Tension mounts on Presidency over Jega

...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 62352

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MONDAY, MARCH 2, 2015

Beware, suicide bombers on the prowl — MILITARY 9

EPZ: Jonathan wades into Tompolo, Ayiri face-off 12

Tension mounts on Presidency over Jega •Agbakoba, Itse Sagay, Falana, Ozekhome,Fasheun, others react •We don't have Jega's sack letter — Head of Service's office •INEC officials keep mum, adopt "wait and see" position

By Soni Daniel, Regional Editor, North; Wahab Abdullah, Charles Kumolu, Dapo Akinrefon & Favour Nnabugwu

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B U J A — PRESSURE mounted, weekend, on the presidency not to compel Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission,

Continues on Page 5

COLUMNISTS:

BUDGET 2015: Planning to fail

•P.44

Troops: To deploy or not?

•P.20

Mr & Mrs A CUP AT LAST—Coach Jose Mourinho lies on the ground as Chelsea celebrates winning the Capital One Cup at Wembley yesterday. It was Mourinho’s first title since returning to the Premier League side on June 3, 2013.

Fuel scarcity worsens; NNPC promises improved supply•P.9

50 Fed Ministry of Works' Why local investors contract firms forge tax shun e-commerce sector — Report 21 certificates— ICPC 8 C M Y K

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POCKET CARTOON Senate in that kind of issue to prevent any arm of government from being too powerful. It is a constitutional stipulation that ensures balance of power. In contemplating sending him on terminal leave, the moral and ethical angle should also be considered. The elections are around the corner. So any attempt at removing him will not augur well for our democracy.”

Agbakoba OLD FRIENDS— President Goodluck Jonathan with from the left, Ali

Gulak, Sylvester Monye and Godsday Orubebe, who once served under his administration at the Presidential Wing, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, weekend. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida.

Tension mounts on Presidency over Jega Continues from Page 1 INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega to proceed on preretirement leave as reportedly being canvassed by some concerned stakeholders in the polity.

The anti-Jega forces had been pushing the presidency to remove the chairman from office, a move that was last night described as dangerous by notable lawyers. The pressure came in the face of heightened tension in the commission over the alleged moves. The chairman’s five-year term comes to an end on June 30 and though he is qualified for reappointment, the chances of such have become remote given recent allegations of bias against the chairman by campaign officials of President Goodluck Jonathan.

The mood at the headquarters of INEC, weekend, was that of resignation to fate, as most of the officials, adopted a ‘wait-and-see’ disposition over Jega’s fate following claims of surreptitious moves to force the chairman out of office ahead of the first of the national elections on March 28.

A top official of the commission told Vanguard, yesterday that they were still working with the hope that the elections would hold as rescheduled and that the chairman would be allowed to conduct it before going in June.

The tension followed claims by the All Progressives Congress, APC, Senate caucus of the discovery of a plot by the presidency to send Jega on pre-retirement leave as a way of clearing the way for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to emerge victorious in the

forthcoming national elections.

PDP officials had in recent times kicked against the insistence of the commission to use the card reader and the Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs. Among those who spoke against the alleged move to send Jega on pre-retirement leave were Prof. Itse Sagay, SAN, Mr Femi Falana, SAN, Chief Olisa Agbokoba, SAN, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN and Prince Orji NwaforOrizu. Chief Fredrick Fasheun, who is also a supporter of the second term aspiration of the president, also opposed any premature exit of Jega.

Constitutional lawyer, Professor Itse Sagay said that any attempt to remove Jega from office through what he called “political retirement” would set the country on fire.

In a telephone interview with Vanguard , Sagay said the INEC chairman cannot be removed from office at this time under the pretence of retirement on two grounds.

He said: “The appointment of Jega as INEC boss was ratified by the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and his removal under the law must be ratified by two-third majority of the Senate.”

Besides, he opined that the appointment is political and that he is as such “not a typical civil servant who is expected to proceed on leave after spending 35 years in service or attained the mandatory retirement age. So any attempt to force him out of office through political means is an attempt to set the country on fire.”

Falana

Falana, on his part, said: “Prof. Jega is on leave of absence from the Bayero University. He won’t be due to retire until the age of 70. That is when he would go on terminal leave. He is on a five-year renewable tenure. His first term ends on June 30, 2015 and the appointment enjoys constitutional flavour.

“It is not at the pleasure of the president to remove him or send him on a compulsory leave.

The president has to seek and obtain the approval of two-thirds majority of the Senators pursuant to

In his reaction, a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Chief Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) said removing the chairman of INEC will not be good for nation’s polity.

Speaking with Vanguard , yesterday, Agbakoba said: “I know that it will be a big mistake to remove Jega unless he decides to resign. If you remove, there is a perception that there is something wrong. Jega’s tenure is almost ending, wisdom suggests to me that the best thing is to let him conduct the elections.

We have to have confidence in the way the electorate will vote.

The perception of removing him (Jega) will not be good for our polity.”

Nwafor-Orizu

Asserting that Jega cannot be disciplined except under extant

He should be allowed to conduct polls —Fasheun

On his part, founder of the Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC, Dr Fredrick Fasheun said the INEC chairman should be allowed to conduct the general elections.

Fasheun said: “Why does anyone want to remove him? It is not acceptable. He should be allowed to conduct the elections.”

The gloom in the commission heightened at the weekend following suspicions that the Presidency had concluded moves to remove the Chairman of the electoral body, Prof Attahiru Jega, and replace him with a ‘more friendly and amenable’ hand to do its bidding to prevent the opposition from coasting home with victory.

Removal of INEC Chairman: What the Constitution says: 157. (1) Subject to the provisions of subsection (3) of this section, a person holding any of the offices to which this section applies may only be removed from that office by the President acting on an address supported by two-thirds majority of the Senate praying that he be so removed for inability to discharge the functions of the office (whether arising from infirmity of mind or body or any other cause) or for misconduct.

Sections 157 of the Constitution. Assuming but not conceding that he has to proceed on terminal leave, that cannot happen before April 2015.”

Ozekhome

“The chairman is not a career civil servant.

However, only the President can sack him with the consent of the Senate. A similar thing was done in the case of Lamido Sanusi, who was suspended. I do not believe that he should proceed on terminal leave like a core civil servant. If he were to be dismissed, the National Assembly needs to be consented the same way his appointment was done.

“The Senate also has the right to reject the removal.

The constitution involved the

laws, Nwafor- Orizu an, Abuja based constitutional lawyer said: “No, the INEC chairman is not a civil servant, and the Constitution by Section 158 is specific that INEC should not be subject to the direction of any other authority or person.

“To understand the constitutional meaning, one needs to examine the opening sentence of section 158 which is clear that disciplinary control of INEC cannot be directed by the civil service rules or even the president of Nigeria.”

Nwafor-Orizu further contended that compelling Jega to go on leave and he refusing could cause a constitutional jam as the INEC chairman under the constitution does not have a supervisor to discipline him.

Although President Jonathan had initially denied the claim that he was shopping for Jega’s successor, hordes of his foot soldiers have insisted that the professor of political science must be replaced for insisting on using card readers and permanent voter cards for the polls, a development, they claim, would likely disenfranchise their supporters.

To prove their opposition to Jega’s stance on the use of PVCs and card readers for the polls, many proJonathan groups and friends have filed suits asking the courts to disallow the use of the facilities.

The groups had waited patiently for the postponement of the elec-

tions last month, to challenge Jega and INEC. While Nigerians had taken Jonathan by his words that he was not planning to force Jega to proceed on preretirement leave, opposition Senators raised the alarm last week, alleging that they had credible information that the Presidency had concluded plans to remove the INEC boss to pave the way for the enthronement of a crony to its bidding.

According to the Senators, the preterminal leave letter would come from either the office of the Head of Service of the Federation, OHSoF or that of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, OSGF.

We dont't have Jega's sack letter — OHSoF

But findings by Vanguard revealed that the OHSoF was not in possession of the said letter as at the close of work last Friday.

When Vanguard inquired about the said letter, senior officers in the OHSoF denied knowledge of the said document, claiming that it was news to them, as the INEC boss was not reporting to that office.

One of the sources in the OHSoF described the link between Jega’s alleged pre-terminal leave letter to the OHSoF as shocking since according to them, “the distinguished senators are supposed to know that the office does not deal with political appointees like Jega but with core civil servants”.

Meanwhile, the mood at the Headquarters of the INEC, was that of resignation to fate, as most of the officials, adopted a ‘wait-and-see’ disposition over Jega’s fate following the APC Senators’ allegation and mounting attacks on him by supporters of the President.

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Police nab 2 siblings, others over theft of N4m BMW car

By Dayo Johnson

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KURE — DETECTIVES from Ondo State police command have arrested three suspected robbers, including two brothers, who at gun point, snatched an unregistered BMW car valued at N4 million and sold it for N700,000.

The suspects, including Olubunmi Ojo, Adekunle Ojo and Isaac Fadairo, are part of the 27 suspected criminals paraded by the command in Akure, weekend.

Ten other suspected members of secret cults, a rapist and three other suspected house breakers, were also paraded by the state police commissioner, Mr Isaac Eke. Eke said the criminals were arrested in different parts of the state last month.

According to him, one vehicle and three rifles were recovered from the suspects.

He said the suspects were arrested in Ifon, Ore, Iju, Ondo, Owo and Akure, the state capital.

Speaking on the three suspects who robbed one Sola Orisamoluwa, Eke said it took place at Ijoka area of Akure.

According to him, two robbers attacked the victim around 9pm and robbed him of the car, clothes, shoes and mobile phone valued at about N100,000.

Detectives attached to the Special Anti Robbery Squad swung into action and through intelligence gathering, arrested one of the brothers, Olubunmi Ojo, who led them to his brother, Adekunle.

A Tecno mobile phone stolen from the victim was recovered from Olubunmi who confessed that his brother, Adekunle, gave it to him.

Upon interrogation, Adekunle, according to the police chief, confessed to the crime and fingered other members of the gang.

He later led the detectives to Ado Ekiti where the stolen BMW car was recovered.

Suspected female suicide bomber set ablaze in Bauchi B

By Suzan Edeh

AUCHI — A suspected female suicide bomber was yesterday burnt by an angry mob in Mudal Lawal market in Bauchi, Bauchi State.

The incident, which occurred at about 7:00 pm attracted residents who rushed to the market area to behold the burnt body of the lady.

An eyewitness told Vanguard on phone that the alleged bomber refused to be screened and attempted to escape, sensing that she could not achieve her mission.

“A female, wearing a long hijab wanted to enter the market, but

was stopped at the entrance to be searched.

“The security team at the market started to suspect that she was carrying an Improvised Explosive Devise, IED, which made her to refuse the screening at the market.

“Sensing that she could not achieve her mission, the suspected bomber attempted to escape but the angry mob went into action and set her ablaze."

Confirming the incident, state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Haruna Mohammed, said: “The lady was attacked by irate mob who took the law into their

hands and set her ablaze.

“As a result, she died on the spot before rescue could come. Police patrol teams, including Explosive Ordinance Disposal unit rushed to the scene, dispersed the crowd and restored normalcy to the area.”

The PPRO said the case was under investigation and that intensive patrol was ongoing in the area to apprehend the perpetrators and prevent further breakdown of law and order.

He then warned members of the public against taking the law into their hands, adding that anyone arrested would face the full wrath of the law.

Children fetching water from a well at Liman Katagum District in Bauchi State. Photo: NAN

Policeman, suspected robber die in gun battle in Calabar man dead.”

By Emmanuel Una

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ALABAR— AN attempt by a suspect to disarm a police corporal in Calabar, weekend, ended in the death of the Policeman, while colleagues of the dead policeman also gunned down the suspect.

An eye witness who gave his name as Ikechuckwu, told Vanguard that a team of policemen on patrol stopped a taxi in front of 268 Murtala Muhammed highway (8 Miles) and asked two men seated at the back of the taxi to alight but they refused.

Their refusal allegedly prompted the police to use force to bring them out and when one of the men was forced out of the cab, he tried to disarm the policeman which ended in a scuffle between the two and in the process, the gun discharged and killed the policeman on the spot.

According to Ikechuckwu, "the police van blocked the taxi and asked the two men at the back seat

to alight but they refused and the police had to force them out and after they alighted, one of them tried to collect a gun from one of the policemen.

"A struggle ensued and in the process, the gun discharged and killed the policeman, and in anger, another policeman shot the

When contacted, Mr Hogan Bassey, the state Police spokesman, said the incident was a gun duel between the police and armed robbers.

“Robbers fired and killed one of our men and our men fired back and killed one of the robbers,” he said.

Oil marketer remanded over alleged N36.7m fraud

By Onozure Dania

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AGOS — AN Ebute Meta Chief Magistrate’s Court sitting in Oyingbo, Lagos State has remanded an oil marketer, Otunba Aremu Lola-Anjorin, in prison custody pending when he is able to meet his bail applications over alleged N36.7 million fraud.

The oil marketer and his firm, Bonvic Gold Oil Limited, were charged before Magistrate O. Olatunji, on a four-count charge of obtaining money under false pretence, stealing and issuance of dud cheque.

The prosecutor, Inspector Goddy Osuyi, told the court that the defendant, 42, and a resident of 4, Aladelola Street, Ikosi-Ketu, Lagos State, and his oil firm, were alleged to have received petroleum products from different people between 2012 and 2014, and failed to pay them.

He also told the court that the defendant also issued Ecobank and FCMB cheques which were returned upon presentation at the bank for lack of funds in his account.

Some of the people defrauded by the defendant include Ernest Uduebor, N2.5 million; Kenneth Eromosele, N20.9 million; Basil Ogoha, N8.9 million; and Ibukunoluwa Otesile, N4.8 million.

Magistrate Olatunji admitted the defendant to the bail in the sum of N1 million with two responsible sureties.

He, however, ordered that the defendant be remanded in prisons’ custody, pending the time he was able to perfect his bail.

The case was adjourned till March 27 for mention.

My girlfriend drove me into robbery, says 17-yr-old suspect

By Francis Igata

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NUGU — OPERATIVES of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, Enugu State police command, have arrested one Uchenna Ikwuegbu who was allegedly on the verge of launching a robbery attack on residents of Maryland axis of Enugu.

The suspect, 17, who hails from Odida-Abatete, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State, residing at 10, Road 23, Upper-North, Trans-Ekulu, Enugu, was

arrested on February 16, following surveillance reports.

He was arrested with a locally-made pistol, cut to seize with two live cartridges.

The suspect said: “I acquired the gun from a timber mill at Maryland. The urge to meet up with the demands from my girlfriend, Chinaza, living at Uwani axis of Enugu, propelled me into robbery.

“I had acquired the gun to unleash robbery attacks on residents of Maryland in order to dispossess them of their valuables.

“I was on the verge of carrying out the act when the operatives swooped on me. I do not know how they knew I was carrying a gun. I am so ashamed of myself now. I do not know what led me into this.

“My parents are crying their hearts out over this incident.

They are so disappointed in me. I want to call on teenagers like me to shun robbery and other nefarious activities because the security operatives are always watching.”

8—Vanguard, MONDAY, MARCH 2, 2015

PRISON CONGESTION: CJN asks magistrates to liberalise bail conditions

50 Fed Ministry of Works' contract firms forge tax certificates —ICPC zSaves N100bn discovered from 45,000 ghost workers zProsecutes proprietors of 26 illegal degree awarding institutions zRescues female undergraduate victimized for 12 yrs by lecturers zJonathan fights corruption more than other administrations —Senate

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

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BUJA — WORRIED by the rising figures of awaiting trial inmates in various prison facilities across the federation, Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, has asked magistrates to stop imposing stringent bail conditions on accused persons involved in minor offences.

The CJN, who gave the directive when the national executives of the Magistrates Association of Nigeria, led by its acting National President, Chief Magistrate Victoria Isiguzo, paid him and 15 other Justices of the Supreme Court a courtesy visit during the weekend, said some magistrates were to be blamed for the level of congestion in the prisons.

He said it was regrettable that minor offenders are sometimes ordered to meet harsh and untenable bail terms, even as he stressed that the essence of bail is not to punish an accused person but to secure his attendance to appear in court for trial.

Besides, the CJN noted that a large number of persons are detained without charge while others are detained pending further investigation.

He further decried that people are sometimes detained on the basis of a First Information Report, FIR, which he said upon examination, may operate as holding charge while the prosecutor seeks more evidence to back up his trial.

Mahmud described the practice as unjust, noting that in most of the cases, suspects who are yet to be declared guilty by a competent court, often find themselves incarcerated.

He, therefore, called on magistrates to stop indulging the police by admitting to bail a suspect whose case the police are not ready to prosecute.

According to the CJN, “a corollary to this is the imposition of such bail terms which an accused has no real hope of meeting. I wish to use this medium to counsel magistrates to judiciously and carefully exercise their discretion to remand and consider alternatives to detention where possible, and to set reasonable bail terms as appropriate."

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By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

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BUJA—IT was a shocking revelation at the ongoing budget defence in the Senate, Friday, as Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, ICPC, Mr. Ekpo Nta, disclosed that 50 of the 156 major companies doing contracts with the Federal Ministry of Works were allegedly operating with forged tax certificates.

Apart from that, the ICPC boss also told the Senate Committee on Drugs, Narcotics, Financial Crimes and Anti-Corruption that his agency had discovered about 45,000 ghost workers in the Federal Ministry of Finance, and had succeeded in saving N100 billion for the Federal Government.

Nta further said his agency had closed down over 26 illegal degree awarding institutions in the country and was currently prosecuting their proprietors, adding that because of the robust relationship the anti-graft agency has with the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, some of the staff of the service and that of the Bureau for Public Procurement that were not doing the right thing had been jailed.

According to him, the management of all the 56 firms allegedly involved in forged tax certificates were currently being prosecuted for not paying the correct taxes to the Federal Government.

The ICPC boss, who described the development as worrisome, said the affected firms had denied tertiary institutions across the country their appropriate funding since the Tertiary Education Funds are monies paid in form of taxes by companies.

He said: “We have gone into direct intervention with Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS and discovered that most of the big companies that do business for government have not been paying correct taxes or have been using forged documents.

Forged tax certificates

“I can give you clear examples. Of 156 companies that did business with the Federal Ministry of Works, over 50 had forged tax certificates and we are prosecuting them, and that has now led to a total change in respect of persons who want to get involved in government business.

DINNER: From left: Mr. UK Eke, Executive Director, South, FirstBank of Nigeria Plc; Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River State; Dr. Oba Otudeko, Group Chairman, FBN Holdings Plc; Mrs. Obioma Liyel-Imoke, First Lady of Cross River State, and Mr. Bisi Onasanya, Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, FirstBank of Nigeria Limited at Women Development and Child Protection Centre, WODAC, fundraising dinner, in Lagos.

“You know that TEDFUND depends on monies that come from companies. So if you don’t pay company taxes, TEDFUND does not get the money they should get to improve the education sector and that is why we targeted taxation to help improve funding of these other sectors of the economy.

“Of course, you know what we have done in the Ministry of Finance, on the issue of ghost workers, where over 45,000 ghost workers were discovered, that has saved over a N100 billion.

“We have a robust relationship with the Federal Inland Revenue Service. We have actually jailed some of their staff that are not doing the right thing and of course we now work hand in hand with the Bureau for Public Procurement.

“So if anyone provides false statistics through bidding exercise they will refer you to us and that has now started cleaning out that sector.”

Female undergrad victimized for 12 yrs

Nta also told the committee that ICPC had saved a female undergraduate of the Ambrose Ali University, Ekpoma who was allegedly victimized by some of her lecturers for 12 years on campus because she refused to give in to their sexual overtures.

He said: “Now, there is a student at the University of

Nigeria Nsukka, who spent eight years without graduation and was being victimized, we moved in, and through us he graduated.

“We moved into Ambrose Ali University. A girl stayed there for 12 years on the basis of sexual harassment, she has graduated and we are working on prosecuting all the officials involved.”

He said the ICPC had ensured the release of N25 billion for projects in the Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education through TEDFUND and that the money was released to the deserving institutions that had been tied up in their system.

On fight against corruption

Chairman, Senate Committee on Drugs, Narcotics, Financial Crimes and Anti Corruption, Senator Victor Lar, commended the agency for its efforts at ensuring sanity, stressing that the current administration had done well in fighting corruption because of the steadfastness and doggedness of the ICPC and its sister agencies.

Lar had earlier stated at the budget defence of N542,199,776 for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, that the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan had fought corruption more than any other administration in the country.

To buttress his point, the Plateau South Senator said under President Jonathan-led

administration, EFCC has secured 136 convictions, an indication that the government has secured more convictions against corrupt officials and economic saboteurs.

He said that people criticized the present government of not doing enough to fight corruption because Nigerians were impatient, adding that the difference between the present administration and the previous ones was that the present follows due process.

He said: “Let me shock you by boldly asserting and declaring that contrary to the general impression being held in certain quarters, the Jonathan Goodluck administration has fought corruption more than any other administration. Under this administration, the various agencies have secured more convictions against corrupt officials and economic saboteurs.

“Indeed over 600 convictions were cumulatively secured by EFCC, ICPC with that of the NDLEA (National Drug Law Enforcement Agency) destroying a regional record of hard drugs.

“In fact, the discovery and destruction of three methamphetamine making factories in Lagos has continued to confound the international community."

Vanguard, MONDAY, MARCH 2, 2015—9

Suicide bombers on the prowl, be vigilant, military warns Nigerians

By Kingsley Omonobi

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BUJA— AGAINST the backdrop of the massive air bombardments and artillery pounding of Boko Haram terrorists in the North-East, military authorities have issued a security alert warning of plans by the group to carry out suicide bombings in several parts of the country.

The plot, it was gathered, is aimed at diverting attention from the epicentre of the terror war in North-East with the killing of unsuspecting members of the public in a soft target siege at such places like markets, recreation grounds, gardens and important national monuments.

Nigerian troops in collaboration with forces from neighbouring countries on the platform of the Multinational Joint Task Force, MJTF, have decimated most of the operational bases of Boko Haram terrorists while many of them have been killed.

In their bid to remain relevant and attract importance, the group has once again reverted to the use of suicide bombers in its evil campaign against Nigeria as witnessed in places like Kano, Jos, Yobe etc.

The security alert wants Nigerians to be vigilant and on the look-out for potential suicide bombers already brainwashed and probably drugged by the terrorists. Top intelligence sources insisted that Boko Haram members, in their desperation to escape the military onslaughts on their camps and their bid to retaliate such offensive, may have resorted to suicide bombings which was their hit-and-run tactic used mostly between 2012 and 2013.

This time around, however, the terrorists have been using children and teenagers especially females to perpetrate their nefarious activities on soft targets in some Northern states.

“Their major mission is to attack soft targets like motor parks, schools, worship centres, markets among others for maximum casualty among the citizens,” a source said.

It was further gathered that some of the explosive devices used for suicide bombing were dynamite materials stolen from quarry industries within and outside the country.

However, the collaboration against religious extremism forged by countries around the Lake Chad Basin has so far frustrated the insurgents that it is now difficult for them to strike in Nigeria and run to neighbouring countries who have sealed off their borders against the terrorists hence the resort to soft targets.

In the last two weeks, several

towns and local governments in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States, including the training facilities and logistic dumps of the insurgents have been reclaimed by Nigerians troops.

Reacting to the development, Directorate of State Services, DSS, in a statement issued at the

weekend said: “It has become evident that following the successful, sustained air raids and intense combat operations by the military on insurgents’ positions in the North-East which had effectively degraded the capacity of the terrorists, its members are now in disarray and have resorted to taking out their anger on hapless civilians

and soft targets.

“This development accounts for the recent spate of attacks recorded in Yobe, Kano, Borno and Plateau States with intent of distracting security forces.

“Accordingly, this Service wishes to advice members of the public to be vigilant especially in crowded environment and when travelling. Commuters should

desist from boarding unmarked vehicles along the road and only use designated motor parks.

“We also reiterate our call on motor park managers to ensure proper screening of vehicles, persons and luggage entering their premises. They should also look out for new faces who show up as drivers and conductors.”

Fuel scarcity worsens as NNPC promises improved supply zAccuses retail outlets of sharp practices

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By Michael Eboh, Sebastine Obasi & Francis Igata

BUJA — The fuel crisis across the country worsened, weekend, as most of the petrol stations were shut down leaving motorists stranded.

This was in spite of claims by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, on Friday, that it is injecting about 688 million of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, into the market.

Motorists had to resort to the black market, where roadside petrol sellers now sell the commodity for as high as N250 per litre.

However, the NNPC, yesterday, promised that it was working to ensure that the situation is addressed quickly and assured Nigerians that the fuel supply situation will improve in the coming days.

Responding to enquiries from Vanguard, spokesperson for the NNPC, Mr. Ohi Alegbe, said: “On Friday, we had stated that in 48 hours we will wet the market with 688 million litres of petrol.

Distribution of products is by trucking. You will agree that it is some distance from the depots and tank farms in the south to the depots and retail outlets in the hinterland. Expectedly, the queues should disappear before long.”

Furthermore, Alegbe blamed the scarcity on panic buying by motorists and sharp practices by some retail outlets who are hoarding the commodity, thereby frustrating efforts to stem the scarcity.

He said the NNPC had informed the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, of these sharp practices by some petrol stations’ owners for adequate sanctions against them.

He said: “Panic buying has persisted in spite of our appeal to motorists. Secondly, some retail outlets are hoarding the product by dispensing from only one pump head. We have reported some of them to the DPR and we believe appropriate sanctions will be meted out to them appropriately.

Also, a source in the DPR disclosed that the scarcity currently being experienced in Abuja is as a result of panic buying and not because of non-availability of petrol.

HANDOVER: From left: New Managing Director of Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, of Nigeria and Country Chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria, Mr. Osagie Okunbor; his predecessor, Mr. Mutiu Sunmonu; and Shell's Vice President, Nigeria and Gabon, Mr. Markus Droll during the handover of the Shell leadership by Sunmonu who retired on February 28, 2015 after 36 years of service to Okunbor, According to the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, DPR officers in depots across the country and even in the FCT have been sending in reports of availability of the commodity at the various depots and liftings by trucks to various petrol stations.

The source said: “The DPR had also had discussions with a number of petrol stations’ owners who told us that panic buying is responsible for the long queues.

“A particular owner of one of the petrol stations told us that he received a tanker load of fuel on Friday morning and is expecting to receive another consignment of the product before the end of the day. So, it is evident that the product is not scarce, just people buying the commodity out of fear of the unknown.”

In addition, the source urged motorists to avoid panic buying as there are large quantity of the products in depots across the country.

In the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, almost all the petrol stations in Wuse, Maitama, Nyanya, Abuja-Keffi expressway, Asokoro, Jabi, Gwarinpa, Kubwa Expressway, Airport Road among others were

closed while the few that were selling had long queues of motorists to contend with.

Some residents told Vanguard that they had to abandon their vehicles at home throughout the weekend, hoping to conserve the little fuel they had for their journey to their various offices during the week. Some of the respondents called on the Federal Government to intervene urgently and bring the situation under control, before it escalates.

Lagos

Fuel scarcity has also worsened in Lagos with long queues observed in filling stations in some parts of the city.

Vanguard learnt that the situation was made worse by the agitation of independent marketers that the Federal Government needs to pay them the difference occasioned by the sudden reduction from N97 to N87 per litre. The marketers had claimed to have imported fuel earlier based on the N97 price and had expected to be reimbursed.

To make good their threat, they have resorted to hoarding the product, thereby creating artificial scarcity. Most filling stations now open at night and sell at N100 per

litre. Techno, Oando and MRS filling stations on OjoduAbiodun Road, by Ojodu Berger area of Lagos were seen closed when Vanguard visited.

Vehicles were parked along the road hoping to get the product, while the attendants refused to comment on the situation.

In Enugu

Residents of Enugu and its environs have also lamented the scarcity of petroleum product. A motorist, Mr. Amaechi Ukwuani, regretted that”the scarcity has led to a hike in pump price of fuel in the state. Some of the filing stations where the product is available sell between N110 and N115 against government price of N87.

“The operators have cashed in on the scarcity to alter the meter reading. The quantity of product they dispense per litre is less than what it ought to be.

Apart from the alteration, the quality of the product is questionable too. The situation has led to hike in fares for intercity and intra-city transport services.”

10 — Vanguard, MONDAY, MARCH 2, 2015

Ambode gets royal backing

By Dapo Akinrefon

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HE Epe Council of Obas weekend, endorsed the candidacy of the All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship candidate in Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode.

The endorsement came at a meeting of Ambode with the Obas at the Palace of the Alara of Ilara, HRN Oba Akeem Adesanya.

Oba Adesanya, who led 16 other royal fathers to bestow blessings on the APC governorship candidate, expressed confidence in Ambode’s leadership capabilities.

They described Ambode as a worthy son, “who is set to take Epe and the entire state to a whole new level of excellent governance.”

In his remarks, a retired Supreme Court Justice, and a leader in Epe, Justice George Oguntade, noted that that the APC candidate “has long been singled out for excellence from the entire crop of Lagos State governorship aspirants, largely because of his competent and benevolent antecedent, adding that he has rightfully earned the endorsement.

Commending the traditional rulers for the blessing, Ambode said that their support has been instrumental to his emergence as a favourite to serve the state in the next four years.

He said “I can say that I’ve been privileged to gather the needed experience to serve Epe and our state further, but I can’t do it alone. I thank you my Fathers so much for this overwhelming expression of support and prayers. I promise not to fail you, God helping me.”

Labour, Lagos at war over planned privatization of water supply

By Victor Ahiuma-Young

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AGOS—ORGANISED Labour and Lagos State government are heading for a showdown over plans by the state government to privatized water supply in the state, with labour threatening industrial action

among others to force the state government to abandon its plan.

Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees, AUPCTRE, in a statement, weekend, called on well meaning citizens of the state to rise up against the plan

INTERACTIVE SESSION: From left; Oloja of Epe, Oba Kamoru Ishola; Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC), governorship candidate, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode; Alara of Ilara Land, Oba Akeem Adesanya and Justice George Oguntade at the Interactive Session with royal fathers in Epe Lagos.

Produce my supposed N.5m tax receipt, Agbaje challenges Fashola

By Dapo Akinrefon

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According to him, “Good enough, Fashola is a lawyer, so he knows the maxim that: He that alleges must prove. So, I challenge the governor to show Lagosians the receipt issued to either me or JayKay Pharmacy since February, when he told his first lie.”

Faulting the governor for equating an individual with a corporate entity, Agbaje said “It is basic law, civil, contract, criminal, that an individual is different from a corporate body, and one can

A G O S — T H E governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in Lagos State, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, has challenged Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, to present the tax receipt Agbaje was supposed to have paid after being publicly accused of evading land use charges on his business premises.

Governor Fashola had last week alleged that the PDP governorship candidate had paid N500,000 of the total sum of N1.6 million reportedly owed from the backlog of three years’ Land Use Charge tax.

By Innocent Anaba Agbaje, in a statement by his Director of Publicity, Felix AGOS—THREE lawyers Oboagwina, challenged the have dragged the Lagos State governor to Independent National Electoral produce the tax receipt.

Commission, INEC, before a

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AGOS—THE leader of O’odua Peoples Congress, OPC, Chief Gani Adams, has warned the Federal Government not to make the military take over the duties of the Police during the March and April elections.

Adams, however threw his weight behind the deployment of solders to crisis-prone areas in the country.

He also noted that so far, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has not shown that it was ready to conduct the forthcoming elections without

benefit from or suffer for what the other has done and I shall continue to wonder why a Senior Advocate of Nigeria would insist on roping me in on what a company has purportedly done, even though he knows quite well what the law says.”

Setting the records straight, the governorship candidate said that JayKay Pharmacy continued to maintain that it owed the government no land use charges.

Agbaje noted that “There is no

truth in this latest piece of misinformation that the governor is spreading around. He lied again, giving the impression that my company paid money after his initial outburst and his first lie.

JayKay Pharmacy has not paid a kobo since the day Fashola launched his initial allegation. To say that I have now paid N500,000 is a lie. My company sticks to the facts contained in its initial publication, which contained its reaction to Fashola’s initial lies.”

3 lawyers sue INEC over inability to get PVCs

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Don't militarise coming elections, Adams warns FG

By Lawani Mikairu

to privatise water supply in the state, warning that “over a billion people today do not have safe water to drink. There is therefore, a global water crisis of epic proportions. Globally, national and locally, governments face a tremendous challenge to find the political will to deliver safe and

clean water to their communities.

“We condemn in strong terms the intention of Lagos State Government to go ahead with the planned privatization or commercialization of Lagos Water which in turn will further pauperize the down trodden people of Lagos. The union wishes to call on all well meaning Lagosians, in particular and Nigerians in general to join and support the union in this noble struggle.”

In a statement by AUPCTRE President, Adelegan Solomon, the union lamented that today, the World Bank was aggressively promoting private water contracts to governments through “Public Private Partnership, PPPs,” adding “The experience of the past 30 years shows that PPPs in the water sector has failed all segments of the society. Look at cities that have decided to take back from public hands: In the North, you have Paris, Berlin, Budapest, Atlanta; Buenos Aires in Argentina; Bogota in Colombia and on our continent: Amman, Bamako, Rabat, Tanger, Johannesburg, Dares Salaam. Jakarta in Indonesia will be next.''

disenfranchising most of the eligible voters.

He explained that in the South West alone, ''No fewer than five million registered voters were yet to collect their Permanent Voter’s Cards, PVCs, same in several geo-political zones across the country.''

Speaking at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos on his way to Atlanta, Georgia, United States to receive a cultural award, Adams urged the government to ensure civility throughout the period of the elections, adding that the deployment of army for

the elections must be minimised across the country.

He added that, initially, he was among those that kicked against the deployment of solders for elections purposes, but noted that the government was acting on intelligence reports.

He said, “I am one of those that kicked against the idea at the initial stage because I thought the ruling party wanted to use it to win elections, but later, we realised that they acted on intelligence reports that there would be crises after the declaration of results in Osun and Ekiti States.''

Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, over their inability to obtain their permanent voter cards, PVCs. The plaintiffs said they were informed that their data were allegedly wiped off after they were duly registered and therefore, there were no PVCs for them.

According to them, despite the fact that INEC shifted the PVC collection date to March 8, they have no hope of collecting theirs because their data were wiped off from INEC’s database.

The lawyers; Chijioke Emeka, Kalu Uduma and Emeka Odikpo, are praying the court to declare that their civil and legal rights would be breached if INEC fails to issue them their PVCs or provide them an alternative means of exercising their franchise.

They also want the court to declare that should they be excluded from the March 28 and

April 11 elections due to no fault of theirs, they were not entitled to legal damages.

The plaintiffs are also praying for an order directing INEC to issue them their PVCs or make other alternative arrangements to enable them vote.

According to them, their rights will be breached as a result of INEC’s “negligence or mismanagement of its data-base or any other internal hitches,” which resulted in the loss of data in the units in which they registered.

Trial judge, Justice Ibrahim Buba granted the plaintiffs leave to serve the originating summons on INEC in Abuja. The court also abridged to eight days the time within which the defendant may enter appearance in the suit.

The judge ordered accelerated hearing of the suit in view of its urgency, and directed parties to file written addresses.

Vanguard, MONDAY, MARCH 2, 2015—11

8,046 displaced in South-West in two months —NEMA

By Bose Adelaja

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HE National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, has disclosed that it has recorded 8,046 disaster victims chiefly from fire and windstorm in Lagos, Ogun and Oyo states in the first two months of 2015.

The victims, it said, were affected in seven major incidents with Lagos State having 1,064 persons.

A statement by NEMA SouthWest Information Officer, Ibrahim Farinloye, said out of the figure, Iwaya community recorded 652 persons while Berlin Street, Marina fire disasters recorded 412 victims who have been provided with relief materials by NEMA through the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA. In Ogun State, Igbo Aje Market, Ilaro, of Yewa South had 306 traders affected by a market fire outbreak which occurred on January 27, 2015.

About 6,676 persons were affected in four different incidents of wind and rainstorm disasters which occurred in six communities of Ilaro in Afijio Local Government Area; Lagbondoke and Agunpopo communities of Atiba LGA; Irewole and Isokan

communities in Oyo West LGA and Oko town in Surulere LGA, all of Oyo State. According to NEMA, all the incidents occurred between February 9 and 10, 2015.

The agency said two persons were injured in Irewole Community of Oyo West LGA and 1,251 shops were affected in the three states.

Meanwhile, NEMA has

delivered relief materials to victims of fire disaster at Iwaya Community in Yaba LCDA of Lagos State, through the state government. The food and nonfood relief materials such as 300 bags of cement, 400 bundles of roofing sheets, 500 pieces of wax prints wrappers, 200 pieces of Guinea Brocade, 100 pieces of children wears, 100 bags of garri, 40 cartons of 3 in 1 tea,

60 packets of roofing sheet nails, 60 bags of 3" inches nails, 150 bags of rice, 500 pieces of blankets, 500 pieces of mosquitoes treated net and other assorted consumables were handed over to LASEMA for distribution to the Iwaya community fire disaster victims in conjunction with the respective local government and community authorities.

THANKSGIVING: From left, Osemawe of Ondo Kingdom, Oba Victor Kiladejo; Ondo State Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko; Presiding Pastor of Living Faith Church, aka Winners Chapel, Akure, Pastor Akintunde Odia and his wife, Deaconess, Arinola Odia at the thanksgiving service to commemorate the 6th anniversary of Governor Mimiko in office, at the Living Faith Church, in Akure, weekend.

Violence in Ogun as APC, PDP clash at Amosun’s campaign

By Daud Olatunji

scampered for safety while some innocent members of the public were BEOKUTA—THE re- reportedly injured. election campaign of Chairman, PDP, Ikenne Local Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Government, Gboyega Ogunfowokan, Ogun State turned bloody during accused members of the APC of his visit to Remo North Local masterminding the violence.

Council of the state, when the He said: “The PDP remains lawsupporters of the All Progressives abiding and will always be of good Congress, APC, and the Peoples conduct, despite several provocations Democratic Party, PDP, clashed and record of various attacks among leaving some people injured. which was the January 17, 2015 The clash which occurred, weekend, also led to the destruction of some vehicles, shops and billboards belonging to the PDP House of Representatives candidate for

By Dapo Akinrefon Remo federal constituency, Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu.

HE Peoples Democratic An eye witness said that the Party, PDP, senatorial candidate violence occurred when the APC for Ogun East, Prince Buruji Kashamu, senatorial candidate for Ogun has said that the suit seeking to East, Prince Dapo Abiodun and disqualify him from contesting the APC’s House of Assembly March 28, National Assembly elections candidate, Ikenne state has no substance. constituency, Olusola Sonuga, Two members of the PDP in Ijebu embarked on a walk across Iperu North and Sagamu Local Government with their supporters.

Areas of the state have filed a suit at It was gathered that during the the Federal High Court, Abeokuta, walk on the old Lagos-Ibadan seeking to disqualify Kashamu from Road of the town, members of the contesting the elections. parties clashed and dangerous Their prayers were premised on two weapons were used in the free for grounds: That Kashamu had been all. charged and/or convicted of some During the mayhem, people drug-related offences in the United

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Ogun people under terrible condition —OBADARA

By Daud Olatunji

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B E O K U TA — A chieftain of Social Democratic Party, SDP, in Ogun State and a senatorial candidate from Ogun Central, Senator Gbenga Obadara, has said that Ogun State indigenes and residents are under a terrible condition under the current administration of Governor Ibikunle Amosun.

Obadara, who said this in Abeokuta during the commissioning of some projects he facilitated during his four-year stewardship, claimed that the administration of Amosun has plunged the state into a frightening debt.

He said: “The essence of governance is to positively affect the lives of the citizenry by improving their standards of living but the reverse is the case in Ogun State. The citizenry are living in a very harsh condition.

Many can no longer fend for their families.

Governance is not about impoverishing the governed but the improvement of their standards of living."

incident, when our secretariat at Ikenne was vandalised and various items including the party flags were destroyed.

Reacting to the allegation, Chairman Media and Publicity of Amosun campaign Organisation, Femi Sowoolu, absolved the APC of any blame. He said the governor was too busy with his work for him to have time for violence, adding that the APC was on ground and did not need to unleash violence on the people of the state.

No substance in suit against me States; and that he allegedly pre—KASHAMU sented a forged certificate to the In-

T

dependent National Electoral Commission, INEC, or failed to present any.

Kashamu, in a statement, said that his lawyers will address the issues at the appropriate forum and time, urging his supporters to remain calm noting that the allegations lack substance and are of no consequence whatsoever.

He said: “I have not been charged or convicted of any offences whether here in Nigeria or anywhere else in the world. The Interpol and other relevant agencies, including the courts in the United Kingdom and Nigeria, have exonerated me of the unfounded allegations.”

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12—Vanguard, MONDAY, MARCH 2, 2015

EPZ: Jonathan directs Uduaghan to resolve Tompolo/Ayiri face-off A

By Emma Amaize

SABA—PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has directed Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State to resolve the no love lost relationship between former militant and Ijaw leader, Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, and Itsekiri youth leader, Chief Ayiri Emami, which blew open, weekend, at his meeting with them in Asaba, the state capital.

He also asked the governor to ensure that the two Ijaw and Itsekiri leaders from the riverine Kurutie community, Gbaramatu Kingdom and Ugborodo respectively in Warri SouthWest Local Government Area work as friends, henceforth, with respect to the $16 billion Delta Gas City project, which groundbreaking had been rescheduled for March 15.

A source who was at the meeting, told Vanguard that “Even though the president broke the protracted deadlock on the groundbreaking ceremony, it was obvious to him that there was a cold war between Tompolo and Ayiri, the resolution of which is critical,

Accord Party, part of PDP in Delta, says Obia

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CHIEFTAIN of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Delta State, Chief Kainji Obia, has said that the Accord Party is part of the PDP in Delta State, adding that he has, therefore, been campaigning for the victory of the Accord Party candidate for the House of Representatives, Ika constituency, Doris Uboh and Victor Ochei for Senate, Delta North senatorial district.

Obia, Director General of Doris Uboh Campaign Organisation and also the Ika South Local Government Area Coordinator of Team Ochei, in a chat with newsmen, yesterday, said: “I am a card carrying member of the PDP, despite the fact that I am working for Doris Uboh and Victor Ochei, Accord Party House of Representatives and senatorial candidates respectively.

“We are working on the precedents set by our PDP leaders in Ika South, who worked for the opposition in 2011."

not just to the groundbreaking, but to the project itself after the foundational ceremony. That was why he instructed the governor to work out an acceptable position with the parties before the groundbreaking.

“He believes that Governor Uduaghan knows and understands the two warring leaders more than he does, and

as the chief security officer of the state, he is in a better position to settle the bone of contention between them,” the source added.

Following the presidential directive, the governor is expected to call a meeting of all relevant stakeholders, including the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, in the next few days, to discuss

and fine-tune arrangements for the groundbreaking ceremony of the Delta Gas City project.

“Of course, Tompolo and Ayiri will attend the meeting. They are the principal actors, whose opinions cannot be ignored for a successful groundbreaking, as well as peaceful operation at the Delta Gas City project site subsequently,” the source added.

DECORATION: From left: Captain Godfrey Ogbogu, Head, Flights Operations, Medview Airline; Captain Habib Diakaby and Eng. Lookman Animashaun, Deputy Managing Director, during the decoration of Capt Diakaby as the first in-house trained captain of Medview Airline, in Lagos. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele.

Police bar factional UPU meetings at Uvwiamughe

By Egufe Yafugborhi & Perez Brisibe

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ARRI—DELTA State Police Command has barred both the Chief Joe Omeme and Chief Tuesday Onoge factions of the Urhobo Progress Union, UPU, from holding any gathering at the Uvwiamughe national secretariat of the Urhobo apex leadership organ.

Policemen in about four Toyota Hilux vans, as early as 8a.m., on Saturday, stormed the centre which was supposed to be the venue for two different events by both factions of the UPU holding on the same day and was expected to start at about the same time.

When Vanguard visited the centre, the battle ready policemen were seen strategically positioned at different parts of the vicinity while guests who had come for the events, were asked to go back to their respective abodes.

The same was the case when over 40 members of an Urhobo youth group visited the venue with the intention of

participating in the inauguration of the Ighelle (youth) wing of the UPU by one of the factions. Policemen at the venue asked them to go back, stating that they had been mandated to seal off the premises, adding that there would be no programme at the centre as announced.

Contacted, the state Police

Public Relations Officer, Celestina Kalu, said the deployment of policemen to the centre was a measure taken to maintain peace. He said the Commanding Officer of the Ughelli Area Command, Mr. Aleli Pedro had deployed his men to the venue to prevent a likely breakdown of law and order.

Oshiomhole remains Edo North leader for life —ALIMIKHENA

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DO North All Progressives Congress, APC, senatorial candidate, Major General Francis Alimikhena, has challenged Mr Abubakar Momoh, member representing Etsako federal constituency at the National Assembly over his claim of leadership vacuum in Edo North in 2016 at the expiration of Governor Adams Oshiomhole's tenure as the governor of the state.

Momoh was quoted as saying that “Oshiomhole’s tenure will expire next year

and there will be a leadership vacuum in Edo North.”

Alimikhena chided Momoh over what he described as his desperation and disrespect for his political leader, adding that it was a slap to the face of the people of Edo North for Momoh to imagine himself as a political leader in the next dispensation in the senatorial district of a serving governor, who gave him political relevance.

“Leadership is not for children and Edo North is not in search for a leader,” he said.

Dickson vows to diversify Bayelsa economy

By Samuel Oyadongha

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E N A G O A — GOVERNOR Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has said that the major focus of his administration was to transform the state's economy from a consuming to a production-oriented one to cushion the effects of dwindling oil revenues.

Dickson, in an interview programme in Yenagoa, noted that the present economic realities in the country have vindicated his earlier stance of diversifying the economy.

Highlighting the measures put in place to actualise the new economic blueprint, Dickson said apart from formulating sound fiscal and investment policies, the government had established a micro finance bank to drive the development of small and medium scale enterprises.

Why Jega must go, by Anighoro

By Akpokona Omafuaire

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ARRI—THE Spokesman of the Niger Delta Peoples Salvation Front, NDPSF, Mr Rex Anighoro, weekend, gave reasons why Prof. Attahiru Jega, Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, must resign.

Anighoro alleged that Jega had compromised his integrity towards the conduct of the coming presidential election.

He spoke when he led over a thousand placards wielding youths in a peaceful protest, which caused serious vehicular traffic in Effurun.

The group alleged that Jega had tilted the coming pools in favour of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.

Anighoro accused Jega of allegedly perfecting plans to confer electoral victory on Buhari in order to return him to power through what he termed unfair electoral process.

Vanguard, MONDAY, MARCH 2, 2015—13

One killed, others injured as gunmen attack PDP rally in Rivers

By Jimitota Onoyume

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ORT HARCOURT— ONE person was shot dead and several others injured when gunmen opened fire at the governorship campaign rally of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Bakana, Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State, Saturday evening.

Eye witnesses said that the governorship candidate of the PDP, Mr Nyesom Wike, was addressing the rally when the gunmen invaded the venue shooting sporadically, a development that caused stamped and panic.

But Mr. Simeon Nwaka, media aide Nwike, said his principal was leaving the venue when the gunmen stormed the place.

Vanguard gathered that one person, whose identity could not be confirmed at press time, died on the spot while the shooting was on.

Among those who escaped unhurt were the Minister of Sports, Mr Tammy Danagogo, deputy governorship candidate of the party, Dr Ipalibo Banigo and many

I'm the Ndowka, Anioma candidate, says Ogboru

of All Progressives Congress, APC, in its investigation.

He said: “The attack is criminal, barbaric and orchestrated by the APC to destabilise the state and derail the elections, having come to the realisation that Rivers people have resolved to unanimously vote for the PDP. “The interrogation and arrest of the Rivers APC

governorship candidate, Mr Dakuku Peterside and Mr Dan Amachree, factional Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, will help the police in their investigation to get at all the APC members involved. “ He appealed to PDP members in the state to remain calm.

PRESENTATION: Akwa Ibom State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate, Udom Emmanuel displaying a souvenir presented to him by transporters in Uyo, the state capital, weekend.

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ELTA State All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship candidate, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, has assured that the APC will form the next government of Nigeria, adding that history was about to be made as Nigerians were tired of the ruling party that has continued to plunge the nation into economic backwardness.

He spoke when his campaign team paid a courtesy call to the apex socio-cultural body of Ndokwa Nation, Ndokwa Neku Union, NNU, at Umuachi Afor, in Ndokwa East Local Government Area of the state.

Emerhor, who was elated by the reception accorded him by the people of Ndokwa nation, told the crowd that Nigerians were tired of the PDP misrule, stressing that Nigerians were clamouring for a change of government.

He lamented that the country’s economy has been bastardized by the ruling party, adding that insecurity, poverty, unemployment and lack of infrastructure were some of the failures of the PDPled government.

Akenzua warns against death wish campaigns

By Jane Onozure

By Simon Ebegbulem

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ABOUR Party, LP, governorship candidate in Delta State, Chief Great Ogboru, yesterday, said he is the authentic Ndokwa and Anioma candidate for next month’s election.

Speaking at a reception for him by the Ndokwa Neku Union, NNU, the umbrella body of Ndokwa Nation, Ogboru said the fact that his mother was Ukwani made him a son of Ndokwa, who should be able to represent the concerns of the people.

Ogboru was hosted alongside his running mate, Elder Peter Erebi and other candidates of the party to a grand reception at Afor, in Ndokwa East Local Government Area of the state. The event at the country home of the President General of NNU, Chief Paul Enebili had several Ndokwa traditional, political and opinion leaders in attendance.

other party chieftains.

State Chairman of the party, Mr Felix Obuah, in a statement, yesterday condemned the attack, saying the Police should unmask those behind it for prosecution.

He said it was unfortunate that some persons had introduced violence into the politics of the state, urging the Police to look in the direction

Emerhor predicts APC victory at polls

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ENIN—THE Enogie (Duke) of Obazuwa and younger brother to the Benin monarch, Prince Edun Akenzua, has warned the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, that their ‘death wish’ campaigns against the presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress, APC, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, may be their albatross in the forthcoming general elections, if they don’t stop.

He argued that the amount of money expended by the PDP “in running documentaries that tend of destroy the person of Gen. Buhari would have been enough to build a refinery for Nigerians.”

According to him, “The level of campaigns in this election has been that of calumny against Buhari by

the PDP and that is not what Nigerians want. I am ashamed by the standard of campaign they are putting up against Buhari. Gen Eisenhower became President of America, he was a military man. They are just talking as if when Buhari was Head of State, he was the sole dictator.

“Even other heads of state were not sole dictators, they were still going to the Supreme Military Council to discuss issues. And by the time Buhari was there, some of the people talking now were saying he was only a figure head, that it was Tunde Idiagbon who was making the decisions."

IYC hails military on promotion for troops fighting Boko Haram

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By Samuel Oyadongha

ENAGOA—THE Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, worldwide, yesterday, hailed the decision by the leadership of the Nigerian military to promote soldiers fighting Boko Haram and posthumous promotion for those who died in the course of the war against the Islamic sect.

Spokesman of IYC, Eric Omare, in a statement in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State,

said though the action would motivate and encourage officers in the fight against Boko Haram, the families of soldiers who lost their lives in the course of the battle to defend the territorial integrity of the country should be adequately compensated.

He said: “We strongly believe that this action will motivate and encourage officers in the fight against Boko Haram."

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14 — Vanguard, MONDAY, MARCH 2, 2015

Senate not for small minds — UMEH

By Vincent Ujumadu

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WKA—THE national chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Chief Victor Umeh, has said that only serious-minded people were good for the next Nigerian senate.

According to him, the senate is where the resolutions of the national conference will be debated for implementation by the President.

Addressing officials of Anambra State wing of the National Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, from the 21 local government areas of Anambra State in Awka, who adopted him as their preferred candidate for Anambra Central senatorial zone, Umeh said having been part of the recommendations of the confab resolutions, he knew exactly the importance of going to the National Assembly as an Igbo senator.

According to him, some of the recommendations that are of Igbo interest include the creation of an additional state for the South East geopolitical zone and the removal of the local government as a federating unit.

He informed the NULGE officials that Igbo was badly marginalized in the present system where the South East had only 95 local governments, while Kano and Jigawa have almost the same number..

Umeh observed that virtually every ruler of the country before 2007 was a soldier that fought against the Igbo during the civil war, adding that for that reason, most policies were skewed against Ndigbo. He expressed the hope that the outcome of the national conference would address the injustices meted out to Ndigbo over the years.

The APGA national chairman predicted that the Igbo would once more take their pride of place in Nigeria, noting that true federal system was properly followed; the political fortunes of the Igbo would improve.

He said Igbo would no longer continue to watch the trend of events which started after the Nigerian civil war when, he noted, Igbo were consigned to minority in Nigeria and relegated to the background.

Jonathan’s endorsement splits Ohanaeze Ndigbo

By Francis Igata

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NUGU—THE selfacclaimed Caretaker Committee of apex Igbo sociocultural group,Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has faulted the endorsement of President Goodluck Jonathan for the March 28 presidential election.

The committee had alleged that the tenure of the President General,Chief,Enwo Igariwey, and its executives had expired in January as allegedly contained in the constitution of the body which stipulates two years tenure in

office for its executives.

Secretary to the Caretaker Committee, Mr. Zed Chukwujama, disclosed this in a statement signed and made available to newsmen in Enugu weekend.

The statement read: “We have salt deposits in Ebonyi State, a broken down cement factory at Nkalagu, the Enugu Coal Mines closed down, the Oji-River Thermal Station not functioning, the river dock at Onitsha a mirage, the Enugu Onitsha Road as well as the Enugu-Port Harcourt roads as death traps.

“The Aba dry dock is a mirage.

Why should the Igbo not discuss these problems with President Jonathan? He is our President.

“The Federal Government’s Mid-term Assessment of their development investment has these figures: total investment in North Central zone-N495 billion, North West zone-N297 billion,South-West zone-N215 billion,South-South zone-N114 billion while in the South-East zone-N74 billion.

“Several billions of Naira were paid to the people of Zaki Biam and Odi as reparation for Injustices meted out to their people. It is highly believed by Ndigbo that Dr. Nwaorgu and

VISIT: Dr. Lawrence Azubuike, Resident Electoral Commissioner, Ebonyi State (2nd left) with Deputy Chairman of Ebonyi State Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Dominic Aloh of Ikwo and other traditional rulers during the REC's visit to Ikwo, weekend, to promote peace and collection of Permanent Voter's Cards for the general elections.

Chief Igariweh are Campaigning against the reparation for the Igbo at the presidency for atrocities and injustices against Ndigbo.

“This is because Chief Amaechi and Chief Ralph Obioha are the Chairman and Secretary respectively and Dr. Zed Chukwujama the Chairman of the outreach sub committees of the Reparation Committee. Both of you(Igariwey and Nworgu) will explain your roles before the Igbo “What offence have we committed for seeking to negotiate with the Arewa Consultative Forum about the life of Igbo all over the North? Do Dr. Joe Nwaorgu have the statistics of Internally Displaced Igbo,IDPs,in Nigeria as of today as a consequence of the 2015 general elections?

“The children of those who are back are not enrolled in schools in the South East, the Igbo businesses in the North are closed, all the Igbo property in Abuja could be lost if there is mayhem in Nigeria. A small push and the almajiris will pounce on the Igbo who are easy prey.”

Meanwhile, the Secretary General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dr. Joe Nworgu, dismissed claims from the caretaker committee of the expiration of their tenure in office.

He said: “The constitution was amended in 2010 to pave way for a four year duration of the executives instead of two. The evidence of the meeting where the amendment took place is available for Ndigbo to know that the caretaker committee leadership and its members are on a self serving mission.''

ENUGU PDP GOV RACE: Court to deliver judgment today

By Francis Igata

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NUGU—THERE is tension in Enugu State as the people await judgement on who would fly Peoples Democratic Party’s flag for the April 11 governorship election in the state.

Senate Ayogu Eze filed the case challenging the recognition of Ifeanyi Ugwanyi as the candidate of the ruling party.

The case came up before Justice Evoh Chukwu of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja Tuesday for the determination but Justice Chukwu deferred the judgement till Tuesday, February 24.

However, on Friday, Justice Chukwu again deferred the matter till today. He did not adduce any reason the verdict which was scheduled for delivery could not hold.

Eze had filed the suit before the court, saying he was the rightful candidate, while Mr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi who is currently enjoying the support of the national leadership of the party had applied to be joined as an

interested party in the matter.

In another suit, the court will also tomorrow, commence hearing on the suit brought before it by Chief. Samuel Maduka Onyishi, owner of Peace Mass Transit seeking an outright cancellation of the December 8 primaries of the PDP in Enugu.

Onyishi is seeking outright cancellation for being in breach of Section 87(4)(b)(I) of the Electoral Act, 2010.

However, as a result of the development, top officials of nugu State government have literally relocated to Abuja in anticipation of the court judgement.

Senator Eze lodged the suit challenging Ugwuanyi as the authentic candidate but the latter subsequently applied and was joined as an interested party in the matter.

The duo are laying claims to the governorship ticket of the PDP in

Enugu State, having emerged from two parallel primary elections that held in the state.

Both the plaintiff who argued through his lawyer Mr. Yusuf Ali, SAN, and Ugwuanyi who was represented by his lawyer, Mr. Patrick Ikwueto, SAN, insisted before the court that the primary elections that produced them were duly monitored by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

‘APGA’ll sweep general polls in S’East'

By Nwabueze Okonkwo

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NITSHA—CHIEF Rommy Amandi Ezeonwuka, a member of Board of Trustees, BoT of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, has expressed optimism that the party would clinch victory in all the contentious seats in the South East geo-political zone come March 28 and April 11 general elections in the country.

Addressing Igbo youths, led by their commanders, who paid him

a courtesy visit at his Rojenny Games Village, Oba, Anambra State, to seek his royal blessing, Ezeonwuka noted that he was sure that APGA would sweep the polls because of the practical performances of all APGA elected office holders both in the past and in the present.

Ezeonwuka pleaded with the youths to maintain law and order during the elections, even as he also directed them to ensure that every Igbo man and woman collected his Permanent Voter's

Cards, PVCs, to enable them vote for President Goodluck Jonathan during the presidential election and then vote for APGA candidates in all the south east governorship, senatorial, House of Representatives and Houses of Assembly elections.

Ezeonwuka directed the youths to stick with APGA as they must have witnessed the rapid transformation programmes of APGA in Anambra State, which should be extended to other states of the South East zone.

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MONDAY, MARCH 2, 2015

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Vanguard, MONDAY, MARCH 2, 2015— —19

By Paul Ojenagbon

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NE would naturally feel proud to share the same Alma Matar with the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorsip candidate for Lagos State, Akinwunmi Akinbode. It is even double in our case because we were not only school mates at the Federal Government College, Warri but also at the University of Lagos, where he was my senior. As Alumni comrades would normally put it: we are both a “Great Fedgocowosans” for the FGCW connection and “Great Akokites” for UNILAG. So much for Alumni kinship that rekindles the good old days. For the gold fish that he’s become as ace writer James Hadley Chase would put it,Ambode no longer has a hiding place as his past would be rewound to the present but thankfully for good in this respect.

Hold on a minute, it is not for our being of the same schools that I would cast my vote for Ambode in the April 14, 2015 election. I would only cast my vote for him because I am convinced that he’s the best guy to take over at Alausa from Governor Babatunde Fashola. I am convinced that he has the required competence, experience and administrative know-how to take Lagos to the next level for the reasons that I would adduce shortly.

I have followed the career of Ambode keenly for several years and I am least surprised he’s come this far. At FGCW, Ambode was an embodiment of discipline and efficiency. He was not only a perfect but as the head of school entertainment at the time (do students love to be entertained!), he brought a lot of smiles to the

Ambode: An old school perspective faces of students. Unilag is a much larger academic community and being such an”ocean” of a setting, there is very little I know of his activities there. Besides, I came in just as he was leaving but I have no doubt he distinguished himself as usual.

Our Briton-born Principal, Late P.H. Davies whom students fondly called ‘Papa’( and he truly was one) prepared us very for life after FGCW especially for leadership roles. If Ambode ever ran for the exalted positions of Students’ Representative Council Secretary or Assistant Secretary at FGCW that were keenly contested with manifestoes, intensive campaigns and debates, all Ambode probably needed to do was to play the students some of the popular “old school” songs and have them gyrating during the Saturday Night Entertainment.

He would not need to say much, just give the students what they wanted and he would be their man!!. One could imagine the students screaming wildly “carry go, you don win!” in Aluta Continua chants.

As governor, he can jog back such teenage experiences to bring about a huge entertainment industry in the state. Accepted that the stakes are higher now and much more is required than just being the students’ entertainer, fortunately for Ambode – as it’s often said, every great story begins with a humble beginning. His 27 years of meritorious and innovative service in Lagos State Civil Service are well documented and known by all that this writer needs not recount.

He has more than paid his dues for the state's number one job.

My bet on Ambode is not because we share the same Alma

By Osaretin Omoregie

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HAVE taken time to read several times over the reported apology tendered to the people of Edo state by Pastor OsagieIzeIyamu, a defected member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo state, for allegedly being in the vanguard which drafted Comrade Adams Oshiomhole into the governorship race under the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the state in 2007. A national newspaper had reported penultimate week that the pastor said that “the apology became necessary because the governor had turned the truth upside down’’.

According to the report, OsagieIze-Iyamu asked Edo people to “forgive me for being one of those in the forefront that brought Mr. Oshiomhole to be the governor of the state, We now know who he is. Therefore, in the coming elections, Edo people should not repeat the mistake of the past’’. He was further reported to have noted: “When I remember how we brought in Oshiomhole to contest the 2007 governorship election, I weep because we brought in a bad thing’’.

I still have not been able to find any substance in the remarks made by OsagieIze-Iyamu save for the continuing penchant of opposition leaders in the state to paint Oshiomhole black.

There is no doubt that all those present at the occasion where Osagie Ize-Iyamu allegedly delivered his apology would have sneered at the remarks believing, as I know they do even if privately, that the apology was laughable and utterly misplaced. There is also no doubt that OsagieIze-Iyamu needs to render copious apologies to Edo people for the almost ten years his party ruled in the state without much to show for it before the fortuitous emergence of Comrade Oshiomhole as governor of the state. It is a well known fact that he was with Chief Lucky Igbinedion as his right-hand man for the eight years he presided over the affairs of our state.

Matar. I must first be convinced he is competent because Lagos deserves the very best. The writer is one heck of a self opinionated person who is never swayed by the syndrome or by what others are saying but rather by what he observes to be true and has been able to have informed opinion. It is a lonely road to walk and cotravellers are few made of those who live by principles in a society that is patently lacking of idealism.

It is not a surprise that my hero of the second republic led by the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) was Alhaji Balarabe Musa, the impeached governor of Kaduna State! Along with some classmates and a small circle of friends at the time, we never ceased to eulogize him for standing out for his ideals.

He was principled to the point that he would not succumb to the blackmail of the NPN dominated State House of Assembly that expected him to “settle” them to keep his seat. Balarabe lost out as Governor but he never lost my respect over the years and I’m disappointed he’s become so obscure in the present

All the APC states especially in the South West are doing quite well; even the so called poor ones have been able to navigate and adopt innovative ways to generate attract higher revenues

dispensation. Added to him are many heroes of history I read about who have been a source of inspiration even at a tender age.

Ambode is a natural leader of men and a builder of bridges. At the time our Old Students’ Association (Lagos Chapter) ran into a hiatus that came out of a major crisis when most exstudents were fast losing interest in the affairs of the association, it took the pragmatic leadership of a much younger Ambode with deft moves to revive the Association and bring it to life again. It was a feat which the senior members at the time could not achieve but a younger and junior Ambode did as interventionist president. Yours sincerely had to politely turn down the offer to serve in his Executive having just served out a two year term as the General Secretary because of not too pleasant memories.

Habitually,not one to go looking for the big men in power for what to get out of them, the writer kept from Ambode at Alausa where he held several key positions except when we met at association meetings. But many colleagues who regularly went to see him had much to say of how he had been of great help to them in several ways in resolving various issues. His acts of generosity and compassion run to immense proportion. There are many students at various levels Ambode is paying their school fees, widows he is helping to get back their groves, area boys he is helping to rehabilitate, scores of problems he is taking upon himself every day to solve for others when in service and out service. Unless a leader has such compassion, he

Apologies Edo deserves Osagie Ize-Iyamu served under Igbinedion variously as Chief of Staff and Secretary to the State Government for those eight years. He, it was who is believed to have been the man pulling the strings in the puppet dance by Lucky Igbinedion. Edo people decided, as they did in the governorship election of April 2007, that Edo deserved better governance and democracy dividends than could not be provided by the PDP and voted ACN. If as he claimed, Oshiomhole turned out to be a bad product, should it not be the people apologising to the PDP now for voting it out despite the ‘unparalled infrastructural development’ it wrought on our state? I submit that Osagie Ize-Iyamu, who claims to be a Pastor and who knows the meaning of “NO MAN IS GOD’’, was merely appropriating to himself the gratitude, honour and adoration which rightly belongs to God for giving Edo people Comrade Oshiomhole at a very critical time when poverty and underdevelopment were ravaging the state. Osagie Ize-Iyamu must know that it is only God who gives power, not man. It is God that brought Oshiomhole to redirect Edo state away from its

Edo people deserve apologies from OsagieIze-Iyamu for the many roads the government he ran with Lucky Igbinedion refused to build;for the urban renewal and beautification it neglected

dangerous slide into decay into which IzeIyamu as SSG under Lucky Igbinedion plunged the state.

Edo people deserve many apologies from Ize-Iyamu personally and on behalf of his principal, Chief Lucky Igbinedion, as well as the PDP for the many things which they either did wrongly or out-rightly failed to do which wrongs have now been corrected

by Comrade Oshiomhole in just six years.

Edo people now know the difference between a visionless, purposeless and insensitive government as was under Chief Igbinedion and a visionary, purposeful, sensitive, accountable, transparent and development oriented administration now in place in Edo state under Comrade Oshiomhole.Osagie Ize-Iyamu had tried very unsuccessfully in the past to distance himself from Chief Igbinedion in the maladministration that characterised governance in our state under their watch from May 1999 to May 2007. In June 2013, the pastor politician put the blame for the failure of the Lucky Igbinedion administration at the door steps of Igbinedion, claiming that “the crisis within PDP and a godfather led to the failure of the administration’’. According to him, “I was not the most powerful in government then. I was the Chief of Staff and later Secretary to the State Government and I don’t award contracts or was I in charge of any ministry but people misconstrued my simplifying the offices of COS and SSG to a level that created industrial harmony in the state and goodwill for government to mean that I was very influential’’.

Indeed, Ize-Iyamu was influential. If not, how was he, still holding office as SSG under the PDP government headed by Lucky Igbinedion, in the forefront of those who brought Oshiomhole as governorship candidate of a rival party, ACN? Did he look the other way when Lucky Igbinedion was

would steal so much in office and deny his people the needed service, the good things of life or dividends of democracy.

Ambode’s experience and competence as a public administrator, innovative accountant and technocrat are what a complex state like Lagos needs because he would hit the ground running once sworn in.

The fears that his administration would multi-tax Lagosians (because of his background) are unfounded. In any case, he has even promised to address genuine cases of multitaxation and high tax burden.

Another factor that stands in favour of Ambode is the APC ticket. Whatever critics would say and with every sense of objectivity, it is still the most progressive party in the country today.

All the APC states especially in the South West are doing quite well; even the so called poor ones have been able to navigate and adopt innovative ways to generate attract higher revenues for developmental projects. The evidence is there- be it in Lagos Ogun, Oyo, Osun or Edo State, APC governments are performing but one is not saying the party does not have its own share of the warts in the Nigerian system( if we are looking for out saints, they are probably only in Rome after a hard search!). Even Ekiti was choking in the steam of meaningful development before the surprise ouster that many were surprised the electorate turned out the way it did but time will certainly tell.

The same cannot be said for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Whether at the centre or in the states •Mr. Ojenagbon, a public affairs commentator, wrote from Lagos.

misruling our state? Why should Edo people take him serious now that he wants to be governor of our state? If he would not take responsibility for what took place while serving in the government of Lucky Igbinedion, can he be trusted to take responsibility for his congregation moving away from salvation towards hell for poor leadership?

Edo people deserve apologies from Osagie Ize-Iyamu for the many roads the government he ran with Lucky Igbinedion refused to build; the electricity projects it denied our people; for the many communities it left without potable water; for the many dilapidated schools infrastructure and health care centres it neglected or refused to build; for the erosion control project it refused to embark upon; for the urban renewal and beautification it neglected; for the Oba Ovonramen Square it left in a filthy state; for the non-existent transport sector it left behind; for the state treasury put at their disposal for private use and for the fruit juice factory, fertilizer blending plant and cassava processing mill through which state resources were wasted.

In the last six years, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has demonstrated to the satisfaction of Edo people how a state can work. The level of infrastructural development witnessed in the state is quite commendable. Edo people know and are happy and proud that they made the right choice in 2007. The landslide victory of Comrade Oshiomhole in the 2012 governorship election in which he recorded majority votes in the 18 local government areas of the state is an eloquent testimony of the acceptance and support Edo people continue to have for him, his administration and APC. Ize-Iyamu should be reminded that No man is God! •Mr. Omoregie, a public affairs commentator, wrote from Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

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HE issue of deployment of troops for elections in Nigeria has been an enduring dialectic in the annals of our democracy. Many chroniclers of the crises that led to the truncation of our democracy in the First and Second Republics have often blamed military intervention on the use of soldiers to manipulate elections.

It is, therefore, not surprising that in this impending, possibly most contested general election, the debate is on the front burner once again. Specifically, the All Progressives Congress (APC), being the leading opposition party, is all out against the deployment of soldiers for the general elections. They are suspicious that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) might use the army to gain unmerited advantages. They are struggling to use the Judiciary and the National Assembly to prevent the President, Commander-inChief of the Armed Forces, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, from deploying the forces for the elections based on his constitutional powers under Sections 217 and 218 of the 1999 Constitution.

A Federal High Court in Sokoto, presided over by Justice RM Aikawa, ruled that the constitution does not grant the president powers to deploy soldiers “for elections”. The Appeal Court in Abuja has also affirmed that the deployment of soldiers in the Ekiti governorship election was wrong. The case is putatively at the Supreme Court, where a final decision is expected. It is one of the unintended benefits of the shift of the general elections by six weeks that we have enough time for a definitive judicial resolution of this matter.

This issue is so hot that it disrupted the sitting of the House of Representatives last week Wednesady, presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha.

The APC members of the House staged a walkout, accusing Ihedioha of trampling on their parliamentary rights in their strenuous bid to wrest a resolution barring the President from deploying troops for the elections.

The way I see it, there are two issues involved here, though politicians, in their blind quest for selfish gain, tend to obfuscate them. One is “deploying troops for the election”. The other is “delopying troops to protect Nigerians during the election”. If the intendment of the federal government is to deploy troops “for the elections”, count me out. Even as a layman when it comes to constitutional law, I do not think the constitution allows that. If deploying troops for elections means they are allowed to move electoral materials,

Troops: TTo o deplo t? deployy or no not? mann the polling units, escort polling officials and results to collation centres and such activities, I do not think the Constitution and the Electoral Act permit that. Many scholarly accounts have collated enough facts to depict the dangers in doing so. One of them is Prof. Remi Anifowose’s Violence And Politics In Nigeria, The Tiv And Yoruba Experience (Nok Publishers 1982). It traces one of the remote causes of the fall of the First Republic to the deployment of troops to manipulate elections in favour of privileged political parties.

The opposition APC is probably afraid that the troops, if deployed for the forthcoming elections, might work for the ruling PDP. APC says they lost the Ekiti governorship election to Ayo Fayose because of the deployment of soldiers. Yet,

I believe the situation in Nigeria right now demands that we cannot do without the protection of the military during the polls. Even the INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, has conceded that he cannot deployhis staff to certain parts of the country until their security is guaranteed

soldiers have always been deployed in our elections, including those conducted under the watch of President Goodluck Jonathan, which opposition parties won.

These included the election in Ondo, which the Labour Party (LP’s) Rahman Mimiko won; Edo which the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN's) Adams Oshiomhole won; Anambra, which Willie Obiano of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) won, and Osun state, which Rauf Aregbesola of the All Progressives Congress (APC) won.

PDP fielded strong candidates for these elections, but they lost in spite of the use of soldiers to secure them.

It was only the Ekiti Election that Fayose of PDP won. Empirical evidence, does not, therefore, support the use of soldiers to win elections. Otherwise, the ruling party would have swept most of these elections.

This fear was raised by Oshiomhole before the Edo election, but at the end, the Comrade, ever the pragmatist, went to thank the federal government for deploying troops. The Ekiti election, which a purportedly “leaked tape” circulating in the social media is being used to demonise, was adjudged free, fair and acceptable by the Ekiti people; and the defeated Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, congratulated the winner. It was his party that decided to fight dirty.

The truth of the matter is that if the military were being used under the watch of President Goodluck Jonathan to rig elections for the PDP, we would not be enjoying a flourishing democracy as we do, which gave the impetus for the opposition to coalesce, grow and mount the intrepid challenge that we are seeing.

There is abundant evidence that, unlike some of his predecessors (including the new romance of the opposition, former President Olusegun Obasanjo) President Jonathan has deployed troops responsibly.

He has not given them the task of interfering unlawfully in the electoral activities. He has merely deployed them to guarantee the security of the voters and the electoral staff. The opposition should insist that the role of the military in the forthcoming elections must be confined to guaranteeing the security of the electorate and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) staff in all parts of the country. The soldiersmust not come near the polling units or be in direct contact with the electoral personnel or materials.

All I am interested in, is that the election should be FREE, FAIR AND CREDIBLE. The armed forces and the Police have played leading roles in making elections held in this country in the past four years highly successful, and I believe the situation in Nigeria right now demands that we cannot do without the protection of the military during the polls. Even the INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, has conceded that he cannot deploy his staff to certain parts of the country until their security is guaranteed.

Politicians in both the PDP and APC are desperate for power. Unless firm measures are put in place, those who have cloned the INEC database, those who have bought up or hijacked the permanent voters cards and are lying in wait for the result sheets, the ballot snatchers, armed thugs waiting to unleash mayhem on their opponents when they suspect their sponsors are losing, will have a field day.

Also, those who have been threatening that the blood of dogs and baboons will mix if they lose, will freely re-enact the bloody ritual of 2011, when innocent Youth Corps members were brutally murdered in the North in post-election violence. Even the open sore of insurgency in the North demands total mobilisation of the armed forces to secure Nigerians, especially as Boko Haram has vowed to disrupt the elections through suicide bombing and, perhaps, coordinated gun attacks.

President Jonathan, subject to the final determination of the suit challenging his powers under Sections 217 and 218 of the constitution at the Supreme Court, must, as usual, deploy the security agencies of this country in a patriotic and non-partisan manner to safeguard Nigerians during the impending elections. The buck stops on his table. If anything goes wrong he will carry the can. Our security is more important than the elections because without security there is no country, let alone elections.

OPINION

By Bobson Gbinije “If we fail now, then we will have forgotten in abundance What we have learned in hardship: that democracy Rests on faith, that freedom asks more than it Gives, and the judgment of God is harshest On those who are most favoured” -LYNDON B. JOHNSON (1908-1973) inaugural speech, Jan. 1965 IGERIA'S body-politick is currently befuddled by a cacophonous preponderance of Boko Haram’s insurgency, Niger Delta militancy, politicians’ s kullduggery, psychotically corrupt leadership, hate speeches, military interlopers, economic bastardisation, INEC’s tergiversation, grandiloquent poverty and Buhariánd Jonathans ventriloquism. Can any nation remain as one united sovereign and indivisible body with these kinds of protean contretemps? NO! Nigeria as a nation right from pre-independence through independence in 1960 to post-independence era has always been a nation that is at war with itself. The political engineering processes in our march to nationhood with a catalogue of military coups and politicians’ slip shoddiness that has taken us to the epicenter of the political precipice has not taught our leaders a lesson.

The way and manner in which our politicians are currently conducting themselves in the light of the 2015 general elections, using the vortexes and counter-vortexes of violence, thuggery, bombings during political rallies, vitriolic vituperations, blackmail, media warfare, NTA’s propaganda hype, Governor Rotimi Amache’s belligerent rhetoric, Governor Fayose’s dunder headed extremism, PDP’s and APC’s intolerance, manipulation of the Military Institution, Machiavellian electoral acrobatics by Christian and Muslim leaders, tribal bigotry and former

N

Buhari vs Jonathan: On the road to Czech?

Governor Tinubu’s wanton chauvinism etc., will definitely precipitate political apocalypse and socio-economic topsyturvydom.

Nigeria is already at the precipitous edge of a civil war, secession and disintegration like Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Sudan, etc. What strategies must we fine-tune and orchestrate to salvage Nigeria from self-destruct? We must ensure that the polls/elections are no more postponed/ shifted from March 28th and April 11th to any other dangerously manipulated phantom date. The elections must be seen by all (Local and International Communities and Observers) to be all-embracingly free, fair and credible.

INEC and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria(as amended) should not be manipulated to shift the election date again and to extend the leadership tenure of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (Interim government).

The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended)in sections 135 subsection (2), 64 (2), 180 (2) and 105 (2)empowers with Orwellian duplicity INEC’s Chairman to postpone vide the Electoral Act and the President Nigerians must to form an Interim Government when elections realize that cannot be conducted in some democracy is not parts of the country (as it is, the North-Eastern part of an event, but a Nigeria). The Electoral Act governing and this part of the Constitution must not be formula based manipulated to extend the on the principles tenure of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. The CAVEAT of gradualism

is that the interpretation and citation of parts of the constitution must be given a political and ‘national interest interpretation’ to forestall political, socio-economic anarchical entropy.

The sanctity of democracy is eulogized by the sage and political analyst Thomas Mann (1875-1955) when he posited in his book ‘The Coming Victory of Democracy’ that “We must define democracy as that form of government and of society which is inspired above every other, with the feeling and consciousness of the dignity of man” and this is corroborated by the statesman Woodrow Wilson (18561924) in his address to Congress, in 1917 he said, “The world must be made safe for democracy. Its peace must be planted upon the tested foundation of political liberty.”

Nigerians must realize that democracy is not an event, but a governing formula based on the principles of GRADUALISM. The metamorphosis of democracy and political engineering is an on-going work in Nigeria and it must be allowed to grow from the egg through the chrysalis to adulthood. The embryonic stages must have accoutrements and concomitants of teething problems. It is our ability to effectively manage the schisms inherent in the growth process that will strategically reposition and salvage our nation from the impasse of political, socioeconomic challenges.

We have fought a civil war in Nigeria (1967-1970), and we would have failed ourselves as a people and a nation if we allow the 2015 elections to bring the nation to her knees.

We must remember the sordid dismemberment of the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, Sudan and Czechoslovakia etc. Is Nigeria on the road to Czechoslovakia? *Mr. Gbinije, a social critic, wrote from Warri, delta State.

Vanguard, MONDAY, MARCH 2, 2015 —45

Nigeria, Turkey collaborate on Ebola, health insurance

By Sola Ogundipe

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TILL basking in the u p h o ria of its successful defeat of Ebola Virus Disease , EBV, a 10member high level healthcare delegation from the Nigerian health public sector was in Istanbul, Turkey to discuss ways to build ties between public , private Nigerians and Turkish Healthcare institutions. Nigeria was declared Ebola free on October 20, 2014, by the World Health Organization.

While the high level bilateral meetings lasted, talks on collaboration between Nigeria and Turkey on the emerging threat of Ebola and other infectious diseases dominated high level meetings between the two countries. e

Knowledge in Ebola preparedness "Nigeria would be willing to share our knowledge in Ebola preparedness with Turkey and also share our expertise in the area of infectious diseases with Turkish medical universities," said Provost of the College of Medicine University of Lagos,CMUL, Dr Folashade Ogunshola.

Ogunshola’s view was corroborated by the CEO, Ebola Alert, Federal Ministry of Health Ebola Operation Center, Dr. Lawal Kolawole Bakare, who noted that the willingness of Nigeria is to share its globally recognised technology for reporting and containment of

•From left: Dr. Olufemi Thomas: CEO/ES NHIS; Special Adviser, Public Health LSMoH, Dr Yewande Adeshina; Chairman Turkish Foreign Economic Relations Board DEIK/Health Tourism Business Council/ CEO Kent Hospital Izmir Turkey, Dr. Rusen Yuldirim; Provost CMUL, Prof. Folashade Ogunsola; Dr.Hasan KUS , Deputy Chairman of DEIK/Health Tourism Business Council & Rector Acibadem Univeristy Medical School; Director Iheoo Partners Healthcare Practice, Dr Adedayo Osholowu ; Deputy Chairman Medical Advisory Commitee LUTH, Prof. Adeyemo, and AGM NHIS, Dr. James Balami during the Nigeria Turkish bilateral meeting held in Istanbul, Turkey

Ebola with the Turkish Ministry of Health in boosting its Ebola preparedness.

Led by Director Iheoo Partners, Dr Adedayo Osholowu, in partnership with the Turkish Foreign Economic Relations Board DEIK and the IFC, the private arm of the World Bank., the delegation was in Ankara, the Turkish capital for a meeting hosted by HuseyinCelik, Deputy Secretary of the Minister of Health of Turkey, for talks about de-

velopment of a bilateral agreement between the Ministry of Health of Turkey and Nigeria.

The Under secretary discussed the relationship between the Turkish government health institutions and private institutions and the pillars of success of the Turkish health system: universal coverage, primary healthcare reform, hospital infrastructure planning and local development of the capacity of the pharmaceutical industry.

Present in the delegation

Nigeria would be willing to share our knowledge in Ebola preparedness with Turkey and also share our expertise in the area of infectious diseases with Turkish medical universities

Experts raise concerns over TB management

By Chioma Obinna

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ITH Nigeria ranking amongst 22 top countries with high burden of Tuberculosis globally, experts have raised concerns over substantial gap between the effective management of TB at health facility levels in the country.

The gap, according to health experts complicates the growing public health problem of Multi Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB) with over 7,000 cases MDRTB reported in Nigeria annually.

MDR-TB is tuberculosis that no longer responds to at least two of the major first line drugs for treatment. Despite the strides made nationally and globally over TB/MDRTB control, the gap currently existing in these facilities has escalated prevalence of MDRTB. The experts who raised the concern during a training

workshop in Lagos, cited that in Nigeria, Lagos State contributes up to 10 percent of the national burden of TB, thus ranking among states with highest incidence of TB. The experts who are at the forefront of curbing TB both at the national and global level opined that there is need for the country to intensify efforts towards tackling the menace.

Medical Director, St Kizito Clinic, Dr. Alda Gemmani, explained that MDRTB has become a public health concern following its high prevalence which is now higher than WHO estimate.

According to WHO, recent prevalence survey in Nigeria showed that TB burden is the third highest among 22 countries with high burden.

"More than 7,000 cases were reported with MDR-TB in Up to 17 percent of TB burden are

MDR-TB patients among newly infected and retreated patients.

On challenges, she identified stigma, adding that until recently unavailable and inaccessible tests to identify MDR-TB now the gene Xpert machine is being used but yet to be universally accessible in the country.

Other challenges, Gemmani listed include' "Few MDR-TB treatment centres leading to long waiting period for confirmed cases of MDR-TB across the country.

Long duration of treatment with greater possibility of developing extreme resistant TB (X-DR), which is more difficult to treat with less than 50 percent success rates especially among HIV infected persons and absence of child friendly treatment regimes for MDR-TB." To control the spread, she said people should adhere to cough etiquette. “Check every cough

that has persisted for two weeks with your DOTS. “We set up a TB/DOTS centre in 2005, nine years ago. Since its inception we have made over 8,000 visits aimed to screen, diagnose and monitor Tuberculosis. More than 1,200 patients have been successfully treated. Corporate donors such as Chevron, which donated us the X-Ray machine, and helped us to build the TB DOTs Centre, have been crucial in sustaining our efforts.

In waging war against TB, she also, noted that community participation is imperative in strengthening the health system framework. “More education, funding, technical support and research on TB management at all levels of health care are crucial.

These will contribute greatly in reducing the burden of TB and HIV as expressed in the millennium development goals.”

were Dr Olufemi Thomas: CEO/ Executive Secretary, National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS; Dr Yewande Adeshina, Special Adviser, Public Health to the Lagos State Government and Dr. A.A. Ibrahim. CEO, Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, amongst others.

Earlier, in Istanbul, at the High level Bilateral meeting hosted by the Turkish Foreign Economic Relations Board DEIK, the Chairman DEIK/ Health Business Council& CEO Kent Hospital Izmir Turkey Dr.Rusen YILDIRIM and Deputy Chairman Turkish Foreign Economic Relations Board DEIK/Health Tourism Business Council and Rector AcibademUniveristy Dr HasanKus, a number of issues were discussed related to strengthening existing business and governmental relationships between the Nigerian and Turkish healthcare sector.

Duringthe meetings it was outlined that Nigeria and Turkey can boost ties in the area of Universal Health Coverage considering that Turkey has successfully introduced health system changes and provided its citizens with the right to health to achieve universal health coverage.

Health coverage It was clearly stated also that there was an opportunity to learn from the trajectory of health system reforms in Turkey, with a particular emphasis on 2003-13, which coincides with the Turkish Health Transformation Programme (HTP) which expanded health insurance coverage and access to health-care services for all citizens, especially the poorest population groups, to achieve universal health coverage.

Insurance coverage for the poorest population groups in Turkey increased from 2.4 million people in 2003, to 10.2 million in 2011. Nigeria presidential mandate is also toincrease coverage from 10 percent where it currently stands to 30 percent in 2015 and preliminary discussion were held around collaborating with the Turkish health system, on both the demand side (increased health insurance coverage, expanded benefits, and reduced cost-sharing) and the supply side (expansion of infrastructure, health human resources, and health services).

A Nigerian and Turkey hospital collaboration had been announced in in 2013, but the venture failed to make much headway because of a lack ofbilateral governmental support, even though a Turkish Hospital has been opened in Abuja Nigeria in 2014.

46 — Vanguard, MONDAY, MARCH 2, 2015

From the blood-soaked battlefields of Lagos •The chilling story of street cultism

By Charles Kumolu

‘W

HO goes there?!’’ they hollered. Those seated at the same relaxation spot with him were taken aback by this. Indeed, many could not help but wonder aloud what could have prompted a group of powerfully dressed young men to erupt into such a reckless outburst. It was at this point that a slim, dark complexioned man walked in.

The arrival of this man, who could possibly be in his late 20s, triggered off another round of rapturous shouts. ‘’Clear road, clear road,’’ they barked commandingly to the chagrin of others, who had come to relax at the rendezvous located in one of the suburbs in Oriade Local Development Council Authority of Lagos State.

The conduct of this group became so irritating to other customers that the proprietor of the spot had to ask them to give peace a chance.

Apparently angered by the development, the boys left the scene in a jiffy. The shop owner in his usual friendly manner,

apologised profusely to the customers. “Please don’t allow the activities of these boys to disturb you. They have refused to be useful to themselves. They are members of a secret cult,’’ he said.

Answering Vanguard Features, VF’ questions during a subsequent visit, the proprietor of the spot affirmed that the cult members actually patronise the spot on regular basis. “I won’t deny that they are my customers, because they patronise me nonstop, unlike others who come after working hours.

Cult-related controversy I guess you know Bruno (not real name) whose arrival that day led to the disturbance. That guy has turned himself into something else. I learnt he is a cult leader in this environment and has even become a problem to the community. He is constantly involved in cult-related controversies, ‘’ he noted.

Armed robbery: A few days after this encounter, VF learnt

that Bruno was killed by the local vigilante in the area. The group fondly called Bakassi Boys allegedly shot and killed Bruno during a robbery operation in the neighbourhood.

VF further learnt that the deceased became notorious in the locality due to his escapades as a cultist and an armed robber. In fact, he had on many occasions robbed shop owners in the area.

The late cult leader who was described as a secondary school dropout, was allegedly involved in several deadly clashes with rival gangs. Residents of the neighbourhood explained that it had become a common feature to see young men wielding dangerous weapons who engage themselves in supremacy battles.

Living in fear: VF investigations show that residents of many Lagos communities now live in fear as a result of the activities of cultists.

Only last month, a staff of Vanguard Media Limited, his wife and their two-year-old child, narrowly escaped death after being attacked by persons suspected to be members of Eiye

Confraternity. They shattered his windows with machetes in an attempt to break into the house.

Trouble was said to have begun around 11p.m. when some boys from Orile-Oshodi and Afariogun clashed during the naming ceremony of one Jimoh Odekunle at Okeleye Street, Afariogun. One person simply identified as Kamoru was alleged to have been severely injured and later died in an undisclosed hospital where he was rushed to for treatment.

When news of his death filtered in, his colleagues from

Residents of many Lagos communities now live in fear as a result of the activities of cultists; only last month, a staff staff of Vanguard, his wife and their two-year-old child, narrowly escaped death

Orile-Oshodi reportedly embarked on a reprisal attack. Their first port of call was said to be the residence of one Sunday Anajonu, alleged to be responsible for the death of their colleague. But for the timely intervention of policemen from Akinpelu Division, Anajonu would have been lynched by his assailants.

Web of warring factions A visit to the troubled zone showed that some residents fled their abodes for fear of being entangled in the web of the warring factions. No fewer than 40 vehicles and 20 buildings were destroyed during the mayhem.

Widow of deceased raped: Another gory incident occurred recently when two rival cult groups clashed in Ijora Badia, a sprawling slum in the ApapaIganmu area of Lagos. Three persons allegedly lost their lives during the fracas.

The victims were said to be members of a cult group which had been engaged in a supremacy battle with another cult group from Badia.

One of the victims, who was simply identified as Jamiu, was allegedly hit with an axe. The other two victims, Kazeem Ay-

Continues on page 47

Vanguard, MONDAY, MARCH 2, 2014 —47

The chilling story of street cultism in Lagos Continues from page 46 inde and another whose identity could not be readily ascertained, were killed as a reprisal for Jamiu’s death.

In April 2014, the tranquility of Iba, a suburb of Ojo Local Government Area was replaced by pandemonium as a result of cult clashes. The fracas between two rival cult gangs led to the death of a 33-year-old man simply identified as Hamburger. The incident involved two cult groups from Aratomi and Chemist areas.

Reports had it that trouble erupted when a cult member from Aratomi snatched a female lover from a member of the other group. The crisis would have escalated but for the timely intervention of policemen from the Ojo Police division.

Similarly, in 2013, a superiority war between two rival cult gangs in the Mile 12 area of Lagos claimed four lives, including that of a Senior Secondary School, SSS 3 student. The victim was said to be writing the West African School Certificate Examination, WASSE, when he was brutally murdered.

As if that was not enough, another cult clash in Shomolu and Ketu areas, left four persons dead and several others injured.

Suspected members of Eiye Confraternity were said to have stormed the home of one Seyi, a suspected member of a rival cult in Ajelogo area of Ketu. He was allegedly dragged outside and clubbed to death after the cultists had defiled his wife in his presence. They (cultists) also reportedly threw his ninemonth-old baby out of the bed.

Major threat to lives and property Policemen from Alapere division later arrested three suspects who were transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Yaba. The above scenarios highlight a trend which has gradually become a major threat to the security of lives and property, not only in Lagos, but the entire country.

Notorious areas: Areas where cult activities have surged in the last few months, according to VF investigations, include Bariga, Ijegun /Satellite Town, Shomolu, Onipanu,Bariga,Shomolu,Onipanu, Ketu , Ojota, Okoko, Amukoko and Lagos Island.

The activities of the cult groups have become a common feature in these areas, hence it would be difficult to spend two weeks without recording incidents of cult clashes. VF gathered that money, supremacy, and tussle over girlfriends, are usually behind such deadly clashes.

Unlike what obtained in the past when university campuses were the theatres of cult clashes, the streets have become the battle fields.

During such fights, the cultists

*Suspects arrested on cult-related criminal activities who brandish guns, cutlasses and other dangerous weapons, take over the streets, seeking who to kill. In fact, residents of these flashpoints now live in fear because their safety is no longer guaranteed.

How streets became theatres of war: How the streets became the setting of cult related activities is one issue that continues to agitate many minds.

VF findings revealed that rusticated students of tertiary institutions started the practice in the late 1990s. These students, who were expelled for various gross misconducts, ended up as the “lords of the Manor” in their communities.

Mr. Tony Arne ( not real names), who was expelled from University of Lagos, UNILAG, in 1998 corroborated this viewpoint. ‘’The wave of expulsions then made some guys who found themselves at home to begin to conscript people indiscriminately without adhering to the rules that membership was only for undergraduates. Of course, being expelled from school did not mean being expelled from your fold. So, I was still a cult member. That was how the practice gradually spread to the extent that anyone on the streets can be conscripted. That process of conscripting people from the streets was against the rules,’’ Arne who later graduated from Kaduna State Polytechnic, KADPOLY, explained to VF. The 1999 renunciation of cultism across the campuses at the instance of then President Olusegun Obasanjo was also seen as major factor that gave rise to street cultism.

Desire to promote criminal, fetish wishes: While a retired Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav did not dismiss these factors, he was emphatic that the primary reason for

cultism is the desire to promote criminal and fetish wishes. ‘’In the past, cultism was restricted to the tertiary institutions but today, it has spread to the society at large. Most of these cultist organisations are criminal groupings established to circumvent the law and promote the illegal and fetish wishes of their members, ‘’ he argued.

VF checks revealed that virtually all the campus cults have offcampus wings in many neighbourhoods. They include the Buccaneers Association of Nigeria, BAN, aka Bucaneers; Neo Black Movement of Africa, aka Black Axe; Supreme Eiye Confratenity; Supreme Vickings Confraternity, aka Aromates and Mafites.

While these groups continue to spread, their leadership have severally denied having structures and recruiting at youth level on the streets. The

Most of these cultist organisations are criminal groupings established to circumvent the law and promote the illegal and fetish wishes of their members

Buccaneers, for instance, claim to have a defined membership procedure. Information gleaned from its Grand Eye, Mr. Femi Osibanjo in a write-up on the group’s website explained this much. “Membership of our organisation is open to only adult males who are undergraduates and graduates of tertiary institutions and who agree to align themselves with our tenets and set objectives of impacting positively on our society while enhancing our development as a nation and also to those who agree to exhibit the highest level of citizenship and brotherliness at all times to fellow members,’’ he stated.

Admission procedure He advised members of the public to beware of impostors who sell fake membership to people. “We have a centralised admission procedure which will be found in our website once each year. If any person tells you that he can either admit you into this brotherhood or facilitate your admission, please check with us first by visiting our website,’’ he said.

In a related development, the Eiye confraternity in its constitution maintained that it is not a gang and as such does not engage in gang related activities.

“We renounce any form of violence perpetrated by individuals with nefarious intent within and outside the walls of the Nigerian Ivory towers as proven by our strategic presence in the National Inter-Frat Council ,NIFC, and the SEC initiative of “Stop the Confra Wars,” the group stated in its constitution.

Overwhelming evidence: Despite the disclaimers which cut across all the known cults, there is overwhelming evidence

that these groups which have become threats to public peace, are affiliates of the national bodies of the associations. The regular stories of arson, rape, robbery and killings, attest to this.

Many Nigerians are worried that the trend has assumed a monstrous dimension, despite the presence of the police and local vigilante groups. ‘’We are dealing with a troubling situation. It is saddening that a group of touts often unleash terror on residents.

Whenever these boys start their madness, you will not find any security agent in sight. Even when some are arrested, they still come back to foment trouble,’’ Mr. Chukwuka Nwalie, a resident of Ijegun Waterside said.

A police source said: ‘’It is not that we are incapable of handling the cult cases. We always ensure that we go about the various cases according to the law. We can not do otherwise.

This is a social crisis that can not be solved with adequate policing which we provide. There should be a functional legal framework to complement our efforts.’’

Relevant institutions But President, Campaign for Civil Liberties, CCL, Dr. George Okwuonyeche disagreed. ‘’I agree that this is a social crisis that has eaten deep into the fabric of our society, but blames should be apportioned to the institutions that assisted in nurturing the problem. If the Police and other relevant institutions perform their crime fighting duties, we may not be where we are today.

Nigeria is probably reaping the fruits of its collapsed value system, ‘’ he stated.

On his part, Tsav, who was in service when cult crisis peaked in the universities, gave a cogent reason why the Police finds it difficult to deal with cultists. ‘’The police find themselves incapable of curbing this trend because of the fetish beliefs in the powers of these cult members,’’ he said.

Invisibility of cult members: In spite of these divergent positions, the consensus is that cultism has assumed a very troubling dimension.

Immediate past Lagos State Police Commissioner, Alhaji Umar Manko painted a picture of this upsurge. ‘“Cultism is not only in schools. Nowadays, they are also in garages and even vulcanisers are now cultists in Bariga axis.. I am aware but we are doing everything we can to arrest the situation. There is no day we don’t arrest people.

My own concern is the ‘invincibility’ of these human beings; some of them were arraigned in court and sent to prison. Some of them were even charged for murder but you still find them back. How they get back into circulation is what is worrisome to me,” he said.

To be concluded

48—Vanguard, MONDAY, MARCH 2, 2015

Jonathan, perception and the war against corruption

By Magnus Onyibe

T

HE general perception amongst Nigerians, wrongly or rightly is that President Goodluck Jonathan's government is not fighting corruption with adequate vigor.

As worrisome as such negative perception amongst Nigerians is, re -echoing such sordid views on corruption in Nigeria by foreign media organs amounts to double jeopardy not only for President Jonathan and the ruling political party,the PDP but for Nigerian economy and society as well.

Take for instance the article in LA Times of California, USA partly reproduced below "Regarding Nigeria, Washington continues to pledge counter terrorism support, without a public word to Jonathan about missing billions, even though the collapse of U.S.demand for oil puts American officials in a good position to exert leverage.

Jonathan's finance minister gets a regular Washington platform to paint rosy pictures of her country's economy. The oil minister has not been sanctioned despite those gaps in the revenue she is supposed to be depositing in government coffers. And dodgy Nigerian banks retain correspondent relationships with U.S counterparts."

In the manner of a gifted pugilist determined to knock out an opponent,the writer struck a final lethal blow by concluding, a highly opinionated piece on Nigeria in a most cruel and cold

MAGNUS ONYIBE

manner with the following sentences: "lt's up to Nigerians to decide this month what kind of leadership they want for their country. But if American officials truly mean to address the root causes of terrorism - as both President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry have proclaimed - a good place to start would be with corruption."

With such scathing remarks in the blistering article titled 'Nigeria's In-Your-Face Corruption Maybe Fueling Boko Haram Terrorism' written by Sarah Chayes, a senior associate at Carnegie Endowment, no one should be left in doubt as to whether or not election 2015 is about President Goodluck Jonathan and the odious corruption perception in Nigeria.

Evidently, the ruling party's effort to make proven accomplishments, capacity and ability to deliver dividends of democracy in terms infrastructure as reflected in the Transformation agenda of President Jonathan, the cardinal issues driving the presidential campaign has fallen flat as the main opposition party, APC has succeeded in framing corruption and to some extent terrorism as the reference point and template for deciding who should be voted for in the March 28 polls.

What is accountable for the foregoing conclusion is that APC has been literarily 'roasting' Jonathan on his alleged poor anticorruption score card in the court of public opinion, particularly in the social media and by so doing, they have made their candidate, Muhamadu Buhari, the preferred choice for president.

Reinforcing APC's position are allegations by former Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, governors Sanusi Lamido Sanusi and Chukwuma Soludo that trillions of naira had been mismanaged by Jonathan's government, thus providing munitions for taking pot shots at Nigeria by the foreign publications.

Maximum damage Interestingly, it was when APC's initial tag on President Goodluck Jonathan as 'clueless' failed to inflict the maximum damage required to make him unre-electable, owing to the remarkable progress made in the past six years in terms of delivering infrastructure, that the opposition rejigged its strategy to focus on corruption and insurgency which are perceived shortcomings of Jonathan's administration that resonates with and rile Nigerian hoi poloi who consider themselves the worst victims of corruption and terrorism.

Jaundiced views and propaganda: Latching onto such jaundiced views of Jonathan's government by the savvy APC propaganda machine, the globally influential Economist magazine in a recent editorial described President Jonathan as 'utter failure' while tapping Buhari as the 'better alternative' even if he has 'blood' in his hands.

Thankfully,the highly rated Financial Times, FT, in her analysis has not been reliant on second hand information gathered from Nigerian media sphere which APC has completely polluted with 'most corrupt' government mantra against President Jonathan.

Rather FT was less uncharitable

by concluding that Buhari's supporters stick with him w i t h o u t Map of Nigeria altruistic justification just as Jonathan's media for public assassination supporters also lack justification before clamping them in prison, for their unconditional support. Jonathan reportedly asserted that In my view, FT's analysis is a fair petty stealing is not corruption comment as none of the which engendered a lot of public supporters on both sides of the opprobrium towards him. Of divide seem to be basing their course, the opposition choose to choice on universal good misunderstand him and governance principles but on capitalised on the ambiguity to ethnic emotions, religious disparage him for condoning sentiments and vested interests. corruption. During his campaign The question now is how can stumping in Enugu, he was Jonathan's government wean alleged to have also told his itself of this unenviable supporters that their hero, the reputation of corruption? One late Jim Nwobodo was jailed by clear reason for the current sorry his opponent, Muhamadu state of affairs is that Jonathan is Buhari, for 200 years for yet to publicly declare a road allegedly stealing a sum of map or blue print for a war money not up to the price of a against corruption.

Volkswagen beetle car.

Although the remark resonated Road map on amongst the people of the South east who regard Nwobodo as corruption their hero, it equally attracted After six years on the saddle, sneers from the opposition who why is there no Federal interpreted it as a reaffirmation Government road map on of his complicity in the growing corruption like the road map on corruption perception in Nigeria. electricity power and automotive Another alleged remark by Mr. policy amongst others which President is on the increased have been well packaged, widely numbers of private jets (PJs) in known to most Nigerians and are Nigeria, now in excess of one currently being implemented? hundred and fifty (150) which he The unsavory situation is further said is reflective of the growth exacerbated by some goofs and and expansion of Nigerian gaffes that have been attributed economy under his watch as to President Jonathan especially opposed to the notion that it is in the course of his campaign emblematic of the high level of reinforcing the perception that corruption in Nigeria. the current government is feeble Subject of in its stance against corruption.

There are a few of such discussion instances in the media space but a couple of examples would With local content bill suffice: In refuting the allegation introduced by him in 2010 of not fighting corruption enabling Nigerians retain 30% of (Washington Consensus style) oil industry generated income like his predecessors who locally,there could be justification paraded culprits before the for more Nigerians being jet set(a subject of discussion in another article) but the average Nigerian does not share such opinion.These and related ambiguities by other senior officials of this administration Why is there no might have consolidated the belief in some quarters that Federal Jonathan is acquiescing with Government rogues.

In this season of political road map on anomie whereby office corruption like contenders are striving to present the road map on themselves as angels and their opponents as demagogues, any electricity power unqualified statements such as and automotive the aforementioned ones credited to President Jonathan are bound policy amongst to be twisted to exert maximum others which damage to his image and personality which is why Mr. have been well President and his handlers packaged, widely should have ensured that all his statements are qualified, known to most unambiguous and put in proper Nigerians context. As it now stands,by not developing a road map against

corruption and not observing the simple rules of public speaking, Mr. President has inadvertently set himself and his government up for the negative labeling as the most corrupt government in Nigeria.

Such an ugly perception is palpable to the extent that former military president, General lbrahim Badamasi Babangida, IBB, whose regime had held the unenviable record of being the most corrupt for nearly thirty years, stated that the level of kleptomania in government today, makes officials under his watch look like saints. Even Justice Mustapha Akanbi, former ICPC chairman and judiciary icon stated in a recent media interview that the fact that governors and other top government officials are no longer being arrested, arraigned and jailed like in the past indicates that the present government is not fighting corruption.

Although, it is rather late as election date is barely a few weeks away, there are some remedial measures that can be taken to avoid or defray the associated ruin from misquote or misinterpretation of comments by Mr. President that makes him look like he is in cohort with looters of our patrimony. First thing to do is to simply, strategically package and disseminate President Jonathan's anti corruption blue print or if you like,road map before it is too late.

Remedial measures The role of planning in all aspects of life can not be overemphasized hence it is necessary to refer us to the popular maxim 'what is not planned can not be measured'.

Put succinctly, if President Jonathan does not make Nigerians aware of his anti corruption strategy, how would the public measure his accomplishments in that respect?

Whereas, it has been whispered that Mr. President has a plan against corruption, most Nigerians are unaware hence members of opposition parties refer to our President Jonathan's government as most corrupt and such negative appellations stick because there is no existing blue print in the public arena to prove otherwise.

For a government that is embarking on a paradigm shift with respect to how it conducts its anti corruption crusade with emphasis on prevention, which they say, is better than cure, the new concept should have been articulated and sold to the stakeholders long ago so that they can key into it.

Similar wisdom and effort underpinning the establishment of the national electricity power master plan resulting in the unbundling and privatization of PHCN and national automotive policy or road map for local assembly of vehicles in Nigeria amongst others which were articulated, widely publicized and are now being implemented, Continues on page 49

18 — Vanguard, MONDAY, MARCH 2, 2014 SEVERAL reactions have trailed the report of the PricewaterhouseCoopers forensic audit of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, which resulted from the allegation of unremitted $49.8bn that former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi made.

Mallam Sanusi at various points reviewed the figure to $10.8bn, $12bn and $20bn.

The Federal Government was accused of delaying the audit. Some had concluded the report would never be made public.

The Auditor-General of the Federation has published highlights of the report. The main point was that NNPC should pay $1.48bn representing the balance of the signature bonus for the oil assets Shell divested.

NNPC ’s upstream subsidiary, Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, NPDC, was assigned the assets. A more appealing interest appears to remain in the billions Mallam Sanusi declared missing.

Was the signature bonus part of the missing billions of dollars? if it was, what happened to the rest of the money? The politicisation of the report would not be helpful to the cause of the accusers and the longer term interest of NNPC and the

At Last, The NNPC Audit industr y.

Even the National Assembly appears split on the matter. The Senate Committee on Finance conducted an independent report that absolved NNPC of the allegation of the missing money. The House of Representatives had then stood down its own motion to investigate the allegation on discovering the Senate Committee on Finance was investigating the same matter.

We support the House of Representatives demand that the full report should be published. It is part of the House’s oversight functions. Issues of probity should get adequate attention and one of

the numerous duties of the House is to protect the public and its interests, the NNPC being one such interest.

However, the House’s piecemeal interest in NNPC is not sustainable. One of the best ways of establishing a long lasting watch on the affairs of NNPC is the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, which has been stalled in the National Assembly since 2000. The PIB would provide the legal basis for the long-awaited wholesome transformation of the NNPC which the PwC report also recommended.

Indictment of NNPC and establishment of the thresholds, which the House craves, are challenging with an extant law, the NNPC Act, which empowers the corporation to defray its operation costs and expenditures from proceeds of crude oil sales. The Senate and PwC, in their separate reports, noted that the NNPC Act formed the legal basis of expenditures the NNPC made.

Until the law is changed, neither the House of Representatives, nor anyone, can do much to transform the NNPC or getting it to stop using crude oil proceeds in financing its operations.

OPINION

By Fethullah Gulen

I

T is deeply disappointing to see what has become of Turkey in the last few years. Not long ago, it was the envy of Muslim-majority countries: a viable candidate for the European Union on its path to becoming a functioning democracy that upholds universal human rights, gender equality, the rule of law and the rights of Kurdish and non-Muslim citizens.

This historic opportunity now appears to have been squandered as Turkey’s ruling party, known as the A.K.P., reverses that progress and clamps down on civil society, media, the judiciary and free enterprise.

Turkey’s current leaders seem to claim an absolute mandate by virtue of winning elections. But victory doesn’t grant them permission to ignore the Constitution or suppress dissent, especially when election victories are built on crony capitalism and media subservience. The A.K.P.’s leaders now depict every democratic criticism of them as an attack on the state. By viewing every critical voice as an enemy — or worse, a traitor — they are leading the country toward totalitarianism.

The latest victims of the clampdown are the staff, executives and editors of independent media organizations who were detained and are now facing charges made possible by recent changes to the laws and the court system.

The director of one of the most popular TV channels, arrested in December, is still behind bars. Public officials investigating corruption charges have also been purged and jailed for simply doing their jobs. An independent judiciary, a functioning civil society and media are checks and balances against government transgressions. Such harassment sends the

Tur key's er oding democracy urk eroding message that whoever stands in the way of the ruling party’s agenda will be targeted by slander, sanctions and even trumped-up charges.

Turkey’s rulers have not only alienated the West, they are also now losing credibility in the Middle East. Turkey’s ability to assert positive influence in the region depends not only on its economy but also on the health of its own democracy.

The core tenets of a functioning democracy — the rule of law, respect for individual freedoms — are also the most basic of Islamic values bestowed upon us by God. No political or religious leader has the authority to take them away. It is disheartening to see religious scholars provide theological justification for the ruling party’s oppression and corruption or simply stay silent. Those who use the language and symbols of religious observance but violate the core principles of their religion do not deserve such loyalty from religious scholars.

Speaking against oppression is a democratic right, a civic duty and for believers, a religious obligation. The Quran makes clear that people should not remain silent in the face of injustice: “O you who believe! Be upholders and standardbearers of justice, bearing witness to the truth

Turkey has now reached a point where democracy and human rights have almost been shelved

for God’s sake, even though it be against your own selves, or parents or kindred.”

For the past 50 years, I have been fortunate to take part in a civil society movement, sometimes referred to as Hizmet, whose participants and supporters include millions of Turkish citizens. These citizens have committed themselves to interfaith dialogue, community service, relief efforts and making life-changing education accessible. They have established more than 1,000 modern secular schools, tutoring centres, colleges, hospitals and relief organizations in over 150 countries. They are teachers, journalists, businessmen and ordinary citizens.

The rhetoric used by the ruling party repeatedly to crack down on Hizmet participants is nothing but a pretext to justify their own authoritarianism. Hizmet participants have never formed a political party nor have they pursued political ambitions. Their participation in the movement is driven by intrinsic rewards, not extrinsic ones.

I have spent over 50 years preaching and teaching the values of peace, mutual respect and altruism. I’ve advocated for education, community service and interfaith dialogue. I have always believed in seeking happiness in the happiness of others and the virtue of seeking God’s pleasure in helping His people.

Whatever influence is attributed to me, I have used it as a means to promote educational and social projects that help nurture virtuous individuals. I have no interest in political power.

Many Hizmet participants, including me, once supported the ruling party’s agenda, including

the 2005 opening of accession negotiations with the European Union. Our support then was based on principle, as is our criticism today. It is our right and duty to speak out about government policies that have a deep impact on society. Unfortunately, our democratic expression against public corruption and authoritarianism has made us victims of a witch-hunt; both the Hizmet movement and I are being targeted with hate speech, media smear campaigns and legal harassment.

Like all segments of Turkish society, Hizmet participants have a presence in government organizations and in the private sector. These citizens cannot be denied their constitutional rights or be subjected to discrimination for their sympathy to Hizmet’s ideals, as long as they abide by the laws of the country, the rules of their institutions and basic ethical principles.

Profiling any segment of society and viewing them as a threat is a sign of intolerance.

We are not the only victims of the A.K.P.’s crackdown. Peaceful environmental protesters, Kurds, Alevis, non-Muslim citizens and some Sunni Muslim groups not aligned with the ruling party have suffered, too.

Without checks and balances, no individual or group is safe from the ruling party’s wrath.

Regardless of their religious observance, citizens can and should unite around universal human rights and freedoms, and democratically oppose those who violate them.

Turkey has now reached a point where democracy and human rights have almost been shelved. I hope and pray that those in power reverse their current domineering path.

•Mr. Gulen, also syndicated this public ation in the New York Times.'

Vanguard, MONDAY, MARCH 2, 2015—49

The fabled N7bn ‘shared’ by pastors

By Clem Aguiyi

Jonathan, perception and the war against corruption Continues from page 48 should have been applied by President Jonathan in pursuing his new anti corruption stance which is a major paradigm shift from the old school, naming-and-shaming of culprits approach of which Nigerians are accustomed. Why leave such a gap?

Until Mr. President revealed during the flag off of his campaign in TBS, Lagos most Nigerians had no idea that it was the efficacy of the new technology driven payroll system which is programmed to shut down if and when there is a threat or breach of the normal protocol that led to the delay in payment of December salary to some civil servants. This implies that the issue of corruption which is such a critical element that has acquired huge significance in governance and now the fulcrum of the current presidential campaign is being paid attention by President Jonathan but dissemination of the strategy is not given a pride of place hence the negative perception of his government as corrupt both locally and internationally.

Notorious pension funds Arising from the above stated lapse, many Nigerians and foreigners were unaware that by deploying technology, billions of naira has been recovered from ghost workers hitherto on government pay roll (66,000 thereby saving about N140b) just as the notorious pension funds thieves have been reined in via the adoption of technology which has reduced interaction between man and revenue while increasing man to machine interaction. Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has re-emphasized these points since Mr. President mentioned it at his inaugural campaign rally in Lagos, but the message needs to be systematically packaged like other programmes and initiatives of government.

Some cynics may scoff at such baby steps taken in checkmating ghost workers and reining in pension funds thieves as enunciated by OkonjoIweala, but as the saying goes "Rome was not built in a day" So modest steps, matter. Having 'busted' as it were, the oil subsidy scammers via the series of public probes resulting in the reduction of cost from N971 billion in 2014 budget to about N620 billion in the proposed 2015 budget, expectedly technology would also be applied in routing the increasingly brazen crude oil thieves.

Remarkably, Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke has recently in a media chat reported a drop in crude oil theft from an all time high of about 400,000 barrels a day to about 60,000. That too is a huge relief.

Already, the USA navy retired war ship,recently Public gifted to Nigerian navy for deployment in the Gulf of perception Guinea is helping combat piracy - oil theft inclusive - of President in the Niger Delta. Further Jonathan's more, Mr. President government recently, also commissioned four newly acquired vessels as epitome for the navy to protect of Nigeria's territorial waters of which crude oil is a major corruption component. In the coming might have days or months, the application of other ebbed but technological devices such not really as cutting edge scanners to monitor pipelines and other wiped off critical oil/gas infrastructure

from where the thieves siphon the products, would help stem crude oil theft that Sarah shayes copiously referenced in her odious article.

Although, a rather late release of the forensic audit report penultimate week by the accounting firm PriceWaterHouseCoopers on the alleged missing $20 billion in NNPC revealed that it was a mere fabrication of the author that such humongous amount was stolen, however, some royalties and signature bonuses were actually yet to be accounted for and oil minister, AlisonMadueke has ordered a refund of $1.48 billion which the auditing firm identified as unremitted to the public coffers. Nevertheless, public perception of President Jonathan's government as epitome of corruption might have ebbed but not really wiped off, so a lot more needs to be done to correct the wrong impression by enlightening Nigerians on the new paradigm shift. In conclusion, President Jonathan at the rally earlier referenced, told the cheering crowd in Lagos that he does not subscribe to the concept of arresting his political enemies or perceived corrupt President Jonathan people and parading them under media klieg lights and thereafter clamping them in jail as his predecessors did to gain public accolades. Rather, he prefers to apply technology to prevent thieves from dipping their sticky fingers into our treasury.

Brick and mortar practice Such new thinking is noble and a welcome development because having been applying the old brick and mortar practice of arresting and jailing corrupt politicians and civil servants since the days of late General Muritala Mohammed who via a coup d'état ousted General Yakubu Gowon as military head of state on corruption charges while convicting most of the military Governors, ministers and so called 'super' permanent secretaries, the malaise of public service corruption has not abated.

Even after several coup d'état were staged on same allegation of corruption from the period of General Olusegun Obasanjo who took over from Murtala Mohamed and handed over to Shehu Shagari as democratic president, who latter got toppled via another coup d'état by General Muhamadu Buhari in December 1983 on the same allegation of corruption. As such, it may be time to change the old approach to fighting corruption and try a new method. That may be the change Nigeria needs, not the change from Jonathan to Buhari which APC is orchestrating.

As a matter of urgency, President Jonathan must come to the realization that he owes Nigerian voters the duty of showcasing his anti corruption road map and while doing so explain to them how efficacious the new approach is;how much has been recovered through the much vaunted Ministry of Finance Integrated Payroll System and how the new approach would be deployed to stem the tide in other corruption ridden sectors such as oil/gas where it has assumed crisis dimension.

This would enable him stave off the current negative perception as the most corrupt government in Nigeria and salvage his badly savaged image which is sticking out like a sore thumb and a huge drag on his re-election bid.

Magnus Onyibe, a development strategist and futurologist sent this piece from Abuja.

Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.

Titus 1: 15

I

FINALLY read ‘My Watch’ by former President Obasanjo which can safely be described as a ‘book of hoax’ where everyone is a villain and Obasanjo a ‘saint.’ I actually wanted to write something on it before a note came to me from Bosun, a pastor and activist for Christ whose reputation and integrity I can vouch for. Bosun will live and die for the gospel. I could feel the pains in Bosun’s heart as I read his note.

It was evident from Bosun’s agony that Christianity is facing undiluted insurgency. No one and nothing is spared. Of course the lives of Christians are worthless. Not even Christ himself is spared by people like Nasiru El-Rufai who routinely blasphemes Him before a cheering Christian audience.

Of course there are Christians who are excessively slavish and willing to crown el-Rufai governor of Kaduna, a handsome reward for his scandalizing Christ. Self-styled apostles and pastors are on the prowl and ready to crucify Christ again for less than what Judas sold him for. I am ashamed of some pastors, ashamed of slavish northern Christians who can’t stand for their faith, ashamed of myself for not helping as much as I can.

When I complained that Governor Rochas Okorocha was allegedly receiving Arab money and inducing unemployed Imo State youths to convert to Islam, a clergy ignored all the facts of the matter to query how the governor can Islamize Imo when he is a Christian? I reckon we are not good with history for if Turkey could be islamized, if Europe, Canada and the US are facing threat of islamization, then Imo could fall for Islam. It was a Christian like Okorocha that invented the fatal tool that destroyed Turkey and transformed it from a 100% Christian state to a 100% Islamic state.

Bosun in his note drew attention to a report credited to a certain ‘Pastor’ Musa Dikwa which claimed that N7billion was given to some pastors to campaign for President Jonathan. In the unfortunate report, Bosun’s name was mentioned as one of the

APC should first account for the billions of Arab money allegedly rolling into the coffers of Islamic clerics to advance the political cause of Islam in Nigeria

beneficiaries of the said amount.

Regrettably, our psyche as a nation has been bastardized and abused by the institutionalized corruption introduced by successive rulers that we no longer believe that anyone can speak the truth without financial inducement or gratification.

Fortunately, there are still people in the nation who act without financial inducement, and Bosun is one such fellow.

Before accusing pastors of collecting N7bn to campaign for Jonathan, APC should first account for the billions of Arab money allegedly rolling into the coffers of Islamic clerics specifically to advance the political cause of Islam in Nigeria. They should account for the billions invested in Boko Haram whose atrocities is the only factor propelling their campaign? They should explain why their candidate for president sells a different agenda to the Muslim North and tells the Christian South a different story?

Why is it difficult for the party’s presidential candidate to sell a common agenda for the common good of all?

Common agenda This is why President Jonathan remains our best choice for now.

As a president he never pretended to be president of a section of the country. Jonathan has been running his campaign on a common agenda for the common good of all which includes the implementation of the confab report which is the only change we need.

Speaking of truth brings me back to ‘My Watch’ by Obasanjo.

Nearly everyone who read the book returned a damning verdict that ‘My Watch’ is a book packed full of lies. Rtd Gen Godwin Alabi-Isama went as far as imploring Obasanjo to stop lying before he dies. Need I say more than to re-echo Alabi Isama and maybe urge Obasanjo to stop giving the impression that longevity is a curse and punishment. What does Obasanjo want from Jonathan?

Obasanjo is not the only past president alive. I don’t think it’s good for the country to have a former president undermine a current President the way he has done.

For years, Obasanjo as president enjoyed major headlines and the number one media spot that one wonders what manner of headlines he want to make bashing his successor and the party that gave him the presidency ? This isn’t how to be an elder or a statesman.

Obasanjo ought to be an icon, a father, our collective pride that ought to be cherished and revered. Here is a man who had the fortune of leading our country first a Military dictator and twice as a democratically elected President. All one expects of him is a peaceful retirement. But the APC gangsters who by all means are his enemies are determined to ensure he ends in disgrace.

Totalpolitics@ymail.com

50—Vanguard, MONDAY, MARCH 2, 2015

It’s a life of service — Remi Tinubu •Enough is enough, Nigerians want change in Abuja WITH a towering reputation of doing good, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, (APC, Lagos Central) surprisingly, has only been formally engaged in government for less than four years. Her legacies as Lagos State First Lady are all over the world with products of her Spelling Bee competition doing valiantly in different professions. Her life of mentorship, remarkably, spreads across the gamut of knowledge; from whiz-kids to the not so intellectually endowed Lagos Area Boys and Girls. Whatever the IQ quotient, Mrs. Tinubu or Mama as her wards call her, is an engaging personality almost always on the drive to get society engaged in good works. “What charity are you involved in,” she asked this reporter not long after she arrived for the scheduled interview last Saturday.

Mrs. Tinubu, politician, preacher and patron of several good causes in this interview speaks of her experience in the Nigerian Senate, her engaging romance with her constituency and the prospects of a better Nigeria under an All Progressives Congress, APC led Federal Government.

Mrs. Tinubu is married to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the national leader of the APC and she is one of only two women to have sat in Senate after their husbands. Excerpts:

By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor

A

LMOST four years in the Senate. How would you describe your experience?

It has been a mixed experience.

Mixed in the sense that I feel grateful that I have had the privilege to serve my country but on the other hand, it’s that my expectations were high. The expectation was that I would be among those that would make laws that would move this country forward, take us from the brink of despair and also move our nation, and especially our youths from joblessness to a place where they can have gainful employment.

I see a lot of things happening but little impact. Probably because I belong to the minority in the Senate and as such may not be able to get a lot done as expected.

Honour and privilege But so far, so good, I am honoured and I am privileged to be there.

What would you describe as the high point of your representation?

The high point would be my interaction with my constituents.

In my constituency, I promised them town hall meetings and I have been able to hold 13. It would also include my ability to use constituency projects in bringing the dividends of democracy to my constituents.

But when it comes to bills, which is quite important for any senator, we have been able to present three bills and articulate motions concerning Lagos.

What happens to one Nigerian should affect the other Nigerian.

We shouldn’t play politics with the lives of people.

If APC happens to come as a majority today, I can tell you that we will be fair to all the states.

C M Y K

We will take all states in Nigeria as our responsibility. What has to be done in any state even if it is won by PDP – which I doubtbut we will do what is necessary and that is how we are going to run this country.

Could we have an insight into some of the projects you have conceived for your constituents?

It is quite disheartening that constituency projects one has proposed every year do not come to completion. I proposed a drug rehabilitation centre which was to cost about N223 million and this is because of the youth restiveness that is all over the country and because of this you see a lot of young people addicted to drugs or engaged in substance abuse. In developed countries people can check themselves into clinics, to clean themselves up. Such avenues are not here.

No matter what street life may look like but where they are sober they wonder how they could clean themselves up. That was why I decided to build a drug rehabilitation centre that eventually that the state can take control of and affiliate it with the health care system. But up till now, the project is still ongoing.

The second one is to build markets for women which would not be sold, but those allotted would only pay monthly rent. But up till now the project is still ongoing. We also proposed a vocational training centre in 2011 and that is still ongoing. In 2013, we proposed for them to build a primary school in Tarkwa Bay. Were these constituency projects put into the budget?

Yes, they were.

Does not constitute an infringement of the budget law?

We talk about it, we debate it, but nothing is done. Every budget presentation we talk about it, we invite the ministers concerned, but still nothing is

done.

Is that not the story of a paddypaddy Senate?

It is not paddy-paddy on our part. You see in the Senate it doesn’t work like that. If you raise your hand to speak and if the president doesn’t invite you to speak, nothing can be done and I am not going talk about that because the Seventh Senate is almost over. I am looking forward to a Senate where APC would be the majority, then we would be able to compare.

What is the status of your social security bill?

The social security bill went as far as the second reading, and it just went quiet because the Committee on Rules and Business did not bring it up.

What they did was to bring an existing bill that has been there with the National Social Security Scheme that the House had deliberated on for us to consider it together and bring it forth to

I like what our presidential candidate said, ‘that I will not have corrupt people in government'

•Tinubu: Lagos Area Boys have good business plans

pass it. It was then that I found the ridiculous arrangement that they now included an insurance component to apply to civil servants.

Insurance component That meant that you had to pay some amount and then the government would pay some amount for the civil servants.

But the one I proposed was for elderly citizens.

What was the thrust of your own bill for the elderly?

The thrust was financial assistance. I proposed it after I looked at the unemployment rate at the country and saw that it had risen to high figures.

When you consider what happened during the Immigration Service interview scam, you will see how many youths are unemployed.

My bill was focused on the elderly, especially those in the agrarian sector that don’t even have any form of insurance but have provided food for us over the years. You know that in our twilight years, our strength begin to diminish. So, if we are able to make sure that there is a monthly stipend that comes

in, the burden becomes easier for the family.

When you look at Ekiti, Governor Fayemi started it and you can see that the elderly were happy with it and how much was given? Just N5,000. It did go a long way and that is what I was proposing. Let’s start with the elderly, 65 years and above.

How much did you propose to give to them?

The agency would decide. I supplied all that was necessary in the bill such as the financial implications for the bill, but they just pushed it aside after second reading. They (senators) all welcomed it for first and second reading and referred to the committee to be brought back, but that is where it is now!

Another bill that I proposed was the Special Economic Assistance Bill for Lagos. We did it but I saw that the PDP senators were going to vote along party lines no matter how it was going to be beneficial to society and I said, okay, ‘I will wait’ and hopefully, if I go back to the Senate we will continue to pursue it.

It is for special economic assistance which has to do with the tariffs, VATs that are collected in Lagos and even if it is 1%, give to

Continues on page 51

Vanguard, MONDAY, MARCH 2, 2015—51

different way, maybe with N50,000 so that we can get more and this time I will bring a pastor in and an Islamic cleric to pray for them so that they can calm down. The ones that need to go through detoxification we will help them.

What impact has this programme had on society?

Pitiably, you still see some of them on the road still begging.

You know this old song ‘street life’ where the singer was saying street life is the only life I know.

The only life they know is street life, life of hustle and that is why I said I would do it differently now.

Do you see the APC forming the next government in Abuja?

By the grace of God, there is no contest on that issue. When you feel the pulse of the people, they want change. Enough is enough.

Looking around us, what has been done so far? We are seeing youth unemployment, insecurity, lack of power.

Privatised power •Tinubu: Obanikoro's behaviour has not been distinguished

Nigerians want change in Abuja — Sen Tinubu Continues from page 50 us which can be used for either repair of roads, maintenance of infrastructure.

You are the vice-chairman of Senate Committee on Labour and there is a feeling out there that the Senate has been passive on the issue of job growth and has remained passive on the alleged immigration job interview scam?

I spoke about it even in several interviews and they were saying it was best practises as applied all over the world.

Sitting chairman That minister should have resigned. I said it! But you see, I cannot make an issue out of it if I have a sitting chairman. I don’t see why this minister should still be there.

You conceived a Post Secondary School Scholarship Scheme for constituents. One would like to know the impact of that scheme and how you have used it to mentor the youths?

The 26 children that we took, I took them as my children but one thing that is wrong with our polity today is that people don’t still

trust politicians. Your goodwill is always taken for granted. These were quite unlike the Spelling Bee winners. They (Spelling Bee winners) have proved me beyond measure. Several of them are in the different professions, they are lawyers, accountants, doctors and it is just overwhelming. But what I now discovered now with this is that what we don’t work for, we don’t appreciate it, especially when we have not gone through the struggles of life.

What of the Good Boys and Good Girls Empowerment Scheme?

I love that, but to me it still needs some fine tuning. It has been one of my most expensive outreaches. Giving N100,000 to our so called area boys and girls.

But you see what I discovered from them, they have the best business plans. If you look at the deliberations from one of my town hall meetings, you will see the businesses that they listed out.

People can even go into businesses by looking at the list.

It is incredible, but I love the programme even if it is an expensive project and we were able to reach about 117 of them and that is not enough.

So, I have said that this year, we are going to revisit it in a

We see a government that is playing the people like a pawn.

It is sad. We are dealing with human lives for crying out loud.

It is pathetic! It is sad! At times when I am at home the light goes on and off as if somebody is flicking the switch and you don’t know what to do. Do you know that a number of equipment that would have been damaged, yet you said you privatised power?

What about the promises with the refineries? These are areas that jobs could have been created?

Who are the people put in charge of all these parastatals?

I like what our presidential candidate said, ‘that I will not have corrupt people in government.’ You don’t just make one single man to be custodian of the wealth of the nation. It is never done. It is the commonwealth of the people. It has to spread round. Nigerians are never lazy people, give them the opportunity to work, they will work.

We are not lazy people and you know, biblically if a man doesn’t work, he shouldn’t eat. But we see a lot of people not working, just by hustling they are eating and they are eating fat. That is not what it should be.

You asked about the Good Boys and Good Girls Scheme, yes it may not have totally worked, but it has given me a greater bargaining power with them. So, when they come to me I ask, ‘what did you do with the money I gave you?’ and they say, ‘mama, I gave it to my wife and my wife is trading with it.’

So, they give it to their wives to trade with it and they go out to hustle. And you know what many of them are coming to tell me now, to give them money to buy tickets that they have visa to go to London. Some I oblige because

it is good for them to go to London to see whether they see hustlers on the streets of London and I want them to come back and talk to me.

The president has nominated Musiliu Obanikoro to represent Lagos on the Federal Executive Council, are you going to support him?

No, no. I didn’t support him the first time and this second time I am speaking against him. I was on LTV this morning (Saturday) and I said it that his behaviour has not been distinguished. We are supposed to be distinguished senators.

Distinguished senators Unfortunately, I was away when his case was presented and luckily, two of the senators have already written to the Senate President and when I came back I told Senator Ashafa that I will like to sign it and he said that the letter had already gone and that two is enough.

The first time (he was nominated) two of us signed it and addressed the press and so was the case with Roli George (as chairman of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency), but did they listen? You saw I spoke against it despite that she is a woman and what has she done with that position today? Was I not proven right?

I don’t really like to see women having appointments and not doing anything to lift another woman up. I am saying it on record, no one should expect what I have done in my constituency from any other senator. It was because I did not spend a kobo out of my money.

Everything given to me in the 7th Senate I gave out.

You are regarded as a Christian, a pastor...

By the grace of God, there is no contest on that issue. When you feel the pulse of the people, they want change.

Enough is enough

I am not a pastor, I am just a deaconess but I am a graduate of Bible College.

In what way has your faith impacted in your service in the Senate?

A lot, a lot, a lot. Even telling you about my salary, it was an instruction from God. He said don’t touch it and I can even give you the scripture. I shared it with people as I thought I won’t be able to do that, but it was easy.

What is the scripture?

Leviticus 19: 23 – 25.

That you should not touch your salary?

Yes, for three years and the fourth year, use it to praise me which I am still using it to work.

It is part of praising God. If you wipe the tears off people’s faces, what are you doing? Doing what God expects you to do.

He said the fifth year, you can eat out of it, but He didn’t say eat everything, so, my work too has to continue because it is one door that God has opened to me that I will say has blessed me, that I could say that I have a clear conscience. So, my faith has helped me there and also to stand for truth. Mama Adeboye is a spiritual mother to me.

I remember when I approached her that I was going to the Senate, she said ‘make sure you stand for God.’ I can never forget.

Going for a second term, I have already gone to them, so, I have spiritual parents that I don’t want to put to shame and I off course don’t want to put my family to shame. So, I know what the faith entails me to do.

Gift of a platform You can run away from man but you cannot run from God and whatever you do in secret, God will always repay you openly. By giving me a platform like this, I believe that God is still pleased with me.

I am not saying that I am a saint. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. I have done some things I might not be proud of, but the more you know God, the more you begin to see your shortcoming that you will feel filthy at times.

That I shouldn’t have done this if I had known better and that is what I have seen with people, because they don’t know better and that is why the Bible says if you know the truth it will set you free. But I am free in the knowledge that if God is still making me relevant, that if I am voted back, I believe that He still wants to make use of me.

Vice-President Namadi Sambo has in the course of campaigns in the North tended to claim that your party is a Christian party and that the presidential running mate is a pastor with 5,000 churches...

You see, God has begun to turn their wisdom to foolishness. I rest my case!

C M Y K

52 — Vanguard, MONDAY, MARCH 2, 2015

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

G

OING by the threats and counter threats by the two main political parties in the country, the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, and the main opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, over the forthcoming elections, one may be tempted to say that the country is sitting on a keg of gunpowder. The political gladiators in the land have not helped matters as on daily basis they threaten fire and brimstone if things don’t go their way. In the centre of the heat of this drama is the National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega whose office seems to have attracted both friends and enemies.

While the INEC boss is accused of having alliance with the opposition APC by the ruling party, the PDP, the opposition APC on the other hand has raised alarm alleging sinister moves to send Prof. Jega on retirement leave following his alleged insistence in ensuring a free, credible and transparent election.

But the former university lecturer who is at the receiving end seems unperturbed as he has gone ahead with the preparations to conduct the elections.

Penultimate week, Jega appeared on the floor of the Senate to brief senators following the decision to shift the elections earlier scheduled for February 14 and 28.

Bamboozling the senators When he appeared, he bestrode the Senate like a colossus and was able to bamboozle the lawmakers especially those from the ruling PDP who had wanted to use the occasion to find fault in the way he was handling the electoral process.

Although, some of the PDP senators were not comfortable with the introduction of card reader by the INEC boss, his insistence and explanation on the expected advantage of using card reader for accreditations, especially to minimize electoral fraud was able to convince doubters on its advantage.

While some of the PDP senators tried to find fault in Prof. Jega on the way he was handling the preparation for the elections and the alleged lopsidedness in the collection of the Permanent Voters Card, PVCs which at that time was higher in some parts of the country, the APC senators, however, showered encomium on the INEC boss and to give him all the necessary backing.

The APC senators, however, remain concerned on what they claim as a plot to remove Jega from office that will see him go on pre-retirement leave before the elections.

C M Y K

•APC senators addressing a press conference

APC SENATORS: The drum beat of war OPPOSITION senators are restive over two serious issues: the alleged plot to remove Prof.

Attahiru Jega as chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC and their unwavering opposition to the nomination of Senator Musiliu Obanikoro as a minister The APC Senate caucus led by the Senate minority leader, Senator George Akume last Thursday raised the alarm about the plot following what they claimed as reliable information.

They, however, did not disclose how they got the information.

The APC Senators claimed that information from their ‘credible’ source to that effect had it that the INEC Chairman would be given a letter by the office of Head of Service, HOS, directing

The APC senators, however, remain concerned on what they claim as a plot to remove Jega from office that will see him go on preretirement leave before the elections

him to proceed on retirement leave next week.

Senator Akume said that such alleged sinister move to force the INEC boss out of office was because of the forthcoming elections and warned that the move was capable of plunging the country into anarchy.

He said, “Honestly, we said it before; this is the road to Golgotha, road to Armageddon.

This people want to destroy this country completely. Today this country is broke and it is not because of Jega. People who are responsible are there and they are friends of government.

Nigerians want peace not pieces.”

They further claimed that Prof.

Jega was ready to conduct the presidential and National Assembly elections on February 14 only to be forced to put the elections off as a result of the pressure and the letter from the National Security Adviser, NSA, on security challenges especially in the North East.

They said, “Today we want to say that only dishonest politicians fear (Prof. Attahiru) Jega as the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). We have received information from very, very informed and credible source that next week the Chairman of the INEC will be served a letter by the office of the Head of Civil Service directing him to proceed on terminal leave.

“Whether the letter comes from the Head of Service or the

Secretary to the Federal Government does not make sense. What we are saying is even if you go by the terms of the head of the civil service of the 11th of August, 2010, with reference no: HCSF/CMO/1772/T1/11 it is not applicable whatsoever to the chairman of INEC. “This circular was talking about clarification on pre-retirement leave. Pre-retirement leave is applicable to tenured officers, careers civil servants and you are bound to disengage when you get to 35 years in service or when you get to 60 years of age.

Issue of card readers “This provision is not applicable to Jega. Why would the Federal Government controlled by the PDP want to temper with an arrangement that is so critical to this election. Jega was ready to conduct elections; the Federal Government controlled by the PDP was not ready.

“Today nobody has faulted what Jega is doing but we have seen articles sponsored against Jega by a particular political party. Bringing the issue of card readers and trying to hang Jega cannot work. Monies for the cards were appropriated by the National Assembly and they have been applied for the acquisition of these very sensitive materials.

“But on a daily basis, Jega is being hammered. They say Jega is depriving over 10 million

people of their right to vote. That is not true and we condemn what the government is trying to do and we want to appeal to all of you to rise up and defend our democracy.

The senators were firm in their conviction that the president does not have the constitutional power to suspend any appointee.

Senator Kabir Marafa representing Zamfara South said, “Section 157(1) clearly states that the president can only remove Jega with the vote of twothird majority of all Senators.

Under whatever guise whether suspension, retirement or voluntary leave, he cannot be removed.”

The APC senators did not stop there, they also threatened to oppose the confirmation of one of their former colleagues, Senator Musliu Obanikoro who was nominated by the president for ministerial appointment.

Spokesman of APC Senators Senator Babafemi Ojudu said that it was the position of the opposition Senators that Senator Musliu Obanikoro was not qualified for the appointment.

He said, “It is our position that such a person (Senator Obanikoro) is not qualified to hold public office. We are going to oppose that and the three Senators from Lagos have written to Mark opposing that.

Obanikoro is not qualified to hold public office based on his antecedent. The case will be coming up on March 6 and when any case.”

But as the present seventh senate is constituted, the APC is in the minority. It is said that the minority will always have its say, but it is not certain that they will have their way.

Vanguard, MONDAY, MARCH 2, 2015 —53

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54 — Vanguard, MONDAY, MARCH 2, 2015

IMPEACHMENT: Blame yourself, not others, Umahi tells Elechi

By Peter Okutu

A

BAKALIKI—THE governorship candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, In Ebonyi State, Engr. Dave Umahi, weekend enjoined Governor Martin Elechi to stop pointing accusing fingers at prominent sons of the state, including the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim and Chief Fidelis Nwankwo over the impeachment notice served him by the state House of Assembly last friday.

At a press conference in Abakaliki, the PDP governorship candidate who described Governor Elechi’s comments on the impeachment notice as false and deceitful, stated that it was the right of the House to serve an impeachment notice on any chief executive whenever it deemed necessary.

According to him, the governor had no reason to blame his political woes on the SGF, but should rather explain the issues of alleged misappropriation and constitutional breaches highlighted in the impeachment notice and stop whipping up unnecessary sentiments.

Governor Elechi had in a live TV broadcast on Ebonyi Broadcasting Corporation, EBBC, alleged that the SGF was behind the move for his impeachment.

But Umahi alleged that Elechi had done everything within his powers to make the President sack the SGF, so that he would continue to run the affairs of the state as it pleased him.

‘Imo'll repay Okorocha’s financial recklessness by voting him out’ O

NITSHA—DEPUTY Speaker, House of Representatives and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP governorship candidate in Imo State, Chief Emeka Ihedioha has restated that Governor Rochas Okorocha misappropriated N175 billion fund belonging to the local governments in the state and as

such Imo people have rejected him for a second term in office.

Speaking to Imo indigenes in Onitsha, Anambra State, Ihedioha pointed out that investigation discovered that the outgoing governor of Imo State had collected from the Federation Account over N175 billion council funds from May

CAMPAIGN RALLY: From left; Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP governorship candidate in Imo State, Hon Emeka Ihedioha; candidate, House of Assembly, MacDonald Ebere and Imo State chairman of PDP, Mr. Nnamdi Anyaehie addressing the crowd during the party's campaign rally and interactions with the Exco and members of OMATA at Ekeukwu Owerri Market, Imo State.

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AGOS—LAGOS State government has said it would soon complete the ApapaIganmu master plan to ensure further development of the communities.

The government, however, noted that contrary to critics accusing the government of neglecting the slums in its developmental drive, it never neglected any part of the state.

Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello, disclosed this while reacting to the allegation

have asked them what they used the money to do, they told us that they have used the money of the local government system collected between May 2011 and December 2014 to build 305 schools in Imo State, they told us that they used the money to build 27 hospitals in Imo State.We know that these projects have not been completed.

“We asked them how much did they use to build each of them.

They also said that they used the proceeds from Ada Palm about N4billion as concessioned to Roche to build the 305 primary schools and the same 27 hospitals. They also told us that they used part of the N18.5 billion bond they collected from Ikedi Ohakim’s administration to also build the same primary schools and hospitals.”

According to the governorship hopeful, “to utilise funds belonging for local governments to other purposes other than the development of the council areas is a breach of the constitution and breach of the will of the people and that offence is punishable. The way to punish that offence is to vote that government of Rochas out.”

Police kill notorious hoodlum in 9-hr gun battle in Ilorin

By Demola Akinyemi

I

LORIN—A notorious hoodlum, who has been terrorising Ilorin and environ was killed yesterday at Pakata area of the city, while an army officer sustained severe injury in a fierce battle that lasted nine hours.

Eye witness account told Vanguard that Anifowoshe community in Pakata, Ilorin, Kwara State capital, was a theatre of war in the battle between the hoodlum and a combined team of Army, Airforce and Police.

Residents of the area were held hostage for hours, while the main road around Government Girls Day Secondary School was blocked by the security team, thus preventing vehicular

movement from both sides.

The suspect, believed to be in his thirties, suspected to be a policeman from Okene, Kogi State, reportedly rented an apartment in the area for his wife and aged mother from where he had been carrying

against the state government by some critics in the state, shortly after the monitoring of February, monthly sanitation exercise in Apapa-Iganmu Local Council Development Area, LCDA. Bello, who was accompanied by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Ganiyu Johnson, noted that the current administration had since inception been committed to urban renewal, especially the slums.

“The government will soon complete the Apapa-Iganmu

out his nefarious activities.

The source said: “In the ensuing crossfire, the suspect was said to have been gunned down,while an unidentified man of Nigeria Army among the security team sustained wound on his arm as a result of bullet fired at him by the suspect.

“The area became tension soaked while the gun duel, which started around 2am of yesterday’s morning lasted till around 11am.”

Another eyewitness account said the security operatives had been on the trail of the suspect for the past three days.

Anambra PDP assembly aspirants threaten to defect over nomination fees

By Vincent Ujumadu

A

WKA— NATIONAL and state assembly aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Anambra State who failed to secure the party’s

Lagos completes Apapa-Iganmu Master-plan

By Monsur Olowoopejo

2011 to December 2014 which the APC administration could not account for.

He said there had not been any clear explanation from the state government as to how the funds were expended, adding that the governor had a case to answer over the misappropriated funds. “We

master plan to ensure further development of the communities,” he said.

They stated that the state government in slum areas commenced housing and road construction projects.

Some of the slums in the state include: Makoko and Iwaya; Yaba and Badia; Apapa-Iganmu LCDA. For instance in Badia, Bello said, “The Lagos State Government has commenced the rebuilding exercise of the community and we started with the housing project in Ilu-Eri.''

ticket for the March 28 and April 11 elections have threatened to defect to another political party with their supporters if the leadership of PDP refused to refund them the nomination and screening fees paid before the inconclusive primaries of the party last year.

Operating under the aegis of PDP Aspirants Forum, Anambra State chapter, the aspirants, who are from the three senatorial zones of the state, said they were demanding refund of their money because there were no primaries conducted by the party.

They argued that those parading themselves as candidates of the party in the state declared themselves winners.

In a statement issued by the chairman of the steering committee of the aspirants’

forum, Mr. Chukwuemeka Orjiakor and secretary, Mr. Godwin Uchime, they regretted that even when the leadership of the party knew that there were no primaries, they chose to pocket the money paid by the aspirants and pretended as if nothing happened.

The statement read: “PDP has submitted names of those it felt had deep pockets as the candidates for the senatorial, House of Representatives and House of Assembly in the three senatorial zones of the state.

“Those who were given tickets were predetermined by the PDP. Even though the nomination forms were bought for N4.5 million for senate, N2.5 million for House of Representatives and N1.2 million for House of Assembly, with our contact addresses, we are shocked that PDP has not deemed it proper to invite the aspirants for a meeting to take a decision on the matter.

Vanguard, MONDAY, MARCH 2, 2015 — 55

Alake flays PDP over comments on Tinubu D

IRECTOR of Strategic Communications of the All Progressives Congress presidential Campaign Organisation Mr Dele Alake has declared that the allegation of nursing presidential ambition after General Muhammadu Buhari becomes president concocted by the PDP against Tinubu is concrete evidence that the party has conceded victory to the APC presidential ticket.

Reacting to the allegation credited to the Director of Media, PDP presidential campaign organisation Mr. Femi FaniKayode, Alake said the scenario begins with the assumption that the APC will win the presidential polls on March 28.

He said the time frame of six months for the action to take place meant that General Muhammadu Buhari and Professor Yemi Osinbajo would have been sworn-in as president and Vice President respectively on May 29, 2015.

According to him, “any psycho-analyst can read the mind of the purveyors of this concoction of falsehood. Their assumption gives away the fact that they themselves accept the certainty of victory of the APC in the presidential election.”

He said the massive support for the APC presidential ticket locally and internationally has inflicted a devastating damage on the psychology of the PDP campaign managers “leading to an acute case of schizophrenia” Alake said the PDP spokesperson Femi Fanikayode shot himself in the foot in his desperation to spin a conspiracy theory that is childish and merits the condemnation of all right thinking persons.

He said “the fact that the message came through Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode who, just a few days ago, was brought to answer corruption charges, makes the message incredulous.

The whole world knows the other

reasons for the incredulity of any message delivered through him.

However, to the uninformed, there is no iota of truth in such allegation. It is product of infantile, wild imagination of a convoluted, distorted and warped mind “In the APC, we do not indulge in oath-taking, pactsigning and such other rituals that the PDP establishment is adept at. Such PDP- induced

A

Urhobo activist, Comrade Ede Emuobonuvie has thrown his weight behind the candidature of Hon. Halims Agoda, All Progressives Congress, APC, senatorial candidate for Delta Central, saying his vision for the senatorial district remains the best.

Briefing newsmen in Agbarho, Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, yesterday, Emuobonuvie said: “It is now time for the Urhobo to have a Senator of the same potential as the great men we have had in the past

has achieved an enviable, political status, fame and stature. He has gone far beyond using subterfuge to attain any political position.

“It is widely known, globally, that he has been pivotal in midwifing the most potent and formidable opposition movement that has become the nightmare of the incompetent behemoth called the PDP, and to the delight of Nigerians, the desired change they are waiting for.''

PRESENTATION: From left; Kannywood actor, Ghali Dz; General Manager, Regional Operation, MTN, North, Kunle Adebiyi; winner of N10 million at the 3rd MTN Cash Quest prize presentation, Abdulmojeed Salawu, and Senior Manager, Regulatory & Monitoring, National Lottery Regulatory Commission, at the prize presentation in Abuja at the weekend.

Reps to probe whereabouts of N3trn NLNG profits

By Emman Ovuakporie

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BUJA—THE House of Representatives is set to investigate what happened to $14.9 billion ( about N3 trillion) profit from the Liquified Natural Gas, LNG paid to the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC from 2004 till date.

The said amount represents dividends realised from the sales of liquified gas from 2004 to 2014 and which the multinational liquified gas company allegedly claimed it

‘Agoda's vision for Delta Central remains best' who steered the ship of the N

Okija scenarios have no place in the APC. Professor Yemi Osinbajo is a thorough- bred, accomplished professor, teacher, pastor, mentor and preacher who is nationally and internationally acknowledged as a man of probity, integrity, transparency and competence who can never be part of such inanities.

Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his part, is the foremost national leader of the APC who

Urhobos without blemish.

“We the Urhobos will no longer tolerate political hustlers in leadership positions without the ability to deliver. We have seen what they had to offer before and we now know better that many of them can simply not be trusted to protect anybody’s interest except their own and that of their family.

“As far as we are concerned, we have already conclusively identified Olorogun O’tega Emerhor as our next Governor and Hon. Halim Agoda as our next Senator.”

has remitted to NNPC. The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts, Rep. Solomon Olamilekan Adeola made the disclosure at the weekend, saying the committee will move a motion of urgent national importance at plenary on Tuesday to compel the NNPC to bring relevant documents.

But the NNPC has moved to stop the House from getting the documents as its lawyer, Mike Ozekhome & Co Chambers wrote the House Committee last Friday saying it has no right to request for the LNG accounts.

Olamilekan- Adeola said: “Just about a month ago, we invited the Liquified Natural Gas, LNG, to appear before the committee on Public Accounts. They came and told us that Federal Government has 51 percent holding in the LNG while 41 percent is owned by Shell and other private sector stakeholders.

He explained further” If we have 51 percent, how much of these funds has returned to the Federal Government as dividend? They said they have it. And between 2004 and 2014 they’ve remitted to the NNPC coffers in form of dividends $14.9 billion.

“We wrote to NNPC asking for an evidence for the sources of revenue, the bank statements,

and if there is any expenditure for that account and any other item they can furnish us with.

“Just this afternoon ( last Friday), we received a letter from their lawyer, Mike Ozekhome & Co e quoting Section 88 and other relevant sections of the constitution explaining why they cannot and will not come before the committee with these particular documents.”

JOS TWIN BOMB:

Plateau APC gov candidate cancels stakeholders interaction

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HE All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship candidate in Plateau State, Mr Simon Lalong, has cancelled his scheduled interactive session with stakeholders in the justice sector and the campaign rally in Jos South Local Government Area slated for weekend.

A statement by his campaign directorate, said the cancellation was in honour of victims of the twin bomb blast which occurred in the state and claimed several lives.

The statement added that interactive session slated for weekend and campaign rally are suspended till further notice.

Lalong had earlier met with the Jos Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, where he informed them of his intention to contest the governorship election.

He had invited stakeholders to the interactive session before the news of the blast.

“My heart goes out to the victims of the blast and their families, The interactive session with stakeholders in the Justice sector will hold on a date to be announced very soon,“ Lalong added.

Emerhor lauded over Vanguard interview

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BIARUKU—AN activist, Comrade Sunny Eke, has described the submissions of Chief O’tega Emerhor in the course of his interview published in Saturday Vanguard of February 28 as the right sort of vision badly needed in Delta State at the present point in time.

Commending O’tega for his understanding of the issues and commitment to making a meaningful change in the lives of Deltans, Eke, in an interactive session with newsmen in Obiaruku, Ukwani council area of Delta State, described, the All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship candidate as a man on a mission to rescue Delta from sixteen years of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP misrule.

According to him, only a party

that considers Deltans to be fools will make a demeaning appeal to be given another eight years ostensibly to solve the same problem they created for sixteen years.

His words: “PDP is so used to taking us for granted that they believe we are now a pack of fools willing to remain in bondage forever. Change is the barest minimum we demand in the present dispensation, and change we will surely get.”

When pressed why Chief Ogboru of Labour Party cannot provide the sort of change, O’tega wants to bring, Eke said: “Ogboru has tried his luck four times before and failed to get there. Let us try someone fresh for now. O’tega is the man and APC is the party.”

56 — VANGUARD, MONDAY, MARCH 2 , 2015

BRIEFS Afghans: 70 persons killed in February

Sierra Leone vice president in quarantine over Ebola S

IERRA Leone’s Vice President Samuel Sam-Sumana has placed himself in quarantine following the death of one of his bodyguards from Ebola, a government spokesman said as the country reintroduced travel restrictions to combat the spread of the virus.

Sumana “has decided to

place himself in precautionary quarantine awaiting the results of tests by the health authorities”, the spokesman said on Saturday.

Sumana’s bodyguard, 42-year-old John Koroma, died from Ebola on Friday, medical sources said.

Sources at the vice president’s office said

Sumana is not in danger but had decided to stay out of his office for the next 21 days and work from his home in the west of the capital.

Sierra Leone recorded 18 new cases of Ebola last week, up from 16 new cases the previous week.

This breaks the trend of declining cases in Sierra

Leone. There were clusters of new cases with many related to the movements of fishermen.

President Ernest Bai Koroma’s new restrictions, announced on Saturday, include a night-time ban on all boats launching from shore and from commercial vehicles off-loading goods in western market areas.

Vote counting begins after Lesotho snap elections

V

OTE results were trickling in to the southern African mountain kingdom of Lesotho, after a snap election aimed at resolving a political crisis triggered by an alleged coup bid.

Tensions were high ahead of Saturday ’s parliamentary poll, which was called two years ahead of schedule, but election days passed off without incident, according to observers.

The Deputy President of neighbouring South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, said shortly after polls closed at 15:00 GMT, “Everything I’ve come across tells me everything has gone extremely well.”

“From my side it is congratulations to the people of Lesotho for

having come this far to hold a peaceful election,” Ramaphosa added.

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) also said the election had proceeded largely without

incident, although some ballot papers in two of over 2,000 polling stations did not have the names of all candidates.

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ATEST official data show that some 70 people, nearly half of them civilians, lost their lives and more than 80 others sustained injuries in a spate of terrorist attacks across Afghanistan in February.

According to the figures released on Sunday, as many as 20 bomb attacks took place in Afghanistan in the second month of the current year.

In the last attack of the month, two children were killed and 16 civilians were injured when a car

Bangladesh rallies for free speech after U.S. blogger’s murder

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ANGLADESHIS gathered on Sunday to pay tribute to an American blogger and critic of religious extremism who was hacked to death in Dhaka, in the latest of a series of attacks on writers in the predominantly Muslim nation.

Avijit Roy, an engineer of Bangladeshi origin, was killed by machete-wielding assailants on Thursday while returning from a book fair.

His wife and fellow blogger Rafida Ahmed suffered head injuries and lost a finger. She remains in hospital in a serious

SLAMIC State released 19 Assyrian Christian captives in Syria on Sunday after processing them through a sharia court, a monitoring group which tracks the conflict said.

More than 200 Assyrians remain in Islamic State hands, said the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, captives from an Islamic State advance last month that overran more than a dozen villages inhabited by the ancient Christian minority near Hasaka, a northeastern city mainly held by the Kurds.

Islamic State has not claimed any of the abductions.

The

condition.

The attack came amid a crackdown on hardline Islamist groups, which have increased activities in recent years to turn the secular South Asian nation of 160 million people into a Sharia-based country.

Mourners gathered with flowers on Sunday to pay their respects to Avijit, who was in his native city on a visit from the United States.

Students, professors and writers were among those laying flowers on Avijit’s coffin, placed in the grounds of Dhaka University.

UNICEF blames pro-state militia for abducting S. Sudan kids

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HE United Nations Children’s Fund Lesotho Independent Electoral Commission Marshalls start the vote (UNICEF) has expressed counting process at a polling station in Maseru . concern over the abduction of scores of male kids last month in northeast of South Sudan, warning that the kidnappers may have been pro-state militias.

UNICEF’s warning on Sunni Muslims who do Sunday came following its Observatory tracks the conflict using a network Bashar al-Assad’s rule not swear allegiance to its recent estimate that 89 boys, self-declared “caliphate”. some as young as 13, were of sources on all sides of in 2011.

It said 17 men and two The group last month kidnapped by an armed the civil war which released a video showing group in the riverside town spiralled as security women were released.

Islamic State has its members beheading of Wau Shilluk, which is forces used violence to suppress protests killed members of 21 Egyptian Coptic located in a governmentagainst President religious minorities and Christians in Libya.

Islamic State releases 19 Christians, still holds 200 captive

I

bomb targeted the vehicle of Afghan lawmaker, Farhidoon Mohmmand, in the eastern Nangarhar Province. The legislator escaped the act of terror unharmed.

Additionally, about 11 roadside bomb attacks took place throughout Afghanistan last month.

At least 10 targeted killings happened in Afghanistan in February, leaving government officials, security forces and local leaders dead.

Russians march in memory of murdered Putin critic

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ENS of thousands of Russians marched through central Moscow on Sunday, carrying banners declaring “I am not afraid” and chanting “Russia without Putin” in memory of murdered Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov.

Families, the old and young walked slowly, with

many holding portraits of the opposition politician and former deputy prime minister who was shot dead while walking home from a nearby restaurant on Friday night.

The authorities have suggested the opposition itself may have been behind his shooting in an attempt to create a martyr

and unite the fractured movement.

His supporters have blamed the authorities. “If we can stop the campaign of hate that’s being directed at the opposition, then we have a chance to change Russia. If not, then we face the prospect of mass civil conflict,” Gennady Gudkov, an opposition leader, told Reuters.

held region in the oil-rich Upper Nile state.

“The organization now believes the number of children may be in the hundreds,” the international agency announced in its Sunday statement, pointing out that the suspected abductors were linked to a “militia... aligned with the government’s SPLA (Sudan People’s Liberation Army) forces.”

Netanyahu flies to U.S., ties fraying over his planned Iran speech

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EFYING U.S. President Barack Obama, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flew to Washington on Sunday to warn Congress about the risks of a possible nuclear deal with Iran in a speech that has imperiled ties between the two allies.

Israel fears that Obama’s Iran diplomacy, with an endof-March deadline for a framework accord, will allow

its arch foe to develop atomic weapons — something Tehran denies seeking.

But by accepting an invitation from the Republican Party to address Congress on March 3, the Israeli leader infuriated the Obama administration, which said it was not told of the speech before plans were made public in an apparent breach of protocol.

Vanguard, MONDAY, MARCH 2, 2015 —57

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58—Vanguard, MONDAY, MARCH 2, 2015

Vanguard

Group flays Buhari's speech at Chatham House

CLASSIFIED OKEKE—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Oluebube Lois Okeke, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Osigwe Oluebube Lois. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and general public please take note.

IDOWU—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Idowu Ayobola Omotayo, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Owodunni Ayobola Omotayo. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

FOLORUNSHO—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Folorunsho Olayemi Abosede Abigail, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Akinseye Olayemi Abosede. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

O L U WA J A N A — I , formerly known and addressed as Miss Oluwajana Adejoke Olamide, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Fashina Adejoke Olamide. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and general public please take note.

OKORO-OGO—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Helen Nneoma Okoro-Ogo, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Helen Nneoma Uche.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

OFUEBO—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Ese Ofuebo, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ese Godstime Ukughere. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

NWAUZOR—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Ihuoma Eva Nwauzor, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ihuoma Eva Nwachukwu. All former documents remain valid Nigerian Tourism D e v e l o p m e n t Corporation (NTDC), Abia State University (ABSU) and general public please take note.

OPARA—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Ogechi Blessing Opara, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ogechi Blessing Isichei. All former documents remain valid. Banks, Pension companies and general public please take note.

ASEMOKHAI—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Ekpemi Sarah Asemokhai, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ekpemi Sarah Joseph.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

ITAM—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Awajima Monday Itam, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Awajima Innocent Umoebem. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

ALFRED-NNAH—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Yvonne Ugochi AlfredNnah, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Yvonne Ugochi Kabaka Brown.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

OSIKE—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Chioma Regina Osike, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Chioma Regina Ezeigbo. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

CORNELIUS—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Erempagamo Peggy Cornelius, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Erempagamo Peggy Efe-Enaibre.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

M B A G W U — I , formerly known and addressed as Miss Chioma Loveline Mbagwu, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Chioma Loveline Umeh. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

BUHARI—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Aishat Teniola Buhari, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Aishat Teniola Ayodele. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

DUMBIRI—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Oyiye Dumbiri, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Oyiye Crystal Uche Ofili. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

IWELU—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Ifeyinwa Sonia Iwelu, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ifeyinwa Sonia Monyei. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

OFOSAREN—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Ofosaren Grace Esimigbemi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Edu Grace Esimigbemi.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

N WAO Z A L A — I , formerly known and addressed as Chidi Michael Nwaozala, now wish to be known and addressed as Chidi Michael Okafor.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

O N A S A N YA — I , formerly known as and addressed as Miss Onasanya Mariam Oluwabunmi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Aaron Mariam Oluwabunmi. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

EGBUJOR—I, formerly known as and addressed as Miss Egbujor Amarachi Esther, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Oparah Amarachi Esther. All former documents remain valid. Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, Holy Rosary Hospital Emekuku and general public please take note.

EZEATU—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Ezeatu Oluchi Laticia, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Oforka Oluchi Laticia.

All former documents remain valid. NYSC and general public please take note.

KEI—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Kei Ilaye Blessing, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ilaye B.N. Andrew. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

UZOMA—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Ngozi Elsie Uzoma, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Elsie Ngozi Okpocha.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

ANIDI—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Christianah Onoriode Anidi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Christianah Onoriode Oduwole. All former documents remain valid. First Bank Plc, Zenith Bank Plc and the general public please take note.

FOR ENQUIRIES, CALL ADVERT HOTLINE: 01-8737025, OR 08035449960, 07031322957

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SOCIO-political group, Good Governance Initiative, GGI, has described as laughable the speech made by the All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House, London.

In a statement issued yesterday by its DirectorGeneral, Dr. Sunny Osa, the group said “though it was clear that the retired general was reluctantly reading a script prepared for him by those who see him as a tool to actualize their selfish political goal, the delivery was fraught with a deluge of irregularities and fallacious promises that are unrealizable”.

Osa argued that the retired general was bereft of ideas pertaining to the nation’s macro-economic indices and could not give categorical answers to salient economic questions to convince his audience including Nigerians present at the occasion as to how he would turn around the fortunes of the country.

He said, “Why go to Chatham House to deliver his speech and not NIIA if they are not deceitful?

This is a man who could hardly stand for more than

five minutes at every political rally to deliver his speech but stood for over 30 minutes in Chatham House making fallacious promises. If for anything, I view Buhari and his cohorts’ appearance in Chatham House as a tragic epic movie, deceitful and a move calculated at currying sympathy where there is none. What was the electoral value of the Chatham speech, who do they wish to impress?

During his speech, Buhari could not hide his illfeelings for those he has perceived as enemies who he aims to vent his wrath on should he secure his presidential ambition.

Nigerians should ask themselves why he is contesting for the fourth time having been rejected thrice by the same Nigerians.”

The GGI, therefore, urged Nigerians both within and in Diaspora to be vigilant and discerning and to disregard the smokescreen appearance of the general and his agents of economic destabilization and vote them out during the forthcoming March 28, general elections.

According to him, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan deserves all the supports needed to actualize his transformation agenda for the country.

2015: IPF denies endorsing APGA candidate

By Emmanuel Elebeke

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HEAD of the March 28 National Assembly elections, the Igbo Political Forum, Abuja and political stakeholders of Igbo extraction in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, have denied Abuja based newspaper publications which claimed that Barr.

Maxwell Opera, the APGA candidate for the AMAC/Bwari federal constituency election has been purportedly endorsed by Eze Ndigbo, (FCT), Eze Ibe Nwosu.

In a statement signed by the Chairman of IPF, Chief Martins Nzeribe, the group noted that at no time did the royal father, Eze Ibe Nwosu, his cabinet members or any Igbo group endorse the APGA candidate Barr. Maxwell Opara as reported in the media.

Nzeribe said, IPF FCT viewed the publication as a serious embarrassment to the Igbo community and urged the general public to disregard it as they have not taken any position on a consensus candidate.

He further advised politicians to desist from resorting to lies and blackmails just to score cheap

political points.

The statement said, “The attention of the Igbo Political Forum Abuja, HRH Eze Ibe Nwosu and political stakeholders of Igbo extraction in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT have been drawn to the publication in two Abuja based newspapers that Eze (FCT) Eze Ibe Nwosu, has purportedly endorsed Barr. Maxwell Opara, the APGA candidate for the AMAC/Bwari Federal constituency election, scheduled for March 28, 2015 by. It should be noted that at no time did His royal Majesty Eze Ibe Nwosu (Eze Igbo, FCT), his cabinet member or any Igbo group endorse the APGA candidate Barr.

Maxwell Opara as reported. Eze Ibe disassociates himself from the said publications as there is no iota of truth in it. He advises politicians to desist from resorting to lies and blackmails just to score cheap political points.

"The Igbos in the FCT view the publication as a serious embarrassment and urge the general public to disregard it as they have not taken any position on a consensus candidate."

Vanguard, MONDAY, MARCH 2, 2015 — 59 YOUR LUCK TODAY

LEISURE

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 TAURUS: Although matters-of-the-heart may give you cause to smile broadly, if care is not taken, you would cause friction that can’t help you r case at work. This is the wrong time for unnecessary scheming within your working arena.

GEMINI: Those of your who are red-blooded for romance may have an exciting and satisfying day. Happenings within your social circles must be taken more seriously.

CANCER: Confrontation may come your way in the circle but the heavens are working favourably for you. Some doses of romance is not too much for you on a day like this.

LEO: Provided you don’t allow your innate ability to be as diplomatic as necessary desert you, things work favourably for you to the betterment of your finances.

VIRGO: Many of you will be in sentimental mood and exhibit strong romantic desire openly. But then, if care is not taken, you may be carried away to the detriment of your finances. Serious minded lovers are in for happy day.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

By Richard Eromosele

The Beauty Without

T

HE inner cup and the outside, which is more important? I mean the contest of the cup and the cup itself, which is more important?

This question becomes pertinent be-

cause of the way we are going about our re-branding project.

Can you reform evil?

Can you start the process of reformation without? Can the

TERROR MUDA

body be well when the head is sick? Look at the motor vehicle truck/trailer, when on the reverse, the other body stands still. This is so because the

in “Never say goodbye”

head give direction to the body. Nigeria is like a trailer.

We don’t need to waste billions on rebranding. All we need is the right leadership. When the leader does the right thing, Nigerians will do the right thing too.

Think about it!

By Lanre Kehinde

LIBRA: Whatever anybody says or does, you will have both your say and way. Venus and Jupiter may tempt some of you to embrace illicit (or secret) romance within your base of operation.

SCORPIO: Venus and Jupiter at positive angles may tempt you to join some of your friends who are already onboard of merry making train. Watch your health.

SAGITTARIUS: Good luck will smile at many and induce love of luxury merry making and romantic liason. Genuine lovers will need to be on guard against deceit from new admirers.

CAPRICORN: Both financial success and emotional satisfaction are closed to you than before. Those of you travelling because of maters-of-the-heart are in for an exciting romantic day Those ambitious career-wise will succeed after few struggles.

AQUARIUS: Many members of your opposite sex will go out of their ways to attract your romantic interest. This is the wrong time to engage on unnecessary argument.

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in

“Pretty Lunatic’

By Andy Akman

PISCES: If you priority is love, much of it would come your way as desired. But here is a better day for more ambitious in the business world. Don’t allow anybody to deceive you over money.

ARIES: Those of you with secret admirers within your working area will have the needed opportunities to make the needed moves. Resist the temptation to deceive others.

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 horoscope?

Dear Joshua, I am a middle aged lady born on November 10, 1960. Although I am fairly successful, I want you to give me my comprehensive horoscope, especially what my special gift is. Which day of the week was I born? Where were my natal planets and their meanings? Who am I? Fatimah, Abuja.

VIRGINIA

dadadekola@yahoo.com

Dear Fatimah, There is no space for comprehensive horoscope but what you’ll have here -under is answer to your questions/ You were born on a Thursday and your special gift is LEADERSHIP quality.

YOUR HOROSCOPE DATA Date of Birth: Thursday, September 13, 1962 Sun Sign: Virgo: Sun in 20th Degree of Virgo Moon Sign: PISCES: Moon on 10th Degree of Pisces Mercury in 16th Degree of Libra Venues in 5th Degree of Scorpio Mars in 13th Degree of Cancer Jupiter in 6th Degree of Pisces Saturn in 5th Degree of Aquarius Uranus in 2nd Degree of Virgo Neptune in 11th Degree of Scorpio Pluto in 10th Degree of Virgo North Node in 6th Degree of Leo South Node in 6th Degree of Aquarius Quality and Element Cardinal and air star signs hosted two planets each fixed and earth three each, no planet in fire while mutable and water star signs hosted five planets each.

Push-full influence = 20% Non- push-full element = 80% Final dispositor = Lucky Jupiter General Analysis Just 20 per cent of push-full influence in your chart can deceptively present you to others as a soft (or even timid) person but practical Virgo that hosted nothing less than three heavenly bodies when you were born and Astrological aspects between Mercury (mental focus) and aggressive Mars in you r chart are pointers to the contrary.

Yes! You are highly intelligent and your mind works the same way detective’s minds do. It is true, there are little contradictions between your inner self and your emotional being as indicated quality, water element and Virgo characteristics.

HOME & ABROAD

By Lawrence Akapa

60— Vanguard,

MONDAY, MARCH 2, 2015

Vanguard, MONDAY, MARCH 2, 2015 — 61

Green leads Amodu, Okocha, Kanu, 15 others to London

M

EMBER of the NFF Executive Committee and former chairman of the Technical and D e v e l o p m e n t Committee, Barrister Chris Green is at the head of a 19 –man contingent traveling to the United Kingdom on Monday for a two –week capacity building exercise, at the instance of Nigeria Football Federation, Concerned about the need to develop qualified persons in the country to help coaches of the National Teams in the areas of match reading, match preparation and backroom analysis, the NFFsought sponsorship from Taleveras Foundation to enhance

Continues from BP

the capacity of these persons through a special programme. Taleveras Foundation was only too happy to be part of a move in support of Nigeria’s football development.

The objective of the exercise is to enable the persons selected to return to Nigeria empowered with the right technical tool with which to provide effective backroom support to the technical crew of Nigeria’s National Teams, as and when required.

NFF President, Amaju Melvin Pinnick and the Chief Executive Officer of Taleveras Foundation, Mr. Igho Sanomi will be at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos on Monday to see the delegation off to England.

N

I G E R I A championsKano Pillars will play FC Moghreb Tetouan of Morocco in the first round proper of this year’s CAF Champions League competition.

Pillars swept aside Al Malakia of South Sudan 30 in Kano on Saturday, for a 5-0 aggregate win, while Moghreb edged C.O.B. of Mali 3-2 on aggregate to be eligible.TwogoalsbyGambo Mohammed saw off the visitors.

On Sunday, Pillars management reciprocated Malakia’s uncommon hospitality in Juba by hosting the South Sudan delegation to a special lunch at Central Hotel, Kano.

The Kano giants host the first leg of the fixture against Moghreb at the Sani Abacha Stadium on Saturday, March 14.

NFF

offer to the NFF and stop embarrassing the country or his potential employers in the media.

“The act of taking contractual matters to the media doesn’t show maturity and discipline from [Stephen] Keshi,” Anyansi-Agwu told BBC Sport.

“Contracts are not signed on the pages of newspapers and his objections or concerns should be addressed to the federation and not to outsiders.

“Why insult your potential employers in the media if you plan to work with them.

He should stop embarrassing and insulting the country in public, it’s the reason he has a lawyer who could speak to us.”

Keshi took over in November 2011 and his initial contract with the NFF ran out after last year’s World Cup in Brazil, where Nigeria reached the second round stage.

As caretaker coach he endured a turbulent 2014, in which he was sacked by the NFF and only reinstalled after intervention from Nigeria President Goodluck Jonathan.

BBC Sport understands that Keshi has now been offered a two-year contract effective from 1 March 2015 with him having to meet several targets. He is also required to sign a code of conduct, or else the deal is off.

His latest outburst has led to Anyansi-Agwu urging

him to ‘walk away’ if he is The exercise is with not happy to share his concerns directly with the NFF. “The whole thing should not have been blown out of proportion. It’s the NFF employing Keshi and not the other way round, so if he’s not happy he can simply ‘walk away’.

“The role is not his birth right, so he should stop acting like it’s him or no one else.

“He’s not going about it the right way. Keshi can’t employ those employing him, so if he’s not happy he should come back to us and we can look into it.

“Keshi has worked in other countries and he didn’t engage Togo and Mali in a media war, so if he has advisers then they should tell him the matured path to follow, “Anywansi-Agwu added.

Former international Daniel Amokachi has been in charge of Nigeria on a temporary basis since December due to the uncertainty surrounding the coach’s position. leading the Super Eagles to the 2013 Nations Cup title.

However, he failed to qualify Nigeria for the recent Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea, dividing opinion on whether he should continue as coach.

Nevertheless, Keshi said he had received a new deal, though he was far from impressed with what was on offer.

In response, NFF technical committee chairman Anyansi-Agwu says Keshi should direct his reservations about the

Pillars book Morocco ticket

Mali

CELABRATION••• Chelsea skipper John Terry celebrates after scoring the first goal in their 2-0 victory over Tottenham to lift the Capital One Cup yesterday.

Eaglets Continues from BP game, when Victor Osimhen bundled in a superb team effort.

Nigeria should have increased their lead not long after, when Abdullahi Suleiman was given far too much room and his header was saved by goalkeeper Moussa Camara.

Immediately after Suleiman forced the goalkeeper to the save, Nigeria looked distinctly second-best, struggling to craft any moves and surrendering possession to Guinea as soon as they did get the ball.

Guinea did find their equaliser. Aboubacar netted an absolute beauty into the far corner and over Akpan Udoh, stunning the Nigerian fans into silence.

Just as Guinea’s goal appeared to deflate Nigeria, the Syli Babes were in the lead Keita’s

fantastic effort ends with an amazing goal.

Nigeria were probably looking the more likely team to level as half-time drew closer, but the Guineans held on.

After the break, Abdullahi wasn’t effective with his setpieces as Eaglets struggled to create any clear-cut chances.

With thirty-one minutes left to play Guinea made another breakthrough as Keita powered in his second goal of the day.

Guinea were almost making it 4-1, but it took the bravery of Udoh to deny Alseny Soumah from scoring.

The clueless Nigerian side lacked the energy to take the game to their opponents and couldn’t shrug off the disappointments of crashing out to South Africa in the semi final on Wednesday.

Continues from BP Mpoto with no chance.

Amajimbos did have the ball in the back of the net in the 87th minute, however Khanyisa Mayo was flagged offside, as Mali went on to lift the African Youth Championship trophy.

Chelsea Continues from BP scored a 45th-minute goal to ease Chelsea nerves before Kyle Walker’s deflected own goal from a Diego Costa shot settled the final in the 56th minute. It meant an ecstatic Terry lifting the League Cup 10 years since he first did so under Jose Mourinho’s watch — and just as in the last reign of ‘The Special One’, he will be hopeful that it signals an era of supremacy for the west London club.

It capped a perfect day for Chelsea, which may effectively have seen them claim two trophies, after their nearest Premier League title challengers Manchester City lost at Liverpool.

They are now five points clear with a game in hand and Mourinho, fresh from ending his personal drought of not

having won any trophy for three years, still has a treble in his lofty sights with the Champions League also on the agenda.

There could be no argument about Chelsea’s superiority against a side who thrashed them on New Year’s Day even though Spurs had the better of a poor first half in which the one moment of real quality was when Christian Eriksen’s free kick for Spurs rattled Petr Cech’s bar.

Most interest seemed to stem from Costa’s desire to enjoy a war with everything that moved until Branislav Ivanovic was awarded a free kick on the right wing just before halftime, skillfully controlling Terry ’s aimless hoiked effort towards the touchline and drawing the foul from Nacer Chadli.

C M Y K

62 — Vanguard, MONDAY, MARCH 2, 2015

I

start by appreciating the Nigeria Football Federation for quickly stepping in to calm the nerves of coaches and players of the Golden Eaglets after they had been beaten by South Africa in the just ended CAF U17 Championship in Niger.

I must confess that I was hit very hard by the defeat. It came to me as a shock. As one of those who was involved in the success story of the last team, up to the winning of the world title, I was convinced that we had found a formula for not only excelling on the global stage, but sustaining the production of stars potent enough to feed other arms of the National team thereby guaranteeing the future of our football.

The Manu-Amuneke-Ugbade-Amadi combination was so ideal, so complimentary and so efficient that at the first meeting of the Technical Committee after that victory, we not only congratulated ourselves for the painstaking experiment that yielded results, (Remember that nobody will remember our contribution not to talk of appreciating us) we also debated on the way forward especially the maximizing of the valuable human resources at our disposal.

The tracking of the stars, the wish that they are not abused by self seeking agents, the education of their parents and guardians on what is best for their wards, etc.

I also remember that the Sports ministry stepped in and scheduled a workshop/ seminar in Obudu Cross River for this purpose, where the boys, their parents, coaches and stakeholders were to be involved. I was shortlisted to present a paper. Why that laudable experiment was cancelled, I don’t know.

As predicted and feared by the Technical Committee, the infamous Ihenacho scandal came up to rock the foundation we were about to set up.

Another debate that positively took place on the floor of that popular and successful Technical and Development Committee (Green, Anyansi, Deji Tinubu, Onigbinde, Chukwu, Okocha, Ikpeba, Garba Lawal, Garba Ilah,Elumelu, Ikpeme ) was the deployment of the coaches going forward.

Some of us believed that the coaches should not be touched. That they should be left for another three to four years to continue churning out the future of our football. Others said. NO. That some of them should be promoted with the boys and that by so doing they will better understand and handle them.

My argument for the former position was that there was a great difference between a youth coach and a senior team coach. That some coaches by their upbringing, training and temperament are best suited to handle youths and developmental programmes.

At the end of the day, the “opposition” won. Manu and Nduka Ugbade were separated from Amuneke and Amadi and we moved on. The stutter against Guinea, the claim that only two of our players can score goals

. . .That Eaglets defeat . . . that any country that beats Nigeria at Youth level should jubilate because it has been Nigeria’s forte over time and the eventual defeat in the hands of South Africa (That country again?) has taken me back to that debate.

Yes, qualifying for the World Cup is not bad, but can I forget my visit to Cote D’Ivoire last year?. As a member of The Special CAF delegation to inspect countries bidding to host the 2017 and 2019 Nations Cup we arrived Abidjan to pay a courtesy call on the President of the Football Federation. On his table, occupying pride of place was the U-17 trophy which they beat us to in Morocco. He did not allow the opportunity slip when he told the delegation that it was one of their sweetest football moments ever, that any country that beats Nigeria at Youth level should jubilate because it has been Nigeria’s forte over time (I have included the picture with this column hoping the Editor will find space for it.) Of course, we went to the world cup in Abu Dhabi to prove that the African loss was a slip, while we returned to Africa this year to claim our rightful place as African Champions, yet could not even make it to the final, not to talk of winning the trophy.

I started by commending the NFF for coming out quickly to back the coaches and the players, propelling them to greater things even as we should not lose sight of the fact that unlike the past when we concentrated on winning the cup at all cost, ephemeral victories that were tinted by accusations and allegations of using over age players, the emphasis this time around is on the development of the game and this takes me to the next topic today.

JV School Sports in Akwa Ibom

For fourteen years the Joint Venture Partnership between NNPC and MPN has sustained the hosting of a grass root Secondary school track and field Championship in Akwa Ibom State.

This week end, March 7 to be precise, inside the main bowl of the prestigious Akwa Ibom International Stadium the fourteenth edition will be brought to a grand finale.

As consultant to this project, it is one experiment that is after my heart as I am exposed daily to the talent that abound in this country in all spheres of sports. Whenever I talk about this programme, I wish the JV Experiment in Akwa Ibom can be extended to other states of the federation.

You need to be in Uyo this week as more that 500 students, who qualified from the zones will turn up for an opportunity to excel at state level as a prelude to national exposure ( Ask Aniekeme Alphonsus , who is in the national team that has taken off to Ethiopia for the African Junior Championships) While looking forward to the setting of new records, the thrills and the frills, a special feature this year may just be the grand “RECEPTION OF GRATITUDE” that the students are planning to accord Governor Godswill Akpabio for giving them an infrastructure that will help to boost their efforts and ambition.

Also expected is the Sports Minister, The DG, National Sports Commission, who has lauded the programme, emphasizing the catch them young sermon and the future of our sports being found in schools and colleges.

President YSFON, leadership of AFN, top political and community leaders in AKS and environs, not forgetting the students and their parents and guardians.

This week end, Uyo is the place to be.

. . . Once bitten, twice shy.

This week, Nigeria recorded a 100 per cent success rate in Africa as all our football clubs scaled through the first hurdle of their continental assignments.

This time last year, the picture was not that appealing.

Let it be said however that going by the stories that made the rounds regarding the preparations of our teams, a lot needs to be done if we must not only progress but make appreciable impact in the competitions.

Tested Administrator Mike Idoko who is consulting for Kano Pillars was quoted as saying that he foresees a Pillars/ Enyimba clash in the final of the Champions League. Good talk, ( If the fixtures so allow) Far above that wish, is the need for clubs to be professional in their preparations and approach to their ambitions in Africa.

I do not think our league is so bad that one of our champion clubs has to struggle to beat a club from Equatorial Guinea!

Well done to those who monitored their next opponents even as they were playing their matches. Now that they know their next port of call, I pray they start making their flight bookings, get acquainted with type of playing surface, weather, food etc. Good luck Nigeria.

See you next week.

Today's deadline for U-23 players C

CHAMPS! Head teacher of Dominican Group of Schools(Nursery), Sister Ebele Immaculata Okoye celebrates with Blue House, winners of the Inter House sports.

OACH Samson Siasia has warned his Olympic Team players who featured for their clubs during African club competition matches during the weekend to report to camp in Abuja latest by today.

“I’m happy to be here to see my players do well and also score goals for Warri Wolves,” Siasia began, referring to the duo of Freedom Omofonma and Oghenekaro Etebo who got on the scoresheet alongside Joseph Osadiaye to turn back

the Burkinabes.

Today's deadline also applies to Kano Pillars’ duo Yusuf Mohammed and Christian Obiozor, as well as Enyimba FC’s Kingsley Sokari and

Peter Onyekachi, as the U-23 National Team intensifies preparations for the return leg of their 11th All-Africa Games qualifying fixture against Gabon, in Abuja

Confed Cup: Wolves battle Ethiopia’s Dedebit

W

ARRI Wolves will battle Ethiopian club Dedebit SC in the first round of CAF Confederation Cup. The first leg will come up in Warri in the weekend of 13/14/15 March, while the second leg takes place in the weekend of 3/4/5 April.

Wolves knocked out Racing Club de Bobo-Diolasou in the preliminary stage 4-0 on aggregate, winning first leg 1-0 away, 3-0 in the second leg in Warri, while Dedebit overcame Seychelles’ Cote d’Or on 5-2 aggregate.

Vanguard, MONDAY, MARCH 2, 2015— 63

European Soccer Splash ... European Soccer Splash

Liverpool dent City’s title dream ...win Anfield cracker

P

HILIPPE Coutinho netted a sumptuous winner for Liverpool as they beat Manchester City 2-1 to continue their top-four surge.

Brendan Rodgers’ side are top of the Premier League form table since the turn of the year after taking 20 points from a possible 24.

After netting a scintillating opening goal last week against Southampton, Coutinho was at it again at Anfield on Sunday, curling home a majestic effort from 20 yards with 15 minutes left to play.

Jordan Henderson had given Liverpool a firsthalf lead with an equally brilliant strike on 11 minutes before Edin Dzeko rounded off a fantastic team move to equalise 14 minutes later.

Despite both sides’ European exertions in midweek, the pace of the game was frenetic throughout and Adam Lallana had two goals disallowed for the hosts while Sergio Aguero hit the post for City, who remain five points behind Chelsea in the title race.

L

UIS Enrique congratulated his Barcelona players “for being able to string three passes together ” on Granada’s pitch following their 3-1 La Liga win on Saturday.

“I’m very happy and satisfied with my team’s work under such special circumstances,” he quipped after the game.

“I must congratulate the players for being able to string three passes together on the turf [they played on].

“Both sets of players attempted to pass the ball to each other and it was remarkable”

Kompany battles Sterling

Arsenal go third after beating Everton Giroud took full advantage of poor marking by Everton defender John Stones to put his side ahead

O

LIVIER Giroud made amends for his midweek nightmare against Monaco to set up Arsenal’s 2-0 victory over Everton, moving the Gunners back up to third in the English Premier League.

Giroud missed a succession of chances in the 3-1 European Champions League defeat but volleyed his side’s 31stminute opening goal on Sunday before Tomas Rosicky wrapped up the win in the 88th minute.

Victory was hardfought and provided the ideal response after Liverpool had increased the pressure on the Gunners in the battle for a top four finish by beating Manchester City immediately before this game.

i n t h e 3 9 t h minute. Giroud made the most of space inside the penalty area to turn home Mesut Ozil’s corner with a right foot shot.

B

ORUSSIA Moenchengladbach strengthened its grip on third place in the Bundesliga with a 2-0 victory over Paderborn on Sunday.

Two deflected shots secured Moenchengladbach’s victory and a four-point cushion over fourth-place Bayer Leverkusen.

Fabian Johnson’s deflected shot from 20 metres (yards) in the 18th put Moenchengladbach in the lead.

Johnson played a role in the second goal as well, when his cross was palmed away by goalkeeper Lukas Kruse. The ball fell to substitute Patrick Herrmann, whose shot was also deflected and left Kruse wrong-footed.

•Giroud

L

AZIO kept up the pressure on thirdplaced Napoli with a comfortable 3-0 win at Sassuolo in Serie A Sunday as the race for the final Champions League spot gathered pace.

Goals from Felipe Anderson, Miroslav Klose and Marco Parolo helped Lazio record its third successive win and move two points behind Napoli, which can go level with second-placed Roma with a victory at Torino later.

Sampdoria remained

‘Messi ate too many pizzas’

Gladbach top Paderborn to strengthen grip on 3rd

Lazio, Sampdoria win in Serie A

four points behind Lazio after coming from behind to win 2-1 at Atalanta. Cesena beat Udinese 1-0.

Enrique blasts Granada pitch

LVG: Goals will lift Rooney

M

ANCHESTER United manager Louis van Gaal expects Wayne Rooney ’s confidence to grow following his matchwinning brace against 10-man Sunderland.

Van Gaal had complained that none of his forwards looked capable of scoring 20 goals this year, “Everyone needs confidence, when you score two goals it will lift your confidence. I am happy he scored twice.”

F

ORMER Barcelona winger Carles Rexach has claimed that Lionel Messi “ate more pizza than he should have last year.”

“Before, [Messi] would eat then rest, but I think he ate more pizza than he should have last year,” he told Regio7.

“Luis Enrique imposed too many rules at the beginning [of his reign] – if you don’t train, you don’t play.

“Let’s see what happens when Messi doesn’t train and needs him.”

Martinez: Arsenal didn’t deserve to win

E

•Rooney

VERTON manager R o b e r t o Martinez believes his side were unlucky to lose to Arsenal “We didn’t deserve the scoreline that is for sure. I thought we did many good things,” he said.

•Martinez

C M Y K

Vanguard, MONDAY, MARCH 2, 2015

Capital One Cup: Chelsea brush aside Tottenham J

OHN Terry embellished his status to Chelsea fans as

“captain, leader, legend” by scoring the goal that set his side on

Go if you’re not happy with our contract, NFF tells Keshi T

ECHNICAL Committee Chairman of the Nigeria Football Federation, Felix Anyansi-Agwu has criticised Stephen Keshi for saying a new deal offered him by the football authority amounted to a “slave contract”.

The 52 year old Keshi reportedly made the remarks after receiving

his new contract following an eight month wait.

A debate had raged in Nigeria over whether Keshi should be given a new deal, despite new Continues on Page 61

Results EPL Liverpool 2 Man City1 Arsenal 2 Everton 0 SERIE A Cagliari 1 Verona 2 Atalanta 1 Sampdoria 2 Cesena 1 Udinese 0 Palermo 0 Empoli 0 Sassuolo 0 Lazio 3 LA LIGA Valencia 2 Real Sociedad 0 Eibar 0 Bilbao 1

the way to a 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in the Capital One Cup final at a rain-sodden Wembley yesterday.

The former England captain was once again a quite inspirational presence for the club that adores him as he defended like a lion and Continues on Page 61

Mali wins U-17 AYC

S

OUTH Africa lost 20 to Mali in the final of the U17 African Youth Championship lastnight.

Baye Ba’s charges broke the deadlock in the 67th minute, as Siaka Bagayoko headed home from a corner kick, after some poor marking by the South Africans.

Mali sealed the win in the 78th minute courtesy of a curling effort from Aly Malle, which left Continues on Page 61

•Keshi

Shame! Guinea hammer Eaglets in 3rd place match

T

•Amuneke

HE Golden Eaglets of have finished fourth at the 2015 AYC after losing 3-1 to the Syli Babes of Guinea in a 3rd/ 4th place playoff match at the Stade Général S. K.

Goals from Aboubacar Toure and Abdoulaye Keita in the space of five minutes gave the Syli Babes a 2-1 lead over the Golden Eaglets at

half-time.

The game was off to a predictably fast start, with both sides looking to win the third place match at the Stade

Général S. K. After a couple of tame efforts, however, Eaglets had the lead twenty eight minutes into the

Continues on Page 61

QUICK CROSSWORD

TODAY'S

PUZZLE

FRI DAY'S FRIDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 1 Worry (4) 4 Whim (3) 6 Muddle (4) 9 Tool (3) 10 Scatter (8) 11 Stagger (4) 14 Sphere (3) 16 Form (5) 19 Shoes (8) 21 Composition (5) 23 Part (8) 24 Assessed (5) 27 Immerse (3) 31 Dingy (4) 33 Proof (8) 34 Freeze (3) 35 Ran off (4) 36 Parched (3) 37 Pour (4)

DOWN 2 Attack (4) 3 Ribbon (4) 4 Citadel (8) 5 Intense (4) 6 Bog (5) 7 Sheep (3) 8 Slumber (5) 12 Tender (5) 13 Brag (5) 14 Be indebted (3) 15 Founded (5) 17 Horrify (5) 18 Eject (5) 20 Swiftness (8) 22 Yelp (3) 25 Month (5) 26 Receded (5) 28 Grasped (4) 29 Dispatched (4) 30 Pain (4) 32 Expert (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Parted 5, Resume 8, Mischief 9, Fate 10, Tub 12, Anger 15, Row 17, Lac 18, Use 19, Ego 20, Twill 21, Axe 22, Woo 23, End 24, Toy 26, Refer 29, Yet 33, Bear 34, Entrance 35, Decent 36, Result.

DOWN: 2, Adieu 3, Tact 4, Deign 5, Rifle 6, Soft 7, Motto 10, Treat 11, Blowy 12, Actor 13, Grief 14, Ruler 15, Ready 16, Wheat 25, Obese 27, Event 28, Enter 30, Excel 31, Free 32, Pass.

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.

Printed and Published by VANGUARD MEDIA LIMITED, Vanguard Avenue, Kirikiri Canal, P.M.B.1007, Apapa. Phone: Newsroom: 018773962. Deputy Editor: 01-4548355. Advert Dept Hotline: 014544821; Abuja: 09-2341102, 09-2342704. E-mail: editor@vanguardngr.com, news@vanguardngr.com, letters@vanguardngr.com. Advert:advertproduction@yahoo.com Website: www.vanguardngr.com (ISSN 0794-652X) Editor: MIDENO BAYAGBON. Phone: 01-7742861, All correspondence to P.M.B. 1007, Apapa Lagos.

C M Y K