back on any person, or group of persons. Those in the ignoble plot for the death of the Confab 2014 Report, should again think very well and deep.

A man who did not count the cost of building before embarking on construction should be ready to end up with an unfinished project.

A man who brings ant-infested firewood into the house should expect a visit of lizards. It is actually unfair to other regions for their common wealth to be used to rebuild the North East when they seem to have caused their problems. However, in the interest of one Nigeria, let them take the money!

Killing the CONFAB 2014 Report may swing either way and lead to regrets. We pray the Report prevails.

*Mr. Udegbe, a legal practitioner, wrote from Lagos.

In my personal opinion, the education sector seems to have been the most blest.

Apart from those education-related dividends which I have enumerated above, Osun State Government, under Aregbesola, also embarked on the building of no fewer than 40 elementary, model and high schools to cater for its ever-increasing population of pupils and students. Some have been completed and already put to use while some will be commissioned within the next two weeks. This is in addition to the 20 new sites which will also be opened within the same period. During the period under review, 7,000 additional teachers were employed; with all outstanding allowances paid and all entitlements settled. The governor also graciously approved the creation of four permanent secretary positions (that is, Tutors-General) for the teaching cadre.

And, on July 18, over 30 brand new Omoluabi Scholar Buses were distribution to the state’s high schools.

The number is expected to increase to 100 by September.

But why Aregbesola again? The answer is simple! So far, so commendable! Aregbesola is an achiever who, within so short a period of time in office, has transformed Osun State into an attractive city, a state of aquatic splendour and a centre of tourist attraction offering superb views. A man of poise and panache, this small-instature-but-mighty-in-spirit Ilesa-born politician has changed the face of Osun into a state looking ahead to the future.

No doubt about it: Aregbesola is witty, disciplined, teachable, responsible and passionate about leaving not only Osun State but also the world better than he met it. Little wonder he was described in Wikipedia as “the best Governor Osun State has ever produced since the creation of Osun State.” Of course, that’s why we all want him at Bola Ige House for another term of four years!

*Mr . Komolafe, a commentator on national issues, wrote from IjebuJesa, Osun State.

20 — Vanguard, FRIDAY FRIDAY,, AUGUST 1, 2014

NSCDC to job seekers: Beware of fraudsters on the prowl

BY BOSE ADELAJA

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*Michael Ogun, suspected fraudster arrested by the NSCDC plicants to follow due process of recruitment into the various services rather than seeking assistance on the internet. “The General Public should note that the Commandant General of the

,

E operated like the Bib lical thief in the night.

But since he was not Jesus Christ, the Messiah, he was promptly arrested by men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC. That is the story of one 44-year-old Michael Ogun who is presently cooling his heels in detention for alleged fraud and money laundering.

Before his arrest, Michael was said to have duped many job seekers of their hard-earned money with promises of securing employment for them in the NSCDC and other law enforcement organisations. Of course they were all oblivious that he was a fraudster until nemesis caught up with him.

The suspect, who hails from Uromi in Esan North LGA Area of Edo State, was arrested on Wednesday July 30, 2014 based on intelligence report.

Michael, who claimed to be a contractor with the Ministry of Defence, was, according to the National PRO of the NSCDC, Okeh Emmanuel, apprehended at his residence in New Nyanya behind White House in Karu Local Government Area of Nassarawa State which he used as a hideout to perpetrate his nefarious activities.

Okeh said the alleged fraudster opened a Facebook account in the name of the Commandant General of the Corps as a means of swindling applicants by asking them to pay money into some of the bank accounts given for the purpose of recruitment.

As at the time of his arrest, he was allegedly operating 50 bank accounts with different names.

In his confessional statement, he said he had defrauded applicants seeking for employment into the NSCDC, the Customs, Immigration and other services to the tune of N403,624,992.00.

Apart from that, it was said that his other fraudulent financial transactions, particularly money laundering which earned him N552, 371,901.50, fetched him a cumulative princely amount of N955, 996,893.50.

On his mode of operation, the PRO said the alleged fraudster printed fake employment letters of different agencies, including the Corps, the Nigeria Immigration Services and the Nigeria Customs Services and issued same to his victims by urging them to report for documentation at a particular time.

Okeh warned desperate ap-

It was said that his fraudulent financial transactions, particularly money laundering that earned N552, 371,901.50, fetched him a cumulative princely amount of N955, 996,893.50

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Corps, Dr. Ade Abolurin, does not operate any Facebook account for the purpose of recruitment...; the Corps in general has never been involved in an on-line recruitment.

Therefore, anyone who patronises fraudsters on-line does so at its own risk and the Corps will take no responsibility for this act of desperation or foolishness,’’ he said.

Michael Ogun, he said, was one out of the several scammers on the prowl to defraud desperate applicants in the name of employment. “The corps shall hand him over to the EFFCC for further investigations, especially as regards his internet fraud and money laundering,’’ he added.

A week after the arrest, Okeh said the suspect had confessed committing the crime of defraud-

ing applicants to the tune of N403,624,992.00 .

He said the suspect, at the time of arrest was also in possession of several documents, including fake appointment letters of vari-

ous services, including that of the Central Bank of Nigeria CBN, which were retrieved from his mobile phones and laptop.

Michael who earlier denied the allegation and claimed he was set

up later admitted he only did that before the press and his family members and friends to convince them that he was innocent of the charges against him.

While advising members of the public to be careful in dealing with people of questionable character in order not to fall victims of their fraudulent acts, the Commandant General of the Corps Dr. Ade Abolurin, also warned job applicants to beware of people with sinister motives like Michael Ogun, who, he said, are still lurking around as employment agents to deceive desperate job seekers by promising them recruitment into the Corps and other organisations.

He enjoined job seekers to contact the Corps Public Relations unit, the Servicom unit, Antifraud and other offices of the Corps across the federation admonishing that: “A stitch in time saves nine. Ignorance is not an excuse in the law court. If caught, both the suspect and victim are liable to the same offence and shall be treated as common criminals in accordance to the law of the Federation”.

Day of joy, celebration for 700 indigent graduands hitherto helpless graduands. erty among our women and

BY PETER DURU, MAKURDI

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HE joy of over 700 indigent women and youths of the Sev-Av Skills and Craft Acquisition Centre, a pet project of the wife of the Benue State Governor, Mrs. Yemisi Suswam, knew no bounds few days ago, when they were given free working tools to start a life of their own after graduating from the various training programmes availed them by the centre.

The exercise which held in Makurdi, the state capital, was a combined graduation ceremony of the Sev-Av skills and craft centres in the three senatorial zones of the state, marked the beginning of a new life for the

The students were trained in various skills and crafts by the centres set up primarily to cater for less privileged youths and women in the state.

Some were trained in welding, tailoring, and baking, while others were trained in beads and shoe making, barbing and dressing with all of them receiving the necessary working tools to start off their businesses.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mrs. Suswam said the training centres were set up in the three senatorial zones of the state to provide hope for the hopeless and source of livelihood for the needy in the state, she said: “At the inception of this administration, we realised the need to tackle the issue of pov-

One of the graduands receiving her certificate from Mrs. Yemisi Suswan

youth and to avail them a veritable platform to develop themselves and become useful to themselves and the society. ”We embark on this project knowing fully well that it is better to teach a man how to fish than to give him fish. It is in pursuit of that vision and mandate that we are today celebrating this our set of graduands who have been trained and are also availed working tools to enable them fend for themselves and their loved ones. ”I must therefore say I feel a sense of fulfilment to see that those who hitherto felt forgotten by the society are today proud graduands who can also hold their own and walk shoulder high in the society.”

Mrs. Suswam who disclosed that the centres would not relent in absorbing more beneficiaries said her pet project was her modest contribution to fighting unemployment in the state.

In his speech, Interior Minister, Comrade Abba Moro, lauded the initiative of Mrs. Suswam, stressing that the project had over the years impacted positively on the lives of the less privileged in the state. “What you have done today for these hitherto helpless people will never be forgotten in a hurry because you have lifted the downtrodden and given hope to the hopeless.”

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014 — 21

Oil workers petition FG over firms’ anti-labour practices N

IGERIAN Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, have petitioned the Federal Government over alleged antilabour activities by Nigerian Agip Oil Company and Plantgeria, accusing both organisations of trying to frustrate their members and undermine Nigeria’s Local Content Act. The petition to the Honourable Minister of Labour and Productivity was signed by Comrade Godwin Eruba, Chairman, Port Harcourt Zone, NUPENG and Comrade Azubuike Azubuike, Chairman, PENGASSAN, Port Harcourt Zone.

NUPENG AND PENGASSAN said they will resist any attempt by organisation to enslave its members and also deny them freedom of association.

They said, “We are compelled to bring before your exalted office a situation that is seriously affecting our members working for Arco Petrochemical Limited, a company providing maintenance service contract in the OBOB/Kwale/ Ebochasaid location of Nigeria Agip Oil Company Limited (NAOC) operation under a third party arrangement.

“All verifiable information confirms to the Union from our investigations that National Petroleum Investment Management Services,

NAPIMS, as a regulatory government agency saddled with the responsibility of bidding process and awarding contract in the oil and gas, among others, has awarded a Stop-Gap contract to Arco Petrochemical Limited where our members are working for years in NAOC facilities on the same project while the main bidding process is yet to be concluded.

“To our greatest surprise, NAOC has rebuffed the award made by NAPIMS and insist plantgeria company for

replacement of Area petrochemical Nigeria Ltd) even when NAPIMS is yet to favorably consider Plantgeria company commercially and technically proven.

“From our findings, NAPIMS has reaffirm their stance that NAPIMS will not support any cost expended outside their recommendations by NAOC on the maintenance service contract for gas turbine and related equipment for OB/OB, Ebocha arid Kwale Gas Plants arising from NAOC execution

From left: Head, Corporate Planning & Strategy, Skye Bank Plc, Mr Tajudeen Ahmed; winner of KiA Picanto car, Teju Ogunjimi and Peter Aweyoh, Manager, Digital Marketing, Dana Motors Limited, at the redemption of the grand prize of the World Cup Dream League, organised by Skye Bank Plc, in Lagos.

CBN’won’t outsource supervision of banks, says Emefiele

By Babajide Komolafe

179.85

1.55

3,193.00 -5.00 17.14

0.09

108.13 1.06 101.89 0.02 CURRENCY BUYING CENTRAL SELLING DOLLAR 154.73 STERLING 263.2576 EURO 208.5296 FRANC 171.541 YEN 1.5222 CFA 0.2986 WAUA 237.2832 RENMINBI 24.9757 RIYAL 41.2569 KRONA 27.9609 SDR 237.9593

of such contract with Plantgeria.

“It is important to note that Plantgeria, as a company is not union friendly, this Company has resisted NUPENG and PENGASSAN hinging on economic activities of providing logistics while executing maintenance contract in the Oil and Gas Sector, contrary to the guideline on Contract Staffing and Labour Administration and other extant Labour laws in Nigeria.

“Plantgeria has gone ahead,

155.23 155.73 264.1083 264.959 209.2035 209.8773 172.0953 172.6497 1.5271 1.532 0.3086 0.3186 238.0499 238.8167 25.0569 25.138 41.3903 41.5236 28.0512 28.1416 238.7282 239.4972

CBN Exchange rate as at 30/07/2014

even in the midst of the controversial circumstance to inform our members currently working for Arco Petrochemical who are expected to be rolled over to Plantgeria based on the NAOC instructions on using competent hands in manning of the plant, that if our members are rolled over they are to sign an undertaking with Plantgeria not to join any Union and 60% of the workers will be dropped against NAOC directive.

“It is our utmost believes that based on the antecedents of Plantgeria they are committed towards enslaving Nigerians and continually deny them of freedom of Association which the Union is ready to resist at all costs.

“Our prayer is that you use your good office and intervene into this matter between NAOC and NAPIMS in order to restore synergy as to save the employment of our members who have worked on NAOC facilities for over twenty years of continuous service under a third party arrangement.

“The two Unions - NUPENG and PENGASSAN have resolved that if Plantgeria Company finally scale the hurdle and execute their plan as they intend to unleash on our members who have laboured for years working for NAOC. The Union is ready to match words with action to fight this neocolonialism which Plantgeria is spreading in the Oil and Gas Sector.

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overnor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele has said that the apex bank will not outsource supervision and examination of banks, saying such move will compromise the stability of the financial system.

He stated this while receiving the President of Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Otunba (Mrs.)’Debola Osibogun, at the headquarters of the apex bank in Abuja.

Emefile assure the institute that the CBN under his leadership will strategically pursue a gradual reduction in key areas of interest rates as well as include the unemployment rate in the monetary policy decisions adding that the exchange rate stability would be maintained and foreign exchange reserves shored up.

He said that outsourcing the functions of bank supervision and

examination may compromise the stability of the financial system.

“Central Bank of Nigeria will continue to partner with the CIBN and other stakeholders in ensuring that the Competency Framework is practical and realistic to the benefit of the banking industry” he assured.

Earlier in her address, the CIBN President, Otunba (Mrs.)’Debola Osibogun, commended the new initiatives and policies of the Governor saying they are geared towards further improving banking practice and financial system stability.

She noted that the initiatives of the apex bank were comparable with what obtained in the developed economies adding that the Nigeria banking industry was better positioned to support business and the economy.

Osibogun observed that the new Code of Conduct in the Nigerian Banking industry approved by the

Bankers Committee was an important strategic initiative that would promote good banking practice and ethics while restoring public confidence in the system. She expressed satisfaction with the level of cooperation from the Bank Chief Executives as some of them have personally signed the Conduct Form and mandated their staff to do the same.

The CIBN Boss stated that the objectives of the Code of Conduct include guiding every member of the Institute, both individual and corporate in meeting obligations to customers and other stakeholders by maintaining and improving standard of service, performance and quality of banking products; ensuring that all bank employees conduct their duties fairly and honestly; maintaining best banking practice and strong commitment to sound ethical and professional standards in the banking industry, among others.

22 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014

Barclays Africa aims to expand in Nigeria, as half year profit up 10%

By Peter Egwuatu, with agency report

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From left Mrs Nsima Ogedi Alakwe, Brand Building Director, Foods, Unilever; Mrs Gloria Chiekwe, Admin Officer, Nigerian Red Cross Society, Lagos Chapter; Mr Abdul Rasheed Onibudo, Lagos Branch Chairman and Mr David Okeme, Brand Building Director during the unveiling and donation of the New Pepsodent Toothpaste

by Unilever to The Nigerian Red Cross Soceity in Lagos. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele

Audit delays dispensation of Investors Protection Fund — NSE

By NKIRUKA NNOROM

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HE Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, has said that the delay in commencement of dispensation of the Investors Protection Fund, IPF, constituted two years ago, was due to an ongoing audit of the Fund.

Mrs. Tinuade Awe, Head, Legal and Regulation Division, NSE, made the disclosure at the investors’ clinic for journalists, organised by the Exchange in conjunction with FBN Capital, the investment arm of FBN Holdings Plc. The Board of IPF was constituted in 2012 to address complaints arising from investments on the Nigerian Stock Exchange and to compensate investors who by no fault of theirs suffered loses in the course of their transactions on the Exchange where necessary.

The Fund, which had an initial takeoff fund of N635 million, will also take care of investors that suffered, loses due to insolvency of any capital market operator.

In January, 2014, the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, approved a set of rules that would govern the operation of the Fund, but six months after, the Fund is yet to take off.

Awe explained that already, KPMG, a global accounting and auditing firm has been contracted for the purpose and would soon be through with the task.

“We know that investors are expecting activity from the Fund, but the Fund cannot start paying claims until after the auditing. In fact, it will be irresponsible of any exchange to pay claims from such Fund without an audit, especially when such an audit has not taken place before.

“It will also be responsible of the Exchange to conduct an audit to ascertain the state of the Fund before dispensation. We can assure you that very soon, payment will commence,” she said.

She assured that retail investors were well represented on the Board, adding that the rules were clearly spelt out by the SEC. She further stated that the NSE is constantly benchmarking itself with other stock exchanges around the world and is also collaborating with other international organisations in order to continually upgrade its standard.

She stated that the NSE belongs to International Organisation of

Securities Commission, IOSCO, and is working together with West Africa Market Integration (WACMI) for integration of African exchanges.

She observed that membership of IOSCO, for instance, has helped it in strengthening its knowledge base on market infringements and how best to manager the scourge.

Speaking on the theme of the programme, “Investor Protection in the Nigerian Capital Market: The Role of Journalists”, the Chief Executive Officer of the NSE, Mr. Oscar Onyema, noted that aside understanding capital market products as individual investors,

arclays Plc (BARC)’s South African has said it aims to expand operation in Nigeria, even as its first-half profit climbed 10 percent after investmentbanking earnings increased and credit impairments fell.

The bank said its expansion in the country also remains a goal as it bought most of its U.K. parent’s African operations for 18.3 billion rand last year to boost earnings. Owning its parent’s operations in Egypt and Zimbabwe “remains an ambition for us,” Barclays Africa Chief Executive Officer, Maria Ramos said on a conference call Wednesday.

In its home market, Barclays Africa is spending money to refurbish branches, install cash machines and upgrade technology after South Africa’s thirdbiggest lender lost clients to competitors.

Customer numbers in Africa’s secondbiggest economy fell seven percent to 9.2 million this year, the bank said.

Barclays Africa fell 1.9 percent to 169.10 rand by the close in Johannesburg. The stock has climbed 28 percent this year, the best performer on the seven-member FTSE/JSE Africa Banks Index, which gained 17 percent over the period.

“We expect stronger growth in the Barclays Africa Group markets beyond South Africa, despite fiscal and external account challenges in some of the larger economies,” the bank said in the statement. “We expect mid-single digit loan growth in South Africa this year.

Our net interest margin should widen, given rising interest rates in South Africa, while our credit-loss ratio is also likely to improve slightly.”

PwC announces in o accelerat e Africa invvestment tto accelerate gr owth oppor tunities gro opportunities

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wC has announced intention to increase its investment in Africa and building closer links between PwC UK and PwC Africa to meet increased demand for professional services as trade activity between the two regions grows.

The investment is part of PwC’s ongoing strategy to develop high potential markets, and follows the UK firm’s successful investment in Central and Eastern Europe.

Ian Powell, UK Chairman and Senior Partner, commented: “This is an exciting development which enhances our ability to serve clients across the fastest growing region in the world. Africa has an abundance of natural resources and seven of the world’s fastest growing economies meaning the

opportunities for UK business are significant.”

Suresh Kana, PwC Africa Network Territory Senior Partner, said: “This is great news for our network. Over the years, we have built PwC into the leading network in Africa. We now see huge opportunities to build our capabilities further as we will be able to invest even faster in key industry sectors such as capital projects & infrastructure, oil & gas, government & public sector and financial services. We have great teams in Africa and this investment will help us build more local capacity and create teaming and secondment opportunities.”

As part of the investment, Paul Cleal, PwC UK partner and chair

of its Africa Business Group, will be seconded to the African Leadership team and based on the continent.

PwC teams from the UK and Africa have a strong track record of working together to support businesses, governments and NGOs in nations such as Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda and Zambia with expertise in fields such as economic development, climate change, education, infrastructure, natural resources, and power and utilities.

The UK is renowned for the strength of its business and professional services sector and this deal is a demonstration of how the nation can play to its strengths on the global stage.

This commitment not only benefits our clients and the PwC network, but is also good for the UK and African economies.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014—23

RMRDC to hold raw materials expo in Lagos

BY NAOMI UZOR

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From left (3rd) Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga; DG National Automotive Council, Engr. Aminu Jala, flanked by Founder, Lady Mechanic Initiative, Sandra Aguebor Ekperuoh and trainees during the visit of Sandex Car Care, Lady Mechanic Initiative to the ministry’s headquarters, Abuja

Cement manufacturers face products withdrawal F

ranklin Alli reviews compliance to the deadline issued by Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to cement manufacturers in the country and report that the 23 cement companies operating across the country are at the risk of having their products withdrawn from the market if they are unable to meet the 60-day ultimatum on product labelling and traceability requirements by the agency.

The deadline was issued two weeks ago and would expire midSeptember.

At the meeting which was attended

by Dangote Cement, Lafarge Nigeria, Unicem, Ibeto Cement, Ashaka Cement and Sokoto Cement, etc, SON DG, Joseph Odumodu,mandated the manufacturers to print on their cement bags the manufacturing and expiry dates, product application information as well as the batch numbers of the products.

He said that the move is to enhance traceability in case of product failures.

The SON boss was shocked that with the exception of Lafarge which claimed to have batch numbers on its products, other cement manufacturers confessed their products neither have batch number nor expiry date.

Said Odumodu: “What I have invited you were basically to seek your collaboration on the things we want to embark on. The Federal government is very concerned about the fact that there is so much noise that we have made so far but it has not led to the reduction of collapse building.

“The second point is to draw your attention to the fact that SON is not interested in killing any company or any industry. I believe that we can celebrate the cement industry in Nigeria. We are celebrating them and we can celebrate them even further in ensuring that the best practices are adopted in getting our products to consumers.

“Within the next two months all cement bags that are in Nigeria must

C M Y K

be compliant with certain basic information and the additional information will be to have a batch number, manufacturing date and expiry or Use by date.

“What I mean is that in the next two months, every cement bag we see without batch number, manufacturing and expiry date will be removed from the market. It is all about acting for the best interest of this country.”

Manufacturers’ reaction Devakumar Edwin, Group Managing Director/ CEO Dangote Cement Plc, responded, “We thank you for calling us to this meeting and telling us what you have in mind for implementation. You are the implementing agency and we respect authority so we agreed with all the proposals you have brought up and we believe we can work out the modalities on how we are going to implement the resolutions to further move the industry forward.

I want to make our own point of view clear on the subject.

For us we are willing to abide by whatever SON is proposing. We at Dangote can meet the deadline but we should discuss and agree on the date of implementation.”

However, Olivier Lenoir, Managing Director UNICem added, “For sure we want to collaborate with you as we did on certification.

This initiative will boost health and safety and also we are very concerned as a stakeholder in the cement industry. For me one month is too short. Before we import the machine from the manufacturer and install them, Six months should be enough for us to meet the requirements.”

Lanre Opakunle, General Manager Industrial/ Performance, Lafarge Nigeria, commented, “We have come here as responsible corporate citizens to be part of this meeting; when you said you need a date on the cement bags, you need equipment to do it; this equipment is not manufactured in Nigeria and if you want to do it, you have to

overhaul the plants. You have to look at the source of the machine, you have to import the machine and all those things take time.

But since it is an issue that affects the general public, we are more than ready to contribute our experience and our knowledge and that is why we are here. We are more than ready to collaborate with SON, with other cement manufacturers and professional bodies so that we find the solution to building collapse in Nigeria.”

Aminu Bashir, Assistant Director Production, Sokoto Cement, also said, “We are ready for compliance with the standards. But on this issue of removing non-conforming cement bags, it is not going to be possible for us because we need some kind of equipment that we have to incorporate into the plant system to be able to stamp the date of manufacture / Best Before date.

One month is not entirely possible for us to comply with; that is the area we want SON to look at- the technicality of it and extend the deadline. One month is not possible for us. We have large stocks of bags and if we are going to stamp dates we need enough time to incorporate it into our system to be able to have expiration date on our cement.”

Furthermore, Eze Echesi, Executive Director Group Operations Ibeto Cement, stated, “We at Ibeto Cement agree to collaborate with SON to achieve public safety in Nigeria. I want to express some concerns on the timing; there will be a need to actually look at the implications of the timing, just as my colleagues have pointed out; to stamp expiry dates on the bags is highly technical. Most of the plants have been established without considerations for this most especially in Nigeria and you need to incorporate the designs on the plants. So the issue here is an appeal to SON to take into account the changes that we need to do on the plants’ operation will take more than one month.”

he Raw Material Research and Development Council, RMRDC, has concluded arrangement to hold this year ’s edition of Nigerian Raw Materials Exposition (NIRAM Expo) in Lagos state.

This year’s edition with the theme, ‘Achieving Nigerian Industrial Revolution Plan through Raw Materials Sourcing,’ has been slated for October 28th -30th .

Briefing newsmen, the Director General of RMRDC, Dr. Hussein Doko Ibrahim, said the Nigerian economy has been passing through a very tough terrain in recent times due to various challenges of under-development and therefore urge Nigerians to queue up and be counted in the drive for a new dawn in industrial development of the Nigeria state.

Represented by the Director Agriculture and Agro Allied Dept, Dr. Moyo Jolaoso, he said the objectives of the NIRAM Expo, are to promote synergy among stakeholders in raw materials value chain and to provide conducive platform for exhibition of raw materials as well as to facilitate procurement of raw materials needs of industries, etc.

Seaman’s Schnapps sponsors Osun Osogbo festival

S

eaman’s Schnapps, a product of Grand Oak Limited, has concluded arrangements to sponsor this year ’s edition of Osun Osogbo festival in Nigeria. It will start from August 7th to 23rd.

Grand Oak’s Senior Brand Manager, Seaman’s Schnapps, Mr. Nnamdi Ezeani noted that Seaman’s Schnapps and Osun Osogbo Festival have a strong historical link which makes the brand to be committed to the festival.

“The festival commenced in 1984 and Seaman’s was launched in 1984 that tells you this is the match made in heaven. The festival is unique because it epitomizes the concept that Seaman stands for. It is a celebration of our rich cultural heritage and it is a source of pride to us not just the State of Osun but the country called Nigeria,” he said.

Firm commences training on confectionery manufacturing

A

pexgate Nigeria Limited has commenced the second phase of its vocational training programme in confectionery manufacturing and culinary arts for hospitality industry In a statement, the company ’s Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mrs. Jumoke Adebise, said Apexgate will be providing a continuum of services ranging from certificates, diploma, higher diploma and other work related short courses and programmes for secondary school leavers and professionals who are interested in pursuing their careers in hospitality and tourism.

“The training encompasses food, science and technology with emphasis on confectionery manufacturing, culinary arts, tourism and hospitality operations as well as kitchen operations. Those in employment within the industry can also acquire upto-date training that will improve their effectiveness and efficiency while on the job”, she added.

24— Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014

80 African firms on track to produce certified seeds

IT penetration has boosted coconut production by 75% — LASG

BY JIMOH BABATUNDE

BY RICHARD UDOFIA

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NCREASING demand for improved seeds in Africa has been on the high but the demand has not been met owing, not only to few seed companies in existence, but also due to the fact that most of the existing companies produce less than 1,000 metric tonnes of seeds.

But a report released recently at the Grow Africa Investment Forum alongside the World Economic Forum on Africa by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) revealed that 80 small-to medium-size African seed companies in 16 countries are on track to produce over 80,000 metric tons of professionally certified seeds in 2014.

Most of these small- to medium-size African seed companies are participating in AGRA’s Program for Africa’s Seed Systems (PASS.) which is offering high-yield crop varieties to smallholder farmers across the continent.

Today, two of these companies have hit 10,000 metric tons production in a year. Maslaha Seeds in Nigeria is one of the two companies that have hit that mark. From production of 600 tons of seed in its first year in 2006, Maslaha Seeds has grown rapidly over the years producing thousands of tons of seed each year for a wide menu of crop varieties, including high-yield sorghum, millet, and cowpea developed specifically for Nigeria’s growing conditions.

“Nigeria has the potential to become one of the world’s great breadbaskets, and giving our farmers access to certified seed for high-yield crop varieties is crucial to fulfilling that promise,” said Ibrahim Abdullahi, managing director of Maslaha Seeds.

To grow on this success and encourage more seeds companies to do more, the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) recently brought together seed companies in Kampala, Uganda for the second biannual Seed Company conference dubbed the “10K Club”. The conference with the theme “Taking Seeds to African farmers through locally based Seed Companies” is coming against the backdrop of increasing demand for improved seeds on the continent.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Associate Director of the Program for Africa’s Seed Systems (PASS) of AGRA, George Bigirwa, said since inception that the body has been working to ensure smallholder farmers in Africa

Farmers displaying Seeds get quality seeds that best suits them.

He disclosed that the need to provide quality seeds led to the establishment of the Program for Africa’s Seed System (PASS) that provides higher yielding seeds farmers need not only to avoid food crisis in the continent but also improve their own lives and those of their children.

“The demand for improved

seed in Africa annually remains unmet owing, not only to few seed companies in existence, but also due to the fact that most of the existing companies produce under 1,000 MT despite having the key inputs such as technical know-how, genetics , land modern seed processing facilities and government supports among others.”

Bigirwa said hosting the bi-

annual Seed Company meeting was aimed to challenge the young and up and coming seed companies to grow 10,000 metric tonnes of annual seed production and sales.

He noted that there has been impressive results from the first meeting held in Malawi in 2012 as two seed companies in Nigeria and Ethiopia have attained this tonnage.

Group seeks recognition by NAFDAC

BY KINGSLEY ADEGBOYE

A

GRONOMISTS under the aegis of AgroChemical and Animal Health Producers’ Association (AAHPA), has called on National Agency for Food and Drug and Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to recognise the importance of the Association to the national economy in terms of its contribution to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and job creation by registering products produced by its members.

Making the appeal recently at a seminar on awareness and sensitisation organised by AAHPA in collaboration with Veterinary Medicine and Allied Products Directorate of NAFDAC in Lagos, the chairman of the group, Mr. Babatunde Adewoye said the call had become imperative considering the high quality of products being produced by his members in the country which can compete favourably with the same products being imported into Nigeria, and the fact that the recognition of AAHPA’s products by the Agency will further encourage

his members to do more to boost the nation’s GDP. Adewoye who noted that the major challenge confronting members of his association is lack of recognition of their products by the Agency, because the products have not been duly registered due to the inability of his members to meet the stringent registration conditions of the Agency individually, pointed out that they had to resolve to forming an association that will champion the course of registration of products of members collectively. He argued that as a group, they can raise the quantum of funds needed for the establishment of modern factories for their business as required by NAFDAC through the formation of cooperative society, as it is impossible for individuals to raise capital to set up modern factories.

According to the chairman, “by our activities, we provide employment to Nigerians and contribute to the country’s GDP. At different fora, we have told NAFDAC that there is no need to rely on imported products whereas we can produce the same products with the same

quality in the country. We have locally produced products that can compete favourably with those imported. We just feel we need to be encouraged to do more.

“Our association is aimed at sanitising the sub-sector and provide a platform for compliance with good manufacturing practices and regulations of the Agency saddled with the responsibility to supervise our activities. We believe the Veterinary and Agro-Allied Directorate should be our partner and not our enemy. In this partnership, we hope to provide world class products that would compete with similar products elsewhere in the world.

“We envisage the partnership to lead to expansion of our various factories and product lines. As our members expand, more hands will be employed and we would have positively impacted on the employment situation of the country. Also, we would serve as training ground and the needed gaps between the theory based knowledge of our university graduates and thereby create more entrepreneurs rather than job seekers”, Adewoye stated.

AGOS State Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Gbolahan Lawal, said the introduction of Information Technology in coconut production in the state has yielded massive output.

Lawal at the second edition of Lagos State enterprise day, tagged, “Technical and Vocational skills as a Gateway for Enterprise Development,” said that the state has recorded about 75% coconut increase annually due to the introduction of IT. He admitted that before the introduction of IT in the sector, an average of fifty coconuts per tree was recorded a year, now an average of 120-200 coconuts per tree is harvested.

While calling for more private partnership on coconut production, he reaffirmed that IT has brought new innovations and research on how to cultivate the crop to meet the increasing demand in the market.

The state is making tremendous break through in the cultivation of coconuts in areas like Badagry, LekkiEpe, Ojo among others, the commissioner said.

Lawal admitted that in The Philipines, coconut cultivation remains the main source of revenue generation, and the state is ready to tap into it as well.

Eat N’ Go out with 5 new flavours

BY ANOZIE EGOLE

E

AT N’ Go,the operators of Domino’s Pizza and Cold Stone Creamery has introduced five new mouth-watering ice cream flavours to its unique menu which will be available for a limited period.

The delicious new flavours will extend the brands variety and engage customers to an ultimate tasting experience with amazing toppings and fresh mix-ins. CSC features an attractive line of ice creams, ice cream cakes, ice cream cupcakes with edible shells, frozen yoghurts, smoothies and shakes.

These tasty treats feature smooth and creamy ice cream with refreshing ingredients that transforms traditional desserts into innovative ice cream flavors. With the infused smoothness of sweet cream ice cream to the melting taste of Reese’s peanut butter cup & fudge, these new flavours are bound to keep your taste buds dancing.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014—25

I N S I D E

Impeachments: Conspiracies in Nasarawa and Enugu

State of the nation: Battle between opposing, stubborn forces

How dictatorship was beatified in Edo — Ogieriakhi, House member

Page 26

Page 28

Page 27

BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE FIVE months into the confab, what has been your experience? think it is a mixed bag. For those of us who have over the years agitated that we need to discuss the future of this country, it was a dream come true when President Goodluck Jonathan on March 17, 2014 inaugurated the conference and he gave us the charge to discuss every issue as regards the future of Nigeria and to reach a consensus on how Nigeria should be rebuilt. And there he turned to the National Assembly and said, ‘I hope you are talking about a referendum? Even though you are amending the constitution, if there is a need for a new constitution, do not shy away from it.’

We spent the first few days of the conference over rules and procedures. And the conference was going to break up over voting pattern, first it was 75 per cent, then later we had to settle for 70 per cent. After that we broke into committees. We broke into 20 committees in all. There are many of us who thought the committees were unwieldy and to be honest with you many of the issues came out under policy issues. Many of these policy issues are what a presidential candidate can commission a team to prepare for him in a manifestolight, road, etc. Some of us believe the conference should discuss hardware, the policy issues are software.

When we came back from the committees we spent quality time looking at the policy issues and left the critical issues towards the end. With benefit of hindsight, I think it was a good decision because if we had put devolution first, maybe it would have been the end of the conference.

This conference is a major improvement on past conferences. It discussed the issues of Nigeria in depth. The quality of delegates was quite impressive. Most of the delegates would not have got to the conference if we had gone through the kind of elections we hold in Nigeria. There was quality debate. We dealt with reports of 19 committees, passed about 500 resolutions and threequarters of devolution until we got to the thorny issue of derivation, which had always been the Achilles heels of every conference since 1988.

I

•Odumakin

Confab: Complete

story of the conspiracies by Odumakin •Odumakin to the North: Scuttle confab, murder nigeria •Why north wants derivation for terrorism •How confab was split into pro-federal and pro-feudal delegates Mr. Yinka Odumakin, Publicity Secretary of the Pan-Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere and a delegate to the National Conference. In this interview he speaks among others on the gains of the confab and why it may be difficult to scuttle the report as being allegedly planned by some people.

Excerpts: Eventually, we passed the buck to the president because centrifugal forces, who are suddenly aroused by the governors, came and tried to cause confusion after being asked: What are you doing? Why

did you allow local government to be de-listed? Why did you allow state police, state constitution, etc?

How did it happen?

When we got to the conference

some of us were invited to a meeting called Consensus Building Group which was facilitated by Prof Agboola Gambari and Dr Raymond Dokpesi. We were delegates

across the zones. We tried to build consensus around the various committees. We took the report of a committee, discussed and reached a consensus.

Eventually, this developed into a meeting of minds, first between the South and the Middle belt.

So a document was produced detailing the points and the position of the various zones on each point. At a point, it was agreed that the entire six zones should have that kind of consensus and a report was drafted.

Delegates from the South put a motion before the conference, which was moved by Senator Aniete Okon and I seconded it.

It was signed by major leaders from the South – E.K Clark, General Akinrinade, Olu Falae, etc. that was the time they were trying to shut down debate and said now there should be no more debate, that we should adopt every report.

We said no and the leadership agreed that we should continue the debate on reports. That was the day Gambari sent a message to Dokpesi that they would no longer attend the meeting. The next meeting that was called, it was only the South and Middle Belt that attended.

The next thing we saw was that they started sponsoring all kinds of publications in northern papers-that there is a hidden agenda, there is an already prepared constitution, Dokpesi has been circulating the constitution, that Prof Bolaji Akinyemi, the deputy chairman had called some northern leaders to persuade them, that money was being shared, etc.

That was how the issue came to the floor of the conference and the conference was going to have a lock down again. Prof Akinyemi explained what he had been doing-to call all sides involved in knotty issues and resolve them before it comes to the plenary.

Dokpesi gave the background to the whole meeting and pointed out that Prof Gambari and his team were trying to scuttle the conference, that the document has nothing to do with constitution but consensus built around issues discussed.

By the time we crossed that hurdle, they now came back to say the position we took in adopting some critical issues was not right. We should not have

Continues on page 26

26—Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014

Confab: Complete story of the conspiracies by Odumakin Continues from page 25 used voice vote, we should have voted using 70:30 and we should reopen issues we had taken decisions on.

The rule of the conference is very clear: any matter on which decision has been taken cannot be reopened.

Eventually, we got to derivation. All along, there had been all kinds of discussions trying to reach consensus. The South-South came with 25 per cent; the consensus group recommended 21 per cent and by the time we got to the plenary, what was agreed was 18 per cent.

We now said the reason there is so much hues and cries over derivation is because not everybody is bringing something to the table. In the First Republic when everybody was bringing something to the table, derivation was 50 per cent. Nobody complained.

We have the geological map of Nigeria, which shows there is large deposit of mineral resources in every part of Nigeria, that if we give five per cent increase to derivation making 18 per cent, we should devote another five per cent to

development of mineral resources so that we can share prosperity instead of sharing money from one part of the country. Friends from the far North said no.

Eventually after a series of meetings and discussions, they said they agreed to that but there should be another five per cent for insurgency, which was called intervention fund.

First of all, we cannot make terrorism economic feature of our life. If you say you are giving this money to terrorism, you are telling other parts of the country to go and start terrorism so that they can access money from the centre.

And the money should be called National intervention fund, to take care of problems, disaster in all parts of the country.

Eventually, we agreed, let’s have this fund starting with the NorthEast and other parts of the country.

When we got to the floor, General Nwachukwu was called to present the report of the committee. He called Prof Gambari, who gave the report but when it got to the National Intervention Fund, he said it was meant for the North-East, NorthWest and North-Central. That

was how the meeting broke up.

They were asked to go and come back nothing was achieved until the last minute when it became clear that some of our friends were looking forward to use this to make the conference inconclusive.

We said if that is the case let’s throw the matter back to the president to set up a technical committee.

But the truth of the matter is the president does not need a technical committee to fix derivation, he can do it by fiat.

The 1999 constitution says derivation shall not be less than 13 per cent, it did not say not more than 13 per cent.

Definitely, fair is fair. You cannot deny the South-South derivation because it is in their area we are exploring now, tomorrow we may explore in other parts of the country and they will ask for these things.

But the challenge we have as a country is we have started accepting indolence as a way of life; wealth without work.

Between 2009 and 2012, four years, when you look at the revenue that accrued to this country and how it was shared, you will see that in those four years the South-South gave the

•Odumakin federation account an average of 68 per cent; the South-West contributed 23 per cent and South-East, eight per cent.

The average for the North is zero per cent in those four years.

When you go to local government allocation, the North took 54 per cent. The South that produced 100 per cent of the revenue got 46 per cent.

We now said, let’s democratise prosperity, let everybody go and look for gold, calcium, limestone, etc in his area but they said no. they want to make terrorism an

item for derivation but by and large the conference management prevented people from scuttling the conference. We will now go back on August 11 to dot the ‘Is’ and cross the ‘Ts’.

But there was agreement that derivation should be increased from 13 per cent to 18 per cent.

What happened to that agreement?

Some consensus was built but we had not voted on it at the plenary before they brought the issue of five per cent for terrorism.

How dictatorship was beatified in Edo Friday Osakpamwan Ogieriakhi represents Orhionmwon South Constituency in the Edo State House of Assembly. He is one of the PDP legislators that was suspended by the House shortly after his defection from the APC. In this interview he spoke on his defection from the APC, the crisis rocking the assembly, just as he challenged those who claimed that they were financially induced to defect to prove the claim.

Excerpts

By Gabriel Enogholase

W

hat were the reasons you left the APC for the

PDP? The party that brought me to the assembly, the ACN, is no more. The Action Congress of Nigeria was the platform on which I contested and won election into the Edo State House of Assembly. After that party went into merger with others to form the All Progressives Congress, my people advised that I should join the PDP.

But your movement to the PDP appears to have generated crisis in the Edo State House of Assembly.

I attribute the crisis playing up in the House of Assembly to intolerance on the part of those who believe they hold the monopoly of knowing what is right and to decide for others. I don’t understand the intolerance. He who comes to equity must come with clean hand. The governor of the state who doubles as the leader of the APC encourages defection, he has orchestrated

the movement of politicians from other political parties to his party. He celebrated those who joined his party and held rallies for them. He reduced defection to a ridiculous height when he received a councilor from Ogbuna in Etsako Central council, who joined the APC from the PDP. He did this to hurt the feelings of the state chairman of the PDP, who won his ward for the PDP. When the councilor defected, he rolled out the drum and celebrated it. That is why I said the present crisis was caused by sheer intolerance and hypocrisy. I think the earlier they retreat from this act, the better for Edo State.

•Ogieriakhi

How do you react to allegations that you were financially induced to join the PDP? I throw a challenge to those who have been saying this, especially Governor Adams Oshiomhole, who went out without regard to his office, to

prove it. Pronouncement from governors ought to be seen as sacred. That is why an occupant of that office is referred to as His Excellency.

Let me say that we all had disagreement with the way they were running the affairs of the APC. For me, the issue

was my fight against imposition. A position that should be left for the grassroots was decided at Osadebey Avenue without the participation of the people involved. When they brought imposition and dressed it in the beautiful garb of

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014—27

Plots, counter plots in Nasarawa, Enugu

Impeachments: T

he impeachment bug that lately caught the polity is having to contend with conspiracies in Nasarawa and a moral dilemma in Enugu.

By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor

•Al-Makura

•Onyebuchi

state, Justice Suleiman Dikko inaugurated a seven man panel to investigate the allegations leveled against Governor Almakura.

The seven man panel comprises of Yusuf Usman as

chairman with Mohammed Keana, Joel Galadima, Abdul Usman, Samuel Chaku, Mohammed Usman, and Daniel Chaga as members.

Given the complex ethnoreligious tension in the state

— Ogieriakhi, House member consensus, some of us became suspicious.

The way and manner it (consensus) was defined in our constitution, the process of getting a candidate to fly the flag of the party, consensus was not part of it. The consensus we were having was one whereby the man who will represent a ward would be chosen by those who are not from the ward. I call that mercenary-type of democracy.

The membership registration, on its own, was like a war zone in my constituency. There was no registration for three days. They brought over 50 vehicles that were loaded with armed thugs from Benin. The thugs overran the community and were shooting into the air for three days. Some of the bullets dropped in my compound. The text message I sent to the governor is still in my phone. I told him that there were over 50 armed men as I spoke with him. Why would people resort to that kind of barbarism? Five direct siblings of the deputy governor were in Uronigbe town though they were not from that constituency. All of this I made known to the governor through the text message. However, the governor never replied. How do you want some of us to remain in that party?

The ward congress was even worse. They wrote out the names they wanted to constitute as executive members at different levels.

They set out to manipulate the process from

the beginning. We didn’t even know the officials until they arrived at the congress.

The normal thing is that the names of the officials would be published before the congress day. When they came and realized that we were more than them, they literally fled the congress venue. I later discovered that the same thing was replicated in other parts of the state.

Seeing that failure of what they perfected, the decided to repeat it. However, no word can express the repeat performance. It was the last stroke that broke the camel back.

Shortly after you defected to the PDP, some youths threatened to recall you, saying that your defection was not a collective one.

I’m waiting for them to start the process.

As far as I’m concerned, they are not known in my constituency and I don’t know them. We know their antics and it is that of a dying regime. It is an old trick that is usually used by dying regimes— you hired a crowd to run down your political opponents.

How are you taking your suspension along with three others by the Edo State House of assembly?

Continues on page 28

it was not long before different interest groups found reasons to doubt the suitability of the panelists.

Indeed by last Wednesday the lawmakers at the forefront for the removal of the governor raised their objection to the panel.

The members of the House of Assembly who had fled the state capital on account of antagonism from some members of the public they

,

THE plot to remove Gov ernor Tank Al-Makura was from the onset laced in conspiracy. That scheme fanned by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP dominated House of Assembly to sack the embattled governor elected on the platform of the All progressives, APC has, now been entrapped in a seemingly larger conspiracy.

The impeachment process against the governor had in the past two weeks paralysed activities in the state following the abandonment of governance by the governor and his antagonists in the House of Assembly. Most of them it was learnt, had relocated to Abuja, from where many assumed the plot was being teleguided from.

After some lull, the process was enlivened last Friday when the Chief Judge of the

acquit the governor and which would constitutionally bring all attempts to remove the governor to an end.

Vexed by the claims of the group, the House after its deliberation urged the chief justice to reconstitute the panel, bringing to an issue the capacity of the House to question the chief judge the way and manner he should do his job.

The issue was outstanding

In the view of the group, Justice Dikko had constituted a panel that was bound to acquit the governor and which would constitutionally bring all attempts to remove the governor to an end

claimed to be hired, at a sitting in Karu, about 150 kilometers from Lafia, the state capital, rejected the panel saying that the members were biased towards the governor.

The 19 House members who sat at the session and all of who belong to the PDP, claimed to have acted on the basis of a petition from a group, Nasarawa Concerned Citizens which accused Justice Dikko of bias in the constitution of the panel.

In the view of the group, Justice Dikko had constituted a panel that was bound to

,

as at press time. Meanwhile, there are allegations that impeachment process was also being threatened by the competing interests of the members of the PDP in the post Almakura years, especially as it pertains to the 2015 election.

Two of the for midable politicians from the state in the PDP, Senator Solomon Ewuga and information minister, Labaran Maku are believed to be eyeing the 2015 gubernatorial contest. It was

Continues on page 28

28—Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014 IN the normal (by Nigerian standard) week that witnessed shedding of innocent blood in Kaduna and other places, I join other Nigerians in celebrating the miraculous escape of the former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari from attempts on his life. The country has been saved from the proverbial “monkey and baboon soaked in blood” episode, perhaps on a larger proportion to the last bloody clashes witnessed after the 2011 presidential election. It was also pleasing news that President Jonathan recognized this while expressing sympathy on those who lost their lives in the dastardly attacks.

Now coming back to the main topic, two of the readers of this column expressed their anger over my consistent call for a ‘genuine national government‘ when, according to one of them, there is no need for it. Such a move, one of them sentimentally argued, the year of reckoning is a few months away for the re-election of President Jonathan to be confirmed. The other argument is equally sentimental to the fact that the needed change after fifteen wasted years is just at the corner. Both arguments seem simplistic if not puerile when placed side by side with the predicted prognosis in 2015 by the foreign pessimists.

In all probability, the political ground for the landslide victory for President Jonathan is well watered. With the fresh political onslaught in the South-West by losing Ondo to Labour (PDP‘s ally) and landslide victory in Ekiti (with heavy security present) and a likely success in Osun, the gate-way to Yoruba Kingdom looks wide-open, as the theory goes.

The expected success calculation goes further. With massive and solid votes from the East and more than 99 per cent returns from the South-South, especially in Rivers and Bayelsa where committed human voters aided by fishes (not destroyed by oil operations) could render valuable help.

And before 2015 real elections, the mighty sword of ‘Impeachment‘ is dangling ferociously over the heads of many governors, especially those who have decamped into other parties. The sword has been used effectively over the head of Nyako of Adamawa and may succeed in Nasarawa where PDP has majority of legislators but an elected APC governor.

The analysis so far points to an

State of the nation: Duel between stubborn and recalcitrant forces unassailable position of President Jonathan in 2015 without a thought on factors in favour of the Opposition which are based on the rock of the votes of the people of the North (with cattle and friendly neighbours) and also ghost voters of the South-West (laughs). Some argue, and rightly so, that a party which in fifteen years could not guarantee security in many parts of the country, could not eradicate poverty through mass employment and could not provide electric supply in adequate quantity to stimulate the economy, should be denied the luxury of another four years in office.

However, the pertinent question is who says that votes of the people really determine the winner of a Presidential election? Observers should cast their minds back to the 1979 and 1983 elections when the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe (APP) and late Chief Awolowo (UPN) lost to Alhaji Shehu Shagari of NPN. Stories should also be collected from living losers of past presidential elections – Olu Falae against Obasanjo; Buhari against Obasanjo; Buhari against Yar‘Adua and Ebele Jonathan. All petition cases went to the Supreme Court, leaving vestiges of political bitterness that linger on till date.

Many analysts believe that presidential elections are won and lost through the machinations (schemes) of the real powers behind the scenes. The old army political junta which was believed to have created the PDP to have one of its own as President

would not fold its arms or close its eyes at that crucial time.

Any serious political watcher of election processes in Nigeria since Independence in 1960, and after 1999 would think twice about being sacrosanct about any presidential election result. The Abiola victory which was achieved through massive votes of the people (in spite of the contentious Mushu-Mushu ticket) was annulled by the Military President, Ibrahim Babangida in 1993. In 1999, it was clear that Chief (Gen) Obasanjo was the former military junta‘s choice.

Obasanjo was believed to have picked the late Yar‘Adua and also, the current President is believed to be his candidate.

He would have done everything possible within the laws of the land to ensure their victories.

Many patriotic Nigerians believe, and fervently so, that the strong national political unity fervor that propelled Moshood Abiola to victory in 1993 had dissolved into patches of religion and ethnicity. Unfortunately, the old political actors had now become political gladiators of disunity While it may be cruel and inconsiderate to blame President Jonathan for the ills of today, it could also be true that his administration has not been able to meet adequately the current challenges. The Boko Haram insurgency challenges are causing political and economic anxieties even with gallant efforts of the country‘s

security forces. The unemployment question continues to cast doubts on poverty eradication policies, while inequitable distribution of income (by creating wealthy and poor classes) tends to promote wider avenue for bitter class struggles. It is a sign of a swift drift into a dungeon of hopelessness and avoidable disintegration.

What is the answer to political disunity and economic uncertainties of the present? The problem lies in how the federal government is constituted in a plural state where the constituent parts are not evenly endowed in political and economic resources.

There should absolutely be no reason for the North to insist on holding on to power or feel unsafe if the President is from any other area outside the North. It is my firm belief that the ‘winner-takesall‘ mentality being demonstrated by the present crop of politicians could not heal the sour political wound.

A negotiated political arrangement is what is needed to overcome the ravaging problems. Viewed from any angle, the country‘s problems are based on Boko Haram insurgency, growing poverty, ravaging unemployment, armed robberies, kidnappings and political assassinations.

If after 15 years, the ruling party could find no suitable answer, then something else should be tried.

There is no nation in the world which had not got its problems in the past. The quicker resolution of such problems rested on the innovative minds of their leaders.

When American capitalism was severely tested by the depression of the 1930s in the United States, President Roosevelt came with the idea of budget deficit (spending more than income) which allowed the injection of more funds by government into the economy for infrastructural developments. Also, in the 1930s when Britain (our past colonial masters) was faced with grave economic crisis, it resolved to form a National Government – to save the British Pound.

Should we now call on the former rulers – Babangida, Abdusallam Abubakar, and Obasanjo to help to get the stubborn and recalcitrant forces to come together in the face of a gruesome war against their fatherland?

Impeachments: Conspiracies in Nasarawa and Enugu Continues on page 28 alleged that some associates of the two men are afraid that the impeachment of the governor would bring the deputy governor, Dameshi Luka who defected from the APC to the PDP as a major force to reckon with in the 2015 election.

Meanwhile, in Enugu State, the impeachment plot against the deputy governor of the state, Mr. Sunday Onyebuchi dogged the kitchen impeachment was also on Wednesday stirred up after Mr. Onyebuchi responded to the issues raised against him.

The Enugu State House of Assembly which had accused the deputy governor of disobeying Governor Sullivan Chime in refusing to represent him at the ground breaking ceremony for the Second Niger Bridge and of keeping a poultry in his

official residence.

On the issue of failing to represent the governor at the Second Niger Bridge groundbreaking, Mr. Onyebuchi in his response submitted that he was there as he supplied video evidence of his presence.

On the issue of keeping a poultry, the deputy governor replied that the poultry was part of the things he met in his official residence as he submitted that all deputy

governors before him had maintained the poultry whose equipment were installed by the first premier of Eastern Nigeria.

“On assumption of office in May 2007, there was an existing official residence for the Deputy Governor of Enugu State. On inspection of the premises I observed that it had on its grounds an area designated and fenced as an Agricultural Unit, with facilities for amongst other

things, a poultry farm. I commenced operation of a poultry on the premises in 2008 with technical support from ENADEP and the Commercial Agricultural Programme of the State Ministry of Agriculture. The said poultry farm was declared in my Asset Declaration and inspected by the Code of Conduct Bureau.”

To butt, he said Governor Chime also had even a bigger poultry within the

Government House.

Given the general impression that the issues against the deputy governor were essentially political and against the background of insinuations that the forces against the deputy governor were determined to remove him before this weekend, eyes are on the Enugu House of Assembly to see to what extent it would go.

How dictatorship was beautified in Edo — Ogieriakhi Continued from page 28 There was never any suspension. The parliament is a creation of law and there is no room for any member including the speaker to resort to arbitrariness. I’m telling you today that the suspension was an act of rascality. Nobody is going to enforce that suspension. For us who have been allegedly suspended, we will continue to resist it until they allow reason to prevail.

What is the way out of the crisis troubling the assembly?

The way out is for those beating the drum and those dancing

to it repent and turn a new leaf. They should realize that we were all elected to represent our people. They should give democracy a chance and allow the rule of law to prevail. It is not sufficient to make the judiciary an ally in perpetrating wrongness.

After perpetrating their nefarious act, they would run to court to say they had obtained order. That is my candid advice and opinion. It is the failure to realize that as a governor, there are some people who have equally been elected to occupy other positions. That is what has led us to this pitiable situation.

Vanguard, FRIDAY , AUGUST 1, 2014 —29

Chiamaka Nwokeukwu

Battle of the sexes hots up on ‘Star TheWinner Is’ show C M Y K

BY DAMILOLA SHOLOLA ulnerably beautiful V and sexy C h i a m a k a Nwokeukwu isn't exactly a Nollywood household name but the fair beauty is very much on her way as she is having the best run of good streak of her career. In a couple of months, Chinelo, the Shy Virgin star has been nominated in two awards; the Choice Awards and the AFRIFIMO Awards.

At the Choice Awards she was nominated alongside Tonto Dikeh, Halima Abubakar, Yvonne Okoro and Ruth Kadiri for the prize of the Best Actress 2014. For the AFRIFIMO Awards, which holds in the United States of America in September, Chiamaka got two nods; the Best Actress 2014 and the Best African Film 2014 in Chinelo, the Shy Virgin. Chiamaka who has featured in other films like Love and Lust, Innocent Devil, Play Girls, Between Two Worlds, Kurekere Babies to name a few, met with one of our reporters on location of her recent film The Perfect Snake in Lagos and a conversation capturing her short but illustrious acting career ensued. Excerpts: What movie are you guys working on now?

We’re working on the 'Perfect Snake' with Annie Macualay Idibia, Daniel K Daniel And I. How many movies have you done so far?

I’ve done more than twenty movies, let’s say fifteen good movies in the

Miss Charismatic Nigeria beauty pageant comes to town

last two-three years of my being in the industry.

Which one is the biggest?

The one that brought me to limelight was Unthinkable with Monalisa Chinda and my Unborn Son with Oge Okoye. In my first movie My Unborn Son I played a housegirl that had HIV virus.

Why did you decide to become an actress?

I never had the intention of being an actress.

I wanted to be an accountant,

Whyy II Wh reject reject manyy man scripts scripts — Chiamaka Nwokeukwu

I wanted to be an accountant, work in the bank and all that but when a friend asked me to accompany her to an audition, all that changed

work in the bank and all that but when a friend asked me to escort her to an audition all that changed. When I got there they started asking me to try something, since it was free. It was so akward for me because then I never saw an actress or what an actress should be like but after much persuasion I decided to try. I and a guy were paired to read our script. Our number was 111, just to give you an idea how many we were.

After the rehearsal I didn't think anything of it until I was called two weeks later. Even the girl I escorted wasn't called. I was the only one that was called. Then I started feeling acting might be in my blood and I decided to give it a shot. That was my Unborn Son. Have you faced any problems so far in your career?

The problem I face right now is people saying I am bleaching when I am not. Actually before, when I did that my 'Unborn Son', I wasn’t this fair but people don’t know that I don’t use cream, I use a very nice soap. The soap I use is nice but inexpensive. The name is Jennifer Lopez Secret but

Fighting Ebola with technology

Continues on page 30

30—Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014

Why I reject many scripts In fact you need to watch that movie.

The way I portrayed the character, the viewers abroad must have thought this is real African thing. It was a true-life story and tried my best to bring the character alive as much as I could and it became a success. As for me, I’m not a shy virgin. When I was a virgin, I was shy but when you lose your virginity, you lose your shyness along with it.

You recently said that you can’t have sex for roles?

Of course. You can’t call me for a job and say I have to sleep with you when I know I’ve done so many jobs that speak for me. I’m not desperate, I’m not in a haste. For God to bring me this far just within two years, what else am I looking for? So many things ahead.

Imagine, I never believed I can be nominated for an international award, do you understand what it means? So many people are there too, Tonto Dikeh is in the award, so is Funke Akindele and Halima Abubakar- big, big people.

Even legendary actors like Olu Jacobs and Pete Edochie are there too.

Continues from Page 29 I don’t use cream on my body. My mum doesn’t even like it. She said if i use cream, I would start having green veins and black spots. When I came into the industry, I was not fair, if you watch my Unborn Son, you won’t know it was me.

Is it because of the industry that you started using the Jennifer Lopez Soap?

It’s not because of the industry. Why I started using the soap was because my aunt told me the soap is good and in vogue and since I’m in the industry now, I need something that will make my colour camera-friendly, at least, something that will tone me up.

Sometimes, people need to brush up and use good things, even if you don’t use cream, your soap should be nice.

When you’re using my soap, you don’t need to use cream.

Which one is your latest movie out in the market?

'Illuminati Girls' is out in the market but on internet, it’s 'Letter From The Sea'.

'Chinelo, The Shy Virgin' is not yet out in the market but it’s on the internet. It actually got me an international award, an AFRIFIMO award for Best Actress.

I was also nominated for People’s Choice. I was actually surprised that kind of movie could be nominated because they didn’t really use any star in the movie. It was only Ebube Nwagbo that is a known star in the film. The movie itself was nominated for Best African Movie so I was nominated for Best Actress and Best Lead Actress.

After the award, my vote was very high

•Chiamaka Nwokeukwu so I came out for People’s Choice, another new award which is going to be airing soon. For the first one, I’ve been called already, and offered free return ticket to America for the award in September. Everything is on them; the accomodation and all.

Would you say you’re a Shy Virgin?

Can you have sex on set?

I can never. If you watch my movies, I have never and I’ll never do it in a movie. I can’t go nude but I can kiss to make the story real. I’ve done so many movies and I’ve rejected scripts because of that. I’m nothing but I reject scripts a lot. I reject scripts because I dont want to feature in films that will bring me down. I’m nothing but I know I have the zeal. I have people who have told me so many things about the industry

Tiwa Savage causes stir at Dr Sid’s wedding

By ANOZIE EGOLE

W

hen it comes to sexy dresses, the Marvin record first lady knows her onions. At the just concluded traditional marriage ceremony of her label mate, Dr Sid and his longstanding lover, Simi Osomo, Tiwa Savage, got the attention she needed as she stormed the event in a long transparent native gown which showed the nice curves the sexy singer is endowed with. The dress got the attention of many paparazzis and cameramen present at the event all struggling to have a nice picture of the singer.

C M Y K

so I follow in their footsteps because they’re stars.

You said you dumped your lover for nollywood?

Yes, I dumped him for Nollywood because he doesn’t want me to be a star, he doesn’t want me to follow up my career and he has not proposed to me.

The guy can leave me tomorrow and now that I have the opportunity, I need to follow up. God blessed everybody with talents. It’s not easy to have talent, most people cannot act and when you have the zeal and you can do something, you have to use it well. It’s normal for a boy and a girl to meet and if you really love your girl, you would let her go into what she wants. When I get married, automatically if my husband says he doesn’t want me to act again, I will not act again as long as he’s taking care of me.

Was he disturbing you or what?

He was telling me that he doesn’t want me to act, that I’m a very nice person, I’m humble, that when I go into the industry, I’ll meet big people and I’ll become wild and be doing different things. But when I explained everything to him, that I would never change, he didn't believe me. We just had to go our separate ways because we don't see things the same way any more.

Do you feel fame changes people?

How can fame change me? I cannot change from being who I am. Even if I become the biggest Angelina Jolie, I cannot change because it’s me.Annie Macaulay Idibia is one person I adore a lot in Nollywood because she doesn't show off. She has so much yet she's down-to-earth, humble and not pompous. I'm trying to follow in her footsteps.

Kolon set to drop six-track album I

n an industry where most upcoming artistes are looking to drop a single to have any form of identity, new kid on the block, Kolon is set to take the scene by storm by dropping a six-track Afro-pop album, showing the new music act has plenty of steam in him.

Born Lawrence Egede, Kolon who started music in 2008 is an Industrial Relations graduate of University of Lagos but chose to pursue music because he has passion for the art. His music, he says provides information and entertainment based on his deep and strong lyrics woven into danceable melody.

Kolon dreams of being a huge Nigerian and international music act in the nearest future. He is happy that Nigerian music rules the airwaves now so much so that foreign musicians are scrabbling to have duets with our own music stars.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, August 1, 2014— —31

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32—Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014

Battle of the sexes hots up on ‘Star TheWinner Is’ show I

T was a fierce and intense night of duet battles as the race for 10 milllion naira and a brand new car intensified over the weekend on Nigeria’s first ever music game show, ‘Star The Winner Is’.The episode tagged by host, Uti Nwachukwu as ‘Boys VS Girls’ clearly turned to favour the ladies as they knocked out the men in fierce duel battles leaving Brenda Adigwe to join Philip Otuya in the semi final rounds of the competition.

Performing hit songs from a wide variety of genres Brenda, Godson, Victoria, Tasie, Sandra and Henry kept the 101-jury on the edge of their seats all the while as they voted for the brightest voices in each duet.

Singing Nessun Dorm a by Pavarotti, incredible Opera singer Sandra Osamor seized all 101 votes from the jury beating her opponent, Tasie Richard whose rendition of 2face’ Only Me did not impress the judges at all with a record breaking zero points in the first round.

Sandra was however knocked out of the final round after she made a very smart decision to walk away with 400,000 naira when it was obvious that her opponent Brenda had stolen the hearts of the 101 jury members with her charismatic performance.

I am competent enough to direct a movie, Omoni Oboli answers critics

A

Miss Charismatic Nigeria beauty pageant comes to town E ver since Miss Charismatic Nigeria beauty pageant makes its debut last year on the entertainment scene, industry watchers have been waiting for the second edition, which they expect would make as much success as the maiden one.

Now that the second edition is clearly on the horizon, set to hold at the Federal Palace Hotel on Saturday 9th of August 2014 the hype is at all time high as people

look forward to another night of grace, glitz and glamour where the most charismatic, beautiful and intelligent there is will be crowned winners.

Miss Charismatic Nigeria beauty pageant which was won by Yewande Baruwa last year is a brainchild of Ronke Tiamiyu, CEO of Leronet ventures, who won the very first edition of Miss Charismatic Award in MBGN 2013.

Excitement as HOAYS goes to cinemas weekend

M

ovie lovers can’t contain their excitement as the highly anticipated movie ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’ goes to the cinemas this weekend. This much is evident in several posts on social media platforms.

The movie which has been released in cinemas in the UK, USA, Australia and New Zealand and has performed tremendously well, generating N280 million is expected to do more in the Nigerian market, as the producer, director and writer are all Nigerians.

Half of a Yellow Sun which was slated for cinema release earlier this year, could not be shown as the Nigerian Film and Video Censors Board did not rate the movie due to concerns that the movie could incite the public to religious violence in a move which was considered political. However the board finally rated the movie 18 and has thus approved its new cinema release date.

ctress and movie producer Omoni Oboli, has a ready-made answer for those who question her directorial credibility after she disclosed to the media that she just finished her first movie, Being Mrs Elliott which she wrote, produced and directed would hit cinemas soon.

Some critics had gone to town, questioning why Omoni Oboli, who has established massive credibility as an actress would delve into directing, a field that is considered only for those who are highly trained. To them Omoni should have just stuck to acting and leave directing to the directors.

But speaking in a statement issued by her publicist, Omoni declared that she did not jump into an unfamiliar field “I learnt some people asked if I am competent enough to direct a movie, without wanting to join issues with those people, the answer to their question is yes. Not only have I picked up on-the field experience, I also went to one of the best film schools in the world, the New York Film Academy (NYFA) to learn directing specifically. My lecturers were impressed with my project and I remain one of the few female practitioners in the industry who have gone to the school. If my years of experience and NYFA education don’t qualify me, I wonder what will. For those who know about movie and those who have taste for good movie Being Mrs Elliott will more than impress” she said.

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Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014 —33

BY IYABO AINA

•Harmony •Cynthia CYNTHIA MORGAN Cynthia Ikponmwenosa Morgan popularly known as Cynthia Morgan is an Edo State-born dancehall/hip-hop artiste, who has done a trick or two with her sexuality to promote her music.

She’s totally at home with her raunchy style of rap that may sometimes seem off-rail and a little damning. Cynthia has a sex appeal that is as disconcerting as it is unsettling, more like a she-wolf threatening to lunge at one's very soul. But that wouldn't stop many a guy from longing and lusting after the beautiful diva.

MUNA- MUTANT SEXPOT Once a Nigerian beauty queen, Munachi Abii is one of Nigeria's fast rising artistes with striking bright light-skin to dazzle, modest curve to disarm, and a pretty face to fascinate. Muna is the sort that seems to bring sunshine on a rainy day. Her subtle, simple frame is never without some sparks of sex. She can give off the good girl persona, and talk dirty in her flow to announce the naughty tease within her.

MAHEEDA Caroline Sam also known as Maheeda, is a true-blue entertainer blessed with an uncanny ability to thrill even the most unresponsive of audiences with her repertoire of songs and mind-blowing stage act.

With a reputation for flaunting nudity in her videos and on social media, Maheeda may raise some eyebrows, but undeniably, she’s got the physique to start some chaos.

As the gospel singer and rapper from Nigeria can work regions of that body wildly enough to seem like they move at will.

HARMONY Music diva Emike Ekwe who is known by fans as Harmony C M Y K

•Niyola

Yemi Alade

New, sexy singers on the loose

T

he music industry in Nigeria has for so long been dominated by the male singers who call the shots. But not anymore, as more and more female singers are beginning to find their voices and giving the men a run for their money.

Apart from the good music these ladies are coming up with, they are also selling it to their fans with a dose of sexuality, that gives the little edge above their male counterparts. They are sexy, daring and ready to share more than the music they sing. Here are some in no particular order: She has this Coca-Cola bottle kind of shape, just along the lines sex mannequins are made.

is more than ready to take the entertainment industry by storm , as the light skinned upcoming singer, raised some brows when she disclosed in an interview that she can do a video without pant and bra.

EMMANYRA All it took to get her noticed was a great collaboration with label mate, Iyanya , and the name Emma Nyra became popular in the Nigerian music scene. She brought Iyanya’s hit single “Ur Waist” to life with her sultry voice and has two other well accepted singles “Ori Mi Wu” and “Everything I Do” to her credit.

Although she is still trying to get her music heard and put her name on the spotlight, the singer has made it known that she is more than ready to boost her career and hit the highs, even if it means taking off her clothes for the cameras, after all, it’s all part of showbiz.

NIYOLA Eniola Akinbo popularly known as Niyola discovered her affinity for music at age 8 when she attended a Funmi Adams concert with her father.

Soon, she started developing interest in singing; deciding later that year, to do a song at the annual church convention.

Niyola who got signed to Empire Mates Entertainment is hot and she's beginning to show sign that she could go the distance, regardless of what it takes.

YEMI ALADE Yemi Alade, real name Yemi Eberechi Alade is currently

•Emma Nyra signed to Effyzzie Music Group. Born in Abia State to business woman, Helen Alade (Nee Uzoma) and Police officer, James Alade, fast-rising Nigerian Pop sensation Yemi Eberechi Alade was the fifth of seven siblings in a household that was filled with music from day one. She is cute and sexy.

MS. JAIE Seductive vocals, melodic melodies and the some of the most captivating lyrics, that will spark even the most dormant of imaginations sets Ms. Jaie apart from her peers. Born in London England to Nigerian parents, her real names; Janine Ayorinde Temitope Dada. She is presently signed to Storm Records. She is a bundle of sex appeals, accentuated proportionately, both front and back.

KIM WONDER Kimberly Osakwe popularly called Kim Wonder is a sensational singer, songwriter,

•Kim Wonder

and entertainer with brilliant vocals and a beautiful and unique musical style.

She started her musical career in England and is now making waves both locally and internationally.

She is no stranger to the music charts with her current singles, ‘How You Dey, ‘Kilo Kilo’,There was a boy and ‘Work, Rock & Dance’ dominating music charts across Africa.

34 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014

exposed to the virus, for example, by butchering infected animals. The exact reservoir of Ebola viruses is still unknown Symptoms: weakness, fever, aches, diarrhea, vomiting and stomach pain. Additional experiences include rash, red eyes, chest pain, throat soreness, difficulty breathing or swallowing and bleeding (including internal). Unprotected health care workers are susceptible to infection because of their close contact with patients during treatment.

There is no specific treatment or vaccine, and the fatality rate can be up to 90%.

Patients are given supportive care, which includes providing fluids and electrolytes and food.

Statistics:

Ebola facts Facts:

E

BOLA hemorrhagic fe ver is a disease caused by one of five different Ebola viruses, a virus with a high fatality rate that was first identified in Africa in 1976.

Four of the strains can cause

severe illness in humans and animals. The fifth, Reston virus, has caused illness in some animals, but not in humans. The first human outbreaks occurred in 1976, one in northern Zaire and the other, in southern Sudan. Virus

is named after the Ebola River, where the virus was first recognized in 1976. Ebola is extremely infectious but not extremely contagious. It is infectious, because an infinitesimally small amount can cause illness. Laboratory experiments on nonhuman primates

suggest that even a single virus may be enough to trigger a fatal infection. The virus is not transmitted through the air. The most contagious diseases, such as measles or influenza, virus particles are airb o r n e .

Humans can be infected by other humans if they come in contact with body fluids from an infected person or contaminated objects from infected persons. Humans can also be

How to wear long hair

I

t was thought that short hair took years off the face, but today’s Hollywood has taught us different, with most advanced and sexy leading ladies preferring the long look.

Slick(like Banke)

N

othing like slick long hair to stamp you up as the no nonsense, professional woman. A great cut and plenty of hairspray are essential for this look.

Glam (like Tiwa)

W

ant to make a l i n g e r i n g statement on a light evening do or a date? Focus on glamming up your long hair, and everything else can be kept simple for the classy look.

Bohemian (like Agbani)

I

t’s the day out to the country or polo club and what you need is that chic but carefully tousled look for your tennis whites or under the golf hat.

2000 There have been more than 3,140 reported cases and more than 2,000 deaths since the discovery of Ebola.

7 Men who have recovered from the disease can still transmit the virus through their semen for up to 7 weeks after recovery from illness.

61 People are infectious as long as their blood and secretions contain the virus. Ebola virus was isolated from semen 61 days after onset of illness in a man who was infected in a laboratory.

2-21 The incubation period, that is, the time interval from infection with the virus to onset of symptoms, is 2 to 21 days.

8-10 Typically, symptoms appear 8-10 days after exposure to the virus Courtesy WHO

Inner Wheel D911 gets new chairperson tomorrow

T

HE installation ceremony of Mrs Josephine Nkiru Ebo as the 31st District Chairman of Inner Wheel District 911 holds tomorrow Saturday, August 2, by 11 am at the Bola Memorial Anglican Church, Maryland. Lagos. Expected at the event are past District Chairpersons and executive officers.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014 —

35

‘MEMENTO MORI!’

By Princess Adenrele Adeniran-Ogunsanya (former SSG, Lagos State)

R

OMAN triumph, a civ il ceremony and religious rite of ancient Rome was specifically created to extol and publicly celebrate the military achievement of an army commander who had successfully completed a foreign war.

As part of the tradition the general was elaborately dressed in gold embroidered triumphal toga and a crown of laurel that succinctly captured him in the mould of a near-divine or near-kingly persona.

On this special day, the general rode in a four-horse chariot through the streets of Rome in an unarmed procession with his army, captives and the spoils of his war.

Among the entourage of the general on the triumphant ride was his slave, standing behind him and tasked with the responsibility of reminding the general that, although he was at the peak of his glory today as exemplified by the honour accorded him by the state of Rome on this special occasion, he could fall tomorrow. The

jump in the fray in defense of the source of their daily bread.

During my boarding house days in England in the 60s I remember with nostalgia the image and clearly, the distinctly golden voice of the late Prime Minister, Allhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa whenever he came for the Commonwealth meeting. He commanded a listening attention which made me feel proud as a Nigerian. It was an era of charismatic political leaders whose carriage and composure in the public space earned the country the respect of the rest of the world.

In Nigeria today, the campaign for re-election into office for the second term starts right from the inauguration of the incumbent. The leadership carries on as if it is all about them alone; the plight of the masses doesn’t seem to matter anymore. Once voted into office, the leadership deploy all manners of gimmicks to entrench themselves in office if possible, for life.

Our new generation of po-

,

Nepotism, greed, crude serial verbal abuse are the in thing across board; not to mention the colossal human lives that have been wasted

servant’s message called ‘Memento mori!’ is well documented in Apologeticus, a book written by Tertullian, the famous Roman writer in these chilling words: “Look behind you! Remember that you are a man! You are not god! Remember that you’ll die one day!!!

A cursory look at the Nigerian situation brings to the fore the reign of impunity where the leadership rides roughshod over the people without a care. When a leader looks down on the very public on the strength of whose votes he got into office and tells them to their faces: “I don’t give a damn!” in response to a harmless question of public concern, what further evidence do we need to come to the grim reality that these are not normal times?

A leader should expect salvo of criticism from the watching public from whom criticism of all shades come – justly and unjustly; besides, criticism itself is an integral element in the social contract between the leader and the led.

Every so often, sycophants

,

litical gladiators have been found wanting in sharp contrast to exemplary leadership of the first generation politicians. The late Prime Minister and all the regional premiers of that era in government took a cut of 10 percent in their salaries to trigger off the drive for savings to finance our development.

Selfless service The selfless service rendered by the first generation of politicians cannot be replicated. The emerging picture of younger Nigerians can at best be described as a youth whose future has been hijacked and stolen by those who will stop at nothing at maintaining the present status quo.

Time was when the Nigerian youth was not only vibrant but known for its penchant for the pursuit of a robust panNigeria and pan African agenda. They were very prominent in the agitation and the build up to Nigeria’s

Princess Adenrele Adeniran Ogunsanya

eventual independence in 1960; their voice rang out to the whole world during the campaign against Apartheid era in South Africa. We remember with nostalgia the Alli-Must-Go University students’ uprising; we also note with pride the mass movement and outcry engineered by the Nigerian youth in the wake of the assassination of General Murtala Mohammed in 1975.

Now, caution has been thrown to the wind; general comportment and etiquette has no place in our polity. In its place is what can at best be described as bad animal like behavior. Nepotism, greed, crude serial verbal abuse are the in thing across board; not to mention the colossal human lives that have been wasted. We are in a nation where a man’s worth is judged by his chain of mansions and fat bank accounts – even if all were acquired through shady means.

Generating electricity Education, from whichever direction we look at it, has remained our greatest problem.

At one time education alone cost more than 40 per cent of Western Region budget and 50 per cent of Eastern Region budget respectively. The leadership of these two regions saw education as the key to development. We tend to think that generating electricity is our biggest problem. As much as we have brilliant scholars it is sad to note that for every one of those brilliant ones, we have over a hundred others who despite their university education and academic qualifications are unemployable and those employable hardly get employment.

Perhaps the only glimmer of hope could be found in the crop of younger Nigerians, who in the midst of the chaos have been able to make bold statements at home and abroad in the areas of arts and entertainment.

We have a generation of youth being used to snatch ballot boxes; an army of cult members engaged in daily bloodletting; able bodied men kidnapping for ransom to make a living; an ever rising population of youth in drug trafficking; violent armed robbers and sundry other vices.

We are definitely sitting on a time bomb.

Verification exercise During verification exercise conducted on primary school teachers in Edo State, a teacher in Asologun Primary School, Ikpoba Okha Local Government, Mrs. Augusta Odemwinge could not read a sworn certificate affidavit she purportedly tendered as part of her credentials. The sorry situation is a reflection of the obvious neglect of the education sector from the early 80’s to the present.

A recent report published by BGL, a Lagos based consultant firm, has it that 5 percent of the country’s population consumes well time was in this same country when we were the highest producer of cotton in Africa with cotton contributing more 20 per cent to the nation’s GDP. It has dropped to a mere 5 percent.

The malaise that afflicted the cotton industry is quite monumental, as we now limp with a mere ten ginneries – a far cry from 51 scattered across the country in the 80s. In the

South West of Nigeria we had a specie of tomato with its own unique taste. Is there anything wrong in the continuous production of agricultural products that shot us on the world map before the discovery of oil?

Beautiful picture While the leadership has chosen to ride roughshod, the followership cannot be said to be docile but seems to have been boxed into a corner, voiceless. I have no doubt in my mind that the hardship of recent times would have made our people know a bit more of what they do not want and how to reject it at the polls. The scenario playing out has greatly distorted the beautiful picture of Nigeria well meaning Nigerians craved for. The Nigeria of today is a shade darker than its luminous image of our beloved country at independence in 1960. May be the answer to the puzzle can be found in the revealing statement credited to the Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, who at a lecture on Leadership and Good Governance said thus: “No political party in Nigeria- what we have is copy and paste manifestos….., leaders who are tribalistic and egoistic…. Nigerian democracy is like a football match where you have the 22 players who after the match go away with their benefits and entitlements because they are the players while the rest are spectators clapping and singing’’ The gale of carpet-crossing in recent times is quite revealing; it reinforces the long held belief that there is no longer ideology in Nigerian politics

36 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014

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Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014—37 With PRINCE OSUAGWU princeosuagwu@gmail.com 08050498513

Fighting Ebola with technology

By LAJU ARENYEKA

T

hink about the first time you heard about the Ebola Outbreak? It was probably on social media. Or at least some sort of media. What does that tell you? Technology has got a part to play in fighting Ebola. It may not be as easy as curing a person with the click of a mouse, but here are some ways technology can help fight Ebola.

·Social campaigns

Don’t just receive messages about Ebola on your social media channel. Broadcast them—but be sure to confirm the authenticity of the information you receive.

You never know, you could be saving a life.

·Watch the tech you handle

The great thing about technology today is that you can get almost anything done with a simple touch. Just be sure to watch what you touch. A recent report showed that remote controls are one of the largest carriers of germs. Ebola can be contracted through body fluids, so be sure to watch the tech equipment you handle. Don’t be in a hurry to use somebody else’s phone or computer especially if that person is sick.

·Go back to a really old machine

One of the oldest machines ever is the tap. Use it! Wash your hands regularly especially before eating, and when you just get in from a trip. Be sure to use soap, and very clean water. The hand sanitizer may not be as trendy as the Galaxy S5, but it could also save your life.

·More online transactions

It may sound snobbish, but you don’t have to relate physically with more people than you need to. If you can do a financial transaction online, do it. If that meeting might as well take place in cyberspace; then do it. It means less bodily contact, and inadvertently, fewer chances at catching Ebola.

·Personal Protection Equipment

Except you’re a health worker, you might never come in contact with this equipment. Simply put, it is the alien-like clothing worn to protect people who come in close contact with Ebola patients.

You might not like the style, but prevention is always better than cure.

Twitter shares finally

appreciate!

I

t was more than surprising to stakeholders when twitter’s shares appreciated over 30% recently. The site’s second-quarter revenue rose 124%, to $312 million, from the same quarter a year ago.

Revenue was expected to rise to $283.4 million but the $312 million far exceeded that prediction. Twitter reported earnings of two cents per share. The earnings beat analysts’ estimates of a loss of a penny a share, as polled by FactSet. The results, announced after markets closed, sent Twitter

shares up 38%, to $52.28, in afterhours trading.

“Our strong financial and operating results for the second quarter show the continued momentum of our business,” Twitter CEO Dick told international media. “We remain focused on driving increased user growth and engagement.”

The San Francisco-based company allows users to broadcast messages limited to 140 characters. It has become

the go-to site for news, celebrities and sports.

Just as important, Twitter gained 16 million users in the second quarter, up from 255 million monthly active users in December. Those users sent an average of 500 million Tweets a day.

Twitter’s advertising revenue reached $277 million, an increase of 129% year-over-year.

Mobile made up 81% of that revenue, important to investors because of the general stampede of users to mobile devices.

Whether the company can ever grow to the size of Facebook, which has 1.32 billion monthly active users, is another kettle of fish. But it’s a platfom you cannot dismiss. Some feel it’s not necessary. As one analyst put it, “Twitter is not for everybody, at least in my option,” he said. “Twitter is to Facebook what radio is to television. They’re different media. It’s a different way to receive information and that’s okay.”

Now, many users wish there way to channel all that money through their twitter accounts!

38 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014 YOUR LUCK TODAY

LEISURE

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139

VIRGO; You will be in better position to consolidate on progress made recently. And it is wrong to take people for granted today……

LIBRA; Many people may be disappointed because of broken promises, therefore you will need to prepare your mind accordingly and refuse to take others for granted SCORPIO; . You can make it a good day as both career advancement and financial success are closer to you.

Secret lovers are in for an exciting day.

SAGITTARIUS; Although there will be challenges here is a day when things will eventually go according to your plans. Don’t take friends for granted.

CAPRICORN; From now until next few days you will need to be as practical as possible along your career line; this is the wrong time to experiment with new ideas.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

By Richard Eromosele

C

OVET here means to have a strong desire for another person’s property.

Pray, what would have been responsible for a man of means coveting the property of a man of straw? Why will a

Do Not Covet Your Neighbour’s Property man have an elephant tied to the iroko tree and yet be eyeing the poor man’s fowl? Why would a man have acres of land and still

TERROR MUDA

be more interested im a plot of land that belongs to a pauper?

The truth is that covetousness is a spirit.

It has nothing to do with poverty. It has nothing to do with

in “Never say goodbye”

education. It has nothing to do with education. It has nothing to do with status. There are covetous kings, there are covetous commoners, there are covetous professors, just as there are covetous illiterates. It is a thing of the mind.

Think about it.

By Lanre Kehinde

AQUARIUS; You may not be in total control of your mind till around 5.36pm. That is to say you will need practical approach in all you do today. Be more cooperative.

PISCES; Continue to be more careful about proposals having to do with joint ventures. Yet that is not to say you can not take good advice. Prepare to work harder.

ARIES; You stand good chance to extend recent favourable events both at work and on matters-of-theheart. Watch what you sign before 5.36pm.

TAURUS; Young-at-heart will be willing to give priority attention to sentimental related issues probably because of your recent success.

GEMINI; Refuse to become mentally arrogant or else you would be working against your own interest. Your love life will continue to enjoy favourable aspects.

CANCER; Financial success is within your reach, especially if you back your old plans early in the day.

The more family minded you are the better for you.

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in

“Pretty Lunatic’

By Andy Akman

LEO; It is important you don’t allow others to mislead you in the name of giving you good advice before 5.36pm. Those travelling or moving around in search of love may be in for both an exciting and pleasurable day.

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,

What’s my immediate future?

Dear Joshua, I am into business; sometimes I am alone but the other time I just have to do with some partners.

Kindly tell me what my immediate future does have for me, especially between now late November 2007.

Anonymous-Jos.

VIRGINIA

dadadekola@yahoo.com

Dear Anonymous, For your own goodness I appeal to you to take what you will find here-under very seriously so that you will avert very serious business trouble coming through partnership very soon. I wish you the best.

SEPTEMBER 25 TO OCTOBER 14 2009 Here is a period that will reverse most of the difficult situation you have experienced in your immediate past period. You are therefore advised to take good opportunities the period will bring.

However it is imperative you have it at the back of your mind that next few weeks will bring another round of similar challenges thus you will need to take business you will be able to conclude on or before March 14th when the whole thing favours you, especially as it concern partnership related issues.

The said favourable period will bring you co operation, money, love and emotional satisfaction.

Savour your good time.

OCTOBER 25 TO NOVEMBER 14 2009 Planetary placement and aspects are calling for carefulness on how you manage your relationships with others as some of them may be forced to betray and or disappoint you over MONEY and other important business transactions, consciously or unconsciously. Either a junior female worker or a lowly rated member of your opposite sex may be willing to tempt you during this period, who you just have to resist whichever way the person comes with antics.

Your health looks fragile. And you are accident prone. Although the whole of the period calls for carefulness last four weeks can be a little bit sensitive. Please take note that nothing fatalistic is predicted here, you only need to take care so that you will avoid the pitfalls of the period.

HOME & ABROAD

By Lawrence Akapa

VANGUARD, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014—39

Chukwumerije withdraws endorsement of Aregbesola •Says a lot of water has passed under the bridge

By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor

T

HE chairman of the Senate committee on education, Senator Uche Chukwumerije has reversed the ringing endorsement of the education policies of the Rauf Aregbesola administration saying the good policies have been darkened.

Senator Chukwumerije in a statement issued yesterday said the decision to withdraw the endorsement was upon feelers from stakeholders in the state who claimed that the reality as seen three years ago have been eroded.

Senator Chukwumerije had in 2012 while leading a delegation of the Senate Committee on

Education on a supervisory visit to Osun State had hailed the education policies of the Aregbesola administration as unprecedented in the country.

Then, he had said:“The Governor of Osun is God-sent to his people. Aregbesola, as a fresh governor, has shown that he is a serious-minded person. For the first time, the education policy of Ogbeni Aregbesola remains the best in the country, even ahead that of Lagos State.”

However, reversing himself yesterday, Chukwumerije in a statement made available to Vanguard said: “Two years ago when the Senate Committee on Education visited Osun State as part of its oversight functions, I

had cause to commend the education policies of Rauf Aregbesola.”

“Over 700 days down the line, a lot of water has passed under the bridge with many insisting that those policies were merely on paper.”

“In addition, stakeholders in the State, especially parents, proprietors, and school managers have inundated •Aregbesola the Committee with telltales of woes in schools in Imo” project. This has also been the State, adding that the waters confirmed by political opponents that have passed under the bridge of the governor in their public in two years have been muddied. comments. When good policies are They cited as an example the darkened the way that project was, questionable N8 billion “Opon then change is a must.”

••MRS poll puts Aregbesola ahead

By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor

T

HE Osun State political landscape was yesterday rocked with opinion polls projecting the two major candidates, Governor Rauf Aregbesola of the APC and Senator Iyiola Omisore of the PDP leading in two different opinion polls.

While the survey handled by MRS one of the nation’s leading polling agencies put Aregbesola in clear lead among likely voters, the one projecting Omisore was purportedly conducted by the United States Agency for

International Development, USAID. Aregbesola’s supporters were quick to pounce on the information to rubbish the poll pprojecting Omisore which was being circulated on social media as a fabrication as they claimed that the USAID, a development agency, is not known to be into poll research.

“I worked for the US government for more than ten years and I can clearly tell you that what is being circulated on social media is hogwash,” one Aregbesola canvasser said yesterday.

In the poll released by TNSMRS, a member of the Gallup International, the APC and its

candidate were projected to be leading by as much as 73% in terms of voters support.

“The APC continues to dominate the political landscape in Osun State judging by its performance on all key indicators evaluated: it scored highest and also increased in rating on first mention, sympathy, and voting intention,” the research firm said in its final report on the poll conducted between June and the third week of July.

Omisore was accredited with 19% of the votes according to the polling report made available to the press yesterday.

According to the study, the

Jonathan, Sambo, Mark others for Omisore

By Gbenga Olarinoye

P

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan will tomorrow lead other leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to Osun State to drum up support for the party’s governorship candidate in the state, Senator Iyiola Omisore.

Other notable members of the PDP expected to join President Jonathan include, Vice President Namadi Sambo, senate President, David Mark and the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Adamu Muazu to the state.

Others expected in the entourage of the President are the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the party, Chief Tony Anenih, Prince Kasamu Buruji, Governor-elect of Ekiti state, Dr Peter Ayodele Fayose among other prominent leaders of the party in the country.

The State Publicity Secretary of the party, Prince Bola Ajao while addressing a press conference in Osogbo yesterday disclosed that the essence of the President’s visit was to promote the candidature of Omisore.

Ajao, who noted that all necessary arrangements had been

made by the party to ensure that the President’s visit is a worthwhile one stressed that necessary security measures have been put in place to forestall breakdown of law and order during the visit.

He however warned members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to steer clear Osogbo city stadium, venue of the campaign rally, just as he warned them against sweeping the venue of the

rally after the President might have left.

The PDP spokesperson noted that “it is common with APC members to sweep the venue of the PDP rally whenever the President visits any state, but I want to warn them not to try it this time around. They should keep all their dirty brooms in their homes.”

Ajao maintained that the President’s visit to the state would

incumbent governor, Rauf Aregbesola, is the candidate of choice by Osun voters with a 73% lead over other candidates. This is a clear indication that the choice of Osun voters in the next governorship race is Governor Rauf Aregebsola. Meanwhile, Senator Iyiola Omisore of the PDP comes a far distant second, polling 19% representing a 2% decline from the earlier survey.

“The incumbent (Governor Rauf Aregbesola) remains (the) main voting choice. Voting choice for Senator Omisore declined by 2% and seem not to pose a threat to the incumbent’s chances of reelection as he remains firmly ahead of the race,” TSN-RMS said in its report. further boast the chances of Senator Omisore and the PDP in the forthcoming election.

According to him, security operatives had already been deployed to the state in preparation for the President’s visit, saying that “it is normal that security operatives are deployed ahead of time to any state where the President wants to visit.”

Osun NUJ organises debate for candidates

By Gbenga Olarinoye

T

•President Jonathan

HE Osun State council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, in collaboration with broadcasting stations in the state, has concluded arrangements for live transmission of a debate for six of the governorship candidates in next weekend’s election.

A statement by the Chairman of NUJ, Mr. Abiodun Olalere and Secretary, Bamigbola Gbolagunte stated that the debate will hold on Monday 4th August, 2014 in

Osogbo by 3.30pm.

Six governorship candidates that have been duly invited, according to the statement for the two-hour live broadcast are Hon. Niyi Owolade of Accord Party, Senator Sunday Fajinmi of Alliance for Democracy, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola of All Progressives Change, Alhaji Fatai Akinbade of Labour Party, Senator Iyiola Omisore of Peoples Democratic Party and Mr. Segun Akinwusi of Social Democratic Party.

Don’t send military to Osun — APC

By DapoAkinrefon

T

HE Osun State APC has insisted that the Federal Government should desist from sending soldiers to Osun state to supervise the conduct or pretend to provide security for the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for the election.

In a statement by its Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy, Mr Kunle Oyatomi, the party argued that the military is not saddled with internal security duties.

It maintained that the deployment of troops was against the constitution.

According to the party, the Nigeria Police is best suited for such duties constitutionally.

The party stressed that the siege of the military for an election is a “subversion of democracy and must not be encouraged.”

Ijesa group pledges support for Omisore

By Gbenga Olarinoye

A

group of political and community leaders in Oriade and Obokun local government areas of Osun state under the aegis of Ijesa North Leaders of Thought, has said that their “interests would be better protected, if the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Iyiola Omisore, wins the coming governorship election.”

This is part of the communiqué issued at the end of the meeting of the group held in Ilase, a town in Obokun local government area, where issues affecting people of the communities in the constituency were discussed.

Reading the communique Bashorun Tayo Omojowogbe, said the main reason for the meeting was to take a critical look at political and economic trend in the state with a view to forge a direction for

Monarchs back Aregbesola

By Gbenga Olarinoye

G

OVERNOR Rauf Aregbesola’s re-election bid received a boost as traditional rulers in Boluwaduro Local Government Area of Osun State have pulled their weight behind .

The Owa of Otan-Ayegbaju, Oba Lukman Arenibiowo, who spoke on behalf of the traditional rulers in the area when the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Sunday Akere paid him a courtesy visit in his palace, assured that the traditional rulers in the area would support Aregbesola in the forthcoming election.

40— VANGUARD,

FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014

Getting closer to Allah via fasting

BY HARUN RAZAQ

G

Moonsighting: Sermon for the Imams S

OMEHOW, and in recent times, the sighting of the moon, begining and ending of the Ramadan fast have paradoxically become a source of division, rather than unity for the Muslim Ummah in this country.

Really, it is one of the ways in which Shaitan tries to corrupt virtuous acts. Auzu billahi mina shaytani rajeem.

Fasting in the month of Ramadan is an act of worship (ibadah) and is not a political matter and so, every activity relating to the observance of the fast, including moon sighting is an act of worship. Politicising the moon sighting which is in this context, an act of ibadah, overtly or covertly, is

capable of causing disunity among the Ummah. The majority of Muslims in the South West did not observe their Eid on Sunday. Some argued that the moon was not sighted, some said it was not reliable while some said they had to complete their fasting 29 before observing Eid. All these excuses run ultra vires and antithetical to the Sharia and also to the rules and precedent laid down by Prophet Muhammad. This simply reinforces the fact that political unity is much more required than what we all read and learnt in the Quran and hadiths. If not, those who are in the forefront of this division are the imams who are well read. In spite of

,

I wonder what alibi the Imams would have offered their followers who heard the announcement of the new moon by the Sultan. Even if they had fasted for 28 days, what they ought to have done was to complete it after the eid-il-Fitr instead of fasting on 1st of Shawwal

,

tantamount to bid'ah. The implication of not adhering strictly to the rules especially by the leaders according to the way it was laid down, will not only mislead the Ummah but more likely to put Islamic decisions under the mercy, or whims and caprices of self-centred leaders.

If at this stage of advancement, exposure and technology, we cannot put our acts together to give the Ummah sound direction on clear issues, then it is most unfortunate. It is not then right for us to look outside for the problems and challenges of the ummah, rather, we should first and foremost look inward to see where we have faltered and where we need to mend. Why should we have discordant tunes on the issue of moon-sighting? Why should a group or set of Muslims begin their fast at a later date after the others in the same society? Why are we always having what some called miscommunication in this age of modern technology? Why should one Imam insist that his group will not go along with others on the issue of commencing or ending Ramadan fast? Why should we doubt the pronouncement of a Muslim leader on this issue when we know he is answerable to Allah?

The current confusion is

the announcement and declaration by the supposed authority, they still went ahead to do a different thing, carrying their followers with them. I wonder what alibi they would have offered to those who heard the announcement by the Sultan not to observe Eid-il-Fitr on Sunday July 27. Even if they had fasted for 28 days, what they ought to have done was to complete it after the Eid-il-Fitr instead of fasting on the first day of Shawwal.

By Shariah, Ramadan begins with the sighting of the moon by a Muslim irrespective of whether the person is from your local area or not. The Prophet himself never sighted the moon by himself but he declared: “Fast when you see it (the moon) and cease fasting when you see it, and if it is hidden or cloudy, complete counting of Sha’ban as thirty days. “ (Narrated

by Abu Hurayrah in Bukhari and Muslim). Again, Ibn Abbas (ra) reported “A Bedouin came to the Prophet and said, ‘I have seen the crescent tonight.’ The Prophet said, ‘Do you bear witness that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah?’ He said ‘Yes.’ The Prophet said, ‘Bilaal! Announce to the people that they should fast tomorrow."

It is ridiculous when some

people say Saudi (Arabia) has not started fasting and so, we will not commence fasting. Those who advocate the Saudi calculations may be wrong because sighting should be on a national and proximity bases. For example, if the moon were seen in Lagos and the Sultan authenticated it and declared fasting or end of fasting, those in Cotonou may take the advantage because of the proximity even though they are not from Nigeria but Muslims in Makkah, Saudi Arabia may not follow because of environmental differences and moon calculations. This is even plausible as the moon can be sighted first in one country before another.

Recently, a three-day National Conference on “The Challenges of Moon-Sighting in Nigeria: The Way Forward” was organized by Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto, in collaboration with Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) and the Sokoto State Ministry for Religious Affairs. Not all sections of the media were present, and the communique at the conference was not also well publicised. This would have lent credence to views that the various leaders involved in the planning and execution of Moon sighting programmes are doing enough to keep the people abreast as far as the issue of moon sighting is concerned. In fact, a colleague said to me that it appeared a sectional thing than a holistic participation of Muslims in Nigeria. This is part of the fact that a comprehensive strategy that will carry every body along is germane to exterminating the divisions and miscommunication on the issue of moon sighting.

ETTING closer to Allah otherwise known as Taqarrab ila Allah is a very important Islamic value. The Prophets of Allah (AS) were the closest human beings to Allah and they used to teach peoples the way of this closeness. One of these Prophets that succeeded in getting many human beings and Jinn closer to Allah was Prophet Muhammad (SAW). And one of the many ways he thought Muslim is through fasting obligatory and voluntary ones.

However, it must be noted that obligatory fast takes man closer to Allah than other fast. The Prophet said: "...my servant does not come closer to Me with anything more dear to Me than that which I made obligatory upon him. My servant keeps coming closer to Me with more volunteer deeds…"(Al-Bukhari 6021). Also, the right attitude of many Muslims during the blessed month of Ramadan (which is obligatory act) is evidence that it (obligatory fasting) has power to take man closer to Allah. Also, voluntary fasting too has potential to take man closer to Allah as contained in the Hadith of the

Prophet mentioned earlier.

However, it must be emphasize that there are rules guiding voluntary fast in Islam which are incumbents on Muslim who sincerely wants to get closer to Allah in line with Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (SAW). Among these rules is to observe the recommended fast, to refrain from fasting on days which fast are forbidden, to discard certain fast that are forbidden and that certain people who are forbidden from fasting must refrain from it etc.

(1) Days which fasts are recommended: (i) Fasting of six days of Shawwal. It is a misconception that these six days of fasting must be undertaken on consecutive days, as there is no hadith that stipulates so. These six days of fasting after Ramadan fasts, are equivalent to fasting “perpetually”, according to Sahih Muslim. (ii) Fasting on Mondays and Thursdays (iii) Fasting for three days in every month (iv) The Day of ‘Arafat (the days on which pilgrims stand at Mount ‘Arafa) for people at home (v) The month of Muharram (vi) The month of Sha’ban. (2) Days which fast are forbidden: (i) the doubtful day (ii) The Day of `Id al-Fitr (the day following the end of Ramadan)

Muslims urged to imbibe lessons of Ramadan

BY EBUN SESSOU Muslims have been urged to imbibe the lessons of Ramadan even after the Eid-el-Fitri.

The call was made during a Prayer and Giving to Charity organised by Okoya family at the Oluwanisola Estate, Lekki, Lagos recently.

Speaking on behalf of the Okoya family, Alhaji Tajudeen Okoya said, the completion of the Ramadan fasting was through the help of Allah, "We thank Allah for witnessing this occasion and we appreciate all Muslims who also participated in the fasting.

He urged Muslims to continue to pray for peace adding that, "Nigeria needs God to solve all her problems now.”

"It is all about sacrifice. It is not about Ramadan only, but we should live beyond the

Ramadan. Imbibe the lessons of the Ramadan so that we can have peace, love and unity in the country.

"Muslims should use the period of fasting to impact positively in lives of others and build good relationship even after the Ramadan", he added.

Also, Imam of the Mosque, Alhaji Ma'roofdeen Akintola in his message called on Nigerians to be modest and righteous in their dealing with other people, adding: "My advise to the leadership of the country is to be kind and generous. They should see Nigerians as their own family.

If they are greedy and wicked, the followers will be wicked and that is what is causing the unrest in some parts of the country,” he said.

From right: Alhaja Nafisat Arogundade, Women Leader; Alh Biyi Bamgbose, Publicity Secretary; Alh Yusuf Olaniyonu, Commissioner, Information & Strategy, Ogun State; Alh Lukman Folorunsho, Gen Sec; Alh Sherif Yusuf, President, NASFAT; Engr. Muhammad Majinyawa, VP1 and other dignitaries during NASFAT Iftar with the Media held in Ikeja recently.

VANGUARD, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014—41

BY ISHOLABALOGUNAND BASHIRADEFAKA

B

EFORE the announcement by the Sultan declaring that the moon had been sighted, marking the end of Ramadan on Satuday July 26, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, the Secretary-General of the NSCIA, had been quoted saying: “The new moon has not even been born talk less that it would be sighted today.”

He went further to forward a text message at exactly 9.55pm which he claimed emanated from the National Moon-sighting Committee and requested that the message should be spread across: The SMS reads: “As expected the NMC has not received any credible moon-sighting report.

Our team in Gwandu has reported that moon has not been sighted.

Hafiz Wali.”

A few minutes later, the Sultan of Sokoto declared that the moon had been sighted, marking the end of Ramadan. The announcement was well publicised as it was also aired on NTA. While some Muslims broke their fast following the Sultan’s announcement, others especially in the South-West region, proceeded to fast on Sunday and observed Eid-il-Fitri on Monday.

Vanguard gathered that the confusion was based on the earlier opinion of the Secretary-General.

EID-UL-FITRI MOON-SIGHTING CONTROVERSY:

How conflicting opinions split the Ummah •Sultan didn't deny moon-sighting announcement —Shuaib, Akintola

I am not a member of the committee.

It is only after the meeting and they bring out their report that I can verify what you said you heard,” he said.

Immediately after the meeting members of the press were addressed that the new moon had been sighted hence the directive to end the Ramadan’s 29 days of fasting.

Information gathered from all over the country showed that the Sultan’s directive was fully complied with in all regions except the South West and Kwara State where compliance was put at 48 percent. Of the few in The Politics Vanguard had called the the South West that complied, Akure Secretary to the Sultanate Muslim Community under the Council, Alhaji Attahiru Hussein, at about 8.00pm on Saturday July 26 to get information about the moon sighting. He said: “The Sultan and the National Moonsighting Committee, NMC, are still in a meeting collating the information. For now, they are getting set for Tarawih. Call me in the next 30 minutes, they must have finished the meeting and then we will know whether the moon has been sighted or not.”

When he could not be reached as scheduled, Vanguard called Professor Oloyede at about 9.32pm not only on the grounds that the Sultan had once given an impression that Oloyede’s not leadership of Sheikh Abdul being with the meeting in Sokoto Hakeem Yayi Akorede and the rest was strategic for him to coordinate Ondo State Muslim Community the South based on the decision complied and prayed on Sunday of the meeting in Sokoto but also based on the directive of the Sultan. as the Secretary-General of the Akorede, during the Eid session, NSCIA. Responding to the call, warned against flouting the the former Vice Chancellor of the leadership of the Sultan especially University of Ilorin said the new over the issue of moon-sighting, moon had not been sighted, adding that it was tantamount to quoting the chairman of NMC, sinning against Allah because, he said, “It is sin to fast today (Sunday) Dr. Hafiz Wali.

But trying to harmonise the that is Eid day.”

More worrisome to many was the professor’s information with the allegation that Yoruba members of Palace meeting’s, another call was made to the Secretary to the the NMC excluding the NMC Sultanate Council, Hussein, who, national secretary, Abdullahi that time around, picked his Shuaib, held a meeting in an phone and there was another undisclosed venue in Ibadan on the discordant tunes. He said at that day Nigerian Muslims are point, no one could pre-empt the supposed to be observing the Eidoutcome of a meeting that had il-Fitr. When contacted, one of them, Dr. K. K. Olosho, said, “We are in a not been concluded.

His words: “The meeting has meeting now. But I must tell you not yet finished. They are still on. that there is fasting today (Sunday) The committee is still collating its and so tomorrow (Monday) is report. We cannot pre-empt the Sallah.”

Vanguard’s photo journalist, who committee now because their meeting is still on. I mean the was at the Obalende Praying committee, here, has not decided. Ground on Sunday to cover the Eid

,

We do not have second leader of the Ummah, so we must pay allegiance and obedience to the leadership of the Sultan

,

prayer, found no one as he said the the gates to the grounds were under lock and key, meaning that the Lagos Muslim Council did not comply with the Sultan’s directive. Also, Sheikh Abdulrahman Ahmad, it was gathered, failed to lead his congregation on that Sunday as directed by the Sultan. Ahmad is said to be a member of the13 Yoruba on the NMC set up by the Sultan.

Again, tongues have continued to wag in ways that cast doubts over on people’s minds on how the same Chairman, NMC, Dr. Hafiz Wali, who was actively involved in the moon-sighting.

When contacted for comment, National Secretary of the National Moon-sighting Committee, NMC, Imam Abdullahi Shuaib, said there was no way a committee set up by the Sultan could be above the Sultan that set it up. He however sued for caution in the matter, saying Muslim unity should be the central focus of all.

“Apart from Oloyede that I know made a release before Sallah and then the Sultan made his release, which supersedes his own, all other people that are said to have made comments, I have neither read nor heard them.”

“All I can say now is to tell our people to be very cautious and be patient because this issue will sort out itself. My own personal view is that the leadership of the Muslim Ummah is the Sultan.

He set up the moon-sighting committee and the committee set up by him can never be above him. We do not have second leader of the Ummah, so we must pay allegiance and obedience to the leadership of the Sultan.

“Even if you do not like the information he is giving out, he is still the leader. That is what will unite us and make the Ummah to be one. If everybody is now becoming the leader issuing fatwa from different angles, we are balkanizing the Ummah, which is not in the true spirit of jihad and leadership in Islam. That is what I told people. I heard the Sultan, clearly, make the

Akintola said: “Have you seen a publication in Premium Times that the Sultan's Palace denied sighting of moon Saturday night?

I noticed in that report that they said ‘Sultan’s Palace’. They did not say ‘Sultan’. So, what is going on there? May be somebody is feeding the press with wrong information. That attitude is an affront to the leadership of Sultan,” he said.

In the meantime, Vanguard can authoritatively report that the Sultan is currently working on putting up an emergency meeting of the leaders including members of the NMC to discuss the controversial development.

“I heard people talking about Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and North America not having sighted the new moon and thereby declaring commencement of fast to be on Sunday. If you ask me, I would say we should follow Saudi Arabia in the matter of moon-

•The Sultan of Sokoto

•Prof Ishaq Oloyede announcement on the television.

That is my leader. He speaks on our behalf and it does not behoove us to start making unnecessary comments about that. And I will not want to make any comment about this until we finish collating our report, otherwise, talking here and there will not help anybody,” Shuaib said.

Director of Muslim Rights Concerned, MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola, sensed that somebody was feeding the public with wrong information about the moon-sighting information.

sighting being that it is the home of Islam in the world and it determines the month and day of Hajj and Arafat. But this is Islam and the religion has laid down rules that guide how Muslims should practice it.

Even Saudi Arabia had declared new moon-sighting, about three times, and found that they were wrong. They then said later that people should fast one day to pay back,” the Sultan had told Vanguard during the early days of Ramadan.

42 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014

C M Y K

Vanguard, FRIDAY, August 1, 2014— —43

C M Y K

44—Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014

Burutu PDP chieftains back Clark

By Festus Ahon

U

GHELLI—AHEAD of local government elections in Delta State, chieftains of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Burutu Local Government Area, have thrown their weight behind the chairmanship aspiration of Chief Ebikeme Clark.

The party faithful, in a statement at their meeting, said they deemed it necessary to give their support to Ebikeme, son of elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark in the interest of good governance and true representations of the people of the council.

The statement by Prince Duduke Terrison and other PDP chieftains in Burutu Tumo Ward 3, said: “As a man who knows the yearning of his people, Ebikeme will ensure that they get the benefit of the dividends of democracy.”

NOUN gets two new faculties

By Jimitota Onoyume

P

ORT HARCOURT— NATIONAL Open University of Nigeria, NOUN, has added two faculties to its programmes.

Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Vincent Tenebe made the disclosure at the 12th matriculation of the Port Harcourt study centre, Rivers State.

Tenebe, represented by the acting Director, Port Harcourt Study Centre, Dr Amini Clifford, said the new faculties were School of Agriculture Sciences and School of Health Sciences.

He said: “The advantage of these new schools include having more professional disciplines in the university.”

The Vice Chancellor charged the matriculants to take their studies seriously.

2015 GUBER: Ibibio elders deny endorsing A'Ibom SSG

By Chioma Onuegbu

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YO— ELDERS in Akwa Ibom State, under the aegis of Ibibio Elders Forum, yesterday, denied endorsing the Secretary to State Government, SSG, Mr. Udom Emmanuel for the 2015 governorship position as reported in the media.

In a statement by its Chairman, Dr. Okon Uko in Uyo, the forum said it took serious exception to the m a n i p u l a t i v e

misrepresentation of facts in recent media hype employed to ridicule the elder’s council by aspirants gunning for political offices in the forthcoming 2015 general elections.

The forum said: “At a consultation by one of the aspirants on July 25 at the residence of the Ibibio Elders Forum Chairman, Dr. Okon Uko, the forum specifically informed Mr. Emmanuel that as a respected Ibibio son, they have nothing against him or his ambition, but cautioned that he

should go about his consultation with decorum and dignity.

“The forum, however, is not a socio-political group as being portrayed by some politicians aspiring for elective positions, but an organisation of seasoned elders, who will give sound advice and counsel when consulted.

“We do not stop our members from supporting anyone, but do not endorse, sponsor or adopt aspirants. Therefore, it was wrong for those promoting the

aspiration of Mr. Emmanuel to falsely author a statement purporting his endorsement by Ibibio Elders Forum.

“We have received other aspirants such as former commissioners, Mr. Effiong Abia, Mr. Bassey Akpan, Mr. Asuquo Okpo and Mr. Umana Okon Umana, but they never misrepresented the forum or alleged that they had been endorsed by the forum.”

How Nigerian varsities can gain global relevance,

by American don

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FORUM: King Alfred Diette-Spiff, Amayanabo of Twon Brass (left) and Mr. Samson Ngebara, representative of President Goodluck Jonathan, the special guest of honour, during the inaugural roundtable business seminar by the Rivers Entrepreneur and Investors Forum in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, yesterday. PHOTO: Nwankpa Chijioke.

Leave EPZ project out of our problem— UGBORODO YOUTH A

N Ugborodo youth leader and activist, Mr. Bawo Neburagho, has said that the current crisis rocking the community had nothing to do with the multi-billion dollar Export Processing Zone, EPZ, Ogidigben gas project in Delta State.

Bawo said the problem was purely that of leadership tussle between two factions in the community, which he said has led to the burning of houses and other properties at both Ugborodo in Escravos, and Egbokodo, in Warri Sout-West Local Government and Warri South Local Government areas, respectively.

Speaking to newsmen on the recent fracas, Bawo said a group violated the agreement reached for a peaceful resettlement of displaced persons by denying them access to their community.

He noted that government must now enforce and ensure that the Rule of Law

prevails while dealing with those who breached the peace accord accordingly.

He said it was wrong to tie the internal wrangling to the gas project, saying security officers on ground in Escravos know the perpetrators of the recent crisis.

Meanwhile, there was a mild drama at the “A” Division police headquarters of Warri

South council, yesterday when both groups allegedly engaged in a free-for-all before they were dispersed with tear gas.

The leadership of both groups are said to be making efforts to resolve the matter, even though those displaced from the community are yet to be admitted back by the fighters on ground.

Urhobo students inaugurate new exco in Abraka

N

ATIONAL Union of Urhobo Students has inaugurated a new executive to pilot its affairs for the next one year, with a promise to facilitate the prompt payment of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, bursary to deserving students.

Mr. Augustine Omokpe is National President; Eyoufe Vincent, Vice President 1; Ayovwe Stella, Vice President

2; Ovotu Dennis, Secretary General; Omoko Peter, Treasurer; Egube Jude, Financial Secretary; Obeyera Kinsley among others.

Omokpe thanked God and the Urhobo students for giving them the opportunity to serve.

He solicited the support of all stakeholders for a smooth tenure and prompt payment of DESOPADEC bursary to the students.

ROFESSOR Michael Adewumi, Vice Provost, University Office of Global Programmes, The Pennsylvania State University, United States of America, has advocated cross fertilisation of ideas across disciplines through joint publications and strong students mobility as ingredients of partnership that can make a university attain great height and remain globally relevant.

Adewumi made the recommendation at the 32nd edition of the Foundation Day Lecture of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, FUTA, while speaking on Higher Education Imperatives in the Global Century: The Challenge for Nigerian Universities.

He said: “Although we hail from different institutions, located in different nations, our goals with regard to educating students, producing high quality scholarship and developing innovative partnerships to tackle the challenges of the 21st century are the same.”

FUTA’s ViceChancellor, Professor Adebiyi Daramola, in his address, said the aim of the Foundation Day Lecture series was to further expand the frontiers of knowledge and provide a veritable forum for staff, students and the public to engage with new ideas and knowledge in a way that will enhance teaching, learning, research and ultimately the quality of lives of Nigerians.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014—45

Police officer dies as hoodlums kidnap school proprietor in Abia

By Eric Ugbor

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BA — POLICE personnel serving at Osisioma Police Station, near Aba, Abia State, were on Tuesday thrown into shock over the sudden death of their colleague, Inspector Samuel Amaefule.

In another development, gunmen, numbering four, have allegedly abducted the proprietor of Academy Insight School located at Mbutu Alaoji in Ugwunagbor Local Government Area of Abia State.

It was gathered that the police officer slumped while urinating in a corner at the police station and later died, defying all attempts to save his life.

A source, who spoke on anonymity, corroborated that Amaefule died within the station.

According to the source, “he was urinating somewhere in a corner and before we knew it, he slumped on the spot.

“People who were around rushed to the scene to pick him up. He was quickly rushed to a nearby hospital where he was later confirmed dead.”

Though it was not ascertained

at press time whether the police officer had been suffering from any ailment before the unfortunate incident, some persons suggested he could have died as a result of heart attack.

Some of his colleagues who would not want their names in print, described his death as shocking.

Report also has it that Ogba, who is the proprietor of Academy Insight School located at Mbutu Alaoji in Ugwunagbor LGA, was kidnapped, Tuesday at gun-point by the gang (three boys and a lady) while he was entering his compound at Port Harcourt road in Aba. The incident, according to in-

formation gathered by Vanguard, happened around 9p.m.

The gang left with the victim in his Toyota Camry and also made away with undisclosed amount of money.

Until this report, it was not clear if the kidnappers have made any contact with the victim’s family members.

VISIT: President Goodluck Jonathan (right), and the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Mr. Kamalesh Sharma, on a visit to the President, at the State House, Abuja, yesterday.

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MUAHIA — CHIEF Victor Umeh, National Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, has denied receiving $2 million from Imo State governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, for the latter to be accepted back to the party.

Umeh, who spoke shortly after commissioning Abia State office of the party, said he was not a politician to be purchased with money, noting that Governor Okorocha had been swallowed by his misadventure of leaving APGA in the first place.

He alleged that the governor had been sending emissaries to him to be allowed back to the party, a request he said was not possible.

Speaking on the $2 million bribery allegation, Umeh said: “Such things cannot be touted with my name any more. I have proved myself in Nigerian politics as somebody who can’t be purchased by anybody, no matter how much money you have.

“I am so focused and concerned on the affairs of this party and Igbo people and if you want to achieve that, you will not allow money to influence you.

C M Y K

“All the people who had contested elections in the party, nobody can say he bribed me.

I don’t behave like that.

“As for Okorocha, he has been swallowed by his misadventure and it is normal that he will be saying anything. Of course, he has been sending people to me that he will like to return, but you see him quickly refuting it.

“I said no, you did not be-

have well, we can’t entrust him with APGA again to do anything.

“If Imo people want him, it should be through APGA. I am very certain that they have rejected him, that is why he is running back to APGA to see if he can clean himself up. Let him stay.

“We have capable people that can rescue Imo State. He said he is on a rescue mission, but

rather he imprisoned Imo State. We have capable people in Imo who will rescue Imo people, people with true Igbo spirit that is lacking in him.

“He is not somebody you can describe as a proud Igbo man.

I know what we did to give Imo people governor through APGA so that Imo State will help Anambra State to get the rest of South East together for the good of our people."

Guber aspirant rejects PDP zoning in Abia

By Eric Ugbor

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BA — SENATOR Nkechi Nwaogu has rejected the decision of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to zone the 2015 governorship slot to Abia South senatorial zone, insisting she was still in the race.

Addressing people of the 17 local government areas of the state at her residence in Aba,

Ohanaeze youths give Arewa youths ultimatum UMUAHIA — OHANAEZE Youth Council, in OYC, has given the Northern Governors’ Forum a 21-day ultimatum to take drastic action against the youth wing of Arewa Consultative Forum over its statement concerning investments of Ndigbo in the North.

The group was reported to have cautioned that Ndigbo have billions of Naira investment

U

MUAHIA — ABIA State council of Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, has threatened to embark on a three-day warning strike to protest suspension of the implementation of already concluded 2012 promotion of staff by the Local Government Service Commission.

According to NULGE, the strike, billed to commence Monday, August 11, 2014, is also to protest the nonpayment of four months arrears of salary owed workers of Bende Local Government Council, which amount to N248 million.

Technicians suggest ways to tackle joblessness

By Chidi Nkwopara

WERRI — THE nation’s collective efforts to check the growing rate of unemployment may remain a mirage, if youths continue to depend on government for sustenance.

Some self-employed technicians in Owerri, Imo State capital, stated this when Vanguard sought their views on the growing level of unemployment in the country.

One of the respondents, Mr. Augustine Nkaru, reasoned that there was no way the three tiers of government could absorb all the school leavers in the country.

“A conscientious citizen can earn his legitimate earnings from being self employed," Nkaru said.

Although this decision had continued to enjoy overwhelming support within the state political circle, Senator Nwaogu said: “Nigeria is a democratic state. All democratic tenets should apply in everything we do in order to protect the freedom we all crave for in RS. VICTORIA Ehighalua is a truly democratic dead. state.

She died in a motor accident on LokojaAbuja road on June 4, 2014, and will be buried tomorow, toin the North which could be in danger, if North- day, August 1, 2014, erners in the Igboland were asked to leave on with a funeral mass the allegation of being Boko Haram members. at Catholic Church It said the statement was tantamount to plac- of Nativity of Mary, ing the lives and property of Ndigbo in the Ubiolo Ekpoma, Edo North in danger.

State.

The group, through their president, Mazi She is survived by Okechukwu Isiguzoro, called on the North- husband, Sir Mark ern governors to reassure Ndigbo in their states Ehighalua, children Late Mrs. Ehighalua of their safety. and relations.

Monday, Senator Nwaogu, who represents Abia Central in the Senate, said zoning had never been applied in Abia State governorship race since the creation of the state over 20 years ago.

The PDP in Abia State had last week at the elders' caucus and enlarged stakeholders' meeting in Umuahia, unanimously zoned the 2015 governorship to Abia South senatorial district.

By Anayo Okoli

By Anayo Okoli

O

APGA chairman tackles Gov Okorocha over $2m bribery allegation

By Anayo Okoli

Abia LG staff threaten 3day warning strike over suspended promotions

Victoria Ehighalua is dead

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46— Vanguard , FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014

Jigawa CP warns policemen against hostile behaviour in host communities D

By Tina Akannam

U T S E — J I G AWA State commissioner of police, Kayode Theophilus, has advised officers and men of the command not to be hostile to their host communities, so that the people will not be reluctant to give them relevant information on security matters.

Theophilus who spoke

during a reception organised to honour two departing senior police officers in the command, said: “Information from the host community you are working is very essential to you if you really need to succeed in the job. As people who provide security and at the same time enforce law, you must apply wisdom and strategy that will help you in your job. With patience, you

will achieve your desired goal as an officer.”

He charged senior officers to be more dedicated to their duties, saying, “as you have seen, these gentlemen completed their 35 years in service and are leaving peacefully, this is a dividend of patience, dedication and hard work.”

The retired officers are deputy commissioner of

Police, Malam Umar Awwal and Umar Abdul who were given plasma televisions and refrigerators by the command as parting gifts.

Speaking on behalf of the retirees, the deputy commissioner, Malam Umar Awwal , expressed gratitude to the CP and the command for the honour and promised to remain friendly with the command.

Court orders firm to pay clearing agent N60m debt

By Bartholomew Madukwe

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AGOS—A Lagos High Court sitting in Igbosere, has ordered Nichben Pharmaceutical Industries Limited to pay a clearing agent, Mr. Raphael Okonkwo, N60 million as debt owed him since 2003, for clearing its one container load of 655 cartons of Top-Gel at Cotonou Port.

Nichben Pharmaceutical Industries had sued the defendant (Okonkwo), claiming N51.4 million as general damages for the loss of goods valued at N36.4 million, in the said container that allegedly disappeared into thin air on April 25, 2003.

In suit, the pharmaceutical company (claimant) also claimed interest on the N51.4million at the rate of 6 per cent per annum from May 2003 until judgment debt was liquidated.

The defendant, who was said to have cleared 263 containers for the claimant, in his amended statement of defence dated May 15, 2008, asked the court to declare that Nichben Pharmaceutical Industries was indebted to him in the agreed sum of N60

million.

Okonkwo (defendant), through his lawyer, also asked the court to direct the claimant to pay 6 per cent interest on the said N60 million with effect from December 2003 until judgment debt was liquidated.

Delivering judgment on the matter, the trial judge, Justice Ebenezer Adebajo, dismissed the claim of the claimant, saying that he was satisfied with the facts before the court

that the defendant delivered the one container load of 655 cartons from Cotonou.

“The evidence of the defendant having been accepted as truthful and Exhibit D1 having been admitted and its evidential value not having been diminished, it is obvious in my view that the defendant has placed before the court credible material to entitle

him to his counter-claim.

Judgment is hereby entered in favour of the defendant,” Justice Adebajo held.

The judge declared that the Power of Attorney dated November 20, 2002 given by the claimant to the defendant was binding on both parties, and further held that the claimant was indebted to the defendant in the sum of N60 million.

Delta communities send SOS to Uduaghan over 5 years power outage

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FFURUN—THE Urhumarho Water side, Urhumarho inland, Udumorugho and Udumughelli communities in Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State have written to Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, to come to their aid as a result of the power outage which has thrown the communities into total darkness for the past five years.

In the statement by Godwin Imoh, Fidelis Adjeke, Felix Ayenyen Ejumudo, Felix Ukughwere and Chief Billy, all leaders of the communities, said

the communities had not been using electricity for the past five years and all efforts to get the Benin Electricity Distribution Company, BEDC, to fix the old and dilapidated transformer that served the communities for more than forty five years fell on deaf ears.

The statement read: “We appeal to you our amiable Governor to use your good office to bring to an end these unbearable sufferings our communities are going through. All many economic activities have come to a halt as a result of the power

outage which has lasted for over five years now.

“We are appealing to you to come to our aid so that our businesses can bounce back and our society can come alive again.

The houses and few businesses that now operate run on generators and it cannot continue like this if we must break even. Even the fumes from the generators constitute health hazards to the entire community. We ask that our letter be given urgent attention as we remain law abiding citizens.”

L

A G O S — ACTIVITIES of pro President Goodluck Jonathan support groups have been gathering momentum as many of them run huge media adverts and statements endorsing the president for re-election.

Findings by our correspondent who have been monitoring the groups and their activities report that Tr a n s f o r m a t i o n Ambassadors of Nigeria, TAN, is most notable with laudable profile among such groups.

Available records show that TAN has emerged to be more popular than its other contemporaries.

According to Chief Tony Mgbeahuru, a chieftain of TAN, part of its activities was to spread the good news of president Jonathan’s ground-breaking achievements to all parts of the country, saying “they are about to commence a programme aimed at taking Mr. President to the grassroots in stronger dimension like never before in a very positive manner.”

The stakeholders revealed that TAN would soon start nationwide rallies to be held in all geopolitical zones, starting at Awka, the Anambra State capital in mid August, with the grassroots as major target audience.

By Bartholomew Madukwe

PEOPLE SPEAK

08102479985

TAN leads in Jonathan's re-election campaign

(nwamad@yahoo.com)

On Liberian's death in Nigeria of Ebola

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HE issue here is not to propagate conspiracy theories and further alarm the public.

First and foremost the authorities need to ensure that all inbound flights to Nigeria are suspended, not just Arik Air. Mr Daniel Okoji- Student C M Y K

M

Y view is that from any of the previously-identified Eboladiseased African countries, serious restrictions should be seen now until adequate screening measures are put in place. Ms. Obioma Okoye - NYSC

W

E need to require an explanation from thefederalgovernmentabout their tardiness in preparing for this eventuality when news of the spread of this disease to our neighboring ECOWAS countries has been in the public domain for several weeks- now in Nigeria. Ms. Okoye Precious - Student

T

HIS issue of a non Nigerian to have died in this country, despite the information on the media about this deadly disease, should not be taken lightly.

Could it be that the said man has not spread it to Nigerians. Ms. Jane Njideka - Worker

W

HY is that Nige rians are now scrambling to react on this Ebola disease, after somebody has actually entered Nigeria from Liberia and died from it. Must we always engage fire brigade approach in all that we do in this country? Ms. Anwulika Nduba - Model

THIS is the definition of a health ministry that is not effective. I sincerely pray that nobody else was infected by that Liberian in Lagos or by the passengers who traveled to Calabar. That would be catastrophic. Mr. Ikechukwe Geoffrey - Businessman

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014 —47

Jigawa Assembly pledges continuous partnership with Executive

Atiku condoles with El-Rufai over son's death

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BUJA — Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has expressed his condolences to the family of former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Nasir elRufai over the death of his son, Hamza.

A release by media officer of the former vice president described the late Hamza as “a charming and affectionate young man who cultivated memorable relationships among his friends including some children of Atiku Abubakar.”

Atiku prayed for the elRufai family to have the fortitude to bear the loss and the grace of almighty Allah for a cessation of the tragic incidences of child loss in the family, as Hamza’s demise came not too long after the family lost its eldest daughter.

Plateau LG boss signs 2014 budget into law

By Marie-Therese Nanlong

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OS— THE Chairman of Jos South Local Government Area, Peter Vwang Dung, has given assent to the 2014 budget totalling N3,447,730,000.

Dung gave the assent, yesterday in the council headquarters at Bukuru where he promised to judiciously implement the content of the fiscal statement.

Dung who explained the fiscal statement was tagged “Budget of Hope” explained that “the fiscal statement was carefully planned to address the peculiar development challenges of the local government area and the good of the people.”

He commended the council legislature for the hard work and patriotism of members for the timely passage of the bill in the interest of the people who elected them to serve their collective interests, adding that the action will impact positively on the populace.

The leader of the legislative arm of the council, Clement Gajere, explained that in passing the bill, the Assembly was satisfied that the budget reflects the development needs and aspirations of the people.

By Aliyu Dangida

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From left: Alhaji Semiu Sodipo, Secretary, Ogun State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP; Prince Buruji Kashamu, Chairman, Organisation and Mobilisation Committee, PDP, South-West, and Chief 'Pegba Otemolu, Zonal Secretary, PDP, South-West, during a reception in honour of defectors from All Progressives Congress, APC, to PDP in Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun State.

Ex-Sports minister, Abdullahi, joins APC •Says ‘I'm now a full time politician’

By Demola Akinyemi

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LORIN — THE former Minister of Sports, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, has said he is now a full time politician and also publicly declared his membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He explained that he decided to join APC because he believed it is the only party that holds the key to a credible political future for Nigeria.

The former minister, who spoke in an interview with journalists in Ilorin, asked Nigerians to carefully weigh the options before them in deciding which political party to support in 2015.

He urged Nigerian professionals eager for a change in the affairs of the nation to be active in the political sphere as most decisions affecting the destiny of the people were taken at the political level.

“An average journalist has what it takes to make the change in the political space. I decided to join politics to make that change instead of complaining about how some people do it. I'm done with reporting and writing problems, I am now a full time politician,”he stressed.

The former minister particularly said he was thrilled to discover while in office as a commissioner in Kwara State and a minister at the federal level that professionals, especially journalists with commitment, could make change happen in whatever capacity they were called upon to serve in the country.

On the state of the nation, Abdullahi said: “The question you should ask yourself is whether you are better off today than you were six years ago.

Whether the education your children receive today is better

than what they received six years ago and whether the health services available to you is better than what was obtainable six years ago.

"And if you conclude that they are better, then there is no need for you to change but if, like many of us, you face the reality that they are not, then you will understand why we say that we need a change.

“I have served at the state and national levels and I am convinced now that I should be more involved in contributing to solving problems, not just writing about them (problems) again and that is why I am now a full member of the APC. “Yes, I used to see myself as a technocrat and it was strategic because I needed to have an environment to perform the job

I was given without necessarily becoming political or promoting myself because whether as a commissioner or minister I was only there by the recommendation of my bosses and I needed to do the work assigned to me without failing.

“However, I also discovered that much as that gave me the opportunity to perform, the truth also was that it became a limitation in some ways because when the decisions are to be made which would affect the people, technocrats are not allowed to be in such gathering. They are only called upon to implement the decisions and even in doing that he has to be careful because it may affect the fortunes of the politician.”

SURE-P urges beneficiaries to confirm lodgment of entitlements

A

BUJA — THE Subsidy Reinvestment Programme, SURE-P, has advised participants in the Community Service, Women and Youth Empowerment Project (CSWYE) to confirm the lodgment of their entitlements in their payment banks.

The Project Implementation Unit, PIU, of the SURE-P domiciled in the Ministry of Labour and Productivity which made the disclosure in a statement by the unit, nevertheless regretted the delay that led to the piling up of the entitlements.

The PIU drew the attention of those concerned that the funds for the payments arrived two weeks ago and within two days, the disbursements commenced in the spirit of transparency and in consideration of the circumstances of the beneficiaries.

The PIU said: “All those who have not received bank confirmation

should go to the banks to confirm the circumstances surrounding their entitlements as all necessary documentation was passed on to the banks within two days of the receipt of the funds.”

“Participants are also urged to, as usual, position and portray themselves as ambassadors of the Federal Government’s transformation agenda and not allow themselves to be used by agents of distabilisation.”

The ministry further assured that disbursements to beneficiaries would be regularly made for every month as the funds come in.

CSWYE project is one of the key delivery channels of the SURE-P and currently engages up to 370,000 Nigerian youths deployed in community development services across the country.

UTSE —THE Jigawa State House of Assembly has reiterated its commitment to existing mutual relationship with the state executive aimed at formulating programmes and policies that will impact positively on the lives of Jigawa people.

The Speaker, Adamu Ahmad Sarawa who spoke on behalf of other members, said whatever the circumstances, they were solidly behind the present administration of Governor Sule Lamido, saying: “Looking at his giant strides in all areas of human endeavours in the last seven years of his reign, we believed he is a patriotic and exemplary leader.

"Our governor deserves all the necessary support and respect particularly looking at how he is allowing the state assembly to exercise its statutory duties without any interference as well as how he has transformed the state within shortest period of time.”

Sarawa expressed surprise at the misunderstandings and crises in some of states between the Houses of Assembly and their governors.

CAN, CWI to honour Atilade

C

HRISTIAN Association of Nigeria (CAN), SouthWest Regional Chapter and the Christian Welfare lnitiative (CWI), in collaboration with the Atilade family will tomorrow hold an interfaith symposium in honour of Archbishop Magnus Adeyemi Atilade in Lagos.

The theme of the symposium is: "Towards A New Nigeria A Paradigm Shift," while a publication, Biography “Breakthrough News”, will be presented at the ceremony to be attended by eminent personalities, captains of industry and religious leaders across the world.

A statement by the Programme Organising Committee Secretary, Professor Gbolahan Alao, said the ceremony, organised as part of Archbishop Atilade’s 70th birthday would hold at the Yoruba Tennis Club, Onikan, Lagos.

The governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Fashola and other South-West State governors are expected to grace the occasion.

48—Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014

INAUGURATION OF ROTARY CLUB, IKOYI PRESIDENT: Guest of Honour, Mrs Martha Eseoghene Najomo; New President, Rotary Club of Ikoyi, Rotn. Charles Okonkwo; All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA Chairman, Enugu State, Hon. Egwuoyibo Okoye and the Guest Speaker, and Editor-in-Chief/GM Publications, Vanguard newspapers, Mr. Gbenga Adefaye during the inauguration of Charles Okonkwo as the 30th president of Rotary Club, Ikoyi at Golden Gate Restaurant, Ikoyi, Saturday, July 19th 2014.

CONFERENCE: Mr. Daniel Reyenieju (left), addressing the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, African Region at its conference, with the theme: "Utilising the Commonwealth Parliaments to Combat the Challenges of Socio-Economic Development in Africa" in Arusha, Tanzania. On his right is Vice President of the Republic of Tanzania, Mohammed Gharib Bilal.

GRADUATION: From right; Mrs. Sandra Ogbebor, Head Lady Mechanic; Mrs. Rebecca Okon, Asst. Director, Fed. Ministry of Women Affairs, Abuja; Mrs. Iran Ajufo, Director, Women Affair, Fed. Min of Women Affairs and Social Dev. representing Mrs Patience Jonathan; HRH Dr. Osazuwa Aiwerioghene Iduriase, Enogie of Eyaen, who stood in for the Oba of Benin and Mr. Demola Richards, Regional Logistics Director, NBC representing the MD of the Coca-Cola System during the graduation ceremony of second batch of Lady Mechanic initiative, sponsored by Nigerian Bottling Company Ltd and Coca-Cola Nig Ltd held in Benin City.

CONVENTION: From right; Chairman, Women’s wing, Eastern Delta People’s Association, Mrs. Manuela Izunwa; keynote Speaker, Prof. Bene Abbey and guest lecturer, Mrs. Mina Ogbanga during the group’s convention in Port Harcourt yesterday. Photo by Nwankpa Chijioke.

GRADUATION: Mr. Olasupo Oladinni, Chairman Diadem College, Ifako, Lagos and Mrs Abimbola Oladinni, Proprietress, Diadem College flanked by graduands of the College during their graduation ceremony.

FORUM: From left: Bunmi Oke, Chief Operating Officer, 141 Worldwide; Luke Mckend, Country Director, Google South Africa; Juliet Ehimuan Chiazor, Country Manager, Google Nigeria; Gur Biron, Head of Sub Saharan Africa, Google; Ediri Ose- Ediale, Executive Secretary, Advertisers Association of Nigeria (ADVAN) at the Google C- Level Breakfast Forum, targeted at making businesses grow online through digital marketing in Nigeria held in Lagos.

(RIGHT) OPENING: The Chief Executive Officer of Elonoretta Concepts, Etop Akpan (3rd left) flanked by Vanguard Media Advert Manager, Abuja, Mr. Kayode Ajala (2nd right) and other guests at grand opening of the shopping mall at Heroes Plaza, Wuse 11, Abuja, yesterday.

PARLEY: From left; President of Nigerian Representatives of Overseas Pharmaceuticals Manufacturers, NIROPHARM, and MD, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, Lekan Asuni; Director-General of NAFDAC, Dr Paul Orhii; Vice-President of NIROPHARM and MD, Norvartis, Vera Nwanze; immediate past President of NIROPHARM and founder/CEO of Reals Pharmaceuticals, Ade Popoola, and Director of Regulatory & Registration at NAFDAC, Dr Monica Eimunjeze, during NIROPHARM’s parley with the NAFDAC boss on Mobile Authentication Service implementation, recently.

BRIEFING: Commissioner for Information, Bayelsa State, Markson Fefegha (2nd right); Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ayibatonye Owei (right); Head of Service, Fraser Okuoru (2nd left), and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government Administration, Ayibakeme Agba during a press riefing, shortly after the 42nd Executive Council Meeting of the Bayelsa State Government, at the Exco Chambers, Banquet Hall, Government House, Yenagoa.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014 —49

Council of State seeks support to end insurgency by December •Says discriminatory practices by states must stop, sets up c'ttee •Boko Haram does not represent Islam •FG not responsible for attack on Buhari, Bauchi—Dasuki

By Ben Agande

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BUJA — THE National Council of State, yesterday, resolved that every support would be extended to the President and the nation’s security services to ensure that the activity of the Boko Haram sect is brought to an end by December.

Addressing State House correspondents after the meeting of the council in Abuja, yesterday, Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State, said the Boko Haram sect does not represent Islam or any religion for that matter and must be defeated.

The council also resolved that discriminatory practices by state governments on the basis of state of origin must be stopped forthwith.

Governor Aliyu, who was flanked by the governors of Akwa Ibom and Enugu states, Godswill Akpabio and Sullivan Chime respectively and the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki, said the National Council of State also resolved that leaders must be wary of making inflammatory statements that are capable of heightening tension in the country.

On discriminatory practices by states

C M Y K

Speaking on the council’s position on the discriminatory practices being carried out in the states, the governor said a committee had been set up to explore ways of amending the constitution to do away with indigeneship dichotomy in the country.

He said: “It came to the fore (at the meeting) that if there is any threat to either the state or democracy, probably the threat is coming from politicians and leaders of the country. We must understand the boundaries of leadership and also the responsibilities that are involved. Leadership is not about beauty contest. In leadership, you must take difficult decisions and really go about implementing them.

“All these things came to the fore at the meeting and subsequently, each of us made it a deliberate resolution, bipartisan or non-partisan, to support the President to make sure that we get rid of this insurgency before December.”

According Dr Babangida Aliyu, members of the Boko Haram sect are not

AL-MAKURA: APC slams Nasarawa PDP House members over demand to dissolve panel

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From left: Chief Executive Officer, Swiftthink Limited, Ayoola Jolayemi; Emmy Award Winning CNN Correspondent, Gina London; Founder, Richmond Johnson Academy, Richie Dayo Johnson and Head Trainer Amplio Consulting, Ayo Owodunni, during the Find Your Edge Student Communication Summit held at the Muson Centre, Lagos.

representatives of Islam but people whose understanding of religion is warped and must be stopped.

Discriminatory practices by states must stop

Expatiating further the National Council of State’s position on discriminatory practices against Nigerians in states other than their state of origin, Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State said the council viewed the issue with serious concern and directed that the practice must be stopped forthwith.

He said: “One of the most important things we took up at the meeting today was the issue of how Nigerians can actually be Nigerians in their country and feel free to live and do their businesses without molestation.

“The issue of indegenship, the issue of deportation or return of Nigerians from any part of the country to their various states were discussed. Council viewed the report seriously that some citizens were being deported. Deportation should be from one country to the other but where you have a Nigerian who is being returned to his state of origin from other states, then you know there is a problem. We felt that that was capable of distruipting the unity of the country, making Nigerians to become apprehensive and unsafe.

“Also council frowned at the idea of even registering Nigerians in various parts of the country and felt this must be brought to an end immediately.

"So we looked at all these issues and the role every leader should play from the local government level to the federal level. The role

each one of us should play to ensure that we solidify the unity of this country.

“We also looked at this discriminatory practices across board from all parts of the country, north, south, west and the east and we felt all those issues must be brought to the front burner, solutions proffered to ensure that Nigerians are united, live freely and do their businesses without hinderance.”

Sets up c'ttee on discriminatory practices

He said the council set up a committee to further discuss with Nigerians and identify discriminatory practices in all states of the federation and in all the local government areas and submit report to council in the next two months.

He said upon receipt of the report of the committee, the National Council of State would determine the best option to stop the discriminatory practice.

He said: “Whether we need to go to the National Assembly then we will go to National Assembly.

Whether we need to do so through policies at federal, state or local government levels just to make sure that the country is totally united and all those discriminatory practices are brought to an end so that Nigerians can truly feel free and safe to work in any part of the country without hinderance.”

Members of the committee include the governors of Niger, Sokoto, Enugu, Gombe, Akwa Ibom and Ondo states.

Governor Akpabio said the committee is to look into complaints by some people that they are unable to getting

certificate of occupancy to build mosques or church.

FG not responsible for attack on Buhari, Bauchi

On his part, the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki, refuted claims that the Federal Government was responsible for the recent attack on a former Head of State, Muhammadu Buhari and a Muslim cleric, Dahiru Bauchi.

Dasuki noted that the Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, had threatened to attack Buhari as far back as February.

Shekau, in a video released by the terrorist group, had referred to Buhari and some other northern and Muslim leaders as infidels, promising to deal with them.

“We said something about the attack on Buhari and Sheik Dahiru Bauchi. There was a threat as far back as February this year issued by Shekau calling them infidels by name and position, saying they were in trouble and they were going to see.

“Well, the government was not responsible, and if you say that the government was responsible in the case of General Buhari, why don’t you say the same in the case of Sheik Dahiru Bauchi?” the NSA asked rhetorically.

He saidthe accusations against the government were made “because it is what sells the paper.

“That is the most unfortunate thing. And we want say that it was not only General Buhari, there were others mentioned too.”

AGOS — THE All Progressives Congress (APC) has slammed the PDP members of the Nasarawa House of Assembly for demanding the dissolution of the panel, saying the call is u n r e a s o n a b l e , unconstitutional and too late.

In a statement in Abuja, yesterday, by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the demand by the lawmakers showed they either have a very poor understanding of the Constitution or they are blinded by their desperation to impeach Gov. Al-Makura.

"Either way, they have boxed themselves into a tight corner. Holding an illegal sitting in Abuja with a fake mace is as ridiculous as the demand by the lawmakers for the dissolution of the panel set up by the Chief Judge.

"Section 188 (5) of the Constitution is clear: ‘Within seven days of the passing of a motion under the foregoing provisions of this section, the Chief Judge of the state shall, at the request of the Speaker of the House of Assembly, appoint a panel of seven persons who in his opinion are of unquestionable integrity, not being members of any public service, legislative house or political party, to investigate the allegation as provided in this section’.

"It is important to point out to the desperate lawmakers that the key words in that section is that the Chief Judge must appoint persons WHO IN HIS OPINION (emphasis ours) are of unquestionable integrity. At this juncture, it is neither the opinion of the Speaker nor that of the legislators that counts, it is the opinion of the Chief Judge.

"Therefore, neither the Speaker, the lawmakers nor the Chief Judge can dissolve the panel at this stage, and none of them can stop the impeachment process. Once the Chief Judge has appointed the panel under Section 188 (5), he becomes functus officio, that is, he has no further powers on the matter. This is the situation of things at present and the lawmakers can only await the report of the panel."

50—Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014

EBOLA Living in bondage

By Chioma Gabriel

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KINGBOLA Adebiyi oper ates a first class boutique in Lagos. He specialises in hand-picked materials imported from neighbouring African countries and Europe. His boutique also boasts of original Italian clothes, suits, shoes and handbags. His personal dress sense is mesmerising. He travels frequently across the world to pick clothing materials for his boutique but Akingbola is not too keen about travelling anywhere for now. Even the clothes he imported recently are still at the airport awaiting clearance. His delay in getting his goods cleared is not far-fetched.

Fear of Ebola: In his business plaza located somewhere at Isolo, Akingbola told some of his customers that he is not too keen about travelling to any country now “until this Ebola thing gets clearer”. Assuring them of a regular supply of their preferred clothings, Akingbola lamented

hand?

Some must have helped him remove his suit, his shirt and his shoes and stockings. Some must have helped him remove his tie and singlet and whatever needed to be removed to enable him recover strength.

Second-hand goods These kind Nigerians might have done so at their own detriment but God forbid.” Akingbola is not sure when to resume his travels as he fears even getting as far as the international airport.

He said he is not ready to take chances.

Theresa Martins, another business woman who travels to Equatorial Guinea and other nearby African countries has been mandated to change her line of business. She deals in second hand goods most of which she buys from nearby countries but in a chat, she told Vanguard that

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Nigerians are weary of transmittable diseases and are worried about so many don'ts about life. The whole thing is tiring. We seem to be forever avoiding one thing or the other his challenges.

“Just imagine this situation.

This Liberian knew he had contact with a victim as he attended his own sister’s burial who died from it. Why did he chose to come to Nigeria? Why not another country? “Some of the goods I ordered from United kingdom have landed at the airport but the truth is that I cannot go for them now. You know our people.

As this Liberian slumped at the airport, do you know how many good-spirited Nigerians that rushed to give him a helping

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her husband has forbidden her from travelling. “ Even to travel to Cotonou and buy rice and other things are forbidden because my husband would not allow it.

He is ready to bring our marriage to an end because of this and would prefer that my children and I die of hunger than have me take the risk of endangering the whole family by exposing myself to the danger of body contacts with strangers. He even suggested bringing back our daughter who is schooling at Ghana despite the fact that no

•Medical doctors attending to an Ebola virus disease victim

•Late Ebola virus disease victim, Patrick Sawyer's wife, Decontee with her daughter outbreak of Ebola is recorded in Ghana. I’m tired of all these.”

Over the years, the African continent, has been recording an outbreak of one disease or the other. From bird flu to lassa fever; from malaria to syphilis, meningitis, polio, tuberculosis, tetanus, measles, whooping cough, diarrhea, pneumonia and HIV/AIDS. The African continent seems to have become a dump site of diseases and the international health organisations have been on their toes, formulating ways to contain these diseases.

Ebola virus is just the latest addition: What used to be known as Zaire ebola virus, or EBOV, which causes an extremely severe hemorrhagic fever in humans, now known as Ebola has taken the centre stage, killing people within days and dangerously infecting the others.

Rainforest animals This viral illness that comes from direct contact with infected living or dead rainforest animals, including chimpanzees, gorillas, monkeys, fruit bats, forest antelope and porcupines kills almost everyone who is infected.

Ebola,a name derived from the Ebola River in Democratic Republic of Congo was first reported in 1976 and later in Sudan. With the death of Liberian-born Patrick Sawyer, the casualty record has risen to 673 deaths across countries like G u i n e a which recorded 427

cases and 319 deaths; Liberia which recorded 249 cases and 129 deaths; Sierra Leone which recorded 525 cases and 224 deaths; and Lagos which recently recorded a death of a visiting Liberian.

Nigerians are weary of transmittable diseases and are worried about so many don'ts about life. “ The whole thing is tiring.

We seem to be forever avoiding one thing or the other,” said Vincent Okoli. “Very soon it would become mandatory for us to stop rearing children because we would need condoms to sleep with our wives. There is always an outbreak of one thing or the other and one can hardly live freely.

Visiting our villages “It is true”, agreed his companion Fabian Ibe. "How many things can we avoid? This thing can get to a point where it will become one person per compound and we would stop having neighbours or visiting our villages. As you and I are talking, they have given the disease one big name in my village and the story being peddled is that it’s people living in Lagos that are carrying and spreading it. If we are not careful, they would soon start rejecting us at home.

My aged parents have already warned me to bring my children home for them to continue training them so that we don’t endanger ourselves or risk my entire lineage being wiped out. The rumour in my village is that many people in Lagos have it and its still spreading.”

Itoro Obong from Akwa Ibom told Vanguard that her mother who was planning to come to Lagos for a visit has rescheduled the visit till further notice. “I cannot force her. She had all of us in Lagos before retiring to the village after her retirement from

Nigerian Ports Authority. If she said she is not visiting Lagos because of Ebola, there is nothing I can do. After all, man must die of something.”

Those who don’t know about Ebola: In spite of the media hype about this disease, there are still people who do not know of its existence. This means that sensitization should be done in local languages to sensitize Nigerians of the new epidemic.

Sensitizing Nigerians Samaila Maje has been living in the low density area of Lagos but on Thursday morning when this writer encountered him, he said he has not heard of the sickness. An attempt by the writer’s companion to communicate with him in Hausa language yielded the same response. “I never hear am,” he said in pidgin.” A bi na HIF?” But it’s not only Samaila that has not heard of Ebola disease or of anybody dying from it.

Mama Chinasa who operates a mama-put joint where a lot of okada riders from neighbouring African countries come to eat breakfast said she has never heard of Ebola. An attempt to educate her yielded no positive results as she shrugged her shoulders and moved on with serving her customers. To this class of people who deal with local foreigners, there is a serious danger due to ignorance.

Mama Chinasa had earlier admitted that rice was being supplied to her by a customer who purchases from neighbouring countries and as long as it is cheaper, nothing else counts. As the story of the death of the Ebola victim spreads, one family in Onitsha was particularly agitated when this writer called.

“We don’t know what is Ebola

Continues on page 51

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014—51

Sawyer cremated, ashes to be sent to family—FG Living in bondage Continues from page 50 and we don’t want to know but our fears are for our daughter and her husband who are living in Guinea. Our daughter just graduated from University of Benin and her husband came home for their wedding from Guinea.

After the wedding, my daughter followed him back to Guinea for them to start procreating early. I have been told they are safe but based on what we have been hearing and the fact that this disease is well spread in Guinea, you can imagine how we feel. I wish my daughter and her husband will relocate to Nigeria because life is safer here than in some of these African countries.

We cannot lie to you. We are scared.”

Another Lagosian, Ebenezer Uti, also expressed worry over his brother living in Liberia where the spread of Ebola is high. “I’ve known about the existence of the disease but I didn’t know it poses such a high threat to life.

My brother has been living in Liberia since year 2000 and he comes to Nigeria very often to buy goods which are shipped to Liberia for supply. We have never discussed Ebola and I never saw

doing my job when I graduate.

“My only concern is that the symptoms are the same as that of any sickness and one may not know when to be extra careful.

For instance, someone who has malaria will experience fever, muscle pain, weakness of body and the person who has Ebola virus will experience similar symptoms including sore-throat, vomiting and diarrhoea and in the case of Ebola, that raises the chances of the sick man or woman infecting somebody else.

Internal and external bleeding

From what I read, the kidney and liver can also be affected and there can be both internal and external bleeding, which is why it was originally called Ebola hemorrhagic fever. But you will also know that blood sugar can also damage the kidney.”

Another Medical student, Efosa told Vanguard that he intends to go deeper into the study of medicine. “Most of these strange diseases originate from apes and monkeys just like HIV and now Ebola. Bird flu is from birds and I wonder, why are animals spreading diseases to us? I have told my parents I would I’ve known about the existgo into medical ence of the disease but I didn’t research and that is that.”But Pastor know it poses such a high Williams of Royal threat to life Priesthood Assembly perceives these diseases it as something serious until I beas signs of the end time. “It’s digan to hear about it in a different vine judgment. It’s God’s punlight.” ishment when people commit all Ebenezer did not know the diskinds of sins including sleeping ease is infectious because he with animals. People are not sathardly reads newspapers and isfied with homosexuality and leswhen at home, hardly watches bianism which are becoming ramtelevision except Nollywood pant and they have added bestifilms. When told that the virus is ality to it. Women allow dogs to passed from one human to anmake love to them and men have other, carried in blood and bodily sex with anything that has a hole. fluids and secretions and also in These are the end times and a bedsheets, clothes or other surclear indication that the world is faces that a sick person has coming to an end. touched, he looked worried be“ Apart from HIV/AIDS and othfore asking, “ is it worse than ers, we are dealing with yet anHIV/AIDS?” other disease that has no cure and little treatment. The worse is that anything that is infectious or Health transmitted through body contact workers spreads fast because you cannot From records across countries tell a woman who is in love not to where the disease is dominant, have sex with her man. She health workers are at the highest would prefer to die with him.” risk especially those who take care Thankfully, Nigeria is taking of Ebola victims. To avoid being pro-active steps towards controlinfected, these endangered speling the virus. In as much there cie must wear full protective clothare no drugs to treat the disease ing, face masks and goggles beyet, there are divisive ways of fore attending to victims. controlling the spread through A Medical Laboratory student intensive supportive care, intraof the University of Lagos named venous fluids or oral rehydration Olamide said he does not see in- salts. Patients are advised be kept fectious diseases as a challenge. in isolation and their nurses and “There must be a way to handle visitors are also advised wear full them without one getting infect- protective suits. ed. As a matter of fact, it is seriFrom medical records, it has not ous issues like these that inspired been possible to find drugs for the me to study Medical Laboratory treatment of viral diseases from Science. I don’t believe I can conanimals. Since HIV/AIDS entered tact an infection in the course of the system decades ago, medical my training or in the course of

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researchers are still battling to find complete cure for it.

With Ebola joining the fray of incurable diseases, it is advisable for Nigerians to mind what they eat especially as it has been observed that the viral reservoir exists in animals. Lovers of bush meat should thread softly to avoid eating infected animals and spreading the disease. Restaurant operators, mama puts operators and people who love all manner of meat should eat carefully and be sure of what they are eating.

Chief Chinwendu from Anambra State confessed he loves bush meat and insisted the ones in Nigeria are safe. “This disease is a one-off thing. Nigeria is safe and our forests and bush animals are not contaminated. My wife knows I eat only bush meat and that there will be trouble in my house if I don’t have it. We are too careful about so many things and you media people have a way of creating panic. I think that is what is happening now. Just because one non-indigene died in Nigeria, the whole country is on fire with all kinds of rumours.

“If the disease is coming from other countries, let government do its job and stop disturbing the people. Are they doing their jobs?

If they are, this unfortunate Liberian shouldn’t have entered Nigeria in the first instance. They are now making noise everywhere after the man has died and someone else might have been infected.”

•ECOWAS working on common strategy to prevent spread •2 persons quarantined, 69 under surveillance for 3 weeks

BY SOLA OGUNDIPE & VICTORIA OJEME

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HE body of late Patrick Sawyer who died from the Ebola Virus Disease in Nigeria has been decontaminated and cremated, officials said, yesterday.

Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, who briefed newsmen on the outcome of the inter-ministerial committee on Ebola held with the Information Minister, Labaran Maku, in Abuja, said the National Council of State also received reports on the issue and had approved that state officials should be trained on issues around Ebola.

International protocol Chukwu said the body of Sawyer was cremated following international protocol, and with the approval of the Liberian government. The ashes from the remains, he said, had been requested by the deceased’s family, noting that the process for the transfer was on.

The heath minister also noted that the Federal Government was in possession of the manifest of the airline that brought Sawyer into the country and that people were still being screened for level of contact. He said two persons who travelled with the victim on same flight or who had

primary contacts with Sawyer have been quarantined, while 69 others are placed under surveillance.

Chukwu said observation was on in Calabar to detect those who may have had secondary contact with Sawyer, stressing that such persons would be quarantined for three weeks, which is the recommended incubation period. “ We agreed to cremate him in line with internationally acceptable protocol on disposing a sufferer of Ebola disease. The body of a sufferer itself is dangerous.

The Centre for Disease Control decontaminated the body before it was cremated. We are now working with the governors. We want to begin to train the personnel of states to be able to handle matters of this nature, “ he stated Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation has sent a team of technical experts to work with the Nigerian team on the preventing further importation and spread of the disease.

It was gathered that telecommunication companies in the country had agreed to start sending out messages to phone users on their mobile phones on the disease, while the National Call Centre which was originally scheduled for commissioning on a later date would now be fast tracked to aid communication on Ebola.

Ensure Ebola does not spread, TUC tells FG

BY Victor Ahiuma-Young

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RADE Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, yesterday, called on the Federal Government, doctors and other health practitioners to take proactive measures towards nipping the Ebola disease in the bud, warning that it would be suicidal to take a care free attitude on it.

TUC in a statement said this became imperative especially

now that Nigeria was facing serious security challenges that had been claiming thousands of lives and destruction of property.

The statement signed by President and Secretary General of TUC, Bobboi Bala Kaigama and Musa Lawal, respectively, said “the Congress is more particularly disturbed that the disease broke out again at a time when the health sector is beset by the

on-going doctors’ strike.

Surely the Federal Government and the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, need to return quickly to the negotiating table, resolve their differences and end the strike, if only for the sake of curbing the disease and saving multitudes of Nigerians from impending doom. God alone knows the extent of socio-economic damage and dislocation the disease might cause the nation if we permit it to linger.

“All hands must be on deck to wipe out the disease. The health and information ministries must do the needful to create sufficient awareness about the danger that the disease represents and the measures by which its spread can be halted. The hospitals and health centres must be well supplied with relevant facilities to quarantine and attend to ebola patients.

And there should be a network amongst them and other public and private stakeholder agencies to facilitate prompt information sharing and dissemination on the disease.”

TUC noted that “every Nigerian, male and female, old and young, city dweller and rural dweller, must be reached with the kick-out-ebola campaign."

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52—Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST1, 2014

Exit of MD Abubakar He came, He saw, He nearly conquered his predecessors. This is more so when it is glaring that the organizational structure, instiHE pronouncement of Mo tutional culture, legal and norhammed Dahiru Abubakar, mative frameworks governing as the new Inspector-General of the Nigeria police, promote police in January 25, 2012, was partisanship, corruption and heralded with different reactions. human rights abuses; it is alSome positive, some negative. It most an impossible task to percame after the inglorious remov- form professionally and effecal of Hafiz Ringim whose fall from tively. Under this prevailing the power vortex was seemingly circumstance, except the man prolonged by series of operation- at the helm of affairs in the al gaffes and gaping security force decides to rock the boat, challenges. The general opinion get into trouble water or make was that Ringim may have swum history, otherwise, he can into career luck whilst he served make no much difference in a as Commissioner of Police in perverse and rotten system.

Bayelsa State Command. He was This becomes more apposite there when Chief Diepreye when it is well known that the Alamieyesigha, was impeached performance or otherwise of •Outgoing Plice IG, M. D. Abubakar as the governor. Dr. Goodluck any Inspector-General of PoJonathan who was then his dep- lice does not depend so much on force. Apart from that, other welinnumerable legacies he beuty was subsequently sworn in as the individual disposition or the fare packages like housing, monqueathed to the force within such the governor in December 2005. personality of the appointee as it tage policy and efficient coopera short time.

That may be where they stuck the is on the system. The institution- ative society, were restructured to Aesthetics: In terms of aesthetbond that catapulted him into the al structures in place as well as ensure that every policeman benics, it is on record that the reenviable position of the country’s the political interest and ideolo- efits from the scheme which startgime of Muhammed Abubaker gy of the regime or government ed with the 5000 housing unit in number one policeman. revolutionized the appearance of On board: The case of MD Abu- in power play pivotal role in this. Abuja. The new police hospital both the police personae and inSuccesses: Part of his success is in Ibadan, Oyo state, the new bakar was totally different. He fractures all over the country. His came on saddle with uproarious the reprieve he gave to Nigerian Force Insurance building and regime turned virtually all police quantum of meritorious achieve- road users especially, between transit quarters in Abuja which stations into marvels as officers ments. As a tested operational January 2012 and reasonable was constructed and furnished by and men competed to outshine guru, he had traversed the length part of 2013, when he dislodged him, the police mini-hall of fame, each other in making their officthe gigantic and eye-popping es and stations spectacles to beHis critics will definitely point fingers at edifice housing the Force Crimi- hold. It was during his era that police inability to contain internal security nal Investigations Department at the appearance of members of Area 10, Abuja, are some of the the force turned into bold efforts challenges ravaging Nigeria, inability to tame

By Emma Nnadozie, Crime Editor & Esther Onyegbula

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high incidences of unlawful killings including extra judicial executions

and breath of the country as both a low ranked policeman and a superior officer. Many respondents, after his name was announced, posited that he has personality pride which will, definitely, not allow him swoon in corrupt practices. The only albatross which nearly stopped him from occupying the exalted position of an IGP was when he served as the Commissioner of Police in Plateau state and the attendant ethno-religious crisis that broke out then.

His role as an unbiased umpire was put to acid test and roundly condemned by, especially, some indigenes of the state.

Repositioning: However, he was able to surmount the attendant criticisms and succeeded in taking over as the 16th indigenous Inspector-General of Police in Nigeria. As soon as he picked up the mantle of leadership of the force, he worked tirelessly, like a trojan horse, to reposition the force and restore public confidence with the various reforms he embarked upon. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that he has had his fair share of achievements, challenges and failures, just like

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over 3,500 police roadblocks across the country. Before the dislodgement, thousands of innocent Nigerians were killed as a result of extortion at roadblocks and other related police abuses. Billions of naira were also extorted from innocent Nigerian road users. For instance, between 2009 and December 2011, over N53billion was allegedly extorted by Policemen at roadblocks from Nigerian road users. Commendably, retired IGP Mohammed D. Abubakar, was able to sustain the dislodgement.

Though there were pockets of abuses, he ensured that offenders were seriously punished. To his credit, many innocent lives were saved and billions of naira that would have been extorted saved as well.

Other largesses: He advocated a minimum wage of N50, 000 for police constables in the force because he believed that it will go a long way to boost their morale and promote efficiency. He made a proposal to the federal government on serious representation for the actualization of a new salary structure for members of the

with their new belts, to the chagrin of fashion designers. His exemplary style manifested more glaringly at the Force Headquarters in Abuja where he turned the building into a magnificent edifice. Members of the force learnt how to protect their stations and public buildings.

Intelligence: In the area of intelligence, about 160000 policemen were sent for training while 10,000 were trained in detective training. It was during his tenure that officers that were promoted into the rank of Assistant Inspectors-General of police went for a two- week management training in Lagos- the very first. In the area of equipment, he made judicious use of the meager resources that trickled from the Federal government and went to a great extent towards galvanizing both state governments, viable agencies and parastatals to help and equip the force. This manifested in the large number of vehicles provided for members of the force during this era. In this regard, more than 300 patrol vehicles were deployed to major roads across the country for effective policing and safety of the people on the highways.

Intimidation and harrasment:In the area of intimidation and harassment of innocent Nigerians including Journalists, MD, as he is popularly called, ensured that erring officers were given commensurate punishment.

Critiques: His critics will definitely point fingers at police inability to contain internal security challenges ravaging Nigeria, inability to tame high incidences of unlawful killings including extra judicial executions or killings by his officers and men as well as torture particularly, during criminal investigations and detention of those accused of being in conflict with the criminal law. There is also the vexatious issue of curtailing corruption and other related forms of police abuses.

Appointment of new Inspector-General of Police —Nigerians react

By Evelyn Usman

NEWS of the retirement of Mohammed Abubakar was greeted with mixed reactions from different quarters. While some serving policemen longed for an extension of his tenure, others described it as a welcome development for change in the Nigerian Police. Some serving policemen who spoke on condition of anonymity have this to say: M.D molded me – Assistant Commissioner of Police am not ashamed to declare that the outgoing IGP changed my orientation about life completely for good. While I was a Divisional Police Officer, one of my men collected some amounts of money from a suspect and the case was reported to M.D who was then the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State. I never knew he kept a tab on my division.

Then, one day, a client brought a grant to me. Unknown to me, the man had informed the CP that he was bringing the money to me and the money was marked. I accepted the offer and immediate-

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ly, M.D sent a team of X squad to my office who saw the money. It was as if the ground should open up and swallow me.

“I immediately went to report myself . On reaching there, he discovered I was from the North and became more furious and threatened to deal with me accordingly. I begged him, brought my people to beg him, including my wife and some of his close friends.

At the end of the day, he decided to transfer me from the division.

Transfer from the division

But I personally begged to work directly with him, so as to learn some moral. That he accepted. I worked under him for two years and learnt so many things from him. Today, I can beat my chest to say that those things I used to do, I do them no more, thanks to M.D Abubakar. I would urge others coming after him to imbibe the culture of the carrot and stick which MD is known for.”

Rank and file: However, most rank and file described his exit as a welcome development for change

in the Nigeria Police. Most disgruntled are those who claimed that they were not promoted since his assumption of office. They, therefore, appealed to the new IGP to borrow a leaf from former IGP, Tafa Balogun whose tenure they described as the most beneficial in terms of promotion. They also expressed hope that the new IGP would key into welfare and other allowances which they claimed the federal government allocates to other security agencies except the police.

Expectation on the new IGP Retired Assistant Controller of Customs, Mr Fasuloye Adetunji : “ Government, like they say, is continuous. Suleiman Abba should continue from where Abubakar stopped, particularly in the area of the abolition of road block which has to a large extent, eased the free- flow of traffic along the nation’s expressway. Again, he should, as a matter of fact, put into consideration the welfare of the rank and file who are the foot soldiers and also ensure that they are promoted as at when due in order not to kill their moral.”

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014—53

Seme Customs impound N5m worthy of poultry products

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HE Seme Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, has impounded prohibited poultry products worth N5 million broughtintothecountryfrom Republic of Benin through the Seme bush paths.

Public Relations Officer of the Command, Ernest Olottah, said the smugglers in an attempt to beat the patrol teams of the command, brought the poultry products through bush paths but were shocked to see Customs officers who keep vigil at the area.

Olottah stated that the smugglers tried to go back to Republic of Benin on sighting officers of the Command, abandoned their wares and the three vehicles used to convey the banned goods.

The Customs Area Controller of the command, Comptroller, CAC, Willy Egbudin, who supervised the destruction of the seized poultry products described the seizure as a warning signal to smugglers who become daring during every festive period.

He added that the law was no respecter of persons and that its full weight will be brought to bear on those involved in the smuggling act even as the command commenced investigations aimed at getting the culprits arrested.

The CAC said, ‘The seizure is a warning signal to anyone who attempts to dare us during festivities or any other time of the year. We are awareoftheirantics,ourmen are deployed in the bushes while normal patrol and manned approved check points are sustained. Our comptroller general’s zero toleranceforsmugglingisbeing pursued with renewed vigour and zeal, therefore anyattempttoundermineour presence will be dealt with in line with the Customs and Excise Management Act’’ “As we destroy and bury these seized frozen poultry products today, we advise everyone to shun illegalities and invest their resources in legitimate trades. Laws being enforced by customs is no respecter of persons and we will continue to give our best in carrying out the directivesoftheCGCtothefullest. There will be no hiding place for smugglers at the border.’

Shippers Council, NAC, agents meet over new auto policy Stories by Godfrey Bivbere

T

HE Nigerian Ship pers Council, NSC,

has brokered a meeting between the National Automative Council, NAC, and the freight

forwarding groups over the new auto policy that has resulted in the increase of duty on im-

PRESS CONFERENCE, from left: Executive Director, Maritime Safety & Shipping Development and Representative of the DG, Capt. Ezekiel Bala Agaba; Director, Shipping Development, Capt. Warriedi Enisuoh & Deputy Director/ Head, Public Relations Unit, Mr. Isichei Osamgbi all of the Nigerian Maritime Administration & Safety Agency, NIMASA, at the agency’s World Press Conference, in Lagos.

NIMASA builds satellite surveillance centre to tackle pirates

BY GODWIN ORITSE

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N a move to tackle the menace of pirates in the country’s territorial waters, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, has established a satellite surveillance centre.

Disclosing this in Lagos, NIMASA’s Director of Shipping Development, Capt Waredi Enisuor said the surveillance centre can track every vessels entering or leaving the country.

Enisuor also disclosed that the centre can also detect vessels under attack and respond accordingly to either ward off such attacks or rescue distressed ships.

He explained that the surveillance is satellite based and so does not need power to sustain itself.

Enisuor said the centre has the ability to print out particulars and details of vessels on both the nation’s territorial and coastal waters on a daily basis, adding that the satellite centre has made it possible to effect the arrest of about five ves-

sels involved in illegal activities.

He said “By the establishment of the satellite surveillance centre, Nigeria can record zero tolerance before the end of 2015. The surveillance centre can also detect when a ship enters Nigerian waters and falsified her International Maritime Organisation (IMO) number ”.

He also lamented the shortage of military personnel to assist NIMASA in responding to distress calls and suspected attacks.

Enisuor opined that with the success recorded in bringing down the rate of piracy in Nigeria, the country can now bargain for better recognition at the IMO. Speaking in similar vein, NIMASA’s Director General, Mr. Patrick Akpobolokemi said “For any sustainable and meaningful growth in the maritime sector, a robust maritime domain awareness system is inevitable. “Our desire is to provide a safety net for all those doing business within Nigerian waters.

With the NIMASA satellite sur-

veillance centre which was launched last month, the agency is now able to respond to any distress call on Nigerian waters and beyond”.

ported fairly used vehicles by 70 percent.

The meeting which was held at the head office of the NSC had in attendance, officials of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents, ANLCA, and the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, NAGAFF. National President of ANLCA, Prince Olayiwola Shittu, told Vanguard that the meeting was to inform freight forwarders who have severally protested the new policy, about government processes leading to its implementation.

Shittu noted that though the NAC team made the position of government known, they still had reservations about the sincerity of intention. He said his association suggested to the NAC that a five-year implementation plan should be put to eliminate the sufferings of Nigerians should the policy be implemented as planned.

The ANLCA boss said they stressed that the immediate implementation will have social and economic efffect on the nation, adding that the NAC team was told that most Nigerians based abroad were involved in the importation of fairly

used vehicles which they use in catering for their families.

Shittu said the NAC team was told that immediate implementation would send a lot of people who depend on trading on tokunbo cars for a living out of work, adding that they expressed their displeasure about not being consulted before the conception and implementation of the new auto policy.

He said that the NAC apologized for not involving stakeholders but assured that next time, they would ensure that critical stakeholders are consulted and represented during policy formation.

The meeting followed of a directive from the presidency for the NSC to intervene on the issue as the economic port regulator for the maritime industry.

Recall that the federal government had raised duties on imported used vehicles by 70 percent late last year. The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, had commenced the implementation early this year by increasing the duty by 35 percent and was set to further add the other 35 percent this month before the commencement date was shifted.

Police arrest freight forwarder, wife over N20m fake Customs auction

BY IFEYINWA OBI

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HE Lagos State Po lice Command has arrested a couple, Mr. Danladi Wushishi, and Mrs.Ojuolape Wushishi, for allegedly duping unsuspecting victims of N20 million in fake Customs auction sales in Lagos.

Ojuolape was arrested at Odeogbolu Street, Ijegun, while her husband who claimed to be a freight forwarder at Tin Can Island Port Complex, Danladi, was apprehended at Allen Avenue. It was gathered that the couple were arrested after a petition to the Commissioner of Police, Umar Manko, from one of the victims, Mrs. Chinyere Uzorchukwu, who was allegedly duped by the couple to the tune of N5 million.

The Wushishis had alleg-

edly taken money from their victims under the pretext that they had a container load of goods meant for Customs auction sales at one of the Customs commands in Lagos. It was further learnt that prior to the incident, the couple normally took their victims to a fake Customs’ warehouse in Ikorodu, Lagos, and showed them containers which were sealed.

However, after payments had been made, the victims would wait endlessly expecting their goods, which never came.

Danladi, 46, who hails from Niger State, allegedly confessed that he took the money from the victims without having any goods anywhere. He said, “I am a businessman and I am also a freight forwarder at the Tin Can Island, Lagos.

I have been doing this

business for about eight years. The cargo in question has an allocation paper that read clothes, but when I got there, I saw that it only contained books.

“Then, I called one Alhaji Issa, a clearing agent in Abuja, and he said the clothes could be in another container. But he added that I would pay N3.5 million to get it. I then lied to my wife that I needed someone dealing in Okrika clothes as I had clothes to sell. That was how we met Chinyere. We first collected N1.35 million from her, and then N800,000, and then N700,000.

“I also collected N14 million from Livinus in same transaction. But I never received any container since I started collecting money from this people. My wife is not aware that I was duping them.”

54—Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014

Delta NMA holds AGM, elects new exco

PRESENTATION:

From left— Mr. Yusuf Idris, Chairman, Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, Kaduna State Council; Mr. John Obaji, Deputy Registrar, National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN; and Mr. Ambrose Gowon, Media Officer I, North Centre for Educational Technology, at the presentation of media vests for working journalists in Kaduna, yesterday.

PHOTO: OLU AJAYI.

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HE Nigerian M e d i c a l Association, NMA, Delta State branch, has held her 2014 Annual General Meeting/ scientific workshop and election with the theme The role of government in the management of chronic diseases in Warri.

Speaking at the event, the NMA Warri Zone Secretary, Dr. Bright Emenena, commended the association for a successful AGM, scientific workshop and the inauguration of her new executives.

Emenena expressed support for the national executive for their continuous insistence on the position of doctors as the head of the health sector.

On the ongoing national strike embarked upon by medical doctors, he said the Federal Government should urgently address NMA’s demands with a view to resolving the issues once and for all to alleviate the suffering of the masses.

E m e n e n a commended the state government for her giant strides in the health sector and called on all medical doctors to support the national leadership in their quest to maintain the integrity of the medical profession.

Jonathan deserves 2nd term to complete projects—IJAW ELDERS

By Samuel Oyadongha

Y

E N A G O A — PROMINENT Ijaw elders of Bayelsa State extraction, yesterday, renewed their call on President Goodluck Jonathan to seek for a second mandate to enable him complete ongoing developmental projects across the country.

The Ijaw elders and chiefs, under the auspices of Bayelsa Development Forum, BDF, who briefed newsmen in Yenagoa, also lauded Governor Seriake Dickson on the just concluded state investment and economic forum, describing same as a clear road map to the creation of a sustainable post-oil and

gas economy for the state.

Chief Thompson Okorotie, said despite the security challenges in the country, the President had made tremendous progress in revitalising critical sectors of the nation’s economy.

Flanked by Chief Lionel Jonathan-Omo, Mr. Talford Ongolo, Sir Charles Dorgu, George Fente, Chief Douglas Naingba, Senator Inatimi Rufus-Spiff, Chief Alex Ekiotenne among others, Okorotie said the President merits a second term in office.

He said: “BDF notes that despite the difficult security challenges in the country, the Federal Government is making unprecedented landmark achievements in various spheres of life,

Put God first, Ekere, A'Ibom ex-Deputy Gov, urges supporters

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S the 2015 gubernatorial race gathers momentum, the immediate past deputy governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Nsima Ekere, has called on his supporters in the state to put God first in their dealings.

Speaking during the inaugural monthly fasting and prayer meeting of the Akwa Ibom Consolidation Project, AKCP, in Uyo, Mr. Ekere argued that it paid better to trust in God than in chariots and horses.

He said it was obvious that the project was being driven

by God and was, therefore, heading for success given the numerous battles, known and unknown, God had fought and

won on its behalf.

Mr. Ekere expressed delight that the group was gradually inching towards the realisation of the mandate of God, but called for more faith in God, commitment, steadfastness and vigilance.

In his sermon, Apostle Patrick Jerome, Prelate of Christ Believers’ (Evangelical) Mission, Uyo, prayed God to choose a leader that will lead the people to Him for the state.

Commending Governor Godswill Akpabio for doing his best for the state, he reasoned that Akwa Ibom needed a new governor that would do greater

exploits.

The cleric lauded Mr. Ekere for starting with a prayer meeting instead of campaign, pointing out that it showed that the former deputy governor has more than politics in mind.

particularly in the areas of electricity, agriculture, rail transportation, housing, airport remodeling, among others.

“We, therefore, commend our national leader and call upon Mr. President to seek for a second mandate to complete the ongoing

developmental projects.”

They lauded the administration of Governor Dickson over its commitment to the development of different sectors of the economy, citing the just concluded Bayelsa State Investment and Economic Forum as an example.

Kumuyi commends Imoke on devt G ENERAL Overseer, Deeper Christian Life Bible Ministry, Pastor William Kumuyi, has commended Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River State for what he described as his visionary leadership in transforming the state.

Kumuyi, who is in Calabar for a three-day Special Retreat, spoke when he led other senior pastors of the church on a courtesy visit to Governor Imoke at Government House, Calabar.

He said: “Anyone who comes here knows that there is visionary leadership; there is security and fellowship and warmness among the people. This has

lifted the state in its vision to develop the needed infrastructure to stand out as a preferred destination.”

On the prevailing peace and security in the state, he said: “It was a wonderful experience driving through the city. I had a clear sense of security and tranquility.

“I dare say that Calabar has earned a reputation as tourists’ centre that has attracted people from within and outside the country.”

Responding, Governor Imoke lauded the exemplary disposition of Pastor Kumuyi, saying “he is a distinguished personality; a man who truly represents what leadership and service to God is about.”

‘No monarch for Ughievwen kingdom yet'

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HE chiefs from the four clans that make up Ughievwen Kingdom in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State have said that the traditional stool of the kingdom remains vacant.

They noted that since no

traditional ruler can be crown by a Bishop of a church in addition to the fact that there was a substituting suit No. HCG/35/2011 pending before the state High Court between Chief Ophorka Opuama and others vs Mr. Matthew Egbi,

it becomes null and void.

They said out of the four ruling houses of Owhawha, Orhoghwe, Ukpedi and Uhurie, only Uhurie had not occupied the stool, while Owhawha was bent on occupying the traditional stool twice.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014—55

REVENUE ALLOCATION: Wh oblem'll Whyy sharing pr problem'll continue — Ekweremadu

Groups caution against

impeachments

By Joseph Erunke

By Abdulwahab Abdulah

A

BUJA — DEPUTY Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, has said the recurring controversies between the Federal and state governments over revenue allocation would persist in the country’s fiscal federalism so long as the latter continued to depend on the former for economic development.

To this end, he recommended what he called a “radical review of the functions of each level of government in the constitution,” taking “cognizance of the respective capabilities of each level of government to perform services assigned to it most effectively and efficiently.”.

These were contained in a thesis, entitled, “A Critical Appraisal of the Legal Framework, Theory and Practice of Fiscal Federalism in Nigeria,” which he wrote and submitted to the Faculty of Law, University of Abuja, to- SYNOD: L-R: The Anglican Bishop of Enugu North, Rt. Rev. Sosthenes wards the award of Doctor of Philosophy, Ph.D, degree in Eze, with the Bishop of Nsukka Diocese, Rt. Rev. Alphonsus Agbo, at law of the university. the annual Synod of the Diocese of Enugu North, in Ngwo, weekend.

Senator Ekweremadu, who successfully defended the thesis, yesterday, insisted that “as long as states continue to depend on the Federal Government for their economic development and survival, the wrangling and controversy surrounding the issue of revenue allocation would remain persistent and a recurrent problem in Nigerian fiscal federalism.”

He recommended that local government should be given members to take note and come

By Caleb Ayansina gistic challenges. some degree of financial auSimilarly, the NYSC resched- to the camp with requirements as tonomy through the restructuring uled the orientation in the crisis stated in their call-up letters. of what he referred to as the The statement reads: “MemBUJA — THE National prone-states to take place in other “taxation powers.” bers of the general public, espestates in view of the instability in Youth Service Corps, Ekweremadu, who is also the cially prospective Corps members, those states.

Chairman, Senate Committee on NYSC, has put on hold the oriThe agency, in a statement, are to further note that, due to loentation of Corps members in the Review of the 1999 Constituyesterday, by the Director, Press gistic reasons, the orientation tion, in the 265-page research Kano State, following the spate and Public Relations, Mrs. course will be conducted in two work, analysed the legal frame- of bombings in the state.

The agency also scheduled to Olubunmi Aderibigbe, said streams for different states. work for the revenue allocation in “The Stream One exercise will commence the 2014 Batch ‘B’ ori- Corps members deployed to Nigeria and the various formula be conducted in from Tuesday, Kano State would be made for distribution of revenue entation course on August 5, 2014, known in due course.

August 5 to Tuesday, August 26, amongst the various tiers of gov- saying the exercise would be con2014, in Lagos, Ondo, Ekiti, It urged prospective Corps ducted in two streams due to loernment in the country.

Kwara, Oyo, Niger, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Benue, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Enugu, Imo, Kebbi, Kaduna, Kogi, Katsina, Nasarawa, Ogun, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba sitional Electricity Market, the the instance of the market operaBy Chris Ochayi and Zamfara states and FCT. MO has scheduled to formally tor who a fortnight ago invited me “Corps members posted to hand over these meters to the par- to unveil the MO’s transparent states listed in the Stream One BUJA — THE Federal ticipants.

Electricity Market Payment Syscategory will undergo the orien“This means from henceforth, tem – the Power Collect.

Government has handed tation course in their respective over electricity trading point me- the participants will assume re“Here today, we have come to states of deployment. ters to market participants in the sponsibility for their trading point flag off the Electricity Trading “The Stream Two exercise has meters while the MO offers the Points Meter Hand-Over to the nation’s power sector. been scheduled to take place from Minister of Power, Professor metering regulatory oversight Market Participants – a condition Monday, September 1, 2014 to Chinedu Nebo, while conducting functions. precedent for the declaration of Monday, September 22, 2014, for “The obvious gaps currently the Transitional Stage of the Nithe handing-over ceremony at the prospective Corps members deTransmission Company of Ni- being experienced in revenue gerian Electricity Market in ployed to Adamawa, Bauchi, geria, TCN, Point Yard, yester- collection will soon be a thing of fulfillment of Mr. President’s ElecBorno, Gombe, Jigawa, Osun, day, in Abuja, said power gen- the past as the new investors have tricity Industry reform agenda.

Kano and Yobe states. eration and distribution compa- been enjoined to massively invest “The Pre-transitional Electric“Prospective Corps members nies, as well as the transmission in metering, both at the up and ity Market has tarried for a while posted to states under Stream Two services provider, should have lower stream of the electricity flow. as the legacy facilities were unare also to take note of the ven“Whatever your investment in der the control of the government. trading point meters at their variues of their orientation course, the utility facilities, the output is On November 1, 2014 ******the ous trading interface. which are located outside those The handing-over ceremony measured in terms of power and certificates of ownership of the states, with the exception of Osun which began in Abuja, was done energy which must be metered Generators and Distribution ComState.” before payment is made. simultaneously nationwide, panies were formally handed over The statement further noted that “This means metering is a very to the new investors.

The minister noted that alCorps members posted to though the electricity market op- important aspect of the electricity “Every participant, the generAdamawa, Borno and Yobe states erator had been handling and market. We, hereby, implore the ating companies, the Transmiswould have their orientation managing these meters before market participants not to do any- sion Services Provider, TSP, and course in Niger, Nasarawa states they were handed over, the me- thing that will compromise the the distribution companies , and FCT respectively. ters actually belonged to the par- integrity of the metering data, as DISCOs, should have trading Also those posted to Bauchi, this will affect the accuracy of mar- point meters at their various tradticipants.

Gombe and Jigawa states will He said: “Now as one of the ket settlement. ing interfaces.” undergo camp exercise in Pla“I am glad again to be here at conditions precedent for the Tranteau, Benue and Kaduna states.

NYSC kicks off 2014 Batch ‘B’ camp exercise August 5 …c hanges vvenue enue ffor or vvolatile olatile sstat tat es …changes tates

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FG hands o o ovver trading point me metter erss tto in or invvest estor orss

A

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HE NIGERIAN Human Rights Community, NHRC, an amalgam of over 23 rights groups, has condemned the Federal Government and Nasarawa State lawmakers’ move to impeach the state governor, Tanko Almakura, describing it as a misuse of power and an attack on opposition parties.

This came as another non-governmental organisation, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, CISLAC, noted with grave concern the sudden resurgence in the spate of impeachments and threats spreading across the political landscape in the country, calling on lawmakers in the state Houses of Assembly not to abuse their powers of impeachment or deploy it arbitrarily.

NHRC in a statement in Lagos, said it wondered why the Nasarawa lawmakers who had over the years enjoyed a robust relationship with the governor, turned a sudden enemy overnight.

Jang advises incoming IGP

By Henry Umoru

A

BUJA — THE Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, under the leadership of Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State, has urged the newly appointed Inspector General of Police, IGP, Suleiman Abba, to be fearless in the discharge of his duties and write his name in the achievers’ book of records.

In a statement by the Secretary of the Forum, Earl Osaro Onaiwu, the governors advised the new police chief to consider the peculiar security challenges in the country "is currently facing as an opportunity to write his name in history by leading a successful fight against the forces of darkness plaguing the nation."

While hailing the men and women of Nigeria Police Force for their patriotic sacrifices in the fight against criminal elements, the governors urged them to support the new IG in his efforts.

56 — V anguard Vanguard anguard,, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014 BRIEFS

Snowden’s temporary asylum status expires in Russia

EBOLA: Liberia shuts down govt, closes schools L

I B E R I A ’ s government has announced that it is closing down all schools across the country to stop the spread of the deadly Ebola virus.

Some communities would be placed under quarantine as well, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf said.

Non-essential government workers will be sent home for 30 days and the army deployed to enforce the measures.

The number of people killed by the virus in West Africa has now reached 672, according to new UN figures.

The BBC’ reported last night that treatment facilities have reportedly been overwhelmed in the Liberian capital Monrovia.

Some wards have already filled up, forcing health workers to treat some patients at their homes.

President Sirleaf said that Friday 1 August

zPresident Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf would be a non-working day in Liberia to allow for the disinfection of all public facilities.

“All non-essential staff - to be determined by the heads of ministries and agencies - are to be

placed on 30 days’ compulsory leave,” she added.

The US humanitarian organisation Peace Corps said it was withdrawing 340 volunteers from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea because of the spread of the virus.

Two of its volunteers had been isolated after being exposed to someone who later died from the virus, it added.

A Peace Corps spokeswoman said: “These volunteers are not symptomatic and are currently isolated and under observation.”

Ebola kills up to 90% of those infected, but patients have a better chance of survival if they receive early treatment.

It spreads through contact with an infected person’s bodily fluids.

The outbreak - the world’s deadliest to date - was first reported in Guinea in February. It then spread to Liberia and Sierra Leone.

•••As Sierra Leone declares state of emergency •President calls for regional summit The World Health

S

IERRA Leone began quarantining areas of Ebola infection after declaring a state of public emergency to tackle the worst outbreak of Ebola in history, which has killed more than 700 people in West Africa.

Security forces set up quarantines on Thursday, hours after Ernest Bai Koroma, the president, ordered a state of emergency, cancelled a trip to the US and called a summt with regional leaders on how to deal

with the crisis. ‘’I hereby proclaim a state of public emergency to enable us take a more robust approach to deal with the Ebola outbreak,” he said in a speech late on Wednesday, adding that the measures would initially last between 60 and 90 days. “All centres of the disease will be quarantined,” he added.

Koroma said that the police and the military would restrict movement between affected areas,

and would provide support to health officers and NGOs following a number of attacks on health workers by local communities.

Koroma also said that house-to-house searches would be implemented to trace Ebola victims and quarantine them. He added that new protocols had been established for passengers arriving and departing Lungi airport outside Freetown, but he did not provide further details.

Organisation on Thursday said the death toll from the outbreak of Ebola had risen to 729 after 57 deaths were reported between July 24 and 27 in Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.

The WHO also said Nigerian authorities had so far identified 59 people who had come into contact with a US citizen who died in Lagos last week after travelling from Liberia, via Togo and Ghana.

Israel vows to destroy tunnels before truce I

SRAEL vowed yesterday to keep its troops in Gaza until they finish destroying a network of cross-border tunnels, despite sharp UN and US criticism over the Palestinian death toll.

Speaking at a cabinet meeting in Tel Aviv, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would not accept any ceasefire that did not allow troops to continue destroying tunnels used by militants to attack Israel.

"Until now, we have destroyed dozens of terror tunnels and we are

determined to finish this mission — with or without a ceasefire," he said at the start of the meeting.

"So, I will not accept any (truce) proposal that does not allow the (military) to complete this work for the security of Israel's citizens."

His remarks came after the army confirmed mobilising another 16,000 reservists, hiking the total number called up to 86,000. Israel does not say how many troops are currently fighting inside the Gaza Strip.

But the UN Security Council called for humanitarian pauses in Gaza and renewed its appeal for an immediate ceasefire.

The Council expressed "grave disappointment" that repeated appeals for an end to the fighting had not been heeded.

Washington said it had agreed to restock Israel's dwindling munitions supplies, despite increasing international concern over the death toll in Gaza, where 1,437 people have been killed in 24 days of violence.

But the White House on yesterday said there was little doubt Israeli artillery was the source of a "totally indefensible" strike that killed 16 people at a UN school in Gaza, the day before.

"It does not appear there's a lot of doubt about whose artillery was involved in this incident," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said "There is clearly more that can and should be done to ensure the safety of innocent civilians," he added.

F

UGITIVE US whistleblower Edward Snowden’s year-long leave to stay in Russia has expired without confirmation that it will be extended.

His lawyer said he could stay in the country while his application for an extension was being processed.

The man who exposed US intelligence practices to the world’s media won leave to remain in Moscow a year ago. Little is known about his activities in Russia where he is living and whether he is working. The man who told the NSA’s secrets has followers in Germany who would like to see him granted asylum there. This poster was stuck up near the partially finished new headquarters of the Federal Intelligence Service in Berlin.

Crash experts reach site of MH17 disaster EUROPEAN security monitors and international crash experts have reached the crash site of a Malaysian airliner in eastern Ukraine two weeks after the plane came down, as an international meeting in Belarus agreed to establish a safe corridor for the team to use during their investigation.

Fighting between pro-Russian rebels and Ukrainian forces in the wider area has frustrated international experts’ efforts to get to the site to recover remains of the victims and investigate the crash.

“OSCE ... monitors reach MH17 crash site for first time in almost week, accompanied by four Dutch, Australian experts. Used new route to access,” the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, a Vienna-based organisation, said on Twitter on Thursday.

The small reconnaissance team would make initial checks of the area, a statement from the Dutch mission said.

Jailing of Aljazeera journalist, a serious injustice — Victim's father

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HE father of jailed Al Jazeera journalist Peter Greste has said his imprisonment in Egypt is a “grave and very serious injustice”, days after the family announced an appeal.

Juris Greste on Thursday said he accepted the integrity and independence of Egypt’s judicial system, but passionately believed in the innocence of his son.

Greste, along with two other Al Jazeera journalists, Mohamed Fahmy and and Baher Mohamed, was jailed for seven years on charges of aiding the Muslim Brotherhood, a banned group, and reporting “false news” in the aftermath of a coup against the Brotherhood-backed president, Mohamed Morsi.

At a news conference in Kenya, Greste’s 78-yearold father said: “We accept the integrity and independence of any country’s judicial system and administration of law; in no way would we want to challenge that”, he said.

EU sanctions Russian banks

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HE European Union has published a law that will curb arms sales to Russia and to cut off financing for five major Russian banks over Moscow’s support for rebels in Ukraine.

Russia has denounced the measures, agreed by the 28 EU member states on Tuesday, as “destructive and short-sighted”, while fighting has intensified in eastern Ukraine between Kiev forces and the pro-Russian separatists.

EU officials say the sanctions aim to inflict maximum pain on Russia and minimum pain on the EU. “We will for sure have an effect and a very substantial and concrete effect on Russia,” one EU official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The toughest measures aim to prevent Russian banks from raising money on Western capital markets, while others limit defence sales and the export of hi-tech equipment for the oil sector.

Published on Thursday in the Official Journal of the European Union, the law takes effect from Friday, Aug. 1. Marking a fundamental shift in how Europe deals with Russia, the sanctions will mean EU nationals and companies can no longer buy or sell new bonds, equity or other financial instruments with a maturity of more than 90 days issued by major state-owned Russian banks or those acting on their behalf.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014 — 57

Commonwealth Games...Commonwealth Games...

Boxing chiefs to probe headguard scrapping STORIES BY TONY UBANI in Glasgow

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NOSE BREAKER . . . Nigeria’s Efetobor Apochi ( R) lands a left hand bang on Australia’s Jai Opetaia during a Men’s Heavy (91 kg) Quarter-Final boxing bout at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. Photo: AFP

HE International Boxing Association says it will carry out a detailed study of the impact of scrapping headguards for amateur contests following the conclusion of the Commonwealth Games.

It follows a call from Australian boxer Daniel Lewis for the immediate return of the safety gear after a failed medical check ruled him out of his welterweight quarter-final on Wednesday.

The 21-year-old suffered a badly cut eye in his win against Nigeria’s Kehinde Ademuyiwa on Monday.

The wound failed to sufficiently heal in time for him to meet Mandeep Jangra of

Nigeria crash out of female table tennis events J

UST like it has been predicted, the Nigeria female team played their last game on Thursday in the table tennis event of the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games in Scotland.

The team’s last game was in the women’s doubles when the pair of Funke Oshonaike and Cecilia Otu-Akpan were beaten 3-0 by Malaysia’s duo of Lee Beh and Sock Ng. In the singles, Edem Offiong, who had boasted that she would win gold, was bundled out by

Joanna Drinkhall in the round of 64 (main draw).

The most disappointing aspect of the defeat was that the game ended in a 4-0 bashing of the African champion by the English lady.

Also, her compatriot, Otu-Akpan suffered same defeat in the hand of Singapore’s Taiwei Feng also in the main draw.

However, Ganiat Ogundele who also made it to the main draw after recording 100 percent in the preliminary round fought hard against India’s

Shamini Kumaresan. Despite her efforts, she surrendered to the Indian lady in the seventh game to exit the competition at 4-3.

What would have been a consolation for the female team also disappeared into thin air, as the partnership between Oshonaike and Aruna Quadri in the mixed doubles was booted out by Singapore.

The team also failed to make it beyond the knockout stage in the team event, where the male counterparts clinched bronze.

Welsh weightlifter at crossroads

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Athletics Australia suspends coach for criticising Olympic champion

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RIC Hollingsworth, head coach of the Australian athletics team at the Commonwealth Games, has been suspended after publicly criticising team captain and Olympic 100 metre hurdles champion Sally Pearson.

It followed a feud between the duo allegedly

dating back to the World Indoor Athletics Championships in Sopot in March.

Hollingsworth was critical of Pearson’s performance when she came only second behind Nia Ali of the United States, and it is thought the athlete has refused to speak to him since.

Earlier yesterday, the

English-born coach, a former decathlete who used to train with Daley Thompson, claimed Pearson’s failure to attend the team’s preCommonwealth Games camp n Gateshead, and to instead race at the Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games in London, had set a bad example for the rest of the team.

India, who was given a walkover into the semifinals.

A growing number of cut head injuries have resulted from male boxers stepping into the ring without head protection after AIBA changed their rules last year.

AIBA vice-president Dr Abdellah Bessalem from Algeria said his organisation was aware of the concerns and would address them after the Games.

“We are looking at the number of cuts and after our study we will prepare our report,” the Commonwealth Games tournament supervisor said.

“But we have to remember that without headguards the number of concussion injuries suffered by boxers has gone down.”

Following his withdrawal on Wednesday morning Lewis immediately took to social media to vent his frustration at having his medal hopes brought to an abrupt halt.

UP NIGERIA . . . Sampson Clarkson of Nigeria celebrates winning against Terry Van Rensburg of South Africa in the Men’s Freestyle 65kg Freestyle Wrestling Bronze medal match Photo: AFP

ELSH weightlifter Darius Jokarzadeh has admitted he must chose between an American football career or realising his Olympic dream after just missing out on a medal at the Commonwealth Games.

The 6ft 7in 20-stone Welshman finished fourth in the super-heavyweight section in Glasgow and is considering his next move.

Jokarzadeh took up an American Football scholarship at Seton Hill University in Pittsburg. He is due back in the United States next week to continue his new sporting career on the offensive line.

But the Cardiff-born son of an Iranian father and Welsh mother admits he remains undecided about his next move.

58 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014 —59

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60 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014

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ARS ‘ll raise more stars for Nigeria — Ex-internationals

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X-NIGERIAN inter nationals appointed as technical advisers to the teams of the U-17 Airtel Rising Stars Season 4 football Championship have said the National Finals of the tourney which commenced Wednesday in Lagosat Sports Complex of Yaba College of Technology (Yaba Tech), Akokais replete with promising young players who can achieve great feats in the forthcoming ARS Africa Championship in Gabon and also fly the country’s flag in future international football tournaments.

Chioma AjunwaOparah, Ann Chiejine and Garba Lawal who are currently serving as technical advisers and mentors to Port Harcourt, Enugu and Abuja Teams respectively, made this observation at the Yaba Tech., venue of the ARS 4 National Finals where football lovers across Lagos as well as students from the institution were treated to exciting soccer actions as finals of the tourney kicked off.

Technical Adviser to Team Port Harcourt, ChiomaAjunwa said: “From the first day of the national finals we can see boy and girls who have proven to be budding football stars and need to be supported to achieve their football dreams. They have displayed football talents and quality skills that can be nurtured to represent Nigeria in the African Championship.

We know that the national final is not all about the teams winning their matches but for the players to display fantastic skills.”

The Port Harcourt male team played a 0-0 draw with their Enugu counterpart while the female team defeated their Abuja counterpart 2-0.

On her part, Ann Chiejine who mentors the Enugu male and female team said the ARS Championship is a robust platform created by Airtel Nigeria to develop grassroots football in Nigeria and as well discover football talents.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014 — 61

NFF not in a hurry to re-engage Keshi

BY JACOB AJOM

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ORE facts have emerged from the Executive Committee meeting of the Nigeria Football Federation held in Abuja, Wednesday, particularly, on the impending reengagement of Coach Stephen Keshi as Super Eagles coach.

Sports Vanguard gathered that although the NFF expressed the desire to retain Keshi, the Chief Mike Umeh-led executive committee resolved to carry out a thorough appraisal of Nigeria’s participation at the Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup before opening talks with the former head coach of the Hawks of Togo. They have also asked Keshi to show interest in writing that he is interested in continuing his job.

“We want to do first things first,” a source disclosed, adding, “we would like Keshi to submit

a comprehensive technical report on the team’s performance in Brazil, the players’ conduct, where we got it wrong and what we did right.

“It is only right to know what actually happened in Brazil. We should know these things so that we

don’t repeat the same mistakes in future,” the source said.

To prove the executive committee’s resolve, our source said, unless this step was taken before Super Eagles’ next assignment, the exco is not in a hurry to re-engage Keshi.

Maigari has no right to call a congress — Umeh HE Acting President of T the Nigeria Football Federation, Chief Mike Umeh has condemned the purported “emerg-ency congress” organ-ised by those he called “Maigari’s supporters” saying, “the gathering is unconstitutional.”

In a chat with Sports Vanguard, Umeh said, “Maigari, as a former President of the NFF knows what the rules say about these things. He has no right to call a congress. What they have done is unconstitutional.”

He wondered why his predecessor was showing so much desperation,

•Umeh

•Maigari

warning, “he should not do anything that would lead the name of the country into disrepute.”

Meanwhile, in a formal rejection of the so-called emergency congress, the NFF issued a release

yesterday.

The release issued by the NFF Assistant Director, Communication, Asemola Olajire reads, “The Nigeria Football Federation has alerted Nigerians to a document being circulated by a group of persons who claimed that an emergency Congress of the NFF held in Abuja on Thursday, 31st July, 2014.

“The NFF Executive Committee rose from its meeting of Wednesday, 30th July to say that the emergency Congress had been postponed, and duly apologized to members of the Congress, while stating that the Congress would hold at a later date.

“There was no Congress at all, and we urge Nigerians to ignore the so –called decisions contained in the document. A properly –constituted NFF Congress would be convoked at a date to be made known to the public soon,” Chief Mike Umeh, NFF Acting President, said in Abuja.

He added: “Whoever is instigating these persons does not love Nigeria and should be advised to stop.”

Amalaha’s drug saga saddens Danagogo •Says coaches/officials risk sanctions

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PORTS Minister and Chairman, National Sports Commission, Dr. Tammy Danagogo has expressed sadness over the reported drug-test failure

by Team Nigeria’s first gold medallist at the ongoing 20th Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, Chika Amalaha.

Convinced that Amalaha is innocent, an angered Dr. Danagogo has warned that officials as well as coaches

“If these issues are not resolved before the commencement of the 2015 Afcon qualifiers, a coach from the technical department would be drafted to lead the team to the qualifiers,” our source contended.

who are found to aid or condone cheating would face severe sanctions from the National Sports Commission.

Amalaha, who was the heroine of Team Nigeria at the African Youth Games in Gaborone, Botswana last May where she won three gold medals in her weightlifting event, was alleged to have failed the first sample drug-test conducted on her after

her Games’ record lifting in the 53kg category and suspended pending the result of the B sample.

Dr. Danagogo who is also at the Games and had directed that Team Nigeria’s medalists been rewarded instantly for their feat to further boost their morale described the dope incident as embarrassing but hopes the B test turns out negative.

Special Olympics: Unilag hosts 2014 Nigeria National Games

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40 SPECIAL athletes will storm the University of Lagos for the 2014 Special Olympics Nigeria national Games billed to hold between 10th and 13th of August.

The games will feature athletes from the South West, South East, North Central and South-South geopolitical zones of the country.

According to a member of the board of the Special Olympics Nigeria, Udeme Ufot who addressed the media in Lagos yesterday, “the athletes will compet in 7 Olympics type sports such as Athletics, Acquatics, Badminton, Basketball, Cycling (demonstrative), Table Tennis and Unified Football.”

Outstanding performers will be selected to represent Nigeria at the 2015 Special Olympics

World Summer Games in Los Angeles, United States. He said, “Special Olympics brings together equal number of athletes with intellectual disabilities and their peers without intellectual disabilities on the same team for training and competition.”

The games are being supported by numerous sponsors including Coca Cola, MTN, GTBank, Union Bank among others.

Although Ufot said Special Olympics Nigeria would have loved to host the global fiesta sometime, that can only be possible when government shows seriousness in developing the necessary infrastructure.

“That would have been a fantastic idea, but I must say that we are not ready yet.” The Lagos state government pledged its support

Okagbare Continues from BP ing more history as the first Nigerian woman to win three gold medals in the Commonwealth Games if the Nigerian female relay team clinches the 4x100m gold.

Also yesterday young and up and coming Ese Brume made up for the disappointment of missing the gold at the world junior championships in Eugene, Oregon USA, when she won gold in the women’s long jump with a 6.56m.

England’s Jazmin Sawyers was second and Christabel Nettey from Canada was third. Brume only arrived Scotland three days ago.

Blessing Okagbare decided to drop the Long Jump especially after taking a look at the programme that saw the final of the Long Jump close to the final of 200m. She had

told all that Brume would make good representation for Nigeria. And the young Delta athlete did that gracefully and dedicated her gold to Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan who has been solidly behind the athletes, sponsoring their programmes and approving training grants for them.

“This feels good and I thank God for this gold. I thank our Governor and I dedicate this to him and our country,” she said.

Head of sports Amaju Pinnick had said last year that Brume would be the athlete to step into the shoes of Blessing Okagbare.

“Blessing is still strong competing at top level and Brume is already stepping into her shoes. It is great for them, for Delta and Nigeria in general,” said Amuju from Scotland.

Dolphins, Enyimba for Federation Cup final

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•Chika Amalaha in action.

OLPHINS will face cup holders Enyimba in the final of this year ’s Federation Cup final after they pipped hard-fighting Prime FC in Thursday’s semi-final in Abuja.

Both Nigeria Premier League clubs will clash in the cup final at the Teslim

Balogun Stadium in Lagos on August 16.

Dolphins are aiming for a fifth cup triumph, while Enyimba are on track for a fourth victory in the cup competition after they won last year’s final against Warri Wolves.

Ebube Okpokwu was Dolphins match winner in

the 48th minute against lower league Prime FC in Abuja.

The Port Harcourt club are reaching final for the first time in seven years.

Enyimba shaded the other semi-final when they beat Giwa FC 1-0 courtesy of Raphael Buomsong’s goal in Abeokuta.

62 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014

Commonwealth Games...Commonwealth Games...

Team Nigeria is a strong force in World sports — Elegbeleye •Hails President Jonathan for his support STORIES BY TONY UBANI

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HEF de Mission, Hon Gbenga Elegbeleye has described Team Nigeria as a strong force in World sport.

Elegbeleye was reacting to the sterling performance of Team Nigeria at the ongoing XX Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.

Team Nigerian athletes buoyed by the spectacular performance of hotshot, Blessing Okagbare in the women’s 100 m where she shattered the Games record to win 10.85sec posted amazing results winning three gold and a cocktail of silver and bronze medals.

Odunayo Adekuoreye and Aminat Adeniyi

won gold medals in Wrestling while Superwoman Maryam Usman lifted Nigeria’s name to high heavens with her golden lift. ‘’These things are made possible by the love and support of President Ebele Goodluck Jonathan. He has been the backbone of sports and we are happy to be churning out these good results”, a jubilant Elegbeleye said.

He opined that the sky still looks good for more medals to come the way of Team Nigeria before the Games curtains are drawn on Sunday. ‘’Our athletes and officials have been remarkable. We’re grateful to Mr President and all Nigerians for their support”, Elegbeleye who has been watching and supporting virtually all the sports said.

MUSCLE MAN . . . Nigeria’s Stephen Mozia competes in the qualifying round of the men’s shot put athletics event at Hampden Park during the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. Photo: AFP

What I want from President Jonathan — Golden girl Usman

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OLDEN girl Maryam Usman is still savouring her Weightlifting performance which not only won her gold but sent tongues wagging in the ongoing Commonwealth Games here in Glasgow.

Maryam dumped her Samoan opponent Ele Opeloge after lifting 155 kg to become the Queen of the Weightlifting of the Commonwealth Games.

Wednesday, Maryam

who is still being mobbed by athletes at the Games Village made a passionate appeal to President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to host them just as he has done to footballers. ‘’There is only one thing I want. I want President Jonathan to host us just like he has done to footballers”, the 75 + kg lifter from Kaduna requested.

Reflecting on the rival-

ry between her and Opeloge, Maryam confessed that she was rattled when the Samoan opted for 161kg to upset her from winning the gold medal. ‘’I was shocked but prayed against it. She knew that the only way to win the gold was lift more than me. But there is no way she could have lifted 161kg. She is not a World Champion. Such lifts are meant for Champions.

Ghana sulks over no podium appearance

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SAFE LANDING . . . Ese Brume of Nigeria in her winning jump of 6.56m jump of the women’s long jump athletics event. Photo: AFP

HILE Team Nige rian officials continue to swim as their athletes amass gold medals at the XX Commonwealth Games, their Ghanaian counterparts are sulking over their inability make any podium appearance.

The Ghanaians have only won one bronze medal

and their officials are blaming officiating officials for favouring some countries. ‘’Oh, Charlie! We have won only one bronze. But you see that these officials do not want us to win medals. They are favouring some countries with their officiatings”, George Ansah said.

He however saluted their West African brothers Nigeria for making them proud with their performances in most of the sports. ‘’We’re happy that Nigeria is doing well. But we are sad that they are being too hard on our athletes. It is not good at all, Charlie”, he said.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014 —63

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VANGUARD, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014

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GOLDEN NIGERIA Okagbare completes sprint double INSIDE: •As Ese Brume mints gold

8-pages of Sports Vanguard

IGERIA’S sprint queen, Blessing Okagbare yesterday won the women 200m gold at the on-going Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. She clocked 20.25 seconds to confirm forecasts that the sprints medals were hers for the taking.

She had earlier on Monday won the gold in the women 100m with 10.85 seconds, setting games record while beating tested Jamaican runners Veronica Campbell Brow and Kerron Stewart. And yesterday, Okagbare faced a British challenge in the field and she easily blew the other women away. She was too strong for the English girls J. Williams and B. Williams who won silver and bronze at 22.50 and 22.58 respectively. She made history as the 11 woman to win the Commonwealth Games sprints double.

And now she is beckon

Continues on page 61

GOLDEN JUMP . . . Nigeria’s Ese Brume jumps in the final of the women’s long jump athletics event at Hampden Park during the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. Brume won gold with a leap of 6.56m and dedicated it to Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State. Photo: AFP

GOLDEN GIRL . .

Blessing Okagbare wins the final of the women’s 200m at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, yesterday. Photo:AFP

Country

Gold

Silver

Bronze

Total

England (ENG) Australia (AUS) Canada (CAN) Scotland (SCO) India (IND) New Zealand (NZL) South Africa (RSA) Nigeria (NGR) Kenya (KEN) Jamaica (JAM) Wales (WAL) Malaysia (MAS)

42 36 26 14 13 13 10 8 5 5 4 4

38 34 13 12 20 11 10 6 5 3 10 5

38 41 22 16 14 15 13 11 2 5 14 5

118 111 61 42 47 39 33 23 12 13 28 14

QUICK CROSSWORD

TODAY'S

PUZZLE

YESTER DAY'S YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 1 Save (6) 5 View (6) 9 Liability (5) 10 Package (6) 11 Sooner (6) 12 Not ever (5) 14 Ballad (4) 17 Free (3) 18 Yield (4) 20 Name (5) 22 Helped (5) 23 Trouble (7) 24 Centre (5) 26 Singer (5) 29 Border (4) 30 Part (3) 32 Fruit (4) 33 Sharpened (5) 35 Field (6) 36 Circled (6) 37 Contract (5) 38 Stagger (6) 39 Reviser (6)

DOWN 1 Meal (6) 2 Proper (6) 3 Paradise (4) 4 Measure (5) 5 Ventilated (5) 6 Asterisk (4) 7 Resounded (6) 8 Rotated (6) 13 Rogue (7) 15 Lubricated (5) 16 Dazzle (5) 18 Quoted (5) 19 Storehouse (5) 21 Newt (3) 22 Deed (3) 24 Hat (6) 25 Astounded (6) 27 Nothing (6) 28 Give (6) 30 Arbour (5) 31 Abrupt (5) 33 Aperture (4) 34 Expired (4)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 4, Pried 7, Runner 9, Vie 10, Tic 12, Laden 13, Trod 15, Posed 17, Resent 19, Year 20, Sweet 22, Tub 24, Receded 27, Pan 28, Erode 31, Ache 33, Stored 35, Green 37, Wilt 38, Sabre 39, Dub 41, Elf 42, Secure 43, Petty.

DOWN: 1, Gratis 2, Encore 3, Pet 4, Pile 5, Ready 6, Elevate 8, Ripe 11, Contented 14, Deer 16, Stud 18, Step 21, Wreckage 23, Beer 25, Case 26, Drew 29, Odious 30, Esteem 32, Egret 34, Onus 36, Rely 40, Bet.

How to Play Sudoku

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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