Wanted Boko Haram Commander killed

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...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 61766

Jonathan, OBJ feud worries PDP •P 6

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MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2012

Nigerians groan under •P 7 blackout

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The Public Service and the Transformation Agenda: —Redefining the rules of engagement "The efficiency, effectiveness, conduct, fairness, integrity of the public servants often determine the citizen’s opinions about the Government." •Pgs.32&33

BY CHIEF PHILIP ASIODU

Wanted Boko Haram Commander killed

•Two other sub-commanders also killed • 70% of sect's bomb threats aborted — Jonathan •Says Nigeria safe despite spate of bombings •10 people slaughtered in Maiduguri

BY NDAHI MARAMA

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AIDUGURI— THE Joint Task Force, Department of State Security and the Nigeria Police Force Dog section, in a combined special operation yesterday, in Maiduguri, killed a top commander of the Boko Haram, AbdulCONDOLENCE— From left: Former Governor of Lagos State, Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu; with Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State and Gen.Muhammadu Buhari at the three-day prayer for Buhari's late daughter, Zulaihatu in Kaduna, yesterday.

Photo:Olu Ajayi.

Reps summon Okonjo-Iweala, Sanusi for starving AGF of funds •P.14

kareem Ibrahim and two of his sub commanders.

Abdulkareem Ibrahim was top on the wanted list of the JTF. The sect top commander and his sub-commanders were killed on a day President Goodluck Jonathan disclosed that 70 per cent of the sect's activities were Continues on page 43

Continues on•P.43 Page 5 DELE SHOBOWALE

LES LEBA •P.48 OCHEREOME NNANNA •P.49

Mr & Mrs

2— Vanguard, MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2012

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POCKET CARTOON

Wanted Boko Haram Commander killed Continues from page 1 aborted before they occurred, insisting that Nigeria remains safe in spite of bombings just as the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar 111 stressed the need for collective action against the bombings.

How operation succeded — JTF On the killing of Boko Haram top commander, the JTF in a statement by its spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa, said Abdulkareem was a notorious terrorist Commander, who has been responsible for the recent spates of assassinations and bomb attacks in Maiduguri.

He said: “In a follow up operation by the JTF to arrest some key Commanders of the Boko Haram Terrorists in Bulabulin area of Maiduguri on November 29, 2012, where the JTF lost a personnel with

From left: Venerable Ladipo Eso, son of the deceased; Arc. Olumide Eso, widow of the deceased, Mrs. Helen Aina Eso and Osun State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Titi Laoye- Tomori when members of the Osun State Executive Council paid a condolence visit to the widow of Late Justice Kayode Eso at his residence in Ibadan.

one other injured, the Joint Task Force with members of the Department of State Security and the Nigeria Police Force Dog Section, in a combined operation this morning, launched a special raid operation along Damboa - Biu Road to capture one of the major Terrorist Commanders Abdulkareem Ibrahim, top on its

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

A nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people – John F. Kennedy. By His grace and mercy we will build a nation where truth and justice shall reign.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

We’re taught to try to live life without regret.

But if you want to be fully functional and fully human and fully humane, I think you need to learn to live, not without regret, but with it — Kathryn Schulz

T

HIS may seem really evolutionary thinking but Kathryn Schulz seems to make a clear understanding on the premise about having regret in life. We experience regrets when we think that our present situation could be better or happier if we had done something different in the past.

So in other words, regret requires two things. It requires, first of all, that we had to make a decision in the first place. And second of all, it requires imagination. We need to be able to imagine going back and making a different choice, and then we need to be able to spool this imaginary record forward and imagine how things would be playing out in our present.

Research findings show that the things we regret most in life: Number one by far, education. 33 percent of all of our regrets pertain to decisions we made about education. We wish we’d gotten more of it. Others very high on our list of regrets include career, romance, parenting, various decisions and choices about our sense of self.

To really move forward in life, we need to learn to love the flawed, imperfect things that we create and to forgive ourselves for creating them. Regret doesn’t remind us that we did badly. It reminds us that we know we can do better.

wanted list.

"During the operations and in the ensuring fire fight, Abdulkareem Ibrahim and two of his sub Commanders were killed and an AK47 rifle with other arms and ammunition were recovered. Abdulkareem was a notorious terrorist Commander who has been responsible for the recent spates of assassinations and bomb attacks in Maiduguri. He is one of the top “Amirs” (Commanders) recently declared in the Bounty list released by the JTF to members of the public. The JTF will continue to appreciate all information that will lead to more arrest of the sect Commanders declared in the Bounty as well as other information that will help in its conduct of operations to eliminate terrorist activities in the State”.

Nigeria still safe — Jonathan Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan has insisted that Nigeria remains safe in spite of bombings, and urged Nigerians not to entertain any fear in their daily activities even as the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar 111 called on Nigerians to come together in the fight against terrorism and other violent crimes in the country.

There have been an upsurge in the activities of the Islamic sect, with the latest attacks in strategic places like the

Military Church in Jaji and the SARS Headquarters in Abuja which had raised doubts in some quarters on the capability of the present administration to tackle insecurity.

But President Jonathan, in a statement issued yesterday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs, Dr Doyin Okupe, stressed that it was in the character of insurgency worldwide to audaciously attack institutions that will promote maximum fears in the heart of the citizenry.

The President, who recalled when the IRA

bombed the hotel in which the British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher and core members of her Cabinet were holding a meeting, said it was not surprising that such strategic places were attacked in Nigeria.

Said he: “It is not surprising therefore that as a consequence of the recent activities of the insurgents; some dailies reported that “nowhere is safe in Nigeria.” In truth and in reality this statement is not correct.

“President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, wishes to assure Nigerians that in spite of this situation, the country is still largely safe and secure.

“President Jonathan wishes to state categorically of his unwavering commitment and determination to fight insecurity wherever they are found in Nigeria,” Okupe noted.

He assured that the Jonathan-administration was prepared to further

enhance and ensure the security of lives and property of all Nigerians, irrespective of their locations within the country.

FG boosts Intelligence gathering As for intelligence gathering, Okupe explained that Government has acquired and deployed highly sophisticated security equipment and members of the security agencies have received and continue to receive adequate training such that intelligence gathering capacity have witnessed a monumental increase in capacity to gather information.

According to Okupe, this has been responsible for the reduction in over 70 per cent of the activities of the Boko Haram and other sinister plans before they oc Continues on page 8

10 people slaughtered in Borno

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EN persons had their throats slit and militants killed two police officers during attacks on churches and border posts in a fresh wave of violence in Borno State officials reported yesterday.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack which happend weekend in Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State, local officials said.

“The attackers came in around 9:00 pm chanting ‘Allahu Akbar ’, which made us suspect they are Boko Haram,” said a local government official on condition of anonymity.

“They moved into selected homes in the predominantly Christian

part of the town and slaughtered 10 people like sheep,” the official added.

“Who else apart from Boko Haram members would go into homes and slit the throats of 10 people?” said another local official.

“They came armed with guns but decided to butcher their victims.”

Local resident Ezekiel Damina said: “The men came in large numbers and went into homes which were carefully selected, and slaughtered 10 people while shouting ‘Allahu Akbar ’ (God is Greatest).

“They then set houses in the area on fire. They just sacked the neighbourhood.”

The group was also

suspected of being behind a series of attacks Sunday on churches and border posts in northeastern Nigeria, which according to residents left at least two policemen dead.

Around 50 gunmen in cars and on motorcycles carried out attacks on three churches and border posts with neighbouring Cameroon, opening fire on police, residents said.

Among the security posts burned were offices for immigration, customs and the secret police and a quarantine building in the city of Gamboru Ngala, about 140 kilometres (80 miles) from the Boko Haram stronghold of Maiduguri.

6—Vanguard, MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2012

PDP not happy over Jonathan, Obasanjo feud zSays President must not undermine Obasanjo's influence in the North

BY HENRY UMORU

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BUJA—STRONG indications emerged, yesterday, that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP is not supporting President Goodluck Jonathan on his attack on former President Olusegun Obasanjo, especially through aides.

According to PDP, Obasanjo may not be

perfect in his actions or utterances, but Jonathan must tread softly because of the personality of the twotime President.

It also noted Obasanjo’s status as a former Military Head of State and a civilian President.

Speaking with some journalists in Abuja, yesterday, a member of PDP National Working

Committee of the party, NWC who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that President Jonathan must not undermine the powerful influence of Obasanjo among the northern oligarchy stressing that it was not necessary for the President to take on Obasanjo.

The NWC member said the President should not allow his aides to create friction between him and

the former President, adding that exchanging words on the pages of newspapers with the former President was uncalled for.

The NWC member, who noted that Jonathan was not properly advised to take on Obasanjo, especially against the backdrop that he benefited from the former President,

Governnor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State (middle) Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa'ad Abubakar 111 (left) and HRH, Alhaji J.B Momoh, during a courtesy visit to the Governor in Benin.

Falana threatens to sue FG over NNPC appointments BYABDULWAHAB ABDULAH

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AGOS lawyer and activist, Mr. Femi Falana, has faulted the appointment of Messrs Steve Oronsanye and Ben Otti into the Board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, which increases the statutory numbers of the board members from seven to nine.

He urged the government to review the board appointment or face legal action.

Falana said the Federal Government should

demonstrate sincerity in the fight against corruption in the oil sector.

He said it would be out of place for the government to ask the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Mr. Emeka Wogu to head the white paper committee on the Nuhu Ribadu-led Petroleum Revenue Special Task Force, PRSTF, since according to him, the minister was indicted in the alleged illegal payment of N2.7 billion to a company for fuel that was never supplied.

On Oronsaye and Otti, Falana said the appointment of the duo was “illegal, null and void as it violates Sections 2 & 3 of the NNPC Act, which provide that NNPC shall have six members and an alternate Chairman.

“Specifically, the Board shall consist of the Petroleum Minister, who shall be the Chairman; Managing Director of the NNPC; Director-General, Federal Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, and three persons appointed by the President and an alternate chair-

man.

“Instead of seven members, NNPC has nine members with the appointment of Messrs Oronsaye and Otti.”

He added that since the NNPC Act has not been amended to validate the increase in the membership of the board, Oronsaye and Otti should be removed.

He, however, vowed to pursue legal means to oust them if they were retained in the NNPC Board in contravention of the law the Federal Government

said: “We are concerned about this feud between the President and former President Obasanjo. The President must watch it.

It is dangerous for him to take on this man, who is very close to the northern oligarchy.

“Jonathan should rather speak with him as a father because of his second term ambition.

This is not the time to start fighting people like Obasanjo.

“We all know that Jonathan’s popularity has waned. He should not make Obasanjo a hero because Nigerians have this belief that the President is not handling the security situation in the country well.

“The President is not popular in majority of the states in the north and South-West. If he allows this the people in these areas will work against him and his second term dream will remain in the pipeline for a long time. He should not think that votes from the South-East and South-South can give him a second term ticket.

“It was this same Obasanjo who appealed to restive members of the

party at the Eagles Square when Jonathan picked the party’s presidential ticket.

“That time, the north was very angry that the party did not follow the zoning formula as enshrined in its constitution following the death of President Umaru Yar’Adua.”

However, both the National Secretary of the PDP, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, and National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, have said there was no problem between the former President and Jonathan.

When contacted, Oyinlola said “the issue of Odi killings will not cause hostility between the two leaders of our party,” Metuh, on his part, said both leaders were working together towards deepening democracy in Nigeria.

It will be recalled that President Jonathan during the media chat penultimate week had faulted the attack on Odi community by Obasanjo, saying the action was not a solution to the problem.

Soldiers kill 4 robbery suspects in Bauchi

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BY SUZAN EDEH

AUCHI—TENSION heightened, yesterday, in Azare Local Government Area of Bauchi State, barely two days after a prominent traditional ruler was killed in council, as suspected armed robbers, who had terrorized residents invaded a business area close to the residence of one Ali Kwara, carting away unspecified amount of money.

Vanguard gathered that the money was recovered from the robbers by the residents of the town, who chased them by cordoning-off all possible exit routes.

It was learnt that one of the youths, who chased and held tight to one of the suspects was shot on

the leg by the gang, before the military men, who were said to be 17 in number foiled the robbery operation.

The shot youth was said to have been admitted at a hospital in the town.

The four suspects, who engaged the security in a shootout, were killed as security was reinforced in the area.

When contacted over the development, the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Hassan Auyo, said he only heard of the incident when pressmen called him for confirmation.

Efforts by Vanguard to reach the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Muhammad Ladan, failed as his phone rang out.

Vanguard , MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2012—7

TCN’s statement

AWARD: Dr. Olusegun Aganga, Minister of Trade and Investment (left), presenting an ward to Mrs Shweta Satija, Managing Director, Sun and Sand Industries Ltd., during the 3rd Nigeria Non-Oil Export Awards Night in Abuja, weekend.

Nigerians groan under severe blackout

BY YEMIE ADEOYE

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S the country pre pares for the yuletide season, Nigerians across the country have continued to groan under intense electric power outage currently rocking the nation.

As if the heat accompanied by this massive power blackout is not enough, the nation’s power utility company, Power Holding Company of Niger, PHCN, has continued to distribute outrageously high bills, popularly known as crazy bills, to virtually all consumers.

This is coming even as the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, the connecting company between generation and distribution, claims that it is currently transmitting over 4,000 Megawatts to distribution companies across the country.

The reasons for the current situation has been blamed on the system collapse, which occurred on Thursday, November 29, due to a fault on the 330kv transmission line from Benin to Onitsha and the shutdown of Escravos Gas Plant, causing the combined nationwide shutdown of 3,716Mw, the shutdown of three units of the Egbin Power Station and the closure of transmission stores, which house

maintenance spare parts for PHCN facilities.

NERC, bills and consumers

National Electricity Reforms Commission, NERC, saddled with the responsibility of regulating the nation’s power sector and ensuring reliable and steady power supply to all Nigerians, seems to have also lost grip of the sector as low power voltages are on astronomical rise with several Nigerians incurring huge costs over loss of home electrical appliances due to poor supply of electricity even in the face of crazy billings being distributed nationwide.

Checks by our correspondents around the country revealed that most parts of Lagos State are badly affected as residents who spoke with Vanguard all complained of incessant power outages and bills which were not commensurate with the power supplied them within the period.

In some areas on the mainland, low power voltage has been reported as the order of the day, destroying electrical appliances in its wake.

Checks in parts of Ogun State also revealed same situation as most residents, who spoke to our correspondent, complained of days without

power supply but with overzealous PHCN staff always threatening to cut off their electricity supply for failure to pay the high bills forwarded to them.

Checks around Benin, Edo State capital, also revealed that residents were not having the best of times as low power voltages in most areas have continued to take its toll on businesses around the state.

Most small businesses have resorted to power generating sets as their main source of supply.

Consumer speaks

A businesswoman, who spoke with our correspondent from Uselu area of Edo Sate who simply identified herself Madam Beatrice, claimed that most business entities in the state have settled for their generators as the primary source of power supply, while PHCN is the back-up source of power supply.

When contacted, Sam Amadi, Chairman of NERC, told our correspondent that there are processes in dealing with such developments as there is no way his commission can be aware of such situations all over the country.

According to him if the issue gets to the Commission via complains and petitions then it

would be taken up by NERC. He stated further that his Commission had mandated distribution companies nationwide to embark on workshops and sensitisation programme in order to enlighten the public on the new tariff order.

NERC blames distribution companies

Amadi placed the problem of low power voltages on the doorstep of distribution companies and stated that NERC was redirecting its focus on that unit of the power sector, as according to him, corruption cannot be ruled out as a factor.

He said his Commission would also want to investigate if the MYTO funds being disbursed by the market operator to distribution companies was being used for its intended purpose.

However, Vanguard investigations revealed that the nationwide blackout could not have been unconnected with the systems collapse emanating from multiple factors.

The Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, had issued a statement recently apologising for the power outage, which cut off power supply to consumers nationwide.

In that statement by TCN, AGM Public Affairs, Dave Ifabiyi, the immediate cause of the problem was said to be a fault on its 330Kv transmission line from Benin to Onitsha, which was aggravated by the shutdown of Chevrons Escravos Gas Plant.

The incident caused a generation loss of about 3,716 Megawatts and shut down the nation’s grid system.

The closure of the Escravos Gas Plant on the Western Gas Network to the Escravos-Lagos Pipeline System alone may reduce the nation’s electricity supply by 300Mw for three weeks, even as the Presidential Task Force on Power, in a recent statement, gave the assurance that measures had been taken to reduce the impact of the partial shutdown, which began on November 26.

However, the shutdown had been described as an important and scheduled interruption to enable Chevron tie in wells and lay pipes for sustainable gas supply to the domestic market and the gas-to-liquid plant.

Also, the shutdown of about three of the four units in the nation’s largest thermal power plant, Egbin, for maintenance purpose has also been described as a reason behind the massive power outage been experienced nationwide.

Union's reaction

Speaking with Vanguard over the phone, President-General of Senior Staff Association of Electricity Employees, SSAEE, Mr. Bede Opara, corroborated TCN’s position that the current national generated capacity is above 4,000, but insisted that other factors might have affected the inability of Nigerians to get adequate power supply at this time.

According to him, the dry season is a factor as there were more demands for electric power due to the heat that accompanies the season.

He also mentioned that the closure of transmission stores by the government, citing fraudulent practices as its reason, could also have affected the system.

He said: “PHCN is a very technical company and there is need for consistent maintenance.”

Anxiety over Kaduna council polls

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN & LUKA BINYAT

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HERE was anxiety in political circles last night over continuing delay in the release of the local government council elections held in Kaduna State at the weekend.

At press time last night, the results were yet to be formally declared, though the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, was being projected to win all but two of the 23 local government councils.

The exception was Kaduna North, where the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, was expected to win. The election held in Soba in the Kaduna North Senatorial District was cancelled based on alleged irregularities.

Should CPC be confirmed as winner of the election in Kaduna North, it would be another political setback for Vice-President Namadi Sambo, who also lost the local government to CPC during the presidential election last year.

Sambo ward The Vice-President lost his polling unit in Gabarau, Kabala ward, to CPC. Kaduna North is one of three local government areas in Kaduna capital city and is the fortress of CPC. General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), the party’s national leader, lives in Kaduna.

Last night, officials of the different political parties and party supporters were mounting vigil at the offices of the Kaduna State Independent Electoral Commission, KSIEC, along Sokoto Road waiting for declaration of the results.

A briefing scheduled by the chairman of KSIEC, Mrs. Hannatu Binyat, was yet to take off at press time, last night.

8—Vanguard , MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2012

Sultan wants collective action against bombings M

EANWHILE, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar 111 has called on Nigerians to come together in the fight against terrorism and other violent crimes in the country.

Speaking during a courtesy visit on Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, the Sultan said terrorism, robbery, kidnapping and other criminal activities is not restricted to a particular religion or region of the country.

The Sultan who congratulated Governor Oshiomhole on his reelection said “the people of Edo State brought you back to continue your

good works. The challenge is now for you to continue with the good works.

“When I came I saw so many changes. I think the people of Edo State did the right thing to allow you to continue to steer the ship of state so that you could continue the good work you are doing.”

On the violent crimes which pervaded parts of the country in the recent time, the Sultan said: “some years back, we watched with amazement when we see suicide bombers and car bombers, we thought we could not have such things in our country.

But we have them now.

It is not a particular religion or ethnicity that specializes in such terrorist or criminal activities in the form of kidnapping or armed robbery, but I believe that we must all come together to resolve these issues the best way possible for our country” He stressed that the “challenges that come our way can ginger us to strengthen our resolve to meet them headlong, defeat them collectively in unity and forge a national cohesion.”

In his response, Governor Oshiomhole said the honour on the Sultan by the Igbinedion Univer-

sity, Okada was well-deserved.

According to him, “I appreciate the leadership which your Eminence has continued to provide by way of building bridges across the length and breadth of the country and amplifying to all of us what unites us as a people and those values of unity, hardwork, tolerance and brotherhood. A lot of Nigerians admire you a lot and you have a lot of fanatical admirers.

“At this point in time Nigerians need leaders like your eminence on the side of truth, peace and unity to help build the nation,” he added.

CPC blames Nasarawa's gov/lawmakers face-off on PDP

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, Political Editor

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ONGRESS for Progressive Change, CPC, has said the impeachment threat against Governor Umaru AlMakura of Nasarawa State by the state House of Assembly was a wellrehearsed plot by Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to scuttle the democratic choice of the people of the state.

CPC’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Rotimi Fashakin, in a statement yesterday, expressed concern that a national security issue carried over from the previous PDP administrations was being hung on the incumbent.

He said: “This appears to be a well-rehearsed plot, orchestrated by PDP high command, in fur-

therance of the political gerrymandering and destabilisation agenda of the ruling party.”

Impeachment threat

The statement followed the recent threat by the P D P- d o m i n a t e d Nasarawa House of Assembly to impeach the governor on account of the recurring crisis in some parts of the state.

He said: “The state legislators, urged on by their national leaders, are committed to bringing the state into unimaginable instability with their legislative impropriety.

“We are forced to react, through this statement, to the admonition of wellmeaning individuals and institutions on the very precipitous path the state legislators have chosen to tread.

Boko Haram commander killed Continues from page 5

VISIT: Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State (right) being conducted round the construction site of the Sokoto State University by his host, Governor Aliyu Wamakko (left) during Amaechi's two-day visit to Sokoto State, weekend. PHOTO: Abayomi Adeshida.

cur but said unfortunately, these are not made known to members of the public.

Rather than entertaining fears, Okupe stressed that in times like this, Nigerians should endeavour to exhibit the fire of patriotism, and advised the nation to rally round the government in its efforts to root out the criminal elements within the society.

He said: “We should

Police kill 2 alleged robbers in Lagos

BY IFEANYI OKOLIE

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WO members of a sixman robbery gang said to be specialists in terrorising customers of popular eateries around Lagos were, yesterday, killed during an exchange of gunfire between members of the gang and the police at Allen area of Ikeja, Lagos State.

Two members of the gang were also arrested at the end of the gun battle, while four cut-to-size double barrel guns and 20 live ammunition were recovered from them.

Also, six persons have been arrested by the police in connection with the

violent communal clash that engulfed the Ajah area of Lagos State over control of motor parks last week.

The clash was between Ilaje and Ajah residents, which resulted in the killing of three persons while buildings and valuable property were destroyed.

Vanguard gathered that the alleged bandits met their waterloo when they attempted to rob a popular eatery located at Allen junction.

The bandits were said to have stormed the eatery around noon, attempting to rob both operators and customers of the eatery.

Sources said the police at Ikeja Divison and Area

F Command in Ikeja, got a distress call and raced to the scene.

A source, who pleaded anonymity, said the police on arrival at the scene positioned themselves strategically, while the bandits, in their bid to escape, opened fire on the policemen. The policemen responded promptly.

Lagos State Command Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Ngozi Braide, while confirming the report said two other members of the gang escaped with bullet wounds.

He urged members of public to be on alert and always report suspicious movement around their areas to the police.

Reacting on the latest development in the Ajah violence, the PPRO said traditional title holder in the community was among the people arrested.

She stated that normalcy had been restored and policemen from several formations had been drafted to the area.

ACN commiserates with Buhari

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CTION Congress of Nigeria, can, has extended its condolences to Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.) on the death of his first daughter, Zulaihatu, saying the party’s leadership and the

entire members share the deep pain brought by her untimely death.

In a statement issued in Kaduna on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said al-

though no words were strong enough to ease the pain brought about by the death of Zulaihatu, “Gen. Buhari should be assured that he is in our every thought and prayer at this difficult time.”

not allow fear and despair to overcome us, rather we should draw strength from our wellknown spirit of nationalism and forebearance to support the government and the security agencies in their effort to curb the menace.”

He also urged the media to join hands and key in into the transformation agenda and ensure that sensational reports that could tarnish Nigeria’s image and bring the country into disrepute and create anxiety and panic are avoided as much as possible.

He said: “This government is committed to moving the country forward.

“The reform in the power and agricultural sectors and current infrastructural rehabilitation and development are taking shape.

“These will encourage the growth of local enterprise and increase in foreign direct investment in an unprecedented manner which will in turn provide more jobs, create wealth amongst the citizenry and reduce tendencies towards criminality and other social malaise in our Nation.

“The President wishes to assure Nigerians that government will not rest but will continue to work.”

Vanguard, MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2012—9

Ota communities under siege over court ruling

BY IFEANYI OKOLIE

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esidents of Anglican Road and their counterparts at Odo Pako community in the ancient town of Ota, in Ogun State, are currently living in fear following the decision by members of Ilupewo family to commence the execution of an appeal court judgment they got on a vast expanse of land in the area.

There was pandemonium at the weekend when members of the Ilupewo family who were said to be from Osi quarters, in Ota, and were acting on an Ibadan Appeal Court judgment, sealed off many houses along Anglican Road, stretching to Odo Pako, a boundary community between Lagos and Ogun states.

The execution which was effected by armed security operatives and court bailiffs,

left residents of the affected communities in disarray as they struggled to evacuate their properties from the sealed buildings.

Vanguard gathered that the legal battle for ownership of the vast expanse of land cutting across the Anglican Road to Odo Pako in Ota, Ogun State, started many years back, moving from the high Court in Abeokuta, to the Court of Appeal in Ibadan.

A High Court judgment delivered by Justice Jacob Sofolahan on June 9, 1988, in favour of the Ilupewo family and the case was taken to Court of Appeal.

Residents, who were following the case, got the shock of their lives in 2008, when the Court of Appeal in Ibadan upheld the judgment, but the case again found its way back to the appeal court, before it was struck out in 2012.

ANNIVERSARY: Aregbesola gives self pass mark

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SOGBO — Gov..

Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State on Saturday made a comprehensive review of his progrommes since he assumed office in November, 2010 and scored himself pass mark.

Aregbesola, who made the review at a programme tagged: ‘Ogbeni till Daybreak’ in Osogbo, said no other government would have performed better considering the limit of the available resources.

The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that the occasion was part of the activities lined up to mark the assumption of office by the governor on Nov. 27, 2010.

The governor said that the ‘Omoluabi’ concept was aimed at reviving the Yoruba culture of truth, honesty, hard work and cleanliness as uppermost in his achievements.

According to him, the inculcation of the core traditional values embedded in the 'Omoluabi', the virtuous, is a strong foundation with zero tolerance for corruption.

He expressed satisfaction with his administration’s efforts at making the people to imbibe the habits of 'Omoluabi'.

The governor cited the regular and consistent environmental sanitation in all the thirty local governments of the state as evidence of virtuous living in the society.

Aregbesola, who described the revival of the Omoluabi concept as ‘ethical revolution’ observed that the result would in due course turn around the fortunes of the state.

The governor said other programmes that had earned him success includ-

ed the introduction of the Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES) which employed 20, 000 youths.

According to him, the programme is the state youth service in which 20, 000 volunteers would be recruited every two years to reduce unemployment among the youth.

He explained that at the end of the programme, participants would be trained in various skills to make them self-employed while some of them would be absorbed into the public service.

Aregbesola, however, explained that the volunteers had to be disengaged from the scheme after two years to enable others enroll into the programme.

He dismissed insinuations from certain quarters that his administration spent a huge sum of money on the Ondo governorship election which was held in October.

“Contrary to what some people are saying, my administration did not spend one kobo on the election."

From right: Oba (Dr.) Victor Kiladejo,Osemawe of Ondo Kingdom; Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, Ondo State Governor and Mrs. Olukemi Mimiko, his wife, at the 25th edition of Ekimogun Day 2012, in Ondo town, weekend.

Osun ACN tackles NDE, PDP over job creation scheme

BY GBENGA OLARINOYE

O

SOGBO —Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, in Osun State, at the weekend, raised alarm over the politicization of the sharing of jobs by the National Directorate of Employment, NDE, on the Subsidy Re-Investment Programme (SURE-P)

scheme designed to empower youths and address unemployment.

The chairman of the party in the state, Elder Adelowo Adebiyi, in a statement made available to newsmen in Osogbo, said “reliable information available to us in the state suggests that the Federal Government Scheme has been politicized and restricted to

S-West PDP desperate over 2015 polls

BY OLA AJAYI

I

BADAN—LEADERS of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the South-West have said they could sacrifice their positions to ensure the party regains the zone that it lost to the Action Congress of Nigeria.

This came just as the party warned its chieftains of the party who have divided loyalty to the party.

The party speaking through its Zonal Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kayode Ba-

bade after a meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC)which was presided over by the National Vice-Chairman (SouthWest), Chief Segun Oni, said, “as for us in the Zonal Exco, if it means sacrificing our positions for the party to be united and be able to win elections, we are ready.

"For us, no sacrifice should be too much to make our party big enough to win elections and control power at state and local government levels”.

...Ex-Supreme Court Judge supports action on CJ

I

BY OLA AJAYI

BADAN —Contrary to the public outcry, former Supreme Court Judge, Justice Pius Aderemi has clarified that Governor Rauf Aregbesola is allowed by the Constitution to pick the most senior serving judge to serve in acting capacity and that the governor is at liberty to appoint anyone even outside the state as the substantive CJ of the state.

the Peoples Democratic Party supporters and members in utter disregard for other Nigerians who do not support the party.”

Elder Adebiyi said that “we are reliably informed that the current allocation of 3,000 beneficiaries to Osun State, have been distributed to the PDP secretariats across the local government areas, for sharing among its

The retired jurist gave the advice weekend, at the commissioning of a new chamber, Iman Law, built by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Lasun Sanusi.

He spoke with newsmen after the commissioning of the chamber.

However, he said it would be morally wrong for the governor to appoint somebody outside when there are many competent hands who have served the state meritoriously.

“Morally, it is unfair to those who have been serving in the state”, he observed.

At the same time, he stated that the National Judicial Council saw the reason why it preferred somebody within the state.

The legal icon also saw nothing abnormal in the late swearing in of one of the judges, Justice JumboOffo who were promoted to the Court of Appeal.

He quoted the party chieftains in the zone, saying, “the only way we can win the next elections and regain what we lost in the SouthWest is for all our members, including those who left the party to come together as one.”

The party also cautioned those allegedly sponsoring media attacks on the Zonal Chairman because of his call for the inclusion of all interests in the running of the party in states like Oyo and Ekiti to desist, adding that such people were only looking for the party they can control and not what the party can control.”

Babade, still dis-satisfied with some anti-party activities, advised the NWC to be mindful of situations where reports submitted during its meetings are already subjects of public discourse even before the end of the meeting.

Such acts, when party members would be sending text messages to disclose what was being discussed at sensitive party meetings as that of the NWC even while the meeting was still going on portend great danger to the party.

members.

He said as far as the ACN is concerned, the arrangement was a gross misuse of a Federal institution for political patronage, and the abuse of federal power against Nigerians who subscribe to different political parties other than the PDP. “The SURE-P scheme, it should be pointed out, is designed for all Nigerians and NOT exclusively for supporters of the PDP, and if proceeds from fuel price increase saved to help the jobless is to be distributed nationwide by a federal institution like the National Directorate of Employment, it should benefit all Nigerians regardless of their political inclinations,” he stressed. He added that “for NDE in Osun State to hand over the 3,000 allocations meant for the state to the PDP is irresponsible, illegal and at variance with the constitutional responsibility of the Federal Government to be there for all Nigerians and not supporters of the ruling party alone.”

He said: “It is not clear if this is a direct order from the Minister of Finance or his Labour and Productivity counterpart or both; or whether it is a conspiracy between the NDE and PDP in Osun State to corner the SURE-P allocation meant for Osun citizens, and give it exclusively to members of the PDP.”He declared that the ACN in the state totally rejects the action and calls on the Federal Government to compel the NDE to do its job fairly and equitably to cover all Osun citizens no matter what political party they are affiliated with.

10—Vanguard, MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2012

FUEL SCARCITY: Petrol sells N200 a litre in C-River

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU

C

ALABAR—LONG queues have returned to filling stations in Cross River State as fuel scarcity bites hard especially in Calabar, the state capital.

A litre of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, which was sold at N120 by independent marketers and the approved pump price of N97 in stations owned by major marketers two weeks ago now sells between N160 and N200 by

From left: Mr. Marie Ekpere, Prof. Jonhson Ekpere, the chairman of the occasion; Alaowei Broderick Bozimo, Guest Speaker; Justice Rosaline Bozimo, Austin Erutor, President of UCOSA and others, during Urhobo College Old Student Association (UCOSA) Lagos Branch 2012 Annual Dinner and Lecture, at Ocean View Restaurant, Eko Hotel, V.I. Lagos. Photo: Joe Akintola, photo Editor.

PROPERTY BILL: Bini youths vow

showdown with Edo lawmakers .Say bill mischievous .No, it's geared towards improving the lives of the poor —Govt SIMON EBEGBULEM

B

ENIN CITY—The Property Tax Bill before the Edo State House of Assembly is creating tension in the state, as Bini youths have vowed a showdown with the lawmakers, if the bill is passed into law.

They described the bill as ill-conceived and an attempt to foist further

taxes on the Binis of Edo South senatorial district by the state government.

Chairman of the state Board of Internal Revenue, Chief Useni Elamah, had last week, explained that the proposed Property Tax Assembly was targeted at the rich in the state, saying that it was geared towards collecting more taxes from the rich with

a view to uplifting the lives of the poor.

Benin Youth Council, BYC, in a statement by Mr. Felix Omodamwen, described as diversionary, the claim by proponents of the bill that it would create employment and urged the lawmakers to focus on bills that will tackle k i d n a p p i n g , unemployment and re-

Nigerian politicians warned against project abandonment

BY FESTUS AHON

U

GHELLI— C AT H O L I C priest of St Patrick’s Catholic Church, Okwagbe, Ughelli South Local Government Area, Delta State, Revd. Fr. Paul Edeghware, has warned Nigerian politicians against abandoning projects awarded to them by government.

Edeghware, who gave the warning during the funeral service of late Olorogun Abraham Oviri, father of Democratic Peoples’ Party, DPP, chieftain in the state, Olorogun Okiemute Oviri, said any politician, who abandons project awarded to him would incur the wrath of

God, adding that selfcenteredness among political office holders in Nigeria was the bane of human and infrastructural development in the country.

He decried the deplorable state of roads

and power instability in the country and raised alarm over the rate of abandoned projects in the countrnoted thatsaid politicians were enriching themselves at the expense of the masses.

awaken comatose industries and not to impoverish “our landlords, who are suffocating by the alarming security and economic problems in the state.

“Much as we desire a higher revenue for government to utilise, we will not succumb to pedestrian blackmails, like the one being touted that the tenement rate bill will create employment.

"Apart from touts and brigands, who would be constituted into task force to compel compliance, the bill is to say the least, mischievous, unpopular and ill-conceived and mischievously projected by some opportunists, who are not from Edo South."

...Matrix to flood Delta, other states with fuel

BY EMMAARUBI

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A R R I — Pe t r o l e u m Product Marketing Company, PPMC, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company, NNPC, has appointed Matrix Energy in Warri, Delta State, to assist in the prompt dispensation of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, in the state to ease fuel scarcity problem in some states

P

ORT HARCOURT — Former Military Governor of Rivers State and Amayanabo of Twon-Brass, King Alfred Diete-Spiff, has tasked the Federal Government, to without further delay, direct payment of penalties for flared gas to oil producing communities.

King Diete-Spiff, who was guest of honour at the official opening of the ongoing 8th Port Harcourt International Trade Fair organised by the Port Harcourt Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, PHCCIMA, said it was injustice of

inciting proportion for Federal Government to continue to appropriate for itself, compensation for damages impacted on oil producing communities by oil exploration and production companies in their operating environment.

in the region.

Matrix Energy with large products storage facilities situated at Ifiekporo community in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State, has so far received over 22million litres of PMS and is set to dispense about six million litres from its tank farm on a daily basis.

The states to benefit from the distribution are: Delta, Edo, Ondo, Osun, Rivers, among others.

IPA hails Gov Uduaghan over LG appointments

T

HE recent appointments of caretaker committees for local government areas in Delta State by Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan has been described as a step in the right direction, which would develop the grassroots.

Isoko Positive Agenda, IPA, which commended the governor for appointing two of its members, Sam Idise and

Mr. Isaac Atikueke as chairman and secretary respectively of Isoko North Local Government Area, also commended the governor for reappointing Mr. Joseph Ogeh as Commissioner representing the Isoko nation on the board of Delta State Oil Producing and D e v e l o p m e n t C o m m i s s i o n , DESOPADEC.

Para-militar y organisations spoiling for a showdown with Interior Ministry

BY DONALD AJi

Pay gas flare penalties to oil communities —Diete Spiff

independent marketers, while black market sells at N300 per litre.

And it is now easier to buy the product at black market.

As at weekend, apart from North West Petroleum at the Parliamentary extension that had the product and sold at the approved price of N97 with a very long queue, other major marketers in the state capital did not have the product while the independent marketers sold at N200.

O

FFICERS of vari ous agencies under the Ministry of Interior are reportedly spoiling for a showdown with top management of the ministry following alleged over-bearing tendencies against a top official in the ministry.

Investigations revealed that the officers are expressing fear that the attitude of the top official is constituting a clog in

the wheel of the smooth and efficient discharge of the respective mandates of the para-military organisations.

A source at Nigeria Immigration Service, who pleaded anonymity, accused the top official of demonstrating obvious and unacceptable dictatorship in the conduct of his supervisory roles, sometimes carrying himself as if he wields absolute powers.

Vanguard, MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2012 — 11

SSS arrests PHCN contractor over alleged attempt to defraud INEC

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU ALABAR—OPERA TIVES of State Security Service in Cross River State, weekend, arrested a licensed contractor with Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, in Calabar over alleged attempt to defraud Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC of N200,000 as permission fee to facilitate the installation of a newly acquired trans-

C

former by the commission.

Meanwhile, Resident Electoral Commissioner in charge of Cross River State, Mr Mike Igini, has accused officials of PHCN of frustrating efforts of the Federal Government in ensuring regular power supply, alleging that PHCN officials over the years had been practicing corruption as their religion.

The licensed contractor by the Ministry of Power, a representative of Effanga Elec-

trical Nigeria Limited, Chief E. E Akpanika, had, weekend, after collecting N200, 000 said to be fee for permission to install the transformer acquired by INEC after being in darkness for about two years was arrested by officers of SSS on the orders of the REC. The state office of INEC in Calabar had for two years, been in blackout due to bad transformer and efforts made by the commission for PHCN officials to

replace the transformer did not yield any fruit, instead according to Igini, PHCN had through its actions sabotaged efforts to have new transformer.

Igini, said even when INEC decided to purchase a new 200/33KVA transformer, PHCN allegedly gave the commission a quotation of N4 million and some of the contractors sent gave a bill of N2.2m for the installation.

Police rescue 4 kidnapped female corps members in Rivers

BY JIMITOTAONOYUME

P

ORT HARCOURT— FOUR female corps members, abducted, weekend, in Rivers State, have been rescued by the Police.

Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Ben Ugwuegbulam, who confirmed the development to Vanguard, said some hoodlums broke into a transit camp for corps members at Iriebe area of the state and abducted the four fe-

ALLEGED CORRUPTION: IG urged to act swiftly

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ARRI—INSPEC TOR-General of Police, Mr Mohammed Abubakar, has been urged to ensure that allegations of corruption “are handled with all seriousness and thoroughly investigated, so as to begin a process of sanitising our society and ensure development and peace.”

Ugborodo Trust Governing Board in a statement in Warri, Delta State, yesterday, by its Secretary, Dr Ayo LITERARY SESSION: From left: Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, Mr. Odia Ofeimun, Chairman of the occasion, Prof. Ogaga Ifowodo,and Mr. Oma Djebah, Senior Special Adviser to Governor Uduaghan on Foreign Relations, during a Literary Session at Government House, Asaba.

Jonathan urges religious leaders to pray for nation's stability

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA ENAGOA—PRESI DENT Goodluck Jonathan has called on religious leaders in the country to remain steadfast in their prayers for the peace and stability of the country.

Jonathan made the call at the 2nd session of the First Synod of the Diocese of Ogbia, Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion at Otuoke in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

Describing the theme of the Synod as apt, the President, who was represented by Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State, reaffirmed his belief that political power comes from God. President Jonathan, who thanked Christians in the country for their continued prayers and support to his administration, expressed the hope that the country would soon overcome its current challenges, including insecurity.

Y

Earlier presenting his charge, the Bishop of the Ogbia Diocese, Right

Reverend James Oruwori, urged Nigerians to put their trust in

God to bring about positive transformation of the country.

PDP chieftain tasks Nigerians on love for less privileged Orhionmwon and Ehor in

BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

B

ENIN—PEOPLES Democratic Party, PDP, aspirant in the 2011 gubernatorial election in Edo State, Mr. Ken Imansuangbon, has called on Nigerians to show love to the less privileged in the society irrespective of political, religious or other considerations.

Speaking at the flag off of the annual Christmas rice distribution exercise sponsored by him, yesterday, Imansuagbon, said that the widening gap between the poor and the rich in the society can only be closed through love, peace and unity.

Imansuagngbon also urged all those who were grieved to give peace a chance rather “than throw bombs and guns as solutions to their grievances.”

He spoke while fielding questions from newsmen at the flag off of the year 2012 rice distribution to churches, widows orphanage homes and the less privileged in Benin, Iguobazuwa in Ovia SouthEast, Abudu in

Uhunmwode Local Government Areas of the state.

Dismissing insinuations that his annual distribution to the poor had political undertone, he said: “we are determined to give succour and provide meals to thousands of the less privileged and many people of Edo State."

PUBLIC NOTICE

ASSOCIATION OF GREAT AMBASSADORS CLUB OF NIGERIA This is to inform the general public that the above named club situate in Lagos has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act No 1 of 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1.

MR. JOHN CHIKWENDU AMAH 2.

MR. REMIGUS OKEKE 3.

MR. FULBRIGHT ENYINNYAH AJAH. Sententious 4.

MR. CALLISTUS IKE 5.

MR. SOLOMON NMEZI 6.

MR. ELISUS OGOCHUKWU EZEKWEM THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE CLUB ARE: (A)To foster and promote the coming together of Great Friends and extend friendship within the areas of operation of the club.

(B)To cater for the welfare of members of the club.

(C)To promote peace, love, unity, progress and understanding amongst the members and the society.

(D)To promote and encourage good relationship amongst members and other similar bodies.

(E)To assist members in need and extend assistance to the less privileged when the need arises according to the financial ability of the club.

(F)To work for social progress and development of the club and the society.

(G)To inculcate discipline and obedience to the law and order amongst its members and Within its environment of operation Any objective to this registration should be addressed to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Signed: High Chief Chuks Nwolisa Chuks Nwolisa & Co. (08033030387 & 07083711160)

male corps members.

He said the hoodlums also stole phones, laptops and other valuables belonging to corps members at the camp before disappearing with their hostages.

Ugwuegbulam said the Police at Oyigbo gave the hoodlums a hot chase, when they got wind of the development, which forced them to abandon their hostages at Oyigbo and escaped into the bush.

Ayomike, said while the Ugborodo Board acknowledged that “the wheel of justice grind slowly,” the case of the proverbial wheel grinding slowly is becoming too slow in ensuring justice for the Ugborodo people, who between 2008 and 2011, were subjected to economic and inhuman rummaging of their funds by those who they entrusted with the responsibilities of managing the affairs of the community.”

A-Ibom govt approves N185m for AIDS sensitisation

U

YO—AKWA IBOM State Government has approved N185 million for the Ministry of Health’s sensitisation of the public on HIV/AIDS prevalence in the state.

Governor Godswill Akpabio, who stated this, weekend, when Dr. Kwame Ampomah, the United Nations AIDS Co-ordinator of Nigeria, paid him a courtesy visit at Government House, Uyo, decried the upsurge of HIV/AIDS in the country with Akwa Ibom

State topping the chart of the scourge with 10.9 per cent prevalence rate in the country.

He condemned the attitude of some donor agencies in not making use of money released to them to assist people living with HIV/AIDS in the country, saying “I am saddened that some donor agencies do not make use of the money given to them to take care of those living with the scourge."

Return to site, Uduaghan urges NDDC contractors

BY EMMAARUBI ARRI—SENIOR Special Assistant, to Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan on Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Mr. Vincent Uduaghan, has charged contractors han-

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dling the Commission’s projects in Warri Federal Constituency, to go back to site.

He also charged the affected contractors to channel whatever challenges they were facing in their project execution to his office for onward passage to the Office of the State Governor for speedy attention, noting that with the dry season in view, all contractors should take advantage of same to complete their jobs.

Uduaghan, in a chat with Vanguard in Warri, weekend, noted that there were too many uncompleted key projects in the Warri Federal constituency from the bulk of the oil revenue that comes to the government.

12—Vanguard, MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2012

Ojukwu's Chief of Staff feels abandoned

BY TONY EDIKE NUGU—MR. Bob Onyema, the ailing former Chief of Staff to the late Ikemba Nnewi, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, recently struck with cancer, may have been abandoned but associates of the late war lord said they were trying their best to help him out of his predicament.

Vanguard reliably gathered yesterday that Onyema was by the bedside of the former Biafran leader from the time he was flown to London in December 2010 to the time he died on November 26, 2011.

But shortly after Ojukwu was buried early this year, Onyema suffered an attack of prostate cancer and sought the assistance of Ojukwu’s wife to go for medical treatment abroad but she was not forthcoming.

However, it was gathered that a few associates of Ojukwu rallied to raise money for the former Chief

E

LUNCHEON/AWRAD: Mr. Alfred Okoigun, President, Government College Ugehelli Old Boy's Association Lagos Branch, GCUOBA, Dr, Oluwafemi Ayewoh, representing Minister of Education, Professor J. P Clark,Chief Newton Jibunoh, Chairman of the occasion, Professor Patrick Muoboghare, Delta State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, representing Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, at GCUOBA's annual luncheon and awards party in Lagos.

WAR ON CORRUPTION: CNPP calls for Wogu, Orubebe's resignation

BY TONY EDIKE

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NUGU—Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, CNPP, rose from a consultative meeting in Enugu yesterday, with a call on Minister of Labour and Productivity, Emeka Wogu and Min-

ister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godspower Orubebe, to resign with immediate effect.

The group urged the Jonathan administration to compel the two ministers who, it said, had been publicly found to have violently abused

their oath of office and code of conduct for public officers resign.

This was contained in a statement issued after the meeting by the National Publicity Secretary, Osita Okechukwu.

The CNPP said after re-

viewing the state of the nation, it arrived at the inevitable conclusion that corruption by some public office holders was taking a toll on the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.

The umbrella body of registered political parties warned that if urgent steps were not taken immediately to arrest the situation, the regime might end up being labeled as the most corrupt in the history of the country.

CNPP stressed that the Jonathan administration needed urgent cleansing to erase this ugly label either by compelling the two ministers who have been publicly found to have violently abused their oath of office and code of conduct for public officers as enshrined in the 1999 constitution, to resign, or sack them if there was no honour left in them to honourably resign.

of Staff of their deceased leader, which eventually made it possible for him t to travel to India for surgery.

Onyema has since returned to Nigeria after a successful operation and is currently recuperating under the watchful eyes of members of his family in Lagos.

A source close to him confirmed that Bianca, who is currently serving as Nigeria’s ambassador to Spain, did not contribute a dime for Onyema’s medical trip to India Sources disclosed some of the names of Ojukwu’s associates who assisted his former Chief of Staff, pleaded that they would not want their names mentioned in the press.

“You know we did what we did because of the way Bob took care of our former leader who we still regard, even in death.

“Yes, I contributed and some other persons contributed but I do not wish that my name be mentioned in the press,” one of the contributors said.

It's costly to sustain peace nor Orji’s determination to —Gov Orji

BY BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

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MUAHIA—GOV ERNOR Theodore Orji of Abia State has lamented the high cost of providing security in the state, noting that the process of maintaining peace and tranquility will be more expensive than the initial action that led to calm in Abia and Aba in particular.

In a statement, Special Adviser to the Governor on Public Communication, Mr. Ben Onyechere said: “The reason we have continued to enjoy this environment which has enabled the business to thrive in Aba and other places of commerce is due to Gover-

sustain the prevailing tranquility in the State.”

According to him, when Abia was gripped in the shackles of the menace of kidnapping, the state, in conjunction with the Federal Government, rose to the occasion by quelling that upsurge of mainly politically motivated gorilla warfare.

“Ifwethinkbackwemayrecall that there was a time businesses wereclosedinAbabecauseofthe restiveness of kidnapping and nobody talked about the condition of roads, but now with the prevalenceofpeace,peoplehave forgotten so soon what we went throughastheyarenowbemoaning the condition of roads which theydidnotrememberinthedays ofkidnapping.”

Why we don't want Kalu back in PDP

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

A

BUJA—CHIEF TAINS of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Abia State, weekend, adduced reasons why the former governor of the state, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu, should not be readmitted into the party.

Making their position known at a town hall meeting that was organized by indigenes of the state resident in Abuja, former Chairman of the

Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Chief Onyema Ugochukwu, blamed the ex-governor for the incessant cases of kidnappings and general sense of insecurity that pervaded the state recently, saying, “since he left the party, all the rancor and quarrel in Abia has stopped.”

He said: “We the stakeholders of PDP took a decision that we don’t want Orji Kalu back.

Since he left, there has

been unity and peace in the state and that is what we want to be sustained to move the state forward.

Where there is no peace, there will be no development. Not long ago, people associated Abia with terrorism and kidnapping.

Companies in Abia even left, but now, the present government has been able to restore confidence, now the companies are gradually coming back, which is what we don’t want to be hampered.”

Vanguard, MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2012—13

5TH REMEMBRANCE ANNIVERSARY OF LATE CHIEF SUNDAY AWONIYI

R-l: Kogi Deputy Governor and son of late Awoniyi, Yomi Awoniyi in handshake with traditional rulers

R-l: Kogi State Governor Capt. Idris Wada, chatting with his Deputy and son of late Awoniyi, Yomi Awoniyi, SSG Kogi State, Prof. Olugbemiro Jegede, wife of Kogi State Governor, Tokunbo Awoniyi

L-r:ACP Tony Okpara, Area Commader kabba with Mr Ola Oyelola at the event.

Cross section of Traditional rulers at the fifth remembrance anniversary of Chief Sunday Bolorunduro Awoniyi Aro of Mopa and thanksgiving service at First Baptist Church, Mopa Kogi State. Photos: Gbemiga Olamikan.

Hon. Eric Fiki and Hon. Solomon Andrew L-r: Special Adviser on Media to Senate president , Kola Ologbodiyan , Deputy Governor Kogi State Yomi Awoniyi and Dan Kotiko

R-l: Kogi Deputy Governor and son of late Awoniyi, Yomi Awoniyi discussing with Mrs. Omowumi Awoniyi and Oluwasanmi Awoniyi

Deputy Governor Kogi State and son of late Awoniyi, Yomi Awoniyi and former deputy chief of staff to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Prince Olusola Akomode dancing

Wife of Late Awoniyi, Mrs. Florence Awoniyi , wife of Deputy Governor Tokunbo Awoniyi and Second wife of Late Awoniyi , Omowunmi Awoniyi

L-r: Kogi deputy governor and son of late Awoniyi, Yomi Awoniyi chatting with Kogi State Governor Capt. Idris Wada and Mrs. Tokunbo Awoniyi

L-r: Kogi Deputy Governor and son of late Awoniyi, Yomi Awoniyi discussing with Mrs. Folashade Ajayi and Mrs. Florence Awoniyi

C M Y K

14—Vanguard, MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2012

Nigeria battles Schistosomiasis

BY SOLA OGUNDIPE

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AWARD: From left— Mrs. Yomi Onakoya, Communications Manager, Nigerian Bottling Company, NBC; Mr. Gerald Nwokocha, prize winner; Mr. Peter Muriuki, Public Affairs and Communications Manager, Coca-Cola Nigeria; Mr. Agbo Agbo, Managing Director, Synthesis, and Mr. Gbenga Omotosho, Editor, The Nation Newspaper, during the 2012 awards presentation to CampusLife Writers jointly sponsored by Coca-Cola Nigeria and NBC, in Lagos. PHOTO: Kehinde Gbadamosi.

NUPENG petitions Senate over SPDC, CNL

BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG

N

IGERIA Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, has petitioned the Senate over alleged unfair labour practices by Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, and Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL. NUPENG, in a petition signed by Acting General Secretary, Mr. Isaac Aberare, addressed to the President of the Senate, David Mark, called on the Senate leadership to intervene before the nation was thrown into industrial crisis.

The petition read in part: “We have had cause to complain on several occasions and at different fora about unfair labour practice being perpetrated by management of Shell Development Company of Nigeria, SPDC and Chevron Nigeria Ltd. “During the last fuel subsidy crisis, Secretary to the Federal Government of the Federation, SGF, set up a sub-committee and mandated representatives of NNPC to facilitate amicable resolution of our complaints.

“We are compelled to bring this protest to your notice because the issues are yet to be resolved due to the highhandedness of these companies.”

OLLOWING longterm eradication efforts by the Federal Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the World Health Organisation, WHO, the Carter Centre and other partners, Nigeria is gradually moving closer towards shedding the stigma of being the world’s most endemic country for the parasitic worm disorder known as Schistosomiasis.

Minister of State for Health, Dr. Muhammad

Pate, who disclosed this in Abuja during an official visit by a delegation from Merck, a German Pharmaceutical company, said after malaria, Schistosomiasis was considered the most prevalent tropical disease in Africa.

Pate, who acknowledged a donation of 23 million doses of praziquantel tablets to Nigeria since 2008, lamented that the worm disease was widespread among children in all regions of Nigeria.

Reps summon Okonjo-Iweala, Budget Office DG over Auditor-Gen's allocation

BY OKEY NDIRIBE & EMMAN OVUAKPORIE

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BUJA—HOUSE of Representatives’ Committee on Public Accounts has summoned Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Director-General of the Budget Office, Bright Okongwu, to explain poor allocation to the office of the Auditor-General of the Federation, AuGF. The committee, in a bid to check paltry allocation to the AuGF Office, suggested that it was time an amendment to the constitution was made to place the office on first line charge of the federation account.

The committee also turned down the allocation of N892.5 million to audit the proposed N4.9 trillion 2013 budget, adding that such poor budgetary allocation would render the operations of the Auditor-General’s office ineffective.

The AuGF, Mr. Samuel Ukura, had earlier in the meeting told the committee that his office had sought approval for the allocation of N5.2 billion to audit the 2013 budget, adding that the Ministry of Finance and the Budget Office approved only N892.5 million.

Ukura explained that as a result of financial incapacity, the accounts of several ministries, departments and agencies, MDAs, could not be audited in 2012.

He told the Solomon Adeola-led committee that

there was zero allocation to his office in respect of the auditing of the Federation Account for the year 2013.

The Minister of Finance, who is to appear with the Director-General, Budget Office of the Federation, Dr. Bright Okogwu, is also expected to explain why there was zero allocation in the 2013 budget for the audit of the Federation Account.

The Auditor-General also told the Committee that in 2012, his office “audited only 44 MDAs, leaving out 97 Foreign Missions, due to lack of funds.”

Members of the Public Accounts Committee, who sought financial autonomy for the auditor’s office as they were surprised by revelations from the AuGF, took turns to

lash at a system that would frustrate the audit of MDAs. Pally Iriase, a member of the committee repre-

senting Edo State, said: “If you look at this budget of the AuGF, it shows how unserious we are about tackling cor-

Anglican cleric flays calls for tax on churches, mosques

BY CALEB AYANSINA

A

BUJA—PRIMATE, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), the Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh, weekend, said calls on Federal Government to extend tax to churches and mosques should not be taken with seriousness. He said it was unjustifiable.

Recently, human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, at

a forum in Lagos, suggested that taxes be imposed on churches and mosques in the country, in view of the acquisition of private jets by religious figures.

The Primate, who reacted to the call during the 14th Carnival for Christ and the 23rd Anniversary of the Anglican Diocese of Abuja, tagged Experiencing the Resurrection Power,

FG to announce forbearance for brokers

BY PETER EGWUATU, MICHAEL EBOH & NKIRUKA NNOROM

A

SSOCIATION of Stockbroking Houses of Nigeria, ASHON, weekend, disclosed that about N400 billion margin loan crisis and the controversy surrounding the issue of stockbroking firms’ huge indebtedness to banks had been resolved.

ASHON added that the forbearance package would be made known to the capital market community before the end of

ruption in this country.

“This budget ought to signpost our seriousness in tackling the issue of corruption headlong.”

this week.

Speaking at a workshop for capital market correspondents in Badagry, Lagos, Mr. Emeka Madubuike, Chairman, ASHON, said discussions with the relevant stakeholders had reached an advanced stage and that a resolution had been reached, which would be announced before this weekends.

Madubuike, who is also the Chief Executive Officer, Compass Securities Limited, in his paper entitled, Role of Stockbrokers in a Recovering Market, further disclosed that operators

have decided to shun certain parts of the Northern region, following the high rate of insecurity in the region.

He said ASHON was set to undertake an investors’ education campaign that will see it sensitise investors on how to go about investing in the capital market and how to help them safeguard their investment, adding that it would exclude investors in volatile parts of the country.

According to him, ASHON has resolved to undertake an investors’ education programme across the length and breadth of the country.

said there should be control instead, if there were excesses.

Okoh maintained that it would be wise if Churches and Mosques in the country enjoyed support from government in view of their strategic roles in the society.

He said: “It has never been done. If there are excesses in one or two individuals, it is not a justification for government to impose taxes on the church. The church has never been a beneficiary of government allocation.

“The state gathers together and share monthly allocation, no church has received any share. The church as a partner with government in progress actually has to be funded because a lot of people are employed by churches, schools.

“Charity organisations are also run by the church.

“Instead of government asking the church to bring money, the government should be the one giving money to the church and support its programmes.”

Vanguard, MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2012—15

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16 — Vanguard, MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2012 AFTER nearly 30 years of desperately searching for solutions to the Human-Immunodeficiency Virus, HIV, the vermin that leads to the deadly Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, AIDS, the world may soon heave a sigh of relief, as real hope has been kindled of a possible vaccine that could, on a single dose, offer lifelong immunity to HIV/AIDS. A Texas-based institute has applied for a patent to begin the production of the vaccine genetically engineered to provide immunity for life to potential HIV/AIDS sufferers. The vaccine - its name is still shielded from the public - is also said to have the potency to provide relief for other infections. It reportedly functions by preventing the replication of viruses when they enter the human body. Since the potency of the HIV/AIDS virus is rooted on its ability to reproduce rapidly and spread within the body, thus eventually overwhelming the body’s natural resistance to infections, the full release of this vaccine into the open market could become the first real advancement in the war to eliminate the killer virus

Expected HIV vaccine

and save millions of lives.

The news is particularly welcome to Africans living in the sub-Saharan zones, where the scourge has taken the bulk of human casualties, robbing them of valuable manpower and resulting in millions of orphaned children. In time it will render anti-retroviral drugs useless since the AVRs only slow down the rate of infection and spread.

Even when this drug becomes widely available, the war on HIV/AIDS will only be halfway won. This drug, however, has no benefits for those who have already developed the terminal stage of the disease (full-blown AIDS). The concerted efforts that have been going on, both on orthodox and traditional medical research should

continue unabated.

Since this drug is, as yet, a preventive vaccine, it will take a long time of cautious observation before people will wholeheartedly accept it as vaccine against AIDS. Health authorities and advocacy groups should continue to prevail on Nigerians to adopt risk free sex practices. They should also ensure the vaccine is affordable. Availability of a vaccine should not be an invitation to the recklessness that promotes HIV/ AIDS. Nigerians should continue to observe safe sex measures that limited spread of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria in the past five years. We make these points because about 90 per cent of new infections in Nigeria and Africa are acquired through sexual activities.

Even when this vaccine becomes widely available to users, Nigerians should not see it as a substitute to healthy sexual practices. The greatest weapons against HIV/ AIDS are not condoms or vaccines. Desisting from unsafe sex practices and, use of sterilised metal objects bear more preventive prospects than vaccines.

OPINION

BY ADEWALE KUPOLUYI

Continued from pg 17

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UCH resources committed to flamboyance and misplaced priorities like the purchase of jets as well as the cost of maintenance could have been deployed into more useful activities that will have direct impact on the lives of the pastors themselves and the people, in terms of the provision of employment, social services and municipal facilities that will, in turn, generate income for the churches and invariably reduce the burden of imposing frequent levies on the already drained members.

Apart from the controversial private jets, churches are now seen as places where religious leaders own choice properties, fortunes and to an extent, join the political train, to acquire power to become relevant in the society.

This is made worse when religious leaders compete among themselves to own fleet of aircraft, travel in expensive SUVs in convoys of siren-blaring vehicles or have chains of businesses - these acts call to question the sincerity of those who claim to have such divine calling.

Apart from some missionaries, such as the orthodox and the Catholic Church that have established schools, hospitals and C M Y K

What is wrong with pastors owing private jets? (2) other social services for both the rich and the poor, most of the churches now have and run such ventures to secure their investments, not with the intention of offering any welfarism or to provide employment opportunities for the people.

In a desperate bid to get money, some religious leaders go extra miles to make clearly unsubstantiated, cynical and spurious claims from their followers who attend these churches to get miracles which, in most cases, are non-existent.

From time to time, they organise vigils, crusades, deliverance services and other crowd-pulling revivals, to bring together multitudes of worshippers to contribute to a pool of offerings that are managed absolutely with low level transparency and devoid of any accountability.

Many of the so-called men of God are highly dictatorial as they engage in various antics such as divide and rule that tend to tighten their grip on the financial fortunes of their churches and weaken the collective will of their congregations in presenting any form of lawful challenge.

Proliferation of churches is, no

doubt, a recent phenomenon in Nigeria as most of the existing ones were born in the late 1980s, after the economic depression occasioned by the Structural Adjustment Programme and the painful Bretton Wood institutionsinduced public policies.

This is coupled with the prolonged military rule that had induced some negative sociopolitical consequences for the nation – endemic corruption, unemployment, sectarian crises and increased poverty.

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hese societal problems, fostered by bad governance over the years had led not a few adherents to quickly wish for a way out of such problems that governments, as a constitutional duty, had failed to offer any succour – so the fastest and easy way out: visit mushroom churches, dance and smile away sorrow and listen to soul-rending but empty salvation tirades. No wonder, churches dot every nook and cranny of Nigeria without anything to show for our religiosity.

Nothing.

And at the end, their pitiable conditions remain same or even become more critical as the

religious leaders smile home with financial resources at the detriment of these hapless people.

It is instructive to note that recently, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Rev Matthew Hassan Kukah, had observed that "the acquisition of private jets by Christian leaders diminishes the moral voice of the church in the fight against corruption".

Kukah spoke against the backdrop of the presentation of a private jet to Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor by members of his church, at the 40th anniversary of Oritsejafor’s ministry.

The Prelate, who was guest speaker at the annual Founder’s Day Anniversary lecture of Providence Baptist Church in Lagos, described the exhibition of such opulence by church leaders as "embarrassing'.

“The stories of corrupt men and women being given recognition by their churches or mosques as gallant sons and daughters and the embarrassing stories of pastors displaying conspicuous wealth as we hear from the purchases of private jets and so on clearly diminish our moral voice,” he had stated.

He said such alliance will weaken the ability of the church to speak the truth to elected public office holders, adding that: “CAN has become more visible in relation to national prayer sessions, pilgrimages, alliances with state power and so on and unless we distance ourselves, we cannot speak the truth to power.

We cannot hear the wails of the poor and the weak. We should not be seen as playing the praying wing of the party in power”.

Inasmuch as I tried to avoid making this piece look like a sermon, the church should be made to play its important role by exposing the ills of the society and be at the forefront of championing the dogma that de-emphasizes worldly desires, profess the ethos of "practice what you preach", further the message of love and compassion for the poor, stop placing materialism above Christ’s teachings and put a stop to the undue emphasis on prosperity preaching.

The nation is in dire need of change, due to the near collapse of all known social institutions.

Other pastors contemplating such purchase- which is nothing but a status symbolshould shelve it.

*Mr. Kupoluyi wrote from the Federal Varsity of Agric., Abeokuta, Ogun State.

Vanguard, MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2012—49

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Sanusi's assets and liabilities Sanusi’s greatest assets are his

enterprises that closed down over the past three decades. If you suddenly release 50 per cent of the workforce into the Labour market with no employment opportunities to absorb some of them you will spend more trying to cope with the ensuing social problems than you will save from the exercise.

Oversized recuurent spending It is about time that we, as a nation, recognised the albatross that big government and oversized recurrent spending have become. It is a structural problem. The only way to address it is to restructure, and the only way to amendment exercise to achieve one of restructure meaningfully is to reits objectives: reducing the size of examine the continued usefulness of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of government and cutting costs.

It is impractical to just get up and slash “Nigeria 1999. The reduction of the size government workforce. Not only will it of government and its recurrent bills be resisted by organised Labour, it will cannot be achieved through mere also create major social discontinuities. constitution amendment.

Before we sack Sanusi boldness and communicative capabilities. They are also his greatest faults. He uses them indiscriminately like a loose cannon. And that is why he is always in the news.

Now, should we sack Sanusi for what he said in Warri? If you choose to take the literal import of his call for a reduction of governmental workforce you might want to side with the organised Labour.

But if you examine it with maturity, taking into account the greater national good, you will join those who feel Sanusi has done nothing wrong this time around. The learned Mallam is only saying what most of us have said several times over without getting into trouble: seize the opportunity of the ongoing constitution amendment exercise to repair the national anomaly whereby we spend nearly 80 per cent of our national (and state and local council) budgets on servicing the recurrent bills of government workers.

Those after Sanusi: This trend is not only chieflyresponsible for our endemic corruption and cretinish infrastructure deficit, it also promotes social injustice. A few government workers take three quarters of our national income leaving the non-public sector workers and self-employed Nigerians with virtually nothing. Those who are after Sanusi have not told us if they find the current arrangement sane and acceptable.

I do not really think Sanusi would sack 50 per cent of federal workers if he were president of Nigeria. Otherwise, he would have started with the CBN where he wields enormous powers. I think he wants us to look for ways of eventually achieving that purpose. He is just setting an agenda for the constitution

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HOULD we sack Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for calling for a drastic cut-down of public sector workforce to make more money available for capital development? That is what many people would have us do if they had their way. Immediately the Governor made this call on Tuesday, November 27th 2012 at the Government House Annex, Warri in Delta State, he reclaimed the headlines of the media, as usual.

The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and even members of the House of Representatives condemned the call, with the unions asking that he be relieved of his job. My question is: should we join this call? And my answer is… wait for it in a bit.

Let me start by saying that Nigerians and their economy have experienced a bitter-sweet relationship with this Kano blueblood who is widely tipped to climb into the royal shoes of Alhaji Ado Bayero, the Emir of Kano (if Bayero transits to eternity before Sanusi, that is). He has demonstrated enormous capacity for good and bad. His predecessor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, conducted a successful consolidation of the banking sector and thus saved Nigerians from losing their deposits when the economic meltdown of 2007/2008 set in.

But Soludo was so carried away by his own success story that he failed to deploy adequate risk assessment measures to identify the massive corruption eating away at depositors’ and shareholders’ funds. In fact, Soludo had become so unwholesomely friendly and protective of bank executives that it was only a matter of time before the financial system would implode. The appointment of Sanusi appeared to be the way out. But in fighting the corruption he found in the system, Sanusi ended up destroying the banks he was supposed to protect.

Up till today, even after pumping in over one trillion naira to prop up some banks and facilitating the creation of the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), Sanusi’s actions (and more importantly his utterances) have made customers to walk away from the banks he saved.

It is about time that we, as a nation, recognised the albatross that big government and oversized recurrent spending have become. It is a structural problem. The only way to address it is to restructure, and the only way to restructure meaningfully is to re-examine the continued usefulness of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999

Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, CBN Governor: Cut-down public sector workforce

At the Warri event, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan made it clear that governments had no choice than to absorb as many people as possible discharged by the many governmentowned and multinational manufacturing

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Too many entrenched principalities empowered by this constitution will use their powers to resist the change of any clause or section of the constitution that threatens their interests. The 36 governors have demonstrated this by telling the nation areas of the constitution they will support and others which they will not. Members of the two chambers of the National Assembly will not uphold anything that will negatively tamper with their tenures and entitlements.

We need to write a new constitution.

We need to re-lay the foundation of this nation before we hit our Centenary in 2014. We need to do away with the sectional conspiracies of the past 98 years and create a nation where all will feel at home, government and funds to service it will be small while opportunities for citizens to actualise their dreams will be limitless. If we insist on this amendment exercise we will return to amend again soon – with little positive result. It’s nothing to do with Sanusi’s opinion.

OPINION

BY ADEWALE KUPOLUYI

R

ECENT criticisms in the polity, generated by the increasing number of our religious leaders acquiring aircraft, should be expected.

This is so because such men of God are seen as being above the board and should not be cut out for worldly things, as they are supposed to be men who would deny themselves the vanities of this world and rather prefer to win souls for Christ.

They are expected, against all odds, to stand firm in faith even in the face of daunting earthly trials, persecutions and tribulations.

But the recurring decimal of failure to live this disciplined life is fast growing by the day as a reasonable number of such high-flying Nigerian pastors now go the way of the world.

Basically, the church is founded on the principles of virtue and sacrifice for the sake of Christ - a foundation laid on the threshold of propagating Christ’s teachings - to win souls by helping to bring those who have gone astray into C M Y K

What is wrong with pastors owing private jets? the fold and to lead the faithful to salvation, being the ultimate desire of every devout Christian.

It is regrettable that many of our pastors and churches today have strayed away from this original obligation and purpose of pursuing righteousness, at the altar of chasing earthly material things as they never practiced what they preached.

Trending now is the argument by the pastors that ownership of private jets is not a luxury as some claimed, but a necessity and an essential tool for their pastoral and public duties because evangelism, according to them, will be made easier and more efficient.

Recently, the American-based Warren Buffet and one of the world’s largest private jet manufacturers had punctured this line of argument when he said: “Everyone who says he needs a private jet to make important appointments is a liar. They need it for their ego. Name me one of them busier than I am who

owns more US corporations than I do”.

Buffet, who was once the richest man in the world, does not even own a jet as he often flies in commercial aircraft!

Forbes magazine claimed that the nation may have spent about $6.5 billion in the purchase of private jets by government officials and pastors, a trend that had grown exponentially from about 20 jets in year 2000 to the current level of more than 160.

Top on Forbes’ list are pastors, especially, those of the Pentecostal churches, which have allegedly spent over $250 million on their new found hobby.

Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, President of the Christian Association of Nigerian is, perhaps, the latest but he’s really not the only one who now flies around the world in the comfort of his luxurious aircraft.

Pastors David Oyedepo of the Living Faith Church (Winners’ Chapel) is also said to own three private aircraft,

namely the Gulfstream G550 said to cost over $40 million, Gulfstream V Gulfstream G450 and a Lear Jet, which cost about $15 million and $14 million, respectively.

Pastor Enoch Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG is said to own a Gulfstream Jet 5 brand worth $30 million. Pastors Joseph Agbodi of the Victorious Army Ministries, Sam Adeyemi of the Daystar Ministries and Temitope Joshua are said to own private jets, among others.

With the array of jet-owning pastors, the general feeling among the people is that the expensive lifestyles of these pastors are in contrast with the teachings of Christianity, especially, amid the glaring poverty and hardship in the land.

Continues on pg 18

*Mr. Kupoluyi, wrote from Federal Varsity of Agric., Abeokuta, Ogun State.

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52— Vanguard, MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2012

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Vanguard, MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2012—53

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54—Vanguard, MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2012

The root of the rot in our local councils STAKEHOLDERS in Nigeria’s democracy gathered in Enugu last week to ponder on the issues and circumstances that have bedeviled local government democracy since the advent of the Fourth Republic.

DEPUTY POLITICAL EDITOR

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HE three-day conference on how to rediscover the local councils organized by the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) at Nike Lake Resort, Enugu lived up to its billings.

With resource persons drawn from leading higher institutions in Nigeria including inputs from eminent Nigerians and persons from the United States, Canada and Mexico among others, if the ideas canvassed at the parley were implemented the local councils, in no distant time, will become an oasis of development.

A common strand of thought ran through the avalanche of papers and speeches made at the forum: The local councils must be granted fiscal and political autonomy, and democratised to enable them perform their onerous roles of providing needed services at the grassroots to improve the lot of the citizenry.

However, the speakers differed on the approach. While some urged direct allocation to the councils and abrogation of the controversial state-local government joint account, some opposed the idea, saying it might be counter-productive in the long run. There were also suggestions that the councils should boost their internal revenue generation and depend less on statutory allocation. Other suggestions include removing or retaining the local councils as the third tier of government.

Roll call

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eld between November 27-30 with the theme: “National Conference on rediscovering the Nigerian Local Government System in the Emerging Constitution,” eminent persons, who spoke at the forum included President Goodluck Jonathan, who was represented by his Special Adviser Political Affairs, Dr Ahmed Gulak; former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar; former Senate President, Senator Ken

Nnamani; Governors Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu (Niger) and Raji Fashola (Lagos). There were also Acting Governor of Enugu State, Sunday Onyebuchi; United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Amb Terence McCulley, who was represented by Consul General, Jeff Hawkins; ALGON President, Ozo Nwabueze Okafor and leaders of the association from all parts of the country; Dr Remi Ayoade; a team of Mayors from the United States of America including Eugene W. Grant and President of the Forum of Local Government Federations, Canada, Dr Rupak Chattopadhyay.

Thought-provoking papers Leading papers delivered at the gathering include: ‘The functioning of the local government system in a federalist constitution: controversies, comparisons and consensus’ by Professor Muhammed Tawfiq Ladan of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; ‘The functioning of the local governments and their relationship with upper levels of government’ by Professor Assisi Asobie of the University of Nigeria, UNN; “Making local government for Nigeria: Fixing the missing links’ by Professor Haruna Dlakwa of the University of Maiduguri; ‘Federal account dependency, insolvency and access to development funds for local governments in Nigeria’ by Dr Sampson Ebimaro; and ‘The political, administrative and fiscal environment of local government in Nigeria, a historical analysis’ by Professor Adejo Odoh.

There were also: ‘Local government and inter fiscal relations and transfers: STATES WITH the principle, process LGS and DEMOCRATIC Lagos Enugu Niger Rivers Kwara Ebonyi Ogun Adamawa Cross River

Jigawa Gombe Zamfara FCT, Abuja Taraba Sokoto Katsina Kebbi Imo **

L-R are: Former Vice president of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Gov. Babaginda Muza, Governor of Niger State, Acting Governor of Enugu State, Mr. Sunday Onyebuchi at the event. PHOTO BY HILL EZEUGWU. structure’ by Professor Chikelue Ofuebe (UNN); ‘Local government system in Nigeria: The dangers of quasi-fiscal, political and administrative autonomy’ by Professor F C Okoli (UNN); “Comparison of local government systems in selected federalist countries’ by Barr Raymond Onyegu; ‘Does direct federal-local government relations undermine federalism?’ by Professor J I

,

By CLIFFORD NDUJIHE,

not shackling councils in the state and elections have been regular.

Citing the examples of Niger, Rivers and Kwara among others as states where regular council elections have been entrenched, he said some chairmen in these states have performed better than him. He urged states, which are yet to hold council polls to do so and deepen democracy in the

The President has no right to wake up and say he has dissolved a state government, so why must a state governor dissolve a council

Elaigwu; ‘Constitutionalising local governments in Nigeria: issues and problems’ by Barr Bamidele Aturu; and ‘MDGs: Countdown, appraisal and role of local governments in overcoming gaps and challenges’ by Dr Precious Kalamba Gbeneol (senior special assistant to the President on MDGs).

Councils understand the needs of the people – Nwabueze

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elcoming participants to the event, ALGON National President, Ozo Nwabueze Okafor, who reeled out his achievements as chairman of Enugu South local council, said he was able to achieve the feats because Governor Sullivan Chime was

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country.

His words: “Devolution of power is the in thing now all over the world because the councils understand the needs of their people. If we are serious about national development we have to strengthen the local governments. About seven of the 15 MDGs fall under the purview of the local governments.

Without autonomy and adequate funding how can meet the millennium development goals? If we strengthen the local governments we will bring development to the people because the council is a potent force we have to tap from.”

We must enthrone true fiscal federalism – Fashola

Fashola, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Political Affairs and Legislative Matters, Hon Musilim Folarin, said the federal arrangement in the country was non-negotiable because it is the surest way to enhance development. He urged true fiscal and political federalism and devolution of power to the constituent units for every section to develop at its own pace. He also restated the need for state police noting however that the overall objective of governance at all levels is to improve governance and provide direly needed services and amenities to the citizenry. Relatedly, Grant lamented that only 365 local councils in Nigeria have elected administrations. Aside strengthening the councils, he advised Nigerians “to go back and ensure that your people are actually elected because Nigerian people must control their government.

We must uproot state-LG joint account – Nnamani

In like manner, Nnamani decried the prevalence of unelected governments in most states, noting that development strides were being witnessed in councils where democracy prevails. He opposed statelocal government joint accounts arguing that there is need for council budgets to be debated like those of the states

Continued on page 55

Vanguard, MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2012 — 55

Continued on page 54

government elections across the country is the right thing for average Nigerian citizens; it is also the right thing for local governments themselves.

Nothing undermines the legitimacy of government more than the perception that it does not fully represent its constituents,” he said.Noting that the structure and functions of government in the United States bear some striking similarities to government in Nigeria, he pledged the US would work with ALGON to “make the reforms and take the tough decisions that are necessary” to strengthen the local councils.

and federal governments.

Onyebuchi stressed the need for the strengthening of the councils because the council system is very vital in development of the council. He said that elsewhere socioeconomic advancement of countries was measured by the well-being of their rural citizens.

Godfatherism hinders LGs – Atiku

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tiku, who canvassed for resource control by the federating units and remittance of 70 per cent to the centre: “There is still a lot of work to be done. There are still objectives to be met and goals to attain. An issue at the forefront of current discussions on constitution amendment is the autonomy of local governments. Nigeria’s local governments still lack reasonable autonomy to provide services and implement development projects for the local populations in an efficient and timely manner. Taking a cue from the overbearing federal Government, state governments have been overbearing in their relationship with local administrations. Many have been abusing the joint statelocal government accounts by tampering with local government funds as reports and petitions make clear.

Interestingly while these abuses go on, many local government leaders are unable to say so for fear of angering their state governments.

“The direct allocation of funds from the federation to local governments was meant to ensure that the local governments get development funds from the centre in order to enhance their operational capacity. At the same time the joint state-local government account was meant to acknowledge the rightful role of the federating units in local government administration.

However, the control that the state governments have over the joint account has ensured that the development objective of the direct allocation is not met. And it has left the local governments worse off than they were prior to that policy shift. “We need to re-examine our conception of local government administration.

Should we continue with the practice of Federal Government

Joint account erodes councils’ autonomy – Jonathan

•Sen Ken Nnamani (left) and Nwabueze Okafor, National President ALGON

The rot in our councils creating local governments across the country and allocating resources to them directly? Or should it be left in the hands of federating states to decide for themselves the system of local government and the number of local authorities they need because of our historical and cultural differences?

“In my view there are three critical issues here. First is the structure of our federation; the second is our political practice; and the third is our disregard for rules and regulations. In a federation, local administration ought to be left in the hands of federating states or regions rather than an awkward situation where the local governments deal directly with the Federal government while sidetracking the state governments. The federating units should be left to determine the system and number of local governments and fund them accordingly in accordance with their historical and cultural peculiarities and development needs. Our focus should be on ensuring a more

STATES WITH UNELECTED LGS Kaduna * Abia Anambra Plateau Edo Bayelsa Delta Kogi Benue

Nasarawa Borno Yobe Bauchi Kano Ondo Oyo Osun Ekiti

* Held polls on Saturday ** Chairmen not recognised by state government

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Recalling how he inaugurated the ALGON on November 30, 1999 and the lofty objectives of the organization, Atiku said most of those objectives have been realized 13 years after.

However, he said a lot of challenges still remain.

Nigeria’s local governments still lack reasonable autonomy to provide services and implement development projects for the local populations in an efficient and timely manner.

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effective local administration, responsible fiscal management and accountability. And the proximity of state governments to local governments makes them more suited for that than the more federal government.

Niger: Without joint account 10 councils will disappear – Aliyu

Also speaking at the event, Governor Aliyu said he was not among governors who were abusing the state-local council joint account. He said Niger State was a model in the management of the joint account, which an independent committee oversees.

Disclosing that most of the 25 councils in the state generate less than N10 million and depend on extra funds and helping hand from the joint account, he said about five to 10 of the councils might not be able to pay salaries without additional funds from the joint pool.

He stressed the need for the councils to be empowered and

challenged them to improve their internally generated revenue drive to accelerate development at the grassroots He said: “When we talk about ‘government’ and ‘governance’ to a layman, it conjures up the image of the Local Government Chairman and the Councillors, as well as the activities surrounding them.

Therefore any attempt at deepening democracy in whatever context will be a fallacy unless it is focused on strengthening and rediscovering the local government system for improved service delivery to the people.”

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e said that “given the enormous responsibilities that the local government are saddled with, as spelt out clearly in the Constitution and the limited resources available to them by the present financing arrangement, what may seem more important at this point of our democratic development is to urge for a review of the federation allocation arrangement and even then restructuring of our federalism in such a manner that each tier of government should take only what it is best suited to do in terms of service delivery to the people.”

Why Nigerians must uphold the constitution – Hawkins

Also speaking, Hawkins regretted that despite express provision of the 1999 constitution for a democratically elected local government, more than half of Nigeria’s 774 local governments do not enjoy electoral mandate currently and in at least one state, Local council elections have not been held since 1999.”Convoking proper local

President Jonathan, who spoke through Gulak on the second day of the conference, said the councils deserved full autonomy and regretted the situation where some governors dissolve local councils at will and refuse to conduct polls.

He said: “Vibrancy in the local governments means the constitution is functioning.

Tenure of local governments depends on the whims and caprices of the state governors.

That should not be so. The tenure of our local governments whether three or four years should be clearly defined in the Constitution.

“The President has no right to wake up and say he has dissolved a state government. So why must a state governor dissolve a council? Why are we following the constitution in breach? We must live up to our duty and expectation of upholding and defending the constitution.

“The President is 100 per cent in support of ALGON because the Local Government is the closest tier of government to the people. He is in support of Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, which says that at every given time the local government must be democratically elected. The situation where some governors dissolve local governments is unconstitutional, illegal and unsustainable.

“One issue affecting the local governments that the President is concerned about is the statelocal government joint account.

It erodes the autonomy of the local governments. The framers of the constitution did not envisage that the account will be run the way it is being run.

The joint account means that allocation from the Federal Government and internally generated revenue must be put together for sharing but unfortunately, most local governments don’t get up to 20 per cent. How the local government chairmen function without funds?

56 — Vanguard,

MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2012

World AIDS Day: RED hits milestone of $200 million to fight AIDS in Africa

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HE Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tu berculosis and Malaria weekend announced that its largest private sector contributor, RED passed a record milestone of US$ 200 million raised and donated to fight the AIDS epidemic in Africa.

RED is the largest business initiative supporting the Global Fund and one of the biggest to raise money for an international humanitarian cause. RED partners with the world’s most iconic brands, including Coca-Cola, Starbucks and Apple, which create products with red items.

Announcing this record last Saturday in a statement, General Manager of the Global Fund, Gabriel Jaramillo described it as fantastic, adding that it shows what partners can do when they come together for a good cause. “We give RED an enormous ‘Thank you,” Jaramillo said.

RED was founded in 2006 by Bono and Bobby Shriver to engage the private sector in raising awareness and funds to help eliminate AIDS in Africa. Since 2006, RED has contributed US$ 200,179,357. Of the total, US$ 17,087,169 has been donated this year. The value of the partnership with RED, however, goes beyond money.

The initiative also contributes to raise awareness among consumers.

A portion of the sales of those products is donated to the Global Fund and supports the goal of delivering an AIDS-free generation by 2015. Jaramillo noted that

funds donated by RED have helped provide life-saving antiretroviral therapy for 220,000 people, put more than 130,000 HIV-positive pregnant women on antiretroviral therapy to reduce the risk of HIV transmission from mother-to-child, and reach 13 million people with HIV testing and counseling.

Counterfeit anti-malaria medicines on the decline in Africa

BY SOLA OGUNDIPE HE spate of counterfeit anti-malaria medicines in Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa in general, has declined from 64.9 percent in 2008 to 20 percent in 2012, according to a new study of the” Quality of Anti-Malaria Medicines.

Director - General of the World Health Organization, WHO, Dr. Margret Chan

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• NAFDAC officials at the just -concluded Lagos International Trade Fair. From right: Mr Umar Aliyu, Admin Officer PRS, Mrs Doris Akalusi, Deputy Director/ Head NAFDAC Desk, Mrs Christiana Obiazikwor, Asst Chief Information Officer at Neimeth International Pharmaceutical Plc stand. Px Biodun Ogunleye

who acknowledged the progress in a pronouncement, attributed the development to efforts by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, and the indigenous pharmaceutical companies who are currently striving to bring the quality of their medicines to international standard through WHO pre-qualification.

Chan who spoke at the first meeting of the New Member State Mechanism on Spurious Substandard, Falsely Labeled, Falsified and Counterfeit Medical products, SSFFC, held in Buones Aires, Argentina, said a similar study undertaken

by WHO in Asia showed about 38 percent failure rate of anti-malaria medicines within that region. A similar study carried out by the WHO in 2008 put the failure rate of anti-malaria medicines in Nigeria at more than 64 percent.

In a reaction to the development, Director-General, NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii, observed that there was a strong correlation between the Agency’s 2012 National Survey on Quality of medicines using TRUSCAN device and Laboratory analysis which puts the failure rate of Anti-malaria drugs in Nigeria currently at 19.6 percent. Orhii explained that these results are clear attestations to the remarkable successes NAFDAC has recorded in the fight against drug counterfeiting through the adoption of cutting-edge technologies and other multi-layered, well coordinated and innovative approaches.

For sustainability, NHIS needs subsidy— HCPAN PRESIDENT

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BY CHIOMA OBINNA

EVEN years after the establishment of National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS, in the country, many challenges have been identified both by enrollees and the healthcare providers. The National President, Healthcare Providers’ Association of Nigeria, HCPAN, Dr. Adenike Olaniba, spoke with Vanguard Healthy&Living on these challenges, the need for a subsidy and the way forward towards achieving a universal coverage by 2015.

Excerpts: What is the NHIS all about?

National Health Insurance Scheme is a scheme that was introduced to achieve universal coverage, qualitative healthcare at affordable cost to all Nigerians. However, we have discovered that since the scheme was launched seven years ago, only about 5 per cent of the population has been covered. It is only the government workers and parastatals that have been enjoying the largesse of the NHIS. If NHIS is to penetrate the informal sector, that is to go down to the grass roots, we believe there must be subsidy. No matter how much members of the community pay to the primary care provider if there is no sustainability of the programme, then the programme will collapse.

How can the scheme benefit the common man?

Experiments carried outside in Nigeria have shown that when the programme starts along the line, after a year or two, there was no regular funding for the programme it will collapse. We are now asking as healthcare providers’ association that if the government wants this programme to go down to the grass roots,

ees chose the general hospitals and the tertiary institutions.

The diseases that are being treated at these institutions can be very well managed at the primary healthcare level and at the private providers’ level.

Throughout the world the first point of call of any patient is always primary care providers.

So there is need for enrollees to go back to their communities to take health services from their primary care providers. If this is done many of the providers that are complaining of not having enough enrollees will be able to have enrollees and will be able to offer quality services because whatever capitation they get from these enrollees • Dr. Adenike Olaniba, President HCPAN they would use it to upgrade their facilities. that is the community-based social health How then do you address the issue of insurance that is being proposed then, choice? The issue of choice is there. We there must be a group of people that can are not forcing anybody to go back. But bridge the gap because a gap is always the issue is that if the government adopts created in the community social health the policy for people to choose facilities insurance. Never mind that Board of trus- that are nearer to their homes, we believe tees are put in place but it has been ob- that primary healthcare can also be proserved that the masses do not pay their vided by private practitioners around you. premium regularly. They may pay their It is a matter of education, sensitisation premium for the first six months, thereaf- and making people aware that what they ter; the premium will not be forthcoming. can get at the tertiary hospital can also be How then, do we maintain or sustain the provided by their private practitioners.

How many percentage of taxation do programme, if nobody will bridge the gap?

Other challenges that we have found is you think government should devote to that we discovered are that many enroll- NHIS? ees are based in the general hospitals and I will not advocate through taxation in tertiary institutions. The healthcare pro- Nigeria because statistics have shown that viders are now saying that there must be an average Nigerian do not pay tax as distribution of these enrollees. We be- such. Yet, we are all talking about ideal lieve that not enough public enlighten- situation that is happening in the UK ment was carried out before these enroll- where National services is being run on

general tax. But don’t forget that in the UK almost everybody pay tax even those on government benefit are also made to pay tax. So taxing Nigerians to pay for health may be a mirage. We need to look at other sources. There have been some suggestion like a percentage from the VAT that everybody pay whenever they buy goods because whether you are working in government or private sector, you will still have to pay VAT on anything you purchase. That may be an area where we can get that subsidy from.

Another area they have use in Ghana is through the telecoms. By the time you buy the recharge cards a percentage of what you are buying will be sent to cover health insurance. These are areas the providers are thinking about. But our major concern is that out there in the informal sector, majority of the people are poor and cannot afford health insurance. They may not be able to pay the premium that will sustain health insurance as such when we launch into the informal sector there must be a way government will subsidise whatever premium they pay. For the provider to provide qualitative services there must be a minimum standard premium that every enrollee must pay.

How much are the enrolees paying at the moment? Different enrolees are paying different premium. For instance in the formal sector, the enrollees are suppose to pay 15 per cent of their salary.

Right now, in the formal sector, that is the ministry, parastatals, no staff is actually paying that The 15 percent that the enrollees are supposed to pay, up till now it is still not deducted from their salaries because Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC has not agreed that the 5 per cent should be deducted from their salaries.

Vanguard,

MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2012

— 57

Egypt: Protesters halt Constitutional Court sitting, referendum holds December 15 E GYPT’s Supreme Constitutional Court has said it is halting all work indefinitely in protest at the “psychological pressure” it has faced. Islamist protesters earlier prevented the judges from meeting in Cairo to rule on a draft constitution.

The supporters of President Mohammed Morsi wanted to block any ruling that would question the document’s legality.

The court said that yesterday was “the blackest day in the history of Egyptian judiciary”. These developments are the latest in an unfolding confrontation between President Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood supporters on one side, and his mainly secular political opponents and the judiciary on the other. Mr Morsi adopted sweeping new powers in a decree on 22 November that stripped the judiciary of any power to challenge his decisions, so it is unclear what effect any Supreme Constitutional Court

main source of legislation •Al-Azhar, Sunni Islam’s leading authority, to be consulted on “matters related to Sharia” •Christianity and

Judaism to be the main source of legislation for Christians and Jews •Religious freedom to be limited to Muslims, Christians and Jews

sessionsuntilthetimewhen they can continue their message and rulings in cases without any psychological and material pressures.”

Abbas gets heroic welcome to West Bank •Morsi ruling would have.

However, analysts say any ruling opposing his decisions would be a direct challenge and would bolster the opposition campaign to have his decree annulled. Mr Morsi has said a referendum on the draft constitution will be held on 15 December. His opponents say the draft constitution undermines b a s i c freedoms.’Democratic system’ The court issued a statement after demonstrations outside the building prevented judges from getting in.

Constitution at a glance •Sharia remains the

P

ALESTINIAN leader Mahmoud Abbas has returned to a hero’s welcome in the West Bank after his successful move to upgrade the Palestinians’ UN status.”Now we have a state,” he told cheering supporters in Ramallah.

“Palestine has accomplished a historic achievement.”

On Thursday the United Nations General Assembly voted to recognise the Palestinians as an observer state. In response Israel halted the transfer of tax revenues to the Palestinian Authority (PA).

The decision, announced on Sunday by

offset the PA’s debts, which include millions owed to Israel’s electricity company. The Israeli decision was announced as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas returned to the West Bank from the UN in New York.

He told thousands of

•Abbas the Israeli finance ministry, means 460m shekels ($120m; £75m) will be withheld in December. The PA, which rules the West Bank, is heavily dependent on tax revenues Israel collects on its behalf.

A ministry spokesman told the BBC the money would instead be used to

Leveson aide denounces move to curb UK press

A

key adviser to Lord Justice Leveson has said his plan for compulsory press regulation would be illegal because it would breach the Human Rights Act. The judge’s report recommended an independent selfregulatory body for the industry, backed up by legislation.

But Liberty ’s Shami Chakrabarti said although she supported the principles of the Leveson report, she “got off the bus” at compulsory regulation.

Actor and campaigner Hugh Grant said reforms “simply won’t work without it”.

Lord Justice Leveson proposed creating a new, independent watchdog, but the debate over any legislation underpinning it has divided opinion.

‘Carrots and sticks’ Ms Chakrabarti, one of six assessors who worked on the Leveson Inquiry, told the BBC’s Andrew

•Limits president to two four-year terms of office The statement said “The judges announced the suspension of the court

•Leveson Marr programme she supported the “carrots and sticks” in the report, that meant newspapers who signed up to a new watchdog would be subject to lower penalties than those who did not.

“The bombshell, or the difference, is what do you do if people don’t join the club or don’t set up a club.

And Leveson doesn’t want compulsory regulation of the press, but he says if they don’t play ball, politicians may have to consider it. That is where I get off the bus,” she said.

She told the Mail on Sunday that, in a democracy, regulation of the press and imposing standards on it must be voluntary.

“A compulsory statute to regulate media ethics in the way the report suggests would violate the act, and I cannot support it.”

•Create a process to “validate” the independence and effectiveness of the new self-regulation body •Validate a new process of independent arbitration for complainants - which would benefit both the public and publishers by

providing speedy resolutions •Place a duty on government to protect the freedom of press It would not establish a body to regulate the press directly and give any Parliament or government rights to interfere with what newspapers publish.

However deputy Labour leader Harriet Harman said she did not think Ms Chakrabarti was right.

flag-waving supporters in Ramallah that the vote to upgrade the Palestinians’ status from “non-member observer entity” to “non-member observer state” had shown the international community stood behind the Palestinian people.

US envoy embarks on “doing Business” in Nigeria drive

BY HUGO ODIOGOR, FOREIGN AFFAIRS EDITOR

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HE United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Terence P. McCulley has embarked on a two-week tour of four American cities to promote business opportunities in Nigeria and African countries.

Ambassador McCulley is leading a major effort to promote President Barack Obama’s campaign of “Doing Business in Africa” throughout the United States.

A statement from the US embassy Consulate in Lagos said “The Ambassador, with the Embassy’s Commercial Section, will lead two separate delegations of

Nigerian private and public sector organizations to the International Workboat Show and Power-Gen Show, and will address U.S. companies at outreach events designed to introduce American audiences to doing business in Nigeria. The tour is intended to highlight thesignificantopportunities in important industry sectors in Nigeria. Many of the delegates to the two shows are members of the Nigerian American Chamber of Commerce.

The trip was expected to commence yesterday in Houston, Texas with media events and outreach at Rice University and other venues to engage local business executives with an interest in the Nigerian market.

US lawmakers far apart on averting fiscal cliff

W

ITH the fiscal cliff looming—and Republicans, like House Speaker John Boehner, slamming the White House’s latest proposal— U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner hit the Sunday morning talk show circuit, saying the partisan posturing is part of the “political theater” but that he’s hopeful a deal will get done.

“I actually think that we’re gonna get there,” Geithner said on ABC’s

“This Week With George Stephanopoulos.” “I mean, inevitably [there is] gonna be a little political theater in this context—sometimes that’s a sign of progress.

I think we’re actually making a little bit of progress, but we’re still some distance apart.”

Geithner said the GOP lawmakers need to realize that the burden is on them to work with Democrats, and that the “ball really is with them

•John Boehner, now.” “There’s just no reason why 98 percent of Americans have to see their taxes go up because some members of Congress on the

Republican side want to block tax rate increases for 2 percent of the wealthiest Americans,” the treasury secretary said.

“They really are in a difficult position,” he added. “And they ’re going to have to figure out their politics of what they do next.”

On CNN’s “State of the Union With Candy Crowley,” Geithner dismissed Boehner ’s contention that debt talks were at a “stalemate.”

58— Vanguard, MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2012

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Vanguard, MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2012—59

Vanguard CLASSIFIED LILIAN—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Lilian Tobi Omafodezi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Lilian Tobi Otubu. All former d o c u m e n t s remain valid.

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University of Port Harcourt, Madonna University, other institutions and general public please take note.

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R-l: Mr Olumuyiwa Agboola, Mgr Business services, Chevron; Mr Desmond Majekodunmi, chairman, Public Awareness Committee and Mr Alade Adeleke, Ag ED, both of NCF at the official commissioning of Geographic Information Laboratory for Environmental Conservation by the Nigerian Conservation Foundation in Lekki, Lagos. Photo: Biodun Ogunleye

L-r: Senior Political Adviser to Delta State Governor, Chief Ighoyota Amori; former SSG of the state, Olorogun Ovie Omo-Agege and Chairman, Ughelli North Local Government Area, Chief Friday Akpoyibo during the reception ceremony organised by the latter after his thanksgiving service at Ughelli, Delta State.

L-R: Engr. Gbenga Dairo, Director, Public Transport, Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, LAMATA; Mr. IyiolaAdegboye, Director of Finance, LAMATA; and Prof Olukayode Taiwo, Deputy Director, Safeguard, LAMATA; at a stakeholder meeting with residents of the Lagos Wetland Community of the Bus Rapid Transit extension project from Mile 12 to Ikorodu yesterday.

L-r: Osun State Deputy Governor/ Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mrs. Titi LaoyeTomori inspecting a guard of corps members mounted as part of the passing out parade of Osun NYSC Batch "C" members at the Camp Ground in Ede

VANGUARD'S LAGOS OFFICE YOU CAN B O O K Y O U R A D V E RT S AT OU R L A G O S I S L A N D O F FI C E — VA N G U A R D MEDIA LIMITED (LAGOS OFFICE) KIOSK 4 8 E A S T P AV I L I O N T B S , L A G O S .

Elders Council of the Redeemed Christian Church of God Lagos Province 14 recently honoured its elders who are 75 years and above. Pastor-in-charge of the province, Pastor Babajide Akiode presenting awards to some of the elders.

60 — Vanguard, MONDAY,

DECEMBER 3, 2012

I

live in Lagos.

I counted myself lucky that this time I did not have to travel out for the National Sports Festival. This time the festival was to be brought to my doorstep.

So far I have been disappointed.

The expected excitement, fun, colour, pomp and carnival attributes of the festival have not gotten to me. Not that it did in previous years.

Yes, Lagos can claim to have hosted, so far, a peaceful Games. Despite arguments and disagreements, reconciliation is not always far behind, all because Lagos has declared and loudly too that it was not hosting to win!

In the past, we had issues with states who believed that hosting was a passport to victory and everything, repeat everything was done to make sure, hook or crook that victory came by the way of the hosting state.

My friend General Okaro who is Director Games Services, will disagree and vehemently too with the accusation that even the NSC had sympathy with the hosting states and for agreeing to host, for spending so much money, they deserved to be “ compensated” Lagos has been different.

Peace prevails.

But what about readiness to host?

CAF, before then FIFA and even the IOC has been faced with the headaches of host countries and cities not being competition ready. What these international organizations have done overtime is to pick host three editions away.

Otherwise put, host of their events have as many as 12, some 16 years to prepare to host. In Nigeria we should not

Eko 2012, NPL and Alibay at 80 shy away from such a system although my son tells me that it may not be very different in an environment where we still leave everything till the last minute.

That in Nigeria, even when we know that there is an Olympics Games to be held in eight years, we do not even care to budget for same until the last minute.

The argument of the young man is that while the NSC or whoever is in the process of preparing for the Rio games (If they are) a group, a committee, a body should be set aside and funded accordingly to prepare for the Games after Rio. Hear him. “ This committee will know that they have eight years to produce Olympic materials, they will know the age grade they will be working with and track such athletes who, undoubtedly will have to be found in schools. “ For you to represent the country in eight years time, then you must be eight, nine or ten years old today ” he argued and soundly too.

Hosting, like I argued last week, also confers on states and cities the privilege of

developing infrastructure.

Lagos did not have the time to put up a Games village, so they had to wait, or force University of Lagos and the Yaba College of Technology to vacate for them to start splashing paint on the walls, on the eve of competition.

Back to the competition proper. Who will win the Games? I don’t care. Rather, I am looking forward to that news that will scream the discovery of a potential champion and the story of the coach who engineered such a discovery. Waiting.

At this stage I can say as every Nigerian, “He go better” when exactly, I do not know.

The NFF, NPL Resolution Was delighted to hear last week that the Nigeria Premier League imbrioglio has been resolved after a meeting with the Nigeria Football Federation.

While the impasse was on I remember having a brief chat with the Honourable minister of Sports and his desire to have the issue resolved amicably.

•Action from a volley ball match between Delta (in blues) and Ondo. Delta won 2-1 Photos by Henry Unini.

“…… At this point in time (Nations Cup preparations) we cannot afford any distractions in the house of football. I pray for a speedy and realistic resolution of the problem to enable us go ahead with a credible league” I want to believe that that is exactly what was done, leading to the decision to go ahead with the NPL Congress where the commencement of the league will be tabled, discussed and adopted for ratification.

As our league managers get set to leave for Kano I want to beg them in the name of the youths of this country to please guarantee that what happened last year does not repeat itself.

I do not mind one or two months delay, if that will help us to sanitise the system before we proceed.

A good organization that involves mid week fixtures and the study of FIFA, CAF and even NFF calendar can guarantee a smooth take off and finish of the league different from the mix ups in the past.

Also, we should endeavour to bring to an end the vexing issue of sponsorship log jam that has left the league comatose.

Pray, can the winner of the Premier league look forward to at least 25 million naira as prize money? A sum that is considered chicken feed when put side by side with what clubs spend in a season to get to such title positions.

In brief there should be no hurry at the Kano meeting. No hurry at all.

Hurray 'Alibay' is 80 There will be a new face in the Secretary General’s row at the NFF Annual General

Assembly scheduled for Port Harcourt on December 13. It will be that of Herbert Omokhaye who served as Secretary General Of the Nigeria Football Association from May 1964 to December 1965 under the Chairmanship of Chief Chuba Ikpeazu.

Don’t ask me why it has taken this long to identify and rectify history involving this servant of football who while as a player in Methodist Boys high School in 1947 had his Herbert name corrupted to ‘Albert’ hence the nickname ‘Alibay’ Boasting a rich football history that spans over 60 years, Mr Omokhaye played Association football with FCOA, UAC and Federal United from 1951 to 1961.

In 1962 he was elected General Secretary of the Lagos Amateur Football Association ( LAFA) and was subsequently appointed Secretary General of the Nigeria Football Association form May 1964 to December 1965. Before then he was General Secretary of the Nigeria Referees Association form 1980 to 1983.

Mr Omokhaye was identified a few months ago when the NFF leadership arrived Lagos to receive the new Federation Cup from the Lagos State Governor and met Mr Omokhaye who was then a member of the Organising Committee of the Federation Cup. Born on November 28 , 80 years ago, On Saturday December 8, children, friends and colleagues and will gather in Lagos at the Ajao International School in Victoria Island to accord this tested football administrator a befitting 80 years anniversary.

Happy birthday Alibay and Congratulations.

See you next week

•Action from an hockey game between Imo (in blue) and Delta.. Delta won 4:1

Vanguard, MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2012—61

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62— Vanguard, MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2012

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Vanguard, MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2012 — 63

Uduaghan promises athletes rosy Christmas G

OVERNOR Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State has assured his state athletes that their Christmas celebration would be grand if they emerge winners at the ongoing National Sports Festival.

Uduaghan is the only governor, aside the host governor Raji Fashola, who has visited athletes in camp and watched many events at the weekend. He will continue his tour of the events this morning.

Delta are still topping the table with 24 gold medals as at 6 pm yesterday. Defending champions Rivers are second with 20 medals.

“Do your best to win the festival and your Christmas will be rosy.

Your reward will not take a long time. This Christmas will be good for you, ”Uduaghan told Delta Athletes.

He watched boxing, weightlifting, tennis, wrestling and some other events. He interacted with athletes during these events and charged them to excel in their events.

Delta’s Sports Commission Executive Chairman, Amaju Pinnick personally rewards each gold medalist from Delta with N50,000. This is not part of what the state government would do for the athletes at the end of the festival.

Delta has won four out of the last six sports festivals and Uduaghan is determined to win the Lagos show

High concentration of chlorine forces swimming postponement

H

GOOD FOR SILVER......Jubrin Abubakar of Delta State hauls 143kg in the Clean and Jerk to win the silver medal. Photo: AFP

Delta sweeps Greco Roman wrestling gold •as Igali looks forward to keen contest in Freestyle

BY SOLOMON NWOKE

D

ELTA State wrestlers made a clean sweep of the Greco Roman wrestling event at the ongoing 18 th National Sports Festival, tagged Eko 2012 as they won four out of the available seven gold medals.

Delta’s Nnalue Dominic, Ituru Oke, Agiomor Ekerekem and Soso Tamara lifted the state with their gold medal haul in the 55kg, 66kg, 74kg and 96kg weight categories respectively.

Bayelsa state improved on their 17 th edition

Team Ogun calls for improved electricity camp last week Thursday

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GUN state contingent to the 18th National Sports Festival has cried out to the Local Organising Committee of the 18th National Sports Festival to improve in electricity supply to their Federal College of Education (Technical) Akoka camp venue.

In a Statement signed by the Press officer of the state Ministry of Youth and Sports Mr Rotimi Oduniyi the electricity supply to the teams camp venue at night is not only appalling but affects the athletes and the entire contingent who have to sleep without electricity According to him “ there was total blackout in the C M Y K

for 24 hours aside the daily incessant power outage.

He therefore called on the organizers of the festival to improve on electricity supply to the camp venue so that athletes can perform at their utmost best in their events.

Meanwhile, Ogun state has continued to improve on its performance at the festival.

In Traditional Sports Ayo Sadia Sokunbi won the women singles Gold after beating Rivers state counterpart while Ogun State Bukunmi Afolayan won the Gold in Women Singles of Scrabble Ogun state has now won 3 Gold 7 Sliver and 7 bronze medals.

record in the event by winning two gold medals through Dickson Enenibodize in the 60kg weight class and Samuel Nathaniel in the 84kg weight class while Rivers clinched the last gold in the 120kg weight category.

The hosting state, Lagos could only win three silver medals through Adebanwo Segun in the 55kg weight class, Onduku Jonathan in the 66kg weight class and Philip Festus in the 96 kg class.

Reacting to the results, The Technical Adviser of the Nigeria Amateur Wrestling Federation, Dr Daniel |Igali expressed concerned that the gold medals haul were not geographically spread.

He said, “ My concern is that the gold medals were not geographically spread, I really want to see wrestling spread a little bit more nationally.

Plateau used to win gold in the Greco Roman, Lagos state also used to win at least a gold medal in the event. But if you look at all the gold medals here, they are spread among Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers, the Niger delta states.

However, I must give Kudos to all the states that did well. I also look forward to seeing an interesting wrestling in the men’s freestyle However, as at press time yesterday, the

female wrestling was yet to be concluded while the Freestyle men event starts this morning.

IGH concentration of chlorine in the swimming pool at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, compelled the organisers to reschedule event for this morning.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event was to have started on Nov. 29, but was shifted to Dec. 2 and now to Dec. 3.

Babatunde Williams, President, Nigeria Swimming Federation (NSF), said that the delay would provide enough time for the chemical to subside, to make the pool safe for swimming.

“It is necessary that the concentration of the chlorine in the water is neither too high nor too low because this may affect the swimmers’ skins adversely.

“It may lead to burning eyes and nostrils, dry itchy skin and scalp, as well as a cloudy pool, impairing under water visibility.

“We postponed the swimming event due to

Cameroonian Continues from B/P Majinedum Seldum placed second with 126 kg lift while Rabiu Ibrahim, representing Nasarawa State came a close third also with a lift of 126 kg.

President of the Nigeria Weightlifting Federation, Chimdi Ejiogu confirmed that the federation was aware of the presence of a foreigner but would not speak further as the technical committee was yet to sit on the matter.

“We (officials) raised the issue but I can’t say much until a decision is reached on the matter,” the NWF boss said.

Meanwhile, Caro Okouokha of Rivers state won three gold medals in the 63 kg category in the snatch, clean and jerk events yesterday. She won the snatch event with a lift of 96 kg, followed with a lift of 118kg in the clean and jerk event to place first with a total of 214kg. She was seconded

by Victoria Adesanmi of Akwa 212 kg, also bagged three silver medals in the same events, while Joy Chima of Lagos 203 placed third.

In the men’s 69Kg category, David Adeyemo representing Bayelsa placed first with a total of 265 kg. He was followed

by Jubril Abubakar of Delta State(264), while Yohunna Jack of Plateau placed third with a total of 253 kg.

Security men Continues from B/P “When we started the match, I defeated him by 4 points in the first round, 3 points in the second round and the third round, only for me to hear them declaring my Yobe opponent the winner.

“When I saw that, I decided to lodge complaint to the officials, and as I was doing that, the soldier men just came from nowhere and started beating me”.

He said he had no issues with the security men and wondered why he was severely beaten up by them.

Describing how he was beating, “The soldiers kicked me and they hit me with their guns on my head. I did nothing to them.”

the safety of our swimmers.

We discovered that the chlorine was too high and it can be dangerous to the skin.

“The technical people have added some chemicals to subdue the chlorine and we hope that by Monday the concentration would have reduced for swimmers to be able to swim.

Female boxers in thrilling bouts

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IVERS Anita Amakiri on Saturday dazzled Delight Oguazu of the Federal Capital Territory with 14 points to 2 points in the 48kg bout that thrilled fans as female boxing entered day three.

In the event at the ongoing 18th National Sports Festival at the National Institute for Sports (NISports) Indoor Sports Hall, Sulaiman Amida of Borno beat Ahuma Ihuoma of Abia by 11-4 points also in the 48kg.

Eaglets Continues from B/P Eaglets’ 2-0 home win in Calabar on November 18, tormented the hosts all evening, and was inevitably involved in the first goal by big striker Success Isaac after 23 minutes.

Bernard Bulbwa wiped clean any hopes the home crowd might be nursing of a spectacular comeback by their team, when he scored the second goal 10 minutes after resumption.

Nigeria qualified with a 4-0 aggregate.

Morocco will be Nigeria’s first outing at Africa’s kindergarten party since lifting the trophy in Togo in 2007.

The Golden Eaglets failed to qualify for the 2009 championship that took place in Algeria and the 2011 finals that were held in Rwanda.

Other countries that have qualified for Morocco 2013, which Draw Ceremony will be staged alongside that of the Algeria 2013 African Youth Championship in Cairo next Sunday, are: Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Tunisia, CongoBrazzaville and host Morocco.

VANGUARD, MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2012

Eaglets soar to Morocco 2013 •Beat Mali 2-0 in Bamako Security men brutalise Lagos Dambe boxer

T

A

Lagos State boxer, Amao Usman, has said that he was ruthlessly brutalized by the security men after complaining about the biased result of the officials at the end of his fight.

Amao, who was brutalised, said after the end of his match against his Yobe opponent, he felt he was cheated by the officials because he won in the three rounds of the match.

According to him,

Continues on Page 63

GOLDEN LIFT.......David Adeyemo of Bayelsa State lifts 146kg in the Clean and Jerk to claim the gold medal. Photo: Henry Unini

Cameroonian accused of competing for Anambra •Rivers lifter grabs 3 gold medals

By JACOB AJOM

T

HE Nigeria We i g h t l i f t i n g Federation is at the moment grappling with the allegation that a TODAY'S

Cameroon national, John Baptis, competed for Anambra State in the weightlifting event (77 kg category) of the ongoing 18 th National Sports Festival.

PUZZLE

Sports Vanguard checks at the Brai Ayonote Boxing Gym, venue of the weightlifting event, confirmed that the weightlifter achieved the best lift in the snatch YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

event. With a body weight of 74.75kg, the lifter achieved the best snatch with a weight of 132 kg.

Kaduna State lifter,

Continues on Page 63

ACROSS 4 Elevate (5) 7 Recluse (6) 9 Seed-case (3) 10 Snake (3) 12 Teacher (5) 13 Chair (4) 15 Perfect (5) 17 Arrange (6) 19 Side (4) 20 Portion (5) 22 Material (3) 24 Wander (7) 27 Odd (3) 28 Respond (5) 31 Frolic (4) 33 Remained (6) 35 Inclined (5) 37 Mislay (4) 38 Wanderer (5) 39 Beverage (3) 41 Can (3) 42 Clergyman (6) 43 Advantage (5)

HE U-17 National Team, Golden Eaglets yesterday made certain of a place at next year ’s African U-17 Championship in Morocco with a 2-0 whiplash of Junior Eagles of Mali away in Bamako.\ Widely touted as the future of Nigeria football, Manu Garba’s teen terrors took charge of their return leg, final qualifying fixture against the Malians right from the first blast of Guinean referee Ahmed Sekou Toure’s whistle, and in spite of the raucous home crowd at the Stade Mamadou Konate.

The bean-pole figure of effervescent midfielder Alhassan Ibrahim, scorer of the second in the

Continues on Page 63

Medal Table State Delta Rivers Lagos Edo Bayelsa Ogun Oyo Cross River Ebonyi Akwa Ibom

G 23 17 13 4 4 3 3 3 3 2

S 16 11 10 5 2 7 5 2 1 5

B 18 15 14 12 8 9 2 2 0 3

Total 57 43 37 21 14 19 10 7 4 10

DOWN 1 Essay (6) 2 Fleet (6) 3 Tease (3) 4 Roster (4) 5 Grown-up (5) 6 Intermittent (8) 8 Labour (4) 11 Decoration (9) 14 Period (4) 16 Watched (4) 18 Nobleman (4) 21 Funny (8) 23 Saucy (4) 25 Atmosphere (4) 26 Stagger (4) 29 Worshipped (6) 30 Agreement (6) 32 Sheet (5) 34 Pace (4) 36 Revise (4) 40 Skill (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Bawl 4, Peg 6, Soak 9, Car 10, Backbone 11, Arid 14, Fir 16, Renew 19, Corroded 21, Resin 23, Demanded 24, Fudge 27, Tip 31, Site 33, Agitated 34, Tie 35, Lent 36, Ash 37, Side

How to Play Sudoku

THE VIGILANTE

DOWN: 2, Alas 3, Like 4, Provided 5, Grew 6, Scale 7, Oar 8, Arise 12, Scoff 13, Greed 14, For 15, Reset 17, Needy 18, Windy 20, Diminish 22, Nap 25, Unite 26, Greet 28, Data 29, Pass 30, Tend 32, Tin

e-mail: rowolove@yahoo.co.uk

Place 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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