Why we're not hard on Boko Haram - BUHARI

...towards a better life for the people

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VOL. 25: NO. 62686

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

N150

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016

Why we're not hard on Boko Haram — BUHARI

Says ‘I won’t rest until Chibok girls are rescued’

Reps uncover 169 ghost companies on N1trn rail contracts 9

See story on Page 6

RESCUED: People rescued

by the Nigerian Army from suspected Boko Haram terrorist enclave after an operation in Borno State, yesterday. Photo: NAN.

Knocks trail AGF's $2trn loot claim Nigeria earns N98 trn from oil since 1958 — Vanguard investigation

By Clifford Ndujihe & Dapo Akinrefon

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AGOS — FROM the lips of some experts and eminent Nigerians, yesterday, it was hard knocks for the AttorneyGeneral of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, over his comments that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had recovered more than $2 trillion, about N400 trillion, looted from the national treasury in the last 12 years.

Apart from picking holes in the figures, those who

spoke to Vanguard said it was sad no one was in jail for looting the national patrimony.

Indeed, Vanguard’s investigations show that since Nigeria started generating revenue from crude oil in 1958, the country has earned about N98.293 trillion (See Table).

And since oil, over the years, has accounted for about 80 per cent of the country’s federal revenue and most of the states depend on federal Continues on Page 5

CRUDE OIL PRODUCTION AND REVENUE IN NIGERIA (1958-2015) YEAR REVENUE (NAIRA) 1958 0.2 Million 1959 3.4 Million 1960 2.4 Million 1961 17 Million 1962 17 Million 1963 10 Million 1964 16 Million 1965 29 Million 1966 45 Million 1967 30 Million 1968 ***** 1969 75.4 Million 1970 167 Million 1971 510 Million 1972 764 Million

COLUMNISTS: PDP: Katakata Edo war of inside the succession (2): basket Never Say Never of scorpions •P.17 •P.19 C M Y K

1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989

1.016 Bn 3.724 Bn 4.272 Bn 5.365 Bn 6.081 Bn 4.556 Bn 8.881 Bn 12.354 Bn 8.564 Bn 7.815 Bn 7.253 Bn 8.264 Bn 10.915 Bn 8.107 Bn 19.027 Bn 20.934 Bn 39.131 Bn

Continues on Page 5

Supreme Court upholds A-Ibom, Abia govs' elections 5 FG gets $50m AfDB loan for power projects —Fashola 4

11 escape death in Lagos-bound Bristow helicopter incident

‘We are hungry' •P.19

10

Court orders ex-PDP scribe, Aluko's arrest for perjury

11

Mr & Mrs

2 — Vanguard, THURSDAY THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016

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Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBUARY 4, 2016 —3

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4—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016

EXTRA-JUDICIAL KILLINGS:

IGP to introduce stun guns

By Kingsley Omonobi

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BUJA—AGAINST the backdrop of repeated cases of extrajudicial killings in the country, Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, has said stun guns would be introduced before the year ends.

He also directed that henceforth, any policeman who killed any Nigerian would be arrested within 48 hours and dealt with.

Stun guns only demobilises and the introduction is expected to stop allocation of live bullets.

Disclosing that many officers in this category had been arrested, given orderly room trial and dismissed for taking laws into their hands, Arase said the force management would not relent until police officers attuned themselves to respect human rights and the Rule of Law. The IGP, who spoke at a meeting with DIGs, AIGs and CPs in Abuja, said: “In a force of 320,000 men, you cannot rule out some deviants, but we have put machinery in place to check these excesses and unlawful acts of policemen.”

FG gets $50m AfDB loan for power projects—FASHOLA

By Emman Ovuakporie, Johnbosco Agbakwuru & Chris Ochayi

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BUJA—THE Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, said yesterday that the Federal Government had accessed the $50 million second tranche of African Development Bank, AfDB, budget support facility.

The minister, who disclosed this at the hearing of House of Representatives Committee on Power, also said that there was ongoing negotiation of $100 million from HSBC and $200 million Rand Merchant Bank facilities to fund the completion of major power projects in the country.

Fashola, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power Louis Edozie, said that some of the major projects that the government expected to execute in 2016 include the ongoing 3,050Mw Mambilla and 700Mw Zungeru hydroelectric power projects.

Other projects that were of paramount interest to government for the year, he said, also include 215Mw Kaduna power project, 10Mw Katsina wind farm project and 81 transmission projects to ensure available stranded power stations evacuate their capacity.

The minister explained that the ministry had N431,637,856,934 proposed

Negotiates for $300m more from HSBC, RMB ... as power generation hits 5074Mw

SOKOTO BUDGET: From left— Deputy Governor of Sokoto State, Ahmed Aliyu; Governor Aminu Tambuwal; Deputy Speaker, State Assembly, Mr. Abubakar Magaji, and Speaker, Salihu Maidaji, during the signing of the 2016 Appropriation Act into law in Sokoto, yesterday. for capital, while N741,900,019 was for overhead for the 2016 fiscal year.

To fund the capital component of the budget, Federal Government is to provide N99,344,125,696, while N309,722,157,561 will be by Debt Management Office, DMO, and/or Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to ensure payment assurance for the entire electricity industry would be obtained from

Foreign investments drop by USD11.1bn

By Emeka Anaeto, Economy Editor

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IGERIAN economy received a total of USD9.6 billion worth of foreign capital importations, representing various foreign direct investments, FDIs; foreign Portfolio Investments, FPIs and other classes of foreign investments in 2015.

This shows a massive 53.5 percent decline from USD20.75 billion recorded in 2014.

According to a report by the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, each consecutive quarter of 2015 saw a larger annual fall than the previous.

In the third and fourth quarter, capital inflows were, respectively, 58 percent and 65.4 percent lower than in the same quarters of 2014.

However, a historical perspective shows that the level of capital imported between 2012 and 2014 was markedly C M Y K

higher than in preceding years.

This, according to NBS, may have been a result of external factors, such as the inclusion of Nigeria in the JPMorgan EM Bond index, and globally low interest rates triggering a search for higher yields from investors over this period.

Conversely, NBS said: “The drop in 2015 may be partly a result of these factors unwinding and the tougher economic environment in Nigeria resulting from the effect of lower oil price.

“Furthermore, the widely anticipated decision to raise interest rates in the US may have played a part in the drop of capital inflows in the final quarter.”

The huge decline began in the third quarter (July to September) which recorded a large change in the composition of capital imported, showing a 53.7

percent decline.

Capital importation volume in 2015 measured by type shows that in the fourth quarter, FPI reverted to being the largest component of imported capital, accounting for 61.18 percent. This change, relative to the third quarter, emphasises the volatile nature of capital inflows.

A major negative development in this area was that foreign investment in government bonds nearly stopped entirely, falling by 98.61 percent and accounting for an insignificant share of FPI last year.

Also FDI, in form of equity, declined sharply by 83.1 percent in fourth quarter, but despite an accompanying rise of 17.17 percent in the other capital component of FDI, equity still constituted 98.23 percent of FDI in the last quarter.

various sources.

He added that N2.520 billion was earmarked for specific projects which would be financed through other sources, once the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, wheeling tariff captured in MYTO 2.1 was supported by the liquidity assurance being put in place

by NBET.

5,074Mw

Meanwhile, the management of TCN, yesterday, disclosed that electricity generation had hit about 5,074 Megawatts.

The TCN, which announced the development through its System Operator in Abuja, said this new peak was a first in the history of its power generation.

“TCN is pleased to announce the attainment of a new record peak generation of 5074.7Mw and also the highest maximum daily energy wheeled nationwide of 109,372MWH on Tuesday, February 2,” the company said.

It quoted the Managing Director, System Operation/ Market Operation, TCN, Dipak Sarma, as attributing the twin peak achievements to enhanced cooperation among all the power sector stakeholders and concerted efforts by system operators at the National Control Centre and other stations to ensure that all generated power was wheeled to the distribution companies and that there is no stranded

power.

On the revenue generation for the year, the ministry projected N18,591,126,622 against N7,215,076,122.61 realised in 2015 fiscal year.

On new tariff

The Acting Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, Tony Akah, said that the new price regime in power consumption would provide the companies with much needed funds to provide quality services.

Akah said the recentlyintroduced price regime by Electricity Distribution Companies, DISCOs, formed part of a performance contract the commission signed with the distribution companies.

He further explained that under the new performance contract, DISCOs must provide transformers, meters, electric poles and other basic equipment needed to ensure that customers enjoyed quality service.

He said the companies would have to expedite action on supplying customers even as un-metered individuals presented with bills termed ‘crazy’ now have the power to reject them.

The NERC boss also said that those willing to pay under a pilot scheme introduced by government and the DISCOs will be provided with a meter within six months, while DISCOs are expected to supply meters within 12 months to those who are not interested in the scheme.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016—5

POCKET CARTOON recover the nation’s funds, this nation will join the comity of nations.

“I was reading an article

by PriceWater House, which said if we can deal with corruption head on, our GDP will rise to about $2 trillion in 2030 and I share in their sentiments. Once we are able to get these money which are in private pockets, we can use it to restart the economy.”

What Nigeria earned from oil

VISIT: From left, former governor of Ogun State, Aremo Segun Osoba, Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona and President Muhammadu Buhari, during the President's visit to Ogun State.

Knocks trail AGF's claims Continues from Page 1 allocation for survival, the total revenues generated from oil and non-oil sources since independence in 1960 is estimated to be about N140 trillion.

Between 1958 and 2007 (CBN Annual Report and Statement of Account, 2008), Nigeria earned N29.8 trillion from petroleum resources. And between 2008 and 2011, the country generated N20.895 trillion.

For the period 2012 to July 2015, the figure stood at N47.542 trillion.

Among those, who spoke on the issue, yesterday, were Professor of Political Economy and Management Expert, Professor Pat Utomi; National Publicity Secretary of the pan-Yoruba sociopolitical organisation, Afenifere, Mr Yinka Odumakin; and Lagos State Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Mr Joe Igbokwe.

There must be penalties —Utomi

Faulting the figures, Professor Utomi, however,

said that there has to be consequences for those the funds were recovered from, to deter future looters.

Utomi said: “I don’t know what to say. If so much money has been recovered, who are the people they recovered it from and why are they not in jail? If you don’t jail them, then you are encouraging people to steal more because they know that the worst that can happen is that you can take some of it from them without any penalty. There must be penalties to deter future actions.”

It’s a futile exercise —Odumakin

On his part, Odumakin said: “if they recovered $2 trillion in 12 years, from who and whom? Where is the money? The EFCC has been enmeshed in controversy lately over the state of the recovered funds.

The former EFCC boss is still being investigated over alleged re-looting of the loot. So, if that is where we are, then, it is a waste of time really and it is a futile exercise.’’

IT'S UP TO YOU

BY AYO ADIO F you fail to live out your purpose, someone else would do it so well you wished you never doubted yourself. It's up to you.

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TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

Gratitude opens the door to power and wisdom, the creativity of the universe —Deepak Chopra

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OU cannot feel envious and grateful at the same time. They’re incompatible feelings. If you’re grateful, you can’t resent someone for having something that you don’t. People who have high levels of gratitude have low levels of resentment and envy. Gratitude is an affirmation of goodness. We affirm that there are good things in the world, gifts and benefits we have received. This doesn’t mean that life is perfect; it doesn’t ignore life’s challenges.

But when we look at life as a whole, gratitude encourages us to identify some amount of goodness in our lives.

SAYINGS OF OUR PEOPLE A chick that will grow into a cock can be spotted the very day it hatches.

It’s a tip of the iceberg—Igbokwe

But Mr Joe Igbokwe said the recovery of the nation’s looted funds was a tip of the iceberg.

Igbokwe, who supported President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption fight said the looted funds would assist in boosting the already ailing economy.

His words: “Money is still lying in some peoples’ pockets, they stole the nation dry for 16 years. So, what you are seeing now is just a tip of the iceberg. By the time the government starts selling their houses in Dubai and other places, you will know what we are talking about.

The 16 years were the years of the oil boom and so, we have to take all these money back. If Buhari is able to

YEAR REVENUE (NAIRA) 1990 55.216 Bn 1991 60.314 Bn 1992 115.392 Bn 1993 106.192 Bn 1994 160.192 Bn 1995 324.548 Bn 1996 369.190 Bn 1997 416.811 Bn 1998 289.532 Bn 1999 500.0 Bn 2000 1.34 Trn 2001 1.7076 Trn 2002 1.2309 Trn 2003 2.0743 Trn 2004 3.3548 Trn 2005 4.7624 Trn 2006 6.109 Trn 2007 6.70 Trn 2008 3.96 Trn 2009 2.225 Trn 2010 9.15 Trn 2011 5.561 Trn 2012 12.5 Trn 2013 13.44 Trn 2014 14.902 Trn *2015 6.7 Trn TOTAL 98.293 Trillion *Earnings for January to July  Source: Petroleum Inspectorate, NNPC (CBN Annual Report and Statement of Account 2008 and Vanguard’s research.

Between 1958 to 1966, Nigeria earned N140 million from petroleum resources.

The country earned a similar figure during the 30-month Nigeria-Biafra civil war.

During the nine-year tenure of General Yakubu Gowon, including the civil war years, the country generated about N11 billion from crude oil. In his first coming as military head of state between 1976 and 1979, the regime of General Olusegun Obasanjo got N24.883 billion from petroleum resources. Between 1980 and 1983 during the civilian administration of former President Shehu Shagari, the figure stood at N35.986 billion.

In his first coming as head of state (1984 to 1985), Nigeria under Major General Muhammadu Buhari earned N19.18 billion from crude oil.

Under General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida military regime, which expired in 1993, earnings from crude oil were about N318.121 billion.

During the short stint of the Chief Ernest Shonekan-led Interim Regime in 1993, the figure was N106.192 billion.

During the late General Sani Abacha years – 1993 to 1998,

Nigeria earned N1.415,507 trillion and under General Abdulsalami Abubakar, the earnings were N394.766 billion.

During Obasanjo’s eightyear civilian administration, about N24.179 trillion was generated. Under late President Umaru Musa Yar’ Adua, about N9.535 trillion was earned from crude oil and during the immediate past administration of Dr Goodluck Jonathan, about N62.253 trillion was raked in from petroleum resources.

S-Court upholds A-Ibom, Abia govs' elections

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

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BUJA— THE Supreme Court, yesterday, upheld the outcome of the April 11, 2015, governorship elections that brought Governors Udom Emmanuel and Okezie Ikpeazu of Akwa Ibom and Abia states respectively to power.

In the case of Governor Emmanuel, a seven-man panel of Justices of the apex court, in a unanimous judgement, vacated the decision of the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal which ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to conduct fresh election in the state.

The apex court, in a lead judgment delivered by Justice Cintus Nweze around 9:40pm yesterday, said there was merit in the appeal lodged before it by both Governor Emmanuel and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. The court, however, reserved its reasons for setting aside the judgement of the appellate court till February 15.

Justice Nweze said: “I have invested considerable Judicial time considering arguments on this appeal. It is my view that there is considerable merit in the appellants complaint against the appellate court.

“I find that the orders by the appellate court must not be and are hereby set aside. ‘’ In their place, I affirm INEC’s declaration of Udom Emmanuel as the governor of Akwa Ibom state, having won majority vote. Reasons for this judgment will be given on Monday, February 15.”

It will be recalled that the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal had on December

18, 2015, nullified the outcome of the April 11 governorship election in Akwa Ibom State.

The appellate court equally vacated the judgement of the Akwa Ibom State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal which had on October 21, ordered a re-run poll in 18 out of 31 Local Government Areas in the State.

In their unanimous judgment, a five-man panel of Justices of the appellate court said there was sufficient evidence that the election that produced Governor Udom Emmanuel of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, was not conducted in substantial compliance with provisions of the Electoral Act 2010, as amended.

The court held that the Justice Sadiq Umar-led tribunal, failed to properly evaluate both oral and documentary evidence presented before it by the All Progressives Congress, APC, and its governorship candidate in the state, Mr. Umana Okon Umana.

Justice Adefunke Okojie, who delivered the lead verdict, stressed that the lower tribunal erred by not according probative value to a document that indicated that the election was characterised by “massive over-voting”.

She noted that exhibit 322 tendered before the tribunal, showed that the number of votes recorded at the end of the election, exceeded the total number of accredited voters.

Besides, it was the position of the appellate court that the said exhibit, which was a report on number of voters that were captured by the Smart Card Reader Machines, indicated that there was an excess of 68,578 votes.

Justice Okojie said it was not enough for the tribunal

to anchor its reason for nullifying election in only 18 LGAs on the fact that a total of 566, 436 voters in the affected areas were disenfranchised during the governorship poll.

She faulted the tribunal for holding that the petitioners failed to prove that allegation of electoral fraud and non-compliance was not substantial enough to warrant the outright cancellation of the governorship election.

In the case of Governor Ikpeazu of Abia State, sevenman panel of Justices of the apex court, headed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, voided the verdict of the Owerri Division of the Court of Appeal which sacked Ikpeazu from office.

Justice Sulaiman Galadima who delivered the lead judgment, said there was merit in the appeal lodged by both Ikpeazu and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. The Supreme Court upheld the verdict of the Abia State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.

“I have come to the conclusion that this appeal lacks merit, judgment of the court of appeal is hereby setaside. No cost is to be awarded. Reasons to be given on February 26”, Justice Galadima held.

Both Ikpeazu and the PDP had gone before the Supreme Court to challenge the Court of Appeal Judgement that declared the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Dr. Alex Otti, as the valid winner of the April 11, 2015, governorship election in Abia State.

Counsel to appellants, Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, urged the court to allow the appeal which was filed on January 18, 2016.

6—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016

NDLEA drags 2 bizmen to court over drug trafficking

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By Innocent Anaba

HE National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has dragged two businessmen, Babalola Sola Alawe and Abiodun Ogedengbe, before a Federal High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State on a one-count charge of drug trafficking.

The prosecuting counsel, Mr. C. Ogwuja, told the court that Alawe committed the alleged offence on December 2, 2015 along Ilemeso OkeIsan, Ekiti State, within the jurisdiction of the court, adding that the accused, without lawful authority, had in his possession 6.8kg of cannabis sativa and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 11(c) of the NDLEA Act CAP N30 Laws of Federation, 2004.

The prosecutor further informed the court that the second accused person, allegedly committed the offence on November 29, 2015 at IseEkiti, Ekiti State, as he was in possession of 10.2kg of canabis sativa, thereby committed an offence under the same Act.

Bail application The two accused persons pleaded not guilty to the offence.

The defence counsel, Mr. A. J. Oguntuase, informed the court that the accused persons have filed bail application and prayed the court to admit them to bail, arguing that the alleged offence was a bailable one as the accused have credible sureties to stand for them.

After listening to the arguments on both sides, Justice Taiwo O. Taiwo, admitted the two accused persons to N1 million bail and two sureties in like sum.

Justice Taiwo directed that one of the sureties must be the relation of the accused, while the other must have a landed property within the jurisdiction of the court.

Why we're not hard on Boko Haram—BUHARI Says ‘I won’t rest until Chibok girls are rescued’

By Kenneth Ehigiator, News Editor, with agency report

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T R A S B O U R G (France)— PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari said, yesterday, that Nigeria was using minimum force in fighting Boko Haram insurgents in obvious respect for fundamental human rights of persons in the theatre of operations.

The President, who stated this during a special session of the European Union, EU, parliament in Strasbourg, France, said his government shared the EU’s commitment to peace and security. His statement came against the backdrop of frequent complaints of such bodies as Amnesty International against the military’s violations of the rights of Boko Haram insurgents on the frontline.

The President, who also noted that Nigeria shared the UN’s respect for human rights, democracy and good governance, equality and tolerance, as ways of developing prosperous and strong societies, said: “For our part, we have updated our rules of engagement in fighting terrorism and pay very close attention during operations to the treatment of captured terrorists, civilians caught up in the conflict and in general, safeguarding property.

Our aim is to use minimum force necessary in our fight against terrorists."

I won’t rest until Chibok girls are rescued

On Chibok girls, the President said he won’t rest until the girls were rescued from Boko haram’s captivity.

He said: “It may interest you to know that in a recent meeting I had with parents of the Chibok girls, I assured them that government would not rest until all the Chibok girls are rescued alive. I remain committed to this pledge."

President Buhari also spoke of Nigeria’s concerns about the Economic Partnership Agreement between the European Union, African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP), collectively endorsed by the Economic Community of West African States.

He said Nigeria was yet to sign the agreement because pertinent technical issues raised by the Federal Government had not been satisfactorily addressed.

He said: “We are giving due consideration to the mismatch of the two regions (EuropeECOWAS) in terms of technology and manufacturing experience, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, MAN, and Associated Trade Unions raised concerns over the negative impact of the agreement on Nigeria’s industrialisation programme. Nigeria is working towards addressing her

own side of the issues and I, therefore, urge our European Union partners to also address our own concerns to allow for an Economic Partnership Agreement that is mutually beneficial and can contribute to the prosperity of our people, in the context of our shared values and interest at promoting cordial bilateral trade relations.”

The President also sought greater support from the European Union for Nigeria’s efforts to curb the theft of its crude oil and corruption in its oil and gas sector.

He added: “Nigeria is facing

the challenges of oil-theft and illegal bunkering in the Niger Delta as well as recovery of illicit funds. “In this regard, Nigeria solicits the cooperation of the European Parliament to support the efforts aimed at stemming these vices.

“Our attempt to restore security, curb corruption and fight crime will result not only in improving social stability in Nigeria but will re-open the doors for full economic relations with Europe and the rest of the world. Those who wish to invest in our country have immense opportunities and we

intend to guarantee the security of people and investments brought to Nigeria.”

He assured the parliament that Nigeria would collaborate with the European Union to address illegal migration to Europe. Our government is making concerted efforts to address the push-factor that propels migration, especially from Nigeria, as both destination and transit country.

“In this year’s budget, the government has provided for over 500,000 graduate employment in the teaching profession alone.''

L-R: Director of Admin, LUTH, Prof. Babajide Grillo; Global Head of Policy and Public, Diageo, Richard Burn; Global Corporate Relations Director, Diageo, Charlotte Lambkin; Chairman Medical Advisory committee, LUTH, Prof. Ben Fasanmade; Acting Head, Guinness Eye Clinic, LUTH, Prof.

Adeola Onakoya, and Corporate Relations Director, Guinness Nigeria Plc, Mr. Sesan Sobowale, during Diageo's courtesy visit to the Guinness Eye Centre in LUTH, yesterday.

22-yr-old surrenders to police after killing cousin over girlfriend

By Tom Moses

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UST like Macbeth, in Shakespeare’s play of same name, murdered sleep and could no longer sleep, 22-year-old Ndifreke Joseph Clement, disturbed by sleepless nights and traumatic experiences after murdering his 23-year-old cousin, Ubong Edet, surrendered himself to police six months after the crime.

Clement, a native of Akon Itam, Itu Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, who handed himself over to police at Ikot Akpan Abia, Uyo, said he slashed his cousin’s throat after beating him to coma because Edet slept with his girlfriend in August 2015.

He told Vanguard: “I cannot remember the exact date now, but it occurred in a night in August 2015 in the one room apartment we shared. On that day, I returned from work to meet the door locked.

“I knocked on the door and waited for over five minutes before my cousin could come to open the door. When I went into the room, I saw my girlfriend weeping and blood running from her nostrils.

ated.

“We fought for a very long time before I could subdue him. I then picked my cow-butchering knife and cut his throat, carried his dead body and dumped it in the bush very close to the house and threw the knife into the pit toilet.

“I have brought myself to the police even when noClement ... I don't have peace of mind body knew that anymore.

I killed him. I have come to “I asked her what happened plead for forgiveness because and she said Ubong beat, since I killed my cousin, I no wounded and forcefully had sex longer have peace of mind. I am with her. But after opening the always disturbed in my mind and door for me, Ubong went away dream.” and did not come back until very The Akwa Ibom State Police late in the night.

Public Relations Officer, PPRO, ASP Cordelia Nwawe, said the ‘We fought for a suspect would be arraigned for very long time’ the court to decide whether he “When I asked him why he did had any right to take the life of what he did to my girlfriend, he another person. started punching me and I retali-

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Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016—9

MTN engages ex-US Attorney-Gen over NCC's $3.9bn fine

By Emmanuel Elebeke, with agency report

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BoI/MTN FOUNDATION: From left— Divisional Head, Small and Medium Enterprises, Mr. Ganiyu Mohammed; Managing Director\CEO, Mr. Rasheed Olaoluwa, both of Bank of Industry, BoI; Executive Secretary, MTN Foundation, Nonny Ugboma, and Executive Director, Small and Medium Enterprises, Mr. Waheed Olagunju, during a visit by the Foundation's executives.

Reps uncover 169 ghost companies on N1trn rail contracts

By Emman Ovuakporie & Johnbosco Agbakwuru

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BUJA—THE House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee on Failed Rail Contracts, yesterday, unearthed 169 ghost companies that registered as contractors with the Nigeria Railway Corporation, NRC, for projects valued at N1 trillion.

The ad hoc committee raised the alarm during the investigative hearing at the National Assembly, that none of the 169 companies invited by the committee had shown up.

Chairman of the committee, Johnson Agbonnayinman, (Ikpoba/Okha federal constituency), said the need to invite the contractors was important, but lamented that efforts to reach them had so far proven fruitless.

He added that so far, only the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, CCECC, responded to the committee’s letter.

He said: “You are duty bound to produce the contractors.

They are nowhere to be found; they are not faceless but yet they cannot be reached.

“You gave them the job, so you should produce them; we are holding you responsible.”

The committee also asked the corporation’s MD, Mr. Adeseyi Sijuwade, to make available the agency ’s record of Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, between 2010 and 2014, and was also asked to tell the committee what the IGR was used for.

In response, the MD said the IGR was used to augment the agency’s overhead budget.

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... as MD denies N2bn pension fund request

Drama, however, started when the committee, acting on documents before it, asked the MD to explain all he knew and reason behind his request to the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation for a return of N2 billion or 20 percent of the corporation’s pension fund to the corporation in December 2014.

Responding, Sijuwade, who was reminded of being on oath, denied making such request to either the Accountant-General or Minister of Finance.

“I never at any time made any request to the AGF to return N2 billion pension

fund to the corporation,” he said.

Insistent on getting to the root of the matter, the committee asked the Director of Finance, Felix Njoku, to take an oath in order to take questions regarding the issue.

Njoku did and insisted that there was never any correspondence from his office to the AccountantGeneral’s on return of the said money.

Not satisfied, the committee veered into what the organisation did with N2 billion that was in the corporation's coffers around the period under review.

The Finance Director explained that the money was not related to pension and

was used to fund ongoing contracts at the time.

He was asked to list the contracts. He promised to make available the records.

The committee also faulted the award of rail contract to Costain Construction Company, claiming that it had no competence in railway projects.

Sijuwade replied that Costain went through due process and was found competent by the Federal Executive Council, FEC, adding that it successfully completed its project.

Chairman of the committee adjourned the hearing and stressed justice and fairness, stating that the probe was not a witch-hunt.

Nigeria's woes blamed on ruling class

By Gbenga Oke

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AGOS—NIGERIA’s failure to attain its true potential was, yesterday, blamed on the lack of core values and the dominance of corruption among the ruling class.

Speakers at a colloquium to mark the 60th birthday of respected political economist and erstwhile Presidential Adviser, Dr. Pat Utomi, also cited the lack of accountability and the naivety of voters for much of the problems that have stymied the nation’s development.

Among the speakers at the colloquium, entitled How Politics Underdeveloped Nigeria at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, NIIA, in Lagos, were

Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State; fiery Lagos lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN); 2015 People’s Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate in Lagos State, Mr. Jimi Agbaje; erstwhile Secretary General of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Father George Ehusani; former Secretary of Health in the Ernest Shonekan Interim National Government, Mr. Julius Adelusi, among others.

In attendance was a cross section of intelligentsia and media executives, among whom were Mr. Gbenga Adefaye, General Manager/ Editor-in-Chief, Vanguard Media Ltd.; Mr. Kayode Komolafe of Thisday Newspapers, among others.

The chief celebrant, Utomi, welcoming guests to the event,

lamented that Nigeria had refused to reward its best with leadership positions, noting that it was especially problematic at the state level.

He said: “Some of the biggest problems facing this nation today is poverty, wealth and human dignity and if these three are properly dealt with, I think this country will be far off better in the socio-economic development area.

“If they talk of indices, Nigeria is high up there: biggest economy in Africa, oil producing and soon to become third most populous country in the world.

“But I must say this whether or not politicians like it, Nigeria remains one of the most miserable places to live all over the world.”

ITH one month and two weeks left to settle with the Nigerian authorities over the $3.9 billion fine imposed by the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, for failing to disconnect unregistered users, MTN Group has hired the former Attorney-General of the United States of America, Eric Holder, to help challenge the propriety of the fine.

The former U.S. law enforcement officer, Holder, is said to have pleaded with Nigerian officials last month on behalf of the telecoms company without success.

It will be recalled that MTN Nigeria was originally given a fine of $5.2 billion in October 2015, and, after weeks of lobbying, had the fine reduced by 25 percent to $3.9 billion.

Still not satisfied, the telecoms giant approached a Lagos High Court in December to quash the fine, arguing that the regulator had no legal grounds to impose such penalty.

After hearing the case, the presiding judge, in January, gave the two parties a two-month period to settle out of court.

Meanwhile, efforts to confirm the development from MTN spokesperson did not yield results.

However, Vanguard checks revealed that Holder was in the U.S. Justice Department from 2009 to 2015 and was one of President Barack Obama’s longest-serving cabinet members.

He returned to the law firm, Covington & Burling, where he was previously a partner from 2001 to 2009.

Mr. Eric Holder

10 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4 , 2016

CONGRESSES: No more imposition in Lagos PDP — OGUNLEWE, SHELLE

By Dapo Akinrefon

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AGOS—A former Minister of Works, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe and chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Lagos, Capt. Tunji Shelle (retd) yesterday, warned that any plan to impose candidates for the ward and local government congresses of the party, would be resisted.

They said this at a stakeholders meeting of PDP leaders in Lagos.

Ogunlewe, on his part, called on members of the party to resist any form of imposition of candidates during the exercise, saying “you will be the ones to pick your leaders for any position.”

The former minister also appealed to members to shun factionalisation within the party, urging members to set aside their grievances.

He said: “Henceforth, I want you to know that no leader can dictate to anyone at any level, because the party belongs to you. You will be the ones to select and elect your leaders from the ward to the state level. Enough is enough of imposition. I also want you to unite and set aside your grieviances because the party is now one.”

Speaking earlier, the party chairman, Shelle attributed indicispline and lack of sincerity to the party’s defeat in the 2015 general elections.

Rehabilitation of Ajasa-Command, Abesan roads begins

B

ARELY two weeks after Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode inspected the state of Ajasa-Command and Abesan roads, work has commenced on the rehabilitation of the stretch of road linking Church Road to Abesan.

A visit to the area yesterday, confirmed the commencement of work on the roads by the State Government.

Work has also commenced in the Command axis of the road.

During the inspection tour, Governor Ambode had expressed displeasure on the state of Ajasa-Command and Abesan roads, and assured residents of the area that work would commence on the rehabilitation of the roads within the next two weeks.

C M Y K

11 escape death in Lagos-bound Bristow helicopter incident ...Reps forced to adjourn proceedings

By Evelyn Usman, Bose Adelaja & Monsur Olowoopejo, with Agency reports

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AGOS—ELEVEN persons yesterday escaped death after a Bristow 5B BJQ helicopter en-route Lagos from an off-shore location in Port Harcourt ditched into the Atlantic Ocean.

The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that the helicopter was carrying nine passengers and two crew members when the incident happened.

The Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) confirmed the incident.

Mr Sam Adurogboye, spokesperson of NCAA, in a text message, said there was no casualty as the 11 persons on board were rescued after the chopper ditched into the Atlantic Ocean.

“It happened 70 nautical miles off Lagos. They were returning from their off-shore location called ERA. Nine passengers and two crew on board were all rescued,” he said.

The AIB, in a statement also confirmed the crash.

According to the statement; “A S76 C++ helicopter marked 5NBQJ belonging to Bristow Helicopters, which departed ERHA Platform en-route Lagos was ditched into the Atlantic Ocean 95 nautical miles into destination at about 10:20 am local time.

“All the eleven peoples on board, including two crew members were rescued alive.

LAUNCH: From left; President, Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria, PRCAN, John Ehiguese; Principal Consultant, Necci Consulting, Nkechi Ali-Balogun; CEO, CMC Connect Ltd, Yomi Badejo-Okusanya; CEO, BHM Group, Ayeni Adekunle; COO, Publicis Consultants Soulcomm, Mojisola Saka; and Chief Commercial Officer, Livespot Group, Darey Art Alade at the launch of Nigeria's first-ever Annual PR Industry Report at Protea Hotel, Ikeja. Photo by Kehinde Gbadamosi.

“Accident Investigation Bureau, AIB has commenced investigation into the occurrence.

Details will be communicated to you later,” it said.

Similarly, the General Manager of LASEMA, Mr Michael Akindele, in a statement, said emergency responders including three RRS search and rescue Helicopters, Nigeria Navy, Air Force and others were deployed for the operation.

“The helicopter ditched inside the ocean, however 11 souls on board are alive, no casualty,” he said.

Akindele said Agip, Mobil and Shell oil companies helped with the provision of speed boats to facilitate the rescue operation.

He said Bristow Helicopter also provided landing boat for the evacuation of the survivors.

The Media Consultant to

Bristow Helicopters, Mr Cornelius Onuora, said the incident was not a crash but a controlled ditching, which was an emergency landing of a helicopter on water.

Onuora said the pilot observed that there was a technical issue with the helicopter and he decided to land it earlier than scheduled.

Also, the Flag Officer Commanding, FOC Western Naval Command of the Nigerian Navy, Rear Admiral Ralph Osondu said “MV DIJAMA launched two of its boats to rescue all 11 people in the helicopter.

Rear Admiral Osondu said, “MV DIJAMA was the first to get to the scene. It happened 40 nautical miles from Igbokoda, Ondo State. The helicopter had nine passengers and two crew members. All were rescued and

Ojutiku, patriarch of Lagos top civil service family dies

By Leke Adeseri

T

HE Head of Service, Lagos State, Mrs. Olabowale Toluwalope Ademola, will today lead top civil servants, including the body of permanent secretaries to the burial of Pa Vincent Oludayo Ojutiku, the patriarch of a Lagos family renowned for producing three permanent secretaries at different times.

Pa Ojutiku died on January 4 this year at the age of 97 years.

Although he retired from Lagos State service as Principal Accountant in the Education ministry in 1983, his meritorious service to the state remains indelible till date.

He was a certificated teacher who served in various schools in Western Region of Nigeria. Pa V.A.O. Ojutiku was elected Secretary of Federal Union of Administrative Staff (FUNAS) in 1943, he later joined the defunct Nigerian Post and

Telecommunication Service of Nigeria (P&T) in 1945, where he served in the account department as head of Accounts in Enugu, Eastern Nigeria and Ibadan, Western Nigeria respectively. He trained as an accountant at Weekly Hall, Oxford, UK. He worked in various capacities in the Federal Ministry of Economic Development and later transferred his service to the Lagos State Ministry of Education.

He was married to late Mrs. Mercy Oladoyin Ojutiku (Nee Onasanya) on November 19, 1943. The marriage was blessed with eight children and many foster children.

He was a founding member of Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Surulere Lagos and had a singular honour of being a LayPreacher, Organist and Choirmaster, Church Secretary, Auditor, First Church Accountant, Chairman Harvest Committee,

handed over to a speedboat, SURFER P2621, which took them ashore to the nearest hospital in Ondo State.”

Crash forces Reps to adjourn proceedings

Meantime, news of the crash yesterday, forced House of Representatives’ Committee on Aviation to adjourn its activities indefinitely.

According to reports, the committee was conducting the defence of the 2016 budget by agencies and departments in the aviation sector when it ended the session abruptly.

Chairman of the committee, Nkiruka Onyejeocha (PDP-Abia) announced that the budget defence could not continue as a result of the incident.

Lagos, insurance firms to renovate Ilupeju public library

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Late Pa Oludayo Ojutiku Member of Church Committee, Sub Parish Council and Parish Council member. He was cofounder of Young Christian Fellowship.

The funeral service is billed for Holy Trinity Anglican Church at Ikate, Lawanson, Surulere, Lagos while guests will be entertained at De Blue Roof, LTV 8, Ikeja.

HE Lagos State Library Board, in collaboration with Custodian and Allied Insurance Plc., will commence a renovation exercise on Ilupeju Public Library, Ilupeju.

The project, a Public Private Partnership (PPP) intervention, will also furnish the library with new books and make it e-library compliant.

As a result of this exercise, the Lagos State Library Board notifies the public that the Ilupeju Public Library will be closed to the public from Monday, February 8 to Monday, March 14 for the effective renovation of the library.

Regretting any inconvenience the closure might cause, the Library Board noted that the closure is for the benefit of the public, especially Ilupeju residents, as the library will be of immense usage to them when the renovation is completed.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016 — 11

Court orders ex-PDP scribe, Aluko’s arrest for perjury ...As group urges IGP to protect Aluko over alleged threat to life

40TH ANNIVERSARY: Ogun honours Oba Otudeko

By Rotimi Ojomoyela

T

A

DO-EKITI—A Magistrate Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti yesterday ordered the State Commissioner of Police to arrest former State Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Dr. Temitope Aluko over alleged perjury.

Chief Magistrate Adesoji Adegboye, who granted the exparte motion, said the warrant of arrest was a means to get the offender to attend the court for his defence.

The matter was premised upon an application to the state Attorney General by a lawyer, Mr Sunday Olowolafe, calling for the prosecution of Mr Aluko for alleged perjury.

It would be recalled that Aluko had on Sunday granted a television station an interview, where he alleged that the June 21 governorship election in Ekiti State was rigged in favour of Governor Ayodele Fayose.

Among the exhibits attached with the motion, were written statements of Tope Aluko on oath which he tendered before Ekiti state governorship election tribunals in 2014 before the tribunal.

The DPP urged the court to exercise its discretion in favour of the state because Aluko had given evidence under cross examination that the election which brought Fayose into power was free, fair and credible devoid of military harassment.

Chief Magistrate Adesoji

UNVEILING: Vice President Yemi Osinbajo unveiling Express Junction/Sagamu Express road, while Mrs Olufunso Amosun, Governor Ibikunle Amosun and others watch. By Wunmi Akinola.

Adegboye gave this order yesterday, upon a motion ex-parte number MAD/10cm/2016, filed by the Ekiti State Government against Mr Aluko and the State Commissioner of Police, pursuant to Section 117 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap C16, law of Ekiti State 2012, Section 79 of the Ekiti State Administration of Criminal Justice Law 2014 and Section 23 (D) of the Magistrates’ Courts Law 2014.

In the Motion, which was filed and moved by the State Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mr Gbemiga Adaramola, an order of the court was sought to issue warrant of arrest against Mr Aluko to be executed by the State Commissioner of Police for the purpose of

committing him (Aluko) to trial for the offence of perjury.

Chief Magistrate Adegboye said the order was granted as a means for the first defendant (Aluko) to attend the court for defence.

Issuing the warrant of arrest against Aluko, Chief Magistrate Adegboye said since the court had the power to grant the order and it will serve the interest of justice, the State Commissioner of Police should arrest Aluko for the purpose of investigating and prosecuting him.

When contacted, the Public Relation Officer of the Ekiti State Police Command, Mr Adeyemi Alberto said the

command was not aware of the warrant issued by court ordering the arrest of the PDP secretary.

Group wants Aluko protected

Meantime, a socio-political group within the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State, Ekiti Reformer Movement, has called on the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, to ensure protection for the party State Secretary, Dr Tope Aluko, over allegation of fake security men posing as policemen to arrest the party scribe on the order of the police authorities.

HE Ogun State Government has conferred a special recognition award on the Chairman of Honeywell Group, Dr. Oba Otudeko, in appreciation of his outstanding contributions to the development of the state and the country at large.

Dr Otudeko was honoured with four others as part of activities marking the 40th anniversary celebrations of the ‘Gateway State’.

Expressing gratitude to Governor Ibikunle Amosun and the good people of Ogun State for the honour, Oba Otudeko, an indigene of Odogbolu said: “I congratulate other worthy awardees. We are all proud of what Ogun has achieved in its 40 years of existence and what the present administration of Governor Ibikunle Amosun is doing, especially in the area of urban renewal. I promise to continue to use my Godgiven endowments to further the cause of development in Ogun State.”

Oba Otudeko is the Founder and Chairman of Honeywell Group and also Group Chairman, FBN Holdings Plc.

Why FG won’t spare looters — OSINBAJO

By Daud Olatunji

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B E O K U TA — V I C E President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo yesterday said the Federal Government would not spare

anyone indicted for corruption and other corrupt practices.

Osinbajo lamented that if not for the high incidence of corruption that has ravaged the nation’s economy, the country would have been

Ajimobi backs Adetunji as next Olubadan behind High Chief Adetunji.

I

By Ola Ajayi

BADAN—IN what appears like a no-going back stance on the emergence of a new Olubadan of Ibadanland, Governor Abiola Ajimobi has described the likely successor to the throne, High Chief Saliu Akanmu Adetunji as a divine arrangement that is not amenable to change.

The governor said this yesterday when Chief Adetunji visited him in his residence.

Since the death of late Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Samuel Odulana Odugade 1 on November 19, it has been a dingdong affair between the Seriki Line, led by Chief Adebayo Oyediji and members of Olubadan-in-Council.

Both the council and the governor have shown publicly that they are C M Y K

The controversy has resulted in litigation, with Seriki line saying since two high chiefs died on both lines of Balogun and Olubadan, it is the turn of their lineage to assume the throne in accordance with a court judgment which recognised it.

When Governor Ajimobi was speaking at his Oluyole residence, Ibadan, Adeola Oloko, a media aide to the Olubadan designate quoted him as saying , “When recently, Baba (Adetunji) came to discuss with me his promotion to the post of Balogun following the death of High Chief Sule Omiyale, nobody could have thought that so soon after his promotion to the exalted seat of Balogun, he would be celebrating his imminence to the exalted throne of Olubadan of Ibadan land. But, this is the way of God. When God turns to you, then it is your turn.”

buoyant enough to put in place the necessary infrastructure.

The Vice President , who spoke while inaugurating the Ota township roads in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area and the Ayetoro township roads in Yewa North Local Government Area of the state in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the creation of the state , also assured that the President Muhammadu Buhariled administration would begin the implementation of all its campaign promises immediately the 2016 budget is signed into law..

Osinbajo, who represented President muhammadu Buhari during his two-day official visit to the state on Monday and Tuesday had inaugurated only four of the 40 projects earmarked for the event, said corruption, which had ravaged the country had made it impossible for government at all levels to provide the necessary infrastructure.

Speaking in Yoruba, the vice president told the people of Ayetoro that “the development of our country should be of utmost importance to all of us. We should continue to proclaim it loud that corruption should not be tolerated.

We have to keep saying it everywhere that no corrupt person would go scot-free.

Whoever is involved and whatever his status is, he must answer for such wrongs done.

We have to keep proclaiming that everywhere.

Also, while inaugurating the Iganmode- Ilo- Awela road in Ota, the vice president assured Nigerians that the Buhari

administration would commence implementation of its campaign promises immediately the 2016 budget is passed into law.

He disclosed that the Federal Government had provided for the unemployed youths, artisans, market men and women in the budget, noting that employment and job creation for the youths remained the cornerstone of the Buhari administration.

ONDO AT 40: Mimiko gives state pass mark

By Dayo Johnson

A

KURE—GOVERNOR Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State yesterday reviewed the 40 years of the creation of the state and declared that it has done well.

He paid tributes to leaders, past and present, whose serial exertions, agitation and movement led to the creation of the state.

In a state-wide broadcast to mark the 40th anniversary, the

governor said the state has posted greater accomplishments.

He said: “Given the vicissitude of fortunes that Ondo State has witnessed in its 40-year existence so far, I believe, like many indigenes of the state, that we have done well.

“We have not only bench marked programmes and projects for other states in the health sector, urban renewal, education, wealth creation and other sectors we have succeeded in making Ondo State an unfolding destination of choice for entertainment and medical tourism.''

12—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016

Oil pipeline vandalism: Security forces confirm arrest of suspects

By Samuel Oyadongha

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ENAGOA—THE Joint Task Force, JTF, in the Niger Delta, codenamed Operation Pulo Shield, yesterday, said it has arrested some suspects in connection with the recent multiple attacks and bombing of crude pipelines and installations in the region.

Though the JTF was silent on the number of persons in its custody, it nonetheless said that efforts were on to track down and arrest other fleeing vandals.

The Coordinator, Joint Media Campaign Centre, JMC, of the force, ColIsa Ado, who confirmed the arrest in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, said that the suspects were undergoing preliminary investigation to ascertain the degree of their involvement before handing them over to the prosecuting agencies.

He said: “In line with Operation Pulo Shield’s determination to track down and arrest perpetrators of the recent multiple attacks and bombing of some oil pipelines and installations across the Niger Delta region, some suspects have been arrested and are currently undergoing thorough preliminary investigation to ascertain the degree of their involvement before handing them over to

prosecuting agencies, while effort is on to track down and arrest fleeing vandals.

“The success of the arrest was due to highly intensified patrols and cordon and search of the waterways, creeks and communities by the JTF in line with the directives of the Commander, Operation Pulo Shield, Major-General Alani

Okunlola, to apprehend those behind the criminal act.

“The patrol of the general area has been intensified while cordon and search operation continues until all the culprits are arrested.

“The Commander also assures the people of the Niger Delta of Operation Pulo Shield’s determination

to wipe out all acts of illegalities in the region and also calls on them to give useful information that will aid the JTF in its operations in line with its mandate in the Niger Delta.”

He warned the perpetrators of the crime to desist from further destruction of oil facilities or be ready to face the wrath of the law.

COLLOQUIUM: From left: Prof. Pat Utomi, Founder/CEO, CVL; Dr Aloy Chife,Founder, Socket Works and Mr Jimi Agbaje, PDP governorship candidate, Lagos State, at the colloquium on politics and development at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, NIIA, Victoria Island, Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Akeem Salau.

LG workers in A-Ibom begin strike over outstanding salaries

By Tom Moses

U

Y O — L O C A L g o v e r n m e n t employees, under the aegis of Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, Akwa Ibom State chapter, will today, commence an indefinite strike to protest the state government’s alleged refusal to settle outstanding salaries and emoluments of serving and retired council workers.

Vanguard gathered that workers in the 31 local government areas in the state will take part in the strike.

President of NULGE in Akwa Ibom State, Mr Martins Effiong, explained that the protests became necessary following government's refusal to honour the agreement it reached with the union to settle all outstanding issues bordering on salaries and emoluments of serving and retired council workers.

According to him, the state government was owing 12 months arrears of salaries in Uyo Local Government Area, four months in Ikot Ekpene, two months in Abak and one

month across Ini, Ikono, Uruefong Oruko, Ika and Itu Local Government Areas.

Other grey areas in the dispute include nonimplementation of promotion arrears, leave grants, pension and gratuities for retired workers for three months and other outstanding arrears since 2012.

Effiong lamented that the indebtedness has made the

councils to become bankrupt to the point of not being able to settle outstanding stipends owed ad-hoc staff for over seven months.

It will be recalled that NULGE had embarked on strike over the matter in November 2014, forcing government to reach a truce with the union in February 2015 with a promise to address the issues in dispute before the end of the year.

But Effiong lamented that the suspension of the strike was not reciprocated by the government of Udom Emmanuel, which reneged on the agreement.

According to Effiong, the denial of the council workers their due entitlements had subjected the affected workers to untold hardship while some unfortunate ones died in the course of waiting for their emoluments.

Wike commended for extending olive branch to APC

By Wale Akinola

C

H A I R M A N , Association of Online Media Practitioners, Wole Arisekola, has commended Rivers State governor, Mr Nyesom Wike, for extending the olive branch to members of the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state, after his recent victory at the Supreme Court.

Wike, who last week won the litigation challenging his electoral victory after losing

at the Election Petitions Tribunal and the Appeal Court, was also commended for choosing the path of law to fight his case rather than engaging in violence.

According to a statement Arisekola said: “Wike should be commended for extending the hand of fellowship to his political opponents, especially, his main challenger, Dakuku Peterside. The governor has asked Peterside and other members of the APC in the state to support his Peoples

Democratic Party, PDP, by offering useful suggestions on how to further move the state forward.

“This is a welcome development and I hope the APC will embrace the gesture and work with Wike.

“In the past, we have seen governors who did well when they had cases at the tribunals or the court but turned around against them once they secured their legitimacy. But from the little I know of the governor, he will not disappoint the people of the state.”

TUC to picket electricity distribution office in P-Harcourt

By Jimitota Onoyume

P

ORT HARCOURT— TRADE Union Congress, TUC, in Port Harourt, Rivers State, is set to picket the offices of Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company, PHED, over labour's protest against the new tariff.

Chairman of TUC in Rivers State, Mr Chika Onuegbu, said yesterday, in Port Harcourt, that the exercise will take place on February 8, 2016, adding that committees had been set up to ensure it success.

Meantime, the electricity firm has again lamented the negative impact of energy theft in electricity distribution in the country.

Chief Executive Officer, PHED, Mr Jay Alan McCoskey, told newsmen in Port Harcourt that failure to pay electricity bills was affecting the whole chain of electricity distribution in the country.

Delta council sacks legislative leader over alleged misconduct

By Perez Brisibe

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GHELLI—SIXTEEN out of the 20 councillors in the Ughelli North Local Government Legislature, Delta State, have sacked the leader of the House, Chief Teddy Okperin, for alleged gross misconduct and incompetence.

The motion for Okperin's sack was moved by the Majority Leader, Benjamin Idoghor and adopted by the entire House, which immediately swore in the member representing Uwheru Ward, Sunday Eguke, as the new Leader of the House.

However, the ousted leader, while denying reports of his sack, said that he voluntarily stepped aside after he could not sustain pressure on him to initiate impeachment process against the council chairman, Chief Kenneth Ibru.

“As I speak with you, we have not been paid in the past five months owing to the limited funds accruing to the council, yet they (councillors) insisted that I should step aside if I would not yield to their biddings and this I did,” he said.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016—13

I have no problem with Uduaghan — Okowa Faults cancellation of Maritime University

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By Emma Amaize & Festus Ahon

SABA—DELTA State governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, yesterday, said that he had no axe to grind with his predecessor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan.

He also said that the Anioma ethnic nationality was never a part of the South-East region and does not subscribe to the renewed agitation by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB. Okowa, at an interactive session with newsmen, said: “Reconciliation between Okowa and Uduaghan, this is very funny. In the first instance, I don’t have any problem with former Governor Uduaghan.

Uduaghan is my friend, he has been my friend. We have been in this state together since 1998 before we came into government in 1999 and you people know it. We have been friends and we will remain friends. We may have had our differences before the primaries but after the primaries, you saw us work together in the election and we have remained so.

“He calls me regularly, he offers me advice. Even on Tuesday, he called and we talked. So, there is no question of a difference between us that would warrant anybody going to London to meet former Governor Ibori to reconcile us.

“You see, these are some of

the terrible rumours that are being peddled all around.

That is why I have always appealed that there was need to cross check whatever is going on. You are aware that he visited me at the lodge.

“When he came, it was to offer advice. His wife had visited me twice at the Government House. So we have had no issue, not to talk of somebody setting out to reconcile us. That is the real truth.”

On the issue of Anioma being part of Biafran territory,

the governor said: “Biafra agitation, we have criticized it. Aniomaland as it is said, from here, was part of Bendel State, it was part of the Midwest Region.

“We were never part of the South East and obviously we cannot be said to be part of them. We may speak the same language but we were never part of the South East.

We were part of the old Midwest, we were part of Bendel, we are now Delta State and we are Deltans.”

On the Asaba

International Airport, Okowa expressed the hope that the airport would soon come back on stream, adding that the 3.4km runway was being reconstructed to accommodate all sizes of aircraft.

Speaking on the move by the Federal Government to cancel the Maritime University, Gbaramatu, Okowa said that such move would cause a lot of setback and noted that the country needed more maritime universities to develop the maritime industry.

BRIEFING: From left: Mr. Festus Ovie-Agas, SSG, Delta State; Mr. Kingsley Otuaro, Deputy Governor; Governor Ifeanyi Okowa; Mr. Patrick Ukah, Commissioner for Information and Mr. Norbert Chiazor, Chairman, NUJ, Delta State, during a press briefing by the governor in Asaba. Photo: Nath Onojake.

Crisis rocks Edo APC, LG Chairman suspended

By Gabriel Enogholase

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ENIN—THE crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Edo State, has taken a new twist as the state Commissioner for Oil and Gas, Mr. Saturday Uwuleikhue and some members of the party in Orhionmwon Local Government Area of the state, have suspended the party's chairman in the council, Mr. Matthew Ehigie, for alleged anti-party activities.

However, Mr. Ehigie has described his purported suspension as laughable, insisting that they did not follow the due process of suspending an elected member.

At an enlarged meeting of the party executives held at the party's secretariat, he said: “As I speak to you, I remain the party chairman for Orhionmwon council because they did not follow due process of suspending an elected chairman.”

He alleged that the signatories to the suspension order do not only lack the power to call a meeting of the council executive but that they were financially induced.

However, attempts to reach for Uwuleikhue for reaction failed. A

terse message through his GSM phone said that he was very busy and that the reporter should call later.

In a resolution, 20 executive members out of the 35 members passed implicit confidence in the leadership of the council Chairman, Chief Ehigie.

Vanguard gathered that the ongoing crisis was believed to

have been triggered off by the wrangling in the party on who succeeds Governor Adams Oshiomhiole at the expiration of his tenure in November.

In a related development, 100 party faithful from ward 1 Esan Central Local Government also stormed the state party secretariat to protest the suspension of the ward

chairman, Mr. Isaac Ikhine, describing the development as unconstitutional They accused the state party chairman, Mr Aslem Ojezua, of being a stooge to some party chieftains in the locality that plotted to unseat the ward chairman and declared the purported suspension null and void.

Court adjourns ex-militants' suit on Amnesty Bobra Angese, Henry Federal Government.

Programme Although hearing in the suit Gomeromo and Ekerebi Ombe,

By Onozure Dania

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Federal High Court sitting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, has adjourned till March 15, for the hearing in an application by 18 aggrieved exmilitant youths seeking the inclusion of the Chairman of the Amnesty Implementation Committee, Brig-Gen. Paul Boroh, in a suit against their non-inclusion in the ongoing amnesty programme for Niger Delta region.

The aggrieved ex-militants, Asenekir Oyile, Angiama-Owei Oyindoubra, John Government, John Sawyer, Trydy Okpeke, Dollar Motor, Selebi Ayowei,

in the substantive suit, are contending that the Amnesty Committee erred by refusing to include them in the ongoing amnesty programme after series of resolutions from meetings with past National Security Advisers to the President, Late General Owei Azazi and Col. Sambo Dasuki, respectively.

The ex-militants in the suit, are contending that they were former militants that had accepted Amnesty under the Third Phase and surrendered their weapons to the Federal Government through the Amnesty Office in 2011 under the Peace Initiative of the

was, yesterday, stalled by the absence of the trial judge, Justice H. Nganjiwa, the court adjourned till March 15, for the hearing in the application for substitution of the name of the former Chairman of the Amnesty Implementation Committee, Kingsley Kuku with the present Chairman, Brigadier General Paul Boroh (retd).

The decision on the next adjourned date was agreed on by parties in the matter.

The ex-militants are in the suit, seeking an order of court, compelling the Amnesty Committee to approve reasonable slots for them as agreed at one of the peace meetings on December 19, 2011.

C-River retirees protest non-payment of five years gratuity

By Emma Una

C

ALABAR—OVER 200 retirees and pensioners bearing placards, yesterday, stormed the office of the state governor, Senator Ben Ayade, to protest the non- payment of their five years gratuity by the state government.

Some of the placards, read ‘Retirees are dying of hunger and neglect,’ ‘ Why have we been reduced to beggars and borrowers?’ ‘ No gratuity for five years, why?’ ‘Pay us our gratuity so we can access medical attention,’ among others.

Pastor Joshua Idang, who spoke for the pensioners, said, from 2011 till date, they have not been paid their gratuity after retirement, lamenting that the situation had subjected them to untold hardship.

He said that the state government has been insensitive to their plight after serving meritoriously for 35 years.

“After serving the state actively for 35 years, we have been neglected to die of hunger and starvation. We have been suffering and our children have dropped out of school because we can no longer pay their fees.

“From 2011 till date, we have not been paid our gratuity and it has never happened like this before."

Cecilia Adigwe for burial

T

HE family of late Chief Mathias Adigwe has announced the burial arrangements for their matriarch, late Cecilia Adigwe.

A statement by the family said service of songs is slated for March 4, at 17, Obaizu Street, Umuobiazu, Ezukwu, Ibusa, Delta State, while lying in state and interment follow on March 5, 2016, at the same venue.

Late Madam Adigwe

14 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4 , 2016

ARMS FUNDS PROBE: EFCC moves Badeh’s grilling to Monday

Nigeria loses N1trn annually to crude production cost — REP ...As House moves to reduce $38 oil benchmark

By Emman Ovuakporie & Johnbosco Agbakwuru

By Soni Daniel & Henry Umoru

A

BUJA—THE probe of the former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshall Alex Badeh, did not proceed yesterday as scheduled.

The interrogation of the former NAF chief will now take place on Monday, according to informed sources at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. It was learned that although Badeh reported at the commission’s headquarters as early as 10am yesterday, he was not taken up by the operatives who were primed to interact with him.

The commission’s spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, could not be reached for explanations on the adjournment but a source close to the agency said the shift was to enable the panel raised by the anti-graft agency to put things in order.

Badeh was spotted at the headquarters of the EFCC earlier in the day where he had gone to make clarifications on alleged improper procurements made under his watch as Defence Chief.

The former CDS was accompanied to the EFCC by two of his associates and some aides at exactly 10am.

On arrival, he was ushered into the waiting room, where he interacted briefly with some operatives of the agency before taking his leave.

The former CDS is among the top military officers, who had been named in a presidential panel report as having some questions to answer over arms procurement that ate into the nation’s lean purse but delivered little succour to the armed forces.

According to the report, which has been forwarded by the Presidency to the EFCC, billions of public funds were paid to arms contractors, who in many cases delivered substandard or used facilities to the Nigerian armed forces at the cost of new ones, thereby exposing Nigerian soldiers to harm.

But Badeh, who held sway, first as Chief of the Air Staff before being elevated to head the Defence establishment as CDS, is expected to use his vantage position to clarify issues relating to the arms purchases and identified infractions named in the presidential panel report and clear his name.

A

BUJA—CHAIRMAN, House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation, Abdulmumin Jibrin, said yesterday that Nigeria was losing an average of N1 trillion annually as production cost in crude oil exploration.

Jibrin, who disclosed this to journalists while fielding questions on the 2016 budget that had passed through second reading in the House, said that as a result of the dwindling international market price of oil, the House would consider a reduction of the benchmark, which was pegged at $38 per barrel at the time the budget proposal was prepared.

He noted that with the current price of about $30 per barrel, there was the need to review the benchmark to meet up with the current realities.

He said: “One very important aspect that swallows a large chunk of the money in the budget

is the cash call and production costs. Many people take their eyes away from production costs.

“But it is critical, this is because every year we pay an average of one trillion naira as cost of production. So, it is important that this time around, we need to sit with relevant authorities in the oil and gas sector to see the details of this production cost, to ensure the country is not just being shortchanged.

“We are just mopping a lot of money from the first line charge just to give to our foreign partners.

“The benchmark has been pegged at $38 dollars and of course we have known that the oil price has gone much below that figure. I am sure that during this budgeting period we will engage again with the Committee on Finance and relevant committees and we should be able to peg the benchmark at a very safe figure that should be more realistic.

“Of course, the benchmark is one of our concerns and the revenue aspect of the budget.

...As NNPC incurs N267bn losses in one year

By Michael Eboh

A

BUJA—THE Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, yesterday, announced a loss of N267.138 billion for the 2015 financial year.

The amount lost by the NNPC in 2015 was higher than the N257.38 billion allocated to the Ministry of Health for both recurrent and capital expenditure in the 2016 budget of the Federal Government; higher than the N134.57 billion and N37 billion capital allocations to the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Education respectively.

The loss by the NNPC was also higher than the N115 billion and N70 billion allocated to the National Assembly and the National Judicial Council respectively, in the 2016 budget.

The NNPC, in its ‘Monthly Financial and Operations Report for December 2015’ released in Abuja, also declared a loss of N11.861 billion in the month of December 2015, compared to a loss of N14.29 billion recorded in November 2015.

Analysis of the figures revealed that the NNPC grossed N2.046 trillion in revenue while it recorded expenses of N2.313 trillion, leaving a loss of N267.138 billion for the 2015 financial year.

Corporate Headquarters recorded the highest deficit, posting a loss of N162.736 billion, while Corporate Service Units posted a deficit of N18.8 billion.

The woeful performance of the refineries continued throughout the year, as the three refineries posted a combined loss of N82.09 billion in the year 2015. Specifically, Kaduna Refinery and Petrochemical Company, KRPC, recorded a loss of N34.7 billion in the year under review, while Warri Refinery and Petrochemical Company, WRPC and Port Harcourt Refining Company posted losses of N24.308 billion and N23.09 billion respectively.

The Pipelines and Product Marketing Company, PPMC, followed with a loss of N62.06 billion, while the National Engineering Technical Company, NETCO, lost N744 million.

Once you have raised the issue of benchmark which we are going to work on to see that we peg it in what looks more practicable, then of course, there is the aspect of the non oil.

“The non oil of course the projection looks realistic but if you go by history, we must also be extremely disciplined to ensure that the projections are met month after month. So, we are not unmindful of that.”

Commenting on exchange rate, he said: “On the aspect of the exchange rate, exchange rate is an exclusivity of the Central Bank of Nigeria but of course we do engage them. The CBN usually comes up with justifications for pegging the exchange rates.

“Central Bank is an autonomous body, it is independent, so, we don’t tamper with that. But again within this period, we will still engage the Central Bank so that we can be able to discuss with them, if there is any possibility of any adjustment.

“Otherwise, in terms of exchange rate, we leave it as

central bank recommends to the National Assembly. And very quickly also, there is the aspect of the budget of deficit financing, we are also concerned about that, in the next few days, we will be also going to engage the executive particularly, the minster of Finance and the minster of Budget and Planning, so that we can really be sure how the deficit is going to be financed.”

He also said there was the need to reduce domestic borrowing and increase external borrowing in implementing the budget.

He said: “Generally the position of the National Assembly is that we need to reduce domestic borrowing significantly, we expect that a chunk of the borrowing should come from external sources.

“Already, the economy is struggling and when you now put so much weight on the local economy in terms of drawing more money from the local economy, it is going to do a lot of harm to the economic system of the country.''

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4 , 2016—15

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BIAFRA: IPOB directorate accuses Judge

of bias over Kanu's bail denial •As Ohanaeze youths condenmn Uwazuruike over alleged anti-Biafra activities

By Nkiru Nnorom & Nwabueze Okonkwo

O

NITSHA—THE directorate of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has accused Justice John Tsoho of the Abuja Federal High Court 3 of bias for ruling that their leader, Nnamdi K anu will not be granted bail based on reasons that Kanu was a threat to national security; that if released, he might commit the same offence again and that there was a probability that he might jump bail because he possessed dual citizenship.

Uwazuruike's open fraternity with Nigerian politicians

Faults reasons for bail denial

In a press statement issued yesterday from its London headquarters, via e-mail, signed by its spokespersons, Emma Nmezu and Dr. Clifford Chukwuemeka Iroanya, IPOB said for denying Kanu bail based on these three cardinal points, the ruling of the judge was inappropriate, biased, wrong, and must be overturned by an Appeal court Judge.

According to the statement, “While the first and the third reasons are very clear, we are at loss with the second reason and do not know exactly what the Hon. Justice meant by “might commit the same offence again.

“To the best of our knowledge, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has not even been tried in court not to talk of being convicted to have warranted the judge saying that 'he might commit the same offence again.'

“Therefore, we do not understand the offence he was found guilty of committing and for which he will likely commit again if released, as Justice John Tsoho mentioned in his ruling."

The statement asked rhetorically: “Is there a possibility that Justice John Tsoho misspoke o r that he never actually uttered this travesty of a statement? On the first reason adduced that Kanu was a threat to national security, we are yet to get detailed information on what the Judge meant by 'threat to national security' because we know that Kanu is not associated with

politicians. We see this as part of his debased attempts to give a dog a bad name in order to hang it.

“Assuming without conceding that Igbo politicians are picking the bills of the pro-Biafra agitators as led by the leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the question that ought to be asked is: has the pro-Biafra agitators after receiving such sponsorship veered out of the way to sabotage Biafra restoration project like Ralph Uwazuruike, who has for long been doing businesses with the Nigeria state and politicians at will.

Detained leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu.

Boko Haram or any terrorist organization and as such, we, again are pushed to believe that Justice Tsoho misspoke .

“Finally, o n t h e t h i r d reason, we are shocked to hear that a denial of bail will be based on the accused person’s dual citizenship. Even though the Judge did not mention the other country to which Kanu is a citizen, we know he was referring to Britain. But we also know that there is extradition agreement between Nigeria and Britain and extraditing Kanu to Nigeria should he flee to Britain will not be a problem for the Nigerian government, so long as the extradition agreement between the two countries is still intact.”

Ohanaeze condemnation

Meantime, Ohanaeze Youth Council Worldwide has condemned Chief Ralph Uwazuruike over an allegation that the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, and Director of Radio Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, is being sponsored by some Igbo politicians to pursue the Biafra agenda.

They also blamed him for the clampdown and maiming of non-violent pro-Biafra agitators by security agencies, arguing that his blackmail was the root of the killings.

In a statement signed by the Council’s President General, Comrade Francis

Oji and the Secretary, Board of Tr ustees, Mazi Okwu Okwu, they described the allegation as baseless and unsubstantial, saying that the agitation for the restoration of Republic of Biafra as led by Kanu was ideologically focused and called on the group to maintain its non-violent stance in the struggle.

According to them, the present anti-Biafra activities

by Uwazuruike were nothing

but antics of a drowning man that has lost touch with reality and noted that the allegation was an attempt to discredit pro-Biafra agitators.

Shock and surprise

They said: “We are so shocked, touched and surprised that Uwazurulike of all people could fall so cheap as to call this well organized and non-violent pro-Biafra agitators ‘hoodlums’ benefiting from some Igbo

“How can Uwazuruike reconcile his open political fraternity with Nigerian politicians and state by collecting money to anchor pro-Nigerian state campaigns as seen during the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, led presidency under Goodluck Jonathan.

“What of forming Nigerian Unity Alliance with the leaders of Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC, Dr. Fredrick Fasehun; Major Hamza Mustapha (retd) and Alhaji Yerima Shettima of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum and Alhaji Asari Dokubo of the Niger Delta Volunteer Force, defending and championing one Nigeria under the erstwhile Jonathan administration?” they queried.

ALLEGED N38M FRAUD: ICPC arraigns former

IMT Rector

E

By Francis Igata N

U

G

U

—

E M B AT T L E D

former Rector, Institute of Management and Technology, IMT, Enugu, Prof.

Edwin Onyeneje was yesterday, arraigned before a Federal High Court, Enugu Division for alleged N83 million fraud.

Onyeneje and Dr. Leonard Ugwu were arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, on a seven-count charge bordering on conspiracy and obtaining by tricks.

The others arraigned for the alleged fraud were Mr Ferdinand Onah and Mr. Basil Offoh, who allegedly aided and abetted the fraud.

The alleged amount was approved for the procurement of scientific equipment in preparation for reaccreditation of some

programmes in the institution.

Offoh was accused of aiding and abetting the release of N50 million to the former rector when he served as Administrative Secretary to the Rector, Onyeneje.

Ugwu, who served as the Chief Store Officer, CSO, of the institution allegedly released N53.2 million to the former rector for a project which was not executed. The offences contravened Sections 8 (a) and 1 (1) (a) and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.

The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges. The defence Counsel, Mr Benedict Chijioke, objected to the arraignment, contending that there was a judicial panel of enquiry on the matter.

“If we allow a situation where a court is sitting and the ICPC is doing whatever they are doing, it means independence

of the judiciary is just a robot,” he said.

Chijioke told the court that the accused persons were already on administrative bail of the ICPC and would always attend their trials. In her ruling, Justice Dugbo Oghoghorie, announced that the administrative bail of the accused would continue.

Oghoghorie adjourned the matter till April 14 for the hearing of the preliminary objection raised by the defence.

It would be recalled that former governor Sullivan Chime had at the twilight of his tenure, inaugurated a judicial panel of enquiry following public outcry on the leadership of IMT inorder to recommend appropriate sanctions and advice government on ways to sanitize the institution.

The panel was then,given three months to make its report public but nothing was heard of the outcome.

16—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016

Senate warns NDLEA against illegal arrest of Kashamu •As senator raises alarm over fresh extradition plot

By Henry Umoru & Joseph Erunke

A

B U J A — T H E Senate, yesterday, warned the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, against any illegal extradition of Senator Buruji Kashamu to the United States of America.

To this end, it ordered the agency to stay away from any further harassment of Senator Buruji Kashamu over alleged drug related offences committed in the United States of America.

This came as Senator Kashamu, who represents Ogun East Senatorial zone in the National Assembly, raised alarm that apart from threats to his life, desperate politicians opposed to him were planning to use the federal government to extradite him to the United States of America.

The Senate’s order followed a petition forwarded to its committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, by Senator Kashamu’s lawyer, Ajibola Oluyede, over planned abduction of the embattled senator by the agency.

In the written petition to the Red Chamber, which Oluyede submitted before the committee, he alleged that based on information got from whistle

blowers within the agency, plan had reached advanced stage to either kidnap or abduct the senator to the USA on phantom charges of drug trafficking.

According to him, the plan, coded ‘rendition plot,’ is always used by the American government against fugitives or

terrorists , non of which Kashamu can be said to be.

He explained further that the person behind the plot was the immediate past Chairman of NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade, who according to him, had failed in the past to achieve such illegal action against Kashamu as

NDLEA boss through court pronouncements.

He added that the former NDLEA boss wanted to achieve his earlier fruitless plot now, as Special Assistant on Narcotics to the AttorneyGeneral of the Federation, AGF, Ibrahim Malami.

HEARING: Cross section of 'We The Women' association, WTW, shortly after the hearing of the suit between Ms. Rakiya Zubairu and Bank of Industry, BoI, at the National Industrial Court of Nigeria in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Akeem Salau.

PRESIDENCY TO CDD: Stop misinforming Nigerians

By Levinus Nwabughiogu

A

BUJA—THE Presidency has advised leaders of the Centre for Democracy and Development, CDD, to stop misleading Nigerians “with blatantly false propaganda and misinformation to serve ulterior motives.”

Reacting to an article, entitled: “Seven Months After, President’s Change Agenda Scorecard written by Idayat Hassan,” Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, said in a statement: “It is very mischievous to attribute to the president promises he didn’t make during the campaign, and now hold him accountable for them.

“The latest CDD episode is a shocking reminder to their failed attempt to hold the president to 'one hundred promises in one hundred days' which disastrously crashed on the head of the proponent. ‘’The elevation of the act to a new high of 220 promises is a knee-jerk reaction that seeks to play to the gallery and score cheap points against the president. This is a clear case of solution looking for problem.”

According to Shehu, President Buhari deserves commendation from Nigerians who within the period of seven months in office, blocked loopholes for financial leakages and also made efforts to repatriate stolen funds.

He stated that the president was making good strides towards improving governance, by tackling corruption.

“To-date, a good number of persons believed to have collectively stolen billions from taxpayers have been arrested,

and are facing the courts. We are working with our allies across the world – from Britain and America to France and Germany; to China and UAE to source, locate and repatriate misappropriated funds. So far, an account has been opened for

money that is being returned,” Shehu said.

He added that the Nigerian Customs Service had quadrupled its revenue base to incredible level within seven months, a feat that eluded them for years.

WIKE'S VICTORY: Oyegun calls for probe

of S-Court Judges

By Levinus Nwabughiogu

A

B U J A — N AT I O N A L Chairman of All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief John Oyegun, has called for the investigation of Supreme Court judges.

Oyegun made the call against the backdrop of his party’s loss of Rivers State governorship seat to the opposition People’s Democratic Party, PDP. It will be recalled that the supreme court last week affirmed the election of the state governor, Nyesom Wike, and dismissed the prayers of the APC governorship candidate, Dakuku Peterside who prayed for cancellation of judgment of the state election petition tribunal.

But speaking in a meeting with a delegation of the party from the state, led by Peterside, Oyegun, who expressed shock over the ruling of the supreme court, said there was “something fundamentally wrong in the

judiciary.”

On the demand of meeting with President Mohammadu Buhari which was canvassed by the delegation, Oyegun promised to schedule a meeting between the President and members of Rivers APC to address the state of the party in the state.

Oyegun said: “The APC National leadership has not neglected party leaders and supporters in Rivers State. The state has always been in the front burner of discussion and decision in the party. There is obviously something fundamentally wrong in Rivers State which needs to be investigated and addressed.

“Your visit has had a sober effect on me. This meeting will kickstart urgent actions to address what went wrong. As of today, there is an attempt being made by INEC to bar us from elections in Anambra and other states. We must address these

issues. I still find the judgement on the Rivers State governorship election totally astonishing. There is something fundamentally wrong in the judiciary.

“We have lost very important resource-rich states to the PDP. No matter how crude oil prices have fallen, it is still the most important revenue earner for the country.

“I will take up your request to facilitate a meeting with the President. We will do that as soon as possible and also make it clear that there are problems which as a party, we must address."

Speaking earlier on behalf of the delegation, Peterside said since they lost the case, the feeling of the people in the state was that of orphan.

He stated that the only consolation they had was the ministerial appointment given to their leader and former governor of the state, Chibuike Ameachi.

PDP Constitution Review C'ttee submits report

By Henry Umoru

A

BUJA—NATIONAL leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, said yesterday that with what obtained at the moment, the PDP remained the party of choice in Nigeria.

The leadership of the party, yesterday, received the report of the 50-man Constitution Review Committee.

The Committee led by the party's National Legal Adviser, Mr. Victor Kwon, was inaugurated last month with the mandate to present proposals that would help reposition and strengthen the party for victory in 2019 presidential election.

PDP's Acting National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, while inaugurating the committee last month, said members of the Committee were also expected to review the report of the Post Elections Review Committee, led by Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, and use some of its recommendations in the new constitution, with the aim of correcting the party’s mistakes in the last general elections.

Presenting the report yesterday, Kwon, who noted that the work by members of the Committee was thorough, said it wouldgoalongwayinaddressing the expectations of the party faithful.

“From the report and robust debates we encountered, I am of the conviction that PDP is still the party of choice in Nigeria.

That was demonstrated abundantly," he said.

Receiving the report, Acting National Chairman of the party, Uche Secondus, who thanked the Committee for reflecting the viewsofthepartymembersacross the country, however, disclosed thatthereportwouldbecirculated toitsvariouschaptersandorgans before final ratification by the national convention.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBUARY 4, 2016— —17

T

HESE are certainly not the best of times for Nigeria’s former ruling party, the People Dempcratic Party, PDP. The juggernaut’s transition from power has been so painful, almost like a junkie forcibly weaned off an addiction, that recovery is becoming a frustrating experience. The ruthless voterigging contraption that used to arrogantly describe itself as Africa’s largest political party, has dissembled so rapidly, soon after it was thrown out of power last year.

The crisis which power and lucre sharing could paper over, has blown out into the open and like Humpty-Dumpty, the PDP has apparently blown into several pieces. Last week, a group of political stragglers, some of the most gung-ho operatives of the Jonathan presidency, led by the former Political Adviser, Ahmed Gulak, organised their own “tilting against windmills”, by staging a rowdy takeover of the PDP’s National Secretariat.

In the ensuing confusion, Gulak and his fellow stragglers headed for the National Chairman’s office on the third floor of the building, asking that the door be opened for him. Those in the building must have been shocked to see the noisome group attempting what was close to an intra-party coup. When that door was not opened, Ahmed Gulak and his band of dreamers made for the National Working Committee (NWC) Conference Hall to address journalists. As the media noted, Gulak sat on the National Chairman’s chair.

Gulak, the ultimate poseur with an over-exaggerated sense of self, told journalists that a high court had thrown out an application by Uche Secondus, PDP’s acting National Chairman, which sought to stop an earlier ruling that Secondus should vacate his position within 14 days.

He was taking over, because the party’s leadership had refused to appoint a substantive chairman following the Abuja High Court ruling of December 2015.

Gulak take-over But Ahmed Gulak and his group were swiftly countered by what remained of the NWC, led by National Legal Adviser, Victor Kwom; Gulak was told that he could not come through the back door to become the PDP’s National Chairman. He should go back to his zone, consult and lobby for the North East zone to submit his name for the position.

The NWC probably knew that Ahmed Gulak cannot get such an endorsement; wasn’t he the same man that got just one vote when he submitted himself to be nominated as the party ’s governorship candidate in Adamawa state?

It was therefore no surprise that he decided that his best option to nick the party chairmanship was to lead a band of his old Aso villa colleagues, without any electoral value like himself, to takeover at the Wadata House HQ of the PDP. Those in his “takeover” entourage included Doyin Okupe, and that just underlines how lightweight C M Y K

PDP: Katakata inside the basket of scorpions the ambitious political stragglers were. The fact that such an attempt was made at all, just underlines how sharply the party has deteriorated. Later last Wednesday night, PDP governors added fuel to fire, by directing the Acting National Chairman, Uche Secondus, to handover to the National Secretary, Prof. Wale Oladepo.

The governors’ statement was read by Governor SegunMimiko of Ondo state. But Ahmed Gulak responded by saying that the party’s constitution precluded the National Secretary from chairing the NEC, NWC and the caucuses of the party. Similarly, Uche Secondus said he would not vacate office as directed by the PDP governors. Effectively, PDP now has three chairmen: Uche Secondus; Ahmed Gulak and Wale Oladepo!

It was the much-lamented late Chief Sunday Awoniyi, who insightfully described the PDP, as a basket of scorpions, stinging themselves to death. He made the observation as he angrily resigned membership of the party that he helped formed and nurtured, with the patriotic fervor to make it a genuine party of the people and of social democratic reforms.

However, in the dictatorial hands of President Olusegun Obasanjo, the party was purged of its original ideals and even many founding members found themselves on the wrong side of a “re-registration” process. The new perspective was to consolidate the party as a dictatorial apparatus, made effective as a vote-rigging

Far too many of the leaders of the APC, do not share the vision of change that has become the ruling mantra in our country today.

They have merely entered the APC, just to be part of the chariot of power

There is no gainsaying the fact that there is KATAKATA inside the PDP, Chief Awoniyi’s “basket of scorpions”!

In its very swift decline, the PDP reflects very much, the deeply opportunistic essence of neocolonial politics as well as the manner that our ruling elite always passed over the opportunity to build the blocks of a genuinely great country.

The wasted opportunities of the 16-year PDP hegemony must be turned into a source of lesson by our new set of rulers and their party. The problem for them is located in the fact that many of their leaders actually came from, and had been part of the irresponsibility of the PDP years of power.

Far too many of the leaders of the APC, do not share the vision of change that has become the ruling mantra in our country today. They have merely entered the APC, just to be part of the chariot of power. It is in fact this segment of membership that constitutes the greatest danger to the idealism which swept President Muhammadu Buhari into power.

If the genuine patriots within the APC do not “shine their eyes”, then their party stands the danger of going in the same direction as the PDP. If they allowed such a scenario, they won’t rule Nigeria for as long as 16 years. No way!

contraption, after a selection process that was tightly controlled and residing inside Aso Villa at the national level and the government houses in the states.

While the party’s manifesto had assured of a social democratic vision, Aso Villa pushed a neoliberal agenda, and the sale of national assets to cronies in a controversial, often dubious, privatisation process.

In the states, the governors imposed a personal hegemony run directly from their bedrooms and with the funds of the state becoming the extension of the purses of the governors, who literally had the power and resources to declare that men should henceforth be called women and vice versa.

alienating the resources of the country for personal and group enrichment, within the party apparatus and the government.

The PDP began to hemorrhage!

Most of those who left early could not contemplate life in opposition; they would enter the new party of power, the APC, with hope that they can continue to find relevance.

There are many party grandees who cannot see themselves outside the loop of power. Those who have stayed in the PDP are in a ferocious battle to take control.

It can never be pretty, because power even within a severely, if not terminally, sick party, such as the PDP has become, remains a most vicious battle to the death.

Democratic space

Nnamdi ‘Andy’ Uba: Another expulsion

Internal party democratic space was completely emasculated!

Then there was a prebendal chain of party godfathers, the likes of Chief Tony Anenih, who enforced dictatorial party ethos, and were used to reward loyalty and sharply administer opprobrium on whoever failed to tow the line, often determined as the interest of the president at the centre, and those of governors in the states.

For as long as there was the power at the centre to enrich party loyalists, the glue of sudden wealth and influence peddling held the contraption firmly together.

Everyone knew that if they behaved in the manner that suited the controlling interests, there was the possibility of sudden wealth and influence. That was the process which was kept going for sixteen years!

The Nigerian people were treated to the most grotesque abuse of power and the display of irresponsibility, so unbecoming of a modern democratic country.

The PDP and its grandees carried on as if elections won’t come again.

They were in denial, about the suffering they have caused and the anger in its trail. They probably were deluded that they could continue to rig themselves back into power, for sixty years, as they boasted!

The 2015 rejection:In 2015, they suffered rejection by the Nigerian people. And almost immediately, the bottom dropped for the PDP. They have lost the glue of presidential power in Abuja and the entrenched processes of

L

AST week, a full panel of the Supreme Court in Abuja, sacked the senators and members of the House of Representatives from Anambra state. Effectively, Stella Oduah, the controversial former Aviation Minister, and Nnamdi “Andy” Uba, were thrown out of Nigeria’s senate.

Their expulsion had been as a result of controversies about procedures for selection of candidates by the PDP in the last election. “Andy” Uba’s expulsion is a major blow for BukolaSaraki, who has lost one of his closest allies in senate.

Their relationship dates back to their time together as Special Assistants in the Obasanjo presidency. So close did they become, that BukolaSaraki made “Andy” Uba’s office first port of call everytime he visited Aso Villa, while governor of Kwara state.

Electoral commissioner When Uba was to be nominated as PDP candidate in 2007, BukolaSaraki ensured that one of his boys from Kwara was sent to conduct the primaries, which “Andy” Uba won, not surpringly!

BukolaSaraki also ensured that one of his sidekickswas posted as electoral commissioner to Anambra state for the 2007 elections.

It was the election for which Nnmadi “Andy” Uba declared mind-boggling personal financial assets. That election was so badly rigged for “Andy” Uba, that he got more votes than the number of

registered voters in Anambra state! We all recall the way people rejoiced when Nnamdi “Andy” Uba was eventually thrown out from his pretentious perch as “governor”.

But “Andy ” Uba has kept popping up, parading a controversial educational resume, which took him into Nigeria’s Senate in 2011 and 2015, until he was thrown out by the Supreme Court last week.

And to show the level of disdain that he has for Nigerians’ sensitivities, it was that same “Andy” Uba, who massively rigged a governorship election that Bukola Saraki appointed as Chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC. An inveterate election rigger was asked to oversee the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). “Andy” Uba’s expulsion from Senate has certainly removed one of Bukola Saraki’s closet allies and supporters.

And today’s piece is coming out a day before the much-anticipated Supreme Court ruling in Bukola Saraki’s CCT case. This must be a very ominous moment for him and “Andy” Uba’s expulsion from Senate would no doubt have touched a very raw nerve with the Senate president.

With Nnamdi “Andy” Uba thrown out of Senate, who else might suffer the same fate? These are troubling times inside the haloed chambers of Nigeria’s Senate. Those paralyzed by fear have a lot to truly fear! Nnamdi “Andy” Uba’s expulsion from Senate is a bad omen for those able to read the portents.

18 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBUARY 4, 2016 THE ripples generated by the June 21, 2014, governorship election in Ekiti State seem to be widening.

Former People’s Democratic Party,PDP Secretary in the state, Dr. Temitope Aluko, recently made startling revelations in Abuja on how federal might was allegedly used to subvert the poll’s credibility.

He claimed that the exercise that saw the return of Governor Ayodele Fayose was not an election but a “coup” against Ekiti people.

A self-confessed party to what he described as electoral manipulation, Aluko who is Fayose’s friend of 40 years and former Chairman, Security and Intelligence Committee of his campaign organisation, expressed regret over his role in the whole affair. Among other things, he alleged that former President Goodluck Jonathan gave Fayose $37 million cash to prosecute the

Aluko’s confession on Ekiti poll poll in which security agents, including soldiers, were allegedly deployed against the opposition, the All Progressive Congress (APC) leaders in the state.

Apparently, the erstwhile PDP stalwart in Ekiti State fell out with Fayose when the latter reneged on his pre-election promise to make Aluko his chief of staff. Until their once rosy political relationship went awry, Aluko was PDP’s chief agent who endorsed the election results. At the election petition tribunal, he testified on oath that

the poll was free and fair.

By his voluntary confession, Aluko has held himself out as a participant in an orchestrated electoral offence. The implication is that by his own admission, his testimonies at the election petition tribunal were odious lies calculated to mislead the judges. In the eye of the law, Aluko is also culpable for perjury.

Aluko’s conduct is a morbid reflection of the cesspool of corruption and fraud that

characterise our electoral system.

We therefore urge that the anticorruption crusade of President Muhammadu Buhari should be extended to those who commit electoral fraud against the people.

Such individuals, irrespective of the political party they belong to, should be prosecuted.

We also restate our call on other security agencies to emulate the army’s example by investigating the involvement of their officers and men in the controversial Ekiti governorship election. Those who are found to have played ignoble roles by compromising their professional etquettes should be punished accordingly to serve as a deterrent to others.

This is the only way to restore sanity to the nation’s electoral system. If Aluko’s mind-boggling revelations are ignored, it will be an affront on our democracy and a failure of the rule of law.

OPINION Fore h, bad cchoices hoices and the orexx crunc crunch, and the Democratic Republic of Congo with future(2) 5 percent. 70 percent of Nigerians, most of Continued from yesterday

By Adewale Adebayo

T

HIS accounts for why at global gatherings and international meetings today, Nigeria is being derided as suffering from ‘resource curse’ -the paradox that developing countries with an abundance of natural reserves tend to enjoy worse economic growth than countries without minerals and fuels.

Meanwhile, the decline in foreign earnings we experience now wouldn’t have been as high as almost 70% if past leaders had used Nigeria’s oil wealth to diversify and deepen the structure of the country’s economy. It’s really sad we haven’t been too fortunate and blessed with visionary and uncommon leaders like the legendary Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore who moved his country from Third World to First, or the excellent team of leaders ruling the United Arab Emirates from Dubai to Abu Dhabi who built an amazing and beautiful country for their people from desert land which is now attracting visitors from around the world as the tourist destination of choice with its man-made wonders.

That is why Nigeria is the third country in the world with the highest percentage of the world’s poor. While India has 33 percent of the world’s poor, China has 13 percent and Nigeria is in third place with 7 percent. We are followed by Bangladesh with 6 percent

them reside in the rural areas, live below the poverty line of $1.25 a day according to the World Bank.

That is also why when popular columnist and TheCable founder, Simon Kolawole, wrote in his brilliantly-presented back-page article, “The Parable of Dollars and Dullards” in THISDAY Newspapers a few weeks back, that our age-old poor investment decisions and lack of foresight got us snookered, he was saying nothing but the undeniable and absolute truth. I believe our eyes are clear now. The cumulative effect of poor leadership decisions and choices including unpatriotic lifestyles adopted by some of us as Nigerians over the years is what we are now experiencing.

Whichever way we may want to look at it or analyse it, I just think the country would need to manage the outflow of forex from the economy until oil prices rebound and the inflow of forex improves. What we must however not overlook is that the scope of options or solutions are seriously limited

If we fail as citizens to pay our tax and refuse to hold government officials accountable on delivering electoral promises made, we will only be ruining our collective future

since scaling-up its supply into the country is clearly not within our control as a country or that of even the CBN. The little piece of good news though is that something can be done concerning what the country ’s diminishing stock of dollars in our foreign reserves can be used for because this is in our control. And I think this explains why the CBN decided to put some restrictions in place by limiting the list of goods that officially-sourced forex can be used to import aside the bank’s other intervention activities.

But much more than these, I believe looted funds being recovered by the government through the EFCC must be devoted to remarkably reducing the shameful level of poverty in the country through employment creation, boosting the industrial sector, improving agriculture and rural development, enhancing the provision of healthcare, scaling up the quality of education and physical infrastructure, as well as developing tourism and various basic social amenities as befits a country that prides itself as the largest economy in Africa and the 26th largest economy in the world.

Therefore, from bad choices, we can start making good choices. Now, whether we are ready and willing to pay the price and endure the hard times like the CBN Governor mentioned before the refreshing times return is what I cannot tell. But it’s certain that time, that revealer and decider of all things, will surely prove the choices our leaders are making on our behalf now and even the choices we are making ourselves as citizens.

With our over 170 million population, if we truly get our acts together, poverty can be seriously curbed in order to bridge the gap

between the rich and poor. I just believe there are lessons our country ’s economic managers like CBN Governor Emefiele and the Finance minister, Kemi Adeosun, can learn from the Senior Vice President and Chief Economist at the World Bank, Kaushik Basu, who famously explained at the IMF/ World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington in 2014 that to mitigate poverty and strive for a more equitable society requires determination but also ideas and innovation because ‘the ways of the economy can be strange.’

If the APC government of President Buhari works on fixing power and infrastructure and providing the enabling environment for manufacturing companies and small businesses to thrive, internal growth will be stimulated, even foreign investments will be attracted. But the government must equally show itself as respecting the rule of law by eliminating impunity and illegality in public office even as corrupt politicians being indicted are brought to justice. Even then, all Nigerians must also be ready to pay their tax much more than ever before. Frankly, if we fail as citizens to pay our tax and refuse to hold government officials accountable on delivering electoral promises made, we will only be ruining our collective future.

I will admit that doing all these won’t solve our problems in a day or a year but they would go a long way in helping us achieve our desire for a better country for ourselves, and a more beautiful and prosperous future for our children.

Concluded

•Mr. Adebayo, an economist,s wrote from Lagos.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBUARY 4 4,, 2016 – 19 Send Opinions & Letters to: opinions1234@yahoo.com

‘We are hungry' W

HEN the journey to Maiduguri came on stream last week, I was all over the place with mixed feelings. I was there last 25 years ago. I wanted to see what had become of it in this Boko Haram era. There were two other things I wanted to see. The first was life inside an InternallyDisplaced Persons’ (IDPs') camp.

The second was to make a personal assessment of where we really are with regard to the war on terror, beyond the banal propaganda pabulum that Buhari’s Information Minister, Lai Mohammed, and the military, regularly dish out.

When we hit the Maiduguri metropolitan roads I was all eyes, if you know what I mean. There is this jingle on radio and television about how to identify suicide bombers, and it seemed to me that I was seeing them everywhere – hijab-wearing women, al majiris (as is common in all Muslim Northern cities) tricycles carrying people and loads. There was a junction where a serious traffic holdup developed. Then, I saw this young man in his late twenties wearing very dirty trousers and

sweater. He had a greasy bag on his shoulders and looked (at least to me) like an inmate from Sambisa Forest. When I pointed him out to our driver, he laughed, and said Boko Haram cannot enter Maiduguri again.

“They will be caught by the civilian JTF and the soldiers before they come in”. His confidence helped calm my nerves a bit.

In Maiduguri alone, there are 30 IDP camps, plus another one in Biu, according to Ndahi Pindar Sawa, the Deputy Director of Press in the Office of the Governor of Borno State, who took us round.

We first visited the IDP camp at Damboa-Biu Road. After waiting for thirty minutes or so at the gate, we decided to move to the next one at the Teachers’ Quarters. This estate was built specifically for teachers, but before they were allocated the refugees started streaming in from the frontiers shellacked by Boko Haram.

When we got in there, I was attracted by a makeshift market the displaced persons had developed. Wherever human beings gather, there must be

economic activities. But these were people who only escaped from their communities with their lives.

A market developed by such people is like people who have nothing selling to people who have nothing!

I took some nice shots of the camp, its dwellers and market.

As we were about to get back into the car, a young man (obviously a member of the Civilian JTF) stopped me and informed me that some inmates of the camp wanted to speak with me. He volunteered to translate. Three elderly men stepped forward, and complained of hunger. According to them, the seven kitchens in the camp had not cooked any food for them in two days, and they had to make do with a watery pap which one of them showed me: your dog won’t touch it.

The life of a person uprooted from his community and put at the mercy of others for their upkeep is not enviable, to say the least. Fathers lose their dignity when they watch helplessly as hunger draws rings around their family members

Edo war of succession (2):: Never Sa Sayy Ne Nevver W

E are not easily carried away by the argument that new arrivals to a party should not show interest in the forthcoming governorship race. Comrade Adams Oshiomhole rightly maintains that all aspirants must have a level playing ground so that it will be to each according to his works.

In this numbers game, the defector is sometimes to be preferred to the aborigine for, while the latter came into the party alone, the former came in with a cluster of people who would normally go where he goes and vote where he votes. They are prepared to swim or sink with him.

It is a principal error in politics to trust a reconciled enemy. Let the leaders beware. Sometimes, the political turf becomes so clustered that you find it difficult to know who is who. Even among the people closest to you, there could be some working for the opposing political party. Their secret charge could be to push you into producing a weak candidate that could be easily defeated at the main poll.

Call it political espionage, if you wish; but every political party that is worth its salt should invest in some aspects of it.

After all, the end still justifies the means.

The APC has suddenly become the beautiful bride. The party certainly has its stars to thank for that. But the British novelist, Charlotte Bronte (1816-1855) left a poser: “Mosquitoes and other ugly insects hover over the candlelight; and the candlelight cannot drive them away. Does it mean that the candlelight has affection for all of them?”

In politics, number remains an asset that should not be squandered. That underscores why the party ’s primary should not be a do-or-die affair. Rather, it must be a way of cultivating loyalty and friendship between an incumbent and his successor.

C M Y K

As we speak, at least 10 State Governors are on the war-path with their predecessors. From the very beginning, we must remain resolute that Edo State cannot fall into that category.

Whoever wants to match wet soil must learn to throw water ahead. The rest of this piece will be devoted to examining some of the obvious rifts between incumbent governors and their predecessors with a view to avoiding the inherent pitfalls.

Never say never. Enter the Kebbi State Governor, Atiku Bagudu and his predecessor, Saidu Dakingari: Dakingari of the PDP fell out with many PDP chieftains in the State prior to the party’s primaries. He vowed never to hand over to Bagudu who was also a PDP member at the time.

Bagudu lost the party’s primaries and 24 hours later, he defected to the APC where he emerged the party’s candidate.

He later won the governorship election

The APC must immediately begin to see the impending war of succession for what it is – a war between the APC and the PDP! The worst same-party successor is better than the best opposition successor

Well as a child nearly fifty years ago in Biafra, I was a refugee (now such people are called IDPs). We were driven into a forest known as Agbo Ogbele in Abiriba.

Incidentally, the officer who led the Federal troops for the operation was General Muhammed Shuwa, who Boko Haram assassinated in his residence in Maiduguri in November, 2012. See life!

The life of a person uprooted from his community and put at the mercy of others for their upkeep is not enviable, to say the least.

Fathers lose their dignity when they watch helplessly as hunger draws rings around their family members. Of course, we reported the matter to Governor Kassim Shettima, who immediately called in a young man, probably his assistant on IDPs, to find out why (and if) the cooking stopped and report back.

“If I have not heard from you before I get to the airport I will go myself and investigate”.

Truth is: feeding about two million people twice or thrice a day is no mean budget. Right now, the camps are being run by the National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA) and their state counterparts (SEMA). These bodies provide the IDPs with food, and they are run

by Nigerian civil servants (with all the corner-cutting antics you see everywhere). Meanwhile, where is General TY Danjuma’s committee?

The good thing, though, is that the Borno State Government is ready for the end of the insurgency.

We were shown an armada of agricultural machineries (some of which are found nowhere else in the country) stocked and ready for deployment once peace returns.

and since then, the duo cannot be left in the same room.

Conflicts are inevitable. Even in the small chamber, the mouth, the tongue and the teeth are the closest neighbours. They still quarrel; and when they quarrel, they settle. When a man who has been loyal to you for long offends you, you must talk it over with him and let life continue.

Transparency is golden. Sometimes, the excessive love for money can drive a wedge between two friends. Kano State is one of the very few States in our current democratic experiment, where a governor has been succeeded by his erstwhile deputy. To the outside world, former Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso could never have found a more loyal follower than his deputy, Dr. Umar Ganduje. They were together for the two terms.

Anyone who saw the duo anywhere in their immaculate white apparel always with the red cap to match could have sworn that nothing on earth could ever go wrong between them. But today, they are at daggers-drawn. Listen to Ganduje’s recent outburst: “I have decided to let the cat out of the bag… For one year, Kwankwaso did not pay a single kobo as tuition fees for our students abroad. Right now, Kano State owes those students N3 billion….” With a bit of transparency, the problem here would have been obviated.

Don’t live and let die: The case of Anambra State is rather pathetic.

Former Governor Peter Obi got a standing ovation across the world when he announced that he was leaving N75 billion cash in the till. His successor, Willie Obianor, was yet gnashing his teeth on how he would preside over the disbursement of N75 billion wind-falls.

Meanwhile, traditional rulers, labour leaders, contractors, and other

The same applies for a gigantic array of water supply machines for year-round agriculture. Borno is ready to go big time into commercial, mechanised farming when peace returns.

So, when will this peace return?

That is the question. A BIG, question. Federal Government and the Army paint a picture of an insurgency that has been, according to Lai Mohammed, “technically defeated”. They say Boko Haram has been “so degraded that it could no longer plan attacks”. Oh yeah? During our tour of projects in Maiduguri, we were to visit an irrigation project at Alau, which, I understand, is very close to Dalori. That was on Tuesday, 26th January.

When we found that we were driving out of Maiduguri we became apprehensive. There was this severe security atmosphere, yet lorries, buses and trucks laden with goods and agricultural products were being let through checkpoints with minimal checks. We decided to discontinue the journey despite assurances by officials that there was no problem.

Four days after we came back to Lagos, Boko Haram stormed Dalori and killed nearly 100 people. They also hit towns in Adamawa. ‘TECHNICALLY DEFEATED”? Incidentally, it was the same officer who said there was no problem that called me to report the Dalori massacre! More attacks hit Bulabulin Umarari, two kilometres outside Maiduguri and Muna Garage within it since then.

Our media colleagues told us that the defeat of Boko Haram is only “half done”, as they still maintain some presence in up to half of the 27 local government areas!

stakeholders were quick to brand Obianor as wicked for not wanting to freely spend the huge amount left by his predecessor.

Little did anyone know that what Peter Obi called cash-in-hand were basically investment in stocks, bonds and other nonperforming equities arranged by Obi in his final days in office; long-term uncompleted assets that will not earn cash until they are completed; various sums spent in rehabilitating federal roads in the State for which re-imbursements may come in the distant future; computation of the State’s share of the Excess Crude Account contributed as capital to the Nigerian Sovereign Wealth Fund in 2010, etc.

Again, Obi left a financial burden of N185 billion for contracts awarded in the final hours of his tenure.

Obianor had to cry out and that today is the source of the conflict between him and Obi. As frightening as the foregoing cases may be, the cut-throat rivalry between the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, and his predecessor, Rotimi Amaechi, fritters all of them into insignificance.

Translated to the Edo State situation, the APC must immediately begin to see the impending war of succession for what it is – a war between the APC and the PDP! The worst same-party successor is better than the best opposition successor.

For Edo State APC, it is not too early to invite Harry Song to add one stanza to his Reggae and Blues: Fight the battle, fight the war… I do, I do Win the battle, win the war… I do, I do.

20—Vanguard, THURSDAY THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016

It was however gathered that N20 million was spent on the project, even as a total of $1 million was reported to have been expended on the entire institution in the last six years.

In his remarks, PresidentGeneral Worldwide of the institution, Prof. Oritsegbemi Omatete commended the Delta State governor, Sen Ifeanyi Okowa, the alumni association and friends of the institution for being part of the restoration of GCU. Similarly, National Publicity Secretary of GCUOBA, Mr. Stephen Ighofose, said the association would not rest on its oars until it ensures that the institution remains on the path of greatness.

Unquantifiable achievements

Dignitaries at the commissioning of the renovated facilities at Government College, Ughelli.

Government College Ughelli revels in $1 million facelift

By Charles Kumolu

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HE 2016 reunion day of Government College Ughelli ,GCU, was indeed an opportunity for the school’s old students to give back to an institution that was literally a springboard for them.

It was an event that attracted public office holders, former students, teachers, parents and students, among others, to the prestigious institution which ranks among the premiere secondary schools in Nigeria.

Recovering the lost glory Buoyed by the impressive attendance, the national executive committee of the old students under the auspices of Government College, Ughelli Old Boys Association, GCUOBA, further restated its commitment to recover the lost glory of the college.

Prominent in this pursuit, Vanguard gathered, are efforts at having a conducive learning environment and raising students with excellent academic performance and character.

Among the activities at the forum, were the reviews of the goals and principles of GCU as C M Y K

well as the inspection of the school’s facilities.

Of the properties inspected, the Orerokpe House stood out

given its impressive new look.

Vanguard Metro checks revealed that the hall of residence which was hitherto in a dilapi-

dated state for decades, was renovated by the alumni association.

“Government College Ughelli is a unique educational institution. Its numerous and unquantifiable achievements constitute a study in its uniqueness that lay in its efforts and demonstrable abilities to achieve very much and excel,” he noted.

Continuing, Ighofose said: “Indeed, it can be said with honour, truthfulness and pride that every generation of students had produced its own heroes and leaders for the nation at the highest levels.

Therefore, old boys would not let this generation of students become an exception.”

Fuel crisis: DPR reads riot act to oil marketers

By Chidi Nkwopara, OWERRI

O

BVIOUSLY in response to the lingering fuel crisis and the loud complaints by suffering consumers, the management of the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, may have decided that enough was enough. And to demonstrate its feeling in this regard, it has warned all petroleum products marketers that it would not hesitate to commensurately sanction those who indulge in varying despicable acts in the procurement and distribution of petroleum products.

The Zonal DPR Operations Controller, Ogbuefi Morrison Nwokedi, read the riot act at a one-day sensitization seminar organised by DPR for members of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, and other stakeholders in Owerri.

“Henceforth, the brazen violation of sealed fuel stations by marketers, would attract a penalty of N1 million, in addition to closure for a period of six months.

Subsequent violation would attract seizure of operation license”, Nwokedi said.

While warning that the retail outlets of violators would be sealed, the zonal DPR boss equally warned that anybody found to be operating with invalid, adulterated or expired licence, would attract instant closure of the erring marketer.

Ogbuefi Nwokedi, who was particularly not happy at the way DPR officers carrying out their legitimate duties were being molested by aggressive marketers, equally kicked against the diversion and hoarding of fuel, as well as abandonment of the retail outlets on sighting DPR officials.

Monitors and regulators “When we seal any fuel station, it is for a particular purpose. Again, whenever this occurs, do not defy our action because the penalty is always grave and we must enforce it because we must do our job as monitors and regulators,” Nwokedi explained.

He then called for what he termed

“sustainable synergy between the DPR and IPMAN”, adding that the DPR would soon introduce Information Stickers on all available fuel pumps in the South East to inform consumers to dial particular numbers whenever the need arose.

Additionally, Ogbuefi Nwokedi announced that “the establishment’s Health Safety Environmental Audit, HSE, which is advisory in nature, will be carried out by DPR officers from this week”.

Speaking also, the Imo State Chairman of IPMAN, Chief Christopher C. Amadi absolved members of his association of allegations of sharp practices in the selling of the commodity.

He pleaded with the Federal Government to always make the product directly available to his members to enable them sell at government approved prices.

Representatives of the Imo State Police Command, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, the Owerri Capital Development Authority, OCDA, attended the workshop.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016 — 21

Manufacturing sector to grow by 5% in 4 years — MAN government policies and the investment climate.”

Moreover, thousands of Nigeria’s leading manufacturing experts will meet for the third annual MPAD & inaugural Nigeria Manufacturing Expo (MAN Expo) in Lagos from 15-17 March, which will be launched in response to the government’s commitment to industrialisation and Nigeria’s need to diversify.

However, he added that the country is full of business

By Ediri Ejoh

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HE Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, MAN, has expressed its desire to grow Nigerian manufacturing sector by 5 percent per annum within the next four years.

MAN is currently collaborating with Manufacturing Partnerships for African Development (MPAD) to hold an Expo in Lagos,March,2016, where it hopes to meet thousands of industry experts as a way of realising that dream.

The Chairman Economic Policy Committee (EPC) of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, MAN, Reginald Odiah, who made this disclosure, stated that “My vision is to see a Nigerian manufacturing sector that is developing and achieving a GDP growth of 5% per annum for the next four years”.

The Association however called for a massive investment to take the Nigerian manufacturing sector to the next level, adding that they hope “that the expected investment will come from two fronts – internally from local investors who will take advantage of new government policies and support via the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN and Bank of Industry, BOI to expand their existing businesses and move into new areas of manufacturing.

“And then foreign investors who will want to take advantage of the new

$120.50

CURRENCY SELLING US DOLLAR POUNDS EURO FRANC YEN CFA WAUA RENMINBI RIYAL KRONA SDR

Substandard goods: SON to blacklist local, foreign companies

0.65

By Godfrey Bivbere

T

0.07

$33.79

1.07

$30.84

0.96

196 196.5 282. 7692 283. 4906 214.032 214.578 191. 9123 192. 4018 1.6218 1.626 0.31 0.32 269. 3673 270.0544 29.7863 29. 8628 52. 2263 52.3595 28.6722 28.7453 270. 0488 270.7377 4266

being that it is an election year and government attention was majorly drawn into electioneering and winning the elections. Very little attention was paid to other sectors of the economy, especially manufacturing as is usual at these times.

“We are hoping and looking forward to Government now giving more time to the Real Sector – Manufacturing and Agriculture. We hope to prepare ourselves working with Government towards addressing the challenges of moving the real sector forward in 2016.”

VISIT: From left, Finance Director, CD&BB Finance, Unilever Nigeria, Arnoud Wisse; Vice President, Finance Africa, Unilever, Mr. James Todd; Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi; Executive Vice President ,Finance Africa, Unilever, Steve Weiner; and National Finance Director, Unilever Nigeria, Mrs. Adesola Sotande-Peter during a courtesy visit to the Emir of Kano, in his palace.

$2,765.00 4.00 $13.06

opportunities that investors can tap to offset the current economic crash.

His words: “To the prospective investors I say that Nigeria has very wide and unexploited business prospects ranging from solid mineral exploitation to Agriculture / Agro-allied etc.

“There are opportunities for investors that have true love and interest in investing in Nigeria” The laws of the land are becoming more liberal and investor friendly.”

He argued that 2015 was particularly a difficult year for local manufacturers, “reason

BUYING 197 284. 2119 215.124 192.8914 1.6301 0. 33 270. 7416 29.9392 52. 4927 28.8184 271.

CBN Exchange rate as at 03/02/2016

HE Standard Organisation of Nigeria, SON, is set to commence blacklisting of both local and foreign companies involved in the manufacturing and importing of substandard goods into the country.

Making this known to Vanguard in an exclusive interview in Lagos, Director General of SON, Joseph Odumodu, said “Blacklisting would enable SON deal with those involved in the manufacturing and importation of substandard products into the country.

He noted that the step was necessary to enable SON collate data of those involved in the manufacturing and importation of products in the country.

He said, “We need to know the manufacturers because we need to begin to blacklist them.

Every time we accost a container on the road, there are no documents. You only

see a container, a driver and the escort that is all, nothing else. We do not even know who owns the container and we do not want to continue that way, we need to continue to probe all these containers.

“In fact today, if we seize any container and we do not see who owns it ,we will never release it and when it stays for a period of three months we will do what the law said we should do.

“It also empower us to collect data. The fact is that for a regulated product today, you do not have the right to put it in the market if you have not registered it and what we ask for is information on where the product is coming from, who made it and from where.

“The reason we asked for this is that, if you want to put a product in the market you must be responsible for any untoward effects of that product that is product liability insurance.

Total intensifies zero accident campaign

By Peter Egwuatu

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OTAL Nigeria Plc has intensified its zero tolerance for accident with measures aimed at guarding safety tracks and mitigate against incidents.

Managing Director, Mr. Alexis Vovk who stated this at Total AAA Challenge Awards, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State where some staff and dealers were rewarded for their outstanding performance last year, said safety is of paramount importance in Total’s everyday operations, as the company pays utmost attention to the safety of its operations, installations, sites and human capital.

According to him, the company has taken steps to outline some key performance indices to guard its safety tracks. He listed the indices to include introduction of mobile money/electronic payment for services in Total stations, reinforcement of strong rooms in the stations, multiple banking and regular change in the means of banking cash in the stations and constant training and retraining of station staff on assault management.

While challenging the dealers to make safety their watchwords, he said “the ultimate safety watchword is vigilance! We therefore implore you all to endeavor to abide by laid down company safety rules, strategies and procedures. With this in place, we can achieve the zero accident objective of the group, only if we try to make concerted efforts towards our collective and individual safety goals”.

He also stressed the need for the staff to sustain their commitment towards constant innovation and creativity in their services. “This is demonstrated in our Tair network image with enhanced diversified offers in our Bonjour, Total Service, Total Wash, M-payment, Bio-wash (water-less carwash), Etisalat kiosks and Total card. This places us ahead of competition and prepares the future for an uncertain and competitive playing ground in the industry,” he said.

22—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016

Most of the foreign loans obtained are yet to be utilised due to the dissolution of the NEXIM board

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CBN approves N300bn export stimulation fund for NEXIM The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has approved a N300 billion export stimulation fund for the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM).

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EXIM’s Managing Director, Robert Onya said during a visit of the House of Representatives Committee on Banking and Currency, that the bank also got additional N50 billion from the CBN for rediscounting and refinancing of loans obtained by investors from commercial banks, with a one year tenor.

Briefing the committee members on the activities of the bank over the past five years, the NEXIM chief noted that most of the foreign loans obtained are yet to be utilised due to the dissolution of the NEXIM board, and the non- constitution of a new one.

He said only $33 million was disbursed from the $200 million African Development Bank (AfDB) facility obtained in 2011 for financing Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), because of delay in obtaining approval for Sovereign Guarantee, adding that the Board was dissolved while they were waiting for customers.

Onya also said only $23.1 million has so far been utilised from the additional $200 million obtained from African Export bank.

He said the bank has so far paid $10.7 million interest on the $200 million loan obtained from AfDB which is expected to expire by January 21, 2021, in spite of non-utilisation of the loan.

Non-utilisation of the loan According to him, out of the $50 million approved in the first tranche, $8.6 million has been utilised while $11.9 million approved is yet to be accessed and disbursed.

The NEXIM boss remarked that the bank’s single obligor is $3.6 billion, but the bank reduced it to $1.8 billion so as to make the facilities go round. He said the bank is making efforts to recover the non-performing loans prior-2010, which the CBN directed should be put into the Memorandum Account instead of it being written-off.

On the successes of the bank so far, he said the effort of the new administration to diversify the economy has started yielding positive results as two Nigerian companies have secured multi-million dollar off-take to export gold to China.

He said Loratt Minerals Limited, Gusau in Zamfara State secured take-off loans valued at $5 million and Issh-Ass Limited, Sokoto got loan worth N100 million, adding that the project is expected to commence by March this year.

According to him, the bank has generated income totalling N5.6 billion in four years, from its initial N15. 5 billion investment portfolio.

Chairman of the House Committee urged President Muhammadu Buhari to constitute the board of NEXIM bank so the bank could disburse the un-utilised funds available which require the board’s approval.

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BUSINESS

Business lessons from Richard Branson

By Yinka Kolawole, with agency report Like many entrepreneurs, Richard Branson loves creating things. He sees problems in the world and provides solutions. He has established many different businesses, developing over 100 brands in the process. Branson has given a lot of advice along the way.

Here he advises entrepreneurs on starting a business.

your job – perhaps by delegating some work – so that you can spend as much time as possible turning this energy to your company’s advantage.”

He says that making money shouldn’t be a main motivator. “Above all, you should work on building a

to say: “Because I sometimes think in life you’ve got to dream big by setting yourself seemingly impossible challenges. You then have to catch up with them. You can make what people believe is impossible possible if you set big

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HALLENGE the status quo He counsels that entrepreneurs should challenge the accepted wisdom and encourage their staff to do the same. Look at things from the point of view of the customer. An example where Virgin took a totally unique perspective on things: Virgin Money is a bank in Britain where the branches look more like living rooms than banks.

There are tables for Wi-Fi, newspapers, and comfortable seating. This eliminates lines and teller windows.

“It’s important to create something different, something that will stand out,” he says.

Create value Branson says that he starts a business only if it will improve people’s lives. He was unhappy with the customer service he was getting from British Airways, so he started a new airline, Virgin Atlantic, which is focused around the customer.

Building something you’re passionate about is important as well.

Building an airline If Branson hadn’t been passionate about building an airline, he wouldn’t have put so much time into getting the staff, buying the aircraft, and working hard to turn it into a viable business.

Keep things simple “It is vitally important to present a clear, concise plan that investors can easily understand and repeat to their own people. In the first meeting, avoid overly complicated, numbers-laden presentations,” Branson counsels. He also advises entrepreneurs to give a clear explanation of why their business will be sustainable and pull through technological changes and shifts.

“Nothing stays the same for long, so explain how you plan to tackle the inevitable technological changes and market shifts that are heading your way.”

Self-motivate According to Branson, entrepreneurs need to be good self-motivators. He advises that entrepreneurs use it to their advantage. “It’s important to understand what your main motivation is so that you can focus your efforts on reaching those goals. Then structure

*Sir Richard Branson, Founder of Virgin Group

business you’re proud of. This has always been a motivator for me, from my Student magazine days, through to our latest startups today. I have never gone into any business purely to make money. If money is your only motive, then I believe you shouldn’t launch the business at all.”

Dream big Branson’s first book, Losing my Virginity, was almost titled Talking Ahead of Yourself. Branson goes on

Nothing stays the same for long, so explain how you plan to tackle the inevitable technological changes and market shifts that are heading your way

Characteristi There are basic characteristics that set entrepreneurs apart from everybody else.

The following are some of them:

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ONFIDENCE Confidence is one of the most essential characteristics of an entrepreneur. You must be confident in your business idea. If you don’t believe in your business nobody else will. Doing the proper research and planning when starting a business can help reassure you about your business idea.

Determination An entrepreneur must be determined to succeed.

Expect to face obstacles.

Starting a small business is no

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016 — 23

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During meetings, tell your people that you are the CEO but not the custodian of wisdom

& YOU enough targets. Flying from New York to Australia in, say, two hours. Can we do it in our lifetime?

I’m determined to try. If you don’t dream, nothing happens. And we like to dream big.”

First year is about surviving In your first year of running a business, your only goal should be surviving, he advises. “In a company’s first year, your goal should be simply to survive, and this will likely take everything you’ve got. No matter how tired or afraid you are, you have to figure out how to keep going.”

Choose investors carefully When examining investors, Branson suggests that you ask yourself, “Will this person or group give us the space and time we need to build a great business?” A “dictatorial financial partner” can ruin the spirit and enthusiasm of entrepreneurs, so ensure that your investor is someone who will let you run your company without

Understand what your main motivation is so that you can focus your efforts on reaching those goals

getting in the way or questioning every decision you make. Remember that it’s not all about the money and that the person you are bringing on is also important. They carry more than just a cheque book. According to Branson, the most important partnership you have is the one with your staff. He says that if you get that right, your chances of success are much higher.

Tips for success Branson gives entrepreneurs five tips for starting a successful business: Listen more than you talk; Keep it simple; Take pride in your work; Have fun, success will follow and; Rip it up and start again (don’t let failure be the end all, be all).

Avoiding startup mistakes When speaking on avoiding common startup mistakes, Branson gives these tips: Stay on target – You need to be clear and concise in explaining your idea. Be realistic about costs – Don’t underestimate the cost that it will take to launch your company. Hire people you need, not people you like – It’s been said that people would rather work with people they like than people who are competent. Branson says entrepreneurs may want to stay away from working with friends because, if they don’t work out, it will be difficult letting them go. Know when to say goodbye – Entrepreneurs need to know when to step away from the CEO role. This doesn’t mean turning your back on the business, but realising you’ll have a new role in the company which will allow you to focus more. *Culled from Kissmetrics

ics of an entrepreneur easy task but it can prove to be worthwhile if it becomes successful.

Persistence Persistence is a valuable characteristic of an entrepreneur.

Entrepreneurs will have to face obstacles and struggles when starting and running a business but they must be able to persist through the through the rough times.

Goal-oriented Entrepreneurs know what they want, and they are determined to achieve it. To an entrepreneur obstacles are merely challenges to overcome.

Problem solver An entrepreneur will face many problems when starting and

running a business. They must remain calm and not be afraid of making decisions. They will have to deal with problems big and small and may be pressured to make quick decisions.

Leader An entrepreneur prefers to be the one directing rather than the one taking orders. Entrepreneurs take on more control but along with that comes more responsibility. You must be able to take full responsibility for your actions.

Creativity Creativity can be a useful characteristic for an entrepreneur.

Creative entrepreneurs think of new ways to advertise their business.

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One trait every CEO needs in tough times “The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function”… F. Scott Fitzgerald

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him or HE current economic challenges herself have left CEOs and senior as a management with no choice than to review superstar. their personal traits by which they have N o worked in the time past. This is very C E O , important now more than ever given that executive, what brought results in our organisations or o r for the CEO in the time past, may not bring manager results anymore.

BY ‘UJU ONWUZULIKE will be a Speaking with leaders during my executive superstar management programs, one will easily decipher how uneasy most leaders are when without employees that are superstars. And it comes to receiving “opposing views” from one of the ways to make them superstars is to the lower rungs of the hierarchy. allow them to come up with their ideas and And this is why most CEOs and managers often opposing views on how best to make of people often find it difficult to gather candid things work. advice from their people as they have been Few weeks back, I had a discussion with a made to always tell the CEOs what they want newly appointed CEO in Nigeria, and I to hear and not what will make a difference deliberately said to him, you are not made and ultimately stir a turnaround for the the CEO because you are the organisation. smartest or brightest. And that In the area of not telling the applies to every CEO or CEO the truth, my insight titled, senior management. Having CEOs are “The CEO Without a Cloth”, threw that in mind that you were hardly more light. not chosen because you were The unusual trait every CEO told the the smartest goes a long way and senior management should to tell us that smartest ideas truth even have in these challenging times reside in everyone. that will set him or her apart is when they Of a truth, CEOs and “the ability to hold contradictions”. managers of any kind should genuinely This means, having an uncanny be adept in harvesting their request for predisposition, ability or capacity peoples’ ideas and views. to hold in their heads two Yes, I understand in the time one opposing views or ideas at once past we have been told to without hounding anyone. categorize people’s views or I deliberately referred to it as an ideas to be bad or good, and unusual trait, because many CEOs and as such we have been used to hold just one senior management are not used to having idea or view. Then anyone that goes outside people hold contrary views or oppose their what we believe or our way of thinking is views and ideas. termed contradictory or at worse opposing. I quickly told him to hold dear those that will Associates always tell him views that are quite different at work from his.

As a leader or CEO, you have already They often see it to mean that their powers, known what you know. And chances are that expertise and intelligence are being what you know might not be enough to drive undermined and not recognised. Come to your organisation to the desired destination. think of it, CEOs are hardly told the truth Interestingly, what others know are also even when they genuinely request for one, required. let alone getting them to see that their views So go out there and encourage your people and ideas are not seen to be superlative. to come up with their views and you will see As the Chief Results Officer of my amazing wonders. During meetings, tell your company, I have been known to be a people that you are the CEO but not the proponent of “don’t tell me what I said custodian of wisdom and that way encourage makes sense, rather, what do you have to them to be free and always come up with ideas say? and suggestions that will give your company So, with this, my associates at work will a competitive edge. always come with their views and most times In this age and time, what will stand a opposing or contrary views, but I have the leader or manager out is his or her ability to large heart to accommodate all their views. creatively resolve the apprehension between Years back, I remember asking someone a two or more opposing ideas or views by question during a retreat I was doing for an bringing about a new one that contains Oil and Gas company, and a young man elements of the others but is superior to all said, “I support what my MD has just said”. the views.

I insisted he comes up with his own These kinds of leaders or CEOs know that thought (original idea), lo and behold; his everyone's views in their organisation matter views brought a turn around to the company. so much, and having seen that believe, This is exactly what I am talking about. But employees are ready to come up with all kinds guess what, with that culture, everyone sees of views that can transform the organisation.

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24 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016

By Ebele Orakpo & Amaka Abayomi The sun will shine on those who are standing before it shines on those who kneel under them.

– Prof Chinua Achebe

This famous quote from the late Professor Achebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart, seems to be the attitude of government and society towards education of people with special needs in society. Very little is done towards educating ablebodied persons so it is not surprising that almost nothing is done towards educating the physically and mentally challenged, especially in the area of providing conducive environment and incentives for people to go into special education.

In this report, Vanguard Learning (VL) seeks the opinion of stakeholders on the state of special education, the challenges, expectations and the way forward. Excerpts:

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HE 2006 national census puts the figure of persons with disability in Nigeria at 3,253,169, with about 39 per cent of school age. This calls for concerted efforts by all and sundry to make life worthwhile for these people.

Special Education teacher training: According to Professor Joanne Umolu, a retired Professor of Special Education and Director of Jos-based Open Doors for Special Learners, she taught in the Special Education Department of the University of Jos from 1979 to 1999. "I was the first lecturer to teach in the newly created Learning Disabilities Unit.

Post-graduate programmes The other two units, Visual Handicap and Hearing Handicap had already started.

"In the beginning, the majority of our students were enrolled in a pre-degree programme but over the years, we have had enrolment in the degree and post-graduate programmes.

Many of our students did not choose to study Special Education; they were in our department because they couldn’t get admission to read the course of their choice.

Fortunately, although they were reluctant to study Special Education at first, many of them eventually became enthusiastic about the course.

This usually happened when they started interacting with individuals with disabilities,” C M Y K

•Children in a class at Open Doors

Special education, challenges, way forward she said.

Low enrolment: An accomplished media practitioner who spoke under condition of anonymity, told VL how he had to drop the idea of pursuing a programme in Special Education because friends and fellow students made mockery of him.

“I found Special Education interesting but the wise cracks made me opt for Educational Administration. I was called Oba awon abirun, (Yoruba phrase meaning King of the disabled)”, he said.

Umolu agreed that students outside the department look down on Special Education students.

EKO PROJECT: World Bank extends project, aims at optimum utlization of funds — Page 26

•Prof. (Mrs) Joanne Umolu

Peret Dakwat, a teacher at Open Doors and a Special Education graduate, said she did not apply for the course but was posted there after her remedial studies.

Motivation: Speaking on what led them into the special education field, Umolu said: “While I was still with Unijos, many parents used to come to the department seeking help for their children with disabilities. So when I left the university in September 1999, I decided to establish a special education centre to cater for such families.

"Our doors are open to children who are otherwise excluded from school. We provide specialised education tailored

Nigeria spends less than 0.01% on science and technology —Prof. Anya — Page 26

•Open Doors students creating beautiful works of art

to the individual needs for children with physical and learning disabilities such as Autism, Down’s Syndrome and Cerebral Palsy etc."

Speaking to VL, Dr. Dolapo Ogunbawo said she specialised in Education Psychology to enable her understand how to help other children going through the same challenge to overcome because she was a victim of learning difficulty as a child.

Learning difficulty A Doctor of Education Psychology who retired from the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate, and presently the School Development Manager, Lekki British International School, Lagos, said: “Like so many children, I grew up finding learning very challenging and my father, who believed in me, had to devise a way that enabled me to study and understand. While my mates would study for one hour and understand, my father made me study for four hours, and that really

helped me.”

“I got motivated in the field after my first teaching practice when I saw the different categories of children. It was then I fell in love with the course,” said Peret.

Mr. Pius, also a Special Education graduate and teacher at Open Doors, said apart from being motivated by God to go into the field, he saw it as “the most virgin field one may choose to spend his energy, resources, intellect and experience in. It is unending.”

A volunteer at Open Doors, Mr. Jim noted that "Special education is a neglected field in Nigeria.

I realised the needs of special people are as real as any other."

Blessing, another volunteer said she was motivated by compassion that filled her heart the first time she had a oneon-one interaction with a disabled person. "I felt I could give a little help.”

Getting teachers:Prof. Umolu said the centre has been lucky in terms of getting teachers and volunteers. "Almost all of our teachers went through the Special Education Dept of Continues on page 25

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016 — 25

Lagos begins infrastructure improvement in schools

By Amaka Abayomi

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Mr. Ayodeji Tinubu, Special Adviscer to Lagos State Governor on Sports (2nd left) presenting a cheque to students of Oriwu Model College, Ikorodu, for their outstanding performance in the Season Six of GTBank Principals' Cup in Lagos. With him is Mrs. Oyinade Adegite, Senior Manager, Corporate Communication and External Affiars, GTBank. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele

Special education, challenges, way forward Continues from page 24 UniJos. Every year, Special Education students are posted here for their internship so we are able to recruit some of them after they graduate."

Practising ex-students: Umolu regretted that "only a very small minority stay in the field. Part of the problem is that there are not enough opportunities for employment of special education graduates in the field so they end up as teachers in regular schools or they leave the teaching profession completely."

Role of govt/society: On the role of government and society, tyhe trespondents all agree on the need for a legislation on special education. “The government is not helping matters at all. There are many families who want to enroll their children in Open Doors but who cannot afford to do so.

Tremendous challenge Transporting the children to and from school is a tremendous challenge for many families, especially for children who cannot sit on their own. We have applied to Plateau State Government to be grant-aided since 2009 but up to now, we don’t receive any assistance from the state.

In Nigeria, many children who live with physical or learning disabilities are often shunned by their family or community; many of them are left isolated, and are discouraged from attending regular school. They end up feeling confused, alone and frustrated," said Umolu.

"Government should speed up legislation for Special Education and disability bills.

They should work with the community to eliminate stigma, bias and ignorance," said Jim. Blessing feels that government and society should C M Y K

give attention to special education teachers by providing better facilities and equipment at special education centres to help make the work easier. "Also, special education teachers should be placed on a better salary scale."

Peret asks for the provision of teaching equipment for special education centres. "Society and government should stop discrimination in job employment.

Pius believes that until special education teachers are paid living wages, most of them will keep doing other jobs (to supplement their income) and hence cannot do not fully concentrate on their work.

"They need to be paid well. The society must be regularly informed about special children and learn to accept such children."

Ogunbawo is of the view that Government should mandate all schools to establish special education department in their schools with the sole aim of catering for children who find learning challenging.

“The department would not be for only young children as

Many of our students did not choose to study Special Education; they were in our Department because they couldn’t get admission to read the course of their choice

it would offer skills training to those who are not academically inclined. This is because so many children are suffering because they don’t learn the way their peers learn and most time, their parents are at a loss as to what to do especially as majority of these children don’t have and physical or mental challenge.”

Way forward: "A bill to establish a Federal Special Education Commission is still pending. It must be passed and implemented. That is a priority now. Then each state should establish its Commission and fund it. Plateau State was the first state to pass a law establishing a Commission but we have yet to feel the impact.

Tremendous challenge When it is well funded and fully implemented, families of children from this state should receive some assistance in meeting the special needs of their children," said Umolu.

Experiences:Peret: "No regrets.

Special education is really a course to study. I have seen love in practice. I have to teach a thing several times."

Pius: "I realised I need to enlarge the scope of my knowledge in this field through research. The experiences have been practical and challenging.

I have no regrets at all."

Jim: "It has been challenging and fulfilling. Understanding and meeting needs is difficult but there is joy that comes from engaging and mediating for these persons."

Blessing: "The experience has been a blessing to me as a person because it has made me appreciate others more and also to see life in a broader and better view.

Jim: "No regrets at all because it has helped me to become aware of another level of humanism and to appreciate the irrepressibility of the human spirit."

AGOS State government has asserted that primary, secondary and tertiary institutions in the state would witness significant and measurable improvement in the quality of physical infrastructure and facilities.

This was disclosed by the Deputy Governor and Commissioner for Education, Dr. Oluranti Adebule, who said that the state has adopted a new school building, IBILE (Ikeja, Badagry, Ikorodu, LagosIsland and Epe), that would see to the provision of classrooms, laboratories, furniture, and other required amenities for the schools to function properly, to address the exponential growth in population which has put immense pressure on schools’ infrastructure thereby creating a huge infrastructural gap.

She said “We are not unmindful that most of our public secondary schools lack essential amenities such as water, electricity and toilet facilities, thus the need for the state government to provide them, as well as make available a safe and friendly

environment for learning in schools.

“The Ibile school building is a multi-purpose building project that has provision for 18 classrooms, art room, applied technology room, administrative office, counselling office, mechanical room, physical education room, resource/ special education room, restrooms, science facilities and laboratories, teachers’ preparation room, to mention a few.”

Acknowledging that the Federal Government, through the Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, and local governments are responsible for infrastructure and personnel in primary school level, the Deputy Governor reiterated the state government’s commitment to ensuring that the gaps in infrastructure development in primary education is filled by promptly contributing its own counterpart funding for their development.

“Presently there are 1007 early child care/primary schools and 506,000 pupils in the state and most of the structures are in very deplorable state so the need to carry out massive rehabilitation can’t be overemphasized."

Scrapping of NIMASA Maritime varsity in bad faith — CEPEJ

By Gabriel Ejuwa

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HE Centre for Peace and Environmental Justice (CEPEJ), has condemned the scrapping of the Nigerian Maritime University project proposed by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA. In a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Sheriff Mulade, the group stated that the university would have provided jobs to the teeming unemployed Nigerians and further stem the tide of youth restiveness in the riverine communities.

The group stated that the

cancellation amounts to denying the people of their right to development, adding that the terrain is part of Nigeria and produces 'reasonable income' for Nigeria.

CEPEJ warned the federal government against playing politics with development as every part of country deserves government’s attention and development.

It expressed dismay over the cancellation, saying that the varsity is not a private institution and should not have been tied to the 2015 presidential polls. It equally stated that government should not use it to punish ‘’the individual who promoted it and influence its location in the area.”

Enlight Schools to host inter-house sports competition

By Tare Youdeowei

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O fewer than 30 public and private schools in Ogun State are set to participate in this year’s annual inter-house sports competition organized by Enlight Group of Schools, Likosi in Simawa area of Ogun State, to bring together students from public and private schools to share, compete and improve their mental behaviour, on today at African Bethle School, Ewuoloja, Ogun State.

Enlight Schools, through the

Proprietress, Mrs. Olorunleke Modupe, called on government at all levels to give priority to athletics and encourage both students in public and private schools, particularly in rural communities.

“This will encourage our students to participate in sporting activities like their counterparts in the city. Athletics has business potentials, sport activities have been contributing positively to the economic growth of nations, just as sports is also important to health,” she said.

26 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016

Nigeria spends less than 0.01% on science and technology — Prof Anya

By Tare Youdeowei

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PRACTICALS: From left, Prof. Anya Anya, Pro-Chancellor, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Keynote Speaker; Mrs. Peace Nnabogwu, Country Director, Science Ambassadors Foundation and Prof. Oluwole Familoni, Patron, Science Ambassadors Foundation , at the Largest Practical Science Lessons, themed: "Science, Technology and Development: The Preconditions for Synergy," at University of Lagos.

EKO PROJECT: World Bank extends project, aims at optimum utlization of funds

By Dayo Adesulu & Olowoopejo Monsurudeen

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HE World Bank has granted Lagos State Government six months extension on EKO project, to allow the government completely utilise the $42.3 million loan tranche for the project.

The project which started June 16, 2009, was expected to elapse December 31, 2015.

However, the World Bank upon the application received from the State governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, granted six month extension which ends June 2016, to allow completion of existing projects in the State education sector.

The Board of Executive Directors of the World Bank had in 2014 approved $42.3 million to the state government after an initial $95 million approved for the project six years ago.

Deputy Governor, Dr. Oluranti Adebule who disclosed this during a press briefing at Alausa Secretariat, Ikeja, on the focus of government in the education for 2016, said that the fund left in the tranche would be used for projects in the sector especially the procurement of IBILE (Ikeja, Badagry, Ikorodu, Lagos-Island and Epe) tablets for secondary school students.

According to her, “Given the importance of the tablet as a tool for learning, the senior students will be the first beneficiaries that would be deployed soon. We will be providing for students in the 324 schools in the state.”

She noted that the funds would also be used to construct the first 10 IBILE schools with state of the art facilities across the state.

Adebule explained that the criteria for siting the IBILE schools would be the need for it.

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The deputy governor who also oversees the State Ministry of Education, added; “It would be sited in schools and communities that need it. We know that there are so many schools or communities demanding for schools or additional structures.”

Adebule stated that the state government was putting a searchlight on the standard of education in the private schools, saying it will no longer be business as usual for such schools that undermine best practices.

She said as a first step, the government will engage with private school owners and proprietors to intimate them on the action plan of the present administration towards improving the standard of education, adding that though government is willing to partner with private schools, they must also be willing to adhere strictly to the acceptable standard.

Earlier, Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Mr. Obafela Bank-Olemoh, while giving a detailed presentation on the policy thrust of Governor Ambode’s administration for the education sector, said plans been concluded to construct the biggest digital library.

The Special Adviser stated that the aim of the government was to surpass the present achievement in the continent, noting that the largest in Africa was established by the Egyptian government.

He said government was already at the planning stage of the library, while the actual establishment of the project would commence in the next quarter of the year.

Bank-Olemoh said the state government will build two new technical colleges in the course of the year in areas where such facilities are urgently needed.

He noted that one of such axis was Badagry, saying “we realized that it is one aspect of education that we must strengthened in order to build capacity and skills of the technical students.”

On the free meal in schools project, he said the state government is currently perfecting its framework for the eventual take off, saying that the project is expected to, on the one hand, enhance the learning capacity of the pupils and on the other, boost the economy of the state.

On LASU Worried by the rate of unemployment, Bank-Olemoh stated that the government has concluded plans to embark on “employability and entrepreneurship training for graduates of Lagos State University, LASU. “This is to ensure that no graduate from the state's institutions leaves without being employable and for those who have sellable ideas, this programme will help you fine tune it,” he added.

HE Pro-Chancellor, Michael Opara University, Abia State, Prof.

Anya o. Anya, has decried poor government spending on science and technology, noting that a paltry 0.01 percent is expended which gives rise to little or no innovation in Nigeria.

He expressed his feelings while giving a keynote address at the Science Ambassadors Foundation’s Largest Practical Science Lessons, titled Science, Technology and Development; The Preconditions for Synergy, at the University of Lagos Sports Complex.

His words; “Successful nations spend 2-7% of GDP on science.

Nigeria spends less than 0.01% on science and technology, as such we cannot make it. We will continue to advocate because unless Nigeria gets it right we are going nowhere. I know your generation will get it right. We need to realise that the natural resources are not just for consumption. Botswana has recognised this and ensures they do not take more than their share. They leave for the next generation, unlike Nigerian politicians.”

Speaking to the over 1500 secondary school students in attendance, Prof. Anya continued; “Despite the rot in Nigeria outstanding people are still being produced but because conditions are not favourable for innovation, they go outside and grow. Thus we export our skills then import the produce of their skills.

“There is no organisation or institution in Nigeria where researchers can get research money and invariable grow the economy. This generation is training entrepreneurs and this gives hope as entrepreneurship brings forward thinking that would then support innovation and growth. This gives a glimmer of hope.”

Highlighting the aim of the

Foundation while delivering the welcome address titled Rational for Science Advocacy among Youths, it’s Patron, Prof.

Oluwole Familoni of the Department of Chemistry, University of Lagos, said; “Our aim is to popularize science in Nigeria so that young people will propose in their hearts to read science and not just as a way out when there is no other option.

Persons that do it to please family do not do well. Those who do it out of passion become innovative, thus using it for the development of themselves and the nation at large. The idea is to make science indigenous because anything developed outside Nigeria is not for Nigeria.

If youths love science and practice it here, it is innovation in Nigeria.

“Presently, secondary school students are creating bomb frequency detectors and automatic changeovers. What we are doing is to encourage them, have more children partake, at a young age as that is the most innovative stage. We do not just want sit-down scientists, we want to encourage innovations that would change the world. Innovation is never finished , there is always another step. We are striving to have the largest gathering of scientists doing practicals to break the Guinness book of records.”

Concurring, Mrs. Peace Nwagbogu, Country Director, Science Ambassadors Foundation said; “This is a science advocacy NGO concerned with the improvement of science education in the country. Our aim is to showcase to the young ones the importance of science education and the application to everyday life. “ We aimed to have the largest practical science lessons in the world but we could only achieve the largest in Nigeria. So we are appealing to stakeholders lend their voice to this initiative so we can engage more of our young ones in science."

McPherson varsity holds 4th matriculation

By Laju Iren

M

cPherson University, Seriki-Sotayo, Ogun State, recently held its fourth matriculation ceremony, with 102 new students inducted into the varsity’s Colleges of Social and Management Sciences, Natural and Applied Sciences and Humanties.

The Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Adeniyi Agunbiade, told the new students: “We here maintain a culture of academic excellence in line with our vision of building people of excellence and

integrity for service.

"This aptly summarizes that expectation. This varsity expects you to bring the very best, intellectually and morally, out of yourself, and it expects you to place those excellent potentialities in the service of our motherland, Nigeria and the entire larger world to the glory of God. “McPherson University cannot and will not harbor drug peddlers and gamblers and will not tolerate misconduct, indecent dressing, immoral behaviours and all forms of examination malpractice,

cultism and other social vices. I therefore advise you to keep away from those crimes as the varsity Senate will not hesitate in placing heavy sanctions, ranging from rustication to outright expulsion of students found guilty of any of them once proven."

At the pre-matriculation lecture held earlier to mark the event, Managing Director at the Nigeria Police Mortgage Bank, Mr. Bola Adeboye, who served as guest lecturer, spoke on entrepreneurship as a panacea to Nigeria’s development.

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016—27

As S-Court decides on Saraki vs CCT on jurisdiction

By Abdulwahab Abdulah

A

S the Supreme Court of Nigeria, tomorrow, decides the appeal filed by the Senate president, Dr Bukola Saraki, over his trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), three knotty issues are primed for adjudication.

In recent days the apex court had sprang surprises, which invariably lead to anticipations from Nigerians as to what would be the outcome of the arguments canvassed by both parties on the legality or otherwise of the trial of the Senate president by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) .

As it is, the panel of seven Justices of the court is expected to interprete paragraph 15 (1) of the fifth schedule of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, regarding the composition of the tribunal as well as determine the issue of whether the CCT is a court of criminal jurisdiction.

Directive of the Attorney General Outside these, the court is also to determine whether a lawyer from the Attorney General of the Federation’s , AGF, office can file charges at the tribunal without a directive of the Attorney General as contained in section 174 (1) of the 1999 constitution, as amended.

Paragraph 15 (1) of the fifth schedule to the constitution as amended provides that: “There shall be established a tribunal to be known as Code of Conduct Tribunal which shall consist of a Chairman and two other persons.”

The Abuja division of the appeal court had on October 30 delivered a judgement which is the subject of appeal now. The court had a split judgement of two to one where in the majority judgement delivered by Justices Moore Adumein and Mohammed Mustapha dismissed Saraki’s appeal. In its majority judgement, the appeal court held that these two provisions merely provide for the establishment of the tribunal and it’s composition.

“There is no provision on

both the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, 2004, specifying the minimum number of members of the Tribunal who must be present before the tribunal can validly undertake and or conduct it’s judicial business, proceedings or sittings.

Lacuna in constitution, Act Therefore, there is a lacuna in the constitution and the Act. In a situation like this, the interpretation Act becomes a very useful piece of legislative ingenuity to fill the gap or lacuna.”

Section 28 of the interpretation Act states: ”Notwithstanding anything contained in any Act or any other enactment, the quorum of any tribunal, commission of inquiry (including any appeal tribunal established for the purpose of hearing any appeal arising therefrom) shall not be less than two (including the chairman): provided that the chairman and the member shall be present at every sitting of the tribunal, commission of inquiry throughout the duration of the

On the the limited jurisdiction of the CCT, Justice Karibi-Whyte said, “It’s jurisdiction is limited to the subject matter listed therein and as prescribed by the National Assembly

NBA 2016 Presidency: Arewa okeys Gadzama, Mahmoud protest

Chairman, CCT, Justice Danladi Umar.

trial or hearing.”

According to the justices, Section 28 is applicable to this case, meaning, the tribunal made up of chairman and one member is properly constituted as decided by the appellate court.

However, Justice Joseph Ekanem JCA, in a dissenting judgement opposed the lead judgement. He held that the CCT is not a court of criminal record and said:” Speaking for myself, it is my view that the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) is not a court strictly so speaking and so it cannot be described as a Court of criminal jurisdiction....

He added: “It is my view its not a superior court of record as envisaged in section 6 (3) and (5)(a)-(i) of the constitution of Nigeria 1999 (as amended). It is not includes in sub-section 5 (a)-(i) as one of the superior courts of records in Nigeria.”

There have been divided opinions on the issues raised by the appellant before the Supreme Court. While some legal minds opined that the Interpretation Act cannot supercede the provisions of the constitution, especially as stated in paragraph 15 (1) of the fifth schedule used the word

Can w e ref orm we reform Judiciar y with N70b budget?

Senate President, Bukola Saraki

“shall”, which makes it mandatory for the tribunal to be composed of three members as stated in the constitution, others argued that that does not preclude the Tribunal from hearing the matter referred to it..

In a situation where only two members are sitting (Chairman and other member), and there is a dissenting judgement between them, the question is: which judgement would prevail?

In an article with Vanguard Law and Human Rights, a Whyte in his analysis of the provisions has said that the jurisdiction of the Code of Conduct Tribunal is confined and limited to the Conduct clearly outlined in paragraphs 1 – 13 of the Fifth Schedule.

Provisions of the Code He noted: “The conduct proscribed has been stated in considerable detail and appears to be exhaustive. These are the only powers it can legally and lawfully exercise.

“It is pertinent to observe that the law which enables the CCT to try persons who have contravened the provisions of the Code have carefully avoided the use of the expression criminal to describe the conduct so punished. It does not contemplate any other conduct, Epressio unius est exclusio alterius. Rather it provides in paragraph 18(3) that the sanctions in paragraph 18

(2) may be imposed, without prejudice to the penalties in any law where the conduct is also a criminal offence.”

Limited jurisdiction of CCT: On the the limited jurisdiction of the CCT, Justice KaribiWhyte said, “It’s jurisdiction is limited to the subject matter listed therein and as prescribed by the National Assembly. The Code of Conduct Tribunal has not been vested with exercise of criminal jurisdiction even by implication of the scope allowed in the sanction it can impose.”

Judicial authority On the question of whether the Code of Conduct Tribunal can continue proceedings when its jurisdiction is being challenged, the retired Justice said: “My prompt reaction and answer is No. It cannot. It is well settled principle and citations of judicial authority as precedents in support is unnecessary that determination of the issue of jurisdiction when raised is fundamental to the determination of the issue before the Court. Where a Court does not have jurisdiction, there is nothing before it to adjudicate. see National Bank v. Shoyoye (1977) 5SC.18.”

He stated further: “The Code of Conduct Tribunal is in the instant case without doubt not properly constituted as to its composition. Paragraph 15

Continues on page 28

28—VANGUARD, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016

As S-Court decides on Saraki vs CCT on jurisdiction Continues from page 27 (1) of the First Schedule has prescribed the proper composition as the Chairman and two members. The Code of Conduct Tribunal cannot proceed with the Chairman and one member. This is in breach of the mandatory provision which must be complied with.”

He noted that where an inferior Court, as in this case, a Tribunal or any Court proceeds without jurisdiction, all its actions become null and void and of no effect.

On criminal jurisdiction, the retired Justice said: “It is an accepted fundamental principle of our criminal jurisprudence, the exercise of our criminal jurisdiction that no person can be tried and convicted of a criminal offence unless that offence is defined and the penalty therefore is prescribed in a written law.

He said, the Code of Conduct Tribunal is a creation of the National Assembly with prescribed powers and limited jurisdiction clearly expressed in the enabling law, which must conforms with the provisions of Section 6(5)(j) of the Constitution 1999.

Unlimited jurisdiction “It does not enjoy the unlimited jurisdiction vested by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 in the Courts named in Section 6(5)(a)(h). The CCT is a Court created by the National Assembly to exercise jurisdiction at first instance or on appeal with respect with which the National Assembly may make laws.

He concluded that the CCT is not vested with the power to exercise criminal jurisdiction.

A Lagos-based lawyer, Mr Olukayode Majekodunmi, who supported Justice Karibi-Whyte’s argument as well as the minority judgement of Court of Appeal case said: “Section 20 (2) of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, in respect of the number of persons making up the tribunal says, “consist of and not “quorum.” He added that the matter should not be treated or examined based on personalities involved in the case but the true position of the law.

Dr. Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, in his contribution in a National Newspaper said: “there are two kinds of courts in Nigeria, the inferior and the superior.”

He referred to Section 6 of the constitution which listed the superior court and emphasized the fact that the Code of Conduct Bureau and the National

EDITORIAL TEAM Innocent Anaba ( Head) Wahab Abdulah Ikechukwu Nnochiri Dayo Benson (Supervising Editor) 08056180119 dayobenson@yahoo.com C M Y K

Industrial court are not so listed.”

The human rights lawyer submitted that since CCB is not expressly listed as a superior court, it can’t assume a position of a superior court and as an inferior court, which is amenable to the judicial review jurisdiction of a superior court of record.

Expressing a contrary view, a Lagos based senior lawyer, Mr Jiti Ogunye, on the powers, practice and procedure of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, in Paragraph 18, stated thus: “any of the provisions of this Code shall impose upon that officer any of the punishments specified under sub-paragraph (2) of this paragraph and such other punishment as may be prescribed by the National Assembly;

Appeal at the instance of any party to the proceedings; (5) Any right of appeal to the Court of Appeal from the decisions of the Code of Conduct Tribunal conferred by sub-paragraph (4) hereof shall be exercised in accordance with the provisions of an Act of the National Assembly and rules of court for the time being in force regulating the powers, practice and procedure of the Court of Appeal; (6) Nothing in this paragraph shall prejudice the prosecution of a public officer punished under this paragraph or preclude such officer from being prosecuted or punished for an offence in a court of law; and (7) The

Seizure and forfeiture (2) The punishment which the Code of Conduct Tribunal may impose shall include any of the following -(a) vacation of office or seat in any legislative house, as the case may be; (b) disqualification from membership of a legislative house and from the holding of any public office for a period not exceeding ten years; and(c) seizure and forfeiture to the State of any property acquired in abuse or corruption of office; (3) The sanctions mentioned in subparagraph (2) hereof shall be without prejudice to the penalties that may be imposed by any law where the conduct is also a criminal offence; (4) Where the Code of Conduct Tribunal gives a decision as to whether or not a person is guilty of a contravention of any of the provisions of this Code, an appeal shall lie as of right from such decision or from any punishment imposed on such person to the Court of

Since CCB is not expressly listed as a superior court, it can’t assume a position of a superior court and as an inferior court, which is amenable to the judicial review jurisdiction of a superior court of record

provisions of this Constitution relating to prerogative of mercy shall not apply to any punishment imposed in accordance with the provisions of this paragraph.”

From the above provisions of the 5th Schedule, it is crystal clear that the CCT is a sui generis Court or Tribunal. It is a special court of its own kind.

Ogunye argued that the Chairman and members of the CCT are appointed by the President, based on the recommendation of the NJC.

Superior tribunal He said: “If they are not judicial officers that can rank with judicial officers presiding over a court of first instance ( Federal High Court or State High Court), why will they be recommended by the NJC for appointment?

“The CCT is a “superior court of record” or “ a superior tribunal of record”. Section 6(5)(j) of the 1999 Constitution says so. Those who argue to the contrary relies on Section 6(5)(a-i ), which provides a list of superior court of record in Nigeria to reach this erroneous conclusion.”

He submitted that if the whole provisions in Section 6 of the Constitution are read together, as they should be read in consonance with the liberal rule of interpreting the provisions of the Constitution, in order to avoid “stultifying narrowness”, this view will become evident. See Section 6 ( 1,2,3,5) of the 1999 Constitution. He added.

Wherever the pendulum swings, the decision of the apex court will have a far reaching effect on the public opinion of where the problem lies. This will help in further enriching the interpretation of the 1999 constitution.

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016—29

NBA 2016 Presidency: Arewa Okeys Gadzama, Mahmoud protest

By Innocent Anaba

T

HE Arewa Lawyers Forum, ALF, sev en-man Screening Committee set up to screen candidates for the forthcoming Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, elections in July, in Kaduna, Kaduna State, recommended the former Chairman of the NBA Section on Public Interest and Development Law, SPIDEL, Chief Joe-Kyari Gadzama, SAN, for adoption as the forum’s Presidential candidate in the election Presenting the report, Chairman of the Selection Committee, Mr. Garuba Pwul, SAN, said that the terms of reference of the committee to include “The screening members of the Forum who intend to contest for the various positions in the 2016 NBA elections; to advise the Forum as to the most preferred candidates to be supported by the Forum for the elections and to take all other steps as may be required to give effect to the above objectives “The committee immediately held its inaugural meeting on October 30, 2015, where it developed a module with which to carry out its mandate, the committee resolved to invite written submissions from the persons who had earlier submitted their letters of expression of interest to the forum, to state the reasons why each of them should be the preferred candidate to be supported by ALF. The committee also resolved to clear candidates whose positions were not being contested by any member of the Forum and who will satisfy the guidelines of the NBA Electoral committee “The Committee arrived at its decisions after considering the commitment of the candidates to the cause of Arewa Lawyers Forum, their commitments, contributions, and participation in the affairs of the NBA, their seniority at the Bar and their overall acceptability to members across the country and other for the election.

“Consequently, the committee adopted candidates as follows: Mr. Garba Abubakar for Asst. Publicity Secretary; Saidu Abubakar for the office of Publicity Secretary; T.T. Igba for Welfare Secretary; Aisha Ado

From left: Mr. Francis Dan Kozah; Secretary, Mr. Garungabas; Chairman, and Bauchi State Governor, M. A. Abubakar, and Vice Chairman, Mr. Garba Pwul (SAN), all of Arewa, at the meeting.

Abdullahi for Treasurer; Ibrahim Aliyu Nasarawa for the office of First Vice-President and Chief J-K Gadzama, SAN for the office of NBA President.”

At that, A B. Mahmoud, SAN,stood up and rejected the adoption, stating that ALF should tread with caution to avoid laying a foundation for what is not right.

Honourable treatment He said: “I have been a lawyer for 33 years and have built a reputation for myself. I have been discussing this election matter with Chief J-K Gadzama and two of us are very close, therefore, I will not be bound by the outcome of a process that is not transparent and I deserve to be treated with honour.

“I received the notice of last October meeting of the ALF in which the Screening Committee was set up by 12 noon, so I went to the meeting late after this screening committee had been set up, the committee assessed me solely on the basis of the documents which I submitted to them without further interaction with me, therefore I suggest that a committee of elders

of ALF be set up to resolve this issue.”

But the Chairman of ALF who is also the Governor of Bauchi State, M. A. Abubakar told him that the time to fix a meeting of any group was a process that can be decided at any time by the executives.

Gadzama on his part, said: “It is true that Mr. Mahmoud and I have been talking on this issue, we are brothers, very close and have come a long way. But I am surprised at his comments about the October meeting of ALF in Bauchi which all of us attended. We signed the attendance register, shook hands and also took group photographs after the meeting which were published in the dailies. I have copies here with me.

“He never complained about the constitution of the Screening Committee, the processes or expressed any doubts on the outcome of its deliberations. All of us spoke at that meeting and agreed to be bound by the results of the screening exercise. Before that meeting, we had submitted our letters of intent to contest the election, then we were asked to submit the reasons why each of us thought we should be adopted

by ALF for the election, Mr. Mahmoud submitted and I submitted, nobody raised

any issue or objection “We have never witnessed this in Arewa, last time, Mr. J. B. Daudu, SAN and I sat down for hours in my Abuja house while a group of 11 Arewa elders took a decision on our behalf. I have said it times without number, that I am bound by any decision taken by this house, I am bound by it whether it favours me or not.

“Let us remain together, it is better for us, I and Mahmoud are friends. I had invited him to my house, though he is yet to invite me to his house and anytime he invites me, I will go. I know that even in arbitration, parties may decide to have a document only arbitration. You can mediate for parties through document only and the result will bind them, it will be acceptable and binding. The path to take now is to take the path of caution and the parameters have been set,” he said.

The meeting resolved that a committee of seven members Elders Council should be formed to resolve the issue, that each of the gladiators; Gadzama and Mahmoud should each nominate three members and the exco will nominate a member who should double as Chairman of the Elders Council

Can we reform Judiciary with N70bn budget?

By Ahuraka Yusuf Isah

D

ESPITE the wailing and crying in the Judiciary over the declining budget share for this Third Arm of Government, the Federal Government has proceeded to budget N70 billion for the entire nation’s Judiciary in the 2016 Budget proposals. This is N3billion lower than the 73 billion appropriated for the Judiciary in 2015.

Indeed, the previous Appropriation Acts have shown that funding from the Federal Government has witnessed a steady decline since 2010, from N95 billion in that year to N85 billion in 2011, then N75 billion in 2012 and again in the 2013 budget to N67billion. In 2014 and 2015, former President Goodluck Jonathan, through his administration’s window budgeting principle threw N68 billion and N73 billion respectively to the Judiciary.

A cursory glance again at budget figures in the reference period shows that while the country’s budget witnessed a geometric incremental pattern annually, the third arm of government saw a slow but steady paralysis, brought about by a downward trend in its yearly allocation. Indeed it has been debilitated by this funding gap. Why do I say this? Well the figures tell the story once again. Let us examine

this poser- while the 2011 allocation to the Judiciary represented 2.2% of that year’s budget, in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015, the nation’s budget shares for the Judiciary were 1.7%, 1.3%, 1.3% and 1.6% respectively.

The proposed N70 billion for the Judiciary in 2016 (out of the N6.08 trillion total proposals) is 1.1%. By the time the yearly supplementary appropriations are added, the percentage figures of the nation’s budgeted shares to the Judiciary would be less than one percent of the total.

independent’’, CJN said.

In the speech he delivered at the 2015 All Nigeria Judges Conference, President Buhari urged the Judiciary leadership to carry out various reforms to position and portray the administration of justice system as humane and efficient, adding that, ‘’the Judiciary must go the extra mile to sanitize itself and improve its capacity to act independently, courageously and timeously’.

“This administration is committed to the financial independence of the Nigerian

Budgets for the Judiciary Little wonder then that the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Mahmud Mohammed had raised alarm during the 2015 All Nigeria Judges’ Conference noting that the waning budgets for the Judiciary not only impoverished the Third Arm of Government but made it less independent, contrary to the intent and provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

“It is a source of great concern that in a country where an arm of Government is appropriated with less than one percent of the National Budget, it is difficult to refer to our Judiciary as being truly

This administration is committed to the financial independence of the Nigerian judiciary in accordance with extant laws

judiciary in accordance with extant laws.

We believe that the judiciary must be treated fairly and must be treated in much the same way as the executive and the legislature’’, President Buhari concluded.

With the current cascading crude oil prices, it appears to be out of place to engage in this discourse, except that the President’s promise to treat the Judiciary fairly and ‘’in much the same way as the executive and the legislature” still appears a mirage.

The Judiciary has been proposing budget of not less than N150 billion all these years, but unlike the legislature that gets virtually what it wanted, the executive adopts the window budgeting principle to propose any figure it pleases for the Third Arm of Government. Come to think of it, can the Judiciary meets its statutory obligations and at the same time carry out a genuine reform out of the N70 billion allocations for a year? The answer is no; at least, if the size of the nation’s judiciary and our past experiences are to serve as a guide.

In any case, we can give it to the Nigeria Judiciary, call it a miracle or whatever, that despite the neglect, starvation or declining yearly budgetary allocations, it has taken some strident steps?

Continues next week

30—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016

NACA promotes HCT in Plateau FCMB promotes healthy lifestyle

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N its bid to intensify effort to reach Nigerians at the grassroots, the National Agency for the Control of AIDS, NACA, recently held a 4-day medical outreach programme under the NACA-MDG collaboration project in Barkin Ladi, Plateau State.

Director General of NACA, Prof. John Idoko, represented by Mr. Victor Vandi, an Assistant Director, Account and Finance, said the outreach is aimed at bringing services to people at the grassroots at no cost and is deigned to cater for other diseases aside HIV. He enjoined resident of Barikin Ladi and environments to take advantage of the free medical outreach to get tested for HIV and other services been provided.

In a goodwill message, Executive Director Plateau State Agency for the Control of AIDS, PLASACA, Mr. Sunday Koka, affirmed that the outreach was necessary as it is geared towards ensuring that the HIV prevalence rate in the state dropped.

The last time an outreach was carried out in Barkin Ladi, 2,500 persons were tested with five females and one male testing positive. Koka promised to assist the outreach in providing more HIV test kits.

The Federal House of Assembly member representing Barikin Ladi/Rym constituency in the state, Stifanus Gyang, said the outreach had improved from what it used to be and now seeks to key into the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs that include: eradication of poverty, hunger and provision of good health and wellbeing.

The traditional ruler, HRH Da Gwon Rywei of Barikin Ladi, Da Edward Gyang Mashat said through such outreaches, information is made available for continued education on HIV/AIDS which in turn will reduce the number of new infection cases across Nigeria.

Miss Favour Iyamah, a senior Programme Officer with NACA who represented the Director of Programmes Department, Dr Akudo Ikpeazu, gave a brief overview of the outreach. She said NACA obtained funding from the MDGs to mobilise communities across the country to provide HIV Counseling and Testing services which remains the only entry point for HIV prevention, care and treatment.

By Chioma Obinna

M

ANAGEMENT of First City Monument Bank, FCMB, Limited has described employee health as key priority even as they pledged to execute programmes that would promote healthy living for employees and their families.

Speaking during the bank’s Health Week, the Divisional Head, Human Resources and Strategy, Felicia Obozuwa, said the Health Week was one of the initiatives instituted to promote a healthy lifestyle for employees and their family members.

“We recognise the enormous efforts and contributions of our employees in

From right: HRH Da Gwon Rywei of Barikin Ladi, Da Edward Gyang Mashat, Mr. Victor Vandi, Assistant Director, Account /Finance, NACA; Stifanus Gyang, FHA member representing Barikin Ladi/Rym constituency, and Mr. Sunday Koka, Executive Director, PLASACA, during the flag-off of NACA-MDG Medical Outreach in Barikin Ladi LGA, Plateau State.

the growth and achievements recorded over the years by the Bank. We are determined to build an organisation that is impactful in the lives of our employees and other stakeholders to reinforce our core values of professionalism, sustainability, customer focus and excellence. Hence, we will continue to carry out programmes that will ensure that our employees get the best information, to ensure the best state health, which is in line with our ‘great place to work’ mission’’.

During the programme which will run till February 6, 2016, activities lined-up include the setting-up of medical screening centres in 32 branches of the bank across the country to check staff blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol and Body Mass Index, BMI. There will be free mammogram tests for all interested FCMB female employees and the spouses of male colleagues.

These would be carried out by a team of highly experienced medical personnel.

Also, the bank, through the services of a professional nutritionist, has produced a healthy eating cookbook containing details of how to prepare healthy versions of popular Nigerian dishes.

The highpoints of this year’s FCMB Employee Health Week is a family fitness day event for employees of the Bank, their spouses and children, scheduled to hold at Onikan Stadium, Lagos on Saturday, February 6, 2016.

The event will involve various sporting and other fun-filled fitness activities.

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Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016—31

Femi Osofisan wins Thalia Prize 2016

By Japhet Alakam & Ben Njoku

P

ROFESSOR Femi Osofisan, a playwright, director, actor, critic, poet, novelist, editor and newspaper columnist, has been named winner of the coveted Thalia Prize 2016, which was announced by the Executive Committee of the International Association of Theatre Critics (IATC/AICT).

The Thalia Prize is meant to highlight the work of those who have helped critics around the globe to understand new ways of seeing and appreciating the performing arts worldwide. This was announced by the President of IATC-Nigeria, Professor Emmanuel Dandaura.

the highly contested award, which is coming shortly after he (Professor Emmanuel Dandaura) became the first Black and first African Member of the Executive Committee of the International Association of Theatre Critics (IATC) in 2014.

The IATC has been around for a long time: this year it is celebrating 60 years. But the Thalia Prize is young –only ten years old.

Osofisan is of the generation that followed the steps of two African theatrical giants , Soyinka and Fugard, who made their reputations in the 1960s and 1970s and his footprint is almost as large as theirs on the continent of Africa and it is growing in other parts of the world as

Extraordinary career The 2016 Thalia Prize will be presented to the awardee during the IATC Congress in Belgrade.

According to him, Femi Osofisan won the award for his extraordinary career as critic, scholar, playwright and spokesman for artistic freedom in his native Nigeria and for his outspoken criticism of artistic repression across the African continent. With the award, Femi Osofisan becomes the first African and indeed first Black literary scholar to win

Osofisan won the award for his extraordinary career as critic, scholar, playwright and spokesman for artistic freedom in his native Nigera and for his outspoken criticism of artistic expression

• Prof Femi Osofisan well. Probably his most wellknown play is Once Upon Four Robbers, which is already taught in numerous universities around the world and has been widely anthologized.

But it is only one of some 50 plays by this major artist and activist. These plays like his critical writings are cries for personal freedom and political action and include many adaptations of Greek and Shakespearean originals, tailored for whatever political situation might exist.

Like Soyinka and Fugard before him, Osofisan has attacked repressive governments wher-

ever they have emerged and he has been attacked in turn.

He has had his work staged at the Guthrie and other major regional theatres in the United States, as well as in Germany, the U.K., Sri Lanka, Canada and China. In 1982 he was appointed a member of the pioneer Editorial Board and think tank of The Guardian Newspaper (Lagos).

The author of over 50 plays and hundreds of critical essays, four novels and five collections of poetry and the subject of several celebratory volumes in his honour, Prof. Osofisan has followed in the footsteps of Nobel Prize winner Wole Soyinka.

His work has covered a range of subjects including, as eloquently stated in a volume of essays on his life and work published in 2009, the roles of theatre and literature in society, gender and empowerment of women, style and language, the

Victor Mba goes solo with In The Beginning

I

to the world.” Victor’s friend and sponsor, Architect Obehi Iyamabo began saying. “His ideas are always very stimulating, his angles very intellectual and unique and I believe it is time to share Victor with the world. There are so many things going on in his mind and the world has to meet him.

I just decided I should assist to put Victor on the world stage.” Iyamabo said.

By Prisca Sam-Duru

SSUES of sexuality especially as regards the girl child and her empowerment, will take the centre stage as Victor Mba,one of Nigeria’s most talented artists opens his first solo exhibition at Didi Museum, Lagos tagged In The Beginning.

Mba who is having his first solo after turning to art 6 years ago, after a stint in the banking sector, has taken up the huge task of interrogating the pros and cons and the brouhaha relating to sexuality of not just Nigerians or Africans but that of the entire globe.

Mba, a graduate of Political Science from the University of Ilorin, flaunts a specialty in relief painting which involves 2, 3 dimensional sculptural pieces, using unconventional materials.

Themed “In The Beginning” with the subject matter of sexuality, the exhibition which comes up on the 13th through 19th February 2016 at Didi Museum, Akin Adesola, Victoria Island, Lagos, will display a body of works numbering 30 which the creatively endowed artist assembled from September 2014 till date.

Speaking ahead of the exhibition, Mba, an all round artist who prefers to call himself a

Working in the bank

• Mba presents one of his works to his promoter story teller said, “Every piece of my work tells a story. I have long had a burning desire to express my thoughts on the issues of sexuality.”

“I discovered myself as an artist in 1988. I discovered I could draw, paint and sculpt but becoming an artist was not something I gave a big thought to so, I did it as a hobby. In 2010 I was overwhelmed by the passion for art and I took a bold step of resigning from the bank to art and since then, I’ve focused on relief paintings and sculpting. I’ve taken part in group exhibitions basically un-

der Society of Nigeria Artists.”, He explained.

“This is time to show Victor

Every piece of my work tells a story, I have long had a burning desire to express my thoughts on the issues of sexuality

On how he became interested in the artist’s works, Iyamabo who is the managing Partner of Amarch Consultants, narrated that he met Victor while he was working in the bank.

“He was my account officer and when he left the bank, he called to tell me that he had left to pursue his passion-art.

From the first glance at his works, I was intrigued because of how he composed his works, the media he employs and the unconventional style. I have collected a lot of his works over the years.

We stimulate each other through arguments and as an Architect, I’m naturally a lover of art. I am a sentimental art collector, that’s why I’m fulfilled promoting Victor’s art.”

mobility of oral tradition and even translation and transliteration.

“Born in 1946, Prof. Osofisan entered the University of Ibadan in 1966 majoring in French (he studied for a year at the University of Dakar as part of his degree), graduating in 1969. He then won a scholarship to the Sorbonne in Paris. He did not complete his graduate degree there, however, because his supervisor did not allow him to do a thesis on African drama. He eventually obtained his PhD at the University of Ibadan with a dissertation on the ‘Origins of Drama in West Africa in English and French.

British - Nigerian singer Patti Boulaye bags OBE award

By Japhet Alakam

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IGERIAN-born/British artist, singer and actress, Patti Boulaye , on Friday 29th January, become a recipient of one of Britain’s highest honours – Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE).

She received the medal from HRH Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace . She was joined by her husband Stephen, their son and daughter.

Boulaye, who gained international recognition after starring in Lux commercials in the 1980s, also released her memoirs, on Monday 25th January.

Born to an Efik (Cross River) mother and an Okpanam (Delta Igbo) father, Boulaye was among the leading black British entertainers in the 1970s and 1980s.

She was also well known in the Nigerian acting circles of the 1970s, featuring in Jab Adu’s”Bisi, Daughter of the River”, and hosted her own show – the Patti Boulaye Show.

Boulaye joins the league of other British citizens with Nigerian origin like Sade Adu, Sophie Okonedo and Chiwetel Ejiofor who have been bestowed with the OBE.

• Patti Boulaye displays the OBE medal

32—Vanguard, THURSDAY THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016

Ports Monopoly: Amaechi’s litmus test

By Ademola Adedoyin

Ayomike’s relucent biography of Prince Ogbe Yonwuren of Warri

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By Tony Afejuku

.O.S. Ayomike is a notable Itsekiri historian, although he did not study History as a subject or as a discipline in the University.

Through persistent, rigorous, diligent and independent study, this well grounded graduate of Business Administration has over the years acquired his special research bootstraps with which he attains, so to say, his current well earned reputation as a first-rate historian whose specialty is the history of his Itsekiri people. Currently, there is hardly a front-line historian or an author of Itsekiri affairs, including Itsekiri history, an author who is or can be said to be more first-rate than J.O. S. Ayomike who has just published Prince Ogbe Yonwuren, a relucent biography of the great personage of history from the Itsekiri Kingdom of Warri.

As Ayomike wishes us to know, Prince Ogbe Yowuren (1830-1916) of Akengbuwa I (1808-1848), 16th Olu of Warri Royal House, was a unique Itsekiri and Niger Delta personage whose actions “positively affected Itsekiri history” and that of his neighbours. In this book which was published in late December of 2015 Ayomike relates Ogbe’s “commercial, political and cultural” roles which reveal the great personage’s “dexterity and courage under the creeping-in British imperial scheme of things” in the late 19th century and early 20th century.

Descendants of the great man Ayomike’s primary motivation in taking the glance he has taken in his biography of his subject is twofold: firstly, in acquiescent to the request of the family, relations and descendants of the great man as part of the events to commemorate his one century death-anniversary (February 6, 2016); secondly, in recognition of the supreme achievements of his distinguished subject who history has not given the due that befits him.

As Ayomike informs me in my brief discussion with him before my interest in the present exercise - and as evident in the book – no work of value or of real interest has been done on such a major historical Itsekiri and Niger Delta figure, a true prince of Warri who was an unusual prince of commerce and culture who was at par or at near-par with the likes of the much better known Nanna Olomu and Dore Numa Ayomike’s glance at his subject which he treats with delicious relish tells us as much.

Many persons familiar with Itsekiri history, politics, commerce and culture in the late 19th century or early 20th century, at least may rightly - and without qualms disagree with Ayomike’s concerted chronicle to put Ogbe on a par with Nanna (his bosom friend) and Dore Numa, but there can never be doubt C M Y K

that Ogbe was a sagacious prince of commerce and of politics.

His “enormous compound where he lived” in his homestead of Ugbuwangue where he held sway marked him as “a prosperous merchant,” one of the “big oil merchants of yester-years” and one of the multi-millionaires, by his time’s standards, who had “steady single source of supply of oil and kernels” which the several boats in his fleet “would haul to shipping centres” in Warri and elsewhere in the Niger Delta. Prince Ogbe’s “organization was complex, and widespread but with effective synchronized management to deliver goods [and] services to the foreign buyers” and other customers.

Ogbe was a diligent and hardworking merchant in an age of resilience and diligence that honestly and earnestly shunned covetousness, envy, jealousy and greed - what Itsekiri call onejukokoro. Like many of his contemporaries, he was not, he was never educated, never literate, but he knew deeply and richly the basics of the language of commerce and politics. And his political significance shone forth and brilliantly in the roles he played in British acquisition of land in the Kingdom of Warri.

He, with Prince Dore Numa, granted three significant leases to British colonial masters who wanted land in Warri metropolis to establish firmly their presence in

He, with Prince Dore Numa, granted three significant leases to British colonial masters who wanted land in Warri metropolis to establish firmly their presence in Warri Kingdom, and especially in the metropolis

Warri Kingdom, and especially in the metropolis. On behalf of the Itsekiri people, he and Dore Numa, his fellow royal relation, who was Paramount Chief of Warri, granted leases of 1906, 1908 and 1911 to the Colonial Masters and Lords, with whom they had a symbiotic relationship.

These “three (3) leases constitute the nucleus of the present Warri metropolis covering the whole of Odion, Ogbe Ijoh (including Warri GRA and up to the Warri port) and Agbassa (including Igbudu”).

A very interesting revelation in the biography pertains to how Prince Ogbe and his contemporaries acquired the appellation of “Chief” which has since become a title in Itsekiri-land and also in Nigeria as a whole.

According to Ayomike, “With the introduction of Native Courts came the Utopian title or position of “Chief.” The first chiefs who were provided with judicial warrants to hear and determine cases, criminal and civil, were the national rulers among the people.” Needless to say, Prince Ogbe, Ayomike’s subject, was among the eighteen princes he listed in the biography.

What I find really relishing - and curiously so - in this wise is that the title “Chief” is foreign to our land. The colonial concept of “Chief” is totally different from the Itsekiri concept of “Ojoye” (the British equivalent of Lord, Earl, Count and Countess, etc.) which is actually a title meant for people of sound, impeccable character, nobles – who, strictly speaking, should not see themselves (and were never seen), no matter their wealth and influence, as “superior to or higher than princes and princesses (oton-olus).

Historical photographs Another source of interest in the biography derives from the very rare historical photographs which adorn it. They tellingly speak volumes. Let me resist the urge to cite any for discussion here for the simple reason that I don’t wish to dwell on an essay-within-an essay mode of critique in a brief exercise of this nature.

My final statement: J.O.S. Ayomike’s a-tip-of-the-ice-berg mode of delivery or narration of his subject is captivating. It makes the biography to be tellingly relucent.

This is a remarkably apt introduction to a hugely historical figure of the Niger Delta widely unknown until now. Ayomike has opened the door and window of research for scholars, historians and researchers interested in this icon (and other icons) that oblivion can no longer hide from the pages of our inquisitive minds.

•Professor Tony Afejuku, a distinguished poet and critic and newspaper columnist, is of the University of Benin, Benin City.

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HE frenetic speed with which the unconfirmed news item went viral in the social media underscored its importance. Although its origin is still to be determined, the news report that the Nigerian Customs Service generated and paid the sum of N903 billion into the Federation Accounts, a huge leap when compared to 2014 when the same Agency generated N162 billion and remitted only a paltry N2 billion into the Federation Account, has continued to generate a lot of excitement in the polity.

It could not have been otherwise. Any observer of the Nigerian economic dynamics must have known that the fundamentals have changed remarkably and may be so for a long time to come.

Prospect of price recovery With price of crude oil in the international market at an all time low of less than 30 US dollars per barrel and with no prospect of price recovery in a long time to come, Nigeria is today confronted with the stark reality of looking inwards and elsewhere to generate revenue to meet her huge infrastructural deficit challenge, tackle the acute unemployment crisis and frontally combat the embarrassing intolerable poverty ravaging its huge population.

For the Muhammadu Buhari government, this stark reality is vividly brought home in its 2016 budget proposal as presented to the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari on December 22nd 2015.

That Budget proposal stood clearly on one score: for the first time in decades revenue from crude oil did not take a clear lead in the list of revenue expectations in an annual budget. From the 2016 N6.8 trillion Budget, oil related revenue are expected to contribute N820 billion while non-oil revenue

For a sector that plays a major role in the nation’s development, there is an urgent need to exploit the opportunities that abound within the sector to improve its contribution to the nation’s economy

are projected to contribute N1.45 trillion.

This bold initiative, a radical departure from the past when non oil revenue took the back stage, is expected to be achieved, according to President Muhammadu Buhari, through strict compliance with the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007, as well as Public Expedition Reforms in all Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

The recently established Efficiency Units in these MDAs are also expected to generate further savings, thereby enhancing government non oil revenue generation drive.

With this new economic order, what has come out clearly is that every government ministry, department and Agency must jettison old policies that stunted revenue generation growth and embrace new ones that will ensure the success of the government’s revenue generation drive. That, perhaps, informed the excitement over the customs’ unconfirmed revenue success.

Maiden tour of agencies Incidentally, the Minister of Transport, Honourable Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi appreciates the challenge the federal government is confronted with and he appears ready to go with the new economic order.

At the conclusion of his maiden tour of Agencies under his purview in Lagos last month, Amaechi read Riot Act to his officials: “The contribution of the transport sector to the Gross National Product is an unacceptable 1.4%. For a sector that plays a major role in the nation’s development, there is an urgent need to exploit the opportunities that abound within the sector to improve its contribution to the nation’s economy.”

Maritime Analysts last week contend that the Minister’s job of deepening government’s revenue drive is cut out clearly for him. Specifically, they submit that the non compliance with the letter and spirit of the Ports Reforms Initiative of 2006 has significantly reduced revenue that ordinarily should accrue to the government, even as some private sector players and their collaborators in the public sector continue to milk the nation and smiling to their banks.

They want Amaechi to look in at the ports and halt the scam. What then are the Continues on page 40

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016—33

Edo 2016: PDP won't impose governorship candidate —Orbih

By Gabriel Enogholase

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ENIN—AHEAD of the July governorship election in Edo State, the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has denied allegations that it would impose a candidate on the party to fly its flag in the election.

The party accused its major rival, the All Progressives Congress, APC, of engaging some of its members to foment crisis within it (PDP), by concocting the imposition theory.

State chairman of the party, Chief Dan Orbih, who addressed party faithful at Agenebode, Fugar and Auchi, yesterday, during its local governments sensitization tour, described the rumour as the handiwork of some leaders who were bent on fomenting trouble in the party.

He said: “I want to appeal to our members to remain steadfast and let us reject those who are trying to sow the seed of discord in the party. Some people have taken it upon themselves the propagation of the theory of imposition, but as I stand here before you, I assure you that there will be no imposition of governorship candidate in this party.

“There will be no imposition but

because of the problem they have now in the APC and the governor’s desperate attempt to impose a candidate on his party, some so-called leaders have been engaged to foment a crisis in PDP. Under my leadership, we will put those leaders to shame because we are going to evolve a process where the best candidate who will represent the interest of our people and our party will emerge as the official candidate of the party.

“Today, for those who have indicated interest to contest the coming election, I want to appeal to you to work hard, rejig your strategies and you will have success. Nobody should sit down in his house to think that this party will nominate him as the candidate of our party.

“He must go out with credible credentials, good messages and canvass support of our party members. But for those leaders who think that they can

sit in their houses to foment trouble, we will not allow them in the PDP. If they want to go, let them go.”

He promised that a PDP government in 2016 will review the current fees charged by the state-owned Ambrose Alli University, Eklopma, to enable poor parents afford it, just as he said that he would give bursary and scholarships to deserving students of Edo State origin in institutions of higher learning.

SWEARING-IN: Governor Adams Oshiomhole congratulates Mr Kassim Afegbua after swearing him in as the Commissioner for Information and Orientation in Edo State.

Omo-Agege urges Buhari to probe NDDC

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By Henry Umoru

HE senator representing Delta Central senatorial district, Senator Obaisi OmoAgege, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to investigate the activities of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, from its inception saying that the commission has failed the people of the Niger Delta region.

In an interview with Vanguard in Abuja, Senator Omo-Agege said that as an interventionist agency, the NDDC should have done more to ameliorate the plight of the people of the region rather than embark on the supply of “exercise books and pencils” to a few schools in the region in the name of intervention.

According to him, with the kind of resources at the disposal of the commission, what the people expect from it are “mega projects like the third mainland bridge in Lagos” to open up the hinterland of the region.

He said: “The NDDC has failed.

The commission was meant to be an interventionist agency that would help ameliorate the condition of the people in the South South. It is supposed to bring development to the region.

So much money has been appropriated but if you go round the creeks, if you go round the states of the Niger Delta, you won’t see the presence of NDDC. They are not doing anything.

“At the very best, you will see C M Y K

them providing boreholes and supplying exercise books and pencils to schools. That is not what an interventionist agency is meant to be. They are supposed to be executing mega

projects that will be of benefit to the whole of the South South,” he said.

Explaining further, the senator who was recently sworn in following his victory at the

election tribunal noted that “for instance, there would have been nothing wrong if something like the third mainland bridge was constructed between Warri and Gbaramatu."

Edo's Central Hospital better than many in Europe —Oshiomhole

By Simon Ebegbulem

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ENIN—GOVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has said that the state’s 200-bed Central Hospital was more beautiful and would be better equipped than many hospitals in Europe and Asia.

Speaking during an inspection of the hospital, yesterday, the governor assured that the 200-

bed Central Hospital which has attained 98 percent completion will be adequately maintained to ensure its durability and effective service delivery to the people.

He said: “When I said at the beginning that our intention was to build what I called a fivestar hospital, most people tried to imagine what that meant, but I am sure that just looking at

the building, I don’t know of any hotel in Nigeria, in terms of aesthetics, that has a better appeal than this. And this is the sort of thing you find in Europe, and some other advanced economies. If you are in the 21st century, begin to think as if you are in the 22nd century because the world has changed and it will keep changing. The pace of change will keep accelerating."

N-Delta youths urge FG to maintain terms of amnesty programme their arms. leaders by military men.

By Davies Iheamnachor

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ORT HARCOURT— COALITION of Niger Delta Indigenous Community Youth Leaders, CNDICYL, a youth group in the Niger Delta region, has appealed to the Federal Government to respect and abide by the agreements contained in the Niger Delta Amnesty Programme.

CNDICYL said the call was based on the recent raid on the homes of some ex-militant

The group said it was wrong for the Federal Government to start a process of tracking down ex-agitators who willingly submitted their arms and closed down their militant camps.

Spokesperson for the group, Oyinkuro Namapele, who addressed newsmen in Port Harcourt, accused the Federal Government of undermining a section on the amnesty agreement which bars the government from carrying out any action against the exagitators who had submitted

Namapele said the invasion of the homes of some ex-agitators and the huge presence of military men in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State, were clear indications that the Federal Government was violating the terms of the amnesty programme.

He said the leader of Niger Delta Vigilante, NDV, who is also an ambassador of peace, Chief Ateke Tom was not harbouring any of the ex-militant leaders being investigated by the Federal Government.

Edo First Lady gives succour to orphanages

By Victor AhiumaYoung

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IFE of Edo State governor, Mrs. Iara Oshiomhole, has visited four orphanages in Benin City as part of her efforts at identifying with the needy and less privileged in the society with a view to offering assistance.

According to Mrs Oshiomhole, identifying with the needy and less privileged in the society was a fulfilment of her personal dreams.

In a statement by Executive Director, Media Affairs, Governor’s Office, Mr. John Mayaki, she said, “Taking time out of office schedule to access the living conditions at the orphanages will provide a first-hand information of their needs and set the tone for the advancement of the Edo Task Force on Orphanages.”

She expressed confidence that the team would do its best to improve the standard of living at the orphanages.

PDP congress: Delta lawmaker calls for rancour-free exercise

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By Festus Ahon

SABA—AHEAD of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, congresses across the country, Majority Leader of Delta State House of Assembly, Tim Owhefere, has called for a rancour free exercise if the party’s desire to reclaim the presidency in 2019 must come to pass.

Speaking at the PDP Isoko North chapter stakeholders meeting in Ellu, Isoko North Local Government Area of the state, Owhefere who spoke in the same vein with the pioneer Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Emmanuel Okoro, the state Commissioner for Housing, Joseph Ogeh and the Special Adviser to Governor Okowa on Rural Development and Peace Building, Mr Emmanuel Ogidi, said that the party leadership’s resolve to conduct free and transparent congresses was a step in the right direction.

He restated the resolve of the people of the area to join forces with Governor Ifeanyi Okowa in his efforts for good governance in the state and commended him for the development he has attracted to Isoko nation.

34—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4 , 2016

SACKED 3,000 WORKERS: NLC insists Imo'll be

shut down

By Victor Ahiuma-Young

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AGOS—NIGERIA Labour Congress, NLC, yesterday insisted that there would be a total shut down of Imo State once the 14-day ultimatum issued to the state government to recall the 3000 sacked workers and tackle their unpaid salaries and other benefits expires.

The Imo State government is alleged to be owing workers of the state’ agencies including Imo State Water Corporation and Imo State Transport Company, between three and 15 months salaries and other benefits.

President of Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, Mr. Igwe Achese, a member of the 6-man action committee set up by NLC to handle the Imo crisis, told Vanguard that all measures had been put in place for the planned action.

Achese who is also a Deputy President of the Joe Ajaero-led faction of NLC, said: "Like we made it clear when we handed down the ultimatum on Friday, January 22, once the ultimatum expires, we will take action and there will be a total shut down of the state. You are aware that both factions of Congress are on the same page in the issue because an injury to one is an injury to all. It was in that regard that a meeting of leaders of the factions in Abuja, set up a 6 man action committee on Imo which I am a member.

"We have it very clear that once the action starts, we will stop fuel

and electricity supplies, banks and shops will be closed among others. " Recall that the Ayuba Wabba faction of NLC at its National Executive Council, NEC, meeting last Friday in Lagos, warned that Imo would be used as an example to others, saying “Congress resolved that any state governor who violates the sacred duty of regular payment of salaries, gratuities and pensions will incur the wrath of workers.Congress also resolved to mobilize to any state that retrenches workers because workers should not be

made the scape goats of the downturn in the economy. The benefits of political employees are not touched. They are paid regular huge sums that are not even approved by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission.

“In line with the Congress’ philosophy of an injury to one is an injury to all, Congress also resolved to mobilize to Imo State to shut it down as a response to Governor Okorocha’s consistent anti-labour policies, impunity and retrenchment of workers, in spite of his promises to the leadership

of the Congress that he would not take such decisions. Congress also resolved to take a national action in respect of Imo if necessary.

"Congress notes that Governor Okorocha has raised a private militia which he has armed to the teeth and they are at present inflicting injuries on innocent workers. Congress considers this as illegal and resolves to make a report to the IGP, warning that in the event that Okorocha violates the law by unleashing the militia again on workers, there would be consequences.”

INAUGURATION: From left: Chairman, House Committee on Communications, Senator Gilbert Nnaji; Chief Sales Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Mr. Godfrey Efeurhobo; Assistant Superintendent of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Abubakar; Chairman, Senate Committee on Science & Technology, Sen. Ajayi Boroffice; Regional Operations Director, North Region, Airtel Nigeria, Mr. Wole Abu, and Regional Head, Retail Showroom and Franchise, Airtel Nigeria, Mrs. Edero Daro-Idollo, during the inauguration of Airtel service outlet at the National Assembly in Abuja.

Fear grips Shoprite mgt as Ugwuanyi frowns at poor drainage system

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By Francis Igata

NUGU—FEARS have gripped the management of Shoprite, a multi-billion Naira shopping mall, following Tuesday’s visit of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State where he discovered a substandard work done by the expatriate firm in its bid to channel the waste from its industrial activities to the Enugu State College of Education Technical, ESCET. Vanguard gathered that the drainage channel reportedly constructed without the approval of relevant authorities have exposed residents and passers by an inimical odour that poses a pronounced health challenge.

Governor Ugwuanyi expressed dissatisfaction during the inspection of government work inside ESCET, whose premises was deviously polluted by the waste.

The state government had earlier directed the management of the shopping mall to construct a suitable drainage system, but regretted that it did a shoddy work C M Y K

not minding its earlier warning.

The governor was briefed on the state of affairs of the facility by the institution’s director of works who told him that the management of the company had not done the proper execution of the work to end the risk users of the area pass through as a result of the pollution.

Speaking to newsmen at the site of the drainage system, the director of works of the college, Engr. Rufus Chime, noted that he had earlier informed the Shoprite management that the drainage constructed was unacceptable to the institution.

“We are not going to accept this because it is not what we agreed

on”ESCET Works Director said.

According to Chime, “the whole drainage has to be covered.

The poor construction was done during the yuletide when I was not present. I would again meet with the management for the proper reconstruction of the drainage to forestall pollution of the institution’s premises.”

Fire guts INEC office in Ebonyi

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By Peter Okutu

BAKALIKI—FIRE outbreak was Sunday afternoon reported to have burnt down the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, office in Izzi Local Government Area of the state.

The fire disaster engulfed the entire INEC office in the area.

Confirming the incident, the Caretaker Committee Chairman of Izzi LGA, Hon. Richard Idike explained that the fire incident caused a lot of damage because nobody was within the premises of INEC when the fire started.

“The fire burnt down the entire building because there was no security man or staff around to put it out.

When I got there, I called the police and other persons.

“My report has been submitted to all the appropriate quarters including the state government. The fire burnt a large hectare before it got to INEC office and razed it down completely. We have put measures in place to forestall further occurrence.”

Contacted, the Electoral Officer of INEC in Izzi LGA, Mr. Paul Etanen who revealed that the fire

destroyed furniture, office documents and other valuables stated that the report of the fire incident has been made at the INEC Headquarters in Abakaliki.

According to the EO, the incident occurred at weekend.

Vanguard gathered that the report of the fire incident has so far been reported in Abakaliki, Ohaozara, Ishielu, Ohaukwu, Ebonyi and Izzi.

S-COURT JUDGMENT: Emeakayi-led state PDP exco

reassures members

By Chimaobi Nwaiwu

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NEWI—PEOPLES Democratic Party, PDP, faithful numbering over 250 in Nnewi North Local Government Area of Anambra State, loyal to Chief Kenneth Emeakayi-led faction of the party, yesterday, held solidarity reception for the organizing secretary of the party, Prince Sam Ben Nwosu who paid them a visit.

The PDP faithful also declared their unflinching support to their National Assembly members

who they said the opposition thought were sacked by the recent Supreme Court judgment.

Prince Nwosu urged them to remain in the party and not to think of defecting to any other faction of the party or another political party, adding that the judgment did not in any way affect the law makers they elected to represent them in the National Assembly, saying “it was just leadership of the party issue.

“If anybody defects to another political party because of the recent development, that person

will lose his position in the party.

We will not like to hear it at all. It is going to be operation watch your partner.

“All our ward executives should be more committed to the party.

Even the Ejike Oguebego’s tenure they are talking about will end this February. So, you all should remain good party men and women.” .

He said the reason for the visit was to clarify issues to his party members at the grassroots level and to reassure them that the party is not disturbed because of the judgment.

The organizing secretary boasted that “whatever happens, PDP will sack the APGA government in Anambra in the governorship election come 2019. All we need from you is absolute loyalty to PDP”.

Asked to speak on the ordeals of the party's National Publicity Secretary, Chief Oliseh Metuh, Nwosu said he would not talk about him since the matter is in court. "Metuh is strong and in high spirit. It is not Metuh that is being pursued. They want to use him to get at somebody and something else”.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016 — 35

Bauchi hosting over 1m IDPs — GOV ABUBAKAR

By Suzan Edeh

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AUCHI—GOVERNOR Mohammed Abubakar of Bauchi State, said yesterday that the state was hosting more than one million Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, stressing that poverty and ignorance were fueling the activities of insurgency in the northeastern part of the country.

Governor Abubakar spoke yesterday when he received a federal government delegation alongside European Union, United Nation and World bank, on Recovery and Peace Assessment for the northeast led

by Wakili Adamu.

He said due to the influx of IDPS in the state, the facilities and infrastructures of the state had been overstretched, contending that when underlying factors of ignorance and poverty were addressed, they would go a long way to reducing insurgency in the region and IDPs in the state.

According to him: “The effect of insurgency is felt by states like Bauchi State because of the multiplier effect of the displacement of persons who are now finding succour in the state.

By Boluwaji Obahopo

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INSPECTION: Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State taking a walk on the dilapidated Uzam - Amechi-Idodo - Inyaba - Umunevo - Amagunze Inter-community wooden bridge in Nkanu East Local Government Area of the state during an inspection tour of the bridge.

Indeed, rebuilding infrastructure is a very important aspect of your mission in the northeast, but addressing the underlying factors of insurgency is much more important than rebuilding infrastructures. ''Why I'm saying this is that poverty and ignorance pervading the region if not addressed, will provide a

ready ground for another crazy person to surface in the future and create problem. ''We may be able to tackle Boko Haram today, but if we are not careful and continue the way we are going by not looking into this critical issue, I am afraid we will still find this same monster of

insurgency resurfacing again.”.

Earlier, leader of the team, Wakili Adamu said the delegation was in the state to conduct a joint assessment mission aimed at facilitating peaceful coexistence within the people of the state.

Kogi workers call off six-week strike as gov assures Labour leaders

By Boluwaji Obahopo

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OKOJA—STRIKING workers of Kogi State have called off their six weeks old strike that started at the twilight of former Governor Idris Wada's

administration, over unpaid salaries and other benefits.

The workers at the Christmas eve went on strike to press home their demands for the payment of their three months’ salary arrears, stoppage of percentage salary

Lagos gives 2 weeks ultimatum to operators of illegal abattoirs

By Chioma Obinna

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AGOS State Government has issued a two-week

‘Excellence Awards to showcase FG’s diversification efforts'

By Naomi Uzor

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BUJA—THE Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry, ACCI, has said ACCI 2016 Excellence Awards is an avenue to showcase the Federal Government’s efforts in diversifying Nigeria’s economic base and shift attention away from crude oil.

President of the Chamber, Mr. Tony Ejinkeonye, in a parley with the media, said, the essence of the award was to promote the spirit of excellence among businesses and also support Federal Government’s efforts in diversifying Nigeria’s economic base.

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LASSA FEVER: Kogi doctors raise alarm over poor facilities in FMC

ultimatum to operators of illegal abattoirs in the state to shut down or face the wrath of the law, following increasing circulation of unwholesome processed meat and others.

Commissioner for Agriculture, Toyin Suarau, who handed down the ultimatum, said operators of illegal abattoirs located within military cantonments and barracks in the State, where Veterinary Officers were denied access should be closed down as government would no longer tolerate such illegal practice.

Suarau said his ministry had deployed veterinary officers to all recognised abattoirs in the state to inspect and certify level of hygiene applied by the various abattoirs.

According to him, “all meat in the state must be certified by these professionals to guarantee the wholesomeness in the process of meat that Lagosians consume. Government has handled significantly the distribution aspect by introducing the Eko Refrigerated meat van which is now used to transport meat rather than the former obnoxious meat

payment to Local Government workers, nine months’ salary arrears to primary school teachers, and non-payment of leave allowances, among other demands.

The workers, who had also accused the former governor of being secretive in the financial position of the state, said he (Wada) had been deceiving them in settling their salary arrears and other entitlements.

Vanguard however gathered that the decision to call off the strike on Tuesday followed a meeting between leaders of organized labour in the state and the new state governor, Yahaya Bello, where the government and workers reached a truce on how to tackle issues surrounding the face-off.

Lauding the action of the workers, Governor Bello thanked labour leaders for shelving the industrial action, and assured of his commitment to workers’ welfare, saying the decision to call off the strike was borne out of workers’ confidence in his government.

Speaking through a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Kingsley Fanwo, the governor regretted the pathetic situation of the workers owed several months’ salaries arrears, promising that the government would find permanent solution to the issue.

He promised an open door policy with labour and reiterated his determination to pay salaries and pensions on the 25th day of every month.

O K O J A — ASSOCIATION of Resident Doctors, ARD, in Kogi State, has decried the poor facilities in Federal Medical Centre, FMC, Lokoja and other medical centres in the state, lamenting that it will be a challenge to handling the Lassa fever epidemic in case of any eventuality.

President of the association, Dr Kennedy Obohwemu who spoke yesterday in Lokoja, said the state government must put in place adequate facilities at FMC and other health centres that could possibly handle victims in case of any outbreak.

According to him, “Our centre is not sufficiently equipped to deal with a suspected, probable or confirmed case of Lassa fever”.

Obohwemu also warned on consequences of the heap of refuge in Lokoja metropolis, which he said was a potential breeding ground for such fever outbreak, noting that “the state of refuge disposal in the state, especially as these unhealthy sites will serve as breading grounds for the vectors (rats).

Receptacle should be strategically located for ease refuge and other waste disposal”.

He urged government at all levels and other stakeholders to commence advocacy campaign on Lassa fever to rural areas, to sensitize them on how to prevent rats from gaining access to food stores and warehouses.

FRCN boss tasks online media on editorial content

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

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HE Director General of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, FRCN, Dr. Ladan Salihu, has cautioned operators of online and social media in general to pay attention to the credibility of the information they put across to members of the public to avoid misinformation.

Salihu gave the charge at Badagry, Lagos, while speaking with newsmen at the opening ceremony of Radio Nigeria’s (Lagos Operation) Content Providers Summit/Retreat, with the

theme, ‘’Audience Focused Programming in a Changing Environment-Re-branding for content.’’

He called on operators to do more in ensuring the authenticity of the information they put in the public domain by ensuring that such information was not only verifiable but also in tune with the laws of the land.

Salihu, who was represented

by FRCN Director of Operation, Mohammed Bello, said unless such was done, the credibility of online and the media industry in general

might be at risk and opened to public ridicule.

Salihu noted that since there would always be information, those with the responsibility to provide such information must brace up to face the challenge that came with it.

While noting an upsurge in the social and online news media, which he said was a good development; Salihu said however, that it would not upstage the traditional media as radio, television, newspapers and magazines because of the issue of authentification and verification.

36—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016

STOCK MARKET VOLATILITY:

Investors lose N106bn in 3 days

By Nkiruka Nnorom

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S the stock market continues to bleed, investors at the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, have lost N106 billion in three trading days.

Analysts had predicted that profit-taking activities will continue as the week progresses leading to continuous negative closes.

According to analysts at United Capital Plc, “We have noticed a short holding in the market on account of lingering bearish sentiments. Thus, we expect to see profittaking activities towards the end of the week given recent strong gains.

However, corporate earnings and actions which may flow in this week may spark mixed sentiments from pockets of demand to major sell-offs. As a result, we expect the market to close the week marginally negative.”

At the end of trading session, yesterday, the twin market indicators - market capitalisation and the All Share Index - fell by 1.3 per cent each. Specifically, the market capitalisation of all listed equities depreciated

by N106 billion from N8225 trillion at the beginning of the week to N8.119 trillion, yesterday, while the All Share Index dropped by 310.26 points to settle at 23,605.89 points from 23,916.15 basis points.

Four of the NSE indices depreciated, while the NSE Insurance Index and NSE Oil/Gas Index recorded slight appreciation driven by gains in Mansard Insurance Plc and Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc respectively.

The NSE Consumer Goods Index fell by 0.83 per cent while the NSE Industrial Index slid by 0.47 per cent. The financial services sector witnessed the strongest sell-offs having declined by 2.93 per cent on average. Also, the NSE 30 Index slipped by 1.04 per cent.

The Seplat Petroleum Development Company rose by 10 26 per cent to close at N236.09 per share followed by Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc which appreciated by 10.14 per cent to close at N19.88 and International Breweries Plc that rose by 6.07 per cent to close at N17.82 per share.

NNPC seeks funds from private sector, others •assures of steady supply of petroleum product

By Ediri Ejoh

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HE Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, yesterday, asked the National Assembly to grant it leverage to solicit for funds from private, local and international investors to execute its capital projects.

Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and Group Managing Director of

FG'll revive PANA to tell African stories — Minister

By Emmanuel Elebeke

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IGERIA will do all it takes to ensure the continued survival and repositioning of the Pan African News Agency, PANA, to enable it to fulfill its mandate, federal government has said.

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, gave the assurance, yesterday, when he received a delegation of the continental news agency, comprising the Interim Chairman of the Board, Dr. Ibrahim Daggash, and the Managing Director, Mr. Babacar Fall in Lagos.

A statement by the Special Assistant to the Minister, Segun Adeyemi, said the minister assured that Africa needed PANA now more than ever to tell the continent’s stories from the African perspective, rather than the perspective of others.

The statement said, ''if African stories cannot be told from the African perspectives by Africans, events on the continent will always be viewed from the prisms of the Western and other media - and such prisms are often distorted. ''With PANA unable to fully fulfil its mandate, Africa has continued to be portrayed as a continent of wars, diseases, deaths, famine, poverty and bad governance, among others.

The spread of democracy, economic growth that for decades remained among the strongest in the world, and the end of most of the wars that bedevilled Africa for years are some of the good news coming out of Africa. But these are rarely reported. ''What we see in the media are mostly negative news that portrayed the continent as a land of plagues, poverty and hopelessness. This has fed into the desperation of many of our youths to escape from the continent at all cost, even at the gravest risks to their lives.''

the Corporation, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu made the call when he received the House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Downstream at the NNPC Towers in Abuja during their oversight visit to the corporation.

Kachikwu, who doubles as the NNPC GMD, noted that the Petroleum Industry was currently undergoing fundamental changes in the face of dwindling global crude oil prices, adding that members of the National Assembly should allow the NNPC to solicit for funds from private local and international investors to execute its capital projects.

He said, “NNPC has complied with the Federal Government directive on the Treasury Single Account, TSA, which promotes probity and accountability in the day-to-day operations of the corporation. Some of the

subsidiaries of the NNPC are being unbundled in order to guarantee energy efficiency and security.”

The minister who stressed that the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company, PPMC, was being restructured into a pipelines company, products marketing company and a storage company, stressed that “despite the challenging environment especially in the area of pipeline security, the NNPC is mandated to ensure steady supply and distribution of petroleum products such as premium motor spirit (petrol), automative gas oil (diesel) and dual purpose kerosene (kerosene) across the country.

The NNPC is going into joint venture partnership with state governments and private companies to expand its retail

outlets across the country in order to meet national energy emergency needs.”

He urged members of the National Assembly to enact legislations that support the growth and development of the Petroleum sector in order to make the industry work well.

Earlier, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Downstream, Honourable Joseph Akinlaja, who was accompanied on the visit by members of the committee assured the minister of the preparedness of the National Assembly to support the federal government in carrying out its fundamental restructuring of the Oil and Gas Industry for the benefit of Nigerians.

L-R: Hajiya Farida Dankaka, 2nd Deputy President, Kaduna State Chamber of Commerce, KSCC, Prof. Umar G. Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, and Dr. Alimi Bello, President, KSCC, during a courtesy visit to the NCC head office in Abuja

Rivers election rerun: APC tasks security agencies on Gov Wike’s threat

By Levinus Nwabughiogu

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BUJA—All Progressives Congress, APC, yesterday, asked security agencies in the country to direct their attention to Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State over his threats to members of APC and other individuals in the state in the build up to the March 19 state rerun elections into the National and State House of Assembly.

In a statement, titled “Wike’s Dangerous Threat In Lead-up To March 19 Rivers State rerun elections” and signed by the APC's national secretary, Mala Mai Buni, the party urged the governor to also desist from intimidating officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. The statement read: “The All Progressives Congress, APC, draws the attention of security agencies and

other relevant bodies to dangerous threats by the Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike in the lead-up to the March 19, 2016 Rivers state rerun elections into the National Assembly and State House of Assembly.

“The Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike in a brazen show of force has told officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to prepare their will before coming to conduct the elections in Rivers state. The APC is also aware of threats issued by Governor Wike to civil servants to either support and work for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, or face sack. The plot also includes intimidation of eligible voters, INEC officials and security operatives deployed to ensure peaceful, free and credible rerun elections in Rivers State.

“Security agencies must be on high alert over the dangerous threats by the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, and by extension the PDP in the lead-up to the Rivers re-run election. The APC advises the Rivers State Governor and the PDP to grow out of its penchant for ‘do or die’ politics. We reiterate previous calls on the PDP to embrace the new Nigeria where elections are peaceful and votes of the people count.

While we call on INEC and security operatives to be mindful of the dangerous threats by the Rivers State Governor, the APC is confident in INEC and security agencies ability to deliver peaceful, free and credible supplementary election come March 19, 2016.''

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4 , 2016—37

NLC takes major step towards resolving factional crisis

By Victor Ahiuma-Young

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N Monday, January 25, the Alhaji Hassan Sunmonu-led Reconciliatory Committee, RC, took a major step towards resolving the leadership crisis rocking the NLC by appointing a sevenman panel to address the issue of parallel executives in the 36 states and Abuja.

The parallel executives in the states are a major impediment towards the resolution of the leadership crisis following the March 2015 disputed delegates conference that has factionalized the Congress.

While Ayuba Wabba is leading a faction, Joe Ajaero leads the other.

The meeting, Labour Vanguard gathered, was sequel to the January ending ultimatum given to the chairman of the RC, Alhaji Sunmonu, by the Ajaero led faction.

In the ultimatum, the faction threatened to pull out of the reconciliation efforts if nothing concrete was achieved.

The panel, Labour Vanguard gathered, is headed by Alhaji Sunmonu with three members each from both factions including Peter Adeyemi, General Secretary of NonAcademic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, NASU, a Deputy President from Wabba’s faction and Igwe Achese, President of Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, also a Deputy President of Ajaero’s faction.

Parallel executives These seven men are to go round the 36 states and Abuja, to examine where there are parallel executives and find a way of ensuring that only a single executive exists.

They are to report back to a joint meeting of leaders of both factions on February 28.

Speaking during its faction’s National Executive Council, NEC, meeting in Lagos, Wabba, disclosed that: “The challenges of 2015 National Delegates Conference are being addressed.

Very soon the matter will be finally resolved and NLC will be united with full force to fight, defend and promote workers’ rights. Just few days ago, there was a meeting where the only thing on the agenda was how to address these challenges. At the end, a committee was set up

•Wabba

•Ajaero

to address issue in the state councils.”

Roadblocks to peace: Ahead of the Monday meeting, Labour Vanguard was informed that outside the issue of parallel executives in the states, other issues yet to be resolved were the fate of labour leaders who are no longer presidents of their unions or have retired from service, but are occupying positions in Congress.

Besides, there were also concerns that the root causes of the crisis bordering on accusations of rigging, manipulations of electoral process among others, were yet to be investigated to determine the truth or otherwise of the allegations.

The Sunmonu-led RC and indeed, the NLC veterans, it has been gathered, are insisting

Once you retire from service, you automatically lose your postion in NEC of NLC

on one leadership at the state level and it is making efforts at achieving this.

One can understand why this is a major headache.

Elections in the state councils by the factions cannot be faulted. Each faction held its election according to spelt out rules and elected leaders. So, there is nothing fundamentally wrong with the state councils elections conducted by the two factions.

Observers are of the opinion that the panel can resolve the state issue in the following ways. First, in states where there were popular and effective chairmen who had served only one term before the crisis, they should be allowed to complete their terms.

Harmonization policy Second, in Labour elections, there is harmonization. This is paramount because most of the unions adopt harmonization policy in their elections.

In most cases, it is only when candidates fail to agree, that they go into elections against one another.

In this case, if the panel is able to harmonise, the better, but if not, it should adopt other measures especially, by allowing them to test their popularities in elections.

Individuals no longer in service: On the fate of labour leaders who are no longer presidents of their unions or have retired from service, but are occupying positions in Congress, it was gathered that a decision had already been taken on it by the veterans before the disputed March 2015 conference.

It was gathered that the veterans including Governor Adams Oshiomhole and Hassan Sunmonu, met with the contestants at Labour House and asked all the contestants whether they were still in service, all the contestants answered in the affirmative.

They were said to have equally been asked whether they were still occupying positions in their respective unions that could last for the next four years, they said yes.

Enforcement of decisions However, it has been discovered that the veterans were deceived. So, it has been gathered that the veterans are now revisiting and enforcing decisions reached on the matter before the election.

Labour Vanguard was informed that it is not that any of the factions is pushing it forward, but that the veterans are enforcing it. Incidentally, neither of the factions, it was gathered, is opposed to it because the factions know that these issues were there even before the election.

Bottlenecks: Meanwhile, it has been gathered that those that have retired from service or are no longer presidents of their respective unions and holding positions are threatening not not vacate the positions unless the entire election that brought about the crisis is cancelled.

Their unions are said to be contending that if the basis for their representatives to vacate is the issue of tenure, then the whole election process should be voided.

A veteran Labour leader who spoke to Labour Vanguard on

condition of anonymity, said they were right to hold such views because you could not hold justice on one hand and allow injustice to stand on the other hand.

According to him, "if you are to hold restitution, it has to be all round. As far as you have identified flaws in that election, the entire process is flawed. The veterans must address this amicably if they want to be successful in resolving the crisis. Incidentally, this issue is not new in NLC. Once you retire from service, you automatically lose your postion in NEC of NLC, unless you contested on the platform of the National Union of Pensioners, NUP. Similary, if you are no longer president of your union on which platform you were elected, you have to vacate such position.

Under the presidency of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole in NLC, some members of the National Administrative Councils, NAC, including Lucas Damlack, of the National Union of Chemical, Footwear, Leather, Rubber and NonMetallic Products Employees, NUCFLRANMPE, who was then one of the Deputy Presidents of Congress were all asked to leave. They did because that is the norm and practice.

Contentious issues Some other identified contentious areas included the position of the General Secretary.

It was gathered that the Ajaero-led faction had at some earlier meetings, complained that decisions reached were not implemented.

However, it was gathered that during the Monday meeting, these were discussed and pointed out that it may not be right to say they were not implemented because the factions still exist.

The groups still hold factional organs’ meetings such as National Administrative Council, NAC, Central Working Committee, CWC, and NEC meetings.

If the Ayuba faction is to fill the position of the General Secretary for example, if it goes ahead to fill it, it will be regarded as factional General Secretary. What it means is that, those things must wait until there is a united Congress before they are addressed. It is only then that the issues are taken to the organs.

If NEC now for example, approves the appointment of a General Secretary, it will now be NLC’s NEC and not factional NEC of Ajaero or Wabba's factions.

38 — Vanguard, THURSDAY THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016

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40—Vanguard, THURSDAY THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016

Ports Monopoly: Amaechi’s litmus test Continues from page 32

issues? When the Olusegun Obasanjo government came up with the idea of Ports Reforms in 2004 and subsequently decided to concession the ports to the private sector, the lofty idea was aimed at breaking the monopoly of the Nigerian Ports Authority, attract private investment to build new facilities, with a level playing field for all concessioners, and reducing cost of ports operations, thereby making our ports attractive to shippers with the ultimate goal of deepening government revenue generation drive.

Almost a decade after that economically sound policy, according to maritime experts,

the government continues to hold the short end of the stick as events have shown that through manipulation by a major private sector player-Intels-and collusion with officials in the Ministry of Transport and NPA, Nigeria may have, inadvertently replaced government monopoly with a private sector dominator.

From day one, Intels, an Italian owned company with some local partners, and one of the 26 concessionaires had proven that it was not at home with playing by the rule. Contrary to the agreement signed by all the terminal operators/ concessionaries to compete “under similar contracts, benefits and responsibilities to their workers, regulatory bodies and

the nation, “Intels, in collaboration with top government officials, and contrary to the letter and spirit of the agreement, sought to illegally label some cargoes as oil and gas cargoes and ingeniously designate its own terminals as oil and gas terminals. In the 2006 concession agreement, there are only three recognized cargo types and these are: Container, Bulk and General Cargo.

Since 2006 and up to this moment, Intels, in collaboration with officials in NPA, has engaged Nigeria’s leaders in titanic battles in its avowed determination to foist a private sector monopoly on the nation’s maritime sector. And going back memory lane could help to

address the Honourable Minister’s mind to the battle he will need to wage if he must succeed in breaking this logjam and free the ports to enable Nigeria realize the potentials therein.

In 2006, when President Olusegun Obasanjo discovered that the NPA had started diverting what it dubbed ‘oil and gas cargoes to Intels terminals to the consternation and shock of other 25 concessionaires, he waded in decisively. Having found no justification for such special treatment for Intels, President Obasanjo expelled Intels from the ports. Indeed the Committee set up by Presidnet Obasanjo to look unto the issue recommended in clear term that “importers of oil and gas related

cargo should be free to choose their ports of preference.”

For Intels, the battle to unfairly dominate the nation’s maritime sector, contrary to the nation’s laws, was just beginning. In 2008, now with President Umar Musa Yar’Adua in the saddle, some officials of NPA, the Ministry and Intels convinced the Honourable Minister of State 2 for Transportation, Prince John Emeka to reverse Obasanjo’s directive. The cold calculation of the collaborators was that since the Yar’Adua family had some interest in Intels, this will be a smooth sail.

But they miscalculated. When it was brought to his attention, President Yar’Adua not only reaffirmed former President Obasanjo’s position that importers were free to choose the ports they desired, he compelled the Minster, Emeka to publish government’s position on it.

In compliance with that directive, in a publication in The Guardian of Monday August 18 2008, the Minister stated: “notice is hereby given that importers of oil and gas related cargoes are free to choose their ports of discharge for their cargoes. This notice supersedes an earlier directive stipulating particular ports of discharge for such cargoes”.

Economic interest But Intels, knowing the worth of the undue advantage it seeks and determined to have its own way even if the nation’s economic interest is put in harm’s way, refused to give up. With collaborators in high places, it continued to pile pressure on the country’s political leadership.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan eventually caved in to the pressure through a directive dated April 27 2015 and sent to all port owners, instructing that “oil and gas related cargoes must berth at the designated terminals in Onme, Warri and Calabar.

These three ports, it must be noted, belong to Intels.

The implications of this directive are profound and far reaching in their negative impact on our ports and by implication, the nation’s economy.

First, the directive is clearly against the Letter and Spirit of the 2006 Port Concessioning Agreement and amounts to introducing new rules in the middle of the game.

Clearly the other concessionaires are disadvantaged and are no longer in position to receive cargoes in their terminals once they are dubbed oil and gas cargo

by NPA. To be concluded

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Chelsea will decide Pellegrini move—Hiddink G

UUS Hiddink has said it’s “up to Chelsea” whether the club appoints Manuel Pellegrini to replace him and expressed his admiration for the Chilean.

Hiddink joined Chelsea for his second spell as manager in December, replacing Jose Mourinho, and the Premier League champions have been undefeated since his arrival.

However, Hiddink’s contract expires at the end of the season and Pellegrini has confirmed that he is leaving Manchester City and will be a free agent ahead of 2016-17, Pep Guardiola the man set to take charge at the Etihad Stadium.

Hiddink responded to questions over whether Pellegrini would replace him, saying: “That’s up to Chelsea to decide.

•Pellegrini

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OTTENHAM Hotspur youngster Josh Onomah has been handed a new contract by the club,

•Kimwaki...DR Congo captain R Congo edged Guinea 5-4 on penalties to reach the final of the African Nations Championship for the second time.

The Congolese, winners of the maiden edition in 2009 in Cote d’Ivoire were on the brink of victory after TP Mazembe forward Jonathan Bolingi headed them into the lead in extra time, only for Guinea to draw level with virtually the last kick through Ibrahima Sory Sankhon.

The highly favoured Congolese had to sweat for the victory against a determined Guinean side which held them barren in regulation time. The match got off to an electrifying start with DR Congo taking control from the start. Most of the action was played in the half of the Guineans whilst DR Congo captain Joel Kimwaki thwarted the few rare attacks by the West Africans. Forward Bolingi was heavily policed by the Guinean backline of Mohamed Youla and

IEGO Costa moved a step closer to a return to Aletico Madrid at the end of the season when the Spanish club sold Jackson Martinez to Guangzhou Evergrande for £32million this week.

Martinez had scored only twice in 15 league games but more importantly from Atletico coach Diego Simeone’s perspective, he had completely failed to adapt to life at the Vicente Calderon.

The fear was that Atletico would have to write-off the massive investment but the richest club in China stepped in with a huge bid and Simeone now wants the cash used to help bring back one of his favourite former players.

Costa has never properly settled in London after moving there in his own

Costa eyes Atletico Madrid return

•Costa £32m deal and has remained in contact with various former team-mates telling several of them that he would like to return.

He even had a meeting with the club’s chief executive Miguel Angel

Onomah extends Tottenham contract to 2020

DR Congo stop Guinea

D

D

Abuobacar Camara, but still managed to lay some good passes to Mechak Elia and Doxa Gikanji.

extending his stay at White Hart Lane until 2020.

Onomah’s new deal sees him earn a one-year extension after the Enfieldborn youngster agreed fresh terms in July 2015.

“It’s a dream come true.

Since I was young, it was my dream to play for Tottenham and now I’m doing it, it just seems surreal,” Onomah told SpursTV. “I need to keep my head down and carry on working.

“It shows that if you work hard, you’ll get the rewards for it. Thanks to the gaffer — he put me in tough games, he trusted me, he gave me minutes. I thank the gaffer, I thank the fans, I thank everyone close to me who’s given me the support that I need to do what I’m doing right now.” The 18-year-old

•Onomah midfiel-der made his Spurs debut against Burnley in the FA Cup last season and was included in the club’s postseason trip to Malaysia and Australia.

…Announces alternative routes

•Yusuf Alli

HE Lagos State Government yesterday announced restriction of movement in some of the major highways to be used for the February 6, 2016 International Marathon scheduled to start by 7am at National Stadium Surulere and terminate at Eko Atlantic City.

The Lagos International Marathon, which was last held in 1983, is billed to be attended by over 20,000 athletes, including over 20 world class marathoners.

Speaking during a press conference at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre in Alausa, Special Adviser to

Olympic Solidarity Course for Directors of Sports to hold in Lagos

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This term, he has been a regular in the first-team squad, making 10 appearances in all competitions, including six from the bench in the Premier League.

International Marathon: Lagos restricts movement on major highways

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Gil in the summer in Ibiza.

After a poor start to the season Costa’s form has improved of late under Guus Hiddink but he would still be open to going back to Spain if the deal can be worked out.

the Lagos State Governor on Transportation, Prince Olanrewaju Elegushi disclosed that the Marathon will start from the National Stadium and move to Anthony, and thereafter to Gbagada Road, Third Mainland Bride through Alfred Rewane to Lekki Ikoyi Bridge and terminate at Eko Atlantic City. legushi, who explained that the Marathon will commence at 7am, said the restriction of traffic will however start from 6:30am and end at 1pm, adding that adequate arrangements have been put in place to ensure that

security operatives and officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) barricade access to the dual carriage way to be affected by the event.

According to him, all traffic flow and access from Alaka and Alhaji Masha to National Stadium towards Ojuelegba and along Western Avenue terminating at Anthony Bus stop would be blocked, while the whole stretch of the Anthony Oke to Gbagada unto Third mainland Bride along with accesses at New Garage, Adeniji Adele interchange; Sura/Simpson and Obalende would equally be blocked.

high profile forum that would bring all the 36 Directors of Sports in Nigeria together to train leaders and managers in the sports sector will come up from March 5 - 6 at the Command Guest House, Apapa, Lagos.

The two-day Forum which is being packaged by the Nigeria Sport For All Commission(NSFAC) in collaboration with the Nigeria Olympic Committee(NOC) would provide a platform for debate, exchange of experience and networking among the Sports Directors.

According to the Scribe of Sport For All, Augustine Odijie, the Course which is the first of its kind in Nigeria would expose participants to the fundamentals of Sports For All as well as the latest information from the Association For International Sport For All Association(TAFISA), which is the umbrella body of Sport For All globally.

With a target audience of over 50 delegates, Odijie said that Nigeria would be joining the global Sports community in updating the officials with the latest technologies.

He noted that the delegates would increase their professional qualifications as well as widen their experience transfer opportunities.

“It is a high profile course that will enrich the delegates as well as Fitness Club Proprietors”, Odigie emphasized.

46 — Vanguard, THURSDAY THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016

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Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016 — 47

Neymar Continues from BP president Josep Maria Bartomeu and his predecessor Sandro Rosell are all accused of evading taxes and misrepresentation in order to “abolish taxes owed to the IRS of Brazil”.

Brazilian state Sao Paulo’s public prosecution office (MPF) confirmed that they had

recommended the four men be charged by the federal court. A judge must now decide whether to take the case forward.

The prosecution’s case centres around alleged fraudulent use of Neymar’s image rights from as early as 2006, as well as irregularities in the Brazil captain’s transfer from Santos to Barcelona in 2013.

Oliseh Continues from BP debut in 2012.

And Oliseh said the former England youth international is in his plans and could be handed a call-up for the country’s crunch Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Egypt in March.

“Yes, Victor Moses is still in our plan. All the players who are eligible to play for us are still in our plans aside those who have retired from the national team.”

“The truth is that I will put a ‘but’ to it at the moment. This team started with the game against Tanzania and is

evolving.

“We have played 14 games since I took charge of the team and we lost our first official game against Guinea at the African Nations Championship.

“We have like seven or eight players from the CHAN team that are good enough to play for the main Super Eagles.

“It’s good when you have a large pool of players to pick from, so everyone will have to fight for a place in the team,” he concluded.

Nigeria are second behind the Pharaohs in Group G’s qualifying zone with four points from two games.

Green Continues from BP from the tournament by Guinea, after making a good start winning 4-1 against Niger Republic and drawing against Tunisia in the group C pairings. Oliseh said his boys played halfheartedly because they were not paid any allowances. The NFF debunked his claim, and an otherwise good relationship between the NFF and coach Oliseh appeared strained.

Green, speaking with Thecable.ng stoke the fire when he reminded Oliseh that other national coaches found themselves without pay; yet they delivered.

“I don’t think it is very fair to the NFF that Oliseh would say the team was not motivated. “ He was given all the support.

His programmes to camp in Nigeria and Pretoria in South Africa were approved and executed.

In South Africa, he had good matches to play, which he played. These

were part of the preparations for the CHAN tournament.

“Ordinarily, in a tournament where one will have domestic players, one would have said they should remain in the country and prepare. But in this case, in total obedience to the programme of the coach, they had to leave Nigeria and went to Pretoria. And so, I will not want to say that the NFF did not motivate the team.

“What about Samson Siasia’s team that played all the way to the final and won the cup without being paid their match bonuses and allowances?

What about Emmanuel Amuneke that played till the final and won the World Cup in Chile without being paid?

“Also, what about the girls that went to Namibia and won? They all know that their money will be paid to them. And I can assure you that very soon, all debts will be cleared when the NFF receives its money.”

Ministerial committe Continues from BP source, there are two windows being created for Yakmut; either he gets posted to another ministry to complete his tenure or remain in the ministry as a director.

The position was said to have been based on the fact that the then National Sports Commission (NSC) never existed under any

known Nigerian law.

Our source further revealed that the Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung may have tactically started implementing the recommendations as the embattled Director General is said to be hardly put in the know of events in the ministry.

Chikatara Continues from BP Super Eagles rising star Chisom Chikatara to Moroccan Botola Pro side Wydad Casablanca for a transfer fee of $700,000 (about N139m) Chikatara put himself in the spotlight at the African Nations Championship, notching 4 goals in 3 matches as the Super Eagles failed to progress to the knockout rounds of the tourney after losing 1-0 to Guinea in their final group game.

A lot of teams,

predominantly based in North Africa, had courted the 21-year-old before Abia Warriors CEO Emeka Inyama accepted the proposal from Wydad Casablanca.

Tunisian powerhouse Esperance saw a bid of $500,000 (about N99m) rejected by Abia Warriors as it failed to meet their valuation of Chisom Chikatara.

The frontman will pen a contract designed for three years if he agrees personal terms with Wydad Casablanca.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016

Ministerial committee recommends scrapping of DG

BY JUDE OPARA, Abuja

T

HERE are strong indications that the Ministry of Youth and Sports has concluded plans to scrap the office of the Director General of the ministry.

Source at the ministry told Sports Vanguard that the committee set up by the Permanent

Chikatara: Abia Warriors pocket N139m A

BIA Warriors have agreed to sell Continues on Page 47

•Yakmut

Secretary, Christian Ohaa to look into how to harmonise the operations of the ministry and those of the Sports Commission recommended that other directors be retained except the office of the Director General, currently occupied by Alhassan Yakmut.

According to our Continues on Page 47

CHAN: Oliseh’s unprofessional, says Green T

ECHNICAL committee chairman of the Nigeria Football Federation, Chris Green has insisted that coach Sunday Oliseh acted unprofessionally, when

he decided to criticise the NFF over the Super Eagles failed mission at the African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Rwanda.

Nigeria was dumped Continues on Page 47

Neymar accused of tax evasion, forgery •Chikatara

B

Moses still in my plans – Oliseh

N

IGERIA handler Sunday Oliseh insists Victor Moses is still in his plans despite the West Ham United forward not featuring for the country since he took

charge in 2015.

The 25-year-old has scored seven times in 24 appearances for the Super Eagles since making his international Continues on Page 47

•Neymar

ARCELONA and Brazil forward Neymar is facing accusations of tax evasion and forgery in his homeland.

Neymar, the player ’s father Neymar Sr, current Barcelona Continues on Page 47

•Oliseh

CHAN: Result DR Congo Mali

1 (5) Guinea 1(4) Today’s match v Cote d’Ivoire 3 pm

QUICK CR OSS WORD CROSS OSSWORD

TODAY'S PUZZLE

YESTERDAY'S ANSWERS

ACROSS 2 Torment (5) 7 Satan (5) 8 Fruit (5) 10 Sorcery (5) 12 Obese (3) 13 Send (5) 15 Reasonable (7) 17 Worn (6) 19 Gained (3) 20 Erased (7) 23 Expired (4) 25 Dejected (4) 26 Dedicated (7) 30 Cushion (3) 31 Signify (6) 34 Refuge (7) 37 Ethical (5) 38 Wonder (3) 39 Liability (5) 40 Reverence (5) 41 Stitched (5) 42 Rate (5)

DOWN 1 Postpone (5) 2 Shy (5) 3 Exhilarated (6) 4 Dirt (4) 5 Purified (7) 6 Sum (5) 9 Resin (3) 11 Cringed (7) 13 Shrill (5) 16 Obtained (3) 18 Deciphered (7) 21 Giver (5) 22 Seraph (5) 24 Exhaust (7) 27 Tank (3) 28 Death (6) 29 Seat (5) 32 Famous (5) 33 Domesticated (5) 35 Sheep (3) 36 Harvest (4)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 2, Scene 7, Ergo 8, Lariat 9, Bluff 11, Mar 13, Cut 15, Eden 16, Sap 18, Free 19, Retinue 20, Inch 22, Nail 23, Hideous 25, Eyed 27, Rue 28, Corn 30, Did 31, Rug 33, Steam 36, Please 37, Away 38, Wield.

DOWN: 1, Bread 2, Sob 3, Emu 4, Elf 5, Pry 6, Vague 10, Feat 11, Merited 12, Reached 13, Creator 14, Telling 16, Sever 17, Pique 18, Fun 21, Hid 24, Oust 26, Yield 29, Rural 32, Pay 33, Sew 34, Eke 35, Mad.

How to Play Sudoku

P

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

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

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

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