2015: Power tussle in INEC

PAGE 2—SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012

How PDP can enthrone democratic best practices – Oru *Delta exco inaugurated

BY FESTUS AHON

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Chief Blessing Ohwavborua,Chairman, Technique Security Company Limited, (left) receiving his company's Licence to operate as a private guard company from Dr. Ade Abolurin, Commandant-General, Nigeria Security & Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) at Abuja.

L-R: Mr. James Odejimi, Product Marketing Manager, Home Entertainment Division, LG Electronics; Mr. Nelson Eke, (winner); Mr. Sunny Bangera, Business Solutions Manager, LG Electronics; and Mr. Haitham Hoballah, Fouani Nigeria Limited during the LG Cinema 3D Game Festival in Port Harcourt.

ATIONAL Vice Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, South South Zone, Dr Steve Oru, wants party executives across the country to make efforts geared towards enthroning democratic best practices that would endear the party to the people.

Oru, who spoke during the inauguration of the Delta State Executive Committee, led by Chief Peter Nwaoboshi, asked them to embark on alternative dispute resolution to bring back aggrieved members who have left the party, adding: “Our umbrella is big enough to accommodate them.”

He said: “In all you do, let our party’s interest be utmost in your minds, knowing that the party is supreme.

The constitution and hierarchy of the party strictly and religiously adhered to at all times and circumstances.

“Kindly engage the principles of consultation, discussion and dialogue in taking decisions that affect the

Man hides N24m cocaine inside roasted chicken

BY DANIEL ETEGHE

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PERATIVES of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), at the weekend, arrested an auto -technician, Mr. Vincent Chegini Chinweuwa, for allegedly smuggling about 2.655kg of cocaine hidden inside roasted chicken at the Murtala M u h a m m e d International Airport, Lagos.

The suspect was apprehended with the N24million worth of drug during the inward clearance of passengers on a Turkish Airline flight from Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Speaking on the arrest, the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade, noted that the seizure of the cocaine was spectacular, stressing that it would further help to discourage drug suspects from drug trade.

“The suspect thought his mode of drug concealment was perfect but we proved him wrong. Several drugs cleverly hidden by drug barons have been discovered and we shall continue to detect drugs regardless of the mode of concealment”, Giade assured.

The NDLEA boss pointed out that the suspect would soon be charged to court.

Meanwhile, the NDLEA Airport Commander, Mr Hamza Umar, described the seizure of the drug as remarkable, noting that the suspect had given investigators useful information on the case.

“We discovered 2.655kg of cocaine hidden inside roasted chicken. It is a remarkable seizure because no one would have imagined cocaine worth several millions inside roasted chicken” Hamza stated.

The suspect, who hails from Imo State,

expressed surprise on how the drug was d e t e c t e d .

“It took me three days to pack the cocaine inside the roasted chicken. I was confident that the drug will not be detected. I have been living in Brazil since 2006. Life has been

stressful because I cannot even visit my wife in Nigeria due to lack of money. I wanted some money to start any business of my choice back home.

Unfortunately, I was disappointed upon arrival in Lagos”, Chinweuwa lamented.

generality of the people.

Please carry the people along in all you do. As leaders of our great party at the state, I expect you to be firm, sincere, honest, transparent and God fearing in all dealings, no matter who is involved.

“To our party faithful, I implore you to join hands with the new leadership of our party that has just been sworn in today and at all other levels in the state, to move our party forward.

“This year marks the celebration of 13 years of stable democracy in our country. I wish to salute the founding fathers of our nation for their sacrifices for democracy.

I doff my hat for the founding fathers of our

Army dismisses officers’ fear of premature retirement

BY KINGSLEY OMONOBI

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GAINST the backdrop of the fear by many military officers regarding whether or not to attend pre-retirement courses being organized by the Armed Forces, says the Resettlement Center, NARC, the Commandant, Air Vice Marshal Clement Aroriode, says the fear is unwarranted as attendance at such courses was not a prelude to retirement of military officers.

There has been apprehension in the military over the preretirement training expected to hold in the six geo-political zones across the country as many officers recommended for it

‘Why army should court-martial alleged killers of N-Delta youths’

BY EMMA AMAIZE

I

JAW People Development Initiative, IPDI, has called on the Nigerian Army to court martial soldiers of the Joint Task Force, JTF, on the Niger-Delta, codenamed, Operation Pulo Shield, who allegedly killed six Niger-Delta youths extra-judicially, on June 23, in Bayelsa State.

National president, Comrade Austin Ozobo, and counsel, Omes Ogedegbe, made the call when they appeared before Special Investigation Bureau of the Nigeria Army Corps of Military Police, Lagos, constituted by the Chief of Army Staff, COAS, to investigate the killing.

In a statement in Warri, IPDI said its representatives demanded release of the corpses of the six youths to their families for burial, while the process

great party, the PDP, the G-77 that wrestled Nigeria from the tight grip of the military, and midwifed our today ’s democracy. I salute the past and present leadership of our party for the development and sustenance of our present democracy.”

Continuing, he said: “I wish to seize this opportunity to thank the good people of Delta State for nominating and electing me as National Vice Chairman of our zone. On behalf of myself and other zonal officers from the state and the entire zonal working committee, I thank you and wish to state that we are holding our various positions in trust for all of you and we promise not to betray this trust.

of indemnifying the families should commence immediately.

According to the group, “Barrister Omes Ogedegbe and Comrade Ozobo Austin who appeared before the Chief of Army Staff investigation panel to answer questions put before them maintained their grounds in the presence of the high ranking officers of the panel that the suspects were arrested before they were murdered”.

come up with various excuses to dodge the exercise.

Speaking at the graduation of 30 senior officers from the ranks of Lt. Colonels and equivalent to BrigGenerals and equivalent who attended a w e e k l o n g Entrepreneurship and Management training organized by NAFRC in Abuja, at the weekend, Aroriode said, “People are not really understanding what we are doing. Most officers believe that when you come for this course, you are being set up for retirement, that is far from the purpose.

“From our research, investigations and observations over time, we found out that most officers on retirement want to go into private businesses but they are not schooled in the art of business. Consequently their gratuity and savings of many years most time go down the drain while some become portfolio contractors.

“Yes, many of you will say we have gone to Staff College , we have gone to War College or NIPSS. But in those institutions, we were taught basically military operations, management of men and weaponry.

The initiative therefore is that as you get to pensionable stage in your career, we want to start preparing officers for what civil life and entrepreneurship will be like.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012 PAGE —3

PAGE 4—SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012

Representative of President Goodluck Jonathan, Senator Ben Obi (right), welcoming Obong Umana Okon Umana, SSG Akwa-Ibom State, who stood in for Governor Godswill Akpabio as the chairman of the PDP civil reception held in honour of the National Secretary of the party, Prince Olagunsoye, Oyinlola in Osogbo, Osun State, yesterday.

From left: Widow of Late Lt. Col. Jumbo Ochigbo, a victim of ill-fated Dana air crash, Mrs. Bridget and son, Adakole, President of the Senate, David Mark and his wife, Helen, GOC, 82 Div, Major General Olayinka Oshinowo and Interior Minister, Comrade Abba Moro at the grave site during the funeral rite in Otukpo, Benue State yesterday.

PDP will take over S/West – Jonathan *Akpabio: We have capable politicians to do it

BY GBENGA OLARINOYE

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RESIDENt Goodluck Jonathan yesterday in Osogbo said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would deliver all the six states of the South-west in the next general elections, saying the party has all it takes to rule the zone.

President Jonathan spoke at a civic reception organized by the Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the National Secretary of the party and former governor of the state, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola.

The president, represented by his Special Adviser on Inter Party affairs, Senator Ben Obi, said the PDP has capable members who could serve well in the South-West, adding that the party is made up of knowledgeable individuals in the zone and other parts of the country.

The ceremony, which drew the attention of eminent personalities and leaders of thoughts

from across the country, was also used to canvass for support for the state chapter of the party in its bid to return to power in the next general elections.

Meanwhile, the governor of Akwa-Ibom State, Chief Godswill Akpabio, has urged the people of Osun State to rally round the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as the stage is set for the party to form the governments in the South-west and the state would not be an exception.

Akpabio stated this in his address at the reception in honour of Oyinlola. Speaking through the Secretary to the Akwa-Ibom State Government, Obong Umana Okon Umana, Akpabio, who was the chairman at the occasion, stated that Osun was blessed with capable politicians, who were also ready to take the state from the woods.

“Let me state here without mincing words that the state and the good people of Osun are looking up to you for

leadership and it is my hope that with the calibre of people in the party the stage is now set for the party to form government in this state and other South- west states,“ the governor said.

Boko Haram: Yobe gov begs residents not to flee state capital

BY NDAHI MARAMA

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OVERNOR Ibrahim Gaidam of Yobe State is worried over the increasing number of people fleeing Damaturu, the state capital, following the precarious security in the state, and, therefore, appealed to those still remaining to stay, even as he called on those who had left to come back home.

Only recently, specifically during and after the month of Ramadan, over 30 people were shot dead by

Civil war veterans commend Gov Obi

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HE recent one day working visit to Anambra State by the President and Commander in-Chief of the, Armed Forces, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to commission some projects in the state has been described as a welcome development.

A statement on behalf of members of Nigerian

Civil War Veterans Welfare Association comprising eleven states of the federation, by its national chairman, Rtd. Col. Ubi Bassy, and the national PRO, Rtd. Col. Raphael Ilojeme, commended Governor Peter Obi for being able to attract the president to the state for a second time to commission some

The Arepo Pipeline fire in Ogun State still raging after the explosion yesterday. .

infrastructural developmental projects.

The war veterans association while congratulating Mr. President and the Anambra governor for a hitch-free visit remarked that Jonathan’s visit has created peaceful coexistence int the business community in the area.

suspected terrorists in Damaturu.

Gaidam made the appeal during a ‘special broadcast’ to the people of Yobe on the effort by the state government and other security agencies to contain the insecurity in the state, particularly in Damaturu and Potiskum.

The governor lamented, “In spite of my earlier clarion call and additional efforts by the security operatives to bring the situation under control, people have continued to panic and flee Damaturu in their thousands making the state capital look like a ghost town’.

He continued: “The fact that no real breach of the peace was witnessed during the Sallah festival and the days following it, in spite of rumours of an impending attack, has demonstrated that the rumours are as baseless and unfounded as the fears are imaginary and unrealistic. Circulation of such rumours could be the deliberate handiwork of miscreants through

which they create a fertile environment to perpetrate their atrocities of plundering and looting of people’s properties in their absence as some reports have actually indicated.

While we lament the loss of lives and property, means of livelihood of thousands and the curtailing of socio-economic activities and freedom of movement occasioned by the imposition of sixmonth state of

emergency on some of our Local Government Areas, the mass exodus of people from Damaturu has further compounded the situation”...

He added that in addition to these largely man-made calamities, the state of recent also witnessed a spate of natural disasters in form of floods and down pours causing destruction of thousands of houses including some loss of lives in Gashua town.

Oil marketers move to avert fuel scarcity in Edo, Delta

BY EMMA AMAIZE

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HE Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, Midwest zone, said it had put measures in place to avert fuel scarcity in Edo and Delta states and urged consumers not to indulge in panic buying.

Zonal chair, Chief

Solomon Ogbewe, who stated this, noted that buyers were already apprehensive, but assured that the association was handling the matter.

He disclosed that the Federal Government had lived up to expectations so far and concerted efforts were on to wipe out the cartels causing disaffection in the oil industry.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012 — PAGE 5

INEC: Jega, National Commissioners on war path and its report submitted to the Commission.

AWKWARD PARALLEL However, the Report at the centre of the brewing power tussle in INEC is the Senior Staff Establishments Committee (SSEC) Report on the PWC Report, which was submitted.

The INEC National Commissioners’ position was that they ought to exercise some executive functions and control, just as they sought to press home the point that Jega was merely a first among equals.

Jega scoofed at that suggestion, submitting that “the understanding of the Committee that all National Commissioners including the Chairman, are “Executive”, with the latter as being the Chief Executive”, is wrong and has no basis in law or in existing practice”. ”Since the establishment of INEC National Commissioners are National Commissioners, and the Chairman is Chairman and Chief Executive Commissioner, as well as the Chief Executive in law and in practice.

Even more surprising is the laboured attempts to depict National Commissioners and the Chairman as equals. One wonders why drawing this awkward parallel should become a preoccupation of the SSEC”, the INEC Chairman thundered.

He added: “It will be unconstitutional for the National Commissioners to exercise any ‘management and control of any employee in the discharge of his dayto-day responsibilities in the Commission”.

The response of Jega, though hinged on a plethora of logic, legalese and common practice, is being frowned at by some of the National Commissioners.

In fact, at the recent Retreat

by INEC at PROTEA HOTEL, Maryland, Lagos, last month, an air of unease was pervasive.

In Jega’s memo, titled INEC Chairman’s comments on the Senior Staff Establishments Committee (SSEC) Report on the PWC

Continued from page 1 executive powers.

Then there is the allegation slammed on the face of Jega, that “there appears to be a systematic domination by people of northern extraction via appointments made by the INEC boss”.

The danger in this, as pointed out by some National Commissioners, is that this new paradigm of domination can not be unconnected with a plot to use the instrumentality of the electoral process to ensure the emergence of a northern president in 2015.

In an interview with Kayode Idowu, Chief Press Secretary to Jega, the allegation of domination was dismissed with a wave of the hand; while the other issue of power struggle was explained as “not being true”.

But information made available to Sunday Vanguard points to a seeming contest for power, relevance and clarification on the roles of National Commissioners, heads of departments/units and Secretary to the Commission.

Pursuant to enthroning a “paradigm shift” for effectiveness in INEC, “ P R I C E WAT E R H O U S E COOPERS, PwC”, according to a memo by Professor Jega, signed and dated Wednesday, June 13, 2012, “ was appointed as a consultant by the Commission in October 2011 and tasked with the development of recommendations on I restructuring INEC. completed the task and submitted four volumes of its Report between February and May, 2012”.

This Report, Sunday Vanguard has been told, forms one of the many inputs from bodies with a view to repositioning INEC – at least, that was the position canvassed by Jega.

Apart from the PwC Report, Sunday Vanguard gathered that another independent committee, Registration and Election Review Committee, RERC, chaired by Professor Adele Jinadu, was also set up

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Report, the commissioners “were made to understand that there is a world of difference between what they desired and what was practicable in law”, a source at the meeting told Sunday Vanguard.

Whereas the commissioners had raised the issue of executive responsibilities, Jega, in his memo, explained that there were “ responsibilities very important to the discharge of the Commission’s mandate, time consuming and (enough to) justify the full-time nature of appointment of the National Commissioners”. The INEC boss added: “If these additional responsibilities are well conceptualized and done properly, at both the strategic and policy levels, the National Commissioners would be very busy indeed, with tremendous value-added to the overall attainment of the mandate of INEC; these responsibilities, though very important, are not “executive” in nature; and

challenges have arisen when the distinction is blurred and some National Commissioners see themselves as “executives” over and above the head of departments/units (and the Secretary) in the dayto-day running of the affairs of the Commission. (There are examples where National Commissioners felt that directors and heads of unit cannot deal directly with the Chairman without going through them, or where Chairman of Committees tried to take procurement decisions and impose them on the departments). I received reports of such complaints and perhaps in its interactions with the staff of the Commission, the PWC also received such complaints.”

‘NATIONAL COMMISSIONERS ARE NOT EXECUTIVES’ “For the avoidance of doubt”, Jega continued, “nowhere in the Constitution or the Electoral Act is it stated or

implied that National Commissioners are “executives” or have “executive” duties/ responsibilities. Certainly, Sections 14(1) and 15 of the Third Schedule 1999 Constitution neither explicitly state nor implied so. In other words, there is nowhere that full time Commissionership is equated to executive role. The essential point is, the Commission cannot be called a Board, even though some of its regular meetings at the highest level are akin to those of what is normally called a Board and the National Commissioners are not akin to “mere Board Members”, given their enormous additional roles/responsibilities.

However, they have no “executive” roles as the SSEC implies in its use of the terms “management and control”.

“It is a misnomer to place the Chairman and Chief Electoral Continues on page 7

From right: Engr. Tayo Bamgbose-Martins, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works & Infrastructure, Engr. Ganiyu Johnson, Special Adviser on Works and Infrastructure, to Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, receiving the plaque on behalf of the Governor from Engr. Tunde Jaiyesinmi, Chairman, Nigeria Society of Engineers ,Lagos branch, and Engr. Atukale Hammed Adigun, Assistant Secretary, during the presentation of plaque to Governor Babatunde Fashola for his support to the Nigeria Society of Engineers ,Lagos Branch, at Alausa, Ikeja. Photo: Bunmi Azeez.

Man shoots son dead in failed ‘bullet proof’ charm test

BY PETER DURU

I

N a bid to test the potency of his newly acquired bullet proof ‘juju’, a man, Ornguga Adega, of Agbatse village in Kwande local government area of Benue State, shot his only son dead while conducting a gunshot test on the boy.

Sunday Vanguard gathered that the suspect, who was immediately apprehended by men of the Benue State Police Command, is currently facing trial at a Makurdi Chief Magistrate Court.

According to the First Information Report, FIR, by the police, the suspect and father of the ten- year- old had, in August 2012, bought some charm from a native doctor with the belief that it was

potent enough to prevent the penetration of bullets into his body.

He was said to have rubbed his ‘bullet proof ’ cream on the body of his son in order to verify its efficacy and potency in line with the instructions of the native doctor from whom he bought the charm.

According to the FIR, Adega fired a shot with his single barrel gun on the right leg of his son following which the bullet shattered the leg and also penetrated through to the left leg.

The boy was said to have bled profusely but before his shocked and devastated father could get proper medical attention for him, the little boy bled to death.

When the case came up at the Makurdi Chief Magistrate

Court, police prosecutor, Inspector Gabriel Egbonyi, said the accused was arrested at the process of investigating the cause of death of the young boy.

Egbonyi further told the court that the accused confessed to committing the crime and also acknowledged responsibility for the unfortunate incident which prompted further police investigation into the matter.

Meanwhile no plea was taken for want of jurisdiction.

However the prosecution said investigation was still in progress in the matter and asked for another date for hearing.

The Chief Magistrate, Mr Dan Ogoh, ordered that the accused be remanded in prison custody and adjourned the case to 12 September.

PAGE 6—SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012

SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012, PAGE 7 HTTP://A5.SPHOTOS.AK.FBCDN.NET/HPHOTOS-AK-ASH3/38882_1567279582896_8247664_N.JPG

GOVERNOR ABIOLA AJIMOBI MOTHER’S BURIAL

Mimiko’s evening of endorsement

BY DAYO JOHNSON

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From left: Senator Rasidi Ladoja, Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State; celebrant and Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State, during the final burial of Ajimobi’s mother .Photos by Dare Fasube

Baale Taye Ayorinde, Sen. Iyabo Anisulowo and High Chief Aminat Abiodun Iyalode of Ibadan at Governor Ajimobi’ mother’s burial.

HE founding members of Mimiko Support Group (MSG) say Governor Olusegun Mimiko’s performance in the last three and a half years in Ondo State would earn him another term in office.

Consequently, the group said it had concluded plans to host the governor to an evening of endorsement on T h u r s d a y .

Coordinator of group, Oluseyi Adeniyi, said the event would enable eminent personalities in the state and friends of the state have the opportunity of endorsing the gover nor.

Adeniyi said, “The event tagged, An Evening with Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, is a reception and strategic campaign event where eminent citizens and friends of Ondo State, in and outside Ondo State and Nigeria, will converge in support of Dr. Olusegun Mimiko’s definite return as governor for another historic term.

“On the evening, we will also officially launch Mimiko Support Group and our dynamic w e b s i t e : www.mimikosupportgroup.org. ”The MSG is a group of forward-looking and very resourceful individuals from all walks of life in Nigeria and around the World

who have been impressed by Dr. Olusegun Mimiko as a 21st Century Global Leader, whose

‘How to secure Festac Town’

BY TONY NWANKWO

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OMMUNITY leader in Festac, Chief Omongbale Monday Onuwabhagbe, the Osula of Urohi Kingdom, has condemned recent criminal activities in the town, saying that though these acts were carried out by people from outside, the acts was giving Festac a bad n a m e . C h i e f Onuwabhagbe who is chairman, Evergreen Digitals, spoke against the backdrop of the recent killing of Miss Cynthia Osokogu in the town. He said Festac had been home to law abiding citizens from inception, a well policed environment and a model in the country.

“I have been living in

BY EMMANUEL ELEBEKE

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ISING from its fiveday n ational

Mark takes over upkeep of his children

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HE remains of one of the victims of the Dana plane crash and commanding officer of the 6 Battalion, Nigerian Army, Abak , Akwa Ibom State, Lt. Col. Owoicho Jumbo Ochigbo, were, yesterday, committed to mother earth amidst tears and wailing.

This is just as Senate President David Mark, who lamented the untimely death of Ochigbo, whom he described as an officer and a gentleman in every sense of it, announced scholarship to university level for the three children of the late officer.

The Senate President also adopted them as his c h i l d r e n .

According to Mark:”Lt. Col Jumbo Ochigbo was clearly an officer and a gentleman in every sense of the word. He was passionate about development of the Nigerian Army. He was C M Y K

an intelligent young man with a very bright future who conducted himself in an exemplary manner ” .

According to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Paul Mumeh, the Senate President counselled the bereaved family and the Nigerian Army to to take solace in the fact that the deceased lived an exemplary life worthy of emulation.

Besides Mark, also present at the emotion laden burial were his wife, Helen; the Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Morro; Akwa Ibom State Gover nor, Godswill Akpabio; top military brass led by the General Officer Commanding (GOC) , 82 Division, who represented the Chief of the Army Staff, Lt. General Azubuike Ihejirika; wives of military officers, community leaders, among others.

In his tribute, the Chief of the Army Staff lamented that the late Ochigbo will be greatly remembered for his

gallantry, good sense of purpose and selfless service to our fatherland.

Akwa Ibom State gover nor, who had earlier paid a condolence visit to the

bereaved family in Otukpo, Benue State, described Ochigbo as a very committed officer who would be missed greatly.

In his sermon at the

interdenominational service, 82 Division chaplain, Rev. Lt. Col. Gwom Mairiga said as humans, we cannot question the will of God but examine ourselves and avoid pitfalls.

Yuguda laments transport challenges

BY SUZAN EDEH

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S part of its efforts to improve the transport services, Bauchi State, the state government has purchased 50 units of 14seater transit buses through the intervention of the Federal Government 10 billion naira public mass transit scheme.

Commissioning the buses yesterday at the premises of Steyr Nigeria Limited in Bauchi, Governor Isa Yuguda said the Yankari Transport Service purchased the buses on

loan through the assistance of the Urban Development Bank.

According to Yuguda, after his inauguration into office for a second tenure, one of the main priorities of his administration was to provide adequate transport services to the people state, which he noted will boost e m p l o y m e n t opportunities in the state.

He lamented the lack of management and decay in the transportation sector in the country, saying, “The transport sector in the country has undergone very big challenges. I recall

Festac Town since its inception and it has been a great home. But what we hear today is the machination of criminal elements who don’t even reside here mbut who infiltrate into the town to perpetrate their criminal acts”..

While commending the Amuwo-Odofin Local Government chairman, Comrade Ayo, the police chiefs in the town, he said, it was important that residents listen to the president, Feestac Resident Association, Pa Ogunlusi, who labour to ensure that residents continue to enjoy a crime-free environment.

“This was not the way we used to know Festac.

The President of Festac Residents Association, have been trying to ensure that Festac remains disinfected from criminal actitives.

ANCOPSS decries exclusion in curriculum review

Tears as another Dana plane crash victim is buried

BY HENRY UMORU

exceptional Leadership qualities, philosophy, and style, go beyond the borders of Ondo State, Nigeria, and Africa.”

vividly how the federal government liquidated Nigeria Airways because of its lack of Management.

The most disturbing aspect of the Liquidation of this air company was that it kick-started at the same time when Saudi Airlines was established and until today, the Saudi Arabia Airlines is still working while Nigeria Airways packed up. As a result of the liquidation, a lot of people lost their jobs and they resign themselves to fate. What more can I say, the railway lines and water transportation is still backward today”.

executive council, NEC meeting, at the weekend, in Lagos, the All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools, ANCOPSS, has e x p r e s s e d disappointment over the exclusion of teachers in the recent review of the secondary school curriculum in the country.

Addressing the press, the National President of the association, Mrs. Fatima Abdulraman, said that though the new curriculum was well planned and richly endowed to provide for the academics, professionals, the v o c a t i o n a l , entrepreneurs and national values, it lacked the inputs of teachers which would have made a great different for better content.

They acknowledged the enormous role of teachers in the implementation of the curriculum, but argued that most of the necessary infrastructure, man-power, sensitization and adequate funding for the success of the new curriculum were not in place and are still not there, as at the effective date of its implementation in September, 2011.

PAGE 8—SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012

MORE CONDOLENCES FOR OGBONNAYA AMADI

Amadi: Sunny Ade, Femi Kuti, Daddy Showkey, Salawa, others mourn

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI AND AYO ONIKOYI

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MINENT artistes are among those from whom tributes have continued to pour in for the late Entertainment Editor of Vanguard, Mr Ogbonna Amadi, who passed on, on Wednesday.

King Sunny Ade (KSA) sent a delegation to the home of the deceased journalist to convey his condolence.

Others who condoled with the family, yesterday, include Daddy Showkey, Salawa Abeni, Ras Kimono, Orits Wiliki, Femi Kuti and Dele Abiodun.

KSA, in his tribute, sent through Charles Ogundipe, described the late Amadi as an achiever.

“Amadi, you left too soon. You lived a fulfilled life and set aside all obstacles that could derail your trip to eternity. That means you can now rest blissfully on His right hand side”, he wrote.

Ogundipe, who delivered the message, having known Amadi for several years, added his own tribute and was full of praise for the late entertainment reporter. “ Amadi, lived and died a fulfilled man. He attained the highest height of his chosen profession. He will be well-missed by friends, colleagues and associates. May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace,” the KSA image maker said.

“Amadi lived and tarried with several known entertainers, not only as a reporter but as a close friend.

Sometimes he went beyond the call of duty to get the job done while touching lives”. The late Sonny Okosun family sent a representative, Charles Okosun. He wrote: “ Amadi, you are not only a friend, you are our brother, son, confidant of late Evangelist Sonny Okosun and the entire family remember how you shared secret jokes and make fun. On behalf of the Okosun family, may your soul continue to march with the Saints” Edwin Igbokwe, husband of the late songstress, Christy Essien Igbokwe, had to cut short a trip when he heard the news .“ Just do not know what to write. I heard about this your departure while I C M Y K

was away in India on a bussiness trip. Amadi have a blissful rest”, he wrote in the condolence register.

The ‘’Ijoya” crooner, Weird MC, wrote: “ You were more than a journalist to me, you were a brother and a friend. I saw you last on the Third Mainland Bridge and you waved to me, little did I know that you were saying goodbye. We will miss you”.

Daddy Showkey was speechless and could not even pick the pen to write. So much was his grief that he only said: “Baba RIP. It is so sad o, so sad”.

‘Amadi last born yet to realise his father is dead’

M

eanwhile, the youngest son of the late Amadi, Benedict, is yet to realise that his father is dead, according to Miss Funmilayo Adisa, younger sister of the wife of the deceased.

Adisa narrated how Benedict had been oblivious of what happened when Sunday Vanguard visited the bereaved family, yesterday.

The sister-in-law described the late Amadi as “a father, a brother, confidant, amiable person who was always willing to offer solution

to situations”, adding that she would miss the d e c e a s e d .

She narrated; “Benedict is about six years and some months. He has been playing around thinking his dad travelled and would soon come back. ”The second day that people started trooping in to pay their condolences, Benedict asked me if someone was getting married in the family because the last time there was influx of people in the house was about two months ago when there was a wedding.

“He whispered into my ear, `Aunty, are you the one getting married this time?’ I nodded and he went back to play with his colleagues in the compound. ”But we were all touched when the deceased’s elder brother, his look alike, came in from home. Immediately, Benedict saw him, he mistook him for his dad, saying, ‘daddy is back, but he is so gentle. Why is he suddenly gentle and not doing his gra gra again?.’ ”Since then, he has taken his uncle to be his dad. We don’t know what would happen when he (uncle) finally leaves. Its so sad losing Mr Amadi Ogbonaya at this critical period. I pray God grants us the fortitude to bear the huge loss.”

Sympathisers and relations paid condolence visits to the family of the late Mr Ogbonna Amadi, Vanguard Entertainment Editor, at his Ogba residence in Lagos, yesterday. Photos by Biodun Ogunleye.

Mr Uchenna Amadi, the deceased’s elder brother, (left) and Mrs Chinwe Amadi-Adesina, younger sister.

Sister Derin Jaiyeola (left) consoling Mrs Toyin Amadi. widow of Amadi while Mrs Tina Odunewu looks on.

Kwara bans cutting of roads

BY DEMOLA AKINYEMI

K

WARA State government has committed N2.2billion on construction and rehabilitation of rural roads across the three senatorial zones of the state.

Also the government has outlawed cutting of roads without permission and outline stiffer sanctions for prospective offenders.

The state Commissioner for Works and Transport, Dr. Amuda Kannike, said this while inspecting the roads with his team.

He had earlier inaugurated a committee to go going round the state to ensure that roads are not cut.

The commissioner explained that out of the sum, a total sum of N630million has been spent on drainage and re-asphalting of Fate-

GSS roads as well as extension of ShangoPolytechnic road.

According to him,”the development was meant to open up some communities that had been cut-off due to erosion problem in the state”.

He said that, the present administration is committed to adding values to the socio economic development of the rural areas in the state.

Kannike however noted that, the call for the setting up of the potholes police or roads minders in the state was to ensure that all the roads across the state are well protected for future attainment.

He said that, the roads minders would be going across the state to check mate the activities of those that may wanted to cut the state roads for either for water pipes, telecommunication cables among others.

From left: Mr Toyin Osikoya, Mr Chima Iweha and sister Franca Eronse.

Mr Chike Nwankwo signing the condolence register

SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012 , PAGE 9

NIGERIA’S JOKE ABOUT STATE POLICE

Myopia in their eyes •The flawed case for and against state police

By Jide Ajani

I

t would only magnify the spectre of chaos in the land whichever way.

For a people long accustomed to playing politics with virtually everything, the debate about the propriety of state police in Nigeria is already following the same pattern; and the chaos in the land is bound to continue.

The ordinary Nigerian would rather have a police force that is service-driven first, instead of one with the toga of state, federal or community police.

But because this is God’s own Nigeria, where politics intoxicates, any national issue not politicized is of no real consequence. But throw in politics, the polity becomes charged and a band of pundits emerge.

At an annual conference of the Nigerian Political Science Association in 1981, Professor Claude Ake had observed: “We (Nigerians) are intoxicated with politics; the premium on political power is so high that we are prone to take the most extreme measures to win and to maintain political power…” Expounding further on that, C M Y K

,

Arguing against and for state police on needs that are at once selfish, warped, vain-glorious and sentimental would sustain the shambles of today as well as lead to chaos occasioned by insecurity, the magnitude of which Nigerians have never witnessed, respectively

,

Martin Meredith, in his seminal work, The Fate of Africa, A History of Fifty Years of Independence, said: “As things stand now, the Nigerian state appears to intervene everywhere and to own virtually everything including

access to status and wealth. Inevitably a desperate struggle to win control of state power ensues since this control means for all practical purposes being all powerful and owning everything. Politics becomes warfare, a matter of life and death”.

Therefore, the sudden division in the ranks of state governors over the propriety or otherwise of state police is purely laughable because it defies logic. Pray! How come governors of the part of the country where peace and calm have run for cover, and violence appears to have been enthroned, are the ones rejecting the idea of state police; and, conversely, governors of states that are relatively peaceful are the ones rooting for the idea? Again, how come President Goodluck Jonathan, under whose administration Nigeria is experiencing one of the worst forms of insecurity, is insisting that the country is not ripe for state police?

To demonstrate how unserious we are as a nation, there had been many committees set up to look into how best the Nigeria Police can be repositioned.

There was one in 2006, another in 2008, the Uwais Committee proffered solutions on how best the police can

be repositioned for effective roles during elections; and now the Parry Osayande Committee. In all of these, nothing serious has been done or may be about to be done. Quoted in F. Gilot’s and C. Lake’s LIFE WITH PICASSO, the Spanish painter, graphic artist, sculptor and ceramist said: “God is really only another artist. He invented the giraffe, the elephant, and the cat. He has no real style. He just goes on trying other things”. The other things God tried remain functional and have life. Nigerian governments have mastered the art of always trying other things for deceptive purposes.

There were three sets of recommendations on how to effectively reposition the police before the Osanyande committee was established. Why weren’t any of the recommendations worked on with a view to repositioning the force?

Still, some fundamental questions beg for answers: The individuals who would make up the state police, would they not be Nigerians? Where would the funds to maintain the state police force being clamoured for by some states, come from? How many states

Continues on page 12

N PAGE 10 — SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012

Gov Babangida Ayilu

Gov Rotimi Amachi

IGP, Abubarkar

STATE POLICE:

It is northern vs southern govs

By Henry Umoru

S

INCE the thirty-six state governors came together and formed a group known as the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, and inaugurated it in April 1999, they have been very strong and spoke vehemently with one voice on national issues.

The group, modelled after the National Governors’ Association (NGA) of the United States of America, was designed to bring the governors together and share experiences, promote cooperation among states, serve as a mechanism for conflict resolution as well as an agent for dispute resolution between states and the Federal Government.

From its first meeting organised by the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the governors spoke in unison once an issue was brought before them.

Disagreements could occur during brainstorming sessions, but once there was an agreement reached, no governor or group of governors would kick against the agreement.

C M Y K

The NGF, which was registered under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, (CAMA), 1990, draws its legality from Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Since inception, the Forum has produced five Chairmen from Senator Abdullahi Adamu, former Governor of Nasarawa State-1999 - 2004; Arc.

,

2011. With its interventionist roles, what obtained then was that the fear of the governors was the beginning of wisdom.

The forum became the beginning and last resort in the decision making by the president, party chairmen and leaders of the party. The NGF, at the party level, determined who became the National Chairman especially that of the Peoples Democratic Party,

With its interventionist roles, what obtained then was that the fear of the governors was the beginning of wisdom. The forum became the beginning and last resort in the decision making by the president, party chairmen and leaders of the party

,

(Obong) Victor Attah, former Governor of Akwa Ibom State,2004 - 2006; Mr. Lucky Igbinedion, Former Governor of Edo State, 2006 - 2007; Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki, Former Governor of Kwara State,2007 - 2011 and the incumbent, the governor of Rivers State, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, who took over on May 29,

PDP. Whenever there were threats by the National Assembly to impeach the then President Olusegun Obasanjo, the forum reared its head and stood resolutely against the move on the premise that it would impact negatively on the country’s democracy.

Also during the revenue allocation case against the

Federal Government at the Supreme Court, the NGF vociferously pursued its position and the states won, just as the body was there to help avert strikes that would have crippled the economy during the deregulation and liberalisation of the oil sector.

At the political level, whenever it was time to decide who became the president of Nigeria, the governors were there through the NGF and they always had their ways.

The forum was there for its former colleague, the then governor of Katsina State, the late Umaru Musa Yar ’ Adua for president and then Governor Goodluck Jonathan of Bayelsa State for the vice presidency and they won.

All these undoubtedly brought the governors together, but the events of the last couple of weeks have triggered the question, are they still together? The answer is no. This comes against the backdrop that the northern governors are manoeuvring to whittle down the efficiency of the NGF on the issue of the state police.

The governors, under their chairman, Amaechi, are pushing for a constitutional amendment for state police.

The NGF, had, at the end of its meeting held at the Rivers

State Governor ’s Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja, June 25, called for the establishment of state police. Present at the meeting was the Chairman, Northern States Governors’ Forum and governor of Niger State, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu. Also in attendance were Amaechi and his counterparts from Borno; Enugu; Sokoto; Delta; Taraba; Ekiti; Oyo; Kwara; Plateau; Zamfara; Kogi; Nasarawa; Kaduna; Abia, and Anambra.

The deputy governors of Ondo, Jigawa, Kano, Adamawa and Lagos were equally there.

In a communiqué signed by, the NGF chairman, Amaechi at the end of the meeting, the governors noted that state police was a strategy for combating the rising insecurity in the country.

The communiqué read, ‘’We, the governors of the 36 States of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, at our meeting, deliberated over a number of issues. The following resolutions were reached: ‘’Forum strongly condemned the current spate of insecurity and violence which has been drifting the nation towards anarchy and called for a multi-dimensional approach to security issues including

Continues on page 12 C M Y K

National Dialogue: SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012 , PAGE 11

Makinde:

religious crisis? Without bringing perpetrators and sponsors of these acts of terrorism to book, justice cannot be seen to have been done which is a big threat to our collective interest as Nigerians in our quest for a united nation. Politicians must watch their utterances and leave religion to r e l i g i o u s practitioners and let

The problem with the police Prelate, Methodist Church Nigeria, Dr Sunday Ola Makinde, says the police lack adequate attention to confront the current security challenges in the country.

By Akoma Chinweoke Insecurity has remained the biggest challenge in the country. What do you think should be done to return normalcy?

I think we should take spiritual angle to it. Let the Christians and Muslims cry unto God to expose those behind the killings. If the northern leaders do not know them, God will expose them.

Let us go back to God who has united us as one nation but what baffles me is that they say they are faceless individuals. At least they have brothers, sisters and operate from a home or state.

To say that they don’t know them is an embarrassment but if they say they do not know them, God knows everyone that He has created. If we cry unto the God of the oppressed, He would come to our rescue. Let us go the spiritual angle and God would expose the perpetrators and their sponsors, and, again, let the government have the

political will to ensure that they pay for their crimes.

Government should adequately equip the security agencies as they are not equipped. The IG has ordered the removal of checkpoints on the country’s highways but if you go to Lagos-Ibadan express way, it has become a haven for armed robbers. I ply the road always and I have never seen the police patrol vehicles on the road. The police lack patrol vehicles and

,

Makinde

perform and the security situation in the country would be better. Nigerian security agents are one of the best in the world but they are underfunded.

Many have expressed the fear that if the menace of Boko Harram is not checked, it might led to religious war in the country. What is your view?

Muslims and Christians have been living together in the country since 1914 and,

Let us go back to God who has united us as one nation but what baffles me is that they say they are faceless individuals

sophisticated weapons which the armed robbers have. Let us equip our security operatives with sophisticated communication gadgets and make sure they are well funded; that way, they would

,

since we became independent in 1960, we have been living together as brothers and sisters. When leaders like Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Ahmadu Bello and others were there, was there any

religious people leave politics to politicians. Politicians are the ones causing religious problems . They are the sponsors . When you can take your religion to the extent of bombing yourself, something is wrong somewhere.

T

here is nothing wrong in the relationship between the Christians and Muslims.

Chief Obafemi Awolowo, a Christian, was the first premier to establish Muslim Pilgrims Board and, up till today, Christians and Muslims are living together in the West and East. We cannot kill ourselves because of religion in the East or in the West because the people are interwoven. Indoctrination is another problem. We should avoid mixing ethnicity with politics and religion with politics.

Would you encourage reprisal killings in the North in response to Boko Haram?

The Christians in the North are not retaliating but defending themselves. The

Bible says turn the other cheek when people are persecuting you. We have turned the first and we have turned the second. So, there is no other cheek to turn. So, Christians are now defending themselves; may be that is the only way of sending a clear message that no one has monopoly of aggression. If they have jihad, we have crusade. Muslims always operate jihad and Christians also operate crusade. I don’t encourage killings in any form but people must defend themselves. A number of innocent Christians lives have been wasted in the last three decades. Akanuga”s head was paraded on the streets of Kaduna. It is not good. When you push people to the wall, what do they do? They fight back.

How do you think Christians and Muslims can live harmoniously in the country?

Let us avoid religious bigotry and stop mixing religion with politics. Let us continue with what our founding fathers gave to us.

Though tongues and tribes may differ, in brotherhood and sisterhood we stand. No Muslim is my enemy. The Sultan of Sokoto is a friendly person.

This is the kind of leaders we want in Nigeria. Let us see ourselves as brothers and sisters. After all, we all came from one father, Abraham.

Isaac came from Abraham and we have Christians, Ismail also came from Him and they are Muslims.

Let me tell you, no one would enter paradise by killing people. Anyone that kills people would enter the hottest part of hell. No body would go to paradise by killing an infidel and nobody is an infidel. We all belong to God.

Does Nigeria need state Police

BY Alaine Elizabeth Hamzat Oluwasayo Mr Richard Odamene: I don’t think it is a good idea because I believe governors will use it as a tool or weapon to fight their political opponents.

Speaking of stability, introducing state police will bring about more instability in the country.

Mr Ejike Ojel: There are demerit and merit in introducing state police in the country. The demerit is that governors may use it to hijack the polity and cause mayhem and intimidation. This may also bring about confrontation with the Federal Government..

Another problem is that governors may use state police to commit crimes and conceal these crimes which will only pave the way for more corrupt practices in the country.

On the other hand, state police can help fight crime at the local level. When government starts showing appreciation to those who contribute positively to the system without

discrimination, then the youths, who are the bedrock, will like to contribute positively to the political and economic growth of the nation.

Mr Kolawole Durojaiye: Nigeria is ripe to have state police. It is just that politicians are afraid that when there is state police, government would easily deal with criminals. Meanwhile, this idea may not work because governors can use it as a tool to fight their political opponents and especially to rig elections.

Mr Peter Onyegbula: Nothing will change. If politicians can buy the federal police with all their corrupt tendencies, why can’t they buy state police?

Mr Mike Effiong: The state police is not a good idea as there is already the federal police. The question is, can they be funded? The northern states are economically backward; so creating state police will only cripple their economies the more and also add more problems to the society.

Richard Odamene

Ejike Ojel

PAGE 12 — SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012

The flawed case for and against state police Continued from page 9 in Nigeria are viable enough to establish state police? How does President Jonathan plan to ensure that the Force Headquarters in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, respond to the security needs and challenges at the state and local government levels effectively? When last did Mr. President or his friend, the Minister of Police Affairs, Olubolade, pay a visit to a divisional police office? If any of them do, he would be confronted with the shame and embarrassment that Nigeria’s shambling federal system has reduced a once proud, efficient and purposeful police force into. So, to sit in the comfort of Aso Rock Presiden-

tial Villa or the Federal Secretariat and pronounce “unreadiness” about state police is nothing but misplaced pontification.

The truth, if it be told, is the point Ake and Meredith made, about politics and the quest for and retention of power.

Whereas there is ample justification for state police in the light of the growing insecurity and huge resources some state governments are deploying to maintain law and order in their domains, there is a world of difference between augmenting police activities in a state and actually running a full blown machinery of state police – logistics, accommodation, equipment,

President Jonathan

weaponry, forensics, salaries and allowances, requirements.

There is a tincture of selfishness in the rejection of the idea of state police by some

governors of the North. They see in the idea a possible backlash of breakaway syndrome at some point by states in the South. Yet, indulged over the years by a mentality which feeds on federal might to both appropriate and enrich few private pockets, they, in another breathe, embark on an expedition which seeks to enthrone a paradigm shift in the sharing formular per derivation. On the other hand, some of the governors in the south are more interested in having state police for bragging rights pursuant to the general elections of 2015 – although some are genuinely in need of state police.

Arguing against and for state police on needs that are at once selfish, warped, vainglorious and sentimental would sustain the shambles of today as well as lead to chaos occasioned by insecurity, the magnitude of which Nigerians have never witnessed, respectively.

The sensible first thing to do is revamp the present police structure in such a manner that service delivery would not only be improved but respectability and dignity of labour would be enthroned.

It is northern vs southern govs Continued from page 10 enhanced coordination and collaboration among security forces, effective use of technology and intelligence, value re-orientation, employment generation and sincerity of purpose. ‘’Forum reiterated its commitment to convene a Governors’ Forum Conference on Security in Nigeria. State governments are currently overstretched in funding security and called for a special intervention fund from the Federal Government, especially to the states that are most affected. ‘’Finally, the forum identified the increasing need for state police as a strategy for combating the rising insecurity in the country.”

Things started falling apart for the united NGF when the northern governors came up with another decision jettisoning the already agreed position on state police, thirtythree days after such a meeting took place and a communiqué issued.

The northern governors, who had agreed on 25 June on state police, suddenly

Gov Fayemi made a u-turn to the chagrin of others that the country was not ripe for state police and that the present structure of central police should remain.

T

he nineteen northern state governors, after their meeting held at the Niger State Gover nor ’s Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja, July 27, unanimously kicked against the move for the establishment of state police.

In a communiqué signed on behalf of the governors from the north by their Chairman, Aliyu, they noted that rather than have in place state police, the Constitution must be amended to allow for state

Gov Elechi governors to control commissioners of police in their respective states.

The communiqué read in part, ‘’The Forum is not in support of creation of state police. It, however, resolved to prevail on the Federal Government to embark on police reform that will assist the states in control and management of police affairs, and sound philosophy of modern policing by amending the provision of Section 215.”

The Section reads ‘’Subject to the provision of this section, the governor of a state or such commissioner of the government of the state as he may authorize may give to the

Gov Yakowa Commissioner of Police of that state such lawful directions with respect to the maintenance and securing of public safety and public order within the state as he may consider necessary, a Commissioner of Police shall comply with those directions or cause them to be complied with.”

The meeting was attended by 18 of the 19 governors from the North.

At the penultimate Wednesday’s meeting of the NGF, the issue was not mentioned for the fear of causing crisis between the northern governors and their southern counterparts.

The meeting, which took place at the Rivers State Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja, was sparingly attended. Even Aliyu, the northern governors leader, who was believed to be in Abuja, stayed away from the parley.

The meeting had in attendance ten governors with only four from the North, eight deputies with only two from the North, and came to end without the usual media briefing by the NGF Chairman and governor of Rivers, Rotimi Amaechi.

Present at the meeting were governors of Rivers; Ekiti; Ondo; Ebonyi; Kaduna; Sokoto; Akwa Ibom; Kogi and Kano while the deputygovernors were those of Abia; Delta; Adamawa; Bayelsa; Nasarawa; Imo; Oyo and Lagos.

With the disagreement in the family of the NGF, the questions are legion. Are the governors still together? Can they still fight in unison? How will the Amaechi-led NGF harmonize the positions of the governors on the matter of state police? Will the northern governors shift ground.

SUNDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012— PAGE 13

Boko Haram: We are wrongly accusing northern leaders – Prince Akenzua of Benin zCivil war account: I saw mass

destruction, Murtala was lucky to have escaped

z’Bini tradition does not stop the Oba from seeing the crown prince’

Prince Edun Akenzua....Until you know who your enemies are, you can hardly fight them.

P

rince Edun Akenzua, the Enogie of Obazuwa and younger brother to the Benin monarch, Oba Erediauwa, is one of the few journalists that covered the civil war. He relishes his experience of the war in this interview and warns against any attempt to plunge the nation into a fresh war.

A member of the Edo State Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs, he had predicted victory for Governor Adams Oshiomhole before the July 14 governorship election in the state.

The Enogie expresses concern over violent killings in some parts of the North and admonishes President Goodluck Jonathan to seek the assistance of the traditional institution, just as he faults the allegation against northern leaders that they have failed to speak out against the activities of Boko Haram.

He also gives an insight into the workings of the Benin royal family, particularly the long-held insinuation that the Oba does not see the crown prince.

Excerpts: People feel the Boko Haram insurgency has defied solution. What do you think?

I don’t think the Boko Haram challenge has defied all political solution because I do not think we have exhausted political answers to the probC M Y K

lem. Some people said it is not just political but also religion, but, which ever way we look at it, we must get a quick solution to it. I do not think traditional approach can stop this thing from going on but it could stop it from escalating and, of course, if that happens, government and politicians must make direct appeal to the traditional institution here and the North of their honest desire to bring this thing to an end.

I think government has not been honest enough in the quest to bring the Boko Haram insurgency to an end. All they have been doing is playing politics with it. The political approach to it alone will not work if the authorities are not soliciting the support of the

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BY SIMON EBEGBULEM, BENIN CITY

authorities have failed to deal with some issues squarely in order to find solution to them.

The Boko Haram thing, we must first of all identify what it is. Is it an insurgency, is it a group of dissatisfied people who are eager to get some things from government. It seems government is yet to establish what the Boko Haram is.

Until you know who your enemies are, you can hardly fight them. But I don’t think the president has lost grip of the situation but I feel the president is not doing enough to arrest the situation and that probably is the reason a lot of Nigerians are frustrated with the situation.

Again, I do not think it is right to blame northern leaders

The reason I do not think it is right to blame northern leaders is that Boko Haram came when the late Yar’Adua was President

traditional institution.

Don’t you think that President Goodluck Jonathan has lost grip of the situation?

I believe that a number of these things that have been happening have made Nigerians lost confidence in the ability of government to protect lives and property. The

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generally for Boko Haram and to tie it up with Jonathan going back in 2015. The reason I do not think it is right to blame northern leaders is that Boko Haram came when the late Yar’Adua was President.

For some people to tie it only to northern leaders I think it is a bit preposterous because

the people who are being killed are largely northerners even though some times southerners are killed in the churches. I think that is the area that is being politicized in this matter, accusing northerners. I read some of the comments made by Chief E.K. Clark where he said northern leaders have failed to condemn the insurgency but I don’t think that is true because the Sultan of Sokoto has spoken out. The Arewa Consultative Forum spoke, emirs spoke. So I don’t know the forum Chief E.K. Clark wants them to use. I read what he said while he was comparing Boko Haram with the Niger Delta militants. But I want to say that the Niger Delta militants are mainly Ijaws and E.K. Clark is from there; so it was easier for him to intervene then. But the Boko Haram people have not come to say they belong to a geographical entity. If they have done that, maybe people would have said, ‘okay’ IBB you go and speak to your people; you are from there.’

The truth is that the Boko Haram people are faceless, they have not really told the authorithies their grievances.

If any group just comes up to say every body in Nigeria must be a Muslim, they must practice Sharia, that will be impossible because even before Nigeria came to be, people had their different religions.

Fear of disintegration

An American group predicted that Nigeria may break up by 2015. Well, I don’t not think that any one will want to secede, those who are spitting fire at the moment, I think they are just doing that

because, in the long run, they will discover that it will be difficult for anybody to try to secede. You can stockpile weapons but I can’t see anybody who experienced the past civil war beating drums of war this time. But I don’t think any unit will want to break away from this country and others will just allow it to go like that, I think that will probably lead to another civil war. And when you have another civil war as we had in other parts of the world, you will set the place on fire. War is some thing that I hate to talk about because nothing good comes out of it. A number of people do not even know the implication of war.

I was one of the first journalists who went into the war zone when the war started in 1967. I actually had a long chat with Oko Arigbo, who was the External Affairs Minister then. And we requested that we be allowed to cover the war.

The late Oloba was my Editor-in-Chief in the Morning Post then. After we had made the request to General Gowon, one day they asked us to bring some body.

And suddenly Oloba and I realized that all the time we were asking government to allow us cover the war, we had not even thought of who will go from our stable. However, I offered to go because I was head of news and features then. Few of us went to cover the war and we saw the war from close quarters and, like the Benin people say, ‘it is the child who has never seen war that swears by war ’. War is ugly I tell you. The young men who are now in parliament, many of them were very young at the time the war

Continues on page 14

PAGE 14— SUNDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012

Continued from page 13 started in 1967. Many of them who are Generals now, I don’t know what they were in 1967.

But those who actually saw the war, they hardly talk about it and I don’t think they will want a repeat of such experience.

Covering the civil war

Prince Edun Akenzua....Those who actually saw the war, they hardly talk about it.

Civil war account:

I saw mass destruction, Murtala was lucky to have escaped civil war with the growing agitation from different groups that they want autonomy amid even the killings in the North.

Yes, there were killings then in the North but what happened then is not exactly what, happening now. I think the cause of the civil war was more because of the personal difference between Ojukwu and Gowon not necessarily because the Igbo and non-

,

I had known Ojukwu before the war started, when he was a Captain, we were in Kaduna together before they went to the Congo at that time. But when he came and became the military governor of the South East Region and the war was building up, there was so much tension. I was in Lagos then, I went to Asaba and tried to see him. From Asaba I put a call across, I was able to speak with Cyprian Ekwensi.

Uche Chukwumerije, who is a senator now, was a friend in Lagos but I could not reach him from Asaba at that time.

And Cyprian could not make the appointment for me to see Ojukwu. However, when the war fully started, I started covering it from Makurdi with the first Division. We moved on until the Federal Government recovered Nsukka. When we moved into Nsukka, the whole place was empty, the people had fled.

We went into a house in Nsukka and we saw a table which was set for a meal but that meal was never eaten. The people obviously fled and abandoned the food. I reported that for the Morning Post. And of course any body who had a car then will just go to a petrol station and fill his tank, it was free for all.

But when it got to a situation where you saw dead bodies littering the road, you will know that war is not a joke.

After the federal troops moved into Onitsha, there was something called Ogbunigwe that the Biafrans used.

Murtala Muhammed was leading the federal troops at the time and they were trying to access Onitsha from Awka but while they were doing that, the Biafrans exploded the Ogbunigbe and it was a mass destruction. The federal troops had to do a retreat, a very quick one. Months after, you could see skeletons of cars, bodies littered the streets.

Murtala Muhammed was even lucky to have escaped.

It was not a pleasant sight. I don’t think anybody who witnessed the civil war, not those who only read about it, will ever want to witness another war.

Those who witnessed the war will not be in a hurry to say,’ look, let’s go and fight it out.

But there is this fear that the country may witness another

Sokoto then launched one shilling per person fund. And it became a national policy, every body was contributing one shilling per person which was to be sent to help those who survived the initial massacre. It gave the Igbo reassurance and they went back to the North. So what I feel caused the war was that Ojukwu, being at that time a senior officer to Gowon and

Oshiomhole has come out to let people know that this thing can be done if you want to do it. And the people followed his foot steps and whatever he was saying they did

Hausa were killed in the North.

The reason I am saying this is that after the January 15, 1966 coup, which saw several Hausas officers being killed, the next one, I think in July which they referred as the vengeance coup, came and a number of Igbo officers were now killed in retaliation. But before the war started, Gowon apologized that the Igbo who left the North should return to the North. The Sultan of

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even more educated, did not see why Gowon should have been appointed as head of the army and head of state.

Ogundipe was the most senior of all of them in the army then but Ogundipe refused it.

Ojukwu would not have been angry if Ogundipe had emerged as the head of the army. But Ogundipe refused the offer because he felt that the military was too in disciplined for him to accept that offer.

That how could he be a

Commander-in-Chief when junior officers no longer respect their seniors? He had a bad experience in Government House, he was with some top military officers and he called one private soldier who came with a lieutenant.

The private soldier was in the car with a lieutenant to that meeting.

And when Ogundipe called the private soldier to go and buy him cigarette outside the State House, the private soldier said he could not go unless he got permission from his boss a lieutenant while Ogundipe was a brigadier general.

We were told that Ogundipe said how could he lead an army like this when a private soldier will want to take instruction first from a lieutenant? So that left Gowon and Ojukwu, and, of course, Ojukwu was senior to Gowon but the northerners wanted Gowon there as head of state but Ojukwu never wanted it.

So what happened then was not exactly what is happening today. What happened then was purely political, initiated by the military high command.

Edo guber election

The election was okay. I before-hand knew that the outcome will be like this.

Before the election, I stated that you do not change a winning team because the Oshiomhole administration is doing what Edo people wanted him to do. When I talk about the achievements, I am talking about the government led by Oshiomhole because I do not see much difference between the PDP and the ACN. The difference is actually the leadership. Oshiomhole has come out to let people know that this thing can be done if you want to do it. And the people followed his foot steps and what ever he was saying they did. Whereas in the past, no body did any thing in the state.

But people thought the royal family will support the PDP candidate because of his status as a son of the soil?

I am a member of the royal family. I told you we were not going to accept the PDP candidate just because he is a Benin man. I told you that we were not going to change a winning side. The PDP candidate, it is a pity that the young man insisted on playing that kind of game with the PDP. What I had said then and I told you, when the PDP leader, Chief Anenih, gave the Bini people the opportunity to present a governorship candidate, the people just got carried away by the euphoria but they forgot a lot of things.

But I was sure that even Chief Anenih, knew that nobody could win that election but Oshiomhole. But I think the chief was playing for 2016 because at that time if the chief wants to come up with a nonBenin person or some body from Edo Central, no Benin person will be able to say ‘no you cannot do that because we are more in population’. He will now tell them that ‘ we gave you your son the other day but you said you didn’t want him’. That was one strategy.

The second strategy the PDP leadership had was when the Benin members of PDP were dancing from one roof top to the other that they got the governorship ticket, PDP members in Edo Central and North were picking all the appointments available at the federal level leaving Edo South with nothing.

Ministerial appointment, Board membership, ambassadorial appointment and every thing, not one of them came to Edo South.

Which was very strange because in Edo South, the President got the highest votes here.

But no single appointment was given to them.

Again the royal family, not only the royal family, the good people of Benin Kingdom, who wanted some thing good for their land and for the state, could not push away Oshiomhole who was doing some thing good for the state and bring in some body else.

C M Y K

SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012, PAGE 15

Bakassi goes spiritual to reclaim ceded territory

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU

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MID lack of moves by the F e d e r a l Government to commence the process of appealing against the International Court of Justice judgment that ceded the oil rich Bakassi peninsular to Cameroon, the displaced people and religious men from the area are now seeking divine intervention to have their land back.

Representatives of Cross River State at the National Assembly, led

by Senator Bassey Otu for Cross River South and Hon. Esien Ayi, Bakassi/Calabar South/ Akpabuyo federal constituency, and other stakeholders had met the Presidency after what they described as fresh facts to commence the process of appeal against the ICJ verdict.

But the Presidency seems not convinced on why the case should be reopened. Now, the people have taken the matter to God seeking

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His intervention in what they described as injustice.

Speaking at a thanksgiving service to mark the 15th anniversary of the establishment of

Ekondo Micro Finance Bank, a subsidiary of the Davandy Group, the General Superintendent of Pentecostal Assemblies of the World Inc, Bishop Enebong

Ephraim said, “We have handed to the court of heaven issue on Bakassi.”

Eneobong, whose declaration of divine intervention drew a loud

amen from the people, expressed dismay over the handling of the Bakassi case by the authorities, saying that even though no one could challenge the wisdom of

the Supreme Court and that of the International Court of Justice, “there is one more court which has the final say over every mortal and issues.

Curiosity as man commits suidide after winning N200m contract

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

A middle aged man, identified as Tari, an Trofani in Sagbama local government area of Bayelsa State yesterday, in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, reportedly took his own life.

A graduate of the University of Port Harcourt, the deceased, it was learnt, had just secured a government contract worth N200m for the construction of Igbedi- Amassoma link road.

It was gathered that the incident occurred at the home of the deceased located within the Civil Servant Estate behind the office complex of Bayelsa State Scholarship Board.

Tari, found writhing in pains by close relatives

in the early hours of Friday, was believed to have taken a poisonous mixture.

A source told Sunday Vanguard that the relatives and sympathizers, after finding the deceased in critical condition, rushed him to the Federal Medical Center (FMC) for treatment and later took him to a church after his condition deteriorated.

Though nobody could give reasons for the action of the decision of Tari to end his life, sources said the mother, said to be a retired civil servant, and other family members were shocked over the incident. While some close friends blamed his tragic end on some mysterious powers, others claimed that he had, in the past few

days, been receiving threat calls on his mobile phone.

They claimed the mysterious callers threatened to kill him

over an undisclosed deal.

Contacted, the state police public relations officer, Fidelis Odunnwa (DSP), said though there

had been no official report on the incident, the operatives of the command would be deployed to investigate the suspected suicide.

2015: Power tussle in INEC Continued from Page 5

Officer on the same level of executive responsibilities or “management and control” in an Organogram with the N a t i o n a l Commissioners. The legally defined responsibilities and job descriptions (and even remunerations!) are not the same. This is taking the notion of “first among equals” to a ridiculous extreme.”

Jega concluded his response with some recommendations.

“Arising from my review of and comments on the SSEC Report on PWC Report, I wish to recommend as follows|:

“1.At this Retreat we should not conflate the issues of restructuring and reorganisation of the administrative structure of INEC and those of making National Commissioners as Executives. If we have to do the latter at all, the best forum might be in our interactions with the members of the National Assembly as they undertake the review of the Constitution and the Electoral Act. We may then wish to ask them to make explicit provisions in the laws as to who is the Accounting Officer of INEC, whether National Commissioners are also Executives and so on.

“2.Let us then review the recommendation of

the PWC, those of the SSEC and mine and see what kind of trim structure we may come up with, to reduce over departmentalization and sectionalisation, to remove duplication of functions and responsibilities, and to make for efficient and effective service delivery of INEC’s programmes and projects even before the Constitution and the Electoral Act are further amended”.

The correlation being drawn between preparations for the 2015 elections and the seeming overconcentration of people from a section of the country in INEC, is the “possibility of using the personnel to engender a systematic process that would determine a particular outcome for that year’s election”.

In a recent advertorial signed by ELECTION INTEGRITY NETWORK, and titled THE TAKEOVER OF INEC, the group quoted a publication where it was stated that INEC’s nineman Strategic Planning Committee is made up of seven person of northern extraction with just two people from the south, just as its committees on Logistics, Operations, Procurement, Finance and General Purpose, ICT and Political Monitoring are all allegedly chaired by northerners.

In the conversation with Idowu, yesterday, he said “some of the things being published by some people in that regard are laughable because the decisions taken at the Commission reflect a collective, hinged on consensus”.

INEC is composed of the National Chairman and 12 National Commissioners, along with Resident Electoral Commissioners in each of the states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja.

DETAILS OF JEGA’S MEMO NEXT WEEK.

PAGE 16—SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012

M A I L B A G

All letters bearing writers' names and full addresses should be typed and forwarded to: The Editor, Sunday Vanguard, Kirikiri Canal, P. M. B. 1007, Apapa, Lagos. E-mail: sunvanguardmail@yahoo.com

‘The untold story of Hilary Clinton’s visit to Nigeria’ – A rejoinder Dear Sir,

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HE attention of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been drawn to the write up with the headline above by Mr. Hugo Odiogor, the Foreign Affairs Editor of the Vanguard newspapers, published at page 49 of the said paper on Wednesday, August 22, 2012, and concluded two days later, Friday August 24, 2012 at page 41.

While the submission raised some salient issues on Nigeria-US relations, underscored by the recent visit of Mrs. Hilary Clinton to Nigeria,in doing so, Odiogor made some remarks that are not just incorrect, but also border on falsehood. These include: i) “……..media to show understanding to the predicament of the Foreign Affairs Ministry which has a legendary record of lethargy and tardiness in handling its diplomatic assignments”. ii) “…..the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, under the leadership of Mr. Olugbenga A. Ashiru, has never hidden its avowed disdain for the Nigerian media”, and; iii) ……advise officials of the Ministry to purge themselves of their pathological arrogance…”

Mr. Odiogor, in carrying out his constitutionally recognized duty, might have over-stepped the bounds of decency. To any discerning mind and a follower of Nigeria’s diplomatic engagements over the decades and up till now, it amounts to some measure of mischief to describe as tardy Nigeria’s Foreign Service’s achievements over the decades. We do

not need to list here our diplomatic achievements, nay feats!

Engaging the media, as a partner in its onerous duty, it must be said here, has been on the front burner of the Foreign Affairs Ministry for a while.

What is more, that engagement has been further deepened by the current leadership of Nigeria’s diplomatic team, led by Ambassador Olugbenga A. Ashiru, himself a consummate and fulfilled diplomatist. In executing its public diplomacy policy, which is what the media engagement is known, the Ministry employs the following approaches: Press conferences and briefings, press statements and releases, rejoinders and the last but not the least, abiding by the letter and spirit of the now extant Freedom of Information Act (FOI).

The fact that Mr. Odiogor ’s outpourings was as a result of Ambassador Ade Adefuye’s interview at an NIIA parley reveals one fact; and that is that, as a serving Ambassador, he was acting with the authority and approval of the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs.

One salient evidence of MFA’s success in the area of media engagement is that, in the last one year, the number of journalists who have requested for, and have been granted accreditation as Foreign Affairs Correspondents has risen by over 100%, from about 20 to well over 40, from both the print and electronic media – local and international!

Ambassador Ashiru runs an open door policy, not only to the entire staff of the Ministry, but also to members of the Fourth Estate of the Realm

accredited to Ministry. At all times, he has bent over backwards – given his very busy schedule – to grant interviews. And during press briefings that are issue – specific, journalists, in attendance, veer to other areas outside the purview of the press briefing, he and other principals of the Ministry have always graciously accommodated their inquires.

Diplomatists, all over the world, have over time been regaled with the charge of arrogance. Thus, Mr. Odiogor ’s

charge of “pathological arrogance” will not be dignified with any reaction here.

This accusation may be as a result of the intricate protocol, nay rules of engagement that are employed in the course of diplomatic interface. We wish to reiterate here our doors are open for enquiries and interactions, all the time. * Public Communications Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tafawa Balewa House, Central Business District, Abuja – FCT.

We are tired of deceitful leaders Dear Sir,

I

T is very disheartening the way and manner our rulers treat us with so much contempt, take us for a ride, make empty promises and most annoyingly treat us as fools through bad governance.

A few months ago National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) stated that Goodluck Jonathan is committed to improved electricity supply before 2015, but at the launch of the Sustainable Energy for All on 24/8/12, the Vice President who represented him, gave assurance of regular power supply by 2020 when the Mambila and Zungeru Hydropower plants which are yet to be constructed, will contribute 3050MW and 700MV respectively to the national grid. This is the sort of deceitful promises our leaders make to keep our hopes alive which they eventually dash by not carrying out

their promises. Is this not a clear case of counting one’s chickens before they hatch?

If our president and our governors have been using their money to run and maintain the generating sets in their offices and lodges, they would have made genuine efforts to give us constant supply of electricity.

This is the tragedy of a nation flowing with milk and honey that has been afflicted with the most greedy, vicious and selfish ruling class ever in our nation’s history!

Nigerians spend a fortune running and maintaining their generating sets, because our ruling class and unscrupulous civil servants pounce on the monies budgeted for the infrastructural development of our country and the welfare of her citizenry to enrich themselves.

Ifeka Okonkwo Plot 44, Ahocol Housing Estate, Phase II, G.R.A, Awka.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012, PAGE 17

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to which we can all attest. Why are our kids not there; if they are so good and “free”?

The sooner we stop deceiving ourselves the better. There are no Awoists left anywhere – only political opportunists. The least they can do is let Baba Awo rest in peace instead of using his name to foist a fraud on the people.

P.S. Neither Baba Awolowo nor his wife, Yeye Oba of Ife, was addressed as Excellency or First Lady for Mama. But today, right from the first day, the pretenders to Awoism and their wives assume that illfitting titles – even before they perform the first function. Awoists indeed. Delusions of grandeur have become the order of the day for, at best, mini-heroes; and, at worst, scoundrels.

ADVENTURES IN PROPHECY (CONT’D) “History never tells us its alternatives”.

“History is a record of what has happened in the past”. That statement should be familiar to old students of Igbobi College, in the I950s, who had to write 50 or I00 lines as punishment for various offenses. Nigerian history is no exception.

Thus when late President Yar’Adua was packed off to Saudi in late November 2009, I again called on Mrs Turai Yar’Adua to urge her husband to hand over to Vice-President Jonathan.

I have always believed in a person granting graciously what cannot be refused. I also predicted that the late President would probably be returned to Nigeria “in a box” –never to rule again.

From that another prediction was made, “Yar’Adua’s name would not be on the ballot papers for the next presidential elections in 20II”. But, there was another one. That said, “Jonathan, after serving the rest of Yar’Adua;s time should not be a candidate either. But, if he uses the power of incumbency to force himself on the electorate and get elected a disaster would follow”. The Sunday Editor at the time found that prediction so apocalyptic, he called me and asked to be allowed not to publish it. Reluctantly, I agreed but with a warning that the Sunday Vanguard was missing an opportunity to be the first to break news before it occurs. “Jonathan’s presidency will shake Nigeria to its foundations, mark my words”, was my closing remarks.

Not since the drums of war were heard in I967 have we become so divided as a nation.

DR REUBEN ABATI’S PERFECT PRESIDENT “..he reads. And he writes. This is not a

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“THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE LUNCH”. Fundamental law of Economics.

HIS series ended last week with the observation that whereas in Awolowo’s days as Premier of Western Region, virtually all kids enjoyed government sponsored primary education, today only a tiny minority of kids attend state schools. It was the same, even at the secondary school level. Whereas Awolowo’s and Minster’s kids attended the same schools, though not free at secondary level, as we did (for instance Segun Awolowo, Olowofoyeku, Edu among others were at Igbobi College) side by side with brilliant kids of transporters and traders (e.g Okunowo), it is doubtful if any of the Governors and Commissioners of the states governed by ACN has his/her kids in the state’s primary and secondary schools.

The egalitarianism which was the bedrock of sound state sponsored education during Awolowo’s, as well as Ahmadu Bello’s and Azikiwe’s, era, in the regions, had vanished a long time ago. It has been replaced by apartheid education in all states and at all levels; with the governors and government officials sending their kids to schools, at home or abroad, for the Haves; and the rest attending Have-nots hatcheries for criminals called state schools. Gone also is the zeal which impelled the political leaders of the first republic to strive to provide sound education.

Finally, there are no Adebos anymore, as Heads of Service, to ensure probity, transparency and accountability. What we have are collaborators to clever or barefaced looting. Adebo’s genius was recognized all the way to the United Nations where he was appointed as an Under-Secretary. None of the holders of that office in the states today will be appointed dog-handler – the dogs might end up in pepper soup. Corruption is the national characteristic common to all the states of the Federation. Even in ACN, ANPP, LP and APGA controlled states, forget PDP, people enter government, dirt poor, and a few years later own mansions and radio stations or have m(b)illions to spend on campaigns for the Senate or Governor. Nobody asks where the money came from; because they know.

Awolowo was Premier of a territory now governed by eight governors; there was only one Minister of Education and no intruders called “First Ladies” siphoning public funds into private pockets; as we have now in every state. Awo had two Secretaries and no Senior, or Special Advisers. There were no “Security votes”. Each Minister had only one car and a Private Secretary, nothing more. I know that because our family house at Ibadan was directly in front of Honourable Lanlehin’s house at Inalende Road and my eldest brother was the Private Secretary to late Alhaji Adegbenro; who was then the Minister for Lands and Labour. The cost of keeping officials “in style”, at the time, was less than two percent of the budget –as I later discovered after my brother died and we were going through his voluminous documents on the government.

The cost of maintaining the Executive branch, as percentage of total budget, had gone up by more than 2000% since Awo’s days.

Today, eight Governors, the same number of Deputy Governors, eight unelected intruders, called “first ladies”, zillions of Senior Special Advisers and their retinue of drivers, servants etc, rule the territory. The fleet of cars attached to each of “our Excellencies” would make Obama appear like an errand boy. The egalitarianism has vanished; so has transparency and accountability – which were the solid foundations of public, o,k, “free” (if it makes you happy) education in those days – “the days of our setting out, so long ago”. So, where is the Awoism?

Clearly, if the “free education” component of Awoism is the yardstick for appraisal, there are no Awoists left in Nigeria. Short of closing all the private schools, primary, secondary and now tertiary, anybody still talking about “free education” should go and have his head examined. All we have left is an enduring gimmick for capturing votes; not a credible programme. The worst hypocrites are my colleagues in the media who have joined the ridiculous altercation on one side or the other. To the best of my knowledge, no single medium level or senior employee of a newspaper, radio or television station has his kids in the states schools providing “free education” which have become synonymous with inferior education in the Southwest. Yet, they write glowingly about the education offered by the states in complete disregard of the facts

Today, right from the first day, the pretenders to Awoism and their wives assume that illfitting titles – even before they perform the first function

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provincial President”, so wrote Reuben in the modern version of DIVINE COMEDY which he sent to the papers titled “The President they don’t know”. I don’t mind reading funny stories but why must Abati take three columns just to call his Perfect Master by his new name, just three letters – god. Fortunately, there is a shrine where the worship can start in earnest – St Jonathan Cathedral, Otuoke. That expensive edifice should be venue for investiture of Holy Jonathan. I dey laugh o.

P.S, More on that piece later.

YOUNG MUSLIM AUTHOR NEEDS SPONSORSHIP TO PUBLISH The title of the book is A-Z WORD: from the Quran. I personally read and edited it and will recommend it to all our brothers of both faiths since it is written in English. We need to reach across the religious lines to save our nation. The problem is finance. If I have the funds, I would have paid for copies to be printed. Can you help? Any amount will be appreciated. If you can assist, please get in touch.

License to print money If you go out into the real world, you cannot miss seeing that the poor are poor not because they are untrained or illiterate but because they cannot retain the returns of their labour. They have no control over capital, and it is the ability to control capital that gives people the power to rise out of poverty-¯ Muhammad Yunus Please mind the double entardre. It is necessary to be that verbally combative from the get go.

So the Central Bank of Nigeria plans to introduce a N5, 000 notes into the system? And the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Monday announced the devaluation of the naira, setting the new official exchange rate at N155.00 to the US dollar from its previous rate of N150 and maintaining the band of +/-3 per cent.

The proposed note will be highest denomination and in its defence, they argue, that it is high time

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Awoism: ACN versus Afenifere(2)

!They miscalculated, as most working women will not have the means to handle or exchange the notes to notice.

So, Mrs Margaret Ekpo, Mrs Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti and Hajiya Gambo Sawaba and yes, for good measure, the senate complex will form the backdrop. It seem that the new note was meant to be representative but no one is buying it.

So perhaps , the rich will carry on them N5,000 notes and the rest contend to jiggle and jangle down the streets and attract the attention of hoodlums with N5,N10 and N20 coins in their reinforced pockets.

This reminds one of the Russian Rouble (prePerestroika) and the Zimbabwean Dollars Mugabe (proMugabe Association).

The Zimbabwean dollars money was so devalued that in order to pay for small items

Nigerians deserve to know whether there is a short, mid-term and long-term strategy that will bring any benefits to the system as a result of this introduction

there was a review of the nation’s currencies.

Judging from the subsequent furore that followed the announcements people are not happy .Well, the social network sites bore the brunt of the response and it was indicative of people’s fears, scepticism and apathy.

It was apparent was that most people did not see this coming.

Like a conjurer, CBN Governor, Mallam Lamido Sanusi, pull this rabbit out of the bag while briefing journalists in Abuja. But more was to come from the esteemed G o v e rnor, much more, that changes included in the review that the notes of the N5, N10 and N20 notes converted to coins. As a piece meal notable women social reformers will grace the new currency. Well that will appease the womenfolk

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you will need a wheel barrow to cart away your money and those using the ATM needing bother, as the queue will be waiting round the block waiting for the machine to dispense money.

In its defence, The Director, Corporate Communications Affairs of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Ugochukwu Okoroafor has affirmed that the apex bank’s decision to introduce the N5, 000 notes is to strengthen the cashless policy of the bank.

Mr Okoroafor was on a breakfast show, Sunrise; he stated that the N1, 000 has been in existence in the last seven years.

N500 has been around for 11 years, N200 for 12 years and the N100 for 13years; hence the need for this overall review of the currency, which according to him is ‘overdue’.

The main reservations

for some people are ; that the new denomination will herald a spike in inflation, more crimes, spates of ritual killings, pricing staple food out of the reach of the middle class and the poor .

It may also mean that the Naira becomes so devalued and worthless.

It could mean that some services and product providers may fail to do business with others or resort to use of multiple currencies alongside the Naira. The corporate affairs manager also argued that it is essential to rejuvenate the currency, “to make it new”, “for an economy that is just coming out a global recession”. So have we really come out of recession and has the common man been notified?

The Action Congress of Nigeria has advised the Central Bank of Nigeria to have a rethink about its widely publicised intention to introduce the N5, 000 notes as the highest denominated legal tender in Nigeria by 2013. They warned that the new currency may help the nation raise revenues, but the benefits may outweigh the cost of transactions and induced inflation.

The Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions on Monday has directed the Central Bank of Nigeria to suspend the introduction of N5, 000 notes until the Senate was properly briefed. The House of Representatives Committee on Banking and Currency says it will invite the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to clarify its position on cashless policy and, in specific the planned introduction of the N5, 000 notes. “ We believe that Nigerians deserve to know whether there is a short, mid-term and long-term strategy that will bring any benefits to the system as a result of this introduction. “The intervention of the house is to ensure that due process is followed and the rule of law adhered to” on the cashless and wireless payment system policy of the CBN, which we understand is designed to reduce the actual cash in circulation.”

PAGE 18—SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012

Nigeria’s unending & fruitless debates selves. Rather, governance in Britain is premised on conventions which are obeyed both to the letter and in spirit. In Nigeria, we debate everything and seek to put them in a constitution whose provisions are obeyed more in the breach. fter changing from the Parliamentary to A the Presidential system, we

still needed more debates.

So, in 1986, a political bureau went round the country collating views on the best political system for Nigeria. The nation also spent valuable time debat-

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G

OING by the fre quency of debates in Nigeria, arguing back and forth over an issue is now a visible aspect of the nation’s culture. Not long ago, those in favour or against the introduction of Islamic Banking shouted themselves hoarse over its desirability or otherwise.

The latest now is the introduction of a new 5,000 Naira note. A common feature which runs through all our debates is that they are usually fruitless. While no one can easily lay his hands on how each of them ends, some of the debates really never end. A good example is the debate on the best constitution which our nation should operate. Nigeria has had no less than 10 constitutions since colonial times. Interestingly, it is not too easy to see the difference between the constitutions especially those of 1979 and 1989. Indeed the 1989 Presidential constitution was not even put into use before it was discarded. Our present constitution has since 1999 remained under constant but cosmetic amendments. No one seems to recognize that the British colonial masters who taught us how to write constitutions have never written anyone for them-

other year but nothing is done to substantive matters like the immunity clause in our constitution that allows Governors to function like armed robbers unchallenged while in office.

Hence they act at will; while many of them appropriate local government funds, many others operate caretaker committees instead of local government councils. It was thus a comedy the other day listening to two Governors at the Nigerian Bar Association conference sermonizing on the topic. Comrade Okorocha of Imo State was applaud-

What we face now are not petty crimes and other localized offences, which the local police can handle with ease

ing whether to accept the famous IMF loan or not. In every case, the debates add to nothing. Instead, the changes we make amount to replacing ‘six’ with ‘half a dozen’ and ‘started’ with ‘began’. The real issues are never tackled. For some time now, we have had a new Electoral Act every

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ed for coining a new term ‘Economic Kwashiorkorism’ to describe Nigeria’s over-centralized federalism. I was however unable to applaud that my former friend because I am yet to recover from the shock of his having to be publicly persuaded by the Attorney General and Minister of

PhD, Department of Philosophy, University of Lagos,

debbiemoments@gmail.com

Social media communication and the new barbarians

C M Y K

electronic socialisation without appropriate safeguards. This particular incident has been intensively reported by the Nigerian media probably because the victim was the daughter of a “big man,” a retired Major-General of the Nigerian army. If Cynthia was the daughter of poor and insignificant parents who belong to the class Frantz Fanon described as “wretched of the earth,” it is very unlikely that her death would be given that kind of sustained prominent

,

T

HE expression “elec tronic socialisation” is used here as a category for all contemporary innovative electronic modules through which people in different parts of the globe communicate and interact with each other. Of connectivity is the backbone that supports social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Skype, U-Tube and so on. But then, enhanced capabilities of transnational information superhighway are a mixed blessing.

Novel communication systems allow people everywhere to communicate and interact almost at the speed of light.

Moreover, because humans are social animals that must necessarily exchange ideas, feelings and data with one another, information and communication technologies have vastly intensified contacts across geographical, racial, sociopolitical and economic boundaries. Unfortunately fraudsters, ritual murderers, robbers and all manner of devilish individuals exploit social media networks to commit atrocities. The recent tragic death of Cynthia Osokogu in the hands of two barbarians is a ringing warning about the dangers of uncritical reliance on

instantiation of the bestial nature of man. Both men deceived the young lady into thinking that they were friends and genuine business partners, but they heinously betrayed her trust.

Therefore Cynthia’s death, whether unintentional or otherwise, is the culmination of a chain of events triggered the very first day she began communicating electronically with Okwuoma and Odera.

Let us consider briefly the major causative factors that produce human beings capable of deceit, rape and murder simultaneously.

There is adequate scientific evidence that the complex dialectical interactions

universities across the country are not doing enough to weed out bad students, judging by the persistence of cultism, examination malpractices, and different kinds of fraudulent activities among students

reportage.

This goes to show that in our country there is bias in favour of rich and prominent members of the society. That said, the conduct of the two men docked for the terrible crime against Cynthia, Okwuoma Echezona Nwabufor and Ezekiel Odera Ikechukwu Olisa is, to put it mildly, a paradigm

,

between biologically inherited traits and environmental factors determine human behaviour. Experts in the study of human behaviour agree that every human being is the product of nature and nurture. Specifically, each and every one of us is a complex amalgam of genetically determined traits we inherited from our

Justice to obey court orders and to let elected local councils in his state be. The other comrade from Edo was equally articulate on the occasion but he has run local government in his state like his comrade from Imo. Perhaps this commonality informed their invitation to the conference to join the debate on the State Police – one of the latest topical issues to be debated for the remaining part of this year. he debate is however T fruitless because today’s insecurity problems

which seem to bring the issue to the fore have nothing to do with what level of government controls the police. What we face now are not petty crimes and other localized offences, which the local police can handle with ease. What we are facing are complex international crimes like Bombings which the federal police is obviously better positioned than the states to handle. In other words, the clamour for a state police at this point is for the sake of a debate and not as an answer to the problem at hand. Otherwise, what do we expect a state police made up of indigenes to do during incessant settler-indigene violent clashes in some parts of the country? Some people who just have an exogenous approach to issues would argue that in some countries like America, state police is in vogue as if that rationalizes the adoption of the approach by every nation.

Meanwhile as we hear, countries like France and parents and the nexus environmental variables which determine how and to what extent our inherited traits manifest in our practice of life. Naturally, there is disagreement about which percentage of actual behaviour is attributable to biology and to the environment respectively.

Nevertheless, aside from people with congenital physical and mental disabilities, it is expected that the normal socialising functions of the family, school and society in general, acting on the substructure of genetics, would produce human beings mature enough to handle the challenges of life in a rational and responsible manner.

Given that the personal character or personality of individuals is crucially determined by upbringing at home and the school, it is highly probable that Okwuoma and Odera are products of dysfunctional families or a failed school system that is increasingly incapable of instilling appropriate values in children.

In most families, especially since 1970, parents and guardians have virtually abandoned parenting in the quest for money. As a result, there is a deadly developmental lacuna during the crucial formative years in the life of majority of children born from that year onwards. The problem is compounded by a dominant social character which extols and celebrates greed, power and wealth rather than intelligence, contentment and humane living.

Keep in mind that despite increasing religiosity in Nigeria the noxious eddies

Denmark have our current police structure but they do not have our type of insecurity. We also appear to overlook the fact that we already have more than enough state police formations? The real difference between Egbesu, OPC, MASSOB etc. and the Police is probably in the uniforms. But bearing in mind that the Nigeria Police has had almost as many uniforms as it has had Inspectors General, we cannot be too sure how its next uniform would look like – it may by chance be like that of the Lagos State Police whose official title for now is LASMA. Federal or state police is therefore not our problem. The real problem is our unending debates which deprive our law enforcement framework of viability. In the last two decades for instance, we have had no less than eight reports from different panels set up to brainstorm the Police issue. A former Inspector General of Police, M.D. Yusuf chaired one of the panels in 2008 and produced a report with 125 recommendations which are yet to be implemented. panel headed by Stephen Oronsaye A CFR, a former Head of

Service to prune our proliferated federal bodies submitted a report more than 4 months ago. It is yet to be implemented perhaps because some people are still debating either the report or some ancillary matters.

One of the new issues is the merger of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and the Nigerian of immorality and wickedness are spreading like an epidemic. In my opinion Okwuoma and Odera represent the polluted moral ecology of contemporary Nigeria, a telling indictment of our inability to create a humane society. As an academic, I feel disgusted that the barbarians who killed Cynthia are students of tertiary institutions. Of course, universities across the country are not doing enough to weed out bad students, judging by the persistence of cultism, examination malpractices, and different kinds of fraudulent activities among students. In some cases, the bad eggs are children and wards of university staff and prominent members of the society.

Hence university authorities should tighten, and strictly enforce, rules and regulations guiding the conduct of students to eliminate misfits among them, and avoid the usual practice of succumbing to pressures from big men and thick madams. Beastly behaviour by human beings should make people question the theological assertion that man was made in the image of God. Like most religious notions, the idea that human beings are created in the image of a divine being is vague and paradoxical. Christians and Muslims tend to ascribe good deeds to God and evil ones to Satan or Lucifer, based on the belief that God and Satan are objectively existing entities.

But if, according to scripture, everything, including the fallen angel Lucifer, was created by God, then God bears ultimate respon-

Communication Commission (NCC). We hear that the merger of the two regulatory bodies may soon be settled because it has been approved in principle.

If so, we need to recall that some 5 years ago; the Obasanjo administration went beyond the level of approval in principle and actually announced the merger of the bodies. The then Director General of the NBC, Bayo Atoyebi was removed from office for showing lack of support for the merger. After that, nothing else happened. So, what next? Well, I can see the merger coming up shortly along the pattern of the merger of some ministries in the past. At that time, to prove that two ministries had been merged we did not appoint two ministers; instead we appointed only one minister and then merely added only a minister of state. s for the issue of the moment, we agree A that debates are good for

democracy, so we can have them but it is dysfunctional for such debates to turn the majority of the people from being the subject of democracy to becoming its object.

Thus, we need to realize that majority of Nigerians don’t have N5, 000 naira in their possession and as such have no need to carry such an amount at any time.

As a result, the issue is neither people-oriented nor does it concern the people.

Instead, it is just one of our usual debates which are always done for the sake of debating. sibility for both good and evil. Hence, logically speaking, God is both good and evil. This conclusion fits very well with the human potential for good and evil. Now, the biblical assertion that an omnipotent, omniscient and infinitely good God made man in His own image is inconsistent with the fact of evil and wickedness in the world.

Most believers are not intellectually honest and courageous enough to acknowledge this. Nevertheless, we must honestly accept that it is absurd for an all-powerful and loving God to allow the sort of evil that befell Cynthia. All said and done, Cynthia has died and nothing matters to her anymore. We commiserate with the family and friends she left behind. There are important lessons from Cynthia’s heart-wrenching demise.

The first one is that we should be cautious in trusting people, because there are many sheep in wolves’ clothing out there. Second, we must be very careful about the kind of personal details we give to those we meet through social media networks –minimalism should be the watchword.

Three, we must periodically embark on cost-benefit analysis of our activities through Facebook, Twitter, Blackberry pinging etc. In my own case, I found chatting on Facebook irritating, time wasting, superfluous: when I had Blackberries I never subscribed for pinging. Right now I have quit Facebook and nothing untoward has happened. Do the same today and save yourself from avoidable danger.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012, PAGE 19

I want to destroy this lying cheat!

Dear Rebecca

I

am 22 years of age preparing for ad mission into a higher institution. The man I am in love with is a 27 year old businessman. He promised to marry me after my studies when he would have got enough money. Our relationship started two years ago and we’re very fond of each other. We saw weekly until he moved to another place.

He then told me he was now living with his two sisters, and so I should not visit him unless he invites me, because he didn’t want trouble from his mother. For several months he kept telling me the same thing; saying he would not want to hurt my feelings.

One day, a friend of his told me he is married and his wife was expecting a baby. I was so shocked I went to his house the next day, and found it was true. The name he gave me as that of his sister was in fact that of his wife. I told his wife to tell him to come and see me when he got back. He never did.

Please tell me what to do because I intend to destroy his marriage.

Chi, Aba REPL Y REPLY

C

ALM down.

Most wives stay put in their matrimonial homes these

days in spite of their husbands’ other women, so, you cannot destroy the man’s marriage unless you mean to murder him and his family. Imagine how the poor wife must have felt when a strange female turned up in her house, wanting to see her husband, and ordering that the absent man be asked to come see her.

She must have demanded to know who you were, from the husband. The outcome of that was the reason he decided to keep away from you. We thank God for that wise decision because adultery always brings problems to all concerned.

What has happened is painful but it is not strange. It is wrong of course. Thank your stars that you did not have a baby for him before you discovered his double dealing. Put it all down to experience and next time, don’t give yourself easily to a man and don’t put all your hopes and trust in a fellow human being. Believe that a man will marry you only when he makes serious moves to do so by seeing your people and asking his people to do so.

Leave the man to his conscience. You will meet a more reliable man in future. Meanwhile your priority now should be your future career. Concentrate on that since it’s your intention to go for further studies.

Imagine how the poor wife must have felt when a strange female turned up in her house, wanting to see her husband, and ordering that the absent man be asked to come see her

C M Y K

He wants me as his second wife!

Dear Rebecca

I

am a girl of 24, in love with a married man. We’ve been on for over three years.

In fact, he’s the only boyfriend I have, and he’s quite aware of this. Both the man and his wife are graduates but I’m just a secondary school certificate holder. The wife works in one of the big companies in town while I don’t work.

Early this year he told me that I’ve passed all the examinations that he paid for, and that I should stop complaining about anything. He said he would want me as his second wife. I told him this wasn’t a good idea, as there can never be a cordial relationship between two women married to the same man in the house..

He then showed me the plan of a house he’s going to build. He said that if I become his wife, we won’t live together. Although the man is good, since I’m not from polygamous family, I don’t know how my parents will react to his proposal. Also, I don’t know what problems the future would bring if I agree to become his second wife.

He told me that if I try to go marry another man, I wont be to be

happy, and that I will come back to him because of the good way he’s been treating me .

Please your advice is highly needed.

Beatrice, Rivers State REPL Y REPLY

S

OME young la dies who want a quick comfortable life, or who are afraid they may never get a man of their own, settle for being second wives. When such ladies are allowed by the man to live on their own, they could successful marriage, they are lucky .

Living alone reduces the normal constant quarrels between the wives, and between their children, but that does not make polygamy easy.

There is loneliness for you and your kids outside on your own, and there’s the frustration of being able to lay full claims to the man . Even if he marries you legally in a traditional marriage, and you are accepted by the wife and the extended family, you will need to compete with the family he has at home, for his attention (emotional and financial ) for yourself and children, and you may be advised by people to use the services of juju men and prayerists to win this constant tussle.

This can happen too in a monogamous marriage where a man roams about, acquiring mistresses who ‘fight’ his wife in all ways; but it is usually part and parcel of a polygamous marriage. I strongly believe that only people who are used to polygamy , and who like it, that should engage in it.

In a polygamous home, the husband is hardly sincerely loved by all his wives, as each tend to suspect that he is treating the other wife better.

None really has his interests at heart.

So, think carefully about how you want your life to be . You are still quite young so you can still have a husband of your own. If you decide to become a second wife or even have children for the man, make sure his wife at home, and his family members are informed, and you are openly recognised as his wife.

Before this however, discuss the matter with your parents, especially your mother. L i s t e n carefully to them and take their advice. If you’re stubborn and you disobey them and marry the man when they say you shouldn’t, they may not sympathize with you and help you when the

union fails.

Most importantly however, if the need for you to engage in a vocational training which will ensure that you can be financially independent in future. It’s demeaning and unwise to be a kept wife. What if something happens to the man and his financial support stops? What will you and the children you have for him do?

The earlier you tell him that you cannot be a second wife, the better.

When you do this, you’ll have to stop accepting financial support from him. Why was he the one who paid for your examinations? Are your parents aware of this?

Maybe they allow you to accept the help, but don’t know that he’s married.

Discuss everything with your parents. Tell them the truth. Don’t hold anything back. If they can’t look after you financially, and they know that he’s been financing your studies, they may surprise you by saying they don’t mind your becoming the man’s second wife. If this happens and you’re comfortable with it, you may want to accept his offer to give you a place of your own.

Make sure such a place exists before you tie the knot with him.

•All letters for publication on this page should be sent to: Dear Rebecca, Vanguard Media Ltd, Kirikiri Canal, P.M.B 1007, Apapa, Lagos, Nigeria. E-mail: dearrebecca2@yahoo.com

P AGE 20 — PA

SUND AY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 2 , 2012 SUNDA

0808 066 0660 (Texts only!)

Forty, fat and frustrated but seeks excitement!

L

IFE may begin at 40 but it’s also that time of life when you start taking stock of your existence. When I turned 40, it was one of the most memorable events of my life. It was also when the imaginary clock started ticking subliminally. Was the best really to be? I was in a very stable relationship after my divorce, but could a better man be hovering in the horizon?

Would my wildest dreams come true? Well, time has given answers, some of which I never even envisaged. So when Clara, one of my favourite cousins started making plans for her 40th, I warned her not to be very optimistic about the best that was yet to be. For a start, she was fat - a far cry from the svelt lady that walked down the isles 12 years ago. Her husband was bald with a contented pouch.

It was as if she was reading my mind when she bragged that, “On my 40th birthday, I intend to wow all my guests with my new figure.” What a dreamer! Just how much could you achieve in four months? She surprised us all by not only slimming down to a size 16, but giving herself the most flattering makeover, I was happy for her.

Lately, she’d been critical

of her marriage. Maybe this new, confident Clara would put a spark back into her marriage. Unfortunately, her husband seemed contented with his middle age spread and was quite oblivious of his wife’s new look.

“Kola is not really interested in change,” Clara said of her husband when I ran into her at a family get-together.

She continued,” In spite of the fact that my friends praised me for looking lovely and fantastic, Kola didn’t appreciate my effort. Whenever I asked him how I looked, he’d just shrug and mutter ‘lovely’. The thing is, a group of my friends are having a party for me next week.

No husbands! It would be fun if you could attend.” I promised I would Iike to knowing, was only being polite.

Clara’s friends are really upper crust and spend money with style. They make me a bit uncomfortable about their outlook in life. Was I getting old maybe? I knew I would have fun at her party but I didn’t want to rub shoulders with care-free friends.

W

hen we met a few weeks later, I’d scarcely finished apologising for not attending her party when she con-

This was purely about grabbing a bit of illicit fun! It was also trying to convince myself that life could really begin at 40!

“When it was over, we returned to the party. We had very little to say to each other after that.

We’d both got what we wanted and there was nothing more to say. As my friend and I headed home much later, she sort of guessed what happened.

A

fessed she was able to test her pulling power.

Here we go again, I groaned. Apparently, her husband’s apparent nonchalant attitude towards her new look made her desperate to prove to herself there was still some pulling-power left in her.

“I had one of the outfits I’d reserved for my birthday party which I hadn’t the time or the nerve to wear. It was a skinny jeans matched with the most flattering top. Kola nearly had a fit when he saw me. He actually turned his eyes off the Supersports he was glued to. ‘You’re not going out dressed like that,’ he roared. I reminded him it was an all-female party and he grudgingly agreed for me to go, after the friend who came

Workout to stay well

S

MOUNTAIN

IT on your heels or cross legged.

Raise the hands over head and inerlacing the fingers turn the palms up hold the trunk very erect with elbows straight and do deep breathing.

First, dislend the lower abdomen then espanding the ribs without raising the shoulders – all that with the inhalation. Then breathe out slowly but thoroughly.

First, squash the abdominal region then contract the ribs expelling as much stale breath as you can.

A more difficult variation is to assume the lotus posture and get up on the knees with the hands streched above the head without interlocking the fingers otherwise with palms joined.

C M Y K

THE PLOUGH Technique: Lie flat down and breathe in deeply. Then swinging both legs backwards exhale asw you having the toes to touch the floor.

Now, bring the hands also backwards to hold the feet with the chin pressing on the throat.

Stiften the leg muscles and stay in the position for about 30 seconds. To come out of the posture, release the hold on the feet, bend the knees, return the hands to the sides and gently lower the trunk and straighten the legs.

Benefits: This posture increase the blood supply to the spinal region, nourishing the internal organs. It helps to release tension in the upper back and shoulders.

Massaging the internal

organs, it gives relief to i n d i g e s t i o n , confstipation and can lead to complete elimination of them.

till you’re linber enough.

To counteract any tension that may have built up as you performed the plough posture do.

THE BRIDGE next

Technique: Lie flat on your back with the arms by your sides then bend the knees with the feet flat down near to the buttocks. Raising the hips

A

bring the hands to support the back. And then if you can, straighten the knees.

Stay in the pose between 15 to 30 seconds.

,

THE POSE

fter three more dances and some drinks, he breathed in my ear we should go out for some fresh air. Cling-

ing drunkenly to him, I let him lead me over to his jeep. It wasn’t the most glamorous setting for betrayal, but I was far too eager to worry. Sex with Kola was virtually non-existent - just a quickie every other week.

“We hurriedly clambered into the front seat he’d conveniently collapsed and I felt really wicked! Kola was a bore in bed, I reasoned with myself. I deserved a bit of excitement after all these years. Moments later, I was panting with lust. The seats of the jeep were rough against my bare bum and Idris wasn’t the gentlest of lovers. He pawed at my boobs like a big clumsy gorilla. But I didn’t care.

for me backed me up.

“My friends were surprised to see the new me.

When I noticed that Sarah, the hostess had ‘chartered’ some men, I discreetly removed my wedding ring. It was party time! I later ended up in the arms of Idris on the dance floor and I showed the moves I’d learnt from my teenage daughter. When the music turned to a smootchy one, I clung to him - I even let my hand touch his bum! He pulled me closer to him and I was thrilled to feel how much I was turning him on.

pparently Idris has this reputation of being a fast worker. She wanted to know how I felt about being unfaithful, and I told her I felt bad for not feeling guilty! I’d just cheated on my husband, had a seedy romp with a complete stranger at the back of his jeep and I felt great!

“I only experienced a slight pang of guilt as I had a quick rinse in the bathroom at home and crept into bed beside Kola. He was fast asleep and didn’t even turn.

The next day, he didn’t bother to ask if I’d had an enjoyable party. I’ve made up my mind that the next time any of my friends ask me out, I’ll say yes. Afterall, life’s supposed to begin at 40 and a girl’s got to find her own excitement somehow before life passes her by!”

To maintain a youthful body, the key is a flexible spine. And the plough promotes both flexibility and strength in the back and neck

,

To maintain a youthful body, the key is a flexible spine. And the plough promotes both flexibility and strength in the back and neck.

CAUTION: Don’t force yourself into doing this

* The Plough

Yoga classes at 32 Ademola Adetokunbo Victoria Island, Lagos, 9.10am on Saturdays

SUND AY Vanguard , SEPTEMBER 2, 2012, PAGE 21 SUNDA bunmsof@yahoo.co.uk

08056180152,

SMS only

The toyboy who found himself on the rubbish Tip!

I

first met Jimi a few years back when he

showed up with Labisi, a good friend, at a party in my house.

Thinking he was his son, I promptly showed him where my younger siblings and their friends were. “No-oh,” protested Labisi, ‘he’s with me.”

The scrawny gangly thing pushed out his chest and draped his hand possessively around his date. It was so comical that I laughed hysterically until I saw the hurt on Labisi’s face.

Could she be serious? A few hours later, he was still glued to her side, knocking back the red wine. “Auntie”, he slurred when I went to have a word, “Can’t you see how young your friend looks?” I felt so irritated I wanted to throttle him. Only my friend had this silly grin on her face that I had to give them a sickly smile. What on earth possessed her to be seen in public with this lad?

When I next saw him, it was at another party and he came over to introduce himself. I looked blank. “I once came to your party with Labisi,” he prompted. What a nerve, calling her by her first name! Yet what had it got to do with me?

Gritting my teeth, I asked him where Labisi was. “I don’t know auntie, “he said, pulling up a chair and plunking it next to me.

“I’ve always liked the company of older women:’ he said arrogantly, “they’re more experienced sexually, if you know what I mean.

So when I met Labisi and

I flirted with her, I was sure I was on to a good thing when she flirted back. She teased me that I was old enough to be her son. I said I was 28, and she said she was in her early 40s. That wasn’t so bad. I thought, and within days, we were at it like dogs. Until I discovered she was years older than she let on”. So how did he find out? “I was rummaging about in one of her drawers, looking for a bottle opener she kept in it when I came across one of her old passports. It had her date of birth on it - and she was over 50. Can you beat that? I was so shocked that I showed her the passport and she admitted being that old.

I was stunned. Dating older women is one thing, but I’m definitely not into grannies! It was like sleeping with my own mother! Dating an older woman is okay, but, want the ones who still have all their own teeth.”

He was getting on my nerves, but I asked him why he hadn’t thought of trying women of his own age? “They’re the worst,” he said.

B

efore, I met Labisi, I had this modellike girl I was dating on a regular basis. I met her at a fashion show and we started going out together. She asked me how many women I’d slept with and I told her plenty. When I asked how many men she’d had she said she was keeping herself for the right man. That was a challenge, so I spent the next few weeks convincing her I could be the one for her. It worked. We bonked each other

Y

OUR column to express your loving thoughts in words to your sweetheart. Don’t be shy. Let it flow and let him or her know how dearly you feel.

Write now in not more than 75 words to: The Editor, Sunday Vanguard, P.M.B. 1007, Apapa, Lagos. E.mail: sunlovenotes@yahoo.com Please mark your envelope: “LOVE NOTES"

Everlasting love Love is a word that will never die. If love had existed for ages, and I found it through you, then, my love for you will never die because it was the same

senseless for weeks. It was fantastic - I couldn’t believe a novice could bonk so well, but I was already in love with her. I foolishly thought it was the start of a beautiful relationship until the night I stayed over.

I

’d done that a couple of times. She had this one bed flat that was like a love nest. We’d had amazing sex after a boozy night and I fell asleep afterwards. Suddenly, I was being violently shaken by my girl who whispered furiously that I had to go to the toilet as her husband was around. Holy smoke! Husband? What husband? She pushed me hurriedly into the ensuit toilet and there I was in my boxers, looking sheepish when this male voice boomed from the bedroom.

My girl whimpered that she was glad to see him after being away for so long on business trip.

That she had a terrible malaria and was just going to the kitchen to make

herself a hot cup of tea when he showed up.

She must have put on such a convincing act because the man asked her to stay in bed, he would help with the tea.

'Whilst he was in the kitchen, my girl rushed to where I was and virtually shoved me out through the toilet window. I landed on what looked like very smelly heap of rubbish and I gave a yelp of protest.

It was very dark and instead of her to peep out to find out what the matter was, she threw my clothes and shoes after me! I was in shock.

There had to be a sane explanation to this nightmare I was subjected to. I don’t even want to remind myself of the gunk that clung to my clothes and body when I got home.

'The next day, when I went to her place of work, she just looked straight through me and walked on! It was then

yesterday, it is the same today, and would be the same forever. my duty is to please you my love, my duty is to love you my queen, and my wish is to see you live for ever. long live the woman of my life!

Long live my wife!

Omorville Umoru omorville@gmail.com, 08062486549

My Dear Blessing

Some say love is a river That drowns the tender reed. Some say love is a razor That leaves your soul to bleed. Some say love is a hunger An endless, aching need. I say love is a flower, And you are the only seed. It's the heart afraid of breaking That never learns to dance. It's the dream afraid of waking That never takes the chance And the soul afraid of dying That never learns to live.

a colleague of hers that I was friendly with confirmed my girl had a sugar daddy they all knew was fond of her. So why did she make a play for me? She confessed they were all having girlie talks comparing different male physique at the party where we first met when I came in.

It was then one of the girls joked that gangly men like me were usually well endowed.

They’d had a bet to see who’d be the first to find out if I really was, and my girl had won. She’d given them blow-by-blow accounts of our sexual adventure and I felt cheap -like I was a sex object.”

I

was very amused by his self-righteousness. It was nice to see how men feel when the shoes were on the other feet. Women are constantly being used and dumped, but they seldom make a song and dance of it. I told him this

and he agreed with me.

He said he had this friend who was of the same age with him. 'He works with a sexy posh woman who was their H.O.D,” he recalled. “He was full of how sexy she was that I went to his office to have a look. She was a beauty but scarcely gave me a second glance. But it was obvious she’d taken a shine to my friend. My friend said colleagues had warned him that she always tried it with every new guy. I told him they were only jealous. His boss was only a few years older and attracted to him. What had he got to lose? 'Weeks later, my friend had cheering news for me; they’d started an affair and she was smashing’

I

tried to warn him to make the most of it and not bank on being the love of her life. He shrugged. He had his eye on the promotion he thought he deserved.

He’d been passed over a couple of times but with his immediate boss now in his corner, his promotion was a done deal.

Well, it wasn’t. Her boss didn’t put in the much needed word. She looked out for her own promotion instead and got it.

Now she heads a larger department and Romeo is left licking his wounds!”

How to master the game! (Humour)

1. Back straight, knees bent, feet apart.

2. Form a loose grip.

3. Keep your head down.

4. Avoid a quick back swing.

5. Don’t take extra strokes.

6. Taking a while? let other go ahead of you.

When the night has been too lonely And the road has been too long. And you think that love is only For the lucky and the strong. Just remember in the winter Far beneath the bitter snow lies the seed that with the sun's love, In the spring, becomes the rose. I Love You Emma Mine & Ben 07051037749,08078662320

Understanding love

Love is as old as the universe,but it is always new,because the mind has failed to understand it.

Once you understand a thing, it becomes old to you. Butlove is one thing that never becomes old because it is beyond the imagination of minds....!

Chris Onunaku, dekris4real@gmail.com 08032988826/08184844015

P AGE 22—V anguard , SUND AY , SEPTEMBER 2, 2012 SUNDA PA 22—Vanguard

In 40 days, Bakassi may be lost forever!

Ahead of deadline, agitation for review of ICJ verdict heightens

z

BY HUGO ODIOGOR, Foreign Affairs Editor

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Before the deadline of October 10, 2012, Nigeria is expected to file an appeal against the ICJ judgment, if not, then it would finally forget Bakassi. The people and leaders of the disputed territory have cried out against the ICJ verdict. They are opposed to being forced into Cameroon, which the leader of the Save Bakassi Group, Mr. Maurice Ekong, described as a police state with anti-democratic culture. There has emerged a militant group called Bakassi Self-Determination Front and a flag, which is a symbol of national identity for the new Bakassi. According to Ekong: “There is anger among the inhabitants of Bakassi people who strongly oppose the idea of dispossessing them of their land, C M Y K

L, Nigeria’s former External Affairs Minister ,Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi and former Minister of Interior , Amb. Olu Adeniji, Mr. Alex Ekeanyanwu, NIIA’s Deputy Director Public Affairs and Special Adviser to Minister of Justice, Prof. Deji Adekunle, at the 12th brainstorming session in Lagos. their identity, language, culture and personality.”

Drumbeats of war Now, the world awaits the response of Cameroon and its foreign backer, France. Eagerly awaited also is the response of Nigeria, which had shown its willingness to hand-over Bakassi peninsula to Cameroon, without firing a bullet.

Now, the big question is, how far can the people of Bakassi go in their long walk to freedom?

Historians, legal experts, diplomats, traditional rulers and political actors, media practitioners, military personnel, were mobilised, last week, by the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs Lagos, to the 12 th brainstorming session under the theme, ‘The Bakassi Peninsula’ Ten Years of ICJ Ruling and Prolegomena To Resultant Problems.

prepared to be drawn into a situation with its south eastern neighbour, which could result in international opprobrium, reproach and animosity, for reneging on the Green Tree Agreement (GTA). The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation,

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hen the United Na tions endorsed a referendum in Sudan to end the intractable civil war in the North African country, it was obvious that “the wild oats sown in your younger days had made an awful harvest in our autumn of life.” The referendum paved the way for South Sudan to emerge an independent nation on July 5, 2011.

But the oil rich territory of Abyei, straddled between the North and South Sudan, has been given the option to decide, through a UN supervised referendum, which part of both countries it would like to join.

Based on this, the people of Bakassi have a precedence to fall back on if they decide to approach the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council to resolve the question of their sovereignty, which the International Court of Justice, acting on the 1994 suit on land and maritime boundary dispute filed by Cameroon against Nigeria, ruled on October 10, 2002 that the sovereignty of Bakassi Peninsula belongs to Cameroon. In the light of this, Hon. Essien Ayi, representing Calabar South/Akpabuyo/ Bakassi in the House of Representatives said, “It has happened in Southern Sudan; so why can’t it happen here?”

He said unless urgent steps are taken to resolve the Bakassi question, the situation could degenerate into the case of Kurds who are a people without a home land or the people of Palestinians that have been denied of home state by international conspiracy. Akinterinwa, who was the chief convener of the talks, harped on the curse of Berlin on Bakassi people as he went into a historical reconstruction of the evils of Berlin Conference of 1884 and 1885 where European countries carved up African kingdoms, territories, people and resources and apportioned their carved domains to themselves as areas of political and economic interests, using brute force and fraudulent treaties of protections to claim African lands, transfer the original owners of the land to other destinations that seem convenient to the Europeans. The people of Bakassi are the latest victims of this pre-colonial machinations and even, in the 21st century, they are yet to regain their freedom.

Nigeria seems not prepared to be drawn into a situation with its South Eastern neighbour, which could result in international opprobrium, reproach and animosity, for reneging on Green Tree Agreement (GTA)

Homeless people So far, Nigeria seems not

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Mr. Mohammed Adoke, said, last week, “that Nigeria is committed to working out a pragmatic and politically sensible resolution to the dispute within the framework of the ICJ judgment.” But the Director General of NIIA, Professor Bola Akinterinwa, said “Nigeria is not a Monist state that accepts the superiority of international law without domestication by the National Assembly as required by article 12 of the 1999 constitution”.

Akinterinwa is of the view “other nations that are interested in the resources in the region will easily recognise the quest of Bakassi people for self determination”, citing the examples of the recognition of the impoverished state of Azawad in northern Mali where the Tuaregs have declared to be independent nation. According to him, the actual demarcation of Nigeria and Cameroon land and maritime boundary will compromise Nigeria’s Exclusive Economic Zone and effective participation in the Gulf of Guinea where 70% of its maritime resources will be ceded to Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Sao Tome and Principe; invariably, Nigeria would have sentenced itself to death.

Unintended consequences The GTA under which Bakassi was ceded to Cameroun is yet to be ratified by the National Assembly.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Information, Media and Public Affairs, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, PDP, Abia South said, “If National Assembly has not ratified the Green Tree Agreement, it is not yet legal.”

But a former member of Cross River State House of Assembly, Joe Etene, believes that the new agitators’ on the Bakassi issue are walking a tight rope.

According to him, after Bakassi people mobilised themselves to appear at a public sitting coordinated by Senator Jubril Aminu in 2008, the report never saw the light of day. Etene said “the outcome of the sitting would have helped to galvanise public opinion long before now”.

The law lecturer at the University of Calabar said: “When we raised our voices about the injustices of GTA, especially the fact that ICJ and UN did not give the people of Bakassi the chance to express themselves as guaranteed by the UN charter on human right, former President Olusegun Obasanjo bullied us and frustrated our political careers because he felt we were too radical”.

Cross River State governor,

Continues on page 23

V anguard, SUND AY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012, P AGE 23 Vanguard SUNDA PA

Continued from page 22 Senator Liyel Imoke, said, last week, that the ICJ verdict had thrown up some unintended consequences, notable among which are: That the people of Bakassi remain in the disputed peninsula but become citizens of Cameroon against their wish and preference, thus forcing them to change their citizenship from the country of their birth; retain their Nigerian citizenship but become immigrant in the land of their birth and subject to deportation by the Cameroonian authorities like the situation in the West Bank where the Palestinians are trapped in the struggle for citizenship and for a homeland, to be called their country. The third option, according to Imoke, is for Bakassi people to relocate to Nigeria and become eternal refugee, which is the Kurdish example in Turkey.

Imoke said “Bakassi people look up to Nigeria to protect their right, their lives and their basic freedom”.

Hon. Nkyo Esu Toyo, who spoke to Sunday Vanguard in Lagos, said Bakassi indigenes are truly Nigerians and not Cameroonians.“I totally support that Nigeria appeal against the International Court of Justice judgment in relation to the international boundaries between Nigeria and Cameroon, which ceded Bakassi peninsula to Cameroon,” she said.

“I want the ruling to be reversed so that the people can come back to Nigeria because that is where the people belong. It not a question of who owns the land, but of the people, and these people are Nigerians in blood and everything.

The people in question do not belong to Cameroon; they are Efik people from Cross River and Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria. I will urge the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to take urgent steps towards the C M Y K

Late Gen. Mutala Muhammed Late Gen. Sani Abacha

Chief Olusegun Obasanjo

Ahead of deadline, agitation for review of ICJ verdict heightens reviewing of the judgment handed over by the International Court of Justice on Bakassi against Nigeria.”

Between a people and the deep blue sea Sunday Vanguard learnt that President Goodluck Jonathan has asked the Ministry of Justice to advise the Presidency on the course of action to take before October 10,2012, the day Bakassi will be lost forever unless urgent steps are taken.

But the body language of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Mohammed Adoke, and his Foreign Affairs counterpart, Mr. Olugbenga Ashiru, is that Nigeria will uphold the sanctity of the ICJ decision, flawed as it may be, to maintain her reputation as an international responsible citizen.

defending the dignity and sovereignty of Nigeria.”

The Nigerian authorities have in charting the path of peace re-affirmed the position of the ICJ that the rights, welfare and infrastructure of Nigerians who currently inhabit the disputed villages should be protected and that the process of implementation of the GTA should be phased to allow for this. “Both countries have also through this process sought to navigate the difficult political and cultural challenges that must inevitably arise in the course of implementing the judgment of a tribunal whose jurisdiction we consented to”, Adoke said. “Of recent the call to seek review of the ICJ decision has attained prominence

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Gen. Yakubu Gowon

unnecessarily emotive or that heeding the call tantamount to a volte face in Nigeria’s quest for peaceful resolution of disputes and avant-garde diplomacy. It may well be that there is increased agitation for the option now given that the Statute provides that a review should be initiated before ten years have elapsed from the date of the judgment i.e. or before 10 October 2012”.

Ego and ethno-centric machinations

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ust like the Europeans carved up Bakassi without considering the interest of the human beings, the major ethnic groups in Nigeria seem to have taken over from where the colonialists stopped. In using Bakassi as a bargaining chip for the civil war effort, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, the then head of state, did not consult with the people in ceding the peninsula to Cameroun. Rather, Gen. Gowon relied on the advice of the late Dr. Okoi Arikpo, an Efik man who was his Commissioner for External Affairs. The Cameroonians had demanded for Bakassi as their price to support the war time task of “keeping Nigeria one,” at all costs.

When the matter was the subject of the Maroua declaration in 1975, Arikpo did not raise a voice but a source said that what Gowon made was a

The Nigerian authorities have, in charting the path of peace, re-affirmed the position of the ICJ that the rights, welfare and infrastructure of Nigerians who currently inhabit the disputed villages should be protected

Adoke issued a statement, last week, saying Nigeria would seek pragmatic solution within the framework of the ICJ judgement. According to the AGF “While re-affirming Nigeria’s respect for the decisions of international tribunals and commitment to regional peace and security, this administration will not shy away from appropriately

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in national discourse. Article 61 of the Statute of the ICJ does indeed permit such a review where the application is based upon the “discovery” of a “fact” which is “decisive and was unknown “to the Court and to the party claiming revision when the judgment was given. I do not understand the call for review as

President Goodluck Jonathan

declaration and no agreement or protocol was signed. When the issue came up for deliberation at the Supreme Military Council (SMC), the then Brig. Murtala Muhammed, Commissioner for Communication, vehemently opposed the idea of Nigeria conceeding any part of its territory for whatever reason.

Both Murtala and the then Col. Muhammedu Buhari were among the officers that reportedly volunteered to go to war with Cameroon if the need arose. The declaration at Maroua remained a declaration.

In 1994 when Gen. Sani Abacha moved soldiers to Bakassi to effectively occupy the territory, the media and opponents of his regime derided him as trying to divert attention from opposition by starting a war with Cameroon.

The paramount ruler of Bakassi, Etiyin Etim Okon Edet, said, at last week’s talks, that the push has come to shove and the people of the ceded peninsula had come to seek divine intervention, legal and diplomatic support of the people of Nigeria, to take their case to the United Nations, to seek a referendum in the disputed territory just like it has proposed in the disputed oil region of Abiyei that is claimed by Sudan and South Sudan.

Akinterinwa said the emergence of Bakassi Self-Determination Front to challenge the ceding of Bakassi to Cameroon will compound Nigeria’s national security worries as another theatre of conflict will be opened in the south eastern axis of the country.

Ambassador T.A.B Shodipo said the Federal Ministry of Justice should appeal the ICJ judgment which, in the first place, failed to recognize the right and interest of the people of Bakassi to self-determination.

To be continued

PAGE 24—SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012

Law on forced breast-feeding? - They own our bodies now?

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ITHOUT any bias, Nigerians are among the most intelligent persons in the world, in my opinion. Go to any far-flung country, and you’ll find at least one Nigerian quietly making waves in his/her field; be it in Medicine, Science, Music, Acting, Politics and even in Philanthropy. Within the country, brains abound in all fields too.

Why, one may ask, are we not getting things right in governance in spite of this?

I’ve just come to realize that it’s because many of those in decision-making positions, prefer to chase the shadows instead of the real substance that would be of benefit to the citizens of this country.

We won’t pay attention to the real problems in the country which have pushed our country down on the global scale, and made a small country like Ghana, (about the size of the old Bendel State) now the bright star in the West African sub-region.

As I was writing this article, a reader sent in this text which I decided to include in my piece: ‘Madam, did you watch the funeral rites and procession of late Ghanaian President Atta Mills on AIT TV station today?

It makes one wonder if any Nigerian President, dead or alive, except Murtala Mohammed, could have commanded such general outpouring of grief and loss from the generality of the people. That

View-Point

sory for all nursing mothers in the country. Minister of Health, Professor Onybuchi Chukwu, at the grand finale of the World Breast Feeding Week in Ugbodo, Ebonyi Local Govt Area of the State, said that the bill when passed into law, will stipulate appropriate sanctions for defaulting mothers.’

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Helen Ovbiagele Woman Editor tells you the difference between a leader and a ruler. - Harriest’ When I read the headline ‘FG considers Bill on compulsory breast-feeding’ in the Vanguard of August 9, 2012, I really felt sad for the citizens of this country.

‘The Federal Government, yesterday, said it was considering sending a bill to the National Assembly, which would promote and make breast feeding compul-

id the Hon. Federal Minis ter for Health, a learned gentleman, really say such a thing in this day and age, when we’re so overwhelmed by so many serious problems, threatening our very survival? Will compulsory breastfeeding improve the healthcare in the country? Won’t passing such a law be a gross infringement on our women’s human rights, and show Nigeria up as a country living in the dark ages, in spite of the intelligent and achieving citizens that we have? We would be the butt of joke all over the world. We may still be regarded a third-world country, but we’re too enlightened to consider such a bill, which aims at eroding the rights that our women have over their own bodies with regards to their own babies.

That apart, how can you monitor

How will husbands react to strange men coming into their homes to gape at their wives breasts, saying they’ve come to ensure that she’s breast-feeding?

French Fashion Designers 2011 on Latest Fashion blogspot.com C M Y K

whether a woman is breast-feeding her baby or not? Will there be a special police unit established for this? Will the government waste time and money in employing agents who would go live with a nursing mother in her house and follow her about to ensure that she breast-feeds her baby? How will husbands react to strange men coming into their homes to gape at their wives breasts, saying they’ve come to ensure that she’s breast-feeding?

For credibility and seriousness of purpose in the posts they are in charge of, those in decision-making positions should avoid utterances which are not only ridiculous, but impractical.

Now, the truth is that breast milk is best for baby. Not only is it the most nutritious a baby can have, it is the safest, the cheapest, and the most convenient food to carry around for the baby. All you need is have a convenient place away from prying eyes, to feed your baby.

Mother’s milk hardly ever brings infection to the baby, unless, as we were told years ago, if the mother is HIV positive, and there’s fear that she could pass it on in her milk. Otherwise, breast milk is safe for most babies.

Every year, we mark the World Breast-feeding week. I have no problem with this, and

when I was on the beat, I used to cover the events marking it – by UNICEF, NGOs, and Government Health units, and report on these activities.

Still, from my own findings, the average Nigerian woman enjoys giving breast-milk to her baby. In fact, she delights in showing off that she’s a mother, by proudly breast-feeding her baby in public. I’ve written several times on the need for the hospitality industry to advise hotels and restaurants to have ‘rest rooms’ where mothers can breast-feed and change their babies’ diapers in private. It’s obscene for a woman to bring out her breast in public and begin to breastfeed her baby these days. The sight, could have a worse effect on some susceptible minds than that of scantilydressed girls which we’re told, could be provocative. Women who are breast-feeding need to be cautious about the venue, for their own safety, though this is still a common sight in small towns and communities; on the farms, in the markets, in shops, etc.

Breast-feeding is the most natural thing for any mother to do, and new mothers look forward to it, because of the bond it establishes between them and their babies. They don’t need to be told or forced. Many women here are poor, and they cannot afford Baby Formula which is usually quite expensive, even if you earn well. At almost two thousand naira for a small tin, it costs a fortune to feed a baby well on it. So, most Nigerian women rely on breast milk to feed their baby well and cheaply.

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f course there are cases where a nursing mother who works is unable to breast-feed her baby at work. Even these ones, instead of relying on baby formula, express the milk from their breasts into several feeding bottles which they store away in freezers. These bottles are later placed in a container of warm water to heat it up, and feed the baby with.

I’m aware of the need for the Hon. Minister for Health, to make a speech, stressing the importance of breast milk for both the mother and her baby, on such an occasion, as this is an appropriate thing to do, but threatening prosecution if they don’t, was a bit over the top. I’m sure he knew that implementation of such a law is impossible, that’s if the human rights people allow it to be passed.

A bill that his Ministry can sponsor is one which will make it mandatory for all government hospitals in the federation to give full and free medical care to all pregnant women/nursing mothers and their babies, untill the baby is six. It should concentrate on reducing the extremely high infant mortality in the country, and ensure adequate pre and post natal care for pregnant women. I’m sure the hon. Minster knows that half the population of this country don’t use hospitals because they’re too poor to pay the fees that the government charges for the dismal services in its hospitals.

SUNDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012, PAGE 25

The communists are after Nigerian pastor

By Segun Olanipekun

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*Adelaja...facing persecution from Ukranian authorities *

story, Pastor Sunday was asked during the interview to explain the genesis of this allegation. His words: “from persecution. I do not think I face any challenge. I am enjoying the ride. I call myself pastor without tears. But the greatest challenge I face now has to do with government, society and persecution. I am undergoing one right now.

There is a case in court. It is a case that involves members of our church that have investment company that collapsed during the recent economic meltdown, lost money and the government found it as a good opportunity, a good excuse to charge me to court. I have survived 22 court cases so far. This to the government was a good one because members of our church were involved. The

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n August of 2011, I had a marathon interview in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, with Pastor Sunday Adelaja, the Nigerian-born founder and senior pastor of the Embassy of God Church in Ukraine, about his pacesetting ministry, his perennial ordeal at the hands of the Ukrainian government and the local orthodox church. The interview, which covered a range of issues, was part of a Christian communication project about to formally unfold.. At the time of the interview, many people did not know (and I am sure even up till now), that Pastor Sunday, as he is fondly called, was under probation in Ukraine.

In the classical sense of the post-communist Ukrainian society, it connotes absurd restrictions on his freedom of movement; something akin to a humiliating conditional freedom. It is like a war of containment normally reserved for enemy of the state.

It is a probation that prohibits Pastor Sunday from travelling out of Ukraine. It also subjects his actions and activities in and out of the church to state surveillance. Like a criminal under parole, he is constantly under watch. That has been his experience since 2009 when he was fraudulently framed in a ludicrous charge that he was a scammer along with some of his church members in a failed real estate business. The frivolous charge by the Ukrainian Interior Ministry accuses him of defrauding the country’s citizens of money, an amount which the ministry’s Department for Media Liaison and International Activity then put at $100m.

In spite of the denial of the allegation by Pastor Sunday, a testimony corroborated several times by the actual owners of the business, King’s Capital, the state continues to rubbish the name of the man of God through a deft use of both local and international media To reiterate his side of the

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*The Nigerian poster’s church in Kiev does not have anything to do with it. But the media, the government do not even talk about them but they are only focusing on Pastor Sunday.

They only need the big name; the one that can be sensation-

the Ukraine orthodox church is accusing him of spreading “strange” Christian doctrine and of using voodoo to attract new members to Embassy of God church.

only thing the police were asking me is: Do you know them?

And my answer is: I know them.

“So as long as I know them they believe I must be involved. So it is just a way to be able to corner me. They have been looking for a way and Satan did a good job this time.

He gave them a good excuse.

The people who started the company are not denying it.

They say it is our own; pastor

time mayor of Kiev are members of the church while many others are competently leading several non-governmental organizations that are improving the conditions of the people in different spheres of life.

In a twist to the on-going case, latest report from the church says Pastor Sunday was invited on August 21, 2012 to the police station where the charge against him was “requalified from fraud to organizing a criminal and dangerous bandit group that specializes in committing heavy crimes. In this new case, Pastor Sunday is being charged as the head and organizer of this dangerous criminal bandit group.”

In addition, the report stated that all the five people accused along with him were arrested by the police while Pastor Sunday had been asked to report to the police station.

The church fears that this invitation and the deliberate change of the charge to a criminal one are part of the plot to jail the innocent pastor as he is seen to be a threat to the present government.

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alized and scandalized. But they would fail as they did in the past.”

In a nutshell, this is the story of the alleged scandal or Ponzi scam for which Pastor Sunday has been put in a box, fettered in his ministry work and disallowed to travel out of Ukraine to preach the gospel to the world.

To compound the case, the neighboring country, Russia Federation, also declared him

a persona non grata, allegedly fearing that his charismatic approach to Christianity would “corrupt” the agelong orthodoxy of the Russian native church and its citizens generally. As a matter of fact, this fear is one of the underlying contentious reasons he and his ministry are also facing persecution in Ukraine.

Apart from state hostility to him, the Ukraine orthodox church is accusing him of spreading “strange” Christian doctrine and of using voodoo to attract new members to Embassy of God church.

Whereas the truth is that the church has been experiencing phenomenal growth because it cultivates, as an evangelistic priority, the salvation of the jetsam and flotsam of the society, namely, the lowly, the alcoholics, drug addicts, prostitutes, mostly people on the fringe rather than the elite.

Many of these born-again are today members of the more than 25,000 congregation and playing prominent roles in Ukrainian public life. For instance, a judge in the country’s highest court and a one-

ne reason this conclu sion may be true is that the members of the Embassy of God church took active part in the demonstrations that ushered in the Orange Revolution between November 2004 and January 2005 during which President Viktor Yanukovych’s allegedly flawed election victory was resisted through protests and acts of civil disobedience. A re-run gave victory to his opponent, Viktor Yushchenko. But he won back the presidency in 2010, and it looks like his administration thinks it is payback time for anyone who played prominent role in the Orange Revolution.

This is not a far-fetched deduction if it is recalled that the former prime minster, Ms. Tymoshenko, already imprisoned in spite of global protests against the trumped-up charges against her, the unfair trial and unjust jailing.

Without doubt, the present Ukrainian regime still exhibits vestiges of the draconian communist mentality.

This is the more reason while the world, especially the Christendom, must rise up against these false allegations and the imminent unjust trial of Pastor Sunday. We cannot wait any longer. * Olanipekun, a former political editor of NAN, is President of ChristNoW Publishing House, Inc, Washington DC Email: soacom11@gmail.com

PAGE 26—SUNDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012

Country News

Nothing to show for our oil — Andoni, Opobo/Nkoro z’Why

we are holding economic summit’

There is an irony in the situation of Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro local government areas of Rivers State. They are endowed with oil which should translate into petrodollars. Yet there is little or no development there. In fact, the LGAs are not connected to the national grid, forcing them to power their communities with generators.

Leaders of the Rivers LGAs accused the oil companies operating in the area and the Federal Government of being behind the plight. To uplift the LGAs, however, the leaders are organising an economic summit. The Andoni LGA chairman, Orom Ntem Ereforokuma, and his Opobo/Nkoro LGA counterpart, Maclean Bethel Uranta, as well as the chairman of Andoni-Opobo/ Nkoro Economic Zone Development, Emiyarei Bertram Ikuru, speak on the situation in the LGAs and the summit.

FG, oil firms are our worst enemies –

LG, Orom Nte Ereforokuma Shell, Total and Chevron operate in your LGA, you have representatives in the National Assembly and the Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, is the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF).

Has the council utilised these opportunities for development, considering the fact that you have tagged the Federal Government and Shell as the worst enemies of Andoni LG? Andoni people are proud of and very happy with Governor Amaechi. Rivers State government is constructing Unity Road to Andoni LG, not the Federal Government.

To come to Andoni LG before now, you would have experienced a lot of difficulties, but we now drive on the new road.

By the grace of God, Unity Road will soon be completed.

Just like the Rivers governor has done for other local governments, Andoni people also have model primary and secondary schools, new health centres and other projects.

Last week, we had a meeting with Governor Amaechi and we discussed the Andoni electricity issue. For about four months, we have had issue with allocation, with low income coming to the local government. The (former) Minister of Power, Barth Nnaji, visited Governor Amaechi.

Rather than explaining what he could do for Rivers State, the minister was thanking Governor Amaechi for the good works he is doing.

The linkage to the national grid Andoni LG council is embarking upon, we prefer to be connected to the Rivers State government-owned gas turbine at Afam. It will help our C M Y K

Chairman of Andoni

Emiyarei Bertram Ikuru... we want to move zone forward people more than linking us up to the popular and normal Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) grid. Afam power plant linkage will ensure regular electricity supply.

The representative of Andoni-Opobo/Nkoro Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Dakuku Peterside, is doing well. I am very happy having him as our representative at this time. He has exposed the two local governments he is representing to the nation and other parts of the world.

The Federal Government and Shell are my LG’s worst enemies. There is no way Shell will be taking crude oil from Andoniland and the oil company’s officials know that there is no electricity supply in Andoni LG, without doing anything. They write their Global Memoranda of Understanding (GMoU) and do all

that they want, not minding what we want. We need electricity supply, road, water and other social amenities in the LG, but the oil companies are not bothered.

We have just won 86 oil wells from Akwa Ibom State and the 86 oil wells are located behind us (the secretariat of Andoni LG at Ngo). There is no impact of the 86 oil wells, won over eight months ago.

The oil wells are in addition to the ones that we have already.

The oil companies are not people-oriented. They want Andoni people to perish. They do not expect anybody to live on this land. They just want to do their businesses, make their money and go away, without developing the host communities and empowering the people. If their officials have human feeling and human kindness, they ought to

do the right things. I will not change, until they change.

SPDC, Total and Chevron that operate in Andoni LGA have GMoU with the people.

Why are you still expressing displeasure?

In the last six years, Shell has not paid one naira to Andoni, as a local government.

When I became chairman, I called them to a meeting and the reasons they gave were flimsy; your people are fighting; your people have different representations in our company. What is due to the local government should be paid.

How can oil companies sign GMoU with Andoni people, without putting into cognizance, the government that exists in the locality? It is not possible.

Shell would want to sign GMoU with Andoni people, without putting me on notice and they would use the hall at the council’s secretariat.

Have the oil company and its officials done the right things?

When I complained, they then wrote and invited me to come to the hall for a meeting with Andoni people. Is it not funny? We are supposed to be partners in progress.

They sit in their offices and write anything they want as GMoU. With the GMoU they had with Andoni people, how much have they expended in the LGA? Shell claimed to have spent N33 million for Andoni people. Our people are predominantly fishermen.

In the so-called GMoU, Shell planned to establish cassava farms in Andoni. Who is ready to plant cassava with Shell? Why not help our people in deep sea fishing or modern aquaculture? Why not diversify? Why not tell our people that there are easier ways to grow the fishes, without entering into deep sea?

What do you intend to showcase at the Andoni-Opobo/Nkoro Economic Zone Development Summit?

In Andoni LG, we have crude oil, diamond, gold, clay, iron and other natural resources. Investors should come.

They should partner with us.

Andoni LGA is very peaceful.

We are pleased with our representative in the House of Representatives, Hon. Dakuku Peterside. For the first time, he is selling us to the world. We are no longer perturbed about the Federal Government and oil companies. We are taking our destinies in our own hands. We are looking inwards. The summit will be an opportunity to tell the world about our potential in Andoni

LG.

We want more oil companies Chairman of Opobo/Nkoro LG, Maclean Bethel Uranta How prepared is your local government for the summit and what have you to offer?

We are prepared for the summit. The aim of the summit is to showcase our potentials, which most people do not know and to use the opportunity to call for investors. It is a good thing happening to the people of Opobo/Nkoro and Andoni LGAs. We have so many things to offer. We have crude oil and gas. Shell, Total and Chevron operate in the LGA. We are surrounded by rivers.

With the little we have done and with the help of the member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Dakuku Peterside, who represents AndoniOpobo/Nkoro Federal Constituency, a Chinese team visited us two weeks ago to see how our rivers can be used for cage fishing. Also about three weeks ago, in collaboration with an Israeli team, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi allocated a farm to Opobo/Nkoro LG for fish farming. The clearing of the land is being done at the site at Iwokiri, just behind us (Opobo, headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro LG).

What motivated you to be building three-star hotel in Opobo?

By the vision of this administration, knowing full well that we have natural endowments all around, we decided to look into tourism. One of the things that host tourists is hotel accommodation.

Investors coming into an area for the first time, before putting up their places to carry out their activities, they need decent accommodation.

In tourism, one of the best places you can use to accommodate everybody in the world is not personal houses, but hotels.

It will come a day, investors will be all over the LGA, and we decided to start the hotel project in Opobo, from the site of the former council secretariat, having built a new secretariat complex at the council’s headquarters.

How will you assess the oil companies operating in your LGA? The oil companies (Shell, Continues on page 27

SUNDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012, PAGE 27

Country News Continued from page 26 Total and Chevron) have not been treating us well. I am asking for more oil companies to come into Opobo/Nkoro LGA. One thing is sure, one day, they will pay us. If I have more companies operating in the LGA, it will also create more employment opportunities for our people and more payment to the LG council.

Right now, we are taking it up with companies that are operating in the LGA. When the oil companies came in, Opobo/Nkoro was not a local government. So, there was no opportunity for good negotiation. Today, any oil company that is coming to invest in the LGA must also speak with the LG council, for us to negotiate and plan properly, in order to empower our people. That is why I want more companies to come, because I have more products to give out.

What is the financial position of the LGA? We spent a minimum of N13 million monthly in sustaining the security operatives that we have in Opobo/Nkoro LGA. They always ask for special allowances, because of our peculiar terrain. One needs special security personnel that can operate on the sea, not land issue. Immediately you come to the LG, you are facing wide river. One way in, one way out. There is no road linking the LGA, for now. We all pass through the river using boats. When Governor Amaechi visited us in Opobo/ Nkoro LG in a town hall meeting, we presented the issues and he promised to assist us, but we are still trying to get assistance from the governor.

Opobo/Nkoro LGA is yet to be linked to the national grid.

The LG council supplies electricity to the people of the LGA through a new generator of 2,000 KVA, which Governor Amaechi gave us in 2009. In a night, at the Opobo headquarters, the generator consumes between 10 and 13 drums of diesel, depending on the number of persons in town, when they put on their appliances.

If the people are completely in darkness, communication will be difficult, as they will find it difficult to charge their mobile phones’ batteries. We run the generators as much as we can, mainly on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, except on other days, where we have special cases.

We need more assistance to develop Opobo/Nkoro LGA. Our shoreline is long and well endowed Chairman of Andoni-OpoC M Y K

‘No FG projects in oil communities’ bo/Nkoro Economic Zone Development, Engr. Emiyarei Bertram Ikuru What is the Andoni-Opobo/ Nkoro Economic Zone Development Summit all about?

The Andoni-Opobo/Nkoro Economic Zone Development Summit is a platform, in the series of things we want to do.

During the summit, we will bring people together to listen to the story of Andoni-Opobo/ Nkoro economic zone. We are taking development to the area, to complement what the government and other development agencies have done.

We are trying to build on existing structure. We want to tell the world our own story. We want to make the world know what we stand for and the issues confronting us.

Many people do not know where we are, partly because of the terrain around us, because people cannot drive to where we are. We want the world to know that we exist and we are in Rivers state, not in Akwa Ibom State or Cross River State.

There is no way we can actualise the economic potential, without development. We want to move the Andoni-Opobo/ Nkoro economic zone forward.

Presently, Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro remain the only local governments in Rivers State that are not fully accessible by road. We thank God for Unity Road. Right now, we can drive to Nkoro, Kalibiama, Asarama and others, but the two local governments’ headquarters are not accessible by

road. Ngo, the headquarters of Andoni LG; Ikuru, another major town in Andoni LG; Opobo, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro LG and the Atlantic shore cannot be reached by road.

What do you have in the Andoni-Opobo/Nkoro economic zone?

Our shoreline is long and well endowed. Whereas, if you look at the shorelines of Lagos, they are receding, because the Atlantic Ocean is eroding the shorelines. The things being eroded in Lagos and other places are being deposited in our area.

We have calm water and we also have Oyokoto fishing port, which some people describe as the largest in West Africa. The Oyokoto fishing

port is very large and direct to the Atlantic Ocean. You do not need to go far. Fishing trawlers, with a good cold room at Oyokoto and access road, the area will be transformed.

We also have oil and gas, with Shell, Total and Chevron operating in our area. From the work we did in the technical sub-committee, we have clay, elephants’ sanctuary and other natural endowments in a peaceful zone.

Why are there no Federal Government projects in the zone?

There are no Federal Government’s projects in Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro LGAs of Rivers State because people do not go there. People fear water a lot. That is why the summit wants to put the area on the map of Nigeria and on the world map, for people to know who we are, what we are and the handicap we are having. Because we have not taken time to develop a road map, there is no basis of engagement.

My husband desperate to get rid of me announced my obituary — Wife Stories by Adeola Adenuga & Oluwatobiloba Adeyemi A 33-year-old woman, Mrs Grace Adegboyega, told an Agege Grade A Customary Court that her husband, Mr Sunday Adegboyega, attempted to kill her by putting a fetish substance into her drink and started telling people she had passed on. The plaintiff added that she was shocked when her husband’s lover came home to sympathize with Sunday over the ‘demise of his wife.’ She said that when she asked about the woman who died, she bluntly responded that Sunday told her that his wife ( Grace ) died few days ago.

“Also while l was heavily pregnant, he poured kerosene into my food. I perceived the odour from the food l served my daughter and l went wild with him for trying to poison me.”

Grace said that shortly after the incident, the husband decided to stay away from home, claiming he was busy working in a factory, not knowing that he had impregnated another woman whom he was staying with.

She therefore urged the court to dissolve the marriage and grant her custody of the children as she didn`t want to die young.

The respondent denied the allegations. He told the court that he met his wife 15 years ago at Akoko in Ondo State and they moved to Lagos there after.

Sunday claimed that he was on night duty at the factory where he worked when his

wife packed out of their matrimonial home, adding that all efforts to bring her back proved abortive as Grace was adamant on divorce. He alleged that his wife had wanted to abort her first pregnancy, but changed her mind when he reported her to her

parents.

The husband pleaded that the court should not dissolve the marriage because he still loved the wife.Court president Emmaunel Shokunle adjourned the case till September 18, 2012 for further hearing.

Pregnancy without sex: My wife disappeared for months only to return with ‘mystery baby’ — Carpenter A

carpenter, Mr. Sanjo Ekeola, stunned an Agege Grade A Customary Court when he said he was not the biological father of their fourth child. Meanwhile the wife denied the allegation.

The 45-year-old man said he decided not to have sex with his wife, Taiwo, for over three months before she left home on November 25, 2011 and returned February 18, 2012.

“When she returned home, l noticed she was not feeling fine, and, when I confronted her, she confessed to me that she was pregnant”, Ekeola said.

The plaintiff added that he

knew quite well that the pregnancy was not his own, and advised her to go and look for the father of the child.

According to him, he was surprised when his wife called him on phone later to say she had put to bed and he should come and pick the placenta of the baby.

Ekeola therefore urged the court to dissolve the marriage and grant him custody of the three children except the fourth child.

Taiwo denied the allegation and informed the court that her husband encouraged her to abort the pregnancy, but she refused, adding that he also

suggested that she should move out because his elder sister must not know about the fourth pregnancy.

The mother of four said trouble started when her husband began reporting whatever happened between them to his elder sister, saying, since then, they lived like cat and mouse. She pleaded that the court should not dissolve the marriage as she insisted that Ekeola remained the biological father of the fourth child.

Meanwhile, the court president, Mr. Emmaunel Shokunle, adjourned the case till September 19, 2012 for further hearing.

28 —SUNDAY, Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012

Send-of or Send-offf dinner ffor WAMCO’s outgoing MD

B

With Ayo Onikoyi

08033286159

Colour ful w edding of FFaloughi’s aloughi’s daught er Colourful wedding daughter

ob Steetskamp, outgoing Managing Director of Friesland Campina Wamco Nigeria Plc and wife, Jolanda,were the cynosure of all eyes when the company organised a send-off dinner for the Steetskamps on Thursday. Top management staff led by Peter Eshikena, incoming Managing Director and members of the board of directors and some notable business partners of the company graced the event. Photos by Joe Akintola, Photo Editor

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t was a day of pomp and panache at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, Victoria Island when Ayegbatonye Doris Faloughi, daughter of notable business tycoon, Chief (Dr) Ephraim Fagha Faloughi Spiff II(OON), was joined in holy wedlock with Ugochukwu Onochie Ekezie, son of another business titan, Engineer (Dr) Obi Ralph Ekezie.

Reception followed at the Civic Centre,Victoria Island and it was a gathering of who’s who in the society. Photos by Bunmi Azeez

L-R: Mr Peter Eshikena, incoming MD and wife, Evelyn, with Mr Bob Steetskamp and wife, Jolanda.

From left:Chief [Dr] Ephraim Fagha Faloughi-Spiff II(OON), bride's father, Ugochukwu Onochie, groom, his wife, Ayegbatonye Doris, Mrs. Bisi Faloughi, bride's mother and Mrs. Adefemi Abeke Taire, OFR.

L-R: Mrs Ore Famorewa, Corporate and Communications Mgr. with Mr & Mrs Peter Eshikena.

Groom's parents; Dr. and Mrs Obi Ralph Ekezie

L-R: Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, former Bayelsa State Gov., Mrs. Muriel Graham Douglas and Chief Alabo Graham Douglas

L-R: Prof Olu Akinkugbe, former WAMCO Chairman,Mrs Nike Ajekigbe and husband, Jacob, Chairman of the company.

Revd. child’s L-R: Mrs. Frances Nwamaka Ikwechegh, Commodre Ebitu Ukiwe and wife.

From left: HRH. [Engr] Eze Onyenekwu, Chief Emmanuel Odokwu and Eng. Obi Ralph Ekezie.

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L-R:Mr. Tony Ekaidem, Mr. Obere Vincent and Mr. Reginald Ihejiahi, CEO, Fidelity Bank

Gen. Owoye Andrew Azazi and his wife

D

Chidi Anthony’s dedication

edication of the new born baby of the President and Senior Pastor of King in Christ International Ministries, Rev. Dr. Chidi Innocent Anthony, held at the church auditorium recently.

Rev. Dr. Chidi Innocent Anthony and wife flanked by notable comedians, Osuagwu and Mr. Ibu and others

SUNDAY, Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012 —29

With Ayo Onikoyi

08033286159

Andrew Azazi’s son’s engagement

T

he former National Security Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan, General Andrew Owoye Azazi and his family were full of joy when their son, Pelebe, and his bride, Solape Ajike, daughter of Chief Olukayode Olaleye, were joined in a traditional engagement at the Haven, G.R.A, Ikeja. The parents of the groom and bride spared no expense in making the day a glamourous one. Photos

by Diran Oshe

L- R: HRM & HRM Mrs Pelebo Banigo , the Okpo XX1 of Okpooma Kingdom

Parents of the bride and family members blessing the groom while friends (prostrating) as part of the rites for the engagement

Miss Solape Ajike, bride, flanked by Chief Olukayode Olaleye (left)and Mrs Mojisola Adunni Olaleye, her parents.

Mr. Pelede Azazi, groom, flanked by General Owoye Azazi and Mrs Patricia Azazi, his parents

L-R: Alhaja R. A. Oluwa, Mrs Magdalene Adekola , wife of former Chief Judge of Oyo State and Alhaja Amina Adeyinka, wife of former Chief Judge of Lagos State

L-R: Mr Ahmadu Muazu and Hon Reginald Donbraye

Fanfare as Ilabo es daught er in w edloc k Ilaboyya giv gives daughter wedloc edlock

I

t was a gathering of top names in sports in the country when veteran sports journalist, Frank Ilaboya,gave his daughter, Maureen, in marriage to Femi Bankole Allibay, at the Redeemed Christain Church of God, Jakande Estate, Isolo-Lagos. Photos by Sylva Eleanya.

Mr. & Mrs Frank Ilaboya, the bride's parents

The couple: Maureen and Femi Allibay C M Y K

L-R: Mrs Iwuala; Dr. Osy Ubani; husband, Tony and Mr. Harry Iwuala

L-R: Mr. & Mrs Allibay, the groom's parents

L-R:Mr. Ikeddy Isiguzo, Chairman, Vanguard Editorial Board, Mr. Paul Bassey and Dr. Amos Adamu

SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012 —29

NEWSPAPER BRAND MANAGEMENT: The Newswatch case study(1) W

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to the personality theory of the brand.

To note, however, brands are peculiar in nature. To the extent that brands are distinct along the lines of fundamental elements as captured above, all brands cannot also be treated as same. Therefore, relating with brands requires the carefulness of a trained mind. It is even as dangerous to treat all brands equally. So we have strategic mentions such as classification of

,

E once wrote on the topic MANAGING A NEWSPAPER BRAND, in consideration of the peculiarities of brands in relation to their differences in the basic characteristics by which they are classified.

Some practitioners have termed these peculiarities a collation of the constituent parts of a given set of brands' DNA. For the purpose of proper appreciation, let us spend some time to work out a passable understanding of DNA and how it relates with brand.

The dictionary describes DNA - deoxyribonucleic acid – as the hereditary material in humans and almost all other organisms. Another explanation says DNA is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions specifying the biological development of all cellular life.

Wikipedia says (DNA) deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid containing the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms.

DNA is one of the major macromolecules that are essential for all known forms of life.

Making the connection between the DNA concepts with a brand could be out of place, without the creative insight required for effective brand engineering. All sorts of terminologies have been thrown up by the YuppieBrand Managers in recent times. Some submit what is ordinarily referred to as strategic planning, as being B R A N D ARCHITECTURE…hmm! No bi small thing o, man pikin must chop.

However, linking brands' personality with the concept of DNA, to me, primarily helps the theory of the brand being a living thing – sharing similar traits, characteristics, attributes and emotions with us humans.

T h a t further explains the sensitivity with which practitioners relate with, and treat brands. Just like in MAN, if a brand is not properly and adequately cared for, it can/will die. By help of professional insight, brand managers pay special attention to the emotional, clinical, social and physical needs of brands in their care. So, when a practitioner tell you he is a brand architect, sees it as a modest re-presentation of his or herself as a clinical doctor who will not like to go all the way to equate brands with humans in the totality of that classification. He/she is only putting a stop, at some point,

proach.

From my professional standpoint, therefore, managing newspaper/magazine publication brand requires some level of professionalism and experience. In fact, I have considered managing a brand in the above mentioned brand world, much more demanding, compared to a snack-brand; because most managing executives and even publishers of newspaper brands and establishments do

Relating with brands requires the carefulness of a trained mind. It is even as dangerous to treat all brands equally

brands, brands DNA, brands in relation to (their) brand – world and their peculiarities.

Paying attention to these fundamentals is why a brand architect will not relate with or treat a brand from the pharmaceutical world same way he/she will, with a brand from the hospitality world.

These require different sets of considerations, for proper handling. The variables – controllable and otherwise – are quite different and requires a totally different ap-

,

not think they need brand managers for the success of their brands, same way other marketing-led brands/ products.

M o s t times, this mistake takes root from the publishers themselves. The prevalent mind-set is the thinking that since they gather and publish news for mass communication, public enlightenment and information, publish adverts and sometimes - including brands/products and some

market activities- run commentaries and opinion pieces on popular issues, etc., they are as good as brand managers (in fairness to them they stop at being equal to ADVERTISING AGENCIES).

Consequent upon such rather unhealthy professional assumption, they make mistakes in the consideration and handling of core and basic issues that should be treated and handled carefully, for their brand(s) to survive - APCON's WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY added to the confusion, but we shall leave that for a later date.

As in other brands, newspaper/magazine publication brands need to be clear on their core and peripheral value essence, their target market, a proper profiling of their target market – their traits, habits, peculiarities and expectations.

I can take a bet on the argument of whether most of the newspaper/news magazines in our local market today have a clear profile of their primary and secondary targets. Most of them do not even have a properly written positioning statement. If Nigeria Tobacco Company can identify the location of a particular batch of her cigarette product in the market, identify who uses her brand, versus competition, the average daily newspaper in this market must be clear about the profile of its reader. Now, the difference between the success rate of a properly managed brand and one taken for granted is its ability to survive

down-time because every brand must go through the full course of the product life cycle.

So, NEWSWATCH is dying… …A brand that carved a niche for itself as the leader in investigative news reporting; a brand that made news reading exciting, always innovative in its offer, a brand that distinguished itself in the efficiency with which it delivered on its promise – informing and educating the reading public.

NEWSWATCH took the market over and led even the daily newspapers in mass communication, public information, enlightenment and even entertainment.

We have so many threatened brands among the newspapers/magazines in the market today…because their owners do not know that, like every other brand, they need to be managed by a professional. Newspapers/ magazines –brand success depends 60 to 65% on the nonnewspapering aspect of their value essence.

The reason newspapers and magazines have survived the initial threat occasioned by the technological advancement in internet technology is strategic repositioning.

If NEWSWATCH were to be in the developed market or even as informed as its opposite type in those developed markets, the owners will not even share coffee with the present majority shareholders. The brand had built up an enviable equity that is strong enough to help it through periods of financial difficulties. We must permit the law of core competence and professionalism guide us in our endeavors, to avoid the mistakes NEWSWATCH made.

We at MC&A DIGEST will offer to take those managerexecutives of our newspapers/ magazines interested through the rudiments of brands management/marketing communications at a subsidized fee, to, among other benefits, help them identify the big gap between what they know and do, within the scope of their core competence as journalists and advert sales executive on the one hand, and advertising (not to mention integrated brands management plus the allimportant strategic planning imperatives) on the other, at a special forum.

Next week, we shall specifically analyze the issues that led NEWSWATCH on its downward path. Please, keep doing only that which you know best.

30 — Vanguard, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012

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Vanguard, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012 — 31

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PAGE 32 — SUNDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012

PROF. NNAJI’S RESIGNATION

Barth Nnaji

Probe him, Labour insists zIserved

declares

my country well, former minister

BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG

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ndications emerged at the weekend that more trouble may be in stock for Profes sor Barth Nnaji, the erstwhile Minister of Power, who left office in a dramatic way last Tuesday as the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, is mounting intense pressure for a thorough investigation of his tenure as the Minister of Power.

This came as organized labour in the Power sector, said it was not surprised the way the former Minister left of office, saying it had been vindicated.

It will be recalled that the NLC had earlier said it was pleased with Tuesday’s resignation of Nnaji, alleging that he compromised the office of the Minister of Power with his personal business interests, and being a stumbling block to industrial peace and harmony in the power sector.

NLC, in a statement by its Acting General Secretary, Comrade Chris Uyot, declared that “We are pleased with the forced exit of Prof. Bart Nnaji who until last night was a major problem to renewed effort aimed at reactivating the power sector having compromised the Office of the Honourable Minister of Power with his personal business interests, and being oblivious and a stumbling block to industrial peace and harmony in the industry.

Reports are already in the public domain on Prof. Nnaji’s record of (alleged) finan- cept meaningful dialogue in that were invited by Prof. cial recklessness, high hand- appreciation of the Condition Nnaji to intimidate workers under false presumptions.” edness and (alleged) diver- of Service of the workers.”

However, President of NLC, sion of major businesses Abdulwahhed meant for PHCN to his private Comrade imilarly, labour in the companies as well as compa- Omar, in Lagos, commended power sector, under the President Goodluck Jonathan nies he has vested interests. umbrella of the National Union “While we welcome his long for accepting the long overdue of Electricity Employees, “ resignation” of Nnaji who, awaited exit, we call on PresNUEE and the Senior Staff Asident Goodluck Jonathan to throughout his tenure as min- sociation of Electricity and Alimmediately institute a thor- ister, overtly displayed his lied Companies, SSAEAC, told ough investigation into his contempt for workers and did Sunday Vanguard that right tenure as minister in the Power not also hide his personal in- from when Prof Nnaji was apMinistry. We also call on Mr. terest in the industry.

Comrade Omar who was pointed Chairman of PresiPresident to create an atmorepresented

by Comrade Am- dential Task Force on Power, sphere of fairness and justice ina Danesi , an ex-officio of charged with developing and for speedy resolution of all th Biennial Dele- driving an action plan for the outstanding labour matters in NLC, at 8 gates Conference of the Met- attainment of steady power the process of disengaging supply in the country in July some PHCN employees, al Products Senior Staff Asso- 2010, labour raised the issue ciation of Nigeria, MEPROSwhich Prof. Nnaji stalled beof conflict of interest. fore his exit. The contentious SAN, said “These clearly show The unions argued that even issue of severance benefits is he was never qualified to when he was nominated for head that ministry in the first never an issue that cannot be ministerial position, they resolved through dialogue, instance as his personal busi- strongly opposed his appointbut Nnaji chose to heat up the ness interests in the sector ment as Minister especially system by blocking every definitely compromised his for Power on the ground that avenue for dialogue and invit- office. We urge Mr. President he would not be an impartial ed armed military personnel to immediately order an all minister because he is a playto intimidate workers under encompassing investigation er in the industry. into Prof. Nnaji’s tenure in the spurious pretenses.

General Secretary of NUEE, “We believe the ongoing di- ministry as well as speed up Comrade Joe Ajaero, who said resolution of all he did not want to talk about alogue between labour and the government will resolve these outstanding labour issues in Prof Nnaji’s resignation for issues as quickly as possible the industry, including the now, however, said we had if government is willing to ac- withdrawal of armed soldiers warned the government

While we welcome his long awaited exit, we call on President Goodluck Jonathan to immediately institute a thorough investigation into his tenure as minister in the Power Ministry

,

,

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against his appointment, but we were ignored. Today we are vindicated. We spoke of conflict of interest since 2010 and others, the government did not take us serious. But today, we are all living witnesses.”

It will be recalled that a day before the minister ’s resignation, the union issued a statement titled “Power Minister stinks “questioning his integrity and moral justification to remain as the Minister of Power.

Among other issues the union raised, it accused Nnaji of the appointment of “his kinsmen, classmates and others to key sensitive positions like Bulk Trader, Market Operator, CEOs and others. To buttress our position, we challenge Nnaji to respond to the issues as here understated.

N280million collected from PHCN allegedly for Nigeria Army; N200million collected from PHCN allegedly for Unknown Projects in the Power Ministry; N86m collected from PHCN allegedly for Bullet Proof Vehicle; N3million allegedly collected from PHCN and donated to Enugu State University of Technology (ESUT) and employment of 20 people in Enugu Zone of PHCN who are his kith and kins as staff two years after the closing date of casual employment and close of PHCN biometrics exercise.

All these were allegations waiting to be dealt with or proved by the unions before the resignation of Nnaji.

It added that “Until these issues are addressed the Union will continue to press for accountability and probity. We

insist that proper investigation must be conducted on PHCN before any form of privatization is carried out.”

The confrontation between Nnaji and organised labour in the nation’s electricity sector dates back to 2006 when the workers, under the umbrella of the National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, clashed with Professor Barth Nnarji over alleged unfair labour practices in Aba Power Ltd. He was accused of using outlawed Bakassi boys to harass and intimidate union officers.

Speaking on NUEE confrontation with the former Minister, Comrade Ajaero, s a i d “As Adviser to the President on Power, he had irreconcilable differences with the workers and earned the unenviable mark of recording the highest number of industrial crisis in the Power Sector which was never the case before his appointment”.

Since the build up to the privatization of the PHCN, the unions and the government have not been able to settle the issue of Gratuity, Pension and the Superannuation fund.

Before his appointment, the unions had made it clear that But in a strongly worded statement on behalf of Professor Nnaji after the resignation, the former minister made it clear that he had put in his best in the service of his country, insisting that posterity would judge if indeed, he served well or did not.

In fact, Nnaji made bold to explain that his resignation was a sacrifice meant to protect President Jonathan from elements seeking ways to ambush his presidency.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012, PAGE 33

The Rotary Club of Lagos, a forefront Club in Nigeria, was chartered in 1951, a few months after the first Rotary club- Rotary Club of Kano, was launched in Nigeria. Until 2005 when The Hon (Mrs) Hairat Balogun, a Life-Bencher, a former Attorney-General of Lagos State, one of Nigeria’s foremost female lawyers and a thorough-bred who never fails to leave her footprints on the sand of time, was invited to join, this Club had been an all-male membership. She made such an impressive impact there that she will be installed on Friday, September 7th, 2012, as the 52nd President, and first female President of that illustrious Rotary Club.

Vista Woman had a chat with her at her office recently, on what she's going to do during her tenure, 2012-2013, and also got her views on some other things.

Excerpts:

BY JOSEPHINE IGBINOVIA

Hairat Balogun

H

OW do you make out time for selfless service when you’re known to be a very busy professional?

I’m glad you used the exact expressionselfless service. We also say ‘service above self ’ in Rotary. If you’re interested in something, you will find the time. It’s like human beings too. We all have large and extended families, but we find time for them all; greet them, remember their birthdays, attend their celebrations, etc. because we are interested. Rotary’s service is serving humanity and the lessprivileged people, and the results are enough to make one happy to do more.

How come you got elected as President barely seven years after your induction?

The club has different avenues of service.

There is the club administration, membership committee, and several others where one could serve. You don’t just go to meetings and sit down! You make sure you’re active, you fellowship, you assist voluntarily and you’re friendly.

Depending on how well you perform, you might get elected to a post, and that’s how you rise. The first capacity where I acted was club administration. In recent times, I’ve served as Vice President and President-elect.

What other ways have you contributed to the growth of the club?

Actually, I always like to be actively involved in all our club projects. Also, apart from paying your annual subscription as a Rotarian, you also contribute to the Rotary Foundation. You can either contribute so much periodically or contribute a thousand dollars at once. Contributing a thousand dollars at once makes you a Paul Harris Fellow, and that money is used to carryout projects in various countries. All Rotary clubs, including our club, are able to access the funds at the Rotary Foundation. That is, we can apply for financial assistance from the foundation, to execute large projects. I’m a 3-times Paul Harris Fellow, and I’ve also made one of my grandchildren a Paul Harris Fellow as well.

It’s a tradition in Rotary for Presidents to line-up activities for their term-inoffice. What are your plans?

Every year, Rotary International designs a theme which the various clubs try to work with. This year, the theme is ‘Peace through Service’, and we’re therefore carrying out projects that capture that. We’ll be working in the area of conflict resolution by targeting different areas like market places and families prone to conflict. We shall also engage in promoting maternal and child health. On the day of my investiture, we

We should begin peace talk from grassroots—Rotn Hairat Balogun will be having a well known lady professor, Professor Ibironke Akinsete, to speak on maternal and child health. We will thereafter work with the Lagos Island Maternity and also give them certain equipment to upgrade their structures.

We will also go to the Massey Street Children's Hospital, and then to Onikan Health Centre. We also plan to provide water in schools and communities around us. Also, we will engage in basic education and literacy by going to schools. Last year, we provided libraries for some schools, and this year, we will concentrate on donating books. We’ve had a micro-credit scheme at Sandgrouse Market where we give out interest-free loans to men and women. We shall continue with this project, along with other continuous projects that we’ve always had, including our annual Children’s Xmas Party at Campus Square, Lagos.

Will you tackle this theme in relation to the present crisis in Nigeria?

That’s why we’re working with communities because it is communities that beget countries. When there is no peace in homes in communities, it will permeate upwards. If we replicate such

If you find that there is discrimination somewhere, you fight it to the letter by getting a good human rights lawyer! It may cost you some things, but you have to fight for your right! all over the world, we will have world peace. We importantly have to start preaching peace from the grassroots; not from the top. If somebody is hungry, he or she cannot understand peace, so, we must take care of such things if we want lasting peace.

As a law veteran, do you agree that the 1999 Constitution needs to be amended to be more genderfriendly?

Already, the Constitution is against gender discrimination. It has stated that there shall be no discrimination on account of race, sex or birth. That’s why we can no longer condemn illegitimate children- it’s against the

law and one can be sued for such. They have their full rights like children born within marriage. The Constitution cannot do more than provide. It is now left for women to ensure that others follow what the law says! It’s not something one gets on a platter of gold.

If you find that there is discrimination somewhere, you fight it to the letter by getting a good human rights lawyer! It may cost you some things, but you have to fight for your right! The Constitution cannot move because it is not a person, but like I said, it can only provide. It is now left for you as a person to enforce what has been provided.

C M Y K

PAGE 34— SUNDAY

VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012

Idiroko: One border, many exits

BY UDEME CLEMENT

T

C M Y K

Nigeria Customs Service, Ogun Command, Idiroko

People in the market.

now are very strict. Even if you escape from the border, they will arrest you at the check point on the road, seize your goods and you can end up in jail. I know one person from Ipokia community sent to prison by Customs. Most Customs officers who used to be friendly with us are no longer in this area and that is another problem. Before, the people in Owode area were known for crossing of cars but now the business is dull because of Customs”.

S

unday Business, during the tour across Benin and Nigerian border, observed that the border points are not clearly defined, making it difficult to distinguish between Nigerian border and Benin.

Beside, some houses are half way into Nigeria and half way into Benin . Some people who smuggle contra-band items into the country through the border even believe that they are trading, since they had engaged in smuggling for

,

HE first point of attraction at the borderline within Nigeria and Benin Republic , popularly called Idiroko, is the movement of border traders from one direction to another.

Like any other border ambience, numerous economic activities synonymous with border points are also common at Idiroko. While some traders use the services of locally made tricycles with open roof as means of conveyance, others move on foot transacting different businesses. Officers of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and Immigration are on both sides of the border to check people passing through the place in order to curb illegal trades.

The difference between Idiroko and other borders across Nigeria is its porous nature. The border has many entry and exit points, even as the people are extremely volatile, thereby making it difficult to police the border.

The community dwellers within the border points see smuggling as an enterprising business and are finding it difficult to refrain from illegal trades, which constitute serious economic sabotage to the country.

A local trader at the border, who gave his name as Mr. Kola Yusuf, in a chat with Sunday Business, attributed the attitude of the people to years of association with the border community. He said, “Border trade is lucrative and it is the major business we have been doing for years, because we do not have industries here. “ Also, Mr. Ade, surname withheld, 29 years, was seen at the petrol station of Conoil within the border with 10 litres jerry-can purchasing fuel repeatedly from the service outlet. His activity underscores the thriving smuggling of petrol across the border. He said, “I am into fuel business and I have never been suspected by Customs because I use a small jerry-can to buy the product as if it is for my own use. At times, I buy from different filling stations within the area to avoid suspicion by the station managers. I prefer going six to seven times with a small container, than buying twice with a big jerry-can and be caught by security officials at the border.”

He went on, “I stopped the business of second-hand clothes and shoes since February 2011, because the new Customs people in Ogun

Tactical measures have been put in place to secure our border from criminals who would attempt to use our borders to smuggle arms and ammunition and other unwholesome goods

decades without thinking of the havoc it does to the nation’s economy through importation of substandard goods, fake drugs and unhealthy food items like chicken and turkey.

A

nother lucrative business at the border is carrying people with motor cycles commonly known as (Okada) across the border for a fee of between N500 and N1,000 depending on the bargain.

The okada riders are many and operate beside a big motor park where passengers coming

,

from Nigeria usually stay. An Immigration Officer, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, said, “We operate with our intelligence network because the people mix together freely and trade with one another. Beyond that, most people from Benin you see at the border here speak Yoruba fluently, making it difficult sometimes to identify who is who. But we have a way of knowing them”.

Trading in jewellery is another business that security agents at the border are yet to uncover. Sunday Business

gathered that many individuals involved in this line of business are women. They purchase the items and conceal them in their hand bags to escape security checks. “You can buy jewellery of N100, 000 into your hand bag and enter Nigeria to sell without any hindrance. No security agent will stop you to search your hand bag because the items are smaller in size.

So they will think you are just carrying a normal hand bag”, said Madam Nsini Unoh, doing jewellery business beside a bureau-de-change in Benin/Nigeria border.

The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of Idiroko Customs Command, Chike Ngige, while giving insight into the efforts of his men to curb smuggling at the border, said, “The antismuggling campaign of the Command has been in its intensity and we are winning.

On daily basis, we have been recording seizures of Tokunbo vehicles, frozen products, rice, used-clothes among other unwholesome imported goods.

Although we have porous border points dotted along Nigerian border with Republic of Benin , we have been doing our best to curtail smuggling.

Our anti-smuggling efforts have been yielding huge results both in terms of huge numbers of seizures and the multiplier effects on improved revenue generation.

“Presently, we are recording huge revenue from imported vehicles which, hitherto, were smuggled without import duty.

In a month, about 1.900 vehicles are presented for duty payment as against 80 and 300 vehicles recorded in 2010 and 2011 respectively. Since the inception of this present Customs administration in Ogun Command, many tactical measures have been put in place to secure our border from criminals who would attempt to use our borders to smuggle arms and ammunition and other unwholesome goods but found Ogun border, highly policed by customs officers impenetrable.

A

ll our imports in trucks and trailers go through scanning and 100 per cent physical examination when necessary before they are released from Customs control.

By this act, smuggling of arms through this medium are checked. In the course of performing these functions many officers are attacked by smugglers or hoodlums paid by the Continues on page 35

SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012, PAGE 35

With the right framework, Nigeria can create enormous wealth—Ex-minister Ihenacho As unemployment continues to escalate and economic power of Nigerians reduces on daily basis, former Minister of Interior, Capt.

Emmanuel Ihenacho, notes, in this interview, that we need an appropriate frame work for creation of jobs. He also bares his mind on the necessity to go back to regions instead of creation of more states.

Excerpts: NE of the most delicate issues in Nigeria today is that millions of our youths are unemployment. Does it mean we don’t have opportunities in this country?

There is a lot of opportunities in Nigeria. Really, Nigeria is a very fortunate country in the sense that God created this country and put so much wealth in its territory and left it to the capacity of the people to be able to transform the opportunities into a better life for the people, through their ability to create jobs. In other words, we are left to determine what to do with the opportunities that are available to us. The primary thing which he put in our territory is oil.

We can sell oil to generate revenue which can be used to develop a manufacturing base to produce things that other people need; we can then sell these things, this shows that we have the capacity to produce jobs, have a good economy and ensure prosperity for our people.

It is true that oil is there but we still need to diversify our economy. If you look at some of the countries in South-East Asia: Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, etc, most of these industrialized countries don’t have oil but they are able to make progress, through the ingenuity that their people had shown in converting opportunities into jobs.

Take the Philippines for instance, they trained their people in sea faring, so they can go and work in foreign sea faring vessels. And they get 5-6 billion dollars revenue from this on annual basis. The Koreans have been able to develop their technological capacity to manufacture all kinds of things. They manufacture cars, ships, air craft, and all kinds of things which they export today. They didn’t have the extra ordinary opportunities that we have, in having raw materials which we sell to generate initial capital.

So we have not utilized our potentials?

The most important thing is really to be focused in terms of where you want to go and what you want to achieve. You can’t just be existing without a vision. And for us here, we want to add value into

O

C M Y K

Emmanuel Ihenacho everything that we do, be it in terms of trading petroleum products, we want to add value to that trade through our interventions. If you are trading in terms of shipping services, we want to add value to the user of the service at the end of the day. But underneath that is the fact that we have to work hard with time and be mindful of the fact that things will work out if we create value and have an opportunity to create more wealth in the economy, create job opportunities, profit maximization and bettering the lives of our people.

So you have to be focused, hardworking and all the things that you do have to be underpinned by commitment to integrity in the dealings that you have with your various publics.

So it is left to us to know that oil is there for the time being, but that oil is not going to be there forever. We should, therefore, exploit the availability of oil to generate

Continued from page 34

smugglers. Over the years, we have lost a good number of officers in the line of duty, but we are not relenting. “ We have been meeting and dialoguing with traditional rulers who are the grass-root chief security officers of the borderline communities to call their subjects involved in smuggling to order, and they have promised to cooperate in this regard. Recently, we held two town hall meetings, where all stakeholders involved in cross-border trades freely expressed their views .Traditional rulers, youth leaders and other government agencies were in the meetings.

We held several similar meetings with traditional rulers separately.

The Customs High Command has been doing its best in providing needful logistics for the Command’s operations. Quite recently, over 30 Hilux jeeps were given to the Command for its operations and a good number of AK 47 rifles. The operational tools have boosted the morale, confidence and innate tendencies of the officers to do better for the service. Since mid May 2012, when special focus

revenue and invest the revenue in the development of a manufacturing culture. We will by this develop the ability to export the goods that are manufactured and all of these will fall back in terms of jobs that we would get for our people. So oil will not be there forever, we must do the best we can to diversify our economy.

So assuming for a moment that we are able to get the oil

,

BY DOTUN IBIWOYE

instance, ship requires to be on regular basis, that creates a demand for the industry. Ships require steel for building or repairing them, that creates a demand for steel making. Ship requires oil to power the engines, that creates a demand for power industry to be established. Ship requires skilled people to work on its machineries, this also creates room for an industry for

We do not have the correct policy framework to utilize all these potentials, and this is an area I think we should be looking at

to the market, and we sold it at so much money, what do you do with the money? You can’t bring the money back for us to eat it. You have to spend it to buy something; you still use ship to bring them down.

So whichever way you look at it, shipping is very important to the smooth running of the country, as an economy both in terms for the market that you hope to provide for and also in creating opportunities to employ our people in producing these services.

Apart from the direct opportunities that come from shipping, there are more benefits that are attached to shipping practices; for

,

training people with special skill for running ships.

So how do we get it right?

We do not have the correct policy framework to utilize all these potentials, and this is an area I think we should be looking at, at this particular time; we need to create an effective policy framework to be able to maximize the benefits. There are a lot of things we can do. First, you really have to take stock of where you are, what you want to achieve. When you are growing as a young man, and you have no money on you, insecurity drives you to work very hard and make a lot of money. But if you are

successful at that, you will get to a point when if you are really a rational person, you must say to yourself; how much money do I need to be comfortable? Once you have achieved enough to be comfortable, what you then need to do is to maintain that level of comfort ability; after that, you begin to look for what you can do to give back to the society and that is the function of your life experiences, where you have been, what you have done, what you have achieved and how you can transfer the knowledge to the young ones and other peoples who are struggling to be mentored.

Because if you let somebody out and say ‘just go out and you will become a leader tomorrow’, you know that he needs to see something that he can focus on for support, see how a man can move into the society, see how he is dealing with his every day problem that he will want to be like him. So these are some of the things that we can do- mentor people, mentor ambitious young men to ensure that they develop correctly and to ensure that they develop in such a way that they will be able to give back something tangible to the society.

The Senate recently received 56 requests for the creation of more states in the federation. Do you feel this will improve the socioeconomic status of Nigerians?

I think it is absurd and ridiculous, and, really, I have never thought for once that we need more states. As a matter of fact, I do think that we should be moving in the opposite direction. We should be moving back toward the regions that we had in the past. If we have an arrangement where there are six states in the in the federation, there will be a massive reduction in the overheads that are currently paid by the Federal Government.

Idiroko: One border, many exits was given to interception of frozen poultry products smuggling, over 3600 cartons of the products valued at over N17million had been seized and destroyed by burning.

“Recently our officers were attacked with guns, cutlasses and charms. One happened at Ilashe along Idiroko/Atan road, where a group of smugglers attacked our officers with dangerous weapons in an attempt to retrieve seizures.

They were overpowered and one of them was arrested with sword and charms. The suspect by name Mr. Sunday Adisa has been charged to court already. We impounded a commercial bus brought in across the border but painted in Lagos colour to escape security checks. We intercepted another vehicle smuggled into the country with the banner of Odua People Congress (OPC) with an inscription, OPC Squad Yewa, Chief Apena Agbaye of Ijebu Ode. We impounded smuggled vehicles that were mixed up in the entourage of the governor to escape arrest. We had seizures of second-hand clothes used to conceal Indian Hemp.

“In a bid to escape with contra-band items about three months ago, some smugglers operating within Ajilete community attacked our

officers, burnt one of the patrol vehicles and destroyed Ajilete Customs check-point along Idiroko road, Yewa South Local Government Area, Ogun State

A locally made tricycle used in border trade by a Republic of Benin trader.

People in the market

PAGE 36— SUNDAY

VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012

‘N5,000 note does not add value to the economy’ The plan by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to introduce 5,000 naira note into circulation by first quarter of 2013 and to redesign the existing N50, N100, N200, N500 and N1000 notes with new security features, while N20, N10 and N5 notes would be changed to coins has sparked controversy in the country. The governor of CBN, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, explained that the policy initiative formed part of the currency restructuring exercise by the apex bank, adding that the front side of the new currency will be adorned with the pictures of the late Margaret Ekpo, Funmilayo Kuti and Hajiya Gambo Sawaba, while the back side would have the National Assembly structure on it. While some financial analysts say the policy may contradict the cashless regime already on-going, others frown at the CBN’s plan to spend N40.3 billion for the printing of the N5,000 note, when the country is facing perennial security crisis, abject poverty and unemployment.

Some entrepreneurs say the action is clear monetary policy failure on the part of the CBN, which is capable of triggering inflation and at the same time devaluing the naira. Mr. Etim Udoh, a legal practitioner and the national co-ordinator, Centre for Societal Values and Development, speaks on the legal right by the apex bank to introduce a new currency, the swift intervention by the National Assembly to put the policy on hold and the longrun impact on the economy.

The plan by the CBN to introduce the N5,000 note, to some experts, constitutes illegality in the system. Do you share this opinion?

I

do not share this opinion.

To start with, CBN is the monetary authority and has the autonomy to formulate monetary policies and ensures implementation to enhance economic growth and development. As such, the introduction of the N5,000 note by the apex bank is legal, because the CBN is the regulatory authority in the financial sector and has the capability to determine the quality of currency as well as the volume of money to be circulated in the country in the overall interest of our economy.

However, the problem now is with the value of the currency and the present economic realities on ground. From all indications, the present economic situation does not

give rise to the introduction of a new currency like N5,000, especially with the CBN’s current policy on cashless economy. The cash-lite monetary policy already in the implementation stage places restriction on cash withdrawals limit as well as the volume of money to be carried about. Therefore, it would be worthless to introduce a higher currency like N5,000, because it may not serve any useful purpose.

For instance, people are already trying to key into the cashless policy, which commenced on January 1, 2012, in Lagos and is expected to be implemented in other regions across the country. So, introducing a higher currency may significantly undermine the cashless policy and the socio-economic development of Nigeria .

W

e could recall that in 2005 fiscal year, the former governor of CBN, Mr. Charles Soludo, embarked on currency restructuring, which paved the way for the introduction of N20 polymer banknote and subsequent conversion of N5, N10 and N50 paper banknotes into polymer notes in 2009. What value did that policy add to the economy? This is the question we must ask now. For instance, the inflation rate currently stands at 12.8 and the CBN is trying to introduce a higher currency that could worsen the inflationary situation in the economy.

Don’t you think the N5,000 bank note must have been in the pipeline for some time now? This is because international best practices encourage the monetary authorities to review their nations’ currencies at intervals of between five and eight years to address the challenges identified in circulating banknotes and coins.

Initiating an important economic policy also requires adequate monitoring of the economic indicators to ascertain the appropriate time to introduce new policies, particularly in the financial sector. For example, if Sanusi had intended to introduce the N5,000 note, the cashless policy should have been put on hold. Putting the economy on cashless trend and coming back to introduce higher currency seems as if the intention is to make personal profit from the project, especially considering the huge amount of N40.3bilion needed to implement it. You can see the massive rejection of the policy even before the intervention by Senate.

Mr. Etim Udoh

,

BY UDEME CLEMENT

radical. This should have been his vision on assumption of office. Formulating such monetary policy at the time the nation is facing security crisis and alarming rate of poverty may not make any impact. For example, Nigeria has a population of 168million, which is expected to hit 400million between 2020 and 2015. Currently, the economy is growing at about almost eight per cent without employment generation. The national level of poverty rate in the country is above 60 per cent. So, everyone is concerned about investments in infrastructure and creation of jobs to make the economy thrive like what obtains in developed countries and not in currency project that requires

The inflation rate currently stands at 12.8 and the CBN is trying to introduce a higher currency that could worsen the inflationary situation in the economy

Also converting 20, 10 and 5 naira notes to coins does not make any economic sense and may not serve any useful purpose in terms of reducing the prices of goods and services in the economy, or increasing the wages of workers. Instead, it may trigger inflation and at the same time devalue the naira.

For example, efforts made in the past to give recognition and value to our coins did not yield positive results. So, the decision to introduce it now can not be seen as being

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a huge sum of N40.3 billion, which at the end of it may not add value to the economy.

W

hat is your opinion on the intervention by National Assembly notwithstanding the fact that CBN has autonomy?

The prompt intervention by the National Assembly putting the policy on hold shows it is the highest law making body, which, through amendment or resolution within the House, could regulate any section of the society, even on economic

issues to promote national development. The Senate needs not wait for the economy to collapse or allow wrongly introduced policies to bring hardship on the citizenry by waiting to undergo due process of amendment before intervention. The Senate has inherent power, which could be applied in any situation that requires urgency in the country. I want to commend the prompt intervention by the Senate in this regard and I am advising the CBN governor to initiate monetary polices capable of adding value to the naira, to tackle inflation, create jobs and strengthen the banks to make the economy function optimally within the short and long-run expectations.

Some analysts are saying that job creation is the primary responsibility of the Federal Government and not the duty of CBN. We are aware of the fact that employment generation is the duty of Federal Government while the CBN focuses on monetary policy formulation and regulation of the financial sector. But the reality is that the CBN could initiate policies that would pave the way for job creation and poverty alleviation by strengthening the commercial banks to support development of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). This requires also that the apex bank should be in the forefront of building a synergy between the financial and real sector of the economy in order to enhance easy accessibility to capital for operators of SMEs in the country. The initiative should be to ensure that the operators of SMEs have access to low cost funds to boost their operations and for start-ups to enhance expansion of smaller units of businesses across the country. This would bring about long-term benefit of boosting domestic production capacity for local manufacturers, such that they are able to carry out operations with reduced cost.

VOXPOP: Is the CBN right on the 5,000 naira note?

BY HAMZAT OLUWASAYO, MAMILOR ANN, UDEH SANDRA

Nosiru M Tosin: I think it is a deliberate act by the government to ease money laundering. It would have no positive effect on the growth and development of the Nigerian economy. In a country where the masses have no say, we have to watch them do whatever they want.

Adeniji Fisayo: The idea is unnecessary because it is not even in line with the cashless policy they intend to achieve.

It would only lead to inflation in this country. Also, this is a waste of resources. When it is done, currencies as 100,200 Naira and below would lose value.

Ogunsola Olajide: It should not be approved because it is of no importance to this economy. It would only increase corruption in Nigeria.

I believe it is just a plot to destabilize the economy.

Mr Udoka Illasi: I am definitely against it. I dont really know what the government or the president of CBN think they are doing. It

is absurd, having a new currency shouldn’t really be what they should be talking about right now and also having more currency would decrease the already low value of our currency. I am totally against it.

also going to cause inflation; so I am 100% against it.

Miss Alero Okorodus: You know I really thought that the CBN is going for a cashless policy, so why are they still introducing new notes. Isn’t it a contradiction of their policy?

Besides, don’t they know that too much currency in the economy can also lead to increase in the prices of goods in the country (inflation)?

Miss Faisat Sumonu: I don’t agree with the decision of the president of the CBN to introduce 5,000 naira note. It really isn’t what is needed to increase the growth in the country and it really shouldnt be our priority right now. This country really needs to get its priorities right. I am aware that the 5,000 naira note would help reduce the huge quantity of money people carry around but it would also make it easier for politicians to move the money they steal from us. It is C M Y K

SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012, PAGE 37

Abuja Quran thief in court!

Charged also with stealing N.8m

BY CALEB AYANSINA & AMINAT AMUDA

A

32-year-old man is in trouble after allegedly stealing the holy book, Quran.

The Quran is only one of the items allegedly stolen by Hassan Adams, identified as a businessman. He is also accused of the theft of N835,000 cash.

A resident of Kabusa village, Garki, Abuja, Adams, according to the police, broke into the room of one Salamat of Galadimawa village, Abuja and stole the Quran, the cash and other items.

The suspect is facing trial for the alleged crimes.

Arraigning him on one court charge of theft contrary to section 287 of the penal code, police prosecutor Anigbo Paul told an Abuja Magistrate Court that the accused dishonestly entered the complainant room and went away with all her belongings valued at N1,835,000.

Items allegedly stolen by the accused include Standard foam, Tiger generator, rug carpet, standing fan, wall clock, Al-Quran, stabilizer, two bed sheets and pillow cases, Restpoint fridge, a set of home theatre, gas cooker, a set of towels, Nokia C3, electric pressing iron and six

plastic chairs.

Anigbo also alleged that some documents and N835, 000 were stolen by the accused.

“During investigation, Standard foam, Tiger generator, Rug carpet, standing fan, Wall clock, Al-Quran, 21 inches LG television, stabilizer, two bed sheets and two pillow case, were found in his possession and was unable to give satisfactory answer”, the prosecutor said.

The accused person pleaded not guilty and was admitted into bail by the court in the sum of N500,000 and one surety in like sum who must be a civil servant of any grade level and resident within the court’s jurisdiction. The case was adjourned to September 24 for hearing.

2 farmers caught attempting to sell minor A

n Abuja Magistrate Court is trying two farmers brought before it by the police for attempting to sell a minor, Blessing Jacolia.

Joseph Danjuma, 43, and Victor Habu, 35, both farmers from Wasa Village, Sanga Local Government Area of Kaduna State, were arraigned at the court for allegedly committing the offence contrary to sections 278 and 96 of the Penal Code and punishable under section 97 sub section 2.

The two accused persons were alleged to have received the N100, 000 from

President Goodluck Jonathan

Arc. Mike Onolememen

New vista transformation parameter in works sector

By Favour Nnabugwu

T

he Federal Ministry of Works, in collaboration with the Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation, has opened a new vista transformation parameter in works sector.

Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen, who declared a workshop opened in Abuja, stated that the occasion afforded the Federal Government the chance to appreciate surveying and mapping products which are produced on a referenced datum, either topocentrically or geocentrically.

He added that the goal of President Jonathan’s transformation agenda is to make Nigeria one of the top twenty economies in the world by the C M Y K

year 2020, thus imploring the participants to be mindful of this and come up with an acceptable set of transformation parameters to guide the profession in the country.

Onolememen stated that he was aware that a lot of surveying and mapping activities around the country were being carried out on various local origin, which is neither Minna datum (Clark 1880) nor World Geodetic System 84 datum.

The Minister expected that the overall outcome would be the harmonization of old and new maps in one seamless whole, facilitating the desired physical development and the transformation of the country.

He believed that the workshop will also translate into produc-

tion of more accurate and current maps, maps substitutes and other geo-information products, adding that the WGS 84 which is a world geocentric referenced datum and which is a global best fit datum would be more desirable for Nigeria.

The Minister of State for Works, Amb. Bashir Yuguda, who also graced the occasion, said the focus of the workshop connoted academic exercise which will adopt a suitable set of transformation parameters that will not only provide opportunity to merge maps and other geo-information products produced on different platforms but will also translate into production of accurate maps and other Geo-information for the nation’s national development.

Yuguda, who believed that maps are a sine qua non to physical development, noted that it will assist in the provision of functional and sustainable infrastructure, affordable housing, land management, population census and delimitation of electoral wards and national planning would remain impossible without accurate, current and seamless maps. Earlier, in his remarks, the Surveyor General of the Federation, Professor Peter C. Nwilo, stated that the relationship between Global and Local Datum is normally established by transformation parameters which are a set of values that enable one to convert from one datum to another and vice versa.

one Mr. Musa Ali Bwala being the payment for the girl.

Habu was alleged to be the one that provided the telephone number of the buyer, Bwala, to Joseph who eventually made the contact for the transaction, which took place in Giwa Hotel Jikwoyi Abuja, in July.

The charge sheet read: “That you, Joseph Danjuma, on July 18, 2012 at Giwa Hotel, Jikwoyi Abuja, attempted to commit an offence of selling a minor for unlawful purpose and in such attempt did a certain act towards the commission of the said offence, by receiving the sum of N100,000 from Mr Musa Ali Bwala for the purpose of selling one Blessing Jacolia to him.

“That you Joseph Danjuma and Victor Habu conspired among yourself to sell a minor, Blessing Jacolia. That you Victor Habu provided Joseph Danjuma with a telephone number with which to reach a buyer and you contacted one Mr Musa Ali Bwala for the unlawful act”.

The accused persons pleaded not guilty to the offence, while the prosecutor sought for short adjournment to open the case.

Magistrate Emmanuel Iyana granted bail to the two accused persons in the sum of N100, 000 with two sureties each. The sureties, according to the ruling, must reside within the jurisdiction of the court.

The matter was adjourned to October 9 for hearing.

PAGE 38—SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012

OF 730 APPLICANTS FOR SWF JOB

Orji’sChoice,VastFund Management Experience To ImpactPositively

Greening of Abuja satellite towns Stories by Favour Nnabugwu

T

he Satellite Towns De velopment Agency (STDA) and the Ministerial Committee on Clean and Green Greater Abuja Initiative have concluded plans to engage the services of 300 youths and women across the six Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for the cleaning and greening of the satellite towns.

Minister of State for FCT, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide, made this know in Abuja during the inauguration of a Ministerial Committee on Clean and Green Greater Abuja Initiative.

Akinjide, who mandated the committee to build effective and sustainable enforcement strategies in the cleaning and greening of the satellite towns, directed the committee members to recommend appropriate and sustainable waste management strategies for the satellite towns.

“The FCTA is going to assist the six Area Councils in the area of capacity and funding to clean-up the satellite towns. The Administration

Minister of State for FCT, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide, will help out in cleaning up the satellite towns and regional road corridors, while the Area Councils are expected to clean up the villages, including the minor settlements,” she disclosed.

On the engagement of the 300 youths and women, Akinjide assured that their employment would be transparent.

“The Ministerial Committee will work out the details

on the engagement of the engaging 50 youths and women in each of the six area councils. Let me however state here that the engagement of the youths and women won’t be based on party lines. We want people that are ready to work,” she stated.

The minister ordered the ministerial committee to embark on aggressive tree planting exercise and vegetation control to achieve the greening of the satellite towns.

She listed the other terms of reference of the committee to include: to ensure public awareness through effective publicity and sensitization campaign to foster the culture of cleanliness amongst residents; to design and identify locations for public convenience at strategic locations in the Satellite Towns; and to achieve the clean-up of the Satellite Towns and highways within the FCT. The ministerial committee is chaired by the Director of the Satellite Towns Development Agency, Engr. Tukur Ibrahim Bakori, while the Head of Environment, STDA, Mr. Olusegun Olusa, will serve as secretary.

N1.78b SURE-P Allocations for FCT Area Councils T

he Federal Capital Ter ritory Administration (FCTA) shared N1.786 billion among its six Area Councils as part of its share of the Federation Account Allocation and the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P).

The Councils are to also share $1,597,048.73 from the Excess Crude Proceed Account.

The Minister of State for FCT, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide, confirmed this during the Committee’s meeting in Abuja attended by the chairmen of the Area Councils – Abaji, Abuja Municipal, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Kwali.

Akinjide disclosed that N1.576 billion revenue allocation was received from FAAC for the month of July 2012 for the FCT Area Councils while N170.32 million was received from the Federal C M Y K

Ministry of Finance as the Area Councils’ share of the SURE-P programme for the period May, June and July 2012.

The six area councils of the FCT also shared N39.904 million being 10 per cent of the FCTA’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) for August 2012 bringing the total revenue allocation to N1.616 billion.

Of the N1.616 billion revenue allocation, the FCTA disbursed N817.41 million to the FCT Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB) for primary school teachers in the six area councils; N95.04 million to FCT Area Councils Pension Board (ACPB) being 15 per cent pension fund as statutorily required, and N16.16 million to FCT Area Councils Service Commission being one per cent training fund, also statutorily required.

The balance of the revenue al-

location of N687.50 million was disbursed to the Area Councils, with Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) received that the sum of N1.576 billion revenue allocation was received from FAAC for the month of July 2012 for the FCT Area Councils while N170.32 million was received from the Federal Ministry of Finance as the Area Councils’ share of the SURE-P programme for the period May, June and July 2012.

According to the minister, N125.75 million was distributed to Gwagwalada Area Council, N123.51 million to Bwari Area Council, N102.86 million to Abaji Area Council, N101.10 million to Kwali Area Council, and N99.23 million to Kuje Area Council.

On the excess crude sharing, she stated that $1 billion would be shared among the three tiers of government, out of which $1.597 million was for the FCT Area Councils.

V

ast international finance experience, character and sense of purpose, were some of the key elements that propelled the choice of Mr. Uche Orji as the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), market analysts have said, as the full impact of his appointment alongside the full board and management hit the market.

Orji was on Monday named the Managing Director of Nigeria’s buffer-the NSIA to roll out operational dynamics and business models that will make the institution meet the yearnings of the people and to fulfil the institutions’ mandate which are to build a savings base for future generations of Nigerians; enhance the development of Nigerian infrastructure; promote fiscal stability for the country in times of economic stress; and carry out such other matters as may be necessary in furtherance of these objectives.

At just 36, Orji has seen it much – if not all. Calling the shots as the Managing Director and Senior Investment analyst - UBS Securities LLC New York, he is sure coming home to roast . His role involved advising institutional investors and hedge funds in their global investments in the semiconductor sector, in addition to managing UBS’s global team of 25 analysts including 2 other managing directors and 3 executive directors based in New York, Tokyo, London, San Francisco, Taipei, Hong Kong, Seoul and Hyderabad, India. Orji also advised several prominent CEO’s of companies including Intel, Philips Electronics and Samsung on strategies to m a x i m i s e shareholder value and enhance their stock value.

Orji, a thorough bred international i n v e s t m e n t manager, knows the global financial services so much industry having risen through the ranks to hold positions as a trainee accountant at Arthur Andersen & Co, 1991-1993 and Financial Controller at Diamond Bank Limited, 1993-1996.

Orji was at Goldman Sachs as an Investment Manager and Executive Director where he was responsible for managing a • 600m global fund as well as co-managing a £1.2bn pan- European fund. Orji’s global technology was in the top tier performance for every year he spent at Goldman Sachs.

Prior to UBS, Orji had been at JP Morgan, London also as Managing Director between 2001 and early 2006 in the same capacity, but focused mainly on the European markets – Germany, Switzerland, France, Spain, Sweden etc and focused on companies such as Siemens, Thomson Electronics, STMicroelectronics etc.

In 4 of the 5 years in this role, Orji was consistently ranked top 3 among more than 100 Securities advisory firms in Europe in major international polls conducted by such firms as Institutional Investor Magazine and Extel Ratings.

With the appointment of Orji Orji and a substantive Board, the stage is now set for the full operations of the new institution to commence. Prior to their appointments, there were fears that the real professionals needed to steer the corporation right may not be appointed. But the government got it right by going for the best hands who truly understand the workings of managing a sovereign wealth fund.

Amazingly, Mr Orji, who holds an M.B.A. from the world renown Havard University, rode on his very impressive track records to emerge from a tough selection process where 730 applications were received for the executive position.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012, PAGE 39

Life Is A Tragedy For Those Who Feel, And A Comedy For Those Who Think —JEAN DE LA

FROM THE BARRACKS TO THE PALACE

Some of my colleagues in the military still don’t believe I am now a royal father — AVM Ararile (rtd)

By Emma Amaize

I

n this interview, the Ovie of Umiaghwa-Abraka Kingdom in EthiopeEast Local Government Area of Delta State, His Royal Majesty, Lucky Ochuko Ararile, Awaeke 1, pioneer Coordinator of the Federal Government’s Amnesty Programme for ex-militants and a retired Air Vice Marshal, AVM, speaks on his metamorphosis from the barracks to the palace.

He also shares his vision on the great tourist potentials in Abraka, which have not been explored; his reservations on the split of old Abraka kingdom; his growing up; plans for his people and limitations as a monarch.

Excerpts: What was the transition like; I mean from military to the palace as the monarch of Umiaghwa-Abraka kingdom.

Well, it is a call to duty.

Indeed, it is a big honour to be called upon by one’s community not just to serve but also to be their king. If I tell you now that it was one of my post retirement plans, I will be telling you a lie. The year before I was to retire, I was given the amnesty job; it was a very tasking and exhausting exercise for me.

So when I retired, I gave myself one-year leave, I refused to do anything. I just enjoyed being idle. I was sleeping and waking up at 10.00 am instead of 5.00 am as I used to do.

Kingship

My plan was that after resting and appraising C M Y K

things, I would set up a finance company, which was why I acquired my certificates in the first place. As the oneyear leave was finishing, the kingship issue came up. The community sent a chief to inform me that I was their choice to be king. I told the emissary that that was not part of my post- retirement plan and that I would support anybody chosen from our ruling house. To cut a long story short, they made two more trips to Abuja to inform me the community was adamant. Thereafter, I consulted some of my colleagues that have passed that route for their advice.

My military colleagues do not believe I am now a royal father.

For some of my former colleagues in the Nigerian Air Force, it is yet to sink in that Air Vice- Marshal Ararile (rtd) is now a traditional ruler. The Chief of the Air the Staff alluded to it when he came here. However, here I am. As you know, this is not a political call where you are called to “come and chop”. It is a call to serve. Whatever you are able to achieve within the context of the present constitutional reality depends upon the support, goodwill and capacity of your subjects.

Absence of deployable resources is the main challenge monarchs face.

So, how are you adjusting to your new role?

Strictly speaking, the job description of a monarch is not different from a military commander’s: welfare issues, dispute resolution, social issues, etc. I have really not been too far from my people.

I had always thought of retiring home, but not at the

,

His Royal Majesty, Lucky Ochuko Ararile

time I did. Actually, but for the change in the policy that one has to have a PhD to be a lecturer, I would probably have picked up an appointment here in Delta State University, Abraka. That is why I obtained master ’s degrees. My intention was to come back here and help in some way to improve the standard and the quality of knowledge you could get at Delta State University. I will still consider it because to me it is not closed.

How did you grow up, where and what was life like at your younger age?

Actually, I can say that my early life was in Kaduna, my father fought in the Second World War; after the War, he went through demobilization; so it is a coincidence that I ended up in the demobilization process in Nigeria. When he was demobilized, he was attached to Nigeria Railways; he was, from time to time, posted to many places along the

brief stay but it turned out to be a one-way ticket. I was enrolled in primary II at the Baptist Primary School, ErhoAbraka, and, being from an urban center (Kaduna), my English was relatively better than most of my mates; so I was like an ‘aje butter ’ although my grandmother was a tough lady. I accompanied her to the farm and always enjoyed helping with house chores.

Talking about UmiaghwaAbraka kingdom, what we used to know is Abraka kingdom, what happened to the old Abraka kingdom?

Abraka kingdom is now two kingdoms, Umiagwa-Abraka and Oruarivie-Abraka kingdoms. There had been agitation over the years by some elements in Oruarivie to have their own kingdom. I am from both sides and it is a fact that we now have two kingdoms; there are merits and demerits but, whatever the merits, I think it is the failure of the elite to have

There had been agitation over the years by some elements in Oruarivie to have their own kingdom. I am from both sides

railway locations. He was in Jos, Jangidi and Kafachan before we eventually got to Kaduna. My elder brother was born in a town before Kafachan. I grew up in Kaduna and my early school was at Army Children’s School. I was about seven years old when my uncle came to Kaduna to take me to the then Midwest Region to stay with my grandmother.

Aje Butter pupil

I thought I was coming for a

,

allowed it to happen.

In fact, looking at it rationally, there was no basis for the split, but those who wanted the split insisted and deployed all their resources, while those who felt that it was illogical sat on the fence. The few individuals that pursued the split succeeded and it must be said that they were and are strategically myopic.

How do you relate with the Oruarivie-Abraka monarch?

Well, I have no problems with him. Whenever we meet,

we relate cordially but as to the interaction of the two kingdoms, the basis and the reasons for the split have not been well advertised and understood. Therefore, going forward, we must enumerate, discuss and understand the reasons for the split. Then, we can determine what we can do together and what we cannot do together.

In other words, you have no regrets being be a king now. Are you from the royal family or it was just bestowed on you?

It is an honour as well as a responsibility. In the old Abraka kingdom, we had eight ruling houses, ours is a rotational monarchical system, it moves from one ruling house to another. So, when it gets to a ruling house, a choice is made. Even now, we already know the ruling house that will produce the next king after my departure and that person must be acceptable to the community. These are settled issues.

I believe that you are a Christian; I want to know if your present assignment as a royal father is in anyway clashing with your religious beliefs?

I am a Christian but I allow everybody to follow whatever he or she believes in. In this kingdom, we have Christians; people of various denominations, there are Catholics, Baptists, Pentecostal, etc; we equally have traditional religions here, not just one. There are different types of deities we have here, and whoever wants to serve any of these deities is free to do so. But, as a Christian, my role is to try to convert them, I cannot force them, and I am not being forced to carry out any of those functions.

You promised when you were receiving your staff of office, some months ago, that you would fast track the development of the town. I

PAGE 40—SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012

They stopped me from working with Michael Jackson in the US —Lexy, organiser of Nigeria Fashion Show

Lexy Mojo

His dream of going to study TV production in the United States where he hoped to become Michael Jackson’s musical video producer was smashed, but he was not discouraged! Lexy Mojo-Eyes suddenly discovered another area of interest- fashion, and that eventually crowned his story with success; today, he sits on the board of the World Fashion Organisation! Lexy, the CEO of Legendary Gold, is the brain behind the Nigeria Fashion Show, Nigeria Fashion Week, Nigeria Fashion Awards and Nigeria Model Awards. We had an inspiring encounter with him.

Enjoy!

Y

ou’ve been in the fore front of promoting designers and models in Africa. How did this start?

It started over 20 years ago, as far back as when I was a producer, announcer and presenter at the then Bendel Television, Benin. I was also a doing same at the Edo Broadcasting FM. In those days, I ran a private company called ‘Photogenic Palace’ under which I was promoting designers from Edo and Delta States. I actually started organizing Edo/Delta Designers of the Year Award on a small scale around 1998-1990. The idea was to encourage designers to look inward, and to see how we could best use our own fabrics, accessories and designs instead of trying to copy foreign designers. I felt we needed to create designs that would be described by the whole world as being unique to Nigeria.

But how did it become this gigantic?

At some point, I knew I wanted to do a fashion event for the whole country. I also knew I wanted to take Nigerian designers around the world to expose what they have. I however moved finally to Lagos in 1996, and then started Legendary Gold Limited. We thereafter started the Nigeria Fashion Show in

You must have been a millionaire to converge such an event…?

The truth is that we were running on very huge deficit for the first five years. We started attracting international brands like Air France, KLM, embassies, etc. later on, and that earned us our shows abroad. That really helped. At that time, Nigerians had not really woken up to the business of fashion; so, they didn’t want to sponsor. But

,

By Gift Gabriel

1997.

were advising me to look for other things to do since I was always complaining of lack in the early days of Legendary Gold. To me, it’s not about the money, but the fact that I am doing my work effortlessly and passionately. I’m just having fun working! After I came to Lagos, we ran the Nigerian Fashion Show for four years, and began the international edition in the fifth year. Just to tell you how futuristic I was and why I could not be discouraged, when I was still in Benin doing the Benin/Delta

I believe we’re in the process because Nigerian designers now do very well across the world with their use of local fabrics

when they saw international brands identifying with us, they became interested. Today, we’re better-off, and I’ve actually come to realize that good things do not come easy.

Ted Turner ran CNN on deficit for over 10 years before he started making it! It’s just that people seem very impatient in this part of the world; we want to get immediate benefits from whatever we invest in. It’s only very few Nigerians that have the penchant for investing continuously in one thing.

At a point, even my friends

,

shows, I told myself that I wanted to come to Lagos and be the first person anyone would talk to concerning fashion. When I came to Lagos, I also told myself I wanted to take Nigerian designers abroad to places like Milan, London, Paris, New York, etc. to showcase their designs. So, while other people were looking at my deficits, I was looking at the big picture I had!

My dream of taking designers abroad eventually became a reality! That’s what happens when you remain persistent

and futuristic.

What triggered your passion for fashion promotion?

It’s an area that nobody had ever thought of, until I went into it. I wanted to be part of the fashion industry but didn’t want to be a model or designer. I wanted an area where I could influence the entire industry, and I figured out that promoting fashion would enable me influence the designers, models, make-up artists, hair-stylists, fashion writers, photographers, etc.

Didn’t you expect that to be very difficult since no one had set the pace?

Of course I knew it was going to be difficult. Like my father used to say: “If you want to venture into what nobody has done before, expect to have problems that nobody has experienced”. Also, I wasn’t unaware of the fact that it is hard for Nigerians to accept change or embrace new ideas.

Do you think you’re achieving your aim?

I believe we’re in the process because Nigerian designers now do very well across the world with their use of local fabrics. I remember that when we started, they were skeptical about using local fabrics for their designs.

But because we made it a criterion for participating in the Nigerian Fashion Show, they had to succumb. That reoriented the industry, and made them realise they could do beautiful things with local fabrics and accessories. Now they can compete favourably with

their foreign counterparts because what they have is alien to other parts of the world.

Who was your greatest influence?

I’ve actually always loved fashion as far back as age 13.

My mum worked at the High Court in Benin where I grew up, and she also influenced me a lot. Her dress sense was trendy! Actually, my original plan was to be a TV producer to produce Michael Jackson’s videos because he was one of the biggest things at that time.

That was why I wanted to go study in the US. But my uncle who was to help me advised that I first obtain a diploma. I therefore did a diploma at the Institute of Journalism in Benin because I also had interest in broadcasting.

Things did not go as planned concerning my traveling to the US, and that informed my taking a job at the broadcasting house.

But do you know many would have waited idly for the overseas admission?

I don’t believe in time-wasting. Now, I feel a lot more fulfilled that I’m opening doors not only for Nigerian designers but for designers from all over the continent. Today, I’m on the board of the World Fashion Organisation because they recognize what I’ve done for Africa. That may not have been possible if I were in America. I want to see Africa in another pedestal in a few years; I want a situation where people are able to find African brands in shops across the world.

The majority of men meet with failure because of their lack of persistence in creating new plans to take the place of those which fail – Napoleon Hill C M Y K

SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012, PAGE 41

Threat to impeach Jonathan

Reps don't know what they are doing—Nzeribe

Francis Arthur Nzeribe was elected senator for Orlu Senatorial District, Imo State in 1999 and re-elected in 2003. In November 2002, the then Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim indefinitely suspended him due to an allegation of fraud.

But he was said to be planning an impeachment motion against Anyim. He could not make it back to the Senate in 2007 as he was defeated by Senator Osita Izunaso.In this interview, Nzeribe bares his mind on the Impeachment threat against President Goodluck Jonathan by members of the House of Representatives, the corruption Arthur Nzeribe in the system; the Boko Haram insurgency; his governor, Rochas Okorocha and his administration; the PDP, among other issues.

W

hat is your take on the impeachment threat on President Goodluck Jonathan by members of the House of Representatives over alleged poor implementation of the 2012 budget?

I doubt if they understand what they are doing. Nobody respects the average lawmaker anymore in Nigeria. With the corruption in the system, I do not think the impeachment threat is real.

I don’t think the House has the right to summon the President, but there is nothing wrong with the President walking across then road and saying, ‘I have come to brief you’.

You can’t continue to threaten to impeach the President all the time. I don’t think they understand what they are doing. In our time, when you talk about education, everybody would keep his mouth shut becausepeople knew what we were doing. But because people do not respect them any more I mean the National Assembly, they just carry on doing what they are doing and, at the end of the day, nothing happens.

When you say they don’t understand what they are doC M Y K

ing, what do you mean? Is it that the National Assembly is not serious or they are jokers?

In our time, honourable members commanded respect in their constituencies, some of them don’t have respect anymore. We see things happening, they don’t react, they don’t participate, people are not able to participate in government and beyond two terms.

,

By Henry Umoru

form because he knows what the outcome will be; he knows he will get freedom, at best two or three hours sentence will be given.

Elder statesman and Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, has accused some northern leaders of not addressing the problem of Boko Haram and the security challenge in the country. What is your view on his position?

I have been very careful, since Rochas took power, to say anything for or against his administration. But things are getting worste by the day

Are you saying that all these are just part of a choreographed show off?

That is exactly what I am saying. And we have seen worse situation that nothing happened. Why should you fear prosecution when you know that nothing will happen to you?

They make up a show which they call tribunal. You see somebody who is charged to court and he is coming to court with gangsters in uni-

,

On Clark’s statement that Babangida and Buhari should openly condemn the sect, I thought Clark has a platform to say what he has in mind. He has been the spokesman of the Jonathan government for quite some time now. Why is he throwing the balloon in the air for it to burst? He should tell us what he knows.

Clark did not go the full length.

If he has fingered one or two persons, then we would have known where he was going.

Do you think President Goodluck Jonathan is really handling the crisis well?

I don’t seem to agree with the way the President is handling the matter. The President once said the Boko Haram people have penetrated the government, why has he not made any arrest? We should know who they are beyond the President telling us that they are in his government.

Have you been in touch with your state governor, Rochas Okorocha?

No contact, I have not spoken with him.

How would you assess his administration?

I have been very careful, since Rochas took power, to say anything for or against his administration. But things are getting worste by the day. It is a very dangerous situation we are having in Imo State and nobody is ready to bell the cat.

One thing nobody can take away from Imo State is the fact that she boasts of quality democrats in the South-East geopolitical zone. When one talks of professionals, intellectuals of repute, lawyers, accomplished politicians etc, Imo State ranks high in terms of men and women in these cad-

res. But the happenings in the state today appear to suggest the dearth of these people; otherwise, it may be concluded that they are choking under apparent intimidation.

With the coming on board of young politicians in the state, one had expected a better and vibrant Imo which older democrats like me will be proud of, but what appears to be going on is simply democratic apathy in the face of rudderless leadership, with its dire consequences to the well-being of the state, needless to go into elaboration here.

It could be enough for some modem day leaders in Imo State to grumble about the governor ’s predatory leadership style in their closets; but it is surely not acceptable for them to maintain cowardice silence in the open - they must speak up.

In the last one a year or so, hardly will a day pass without Imo State featuring in national news for the wrong reasons. Today, can the young democrats boast that Imo State is on the right track in terms of peace and stability? Who is speaking out on the danger of being led by a desperate and equally rudderless government in the state right now? These questions become apparent in view of the current near breakdown of law and order in the state, though not visible to the unwary masses.

Our modern day democrats may want to pretend as if nothing is wrong with the state in terms of governance, but it will amount to fairytale because Nigerians are beginning to ask questions about the happenings in the state.

In view of the current flagrant disregard to constitutional provisions in Imo State, the question as to the capacity of AN IGBO MAN TO “RULE NIGERIA could spring up, hence the urgent need for democrats to speak up.

In democracy, the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria serves. as the only working document open to any President and the state governors.

It must be upheld at any point in time no matter who is involved. It is okay for the governor to embark on road construction and expansion without design, due-diligence and settling of legal issues arising from the project; but it is certainly unpalatable for a sitting governor to flout the very Constitution he swore to defend; particularly at this period the people of the SouthEast are clamouring to have a shot at the Presidency.

PAGE 42—SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012

Delta 2015: ‘We must strenghten the PDP at the grassroots’ Hon Stanley Odali is a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairmanship aspirant for Ukwuani local government council in Delta State. In this interview, he speaks on the reason he is contesting for the Delta council chairmanship, his programmes if elected and the administration of Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan.

Excerpts:

BY GBENGA OKE

W

HAT prompted you to vie for the seat of local government chairman?

Nigeria as you can see today has a lot of leadership challenges and my LGA is not an exception. Having been in the political scene for over 10years serving and learning the ropes, I have come to observe some challenges that we are facing especially in the local government. First, we have a situation where allocations coming to the LGA are not properly accounted for or no equitable distribution of our commonwealth. We have seen a situation whereby few people come together to dis-

burse these allocations to their own advantage and nothing to show in terms of projects they claimed to have executed and the ones they started, they could not finish them. Most times, there are no programmes to alleviate the sufferings of the people and boost the economy of the local government. As an economist, I know that the first thing I had to do as a local government chairman is to set up an economic processes that will act as a catalyst to turn the economy around.

I am coming with new hope, new possibility to turn around the fortunes of the LGA. You contested for the state House of Assembly seat in 2007 and lost. Now, you are

re-contesting as a local government chairman aspirant.

Why? Initially, I still have the passion to serve at the state House of Assembly and that passion is still there because I believe that with my level of education and exposure, I am supposed to be sitting in that chamber of the Delta State House of Assembly and artic-

ulating the way forward and representing my people very well. But in politics, if wishes were horses, one will ride anywhere. Presently, the position I am contesting does not matter; what matters most is that ahead of 2015, there is need to strengthen our party at the grass-roots, so that those running will have a smooth ground for running because, presently, our local government is being represented by an opposition member in the House of Assembly; so we need somebody who has the grassroots exposure to begin to mend fences, build bridges and resolve various grievances so that our party can be stronger by 2015. We need to re-assure the people that PDP can be better.

Can you share some of the programmes you intend to put in place that will endear and re-build the confidence of the people towards you?

The first thing I intend to do

once I become the chairman is to set up leaders advisory council. It will comprise of leaders from each community in the LGA and my job will be to manage their suggestions.

I will not take decisions consulting with them. I intend to work with direct labour from the LGA works department to fix majority of the roads. We will put drainages in place. We will ask the governor to come and see the roads to enable them get fixed. There are various roads that need to be urgently fixed.

On agriculture, our people are agrarian in nature, we are good farmers and I know we used to have good crops. I intend to provide fertilizers at a very subsidized rate to farmers, provide insecticide to control locusts and provide the equipment to control the weeds. Also, there is need to put markets at strategic locations in the communities to sell products coming from the farmers.

On education, we are putting in place formal and informal education. I intend to set up an educational committee with consultants and set up skills acquisition centers in the community and, having been in a catering business for some time, catering will definitely be among the skills acquisition works. I want to encourage entrepreneurship because being an entrepreneur, I know the advantages.

Also, we intend to give students that are brilliant but are not opportune to go school scholarships; I won’t do bursary, but will give scholarships to students.

Anambra 2014: The governor we need — Obiogbolu In 2014, the people of Anambra State would return to the polls to elect who governs them. However, of the three senatorial districts in the state, Anambra North is the only one that has not occupied the Government House. Dr Alex Obiogbolu, a founding member of Peoples Democratic Party,PDP, from the zone and one of the major contenders for the number state one job, bares his mind on why it is the zone’s turn to occupy the Government House in 2014.

BY LEKAN BILESANMI

2

014 is two years away and many politicians are warming up for the state’s number one seat. Interestingly, however, not one of the known contenders now is from Anambra North which is yet to produce the governor. Does it mean the zone where you come from has no qualified people?

Unfortunately, I can’t agree with the insinuation from your question. Who is defining the words “known contenders”? Every part of the state is filled with men and women who are capable of taking our state and the country to greater heights. When you look at Anambra North senatorial zone in particular

as you are wont to do in this case, there still remain intelligent, experienced, learned and capable leaders who have contributed and continue to contribute to the nation’s growth and who can take our state to that economic and social prosperity.

You may believe you have people but the rest of the state doesn’t believe you.

What do you think makes them think so?

Who are the rest of the state that believe that Anambra North does not have capable persons to be governor of our state? Anambra has a population of 4.18 million of which 1.2 million reside in the North zone. For a zone that has produced a former president of Nigeria, a reverend priest

Dr Alex Obiogbolu declared saint, a former Senate president, former ambassadors, commonwealth athletes, sports icons, business moguls, it will be incorrect if anyone states that there are no persons capable of running the affairs of Anambra as governor. What criteria have they employed as I am yet to be told by anyone that our zone lacks capable hands? Is it educational background, is it cognate experience in Public service and administration, is it physical stature or beauty, is it oratory skills, or is it the fi-

nancial capacity to run an election? It is only when I understand the yardsticks these people making these claims have employed that I will be in the proper state to respond appropriately.

On the second part of the question, I am not unaware that some politicians and persons, in their quest to score cheap political points, allege that the aspirants from Anambra North don’t have the kind of money that others from other zones have, and, therefore, can’t ever become the governor of Anambra State. Some people seem to brag and intimidate others that the governorship of Anambra is solely available to those that own billions of naira. This line of thought has continued to cast Anambra in bad light since the present civilian administration.

Who are the prominent personalities in your zone you think can be thrown up?

Let me reassure you that in Anambra are many heroes and heroines on whose back the burden of this state has

been placed. Many of them who despite the insecurity, reside and do business in this state and pay their taxes by which our leaders run the state. Therefore, in my mind, there are so many personalities, many of whom carry the passion to lead the state as governor. However, there can be only one governor at any time, and persons like me have been offering our manifestos campaigning to be given the opportunity to lead the state despite years of service in other positions in the leadership of our great state. Let me also interject that the reason you see these so many aspirants at any time even when all know there can be only one at anytime is healthy but we need to have a governor who will take his vision from “me” to “ we”; beyond a one-man show; someone, who can mobilize and delegate responsibilities to others, as it does not matter how intelligent or experienced a leader is, if he is unable to achieve results through people.

C M Y K

SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012, PAGE 43

Ondo 2012: The day Mimiko started ‘battle’ from Akeredolu’s ancestral home *We will not be remote controlled from outside – Agunloye *I’ll work more – Governor

BY FEMI ADEPOJU

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HE weather was clement enough at the campaign flag-off of Governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, for the supporters of the Labour Party and his government who gathered in Owo, on Thursday, to show their admiration for the government believed to be the most successful in the history of the state so far.

The supporters had gathered at the Methodist Primary School, venue of the event, as early as 7.00 a.m. for a noon event.

Owo town shook to its foundation by the number of the people that converged to be part of the historic gathering which has been described by many as unprecedented.

Incidentally, one of the

opponents of Mimiko at the October 20 gubernatorial election, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, of the ACN is from Owo. But close watchers are of the belief that with the enormous crowd Mimiko pulled in Owo at the flag off of his campaign, it is near impossible for any other campaign to be that successful in the ancient town.

Sen. Remi Okunrinboye was the first to thank the mammoth crowd for their love for the Caring Heart governor. Their presence at the event venue, he said , was a confirmation that Mimiko has won the election in the town and by extension in the entire state.

Referring to the government as that of the masses, Okunrinboye, himself a former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

Ondo State Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko(left), his wife, Olukemi (2nd left), Deputy Governor, Alhaji Alli Olanusi (3rd left) and Dr Olu Agunloye (right) at the flag-off of Governor Mimiko’s campaign for 2nd term, in Owo local government.

chieftain said the Labour Party government is friend to farmers, market women and the people in general. He urged those who are yet to embrace the Labour Party government to do so at once because “ the bus is fast moving, catch up before its too late”.

If Okunrinboye’s shots could be said to have

come persuasively, that of the former Action Congress of Nigeria’s gubernatorial aspirant in the forthcoming election, Dr Olu Agunloye, was daring.

Throwing verbal jabs at the leadership of his former party ACN, Agunloye said: “The coming election is a struggle for liberation

because we in Ondo will not allow ourselves to be remotely controlled from outside. There is no way for an outside to come here and dictate to us”, he said.

In apparent reference to the ACN candidate in October election, Agunloye said, “ White bearded or not , our destiny shall not be manipulated by foreigners”.

Like Agunloye, Segun Ojo, popularly known as General, and also a former member and gubernatorial aspirant in the ACN, addressed the crowd at the campaign flag off.

Making his defection to the Labour Party public at the event, the Owo politics strongman lashed out at the leadership of his former party, saying he remained very close to Mimiko even during his sojourn to the opposition party.

“I am not Ramoni’s (he calls Governor Mimiko by his middle name Ramon) enemy.

We are friends. He is my younger brother and my family. What happened between us when i was in the ACN was a friendly fight because we are very close.

“The ACN has been enslaving people but they will not succeed in Ondo state. They will

never enslave us through Akeredolu. We reject them and Akeredolu. If Akeredolu has ten percent of the votes here, it means there is no politician Owo,” Ojo stressed, insisting that Mimiko will sweep the polls come October 20.

Eulogising the person and government of Mimiko, the President of the Ondo State Chapter of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Mrs Abosede Daramola, said the Labour Party government has turned around the fortunes of the state for the best.

Giving kudos to the people for their support for his party’s flagbearer in the coming election, the Chairman of Labour Party, Chief Dan Iwuayanwu, put a lie to the insinuation that the ACN leadership assisted Mimiko regained his stolen mandate in the 2007 gubernatorial election.

He said Mimiko is seeking re-election to continue the good works he is doing.

Rounding off proceedings at event, Mimiko said he could say with all sense of modesty that his government is on course even as he prayed for the people of the state that their joy will never end.

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PAGE 44 — SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012

Presbyterian Church commissions Lay preachers

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IRECTORATE of Lay Development and Leadership Training of the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria (Synod of the West) recently graduated and commissioned 19 Lay preachers at the church in Yaba, Lagos, reports OLAYINKA LATONA. The first of its kind, the commissioning was part of efforts to propagate the gospel and a contribution to the welfare of members to make positive impact in their communities.

Prelate/moderator of the church in Nigeria, Most Rev. Emele Uka congratulated the graduands and urged them to make positive impact in their respective parishes, the branches of the vice with effect from nest tion of persons during stressing the need for

By SAM EYOBOKA & OLAYINKA LATONA church nationwide. Not Sunday.

Sunday service difficult, them to move to higher S part of the war against indecent dressing to only that, it is also man- The cathedral adminis- noting that headgears ground and calling places of worshop, female members of the datory for all the pastors trator, Rev. Fr. Uche (popularly called cano- which he described as Mountain of Fire Ministries, MFM, have been in charge to start enforc- Obodoechina, who an- py) turn to a “barricade” the utmost. ing the rule to the letter. nounced this in Nsukka, when many women wear Uka, who lamented that banned from wearing trousers. worldly structures have In different televised live broadcasts, General Over- In a similar developm- said the measure was it during service. seer of MFM, Pastor Daniel Olukoya warned “fe- ent, St. Theresa’s Catho- being introduced to en- So, from September 9, taken over the church, males wearing trousers and not covering their heads lic Cathedral, Nsukka, sure the security of wor- security men at the urged the Lay preachers church gate will start to to be a light to the world to this church is not allowed. If you cannot abide by Enugu State, has barred shippers. this rule please locate to another parish where such women from wearing big According to him, big seize big headgears and and shine before all men. headgears and carrying headgears, in most cas- bags.

He explained that the can be condoned.” newly commissioned Lay Lamenting the high increase of ladies wearing trou- handbags to Sunday ser- es, made the identificaPreachers are to complesers to the church, Olukoya warned that ment the work of parish the church will no longer tolerate any priest, in follow-up and lady that does not cover her hair or who other such vocations that wears trousers into any of the branches will grow the church. of the church henceforth.

The national director, According to him, it is either such peoLay Development and ple obey or move to any other church Leadership Training that allows wearing of trousers.

(PCN), Rev. Eke Dr. Olukoya expressed disgust over the Ogbonnaya Eke advised increase of ladies wearing trousers to the new lay preachers to church and warned that the church will move the extra miles in no longer allow any lady wearing troudoing new things, addsers to join the congregation and those ing that they should be who refuse to cover their heads, adding actively involved in efthat they have the choice of obeying the fective evangelism. order or moving to other churches where Brother Joseph Asanga, they can do so. a geologist and one of The MFM head also expressed outright the newly commissioned dismay at the rate at which young laLay preachers, apprecidies and even the married ones are disate God for counting him respecting church’s rule concerning the among those graduatmode of dressing, hence the need to correct the abnormality.

L-R: Mr. Ignatius Adegunle, chairman of the day; Rev. Father Gabriel Agule, assistant ing, explaining that the The respected man of God has also di- parish priest/Catholic Young Men Association, CYMA chaplain; Most Rev. Alfred Adewale one year programme was rected all regional overseers and assem- Martins, archbishop of Lagos and Msgr Philip Hoteyin, Marian Shrine chaplain at the full of challenges. bly pastors to enforce the rules. Catholic Young Men Association 13th annual lecture held at St. Agnes Catholic Church, Asanga said he was now prepared to propagate The message has been sent across to all Maryland, Lagos on Sunday. PHOTO: LAMIDI BAMIDELE. the Word of God, adding “one of our greatest challenges was timing because we are all full time workers.”

The class representative, Prince Sam Idika, in his T was a time of thanks By Olayinka LATONA damu eda, Edumare adding that it is only Speaking through the speech, promised that soro mi dayo amongst prayer that can solve the state Commissioner for they will keep the flag giving, prayer and spiritual reawakening ble for them to witness others the entire country’s security chal- Education, Science and flying as they will disGround lenges and other social Technology, Barrister charge their duties dutifor Christians from all yet another celebration. Tabieorat walks of life who recently Leading both old and erupted in ecstacy as problems. fully.

Continued on Page 45 joined the Primate of the young, Evangelist they heartily sang along. *Send jokes to: Church of the Lord Ebenezer Obey-Fabiyi The church’s mass choir (Aladura), His Eminence, was at his very best as also were not left out as sameyoboka@yahoo.com the Most Rev. Rufus he ministered re-en- they rendered melodious Okikiola Olubiyi Ositelu, acted the old flame songs and choruses, done, and I give you a and service.” to appreciate the good- while entertaining the which made participants certain number of points “Terrific!” says St. Peter, ness of God in their lives congregation with so- to dance all through the for each item, depending “that’s certainly worth a and pray earnestly for the me of his old melodious night at the well lit on how good it was. point.” sprawling Tabieorar songs. peace of the country.

When you reach 100 “One point? Golly. How Despite the unfriendly The congregation in- Ground while some points, you get in.” about this; I started a change of weather and cluded traditional rul- members, majority of “Okay,” the man says, “I soup kitchen in my city the fact that this year ’s ers who openly ex- whom were in white garwas married to the same and worked in a shelter Tabieorar grand finale, pressed surprise that ments, had an opportuwoman for 50 years and for homeless veterans.”

MAN dies and usually an all night serv- Obey who turned 70 nity to testify to the never cheated on her, “Fantastic, that’s good goes to heaven. ice, fell on a Wednesday, recently could still per- goodness of the Lord. even in my heart.”

Of course, St. Pefor two more points, “ he the worshippers trooped form with so much en- The Ogun State gover- ter meets him at the “That’s wonderful,” says says. out in their thousands for ergy and agility. When nor, Senator Ibikunle pearly gates.

St. Peter, “that’s worth “TWO POINTS!!” the the service as they enthu- the ace juju musician Amosun, in his speech, St. Peter says: “Here’s three points!” man cries, “At this rate siastically rendered took the microphone appealed to the congre- how it works. You need “Three points?” he says. the only way I’ll get into praises, adoration and and started dishing out gation to pray for the 100 points to make it into “Well, I attended church heaven is by the grace of danced heartily to the songs like; Jesus seun peace of Nigeria and the heaven. You tell me all all my life and supported God!” Lord who made it possi- O seun, Aimasiko lo n progress of Ogun State, the good things you’ve its ministry with my tithe “Come on in!”

MFM bans females from wearing trousers ...Catholic

Church outlaws headgears

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Ebenezer Obey thrills at Tabieorar 2012

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EYE LAUGH The only pearly gates story I ever liked

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C M Y K

SUND AY V ANGU ARD, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012— P AGE 45 SUNDA VANGU ANGUARD, PA

Obey thrills at Tabieorar 2012

BORNE ON HEALING WINGS (1)

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N 1994, the Lord healed me mirac ulously of bulletwounds in my left leg, after I was shot by armed robbers. Thereafter, he asked me to pray for four sick people. However, all of them died.

The last of these was a wonderful man called Kehinde Ladipo, the Managing Director of Lisabi Mills, Lagos.

These incidents turned out to be prefaces to God calling me to a healing ministry.

Poisoned chalice Later that year, there was a “love feast” at the Wednesday fellowship of a parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God at the residence of Muyiwa and Bimbo Dada in Victoria Island, Lagos. People brought all sorts of goodies for us to eat and great fun was had by all.

However, there was drama at the end. Yofolu, the youngest of the Dada children, told little Femi-Kevin a bottle of vitamin pills were sweets. One-by-one, sixyear-old Femi-Kevin ate them all. Muyiwa said the bottle contained up to 100 pills. Only God knows how many FemiKevin took. The general consensus was to rush him to the hospital. But for some strange reason I rejected the idea; convinced the entire incident was a hoax. The evening had been such a blessing and “someone” was determined to spoil it.

We took leave of the Dadas and went back home; which happened to be two floors upstairs.

I then gave Femi-Kevin a severe beating. I reprimanded him for being greedy and sent him weeping to bed. For the rest of the evening and much of the night, I was in the dining-room, reading my bible. Every so often, Femi-Kevin would rush to the toilet to vomit. I did not make it easy for him. I poked fun at him repeatedly; telling him he was reaping the fruits of his greed.

Dreaming dreams

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n Saturday morning, the Lord showed

Thus says the Lord: “Whosoever you touch and pray for, I will heal.” me the Redeemed fellowship in the livingroom of the Dada’s in a dream. There was a woman there called Mrs. Adewumi who I had never seen before. Apparently, she was afflicted with an issue of blood, which meant her monthly period was never-ending. I prayed, laying my right hand on her, and knew instinctively that the haemorrhaging stopped. The Lord said to her: “I have made you beautiful, both internally and externally.”

Then the Lord showed me a girl I recognised called Waikini. He said she suffered from sicklecell anaemia. This girl had a passion; she loved to sing praises to God. The Lord asked her to come out and sing any praise-song of her choice. Then he told her he had changed her blood; meaning she no longer had sickle-cell anaemia. He directed she should go to the hospital and have a bloodtest for confirmation. He also said there was “someone” in the fellowship suffering from chronic backache. He said Foluke (now Mrs. Bolodeoku) should lay her hand on the person and pray. When she did, the person was healed.

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inally, the Lord told me there was “someone” trusting him to meet some outstanding payment. It seemed to me to be for either a NITEL or a NEPA bill; I was not exactly sure. The person kept repeating this scripture: “My God shall supply all (my) need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

(Philippians 4:19).

I had N3,000 in a plastic video-case. I then asked whoever was convinced the Lord was referring to him to write the needed amount on a piece of paper and give it to me. Bimbo Dada collected a piece of paper from someone whose identity was hidden and handed it to me. On it was written N3,000; so I gave the money to the

person.

That was the end of the dream. I woke up, not exactly sure what to make of it. So I decided to pray about it.

Healing wings

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s I started pray ing, something even more dramatic happened. The Lord suddenly took control of my tongue and he spoke to me audibly through my own lips. He said: “Femi; Femi; Femi.

I have loved you from the foundation of the world. I have given you so many gifts and I want you to start using them.

I have given you the gifts of healings. Whosoever you touch and pray for, I will heal. I have given you the working of miracles. I have given you the word of wisdom and the word of knowledge. I have given you the faith to move mountains. Use these gifts to my praise and for my glory.”

The dramatic delivery of this audible message left me in no doubt it was from God. My full first name, “Obafemi,” means “God loves me.” The assertion: “I have loved you FROM the foundation of the world” is similar to Jesus’ personal acknowledgement to God, but with one significant difference. Jesus said to God: “You loved Me BEFORE the foundation of the world.”

(John 17:24). But I needed confirmation for the dream component. So I told the Lord: “I am going downstairs to talk to the Dadas to find out if there is any Mrs. Adewumi in the Wednesday Redeemed fellowship. If they are not in, then the dream is not from you.

If anybody comes to visit me now, thereby delaying my going downstairs, then the dream is not from you.”

Almost immediately, there was a knock on my front door. Therefore, I concluded the dream was not from the Lord.

But when I opened the door, I found Gbohumi

and Yofolu Dada standing there. “What are you doing here so early?” I asked. “We have come to apologise for giving Femi the vitamin pills,” said Yofolu. “Don’t worry about that,” I replied.

“Are your parents in?”

“Yes,” they answered.

“Let’s go down; I want to see them,” I said.

Confirmation

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hen I told the Dadas about my dream, I had one vital question: “Is there anybody in the Redeemed fellowship called Mrs. Adewumi?” “Yes,” replied Muyiwa. “There are actually two Mrs. Adewumis in the fellowship, and they are both married to the same man.” That man was Senator Julius Adewumi, the C.E.O. of Abacus Merchant Bank, Lagos. “The Lord must be referring to the junior one,” Muyiwa insisted. “She has had three children within two years; two of them twins.”

At that very instant, the junior Mrs. Adewumi walked in unannounced. She came in through the open back kitchen-door, instead of the front-door. We were all visibly shocked and dumbfounded. She said she had come to take the Dada children swimming at Ikoyi Club with her own children. However, I did not engage her there and then. Since my dream was set in the fellowship, I felt it was better to wait until Wednesday.

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hile still at the Dadas, some thing equally providential occurred.

My cousin, Tunji Bamgbose, delivered a big hamper to me from the family of Kehinde Ladipo; the gentleman I prayed for who died of cancer. It contained different things produced in their Lisabi Mills, including yam flour; chocolate drink and custard.

In spite of the ineffectiveness of my prayers, Kehinde Ladipo’s family nevertheless remembered me six months after his passing. Clearly, there was more to my “ineffective” prayers than I realised. *To be continued

Continued from Page 44 Segun Odubela, the governor urged the people of Ogun State to support the present administration, saying that better days lie ahead of the state.

Speaking with Vanguard, one of the particpants who is not a member of the church, Oluronke Alabi, an accountant, said August 22, is a yearly routine which ushers in renewed hope not only for the members but for the nation as a whole.

She testified that God had been faithful to her anytime she brought a prayer request to the mount.

In his sermon, Primate Ositelu, defined testimony as a declaration made by witnesses concerning what God is doing in their lives, explaining that a child of God will have testimony galore after persecution because Christ has overcome the world.

The man of God urged all Christians to bear fruits that will glorify God, adding that a lot of people will come to the knowledge of Christ through their Godly character.

He also used the occasion to advise President Goodluck Jonathan to allow fear of God to guide his actions.

Mike Okonkwo turns 67

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RESIDING bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM) Dr. Mike Okonkwo, will be 67 on Thursday.

Activities lined up for the occasion include the 13th Mike Okonkwo Annual Lecture scheduled for Wednesday. Topic: “Dependence of The Nigeria Economy on Crude Oil *Okonkwo Any Alternatives?”

Venue: Shell Hall, Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos at 9.00 am. The guest speaker is Prof. Anya O. Anya and chairman is Chief Philip Asiodu while executive governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) is expected to be the host.

Gifts will be presented to winners of the 9th Mike Okonkwo Annual Essay Competition at the venue.

Other activities include a special edition of the MenCan-We-Talk Programme with a theme; “The Best in Me” on Saturday by 9.00 a.m. at the Cathedral of His Glory, TREM headquarters. A thanksgiving service/Special Praise Progmme---African Shabach with the theme Jabulani on Sunday. Expected musical artistes are the TREM Choir Evangel Voices and other guest artistes. Time: 8.00 a.m. at the church headquarters, Obanikoro Anthony Oke, Lagos.

Cleric tasks youth on positive living

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HE co-ordinator of Lagos Area Youths Association, LAYA, Bishop Aquawo Umondia, has enjoined youths of the country to shun profane acts and embrace godly conduct so as to maximize their potentials, reports EMMANUEL JOSHUA. Speaking at the 2012 edition of a youth camp organised by LAYA at the Mount Zion Lighthouse Full Gospel Church in Surulere, Lagos, the cleric charged the over 400 participants to take advantage of the various scholarship programmes by the Federal Government for all first degree holders by studying hard.

The camp, which ran from August 16-19, is an annual festival among the youths of the church, had in attendance over 400 youths from the church and other denominations. It featured performances in songs by the LAYA Mass choir as well as the host choir and a drama performance by a guest drama team.

The worshippers were ushered into a high realm of praise on Friday and Sunday, by Brothers Jacob Esin and Austin Udu respectively while the LAYA choirmaster, Usen Usen was the moderator.

Theme of the event was: “Unleashing your potentials for evidence.”

CHRISTIAN FESTIVALS for September 2012 Sep 14, 2012: Friday Sep 29, 2012: Saturday

Holy Cross Day Michael & All Angels

PAGE 46—SUND AY V ANGU ARD, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012 46—SUNDA VANGU ANGUARD,

Marrying a pastor is quite

PASTOR Helen Oritsejafor, apart from being the wife of the National President of both the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, and the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, and the founder of Word of Life Bible Church, Warri, Delta State, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, holds several other port folios. She is the chief executive officer of Eagle Flight Microfinance Bank, president general of Daughters of Sarah Fellowship, chief host of Family Tips on African Broadcasting Network, ABN. Mama Helen, as she is fondly called by her numerous admirers, who turned down a Commissionership appointment in her native Ekiti State to marry a Warri-based Pastor Oritsejafor, also oversees the Eagle Heights Group of Schools, Eagle Heights Clinic as well as an orphanage owned by the church. She is a mother and together with her husband, they have been taking the gospel of salvation, deliverance and healing to the nations of the world. In this interview with SAM EYOBOKA, the fearless disciplinarian who together with her husband made valuable contributions towards the resolution of the Niger Delta Crisis, expressed grave concerns about insecurity in the country. Excerpts....

You have been described as amiable, dynamic, excellent and with several other adjectives.

What do you describe yourself?

I’m just me, Helen. I’m Ekiti turned Deltan, a child of God who believes very strongly in people. That’s who I am, Helen Oritsejafor.

Please tell me how you have been combining your numerous roles with that of keeping this house as the mother of these children, a wife of a pastor. And coordinating the church in the absence of Papa?

A lot of people always ask me this and the only thing I say to them is it’s just the grace of God and I’m also a woman of passion. Don’t forget that I have a commitment to God from the beginning of this marriage that I’ll do my husband good and not evil for the rest of my life. Deriving my strength from God and then having a wonderful husband who’s very supportive, who’s an encourager. He gives me the tonic. God spoke to me that I should go and help fulfill the vision. So, all I’m just giving to him is to try as much as possible to help fulfill that vision. I’m a very organized person in terms of administrative skills, by the grace of God I think I’m endowed. But thinking again, I think God endowed me with the ability to be able to know when to handle church, when to handle bank, when to handle school,

when to handle ABN, when to handle the medical, when to handle the bookshop. It’s just God and the passion to fulfilling the mandate that I believe God has given to me based on the mandate that God has given to His servant.

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n Maiduguri you not only preached to PFN Women North East, you also empowered some of them with sewing machines and such like.

How do you feel when you see women in some form of distress?

To start with, I wish I had more than what I have because I don’t think I’d love to see any human being on the street not doing well. That’s my life, that’s my nature.

My heart breaks when I see anyone in anguish and someone who just needs someone to lend him or her a hand. I like to be in that position to be able to do so because I believe very strongly that the life isn’t just about what you have but it’s about what you are able to use what you have for the betterment of others. It’s my absolute goal as a person. And God so did it that I happen to be married to a man who is also governed by that same philosophy. It’s more or less like a free ticket to as many people as possible that we can impact. It gives me joy and fulfillment when I’m able to see smile and add to someone’s life. When I meet with people, the

Pastor (Mrs.) Helen Oritsejafor

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DO YOU KNOW?

Number of churches and mosques in New York City

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EW York City is the most linguistically and religiously diverse city in the world. New York is also a religious city: 83% of New Yorkers are affiliated to some organized religion. This is a rate of adherents larger than that of the state, New York State (75%), and one of the highest in the entire United States.

Christians comprise about 70% of the population; 40% of whom are Catholic and 30% Protestant. They attend approximately 2000 churches and 4000 informal places of worship such as community halls and homes, thus a total of some 6000 churches.

There are almost a million Muslims in New York City. There are more than 100 mosques in the city, plus an unknown number of small mosques that worshipers set up in their apartments or places that are not visible from the street.

were not losing him, rather they gained me.

That was the first challenge. Because then there were those insulting me.

I guess there were those who felt it should have been them. I picked it from the kind of responses I got from some; but I made up my mind that I was never going to be confrontational, even when they insult me, asking; who’s she? Where’s she coming from?

Like Daddy would say, 'you behave like God. Why is it that you are never offended by people’s actions and all that?' I remember telling him that it's my mum’s nature. I always forgive people ahead of time. If I have a relationship with anybody, I already envisage the things that he/she might end up doing and I forgive in advance. Those were some of the challenges I faced. The population of the church then was also a challenge, gender wise. Of course, my husband isn’t just out to pastor men, he’s also to pastor women. So I had to resolve in my mind to allow him fulfill his destiny by being very supportive. I encouraged the women to have a free access with him. I never blocked anybody because I trust my husband.

He’s a gentleman 100 per cent.

first thing I’m thinking of is what can I do? How can I help to offer a hand to this person? That’s what comes to my mind.

And I try my best to see what I can do. That’s what gives me joy.

It is must be quite challenging marrying a pastor. Do you agree?

Extremely challenging!

How has it been with you?

To start with, I married a man who was once married and so it wasn’t as if I was coming into a ministry that we are just starting together. Getting into such an environment and a place where I wasn’t used to, Warri for that matter, and at a time of tribal war. It was quite challenging for me. I had to condition my mind to saying that I would do everything necessary to make these people know that they

nd suddenly, he be-came PFN national president and not too long after CAN national president. What would say were the new challenges?

Let’s start with the PFN one. I’ve always known my husband as a man who has never wanted a place of leadership. He keeps his distance. That has always been him. I was never expecting him to ever become anything other than just being a pastor and traveling all over the world ministering. Because there had been occasions where people offered him positions and he’ll say no no; 'I just want to serve God.' That’s who he was until he went to Lagos for their usual bienial conference, only for him to call me late in the night

saying, 'I don’t know what has just happened to me now.' I said what?

Is anything the matter?

He said 'I don’t know oh.

Can you imagine? They just made me PFN president. I tried rejecting it but Pastor Enoch Adeboye insisted, and you know I have a lot of respect for him. How am I going to handle this now? Why would God do this to me?' I told him if Pastor Adeboye, my father, insists, maybe you should. Who knows what the Lord would want to do through you.

That was how he accepted it. And, of course, that bothered me because this man is very passionate; whatever he puts his hand, he goes into it full blast. How would he be able to combine his church duties with this new assignment? I started praying for him. And then of course he started traveling more and always on the move. I went down on my knees.

Honestly, I just handed him over to God. It wasn’t easy. Then it became worse when he became CAN president and he would just be back on Saturday, ministers on Sunday and after service, we’ve packed already for him and his entourage. The only thing, at least, we tried doing, which is very good, is the fact that any opportunity we had to be together, we maximize it because we know that any time he’ll be traveling again. If I ever have him staying for one week---I will not forget one time when Papa stayed for one week--Pastor Adeboye congratulated me. With the children growing up; don’t forget, God just blessed us after waiting for years. But somehow, we’ve been able to handle it properly. I think it also has to do with the understanding. This is what I signed for obviously, maybe that is why God has prepared me all these years.

With the high office comes the incessant knocks from different quarters. How do you respond to such attacks?

I’ve stopped reading.

Initially it was too much

SUND AY V ANGU ARD, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012— P AGE 47 SUNDA VANGU ANGUARD, PA

challenging----Mama Oritsejafor story of ABN? Well, I think the success story began 40 years ago when God called the man. This man chose to follow the gospel even when it wasn’t exciting.

The family members felt he had lost his mind, lost everything. So he didn’t quite enjoy total backing from them, sending himself to bible school after he had given his life to Christ and having to use bread as peanut, and from that same bread eat lunch, breakfast and dinner simply because God said take my word to the world. He’s being able to cover the entire continent, no doubt, as a pastor and as an individual. But then God also said to him that as one man, it’d be impossible for you to do that, but by establishing Africa Broadcasting Network, ABN, you’ll be able to reach other ends and there will also be a platform where other ministers of the gospel will be able to reach even those you could not reach. And that was how that vision came. But fortunately and unfortunately, for many years, it’s been African Broadcasting Network until God finally allowed it to be established three years ago. After I married him, I sat him down, I said talk to me, what are your dreams? What did God tell you? And I picked up my jotter and started noting them one after the other.

We were able to do them one after the other, and a time came and I said this African Broadcasting Network, at that time the ministry was 37 years.

So I said no, something has to be done. And then I went to town and did my research.

And came at a point and said we are ready now, we need your blessing. And that’s how it started.

for me. I could remember there was a time I had to go to God and I said You have to talk to me now because You never told me this man was going to be PFN and CAN president.

At my age I cannot become a widow; so You have to assure me that no danger, knowing this man is a man of principle.

Honestly, I stopped reading because it was tearing me apart. I’m a human being.

There were threats from different people. And I mean real threats! And he’s a man that you can't shut up. So what do you do? He’s not going to stop. He’ll tell you well, obviously, this is what the Lord prepared me for, if I have to serve my people. I’ll tell him, this aspect of it is too much for me. I don’t want to lose you and the children are still young to lose their father. The country is not an organ-ized country. He’s a great man. He believes that Niger-ian Christians should not play a second fiddle in their coun-try.

He’s very determined about it.

So what have you decided to do?

The only thing I do is prayer.

I’m always on my knees, I’m always praying that God will see him through and that the Nigeria of his dream will emerge. Because these things have been going on for many years, and these guys have been having their way. There has never been anyone ever standing up to say some of the things my husband says and he’s made a lot of enemies than ever before. I was used to my husband being celebrated across this country. He used to have lots of friends from the North. He has always been a very balanced person.

But now you see people bending the truth for whatever reason. It's heartbreaking!

How many people can he shelter? He’s having to take care of a lot of people in schools, paying school fees as a result of this Boko Haram terrorist attacks. Many he has to house and our finances are being stretched as a result.

How many Nigerians will buy into a cause like this? The fact remains that our president needs to be decisive. We are not saying he should now suddenly be behind Christians. We are just saying he should do the right thing as a president. For many years, we've been made to believe that everybody in the North is a Muslim, until we are beginning to know better now.

When you look at the demographics, you’ll realize that there are major populat-ions in the North that are Christians. They just gave us the impression that they are all Muslims and nobody has said anything because every other person who had come to CAN before now had accepted these misrepresentations. They were even using Christians C M Y K

Pastor (Mrs.) Helen Oritsejafor

For many years, we've been made to believe that everybody in the North is a Muslim against Christians.

There are Christians who believe that the insecurity in the North is not a religious crisis even when churches are being burnt and Christians killed....

Even when the Boko Haram leaders have come out to say it’s religious. So why would someone else give a different interpretation. Every time this

man is interviewed, he comes out to say their intention is to destabilize and Islamise the country. The only thing is that my husband is covered, he’s protected. God is never known to fail. He will continue to sustain him in Jesus' name.

African Broadcasting Network, ABN, is three, which has also coincided with your birthday. What is the success

So it's fully here now, on ground in Warri?

Of course! ABN has been broadcasting for three years now. It’s a satellite station that covers the whole of Africa, part of Europe and part of the Middle East. I mean we’ve been having calls from the Middle East, of people wanting to give their lives to Christ.

Broadcasting from Warri, not Lagos, not Abuja, but from Warri. It’s to tell you that the vision, though it’s hard, one day it’ll speak. God spoke to this man that from this Warri, He will get him to reach the entire world, and it happened.

We’re having people coming from all over the world just to come and see the editing and to be able to say I came to Warri and I saw and I preached in Word of Life Bible Church. It’s unbelievable!

This is a man that was once offered a better arrangement, come to America and we will give you a good church, a house, a car. And he said no, God told me Warri. And he has been able to prove to everyone that if God said it, it’s only a

matter of time. You can imagine a vision that was given 40 years ago just started picking three years ago. And we keep getting better. We have lots of great men on the station. We have the likes of Dr. Morris Cerullo, Joyce Myer, Myles Munroe, Mark Muddock, Bishop Mike Okonkwo, Felix Omobude and so many others on the station. And we have in-house programmes as well; for the youths, for business.

The beauty of ABN is that it’s not just a Christian station, it’s a station with a variety of everything---movies, contemporary issues. You can't get bored watching it, because by the time you watch the preaching programmes, the next thing might be something interesting that deals with issues of life. Very encompassing.

What is your message to Nigerian women?

Women all over the world are marginalized. In developed countries, things are getting better, but not in Nigeria.

What I will say to the Nigerian women is never to give up.

Delay is not denial. They must put aside this competitive spirit that has made the menfolk to overwhelm them. I think we need to copy from other developing countries.

The second aspect is the economic situation of the Nigerian woman. I believe strongly that every woman is created for a purpose, not just to be a kitchen woman in her husband’s house. There are talents and abilities that need to be exploited not just only for the individual growth of the woman but also for the economy. Because at the end of the day, if you check out the population of women in the country and look at the ratio in terms of those who are productive, it’s quite low.

Which means they are losing the skills that would have been used to impact the economy.

They should contribute by making themselves industrious. If you need to go to school, go to school and brush yourself. Thirdly, those who carry guns will definitely be sons to one woman or the other, a brother, an uncle. God has made a woman a channel in many directions. So, if we could use the influence that we have to propagate peace by telling our sons who carry guns or bombs to ask their sponsors to produce their own children to lead such ventures.

They are probably schooling in America. So why waste your life for whatever meagre they will pay you? Even those Boko Haram operatives were born of women. After playing that motherly role, why would you donate that child to end up as a corpse by the roadside. We need to allow reasoning to come so that we can actually have peace. That’s my message to the Nigerian women.

PAGE 48 — SUNDAY VANGUARD,SEPTEMBER 2, 2012

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At 80, Bruce Onobrakpeya urges govt to implement right art policies INTERVIEW Prof. Bruce Onobrakpeya is a household name in Nigeria’s creative industry. He is one of the most documented and oldest practising Nigerian artists. The renowned printmaker, painter and sculptor who is also the founder of Bruce Onobrakpeya Foundation (BOF) has exhibited in leading galleries across the globe, including the famous Tate Modern London, National Museum of African Art of the Smithsonian Institute, in Washington DC etc. Last Thursday,Onabrakpeya turned 80 and as expected his birthday was marked with series of arts events across Nigeria, US and Ireland.

At his modest studio in Papa Ajao Mushin, Art on Sunday caught up with him and he bares his mind on a wide range of issues. Excerpts

S

ERIES of activities were lined up for your 80th birthday cel ebration both in Nigeria and outside, how do you feel for the recognition?

I think my first word is gratitude to God for what he has done for me, for health I got for developing the creative profession, the destiny that led me to the chosen profession and the intellect that God has given to me. I am most grateful to God and I am also very grateful to the environment, including all the people, the schools, the government, the cultural engineers, the journalists, the people who makes it possible for art to be created , enjoyed and disseminated. After God, I am grateful to all of them that made it possible for me to work and do what I have done that have given me recognition and this loud ovation.

Despite your exploits in the art industry, the awards and all that you have achieved, you still said that at 80 you are not done, how do you mean?

I think I described art as life and then when they say when are you going to stop doing arts? I ask the question, when does one stop feeling, when does one stop expressing oneself and it goes on fore ever, even if you are a very old man, you can still feel what is going on, if it is cold you feel cold, if the weather is hot you feel it and all these are things for expression and so as long as you are alive, all these things keep happening to you and you keep expressing them. If one is a writer, one expresses them in writing, if one is an artist one puts them in drawing, painting or sculpture. You see one never stops.

Then the other thing that I had also mentioned is the fact that the end of one particular thing is the beginning of another one. In other words, one art piece is an idea that seem to be put C M Y K

together in one small form, leads to another one because the process of creating one thing opens up other ideas which could be followed in another work. So it is like a chain reaction like an atom, one leads to the other and it continues to go. The works that comes out that I did not complete by the time it is completed some ideas come to be out of it.

There are certain things that were not properly done that has to set upon and done again in another way to get something better and before that one is finished something else comes in, so the world keeps going.

In that case, really one can’t stop, you just go on, go on until one can not see again or one can not feel anything again and that is the time one stops. And you know what that time is, I keep going, I feel great, I am grateful to God. Bruce Onobrakpeya beside some of The Bruce Onabrakpeya Foundation that organises the yearly duce such people again?

Harmattan workshop has tutored Yes, I want to say that Zaria has promany artists and brought fame to duced other generation of artists and Agbarha Otor, but despite the success if I want to mention one generation, it of the workshop, you are still not is the generation that produced Dele done with it?

Jegede, Kolade Osinowo, David Dale Well, right now I think I am grateful etc. In a school such as Zaria, you have . The result that has come from there generations but sometimes the generais something that we can talk about as tion may emerge after 5 or 10 years, a success story, but that does not mean

,

BY JAPHET ALAKAM

My impression is that art is on the move because of the response and enthusiasm from the teachers and lecturers who bring their students to Agbara Otor for the workshop

that we’ve actually reached the peak.

We are still growing and there are still a lot of things to be done in order to make the Workshop reach wider public, reach more people in Nigeria and abroad,and then create more artists, we have that as our task.

T

he number of people who started with us was small but gradually it is growing and we were mainly from Lagos but now people from other parts of the country are there, people from West Africa and people from America, Canada and Belgium are there. We want to make this Harmattan workshop something that can draw people from all parts of Africa and all the continents of the world. It is a continuous growth, but the level we are now, we are grateful, it is a success story but that is not the peak because we are still growing.

You are a product of the Zaria Art school that produced great artists known as the Zaria rebels, after your set has the school been able to pro-

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but there continue to be generations of people coming out and curbing different societal and generational issues so that is Zaria.

We happen to have come with a philosophy that the people who are coming behind still draw from them, but the people who are coming out now have different messages and they are producing works that are fine. I want to say that the generation that came from Zaria also branched into Nsukka and now developed the Uli concept so you see that Zaria is one and other generations that have been coming are producing good things.

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here is this saying that Art education is on the decline, if it is so what is the way out.

I don’t believe that, my impression is that art is on the move, because the response and enthusiasm from the teachers and lecturers who bring their students to Agbarha Otor for the workshop and the clamour for visits from schools to the place is encouraging.

his art works So with the interest that is in the air about arts, I think art is growing. In the olden days we have only Yabatech and Zaria that have art departments but now every state have a university and they offer art courses. Apart from the universities, we also have polytechnic and colleges of education and they all have art departments, so you know have art been taught in all the schools and if you put the number of the students reading art you find out that the number is growing.

What is your take on the return of the stolen works to the country?

It is a good thing that the cultural property that left the country years are been returned. We are praying that more and more should be returned. The concern in many quarters is that when these things return, how do we look after them. While the museums and monuments are there, they are doing things to make sure that what ever comes back is properly displayed to the benefit of every one. I know for sure that some corporate bodies have joined the Federal government to improve our personal museum and I think that improvement should spread to the states so that any thing that is returned will find a proper place for display.

What you just said reminds me of the destruction of art works at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, So won't such fate befall the returned works?

For now I have not seen any deformation, but we just mentioned this last Sunday at Freedom Park, when government or private bodies become very uninterested in art works that has been created, it is for the people to draw their attention and talk about it so that whatever wrong that has been done should be repaired.

It is the same thing that we did with the artifacts that were outside.

Continues on page 49

SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012, PAGE 49

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Living life devoid of depression

BY PRISCA SAM-DURU

BOOK REVIEW

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EPRESSION is hardly an issue anyone is interested in talking about in this part of the world how much more, publishing a whole book on the issue yet, it is ravaging Nigerians especially, the cream of the society.

A critical survey of the country which is in the doldrums, a situation widely blamed on bad leadership, it would be discovered that to a large extent, most citizens of this great country are left to despair.

Recent reports on embezzlement of public funds by people in power which run in trillions when placed side by side with the fact that many citizens of this once great country can no longer afford one balanced meal a day is the height of irony and this, unarguably, is enough to get the impoverished masses, depressed.

In a bid to escape despondency brought about by the masses’ inability to benefit from the treasures of the land, it has been discovered that while so many get involved in vices as a means of survival or a way of escape, others simply get swallowed up in their situation.

L

ittle wonder more graduates and even undergraduates are getting involved in armed robbery on a daily basis. In addition, there are more startling reports on the despicable acts perpetrated by armed robbers and assassins during their ungodly operation such as engineering incest which are hitherto an anathema. There have also been cases of suicide, murder and man slaughter which are also, fast becoming a daily occurrence.

All these and more according to Raphael Ikedi in what he termed, “A Self-Help Book on Health and Happiness” for every family titled, “How to Handle Depression and Live Happily (Practical Approach without Meditation), are results of depression.

The 121 page book which the Anambra State born graduate of Abia State University, Uturu says is for everyone but precisely, for victims of depression or C M Y K

people who have depressed relatives in the society.

In the well detailed book, the young author who was once a victim of depression describes depression as a possible risk factor for suicide, self mutilation and several physical health problems. In addition to the identification of situations that can lead to an individual becoming depressed and some of the resultant effects, the book also proffers non medication means of getting out of the trauma which Ikedi terms “a sure way out of the sound health destroyer”. Ikedi also documents in the book that common evidences in people’s individual lives which are partly discussed above are in line with World Health Organisation’s (WHO) prediction which has it that by 2020, depression would be the greatest burden of illness after heart disease, and this makes it a global burden that reduces quality of people’s lives.

It is unfortunate however as noted in the book that depression is not openly spoken of for the mere fact that people may view sufferer as mentally deranged, yet in Africa society, the health problem is pervasive.

Double thumbs up for Ikedi for this new offering on a very interesting and important topic and for also sharing his experience as a victim. More heartening about the book is the author’s ability to educate readers on the medication free method which saw him out of the trauma. The book is a priceless material, an eye opener to the public and a must read for every family.

Bruce Onobrakpeya@80 Continued from page 48 People talked and debated about them and they are been returned now. In similar way, the artworks that are in our public places , we should talk about them, not necessarily those at the MMA but those that in public places. We should talk about those things that have been judged fetish and removed or destroyed and I think that concerns me more than the ones in MMA. For those ones in MMA, I think people that are working there are very sensitive to the fact that those things are cultural property, if they remove them in order to renovate the place, I m sure they are going to bring them back again.

So I have that faith but things that are put in public square like the one in Warri, for instance that was very beautiful that was taken away, I asked why, I said where is that work? so that it can be collected and placed somewhere, they

,

Our art has grown in very many dimensions and is a subject of pride which is comparable to other professions

,

Bruce Onobrakpeya said it have been destroyed, weather it is true or not, I don’t know but that is a sad thing, I think we should look into. For one thing art works that are between the traditional and modern that are in public spaces should be kept there , nobody has the right to go and remove or destroy them.

Looking at art practice in Nigeria generally now and how it was when you people started, what can you say about it?

I think it is a leap from twilight to bright light because when we started a lot of people in the country didn’t even know that as an artist you can feed, talk less of gaining respect as a member of the society. But all that is a thing of the past now, today the artist have a lot of respect and they can feed themselves, do a lot of things.

They have become very proud people, they have created a lot of pride to their own family, community, place where they came from and done the country very well.

And art to some extent has made the artist to become cultural ambassadors at large and where ever they go outside the country they project the image of the country and people are recognising them and supporting them to grow.

Artist are now making money n the other side, I think the story you will like to hear most of the time is that today, the artist are now making money and that is true, now we have auctions that are set up and both young and old are able to hit some jackpot and take super prizes. That kind of money has many dimensions of improving creativity. If you know that the work you do is going to be appreciated, not only just the money that comes through it, then you can go on to invest in it, put in your time and money and so what I will say is that the conditions now is much more better than when we started.

We were few then, but now we are very many, at that time there were few art admirers, lovers and collectors but now they are very many. At

O

How to Handle Depression And Live Happily (A practical Approach Without Medication) ; Rapael T Ikedi; Tayos Falas Nig, Enterprise, Ejigbo, Lagos. PP. 121.

that time our contemporary art was not recognised abroad, they taught that we were mimicking our ancestors and copying from the west, but now our art is regarded and go to auctions and all that.So we have recognition in the country and abroad.

And all that make for the statement that our art has grown in very many dimensions and is a subject of pride which is comparable to other professions.

What is your advice to the government?

My advice sterns around the government policy. The government makes right policy but they should also have the courage to urge the parastatals that should implement these policies to do so. Once these policies are implemented we will surely have good galleries, get some assistance for artists like some money that is there that should be given to artists to help them in upgrading their facilities. Only yesterday,

we were discussing about the fate of book publication particularly art book publication in this country. Books are expensive and when they are produced because they become expensive, people don’t buy them so the people who suffer to produce them do not break even, they don’t get back their money. What we are saying is that the government should implement cultural policies that is in place that is very well packaged so that money that is divided here and there can be distributed and it touches the artist in such a way that the artist can do what he wants to do. here should be a endowment some where, that is some money created that artists, writers, professors or publishers can dip hand into and use to prosecute their work. We have equivalent thing in America, national endowment and the other endowment. Usually when you have a project say book or any other thing, you can apply for fund from it and carry out whatever you want to do. Government should implement the policy to the fullest with other good things that will make the art go higher.

We need a contemporary gallery, we haven’t got any, the planned one for Abuja is not ready, we don’t only need it in Abuja, we need one for every state capital and cities in the country. We need a place where art works can be displayed for the enjoyment of the ordinary person.

Art works take time and money to produce and not every body can owe them, but if government builds a place and make it so well then it will be possible for the ordinary people to walk into the place and enjoy the works of Nigerians. Example of such a place is the Freedom Park built in the heart of old Lagos, such idea should be replicated all over the country.

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PAGE 50—SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012

VIEWPOINT

BY DANIEL ALABRAH VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF

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N his book, The Brit ish Press and the Nigerian Civil War: The Godfather Complex, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi refers to a plethora of reports in the Western press of the civil war era that put up skewed statistics to paint the Nigerian government as a colossal failure, undeserving of international sympathy in its war against secession. Akinyemi writes: “…because Nigeria was a British creation, and in their perception, Britain’s reputation as a good coloniser and decoloniser depended on Nigeria’s good behavior, they felt as though they had a right to lecture and, some might say, abuse Nigerians and that Nigerians had a duty to obey.”

Akinyemi, a former External Affairs Minister of Nigeria, goes on to quote the British Daily Telegraph, in its editorial of June 1, 1967, as supporting the break-up of Nigeria. The paper declared: “No outside authority should meddle with this African affair…Biafra should be left alone. This applies to the United Nations, to

WSJ report: Another conspiracy from abroad?

Britain and, in a military sense, to Federal Nigeria… Secession need not be a crime… There will certainly be a scratching of heads in the Organization of African Unity before recognizing Biafra”.

As he concludes the book, Akinyemi writes: “The most apt comment on the British press was

by Brigadier Sir Bernard Ferguson in The Times of 12 December 1968: “Now that I am wiser by five weeks… I have at least learnt that much of what I had deduced from the press was wrong.”

Pretty little has changed in the Western media’s view of events here in Nigeria more than four decades after.

Run-of-the-mill challenges of nationhood are magnified as intractable crises while whatever the government does right is either little noticed or put down as a mere footnote in a hyped reportage. A kind of a micro dot as Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka would put it.

It is precisely what we

are witnessing as the whole of Nigeria along with the international community is celebrating the roaring success of the Federal Government’s Amnesty Programme. But pity Western journalists! They are not part of the party.

A few days ago, in con-

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Payments to ex-militant leaders to secure oil pipelines as propaganda

ing newspapers in Nigeria the following day.

The report is quite long on the pimples on the young blossoming face of the amnesty programme, which it contemptuously calls “gilded pacification”, and short on the enormous economic, political and social gains it

The amnesty programme is only three years old and the team led by its Chairman/Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, Hon Kingsley Kuku, has been broadening and fine-tuning it for better acceptability

cert with a section of the local media, Drew Hinshaw of the United States-based Wall Street Journal ran a report on alleged payments to former Niger Delta militant leaders for securing pipelines in Nigeria’s main oil and gas region.

First published in the Wall Street Journal on August 22, it hit the pages of almost all the lead-

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has garnered for the country.

The recurring complaint in the report is two-fold: far too much cash is being spent on winning peace under the amnesty programme, and the recourse to the reformed militants to keep watch over the Niger Delta pipelines they used to vandalize.

One can safely dismiss

the first grouse by insisting that if amnesty has offered so much to keep the peace and stabilize the economy (for local and international investors to have confidence in Nigeria), then it deserves whatever it requires to continue that mission. Nigeria’s oildriven economy is now projected at a sprightly 7.1% in the current fiscal year owing to the stability in the Niger Delta. A recent study puts this at par with the growth rate of South Africa, the continent’s largest economy.

If we sustain this with the present push for a policy to diversify our economy by supporting non-oil-based sectors like agriculture, we would certainly not be bellyaching about undue dependence on oil with its attendant grief. Amnesty is making this a realistic possibility. We need to continue to invest in it the way you invest in a child in the hope that it would grow into maturity and give invaluable service to the society. Is it preferable to

lose, as it were, one billion naira in order to preserve one million naira?

The second leg of the criticism is that the employment of rehabilitated agitators to guard pipelines is not workable.

Why not? Who else are better placed to protect the creeks? The current practise worldwide in troubled regions is to make aggrieved combatants part of the solution to the crisis.

Even then, the veracity of the report is called to question by the former militant leaders themselves as one of them, Government Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo), not only described it as a figment of the writer’s imagination but also as “blatant falsehood and arrant nonsense.”

The amnesty programme is only three years old and the team led by its Chairman/Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, Hon Kingsley Kuku, has been broadening and fine-tuning it for better acceptability and final delivery as a radical and courageous solution to a protracted problem. We cannot say because of the challenges associated with the programme we will abandon it altogether. We cannot give up this nationalistic enterprise in spite of local and international conspiracy! *Alabrah is Head, Media and Communications at the Presidential Amnesty Office, Abuja.

Exposing PDP the more

BY PATRICK OMORODION

VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF PDP in the aftermath of the Edo poll.

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don’t know who John Ainofenokhai is but from his name he must be from Edo North Senatorial District, same area with Comrade Governor Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole.

After reading his piece, Governorship election: The PDP exemplar in Edo in the Sunday Vanguard of August 19, 2012, I concluded that he is either a PDP card-carrying member or a sympathiser of the party.

Ainofenokhai, like most PDP people, was stingy with the truth in his piece and like the PDP candidate in the July 14 election, General Charles Airhiavbere, he goofed and exposed both the PDP and their candidate as very unserious and deserve what they

got at the polls.

During the campaigns and the much publicised debate, Airhiavbere displayed ignorance of the state he yearned to govern and gave Oshiomhole the arsenals with which he punctured all the ideas he canvassed.

I remember the General standing in a compound of one of the schools the Oshiomhole government refurbished to declare that when voted into power, he was going to refurbish all the dilapidated schools the ACN government had abandoned. If his PDP audience who were listening to him didn’t pinch themselves in astonishment, those of us watching on the television that day were ashamed of the calibre of candidate the PDP was presenting to challenge a ‘working’ governor.

Going back to Ainofenokhai’s piece, he exposed the PDP as a body led by leaders who were not interested in quality leadership for Edo. If not, why would a

party which claims to mean well for the state and was planning to ‘capture’ the state from the ACN because it wanted to revive it (who destroyed it in the first place) choose a political neophyte like Airhiavbere as its candidate for the so-called rescue mission it was planning for Edo State.

Ainofenokhai alluded that the PDP candidate, in seeming disagree-

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VIEWPOINT

“Anyway, he (Airhiavbere) he is yet to fully cut his teeth in politics.

He is just about a year in the PDP and was privileged to have emerged the candidate of the party in line with some wellthought out political strategy.” Thought out political strategy indeed.

From this, it is now clear that some top leaders of the PDP in Edo were not really interested in getting the best to

it is now clear that some top leaders of the PDP in Edo were not really interested in getting the best to govern the state but someone they could manipulate

ment with his party over the decision not to challenge Oshiomhole’s victory at the polls, insisted on going to the tribunal to file a petition. But read this line from his piece and judge whether the PDP is a party to be taken seriously anymore.

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govern the state but someone they could manipulate.

No wonder former governor, Professor Oserhiemen Osunbor, and one of those who vied for the party’s ticket at the election but was schemed out, pulled his supporters into the ACN for Os-

hiomhole and boldly told the world that since he wanted to come back and continue his work to reposition Edo but had seen someone (Oshiomhole) who is already doing what he was planning, he had no choice but to support him.

After Osunbor lost his seat to Oshiomhole at the election tribunal, the PDP told the world that their candidate actually won the election but the ACN bought the tribunal judgment to remove him from office. If that was the case, why was the professor not returned as the party’s candidate to reclaim the mandate wrongfully snatched at the tribunal? Why bring a fresh candidate, one who Ainofenokhai described as “yet to fully cut his teeth in politics (and) about a year in the PDP?” Everyone except those in the PDP bigwigs who are experts in election rigging was aware that Edo people, including the traditional institution, were all for Oshiom-

hole’s re-election and there was no way he would lose to the PDP candidate.

The drama at the Oba’s palace prior to the election when the PDP entourage led by President Goodluck Jonathan visited was enough signal that it would be difficult for the PDP to win and the president understood it clearly.

That was why at the party’s rally at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, his swan song was ‘one man, one vote’, a slogan Oshiomhole himself introduced into the political lexicon of Edo and Nigeria at large.

Only one man deserves that credit and he is Jonathan who believes Oshiomhole won clean and clear. One of their own, Dr Samuel Ogbemudia, knew what the outcome of the election would be and he stayed at the background all through the PDP campaign in Edo State.

*Omorodion is resident in Lagos.

Contribution of not more than 1,200 words should be sent to sundayvanguard@yahoo.com C M Y K

SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012, PAGE 51

A governor in traffic chaos VIEWPOINT VIEWPOINT

BY RASHEED OJIKUTU VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF Thumbs up for the new Lagos Traffic Law

G

OVERNOR Ba batunde Raji Fashola has been in the news for some weeks for what many residents of Lagos State has termed “a draconian traffic law”. It is indeed very regrettable that the governor has continuously stressed himself thin to explain the benefits of the new law to his detractors, who are largely those who double speak on the sanity of the Nigerian nation. In the adage of the Yoruba of South West, “ Enu ti won fi npe ade gun, ni won fi npe ade o gun”, literally meaning

motor park causing extensive traffic chaos and danger to the lives of other people. Broken down vehicles would rather be repaired right at the centre of the express way by their drivers rather than pushed to the lay-by provided for it. Observing the traffic discipline in Lagos, it is very difficult to make a distinction between those acting in ignorance and those who are simply not in control of their minds. A Lagos driver would stop his car right in the middle of the road to chat with an acquaintance. While the discussion lasted, heavy traffic is built up with the discussants unperturbed and indifferent to the suffering of fellow road users. Anybody who is daring enough to complain is treated with disdain and sometimes assaulted.

No responsible government, in the name of democracy, would fold its arms and allow these avoidable losses in terms of human and material resources to continue unabated

,

that “they talk from both sides of their mouth”.

The subject here is not contentious at all, except for those who see immorality as a saintly act.

There is no intellectually balanced being who would travel across Lagos State without noticing the extent of pandemonium in our traffic system. A foreign friend of mine once described the Nigerians road users as “a people in a mental asylum”.

Our roads are largely avoidable death traps that are due to the irresponsible conduct of the users. While commercial bus drivers are “insane”, private car owners contest with one another to exhibit their “dexterity in lunacy”. Drivers entering a major intersection on the road rush into it as if the lives of other road users are irrelevant or inconsequential.

Commercial vehicles abandon designated bus stop to discharge passengers at the centre of the main road. Top of bridges are turned to bus stops and sometimes

,

For a minor collision on the road, most of which are outcomes of impatience , drivers would engage in fisticuffs instead of approaching the insurance company to make a claim, the resultant effect of which would be a long traffic blockade that would last for hours.

The Bus Rapid Transits driver, who manages a bus that is supposed to be a “ government” sponsored vehicle, drive like “ an elephant having a date”, threatening to crush anything on his way. There seems to be no limit to the irrational conduct of drivers on our road. Every morning, the Montgomery Road, around Hebert Macaulay Junction in Yaba is blocked because commercial bus drivers would rather pick and drop passengers on the main road than use the adjacent long stretch of beautiful bus stops built for that purpose by the state government. The same situation is routinely replicated in CMS, Idumota, Obalende, Ikorodu, Oshodi

and many other trouble spots in Lagos.

Bringing Okada into the picture would plot a graph of the traffic gloom on our road. Apart from reckless and unchecked Okada menace. The Okada rider has constituted himself into a major social nuisance with his unskilled manner of riding his motorbikes a conduct that daily translates into the death and maiming of the lives of hundreds of our people.

Somehow, road junctions have been turned into parks for Okada and this further blocks the roads.

People driving against the traffic (one way) and those who contravene the traffic signals are a common sight in Lagos.

It is not uncommon in Lagos to encounter people making phone calls while driving and there is hardly a day that a truck or Danfo does not veer-off the road crushing, maiming and killing pedestrians and even people within the confines of their homes. Often, heavy duty containers fall-off from trucks to crush cars and kill drivers while petrol tankers’ accidents have become a daily routine. No responsible government, in the name of democracy, would fold its arms and allow these avoidable losses in terms of human and material resources to continue unabated.

Manhole covers on the main roads are yanked from the space housing them by thieves, thereby creating a trap for pedestrians and motorists.

There are other problems that are traceable to the greed and avarice of desperate local government officials who choose to build clamps and kiosks on road side, such as in Yaba, Oyingbo, Ladipo and may other locations that have become eyesores in Lagos.

My only fear is that irresponsible criticism such as we are witnessing at the moment may make the governor develop cold feet in the implementation of a very good and acceptable law. *Ojikutu, a professor, is of the Faculty of Business Administration, University of Lagos, Akoka.

PAGE 52—SUNDAY VANGUARD,SEPTEMBER 2, 2012

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Spirit of love

hat is love? Love is the light from the moon, the ray from the sun, the mystery of the abyss.

Where is love? Deep in our souls, in the chambers of our heart, inside the hemispheres of our brain, within every shed of light to the strangers in the dark, Love exists beyond time and measurement, for love is uncanny, the extraordinary element, without love, we are astoundingly weak, and the world is bleak, for love is the foundation and the peak, love is necessary for internal and external peace. cheers !

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SUNDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012 — 53

Like I said earlier, the girls played according to instruction and they deserved their victory. The pressure was more on the opponents and you could see how the referee was blowing against us. But that is part of the game. There are so many lessons to be learned from that match. But as we prepare for the next match we would correct our mistakes.

May God punish me if I sleep with my girls — Okon O F

alconets’coach Edwin Okon is a man on a mission at the ongoing FIFA Under20 women’s Women Cup. He told Sunday Vanguard Sports that his girls are good for the cup, which they came close to winning two years back in Germany. He also talked on his relationship with the girls, saying they are like his children and that he would never mess with them.

BY KATE OBODO, JAPAN

F

eeling I feel good, and the good thing was that we are in the semifinal and the girls worked accord-

ing to instructions, despite losing many scoring chances. But the most importantly is that we won and are on track to get to the final.

Lessons from the match against Mexico

n semifinal match against USA We will take the game as it comes and I believe God, who is the decider of everything, will decide in our favour. Once God decides, no man can change it. If God says the trophy will come to Nigeria, no problem! If no, there are still no problems, but we would take the game as it comes.

How do you manage your girls?

I’m a principle person and I take my girls like my children and I don’t

Coach Okon dishes tips to his girls think I have any contrary thought towards them. I have not seen a situation where male coaches sleep with their female player. I am a married

man and I am happy with the wife.

H

ave you ever been accused of sleeping with your girls?

No and may God punish me if I sleep with my girls. Like I said earlier, they are like my children and I don’t think such thought would ever cross my mind.

London 2012: More revelations on Nigeria

BY PEPSI OGECHI ADIUKWU

I

sat waiting for the May or of London Boris Johnson, Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport Jeremy Hunt, and LOCOG chair Lord Coe. The event was the after games media briefing at the London Media Centre. One can feel the excitement and calm. This clan of journalists will have to really dig deep and hard to find negatives today as opposed to a similar setting at the beginning of the games.

I cast my mind back to another press briefing a few days earlier, that time it was at the Nigeria House, we were waiting for the Sports Minister, the NSC DG, the NOC president and others.

The journalists on this occasion had no problems with finding negatives, many voices including mine, expressed anger at corruption amongst other issues responsible for our dismal outing.

Boris Johnson told us that, as well as being the most successful ever, the 2012 Olympic Games had exceeded many expectations with records smashed not just by Team GB athletes but right across the capital, from transport to tourism.

The Nigeria Sports Minister, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi told us that he had learned many lessons, that hard work, good preparations and not prayers, win medals. He said that the country cannot achieve much if a lot of money is not

injected into sports. Abdullahi said: “Olympic medals are all about hard cash”.

During the press briefing others made contributions and asked questions regarding sports development from the schools, clubs etc. I focused my comments and question on corruption because as I pointed out, there were no new ideas or contributions offered- including mine- they were all rhetorical. What we lacked was the will to do the fit and proper thing.

The purpose of this exposé is to reveal the way and manner a part of the N2.3billion naira reported to have been given to the sports ministry was wasted in London with the summation that had this money been received and put to better use at the appropriate time, the Nigeria 2012 experience would have been a different one.

T

he above summation is not rocket science; indeed all the stake holders know this. What then is stopping the government, the NSC and the NOC from doing the fit and proper thing?

The answer lies in the way a huge part of our ‘Olympic’ money was spent in London. All the beneficiaries of this money are culpable in our Olympic 2012 failure. The custom of “Official Delegation” - the gold mine of competitions, that benefits civil servants in the sports ministry, members of the national assembly, spiritual/ royal leaders, politicians

from business class return tickets to hotels, etc.

I have not bothered to mention the monies given to the NOC and the Federations for the Olympics - they need to account for them of course- those are bona fide and proper allocations.

T

Okagbare right in action at the Olympics etc. and their followers, continued at the London O l y m p i c s .

Many of them fed fat from the N2.3billion naira; they were flown to London, some to Jeddah via London, given free accommodation, food and full estacodes.

Many of them enjoyed the ‘national cake’ more than the real [fit and proper] “Official Delegation” the athletes, coaches and sports administrators representing Nigeria at the Games.

An official of Lagos Sports Writers’ Association of Nigeria (SWAN) said that the Lagos and Abuja SWAN were each given N5million naira.

An inside source who was horrified at the amount of fifty pound notes packed into envelopes and given as estacodes to the “Official Delegation” asked rhetorically...’millions of Nigerians are hungry, there are no sports facilities and

this amount of money is available to be shared here’?

W

e gathered that cer tain flights were from Lagos-London-Jeddah. What Olympic event was scheduled for Jeddah!!?

Most of the “Official Delegation” (Hundreds) did not go to watch a single Olympic event, he added. He was also livid at the fact that a top member of the National Assembly chose to rent a Mercedes at seventy five pounds an hour instead of making use of the 2012 BMW brand new car designated to him for the Olympics.

We also gathered that a Governor from the south came for the opening ceremony went back to Nigeria and later returned for the closing ceremony.

The audacity of it all was such that a delegate, who was neither an athlete nor a coach but one of the beneficiaries who received en-

velopes filled with fifty pound notes harassed a top director in the sports ministry and demanded for more.

All those who partook in the sharing of the N2.3billion naira as mentioned above are implicitly saying to the government, it is alright; in fact it is preferable that you release funds a few months before the Olympics as we will find ways to spend them.

The message should have been - spearheaded by the NSC, we needed these funds (and more) four years ago but since it has come this late, we will state our plans and purpose for sports development by investing three quarters of this money into transparent initiatives that we will kick off as soon as we get back.

We did not need the hundreds of people we flew, housed and paid to be in London. There were so many areas that money could have been saved,

he Minister at the press briefing told the Doubting Thomas’s present to have faith. As much as the head takes the lion share of the accolades/ blame in victory or failure, we are mindful of the fact that the Minister came into this office a few months ago and has not had the time to implement his ideas.

As I told him during the press briefing, his success will largely be determined by how the NOC and NSC carry out their responsibilities and it is his responsibility to ensure that both are responsible and accountable.

The future is not far away; as President Goodluck Jonathan has ordered “a total and comprehensive re-organisation.”

We hope this will be done to ensure that only those with CCI (people who are committed, competent and with integrity) are left to run our sports.

We should not hesitate for one minute to put the blame on the sports minister if the future becomes the present.

To all responsible…are there any funds remaining and have we plans to allocate them?

54 — SUNDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012

Why I’m living from hand to mouth —- Okorodudu

J

cause I kept telling them what I want. Ekeji said I was not going to be reinstated even though a letter to that effect was signed.

ERRY Okorodudu shot into global lime light at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, where he boxed his way to the quarterfinal stage. That was his finest moment. Today, his story has changed for the worst as he is facing a survival battle. On August 24, he clocked 50 but did not celebrate because of the situation he faces. His case is a pitiable one as JOHN EGBOKHAN, discovered, during a chat with the pugilist at the National Stadium in Lagos. Excerpts In the Beginning

W

HAT I’m facing now was caused by my father, who was an ardent christian to the extent that he instilled the habit of stating the truth in me My father was the type of man who would punish his children if they failed to say the truth, no matter what. I grew up in that set up and imbibed this art of speaking the truth, no matter who was offended.

But sadly, Nigerians do not like the truth. In fact, the truth gets you into trouble in Nigeria even to the extent that a former Secretary of the Nigeria Amateur Boxing Association, one day called me and said that the truth that I am always fighting for was complicating my problems by the day. He said that those that I am fighting for are the ones working against me. He said Nigerians do not like those who fight for the truth But the problem is that the system of sports administration in Nigeria is corrupt and

does not recognise truthful people. I don’t like this sort of system and that is why my life is like this.

Fighting injustuce

I started fighting injustice may years ago. Being someone who studied sports not only in Nigeria but also abroad, I was always running into trouble with administrators, who felt that sports people were drop-outs. But my grouse with them is that they are feeding from what the dropouts were doing, without due recognition of our efforts. They easily gorget that in boxing, your mentality needs to be very high for you to win a bout. Boxing is more of an intellectual sport because you use your brain to fight. It is not about power alone, so they were wrong to label boxers mere drop-outs. I fought that tag and they decided to deal with me for standing up for the truth.

Living from hand to mouth

B

•Okorodudu Olympics flop

O

ur shameful perfor mance at the London Olympics Games was expected. Look at the boxers we took to London, they were chosen from the Sports Festival and were largely greenhorns and you expected them to box their way to medals in London. It was a mission impossible because they were not the best at the festival. In fact, the officiating at the festival was very bad, as states wanted to win medals at all cost, which made them to compromise the referees and judges.

The painful aspect was that the secretary at that time was the one who invited the boxers at that festival to national camp for the London Games. I complained that this was bad

but they shouted me down but look at the shame that they have brought to this country, with talented boxers

My tenure

In 2003, during the All Africa Games in Abuja, I was mandated by Dr. Patrick Ekeji to take charge of boxing and to the glory of God, my boxers win four gold, two silver and two bronze medals. Six of my boxers qualified for the 2004 Olympics in Athens, where two boys got to the quarterfinal At the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, two of my boxers got silver medals. These were good times for Nigerian boxing and some people were not happy with me because I was always asking for a freehand to to do my job. I lost out be-

ecause of my finan cial plight, I’ve been leaving from hand to mouth. Sadly, my wife is the bread winner of the home and I don’t have a say in my home. It is very bad, because I don’t money, so I live at the mercy of some Nigerians.

This is what our sports authorities have reduced me to. My case is at the Court of Appeal. We have been there in the last three years, without any meaningful progress while my situation is getting worse by the minute. It is so sad that we use our sportsmen and dump them at will. My salary is not up to N200,000 if reinstated as national boxing coach yet, people want me to suffer and die just like that. I’m an Olympic silver medalist, a Commonwealth silver medalist and an African champion but when you see me, you see poverty written all over me.......

To the glory of God, two of my daughters, who are graduates are consoling me that things will be well but how can I be at ease when my life has been a living hell. I will be 50 years on Friday (yesterday) but I have nothing to celebrate

about. I do not have money to even by myself a bottle of coke. I depend of people to give me stipends to get on with the day.

President jonathan’s role

When President Goodluck Jonathan, who like me is from the Niger Delta region, declared his ambition to contest for the post of the President of Nigeria, I was so excited and gave him my maximum support. I was one of the sports persons who championed his cause and mobilised my colleagues to vote for him because I thought that his victory was going to usher in a new lease on life for sportsmen.

But more than a year down the line, things have changed for the worst because I see that there is no light at the end of the tunnel. My effort was in vain because theyused and dumped me in the end.

Birthday wish

My birthday wish is for the National Sports Commission to give me back my job. After serving my country meritoriously, the least that I deserve from those running our sports is to give me back my job.

I have not been paid for 17 years because I spoke the truth, which was one of the virtues that I learnt from my father. It is so sad that I am paying for my father’s policy.

FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Oparanozie vows to shoot down USA •says Falconets were selfish against Mexico

D

ESIRE Oparanozie scored the only goal that powered Nigeria to the semifinals of the ongoing FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup here in Japan. In this Interview with Sunday Vanguard Sports, the beautiful striker, while reflecting on the last game against Mexico, x-rays Tuesday ’s semifinal match against the United State of America,She also talks about her personal life and men. Excerpts!

By KATE OBODO, JAPAN

M

ood after the game against

Mexico It was a great thing especially because I saved my country from the unknown, How Mexican defence was unlocked?

Actually, we were so determined even before the game. Also before the

match started, we resolved that we would score and win. That was why we kept on pushing and we didn’t keep our head down till we were able to succeed.

Still on Mexico We were really selfish against Mexico and did not play as a team. All the

players were just on their own, wanting to score goals without doing the right thing as a team. Also, we did not do well in the attack and we were very selfish and at the same time holding too much to the ball. Everybody wanted to score, forgetting that we are a team. But we have been spoken to by the coach on how disarm the USA..

A

gainst USA on Tuesday, what is the target?

We would put everything in the hands of God and at the same time, we are doing our best to ensure that we overpower USA. Although they are a very

good side side but I strongly believe that we would over power them.

For now we are working seriously on the attack and defense departments. And we hope to do our best at the end.

H

ow I manage my male admirers There have been so many admirers but what can I do than to be nice to them.

Are you into a relationship?

Yes, am into a relationship How do you unwind?

I like to stay at home My best food is garri (eba) because it gives a lot of energy.

•Oparanozie

SUNDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012 — 55

Serena still favourite —Azarenka T

OP seed Victoria Az arenka believes Serena Williams is still the one to beat at the US Open despite her own strong displays.

Azarenka has dropped just six games in her opening three matches,

underlining her title credentials. But the world number one still feels Williams, the Wimbledon champion and Olympic gold medallist, deserves to be favourite.

“She played great this summer. You cannot

deny that she has been on top of everyone, that’s for sure,” Azarenka said.

“It’s kind of exciting to see what’s going to happen her, seeing as it’s the last grand slam of the year. I don’t know, we’ll see what happens but, as I said, she’s dangerous on every surface.”

Serena sweeps into fourth round

S

ERENA Williams reeled off the last eight games and reached the U.S. Open’s fourth round with a 6-4, 6-0 victory Saturday over 42nd-ranked Ekaterina Makarova of Russia, who upset the American at the Australian Open in January.

The fourth-seeded Williams hit eight aces and won 32 of the 40 points she served. The match was even at 4-all in the first set, when Williams broke the left-handed Makarova for the first time to seize control in Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Williams’ fourth-round

loss to Makarova in Melbourne is the only defeat in 22 Grand Slam matches against lefties for the 14time major champion.

This time, though, Williams built a 31-10 edge in winners and moved a step closer to a fourth U.S. Open title.

•Sharapova

Gold medals pour in for Nigeria Continued backpage

from

Oyema, who was emotional while celebrating her record breaking feat, said that what she achieved in London was a product of her undying drive for excellence.

“Hard work pays. I thank God that I succeeded when people had written me off. Thanks to God and I would continue trying to be better each day”, she told reporters.

And bolstered by the heroics of Oyema, Onaolopo, who was the next Nigerian to compete in the power-lifting event, put up a breathtaking performance in the women’s 52kg, with a 131kg world record haul haul, which sclaiming the gold medal and also set a new world record in her

event.

It was a day to remember for both para-lifters, whose world record feats, would take some time to be broken, given the kilogram of weight lifted.

So far, power-lifting has fetched Nigeria all the medals at the Games. As at press time, Nigeria had four gold and three silver medals to place seventh on the medal table. China was leading with 15 gold, 11 silver and 17 bronze medals while Great Britain and Australia were second and third respectively,with nine gold apiece, although Britain has won 14 silver while the Aussies has 5.

And bolstered by the heroics of Oyema, Onaolopo, who was the next Nigerian to compete in the power-lifting event, put

up a breathtaking performance in the women’s 52kg, with a 131kg world record haul, to land gold.

It was a day to remember for both para-lifters, whose world record feats, would take some time to be broken, given the kilogram of weight lifted.

So far,, power-lifting has fetched Nigeria all the medals at the Games. As at last night, Nigeria had four gold and three silver medals to place seventh on the medal table.

China was leading with 15 gold, 11 silver and 17 bronze medals while Great Britain and Australia were second and third respectively,with nine gold apiece, although Britain has won 14 silver while the Aussies has 5.

Sharapova continues to blaze trail

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USSIAN Maria Sharapova continued her imperious march through the draw at the US Open as she crushed American college player Mallory Burdette 6-1 61. The French Open champion, winner in New York in 2006, needed just 58 minutes to send world number 252 Burdette packing. “She’s got a big solid game from the back and I wanted to take that away from her,” Sharapova said.

“It’s good to go a round further than last year.”

Sharapova, who has lost just seven games in her first three matches, now

Liberia launch ‘Operation Crush’ Eagles L IBERIA’s crucial 2013 AFCON first leg encounter against the Super Eagles of Nigeria on September 8 has been described as Operation Crush Nigeria, and Liberians have been urged to demonstrate their support towards the operation’s success.

At a well attended news conference yesterday at the LFA’s Benson Street office, mobilization chairman Hon. Edwin Snowe

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said all is set for the eventual victory over the Super Eagles.

“We are calling on all Liberians to make a commitment to support the national team,” he said.

He said much has been done behind the scene as far as mobilizing Liberian people is concerned and the committee is asking all Liberians to make a commitment to support their national team.

He said on Tuesday,

September 4, Chief Patron President Ellen JohnsonSirleaf would launch the official activities towards the encounter, which is set on September 8, at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex.

He said seven thousand tickets will be available to Liberian soccer fans so that they can support their team in their national colors of red, white and blue.

He reminded Liberians that what was done in the

past could be repeated, explaining that in 2001, when the Super Eagles came for an encounter, the stadium remained empty because the opinion was that Nigeria would bury Liberia with massive goals.

“When the time came,” he said, “Liberia defeated Nigeria 2-1.” He said history can repeat itself if Liberians will provide the necessary support to the national cause.

plays either another Russian, Nadia Petrova, or

Czech Lucie Safarova

Radwanska tops Jankovic

S

ECOND-seeded Ag nieszka Radwanska beat former top-ranked player Jelena Jankovic in straight sets to match her best result at the U.S.

Open.

Radwanska won 6-3, 75 on Saturday to make the fourth round at Flushing Meadows for the first time since 2008.

Mikel tips Chelsea to bounce back

M

IKEL Obi has ad mitted Chelsea shame from a 4-1 battering by Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup, but assured they will fight b a c k .

“The result was embarrassing but we will bounce back as this result and display won’t have any negative effect on us in the league,” the Nigeria midfielder told

MTNFootball.com “It was a disappointing game, we wanted to win and approached it with seriousness but we conceded two quick goals.

“We will keep doing well in the league and extend that to the Champions League when it begins.

We will definitely return to winning ways when we play our next league game.”

SUNDAY Vanguard, September 2, 2012

Gold medals pour in for Nigeria

EPL Results West Ham Swansea Tottenham West Brom Wigan Man City

3 2 1 2 2 3

Fullham Sunderland Norwich Everton Soke QPR

Foreign pros hit Eagles camp today

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•Oyema, Onaolapo set world record STORIES BY JOHN EGBOKHAN

GOLDEN KISS•••Esther Oyema of Nigeria kisses her gold medal during the ceremony for the women’s -48 kg Powerlifting on September 1

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HE first batch of foreign-based players invited by Coach Stephen Keshi for this weekend’s 2013 Nations Cup qualifier against the Lone Stars of Liberia are to start arriving the Abuja camp of the Super Eagles today.

Skipper Joseph Yobo and Russiabased power-playing forward Emmanuel Emenike, as well as Vincent Enyeama, defenders Efe Ambrose and Elderson Echiejile, midfielder Obiora Nwankwo and forwards Victor Moses, Ahmed Musa and Ikechukwu Uche. are being expected in camp to join their home-based compatriots for the match Also today, Keshi is expected to name the nine home-based players who will make the trip to Monrovia.

US Open: Serena sweeps into fourth round — P55

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IGERIA’s harvest of gold medals at the ongoing Paralympics Games in London continued yesterday when two power-lifters, Esther Oyema and Joy Onaolapo, set two new world records en route winning two gold medals, to take Nigeria’s tally to four gold medals. Ifeanyi Nnajiofor als last night won a silver medal in the men’s -60kg powerlifting event.

In a country where her ablebodied athletes failed to win a single medal at the recently concluded London Olympics Games, it is ironic that it is the physically-challenged ones, who are neglected, that are doing the country proud right now.

First to land the gold, was 30 year-old Oyema, who lifted 135kg, to set a new world record in the women’s -48kg category.

She simply blew away her competitors as her closest rival, Olesya Lafina of Russia could only manage to lift 120kg.

Continues on Page 55

INSIDE

Liberia launch ‘Operation Crush’ Eagles Oparanozie vows to shoot down USA

•Serena

Medal Table Country China Great Britain Australia Ukraine Russian USA Nigeria Brazil Germany Canada

G 15 9 9 8 6 4 4 4 3 2

S 11 15 5 5 6 4 3 2 5 3

B 19 11 9 5 5 8 0 3 6 1

Total 45 35 23 18 17 16 7 9 14 6

EPL Games Liverpool Newcastle Southampton

v v v

Arsenal Aston Villa Man Utd

1.30 p.m.

4 p.m.

4 p.m.

ACROSS 1. Islamic militants (4-5) 5. Headgear (3) 7. Hausa boy’s name (5) 8. Big stream (5) 9. Mother (3) 10. Comforted (5) 12. Leaves out (5) 15. Regret (3) 16. Hobo (5) 18. Secure (6) 19. Shelters (6) 21. Caution (6) 23. Endured (6) 24. Housekeeper (5) 25. Vapour (3) 27. Cardinal point (5) 29. Snares (5) 31. Crazy person (3) 32. Soothsayer (5) 33. Picture’s bordering (5) 34. Litter (3) 35. Combative rebels (9)

DOWN 1.El-Kanami’s state (5) 2. Hurts (5) 3. Living space (4) 4. Create (4) 5. Century (7) 6. Meddles (7) 11. Therefore (2) 13. Pumpkin (5) 14. Breakaway group (7) 16. Object (5) 17. Song of praise (5) 20. Upright (5) 21. Turbines (7) 22. Authenticate (7) 26. Egyptian Sun-god (2) 27. Begin (5) 28. String instruments (5) 30. Appear (4) 31. Carpenter’s tack (4)

La Liga Reak Nadrud Barcelona

v v

Granada Valencia

6.50 p.m.

8.30 p.m.

SEE SOLUTION ON PAGE

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