WAR IN BORNO: B-Haram in fierce resistance— DHQTRS

...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 62091

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

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N150

MONDAY, MARCH 3, 2014

DE SI IN W RO OR M TO

Fuel scarcity artificial — NNPC WAR IN BORNO:

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B-Haram in fierce resistance— DHQTRS

BY KINGSLEY OMONOBI

•Confirms death of soldiers, Boko Haram fighters •Why security agencies can't check Boko Haram •Insurgents from Chad, Niger — Source

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BUJA—THE mili tary, yesterday, confirmed that it is currently engaged in a fierce battle with Boko Haram insurgents who have been unleashing terror in the North Eastern part of the country.

The Defence Headquarters admitted that it lost soldiers in the encounters while some terrorists were also killed.

This was against the backdrop of revelations Continues on page 5

•P.17

COLUMNIST:

LES LEBA•P.40 OCHEREOME NNANNA•P.45

Mr & Mrs

SEND FORTH—From left: Chief Chris Ezeh, Chairman Fidelity Bank plc; Mr. Reginald Ihejiahi, outgoing Managing Director of Fidelity Bank; Mr. Nnamdi Okonkwo, new MD, and Nebolisa Arah, pioneer MD of the bank at a dinner to send forth Mr. Reginald Ihejiahi and receive Mr. Okonkwo, weekend, in Lagos. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi. More pictures on Page 13.

Homosexuality: Anglican Church subjects members to oath

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POCKET CARTOON

People look at the wreckage of a car, yesterday, after two explosions killed over 35 people in a crowded neighbourhood in Maiduguri, Borno State, weekend. Photo: AFP.

WAR IN BORNO: B-Haram in fierce resistance — DHQTRS Continues from page 1 that the troops were finding it difficult to check activities of the terrorists because of the sophistication of the sect members among other factors.

In a statement issued, yesterday, by the Director of Defence Information, Major General Chris Olukolade, the Defence Headquarters said that civilians had been evacuated from the battle ground before commencing the operation.

According to the statement, “the air operations to clear terrorists bases sited in Daggu and Yazza areas of Borno State during the weekend have registered the expected results in the ongoing campaign

against terror. The mopping up operation by ground forces after air assault has confirmed the death of several terrorists located in the bases. Civilians had earlier been evacuated from the vicinity of the identified terrorist enclaves in line with operation orders before the air and land assaults.

Extensive cordon and search of the entire locality is ongoing with a view to apprehending the wounded and other members of the terrorists group who might still be trying to flee.

Fierce encounter

“Also yesterday, troops in pursuit of those who carried out attack in Buni Yadi last week, had fierce encounter with the

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

Passion is the starting point for all achievement and the energy that fuel your DREAM

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

Let the refining and improving of your own life keep you so busy that you have little time to criticize others — Jackson Brown

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HIS story told by French writer, Jean de La Fontaine shows that often the fault we see in others are largely mirrored in us. A man had given up and found that there was nothing more he could do than to send home again his quarrelsome, avaricious, and jealous spouse. She was one whom nothing pleased; for her, nothing was right. First it was this, then it was that, and then again it was something else. The husband was at his wit’s end.

So he decided to send her to her parents in the country. After a while, she came back.

“Well, my dear, how have you been getting on?

How did you spend your time? Did you like the simple life of the country?” “Oh, pretty well!” she said, “but what annoyed me was to see the laziness of those people. They are worse there than here. I didn’t forget to let them know what I thought of them. Of course, they didn’t like it, and they all hated me in the end.”

The husband at this point gave up, if you would complain about people whom you see just briefly in a day. How do you expect the workers here at home to be at peace when you are constantly railing at them the whole day long? And what will your poor husband do whom you expected to have near you all day and night too.

terrorists around Mainok and other locations between Apa and Abulum in Borno State.

The air and land operations that ensued recorded the death of some terrorists. Soldiers also died in the encounters”.

The statement added that, “suspects who are believed to have been responsible for detonating the bomb that exploded at Bintu Sugar Ngamari area of Maiduguri yesterday (Saturday) killing many citizens and wounding several others have been arrested and are helping in the ongoing investigation on the incident.

Patrols are continuing on land and air in the entire mission area in North East towards apprehending or eliminating the rampaging terrorists in the area”.

The Defence Headquarters dismissed as untrue the reports claiming that civilians were mistakenly killed in the air operations in some parts of the mission area, as the claim could not be confirmed after the mopping up aspect of the operation.

It reaffirmed its directive that necessary care should continue to be taken to ensure safety of innocent Nigerians in the operational areas notwithstanding the fierceness of the encounters.

Meanwhile, authoritative security sources disclosed to Vanguard at the weekend why Boko Haram members have been carrying out their killing campaign in the North East seemingly without molestation.

The source said that a combination of many things have made the activities of the sect difficult to check.

The source who is with one of the security agencies based in the North East told Vanguard that as things stand, the security agencies in the North East cannot cope with the sophistication and the battle hardiness of the sect members.

“Have you asked yourself why these guys strike at night? The reason they attack at night is because they know that our soldiers cannot cope. For instance, the sect members wear night vision goggles and ride in a convoy of brand new Hilux vehicles. They see what our soldiers cannot see at night. With their sophisticated weaponry and their combat hardiness it is no wonder they operate freely at night. Do our soldiers have night combat gears? I do not think so.

Why Boko Haram is elusive

“Another reason I think these guys are out gunning our men is that they are battle hardened. Our investigation showed that they are not Nigerians. They are mostly from Chad and Niger republics. These men have decided to export terror to Nigeria.

Have you not wondered why there was a lull in their activities late last year? This was when they exported their activities to the Central African Republic. After the war there, they came back to Nigeria. Have you not wondered why there is peace in Niger and Chad where there used to be change of government so often?

These are men that used to cause trouble in their countries but now they have found a viable occupation in killing innocent people in Nigeria.

One way I think the government can get to the root of the matter is to find out the financiers of these terrorists. Where did they get the brand new hilux vehicles they are using? These things should be investigated.

This is not just guerrilla warfare. It is more than that. You can’t move in a convoy of 10 vehicles and operate for at least three hours unmolested and you say its guerrilla warfare”, the source said.

Vanguard also gathered that fear of summary execution of the locals of communities in the area, was hampering the passing of information that would have boosted intelligence and security operations to check the terrorists.

According to Vanguard’s investigation, once information goes out that the terrorists were in a community or that they planned to launch an attack from a location, and security agencies nipped the attack in the bud or succeeded in arresting the terrorists, other members of the group would go after the suspected informants, tie them up and summarily execute such persons.

A chilling account was also narrated to Vanguard of some informants, having their throats slit open with long daggers or swords in the presence of community members to serve as deterrent to those who may want to embark on such dangerous road, with the sect members shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ meaning God is great.

Aside the dangers of giving out information which has made people of communities in the area to suffer in silence; there is the pronounced problem of the military not having the kind of equipment like attack helicopters they need to prosecute the onslaught against the group.

Another reason discovered by Vanguard, is the frequency in the changes of Commanders, snowballing into frequent change of strategy and this in a way affects the morale of soldiers on the battle field.

For the army, there are issues of inadequate Armoured Personnel Carriers as well as vehicles like pick up vans which are not really the type needed for the prosecution of the battle in such terrain.

A source told Vanguard that if the government was able to equip the Nigerian Airforce with about 70 Mi-35 Helicopter gunships for instance, and they carry out daily patrols and are armed with the sorties to take out these terrorists

any time they venture to come out, the terrorists will run out of the country.

However, the fear of officials of government at the federal level too, that arming the military heavily and giving them the free hands to carry out the operation will lead to collateral damages and result in innocent citizens being caught in the crossfire, thereby raising issues of human rights, is another area that the terrorist are capitalizing on.

Also, another challenge facing the prosecution of the war on terror is the fact that instances have occurred where it was discovered that movement of weaponry and troops as well as operational plans have leaked to the terrorists to the extent that some planned assault on them have backfired and troops ended up being ambushed and killed.

The problem of funding for the operation has also been mentioned and in this regard, the National Assembly has been seriously indicted as they have constantly found it extremely difficult to approve funds for procurement of modern equipment on the grounds that they were too expensive.

Unfortunately, the modern equipment needed like aircraft, APC’s, tracking equipment and specialized military trucks needed for such operations, are all denominated in foreign currencies.

On the foreign side, Vanguard gathered that neighbouring countries like Cameroon, Niger, and Chad, because of their socio-economic problems and fear of provoking the terrorists to turn against them, preferred to adopt a standby attitude and confront the terrorist any time they ran into their territory.

6—Vanguard, MONDAY, MARCH 3, 2014

Five killed in Edo renewed cult war

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

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ENIN CITY—AT least five persons, including a 500-level student of the Ambrose Alli University, AAU, Ekpoma, have been killed in the past two weeks in a renewed cult war in Edo State.

The Edo State Police Commissioner who had earlier warned that the command would not tolerate any form of cult related killing in the state, vowed to fish out the perpetrators after investigations must have been carried out.

The 500-level Computer Science student of the AAU identified as Osagie Osamudiamen, was said to have been shot at close range in a popular hotel in the university town of Ekpoma.

Vanguard learnt that he was trailed by members of a rival cult group to a serene location where he was caught. He was said to be a leader of one of the cult groups in the school.

Also, a musician simply identified as Jonathan was killed in front of a hotel opposite the popular Ekiosa market, near Third Junction in Benin City, last Thursday.

Vanguard learnt that three other persons yet to be identified were found dead around St Saviour area, near Niger College in Upper Sakpoba road and New Benin area.

It was further learnt that the killing of the 500-level student led to a reprisal attack in different parts of the state.

Scramble for fuel as scarcity of the product hits Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Bunmi Azeez.

10 die, 2 injured in Bauchi auto crash

BY SEZAN EDEH

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AUCHI — IT was an other tragic Sunday, yesterday, when at least 10 people were killed while two others sustained injuries when a commercial bus travelling from Bauchi to Abuja collided with an articulated vehicle.

The accident happened around 9.44 am, along Sabon Gari Nabordo village in Toro Local Government Area of Bauchi State.

It was learnt that the truck and the commercial bus involved had number plates AH 45 JRE and GME 01 XA respectively.

Eyewitnesses said the accident was caused by overspeeding on the part of the commercial bus driver who was overtaking two vehicles in a row.

According to the eyewitness, "The place the accident happened is a very dangerous spot and many people have lost their lives there in the past.

"Most of the drivers shuttling around this express road usually overspeed and this has resulted

in casualties.

"We counted 10 people who died on the spot while two others were seriously injured.

Three other persons survived the crash as they did not sustain any injury."

Confirming the incident, the

state Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, Sector Commander, Mr Henry Olatunji, said that 10 persons were killed while two others sustained injuries.

He said: "All the occupants of the commercial bus were

2 siblings, half-brother arrested for murder over inheritance

BY IFEANYI OKOLIE

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AGOS — TWO siblings, Abdulfatai Oshun, 31; Shakiru Oshun, 22, and their half-brother, Sebeli Olatunji, 33, have been arrested by the Police in Lagos State for killing their brother, Yusfu Oshun, 25, over inheritance.

The suspects, who are currently being detained at Satellite Police Division, were said to have strangulated the victim during a fight, at their 17, Kano Street, residence, Mobile Estate, Satellite Town, Lagos.

Vanguard gathered that the brothers had been at loggerheads over the sharing formula of proceeds from an expected

sale of their Kano Street residence, a four-bedroom flat, an inheritance from their late father.

Sources disclosed that trouble started when a prospective buyer offered to pay N17 million for the property, and Abdulfatai, Yusfu and Shakiru, whose biological father owned the property, started quarrelling over who gets what.

It was gathered that Abdulfatail and Shakiru agreed on how the proceed would be shared, but Yusuf opposed it. His refusal was said to have led his brothers to stab him while sleeping in December 2013, which he sur-

Robbers kill 2 policemen in attempt to steal church offering

BY OLA AJAYI

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BADAN — DARE-devil rob bers, yesterday, desecrated a church as they shot two policemen dead at the Vine Branch Church, Queen Elizabeth Road, Ibadan, after their failed attempts to steal the church’s tithes and offering.

Policemen were also said to have fired some fatal shots at one of the robbers who was reportedly taken away by his gang members.

According to sources, the rob-

bers, who were said to have mixed with the congregation, accosted a banker who is in charge of the collections, but the robbers miscalculated as nothing was found on him.

Infuriated, the robbers reportedly shot in the air thereby causing commotion in the well attended church.

When they missed their target, Vanguard gathered that the robbers, in annoyance, shot two police officers who were on guard in

men who were heading to Abuja.

He attributed the crash to wrong overtaking by the driver of the commercial bus who left his lane on top speed and unfortunately collided with the tanker.

their van outside the church.

Of the three occupants of the police van, only the driver escaped the robbers’ bullets.

According to reports, the rampaging robbers tried to cover their tracks as they made attempts to destroy the monitor-

ing gadgets.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Oyo State Police Command, Deputy Superintendent of Police, DSP Olabisi Ilobanafor said the command lost two of its officers in the attack.

vived and the Police at Satellite Division were alerted and the brothers were asked to write an undertaking never to fight again.

However, the situation took a new turn, last Thursday, when the brothers learnt that the buyer was coming with the money.

Yusuf was elated and told his friends around town that he was going to be rich. But his joy was cut short when he got home and a fight broke out between him and his two siblings which eventually led to his death.

A source who spoke with Vanguard on the condition of anonymity, said Yusuf's corpse was found, Thursday afternoon, by his half brother, Olatunji, who also lives in the apartment.

According to sources, "Olatunji was arrested by the Police because they suspected he might have a hand in the killing. The quarrel among the brothers is well known to everyone."

Be our eyes Are you an eye-witness to an accident, robbery, fire outbreak, kidnap, building collapse, etc? Share it with Vanguard readers. Send pix, text or e-mail to The News Editor on 08023145558, or kayodematthew@yahoo.com

Vanguard, MONDAY, MARCH 3, 2014 — 7

Govt alone can't fund varsities — Jonathan BYPETERDURU

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AKURDI— PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has stated that the federal government alone would not be able to fully fund all the universities in the country.

He, therefore, urged university authorities to seek enhanced funding through partnership with relevant agencies, foreign donors and organizations to augment the funding by government.

President Jonathan spoke weekend in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, at the 20th convocation ceremony and silver jubilee anniversary of the Federal University of Agriculture Makurdi, FUAM. Represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education, Mr. Macjohn Monye, he said, “government alone cannot fully fund all the universities in the country. I urge the various universities to partner foreign donors and also embark on activities that would enhance their funding.”

APC unveils ‘Road map to a New Nigeria’ Thursday

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HE All Progressives Congress (APC) is set to unveil its “Road map to a New Nigeria” at the Party’s National Summit to be held in Abuja on Thursday, March 6th.

The Interim National Publicity Secretary of the party, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said in a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday that the Road map will detail the party’s priorities in fixing the widespread failings of successive PDP governments since 1999, in order to bring hope and succour to the long suffering people of Nigeria.

It said the road map was a product of an empirical and painstaking process embarked upon by the APC, in a deviation from the old practice of packaging such documents on a whim.

Fuel scarcity artificially induced — NNPC ...Scarcity worsens in Lagos, long queues return in Yenagoa

BY WAHAB ABDULLAH, MICHAEL EBOH, SAMUEL OYADONGHA, CHRIS OCHAYI & EGUFEYAFUGBRRHI

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B U J A — T H E Management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC said yesterday that the fuel scarcity noticed in Lagos and some parts of the country was artificially induced and has commenced fresh measures to halt it.

Acting Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of the Corporation, Dr. Omar Farouk Ibrahim in statement yesterday said that the NNPC in conjunction with the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR and the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA will commence detailed monitoring of fuel stations in Lagos and its environs as well as any other state to checkmate the incidence of hoarding and panic buying of fuel.

He said “we tried it in Abuja and its environs and today the effective monitoring has decimated the hitherto long fuel queues in Abuja. We are extending the extensive joint monitoring to Lagos.

The NNPC Spokesman stated that as the supplier of last resort the Corporation is doing everything within its mandate to alleviate the avoidable hardship caused by the fuel situation while reiterating the fact that the Federal Government has no plan to increase the price of petrol as being speculated.

He said “it is pertinent to state for the umpteenth time that there is no plan by the Federal Government to increase the price of petrol. Once again, we appeal to marketers to refrain from hoarding and to members of the public not to

engage in panic buying.

“We are convinced that in the days ahead, the fuel situation will normalize as there are enough petrol to go round,” he said.

In Lagos, fuel scarcity worsened, over the weekend, as only a handful of petrol stations were seen selling the commodity in some areas of the state.

All the petrol stations along the Apapa Oshodi expressway were closed to vehicles, while a few, though shut, were seen selling fuel to individuals in jerry cans.

Along Lawanson Road, Surulere, only Oando filling station, near Ojuelegba was seen selling the products to both vehicles and individuals in containers, a development which caused a major gridlock along the ever busy road.

All other filling stations along Lawanson Road, such as Total, Mobil, Conoil, among others, were closed.

Mobil, the only filling station along Ijesha road was shut, but residents told Vanguard that they open occasionally to sell only to

individuals with containers.

All other petrol stations across Surulere were closed, with a few seen dispensing to jerry cans.

However, the scarcity has given rise to black market activities, with a number of youths, standing in front of closed petrol stations, beckoning to vehicle owners, trying to sell the products stored in various sizes of plastic containers.

One of the youths told Vanguard that he was selling a five litre container of fuel for N1,000.

A visit to the tank farms at Ibafon, along the Apapa Oshodi Expressway, throughout last week, saw trailers leaving the depots with the commodity, while a few others were on the queues, which almost stretched down to Mile 2, causing serious gridlock on the road.

A source at the tank farm told Vanguard that he was surprised that fuel was scarce, considering the fact that the product is being sold on a daily basis to tankers, with the queue at the terminals

stretching all the way to Berger, along Apapa Oshodi expressway.

He blamed the situation on the marketers, who he said was hoarding the product, so as to cause artificial scarcity.

He wondered why the marketers still chose to hoard the product, despite claims by the Federal Government that it does not plan to increase the price of petroleum products.

Long fuel queues have also returned to filling stations in Yenagoa and its environs as fuel scarcity bites harder in the predominantly riverine state.

Virtually all the retail outlets in town have since closed shop due to non availability of fuel, a development that has forced most car owners to park their vehicles at home and make do with public transport.

Our correspondent who went round the capital city observed that only the NNPC mega filling station along the Sani Abacha expressway, was dispensing fuel at the official N97 pump price.

MEETING: Youth Representatives, Public Services International, Mr Sani Baba (left) discussing with Coordinator of Public Services International, Nigeria Projects Management Committee, Mr Baba Aye during the English-Speaking (East &West) Africa Sub-Regional Advisory Committee (SUBRAC) meeting held in Abuja yesterday. Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan.

Confab: Advocates of Nigeria’s break-up should be stoned — YUGUDA

BY SONI DANIEL

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CCRA—AS the National Conference gets underway, Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State has suggested that advocates of Nigeria’s partitioning should be stoned out of the venue of the dialogue.

Yuguda, who spoke exclusively to Vanguard after being conferred with the African Achievers Award in Education Attainment in Accra, Ghana, stated that delegates to the conference should seize the momentum to discuss what would make Nigeria greater and stronger, rather talk about disintegration.

The governor said that

although he did not know the agenda of the conference, he was confident that the participants would be patriotic enough to follow the instincts of Nigeria’s founding fathers to deliberate on issues that could engender greater peace, unity and development in the country.

Yuguda said, “What I have always said is that any person who goes there to talk about partitioning Nigeria should be stoned out of the conference because I believe in the unity of this country. Our parents could not have shed blood to unite this country only for our own generation to decimate the country or partition the land and say we cannot live together.

“Nobody in Nigeria is greater than the Almighty God, who carved out a country called Nigeria. It is also the Almighty God who put the resources we are enjoying today and nobody should use religion or tribe to break our country. The conference should rather focus on issues that will unite us and not divide us.

“To me, the conference should reinforce what should unite us and that is what should be discussed. It should not be a forum for complaints about our country. The problem of Nigeria is Nigerians ourselves. We should sit down and see how to fix Nigeria. Whoever has been selected by either the President or governor should sit down as

a patriot and think of how to put Nigeria on a solid pedestal.

“The participants should not be a party to those who want to divide Nigeria. They should sit down as incorruptible and transparent Nigerians and discuss the welfare of this country and bring about peace and development that we have seen in other climes,” the governor said.

Yuguda, however, said that the conference should have made room for ethnic nationalities to be represented so as to give them the opportunity to air out their views on how to move Nigeria forward and expressed the hope that the Presidency would take a second look at the issue of representations.

8—Vanguard, MONDAY, MARCH 3, 2014

Why I snubbed Nigeria’s centenary celebration — Amaechi

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ORT HARCOURT— GOVERNOR Chibuike Amaechi has said that he snubbed the 100 years centenary celebration of the nation that was organized by the federal government because President Goodluck Jonathan did not show up at the Centenary celebration of Port Harcourt that was organised last year.

Speaking at an event to mark the 70 years of former Vice Chancellor of University of Port Harcourt, Professor Nimi Briggs, governor Amaechi said the federal government should have honored the invitation to the event.

Although President Goodluck Jonathan was represented by his Special Adviser on Research and Documentation, Mr Douglas Oronto at the event in Port Harcourt, this probably did not go down well with the governor.

Governor Amaechi, who said he did not snub the centenary event to slight President Jonathan said he had respect for Mr President His words, “When they ask me why I did not attend the centenary celebration, I said five prominent Rivers men left here to go and invite the President (Dr. Goodluck Jonathan). When they approached me that they wanted to go and invite the President, I said, don’t bother your head, the President won’t come. They said no, not after he has seen us. They are seated hear; Justice Karibi Whyte, Professor Tekena Tamuno, Professor E.J. Alagwa, Chief Agbaru and Professor Nimi Briggs; and they went.

"They were very well received by our President and they were very impressed. They came back to my house that day in Abuja and they told me that they met with the President and I was excited. Everybody in the Federal Government told me the President would come (for Port Harcourt Centenary celebration). ''The President did not come. So, I told them that I would not go to (Nigeria’s) centenary celebration because Port Harcourt turned 100 and the President refused to come even though he grew up here.''

Nigeria’s problems are euphemeral — Jonathan A

BUJA—PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan yesterday assured Nigerians that the security challenges being facing by the country especially in the North Eastern states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa are euphemeral which the nation will overcome.

The President who spoke yesterday at a thanks giving service to conclude the centenary celebration urged Nigerians to show more love to one another.

According to the President , his vision for the country is a new Nigeria filled with love noting that love for one another should be unconditional.

The president said although some people at the beginning of the centenary celebration had expressed misgivings that the celebration was not necessary, those who had such opinions had been proved wrong by the enthusiasm expressed by Nigerians “I believe that we must remember our past because if those in the Nordic region can celebrate 200 years of not fighting wars, Nigeria has enough reasons to celebrate.

Nigeria will surely get over her challenge”.

He added: “Let us show love even when it hurts most, for our lives will be more fulfilled in giving love to others. Few days ago, all our leaders gathered and our nation honoured them for their labour of love. I see a new Nigeria filled with love, I see a new Nigeria with treated determination, I see a new Nigeria with passion for a

greater Nigeria.

“Of course, this is my article of faith and hope for a brighter future and our commitment to realising a united and creating a Nigeria that our children will be proud of is what I request from all of us.

“I have one appeal to all Nigerians, to show love to one another more than ever before regardless of tribe and religion or race”.

In his message, the retired Prelate of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, Sunday Ola Makinde, urged the federal government to unravel the sources of funding for the terrorists and their collaborators in Nigeria with the view of ending the groups’ activities in the country.

Makinde, while also

challenging those residing in the communities where Boko Haram members operate, noted that only an internal mechanism that identifies and check the activities of the Boko Haram collaborators in their neighborhood will assist government end the mayhem being visited on the communities in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa “Find out the source of funding of Boko haram, where do they get their weapons, how do they get through the borders, where do they get to buy their food, is there a separate market for Boko Haram”?

“The Yorubas have an adage that says “Without enemies within, enemy without cannot strike. We have internal and external collaborator. God will expose them”

While praying God to “wage war against those who are waging war on Nigeria” he, also admonished Nigerians to ensure that “ our words and our actions heal and build Nigeria” because “united we stand, divided we fall” He commended President Jonathan for considering the forth coming national conference which he said will give Nigerians the opportunity to dialogue, Makinde who urged Nigerians to accept the out come of the conference, likened the current situation in Nigeria to what obtained in Israel in the time in the Bible as recorded in Amos 3 verse 3 “can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction.

CENTENARY CELEBRATION President Goodluck Jonathan flanked by Dame Patience Jonathan, (right) Senate President David Mark and wife, Helen, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, Chief Ernest Shonekan and the FCT minister of state, Jumoke Akinjide during the centenary celebration interdenominational thanksgiving at the National Christian Centre, Abuja. PHOTO BY ABAYOMI ADESHIDA

Adeboye at 72: ‘Church constitution doesn’t provide for his and elders of the church for the retirement of the 72 year old compendium about the day to retirement' cleric who at the beginning of the

BY SAM EYOBOKA & OLAYINKALATONA

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AGOS—MILLIONS of Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, members across the globe, yesterday celebrated the 72nd birthday of the church’s General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye with high pitched gospel music, dancing and prayers for long life and divine strength.

At the national headquarters of the church in Ebute Metta, Lagos, the Special Assistant to the General Overseer on Administration and Personnel, Pastor Johnson Odesola-led thousands of parishioners to pray for the good health of the General Overseer, who was unavoidably absent at the service as he was said to take time off to pray at home.

There were several prayer sessions by the children, teenagers, youths, men, women

year, flagged off 100 days fasting and prayer, obviously to avert the multi dimensional security challenges currently threatening to tear the nation apart.

Pastor Odesola confirmed that the G.O. always presided over the first Sunday service of every month at the headquarter church, “but usually he doesn’t go out of his home on March 2, because he spends the whole day praying for God’s leading.

That’s why he was unable to make the service and I sent letters to all our branches across the globe to spend today (Sunday) praying for our leader.”

According to the S.A., Pastor Adeboye usually spend quality time to waite on the Lord for a new direction, noting that there are many challenges including the construction of new auditorium which has commenced and all that require God’s intervention.

Pastor Odesola also described all those who are calling for the

General Overseer as ignorant of the church’s constitution, saying that there is no where in the legal document that says he should resign or retire.

“Whereas the constitution provided that the deputy and assistant general overseers are appointed to retire at 70 and enjoy their retirement benefits for life, there is no such provision for the general overseer,” he stated, adding that on account of such ignorance even among the pastorate, the governing council had agreed that the constitution should be printed into a book and made available to all workers in the church.

Continuing, Pastor Odesola who disclosed that the General Overseer had thrown his weight behind the proposed National Conference but would let the umbrella body speak for the Church, added that the problem “we have in the church is akin to what operates in the rest of the continent.

“People have papers but they don’t read them. We have a

day running of the church but people just don’t read.

“The people who are agitating for the G.O.’s retirement because he is over 70 years are ignorant and the Bible says you don’t become foolish,” he explained to the journalists.

Pastor Adeboye was born on March 2, 1942 at Ifewara in the present day Osun State to Moses and Esther Adeboye, both indigenes of Ifewara, which is about midway between Ilesha and Ondo towns.

Pastor Adeboye has a PhD in applied mathematics from the University of Lagos, and worked as a lecturer at the universities of Lagos and Ilorin. After joining the RCCG, he began working to translate the sermons of its then pastor/ founder, Rev. Josiah Olufemi Akindayomi, from Yoruba into English.

In 1981 Adeboye was appointed General Overseer of the church, taking over from Papa Akindayomi, who had died the previous year.

Vanguard, MONDAY, MARCH 3, 2014 — 9

Lagos seals 21 firms over N134m tax default L

AGOS — THE Lagos State Internal Revenue Service, LIRS, has said that it sealed 21 companies in February, for defaulting in remitting N134 million personal income taxes of their workers.

The Head, Distrain Unit of the agency, Mrs. Folasade Coker-Afolayan, said this, yesterday, in Lagos.

She said that the taxes were for a period of one year to four years.

Coker-Afolayan reiterated that tax payment was a civic responsibility of the citizens and explained that government needed to provide infrastructure for the populace.

“Tax is a major source of government revenue. It enables it to provide infra-

structure and improve citizens' standard of living," she said.

Coker-Afolayan said that the LIRS would continue to sanction tax defaulters.

She said that some employers of labour were fond of deducting workers' taxes, but would fail to remit the deductions into government's coffers.

She promised that LIRS would continue to enforce tax laws to recover funds that belonged to the state government.

Coker-Afolayan advised companies to remit taxes promptly, to avoid embarrassment, adding that it was a criminal act to tamper with government’s seals on sealed companies.

...warns against open defaecation

BY MONSURU OLOWOOPEJO

W

ORRIED BY the act of open defaecation, the Lagos State government has read the riot act to traders and Community Development Association, CDAs, executives to drum into them the importance of proper hygiene and effective sanitary system.

The state government asked those concerned to immediately stop it, saying, “the government will not tolerate such act again from any market or

community.”

Commissioner for Rural Development, Mr. Cornelius Ojelabi who handed out the warning, lamented that despite government efforts at improving the sanitary condition of the state, especially in markets, some traders and residents still defaecate in the open and litter the markets with dirt.

According to him: "Inform your fellow traders and residents about the new warning. The government will no longer tolerate defaecating publicly in our markets."

TOUR: From left, Lubricant Services Manager, Oando Marketing Plc, Peter Esekhaigbe; Distributor, Hamisu Dantinki; Lubricant Research & Development Manager, Mohammed Dahiru; Distributors, Linus Ezeami and Alhaji Mohammed Maude, during a tour of the Oando Lubricant Blending Plant, and the distributors' award, at the Oando Marketing Head office, in Lagos. Photo: Joe Akintola (Photo Editor)

Confab: FG to name chairman, secretariat staff, others today

BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE

T

O GET the proposed National Conference under way, the Federal Government will name the chairman of the exercise, other secretariat staff and approved delegates today, Vanguard has gathered.

An inside source told Vanguard, yesterday, the government had concluded the screening of delegates nominated by stakeholders and would publish the list of cleared delegates today.

The Presidency said recently that it would not approve corrupt delegates.

During a 75-minute media chat, last week, President Goodluck Jonathan said the conference would begin today with the chairman, deputy chairman and secretary, who would work for a week after which the dialogue proper would kick off on March 10. ‘’Our thinking is that the national conference will begin on March 3. You will know the chairman, the deputy chairman and the secretary, but they will start work for at least a week before we invite others to join.

"On March 10, I will formally inaugurate the conference. The plan so far is that the conference will start on March 3,’’ he said.

But since then, the President has not named the secretariat staff, fuelling fears that the exercise may not begin as planned.

Besides, most of the states and stakeholders did not publish the names of their delegates. As of press time,

only nine out of the 36 states have published their delegates.

Asked why the states were shunning the exercise, the source said: ‘’That is a wrong assumption.

Who told you that the states were shunning the conference. Wait till tomorrow (today) when the Federal Government will name the chairman, deputy chairman, other staff of the secretariat and delegates that it has screened and approved to know whether the states have shunned the conference.’’

States and stakeholders that have published their delegates include: Niger State * Dije Bala, Chairperson Niger State Polytechnic, Zungeru * Abubakar Chika Adamu, Special adviser to Niger State Governor * Barrister Haladu Ibrahim, Chairman, Niger State Local Government Commission Kano State * Malam Sule Yahya Hamma- Chairman of The Buhari Organisation (TBO). * Dr Junaidu Mohammed - Second Republic member of the House of Representatives and public affairs commentator. * Hajiya Aishatu Isma’il former Minister of Women Affairs.

Lagos State * Alhaji Femi Okunnu (SAN) - renowned lawyer and former Federal Commissioner for Works and Housing * Supo Sasore (SAN) -

former Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice. * Prof. Tunde Samuel * Mrs. Funmilayo Bashorun * Mr. Waheed Ayeni * Mr. Rabiu Oluwa Ekiti State * Most Rev. Felix Ajakaiye -the Catholic Bishop of Ekiti Diocese * Prof Akin Oyebode –International law expert Oladeji Fasuan - former Chairman of defunct Movement for the Creation of Ekiti State. * Dr Kunle Olajide - Secretary, Yoruba Unity Group * Prof. Bisi Aina * Oba Idowu Babalola, Chairman, Ekiti State Council of traditional rulers also featured on the list.

Osun State * Lt General Alani Akirinade * Prof Mojeed Alabi * Mr Femi Akande * Chief Gbadegesin Adedeji * Mr Dipo Famakinwa * Mrs Bola Ogunrinade Ogun State * Olanihun Ajayi – Afenifere and NADECO stalwart * Senator Biyi Durojaiye * Oba Kehinde Olugbenle - Olu of Ilaro and Paramount Ruler of Yewaland ·Pastor Tunde Bakare ·Prof. (Mrs.) Titi Filani · Mr. Fola Adeola (Ogun · Barrister Bisi Adegbuyi · Senator Iyabo Anisulowo Adamawa State * Alhaji Gambo Jimeta – Former Police IG, among others, and other states.

10—Vanguard, MONDAY, MARCH 3, 2014

Ekiti, private firm spend N60m on 4 tourist centres

BY GBENGA ARIYIBI

A

DO EKITI — EKITI State government is partnering with a private firm to showcase tourism potentials in the state, just as the company has earmarked N60 million for the resuscitation of all the three tourist sites in the state.

The state government and the Centre Stage Communications Limited are partnering to resuscitate Oni River in Efon Alaye; Arinta Water Falls Ipole Iloro Ekiti; Omi Erin Erinjiyan Ekiti and Warm Springs Resort in Ikogosi Ekiti and N60 million is set aside to promote tourism potentials of these sites Speaking at Warm Spring Resort in Ikogosi Ekiti weekend after a tour of some tourist attractions in the state, Managing Director of the private firm, Dr Richie Adewusi, said his company, in collaboration with the state government, had put together a number of programmes under the banner Ekiti Nature Trail to showcase some of the natural endowments during the Easter festivity.

In his contribution, Managing Director of Ikogosi Warm Spring, Mr Tolu Ajeyomi, said the resort receives an average of 20,000 tourists monthly due to heavy investment on the site of the warm and cold spring by Governor Kayode Fayemi-led government.

INEC fixes Ondo fed constituency by-election for April

BY DAYO JOHNSON

A

KURE— THE Independ ent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has fixed the by-election for Ilaje/ Ese-Odo Federal Constituency for Saturday, April 5, this year.

Bye-election in the Federal Constituency became imperative following the death of Hon. Raphael Nomiye and the receipt of official letter from the Speaker, House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, on February 13, notifying the commission of the death of the member.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Akin Orebiyi, said in a statement in Akure that the decision was arrived at after consultations with stakeholders in the Federal Constituency.

Orebiyi explained that stakeholders finally agreed on the date at a meeting held at Igbokoda on Febuary 26.

He noted that two stakeholders' meetings of members of political parties witnessed by security agencies had earlier been held in the federal constituencies.

Seven political parties representatives attended the meetings.

A timetable made available showed that March 8 is the last date for the conduct of primaries, including resolution of dispute arising from the primaries.

The commencement of campaign starts same date while March 11 and 18 are for collection of forms and for the

submission of forms at INEC office in Abuja.

The commission has fixed March 25 for the publication of official register of voters for the election while March 26 is the last day for the withdrawal of candidates/replacement of withdrawal of candidates by parties.

Names of party agents are expected to be made on March 28.

Also March 28 is the last day for the submission of nomination forms, March 31 publication of nominated candidates, April 4 slated for the last day for campaigns by parties.

From left: Former Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Prince Bola Ajibola; Excellence Award recipient/Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi; his wife, Erelu Bisi Fayemi; and state Chief Judge, Justice Ayodeji Daramola, during the award ceremony by the Senior Citizens Care Foundation on the governor, in Ado-Ekiti.

Sanusi must be probed by ICPC, EFCC — Kashamu

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

A

BEOKUTA — CHAIRMAN of Organisation and Mobilisation Committee of the People’s Democratic Party in South-West geopolitical zone, Prince Buruji Kashamu, yesterday, insisted that the suspended Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, should be probed by anti-graft agencies.

Kashamu in an open letter to President Goodluck Jonathan entitled: "Why Sanusi must be probed" accused Sanusi of cowing and blackmailing many bank

chiefs into silence while holding sway as the governor of the apex bank.

According to Kashamu, “I am worried by the attempt by the opposition to make it look as if they own Sanusi more than the government that appointed him, and thereby politicising the whole issue.

"From the comments of the opposition and some of its leading lights, especially those he favoured with questionable waiver and contracts, it is obvious that while he was appointed by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP-led Federal Government, Sanusi was therefore acting their script.

“Now that he has been told to step aside for proper investigation into the allegations against him, all hell is let loose as if some

people want him to sit in judgment over his own case. Is it not said that he who comes to equity must come with clean hands?

“It is clear that many who had been cowed or blackmailed into silence will find the suspension of the CBN governor re-assuring of their belief that the Nigeria judicial system will deliver justice.

However, there are still issues which the courts alone can resolve.

“In summary, the CBN Governor, based on secret reports, declared "selected banks in grave situation," removed the manage-

ment and some non-executive directors of those banks, infused billions of public funds into those banks and proceeded to nationalise some of them and sold the others to mainly inscrutable consortia.

“The Farida Waziri-led Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, was conscripted with a mandate to arraign some of the officers of the banks before the criminal courts on various allegations of misconduct and harass some of the customers of the banks into making."

Afenifere leaders endorse Adeyeye for Ekiti governorship

A

DO-EKITI — LEADERS of A. A. Alonge and Chief Femi the pan Yoruba socio-cultural Balogun, Chairman and Secretary group, Afenifere, in Ekiti State of the group respectively, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, leaders have declared their and supporters in Ekiti State were support for Prince called upon to support Adeyeye.

Dayo Adeyeye's govThe Afenifere leaders, who said ernorship ambition, they were ready to give whatever saying: "Adeyeye is it takes to secure the PDP goverpart of us and he is norship ticket for Adeyeye and someone whose patrimake sure that he wins the June otism and ability to 21 governorship election, added: develop Ekiti State is "Adeyeye served Afenifere dilinot in doubt." gently as our spokesperson and In a statement in now is the time to pay him back Ado-Ekiti, yesterday, for his loyalty and selfless service and signed by Prince to the Yoruba nation."

Vanguard, MONDAY, MARCH 3, 2014—11

Oshiomhole’s devt efforts must be sustained —Osagie

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

B

ENIN—MINORITY Whip of the House of Representatives, Mr. Samson Osagie, weekend, warned that if the current infrastructural development being carried out in Benin Kingdom by Governor Adams Oshiomhole was not sustained, the Binis might suffer neglect again.

While noting that the Benin nation had the requisite human and material resources, he pointed out that if harnessed, were capable of making the Binis more relevant in the politics of the nation. The lawmaker, who represents Uhumwonde/Orhiomnwon Federal constituency of Edo State, regretted that the Binis had not been carried along at the Federal level since the inception of the Fourth Republic in 1999.

He spoke in Benin City while delivering a lecture entitled: Nigeria’s Politics: The roadmap for the Relevance and Reward for the Benin Nation, at a symposium organized by the Benin National Congress, BNC, a sociocultural organisation in the state.

Osagie posited that apart from the fact that the Federal Government had neglected the Benin nation in terms of

appointments, Benin sons who had the opportunity to hold political positions had not helped matters as regards the development of the area.

He, however, expressed optimism that things might change for the better in Benin Kingdom if credible leaders were elected into offices in the 2015 general elections, adding that the issue of unemployment and poverty

must be tackled vigorously to help sustain the developmental efforts of Governor Oshiomhole in the area.

President of BNC, Mr. Aiyemenkhue Edokpolo, in his welcome address, lamented that the Binis had been marginalised in terms of appointments or strategic federal infrastructures like industries, adding that the

reason for the symposium was to find solution to the problems confronting the Binis.

Dignitaries at the occasion included the Itsekhure of Benin Kingdom, Chief Nosakhare Isekhure, Majority Leader of the state House of Assembly, Mr Philip Shaibu, members of the Benin Traditional Council and top government officials.

MAN OF THE YEAR 2013: Delta State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Chike Ogeah (left), receiving the official letter notifying Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State as Vanguard Newspaper's Man of the Year 2013, from Mr. Fred Odueme, Assistant General Manager, Brands, of Vanguard Media, in Asaba.

Delta poly warns against cultism, exam malpractice

BY FESTUS AHON

U

GHELLI—RECTOR of Delta State Polytechnic, Ozoro, Dr. Jacob Oboreh, has warned students of the polytechnic against indulging in cultism and examination malpractices, insisting that any student caught would be rusticated.

Speaking, weekend, during the 12th matriculation of the institution involving no fewer than 3,700 students, he told them to take their studies seriously, urging them to desist from any act that could jeopardise their future.

He said: “Matriculation is an academic tradition by which fresh students subscribe to an oath and are formally accepted as bonafide students of the institution and your primary assignment is to take your academic journey seriously. Do not be involved in cultism and examination malpractices as any breach of your matriculation oath may lead to your rustication from the institution. My philosophy, vision and mission is to make the Polytechnic a world class technological institution where teaching, learning and research are di-

rected towards meeting the challenges of Nigeria's economy in the areas of social and technological advancement.”

While commending the state governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, for his commitment and support towards the development of the polytechnic, he listed some of his achievements to include the “construction of two

lecture halls with 420 seating capacity and attached offices for Accountancy Department. Construction of Accountancy Laboratory furnished with 140 computers; construction of an I.C.T Centre furnished with 160 computers and internet facilities; construction of four lecture theatres with 420 seating ca-

pacity each for Business Administration Department.

“Construction of a 500 seating capacity lecture hall for the upcoming Mass Communication Department and construction of another 15 academic staff offices for Banking and Finance Department.”

Rivers APC flays rise in oil theft

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

P

ORT HARCOURT—ALL Progressives Congress, APC, in Rivers State, has lamented the rise in oil theft which is fast depleting the nation’s resources.

In a statement issued yesterday, media aide of the interim Chairman of the party in the state, Chief Eze Eze, said the alleged refusal of the Federal Government to allow two aircraft the Rivers State Government acquired to effectively combat the menace in the country was also largely responsible for the rise in the crime.

Chief Eze said the alleged action of the Federal Government posed a big question mark on the determination of the government to combat corruption

and oil theft “It beats our imagination that the purchase of the helicopters which had the blessing of the Federal Government at the outset, should be sabotaged after the Rivers State Government had committed a whopping N30 billion to the project and is be-

ing made to pay demurrage annually. The refusal of the Federal Government to approve the release of these machines into the country that would have benefitted the entire Nigerians is a demonstration of how not to play politics with the life of the people,“ the party said.

2015: Cleric urges support for Jonathan

BY TOMMY ANADUAKA

G

ENERAL Overseer of Fire and Miracle Church of Christ International, Agbor, Delta State, Apostle Michael Ugbom, has urged Nigerians to join hands and support the second term ambition of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.

Apostle Ugbom made the call while delivering a sermon at a special prayer session organised by his church for peace to reign in the country.

He warned trouble makers to desist, claiming that God had revealed to him that if President Jonathan was not allowed to contest the 2015 election, the country might be faced with doom.

Capital projects in A-Ibom'll create employment —Akpabio

G

O V E R N O R Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State has expressed optimism that the on-going capital projects in the state will create employment opportunities to enhance the living standards of the people.

Akpabio, accompanied by some Nigerian entrepreneurs, spoke after inspecting the on-going 20th Anniversary Hospital and Akwa Ibom International Stadium in Uyo. He said: “The quality of the projects is good and the timing is right and these projects would create employment opportunities to enhance the living standard of the people. I believe this stadium project would be completed in September of this year.”

Okerenkoko: Youth leader faults allegations against Johnny, others very painful that at this time that

A

YOUTH leader in Okerenkoko community in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, Mr. Timi Oluba, has dismissed as baseless, Police allegations of threat to life, attempt to murder and promoting native war, levelled against Chief Michael Johnny, Chief Mosco Johnny

and eight other members of the community.

Oluba, who spoke, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, challenged the Police in Warri Area Command to make public any person whose life was threatened by the accused persons.

He said: “There was no time such incident occurred and it is

Nigerians are commending the Inspector General of Police for repositioning the Police force, some of its officers were frustrating his efforts.

“It should be on record that the life of former militant leader, Chief Government Ekpemupolo aka Tompolo was never threatened as being alleged."

12—Vanguard, MONDAY, MARCH 3, 2014

Asagba slams centenary c'ttee zDemands quality delegates for Anioma

BY HUGO ODIOGOR

T

HE Asagba of Asaba, Obi Chike Edozien, has berated the centenary committee and the Secretary to the Federal Government, Senator, Anyim Pius Anyim, for neglecting the contributions of Asaba and its people, to the socio-political and economic development of Nigeria in the past 100 years of nation hood.

This came as the monarch called on Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, to nominate knowledgeable and erudite sons and daughters of Anioma nation, to represent them in the forthcoming National Conference.

Prof. Edozien told Vanguard that the people of Asaba were overlooked by the centenary committee in its selection of persons to honour during the centenary celebration which took place recently.

According to Prof. Edozien, “Asaba was the administrative headquarters of the Royal Niger Company from where political and economic decisions that affected the whole nation was taken. Asaba is the final resting place of the Lander brothers: John and Richard, who concluded the exploration of River Niger. Historically, Asaba was qualified to be

given a befitting mention by the centenary committee.”

Prof. Edozien said the Asagba in Council had concluded plans to draw the attention of President

Goodluck Jonathan to the alleged shabby treatment being given to the honour and memory of late Chief Dennis Osadebe, who apart from being the Premier of Mid West region,

was the first Senate President of Nigeria, but had continued to be ignored in the honours list and immortalisation.

He told Vanguard that “we cannot afford to be

rians have been given the opportunity by the Jonathan administration to deliberate on how they should live together in the Nigerian state.”

Confab: Edosomwan, others emerge as Edo delegates

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

B

ENIN—THE Edo State Government has forwarded the names of three of its representatives for the proposed National Conference to the Federal Government.

In the list is Chief Charles Edosomwan (SAN), a former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Edo state.

Edosomwan, who is from Edo South senatorial district, emerged through the Benin Fo-

rum, an umbrella body of all Binis, in the country and the Diaspora.

Others are Prof. Eddy Erhagbe (Edo North) and Prof. Sylvanus Oboh (Edo Central).

It will be recalled that Governor Adams Oshiomhole had, last year,

BUDGET DEFENCE: From right: Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, Mr. Kingsley Kuku; Mr Henry Ogbolue and Head, Reintegration Department, Mr. Lawrence Pepple, during the 2014 budget defence, at National Assembly, Abuja. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan.

Ijaw fault Senate on relocation of COAS L

AGOS—THE Ijaw Monitoring Group, IMG, has faulted the directive by the Senate that the Chief of Army Staff, COAS, should relocate to Borno State.

The Ijaw group stated that instead of the COAS, the Senate should be recommending the relocation of Vice-President Namadi Sambo to Maiduguri.

The National Coordinator of IMG, Comrade Joseph Evah, said such a directive should not have come at a time when many school children were murdered by members of the Boko Haram sect.

“I am disappointed that the Senate would be asking the Chief of Army Staff to relocate to Borno State.

“They should have

denied the opportunity to participate in the National Conference neither do we want sit on the sidelines and watch proceeding from the National Conference where Nige-

asked the President to order Vice-President Namadi Sambo to relocate to Borno State.

“Why can’t the Senate tell the Chief of Defence Staff, who coordinates other Service Chiefs, to relocate?

“When there was crisis in the Niger Delta, late President Umaru Yar ’Adua never asked the then COAS to relocate to the Niger Delta.

Instead, he asked Goodluck Jonathan (then Vice-President) to relocate to the Niger Delta.

“Jonathan relocated to Oporozza in Delta State where he met with Niger Delta governors and militants,” Evah said.

The militants, he recalld, gave conditions, and the conditions were tabled before Yar ’ Adua.

“We are now telling Jonathan, the way Yar ’Adua sent you, you should also direct Namadi Sambo to go and meet Boko Haram.

“The way Jonathan entered into a canoe to meet the militants in the

creeks, let Sambo climb a donkey or camel to Bauchi, Borno, or Kano State, along with the governors and political leaders in the North, to meet Boko Haram,” he added.

expressed his concern over the success of the conference but said the people of the state would be well represented at the conference.

Enunuedo group is led

by Dr Samuel Ogbemudia. The Benin Forum is led by the Esogban of

Benin Kingdom, Chief David Edebiri. The Afemai group, from Edo North senatorial district and the Esans have all made their presentations ahead of the proposed conference.

Vanguard, MONDAY, MARCH 3, 2014—13

FIDELITY BANK HOLDS DINNER FOR OUT-GOING, IN-COMING MANAGING DIRECTORS

From left, Chief Chris Ezeh, Chairman, Board of Directors, Fidelity Bank Plc; Mr. Nnamdi Okonkwo, New Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Fidelity Bank Plc; Mr. Reginald Ihejiahi, out-going Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Fidelity Bank Plc, and Chief Molade Okoya-Thomas, during the Valedictory and Welcome Dinner in honour of out-going and in-coming Managing Directors/Chief Executive Officers, Fidelity Bank Plc, at Eko Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, weekend. Photos: Kehinde Gbadamosi

From left,Chief Chris Ezeh, Chairman, Board of Directors Fidelity Bank Plc; Mr. .Nnamdi Okonkwo, New Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Fidelity Bank Plc, and Mr. Fola Adeola, former Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer,Guaranty Trust Bank Plc,

Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, former Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Acess Bank Plc, and Mr. Phillps Oduoza, MD/ From left, Mr. David Oji, Mr. Omar Hafeez, Managing Director, CitiBank Nigeria, and Mr. Kenechi Obika.

CEO, UBA Plc

From left, Chief Chris Ezeh, Chairman, Board of Directors, Fidelity Bank Plc; Mr. Nnamdi Okonkwo, New Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Fidelity Bank Plc; Alhaji Aliko Dangote, and Mr. Reginald Ihejiahi, outgoing Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, Fidelity Bank Plc.

Mrs. Funke Osibodu, former MD/CEO, Union Bank Plc (left), and Mrs. Mariam Fatai Williams

From left, Mr. Ben Akabueze, Lagos State Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, and Chief Chris Ezeh.

From left, Mr. Frank Nneji, Managing Director ABC Transport Plc, Mr. John Obi, Executive Director, Fidelity Bank Plc, and Mrs. Nkeiruka Obi

From left, Mr. Nebolisa Arah, pioneer Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Fidelity Bank Plc; Alhaji Aliko Dangote, and Admiral Ndubisi Kanu, (rtd), former Milltary Governor of Lagos State

From left, Dame Abimbola Fashola, First Lady of Lagos State; Chief Mariam Fatai Willams, Mr. Reginald Ihejiahi, out-going MD/CEO, Fidelity Bank Plc, and Sir Paul Obi, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, Pauliza Limited.

14 — Vanguard, MONDAY, MARCH 3, 2014

C M Y K

Vanguard, MONDAY, MARCH 3, 2014 — 15

C M Y K

16 Vanguard, MONDAY, MARCH 3, 2014 ANYONE attempting to guess the outcome of the National Dialogue, or rules out its possibilities for charting a new course for Nigeria, is under-estimating the challenges facing Nigeria and the urgency required in dealing with them.

Contention for space is not a Nigerian phenomenon. Politicians contest for space everywhere. They disagree; they proffer alternatives to governments in power. What appears totally Nigerian in these contentions is the absurdity of ruling out options or making decisions without listening to other sides.

Would the National Dialogue face the same challenges? Sectional interests seem to understand the dialogue as a platform to foist their hegemony. Complaints about number of delegates assigned to them indicate they are coming to Abuja to propagate their interests. Would sectional interests translate to national interests? Who would speak for Nigeria at the dialogue?

Claims that Nigeria is built on constitutional structures that promotes the centre over other levels of government are not the only challenges our politics faces. A

BY NICHOLAS IKEJANI

P

ABLO PICASSO once said that “everything you can imagine is real.”

Pablo’s statement might find expression in men of God who consistently tell their followers to always be students of dream. According to these men of God, whatever eventually comes to be first took form in the spiritual realm.

Today, I am persuaded to agree with them for this is the case with suspended governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.

Sanusi imagined that becoming the governor of the apex bank, the dream of becoming the next president of the country was just a matter of time. At the twilight of his tenure as the governor of the apex Bank, he started throwing stones from his glass house at the Central Business District of Abuja oblivious of the fact that the house was fragile from foundation to the roof top.

His biggest stone, thus far, was the letter to the Presidency revealing that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, has not been sincere in the remittance of revenue accruable to it to the national coffers.

Disturbed that the letter was not getting the attention he expected, he decided to leak what was supposed to be an exchange between him and the country’s President to the public to show that he meant well for revealing the shenanigans going on at the inner offices of NNPC. Sanusi succeeded in making himself a hero by appearing as a saint in the clan of corrupt persons.

However, before he could drop his garb of the leader of the puritanical clan, the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria came to the public with the alleged misappropriation of

Le t’s TTalk alk About Let’s Nigeria return to regionalism seems to be a solution because some regale us with the performances of the post-independence regional governments. None pays attention to the personalities who ran those governments and the competition among the regions.

All parts of Nigeria are dissatisfied with the state of the country. Every part also thinks it has the solution to Nigeria’s problem.

The main disagreements centre on what some parts could lose, if there is a restructuring of Nigeria. We think that one issue the National Dialogue should address is how to return Nigeria to competitiveness.

We have become an idle country, unproductive and gleefully dependent on an

exhaustible product, oil. We consume all our income; we do not have investments, we are leaving debts for the unborn. How will Nigeria run without oil? Who knows how soon we would have to answer that question?

Another approach is required if the National Dialogue would be different from earlier ones. We cannot talk if we set off refusing to listen to each other. We should understand the reality of Nigerians hurting from common issues like insecurity, even if it is located hundreds of kilometres from us.

Opportunities to discuss Nigeria would not be endless. We should make the best of them when they are available. Negotiations, talks, discussions, contemplations, concessions to make Nigeria more workable are more important than what politicians want for themselves. The National Dialogue would assume great importance if delegates understand the responsibility on their fragile shoulders: they are being called upon to remodel Nigeria. It is a unique privilege.

Nigeria lost the chance of setting off without challenges of managing oil and its intractable distractions. We should remake Nigeria instead of believing our illusory greatness.

OPINION Sanusi and the morality question the funds left in the care of Sanusi, detailing how he has been spending the funds without recourse to due process. When the council blew open the lid on the financial recklessness of the former CBN governor, the findings dwarfed whatever misdeed that Sanusi accused the NNPC of. The Council, in its report, said that the former governor of CBN persistently refused to comply with the Public Procurement Act in the procurement practices of the Central Bank of Nigeria, a refusal, it said, smacked of an intention to commit fraud.

Apart from that, the Council in the report revealed that the former CBN boss unlawfully spent N163 billion on intervention projects across the country. As of the time of writing this piece, our puritanical Sanusi has not been able to employ the same vigour he exhibited in revealing the shady deals in NNPC in telling the public what happened to such huge amount of money. So who is blacker in the game of the kettle and the pot- Sanusi or officials of NNPC? The famous report on the activities of Sanusi is replete with other financial infractions and acts of financial recklessness on the part of the former CBN boss as evidenced in the Central Bank audited financial statements of 2012. Sanusi was accused of breaching the Memorandum of Understanding, MOU, signed by the CBN and other Deposit Money Banks on Banking Resolution Sinking Fund.

The report revealed that a Board of Trustees, BOT, to manage the fund has not been constituted since 2010 when it was established while the apex bank has unlawfully continued to utilise the fund for certain operations without approval of the said BOT.

What is confusing here is that one cannot really say at what point Sanusi started to wear the garb of an anti-corruption crusader. He couldn’t possibly be a money guzzler and at the same time come to pretend to be the detergent needed to launder the dirty linens of NNPC or any other agency for that matter.

The report has many shocking facts like: “Facility Management rose to N7034 billion in 2012 from N5.751 billion in 2011. Foreign bank accounts closed offshore were still operational in the General Ledger for over six months after they have been confirmed as closed accounts by the offshore banks; the Know-Your-Customer policy is not properly followed by the CBN to the extent that the CBN has unknown customer with account balance of N1.423 billion since 2008. The CBN claims that they are taking steps to obtain the required details regarding the address of the customer.

“Wastefulness as found in training and travel expenses: N9.24 billion in 2012 up from N7.65 billion in 2011; expenses on ATM offsite policy change came to N1.045 billion and expenses on Non-Interest Banking N1.359 billion in 2012 up from N0.977 billion in 2011; the CBN is still very heavy on expenses on ‘Project Eagles', spending N606 million in 2012 up from N63 million in 2011; and, expenses on newspapers, books and periodicals, excluding CBN’s publications, is N1.678 billion in 2012 up from N1.670 billion in 2011.”

The Council, in its report, said that “the CBN had additional brought forward to General Reserve Fund of N16,031 billion in 2012 but proceeded on a voyage of

indefensible expenses in 2012 characterised by inexplicable increases in some heads of expenditure during the year; questionable write-off of N40 billion loans of a bank; false claim by the CBN to have paid to Emirate Airline N0.511 billion, Wing AirlineN0425 billion and Associated Airline N1.025 billion to distribute currency by air nationwide.”

These revelations are so mind-boggling, prompting a friend from his clan to ask why the former boss of the apex bank has been busy dancing clean in the arena of corruption.

My friend’s question stems from the fact that if the apex bank could spend that much in the distribution of currency across the nation the entire purse of the nation would have been depleted in the production of the currency.

The report of the council has put a big question mark on the morality of Sanusi to judge others who obviously copied his style of handling public money. What will happen to all these billions of naira that have not been accounted for by Sanusi as the boss of the apex bank? Our anti-graft czar agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has a very big role to play here. Without prodding them, I think they should get cracking in unravelling the destinations of the missing monies revealed

by Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria, FRCN. Until Sanusi clears all that is raised in the report by the Council, his romance with morality should be put on hold because he lacks what it takes to date morality.

*Mr. Ikejania, a public affairs analyst, wrote from Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

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NEWS BRIEF

UN warns of food crisis in CAR

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Ukraine mobilises after Putin’s ‘declaration of war

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KRAINE, yester day mobilized as the United States threatened to isolate Russia economically, after President Vladimir Putin declared he had the right to invade his neighbor in Moscow ’s biggest confrontation with the West since the Cold War. “This is not a threat: this is actually the declaration of war to my country,” Ukraine’s Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk, head of a pro-

Western government that took power when Russian ally Viktor Yanukovich fled last week, said in English.

Putin secured permission from his parliament on Saturday to use military force to protect Russian citizens in Ukraine and told U.S. President Barack Obama he had the right to defend Russian interests and nationals, spurning Western pleas not to intervene. Russian forces

have already bloodlessly seized Crimea - an isolated Black Sea peninsula where Moscow has a naval base.

On Sunday they surrounded several small Ukrainian military outposts there and demanded the Ukrainian troops disarm. Some refused, leading to standoffs, although no shots were fired. All eyes are now on whether Russia makes a military move in predominantly Russian-

speaking eastern Ukraine, where proMoscow demonstrators have marched and raised Russian flags over public buildings in several cities in the last two days.

Russia has staged war games with 150,000 troops along the land border, but so far they have not crossed. Kiev says Moscow is orchestrating the protests to justify a wider invasion.

food crisis is looming in the Central Afri can Republic after nearly a year of violence, a UN humanitarian official warned yesterday.

Funds pledged to help the crisis in January have not materialized, Abdou Dieng, the United Nations’ humanitarian coordinator said, with only one-fifth of the $500m promised at a donor conference in Brussels coming in to the country.

“It is now that the humanitarian crisis will start to deepen,” Dieng said.

“If we don’t pay attention, we will soon see people dying of hunger,” Dieng told the AFP news agency after visiting the market town of Bouar in the far west of the country the size of France.

Britain pulls out of G8 preparatory talks

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HE UK has pulled out of preparatory talks for the G8 summit because of Russia’s buildup of troops in the Ukrainian region of Crimea.

The summit is due to be hosted by Russia in the city of Sochi. Prime Minister David Cameron said British ministers would also now not attend the Paralympic Games in Sochi.

The decisions were announced as Foreign Secretary William Hague flew to Kiev for talks with Ukraine’s new leaders, amid rising tension with Russia.

Ukrainian acting president Olexander Turchynov has ordered a full mobilisation of Ukrainian military forces.

Algeria ends rally over president re-election

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LGERIAN police dispersed a demonstra tion in the capital staged by Algerians opposed to President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s decision to run for a fourth term in elections next month.

A group opposed to a fourth term for Bouteflika had called for the demonstration online, and those taking part at the weekend included journalists and rights activists.

Protesters chanted “no to a fourth term” and “15 years is enough”, an AFP journalist at the scene said.

Bouteflika, who has been in power since 1999 and turns 77 on Sunday, announced a week ago he would seek reelection in an April 17 vote, after speculation his frail health would stop him from running.

Egypt’s new PM says security is top priority

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GYPT’S new prime minister has said that security is his top priority and urged a halt to protests and strikes to give the nation a breather to rebuild after more than three years of deadly turmoil.

“The first priority is to impose security, counter terrorism firmly and legally, and restore stability by preserving human rights and democracy,” said Mahlab yesterday in a live televised address on his first day in office.

“No voice must be louder than the voice of construction and development,” said Mahlab, a former state-sector construction boss.

“I urge you to end any sit-ins, strikes and protests. Let’s begin rebuilding the nation,” he added.

Migrants force way into Spain’s Melilla

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ORE than 200 migrants seeking to enter Europe have stormed over a fence into Spain’s north African territory Melilla, causing a fracas that left 35 injured in one of the biggest such crossings in years, officials and rights groups said.

Some 300 people rushed at dawn on Friday to cross the triple-layer fence into the city, which has one of Europe’s only two land borders with Africa, and 214 made it across, Spanish authorities said, according to the AFP news agency.

Vanguard, MONDAY, MARCH 3, 2013—45

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USPENDED (not “sacked’, as some mischievously or ignorantly put it) Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, is a double-edged sword: he cuts both ways. In his five years of reign at the apex bank he has been able to demonstrate his ability for good and foul deeds almost in equal measure.

When his predecessor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, held fort at the Bank, he was able to save the financial system and the economy at large from the global economic meltdown with his highly successful consolidation of banks.

He raised their capital bases to levels where they can today feature, not only as continental giants but also as global competitors. But towards the end of Soludo’s tenure, rot and lethargy had set in, and horrible insider abuses held sway. Owners, directors, managers and operatives of banks started looting depositors’ funds unchecked.

When Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi arrived in June 2009 as the new CBN Governor, he showcased exploits of a two-edged sword.

Coming from risk management background, he sacked a number of errant bank executives. He separated some banks from their founders who committed some of the most

Malam Sanusi, Governor of CBN Emirate of articulation and clear delivery, he loves to hear his own voice. Like people who have this kind of weakness, he often talks before he thinks. If Sanusi had been as conservative as his job demands of him, the nation would have saved much of the over one trillion naira that he had to pump into the troubled banks.

The most nauseating factor that Sanusi brought to bear on his call to serve was arrogance. Sanusi felt he was a sacred cow; an untouchable. Two things probably led him to this delusional Tarquinism. The first is the

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Sanusi came with chaos to the CBN; he has left it with chaos. He has not left it better than he met it; all his positive contributions have been drowned in the cyclone of confusion created by his impulsive garrulity, barefaced nepotism, sectional arrogance, political adventurism, squandermania and insubordination to constituted authority

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monumental acts of thievery on record at that time. To save the banks from collapse he supported them with public funds and later sold them to new investors. But he also set up the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON, to arrest the incidence of non-performing loans in our banks. In other words, he was able to provide the cure to the disease that had set into the banking industry under Soludo. But that was where the good deed appeared to end.

Sanusi would have ended his tenure as a hero; in fact an industry messiah, had he restricted himself to the role of a central bank chief executive. His problem, which he transferred to the system (and which led to his current travails) was the unwholesome politics and his personal weaknesses which he brought to the job. Sanusi is an inveterate gasbag. He is born to talk. Blest with the power

Central Bank of Nigeria Act 2007, which spells the appointment, tenure, powers and removal of the CBN Governor. The President of the country is empowered to appoint or sack the CBN Governor, subject to confirmation by twothirds majority of members of the Senate.

After five years of grandstanding as a Northern protagonist at the apex bank, Sanusi felt sure that senators from the North alone can stop a two-thirds vote to oust him if the President made the move. This sense of political immunity led him to dare the President when he was recently ordered to resign over the leakage of his letter to the President alleging the “missing” of $49.8 billion. Sanusi, who had earlier elected to serve one term and proceed on his terminal leave in March 2014 impudently, told the President he would now stay in office till June 2! That was why the President decided to suspend him to prove to him there

BY CHIDI NWACHUKWU

"Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable. Every step towards the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle, the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals…"

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HESE were the words of Martin Luther King Jnr in the heat of civil rights struggle in the United States of America, a struggle that led to the New America with a Black man in the White House today, an achievement that appeared impossible years ago.

The above quotation is relevant today in Nigeria as it was in the United States, especially as we approach the election year.

Unfortunately all manner of politicking is currently going on around the country, with some politicians bulldozing everything in sight just to gain advantage without regard to the people.

But in spite of this politics without conscience, there are still a few who stand with the people; who still understand that the people indeed count. For, where exactly is leadership without the people?

Ikeoha is leadership personified, and has repeatedly demonstrated through his selfless service that leadership is about creating change, putting two ears of corn where one existed, or two blades of grass where only one grew, creating wealth in the midst of poverty and being accountable to the people. And for these, the Senator indeed deserves well of mankind.

Deputy President of the Senate, Speaker of the Ecowas Parliament, Chairman Senate Committee on Constitution Review, and the Chairman of the Governing Council of the National Institute for Legislative Studies, Abuja, Chief Ike

are a thousand ways of killing a small rat. By the time he has finished his quixotic legal challenge, it will not matter whatever comes of it.

Sanusi feels that as Governor of the CBN, he is no less free than other governors of states to spend, forgetting that state governors are elected and imbued with constitutional immunity. He forgot that as Chief Economic Adviser, he was a servant of the President. His independence is meant to give him a free hand to do his job without interference but subject to accountability to the National Assembly and the President, his employer. Not knowing where to draw the line, Sanusi went on an orgy of reckless spending of the Bank’s resources without appropriation or approval, donating millions and billions to disaster victims, schools and even political parties and individuals, all in the North. The Financial Reporters Council of Nigeria, FRCN, accused him of awarding multibillion naira contracts and spending the Bank’s money without approval of the Bank’s Board or appropriation by the National Assembly. Happily, these allegations are being looked into to determine whether, as it seems on the surface, Sanusi has been bingeing inappropriately on the Bank’s funds.

Sanusi’s arrogance goes beyond the delusion of immunity conferred by the CBN Act. It originates from his roots. Being a traditional prince, he obviously carries the born-to-rule disease which makes some Nigerians feel they own the country and could do anything and get away with it. Happily, only few misguided royals from North display this psychological affliction, at least openly. After all, the National Security Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan, retired Col. Sambo Dasuki, is a prince of the Sokoto Caliphate itself, to which the Kano Emirate ranks fourth or even fifth.

You hardly hear him or see him throw his weight around.

The Sultan of Sokoto himself, His Eminence, Alhaji Saad Abubakar III is one of the most pleasant, down-to-earth, and openminded monarchs who does not carry his ex-

alted position like a heavy load as Sanusi carried his princehood of the Kano Emirate.

Sanusi, for instance, is fond of wearing the robes of an emir, turban and all, to office, as if urging for the reigning Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, to move along for him to ascend the stool. He makes no mystery about his ambition to succeed Bayero who is still alive, kicking and ready to outlast those counting his days on their fingers.Sanusi is practising how to be an emir while governing the nation’s apex bank.

As the Governor of the CBN, I am not sure that it is the job of Sanusi to be a whistleblower over alleged cases of corruption, at least, not the way he went about it. As a whistleblower, he came across as totally incompetent and unconvincing. I say this because this was the same Sanusi who, along with the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, went on live television to defend the fuel subsidy regime which a probe later exposed to be the biggest fraud and drainpipe of the economy ever experienced in Nigeria.

Crosschecking of facts This was in January, 2012, when the going was still good. But perhaps a little later on when the opposition parties started coalescing with a view to using a Northerner to snatch the presidency from Jonathan in 2015, Sanusi’s whistles became shriller. He did not even bother to crosscheck his facts before rushing to the media to allege $49.8 billion was missing. When the Finance Minister corrected him, he brought the figure down to $10 billion, only to adjust it again to $20 billion. I hope the forensic audit expedites action to clear the air as to whether any money is missing, and who took it. Let Nigerians know the truth. But Sanusi would have performed a truly patriotic duty to Nigerians if he had ensured the veracity of his allegations before shouting at the rooftops.

Sanusi came with chaos to the CBN. He has left it with chaos. He has not left it better than he met it. All his positive contributions have been drowned in the cyclone of confusion created by his impulsive garrulity, barefaced nepotism, sectional arrogance, political adventurism, squandermania and insubordination to constituted authority.

In a chat with editors in Lagos shortly after his shove aside, Sanusi told us he would write his memoirs “in about 20years time”. I hope we all live to see it in print. Meanwhile, I suggest he should entitle it: How Not To Be A Central Bank Governor.

OPINION Ekweremadu: Enugu’s golden boy Ekweremadu has proven himself an all-round leader and politician par excellence. With successes he has recorded in each of these enormous responsibilities thrust upon him, it is clear that he didn’t just dabble into politics for purposes of seeking for the soft belly of a crocodile.

However, as my representative that I, just like the teeming population of Enugu West senatorial district is proud of, Ike Oha Ndigbo appeals to me most as a true representative of his people. Some go to Abuja and forget where they are coming from. Others come across influence and affluence and forget that they were once among the suffering commoners. Those whose kernel was broken for them by a benevolent spirit, easily forget Chinua Achebe’s advice to show humility. But, certainly not Ekweremadu. He appeals to me and other constituents as a man whose quality of mind has brought about enviable and empathic leadership that is fast touching lives, especially among the hitherto disregarded people at the grassroots, the real people.

Real people are those purportedly represented by the politicians. They are that category of the population who could hardly afford transport fare to Abuja to lobby for anything or enjoy the well-paved roads, electricity and all the fancies of the state capital. They are those who may never have seen electricity or pipe-borne water throughout their lives and who probably would have remained subsistence farmers because no good roads to transport their farm products to larger markets. These are the key people Ike Oha has served as God’s instrument to make those things thought impossible in their lifetime to be possible in rural communities.

For instance, the Senator, by his total dedication to service

and love for the people has attracted numerous life-touching projects to the Enugu West Senatorial District. The last count in his accountability booklet is over 140. But of particular interest to me here is Agwu, which is my native local government area.

Even though Awgu prides itself as one of the earliest favourite colonial settlements due to its topography on the hills, it has been regrettably backward in terms of development over the years for want of quality representation. But that was before Ekweremadu, the golden boy of Enugu and indeed Nigerian politics, came to the rescue.

Thankfully to Ike Oha, there are 34 completed or ongoing development projects attracted by him to Agwu Local Government as a whole. Awgu Local Government has turned into one huge construction site traversing educational, roads, rural electrification, water, and agricultural projects.

It, therefore, gladdens my heart and the heart of many that many local governments and communities in Enugu West Senatorial district are falling on themselves to endorse him. In quick succession, Ezeagu people just endorsed him on February 1 during an appreciation visit, while my own very people of Awgu followed suit on February 6. After all, who sees the road and prefers to wallow in the bush of uncertainty and retrogression?

Indeed, it is our earnest hope and prayer that 2015 will give birth to selfless politicians as Ikeoha Ndigbo, who believe that a country like Nigeria with abundant human and natural resources should not have second-class citizens .

*Mr Nwachukwu, a lawyer, wrote from Abuja.

46—Vanguard, MONDAY, MARCH 3, 2014

Confab: There is nothing to talk about — Kukah BISHOP Matthew Hassan Kukah is a sad man. His sadness is not related to the enormity of his episcopal responsibilities or being weighed down by the challenges that come with being an intellectually robust cleric and socio-political activist. Kukah is angry that every new Nigerian leader disregards past agreements on how to build a nation. This is why he is embarrassed that President Goodluck Jonathan is embarking on another talk on the future of Nigeria. In this exclusive interview , the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto marshals his arguments in a no holds barred fashion. Excerpts:

By CHARLES KUMOLU

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IVEN that you were the secretary of the National Political Reform Conference in 2005, what is your take on the forthcoming National Conference ?

I am quite sad because it is an evidence of a country that lacks the discipline to appreciate that building a nation is not a single man's job or a job of a generation.

To design something requires energy and time. When I participated in 2005, I was quite enthusiastic even though I protested to General Obasanjo that I was not a lawyer and didn’t see the capacity in which I could contribute to the conference. It was for me a wonderful learning opportunity.

The fact is that this country lacks a collective sense of memory and it is part of the tragedy we are facing as a country.

Oputa panel When I participated at the Oputa Panel, I was anxious to do it because I wanted to make sure that I brought in my personal prejudices in my own little way.

And I have been prejudiced in favour of history. And let me immodestly say that Justice Oputa gave me the latitude to achieve that. To that extent, I consider Oputa Panel as an opportunity to assemble all the stories of Nigeria for the sake of the generations to come. That is why I have said severally that there has never been a process that was as documented as Oputa panel was.

And I don’t want to hit my chest and claim credit but because I was so interested in that process, I found the resources to do that even when the Federal Government of Nigeria was not interested . Ford Foundation came to our assistance. The result

•Kukah: We lack memory then was that in that panel we had transcripts, video, audio of everything that happened. In fact we had a problem when we wanted to handover the report because we needed a lorry to carry the materials.

That was why the event took place at the International Conference Centre rather than the Villa. It was also informed by some security reasons. The Director General of the National Archives was there, I don’t know what they did with their own materials that they received. But my hope was that every university in Nigeria will have a copy or some copies of the process. It was not because of the story but because the collective narrative was important. For me, it was a major contribution towards shaping the history of our nation.

But if you ask anybody now, nobody can tell you where the report is. This is a country where huge resources are budgeted for things of this nature but you

cannot find a decent piece of paper in this country where things are documented. It is amazing. It is staggering and frustrating for someone, especially for me that is particularly interested in how we can correct the mistakes of the past. And this is why we are just stumbling and fumbling without a collective narrative and a clear vision of where we are heading to. Every President comes with his own ideas about what he is going to do.

You can not have a transformation agenda without having an idea about where you are heading to. What are you transforming? What are you transforming when you don’t have a deposit of history to enable you figure out what was done well and does not need to be done again, what was done badly and what really needs to be transformed. And when we transform ourselves, what exactly are we going to look like? These are some of the issues that need

to be reflected upon. But Nigerians think that governance is all about conducting elections, awarding contracts. Really, this what Nigerians think governance is all about. And you cannot build a nation with this kind of architecture.

What happened to the report of the National Political Reform Conference?

Well, you just asked me. But how do I know? The greatest tragedy is that the Secretary to the Government of Nigeria cannot tell you where the report is. The President of Nigeria cannot tell you where the report is. The Head of Service cannot tell you where the report is. The Cabinet Office cannot tell you where the report is. This is why I keep saying that Nigeria is like a pilot flying without a black box.

You cannot run a nation without a sense of memory. When we did Oputa Panel, one of the things I realised in my own little way as a student of history because I cannot claim to be a historian was that I realised that it is impossible to build a nation by just assembling good people. You cannot build a nation without sense of history. Even if it is about how other people have done their own. The greatest tragedy is that we don’t really know where the dustbins are. It is a measure of small mindedness that passes for leadership in Nigeria. It is sad that anybody coming comes with a new set of builders. It is not the way to build a nation. For me, it says a lot about our inclination to define principles of democracy

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•No report can surpass 2005 conference report •President has no business convoking dialogue •FG shouldn’t fund ethnic groups, warlords' participation •Jonathan’s perceived weakness not responsible for Boko Haram

own pet project. Given the high mortality rate of leaders, I will say that it is troubling because I have looked at how other nations tried to build their own processes, and I don’t think that there is anywhere in the world where people are doing the kind of things that Nigeria is doing.

With your status, one would think that the President consulted you before coming up with the idea of a National Conference...

This is one of the sad things I feel. And I am not putting myself forward. The problem in Nigeria is that everything that happens is a project. And people are going to assemble and are thinking about money to be made. Now, I am not the one to say that I am important and that someone should have consulted me. But If I were in that position, I would at least ask a few people. I don’t think Justice Niki Tobi is physically in a state of mind to speak to anyone.

Political reform conference But Sule Katagun is back to his home town and he was the Vice to Tobi. Next to him is myself and subsequently my co secretary, Prof Oloyede. I don’t know whether anyone spoke with him.

Senator Okurounmu was a member of the panel. If I were taking a process of that nature, first I probably will allow someone to call a small roundtable. It does not have to be the President because he has too many other things to do. But at least, someone would say lets find a key member of the previous one and what exactly happened. The person is also expected to ask if there was something that was not done well that we really need to work on again. I can tell you this, and it is not because I participated in that conference, it is going to be really hard-put to come up with the kind of report that will surpass the report that we produced at that National Political Reform Conference. I am saying this in every sense of the word. I did

The notion in Nigeria is that every President and governor has to come and do something different. Everybody has to come with his own pet project

and nation building and our inability to learn from mistakes of the past.

It shows very clearly that even after 50 years of independence, we have not been able to distinguish between individuals and how institutions are built.

The notion in Nigeria is that every President and governor has to come and do something different.

Everybody has to come with his

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not write the report and it was not my singular work.

But I am saying this as the secretary of the conference, who was on top of his job at the conference. So, I have an idea of what I am talking about. If we really were a serious country, what the President would probably have needed to do is to have someone suggesting for a Continues on page 47

Vanguard, MONDAY, MARCH 3, 2014—47

You can't convoke confab without a vision—Kukah Continues from page 46 review of what happened against the backdrop of a few other initiatives that have been undertaken, whether it was with Abacha or whatever the case may be. The suggestion would also have focused on seeing where the chaff is and where the grain is and what exactly it is that we need to do. And the President could easily have done that without even talking to anybody or convoking a conference. But how much of this is politics and how much of it is other things?

But tragically, it is at the expense of the nation because now we are all being worked up. And typically like us Nigerians, we will all be foaming in our mouths with anger and frustration.

Eventually, we will all go there and shout. At the end of the day nobody knows what is going to happen.

I find it very painful because given where we are now, the promises and the possibilities, these are not the kind of conversations we should be having. That is my conviction because we should not be talking about all the nonsense I hear.

People are saying should we stay

that warrants our coming together to talk.

The rest of the world must be laughing at us. This is not how to run a country. Most of the things we are talking about are things that research, institutions, the university community and a much more serious intellectual community should be dealing with and be servicing agencies of government. You are bringing people together, whose only credentials are political connections. You are also bringing together others who are redundant with the intention of servicing them and making them relevant. You are making them to add to their curriculum vitae so that they can show-off that they served in a conference. I have said it severally that the Bible and the Quran are sacred documents.

And supposedly we are the most religious country in the world. None of these two documents have stopped us, including myself from sinning.

We read them every day but you have to be determined to commit yourself. I was just reading a document by the Holy Father, Pope Francis where he said

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The rest of the world must be laughing at us. This is not how to run a country

together, should we not stay together? what exactly are we going to do among other questions? For God's sake, we have a National Assembly. We have got a Revenue and Fiscal Mobilisation Commission. We have people who are tinkering with how revenue is to be allocated. We have many state governments. We have many state governments that are extremely doing well. Whether it is Rivers, Lagos, Sokoto, Kano or Katsina does not matter. The basic truth is that people are generating revenue.

Critical question The critical question is to cut off the waste that is governance in Nigeria. It is not true for any governor to say that all he needs is more money because people have not demonstrated very clearly the level of their faithfulness with the resources that are available to them.

And if people live a less wasteful lifestyle and spend less resources by becoming more accountable, we will have enough resources in addition to what is given to them. A governor confessed to me that if we are honest with ourselves, we will have enough money. And this governor is from one of the poorest states in the North. If we are going to continue to service profligacy then that should not be the subject of a conference. So, there is nothing I see on the agenda

something that jolted me. He said if you are reading the Bible, please remember that it is a document that was written over 3000 years ago. For me it was a staggering thought. It means that this is not a document that someone just sat in his bedroom to write.

Despite the sacredness of those texts, our rascality and irresponsibility have not been reduced. That is because these are moral instruments. But in a society where you have clear instruments of restraints such as judicial processes, the Police and the courts, we are still not heading to anywhere. We have been unable to prosecute any criminal in Nigeria. Those are not the issues of a conference. The real issues is how we can implement some of the things that we are signatory to. And I have said severally that you can shut down the National Assembly or tell the lawmakers to forget about any other job and sit down to review all the laws we have in Nigeria.

For instance, when you decide to pass a law on same sex marriage and people question the rationale for that when there is already a law that defines what marriage is. They will question why you are embarking on a superfluous exercise. The point I am making here is that from the A-Z of survival in Nigeria, everything has literally been provided for in law. The question is how did we end up with encyclopedia of laws that nobody is interested in? How did we end

•Kukah: Our problem is profligacy up living in a country with one of the biggest constitutions as a document that nobody is accountable to?

You talked about shutting down the National Assembly, could you expantiate on this?

When I said shutting down the National Assembly, I meant shutting it down for making new laws. The fact is that everybody is benefiting from this rot.

Whether it is the media, the church, labour groups, we are all in this mess together.

And I have often said that we should stop talking about corruption. Perhaps, it sounds provocative but we have to stop that because there is nothing to talk about corruption.

Spelling of corruption We have not agreed on the spelling of corruption. And clearly nobody has the passion or commitment to fight corruption in this country. I have not seen that person. We talk about it but clearly at a particular point, we become ridiculous. About 33 to 34 governors were said to be undergoing EFCC investigations since 2007 but no conviction has been secured. The matter has gone and people have recycled themselves. From being EFCC guests they are back as Senators, ministers or whatever.

You are right if you question why the NASS should be involved in the process. They cannot of course be responsible for committing suicide. This is why I said that the best we can do with what we have on ground is not necessarily to contemplate any change. You cannot write the rules. We went into this process and that's why we must return to the scene of the crime if we want to deal with this problem. That is to ask how we got to where we are now.

How we got to where we are We got to where we are now because we woke up one day and was told that Abacha had died and we have not had the discipline to find out how Abacha died. We should have asked why

he died and how he died. We have closed that page in that manner tragic as it may sound.

We ran through a transition but it was a transition that the military knew they wanted Obasanjo to be the President. Everything else became a matter of details. For instance, the PDP was largely funded from government purse, just as a trojan horse to bring Obasanjo to power. Amid all these chaos and confusion we did not have a constitution, we did not agree on rules of engagement.

And the appetite for greed of the Nigerian political elite was such that whatever it is, lets get these guys out of there so we could have a piece of the action. Are there rules? 'No, we will make the rules when we get in.' This is why we have this mess that is going on.

You are talking about the National Assembly, in Burma Aung San Suu Kyi since 1990 was in detention till two years ago. But remember that when she was freed to contest election, they had to draft a constitution and they were asked to sign the constitution. She and the members of her party refused to sign because there was something intrinsically problematic about a section of the law which was ‘pledging allegiance to..’ Literally it was a single word.

That is where principle comes in and where one says whatever it is, I don’t want it at all cost. If a young lady feels that she needs a husband at all cost and anything that passes in trousers should be her husband, the person can be sure that she is not going to have a happy marriage.

What I am saying is that the so called political elites were a bunch of contractors, who will do business with anyone. The result is that these are the kind of people that presented themselves as politicians and these are the people we had to choose from. The kind of freshness that you require from a transition never happened in Nigeria. And this is why we are still some of the key players in

politics today.

They are in their eighties, some are way beyond their eighties, they are still the key players and actors on the political scene.

Clearly, in basic political science, one of the obstacles to democracy is military rule, another obstacle is gerontocracy, that is the presence of too many old people in a democracy. Gerontocracy scuttles democracy especially in Africa where we think that age is synonymous with wisdom. How we get past all that is beyond the saying that we are going to have a conference or saying that we are going to have a national Assembly to do things differently.

Even at the National Assembly we have a problem.

Can you be explicit on the problem the nation has at the level of the National Assembly?

The National Assembly has a very high mortality rate. That of course induces a certain kind of volatility because of the absence of institutional memory. I was reading one of President Obama’s book and it was interesting to hear him say some things about getting into the Senate and how some of the people have been there for almost 50 years. He also talked about all the areas in the Senate that had become sacred places.

Zoning controversies Now, how many senators or members of the House of Representatives have been there since 1999? Part of the problem is not about people losing elections, it is also about the consequences of disagreeing with a governor and zoning controversies. Also too many people are getting into the National Assembly without prerequisite qualifications. They don’t know the constitution, they don’t know law. I am not saying that the place should be populated with lawyers. But the mental discipline that is required to be a lawmaker is not the prerequisite of getting into the National Assembly in Nigeria.

And the way we are going now, in the next 10 years, about 90 percent of the Senate is going to be made up of former governors for whom the Senate is gradually becoming a place of abode. What all that means for the project of democracy should be questioned. And the issue of how to resolve it is not just about having people gather for a national conference. The problem of gathering for the conference is that the people are not coming because of their expertise.

Almost every body going for the conference is going as patronage.

If the President is not your patron, the governor is your patron, if the governor is not your patron, maybe your traditional ruler or somebody else is your patron. There is nothing on the card to suggest the minimum level of capacity that is required to get into the place.

48—Vanguard, MONDAY, MARCH 3, 2014

L-r: Prince Olusegun Adesegun, Deputy Governor Ogun State, Labaran Maku, Minister of Information, Olusegun Osoba, former Governor of Ogun State and Chief Micheal Ade-Ojo,Chairman, Elizade Limited, at the 30th year remembrance of late Chief James Olubunmi Aboderin, weekend, in Lagos. Photo: Akeem Salau

Homosexuality: Anglican Church subjects members to oath

T

HE Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, has introduced a clause in its constitution subjecting members who intend to hold positions in church, to take an oath of allegiance to God denouncing homosexuality. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the public denunciation took place in Abuja, yesterday, at St. Matthews, Maitama, during the swearing-in of new members of the Parish Church Council (PCC).

The Vicar of the church, Ven. Ben Idume, who administered the oath to members of the PCC, said the church recognised that those with such sexual orientation needed help and counselling, adding, "but they would not be allowed to hold any position in church.”

The legislation is significant because it applies to members of the laity, clergy and house of bishops of the church. It also banned bisexuals from holding any church office.

The text of the vow reads: “I declare before God and his Church that I have never been a homosexual/ bisexual or (have repented from being homosexual/ bisexual) and I vow that I will not indulge in the practise of homosexuality/ bisexuality. If after this oath I am involved, found to be, or profess to be a homosexual/bisexual against the teachings of the Holy Scriptures as contained in the Bible. I bring upon myself the full wrath of God and subject myself willingly to canonical discipline as enshrined in the constitution of the Church of Nigeria, so help me

God.” One of the oathtakers, Mr Lucky Erhaikhuemen, 43, the Vicar ’s warden of the church, said two decades ago the oath would have been of no significance in the Church of Nigeria. He noted, “But with what is happening in Western countries and the churches there, there is a lot of pressure on church leaders and members here to compromise the teachings of the church. The oath is a guide and warning that those in leadership positions in the church must uphold scriptural teachings and point to the godly part to the younger generations.”

In January, President Goodluck Jonathan signed a law banning same-sex marriages and shows of same-sex public affection.

The law introduced a 14year prison sentence for people who are convicted of entering into a same-sex marriage or civil union.

Under the law it is also an offence to administer witness or help at a samesex marriage ceremony.

The law also forbids people from running gay clubs, societies, processions or meetings in Nigeria and the punishment for such acts is 10 years in prison. The law states that marriages or civil unions from outside the country will be void inside the country.

NLC plans nationwide protests •Over killings of innocent Nigerians •Unity colleges observe lecture free day

BY VICTOR AHIUMAYOUNG

N

IGERIA Labour Congress, NLC, yesterday, threatened a nationwide mass protest against the continued killings of innocent Nigerians and the destruction of property by suspected Boko Haram sect.

This came as the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, ASCSN, directed its members in the 104 Federal Government Colleges, FGCs, to declare today a free-lecture and day of mourning in honour of the 43 students of the FGC, Muni Yadi, Yobe State killed by suspected insurgents last Tuesday.

NLC which expressed shock at the incessant killings of Nigerians in the northern part of the country, declared it unacceptable that the military and other security forces could not

respond to the distress calls made by the defenceless citizens.

In a statement by its President, Abdulwaheed Omar, the Congress said “We at the Nigeria Labour Congress are shocked by this brazen and ferocious savagery and saddened by the seeming helplessness of our security forces.

The earlier successes of the declaration of emergency seem to have petered away, giving room to despair. The massacre of defenceless students in Yobe State and the routine decimation of communities in Borno and Adamawa States bring to the fore the gory reality of the new phase of war on terror. In the attack on the students, the Boko Haram members were reported to have operated for hours unchallenged."

Vanguard, MONDAY, MARCH 3, 2014 — 49 YOUR LUCK TODAY

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139

VIRGO; You will have more to gain if you back your plans with positive actions early in the day. 6.43 to 9.04pm can bring misunderstanding.

LIBRA; Unnecessary aggression and behind-thescene activities are potential agents of avoidable trouble today.6.43 to 9.04 may force others to break promises.

SCORPIO; Unexpected challenges can come through financial transactions, but your being practical will see you through. Watch what you do between 6.43&9.04pm.

SAGITTARIUS; Romantic Venus moves to positive angle to your Star sign and give you the needed urge to create time for the betterment of your love life. Yet you will need to be more careful in other areas so that you don’t work against your own interest. Be loving.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

By Richard Eromosele

S

OME of us feel success is a c o m m o n denominator to everyone that works hard. But the issue is how much hard can you work? And

Succeed Anyway (1) who determines that you have worked hard enough to succeed?

The truth is that apart from working

hard, there are other factors that aids and engineers success. One of such is your thought. If there is no harmony in your

TERROR MUDA in “Never say goodbye”

internal thought process, there can’t be self conviction and this will have a negative impact on the without because the within (inside) controls the without (external)...

By Lanre Kehinde

CAPRICORN; Provided you are in control of happenings within your base of operation you will not have cause to worry. It is important you respect the law AQUARIUS; Other people money and/or jointly owned fund can be sources of challenge today. If you take friends for granted you would be disappointed.

Be steadfast.

PISCES; Both your personal career/business lines and partnership related issues are what can bring you under pressure. Be diplomatic between 6.43&9.04pm.

ARIES; Your being steadfast will not go unrewarded.

But then your subordinates may unconsciously make things difficult for you.6.43 to 9.04pm can be a bit sensitive.

TAURUS; You must know the difference between enterprising endeavour and gabling so that you will not walk your way into avoidable trouble. Love can excite you GEMINI; There may be domestic challenges but if you carry your mate/spouse along early enough there will be solution. Watch your steps between 6.43 and 9.04pm.

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in

“Princess Shii’

By Andy Akman

CANCER; Even if unnecessary argument upset you, eventually you will have cause to smile probably through money. Watch your tongue especially around 6.43&9.04pm LEO; Doing things before planning will only lead to avoidable loss financially. Matters-of-the-heart are favoured. 6.43 to9.04pm may be sensitive.

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING Send yyour our dat tr ological datee and place of bir th ttoo the As Astr trological Counselling, PP.M.B .M.B 1100 00 7, Apapa, Lagos 007,

What are my lines?

Dear Joshua I am interested in your column; more ink to your pen.

I hate poverty and will like to know how I can be rich in a positive way; here I want to know about my career line (what are good lines for me) and my finance Ogunbowale, Jos. Dear Ogunbowale, Nobody likes poverty. But first rule that must be observed by would be a rich person is HARD WORK while the second is being PRAYERFUL. You were endowed with powerful brains/mind indispensable to very important positions and luckily for you your talents have been polished by sound education. As communication related Mercury was powerfully placed at positive angles to both political/ electronic related Uranus and Jupiter the planet of good luck, communication industry, POLITICS, electronics and the bridal needs are good areas where you can rightly expect remarkable success. Whatever areas you decide to go, your aspiration must be towards important LEADERSHIP POSITIONS. When talking of electronics here computer and its’ accessories are the main thing. And because Mars and Neptune conjoined with positive aspects from Pluto OIL and food related businesses are truly good for you.

All said and done it must be known by you that the more positively AMBITIOUS you are the better for you.

Libra that hosted Jupiter-the planet of good luck, is one of the Star signs related to MONEY and COMFORT. Luckily for you Jupiter conjoined Uranus (the planet of genius) at positive angles to Mercury meaning that your brilliant ideas will always bring you financial success on one hand, on the other hand Jupiter and Uranus are also related to POWERFULLY PLACED and INFLUENTIAL PERSONALITIES. Thus POWERFUL MEN and WOMEN will one time or the other aide your FINANCE. But don’t forget that the more positively AMBITIOUS you are the better for your cause. What you will need to guard against here are deceit and emotion.

VIRGINIA

HOME & ABROAD

dadadekola@yahoo.com

By Lawrence Akapa

50—Vanguard, MONDAY, MARCH 3, 2014

VANGUARD CLASSIFIED

The Deputy President of the Senate, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu, listens as a survivor of the Atomic Bomb during World War II, Keiko Ogura, gives a firsthand account of the bomb disaster when Ekweremadu visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and Park in Hiroshima, Japan, weekend.

Gov Okorocha sends list of national confab's reps to the Presidency

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

O

WERRI — GOVER NOR Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, has approved and forwarded an updated names of six persons, including a woman to the Presidency for the forthcoming national conference.

Okorocha forwarded the updated names in a letter he signed on February 20, 2014, and addressed to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

According to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant, SSA, (Media) to the Governor, Mr. Samuel Onwuemeodo, the state gov-

ernment’s updated list now included the names of Chief Uzoma Nwosu, Professor Chinedu Nwajiuba, and Chief Cyril Amako.

It was the opinion of the governor that the additional persons “would also be at the conference to represent ethnic interests.”

The governor had in a previous letter dated February 14, 2014, forwarded the names of Dr. Ezekiel Izuogu, Prince Bob Njemanze and Mrs. Chidinma Uwajumogu to represent Orlu, Owerri and Okigwe senatorial zones respectively.

While explaining that he forwarded the names of

Nnamani fulfilled all requirements to return to PDP —WARD CHAIRMAN

BY TONY EDIKE

E

NUGU — EMBAT TLED Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Agbani Ward in Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State, Mr. Monday Ngene, yesterday, said former Governor of the state, Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani fulfilled the party’s constitutional requirements for his re-admission.

Ngene, who insisted that he remained the Agbani Ward Chairman of the party, told newsmen that Nnamani had on January 2, 2014 sent a letter to the ward executive requesting that his membership of the PDP be updated having decided to return to the party.

A copy of the letter entitled, 'Application for Update of PDP Membership' and personally signed by Dr. Nnamani, reads: “May I use this opportunity to congratulate you and the entire leadership of the PDP, who have no doubt worked tirelessly in main-

taining and championing the mantle of leadership through justice, unity and progress in which the party stands for.

“In line with the PDP constitution, I humbly request that you kindly update my membership with the party. Thank you. Best wishes and To God Be the Glory.” The letter was acknowledged by the Ward Chairman, Mr. Ngene.

"these patriotic citizens of the state" because they would represent the state well," Okorocha also urged them to remain good ambassadors of the state at the conference.

NULGE shuts council over attack on cashier

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

O

WERRI — THE National Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, Oru West branch has, on the directives of the state office of the Union, shut the council.

The development, according to Vanguard investigations, followed what the workers called “the unreasonable and inexplicable brutal battering of the cashier, Mr. Arinze Ezeifedi, by hired thugs."

The workers claimed that “the only noticeable sin of the cashier was his insistence that the financial instructions should be followed in all cash payments.”

N4GG okays Jonathan for 2015

BY FESTUS AHON

U

GHELLI—AHEAD of the 2015 Presidential election, Network for Good Governance, N4GG, a pressure group, weekend, endorsed President Goodluck Jonathan as its candidate, describing him as a charismatic leader whose transformation agenda has touched all sectors of the country.

The group said in a statement after a crucial meeting of its coordinators from the United States of America, the United Kingdom, France, Italy and other

parts of the world in Warri, that the performance of President Goodluck Jonathan in his first term was overwhelming and should be given a second term.

The country Director, Mr Sunny Onuesoke, said “President Goodluck Jonathan has provided purposeful leadership and stabilized our economy.” The group listed even and sustainable development; youth employment/empowerment, as other reasons why President Jonathan should be returned to office in 2015.

ADEKANMBI—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Oluwabunmi Patricia Adekanmbi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Oluwabunmi Patricia Hodonu. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

IBEKWE—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Ibekwe Ifunanya Lilian, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Hoyi Ifunanya Lilian.

All former documents remain valid. NYSC and general public please take note.

IWUEGBU—I, formerly known and addressed as Daniel Emeka Iwuegbu, now wish to be known and addressed as Ndunaka Kenneth Uchenna. All former documents remain valid.

Unitar International University Malaysia and Nigeria High Commission KualaLumpur, Malaysia and general public please take note.

OGBOMEH—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Lawretta Nneka Ogbomeh, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Lawretta Nneka Oshiemogie.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

OSODEIN—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Osodein Adebayo Mosunmola, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ladipo Mosunmola Omoniyi. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

NWAIWU—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Chidimma Charity Nwaiwu, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Chidimma Charity Obioma-Ukachi with immediate effect. All former documents remain valid. General public, please take note.

THOMAS—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Thomas Tosin Seun, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Opadiran Tosin Seun. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

OTAH—I, formerly known and addressed as Obukohwo Victor Otah, now wish to be known and addressed as Obukohwo Victor Akpoteyere. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

Correction of Name OKORI—I am known and addressed as Mr. Alphonsus Okori Orokpo and not Mr. Alphonsus Okoli Orokpo as wrongly written in my West African School Certificate. All former documents remain valid. Benue State University (Faculty of Law) Makurdi, West African Examination Council and general public please take note.

ADEGOKE — I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Adedoyin Adegoke, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Adedoyin Durojaiye. All former documents remain valid.

African University of Science & Technology, Abuja and the general public please take note.

UDEH—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Caroline Udeh, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Okeke Caroline Amaka. All former documents remain valid. Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and general public please take note.

OBASI— I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Ijeoma Diana Obasi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ijeoma Diana Emehel. All former documents remain valid. National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and general public please take note.

JUNAID—I, formerly known and addressed as Mrs. Junaid, Kehinde Foluke, now wish to be known and addressed as Miss Oshodi Kehinde Foluke. All former documents remain valid. Doregos Private Academy and general public please take note.

I O R S A S E — I , formerly known and addressed as Miss Jennifer M. Iorsase, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Jennifer M. Gideon.

All former documents remain valid.

G o v e r n m e n t Secondary School Koroduma, Nasarawa State Ministry of Education and general public please take note.

OMOBUDE—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss O m o b u d e Osarumwense Jessica, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Kayode Osarumwense Jessica. All former documents remain valid. NYSC board and general public please take note.

OYIBO—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Eseoghene Maryjane Oyibo, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Oseoghene Maryjane Moritan. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

OKAFOR—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Okafor Nneka Jennifer, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Onuwemeni Love Nneka Jennifer.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

OJEI—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Ojei Ifeanyi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. John Ifeanyi. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

HALIM—I, formerly known and addressed as Odozi Azubuike Halim, now wish to be known and addressed as Odozi Azubuike Andrew. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

IKEMELU —I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Ogechukwu Ikemelu, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ogechukwu OgbeideIhama. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

AMENAGHAWON— I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Amenaghawon Osayomwanbor Kezia, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Osayomwanbor Kezia Imoukhuede.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

Vanguard, MONDAY, MARCH 3, 2014 — 51

52— Vanguard, MONDAY, MARCH 3, 2014

Lagos to host maiden DAWN Games

A

S part of efforts to encourage grassroots sports development in the region, the maiden South-West Secondary School Sports Festival tagged DAWN Games will be hosted by the Lagos State Government in May 2014.

This was revealed at the end of the threeday meeting held in Lagos and attended by stakeholders from the six South West states, National Sports Commission (NSC) and Nigeria School Sports Federation (NSSF) among others.

In a statement by the Public Relations Officer (PRO, Lagos State Sports Council, Bashir Agunloye, DAWN, is an acronym for Development Agenda for Western Nigeria, brings together the government of the six states of South West Nigeria - Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, Osun and Lagos, in a concerted strategic developmental process geared towards social,

•Oshodi economic and regional integration and sports is one of the tools being deployed to actualise the agenda.

The DAWN Games

Centenanary Awards: Ajunwa grateful to Jonathan, Nigerians

C

HIOMA Ajunwa, an Olympic gold medallist, says she is grateful to President Goodluck Jonathan and Nigerians for the Centenary Award given to her in Global Sports Competition category in Abuja on Friday.

Ajunwa expressed her feelings in an interview with the News Agency of Niger-

Eagles Continues from BP also for the game. Already, Coach Stephen Keshi is awaiting the team and his assistants in the United States.

Those on the Delta Airline flight to the United States include assistant coach Daniel Amokachi, Hyaondounou Valere and Ike Shorunmu, the goalkeeper ’s trainer. Team Doctor, Ibrahim Gyaran, Physiotherapist Wale Oladejo, Psychologist Dr Robinson Okosun, Chidi Ngoka who is the equipment Manager, ACP Abubakar Baba, the Chief Security Officer, NFF Protocol man, Emmanuel Ayanbunmi and Media officer, Ben Alaiya.

Four players were on the trip with CHAN 2014 MVP Ejike Uzoenyi leading the likes of Azubuike Egwuekwe, Ebenezer Odunlami and midfielder Shehu Abdulahi for the grade A friendly.

The delightful thing for the team however is the fact that teenager central defender, Kenneth Omeruo has not only returned to top flight football in the

are expected to create a forum for youths in the region to harness their sporting talents while also encouraging mass participation in sports at the grassroots level.

Speaking at the event, the DirectorGeneral, DAWN Commission, Dipo Famakinwa emphasised the role of sports in the DAWN agenda and assured all of the commitment of the DAWN Commission to work for the success and sustainability of the games.

English championship, with Middlesborough but was named the Mana of the Match in the weekend’s game against Sheffiled United, which his side lost 1-0. ‘’We’re simply delighted at the performance of Kenneth and the coach is glad that he has started tyo do those things that he is noted for’’, team administrator, Dayo Enebi Achor said.

Achor departed Nigeria on Saturday and by Sunday evening he was on the same flight with Chelsea midfielder, John Mikel to the United States for the friendly. I’m on the same flight with Mikel and Victor Moses is expected Monday(today) like all other players, because the coach has said he wants all his players in by Monday’’, Achor said.

The duo are expected to be first to be welcomed for the friendly by Keshi.

Wednesday’s friendly is expected to be played at the Atlanta Georgia Dome with both countries parading their potential World Cup squads for the encounter.

ia (NAN) on Sunday in Lagos.

“I’m exited to be honoured for the second time after 14 years of outstanding performance in sports development in the country.

“I must confess that it makes me feel great.

“When I was in the race, I never knew that a day like this will come,” Ajunwa said.

Ajunwa was among the five heroes that received awards in the Global Sports Competition category at the just-concluded Centenary Awards ceremony in Abuja.

She had earlier been honoured as a Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) by the then Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, for her outstanding performance which won her the gold medal in Long Jump at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, U.S.

Nomsa Mazibuko, Marketing Director SuperSport; Felix Awogu, General Manager, Strategy, West Africa, SuperSport; Chioma Afe, Marketing Manager, DStv, MultiChoice Nigeria and Andre Venter, Head of Africa,SuperSport during the SuperSport Editors Networking Session held at Zen Garden, Isaac John, Street, Ikeja, GRA

Orubebe golf tourney ends in Sapele

S

APELE went agog penultimate Saturday as the Sapele Athletic Club hosted the Orubebe Invitational Golf competition sponsored by former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs Godsday Orubebe.

The tournament was part of activities marking the centenary celebrations of the club.

The Sapele Athletics club owns the oldest golf course in Nigeria.

The game was first played there on a competitive basis before other gold courses like the Ikoyi Golf Club came on board.

But the club lapsed into inactivity until the recent efforts by Orubebe to revive and make it regain its lost glory.

The tournament tee off was taken by its spon-

Kanu Continues from BP the hospital following the 1997 heart surgery at the same hospital.

Co-ordinator jof the Kanu Heart Foundation, Pastor Onyebuchi Abia confirmed the success of the surgery adding that the former Super Eagles captain has since left the intensive care unit, ICU, of the hospital and is recuperating in the hosptal.

“He’ll be back home in a few days time’’, Abia said in a statement. ‘’I spoke with him Sunday afternoon and he confirmed he’s in a stable condition.

Even from his hospital

bed, he expressed profound gratitude to President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan for the award bestowed on him during the Centenary Award Ceremony in Abuja. ‘’He also hailed the transformation agenda of the present administration in showing commitment to sports adding that he was humbled by the award and promised to continue his football ambassadorial work for the benefit of the country’’, Abia quoted him as saying.

The former Arsenal forward assured his teeming fans and supporters of his quick recovery.

sor as Chairman of the Nigeria Golf Federation, Dr Peter Dashi and seven members of his executive led other participants in vying for honours in various categories.

Prizes were available in various categories with Tunde Muze as the overall winner. Philip Laban, Emma Oyibo, Kunle Dada and Joy Solomon won awards. P. Asagba won the veteran prize.

Speaking at the presentation of prizes, Oru-

bebe declared his resolve to make the competition an annual event and his readiness to continue to be of assistance to the Sapele Athletic Club in the pursuance of its goals towards discovering new talents and nurturing them to stardom. He praised the management of the club for its commitment and determination to ensure that the club continues to fulfill the dreams of its founding fathers.

Man City Continues from BP performance, the recovery began after Toure nonchalantly curled into the net from 30 yards (meters) in the 55th minute, with Samir Nasri volleying home City’s second inside two minutes.

City fans were already celebrating just their third trophy in three years - following a 35year title drought - when

Jesus Navas completed a counterattack to add the third in the 90th minute.

“To win the first trophy I think is important for us all ... because at an important club you must win trophies,” Pellegrini said.

“In the second half we changed it and scored two beautiful goals and we had the patience to win.”

Enyimba Continues from BP H o w e v e r, Re a l Banako stunned the full house inside the Enyimba International Stadium in Aba when they drew level on 64 minutes through Mohammed Cisse.

They then compounded the home team’s problems when they went in front after 76 minutes through

Amodou Famake. The return leg will be played in Bamako next Sunday with the overall winners advancing to the second round of the club competition.

Nigeria champions Kano Pillars crashed out in the preliminary round of this competition last month.

Vanguard, MONDAY, MARCH 3, 2014 — 53

Ike Uche sees red

Enosoregbe, Spencer win Delta State Tennis Classics

I

KECHUKWU Uche was sent off for Villarreal as they were held to a 1-1 draw by visiting Real Betis in the Spanish La Liga on Sunday.

The 30-year-old came on as a substitute for Jeremy Perbet straight after the interval, but was given his marching orders in the 79th minute for a second bookable offence.

In a somewhat harsh decision, referee Ignacio Iglesias opted to dismiss Uche for a tackle despite the player winning the ball. The first caution was also handed out in similar circumstances.

Bruno Soriano scored from the spot to give the Yellow Submarines the lead in the 71st minute.

However, Ruben Castro scored for the visitors in the 85th minute to ensure the spoils were split.

Nosa Igiebor did not feature for Betis as he is yet to shake off a knee injury.

T

HE curtains came down on the maiden edition of the Delta State Tennis Classics weekend at the Asaba Sports Complex with Clifford Enosoregbe and Comfort Spencer emerging the men’s and ladies single champions respectively.

The competition, which is a monthly one for players of Delta State is designed principally to prepare them for this year ’s National Sports Festival in Calabar and also to give the players

•Uche

regular avenues to showcase their skills on the courts, lived up to its top billing going by the enthusiasm of the players and quality of play by the finalists throughout the matches.

After a round robin set of matches, Enosoregbe and Emmanuel Ikakah qualified for the men’s singles final, which was action packed as both finalists did their best to emerge champion. The luck of the day shone on Enosoregbe, who won in two sets of 6-3, 6-2, to the

Okon okays Falconets draw for Canada 2014

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ORMER Falconets coach, Edwin Okon has described as very fair the side’s group at the forthcoming 2014 Fifa Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Canada.

At the official draw at Montreal’s Windsor Ho-

tel, Canada on Saturday the nation’s campaigners were pitched in Group C with England, Korea Republic and Mexico. Okon, who guided the side to a fourth finish at the last edition in Japan, said

the only dreaded opponents among the lots in the group are England.

“It’s a very good one for the Falconets with the exception of England the other group opponents, Korea Republic and Mexico can’t trou-

ble the Nigerians.

“England are the hard nuts in the group without being disrespectful to Korea and Mexico I’m confident the Falconets will power themselves through from the group."

delight of all, who hailed him all the way.

In the ladies singles final, Comfort Spencer dismantled Ann Okoro 6-1, 6-0 in a one-sided match.

Impressed with the performance of the players, Coach of the Delta State tennis team, Henry Ubochi said it was a very successful maiden edition, noting that the players contested keenly and that they have started shaping for the National Sports Festival in Calabar in November.

He added that the weekly clinic for kids will follow every Saturday, with Asaba being the serve off point.

The Executive Chairman of the Delta State Sports Council, Pinnick Amaju said it was a great innovation, which deserves support from all in Delta State.

54 — Vanguard, MONDAY, MARCH 3, 2014

NNPC wins NOGIG 2014

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HE Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC has emerged champion of the 15th Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry Games concluded at the weekend in Lagos.

The oil giants garnered a toal of 14 gold, 11 silver and 13 bronze medals to top eleven other companies that took part in the games.

The second spot was won by SPDC which had 11 gold, 7 silver and 10 bronze medals. With 8 gold, 5 silver and 6 bronze medals Chevron took the third position.

ExxonMobil with 3 gold, 10 silver and 11 bronze placed 4th while Total, NAOC, NLNG and PTI placed 5th, 6th and 7th respectively.

Debutantes, NCDMB were good enough for the 9th position while OANDO, DPR and Addax Oil took the rear.

The closing ceremony witnessed the finals of the men and women 4 x 100 metres relay and the final of the football event.. NNPC took the

gold medal after defeating Chevron 2 - 0 in the exciting final.

The victorious NNPC team dominated the male and female tennis

events which they garnered a haul of 8 gold, five silver and 3 bronze medals.

Chevron dominated the swimming event with 5 gold 2 silver and 2 bronze medals.

2014 Lagos Polo: Fifth Chukker, Goodfellows clinch final titles

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AGOS Ironclad Fifth Chukker beat city rivals Lagos Auden/ Delaney 13-11 to the Majekodunmi Cup as the 2014 Lagos Polo Tournament was concluded yesterday.

Lagos enjoyed a near all-round success in the dual-phase 10-day tournament as Lagos Goodfellows also won the Low Cup. The Majekudomi Cup match which took place at the Brightwater which has served as an alternative venue to the Lagos Polo Club Ikoyi homeground, due to waterlogged pitch - saw Fifth Chukker fighting off the challenge of the Delaney team who had hoped to bag their second title having won the Independence Cup by

beating Kano Titans on Friday.

Obafemi Otudeko of The Chukkers was voted as the MVP of the prestigious Majekudomi Cup, while Maya, from the stable of the Ironclad was adjudged the best playing pony was given to Maya from the stables of the champions.

It capped a glorious outing for the Lagos sides who were second best in most of the titles last year.

Lagos Polo Club captain Mustapha Fasinro attributed the success of the Lagos team to hardwork and determination “We were just determined not to see all the titles carted away before us again this time around,” he said.

Vanguard, MONDAY, MARCH 3, 2014 — 55

C M Y K

VANGUARD, MONDAY, MARCH 3, 2014

Enyimba lose in Aba to Real Bamako E Man City

Eagles fly to USA for Mexico

NYIMBA’s home invincibility was halted on Sunday when they lost 2-1 to AS Real Bamako of Mali in a CAF Champions League first round tie.

Enyimba were lack lustre, posted a disjointed display and relied on individual brilliance against their more co-ordinated opponents.

Enyimba took the lead in the 45th minute through Sibi Gwar, who scored a brace in a preliminary round clash against Anges de Notse of Togo.

Continues on Page 52

•Mikel, Achor are first birds in Atlanta •Today is arrival deadline Kanu undergoes

heart surgery again!

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HE Super Ea gles delegation from Nigeria left Lagos for Atlanta, United States last night for the international friendly against their Mexican counterparts, that will take place in the American city on Wednesday.

The Nigerian delegation is headed by NFF President, Alhaji Aminu Maigari, while Chairman, National Sports Commission and Sports Minister, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi is expected

Continues on Page 52

•Keshi

N

IGERIAN football legend and founder of Kanu Heart Foundation, KHF, Nwankwo Kanu(OON, MON, UNICEF Ambassador) at the weekend underwent a corrective heart surgery at the Cleveland Hospital , Ohio, USA. The surgery was carried out during one of his normal yearly routine medical checks at Continues on Page 52

•Mikel

claim League Cup

A

N exquisite equal izer from Yaya Toure sparked a secondhalf comeback by Manchester City in the League Cup final yesterday with a 3-1 victory over Sunderland giving Manuel Pellegrini his first trophy as manager.

Returning to the stadium where Roberto Mancini’s City career ended in an FA Cup final loss last May, further Wembley misery appeared to be beckoning when Fabio Borini put Premier League struggler Sunderland in front after 10 minutes.

Instead, City, which has now scored 121 goals this season, remains on course for an improbable quadruple that would require all the resolve displayed in the second half to complete.

After a flat first-half Continues on Page 52

RESULTS EPL Aston Villa 4 Norwich 1 Swansea 1 Palace 1 Tottenham 1Cardiff 0

•Kanu

QUICK CROSSWORD

Sudoku TODAY'S

PUZZLE

YESTER DAY'S YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 4 Contented (5) 7 Rough (6) 9 Pass (3) 10 Frenzied (3) 12 Nude (5) 13 Hypocrisy (4) 15 Animal (5) 17 Decanter (6) 19 Masculine (4) 20 Needles (5) 22 Whim (3) 24 Dropped (7) 27 Hill (3) 28 New (5) 31 Side (4) 33 Stopped (6) 35 Stadium (5) 37 Twist (4) 38 Saying (5) 39 Fasten (3) 41 Writing-fluid (3) 42 Dedicate (6) 43 Upright (5)

DOWN 1 Brawl (6) 2 Means (6) 3 Border (3) 4 Sharpen (4) 5 Frighten (5) 6 Matchless (8) 8 Facts (4) 11 Unlike (9) 14 Lofty (4) 16 Equipment (4) 18 Uproar (4) 21 Bullfighter (8) 23 Adroit (4) 25 Sported (4) 26 Sketched (4) 29 Reviser (6) 30 Concealed (6) 32 Sorcery (5) 34 Spoke (4) 36 Torn (4) 40 Fish (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Deride 5, Avid 8, Aroma 9, Set 10, Also 11, Else 12, Scene 13, Gifted 16, Mere 18, Ease 20, Gem 22, Sad 23, Dip 24, Rude 25, Item 28, Dahlia 30, Sneak 32, Glad 33, Best 34, Nub 35, Newly 36, Deer 37, Petrol.

DOWN: 1, Design 2, Ratified 3, Diadem 4, Proceeded 5, Amended 6, Vale 7, Died 8, Ass 14, Desirable 15, Asp 17, Rat 19, Airliner 20, Gun 21, Meander 26, Mantle 27, Gambol 29, Aged 30, Sane 31, Key.

How to Play Sudoku

P

lace a number (1-9) in each blank cell. (No line can have two of the same number).

Each row (nine lines from left to right), column, (also nine lines from top to bottom) and 3 X 3 block within a bold block (nine blocks) contains number from 1 through 9. This means that no number can appear twice in any block, column or row.

No mathematics is involved – no adding, subtraction, division or multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination.

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