We've found banks with stolen oil money - BUHARI

...towards a better life for the people

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VOL. 25: NO. 62463

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We've found banks with stolen oil money—BUHARI

By Gabriel Omoh & •Says efforts already being made to recover them Levinus Nwabughiogu •US, others promise to track, recover stolen funds •Nigeria losing trillions of Naira through oil theft, illicit transactions A PBR EUS IJDAE N—T M u h a m m a d u Buhari, yesterday, in Abuja said that his administration has identified banks, financial institutions and countries in which payments for stolen Nigerian crude oil have been deposited.

Speaking at an audience with visiting United States Congressmen, President Buhari acknowledged the support and cooperation his administration was getting from the international community in gathering required intelligence for tracing and recovering stolen national resources.

The President, according to a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and

Continues on Page 5

Mr & Mrs SARAKI IN BORNO—Senate President, Bukola Saraki; Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State (in glasses) and others at an Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, camp when the Senate President led a delegation of senators to Maiduguri, yesterday.

COLUMNISTS:

What Buhari should do with Tompolo, Asari — Dein of Agbor See Inside C M Y K

Republicans line up •P.24 for battle

Re: Na only Fulani waka come (2) •P.17

2 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015

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POCKET CARTOON

MEETING—From left: Member of the U.S. Congress (21st District,

Florida), Frederica Wilson; member of the U.S. House of Representatives (18th District, Texas), Sheila Jackson Lee; President Muhammadu Buhari; leader of the U.S. Congress delegation, Mr Darrell Issa and another member of the Congress (27th District, Texas), Blake Farentholld, after a meeting with President Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday. Photo: NAN.

We've found banks with stolen oil serve as a more useful money—BUHARI platform for the promotion Continues from page 1 Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, told the Congressmen led by Rep. Darrel Issa: “We are getting cooperation from the international community, including information on ships that take crude oil from Nigeria and change direction, or pour their contents into other ships mid-stream. Some monies were paid to individual accounts.

We are

identifying the financial institutions and countries that are involved. I have been assured that when we get all our documents together, the United States and other countries will treat our case with sympathy."

President Buhari told the Congressmen that his Administration will welcome more regular meetings of the NigeriaUnited States Bi-National Commission. He noted that the Commission could

IT'S UP TO YOU

BY AYO ADIO

I

USED to think that HIV, cancer and diabetes were man’s greatest enemies until I saw how many became prisoners of complacency, procrastination and inertia. No one is entitled to what they never crave for. Trust me, I know life can weigh huge demands on our shoulders but beyond our inadequacies lies our true genius. If we decided to move past what seemed to limit us, that which held us back will become leverage for our elevation.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

The universe is so well balanced that the mere fact that you have a problem, also serves as a sign that there is a solution— Ella Randle

D

ON’T see obstacles. See solutions. Too often, we tend to focus on the problems and difficulties along our path. Our mind tends to find whatever we are looking for.

If we’re seeking out excuses to fail or to justify our decision not to push forward, we’ll find them – in the form of setbacks, constraints and limitations. But if we obsess about finding a way past any of these restraints and breaking through to the level of success we set out in search of, then magically we discover these solutions. When you feel like giving up. Ask for help and support. We cannot live in splendid isolation.

As attractive as that may sound! We need people around us, for many different reasons. And having more people in your circle is generally a good thing.

The challenges that are scaring you or threatening to break you are probably not as rare, unusual or even impossible to overcome as you once thought.

You can tap into the collective experience and wisdom of people like you, who probably have even had difficulties like yours. Having supportive people in your corner will help you keep going – until you catch your ‘second wind’ of inspiration and motivation from within.

of bilateral trade and economic relations as well as joint cooperation in the war against terrorism.

Rep. Darrel assured him that the United States will support Nigeria against Boko Haram by providing training, intelligence and military platforms.

"We look forward to helping you in many ways to end the Boko Haram insurgency and the theft of crude oil in the Gulf of Guinea,” he said.

Nigeria, the world’s seventh largest producer of crude oil, accounts for about 68.1 per cent of the total revenue Africa lost in a decade as a result of illegal transfer of funds abroad.

N10.08trillion lost in 10 years The report of the Thabo Mbeki High Level Panel on Illicit Financial Flows from Africa adopted by African Union Heads of State and Government at their summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia said about $40.9billion (about N6.87trillion) of an estimated $60billion (about N10.08trillion) lost through such transfers from Africa in a decade (2001-2010) was traced to Nigeria.

The funds are stolen through corruption, tax evasion and illegal transfer of profits by multinationals, the AU said. Nigeria, which produces an average of 2.3million barrels of oil daily as the leading hydrocarbon producer in Africa, is being ravaged by poverty and underdevelopment.

Cumulatively, Nigeria and Egypt topped the list of 10 African countries by illicit financial transfers between 1970 and 2008, with $217.7billion (about N36.57trillion), or 30.5 per

cent, and $105.2billion (about N17.67trillion), or 14.7 per cent respectively, while South Africa had $81.8billion (about N13.74trillion), or 11.4 per cent.

In its 15-point findings, the panel noted that ending illicit financial flows is a political decision by the various governments as it involved issues of abusive transfer pricing, trade misinvoicing, tax evasion, aggressive tax avoidance, double taxation, tax incentives, unfair contracts, financial secrecy, money laundering, smuggling, trafficking and abuse of entrusted power.

The interrelationships of these issues, it stated, conferred a technical character requiring transparency across all aspects to ensure access to information and the right to obtain such information.

It will be recalled that there has been reports that stolen Nigerian oil worth billions of dollars is sold every year on international markets and much of the proceeds are laundered in world financial centers like Britain and the United States which officials said will help President Buhari to recover the funds. An estimated 100,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil was stolen from pipelines in the Niger Delta, the report by London-based Chatham House said, not including the unknown quantities stolen from export terminals.

Theft of crude oil The theft amounts to around 5 per cent of Nigeria’s current 2 million bpd production but has a wider impact because oil companies are often forced to shut down pipelines due to damage caused by thieves. The activity costs Nigeria's economy an estimated $5 billion a year in potential revenue. While oil majors like Royal Dutch Shell and Italy’s Eni are often the first to complain about theft, it is unclear how much they are losing from it. A measure of acceptable losses may be keeping them from taking determined preventive action, the report said. Oil firms do not pay royalties on stolen oil.

“Nigerian crude oil is being stolen on an industrial scale. Proceeds are laundered through world financial centers and used to buy assets in and outside Nigeria,” said the 70-page report, entitled “Nigeria’s Criminal Crude”. Thieves have many ways to disguise funds ... including cash smuggling, delayed deposits, use of

middlemen, shell companies and tax havens, bribery of bank officials, cycling cash through legitimate businesses and cash purchases of luxury goods.”

The report named the United States, Britain, Dubai, Indonesia, India, Singapore and Switzerland as likely money-laundering hotspots, and the United States, Brazil, China, Thailand, Indonesia and the Balkans as the most likely destination for stolen oil.

Former Oil Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke had called for stolen oil to be labeled “blood oil”, arguing that the security risk is similar to those in past and present mineral conflict zones such as Angola, Sierra Leone or Congo.

The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Saturday said that the Global financial integrity group has said that about $15.7 billion illicit money pass through Nigeria annually.

This makes Nigeria one of the top 10 countries for illicit financial flow. As a result, banks in the country have reacted by rejecting foreign currency deposits, saying that it has increased its vigilance on illegal financial flow.

A statement issued by Ibrahim Mu’azu, Director, Corporate Communications of the CBN said: “The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) notes with concern a recent report by the Global Financial Integrity group, which ranks Nigeria as one of the 10 largest countries for illicit financial flows in the world. Although we do not have an independent confirmation of this assertion, the report estimates that about $15.7 billion of illicit funds go through our system annually.

“In the light of this avoidably negative commentary, we wish to draw the public’s attention to several protocols on illicit fund flows, money laundering, and terrorism financing both in Nigeria and around the

world, and warn that the CBN will increase its vigilance to ensure t h a t N i g e r i a n banks are not used as conduits for illicit fund flows, especially in foreign currencies.

“The CBN will continue to support the Federal Government’s fight against money laundering, corruption, and terrorism financing and will block any and every avenue that may be used for these purposes. We will also ensure that persons who venture into currency speculation and currency substitution find it unattractive and dangerous. In these efforts, therefore, we seek the continued cooperation of all Nigerians to make this work for the enhancement of our shared progress, rather than the prosperity of a greedy few amongst us.”

Illicit financial flows in and out of Nigeria are mainly from crude oil theft, proceed of corruption, tax evasion, over invoicing of imports and inflated contracts.

The FGI report

According to the Financial Global Integrity report 2008-2012 released last month, “illicit financial flows from developing countries are facilitated and perpetuated primarily by opacity in the global financial system. This endemic issue is reflected in many well-known ways, such as the existence of tax havens, secrecy jurisdictions, anonymous companies, other legal entities, and innumerable techniques available to launder dirty money such as through misinvoicing trade transactions.

"This is, essentially, trade fraud and is often referred to as trade-based money laundering when used to move the proceeds of criminal activity.

"Of the estimated $1 trillion in measurable illicit outflows each year, trade misinvoicing is the method most often used to move funds offshore."

6—Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015

Child trafficker escapes lynching in Delta

By Emma Amaize

I

RATE villagers at IsseleUku in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State almost lynched a 26-year-old man from Atuma, Onuwa, who stole two children, aged four and three years, respectively, at the weekend.

The timely intervention of the Divisional Police Officer, Issele-Uku Division, who deployed a patrol team to the scene, saved the suspect.

The suspect reportedly lured the children and escaped with them.

Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Celestina Kalu, who confirmed the story, said the suspect was rescued and rushed to General Hospital, Issele-Uku for treatment.

She said: “The victims have been rescued and kept in protective custody, pending the arrival of their parents.”

Driver docked over alleged theft of N10m

By Onozure Dania

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AGOS—A 29-year-old driver, Olalekan Akinde, has been arraigned before an Igbosere Magistrate’s Court over alleged theft of N10 million.

The defendant is facing a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing preferred against him by the police.

The prosecutor, Inspector Marcus Okon, told the court that the defendant and others still at large conspired to commit the alleged offence on June 15 in Apapa, Lagos.

He said the defendant, being the driver of a Mack truck with number plates UMZ 090 WY, stole a 1X40 feet container containing concrete mixer machine valued at N10 million, property of one Raphael Ezelibe.

Magistrate O. A. Ogunbowale granted the defendant bail in the sum of N1million with two responsible sureties in like sum, who must produce three years tax payment and their addresses verified.

The matter was adjourned till August 27 for mention.

SUV crushes mother, three children, one other in Bayelsa

By Samuel Oyadongha

Y

ENAGOA—FIVE persons, including a woman and her three children, were reportedly killed in an accident along Bayelsa State stretch of the newly-dualised East-West Road.

The accident, which occurred on Saturday at about 3.40p.m. along Adagbabiri axis of the East-West Road in Sagbama Local Government Area of the state, threw traders in the area

into mourning.

Vanguard gathered that the deceased, identified as Ruth, and her children, Favour (female), aged nine, Godgift (boy), aged five, and Oghenerho (a baby), died when the driver of a Toyota Highlander SUV, identified as Meeting Okpekpe Mayor, reportedly lost control of the car and crashed into their kiosk by the road side.

A female passenger in the car also died, while driver and one

of the deceased woman’s daughters are in critical condition at Delta State University Teaching Hospital, Oghara.

The woman, like several others, have kiosks by the road side where they sell food stuffs such as smoked fish, shrimps, crayfish, palm oil and palm wine to commuters.

An eyewitness said: “The woman was having lunch with her children when the SUV rammed into their kiosk and

crushed them. The woman and her three children have been confirmed dead, while one is still hanging onto life.”

The remains of the deceased had since been deposited at the morgue of Ughelli General Hospital in neighbouring Delta State.

Spokesman of Bayelsa State Police Command, Asinim Butswat, while confirming the development, said the SUV’s number plates were marked YEN 726 RG.

Traffic on Oshodi-Agege Motor Road, Lagos, yesterday. NAN PHOTO.

Victim demands N500m from bank over bullion van accident

By Perez Brisibe

U

GHELLI—THE victim of a July 13 bullion van accident, Mrs. Onome Akporode, is demanding N500 million from the management of a bank (name withheld) for its culpability in the crash.

Mrs. Akporode, a 31-year-old mother of four, was said to have been knocked down by a tipper trying to avoid a bullion van used by the bank, which was driving against traffic along Udu dual carriage road.

Counsel to the victim, Ikimi Oghenejabor, in a letter to the bank, explained that following the amputation of the left leg of the victim and consideration of same on her second leg for her to survive the said injuries, as well as the accompanying hardship and psychological trauma, a modest demand of N500 million was being sought to redress the plight of the victim.

Threatening to institute legal actions against the bank if it failed to heed the demand of his client, Ikimi explained that he was insisting on the said amount from the bank as the bullion van and Mitsubishi

escort vehicle involved in the accident, were both under the control and use of the bank and the police.

He also petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, for the manner the case was being investigated, citing attempts to

let the suspects of the hook.

Demanding for a comprehensive investigation into the incident, Ikimi said: “We have written to Delta State Attorney General seeking to take over prosecution of the case, in partnership with Udu branch of the Nigerian Bar

Association, NBA. “Also, Delta State Commissioner of Police has promised us that after an inhouse room trial of the policemen involved in the incident, they would be tried for charges brought against them.”

Truck kills 2, injures scores in Abuja

By Emman Ovuakporie

A

BUJA—AN articulated vehicle, last Thursday, crushed two men at the Kubwa axis of the express road linking Zuba in Abuja, injuring scores of road side hawkers.

The accident, which occurred at about 8a.m., according to eyewitnesses, said the trailer lost control when the driver tried to avoid hitting the FCT transport service bus at the second gate axis of Kubwa.

Driver of the truck, with number plates ABC 822 XJ, is now in police custody.

According to a police source, the remains of the deceased have been deposited at Kubwa General Hospital, while those

with minor injuries have been attended to and discharged from hospital.

The source said an investigation had begun to ascertain the cause of the

accident and owner of the truck.

He said the investigations would lead to discovering identities of the deceased, while their family members would be contacted as quickly as possible.

Cultists kill one in Ughelli

By Perez Brisibe

U

GHELLI—THERE was palpable tension and fear of reprisal attacks at Ughelli metropolis in Delta State, Sunday evening, as suspected cultists stabbed and shot to death a suspected member of a rival gang.

An eyewitnesses said the victim resided at the Pipeline area of Ughelli and was

attacked along Omosivwe Street when 10 assailants stabbed and shot him several times, while he laid unconscious on the ground.

Members of the victim’s gang began to search for his killers at different drinking spots.

A police source said the command, in collaboration with other security agents in the area, was doing its best to bring the perpetrators to book.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015—7

Union official allegedly kills Okadaman with charm in Ogun

By Daud Olatunji

A

This tipper fell on two pedestrians under a pedestrian bridge at NNPC Junction, along Kubwa Expressway, Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO: Abayomi Adeshida.

4 killed, 11 injured in Kwara auto accident F

OUR passengers, two males and two females, lost their lives in a motor accident on the Oke-OnigbinOmu-Aran Express Road in Kwara State, yesterday.

Eleven other passengers, among them five children and six adults, sustained various degrees of injuries and were immediately rushed to Ajisafe Hospital and Omu-Aran General Hospital.

An eyewitness said at OmuAran that the accident, which also claimed the life of the driver, was caused by a burst tyre.

According to the eyewitness, who requested anonymity, the tyre of the 18-seater Mazda bus with number plates GBH 48 SA, burst few minutes after take-off from a garage in OmuAran, en route to Lagos.

He said the bus

90-yr-old grandmother kidnapped in Delta

Council boss' driver crushes girl in Bayelsa

T

HE Delta Police Command has confirmed the abduction of a 90-year-old grandmother, Madam Helen Ojeogwu, by gunmen.

The command said the woman was abducted from her home at Azungwu quarters, Ogwashi-Uku, in Aniocha South Local Government Area.

Its spokesperson, DSP Celestina Kalu, said yesterday that the victim was kidnapped last Monday by a six-man armed gang, which operated in a Mitsubushi L300 bus.

She said: “On July 27, at about 9.46 p.m., one Ojeogwu Chike of 24 Umuzu St., Azungwu Quarters, Ogwashi-Uku, reported that one madam Ojeogwu Helen, aged 90 years, has been kidnapped.”

Kalu said that upon the receipt of the report, the police dispatched an antirobbery team to the scene.

By Samuel Oyadongha

T

RAGEDY struck, weekend, at the Ekeki suburb of Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, as a driver attached to a council chairman (name withheld) crushed a two-year-old girl.

The incident, which occurred along Mbiama/Yenagoa Road

by Osiri Junction, Saturday at about 3.30p.m., according to eyewitnesses, was caused by recklessness on the part of the driver.

The dead child, identified as Kelechi Favour, was reported to have run into the road and was crushed.

A close staff of the council, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the incident happened during a private visit of the council boss.

The staff said: “After the chairman finished his visit, while trying to move the car to pick his principal, the driver drove in a rough manner and could not control the vehicle when the child suddenly ran into his path.”

Some of the family members, however, accused the police of trying to twist the incident report.

somersaulted several times before landing in the bush.

“I think the driver drove into one of the potholes on the highway and the tyre burst and the bus somersaulted several times before landing in the bush,” the source said.

Mr. Akeem Abdulkareem, Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Director of Operations in Omu-Aran, who confirmed the accident, said that

However, spokesman of the state Police Command, Mr. Asinim Butswat, said the report available to him did not mention that the driver was involved in the accident.

He said the report from the Ekeki divisional headquarters showed that it was a fatal motor and pedestrian accident.

excessive speeding must have also contributed to the accident.

He said he was on his way to Omu-Aran when he stumbled on the accident and quickly mobilised his men to evacuate the victims to the hospital.

Abdulkareem said some of the victims, who were critically injured, were receiving treatment at the hospitals.

He said: “On July 31, at about 3.30p.m. along the Mbiama/Yenagoa Road by Osiri Junction, a black Prado SUV, with unknown registration number, over sped and knocked down one Favour Kelechi, a female aged two.

“The victim was rushed to the hospital, but died a few minutes later.”

BEOKUTA— AN official of Articulated Motorcycle Owners and Riders Association of Nigeria, AMORAN, identified as Kola Adegbite, last Sunday allegedly killed 25-year-old Azeez Ahmed, a commercial motorcyclist, with a charm for failure to pay for the association’s ticket.

Vanguard gathered that the incident occurred at the popular Bank Bus Stop in Ifo, Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State.

Late Ahmed, who was a bricklayer but occasionally operated Okada, was reportedly confronted by Adegbite with ticket, which he refused to pay for.

According to an eyewitness, other AMORAN officials, who were on duty along with Kola, joined in beating Ahmed. He said when the others left, the suspect brought out a charm and hit Ahmed with it.

The eyewitness said: “Sensing that the charm had taken hold of Ahmed, Kola attempted to run away. He was, however, forced to carry the dying man to the general hospital.

He died on the way.

“An associate of late Ahmed persuaded Kola to report the incident at Ifo Divisional Police headquarters and he was subsequently arrested.”

When Vanguard visited the station yesterday, friends and relatives, numbering about 50, were seen milling around the station.

Police investigate officer over land grabbing allegation

By Esther Onyegbula

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AGOS State Police Command is investigating one of its officers, identified as DSP Okon Effiong, over allegation of land grabbing.

It was gathered that Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatia Owoseni, ordered the Officer in Charge of the XSquad Unit Lagos State command, CSP Adenola Johnson, to investigate DSP Effiong, following a petition by a businesswoman, Mrs. Oyebola Bashiru, that DSP Effiong, in connivance with

land grabbers at the Ikorodu area of the state, allegedly sold her land situated at Agbede town, Agric, Ikorodu.

Vanguard learned that in the petition, entitled Save my soul from DSP Okon and land grabbers,” Mrs Bashiru also alleged that her life was being threatened as the suspected land grabbers had sold a portion of her land to another person and were forcing her to relocate.

The petition read: “Sometime in 2009, I bought a piece of land at Agbede town, Agric, Ikorodu, from one DSP Munam Okon

Effiong, a police officer attached to Owutu Police Station.

“I got to know Okon through an agent. Officer Okon sold a plot of land to me for N500, 000 and handed me the documents of the land. I later commenced to develop half plot of my land.

I built a three-bedroom flat to lintel stage.

“To my shock, in July 2013, I saw that another structure had been erected on the other half.

I called DSP Okon to inform him of the building on my land and he took me to one Wasiu Olo Omo, who claimed that the half plot does not belong to me.”

8—Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015

Why EFCC is after NAFDAC DG, Orhii zTo summon Accounts Director over allegations

By Soni Daniel, Regional Editor, North

A

BUJA — INDICATIONS emerged last night that several petitions against the Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control, NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii, on the mismanagement of the agency’s funds were responsible for his summon by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. Vanguard learnt from competent sources that the former NAFDAC Director of Finance and Accounts, Ademola Mogbojuri, who was surreptitiously moved from his Abuja office to Kaduna

by Orhii, might also be invited by the EFCC to confront the DG with evidence of his misdeeds before final decision is taken on what next to do with him.

Orhii was questioned for hours, yesterday, by a crack team of detectives for allegedly awarding huge contracts to companies in which he has interests.

An EFCC top source confirmed to Vanguard that the DG, who arrived the commission’s headquarters around 10am had been making useful statement to its agents.

The source said: “It is true that the NAFDAC head was summoned and quizzed in relation to allegations that he has been awarding contracts running into millions of Naira to companies close to him."

Dr Orhii has, however, been released after interrogations.

It will be recalled that Orhii and Mogbojuri have been having a running battle over the finances of NAFDAG, leading to a media war.

While Mogbojuri insists that Orhii has been using companies owned by him to do the agency’s major jobs, Orhii claims that none of the firms doing contracts for the agency belongs to him or his siblings.

Orhii said: “And for the avoidance of doubts, since I came to NAFDAC, the same contractors who have been working for the agency have been the ones working under me because they are good.

“So, the allegation that I brought phony companies to do business and I award contracts to them is false and all our contracts followed due process; the documentation is there and is verifiable."

Orhii, who also denied mismanaging funds generated by NAFDAC, said though the agency had a huge debts on its hands, funds accruing to it have been judiciously used to provide critical facilities for the body.

Among other issues, Mogbojuri accused the Director-General of increasing NAFDAC’s debt profile and squandering monies generated by it.

But Orhii said: “It’s true that I met the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) at N2.5 billion.

Three years ago we made N6

billion. Last year, we got up to N7 billion and we hope that by this year, we will take it up to N9 billion.

“So, for the Director of Finance, who should know, to say that we have been making N9 billion for the past four years, he is simply being mischievous or it’s a case of incompetence or both.

“It is the money that we generate that we use to run the agency. In fact, the Federal Government basically pays our salaries. Like the budget for this year, for which we budgeted almost N9 billion for overheard expenditure, there is zero allocation for us.

“Last year, we were allocated N10 million but at the end of

the year we were only given N7.2 million.

“Yes, we have generated more money from NAFDAC since I came on board for which I think I deserve credit."

He also denied inflating the contract for the building of its head office in Lagos, saying that due process was followed in the building and furnishing of the edifice.

VISIT: From left, Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas; Commandant, National Defence College, Rear Adm. Patrick Agholor; Chief of Defence Staff, Maj.-Gen. Abayomi Olonisakin; Chief of Air Staff, Avm Sadique Abubakar and Chief of Army Staff, Maj.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, during a visit of a delegation of the U.S. Congress Judicial Committee to National Defence College in Abuja, yesterday. Photo: NAN.

US to lift ban on sale of military hardware to Nigeria

By Kingsley Omonobi

A

BUJA — INDICATIONS emerged, yesterday, in Abuja, that the United States of America may soon relax or completely lift its restriction on military assistance to Nigeria.

The restriction under ‘Leahy Law’ followed allegations of human rights abuses by the Nigerian military in the fight against terrorism.

US congressman, Darell Issah, who led a delegation of the Judicial Committee, made the disclosure after a meeting with the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Alhaji Aliyu Ismaila, the Chief of Defence Staff, Major General Olonishakin, and Service Chiefs of Army, Navy and Air Force and Commandant of the National Defence College, Rear Admiral Agholor.

Issah said the new direction was occasioned by the policy of the Nigerian Military Establishment regarding its operations in the ongoing war against terrorism in the country.

He said: “There were a number of things that were discussed at the meeting but basically the need for additional technical support including overhead surveillance. This was discussed because it is important in the fight against

Boko Haram.

“This is because of the trust in the new regime which has began the process of ensuring that the military ’s professionalism in the battle field is made in a way that we all can be confident that the rule of law is followed.

“Following this development, we have began the process of lifting restriction under the Leahy Law but the vast majority of the support U.S. provides will be given regardless of the restrictions.”

Issah said the U.S. would provide other forms of support that would not only boost the military’s capabilities but would also create the environment to rebuild devastated communities.

He said the U.S. through its agencies in Nigeria would help rebuild and rehabilitate communities and victims of insurgency in the northeast.

He said: “We are looking forward to working with the President and the military to rebuild the confidence of the people of Nigeria in the professionalism of the military.

“To make the military something that the people will rely on as the nation tries to clear insurgents and protect the civilians; that is important to the new president of Nigeria, our

president and it is also important to the congress.

“But we are looking forward to a great difference in the relationship, a proactive relationship and one in which we can provide a greater level of support.”

On his part, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Mr Ismaila Aliyu, said the visit was a sign of the renewed confidence in Nigeria’s military on the global scene.

He said Nigeria now enjoyed a greater level of confidence and trust in the international community, stressing that it would impact positively on the nation’s efforts in repositioning its economy.

He said: “The U.S. believes in Nigeria, they have trust and confidence in Nigeria, that is why they are here.

“On the issue of human rights, the U.S. is pleased with what we have been doing in recent times to address the gaps that may have existed in the past.

“This visit is a follow up to Mr President’s visit to the U.S., we have said it and will continue to state that the visit was of great benefit to Nigeria, it has rekindled confidence in the relations between the two countries.”

Unemployment cases worsen as 1.3m lost jobs in Q2

By Emeka Anaeto, Economy Editor

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AGOS — THERE are indications that the country’s labour market has taken a major hit with worsening unemployment recorded in the second quarter (Q2) of 2015. About 1, 317,700 Nigerians lost their jobs within the period.

On the other hand, the number of underemployed increased significantly with new hire of about 1,362,274 citizens in this category of employment during the period.

Within the same period, the number of unemployed in the labour force increased to 6,063,500, a significant 9.6 per cent from 5,533,600 recorded in first quarter (Q1), resulting in an increase in unemployment rate to 8.2 per cent in Q2, 2015 from 7.5 per cent in Q1. This represents a third consecutive rise in the unemployment rate since third quarter 2014.

Accordingly, there were a total of 19.6 million people between ages 15 and 65 either unemployed or underemployed in the labour force in Q2, 2015, compared to 17.7 million in Q1 2015.

Amidst this development, National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), in its latest labour market report, said economically active population or working age population (persons within ages 15-64) increased to 103.5 million in Q2, 2015 from 102.8 million in Q1.

Also, the report shows that in Q2, 2015, the labour force population (those within the working age population willing, able and actively looking for work) increased to 74 million from 73.4 million in Q1 2015, representing an increase of 0.81per cent. This means 574,498 economically active persons within ages 15 and 64 entered the labour force within the period.

According to NBS, the drop in the number of full employment (those working less than 40 hours per week) despite a rise in the labour force can be attributed more to job losses or previously fully employed persons choosing or being forced to work part time or in underemployment.

The NBS report also indicated that unemployment and underemployment was higher for women than men in Q2 2015.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015—9

By Henry Umoru

Naira depreciates by N9 as speculators, foreigners besiege forex market

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BUJA — THE lingering crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday, took another twist as men of the Department of State Services, DSS, stormed the Wadata Plaza, National Secretariat of the party.

There has been a sharp disagreement between the national leadership and staff over plans to reduce the staff strength, their salaries and allowances by 50 per cent.

Men of DSS, who were dressed in black, arrived the secretariat at about 9 am apparently sensing that the aggrieved workers who have been at loggerheads with the National Working Committee, NWC, may cause chaos that could lead to breakdown of law and order.

They went upstairs where they stayed for over 30 minutes during the meeting between the directors and leaders of the aggrieved workers. They also went round the premises and finally went to the National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting hall before they finally left.

Mgt meets with warring workers

Meanwhile, as part of moves to end the crisis, the PDP management consisting of the directors, deputy directors and assistant directors entered into a closed-door marathon meeting with the warring staff, which the National Director of Administration, Alhaji Gurama Bawa, presided.

The management team has 13 members.

According to Vanguard’s checks, there are 106 establishment staff, 149 nonestablishment staff and 107 security staff. The staff, as gathered, are asking for their severance allowances.

Vanguard also gathered that directors receive between N450,000 and N350,000 monthly and supervisors go home with N203,000 monthly.

Those in the intermediary level and mostly secretaries with first degree and HND go home with between N180,000 and N160,000 monthly depending on the step. Junior workers, who are mostly administrative and messengers, go home with N120,000, N100,000 or N80,000 while the least group who are cleaners go home monthly with N45,000.

At the meeting, Bawa and other directors, a source told Vanguard, pleaded with the aggrieved staff for a temporary ceasefire to enable the management hold a meeting with the NWC on how to resolve the issue to avoid further damage to the polity which is now in the opposition after operating as the ruling party for 16 years.

Soon after the meeting between the management and

By Babajide Komolafe

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BRIEFING: From left, Chairman, Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission, Dr. Erepamo Osaisai; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power, Dr. Godknows Igali departing after briefing President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida.

PDP crisis: DSS storms national secretariat zBoT, NEC back workers, as NWC members abandon office zMgt meets with warring workers, calls for ceasefire the executive of the PDP workers, who are operating under the aegis of Staff Welfare Association, an enlarged meeting was called to brief the entire staff on the outcome.

The decisions, grievances

The NWC’s directive to the workers, some of whom have worked for the party for 16 years, to go back to their respective state chapter chairmen to get clearance letters was one of the major grievances of the workers. They argued that none of the incumbent state chairmen of the party was in that position when they were engaged by the national secretariat of the party several years ago.

The NWC had concluded to reduce its staff strength by 50 per cent and on Wednesday, the leadership said it would reduce the salaries and allowances of its staff by 50 per cent. The allowances of members of the NWC would also be slashed by 50 per cent.

In a letter signed by PDP National Secretary, Prof. Wale Oladipo, to all directors and administrative staff of the party, the leadership of the party while asking its workers to return to their respective states and prove their membership, said: “Furthermore, Establishment staff who would remain are required to obtain individual letter of revalidation from their state party chapter within one month of this

circular to show their suitability for service at the National Secretariat.”

The crisis took another dimension on Friday when the aggrieved staff of the party openly called for the sack of the NWC members.

Fears were also being entertained by the workers that the NWC members may insist that state chairmen should not issue clearance letters to any staff they have scores to settle with.

implement the report of the Ike Ekweremadu committee that was set up to evaluate the circumstance that led to the defeat of the party during the elections, stressing: “What if the Ekweremadu committee indicted the NWC? They cannot be judge in their own case.”

At the secretariat yesterday, staff were seen outside their offices and the usual bubbling at the party headquarters was lacking. Staff were seen discussing in groups.

BoT, NEC back workers

Temporary ceasefire

There were strong indications that some members of the Board of Trustees (BoT) and National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party may have thrown their weights behind the aggrieved staff.

This came as some former national chairmen of the party and BoT members met select workers and expressed support for the workers and reportedly pointed out that the NWC should have resigned when the former Chairman, Adamu Mu’azu, left.

A source at the party secretariat told Vanguard: “The feeling among BoT and NEC members is that since members of the NWC led the party to such an unprecedented defeat in 16 years, they should have done the honourable thing and resigned to allow others to come in and rebuild the party from the ruins of the last election.”

The source noted that the NWC members lack the moral right to

One of the leaders of the staff told Vanguard that there was the need for what he described as a temporary ceasefire following the intervention of top management, adding: “We have decided to have a temporary ceasefire because of the intervention of our directors. They held a meeting with us, they pleaded with us to allow things work out as they were going to have a meeting with members of the NWC and get back to us later.

“We had a very fruitful meeting with the management where we raised our grievances, our bitterness with the NWC, especially the area of planning to sack us, to ask us to go and get letters from our state chairmen. They only want to use that to get us out and replace us with their own persons and that we resist.”

However, it was gathered that the BoT will likely give approval for the revalidation of the workers to weed out those that are suspected to be moles in the party.

AGOS — THE naira, yesterday, depreciated by N9 at the bureaux de change as speculators and foreigners swooped on the parallel market to mop up excess dollars.

The naira had appreciated

by N35 from N245 per dollar to N210 last week, due to excess dollars in the market, occasioned by refusal of banks to allow foreign currency deposits into domiciliary accounts.

Vanguard investigations revealed that from the opening rate of N213, the parallel market exchange rate rose rapidly to close at N222 per dollar, implying N9 depreciation.

Parallel market sources confirmed to Vanguard that the depreciation was triggered by increased demand by speculators and foreigners cashing in on the sudden appreciation of the dollar last week.

In addition, there was general unwillingness to sell among foreign exchange dealers due to the belief that the sudden and sharp appreciation of the naira last week, was a flash in the pan.

Confirming this development to Vanguard, Mr. Harrison Owoh, Chief Executive Officer, H.J Trust BDC said: “Dealers are not willing to sell. They are holding their dollars because they believe the situation (appreciation) will not last. In fact, somebody told me he would rather lend me his dollars, and not sell it. So that is why the rate is going up again.”

According to Mr. Aminu Gwadabe, President, Association of Bureaux de Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON), the depreciation today (yesterday) is driven by activities of speculators and foreigners.

He said: “The belief is that the appreciation of the naira and the policy that triggered it is not sustainable. It is believed that the gains made by naira would soon be reversed. So while speculators are buying up, foreigners are in the market to buy dollars at cheap rate, while those who have dollars have also decided to keep it, to forestall exchange rate lose.”

10 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015

Ambode retires 15 perm secs, appoints 19 others

By Olasunkanmi Akoni, were also appointed. with Agency Reports Among those retired with

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A G O S — GOVERNOR Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State yesterday retired 15 Permanent Secretaries in the state civil service. Nineteen others

immediate effect, was the boss of Lagos Radio/ Television, Adekunle Ajanaku.

It was only in January last year that former boss of the Lagos Radio Television Lekan Ogunbanwo was

moved to Parastatals Monitoring Office. Ajanaku was formerly of the Deputy Governor’s office.

The governor, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Habib Aruna, said the appointments are in line with his drive to restructure the civil service for efficient performance and service delivery.

The development is also

coming on the heels of the streamlining of some existing Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) aimed at ensuring greater efficiency.

The new permanent secretaries, the statement said, have been deployed across board in the new structure of the civil service.

According to reliable sources, the wave which swept away the officials, resulted from alleged ‘unprofessional conduct’, incompetence and misappropriation of funds, allegedly committed during the immediate past administration.

It was also gathered that some permanent secretaries, who could have been affected in the sack were advised earlier to proceed on retirement.

The names of the newly

appointed Permanent Secretaries are Mr. Bamgboye Abiodun; Mrs. Dapo-Thomas Aderemi; Mrs. Ariyo Olabisi; Mrs. Adekanye Elizabeth; Mr. Bode Agoro; Dr. (Mrs.) Ayandele Olufolayimika Abiose; Dr. (Mrs.) Sodeinde Ibironke; Mr. Odeyemi Adesina; Mrs. Odulana Olufunmilayo.

Others are Mrs. Onisarotu Jemil; Engr.

Bade-Adebowale Caster; Mrs. Amosu Ayodele; Mr. Kadiri Adebisi; Mrs. Anifowoshe Abiola; Mr. Adeyemi Anthony; Dr. Oduwole Elizabeth; Mr. Mustapha Olorunfemi; Mrs. Odunlami Adesola and Mr. Odupitan Olusola.

Governor Ambode is expected to swear in the new Permanent Secretaries tomorrow.

SEC wants BGL’s suit N5.7bn debt quashed MEETING: Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State (right) with the Vice President, Africa’s Young Entrepreneurs (A.Y.E), Mrs. Ibada Ahmed (middle) and the South African Regional Head, A.Y.E, Mr. Steven Reed during a meeting, yesterday.

By Innocent Anaba

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AGOS—THE Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, has asked a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos to strike out the suit by BGL Plc, its subsidiaries and others over allegations that they were indebted to investors to the tune of N5.7billion.

Some of the investors, including Rivers State government, had petitioned SEC over BGL’s alleged failure to return their investments at maturity.

SEC, in the preliminary objection, said BGL was indebted to the investors to the tune of N5,769,993, 553.67 as at June 2.

It added that BGL was having severe liquidity problems and has been running at a loss to the tune of over N48 billion as at December 2014.

According to SEC, BGL Asset Management Ltd, contrary to its mandate, wholly transfers funds received from the investing public to BGL Plc without engaging in any form of Fund/Portfolio Management.

But BGL had obtained an order, restraining SEC from “holding and or conducting any trial or hearing in respect of the alleged complaints against the plaintiffs,” pending the hearing and determination of the suit.

The plaintiffs are BGL Plc, BGL Asset Management Ltd, BGL Capital Ltd, BGL Securities Ltd, Albert Okumagba, Chibundu Edozie, Teddy Okumakube, Loraine Awoonor-Renner, Ehime Alofoje, Joseph Ashley-Osuzoka, Andre Ewubare, Victor Obire and Nkechi Azubuike.

Defendants are SEC, its Administrative Proceedings Committee (APC) and Mounir Gwarzo.

Further hearing in the matter has been adjourned till August 13.

Firm insists on N25m suit against NIIA

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AGOS—A media, research and consulting firm has, through its counsel, described as misleading, claims by the Director General of Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, NIIA, Lagos, that the N25 million suit filed against the institute for breach of intellectual property and misappropriation of sponsors' funds has been struck out by the Federal High Court, Lagos.

In a statement in Lagos yesterday, counsel to Delphi Media Consulting Nigeria Ltd, Mr. Godfrey Ndubuisi debunked claims by Prof. Bola Akinterinwa that the N25 million suit instituted against NIIA has been struck out for lack of proper representation.

AOCOED CRISIS:

Students urge Ambode to intervene

By Monsur Olowoopejo

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TUDENTS of A d e n i r a n Ogunsanya College of Education, AOCOED, Ijanikin, Ojo Local Government Area, yesterday urged Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to intervene in lingering crises that have often halted academic activities in the school.

Speaking, President of the AOCOED Student Union, Mr. Waheed Ojoare, said that the crisis would have been resolved but former Governor Babatunde Fashola paid lip service to it.

Some of the major issues affecting the institution were inadequate infrastructure and funding, he said.

Ojoare lamented that for eight years, Fashola neither visited the school to examine the state of infrastructure nor did he approve any construction work.

Groups honour Sango Chief Imam

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HE Sango Indigenes Forum, Lafinja family and Articulated Motorcycle Owners And Riders Association of Ogun State AMORAN have honoured, Chief Imam of Sango Alhaji Tajudeen Shafy.

Alhaji Shafy marked his fifth anniversary as Chief Imam of Sango Central Mosque in Ado-Odo-Ota Local Government Area of ogun State recently.

According to the groups Alhaji Shafy worked relentlessly for the unity of Muslim warring factions in the area.

In his response, Chief Imam Alhaji Shafy expressed gratitude to the groups and communities for their understanding and contribution to the development of Sango, he also praised the Ogun State government over rapid development.

Present at the ceremony were Islamic Scholars, traditional rulers, associations and top government officials.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015 — 11

OONI: Pre-rites of passage meeting holds in Ile-Ife

By Gbenga Olarinoye

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S O G B O — KINGMAKERS and traditional chiefs in Ile-Ife met at the palace of Ooni yesterday for a crucial meeting that lasted several hours.

Though the purpose of the meeting could not be ascertained as at press time, it was learnt that it may not be unconnected with reports that the remains of the monarch may have arrived the town.

The meeting, according to sources, may kick-start the rites of passage for the departed king.

It was gathered that as early as 6.00 a.m yesterday, town criers went round the town saying there was no cause for alarm and the people should continue with their normal activities.

Sources said that as the traditional chiefs meeting was on in the palace, the town criers were carrying out their own assignment outside.

Those present at the meeting, according to sources were all the kingmakers who are the traditional cabinet members of Ooni Sijuade.

The titled chiefs present at the meeting were listed as Lowa, Jaaran, Agoro, Arode, Osanire, Laade, Lowate, Irabese, Lodikos, Obajion, Obalaran,

Waasin and Obalaaye.

Those absent were the Obalufe of the town, Chief Samuel Omisakin, the traditional prime minister and second- in-command to the monarch, who was ill and Chief Owoyemi, who was said to have also died recently.

Our source added that; “Whenever these people meet

lengthy hours like that, it means something crucial or unusual has happened in the palace.”

Some unidentified people were also seen yesterday transferring bundles of white clothes from one vehicle to the other.

Also observed, were many traditional beads to be distributed to high ranking priests and their followers, apparently in preparation for the final rites.

However, a source in the town

UNVEILING: From left; Mrs Josephine Anifowoshe; Lt. Col. Yakubu Anifowoshe (retd); Wole Anifowoshe; Lola Anifowoshe and Major Gen. S. M. Muazu, GOC 2 Div, Ibadan, during the commissioning and unveilling of a street named in honour of Lt. Col. Anifowoshe in Letmauck Cantonment, Ibadan by the outgoing GOC yesterday. Photo by Dare Fasube.

Tribunal reserves judgement on Kashamu’s election

By Daud Olatunji

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B E O K U T A — NATIONAL and state Houses of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital has reserved judgement in a petition brought before it against the Senator representing Ogun East in the National Assembly, Prince Buruji Kashamu.

insisted that, the corpse had arrived the town which triggered crucial meetings being held.

The source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity said very soon after the official announcement of the monarch’s passage, all markets and gates of the palace would be shut while curfew will be declared by traditionalists.

The candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the March 28 presidential and national assembly election, Dapo Abiodun, approached the tribunal in a case numbered EPT/SEN/ ABK/001/2015 claiming that he was validly elected but was denied victory.

At the resumed hearing yesterday, all the Counsels in the matter adopted their final

addresses and made final submissions on their cases.

The Chairman of the three man panel, Justice Ebiowei Tobi said he reserved judgement to a later date which ''will be communicated to counsels.''

Earlier, Counsel to Kashamu, Ajibola Oluyede (SAN) said the petition was brought based on documents produced by the petitioner himself saying such

documents are not admissible before the court.

Counsel to the petitioner, Yusuf Ali (SAN) had argued that result sheets made available to agents at the polling units were different from the Certified True Copies brought before the court by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. In his alternative prayer, Ali also prayed the court to nullify Kashamu’s election on ground that Dapo Abiodun won the majority valid votes.

Don't tamper with electoral materials, Isiaka warns Amosun

By Daud Olatunji

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BEOKUTA—THE campaign Organisation of Ogun State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate, Prince Gboyega Isiaka has raised the alarm that some people believed to be members of All Progressives Congress, APC, have allegedly begun thumb printing of ballot papers in the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Abeokuta.

The organisation alleged that the party and its governorship candidate, Governor Ibikunle Amosun have perfected plans to tamper with the ballot papers following the tribunal order for the inspection of electoral materials used for April 11,2015 election.

Aluko seeks Buhari’s intervention in Ekiti APC crisis

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ORMER Senate Deputy Chief Whip, Senator Gbenga Aluko, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to quickly intervene and unify all the factions for the All Progressives Congress, APC, to be able to wrest power from Governor Ayodele Fayose in 2018.

Aluko said the APC has a bright chance of recapturing Ekiti in 2018, urging those declaring ambitions to rather subsume their aspirations and pursue how the party can be unified before it is too late.

“I can’t imagine members declaring governorship ambitions for an election that is coming up in 2018. As we speak now, the APC in Ekiti has about six factions and nobody is talking about unity.

I know that President Buhari and our national leaders will intervene, but it should not be too late.

“Let all intending aspirants bury their aspirations now. Let all of us subsume our intentions just for the sake of APC. Let us fight for unity and from there we can begin to say I am going to be this or that.''

Boko Haram losing grip, says outgoing GOC

By Ola Ajayi

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BADAN—THE Nigerian Army has said the Islamic fundamentalists, Boko-Haram are already losing their grip, which is causing them to attack soft targets in their recent operations.

According to the outgoing General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 2 Div., Nigerian Army, Ibadan, Maj. Gen. S. M. Muazu, hitting soft targets by an enemy in a battle is an indication that the enemy is losing.

The GOC, who spoke with newsmen yesterday at the commissioning of a street name in Letmauck Cantonment, Mokola, Ibadan in honour of Lt. Col. Yakubu Anifowoshe (retd), said “The insurgents no longer ambush military convoys, they are losing everyday, and now go for soft target.

“They are no longer looking for land to occupy. They are looking for soft targets, it is the nature of war, when you are losing, you go for soft targets.

We are calling on the members of public to give us more support,'' he said.

12—Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015

Dickson defends N3bn Ogbia-Nembe road project

By Samuel Oyadongha

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ENAGOA—GOVERNOR Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State, has said that his administration’s decision to provide N3 billion to the contractor handling the Ogbia-Nembe Road was borne out of his personal love for the Nembe people and the desire to spread development to all parts of the state.

Dickson, while commissioning the Nembe City Stadium at Ogbolomabiri, vowed not to be deterred by the activities of detractors from implementing the well intentioned plans of the current administration’s restoration agenda.

He said that the state government, under his watch decided to intervene in the project, which had suffered setbacks for decades, to fulfil its electioneering promises to the people of Nembe.

The governor noted that, the project, which is being funded by the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, would not have reached its present level of completion, without the

intervention of the state government and assured the people of Nembe Kingdom of more dividends of democracy.

He said: “You know people will always talk whatever they like, but don’t mind them. If you give N3 billion cash to enable the contractor

finish a road that has been on the drawing board or that has been off and on for over 15 years and people are telling stories, would you join issues with them? Allow them to continue their talk, because you can’t stop them from talking.

“We are not talkers. We are doers and I can assure you that, despite their talking, nobody can stop us from

doing the work of the people.

“But do me this favour, don’t join them in perpetrating criminality.

While we have brought peace and we are providing facilities that will encourage our youths to exercise their energies in positive direction, we also know what used to be the situation before now, when some people were creating crisis in their communities."

INTEL DEVELOPER DAY: From left: Regional Director, South and Sub-Saharan Africa, Intel Corporation, Sven Beckmann, Country Manager, Nigeria, Intel Corporation, Olubunmi Ekundare, and Director of Innovation, Sub-Saharan Africa, Intel Corporation, Hitendra Naik, at the Intel Developer Day Nigeria 2015 in Lagos.

Fuel station owner alleges demolition of property by Edo gov B

By Gabriel Enogholase

ENIN—AN operator of a filling station located on Ring Road, Benin, Edo State, Mr. Pius Okan has accused the governor of the state of personally carrying out illegal demolition of his filling station.

Mr. Okan, who spoke in Benin, yesterday, while conducting journalists round the filling station, said that the governor, personally supervised the destruction of his filling station despite the fact that issues concerning the Certificate of Occupancy of the land housing the filling station was before a court of competent jurisdiction.

However, Edo State Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, Mr. Francis Evbuoman, while reacting to the alleged demolition of Mr. Okan’s filling station, said “The Edo State Government purchased the property about four years ago and we gave him quit notice to him to relocate the filling station and he refused to do so.

“He was given another quit notice about a month ago to relocate the property and he ignored it and he did not shown us papers that he owns the property and we are not

aware that he is in court.

Government is only trying to recover its property because we discovered that people were erecting illegal buildings with shops and leasing them out to people.”

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state has described the partial demolition of the filling station as “barbaric and executive rascality,” demanding an explanation

for the action.

State PDP chairman, Chief Dan Orbih, when he visited the filling station in company of Senators Matthew Urhoghide and Ehigie Uzamere said that it was shocking that the state government, instead of being custodian of laws, now takes laws into its hands.

Orbih said, “One is not surprised by the action of the governor going by his antecedents. The governor

has clearly shown that he does not respect the law. We will not allow him to trample on the right of an innocent Nigerian this time around.”

Okan while lamenting the action of the governor, said “It was on Wednesday that the governor stormed this place accompanied with Area Boys and bulldozers and started destroying the whole place. They are aware that the matter is in court as they were duly served. "

Why we want Orbih back as Edo PDP chairman —UGBOME

By Simon Ebegbulem

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ENIN CITY— FORMER Vice chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Edo State, Mr Paschal Ugbome, has said that majority of members of the party have resolved to return Chief Dan Orbih as chairman of the party in the forthcoming congresses of the state due to the confidence they have in him to return the party back to the Government House come 2016.

He said those opposed to the return of Orbih, including a former Vice

Chairman (Edo North) of the party, Mr Johnson Abulagba, were doing so “due to their selfish interest and not the interest of the party in the state.”

Ugbome who was reacting to the current crisis in the party between the group opposed to Chief Orbih and other leaders of the party, said: “I want to say that what we see as a crack in PDP in Edo State, for me I call it a storm in a tea cup, it shows that PDP as an organic institution is alive, well and kicking otherwise you will not hear anything about the party.

He said: “The allegation that the leadership led by Orbih is not winning elections is not correct. I want to say that the leadership of the party under Orbih has been very wonderful in discharging its responsibility as an opposition party. And progressively, Chief Orbih and members of his leadership have been able to market PDP to Edo people and that is why you will not be surprised that we have about four to five very distinguished Edo citizens making frantic efforts to pick the ticket of the party in the next governorship election."

UNEP: Ogoni

ready to discuss with FG —MOSOP

By Jimitota Onoyume

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ORT HARCOURT— OGONI in Rivers State, have expressed its willingness to engage the Federal Government in discussions on the implementation of the United Nations E n v i r o n m e n t Programme, UNEP report on the area.

President of Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People, MOSOP, Mr Legborsi Pyagbara in a statement, yesterday, in Port Harcourt to mark the Ogoni Environment Day, said that the Federal Government should hasten the implement action of UNEP report, stressing that delay could invalidate the report.

His words: “We welcome renewed interest of the present government of Nigeria led by President Muhammadu Buhari to open up discussions on the implementation of the UNEP report on Ogoniland. The Ogoni people are fully prepared to engage in these discussions."

PDP helpless over Agi's suit against Ayade, says party chair

C

By Emma Una

A L A B A R — NTUFAM John Okon, the state Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Cross River State, has said that his party was helpless over the legal battle between the Cross River State governor, Senator Ben Ayade and Mr Joe Agi, SAN, and so had to stand idly and watch before the Federal High Court, Abuja ruled in favour of Ayade on July 31.

Okon said the party went through a credible process to pick Ayade as its standard bearer for the 2015 governorship election but was taken aback that Agi insisted on going to court over technicalities on minor age declarations by Ayade which apparently did not have much substance which was why the court ruled in favour of Ayade.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015—13

Jonathan raised fuel subsidy to N1.9trn from N300bn —AMAECHI

By Levinus Nwabughiogu

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BUJA—FORMER Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, has accused former President Goodluck Jonathan of unilaterally increasing the country ’s subsidy claim to N1.9trillion during his administration, from the N300 billion it was during the late President Umaru Yar ’Adua government.

Amaechi at a reception organised for him by a Committee of Friends at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, also said that the victory of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in this year ’s general elections was engineered by God. He said: “The fuel subsidy was N300 billion under former President Olusegun Obasanjo and it remained the same under late President Yar ’Adua. Within six months under President Jonathan, the fuel subsidy rose from N300 billion to N1.9 trillion. Yet, Jonathan wanted more money for fuel subsidy.

“He asked me why and I explained that we were already in court on the issue of fuel subsidy. The president abused the hell out of my life.

I have huge respect for the president, but the only thing that made me disagree with him was on the issue of the management of the country’s treasury.

On anti-South South allegation

“I told the president then that those who were accusing me of being anti South South will come out and tell the world the development that has happened to the South South under his presidency.

The president confirmed it himself during the campaign that he has done nothing, he said: “I know I’ve done nothing but if you vote for me, I’ll do...” so I call him I’ll do president.

“This prompted the trouble between me and the Jonathan administration.”

Face-off with Jonathan

Recalling his face-off with Jonathan, he stated that the genesis of their differences dated back when the former president reduced the allocation due to Rivers State from N20 billion to paltry N6 billion, adding that he never worked against the South South zone.

He alleged that the current government of his state under Governor Nyesom Wike was working against his being appointed a Minister on the ground that he would determine the course of the state politics.

“Some people will say I betrayed the South South, I have no word for betrayal. May God not give me the ambition the current governor of Rivers State has, he can sell anybody. God should rather put me to death than to have an ambition to sell this country.

“The current governor of Rivers State and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP are afraid of me getting

appointment at the national level, because that will determine the politics of Rivers State. They know that the current president abhors corruption and the only way to stop me from getting appointment is to paint that picture of corruption.

Not angry with blackmailers

“I’m not angry with the people who have come out to blackmail me. My anger is with Rivers people who know that I don’t like money and I expect them to get up and defend me, that this is not in Ameachi’s character, that’s my anger. The Rivers people should stand up and tell this man to stop painting Ameachi black.

“I heard they, PDP, want to address a press conference to tell the president not to give me appointment ,that I’m corrupt but they don’t know that appointment is not everything.

If God is happy with me, I’m happy with my life,” he said.

Choosing the part of honesty

“Is it that the country now doubled its population or bought more machines or started manufacturing? As chairman of Governors Forum, I was in a position to get my share of the N1.9 trillion but I chose the part of honesty and truth, you cannot catch me being dishonest.

“There was a time I walked into a meeting with the president (Goodluck Jonathan) and at the meeting, the argument was that they wanted more money for oil subsidy. As the chairman of Governors Forum, I stood my ground and told the president I was not going to support that.

W

ARRI—LEADERS of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, in conjunction with those of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, yesterday, held a closed door meeting, aimed at repositioning the church in Nigeria under the current political dispensation in the county.

Present at the meeting were CAN President, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, his PFN counterpart, Dr. Felix Omobude, and Bishop Simeon Okah, PFN Vice President, South South, who

A

By Festus Ahon

S A B A — D E LT A S t a t e Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr Chiedu Ebie, has said that the state government had approved the upgrade of the Technical Colleges in the state.

Ebie named the Technical Colleges to include Agbor Technical College, Agbor, Ofagbe Technical College, Ofagbe and Sapele Technical College, Sapele, adding that they are spread across the three senatorial districts in the state.

He said: “We all know the benefits of technical and vocational education because it helps to train our youths and also assure them of a better future.

“Sadly these technical colleges which are six located across the state have been in state of decay to the extent that the buildings are nonexistent or had deteriorated."

Group,Police to partner on community security in Edo

B BRIEFING: From left: Leader of Bonny Youth Federation, Mr Simeon Wilcox, National Chairman, Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer and Salvation Front, Mr Ala Hart, and National Secretary, Ijaw Youth Council, Mr Bristol-Alagbariya Emmanuel, during the briefing by the leadership of the Niger Delta Youth Organisations in Port Harcourt, yesterday. Photo: NAN.

STATE OF THE NATION: Oritsejafor, CAN, PFN leaders meet in Warri

By Egufe Yafugborhi

Delta to upgrade 3 technical colleges

hosted the parley among other leaders of both Christian bodies.

Security personnel, apparently acting under instructions, denied media men entry to the meeting vanue, just as the CAN President hurried out of the venue, ignoring media overtures to brief them on the outcome of the meeting.

Bishop Okah who hosted the talk, however, told Vanguard, “I won’t go into details but in a nutshell, the elections that had just taken place, the economy and the post transition security situation in the country are some of the key issues why we decided to meet.

“We expected that after the elections, Boko Haram would have subsided. We are aware of the challenges with the economy.

All we are looking for is peace in Nigeria. The ministry is broad and we said let’s put hands together and be focused on what we want. It is obvious we shall be meeting a little more often.”

Okah noted that it might be too early to start approving or condemning President Mohammadu Buhari and his leadership, adding that Nigerians need to give him time.

“We have a tradition in Nigeria,

the first 100 days. After that, some of us will come out. We would talk. We have heard interviews of those who voted for him 90 percent and those who voted five percent. We expect that as an old man, he will not do a thing that will create chaos.

“I say to both Muslims and Christians, Buhari is our president and we should all back him, cooperate with him.

Those who will give suggestions should be objective, not the type they were giving to President Goodluck Jonathan,” he added.

ENIN—A pan Edo g r o u p , Osegheivbiedo, has called for collaboration between the Nigeria police and vigilante groups in the country, even as it appealed for the recognition of Oghobaghase vigilante group.

Okpioba Mosis O b a k p o l o r , Osegheivbiedo Director of Administration, who spoke during a courtesy call on the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Samuel Adegbuyi, in Benin City, expressed worry over the high rate of crime in rural communities across the state.

He said: “You will agree with me that Nigeria as a whole is under policed, Edo inclusive. As personnel are neither prophets nor are they magicians, and thus can only work with information as disclosed to them by members of the public."

14 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015

Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 3, 2015—15

2015 IMAGINE CUP: Team LifeWatch to save

25m people living with asthma in Nigeria

By Emeka Aginam, in Seattle, Washington

A

FTER THEIR live presentation at the just concluded 2015 Microsoft Imagine Cup competition held in Seattle, Washington, the spokesperson of Team LifeWatch , Raymond Obinaju has disclosed that they seek to save an estimated 25 million people living with asthma in Nigeria, and about 334 million people globally with AsthmaVisor solution.

Microsoft Imagine Cup is the world’s premier student technology competition that gives students the opportunity to break new ground, solve tough problems facing the world today.

Team Nigeria is made up of four innovative students from Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti. The members included Adeyemo Oluwaseun, Kevin Ahwin, Sobola David and Raymond Obinaju .

Obinaju, who spoke to Vanguard in an exclusive interview said that AsthmaVisor was designed by their team to reduce the morbidity rate of asthma, and consequently reduce the deathtoll due by providing adequate environmental and physiological supervision for patients.

AsthmaVisor, according to him, is a solution geared towards a more cost-effective and efficient way of supervising asthmatic patients, especially children.

“It comprises of a Wearable Device and a Mobile App. We aim to reduce child mortality and minimize the overall fatality of respiratory diseases by providing adequate environmental and physiological supervision for patients.

“We have a singular passion: saving lives. Driven by this goal, we continually seek to leverage on technology to make health care

more efficient, accessible, and reliable,” he explained.

It would be recalled that soon after their live presentation in the World Citizenship category before Microsoft panel of judges, the innovative solution caught the attention of Microsoft.

This development had shown that made in Nigeria solution had capacity for global competitiveness if given opportunity and the right platform.

“I was thrilled by your live presentation by the panel of judges. Your Team has done well.

It is possible to partner on the

Embattled Orient Petroleum plans 3000bpd production

By Vincent Ujumadu

A

WKA—THERE are plans by the embattled Orient Petroleum Resources Plc in Anambra State to increase its crude oil production to 3,000 barrels per day next month.

The company is also said to be planning with an indigenous company to establish a gas plant at Umueje in Ayamelum Local Government Area of the state.

The company was inaugurated in 2012 by the former president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, but soon after the ceremony, its activities ran into a hitch following frequent

attacks by people suspected to be from Ibaji in Kogi State who were laying claim to the oil wells servicing the refinery.

Managing Director of the company, Mr. Sunny Okoye said during a meeting between the Board of Directors of the company and the governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano at the Governor’s Lodge, Amawbia, that Orient Petroleum had revved up activities in two new oil wells in its Aguleri oilfields that would shore up the company ’s production capacity to 3000bpd before September this year.

According to him, Orient

NAICE conference opens today …to address natural gas devt, others

By Mildred Ibrahim

T

HE 39TH Nigerian Annual International Conference & Exhibition, NAICE, being organised by the Society of Petroleum Engineers, SPE, Nigeria Council, opens today (Tuesday) at the Expo Centre, Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island Lagos.

The conference, entitled, 'Natural Gas Development and Exploitation in an Emerging Economy – Strategies, Infrastructure and Policy Framework,' is geared towards providing leadership in the technical, professional development of technicians, engineers and operators in oil and gas industry.

Other areas of focus include, 'Sustainability, Infrastructure and Framework in an emerging economy,' with a focus on natural gas development and exploitation.

Key sub-topics that would be discussed include: Marginal Field Workshop: Nigeria Gas Monetisation and Infrastructure

dust sensor, which is the only missing link in the product. But it will take little time though.

"We are looking for robust solution like this that will better people’s lives. We can partner on your vision. We can start discussion. You need to work on the dust sensor if you want to get it right,” Dennis Tom, Senior Director, Programme Management, Microsoft Corporation who was thrilled by the solution, told the students, during a meeting with them to work out plans on possible working relationship.

Development; Indigenous participation in the value chain.

Other packages included in the conference are: Panel sessions, where issues expected to be discussed are: Oil & Gas Global Demand, Supply and Pricing Trend: Implications for Nigeria, Natural Gas Supply Gaps – Can the Regulatory framework alone solve the Problem?

Also, “YP Workshop: Exploring the 3P’s: Principles, Perspectives and Participation in transforming a young professional into an Entrepreneur for the Oil and Gas Industry, Women Development Programme: Global Oil Price Trend; Lessons from the Past and Insights into the Future Perspective of Women Leaders.”

The conference is expected to host dignitaries from the government, industry players as well as academia.

Expected at the conference are: Nigeria’s Vice President, Professor Yemi Osibanjo, SAN; Lagos

State governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode; Group Managing Director, NNPC, Dr. Joseph Thlama Dawha; VP, Strategy & Portfolio Development & Production, North America, Statoil, Mr. Helge Hove Haldorsen; CEO, Total Exploration & Production, Nigeria, Mrs. Elisabeth Proust, and Chairman/ Managing Director, Chevron Nigeria Limited, Mr. Clay Neff Jr. SPE President, Mr. Emeka Ene, said the conference will provide unparalleled world-class opportunities for knowledge sharing, capacity building, networking and marketing of products and technology.

He added that “the conference is expected to feature over 60 exhibiting companies from within and outside in the biggest oil and gas industry Exhibition in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Some of the preconference activities include six short courses, young professionals’ workshop and team building activities, among others.

Petroleum is working assiduously to boost its production capacity and develop the vast gas resources in the state.

Okoye said: “We are dealing with gas development on two fronts. The first one is the gas production we have right now, side by side with oil. We are also exploring ways of transforming it to an income earning resource.”

According to him, it was the drive to turn its gas resources into an income earner that informed the partnership it recently struck with a company, Nails & Stanley, in order to produce Compressed Natural Gas (CPG) that is used for industrial power and in the powering of automobiles and other sundry activities.

Groups raise alarm over alleged plan to cause mayhem

By Anayo Okoli

U

MUAHIA—FOUR Abia State based groups have raised alarm over a plot by some people led by a former governor of the state to cause a breakdown of law by embarking on protest in Abia and Abuja against Senator Theodore Orji, Abia immediate past governor.

The groups, NdiAbia League, Abia Youths Consultative Forum and Abia Peoples Congress have therefore, called on the Inspector General of Police to be at alert.

According to the groups, the sponsor of the protest and his group had perfected plans to protest at the Abuja headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission with hoodlums within the week.

In a joint press statement, the groups called on the Inspector General of Police not to give in to any Abia group seeking police permission to stage a demonstration in Abuja.

Signed by Udoka Nnanna, Davidson Kalu, and Ezinwa Ukaogo respectively, the statement alleged that the motives of the demonstration were not in the best public interest.

16—Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015

Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade's son's traditional wedding

C M Y K

Prince Adegbite Adewumi Sijuwade, son of Oba Okunade Sijuwade,the Ooni of Ife; his wife, former Miss Dolapo Afolasade Olowu, during their traditional wedding, at Landmark Event Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, Sunday.

From left, Senator Iyiola Omisore, the bride, Dolapo Afolasade Olowu; the groom, Prince Adegbite Adewumi Sijuwade, and Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose.

Bride's parents, Otunba Olatunde Olowu, and Chief Oluremilekun Olowu.

From left, the Sanu of Edunabon,Oba Elijah Oyelade; the Olukoyi of Ikoyi, Oba Oyetunji Otunla, and the Olufon of Ifon Osun,Oba Maroof Adekunle.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015 — 17 solve or reduce the agony of the Niger people. Those in charge of the ministry are carting away the funds designated to alleviate the pains of the people and blaming the federal government of marginalizing them.

Meanwhile in Nigeria

Re: Na only Fulani waka come (2) RIGHT OF REPLY

By Hilary Okoronkwo

D

EAR YINKA, I will institute the concluding part of this discourse by differing to agree on some of your earlier positions. If we agreed all the time, it will indeed be a boring exchange and it is not in my DNA to let a good opportunity go to waste.

In so many ways, Lagos will always remain in an exclusive league of its own when compared to other States in Nigeria. Your acquiescence that if the price of oil crashed, that Lagos would be the only State in Nigeria that can afford to pay workers’ salary with Internally Generated Revenue, though not intended to delude anyone, may have been simplified. It is a shortened reckoning that cannot be sustained even in the context of the economics adage “all things being equal”.

There must be a perceptive bunch of the internally generally revenue allied directly or indirectly to the oil industry in Nigeria that was left out in your conclusion. If the oil industry collapses, the internally generated revenue of Lagos State will also be reduced substantially.

On the other hand, the upside is the fact that internally generated revenue as currently reported may be grossly under-estimated in Lagos and other States. Lagos State for example could also boost its revenues by requesting competitive bids rather than rigidly allowing Bola Tinubu’s Alpha Beta Company to be the sole administrator in managing its revenue collections. Of the figures reported, we may never know how much is lost to corruption.

Restructuring Nigeria The ultimate restructuring or reformation has to start with the average Nigerian.

Our unsustainable ways of lives remains the biggest hindrance to a more perfect union.

One of the main reasons we have not been able to C M Y K

restructure Nigeria and construct it into the nation that we all think will serve us better is corruption. I am fully in favor of restructuring but I have serious reservations that it is indeed the response to most of our problems.

We have evolved from 3 regions to 12, 19 and then 36 States.

The hypothesis for creating more States was based on using decentralization to broaden government reach to boost developments. We succeeded in creating more nuisances in the form of Governors blasting sirens on our roads. Corruption is at all time high and accountability to the people is at its lowest since 1914?

In the history of mankind, nothing ever changed without

Damages at the state level

Map of Nigeria any agitation. It is true that we need good and honest men to lead us but more importantly, we need the people to pay attention and participate. The laissez-faire attitude of Nigerians will always promote bad governance. It is not nearly enough for Nigeria to conduct elections, even if they are free and fair.

In my adopted country

Laying prominence on recovering stolen funds from the last administration is not a government strategy in the long run.

Emphasis should be laid on reforming the system and modifying the rules where necessary to prevent future occurrences

We copied the American system of government without bothering to modify it to meet our own unique circumstances and needs.

Since the inauguration of this new government, it is impossible to point to one area where the business of the

extent of the “damage” done by the previous administrations but what I do not understand is why it has taken 60 days and counting.

I am mystified that the Nigerian people are not provided any regular update as to the intent of this administration.

The appointment of Ministers and the implementation of the right policies will take many months to begin to make a difference.

It had to be a bad policy or a sign of desperation or both that the presidency decided to write an Op-ed in the Washington Post to update the world on the future plans and progress made so far by his administration. Charity begins at home but should not end there. Nigerians deserved to know every bit of the information that was published in the Washington Post. The last foreign leader whose Op-ed was published in Washington Post that I read was Vladimir Putin. This is not a company that President Buhari should aspire to keep up with.

In all of my 12 years as an elected Precinct Delegate, I have mostly come across politicians that demanded my support and campaign donations only. Not one of them has ever asked me to pray for them before or after getting elected.

That will be too much to ask for from those whose tax dollars support their salaries.

I trade or exchange my financial and moral support for campaign promises.

At that point it becomes a contract. Holding a public office is a privilege. It is a pact rooted in trust that moderates individual inclinations and accentuates communal needs.

In Nigeria, election victories guarantees winner takes all mentality.

The voters are swindled to continue praying for God to “guide” the politicians to steal with impunity.

There was a point in time when most people were convinced that the creation of the Niger Delta ministry will

Nigerian people who voted for change has been front and center. What is obvious is the constant jockeying and positioning of the politicians for more power, influence and possibly more money in their pockets? The only other evidence of change we have seen so far from the legislative arm is the incessant bickering and counter bickering from within Party camps and among the two major Parties.

We can do better as a people but I am not sure Nigerians are ready to work for it. Those who dubiously remind us at every turn that our democracy is new and needs to mature do not see the same when it comes to the salaries of politicians.

Nigerian politicians are the most expensive in the world, perchance the least productive and ranks very high among the most corrupt.

After three attempts, the Nigerian people finally decided to elect Muhammadu Buhari President. It did not come easy or cheap for both the Nigerian people and the President.

Financially speaking, Mr. President had to take out a bank loan to purchase and complete the party nomination process.

On the other hand, Nigerians had to endure gratuitous hardships in order to get to this point.

From a crisis management standpoint, I recognize what it might take for President Buhari to fully scope the full

A substantial fraction of the damages done to the Nigerian economy and the society had to be at the State level. Some of the State Governors whose policies (or no policies) and personal greed contributed to this deterioration are currently active, card carrying and fully paid-up members of the APC. They will save us some time by making appointments with President Buhari.

The extraordinary goodwill that followed President Buhari’s rise to power cannot be taken for granted. Former President Obasanjo enjoyed the same good will in 1999 but squandered it for reasons best known to him.

He spent the first term gallivanting around the world searching for investors that he never found. He spent the second term seeking to destroy his deputy who nearly upstaged him for the second term ticket and used the balance of his time planning to amend the constitution for an illicit third term.

Laying prominence on recovering stolen funds from the last administration is not a government strategy in the long run. Emphasis should be laid on reforming the system and modifying the rules where necessary to prevent future occurrences.

The real appeal of this administration that ultimately will be recorded in the history books are those whose impacts will be felt several years after.

How best we can co-exist as a people without paying attention to religion and tribe is perhaps the ultimate test of this administration.

Concluded

18 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015 ONE of the earliest demands placed before President Muhammadu Buhari, even before he was sworn-in, was a request for financial bailout of states which could not pay their workers’ salaries. It was championed by the governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led by Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State.

After initially balking, Buhari got the National Economic Council (ECA), through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Federal Ministry of Finance (FMoF), to package a comprehensive bailout fund totalling over 1.2 trillion Naira. The funds were extracted from the Excess Crude Account (ECA), proceeds from the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) operations, a CBN special intervention fund and a debt relief package for highly indebted states to enjoy reduced debt service costs.

Anxiety has, however, hung over the fate of the bailout package, which no fewer than sixteen highly indebted states will draw down to offset the many months of unpaid salaries of their workers. As the money starts making its way to the various state coffers, it stands

Before the bail out funds are diverted the risk of being hijacked.

For instance, some banks have reportedly seized some of the money because some of the states have been defaulting on huge loans they collected from these banks.

Governors who have not paid the workers in their states were seen with their family members trailing President Buhari in his recent state visit to President Barack Obama in the United States of America as if they were VIP tourists. Some of the indebted state governors have been erecting frivolous billboards, while others have embarked on massive contract awards to gain the applause and legitimacy among the populace after

coming to power through questionable mandates.

We reiterate the need for the bailout funds to be spent specifically on the purposes for which they were packaged by the president: the payment of the salary arrears of public sector workers, especially teachers and civil servants.

We urge the various state governments to sit down and discuss with their banks on the modalities for repaying their loans and allow the bailout funds to be used for the payment of salary arrears to enable workers to face their work and allow the engine of governance to function effectively.

The president should live up to his promise to monitor the governors to ensure that these funds are not put to wrong use. The various State Houses of Assembly must wake up to their oversight duties and ensure that governors who fritter away the relief funds are brought to account according to the law.

All eyes must come on board to ensure that the bailouts are not diverted under any guise, as there may be no opportunity for another bailout.

OPINION DESOP ADEC La w: The real issues DESOPADEC Law:

By Steven Agwudagwu

T

HE unfolding drama since Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, Governor of Delta State, sent an Amendment Bill on Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, to the Delta State House of Assembly, DSHA, is to say the least unfortunate. The Governor’s DESOPADEC Amendment Bill seeks to restructure the management of the commission by scraping the office of the Executive Chairman to be replaced with the position of Managing Director, who will be assisted by Executive Directors, with the-day-to-day management of the commission. Under the proposed amendment, the role of part-time Commissioners representing the various ethnic nationalities would be to propose projects and ensure their execution.

Additionally, the bill seeks to substitute “oil producing areas” with “oil producing ethnic nationalities,” ostensibly to allow excluded parts of the state to benefit from DESOPADEC. Since the amendment Bill was submitted to the House, pressure groups in the oil producing areas of the state have descended on him like a ton of bricks. There has been no name under the sun that they have not called the governor. They accused him of many imagined wrong doings. They said he wanted to abolish the

institutions in their communities that were set up by his predecessors. Up in arms are the Delta Oil Collectives, Delta Solidarity Group, HOSTCOM, Urhobo Youths and organisations ostensibly representing the interests of Ijaw, Itsekiri, Urhobo, Isoko, and Ndokwa ethnic nationalities, who want to maintain the status quo while accusing the governor of ulterior motives.

For example, the Delta Solidarity Group in a newspaper advertorial accused the administration of trying to replicate DESOPADEC in Delta north and redistribute the resources of oil bearing communities in State. Though Governor Okowa’s cabinet represents all interests in the state, the group dismissed it as representing no interest or tendency. On its part, the Delta Oil Collectives argues that the governor wants to cheat the Urhobos by giving them a “carcass of the

Has its activities impacted positively on the lives of the average Ijaw, Itsekiri, Urhobo, Isoko and Ndokwa men and women on the streets or in the Diaspora?

office of the Chairman” now that its their turn to occupy the post. Their accusations were legion, but the summary of it all is that it appeared to them that the governor wants to use money meant for “actual oil producing communities to develop phantom gas producing communities in Delta north.”

To get to the root of the crises, an understanding of the ethnic configuration of Delta State would be helpful. Delta State is made up of the following ethnic nationalities: Aniocha, Ijaw, Itsekiri, Isoko, Ika, Ndokwa, Oshimili and Uhrobo, (Aniocha, Oshimili and Ika usually are collectively called Anioma). The Ijaw, Itsekiri, Uhrobo, Isoko and Ndokwa are the oil producing nationalities while North comprising the Anioma people has proven huge reserves of Gas. The principal law of DESOPADEC was passed into law in August 2007 under Chief James Ibori and section 13(1) of the act stated that the function of the Commission shall be to secure 50% of the 13% Oil Derivation fund accruing to Delta State government, and apply it in the rehabilitation and development of oil producing areas of the state as well as carry out other development projects as may be determined from time to time. It is this law which has divided the state into two: oil producing and non-oil producing areas, setting the stage for the current acrimony.

An amicable formula should have been found, ab initio, by the architects of this law to ensure that the entire state was a beneficiary of DESOPADEC, with the

actual oil producing communities, perhaps, taking a larger share of the revenue.

However, the interest groups against the amendment argue that the state government has already taken 50% of the 13% of the allocation upfront for the development of the state, and therefore, the balance should come to them untouched. Nevertheless, Dr. Uduaghan apparently identified that there was a mistake in the Act and sought to amend the principal law of DESOPADEC but it was too late in the day. His proposal passed the first reading in the House. However, the second reading couldn’t take place due to the massive protest by HOSTCOM. On June 2015, his amendment bill was dumped sin die after he had stepped down as governor of the state. Governor Okowa slightly amended the proposal and represented it to the House.

To critically analyse the proposed amendment, some questions are begging for answers and the first one is: Eight years after its establishment, has DESOPADEC lived up to its billing? Has its activities impacted positively on the lives of the average Ijaw, Itsekiri, Urhobo, Isoko and Ndokwa men and women on the streets or in the Diaspora? Anioma people are out of this because so far, not even a dime of DESOPADEC resources had gone to that area. The way it appears, the bill did not recognise them as Deltans.

Continues tomorrow on pg 18

*Mr. Agwudagwu, a public affairs analyst, wrote from Asaba, Delta State.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015— —19

The minority as underdog

By Sunny Ikhioya

Y

OU may agree or disagree, like it or not, the truth is that the foundation of all of Nigeria’s problems is injustice. This is further compounded when those who have taken advantage of others will not enjoy their spoil quietly but will, as they say, ‘piss in the face’ of their victims. The signs are beginning to manifest barely two months into President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration and that is why attention is being drawn to it in this piece. Nothing is new, it is the same old story all over again.

For those who have followed Nigeria’s political developments, there is a trend; any ethnic group that has his son at the helm of affairs gets the swagger and with the swagger comes arrogance, which is followed by careless/ reckless statements, which ultimately generate resentiments from other ethnic groups until a change takes place. When the easterner is in power, it is an anointing from the land of the rising sun, for the norrtherner, they are born to rule. In the case of the westerner, their intelligence and economic wizardry is unrivalled and the

south -south claims its God given natural resources entitles him to be in control – no consideration for others.

The same behavioural pattern has trickled down to all of the regions and states. They cry marginalisation at the Federal level but in the state where they are in the majority, they do not give consideration to the minorities. The examples traverse all of the states but let us take a few representative samples here: In Akwa Ibom state we have the Efik and Annang battle, Benue has the battle between the Tivs and Idomas, in Kogi we have the Igalas and others, Delta- Urhobos and others, Ogun – Egbas and Ijebus, Kaduna –the Hausa/Fulanis versus southern Zarians and so many others, no state is left out.

Interestingly, like they do at the federal level, even as they discriminate and perpetuate these injustices, they find good logical reasoning to justify their actions, reminiscent of the colonialists’ justification of apartheid policies with the poor intelligence mentality of the black man.

I have often wondered if the outcome of the 2015 presidential election wouldn’t have been

different if President Jonathan had come from any of the big ethnic groups. I wonder because I am beginning to see headlines like “The minority can have their say” and comments such as ‘that one is baba they cannot try him’ and I wonder because, the people making these comments are not just ordinary citizens or illiterates you see on the streets, they are well read and enlightened individuals.

They will want all the sanctions and the probes to go to Jonathan and his men but will not want similar treatments for their ‘town's man’ as we say in Nigeria.

Why are people shying from calling for the heads of other past leaders who have contributed to the rot that has infested the Nigerian government? Is it because Jonathan is from the minority area? Because in Nigeria it is only the minority’s head that is fit for the fire, the minority’s head is pot. As Jonathan sits down and reflects,

You cannot use different standards to measure individuals who committed the same offence

Saving the economy, PMB at cross roads

By Paul Odili

I

STILL don’t get the feeling that Nigerians realise how bad things have become for the economy and that we are facing a future of slow growth. The change mantra is going to be hard and painful no matter what the government and politicians say. This prognosis is pessimistic and rightly so. Crude Oil prices, Nigeria’s major export is down by over 55%.The US is aiming to change its law to allow it export crude oil. Soon that will be the case and the consequences on prices will be catastrophic. Oil now sells for 48 dollars. This price is temporary.

Further declines are expected. Major oil companies are cutting budget, scaling back projects and downsizing work force.

Ninety percent of export from Nigeria is on this one commodity with 70 percent of government revenue expected from it.

Governments across Nigeria have undertaken deep budgetcuts—some states including federal government have paid or in arrears of many months of salary payment requiring bailout package—in addition there has seen an 18 percentage fall in value of naira since 2014 and raising inflation to 9.2 percentage. There is hardly any mitigating circumstance ahead. We don’t have any cushion anywhere to cover our fiscal deficit. All those (APC chieftains in particular) who are hoping President Buhari’s campaign promises will be fulfilled had better wake up( the opposition PDP and others opposed to the ruling party are most likely going to make political capital of this). The truth is that President Buhari will struggle to meet a small percentage of his promises over the next four years. As a matter of fact, if he manages to achieve 40 percent of his promises, he should be re-elected.

The money to fund aggressive development that Nigeria’s need is simply not there. How much capital his government is able to attract to bridge the gap in infrastructure spending is unclear. The President Jonathan C M Y K

privatisation programme of the power sector is dodgy and has not yielded the kind of improvement Nigerians expected.

Nigeria economy is still largely a generator powered economy. President Buhari may likely seek a review of Jonathan privatisation programme. We have to wait until he unveils his economic plan. One major step President Buhari should take on board is progressive taxation. Time has come for Nigeria’s super rich who have made so much from the system, to pay more to support the system. Taxation as a major source of income for the government should be treated with much seriousness, than has otherwise been in case.

Business cost remains high rendering local manufactured goods uncompetitive.

Cheap foreign, especially, Chinese imported products continue to dominate the local market. Demand by Nigerians for imported products appears not to be slackening. Tougher measures beyond the CBN policy of excluding some catergories of products from accessing foreign exchange are needed. The transportation sector is in crisis. Roads and railway transportation is in crying need of massive investment, which if properly packaged under the circumstance can be private sector driven. However, Nigeria’s experiment with the Public Private sector Partnership (PPP) model has not been

Buhari has to look at the energy problem and adopt a broad approach that embraces all viable solution

wherever he is hibernating now, he will also discover that he has not treated other fellow minorities with fairness, he allowed the same sentiments to affect crucial decisions affecting other Niger Delta ethnic groups and that cost him a lot of goodwill. That is why we should ask ourselves the question: When will the whole rigmarole end? Do we really want an equitable and egalitarian society in Nigeria where all interests will be factored in? Unless we decide on the correct answer to these questions, we will be wasting our time. Another appointment has been made at NIMASA, another northerner. Let us not be deceived, those in authority must realise that they will be laying land mines for their off springs and future generations of Nigerians if these issues are not laid to rest, the advanced democracies have settled theirs years ago.

That is why those who have benefitted through the chants of change must not be selfish with it. They should see it as an opportunity to correct the real distortions in the system. The challenge of injustice is bigger than that of corruption. We are unable to tackle corruption here because we have all taken sides with our ethnic kiths and kins.

For us to clear this mountain therefore and leave a good legacy for generations yet unborn, we must bury our sentimental attachments to ethnicity and religion in our governance process that is the only way this

such a huge success. Yet, without fixing transportation, it is hard to think of development.

Lagos as a port city is in need of decongestion. Tin Can and Apapa sea ports are stretched to a breaking point. The offsite infrastructure that supports these ports is choked or not available.

Nigeria needs to energise new port cities of Warri or Port Harcourt. Lagos cannot take any more of the pressure. The economy is suffering because of this choke hold. If a calculation is done on the average losses incurred by businesses and individuals trapped perennially in Lagos traffic, the inefficiencies is horrendous.

This is no way to run a modern economy.

Buhari talks about his energy level and memory to recall small details and really at 72 that is an issue of importance (surprisingly his admission did not raise serious debate/concern over his ability to do the job). He therefore needs to find the right team with the right balance to tackle some of the huge challenges of today. And as he slowly works his way through the rut he met in the system, he is losing time.

For everyday there is no articulation of direction, the country is on a pause. Yet, the country cannot afford a longer pause.

Now if the data by the National Bureau for Statistics is an indicator of the situation with unemployment, then President Buhari is facing more grim problems.

Current NBS estimates put the percentage of Nigerians looking for work at 24.6%. That is 13.4 million of the 54.6 million active labourforce that needs to find jobs. This is apart from the estimated 3.7 million persons that enter the job market annually. The unemployment situation has a reached a crisis point.

Young educated Nigerians are unemployed for years, living with their parents in to the 30s and becoming stale and of no use to employers of labour eventually. The question is which sector should the country focus on and how should that be done. So far there has been no strategy in this regard.

Often Nigerian politicians and policy makers talk about agriculture as the preferred sector, that is true to the extent that we are looking at our lingering inability to feed ourselves in the short run.

In the middle to long term, agriculture can scarcely be the sector to accommodate

change can work. Also, to cleanse the system, we must start from the foundation, it must not be selective. For example; how did corruption in the NNPC start?

Who are the personnel responsible? Are these people still alive and around? If yes, call them to question.

If you ask me, who to probe and what period to be covered by the probe investigation should not be the prerogative or responsibility of the presidency but institutions responsible for bringing people to justice – EFFC, ICPC, Police,DSS and others. So, when a presidential spokesman comes out to say that we are probing only the Jonathan administration, he is rubbishing the whole anti corruption process. It shows that they are not yet ready to cleanse the system, the cleansing will ab initio be faulty because it will be based strictly on selective justice and will therefore end up like Obasanjo’s EFCC. You cannot use different standards to measure individuals who committed the same offence.

We must begin to put away the mob mentality and allow institutions to work the way they should in Nigeria.

*Mr. Ikhioya, a commentator on national issues, wrote from Lagos.

the large unemployed labour force despite its low entry level.Government as a key enabler must reduce risk to those who even undertake to venture into agro-business.

Agriculture without value addition will not amount to much. This is where electricity becomes an important sector, President Buhari should focus upon it like a laser beam. Without electricity nothing will work. Food security will not be successful. Stating this fact requires no great leap of imagination. Energy is the foundation of the modern economy.

Nigeria governments over the years have not found a way to resolve this issue. The country continues to suffer. Serious countries all over the world go beyond the pale if the need arises to protect their energy security. Nigeria sleeps walk over energy issues.

Like many things that we have in abundance, the country has not paid enough attention to energy diversification. Policy makers talk glibly about promoting renewable energy option in the energy mix, yet not much has happened. We have abundance of sun and we have access to a long coastline and other estuaries for wind power and hydropower to mention a few. Renewable energy is faster to decouple and can easily play significant role in the country’s energy mix. Gas based electricity system is fine, we know it is cheaper but somehow the country has not managed to tackle the incessant sabotage and commercial gridlock it has locked itself into with the oil companies, which is why Nigeria has its gas flared or liquefied for export. While the country struggles to meet its energy needs. Something is not right somewhere.

President Buhari has to look at the energy problem and adopt a broad approach that embraces all viable solution. Renewable energy solution is just one such important solution.

I hope President Buhari succeeds and this is beyond partisan consideration. The average Nigerian deserves to in their life time live in a country that is economically successful.The APC government has a historic chance to prove that this wish can be done. But so far the auguries are not good.

I hope I am proved wrong. *Mr. Odili, a journalist, wrote from Asaba, Delta State.

20 — Vanguard, TUESDAY TUESDAY,, AUGUST 4, 2015

No hiding place for criminals at Oshodi as Task Force strikes again

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

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HE on-going exercise by operatives of the Lagos State Special Task Force on Environmental and other Related Offences to rid Lagos of miscreants and other criminal elements, has led to the arrest of at least 93 suspects, including 23 teenagers, in Lagos, particularly at the popular Oshodi area of the State.

Other arrested suspects were illegal occupants of abandoned buildings, hemp smokers and hoodlums suspected to have been terrorising some areas in the state. They were arrested in Oshodi, Agege, Ojuelegba and Iju-Ishaga areas. Those arrested were three female teenagers and 90 adult males.

It will be recalled that the same Task Force had arrested a total of 50 suspects in the area in the past weeks.

Parading the suspects before Vanguard Metro, VM, at its Secretariat in Alausa, Chairman of the Task Force, Superintendent of Police, SUPOL, Hakeem Adedeji, who led the operation, said the exercise was carried in the early hours of the day.

Criminal activities He said the Task Force acted on the order of the state Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode and Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, who expressed concern over the spate of criminal activities in some parts of the state, especially Oshodi and certain identified areas.

He confirmed that though, no weapon was found on the suspects, there were strong indications that they are part of miscreants who had been terrorising the area. He added that they were identified as such by some tattoos on their arms, indicating they belong to a particular sect or cult.

According to Adedeji: “We moved into the area as early as 1a.m., an operation which I led.

We found the suspects under the bridge at Oshodi in such odd hours walking aimlessly. Some were also caught smoking Indian hemp popularly called Marijuana.

“You can see many of the arrested suspects have tattoos on their bodies. Many are chain

*Some of the suspected criminal elements arrested at Oshodi smokers. Some are robbers who terrorise Oshodi residents and pedestrians.

“The age of the suspects ranges from 11 to 19 years and most of them are from other states of the federation. For those who are under-age, we cannot arraign them because the law does not permit us, while the others will be prosecuted by the Magistrate court.

He added that the arrested miscreants would be screened while the under-age would be referred to the juvenile homes

I don’t take much of Indian hemp; I only smoke a minimum of four wraps in a day; we were arrested under Oshodi Bridge where we were managing to survive

for rehabilitation, adding that most of the ‘young miscreants’ who are between ages 12 and 15 are from broken homes.

Adedeji added that the measure became necessary following several complaints from innocent citizens over the rising cases of intimidation, harassment, robbery attacks in the axis even in the day and night hours.

Adedeji said: “We won’t back down on the miscreants. This will serve as a clear warning to them that the Task Force will not condone indiscipline and environmental nuisance. There is no hiding place for criminals in Lagos.

“We are also clamping down on the street traders on major highways who have become armed robbers. We are getting complaints from the residents and motorists. We won’t stop arresting and prosecuting them until they are ready to obey the law of the state.

According to him, Governor Ambode was committed to protecting lives and properties in order to attract more investors and make life easy for the residents.

Speaking, one of the arrested girls, Zainab Kamal,19, said she was arrested in Oko

Mola by officials of the Task Force. She said she paid N50, with others numbering about 50, to sleep at a hide-out in Oko-Mola in Oshodi.

According to her: “Before I broke down, I was smoking at least four sticks of cigarette. I was smoking heavily before I developed tuberculosis. I smoke cigarette and also take a type

of drug that we called Jedi Jedi”.

Iyabo Okunola, 16, who also said she made the tattoo on her face at Oshodi, informed thus: “I don’t take much of Indian hemp; I only smoke a minimum of four wraps in a day. We were arrested under Oshodi Bridge where we were managing to survive.”

...As traffic robbers resurface

A

NOTHER worrisome de velopment in Lagos is the increasing cases of robbers who take advantage of the worsening traffic situation in some parts of the state to rob innocent motorists of their values.

The modus-operandi of these robbers who usually operate in a gang of two or more, is that whenever there is slow-moving traffic they move between vehicles and bang on the doors of selected vehicles. Once an unwary driver opens the door to find the cause of the bank, the other gang members will, in a twinkle of an eye, grab whatever valuable they can lay their hands on and disappear

into thin air.

Several innocent residents have fallen victims to such acts in recent time. Some of the areas where this type of criminal act has been identified as rampant include the Lagos /Abeokuta Road, especially at Dopemu Link Bridge area; Oworonsoki; Ketu; Ojota; Ikorodu Road; Ojo; Mile 2 Oshodi Apapa Express road; Oshodi, among others.

Unfortunately for the victims, the police are usually nowhere to be found whenever these robbers are operating, thus making it possible for the thieves to escape with their loots unchallenged. In some cases, the robbers dispossess their victims at gunpoint.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015

— 21

Job placements for ITF trainees hit 70%

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BRIEFING: From left, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sonny Echono; Director-

General, Industrial Training Fund, Dr Juliet Chukkas-Onaeko; and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Abdulkadir Musa, after President Muhammadu Buhari’s briefing at the Nigerian embassy in Washington DC, United States.

Manufacturers to boost power supply by 700MW in host communities

By Franklin Alli

the distribution companies, DISCOs and the Nigerian Regulatory IG companies across Electricity various sectors of the Commission, NERC. Investigation revealed that manufacturing industry are set to improve power supply in Lafarge Africa Plc has built a 90 their host communities by MW plant, which is used mainly injecting 700 megawatts into the for its cement operations, and national grids from their is adding 220 megawatt (MW) gas-fired power plant at its embedded generating plants.

Vanguard learnt that some of Ewekoro in Ogun state to boost the manufacturers have electricity supplies to its plants generated more than they need and host communities.

Also, Dangote Cement has for their production plants. And they are ready to sell the excess invested $95 million on three megawatts to households and gas turbines generating 102 small industries through power megawatts; it was built by purchased agreements between Siemens International to power its Ibese Cement plant in Ogun state, while the excess will be released into the national grid. Nestle -2.85 $122.40 Nigeria Plc’also invested in a N3.6 $3,178. 00 -31.00 billion Tri-generation Power Plant at Agbara $10.96 -0.18 factory to generate electrical power, using diesel or natural gas.

Similarly, Pz Cussons $50.68 Plc, invested$25 1.53 million on 8 46.06 -1.06 megawatts but no plan to sell excess to the CURRENCY BUYING CENTRAL SELLING national grid.

DOLLAR 196 196.5 197 B e v e r a g e POUNDS 306.4656 307.2474 30.0292 m a n u f a c t u r e r, EURO 214.8356 215.3837 215.9317 FRANC 201.9161 202.4312 202.9463 Nigerian Bottling YEN 1.5757 1.5797 1.5837 Company (NBC) CFA 0.3104 0.3204 0.3304 Limited which WAUA 273.5081 274.2058 274.9035 operations span across RENMINBI 31.5626 31.6436 31.7246 a dozen production RIYAL 52.2625 52.3958 52.5291 SDR 273.2828 273.98 274.6771 locations in Nigeria, KRONA 28.788 28.8614 28.9348 generates about 28 m e g a w a t t s , CBN Exchange Rate as at 03/ 08 /15 representing about 75

B

percent of its estimated 36 mw of embedded power while an estimated 7 to 10 megawatts is gotten from the national grid for its bottling operations nationwide.

Akomen Omijeh, Corporate Communications Manager, NBC Limited, told Vanguard that the power generated for the company is gotten via an outsourced gas generator for some of our plants. While the gas generators are outsourced, the gas and diesel used in powering them are provided by NBC Limited. The outsourced generators are largely gas driven and supported by diesel in a few instances.”

“The power generated by NBC Limited is sufficient for our operations, so there are no excess megawatts, either for use, or sent to the national grid or for sale to distribution companies (DISCOs). The

Our power plants are capable of producing more than we can use; the work is being done in phases

Company is constantly making significant moves in the area of sustainability, hence the use of natural gas and power sourced from PHCN (which have hydro and gas fired plants) and less of AGO in our major bottling operations facilities. This further demonstrates our responsible citizenship by reducing our carbon footprints with the combined heat and power plants in our mega production facilities,” he said.

Peter Hoddinott, Managing Director, Lafarge Africa Plc, said “Our power plants is capable of producing more than we can use; the work is being done in phases.

“First to sell the excess to the communities, we are going to make it available and we want to make the power plants bigger through Wasilat, IFC and other parties to build a 220MW plants. We are very much on course and we hope by the fourth quarter of this year we should be able to start to sell the excess capacity to the grids. We have started building the equipment to be able to sell to the grids and we have started discussions the gas supply companies; we are also progressing to the second phase which is will take us couple of years before we can go to the full megawatts. “ Vanguard gathered that once the new plant is completed about 260 MW will go to the national grid under a power purchase agreement approved by NERC.

HE Industrial Training Fund (itf) has achieved over 70 per cent job placement for its trainees across major sectors of the Nigerian economy, the DirectorGeneral, Dr. (Mrs) Juliet Chukkas-Onaeko has said.

She said the ITF’s focus was to ensure 100 per cent employment for trainees that had benefitted from the various trainings conducted in collaboration with the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association and other organisations.

Chukkas-Onaeko spoke in Washington, DC, United States, while briefing stakeholders on the ITFNECA collaboration. She said, “Our focus is to achieve 100 per cent employment for all trainees that come on the platform. And so far, I would say that we have done quite well. Up to 70 per cent get retained by the companies that work with us to train these people, and some go to sister companies, other companies that offer the same services, and they get employed.”

Over 74,000 Nigerians have been trained in various vocational and technical areas under the 1,000 per state training scheme, while about one million benefitted from the overall ITF training projects, in-house and across industries in the last one year.

The DG noted that the ITF would continue to increase the number of trainees in the coming years to further address the issues of unemployment in the country.

Already the process of training two million annually has commenced, according to ITF. “I have told my team that we should look at training and working on getting jobs for at least 50 per cent of four million people to be trained. That is because the need is huge. If we don’t do this considering the number of youths that graduate from the universities every year, from the polytechnics and even the secondary schools, the unemployment rate will continue to grow at a very high rate,” the DG said.

She added that the ITF would adopt a holistic approach to tackling skills problems and called for the cooperation of both the public and private sector stakeholders in ensuring the right skills for sustainable development of Nigeria’s economy.

22 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015

The fact that somebody knows your BVN does not mean he or she can use it to access your bank account.

,

TOP 10 PERFORMING STOCKS

BY PETER EGWUATU

T

RANS Nationwide Express Plc, last week led the cream of price gainers on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE as it appreciated by 19.23 per cent or N0.17 per share to close at N1.05 per share from N0.88 per share it close penultimate week.

The company which led the top ten gainers’ chart was followed by E- Tranzact International Plc, National Aviation Handling Company, NAHCO Plc, Red Star Express Plc, Beta Glass Company Nigeria Plc. Others in the ten include: Cement Company of Northern Nigeria Plc, Eterna Plc, MCNICHOLS Plc, Lafarge Africa Plc, and Champion Breweries Plc.

A review of the Trans Nationwide Express Plc first half results ended June 30, 2015 shows that revenue dropped to N383.6 million from N349.115 million in the corresponding period of 2014; Gross profit stood at N227.2 million as against N205.6 million in 2014; Admin expenses dropped to a negative of N187.7 million from N3.4 million in 2014; Profit Before Tax increased to N37.9 million from N20.586 million, while Profit After Tax, stood at N28.4 million from N15.08 million in 2014.

E-Tranzact International Plc which trailed behind Trans Nationwide Express on the gainers ‘chart gained 13.21 per cent or N0.42 per share to close at N3.60 per share from N3.18. The company ’s first quarter result ended March 31, 2015 shows that revenue increased to N2.076 billion from N1.6 billion in the corresponding period of 2014; Profit Before Tax increased to N280.2 million from N135.3 million in 2014, while Profit After Tax increased to N168.1 million from N88.006 million in 2014.

Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO )Plc followed E-Tranzact on the gainers chart as it appreciated by 10.39 per cent or N0.48 per share to close at N5.10 per share from N4.62 per share.

NAHCO’s unaudited half year result ended June 30, 2015 shows that Turnover increased by 8.94 per cent to N4.246 billion; Profit Before Tax dropped by 3.63 per cent to N503.7 8 million from N522.78, while Profit After Tax declined marginally by 0.92 per cent to N377.88 million from N381.38 million in the corresponding period of 2014.

Red Star Express Plc which occupied the fourth position on the gainers’ chart rose by 9.07 per cent or N0.41 per share to close at N4.93 per share from N4.52 per share.

Red Star Express in its half year result ended June 2015 recorded a turnover of N1.6 billion as against N1.58 billion in the corresponding period of 2014; Profit Before Tax increased to N128.6 million as against N125.027 million in 2014, while Profit After Tax increased to N90.067 million from N87.519 million in 2014.Beta Glass Company Nigeria Plc trailed behind Red Star Express on the gainers chart rising by 8.86 per cent or N3.50 per share to close at N43.00 per share from N39.50 per share. The company full year result for 2014 shows that revenue increased by 18 per cent to N16.6 billion from N14.096 billion in 2013; Profit Before Tax rose by 63 per cent to N3.340 billion from N2.052 billion in 2013, while Profit After Tax surged by 62 per cent to N2.390 billion from N1.473 billion.

Other gainers in the top ten gainers are Cement Company of Northern Nigeria Plc, rising by N8.08 per cent or N0.71 per share to close at N9.50 per share from N8.79 per share, followed by Eterna Plc which rose by 5.41 per cent or N0.12 per share to close at N2.34 per share from N2.22 per share; MCNICHOLS Plc appreciated by 4.76 per cent or N0.06 per share to close at N1.32 per share from N1.26 per share.

INVESTOR' ,

Biometric Verification Number: Reality and benefits (2)

By Babajide Komolafe

T

HE immediate benefit of the Biometric Verification Number (BVN), is that it allows banks to be sure of who they are dealing with.

The second benefit is that it reduces the possibility for fraudsters using bank accounts and services for fraudulent purposes.

Now there is so much fear about the BVN. Some people believe that the BVN, like the Personal Identification Number (PIN), can be used to access the bank account of the owner and defraud him/her. This is far from the truth. The BVN is

With the BVN, banks can easily, within minutes identify whoever is behind any account. So if the account is used for fraud, the fraudster can be identified, arrested, and blacklisted from the banking industry

like your house address, or your account number, while your signature or your PIN is the key. Somebody may know your bank account number,

but he must be able to forge your signature or know your PIN before he can make illegal withdrawal from your account. So also, if somebody knows your house

From left: Berger Paints Plc's Head, Corporate Services, Mrs Sola Balogun; Managing Director/CEO, Mr Peter Folikwe, and Chief Executive Officer, SOFUNIX Investements and Communications Limited, Mr Sola Oni, during courtesy visit of SOFUNIX Investment and Communications Limited's management team to Berger Paints Plc .

MARKET NEWS

CWG records N8.6bn revenue, assures shareholders of better performance

By Peter Egwuatu

C

OMPUTER Warehouse Group Plc. (“CWG) has recorded revenue of N8.6 billion for the first half (HI)ended June 30, 2015.

In the unaudited first half 2015 financial results for the period ended June 30, 2015 released to the Nigerian Stock Exchange, the company’s revenue stood at N8.6billion compares favourably with N8.4 billion in the half year result of 2014.

However, business margins were squeezed from 20 per cent in 2014 to 14 per cent in 2015, as the company was unable to fully pass increased costs to her customers.

There was a 7 per cent increase in operating expenses to

The company is making a shift towards recurrent and subscription businesses which are more predictable, have increased margins and are less dependent on macroeconomic challenges

N1.4billion as against N1.3 billion in 2014. This was due largely to one-off restructuring expenses taken by the company The result which shows a Profit Before Tax, PBT loss of N350 million reflects the continued difficulty of the Nigerian business environment in 2015. “’With a significant segment of the company’s business dependent on international procurement, the difficulties of foreign exchange sourcing had a negative impact on the results”, said management of the company.

In particular, the H1 result was affected by the recognition of foreign exchange losses of N277 million and the write-off of N103million , arising from the cancellation of a transaction duly rec-

Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015 —23

address, he must have the key to access your house. The same with the BVN. The fact that somebody knows your BVN does not mean he or she can use it to access your bank account.

Remember that anytime you want to do transaction in a bank, and you submit your BVN, the bank would verify it by doing a search on the BVN database. The search will reveal the fingerprints and facial appearance of the owner of the BVN and once this does not match that of the person that submitted the BVN for transaction, the bank will know he/she is a fraudster.

And in the case of online transactions, you need the PIN and a token number to consummate the transaction. So the BVN alone cannot necessarily be used to gain access to somebody’s bank account. It can only be used to reveal the identity of the person behind the account.

A major benefit of the BVN for both banks and customers is security.

There are many bank accounts opened by fraudsters, who use these

In the case of online transactions, you need the PIN and a token number to consummate the transaction. So the BVN alone cannot necessarily be used to gain access to somebody’s bank account

ognized in fourth quarter, Q4 2014. However, the company finished with a strong cash position of N1.3billion at the end of the quarter.

According to the Executive Director, Finance and Operations, CWG Plc, Mr. Kunle Ayodeji, the business environment remains very challenging, with many organizations holding back on new capital expenditure and investments, as the economic direction of the new government is being observed.

Mr. Ayodeji also noted that the Company is making a shift towards recurrent and subscription businesses which are more predictable, have increased margins and are less dependent on macroeconomic challenges, especially those arising from foreign exchange.

Recall that the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Computer Warehouse Group, Mr. Austin Okere in a recent publi-

accounts solely for fraudulent purposes. Some of these bank accounts are opened by bank staff who work in connivance with other people to defraud bank customers. And they have successfully defrauded many people.

Last year alone, banks and their customers lost N1.8 billion to fraudsters, according to the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC).

These fraudsters get away with these frauds because they use fictitious identities to create the account. These have made many people especially those who have fallen victims, to shy away from using the services of banks.

,

'S FORUM

Those who are participating in the market are either investment managers, companies who have been rolling things over and making gain

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INVESTORS SPEAK

Investors should exercise patience on market rebound – Shareholders Following over N1.03 trillion loss of investment in the Nigeria Stock Market in recent time occasioned by slow pace of governance, policy direction, high political risk, non ministerial appointment, among others, shareholders in this interview urge investors to exercise patience as market rebound is imminent.

Internet banking They would rather keep their money under the pillow. Also, many bank customers, including the author, shy away from internet banking for transactions, notwithstanding the manhours that would be saved. I know a colleague who was defraud, and hence never use ATM for withdrawals or any transaction.

But with the BVN, banks can easily, within minutes identify whoever is behind any account.

So if the account is used for fraud, the fraudster can be identified, arrested, and blacklisted from the banking industry. Thus over time, people will feel safe using the various services offered by banks to make it easy and convenient for customers to do transactions.

To be continued next week (Send comments and enquiries t o vanguardinvestorsforum@gmail

cation highlighted the yields from the Company’s subscription business model which started in the second half of 2015 and the products being better positioned to withstand macroeconomic shocks.

The products under the new business model include the CWG-SMERP, the cloud based Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) product for SMEs, the award-winning Openshopen.ng which is an eCommerce technology platform, CWG-SES Teleport Services providing digital satellite broadcast, cloud solution for micro finance institutions in partnership with MTN (dubbed MTN XaaS), CWG’s Mobile Financial Services in partnership with CIT Vericash, Finedge Solution, which has powered Diamond Yello Account (DYA), electricity theft detection & prevention systems, and CWG’s IGR Solution for States amongst others.

•Shopeju

•Gbadebo

By Providence Obuh

A

LHAJI Gbadebo Olatokunbo, Share holders Activist: You cannot build a two story building on a ramshackle house, if you don’t have any other land which you can build a two story or beautiful building, what you do is to demolish that house and start from the scratch.

Nigeria’s issue require starting from the scratch, there is no cause for us hurrying.

What ever that is happening to the capital market now, is because the market is a long term thing. By the time we start getting it right, everything will skyrocket.

Nigeria was not recognised before, but now that we elected Buhari, everybody wants to reckon with him, not for politics and you know the whites don’t joke like we Nigerians.

They have been looking at Nigeria that this country that is supposed to show the light to other Africa nations, unfortuThe market will nately we have been having meback by the time diocre. In this putting things in country, if there is someone from Nigeria your area or my area at the helms of affairs, even if I decided to attack him, my own people will come to me and say that man is our man just leave him alone.

I am a Yoruba man, Buhari is not a Yoruba person, is because I want the best for this country.

In the next 10 to 30 years some people will die but Nigeria will not die, there will be people around.

So whatever that is happening to the market for now, the market will regain it, it is only speculators that are worried because when the market is dull, the incentive to come and trade will not be there and they will not be making their own commission, that is why they are shouting. I am a long term investor and I cannot approach the

market now that I want to sell my shares because I know that whatever that is happening now is something that will come and go.

Those who are participating in the market are either investment managers, companies who have been rolling things over and making gains and now that they see the repercussion of their work they are shouting.

But I am appealing to them because the capital market recognises that for everything, I want to appeal to them that they should wait, the market will bounce back by the time we start putting things in order in Nigeria.

Nigeria’s issue does not require rushing, anybody rushing Nigeria is deceiving himself, they want the market to continue as usual, but it will never be the same again, I don’t believe Nigeria’s case should be business as usual, I believe we should start on a good clean slate.

The market will bounce back soon so they should exbounce ercise patience

we start order in

Chief Shotunde Shopeju, Chairman Beacon Shareholders Association of Nigeria: At the moment the atmosphere is not conducive to bring out large chunk of money in that shareholders are looking to see what the government have in stock, what their policy is going to be and since there is friction in the All Progressive Congress (APC), there has not been any wave created and the President is very cautious of treading some thorny ground.

So it is not an appropriate time when such an amount would be brought for consideration. Investors should wait until the House of Senate and Representative come into action.

24—Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015

Republicans line up for battle

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HIS week, U.S. Republican Party presidential aspirants will officially flag off their campaign for the White House.

They will do so in the first of a series of presidential debates that kick off on Thursday (August 6). Their host is of course the conservative Fox News television channel on the communications stable of media mogul, Rupert Murdoch, who is originally from Australia.

One of the exciting things about this debate is not just who will participate in it, but those to be excluded from the podium for the epic challenge. The host, Fox News, introduced what has become a bizarre rule about the persons who will appear on stage. According the organization, only the top ten candidates based on five national polls will have a chance to be invited for the debate. It means that whoever that is not given the opportunity to debate the rest of the candidates should, for all practical purposes, count himself or herself out of the race.

Therein lies the potential problem for Republicans. As the polls stand, some prominent names in the Republican Party’s race may have to bow out of contention.

The statistical rationale for this choice of who makes it to the podium is quite suspect, as some of the candidates are ahead of the others by numbers that are not only of statistical insignificance, but make no sense by polling standards. For instance, the difference between the 10th candidate who gets in and the first of the “disqualified” candidates may not be up to two percent in a combined poll where the margin of error is plus or minus three percent.

As of today, the most likely candidates to debate on live television are Donald Trump, Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, Mike Huckabee, Ben Carson, Chris Christie and Rick Perry. The “losers” are John Kasich, Rick Santorum, Bobby Jindal, Carly Fiorina, George Pataki and Lindsey Graham. Of particular interest among the “losers” is John Kasich who is the current governor of Ohio. The debate will be held in his state and, as the host governor and presidential candidate, he is yet to be qualified to appear in it.

Some of these issues of potential embarrassment for Fox News and the Republican Party apparently led to a lastminute decision by the news organization to marginally change the rules of the game.

According to Fox News’ executive vice president, Michael Clemente, the six candidates who will not make it to be debate will have a Fox News The upforum four hours before coming the main event, where they will be hosted by debate some Fox News analysts promises to discuss their presidential ambitions. to be The reality is that this is political a bogus and cosmetic measure to make the theatre

“losers” feel a bit respected.

The up-coming debate promises to be political theatre. And this is because of one man, Donald Trump, the man-of-themoment among the presidential contenders on the Republican front. When he declared his intention to run for the exulted office, his rating was no more important as that of a political clown who will add some humour and excitement to the process. But, he has since surprised everyone, and maybe himself, by becoming the front-runner in the polls.

Trump has had a no-holds-barred approach to seeking office. He has dismissed some of colleagues as spineless individuals who have no political muscle to be effective and efficient as president.

He has called others names and dismissed them as people who had come to him capin-hand begging for money to run for office. But, above all, what appears to have helped him win the hearts and minds of the Republican Party base is his ability to lash out at immigrants, especially Mexicans whom he calls leeches and rapists.

Leeches and rapists He talks tough against Russian, China and Iran and promises to turn the U.S. into an international bully that will use its military and financial might to get whatever its wants. Trump speaks the language of the Republican Party masses; and lends his voice to the inner-most sentiments of conservatives, that is, those things they want to scream about but are scared to say them in public for fear of being branded bigots and appearing to be politically incorrect.

So far, Trump has been riding the crest of popularity without getting down to the nitty-gritty of policy. No one knows where he stands on any policy issue or how he plans to handle policy matters if elected president. But, does he care?

Charles Krauthammer, a prominent Fox News commentator, said in the O’Reilly Factor show (on Fox News) that the trouble with the debate is that it will be all about Trump. Sadly, he added, none of the codebaters would want to go after the rabblerouser that Trumps is, without severe consequences. This is how he put his argument: “This is a real dilemma in a big field. If you’re the one who takes him on, you could be the one who ends up damaged….That’s the problem if you take on Trump. You might succeed in bringing him down a notch or two, but you may not be the one who benefits. So is there interest that you would have as a candidate in going after him? I don’t know what the answer is.”

This boils down to the proverbial whowill-bell-the-cat? The bigger problem is that the other nine candidates are not far away from Trump on what they believe is the best way to govern America. Their key issues are abolishing the Affordable Care Act known as Obamacare that provides health insurance for millions of Americans.

I don’t normally watch Fox News. But, I’ll watch every minute of the debate. Who want to miss out on the up-coming political comedy show that Fox News will offer live on television?

VANGUARD, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015—25

A typical modular house

Developer partners foreign firm to build ‘cheaper’ modular houses

By Kingsley Adegboye

A

S Nigeria continues the search for alternative building solutions to bridge the nation’s widening housing gap, Messrs Alpha Mead Development Company, AMDC, has introduced a modular building system aimed at lowering the entry level for middle income home buyers in Nigeria.

The company which is the real estate unit of Alpha Mead Facilities & Management Services Ltd (AMFacilities) said last week that the modular building system which is also called form work panels, are aluminum panels that ensure strict quality control and curb wastage of building materials when compared to conventional building methods.

These disclosures were made by the Managing Director/CEO of AMFacilities, Mr. Femi Akintunde at a ceremony which the company used officially announce its partnership with Wall-Ties & Forms International, WTF. Akintunde who is an engineer, said WTF is a recognized world leader in the form work industry which produces and ships over 30 million ties a year.

Innovative technology The company also exports over 200,000 aluminum concrete forms to Brazil, Singapore, Mexico and 42 other countries around the world.

Akintunde said the partnership with WTF is one of his company’s strategies to explore innovative technology to build quality houses, and lower the entry level for middle-income home buyers from the current market average of N6 million to as low as N250, 000 monthly payment without any initial large deposit or collateral.

The form works according to Akintunde, will ease the process of construction, drive down the cost of building by a very wide margin and increase the speed of construction to as much as delivering a house every week after the foundation.

The Alpha Mead boss who disclosed that the company has already recorded 60 per cent offplan subscription on its flagship project, the 112-unit Lekki Pearl Estate where the form works are being used for construction, explained that the aim is to lower the entry level for home ownership to just regular income earners from whom the monthly N250,000 payment on installments can be met.

“We want to help middle income Nigerians who are unable to raise the large capital most developers demand as deposit, or are unable to build due to the large capital involved and other perennial challenges, as well as wastage associated with self-built houses”, Akintunde said.

The General Manager of the real estate development firm, Mr. Damola Akindolire noted that about 20 to 30 per cent of construction cost goes into waste such as broken tiles, damaged blocks, plywood, bamboo,

Our focus is to lower the market entry barriers for home buyers through the use of technology that can help eliminate wastes that would have been built into the construction cost

personnel cost as a result of the extended period of conventional building systems and poor finishing.

“We are not just saying we want to drive down cost of owning a quality home because it is the right thing to say in a market with a very high entry barrier. Our

focus is to lower the market entry barriers for home buyers through the use of technology that can help eliminate wastes that would have been built into the construction cost. The form works we are using on our site have the capacity of eliminating wastes and saving time. For example, our

solutions can build a house in about seven days with an average of six to ten personnel without the use of cranes or heavy duty machinery. That means we can eliminate the cost of damaged building materials and pass that saving to our customers. Also, we can save the cost of paying personnel for about 50 days, if we had employed the conventional building methods,” he said.

Damola explained that the form works system is a win-win situation for the home buyers and the environment in this era of climate change because the technology ensures precision in building dimension and linearity.

It reduces the use of wood thereby discouraging deforestation, and further drive down the cost of building because the panels can be re-used up to 1,000 times.

Mr. Ross Worley, the inventor of the technology and chief executive officer, Wall-Ties & Forms Inc. said the system which is the focus of the world now, has tremendous advantages over the conventional methods of building construction. According to him, the panels can be re-used up to 1000 times.

ESVARBON inducts 202 surveyors, intensifies membership drive

A

By Jude Njoku

PPARENTLY worried by the ratio of one estate surveyor and valuer to 45,000 Nigerians, the Estate Surveyors and Valuers Registration Board of Nigeria, ESVARBON, has begun the process of accelerating the frequency of registering new persons into the profession. th Speaking at the 36 ESVARBON induction ceremony and the fourth under his watch, the Chairman of the Board, Elder William Odudu told guests that with the 202 new estate surveyors who were inducted at the ceremony, Nigeria now has a paltry 3,723 estate surveyors.

“One of the challenges we face is how to accelerate the registration of new entrants into our noble profession to meet with the rapidly growing population of our country.

However, it is my desire to double the existing number of registered estate surveyors and valuers in Nigeria before the expiration of my tenure as the chairman of the Board in 2016 by the grace of God, hence the current effort by the Board on accelerating the frequency of registration interviews by its Professional Practice Committee,” he said. Odudu who disclosed that a total of 604 estate surveyors

have been registered by ESVARBON since he assumed its leadership in 2013, assured that the standard will not be lowered in the process.

He reminded the inductees that the stamps and seals given to them are properties of the Board which reserves the right to withdraw them at any time, if they are used recklessly. Describing integrity as the hallmark of any professional, the ESVARBON boss charged the new surveyors to be always guided by the Board’s newly gazetted rules and regulations.

Rules and regulations “The ethics and ethos of the profession should be carefully guarded by all and sundry,” he emphasized.

Odudu renewed his earlier pledge to reduce the nefarious activities of quacks by registering many more qualified estate surveyors.”The Board has put requisite machinery in place, in collaboration with the relevant law enforcement agencies to check the spread of pseudo practices and bring to book culprits found guilty of the offence,” he said.

Giving the charge to the inductees, a former Executive Director in charge of Estate Services in the Federal Housing Authority, FHA, Elder Eteng

Ibiang Eteng regretted that while the profession is growing numerically, the quality of practice has been on the decline.

“The older surveyors have practice proficiency which reflects their clear understanding of the principles behind what they do.

These form the basis of confidence and responsibility that they exude in practice and life. Today, we cannot speak in like manner of the up-coming surveyors. Young surveyors in practice spend more effort pursuing private lettings, sales and bother less about understanding what the profession is all about,” he lamented.

He described lack of integrity as the root of sharp practices being witnessed in the discharge of estate surveyors functions and enjoined new entrants into the profession to jettison the get-rich quick syndrome.

Also speaking at the ceremony, the first Vice President of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers, NIESV, Dr Ajayi Patunola who stood in for the President, Olorogun James Omeru, charged the inductees to embrace professionalism in the discharge of their duties. He noted that Nigeria is moving towards E-Real Estate practice, hence the need for regular training and retraining by both the old and new surveyors to remain relevant and up-to-date.

26—Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015

By Kingsley Adegboye

M

ESSRS Sujimoto Construction Company Limited, which prides itself as the fore runner in neoclassic architecture in Lagos, has announced the delivery of its prime property known as Medici Terraces located in the highbrow Ikoyi area of Lagos.

The Chief Executive Officer of the company, Mr Sijibomi Ogundele who disclosed this in a press statement made available to Vanguard Homes & Property, said the feat was achieved within a few months of the company’s operation.

was earmarked for charity as part of the company’s corporate social responsibility, disclosed that the precedence set by the first successful project has given rise to a high demand for Sujimoto’s forthcoming project in also in Ikoyi Lagos.

Construction work on the new scheme which will be known as “Lorenzo” is expected to take off in the last quarter of this year.

“Inspired by the Ritz Hotel & Apartment, Lorenzo is an unveiling of world class hospitality that brings a redefinition in high value residential structures,

Property market Ogundele explained that by this feat, the company’s critics and competitors who doubted its ability and capacity to excel, being a relatively new entrant into property market, have been disappointed. The property, he said, was sold in record time irrespective of the country’s economic shuffles, due to its class of design, luxury finishing and flawless attention to detail.

The developer who disclosed that a certain percentage of the profit from the pioneer project

Our database of companies and private clients requiring short-stay properties would guarantee any investor a solid return

Medici Terraces, Ikoyi.

Firm delivers Ikoyi Medici Terraces, introduces Lorenzo apartments comprising 2,3 & 4 bedrooms and a fascinating addition of penthouses with private swimming pool. The new project is a rebirth of Nigeria’s hospitality standard, showcasing a five-star

restaurant, spa, ultra modern gym, a virtual golf course, fitness studios, private jetty for boat owners, Olympic size swimming pool, deluxe stores (by appointment only), roof top lounge and concierge services.

Ex-banker sues Lagos lawmaker for trespass of Magodo property

By Jude Njoku

A

retired banker, Mr. Mathias Chuma Muomah has dragged a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Bayo Osinowo popularly known as Pepper to the Lagos High Court, Ikeja for alleged trespass of his property situated at No 66 Adekunle Banjo Avenue, Off CMD Road, Shangisha.

Joined as defendants in the suit documented as ID/ 1154LMW/15, are Mr. Alaba Osunaike also known as Saipon, the Attorney -General of Lagos State and persons unknown.

In the suit which was filed on his behalf by Mr Emeka Opara of City of Law chambers, Ikeja, the claimant is seeking among others, a declaration that he is the rightful owner and is entitled to the right of occupancy of the property (land) situated at and known as 66 Adekunle Banjo Avenue, Off CMD Road, Shangisha, Lagos State and covered by survey plan No AOO/793/007/2011/LA dated 23/02/2011 and drawn by A.O. Oyegbola, registered surveyor; N50,000,000 damages for trespass against the defendants, N100,000,000 as aggravated/exemplary damages and a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants, the agents, privies, servants and any person working for or through them

from trespassing on the said land and from in any way interfering with the claimant’s possession of the land.

In 59-.point statement of claim and affidavit in support of the suit, Mr. Muomah alleged that the disputed property formed a large tract originally owned and exclusively occupied by Alhaja Jimoh Balogun Family prior to the Land Use Act of 1978 and who trace their ownership from time immemorial.

According to him, Alhaja Jimoh balogun Family sold the property to one Chief James Oyelowo who had the land surveyed and which survey is shown on Plan No. AT/LA4685 of 8th October, 1984.

He further claimed that Chief James Oyelowo assigned all his interest on the land in 1998 to Mr Erhunmwunsee Evbudmwan Unity who thereafter assigned all his interest in the land to Mr. Elias Igbin-Akenzua who also went into possession and in the year 2001, sold the property to Chief Muritala Ajishola Shonubi.

Chief Shunubi, according to the claimant, had the property surveyed and the survey plan is shown on Plan No. S/L/901/ 2001 dated 20/12/2001 and drawn by S.O. Soipe & Co. “Chief Muritala Ajishola Shonubi was in exclusive undisturbed possession of the property until 2010 when he sold the property to the claimant who went into immediate,

undisturbed and exclusive possession thereof and had the property surveyed in his name on the Plan No. AOO/793/007/ 2011/LA dated 23/02/20111 and drawn by A.O. Oyegbola, a registered surveyor”.

The claimant alleged that Chief Shonubi issued him a purchase receipt dated 19/12/ 2010, a Power of Attorney executed on 19/12/2010 and a Deed of Assignment made on th the 12 day of December, 2011.

He (Shonubi) also handed over to the claimant certain prior documents of title from his predecessors -in title.

The Claimant asserted that the sale of the property to him was facilitated by Mrs. Y.A. Ogunbiyi of Positive Property Limited who acted as the agent of Chief Shonubi in the transaction.

Mr Muomah claimed that he has been in the process of regularizing the land with the Ministry of Lands in accordance with the law when on February 20, 2014, three men and a woman tried to trespass on the property, making effort to gain entrance into the property through the rear gate on Samuel Durojaiye Street. The Claimant alleged that when he challenged them, they claimed to be from the Lands Bureau of the Ministry of Lands, Alausa and that they were sent to survey the land.

According to the Claimant, the men who could not produce their identity cards were later reported to the Magodo Police Post.

When the men were asked who owns the property, they said they did not know. In the commotion, one of them escaped, leaving behind two men and a woman.

Subsequently, policemen from Ketu Police Station came on the scene on the orders of the Area Commander who was called by the First Defendant.

At Ketu Police Station, the Claimant alleged that the First Defendant disclaimed any further interest on the said property and didn’t want the matter to go beyond that police station.

From thence till June 12, 2015, there was no further disturbance to the Claimant’s possession of the land or ownership of same. The Claimant said he leased the property for ten years to Messrs Eat n Go Ltd which is the franchise for all Domino’s Pizza restaurants in Nigeria.

The lessee allegedly commenced building on the property sometime in May 2015 and by June 12, 2015, the construction had gone beyond the foundation and DPC levels.

But while work was ongoing, the Claimant alleged that 12/ 06/2015, two persons came with policemen from Ogudu Police Post and told the workers to stop work and locked up the site.

The Claimant further alleged that while the matter was reported to the Police and still pending, agents of the first Defendant came at about 2.am on 17/6/2015 and destroyed much of the construction done on the land.

There is also decor and lifestyle setting that is synonymous to London’s Candy and Candy,” he said.

Ogundele stated that “gone are those days when investors would suffer a lack of tenancy.

Our database of companies and private clients requiring shortstay properties would guarantee any investor a solid return. Investors are assured of a solid rental return on investment at a rate of 15 per cent almost double the current market value of eight per cent.

Return on investment Off-plan buyers of Lorenzo should expect a 60 per cent minimum return on investment as demonstrated in Medici offplan sales to buyers who witnessed their property value appreciate from $900,000 to $1,300,000 upon completion”.

The Sujimoto boss who flaunted the credentials of the estate said residents of the Medici Terraces enjoy premium living to the fullest with 24 hours electricity, top of the line indoor and outdoor security and high speed broadband internet.

Other facilities include ultramodern gym, roof top lounge, concierge and efficient on-site facilities management service, which give the home owners the ultimate luxury experience, and a true value for their money.

He stated that individuals and corporate bodies interested solely in the purchase of the properties for investment are not left out, as a number of units have been purchased for the sole purpose of wealth maximization that afford this category of buyers 8-12 per cent returns in annual rental income, apart from a residual value of at least 15 per cent.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015—27

Nigeria loses N10.5b annually to environmental challenges

By Funmi Olasupo

N

IGERIA loses about N10.5 billion annually to environmental challenges such as deforestation, drought and desertification, the Director General, National Agency for the Great Green Wall Program, Goni Ahmed has said.

The DG stated this at the launch of the GGW school club/tree planting campaign at Government Girls Secondary School Dutse, Abuja, Ahmed said these environmental challenges have put the means of livelihood of 46.4 million people living in the 11 frontline states in the north, at risk.

The Federal Government through the Great Green Wall program is fighting desertification in Kebbi, Borno, Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa, Kano, Adamawa, Katsina, Sokoto, Yobe, and Zamfara states.

He added that the progressive deterioration of resources over the years undermined Nigeria’s efforts in ensuring stable and sustainable future for them.

Ahmed however called for collaborative effort to tackle desertification in the north, saying, the agency took the tree planting campaign to the school in other to create awareness among school children on the need to plant trees to combat the problem of land degradation and climate change.

Deforestation and drought He said: “Desertification is a major constraint to the economy and achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

The World Bank estimated that over N10.5 billion is lost annually through desertification, deforestation and drought. This progressive deterioration of resources over the years has undermined Nigeria’s efforts at ensuring stable and sustainable future for the affected population in the 11 frontline states.”

The DG stated further, “The people living in this region heavily depend on land, water and vegetation resources for their livelihoods which are fast deteriorating as a result of desertification. If we can collectively take action against deforestation and other related environmental issues, we will not only improve land productivity but will provide the bedrock for agriculture growth, create employment leading to a positive cycle of economic growth.”

He explained that the indiscriminate cutting of trees for fuel wood is a serious threat to sustainable environment which is strategic to the nation’s economic development.

“Faced with immediate survival

needs and few options, the poor often have no choice but to continually exploit the natural resources. In so doing, they not only diminish their options but also those of future generations.

Combating drought and land degradation has now been moved towards the centre of policy development in order to break the links between poverty on one hand and desertification, drought and land degradation on the other hand. Huge investment is needed in managing these valuable lands that support so many people so as to check their deterioration due to unsustainable land and water use and the impacts of climate change,” Ahmed noted.

LECTURE: From left, Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, NIQS, past president, Mr. Francis Adetola; Mr. Femi Falana SAN (guest speaker); Prof Kunle Wahab, NIQS Lagos chairman; Mrs Adenike Ayanda; Mr. Kunle Awobodu and others at the lecture.

Falana seeks prosecution of ‘sharp players' in building construction

By Jude Njoku

A

GAINST the backdrop of recurring incidents of collapsed buildings in the country, a front line lawyer and human rights activist, Mr Femi Falana has challenged built environment professionals to fish out those who cut corners in building constructions and in the process erect buildings that are dangerous for human habitation. th Falana who spoke at the 7 Annual Distinguished Lecture organised by the Lagos branch of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, NIQS in Lagos stated that instead of sanctions, such culprits should be made to face the full weight of the law.

Speaking on “Leadership, Socio-Economic Impasse and Shortage of Infrastructural

Development in Nigeria”, Falana charged quantity surveyors to “take control and rid yourselves of quacks who destroy the integrity of your profession before members of the public.”

Falana charged quantity surveyors to “take control and rid yourselves of quacks who destroy the integrity of your profession before members of the public”

He enjoined them to insist that anybody who practises without acquiring relevant professional knowledge, is jailed. In the same vein, he suggested that foreigners who practise as quantity surveyors without registering with the regulatory body, should also be jailed.

According to him, it would take sacrifice and commitment to the rule of law, to rebuild the country ’s decaying infrastructure. Mr Falana who criticized the privatization of assets in Nigeria, described what goes on as “the transfer of public assets into private hands without the buyers paying for it”. He noted that it is only in Nigeria that people buy government property, sell part of it and use the proceeds to pay for that asset.

He enjoined the Federal Government to partner with state

Entrepreneur drags Lagos to court over Lekki land Attorney General of Lagos State (second

By Kingsley Adegboye

Q

MB Investments Limited, a Lagos-based renowned merchant in building materials has sued Lagos state government over a piece of land which it alleged is an extension of its own plot but designated as NEPA Reservation in a layout plan attached to the land’s Certificate of Occupancy, C of O issued by the state government.

QMB is seeking a judgement of the court to retain the land.

According to the company, the New Towns Development Authority, NTDA first served it a contravention notice dated 23rd April, 2013. This was followed by another notice dated 4th May, 2015 and issued by the Lagos State Government titled ‘Important notice - illegal occupation of state land’.

Disturbed by this development, the firm went to a Lagos High Court and sued the New Towns Development Authority (first Defendant) and the

Defendant).

Represented by Mr. O.A.R. Ogunde (SAN), QMB (claimant) sought the following reliefs: a declaration that having regard to the combined provisions of sections 1, 59, 60 and 102 of the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning and Development (as amended) Law no. 3 of 2010, the first Defendant lacks the legal capacity and power to issue the contravention notice dated April 23, 2015 against the Claimant and as such, the said contravention notice is invalid, illegal, null and void.

A declaration that having regard to the combined provisions of sections 1, 59, 60 and 102 of the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning and Development (as amended) Law no. 3 of 2010, the Lands Bureau in the office of the Governor of Lagos State lacks the legal capacity and power to issue the purported contravention notice dated May 4, 2015 against the Claimant and as such, the said contravention notice is invalid, illegal, null and void.

governments to tap the abundant mineral resources that abound in different parts of the country.

Noting that public infrastructures have been allowed to waste, Falana called for an end to what he called “the monumental corruption that has reduced Nigeria to a poverty-stricken nation”.

Earlier, the President of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, NIQS, Alhaji Murtala Aliyu called for the creation of an enabling environment that would allow the private sector to partner with the government in the provision of the much needed infrastructure in the country.

The chairman of Lagos NIQS, Mrs. Adenike Ayanda said the chapter has always worked towards contributing positively to the development of the quantity surveying profession.

28 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015

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C-River church, widow land row latest PAGE 7

VOL. 1: NO. 58

Port Harcourt DISCO battles 100,000 power thieves PAGE 8

TUESD AY, AAUGUS UGUS 15 TUESDA UGUSTT 4, 20 201

By Emma Amaize & Theresa Ugbobu

W

HAT was childhood like, how did you grow up?

As many people know in Nigeria, I crowned at the age of 2 years, 4 months and not too long after that for security reasons, I had to travel abroad. As at the time that I was crowned, I will take as honour to Nigeria because honour to anybody in Nigeria is an honour to the country.

The Guinness Book of Records recorded the country as having the world’s youngest crowned monarch at the time. I grew up in the United Kingdom; it was very interesting and as far as am concerned, that was the building block of who I am today.

•Dein of Agbor

What Buhari should do with Tompolo, Asari — Dein of Agbor

Security reasons

Rather than growing up with silver spoon in my mouth, which I would have grown up with had I been here with my father, instead I grew up in •What I saw in the creeks; Nigerians shouldn’t upset Buhari a country where I •My squabble with Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, ex-Delta gov had to be very silent about who I was for •How I schooled, lived in London without my classmates, friends knowing security reasons.

I’m a monarch However, the relevant authorities, •Things I miss living in my country; the unique thing about Agbor kingdom royal palace and queens’ palace knew who I was and where I was.

The headmaster in ONE of the monarchs that have carried himself with admirable gait and candor in Niger Delta, the schools always knew who I nay Nigeria and the world is His Royal Majesty, HRM, Benjamin Ikenchukwu Keagborekuzi, Dein was, but thanks to those who of Agbor Kingdom, an Igbo town in Delta North Senatorial district, Delta State. made it so and I am very grateful Born June 29, 1977, the 38 –year-old monarch, who became the world’s youngest monarch when for this, I was able to grow up kingmakers installed him in 1979 at the age of two years, four months, has demonstrated wisdom pretty normally without the rest beyond his age. The Guinness Book of World Records captured the rare feat in its 1981 edition. of the children knowing who I He has avoided scandal like a plague and rarely grants press interviews. However, he broke his was and I have always enjoyed that. Therefore, it was somewhat time-honored silence, last week, when he played host to a team of Vanguard, led by the Editor of a strong training ground for me.

Niger Delta Voice in his palace. Excerpts: I finally came back to Nigeria in C M Y K

the year 2000; I had been to Nigeria previously on two occasions for short visit. The final coming back was after I aged 15, I had become very pro- African after understanding that Africa is actually the cradle of civilization.

Africa is where the great stories of the Bible mainly took place, Africa is where you can find the Garden of Eden, we are great people in Africa and at 15 years, I dedicated my life to making sure that the world one day will recognize Africa as it was in the distant past.

So, it has been a very interesting life, it has taught me one thing, we are all human beings, those in position of power and leadership are simply in a position of trust, our people trust us and we must dedicate our lives to serving them. Once again, being abroad taught me that even it is once every year, those in leadership should go somewhere where nobody knows them.

Arguments and problems It will make them to remember that we are all the same, I drive and I go out incommunicado on my own, we all bleed, we all cry, we all have good days and bad days and we will all join our ancestors one day. Therefore, what we do in life is cherish what we have and people around us and stop the war, the arguments and problems, be your brother’s keeper, these things are part of my growing up and what made me who I am today.

There was a report then that the Oba of Benin took custody of you then, can you confirm this?

Certainly, you can imagine that the Oba of Benin and Ooni of Ife were quite instrumental with the government of the day in making sure that I was crowned. Many people do not understand that the relationship between Benin and Agbor kingdoms is a very ancient one.

We are direct blood brothers, so at that time, there was a lot of pandemonium, my life was at risk, the safest place for me then was to have stayed with my brother, the Oba of Benin.

Therefore, I was there briefly before they finally took me abroad.

At what point in your life did you find out that you are a king?

From the moment I was born, I knew that I am a monarch to be, just like my son, he carries his royalty very well.

There was this succession battle while you were outside the country, how

Continues on page 2

2 — Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015

Continues from page 1 did it play out?

First, there was never anything like a succession battle, so you have two assumed facts that are very incorrect. We have a tradition here that dates back to 721 BC, which is our first dynasty of which I am the 19th monarch. From 1270 AD, the monarchy here is hereditary, so if you know that there is a hereditary monarchy and there was a vacuum, then there cannot be a succession battle. The interest then was simply a matter of the Regency Council; a regency council had to be in place to manage the affairs of the kingdom.

Of course, the regency council is just like an authority, an agency, it is something that happens whenever there is a vacancy anywhere in this country, so everybody was very interested, that was simply what it was.

Can you recall while in the UK how you carried yourself knowing you are a king?

The same way I have always carried myself with the knowledge and responsibility that I have people that are relying on me. It is the same way that I still carry myself knowing that if I embarrass myself, I embarrass my people.

Interest in parties Anybody in a position of power should know that, I have always kept myself very quiet; I have never been interested in parties and going out with friends and or that. My interest is to serve my people and how best to promote Africa. We produce the resources; Africans feed the world, so it has always been very important to me that Africans should organize themselves so that we regain back our glory from the days of Egypt.

Unfortunately, every nation goes through its bad stages. Africa has gone through its bad stage of slavery and it disorganized us.

During slavery, they carried away the best and fittest of our people, they took them away to build Europe for them, build America for them, we are proud of these things, but at the same time, we,

as Africans have to look back and start doing for ourselves what we have done for others.

Therefore, in England, I have my friends, I have my Indians friends and African friends too and I enjoyed it because it was a period of learning for me, just like any other young man at the time.

What are the odd things that you have had to go through in life?

Odd things, I have not had odd things in my life. As I said, I have always kept myself to myself; I try to stay away from contention and problem. From when I was very young, I have never really been with people of my own age because I find them talking about girls constantly, about cars and parties. It is quite boring to me, especially when people are dying and need help. I will rather be talking about how to rebuild Nigeria, how Nigeria can take pre-eminence in not only Africa, but in the international world.

We are hoping that our present President, Muhammadu Buhari will follow up on what former presidents of Nigeria have done and improve on it. I think here in Nigeria, we like to talk about negative things too much and when you talk about the negative too much, you will be surprised that you encourage the negative to happen, this is a great nation, and we have many things to celebrate, let us talk about the positive things in life and celebrate them.

What is the strangest thing

I love powerful cars, it gives me pleasure but we do not have good roads

that has ever happened to your in life?

The strangest thing that has ever happened to me in life, it to be in a country that is very rich and the people are very poor.

The strangest thing I have ever seen is to have such a great nation, to have such a great people, Nigerians are very intelligent people, if you go anywhere in the world, check their great institutions and achievements, you will find that there are one or two Nigerians behind the feat.

Who played the role of father to you after the death of your father?

Once again, as you mentioned earlier, Oba of Benin has played that role for me, his cousin in London, Dr. Robert Obaze also played that role. Equally, the Ooni of Ife has played that role; the Emir of Kano has played that role. In current times as I always joke with him, I call him big bros; the Sultan of Sokoto has recently been a very big brother since he ascended the throne of his ancestors.

Chief Alex Duduyemi is another man that has been a great influence in my life, I cannot forget the former president of this country, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, is a great father to me. He is somebody that I turn to when I have difficulties or I need to discuss things, I enjoy his company, I enjoy his wisdom and I thank God that he is still willing and able to fight for this country the way he had fought.

Having spent a good part of your life abroad, what are you missing now you are in Nigeria?

I am missing good roads, instead of five hours from Lagos to Agbor, I would rather if the road is good want to spend two hours, I enjoy driving, I love powerful cars, it gives me pleasure but we do not have good roads. If we have, I will like to drive myself while my chiefs can follow me, although they might not like the fact that I am driving.

However, somebody has to relax

THE TEAM Emma Amaize, Editor Jimitota Onoyume Samuel Oyadongha Simon Ebegbulem Gabriel Enogholase Festus Ahon Egufe Yafugborhi Emmanuel Una Akpokona Omafuaire Godwin Oghre Tom Moses Chioma Onuegbu Ike Uche Davies Iheamnachor Emem Idio Brisibe Perez Theresa Ugbobu Ochuko Akuopha Barnabas Uzosike Nath Onajoke Chijioke Nwankpa C M Y K

Paying homage to the monarch

•Dein of Agbor at 2 years (Photos: NATH ONAJOKE) somehow; but certainly, I miss the fact that we do not have good roads because without good roads, we lose many lives.

I miss constant electricity, I feel sad that so many successful business executives in this country, rather than spend their profit on building a stronger company, they have had to dedicate so much of their profit to buying diesel and I think it is counterproductive. I also miss a lawful society, disciplined police force, but we are working towards that, I think everybody is sitting up now that we have a very strict president, we thank God for that.

This is the follow up from President Obasanjo that we have always wanted.

How has it been occupying the sacred throne of your fathers for about 15 years effectively?

It has been challenging, I have been on the throne for about 36 years now, not 15 years effectively as you said. In Africa, the young ones are supposed to be seen and not heard, but circumstances have brought a situation where the young ones are now heard, many elders are not comfortable with this, many elders would prefer to talk to the young ones and be talked back at.

Silence in His presence I say this is not the best, the young have the strength, I have always said that when I meet God, his ears are going to be full because I have so many questions to ask and I know I will be given the liberty to ask those questions.

Because God gave me eyes, mouth, nose, ear and brain to use, He did not give them to me to be silent in His presence. So similarly, I find it difficult to see something wrong and not say something, I will not find out that you are involved in bribery, 419 and other crimes and you expect me to keep quiet, it does not matter if you are my brother or sister. I must say something though I try to be diplomatic about it. It does not matter if you are the governor, I can tell you that the former governor of Delta state, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan had his

Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015 — 3

•Little Dein at the palace of the Oba of Benin earful with me because he had a much damage. duty, we have federal character, And indeed after hearing all and we have to recognize our the horror stories of kidnap and brothers and sisters, who are all all that, as my boat was going indigenes of the state. Just this way, I saw Dokubo-Asari because I am the king of Agbor going the other way and I was does not mean that I am better wondering what have I gotten than others are. myself into, but while I was That was why at the height of expecting to see a very huge the Niger Delta problem, I leader of the militants, a very volunteered and took myself to violent person, I was completely the creeks. Very few people knew proved wrong. An amiable, that. I saw that the country was respectful and soft spoken and burning, Dr. Emmanuel humble Government Uduaghan then was very Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, sceptical, saying His Majesty, walked in and we sat down and what of if you go down there discussed. and they kidnap you and I said He told me what their they would not kidnap me grievances are and he took me because these are young men to his house, which he had built and they see me with them. to make a statement that it was Huge potential possible to develop the creeks.

After showing me the house, he So I took the risk, I took it for asked me if the state government the nation, for the good of all cannot do likewise and I because I could see young men remember that very clearly, his that were on a dying situation. intention of building that Not understanding how to structure was to prove that if he move forward was causing can do it, what is stopping destruction and that destruc- government from doing it. In tion would affect all of our lives, addition, he took me round that was what inspired my trip several projects in the creek to the creeks. I was very communities, which both the shocked when I got to the state and federal governments creeks, I went with one of my have been doing, many of which subjects, who is now a chief, remain uncompleted.

Rear Admiral Elumah (retd), I I can tell you, these were what thank God I had a naval man to made the boys bitter and I took help navigate the water. The that away with me and until this other person, who is an army day, I will never forget how they general, was not too shouted, how they hollered, the comfortable on the water, but I Dein of Agbor in the creeks! thank God that we got there and Nevertheless, why not, is this I saw that there is huge potential country not my own as well. If in the creek. We can turn the Nigeria is embarrassed, will I not creeks into Miami and California, as a Nigerian abroad be it is beautiful there but embarrassed, I will not want unfortunately, oil has caused so them to single me out when I am C M Y K

travelling because I am a Nigerian to search me and suspect everything about my passport.

People see Tompolo from different perspectives depending on what they know of him, how do you see him which year was this famous voyage?

It must have been around 2007 or 2008 at the height of the problem. Many Nigerians I have noticed in the 15 years I have been here comment on people they have never met before. If I listened to people before I met Obasanjo, I would not have met him because I have heard all sorts of horrible things about him. However, when I met him, I found out that he loves Nigeria and is a good person. I have said this earlier.

The same thing with the young man Tompolo, he is fighting for his people, he might not necessarily be doing it in the best of ways, but his intention is simply struggling for his people. Now, can you imagine if we do what is correct, as President Obasanjo had tried to do, as Jonathan tried to continue and I am sure this present regime will also continue, will we not be able to tap minds like Tompolo, Dokubo-Asari instead of exerting their energy against the country? Tompolo is a man that is soft- spoken and respectful. My advice is not to judge people before you meet them and find out who they really are.

Brother's keeper

Let us be our brother’s keeper. What happens if Dokubo-Asari with all his fire and strength is fighting to push Nigeria forward, I think we will all enjoy it, these are very strong people, let us not always give a negative picture of our people and the worst thing you can do in life is to judge somebody before you ever met him. We do it far too much, it is a very dreadful thing, discuss with somebody first. I did not know who I was going to meet when I ventured into the creeks and as I told you, I was very shocked at how quiet Tompolo is. I have never heard an angry word from him, he speaks with such a silent voice that you start to wonder that when a quiet person blows up, the world trembles.

Therefore, please Nigeria, Buhari is a very quiet person,

What happens if Dokubo-Asari with all his fire and strength is fighting to push Nigeria forward?

let us not upset the man, when your brother does something that is wrong, do not embarrass him in public.

I want better things for Nigeria because we are a great people. I am commending the effort of Jim Ovia, who is from here for going to build a petrochemical plant of 1.5 billion US dollars in Akwa Ibom state. I hope Akwa Ibom governor will remember that it is an Agbor man that has invested in Akwa Ibom and that he will equally encourage his people to come and invest here in Agbor kingdom. Dangote, I thank you, you have been able to build yourself to the level that you are, creating many jobs, you are a role model, and we need men like these. We should be celebrating as a people; we should stop the bickering and fighting.

Bickering and fighting

We should not be saying that I am a Yoruba person or an Hausa person first before we are Nigerians. America’s power is because you have Chinese, Germans, British there and once you become a citizen of USA, first and foremost, you are a citizen of USA no matter where you come from, that is what a great nation is built of, we must put down this tribal propensity and recognize that we are nothing but brothers and sisters.

What are the unique things about Agbor Kingdom?

Agbor kingdom dates back to 721 BC with three dynasties, which is one unique in Agbor kingdom. We have old ties with the ancient Egyptians and the world is proud of our history and contributions.

In Belgium, you must be 36 years old of age before you can be given a national honour, but Belgians were so impressed of the things that I, as the symbol of Agbor kingdom is doing that they made a ratification of their law to give me their national honour at a young age 27 years. For me, that is something I will always respect and cherish and the glory is for Agbor kingdom. Again, my dear brother and friend, a father figure to me, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo made me the youngest Chancellor ever in the world. That is not only celebration of Agbor kingdom or Delta state, but Nigeria.

My father was a one-time director in the Nigeria Shipping Line while my grandfather was a member in the Western House of Assembly. Not many monarchs can boast of these things, my people are amazing to have stayed 30 years without a monarch, remained together as a people and fought to keep their monarchy alive, which is a feat that not many nations have been able to go through.

Agbor kingdom is an amazing place; it is an amazing kingdom, as you know the Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele is from Agbor. We have one of the most successful businesspersons in Africa, Jim Ovia, from Agbor kingdom too. We are almost right in the centre of the country, Agbor is certainly where you must pass through to get to other parts of the country.

What are the challenges facing Agbor kingdom?

No road, education is not what it used to be, no electricity. In the time of our ancestors, we have water running, but now, no water, lack of understanding of ourselves, the same problems we have here in Agbor kingdom is the same in Nigeria.

How have you tried to solve them?

Government of the day, I am not attacking you, just do your damn job. I had numerous problems with the past governor of the state, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan. Like the present governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, he is the number one servant of the people. He is an amazing man, honourable, always trying to help his people.

As a servant, you must do the will of your people, without the people; there will not be a nation.

If the people are not happy, it shows the governments are not doing their work and you are not taking the welfare of the people seriously, meaning you need to work hard.

Leading people

Leading people is difficult, we, as a people need to encourage the government, if you scold your baby negatively, he will not learn, but if you scold him positively, he will learn his lessons. We should encourage our government officials; our media should put a stop to negativity.

You tried to call warring NURTW members inAgbor to order and tackle cultists at a time, how did it go?

National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, was not helpful. Where an organization fails to understand they are managing people, then they have failed. In the area of cultism, you are from an age group when cult started, earlier it was for positive things, unfortunately our boys turned it to be negative.

Given an object, gun, which is for hunting to collect something that does not belong to you means you are a thief. Cults are not the actual problem, but the mind of our children. We no longer correct our children in our society; our boys roam round the streets for lack of job, lack of getting things to do with their lives and an idle mind is the devil's workshop.

What is wrong, we learnt that the Ekuku Agbor people are on a secession path from your kingdom?

You are not correct, the Ekuku Agbor people are very peaceful and loving people, it is just for few individuals who learnt oil was flowing in their place that decided to lead some people astray, saying that few people are enjoying the dividends from the oil company, Pan Ocean, while others are suffering. These few individuals are trying to make money for themselves while others do not know what is happening, not every Nigerian is corrupt but few Nigerians, not every policeman is corrupt but few police officers are.

4 — Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015

IKOT AKPAN UDO – AMAZABA:

Produce our kidnapped son, ‘dead or alive', or •• •Aggrieved villagers accuse Akwa Ibom govt and police of shielding suspects from trial •Reject govt peace committee •Pass vote of no confidence on legislator

AKWA IBOM… LAND OF PROMISE

By Tom Moses

I

KOT AKPAN UDO— THE people of Ikot Akpan Udo community, Ukpum Ete clan, Ikot Abasi Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, have asked that their son, 32-year-old father of two children, Joel Sunday Jeremiah, abducted by Amazaba gunmen, from Eastern Obolo Local Government Area, on July 12, be produced dead or alive before they will participate in any

peace talk.

They slammed the state government and state Police Command for purportedly looking the other way in the last eight years while the Amazaba people massacred 13 Ikot Akpan Udo villagers and razed more than 500 houses in the community.

Ikot Akpan Udo people pointedly told the state government and police to jettison the move to reconcile them with Amazaba people except the Andonis returned their son kidnapped when he went to

repair leakage in his boat.

Our stand

In a communiqué issued after an enlarged meeting, weekend, at the palace of the village head of Ikot Akpan Udo, Ete Idung Oscar Abel Paul, the people said, “We had always sought peace and remained peaceful, but the people of Amazaba preferred war leading to unwarranted attacks and killings of our people.

“Now that they are looking for peace, we are afraid that this quest for reconciliation canvassed by the Akwa Ibom State Government in

conjunction with the State Police Command at the behest of Amazaba Community is pregnant with evil intentions.”

Village head of Itak Abasi, Ete Idung Akpan Urua Oton, village council chairman, Chief Sylvanus Ubak, secretary, Andy Thompson, Ikot Akpan Udo youth president, Abasi Okon Etukudo, his Itak Abasi counterpart, Aniefiok Joshua, Hon Okito James, Hon Clarkson Edward, Hon Akpan Eno, all councillors and respective family heads in Ikot Akpan Udo and Itak Abasi endorsed the communiqué.

They asserted, “Those seeking peace and reconciliation should not have been provoking and causing war and repeatedly ambushing and killing the people of Ikot Akpan Udo who they are pretending to seek reconciliation with.

Community disowns govt peace committee

“In 2012, the then Chairman of Eastern Obolo local government council, now Member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Francis Uduyok, in his security report indicted 15 persons from Amazaba as being the architects of the unwarranted invasion and razing of Ikot Akpan Udo community, but the Akwa Ibom State Government did nothing to apprehend the indicted persons

because they were political loyalists of the government.”

They added, “Aside from the previous incessant attacks and killing of Ikot Akpan Udo people, these Amazaba people ambushed and abducted our son and father of two young children at Idung Okoki, took him to Iso Otoyo, an Ikot Akpan Udo fishing port where the Amazaba people fled to after their mayhem on Ikot Akpan Udo on August 28, 2008, and brutally slaughtered him on Sunday, July 12, 2015.”

“But since we are peace-loving people, we are ready to make peace and reconcile with the Amazaba people only on one condition. That they return our son, Joel Sunday Jeremiah to us dead or alive, so that if dead, we can accord him a befitting burial and if alive, he can come and take care of his two innocent kids and wife.”

The villagers dissociated themselves from the Ad-hoc Committee on Peace and Reconciliation set up by the state government, saying the committee was biased and had been compromised by the Amazaba people.

Their words, “We, therefore, dissociate ourselves from the purported memo of the Ad-hoc Committee on Peace and

Continues on page 5

Akwa Ibom govt resumes work on abandoned Atan River Bridge •Villagers excited, commend governor

AKWA IBOM… LAND OF PROMISE

By Chioma Onuegbu

I

KOT ABIA ENYIERESIDENTS of Ikot Abia Enyie village, Nsit Atai Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, have heaved a sigh of relief, as the state government finally commenced the process of completing the Atan River Bridge, forsaken soon after it was started three years ago.

8 persons drown The uncompleted bridge had caused the death of at least eight villagers, including a pregnant woman, this year, and brought untold sufferings to the villagers.

Acting village head of Ikot Abia Enyie, Mr. Sunday Davies, told Niger Delta Voice, “We thank the government for coming back to complete this bridge. About eight persons got drowned in the Atan River, this year, including a pregnant woman using the road to receive antenatal care at a health centre in the next village of Ibedu.”

“The situation is worse, especially now that is rainy season. That is why members of this community are happy that government has come back to say it will complete the job it started three years ago. You can see that the bridge has cut our people off from other villages. We will be very grateful if government completes the work as soon as possible.

Akpabio started project in 2012 C M Y K

“The bridge was started in 2012, but for reasons we do not know it was stopped. But now that government has come back to say it is going to complete what it has started in this community, we appreciate them and pray God to give them all that is needed to accomplish this within the shortest period of time,” he said.

Another villager, Mr. Ntia Akpan David expressed happiness that the governor lived up to campaign promise that it would ensure speedy completion of Atan Bridge, started in 2012

by Akpabio’s government if voted into office. “When they came to this community to campaign, this bridge and repairing of our roads are some of the things we complained about that government must do for us.

Today, we are happy that it has come to fulfill that promise of completing Atan Bridge.

However, we also appeal to government to repair the roads to tackle the erosion problem in this area because our people have suffered so much because of lack of access roads.

“We do not have roads that can lead us to the next village where we have our market square and

both the primary school and secondary school students in our community do not go to school because it is risky using this road during rainy season,” he said.

Govt committed to improving infrastructure- Sampson Commissioner for Rural Development, Barr. Ekong Sampson, said the present administration through his ministry was committed to improving infrastructure in rural communities across the state to make life meaningful for rural dwellers.

He explained that Ikot Abia Enyie was chosen among the first communities toured by his

•Staff of Rural Dev. Crossing the Atan river

•Uncompleted Atan river bridge

•Ministry of Rural Dev. on Inspection of infrastructure in Ikot Abia Enyie

ministry to ascertain the infrastructural problems plaguing the area, as government prepares to implement its rural development programmes, cutting across roads, electrification, water, health and even security in rural communities very soon..

His words: “The ministry chose to go there to see things for ourselves first in order to determine the level of work on the bridge project and infrastructure problems of the community.

Moreover, we are swinging into

action as soon as possible to address their problems. This administration is committed and determined to re-creating the villages to make life better for the rural people.”

“My mission in the Ministry of Rural Development is to repair the villages to ensure that life in the rural areas is improved. And we are working within the road map of our rural development master plan to firmly implement the state government rural development programmes,” he stressed.

Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015 — 5

Day of approbation for Ijaw music maestros in Yenagoa

By Samuel Oyadongha

Y

ENAGOA—FRIDAY, July 31, is one that will linger on in the minds of Ijaw, both old and young in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. It was a day the Ijaw nation converged on the state capital to celebrate some of its musical icons in recognition of their contributions to the preservation and promotion of Ijaw culture and tradition.

Venue of the event, Dr. Gabriel Okara Cultural Centre, was agog, as young generation of Ijaw came out in their thousands to catch a glimpse of the music stars of the yesteryear whose genre of music placed the Ijaw nation on national and international spotlight.

Music carnival However, many specifically came to celebrate the first memorial anniversary of late music legend, King Robert Ebizimor, it however turned out to be a musical carnival where the old schools churned out some of their old hit tunes and that of the late music icon (King Ebizimor) to the admiration of the audience, including the state governor, Hon Seriake Dickson.

Governor Dickson temporarily absented himself from a state function at Government House to grace the occasion.

Govt to wax Ebizimor ’s songs – Gov Dickson Speaking at the event, organized by the state Ministry of Culture and Ijaw National Affairs, as part of efforts to

honour both the living and departed musical icons, Governor Dickson expressed government’s commitment to establishing a studio at the Bayelsa State Musical School after its inauguration to record all the songs of the musicians.

Commissioner in charge of the ministry, Dr. Felix Tuodolo, grinned as his boss spoke.

According to the governor, their families will get the proceeds from the sales of the albums.

Describing King Ebizimor as “the most gifted and prolific musician in Ijaw land,” he expressed regret that “he was not celebrated enough, while alive and that the Ijaw nation would greatly miss him.”

“King Robert Ebizimor gave us so much music and a lot to celebrate. Between last year and now, if he had been alive, he would have produced more albums so in that sense, we miss him. When the Bayelsa State School of Music is fully equipped and commissioned, my intention is to have all his songs; from the first to the last one before his death recorded.

He designated July 31 as Ijaw Cultural and Musical Day to further project the identity and positive values of the people

•Bestman Doupere, one of those honoured (left).

“I will also direct the gentleman, who will administer the school to wax the songs, played by late Rex Lawson and others and the studio to sell them from time to time and the proceeds essentially would be given to their families because from generation to generation, we want to preserve their music as part of our heritage,” he said.

July 31 now cultural day in Bayelsa Accordingly, he designated July 31 as Ijaw Cultural and Musical Day to further project the identity and positive values

of the people.

Some of those honoured were Chief Agbeotu Teinbo, General Alaska, Bestman Doupere, Orutugu Fubara, Skido Ozidi, Simple Boys of Okutukutu and White Eagles of Sabagreia.

Tuodolo states reasons for celebration Also speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Culture and Ijaw National Affairs, Dr. Felix Tuodolo explained that government organized the event to honour all those who have contributed through music to the preservation of the language and tradition of the

Ijaw people.

Dr. Tuodolo, who applauded Governor Dickson for his passion for the Ijaw culture and language, underscored the need to honour people, who positively influenced the society and served as role models to the younger generation.

An elated Ijaw native, Toruebi Douye, who corroborated his statement, said, “This is a noble gesture on the part of the government for recognizing our own music stars when they are alive. It will go a long way to encourage upcoming artistes in Ijaw nation.”

IKOT AKPAN UDO – AMAZABA: Produce our kidnapped son, ‘dead or alive,’•• Continues from page 4 Reconciliation set up by the Akwa Ibom State Government on the premise of the fact that the said memo is biased and obviously lop-sided.”

They argued that the land the Amazaba people intend to come back to “belongs to Ikot Akpan Udo and is an Ibibio land, not an Ijaw land, which the people of Amazaba originally come from.” They stressed that Amazaba people can return to Ngo or Unyeada in Rivers State where they came from or be relocated by Akwa Ibom State government to Otunene where they can live with their kith and kin, noting that they will no longer be accommodated in C M Y K

Ikot Akpan Udo mainland.

Vote of no confidence in Odudo

The villagers passed a vote of no confidence in the member representing Ikot Abasi/Eastern Obolo state constituency, Mr. Uduak Odudo, who they accused of acting treacherously, especially in his defence that pirates and not the people of Amazaba kidnapped Joel Jeremiah. They accused him of saying nothing concerning the gruesome murders, attacks and razing of more than 500 houses in Ikot Akpan Udo and rehabilitation of the community.

“With people like Uduak Odudo, justice will never be done

to the highly physically, socially and economically traumatized people of Ikot-Akpan Udo. Therefore, he is on his own,” they maintained.

Suspicion

The obviously aggrieved inhabitants hinged their stance on the fact that if the people of Amazaba actually wanted peace and reconciliation, they would not have left the meeting convened for the purpose on August 28, 2008, to invade and burn down more than 500 houses belonging to Ikot Akpan Udo people.

“They killed 13 persons, injured and maimed many, rendered thousands of people

refugees and subsequently ambushed and killed Augustine Harrison and Friday Dickson,” they added.

The people lamented that while they were trying to resign themselves to fate after eight years of incessant, tortuous attacks, Amazaba people, reportedly returned on Sunday July 12, 2015, abducted and bestially murdered 32 -year old Joel Sunday Jeremiah, while he was patching the leakages in his fishing boat at the waterside.

They said the Amazaba people’s call for peace and reconciliation was akin to the peace of the graveyard and a booby trap intended for them to have unrestrained access to

accomplish their evil plot of erasing Ikot Akpan Udo from the surface of the earth.

Trouble started between the two communities when Amazaba villagers allegedly pummelled a young man from Ikot Akpan Udo, who parked his motorcycle in front of the residence of an Amazaba native and almost set on fire his motorcycle.

The hostilities heightened on August 28, 2008 when Amazaba gunmen with the support of their Andoni mercenaries attacked Ikot Akpan Udo, killed 13 persons and set many houses ablaze. The wounds of the macabre incident were yet to heal when armed invaders abducted and killed Jeremiah, July 12.

6 — Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015

PODIUM…

OVOM: Host community to Bayelsa govt laments neglect •Our misgivings — HRH Matthias Simeon BAYELSA… GLORY OF ALL LANDS

By EMEM IDIO

O

VOM- THE paramount ruler of Ovom, host community to “Creek Haven”, the seat of power in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, HRH Matthias Simeon, is sad that the state government left the people in penury after appropriating their lands to build a capital city.

In a chat with Niger Delta Voice, the monarch complained bitterly that government has denied the community of basic privileges as one of the host communities of the state capital.

My lamentation “We lay the golden egg but we are forgotten, I want the government to look into these things. As the paramount ruler of this domain, government has not classified me. In other climes, they would have classified me without agitation.

I gave all my lands but today I am on zero level. They cook, fry and I only perceive the aroma but I do not taste it. I want these things to change;

somebody who gives should also receive, I lament, this is my lamentation.

“When the state was created, Ovom as a community surrendered all the lands we have, the Bayelsa state Government House, state secretariat, Sports and other government institutions are all domiciled in Ovom territory.

However, the government, which took our lands, has forgotten us.

No compensation, no patronage “There was no compensation, we do not have farmlands anymore, getting firewood is hard, no political appointments or employment opportunities,” he bemoaned.

The monarch asserted, “We are not also happy that our only secondary school, Bishop Dimeari Grammar School, BDGS, which was relocated elsewhere to allow for reconstruction has not been transferred backed to its original site.”

“We want to appeal to the state government to relocate the school to its original site because we have no other public secondary school and we have been forced to patronize

•First civilian Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha (left)and HRH Chief Simeon (left) during his coronation on December 4, 2004, in Ovom.

•HRH Chief Simeon

private schools and the situation is quite unpleasant to us,” he stated.

No road to my palace His words, “I am not satisfied with the level of development in the state capital, I know the present state government is trying in the areas of structures, but it is sad that there are no road networks in the capital and we depend on the only road

network. When there is a major public function and the road is blocked, we are stranded.”

“There are no road networks in Ovom, the only road to my palace is narrow and bad. One thing that pains me heavily is the concern that this place is the

EAST-WEST ROAD: Ex-Rep urges Buhari to flag-off construction on 4th phase AKWA IBOM… LAND OF PROMISE

By Tom Moses

U

YO-ERSTWHILE Chairman, South-South Parliamentary Caucus, House of Representatives, Dr. Esio Oquong Udo, has enjoined President Muhammadu Buhari to set up machinery for the flag-off of construction of the fourth phase of the East-West Road in the NigerDelta region.

The former National Assembly member, who made the call in an interview with Niger Delta Voice in Uyo, Akwa-Ibom state, said the delay in flagging-off construction C M Y K

of the fourth phase of the East-West Road was generating tension and anxiety among the people of the communities where the road traverses.

According to Dr. Udo, a Chinese bank provided fund for the construction of the road and the delay in flagging-off construction work could give rise to uncomplimentary interpretation in the light of the present political climate in the country.

The former legislator also urged President Buhari to speed up the process of ministerial appointments for the respective ministries to address the fallows in their ministries occasioned by the delay in the appointment of ministers and the doldrums in the national polity.

At the state’s level, Udo lauded Governor Udom Emmanuel for

attracting an Automobile Assembly Plant outfit to the state and the consequent ground-breaking ceremony.

He expressed joy that the location of the automobile assembly plant company in the state would generate job for the people of the state and thereby reduce the pressure on government for employment.

Similarly, he commended Governor Emmanuel for setting up a working group to facilitate the realization of the Ibaka Seaport project and special committees on commerce and investments, agriculture and food sufficiency to collaborate to boost the industrial revolution of the administration.

heart of the state government, but this place is a slum and I am not happy. This government should try to address some of these issues before the next election so that my people would be happy and help to bring him back because we like him,” he said.

Asked if he regretted being the host of the state capital, HRH Simeon said the only regret is the fact that the state government has refused to recognize the owners of the land, which they have forcefully acquired.

“I am not regretting, but I am saying that they should give us what is due to the Ovom community, we want to be carried along, we want to be recognized and we want to feel the impact of government, we are the landlords to the state government, yet the government is far from us,” the agitated monarch asserted.

Court orders Commanding Officer, 3 Battalion, Warri, DPO to release vehicle

O

TOR-UDU- A Delta State High Court sitting at Otor-Udu has ordered the Commanding Officer, 3 Battalion, Nigerian Army, Effurun Barracks, Lt Colonel Bassey and Sergeant Olotu Adedeji to release forthwith a Toyota Camry car , registration number, JJJ 84 AT, unlawfully seized from the owner, Mr. Abiodun Olutayo, on bond.

Trial judge, Justice F.N Azinge, gave the order while ruling on an ex-parte application by counsel to the applicant, Mr. Oghenejabor Ikimi, praying the court to direct the respondents to release the vehicle compulsorily taken and kept in possession of the respondents since June 5.

Others affected by the order are Corporal Anthony Iyang, CSP Okor Christopher, Divisional Police Officer, Nigeria Police Station, Ebrumede and Commissioner of Police, Delta State.

6 — Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015

PODIUM…

OVOM: Host community to Bayelsa govt laments neglect •Our misgivings — HRH Matthias Simeon BAYELSA… GLORY OF ALL LANDS

By EMEM IDIO

O

VOM- THE paramount ruler of Ovom, host community to “Creek Haven”, the seat of power in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, HRH Matthias Simeon, is sad that the state government left the people in penury after appropriating their lands to build a capital city.

In a chat with Niger Delta Voice, the monarch complained bitterly that government has denied the community of basic privileges as one of the host communities of the state capital.

My lamentation “We lay the golden egg but we are forgotten, I want the government to look into these things. As the paramount ruler of this domain, government has not classified me. In other climes, they would have classified me without agitation.

I gave all my lands but today I am on zero level. They cook, fry and I only perceive the aroma but I do not taste it. I want these things to change;

somebody who gives should also receive, I lament, this is my lamentation.

“When the state was created, Ovom as a community surrendered all the lands we have, the Bayelsa state Government House, state secretariat, Sports and other government institutions are all domiciled in Ovom territory.

However, the government, which took our lands, has forgotten us.

No compensation, no patronage “There was no compensation, we do not have farmlands anymore, getting firewood is hard, no political appointments or employment opportunities,” he bemoaned.

The monarch asserted, “We are not also happy that our only secondary school, Bishop Dimeari Grammar School, BDGS, which was relocated elsewhere to allow for reconstruction has not been transferred backed to its original site.”

“We want to appeal to the state government to relocate the school to its original site because we have no other public secondary school and we have been forced to patronize

•First civilian Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha (left)and HRH Chief Simeon (left) during his coronation on December 4, 2004, in Ovom.

•HRH Chief Simeon

private schools and the situation is quite unpleasant to us,” he stated.

No road to my palace His words, “I am not satisfied with the level of development in the state capital, I know the present state government is trying in the areas of structures, but it is sad that there are no road networks in the capital and we depend on the only road

network. When there is a major public function and the road is blocked, we are stranded.”

“There are no road networks in Ovom, the only road to my palace is narrow and bad. One thing that pains me heavily is the concern that this place is the

EAST-WEST ROAD: Ex-Rep urges Buhari to flag-off construction on 4th phase AKWA IBOM… LAND OF PROMISE

By Tom Moses

U

YO-ERSTWHILE Chairman, South-South Parliamentary Caucus, House of Representatives, Dr. Esio Oquong Udo, has enjoined President Muhammadu Buhari to set up machinery for the flag-off of construction of the fourth phase of the East-West Road in the NigerDelta region.

The former National Assembly member, who made the call in an interview with Niger Delta Voice in Uyo, Akwa-Ibom state, said the delay in flagging-off construction C M Y K

of the fourth phase of the East-West Road was generating tension and anxiety among the people of the communities where the road traverses.

According to Dr. Udo, a Chinese bank provided fund for the construction of the road and the delay in flagging-off construction work could give rise to uncomplimentary interpretation in the light of the present political climate in the country.

The former legislator also urged President Buhari to speed up the process of ministerial appointments for the respective ministries to address the fallows in their ministries occasioned by the delay in the appointment of ministers and the doldrums in the national polity.

At the state’s level, Udo lauded Governor Udom Emmanuel for

attracting an Automobile Assembly Plant outfit to the state and the consequent ground-breaking ceremony.

He expressed joy that the location of the automobile assembly plant company in the state would generate job for the people of the state and thereby reduce the pressure on government for employment.

Similarly, he commended Governor Emmanuel for setting up a working group to facilitate the realization of the Ibaka Seaport project and special committees on commerce and investments, agriculture and food sufficiency to collaborate to boost the industrial revolution of the administration.

heart of the state government, but this place is a slum and I am not happy. This government should try to address some of these issues before the next election so that my people would be happy and help to bring him back because we like him,” he said.

Asked if he regretted being the host of the state capital, HRH Simeon said the only regret is the fact that the state government has refused to recognize the owners of the land, which they have forcefully acquired.

“I am not regretting, but I am saying that they should give us what is due to the Ovom community, we want to be carried along, we want to be recognized and we want to feel the impact of government, we are the landlords to the state government, yet the government is far from us,” the agitated monarch asserted.

Court orders Commanding Officer, 3 Battalion, Warri, DPO to release vehicle

O

TOR-UDU- A Delta State High Court sitting at Otor-Udu has ordered the Commanding Officer, 3 Battalion, Nigerian Army, Effurun Barracks, Lt Colonel Bassey and Sergeant Olotu Adedeji to release forthwith a Toyota Camry car , registration number, JJJ 84 AT, unlawfully seized from the owner, Mr. Abiodun Olutayo, on bond.

Trial judge, Justice F.N Azinge, gave the order while ruling on an ex-parte application by counsel to the applicant, Mr. Oghenejabor Ikimi, praying the court to direct the respondents to release the vehicle compulsorily taken and kept in possession of the respondents since June 5.

Others affected by the order are Corporal Anthony Iyang, CSP Okor Christopher, Divisional Police Officer, Nigeria Police Station, Ebrumede and Commissioner of Police, Delta State.

Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015 — 7

C-RIVER CHURCH, WIDOW LAND ROW LATEST:

Stop smearing church; we purchased land lawfully—Apostle David Ekpe, pastor-in-charge •I served church injunction to stop further devt—Bailiff; No, we received no injunction— Church •Nobody served Mrs. Nkoyo Bassey any transfer process— Barrister Edet Essien

CROSS-RIVER…THE PEOPLE’S PARADISE

By Ike Uchechukwu Efut Anantigha

T

HE Mount Zion Lighthouse Full Gospel Church Inc (Abitu Assembly), Cross River State, currently embroiled in a land row with an 87-year-old widow, Mrs. Nkoyo Bassey, is insisting that it legally and genuinely acquired the litigious land and urged detractors to desist from using the old woman to fluff up emotions against the church.

“It is the position of the church that those who are maligning the church should desist from using the old woman to whip up sentiments but to pursue the case at the High Cour t, Calabar where the case has been pending since,” it said in a public notice by the pastor-in-charge, Apostle David Ekpe and assistant secretary, Elder Eyo Iso. Case transferred May 2, 2014 They said the aggrieved parties have not appeared to seek redress in the cour t since the Chief Magistrate Court in Calabar transferred the matter to the High Court, Calabar, following an application by the church’s counsel in May 2, 2014.

According to them, “The said land was legally and properly acquired as it was sold to the church by the late paramount ruler of Calabar South, Muri Okonkon Ita Ekpeyong with Chief Okokon Ambo of Efut Anantigha as witness.”

Ambo contradicts church However, the church’s insistence that it acquired the

•The Church marked by Ministry of Lands for demolition

•HRM,Mri Munene Efiong Okon Mbukpa land from the late Muri Munene Ekpeyong and that Chief Okokon Ambo was only a witness flies in the face of an earlier confirmation

by Chief Ambo, that he and not Ekpeyong sold the land to the church because the property belongs to him.

Abitu Assembly also debunked media report that the cour t granted an injunction stopping it from developing the land, saying, “It should be noted that there has never been any injunction for (from) any court of law or anywhere restraining the church from development of its premises But, Chief Ambo, who spoke to Niger Delta Voice, said, “I did not buy the land, it is a land I inherited from my ancestors (my father and great grandfather) and the place was sold to Mrs Nkoyo Bassey by the late Muri Munene, HRH Ita Ekpeyong.

Because he was a paramount chief, I could not join issues with him then” “But the place I sold to the church was lying fallow and since it is still part of my land, I sold it to the church; the late

• Mrs Nkoyo Bassey

•Late Chief Okon Ambo Muri’s name on the deed was part of the procedure that without his signature, every land transac-tion would be null and void,” Ambo stated.

“My father was the first person to step his feet into the place as at then, but because the Muri is a big chief, I did not contest the selling of the place with him even when I came back from ser vice (Navy) in 1997. However, the place was fallow so I sold it to the church since it is my property,” he said.

I served church injunction –Bailiff The bailiff, who served the

church the injunction, both at its international headquarters and Abitu Assembly, Mr Emmanuel Okon Etim, told Niger Delta Voice, that he served an injunction, (EDC\CV\10\2014) to the church to stop fur ther development on the property of Mrs. Nkoyo Bassey, measuring 100by 100 square yard, which the church building is currently located on.

“The document (injunction) was received by Apostle Elijah Philips for the church and it is on record (25/03/ 2014), while David Ekpe collected for the Abitu Assembly.

They cannot claim that no injunction was served, I can authoritatively tell you without an iota of doubt that somebody removed the injunction I pasted on the board we brought, why are they now saying that they did not receive any injunction,” he said.

“The Order I ser ved the church partly reads” It IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT an interim injunction on the development of the property on the plaintiff land is granted as prayed and that all work on the proper ty should stop immediately until the matter before the court is settled.”

Etim stated, “There is no way the church can claim that there was no injunction from

KEYAMO TO CDS: Probe 19 Battalion soldiers for extra-judicial murder of Ogedegbe DELTA...

FINGER OF GOD

B

ENIN—LAGOS lawyer and activist, Mr. Festus Keyamo, called on the Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, to direct immediate and comprehensive investigation into alleged extra-judicial murder of the former head of the Oghara community Vigilance Group, the late Benson Ogedegbe, by soldiers of and men of the 19 Battalion, Koko, Delta C M Y K

State, in June.

In a letter to the CDS, dated July 25, signed for Festus Keyamo Chambers by Festus Ukpe and John Ainetor, he said that some criminal elements recruited soldiers to stop the efforts of the Ogedegbe and his vigilance group to rid the town of hoodlums.

Keyamo said his client, Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice, ANEEJ, invited by the people of Oghara to intervene in the crisis rocking the community, informed the law firm that in pursuit of this, several allegations were levelled against the late Ogedegbe and

soldiers of the battalion made it a primary objective to intimidate, harass and oppress him.

The law firm said that Ogedegbe ran to the police for protection and was there until the Ovie of Oghara invited him, the Commander of the 19 Battalion, DPO and chair of Ethiope-West local government area to resolve the cause of disagreement.

According to Keyamo, the army assured the late Ogedegbe that the matter was over after the intervention of the monarch, but the next day, as he was going to work, soldiers chased him and shot him dead.

the court or anywhere, their claim is completely untrue and total falsehood, David Ekpe received the injunction from me I can stand to testify whenever I am called upon to do so,” he said.

Counsel to Mrs. Nkoyo Bassey, Barr. Edet Essien, in a chat with Niger Delta described the Vo i c e , church’s counter as vague and lacking impetus as no date was specified in it when the church bought the land.

His words, “Ever ything centres around Ambo, he only uses the late Muri’s (Chief Ita Ekpeyong ) name in his dealings to get credibility as well as authenticate the document and he did this to so many unsuspecting members of the public who had dealings with him while the man(Ekpeyong) was still alive.”

Court processes On the stand of the church that the matter had been transferred to the High Court, Calabar, he said, “As far as I know, my client has not been ser ved a court process relating or emanating from the High Court. The normal course of event is for them to serve Mrs. Nkoyo that the matter is in court, but that has not been done, it is left for them to ser ve my client, otherwise there would have been a reaction.”

“If they have obtained a court order, my client is supposed to be served up till now, that has not been done, where is their proof of service,” he said.

Essien asserted, “What the church got was an order to transferring the matter to a High Court and the earlier injunction still stands even though it is of the District Court as it is left for a superior court to dismantle the earlier injunction, which has not been done till date. They know what they are doing; they are only trying to frustrate the occupation of the real and original owner place by my client (Mrs. Nkoyo Bassey).”

8 — Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015

AGENDA

Electricity firm battles over 100,000 power thieves in Port Harcourt DISCO, says CEO •We want stronger legislation, effective implementation by govt PORT- HARCOURT CHIEF Executive Officer, CEO, Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company, PHED, Mr Jon Abbas, in this interview, opens up on the dangerous operations of energy thieves and the negative impact of their activities on the electricity firm. He calls for attitudinal change on the part of energy consumers in Rivers and neighbouring states serviced by his firm, noting that a strong legislation will help reduce power pilfering in the country. Excerpt.

By Jimitota Onoyume

W

HAT is the impact of energy theft in your operations?

Energy theft is one of the biggest challenges we face in the electricity business, we find it all over, and it is a conscious decision made by consumers in the country. It is between the ranges of 35 per cent to 40 per cent now. However, it is not peculiar to Nigeria because it is a phenomenon round the world. In Africa alone, about 3.3 billion dollars is lost to energy theft.

It is a fight we all need to be involved in, consumers into this have to change their behavior.

We set up many focus groups on this and we found that people steal energy as a way to manage their expenditure, yet they pay 100 per cent for other things consumed, we have to change.

When it comes to other things people pay 100 per cent, but when it comes to energy they have excuses to want to shortchange the system.

Electricity consumption You hear them argue that the energy is not there so they should not pay. However, this is not so.

You pay for what you consume and not the hours the light is there.

Some consumers bypass their meters while some steal energy by not paying 100 per cent for the energy consumed. Let me stress that we do not base billing on the hours of light but on consumption. Whenever energy is available, you pay for your consumption. It is not the number of hours.

You consume electricity on online basis; it is not something you can store. You pay for the energy consumed by you during the period it is available. When you hear some say I did not consume the energy for so long, so why should I pay, this is wrong.

The payment of services received should be 100 per cent.

What effort are you making to resolve this?

We are trying to do internal training and capacity building of our staff to guard against this theft. People do not talk of under C M Y K

estimation when they pay bills.

You only hear of over estimation. We are also trying to redress all these as well. We have a team of revenue detection, theft detection team to track these problems. They do the check. Customers can send us information and inquiries. We have created the environment where our customers can also supply us information and get response immediately.

We also think there should be a legislation to prosecute people for energy theft. This will help reduce the situation. We have a platform at the international level, Revenue Protection Association.

We exchange ideas at this level on how to tackle this problem.

We also have the metering system. Our suppliers have also developed a solution where we monitor energy flow with a

•CEO, PH DISCO, Mr Jon Abbas technology to see if there is attempt to steal energy. This technology alerts the company.

The most important thing is that there should be change in behaviour on the part of the customer, change in culture.

Let us go back to the issue of legislation, how far have you gone with this, are you sponsoring a private bill at the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly?

A framework exists but no proper implementation yet. We do seek more intervention from

the government, people should be aware that this is the case.

People should know that there is penalty for energy theft. We want to see that people enjoy the services. When people start paying and do not see the energy, the pressure is now on the company to deliver. The government needs to come up with a better legislative framework to help us.

What we are doing is to educate and sensitize the people. There are over a 100,000 people stealing energy, it is a big issue.

There is this bill some call crazy bill; people want to know the billing system?

We started enumeration to see how every house can have meters. We outsourced this job.

We discovered some situations where one customer had account and there are five houses using this energy from the customer.

Therefore, there are about six different customers using this energy. What we are doing now is to see how we will bring all of them into the database.

If you go around, lights are on all the time, even when people are not at home, the light is on.

There is also need to change this attitude on the part of customers.

Use your lights when you need them, this will help reduce your bill at the end of the day, We, in PHED, give you breakdown of your consumption in our bill, we have one of the best billing systems. Nonetheless, there is room for improvement which we are doing. We encourage people to send us complaints if they have any. We have improved our customer care links. Lines are available for us to respond. Your complaints get directive to the executives. I get them too. So send, let us see.

Some people complain they cannot get meters, what are you doing to redress this?

We have a population of about 40 million we provide service to, now we have up to 25, 000 meters for distribution. We have an understanding with Eco bank to help customers get this meters.

Therefore, there are meters now for collection.

Youths storm church with placards, want Bishop removed •It’s the raving of few misguided youths- Bishop B.A Erifeta

DELTA...

FINGER OF GOD

S

to a text message by Niger Delta Voice on the lock up of his church by members, said, “My beloved, I do not have a church, the church belongs to God. And members did not lock the church; it is just some misguided youths, majority sponsored from outside and few of them from within.”

“Nevertheless, God has taken charge of the situation. Thank you for not been biased, God bless you (In a meeting),” he said.

APELE- YOUTHS of the Saint Luke Anglican Cathedral Church, Sapele Diocese, Delta State, stormed the church with placards recently, calling for the removal of the Bishop, Rev Dr. B.A. Erifeta.

Some of the placards carried by the youths, who accused the clergyman of many unprintable allegations, bore inscriptions such as,“Without congregation, no Bishop,” “Without laity, no Bishop,” “Stop insulting our elders in church,” “Enough is enough of embezzlement of church funds and intimidation,” and “We need accountability of church fund.”

However, Bishop Youths with placards Erifeta in response

A source close to the Bishop said, “As I speak to you, the synod is on, it is not true that the church is under lock and key now.”

However, a resident of Sapele, Andrew Okotie, told Niger Delta Voice on Sunday morning: “I am just passing the church as I speak with you, and all the members of the Sapele Anglican church were worshipping outside the church, along Boyo road.

The protesting youths

in a letter dated July 14, signed by youth president, Gbaragada Clinton and others, addressed to the Archbishop Metropolitan and Primate of Anglican Communion, Most Rev Nicholas Okoh, said the entire congregation had resolved that the presiding bishop should take a bow and leave them immediately “so that the church can move on.”

•Youths with placards inside the church

Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015 — 33

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34 —Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015—35

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36—Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015

VANGUARD, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015—37

40, paragraphs 1&2 of the Abia House of Assembly, which states that (1):”No member may speak to any question after the same has been fully put by Mr. Speaker or Chairman (2) A question is fully put when Mr. Speaker or The Chairman has collected the voice both of the Ayes and the nays.”

Vanguard learnt that Oriaku has been summoned to the House to explain his statement where he claimed to have been quoted out of context.

Resolution passed through procedure—Speaker In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Clinton Uba, the Speaker condemned the position of some of the APGA lawmakers, stressing that in the resolution authorizing the loan deal, there was no breach of any parliamentary process before it was passed.

According to him, lawmakers painstakingly deliberated on the items requiring urgent attention, ranging from the dredging of Aba River, construction of bridges across the three senatorial zones of the state, construction and rehabilitation of roads in Abia State, building of modern hospitals across the three senatorial zones of the state.

Minority leader •Otti: APGA governorship candidate

•Ikpeazu: Abia State governor

N30 BILLION LOAN:

Conspiracy, craft in Abia House THE recent approval of Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu’s request for a N30 billion loan request by the Abia State House of Assembly is steeped in controversy.

By Ugochukwu Alaribe

T

HE Abia State House of Assembly may be heading for a major crisis as some lawmakers elected on the platform of the opposition All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, accused the Speaker Martin Azubuike, of deceiving them over the N30bn loan recently approved for the state government.

The minority leader of the House, Abraham Oba ( APGA/ Aba Central), who addressed a press conference, penultimate Tuesday, in Umuahia, said the Speaker had, at the executive session, told the members that the loan was meant to finance some developmental projects in the state, including dredging of Aba River, road projects and

health facilities.

He alleged that the Speaker had promised to clear the air about some fundamental issues raised by APGA members at the executive session but failed to do so at the plenary when the motion was raised and subsequently passed.

Fresh borrowing Oba lamented that they were shocked two days after the passage of the resolution on the loan when the Economic Adviser to the Governor, Mr. Obinna Oriaku, said the loan was not “a fresh borrowing” but money meant to clear the accumulation of debts owed by the state.

“We have been deceived by the Speaker. He lied to us and

we are no longer part of the approval,” Oba said.

Another APGA lawmaker member, representing Ikwuano State Constituency, Mr. Theophilus Ugbaja, said, “They sold a dummy to us that the state was only owing N6bn, and that the loan would be used to wipe off the debt and finance major projects in the state.

The APGA lawmakers, who attended the press conference, also warned commercial banks negotiating to grant the N30 billion loan to be cautious.

Piqued by the new stance of Mr. Oba, the House upon a motion inspired by Solomon Akpulonu (PDP/ Obingwa East) slammed an indefinite suspension from the House on the lawmaker for taking the internal discussion of the House to a press conference.

Akpulonu told Vanguard that Oba usurped the duties of the Speaker by contravening Rule

The APGA lawmakers, who attended the press conference, also warned commercial banks negotiating to grant the N30 billion loan to be cautious

He insisted that purpose of seeking the loan has not changed from what the governor itemized in his letter of request to the legislature.

APGA lawmakers divided?

The development led to the removal of Oba as minority leader and his replacement by Ikedi Ezekwesiri (APGA/ Umunneochi).

Sources in the House told Vanguard that only two APGA members left the Chamber to console Oba as he was being led out by the Sergeant –at Arms, after his suspension while others began scheming on his replacement.

Vanguard also gathered that out of the 11 APGA lawmakers in the 24 member House, only 8 were present at the press conference, lending credence to the belief in some quarters that the APGA caucus is not united and may have sold out to the PDP. Deputy Speaker of the House, Dr. Cosmos Ndukwe, who insisted that the action of the former Minority Leader was not right as the House had already approved the resolution, alleged that Oba and his colleagues were persuaded by the APGA governorship candidate, Dr. Alex Otti, to organize the press conference.

He maintained that the PDP had no hand in the decision to remove Oba as it was signed

Continues on page 38

38—VANGUARD, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015

2016: I see a Buhari revolution in Edo — IMASUAGBON KENNETH Imasuagbon who hails from Ewohimi, Edo Central, is a lawyer, educationist, administrator and politician. In this interview, Imasuagbon who recently dumped the the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the All Progressives Congress, APC, bares his mind on a lot of issues ranging from how he stepped down for Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, Edo politics and the 2016 governorship elections in the state among others.

By Henry Umoru

Y

OU were a strong member of PDP in Edo State. Why did you dump PDP for APC? If you know my political history, I was one of the founding fathers of the ACD, and from ACD we transmuted to Action Congress, AC. And of course, when Governor Oshiomhole joined the party, I stepped down for him in 2007 and supported him.

Thereafter, when he won the governorship election, I left for PDP. It was a dead party after Oshiomhole came on board but I resurrected the party with my energy, vigour, skill and tactics.

In 2012, the primary that was conducted by the cabal of the party in the state wasn’t free and fair. If it was free and fair, I could possibly have won the primary. The story would have been different today.

They (PDP) haven’t changed, we have a great deal of injustice within the party. The primaries weren’t free and fair and where there is no justice and equity, then of course, your guess is as good as mine.

It was just a question of time.

That actually also played out in the larger body and I saw that change was coming. I foresaw a revolution in Nigeria, I foresaw change and the revolution I foresaw, was in President Muhammadu Buhari. Nigerians were tired of the scheming, the injustice, the punishment by a very few people.

Tripartrite victory Nigerians are wonderful people. We rose up to the revolution. Rather than fire the shots, the people spoke and they spoke resoundingly in favour of President Buhari.

The election victory is a tripartite victory: first, the Nigerian people who stood and did the right thing; two, Buhari who presented himself and he was resilient and tenacious.

When I saw him crying on a national television in 2011, I wept in Benin and I said, this man loves the country, that he was going to be president one

day.

God is not an unjust God. When I saw him wipe his face with an handkerchief, I started crying. The third hero is Dr Goodluck Jonathan himself, who was civilised and saved us from trouble because some people were waiting for him to incite them to violence. So, what Jonathan did was a life saver, the saving grace.

The cabal should be grateful to Jonathan, his phone call to Buhari saved the nation from unnecessary violence. I directed my supporters to vote for Buhari because I saw it coming.

Even when you were still in PDP? Yes, because the country isn’t a party. Look, what was on trial was the collective fate, destiny and sovereignty of my country.

It doesn’t matter which party you were, Buhari was clearly ahead in terms of integrity, closeness to commoners and the middle class. Buhari was far ahead of Jonathan.

Buhari revolution It wasn’t about religion, tribe or money but between Jonathan and Buhari, who was ready to lead the people and deliver? That was exactly what I foresaw. I predict that in 2016, the Buhari revolution will be extended to Edo. But the same Buhari has been tagged ‘Baba go slow’.

What is your take?

Well, my take is that Nigerians must support the president.

Nigerians must be patient.

When Buhari moves, his brake wouldn’t stop but now people are calling him Baba go slow.

Very soon, people will be shouting that he is a moving train. That’s my prediction.

Buhari would be unstoppable because he would trample on toes.

We need to get it right now at least in our life time. Nigerians must support Buhari. When an American president emerges after election, both the Republicans and Democrats close ranks, they support the common goal which is America.

•Imasuagbon: The country must change If Buhari fails, we have failed collectively, not Buhari as an individual. If he succeeds, the Nigerian people have succeeded. So, all hands must be on deck, we must all come together to make a success of the Buhari administration. We must support him in his fight

against corruption.

Corruption is like cancer in Nigeria and those who have looted the treasury of the country must face the consequence of their actions because it is our collective commonwealth.

So, I call on Nigerians to rally round Buhari in the fight against corruption. It is not that there isn’t corruption in America or Britain and Canada but when you are caught, you face the consequence of your crime.

So, I am in support, I am on the same page with Mr. President in his crusade against those who have depleted the treasury of the country.

But this crusade against corruption is being perceived by the PDP leadership as a vindictive move. Do you agree?

No, it isn’t about PDP. Whether you are in APC or PDP, you are a Nigerian. If an APC man commits crime, he should face the consequence; if Kenneth Imasuagbon is a thief, let him face the consequence of the crime.

The country must change. It isn’t about APC or PDP. Of course, your prediction is that majority of those who have committed crime would come from the PDP, having been in leadership for 16 years, but there are some people who have also acted illegally.

The president himself said it in America, that whether you are in APC or PDP, if you were part of those who looted the treasury, you will face the law.

Today, you get a dollar at N210. Is that the kind of country you want to leave behind for your children? It is unacceptable. All that we need is a Buhari. At over 70, he should do the right thing and write his name in gold. That is what matters. Often time, you don’t come back again as president of your country. So, he should do the job, step on toes and write his name in gold.

But some still see his

Continues from page 41

N30 BILLION LOAN: Conspiracy, craft in Abia House Continues from page 37

I am in support, I am on the same page with Mr. President in his crusade against those who have depleted the treasury of the country

and moved by six APGA lawmakers in the House.

Ndukwe further stated that not all APGA members were part of the press conference where Oba made the allegations.

The action of the APGA lawmakers was flayed by a political analyst, Vincent Ikemsinachi who chided them for treachery.

“The best thing the APGA lawmakers would have done is to stage a walk out on the floor of the House in solidarity with Abraham Oba. This would have sent a very strong message to the PDP. It is against the spirit of opposition to allow Oba to suffer from carrying out the decision of the

caucus. It was a mistake for the six members to have moved to replace their leader. They have ridiculed the party and presented it as a weak opposition.”

APGA faults suspension Contacted on the development, APGA State Secretary, Sunday Onukwubiri told journalists that the stand of the suspended minority leader was in defense of the mandate of the people that elected him into office.

“What had happened was a disappointment to Abia People, what the Minority leader did was to tell Abians what happened in the House,” Onukwubiri said.

VANGUARD, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015—39

By Chioma Onuegbu

T

HE Akwa Ibom state chapter of the All Progressives Congress APC is locked in another leadership crisis following the recent suspension of 41 officers and party elders.

The officers affected by the recent suspension include the chapter chairmen of Essien Udim, Ikot Ekpene, Obot Akara, Onna, Uyo, Etim Ekpo, Ibiono Ibom, Itu, and Ini local councils, deputy chapter chairmen of Nsit Ibom, and Abak local councils, and the Organising Secretary.

Others are 11 youth leaders of Ini, Nsit Ibom, Ibiono Ibom, Uyo, Obot Akara, Esit Eket, Eastern Obolo, Essien Udim, Uruan, and Etinan local council, two chapter treasurers, two chapter Secretary, State Ex-Officio Nsit Ibom, Engineer Uduak Okpo Senatorial aspirant Ikot Ekpene, and Mr. Idara Udo candidate Ikot Abasi House of Representatives as well as 10 members of the party.

A-Ibom APC in fresh leadership crisis

Governorship contest Before now, the first eruption was stirred by the suspension in September, 2014 of 22 local government area chapter chairmen of the party following their agitation that the party be opened to outsiders to compete in the 2015 elections.

The party indeed was at a low until late in 2014 when Umana Okon Umana, the former Secretary to the State Government entered the party from the PDP. Mr. Umana contested and won the governorship ticket of the party in a contest that also had a former Military administrator Capt Sam Ewang, and Senator John Akapnudoedeghe.

•Umana: APC Governorship candidate in 2015 The suspension of the nine local government chapter chairmen and youth leaders who were accused of working for Akpanudodehe against the interest of the party did not come as a surprise given the roles they allegedly played before, during and after the last elections in the state.

•Akpanudodehe: APC governorship candidate in 2011

They were alleged to have been lukewarm towards the party’s governorship campaign following Umana’s emergence as candidate.

A number of actions and assertions by sympathisers of Akpanudoedehe were seen as betraying the APC’s goal of winning the last elections.

2016: I see a Buhari revolution in Edo — IMASUAGBON Continues from page 38 declaration to deal with corrupt individuals, irrespective of party affiliation as a political statement If he wants to succeed, he should. Every leader determines what he or she wants to do.

Now, he has a chance in history to finish the war against indiscipline.

Our primary minus as a country is that Nigerians lack discipline yet we are one of the most disciplined people. If you see a Nigerian in America, he doesn’t beat the red light, but if he comes to Abuja, he beats the red light.

How do you explain that?

It is a question of leadership.

So, I think Buhari has all it takes: the experience, self confidence and courage, the inner and innate mind to do the right thing.

C M Y K

I am sure he will do the right thing, because for him, he has lived more than half, two third of his life. What is important for a Buhari now is what will be said of him in the next 20 years.

fight against corruption, creation of jobs, making our schools work, good infrastructure and stable power. Those who want to steal, let us stop them. That’s what they crave for.

People saw what happened at the National Assembly and they have come to the conclusion that the APC cannot manage success; some are already predicting an implosion. What is your take on this?

Well, that’s a school of thought but the truth is, I love the role of Mr. President, he stood hands akimbo and watched the National Assembly crises play out. That was smart. What we are seeing at the National Assembly is politics itself.

Nigerians are not interested in what is happening at the National Assembly.

What they want to see is the

But can the executive arm, the presidency achieve that without the legislative arm complementing it?

I think the problem of the National Assembly will soon be a thing of the past. The party will come together, Oyegun is already doing that and I think the senators and members of the House should allow those assigned the task of ensuring peace to work and let us move ahead to build a strong nation.

Your movement to APC has been described as hasty in certain quarters.

Some are worried that you

The recent appointment of Engineer Ita Awak, the former publicist to Umana as the Publicity Secretary of the APC has also stoked tension in the state chapter of the party.

While some of them view the appointment as a welcome development others, however, are questioning the grounds on which the validly elected Publicity Secretary Mr. Samuel Udobong was suspended, pointing out that suspension or expulsion of all State officers from the party must be ratified

The chapter chairmen were suspended even before the last elections, the party only ratified their suspension now. It is within the jurisdiction of the state to ratify whatever decision that is taken at the chapter level

by the Leadership of the party in accordance with the guidelines and provisions of the constitution of the party.

But reliable sources within the party told Vanguard that the party spokesman had been locked in a face-off with the State Chairman Dr. Amadu Attai over the administration of the party.

Atai in a telephone interview, however, explained that Udobong was suspended for making statements in the media that were capable of damaging the image of the party in the state.

His words: "The Chapter Chairmen were suspended even before the last elections, the party only ratified their suspension now. It is within the jurisdiction of the state to ratify whatever decision that is taken at the chapter level.

“But we suspended the other person (Publicity Secretary Udobong) because he granted an interview to Global Concorde and said that the party will not win elections in the state. That is a terrible offence against the party. He underrated the party.

In fact we feel that he may have been compromised too for him to grant such a damaging interview that even an ordinary member of the party could not have done.”

Countering, Udobong admitted granting the interview to the said state based newspaper even as he explained that his offence was that he pointed out that the way and manner the state Secretariat was run without carrying all the state officers along was not healthy for the progress and overall interest of the party in Akwa Ibom.

Party constitution On his suspension, he said, “the Chairman Amadu Attai and his cohorts should go back and study the party constitution very well for them to understand that the office of the Publicity Secretary is not an appointed position but elective position. So if Ita Awak wants to become the Publicity secretary of the APC in Akwa Ibom state he should wait for the next party congress that will allow him to buy the form, contest for the position and win.

“I advise Ita Awak to desist from parading himself as the Publicity Secretary of the APC in Akwa Ibom because I am still the validly elected publicity secretary of my party.

He may decide to be the PA media to the State Chairman Amadu Attai since he is a new member in the party but he should know that Amadu Attai has no powers to appoint him or anybody else as State Spokesman or any other state officer of APC” Some party members, however, believe that the unfolding plot is all part of the strategies of the APC to burnish itself ahead of what they believe could be a governorship rerun.

40— Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015

• Beggars

Lagos under siege of beggars; 2,217 sent for rehabilitation

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

L

AGOS State, in recent times has witnessed an upsurge in number of beggars, including foreign nationals, such as Nigeriens. It will be recalled that in 2013, Lagos State Government moved 270 destitute to their states of origin in an operation that generated controversy.

The state government added that this year alone 2, 217 beggars, destitute and mentally challenged persons were rescued from the streets for rehabilitation Also, this year under review, a court sitting in Lagos sentenced 30 beggars to jail for constituting themselves into public nuisance, among other related offences.

Skills acquisition programmes Determined to eradicate street begging and also rid the streets of urchins the state government created rehabilitation centres that come with skills acquisition programmes as part of development strategy aimed at enhancing the individual’s capacity for self-development and enable them build a better life.

To further ensure welfare for its citizens, the state government established the State Office of Disability Affairs, LASODA, to protect people living with

disabilities against all forms of discrimination.

However, the refusal of the beggars to go to the rehabilitation centres is a matter of worry to government and concern citizens of the state as beggars including foreign nationals continue to storm the streets and major roads in search of alms.

The most disheartening part of the development is the introduction of children to the “profession”.

At that early age, the children are corrupted and exposed to a life of loafing. Last week, the state government concluded arrangements to prosecute a woman who engaged in begging for alms with the two children she brought from the village to assist her in trading. It was gathered that the children used for alms begging were brought to the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, WAPA, after they were rescued in Badagry, Ajamgbadi and Maza-Maza areas.

Other areas where beggars are rampant include: Egbeda, Iyana-Ipaja, Ikeja, Lagos Island, Ikorodu among others.

Permanent Secretary, WAPA, Mrs, Omobolanle Ogunmola speaking on the worrisome development said government would prosecute the woman for engaging the children in beg-

ging, advising parents to live up to their responsibilities by not releasing their children to others without proper investigation.

However, one of the beggars (Names-withheld), explained that the suspect, identified as Amaka told her parents in Abia State that she wanted to engage her in selling provision for her in Lagos, but on getting to Lagos, she was turned into a beggar and paid N100 every month.

The girl who is 19 years old, was discovered to be pregnant, said one of the boys in the neighbourhood got her pregnant, saying that she detested begging which she normally did at Alaba Market in Ajamgbadi.

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State, had earlier, ordered the State Task Force on

However, the state government is not relenting in its efforts to develop its people despite the daunting challenges

Environmental Sanitation and Other Special Offences to rid the state off miscreants and enforce the law prohibiting begging in the state.

Ambode , through, the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Tunji Bello, expressed concern about the resurgence of street trading in major areas of the state, noting that not only do they constitute environmental nuisance, but also pose security threat to citizens.

The governor explained that the 2010 environmental law prohibits street trading in the state, urging those interested in doing businesses to seek for legal space in the various modern markets redeveloped by the state government to enhance business activities.

According to him, “At the State Security Council Meeting on July 7, it was resolved that the act of street trading that has continued to hamper free flow of traffic on Lagos roads which further constitutes nuisance and security threat to law abiding citizens will no longer be tolerated. “Therefore, street traders and buyers will henceforth be arrested and prosecuted. The Task Force on Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences has been mandated to ensure the Law of the State against street

trading is enforced to the letter”, he added.

The governor noted that some unscrupulous persons hide under the guise of seeking alms to rob unsuspecting members of the public, saying “efforts will be made to rid the state of street beggars and destitute. “We’ve had security reports on the activities of persons who pose as beggars, especially in traffic, but their sole aim is to perpetrate evil.

Pre-emptive measures “We are putting a search light on this trend and one way to do that is to ensure that we take preemptive measures to forestall this development,” the governor said. The governor added that all security agencies have resolved to beef up security in the state so as to ensure that it remains safe for citizens and investors alike.

He also urged residents in the state not to encourage the trend by patronizing them, saying in doing so, they indirectly aid and abet crime.

According to an official of the state Ministry of Sports, Youth and Social Development, who crave for anonymity, “Begging has become a profession or a way of life for the beggars on the streets, no matter how much is been made they are never contented, as they keep coming back for more. Some of them even build houses in their state or country of origin.”

Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015 — 41

Lagos loses 28 lives in 552 fire incidents in five months

By Monsuru Olowoopejo

T

HE Lagos State fire service is having a tough time coping with the number of fire disasters recorded in the state in the last four months.

Statistics by the state fire service, revealed that at least 28 lives were lost to 552 fire and other disasters recorded in the state between March 1st and July 31st, 2015.

With this statistics, the number of fire disasters and others recorded in the state between January and July 31st, 2015 increased to 969; a figure indicating that the state has recorded over 50 percent of what it recorded in 2014.

In July alone, 13 lives were lost in the state to the 101 fire and other disasters were recorded in the state. However, seven persons were rescued and 10 false calls were responded to by the state fire servicemen.

One major fire disaster recorded in the state in July occurred on the thirty first. In the disaster, three sisters were burnt to death at Rainbow estate in Oke Afa axis of the state.

A breakdown showed that 125 fire disasters were recorded in April, 118 in May while 92 was recorded in June.

This was contained in the half year report of the State Fire

•Isolo fire incident Service released by the Director, Mr. Rasak Fadipe.

Fadipe further told Vanguard that even with the rainy season; the number of fire calls in the state did not reduced, saying “the State fire service responded to 1009 emergency calls in the last seven months.

According to him; “Between April and June 2015, regarded as raining (wet) season was expected to have been a period of low emergency fire calls, but the fire service was surprised

with the high number of emergency responded to in the period under review, which was

A worker will resume and work by 8 a.m. and close at 12 p.m. and the person will be sacked without pay and no prior information. This is sad

mainly attributed to human errors.”

“The Public should remember that there is no small Fire incidence because every outbreak of Fire is followed by destruction to Properties and sometimes Life threatening. Method used in mitigating them also required cleansing aftermath of the Fire fighting operations.

“The state government placed high premium on safety of lives and properties of citizens, therefore the nonchalant attitude of

the public to the safety of their lives and properties is of great concern to the fire service. ‘’The Public is hereby advised to be careful in handling electronic appliances, naked lights, gas cookers and any other flammable products,. Motorist are strongly advised to at all times to carry genuine portable fire extinguisher to protect their lives and properties in case of an outbreak of fire,” Fadipe added.

N7bn Alade market re-devt irreversible – Govt

By Monsuru Olowoopejo

E

VEN as traders yesterday contin ued their protest against the redevelopment of the popular Alade Market, the state government has said categorically that it will not backtrack on its earlier decision.

The traders had on Sunday barricaded the entrance to the market towards preventing the concessionaire, Master Reality International Concepts Limited, from embarking on construction works.

The N6.9billion redevelopment project under Public Private Partnership, PPP agreement, was awarded in August 17th, 2010 with 30 years concession.

It was learned that the Concessionaire recently shut the market and deployed its men to take possession in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding, MOU, signed five years ago.

Sources said that Governor Akinwunmi Ambode hearing of the development, invited the Executive Secretary of Ikeja Local Government, Adekunle Adeokun to address the issue.Adeokun who led the state government delegation in reopening the market and constituting a 15-man committee to facilitate the relocation of the traders a few meters away. He said that the redevelopment of the market into a Mega mall was not negotiable, saying; “The traders must be relocated urgently to pave way for the redevelopment.”

According to him, “I understand the interest of the protesting traders because they were the tenants. And existence of their business is important.

This is natural but the market has turned to a slum because of neglect over the years.

“The construction would be done in 18 months. The present traders have the first option to the stalls after the reconstruction. If they fail to allow the redevelopment, the cost will continue to increase.

The concern of the developer is for the marketers to sign an agreement that once the things needed are in place, they will move to the alternative location which has 194 shops

‘’Although the council would have decided to reconstruct the market but the annual rent of N7, 200 to the council will not sufficient.

He stressed that council would have reviewed the rent but the state government has regulated the rent. And for years, it has not been reviewed.

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Masters Reality International Concepts Limited, Engineer Layi Omotola explained that the company came to take possession of the property as early as 6.00am on Sunday in a bid to start redevelopment since the traders had been frustrating the project for long.

His words “On August 12, 2010, we signed a concession with Ikeja Local Government under BOT to redevelop

Alade Market into a mega mall to meet the standard of a mega city. For the past five years, we have been meeting with the marketers to move them to another place we have built for them but they refused to move.

“A foreign cash-inflow of $50 million was obtained in 2013 with the exchange rate then pegged at N175 to a dollar, but the exchange rate had sky-rocketed to N195 to a dollar which grossly affected the project.

“All attempts to make the traders reason with us proved abortive and it has come to a stage where our nobility was turning into stupidity. We came today to work and the Executive Secretary asked us to go into a round table. At the meeting, attended by the parties involved, it was agreed that a committee be set up with five people each from the council, traders and the contractor.

“The concern of the developer is for the marketers to sign an agreement that once the things needed are in place, they will move to the alternative location which has 194 shops. ‘’ We are frustrated and tired.

We need the help of government to accelerate this project because as time goes on, we are paying more interest. This project is about N6.9 billion. The place we are relocating them to is part of our investment,” he added.

Omotola added that if all things went on as planned, the developer would complete the project between 18 and 24 months, adding that the company had the plan to build 130 other shops aside the 194 already built to pave way for the project.

42—Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015

THIS WEEK August 1-7, 2015 World Breastfeeding Week, coordinated by WABA, calls for concerted global action to support breastfeeding in the workplace.

Whether a woman is working in the formal, non-formal or home setting, the argument is that it is necessary that she is empowered in claiming her and her baby’s right to breastfeed.

August, 5-8, 2015

UNICEF meeting on child malnutrition at the Grand Central Hotel , 1, Bompai Road, Kano, Kano State.

Science World

GSK wins approval for world’s 1st malaria vaccine

A

FTER spending $356 million and conducting 30 years of research, British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline won approval last week from European safety regulators for the world’s first malaria vaccine. The European Medicines Agency approved the Mosquirix vaccine as safe and effective to use among young children in Africa, where most malaria infections and deaths occur.

Glaxo has already produced tens of millions of doses of its vaccine, but because it still needs approval from the World Health Organisation and African nations where the vaccine could be used, Mosquirix is unlikely to roll out until at least 2016.

Glaxo produced the vaccine with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. the 5 percent margin it will charge above manufacturing cost for the vaccine, will be reinvested into vaccine research.

While the vaccine is a breakthrough it doesn’t appear to be a cure-all for malaria, but it is expected that with vaccines, once immunised, protection is guaranteed 24/7. Human trials of Mosquirix showed it prevented only about half of malaria cases among children ages 5-17 months, and only about a quarter of cases among babies ages 6-12 weeks.

DELIVERY FAILURE: Financial bureaucracy stalls mobile health insurance programme.

Bottlenecks threaten National mobile health insurance programme

By Sola Ogundipe

T

HE National Mobile Health Insurance Programme, NMHIP, launched last year under the National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS, is being undermined by series of bureaucratic bottlenecks and disagreements between identity managers over exorbitant administrative charges demanded and Mobile Network Operators.

The NMHIP introduced in 2014, to remove physical and financial barriers to registration under the NHIS from a mobile phone, is currently funtioning sub-optimally.

The Acting Executive Secretary of the NHIS, Mr Femi Akingbade, said the spread of the programme had been slowed and admitted that the scheme was experiencing delivery failure as a result.

Akingbade who spoke to journalists in Abuja, weekend, said

Mobile Network Operators are involved, and they pay government charges a lot of the fees are going into administrative charges which we are trying to reduce

the Scheme had not been optimally providing the mobile health insurance payments and fees accruing from agreed distribution of funds were being reduce to nothing by the high administrative charges on mobile network operators.

He said the programme was experiencing delivery failure because the stakeholders seem not to totally agree with the payments and fees that are coming to them

based on the agreed distribution of the funds that are being contributed.

"This can be attributed to a lot of things because we found out that because of the Mobile Network Operators involved, there are lots of government charges that they need to pay and a lot of the fees are going into administrative charges which we are trying to reduce," he explained.

The Executive Secretary ex-

plained that the mobile health insurance programme required the NHIS to tap into the tele-density of nearly 120 million Nigerians registered on mobile networks, and link phone numbers to existing data already captured by operators during the period of SIM card registration.

"We need to collaborate with the Nigeria Communications Commission, NCC, National Identity Management Corporation, NIMC, Mobile Network Operators, and lots of other agencies that are into identity management and that actually slowed the process which we are actually working on."

Akingbade said the NHIS is hoping to have access to the database in question, in order to rule out the need to capture fresh biometrics for new enrolees on the mobile health insurance.

"One of the things that we are still trying to work on and implore NCC to do is to release that data base for us for access to those data as it saves us a lot in recreating the wheel.

"They have already done a biometric registration and have the details of people that own these lines. What we are now saying is that if somebody that owns a line wants to register for NMHIP, please give me the data so that I don't need to go ahead to start capturing a new biometric data."

The NHIS and NIMC are collaborating on the harmonisation of the two data bases with the aim of facilitating easier registration.

The Scheme easier would directly reimburse all those already registered for the NMHIP. At least 20 Lagos hospitals were chosen to pilot the reimbursement of mobile health insurance affected by the development.

KIDNEY FAILURE: Olaoba, 49, seeks N7m lifesaver

T

HE human kidneys keep the composition, or makeup, of the blood stable allowing the body function optimally.

Every day, the pair of kidneys filter about 120 to 150 quarts of blood to produce about 1 to 2 quarts of urine, composed of wastes and extra fluid. But then, sometimes certain medical conditions can occur to alter the optimal functioning of these organs.

The kidneys help perform these functions in the body: prevent the buildup of wastes and extra fluid in the body; keep levels of electrolytes stable, such as sodium, potassium, and phosphate; make hormones that help; regulate blood pressure; make red blood cells and help the bones stay strong. But for 49year-old father of five, Continues on Page 43

DIALYSIS SESSION: Olanrewaju Olaoba.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015—43

Omolola bags WASU award

By Chioma Obinna

I

AWARD: From left, Public Relations Officer, WASU, Mr. Oyejobi Olakunle,WASU; President, WASU, Mr. Oluwafemi Williams; former President, AGPMPN and Chief Medical Director, St. Raphael Hospital, Lagos, Dr Anthony Omolola; WASU Secretary-General, Mr. OmololaMensah Kweku and WASU Deputy Senate President, Mr. Joel Edem, during presentation of an award to Dr Anthony Omolola, in Lagos.

N recognition of his contribution to the growth of healthcare delivery in the country, former President of the Association of General Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria, AGPMPN, Dr Anthony Omolola, has been presented bagged yet another award by the West African Students’ Union, WASU, Presenting the award at St Raphael Hospital Ltd, Lagos, President of WASU, Mr. Oluwafemi Williams said it was in recognition of the awardee’s outstanding leadership quality that was worthy of emulation.

“Our deep conviction and unconditional hope in Dr

KIDNEY FAILURE: Olaoba, 49, seeks N7m lifesaver Continues from Page 42 Olanrewaju Abimbola Olaoba, life has not been the same for close to one year, because he as lost the optimal function of his kidneys..

Laying on his sick bed at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Olaoba, was in February diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. He is also hypertensive.

The result of the kidney diagnosis showed the organs, were fast losing normal function as a result of chronic infection.

For Olaoba who only recently lost his wife to breast cancer, life

will only return to normal only after he undergoes a kidney transplant.

Medical report

A medical report issued by the Consultant Nephrologist, Dr. O Aremu of the EKSUTH, Olaoba has been having sessions of hemodialysis “but grossly inadequate due to financial constraints”.

Aremu placed Olaoba on a twice weekly session of hemodialysis which cost N20, 000 per session, and when regular checks and medications for his hypertensive condition among others are factored in,

the cost rises to N147, 000 but strongly recommends immediate kidney transplant to save his life.

Olaoba now undergoes renal dialysis thrice a week at the MTN Renal Clinic of the hospital.

He is completely broke because he hasn’t been well enough to run his restaurant business since January 2015 even as his five children are struggling to remain in school.

A family member, Revd.

Olaitan Olaoba said: “The enormous financial task of the weekly required dialysis he undergoes to keep him alive is presently crippling the family

financially. He is desperately in need of help.

“We plead for humanitarian financial assistance from good philanthropic citizens of Nigeria.”

Olaoba is soliciting N7 million to undergo an urgent renal transplant either in Nigeria or India.He needs to maintain hemodialysis until the kidney transplant is done.

If you are moved to assist, kindly send donations to The Save Olaoba Olanrewaju Fund, FCMB 2864069015 or call 08033966560 for details.

Scientists seek attitudinal change against viral hepatitis

By Chioma Obinna

I

RKED by the alarming increase in prevalence of Hepatitis B and C and its attendant health implications, Nigerian scientists have called for attitudinal change towards prompt management of the infections as 1 in every 12 Nigerians is infected with the deadly virus.

This is coming on the heels of a recent call by the World Health Organisation, WHO, for compulsory vaccination of all vulnerable groups especially children against viral hepatitis infection that causes liver cancer.

An estimated 20 million Nigerians are vulnerable to cirrhosis of the liver which may progress to liver cancer.

They spoke in Lagos at a symposium organised by the Nigerian Institute for Medical Research, NIMR, in commemoration of this year’s World Hepatitis Day, WHD, with the theme: ”Test Now! Vaccinate Now” to promote global action to

prevent, diagnose and treat viral hepatitis.

In his views, Director -General of NIMR, Prof. Innocent Ujah, lamented that viral hepatitis is remarkably neglected and therefore not considered a public health problem by policy makers.

“Hepatitis B virus, which is endemic in Nigeria, is particularly a silent killer. The infection is the world’s 8th biggest killer”.

Major public health problem

He said as one of the most infectious diseases in the world, viral hepatitis is a major public health problem, particularly in socially and economically deprived populations, noting that the population of Nigerians infected with viral hepatitis was on the rise.

“Many people are dying from hepatitis infections while others are being infected with the virus.

It is expected that something is done speedily about the

prevalence; the fact that an estimated statistics shows that about 20million are infected with hepatitis is a serious problem,” said Chairman of the Symposium, Dr. Eberechukwu Anomneze, who is a Gastroenterologist and Herpetologist.

He urged people who currently have hepatitis and those exposed to it to form an alliance to further press the urgent need to tackle the infection, while calling on the government to subsidise the cost of drugs for treating hepatitis.

Chronic hepatitis:A consultant physician and gastroenterologist at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, Dr. Emuobor Odeghe, in her lecture said one in seven Nigerians has chronic hepatitis.

She said the major transmission routes of the disease occurs from child-to-child through abrasions such as impetigo, scabies and infected insect bites.

Odeghe said that mother-tochild transmission, unsafe

injections, and use of contaminated instruments during procedures, drug sharing and homosexual activities were also ways of transmitting hepatitis. “`There is the need to scale up on same prevention strategies against hepatitis. Strategies should include screening for all pregnant women and immunisation of all neonates or newborns with the first dose of HBV vaccine within 12 hours of birth.

“Subsequent doses of HBV2 and HBV3 can be given as monovalent vaccine or given as polyvalent DPT1 and DPT2 within the first year of life. Routine childhood vaccination, catch-up vaccination for adolescents and vaccination of people at high risks are also part of the strategies.”

Odeghe noted that those at high risk include health workers, partners and close contacts of people with hepatitis, men who have sex with men, dialysis patients and those that require blood transfusion.

Anthony is a symbol and demonstration of his immemorial contributions to the upliftment of educational standard, the cause humanity, mankind and philanthropy. We can without any equivocation bear testimony to the fact that he has always supported any cause that will uplift education as well as whatever will accelerate the pace of socioeconomic transformation of Africa.” Williams said.

He explained the WASU is made up of representations from each of the countries that make up the 16 countries in West Africa.

“There were two nominations from each of these nations and while we had serious deliberations on whom the award should be given because we don’t celebrate people just anyhow. We pick based on

I count this award a privilege, by joining past awardees like Vice Chancellor of Kwame Nkurumah, University of Ghana, Vice President of Liberia, President of Ivory Coast and others credence, character and people who have that leadership qualities in them. Based on all, he has been found worthy.”

In his acceptance speech, Omolola, who is the Chief Medical Director, St Raphael Hospital Ltd, Lagos said he was humbled.

“All the services that you are doing now you are not doing it for yourself, you are doing it for generations unborn. I can be rest assured, with the calibre and selfless service I have seen in WASU currently, in another 200 years it will be a reference point,” he remarked.

“I count this award a privilege, by joining past awardees like Vice Chancellor of Kwame Nkurumah, University of Ghana, Vice President of Liberia, President of Ivory Coast and others.

“I salute the courage of WASU executives for keeping the light of West African unity burning through their selfless services.

I am sure your efforts will not be in vain,” Omolola said.

He dedicated the award to all youths in West Africa and President Muhammadu Buhari, who he said is pursuing processes that will restore the glory of Nigeria.

44—Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015

Firm unveils new anesthesia machine in Nigeria

By Gabriel Olawale

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UCCOUR has come the way of patients seeking specialised surgical procedures in the country as Gradian Health Systems last week in Lagos unveiled the Universal Anaesthesia Machine, UAM, to aid healthcare providers to deliver quality surgical services.

Speaking at the unveiling, Lecturer/ Consultant, Anaesthesiology & Intensive Care, Bayero University/Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Dr. Alhassan Mohammed said acute shortage of manpower, lack of basic equipment and essential drugs promote decline in overall delivery of surgical care in the country.

Mohammed noted that in some instances where the equipment exists, poor maintenance culture remains a great challenge, adding that, "this vicious cycle has encouraged the heavy reliance on Ketamine-only anaesthesia for every surgical case in urban and rural areas."

"There was a time during my training that a reservoir bag burst and I could not ventilate the patient under my care (for Csection) using a general anaesthetic relaxant technique. It was frightening really, but the technician working with me knew we had no spare reservoir bag and rushed downstairs and got us one from the first floor, and we were working on the 4th floor," Mohammed stated.

Speaking on UAM, Gradian Health Systems spokesperson, Stephen Rudy said "UAM delivers safe anaesthesia in any hospital, including those where shortages of compressed medical gases and

unreliable electricity disable conventional machines. Using a low-resistance vaporizer and operating at ambient pressure, the UAM automatically matches patient demand to the supply of anaesthetic gas.

He said it generates its own oxygen using an integrated oxygen concentrator delivering up to 10 litres per minute. In addition, the UAM provides standard connectors and flow control for cylinder and pipeline oxygen, and can also connect to a portable source of oxygen.

Afribaby advocates breastfeeding in the workplace

By Esther Onyegbula

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S the 2015 Breastfeeding Week commences August 1-7, African International Babycare Development Initiative, AFRIBABY, has called on corporate organisations in Nigeria to encourage nursing mothers in their establishments to combine breastfeeding and work.

Founder of the organisation, Dr Oscar Odiboh, said Nigerians must join the rest

COMMISSIONING: From right, Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akinolu; CEO Gradian Health Systems, Stephen Rudy and Consultant, Anaesthesiology & Intensive Care Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Dr. Alhassan Datti Mohammed at the commissioning of Universal Anaesthesia Machine, in Lagos.

of the world to support women to combine breastfeeding and work.

“Women must be allowed to combine breast feeding and work in their workplace both informal and formal settings. This is why we have been advocating for organisations to have crèches within their premises where nursing mothers would have unrestricted access to breastfeed their babies in the work place.”

He said every baby had the right to be breastfed and every mother the right to breastfeed her baby without hindrance or restriction.

Director of Clinical Services, Ifako Ijaiye General Hospital, Dr. Bamishebi Adebayo, said:“Babies that are breastfed exclusively for the first six months and partly for the second six months are very brilliant.

“They have strong immune system, as their brains develop properly because the breastmilk contains high nutritional value. There is no child that is breast feed that will not turn out very intelligent.

“Mothers who do exclusive breast feeding must be encouraged, as I understand it is not easy but the benefits are overwhelming. No baby formula can compete with the nutritional value of the breast milk, which is why we must continue to advocate for exclusive breast feeding".

The 13th edition of the Babies and Mum's expose hold today and tomorrow at Ifako Ijaiye General Hospital. During the event experts will examine effects of government policies on newborns and new mothers. There will also be a breast feeding competition by mothers, and fathers.

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015—45

LG petitions IG over Police conduct

UVWIE NURTW FRACAS:

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By Emma Amaize

FFURUN—UVWIE Local Government Area of Delta State has complained to the Inspector General of Police, IG, over the alleged “unprofessional and disgraceful conduct” of heavily armed anti-riot police officers, who provided cover for suspected thugs, who invaded the council and chased away workers on July 29.

The council in a petition by its solicitor, C. E. Umweni, said the policemen not only made themselves willing tools in the hands of desperate politicians, but aided and abetted illegality as well.

It alleged that the thugs and police officers subjected lawabiding citizens, who had come to Effurun Motor Park on the same day to dehumanizing treatment such as flogging, frog jumping and temporary detention.

“In the circumstances, we urge you to use your good office to call these policemen to order by vacating the motor park with their entrenched thugs, and launch a thorough investigation into this sordid affair.

“The Police ostensibly claimed to be acting on a so- called security report that some youths intended to cause crisis in the council. However, such security report is not known to the council

chairman, who is supposed to be the chief security officer of the council.

“Moreover, there is nothing on ground to show that the prediction in the security report is plausible as the council has enjoyed peace like never before since the inception of the present administration.

“Having done with sacking the motor park, this group of policemen also provided cover to the thugs to invade the council

secretariat to chase away the workers and all those who had come to transact business there.

Their main target was the council chairman, who was fortunately not present at the time. At the time of writing this petition, the council secretariat is under lock and key.

“Even if the so called security report was to be believed as the product of a painstaking professional intelligence gathering and not one instigated by political considerations, the

invasion of the council to execute the personal agenda of some persons against the motor park and Uvwie council secretariat, does not in any way promote peace.

“It is obvious to everyone in Uvwie that the police have come to precipitate crisis in Uvwie with the aim of unseating the chairman of the council to satisfy their sponsors in Asaba,” the petition added.

DISCUSION: Chairman, Heirs Holdings, Mr. Tony Elumelu (2nd right), President, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote (right), CEO, Oando Plc, Wale Tinubu (left), CEO, Forte Oil, Femi Otedola, (2nd left) and MD/CEO, UBA Plc, Mr. Phillips Oduoza (3rd left), at a gathering of Nigerian business leaders hosted by Mr. Elumelu to discuss entrepreneurship and investment opportunities in Nigeria with Steve Case, American billionaire and founder of America Online at Heirs Place in Lagos.

Delta community leader begs Okowa to construct Ohrere-Otokutu link road

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By Festus Ahon

GHELLI—THE out gone President of OhrereAgbarho community in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, Chief Moses Ukuedejor, has called on Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to construct the Ohrere/Otokutu link road.

Ukuedejor who made the call during his handover to the new executive of the community led by Mr Edirin Diabichekor, also congratulated Okowa on his emergence as governor of the state.

Appealing for some development projects to be sited in the community, he expressed the support of the community for the state government.

He thanked the king of Agbarho, HRM Okpalefe I, Chief Omete Agofure, the leadership of the Agbarho Urhobo Improvement Union, the community and others for their support during his term of four years.

Leader of the Ughelli North Legislative Arm, Chief Teddy Okperin at the event, thanked the people for voting the C M Y K

Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the last general elections

and appealed to the governor to build the Oguname/

Ekrerhavwen Road, which according to him was in a very bad shape.

Ijaw youths hail Boroh's appointment ....Recall award to Boroh 2 years ago

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AGOS—THE Ijaw Youth Development Association, IYDA, has hailed the appointment of Gen. Paul Boroh (retd) by President Muhammadu Buhari, as the Coordinator of Presidential Amnesty Programme.

In a statement by the IYDA President, Mr Eperetei Fiyebo and Secretary, Botu Pius, the group commended President Buhari for identifying the

managerial quality of Boroh to pilot the amnesty programme, noting that it was one appointment well deserving.

Describing Boroh as an extraordinary professional full of zeal for matters that affect the good of Niger Delta, the group said: “We are proud that Buhari has confirmed and further strengthened the significance of our 10th Year Anniversary Excellence Award conferred on

Gen. Bohoh two years ago.

“The expected performance of Gen. Boroh is not in doubt as he will bring to bear his wealth of military experience in the three-phased amnesty programme of demobilization, re-integration and rehabilitation.”

IYDA recalled its award to Boroh in 2013, adding that his current appointment has justified the award

DSS: Buhari's choice of Daura in order —GBAGI they were comfortable with and Services, DSS.

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By Clifford Ndujihe

AGOS—FORMER Minister of State for Education, Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, has described as baseless, the controversy trailing President Muhammadu Buhari’s appointment of Alhaji Lawal Musa Daura as the Director General of the Department of State

Daura, who hails from Katsina State as President Buhari, critics of his appointment also alleged that Daura is a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC. Reacting to these allegations, Gbagi urged those criticizing the appointment to learn from history because past leaders, military and civilian appointed people

who incidentally were from their areas.

Speaking with newsmen in Lagos, he said: “I will take military and democratic situations. General Aliyu Gusau was the head of National Security Organisation (under former President Shehu Shagari) when he was removed by a coup. He was retired."

Oil, curse to Niger Delta —MULADE

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By Akpokona Omafuaire

ARRI—THE C h a i r m a n Kokodiagbene Community of Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State, Sheriff Mulade, has said that crude oil exploration and exploitation has become a curse to the region.

Mulade who spoke in Kokodiagbene during the commissioning of the N30million community hall built by the council, said “We thank you for this great project, it is the first government intervention in our community.

“Crude oil has become more of a curse to the Niger Delta region as it’s exploitation has led to poverty and despoliation of our environment. The communities suffer while the wealth is diverted to other regions.

“We ask for more attention in the area of school library, market and school. We also thank Chief Government Ekpemupolo for his contribution to Gbaramatu development.”

Lawmaker visits accident victims

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LADJA—A member of Delta State House of Assembly, Mr Peter Uviejitobor and Minority Whip of the House, has visited the Aladja Community Health Centre and the Delta State University Teaching Hospital, DELSUTH, where victims of bacterial infection and Mrs Onome Akporode, whose leg was amputated in a ghastly motor accident on Udu Road, are receiving treatment.

In separate visits, Uviejitobor, who represents Udu constituency, thanked the medical personnel for speedy treatment and successful operation on patients brought to the sanatoriums.

At Aladja, Uviejitobor after inspecting the health centre, met with one of the victims and promised to draw the attention of Assembly to ensure that further measures were put in place to check the dreaded disease.

He thanked Governor Okowa and Udu council chairman for their responses in curtailing the situation and finding lasting solution.

46—Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015

Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015 — 47

48—Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015

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PILGRIMAGE: From left— Mr. John-Kennedy Opara, Executive Secretary, Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission, NCPC; Senator Philip Tanimu Aduda, and Mr. Yakubu Dogara, Speaker, House of Representatives, at the flag off of the maiden youth pilgrimage to Israel at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

BOOK PRESENTATION: From left— Tolu Ogunlesi, West African Editor, The African Report; Toni Kan, Managing Partner, Radi8 Limited; El Nukoya author of Baron of Broad Street; Teju Babyface Oyelakin, comedian; and Odia Ofeimun, writer and literary critic, at the release of Baron of Broad Street in Lagos.

CERTIFICATION: From left— Dr Paul Orhii, Director General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC; Dr. Ayoola Oduntan, Group Managing Director, Amo Farm Sieberer Hatchery Ltd, producers of natnudO, and Dr. Monica Eimunjeze, Director, Registration and Regulatory Affairs, displaying a pack of natnudO Chicken during a certification visit by NAFDAC officials at Akinyele, Oyo State.

MTN: From left— Mr. Tunji Adeyinka, Chief Executive Officer, Connect Marketing Services; Mr. Selasie Brown, Mr. Deji Owopola, Mr. Yinka Aregbesola, winners of cash prizes, and Mrs. Saidat Lawal-Mohammed, Senior Manager, Master Brand, MTN Nigeria, during presentation of cheques to winners in the FIFA PlayStation game powered by MTN at the MTN TECH+ Exhibition Conference in Lagos. PHOTO: Kehinde Gbadamosi.

FUTA'S COOP: From left— Mr. Wilson Obinome, Treasurer; Mr. Samuel Ayodele, President, both of Federal University of Technology, Akure, FUTA's Cooperative Society; and Mr. Emmanuel Oresegun, FUTA's Bursar, during the presentation of computers to the Bursary Department by the society as part of its corporate social responsibility.

DSTV: From left— Mr. Martin Mabutho, General Manager, Marketing, MultiChoice Nigeria; Chioma Afe, Marketing Manager, DStv; Caroline Oghuma, Public Relations Manager, MultiChoice Nigeria, and Chidozie BedeNwokoye, Marketing Manager, SuperSport West Africa, during the live screening of NBA Africa Team vs Rest of the World in Lagos.

ANNIVERSARY: From left— Mr. Oludare Ogunyombo, Group Head, Media, Brooks and Blake Nigeria Ltd; Mr. Jide Benson, guest; Mr. Sola Fijabi, Principal Partner, Brooks and Blake Nigeria Ltd, and Mr. Kazeem Shitu, another guest, at the 5th anniversary celebration of Brooks and Blake Nig. Ltd in Lagos. PHOTO: Kehinde Gbadamosi.

PROJECT FAME: From left— Joba Popoola, musician; Ade Bantu, Project Fame Executive and Miss Joy Panam at the opening gala show of MTN Project Fame, West Africa, Season 8 at Ultima Studio, Lagos.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015 — 49

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015 — 53

Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015—54

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Falling oil prices require cost cutting —NEYI

By Jonah Nwokpoku

AGOS—IN compliance with the directive of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, that all names of delinquent debtors be made public, through at least three national dailies, nine banks have published the names of their debtors which indicated that 603 of them owe a total of N398,188, 385, 279.

The banks that published the names of their debtors include: Zenith Bank, Skye Bank, Sterling Bank, Enterprise Bank and Stanbic IBTC Bank.

Others include: Guarantee Trust Bank, Heritage Bank, Fidelity Bank and Union Bank Plc. The breakdown of the debt showed that Union Bank is being owed by 176 debtors to the tune of N341,980,337,799.66.

Union Bank's five top debtors

Its list showed their top five debtors to include: Doc Oil and Gas Limited – N16 billion, Alliance Energy Limited – N5 billion, Hajaig Construction – N3 billion, Sapta International Industries Limited, N2 billion and Petroleum Project International Limited, N1.2 billion.

The list of Skye Bank showed that 107 customers remain indebted to them to the tune of N12,995, 388,072.

Its top five debtors include: Enikkom Investment Services – N1.8 billion, Production Integrated Services – N1.6 billion, Tim Afrique Services – N999 million, National Truck Manufacturers – N728 million and Appaye Engineering Company Limited – N524 million.

Elvation Nigeria Limited, Goshen Integrated Supplies Limited and Duncan Investment Limited also owe Skye Bank $687,319, $437,115 and 471, 028 Euros respectively.

A total of 61 debtors owe Sterling Bank to the tune of N3, 572,243,633.48.

Its debtor list showed the top five debtors to include: Kasolute Nigeria Limited – N475 million, Just Jays Limited – N254 million, Alcun Industries Limited – N192 million, G-Cyrus Global Resources Limited – N188 million and N. Fadlallah & Co. Limited – N133 million.

Heritage Bank's list

Another bank which also published its list includes Heritage Bank which showed seven customers indebted to the lender to the tune of N1.1 billion.

Its top five debtors include: GIC Oil & Services Limited – N675 million, Global Trade & Investment Limited – N274 million, Bertco Motors (Nigeria) Limited – N73 million, Reprotrain Nigeria Limited – N69 million and Feetaf Enterprises – N18 million.

Fidelity Bank has 28 delinquent debtors who owe a total of N5.6 billion. Its top debtors included Starcomms who owe a total of

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SEMINAR: From left: Bisi Adeyemi, Managing Director, DCSL Corporate Services Ltd, Folabi Esan, Partner, Adlevo Capital, and Adedoyin Odunfa, Manging Director, Digital Jewels Ltd, at the seminar tittled ”Sustaining a Business in the 21st Century” organized by DCSL Corporate Services Ltd in Lagos.

603 debtors owe 9 banks N398bn Union of Local Government Employees, Jaba, Kaduna State N2.2 billion, followed by Kesio – N206 million, MED & Health Associates – N328 million and Workers Union of Nigeria, FMC, Diesel Solutions Limited – N324 Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State – N199 million. million and Call Fix it Limited – Zenith Bank has 37 debtors N185 million. owing a total sum of N5, 196, 021, Enterprise Bank’s 102 debtors 721. 89. Top on the list of its book owe a whooping N15.8 billion. Its include: Energy Company major debtors include: Naturelle Nigeria Limited – N743 million, Extracts Limited – N1 billion, Gic Olugbenga Onigbogi – N503 Oil & Gas Services limited – N1 million, Prime Marketing billion, NADABO Energy Limited Associate Limited – N472 million, – N1 billion, Vistar Services EKHA Agro Processing – N356 Limited – N1 billion and Isoglass million and Southfield Petroleum Industries Limited – N895 million.

Limited- N324 million.

Recall that the apex bank in a Forty-six debtors owe Stanbic circular dated April 22, 2015 and IBTC N7,876,585,682.69. Its top titled: 'Letter to all banks and five defaulters include: Afro-Arab discount houses on recovery of Investment Limited – N766 delinquent credit facilities’ had million, Sandabe Int’l Company directed all banks and issuing Limited – N679 million, Edward houses to observe prudent credit Benson Int’l Limited – N646 underwriting and monitoring million, Gambal Nigeria Limited standards.

– N535 million and Oluwaseun The apex bank had said the Ogunbambo – N472 million. directive was as a result of its A total of N4,016,559,259.80 observation of the rising trend of remains in the pockets of non-performing loans in the Guarantee Trust Bank’s thirty- industry, noting that such nine debtors. Its major debtors pragmatic steps needed to be include: Ekiti Tutors CMS – N303 taken to ensure that “the million, Silversprint Oil & Gas industry’s non-performing loan Limited – N258 million, National ratio does not exceed the

prudential limit of 5 per cent, and to improve the credit culture in the banking industry.”

The circular

According to the circular, “banks and discount houses are required with effect from May 1, 2015 to give the delinquent debtors three months of grace to turn their accounts from nonperforming to performing status; publish the list of delinquent debtors that remain non-performing in at least three national daily newspapers quarterly (The delinquent debtors are those whose accounts have been classified lost and include the persons, entities, directors, subsidiaries and other related parties); the list must be sent to the CBN as soon as the publication is made; banks and discount houses are also to note that delinquent debtors in the category described above will be blacklisted by the CBN and are therefore banned from participating in the Nigerian foreign exchange market and from participating in the Nigeria government securities market.”

....As CBN introduces sanctions for e-payment infractions to the provisions of S.47 (3)

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By Yinka Kolawole

AGOS—CENTRAL Bank of Nigeria, CBN, yesterday, announced the introduction of various sanctions for infractions of payments system rules and regulation on erring banks and e-payment service providers.

This was conveyed in a circular issued by Mr. Dipo Fatokun, Director, Banking and Payment System

Department of the apex bank, to all deposit money banks, Microfinance banks, primary mortgage banks, mobile money operators, Switches and other Payment system service providers. The sanctions cover infringements involving ATM, Transaction Switching Services, Bulk Payments and ACH, Card Issuance, Point-of-Sale, PoS, among others.

The circular stated: “Further

of the CBN Act 2007, requiring CBN to prescribe rules and regulations for the efficient operations of clearing and settlement systems, the bank hereby stipulates the following sanctions to erring banks and payments system service providers for infringements of extant guidelines, circulars, rules and regulations issued by the bank on all forms of electronic payment system.”

By EdiriEjoh

AGOS—THE Chairman, Board of Trustees, BoT, Nigerian Council of Society for Petroleum Engineers, SPE, Alex Neyi, has said the adoption of cost cutting measures will cushion the negative impact of falling oil prices on government and the investors.

Neyi, who spoke at the Society’s pre-conference dinner in Lagos, argued that this is the only option left for the Federal Government and industry stakeholders to make progress amid global oil glut.

He said: “In down times when the price of crude oil is low, the best way for an investor to make money is by reducing cost. As a third world country, which we are, our cost in terms of labour and all of that should be reduced.

“If we can reduce our costs, ranging from capital to operating, we should be able to make enough profit to run. Even if the prices of crude drops to $50 per barrel, if we are cost conscious and do the right things, we shouldn’t be home and dry.”

In addition to reducing costs, Neyi also called for the blocking of leakages in the system, saying that this will bring about more opportunities while also being economic benefits He further argued that there are two ways of doing business, either you sell more volume with higher price to make money or in the case where the price is low, your operating and capital costs are low in order to make profit.

He said the country is endowed with trained professionals, but lacked the requisite environment that will instill professionalism, adding that SPE is providing the leadership that the economy can benefit from in terms of creating linkages between the industry and other sectors of the economy.

Neyi further said that part of the industry challenge is the lack of domestication of projects, saying, “With so many years of going into oil, there should be a certain level of domestication and that is the essence of the Nigerian content which some people are taken advantage of.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015—55

Mgt firm identifies cause of employment crisis

By Victor Ahiuma-Young

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NSE REPORT: From left— Mr. Ade Bajomo, Executive Director, Market Operations and Technology, Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE; Samalie Kiyiingi, author of the report; Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, President, NSE and Chairman, Nigerian Delivery Group, Emerging Capital Markets Taskforce, ECMT; Elizabeth Uwaifo, co-author, and Sir Roger Gifford, Chair, UK Delivering Group, ECMT, at the presentation of the report, Nigerian Capital Market— Legal and Regulatory Review and Recommendation at the NSE in Lagos. PHOTO: Biodun Ogunleye.

Buhari orders NPC to produce 2016 budget framework

By Omoh Gabriel, Business Editor

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RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday in Abuja, ordered the National Planning Commission, NPC, to produce the framework for a 2016 national budget that will reduce recurrent expenditure and prioritise developmental projects.

According to Mallam Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity), President Buhari gave the order after receiving a briefing from the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Dr. Bassey Akpanyung at the Presidential Villa.

The President told Dr. Akpanyung and Directors of NPC that capital projects must now be given the fullest possible priority because Nigeria cannot achieve real development without adequate investment in capital and infrastructural projects.

He said: ”In carrying out its role in surveillance of the economy, review and appraisal of policies, the commission should devise a plan for a realignment of the budget so that capital projects can be really prioritised.”

The Executive Secretary of NPC had informed the President that Nigeria’s planning system was beset by many challenges.

These challenges, he said, included the non-alignment of national plans with the annual budget and inadequate capacity in the departments of planning, research and statistics in the various government ministries.

This development may have

set the hand of the clock on budget preparation back by several months.

Usually, in July the submission of draft revenue and expenditure estimate is made by ministries, department and agencies, MDAs, of government from where the draft input into the

2016 budget statement and economic policy is prepared.

In August, the schedule for 2016 budget indicates that policy and technical hearing on the budget was to hold with MDAs. Going by the schedule of 2016 budget preparation, in September approval of the

draft budget policy by the cabinet would have been made for it to be presented to parliament.

Therefore, without the cabinet in place by September, the budget process will be derailed and the nation may be in for another waiting period.

RCCG ordains 9,170 deacons, deaconesses service of God and operate in man.

By Sam Eyoboka & Olayinka Latona

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HE Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, yesterday, ordained 9,170 deacons and deaconesses on the first day of the church’s 63rd annual convention holding at the Redemption Camp of the church.

One of those ordained, yesterday, was the News Editor of Vanguard Newspapers, Mr. Kayode Matthew and the wife of Vanguard’s Legal Editor, Mrs. Olayinka Benson of Liberty Hall zonal headquarters in Ikorodu, Lagos.

The new deacons and deaconesses were charged to embrace the vision and mission of the church, which are based on evangelism and winning souls for God. Giving the charge in a sermon tagged The Earth is The Lord’s: Ordained for Global Mission, Senior Pastor and Founder of Doulos Ministries, Pastor Charles Achonwa, admonished the new ministers not to give room for mediocrity and eye service but rather be committed to the

agreement with the RCCG’s founder’s revelation, believe and live in the revelation.

According to him, prejudice and hypocrisy could be satanic, hence the ministers should ensure that they completely obey the authority bestowed on them by God and

He said: “To shy away from the results expected of you is not humility, but incompetence.”

Achonwa explained that sustainable revival brings growth and sustainable expansion is only possible where there is cooperation.

A G O S — WORKFORCE group, a leading management consulting firm, has said the problem of unemployment would remain a big challenge in the country as long as there was widening disconnect between output from the country’s educational institutions and employers’ needs.

The company, formerly known as Workforce Management Centre, WMC, which offers business and human resource, consulting, learning, talent management and outsourcing services, made the observation in Lagos, while unveiling its new corporate identity, following an organisation-wide transformation initiative.

Chief Executive Officer of the company, Bolaji Olagunju, said the company’s experience over the years in recruiting for clients had shown that there were jobs, but noted that finding the right candidates had been the major problem.

He claimed that privately-owned institutions were the major culprits, arguing that there must be a forum between educational institutions and business owners or employers to arrest the ugly trend.

Etisalat, MTN in court over NCC waiver

By Adekunle Adekoya

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WO players in the GSM sub-sector of the nation’s telecommunications industry, MTN Nigeria and Etisalat, are slugging it out in court over waivers granted MTN by industry regulator, Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC. In a suit before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, Etisalat is requesting the court to review the decision of NCC to grant a special waiver to MTN to offer tariffs that are contrary to the 2013 NCC Determination of Dominance in selected telecommunications market in Nigeria (Dominance Determination) and without

due process.

In its response, NCC requested the court to grant an adjournment to enable it respond to the processes filed

by Etisalat.

The matter came up for mention yesterday, with Kola Awodein (SAN) appearing for Etisalat Nigeria, while Professor Taiwo Osipitan(SAN), appeared as counsel to NCC. Healthy competition is at the heart of the case as NCC, which had declared MTN a dominant operator, proceeded to grant MTN a special waiver in contravention to the obligations imposed on MTN in the Dominance Determination.

Etisalat claims that the waiver was granted without due process and to the detriment of other players in the sector, thus an early review and reversal of the waiver will ensure sustained health and growth of the industry.

If Etisalat’s concerns are valid, the special waiver, if not reversed by the court, may negatively impact on the health and continued growth of the telecommunications industry.

Nigerian telecommunication subscribers will be compelled to remain on the network of the dominant operator as off-net calls continue to be discouraged with punitive tariffs on the consumers when they make calls outside of the dominant operator’s network to any other network.

56— VANGUARD, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015

Green activists hail Obama’s clean power plan

South Sudan to unveil plan to end conflict

E

S

NVIRONMENTAL activists praised President Barack Obama’s new power plant regulations as the most important step to date in battling climate change but warn that it won’t be enough without a dramatic cut in U.S. reliance on fossil fuels.

The White House is expected yesterday to announce new limits on greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, requiring states to bring their emissions down to 32 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. In a statement on Monday, Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune hailed that change as “the most significant single action any president has ever taken.”

•Obama “With 200 coal plants announced to retire and clean energy growing at record levels, the U.S. is now taking a huge next step to curb dangerous carbon pollution,” he said. “Today is a victory for every

American who wants clean air to breath and for the millions of activists and concerned citizens who organized to make sure this day would finally come.”

Another leading climate change group, 350.org, said that power plant regulation by itself is not enough. “Taking on King Coal is the easy part,” 350.org spokesman Jamie Henn wrote in an email.

“It’s standing up to Big Oil that will require real courage. That’s why decisions on things like the Keystone XL pipeline, fracking and Arctic drilling are so important — they’re the true test of climate leadership for this and any future presidents.”

Saudi king’s French holiday provokes protest

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AUDI King Salman and a 1,000entourage arrived at the weekend for holiday on the French Riviera, where over 100,000 residents have petitioned against the closure of the public beach outside his villa.

The monarch’s plane landed at Nice airport and he was driven away in a 10-vehicle motorcade, the local prefecture said.

The new king and his inner circle’s three-week visit at the family’s seafront villa in Vallauris, where U.S. actress Rita Hayworth celebrated her wedding to Prince Aly K h a n o f Pakistanin 1949, will be a boon for the local economy.

But the closure of the public beach for privacy and security reasons has stirred up a local storm.

A petition against the “privatisation” of the Mirandole beach below the Saudi villa gathered more than 100,000 signatures in a week.

The mayor of Vallauris also wrote to President Francois Hollande to protest against unauthorised work done by the Saudis at the property, where a slab of concrete was poured directly onto the sand to install an elevator.

“We understand the security reasons and the nation’s greater interest.

But nobody can exonerate himself from the laws

of the land,” Mayor Michelle Salucki wrote.

Hotels, restaurants and luxury shops along the Mediterranean coast, by contrast, welcome the visit. Several hundred members of the royal entourage will stay at hotels

along the coast.

“The economic impact for us, but also restaurants, chauffeurs and all those who worked at his villa, is real,” said Serge Reinhard, director of the four-star Hotel Montaigne in Cannes where half of the rooms have been booked by Saudis.

Gulf states warn US against meddling in Iran

I

RAN’S nuclear deal should bring stability and “good neighborliness” rather than interference, Gulf Arab states told U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday as they began talks on the merits of its historic accord with world powers.

Qatari Foreign Minister Khalid al-Attiyah, welcoming Kerry to Qatar for the talks with the six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), said the alliance wanted to spare the region “from any dangers and threats from nuclear weapons”.

This should be done by authorizing the use of nuclear technology for peaceful purposes in line with international rules, he

said, speaking for the GCC as host of the meeting.

“We look forward with hope to the nuclear agreement ... leading to the preservation of security and stability in the region, and we emphasize the importance of cooperation with Iran based on principles of good neighborliness, noninterference in internal affairs and solving disputes peacefully.” Most Gulf Arab states are worried that Iran’s July 14 accord with the United States and other powers will hasten detente between Tehran and Washington and embolden the Islamic republic to support paramilitary allies in the region.

•John Kerry addressing a meeting of Gulf States.

OUTH Sudan’s government is due to unveil its own peace plan in the Ethiopian capital Addis Abbaba, just days after the government refused to sign a regional plan to end the conflict.

Ateny Wek Ateny, South Sudan presidential spokesperson, will not offer any details of the peace plan but said President Salva Kiir is consulting leaders from all 10 states for guidance.

He reiterated his government’s refusal to accept the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) plan.

“When we first received the IGAD proposal we were puzzled. This is not a proposal negotiated by the two parties.The role of the negotiators is to bridge the gap, not that the

•South Sudan president, Salva Kiir. mediators come up with a peace plan,” Ateny told Al Jazeera.

Ateny said that IGAD’s plan, created by representatives from seven East African countries, did not allow either Kiir or his political opponent Riek Machar, a former vice president, to present their own proposals.

Ateny described the IGAD meetings in Addis Ababa as a “political conference”.

“We can work together if we have the proper mechanism,” he said.

Millions displaced The conflict in South Sudan began in December 2013, when clashes erupted between forces loyal to Kiir and those aligned to Machar.

Two million people have fled their homes to escape the conflict, with 100,000 forced to flee since May alone.

New Ebola cases keeps Sierra Leone on edge

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WO new cases of Ebola surfaced in Sierra Leone’s northern Tonkolili District after a man died last week in the area where the deadly virus had been gone for months, an official said Monday, raising new fears of the epidemic’s resurgence.

The victim contracted the disease in the capital, Freetown, and then traveled to his home village to mark the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. He was treated for a fever at the local hospital but authorities did not call the Ebola emergency number.

The two new cases are relatives of the man, said National Ebola Response Centre’s OB Sisay on Sunday. Authorities moved quickly to contain the spread, but more cases are feared, he said. Following

the death, authorities quarantined 500 people.

“We now know where the virus is and we are tracking its movement, by surrounding, containing and eradicating its last remaining chain of transmission,” Sisay said.

The concerns come as the director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Dr. Tom Frieden, is in Sierra Leone

Kerry says US, Egypt ties “stronger “

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HE United States and Egypt are returning to a “stronger base” in their relationship despite tensions and concerns over human rights, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Sunday at the first strategic dialogue between the two sides since 2009. U.S.-Egyptian relations

UK, France urge EU-wide action on migrants

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RITAIN and France have urged other European Union states to helpthemtacklethegrowing crisis in northern France caused by thousands of migrants seeking to make illegal and dangerous crossings into England.The French port of Calais has become a focal point for migrants seeking to escape poverty and violence in the Middle East and Africa.

Nightly attempts by large groups of the estimated 5,000 migrants in Calais to force their way through the rail tunnel linking France and Britain have provoked

to observe the impact of the Ebola outbreak and to assess steps needed to get the country to zero cases.

This Ebola outbreak has killed more than 11,200 people worldwide with nearly all deaths in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. In Sierre Leone, 3,951 people have been killed, according to latest numbers from the CDC, out of a total of 13,387 cases.

public outcry and severely disrupted the flow of goods between the two countries.

On Sunday, as some 200 migrants attempted to enter the Eurotunnel, French riot police moved them from the entrance with a chemical irritant. “There are no easy solutions — and it is not for the UK and France to solve these problems alone,” British interior minister Theresa May and her French counterpart Bernard Cazeneuve said in a joint letter published in the Sunday Telegraph and the Le Journal Du Dimanche newspapers.

cooled considerably after Islamist president Mohamed Mursi was ousted in 2013 by the military amid mass protests against his rule.

Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri told a joint news conference with Kerry in Cairo that his country had no major disagreements with the United States but that there were “differences in points of view over some issues, which is natural.”

Despite U.S. concerns about Egypt’s lagging democratic reforms, Cairo remains one of its closest security allies in the Middle East, an increasingly crucial role in a region beset by turmoil in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Libya.

Kerry said the talks had tackled increased cooperation on border security with neighbouring Libya. Islamic State militants have exploited a power vacuum in Libya to gain a foothold there, creating worries of a potential spillover of violence.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015 —57

Imo gets first private university

FRSC mobile court convicts 33 motorists, discharges 2 in Anambra

By Nwabueze Okonkwo

By Chidi Nkwopara

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W E R R I — ARRANGEMENTS have reached advanced stages for the establishment of the first private university in Imo State.

Already, a 152-hectare piece of land had been acquired at Ihe in Ohaji/ Egbema Local Government Area, which is one of the pre-conditions for the issuance of its certificate by the National Universities Commission, NUC. Disclosing this to newsmen, yesterday, the General Overseer of Charismatic Renewal Ministries, Dr. Cosmas Ilechukwu, gave the name of the new tertiary institution as Day Spring University.

“We are about getting our Day Spring University. We have already approached NUC and they gave us a task of getting a 100 hectares of land for the takeoff. We have secured a 152hectare space at Ihe, Ohaji/ Egbema Local Government Area for this purpose,” Ilechukwu said.

O

NITSHA—NO fewer than 33 motorists, mostly commercial drivers, were yesterday, convicted by the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, mobile court sitting in Onitsha, Anambra State for various traffic offences ranging from over-loading, seat-belt

violation, driving without valid driver’s license, outright driving without driver’s license, reckless driving and driving against the traffic.

The court, however, discharged two drivers who were not found wanting, before subjecting all the prosecuted motorists to some minutes of road safety enlightenment and training.

The state Sector Commander of

the FRSC, Mr. Sunday Ajayi who spoke to newsmen shortly after the court proceedings, explained that the mobile court exercise was part of the on-going FRSC’s 'Operation Restore Sanity in Roads in Anambra State.'

Ajayi further explained that the operation was meant to checkmate the recklessness of some motorists in Onitsha and its environs that had been notorious

Ebonyi moves to stop land grabbing without compensation

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BONYI STATE government says it will survey and register all farmlands in the state to stop the practice of government taking lands of farmers without compensation.

Governor Dave Umahi said this in Abakaliki during a colloquium for stakeholders on ways of moving the agricultural sector forward in the state.

“It is sad to see farmers lose their farmlands to government under such circumstances, as the farmlands are usually their only sources of income though government needs the lands to site industries and other infrastructure," he said.

The governor suggested that

people could form cooperative societies, register their lands individually and aggregate them as collaterals to obtain loans.

Umahi added: “When this is implemented, each cooperative society should have about 50 hectares of land which when surveyed, would amount to its total shareholding in a cooperative arrangement."

The governor said that government would ensure the stoppage of planting three tones per hectare –yield in rice planting.

“We hope to commence this from next January, as we would ensure we bring in rice species that would yield ‘seven tones-per hectare’ and more,” he said.

Umahi noted that he informed President Muhammadu Buhari and the Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, that Ebonyi State could provide the rice needs of the country with adequate incentives.

State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr. Uchenna Orji, said the governor convened the colloquium to enhance agriculture in the state, especially in the area of rice production.

“The present economic reality in Nigeria has made states to use agriculture to tap their hidden potentials in the face of steady fall in oil prices,” Orji said.

in driving against traffic, adding that often-times, the best way to enlighten motorists is by enforcement.

According to Ajayi: “The mobile court here is not only enforcing the rules and regulation governing usage of the road but also interpreting them to the offenders. I know that some commercial drivers who faced the magistrate and paid the stipulated fines would have a lot to tell their colleagues in the park and their various loading points.

“FRSC would continue to join Gov. Willie Obiano’s vision in making Anambra roads safer for all,” the Commander said.

He also stated that the mobile court exercise would be a continuous one; adding that the corps would not relent until complying with road rules and regulation becomes part of motorists in Onitsha and its environ.

One of the convicts, Mr. Simon Madu, said that he was unaware that his front-space passenger was not putting on his seat belt, adding, “I have learnt my lessons and I would make it compulsory that henceforth, any passenger sitting in the front of my vehicle must put on his or her seat belt or I would not convey him.”

58—Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015

All-new Jaguar F-Pace SUV tested to extremes F

ROM the searing heat and dust of Dubai to the ice and snow of Northern Sweden, the new F-PACE has been tested to the limit in some of the most inhospitable environments on earth.

Jaguar’s performance crossover offers an unrivalled blend of performance, design and practicality. To ensure that every system functions perfectly even under the most extreme conditions, the new F-PACE has been subjected to one of the most demanding test programmes the company has ever devised.

“We developed the FPACE to offer the ride, handling and refinement demanded from a Jaguar, together with exceptional levels of ability and composure on all surfaces and in all weathers.

“Just as we paid obsessive attention to detail over the engineering of every single component, we’ve exhaustively tested the F-PACE in the most challenging conditions to ensure that it will exceed the expectations of our customers around the world.”

Andrew Whyman, Vehicle Programme Director, Jaguar F-PACE At Jaguar Land Rover’s test facility in Arjeplog, Northern Sweden, average winter temperatures rarely exceed -15°C and often plummet to -40°C. The 60km of purpose-built handling tracks, mountain climbs, inclines, splitfriction straights and offroad areas are ideal for optimising the calibration of the all-wheel drive system, Dynamic Stability Control and technologies such as Jaguar ’s revolutionaryAll-Surface Progress Control. The work done here makes sure that, whether on asphalt, snow or ice, the F-PACE delivers the connected steering feel and agility fundamental to Jaguar dynamics DNA. In Dubai, ambient temperatures can exceed

•Jaguar F-Pace 50°C in the shade. When vehicles are left out in direct sunlight, cabin temperatures can soar to 70°C – exactly what’s needed to ensure that

K

YB, the world largest suppliers of OE (Original Equipment) and aftermarket shock absorbers and struts has appointed APT (Auto Parts Technology) as official

distributors in Nigeria.

KYB is introducing OE to Nigeria’s evolving market to help restore confidence in the aftermarket segment of the country’s automobile market and essentially,

•VW Amarok HE National Automotive Council, NAC, has described the recent take off of production of Volkswagen vehicles in Nigeria as a good beginning for the rehabilitated Volkswagen plant in Nigeria.

Mr. Luqman Mamudu, Director Policy and Planning, National Automotive Council, who spoke to Vanguard Motoring shortly after the inauguration of the Volkswagen assembly plant in Lagos recently said the return of Volkswagen to Nigeria was a

And while the test engineers can relax in airconditioned comfort as they drive in city traffic, this part of the test cycle is designed to place the

cooling systems under very high load through a combination of high ambient temperatures and low airflow.

KYB appoints APT as Original Equipment distributor in Nigeria

VW production in Nigeria, good omen — NAC

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everything from climate control systems to infotainment touchscreens function perfectly in extremes of heat and humidity.

remarkable development for Nigeria, coming 20 years after the company left the country.

“This is a good beginning. It is an investment pipeline that has been opened and Nigerians stand to gain from it,” he said.

The plant for now, is a semi knock down assembly line, (SKD) which will be assembling Volkswagen Amarok pickup, Jetta and CC Passenger cars.

Taking a critical look at the assembly line, Mr. Mamudu stated “this is a genuine SKD assembly

line and it will give our technicians the experience to assemble cars in the plant, and even develop further. According to him, for Volkswagen AG to give the go-ahead for the models to be assembled in the Nigerian plant, they knew that the right skill and technical know-how is available at the plant.

“It takes a lot of skill to meet the Volkswagen AG standard which the Stallion Group had met.

What we are hoping for now is that this cars takes us to CKD level and more,” he stated.

reinstate vehicles’ original handling and control.

A part of KUNECH Group, owners of AutoNationAfrica,aleading automotive service company, APT seeks to synergies with Tokyo-Japan based KYB to restructure Nigeria’s aftermarket with OE supplies and increase vehicle and plant performance beyond original handling and control.

KYB is a $4.2billion worth global manufacturers of a variety of world class ride control products used as original equipment and replacement parts in automobiles, motorcycles, trucks, specialty vehicles, buses, aircraft, railroad cars and agricultural applications. The varied

uses and application of KYB products and equipment demonstrate her commitment to helping create a safer, more efficient andmorecomfortablesociety says APT National Parts Manager Tushar Gomase.

Addressing parts marketers at the inauguration of APT headquarters in ASPAMDA Plaza, Trade Fair Complex Lagos, Tushar urged them to discard old habits and embrace world class standard, adding that: “We are proud to be associated with KYB and together we will transform Nigeria parts’ market and restore confidence of plant and vehicle owners as well as independent garages in parts sourced locally.”

APT already has a large

stock of OE including batteries, filters, cooling systems, brake pads with linings; suspensions, engine parts, belts, lubricants and tyres sourced from KYB and other well-known manufacturers based in Korea, Japan, and Indonesia.The OE produced by KYB covers major brands from America, Europe, Japan, Korea and China.

The company similarly has several accredited parts’ dealers at the popular Ladipo, Idumota and Obalende markets in Lagos and Ibadan, Oyo state with plans to appoint dealers in Kano, Abuja, Benin City, Onitsha and Port Hartcourt by September 2015.

L-R: Obinna Nkwonta, Sales Executive, Gomase Tushar, National Parts Manager, Claudia Ojinmah, Head of Sales and Rolland Edwin, Spare Parts Supervisor all of APT, a subsidiary of AutoNation Africa at the inauguration of APT headquarters in ASPAMDA, Trade Fair Complex Lagos

Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015—59

By Theodore Opara

FG pledges to protect local auto firms V

ICE President, Yemi Osinbajo, has assured the local vehicle industries that the new administration will always take a responsible decision that will promote and protect the local industries. He gave the assurance when the Management of PAN Nigeria Limited paid him visit in his office, at the Presidential Villa Abuja .

The Vice President Osinbajo expressed delight with the interest generated by the Federal Government’s National Automotive Development Policy (NADP) which so far has attracted about 15 automobile plants into the country. According to the VP, “Peugeot has an advantage over all the assembled plant in Nigeria, because you started the assembly plant with government many years ago.” The Vice President stated, assuring PAN Nigeria the support of the new administration, under the leadership of President MuhammaduBuhari. He expressed his pleasure with the quality, standard and beauty of the Peugeot vehicles now on offer to customers.

The Vice President however added that Nigerians resort to imported

FRSC kicks off ‘Operation Scorpion'

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Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and the Managing Director of PAN Nigeria Limited, Alhaji Ibrahim Boyi during the latter’s visit to the former at VP’s office cars, either new or ‘tokumbo’ because they believe that these cars are cheaper. He therefore hoped that PAN being the leader of automobile sector in the country would work towards making their cars more affordable, without compromising quality that it was known for over the decades.

Reacting, the Managing Director, PAN Nigeria Limited, Mr. Ibrahim Boyi congratulated the Vice President on their election and successful inauguration. He assured the Vice President of the company’s support and prayers for the new administration to

succeed. “We have no doubt on your commitment; we have no doubt on your ability to deliver. We also have no doubt that your election will certainly give Nigerians new lease of life and opportunities.We will continue to pray for your success to enable this administration meet the lofty expectations of the masses.”

The Managing Director said.

Mr. Boyi who took time to intimate the Vice President about the company, its past, present and the future plans, expressed dissatisfaction with some previous government policies

which led to demise of the first generation Auto assembly plants in Nigeria. He explained that PAN was able to survive due to the dogged interest exhibited by its technical partner, AP France and the financial intervention of the Asset Management Company (AMCON), the new owners of PAN. The Managing Director said even with that, the company suffered hardship leading to massive job losses, closure of many local component manufacturers, its dealerships, amongst others.

ORRIED by the high incidents of deaths resulting from trucks and tankers accdents in the country the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has commenced a major operation against truck and tanker operations aimed at ensuring that operators of the vehicles abide by traffic rules and regulations to prevent fatal crashes. Code-named, “Operation Scorpion,” to depict the painful effects of scorpion sting, the exercise was initiated by the Corps Marshal of FRSC, Boboye Oyeyemi following spate of road traffic crashes involving trailers and trucks with specific aim at addressing the chaotic manners that the vehicles operate on the nation’s highways.

The operations which commenced last Monday, along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway where majority of the vehicles ply, is being prosecuted by Zone 2 Headquarters of the FRSC with all the component commands as well as the neighbouring commands in Oyo state participating.

According to Bisi Kazeem, FRSC Head of

OXL as automobile sales channel LOLA Masha is the Country Manager, OLX Nigeria, leading online classified advert player in the country. Masha joined OLX Nigeria in February 2014 with the goal of building a world-class online classifieds business that stands out from its competition. Lola, holds a PhD in Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. She is an outstanding individual with expertise in business development, entrepreneurship, operational transformation, strategy and product develop-ment, across numerous industries including technology and consulting. She has signifcant international experience and has worked with brands like Google and McKinsey Consulting.

She had a chat with Vanguard Motoring on how her medium OXL could be used to change the way car sales could be done. Some of OXL clientele also spoke to Vanguard.

T

ELL us more about OLX OLX is the number one online classified site in Nigeria and in some markets globally. It is a vibrant platform for buyers to meet sellers. We are an online marketplace operating in 40 countries in the world. We have about 200 million monthly active users globally.

What is the growth plan for OLX in Nigeria?

The business is growing very rapidly and our plan is for this to continue. We have plans to increase our usage significantly and to convince more users to buy or sell more through the platform.

Challenges of

grooming/expanding ecommerce platforms In Nigeria The most important priority for us here in Nigeria is trust and safety.

We need to ensure that our users feel safe and secure when they come on the OLX platform. When they feel secure, they are likely to return for more transactions.

We are also doing several things to achieve trust through customer support; we review everysingle ad posted on OLX to ensure they meet our safety criteria and requirements. We are constantly ensuring that the ads that go live are high quality ones..

Secondly, we educate our users on how to trade safely by providing safety tips on all our social media platforms. We also communicate regularly through marketing campaigns; we have had radio campaigns and we are talking to the press as part of measures to keep users abreast with safety tips.

As long as users follow our safety tips, we can assure them that they will have safe and wonderful transactions. The key thing is: do not pay in advance; inspect the item carefully before making any purchase. To simply put it, OLX is an online representative of what happens offline.

The same way when you go to the market to buy tomatoes, you first check them before you pay; or you want to buy shoes, similarly, you try and make sure it fits your right colours and size. How about cars? You want to buy a used car you first testdrive it. Sometimes, you get a mechanic to inspect its engine and other sensitive parts. Users who currently follow all the necessary precau-tions offline, we are asking them to replicate such when they use OLX.

Users who currently follow all the necessary precau-tions offline, we are asking them to replicate such when they use OLX

Eze Hilary, industrial trading, sells home appliances and cars, using OXL, shares his experience about OXL Prior to posting your advert on OLX, what other ways have you used to try and sell your car?

Normally, i will do the old fashioned way which is placing a “buy me’’ sign on my car while I wait for calls from interested customers. Also as a dealer, my fellow dealers might contact me if they have their customers that need my product. I also broadcast my products via BBM contacts and other places.

What prompted you to sell your car on OLX? As a, businessman, I know that anyone who wants to succeed in their business you must look for variety of options where you want your goods to be displayed. And for me, OLX was the best because during my research I found out that OLX has a lot of customers and users on their site and with that more people will be able to see my car.

•Boboye Oyeyemi, FRSC boss Media Relations and Strategy, the exercise is a fallout of the various strategies being put in place to deal practically with the challenges which truck and trailer operations pose to the nation. He said that after advocacy, enforcement of the relevant traffic rules must follow. has four point agenda, which includes education, enlightenment, subtle force and full enforcement, and the corps marshal has observed that enough advocacy and enlightenment programmes have been carried out jointly with the stakeholders.

Safety messages “Whoever that has not learnt a lesson on the safety messages we preached at the various forums over the period must be prepared to bear the consequences of violating the traffic rules as we commence full enforcement,” the corps marshal stated.

Oyeyemi contended that from the beginning of the year, the Corps has been in full consultation with the various transport unions on the need for their members to comply with the traffic rules and regulations in the collective resolve to ensure safer road environment. He further stated that part of the resolutions reached during the courtesy calls he made to the union leaderships was the need to organise Mega Rallies at the various parks across the country with a view to sensitising members of the public, particularly, the drivers to be safety couscous.

“We have been on that programme including the National Summit on Haulage Operations which was held in Abuja with a plan of action drawn by the participants.

60 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015

C M Y K

Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015 — 61

Don’t slate Ogba for Nigeria’s athletics woes, Ebewele pleads

BY BEN EFE

F

ORMER national decathlon champion, Brown Ebewele has urged Athletics enthusiasts to speak softly in their criticism of the present board of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria headed by Solomon Ogba.

Ebewele, who is also a former commissioner for sports in Edo State argued that the woes of Nigeria’s athletics was down to systemic failure of successive sports administrations at the national level. He was speaking against the back ground of lack lustre performances of the athletes at the national trials for the World Championships and the All Africa Games in which, world standards were hardly attained even as records were broken.

“Athletics would have been dead without Ogba.

Agreed that he has his

short comings, but these flaws greatly outweigh his achievements at the AFN. “Take for instance, Cross River pulled out of sponsoring the Championships. But Ogba did everything for the show to go on. If the trials hadn’t held, how would we have assessed our athletes for the World Championships and All Africa Games?”

He submitted that the government must live up to its responsibility in sports funding. “During my time we stayed in camp from January to January unlike now where you have athletes going hungry and begging for support.”

A

S part of efforts to improve and develop the three divisions, the Nigerian Nation-Wide League (NNWL), has called for an extra-ordinary congress

AFN

Continues from BP World Anti Doping Agency has made a revelation of wide scale doping in world athletes. So we expect a level playing field as many of those who are using drugs will not be able to use them.

“We expect a good outing unlike last time in Moscow when it a one horse race for Blessing Okagbare,” said Professor Ken Anugweje who is the doping and medical director of the AFN. The athletes are already in camp at the Port Harcourt High Performance Centre brushing up for world championships and the All Africa Games where Nigeria is hoping to reclaim its dominance of African, after it was edged to the third place at the last African Championships in Marrakesh, Morocco.

The delegation for the World Championships, will leave on August 17, while those for the Africa Games will remain in camp till August 30 when the entire Nigerian delegation is expected to storm C M Y K

Brazzaville for the All African Games.

World Championships list: female 100/200/ 4x100m Blessing Okagbare, Gloria Asumnu, Stephanie Kalu, Deborah Odeyemi, Cecilia Francis, and Ngozi Onwumere 400/4x400m Patience Okon, Regina George, Oluwatosin Adeloye, Etim Margaret, Funke Oladoye, Rita Ossai, High Jump Doreen Amata, 100mH Lindsay Weyimi Lindley, 400mH Amaka Ogoegbunam, Long Jump Ese Brume, Discus Chinwe Okoro Heptathlon Uhunoma Naomi Osazuwa Male 100m OghoOghene Egwero 200m Odele Tega Peter 110mH Tyron Akins 400mHUkaoma MilesTriple JumpTosin Oke. AAG: Female 100/ 4x100m Blessing Ogabare, Gloria Asumnu, Stephanie Kalu, Deborah Odeyemi Cecilia Francis, Ngozi Onwumere, 200meters Idamadudu Praise Oghefejiro, Ngozi Onwemere

on Thursday 6, August.

A statement signed by executive secretary of the league body, Shola Ogunnowo indicates that the congress scheduled to take place in Abuja will

Gloria Asumnu, Lawretta Ozoh (Probation) 400/4x400m Patience Okon George, Regina George, Etim Margaret, Ossai Rita, Adeloye Oluwatosin 800/1500m Abike Egbeniyi, 100m Hurdles Lindey Weyinmi Amusan Oluwatobiloba 400m Hurdles Amaka Ogoegbunam, Ajoke Odumosu Long jump Chinazom Amadi, Brume Ese, Euphemia Edem (Probation) Triple jump Ibrahim Blessing Ibukun (Probation) Hope Idhe (Probation) Shot put Claire Uke, Chinwe Okoro Discus Claire Uke Ogunleye Precious, Chinwe Okoro, Javelin Nwanaga Kelechi, Hammer Rebecca Famurewa Ogunleye Precious High jump Doreen Amata Moe Sasegbon Heptathlon Uhunoma Naomi Osazuwa, Francis Ruth Oluwakemi Race Walk Oguh Faustina Olude Fadekemi Men (31)100/4x100m Seye Ogunlewe, OghoOghene Egwero, Jonathan Nmaju, Obinna Metu,

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HE Giant of Africa basketball camp started off on Monday at the National Stadium, Lagos with foreign and Nigerian coaches teaching 50 teenage boys the fundamentals of the game.

The founder of the camp, Masai Ujiri, who is also the General Manager of theToronto Raptors, told the journalists that the camp would be holding in four countries for the first time, having expanded from Nigeria to Kenya, and now to Ghana and Rwanda.

The camp would hold in Lagos till Wednesday.

It would hold in Ghana from August 7-9; Kenya from August 10-12 and

Rwanda from August 1315.

Ujiri said the camp was aimed at giving African children opportunities to use basketball as a tool to improve their lives.

“We want to keep building and giving kids opportunities.

We expanded to two countries a couple of years ago. We did Kenya and Nigeria and this year, by the grace of God, we have expanded to four. After Nigeria, we will be going to Ghana, Kenya and Rwanda,” Ujiri said.

“We just came back from South Africa where we had the historic NBA game in Johannesburg.

It was the first time and

NFF/Keshi

•Ogba

NNWL set to unveil sponsors

Giants of Africa basketball camp starts in Lagos

also be an opportunity for the management to unveil its major sponsor.

“The Board of Nigeria Nation-wide League has deemed it necessary to call for the extra-ordinary Congress as contained in the Statutes.''

Imhoaperamhe Nicholas, Divine Oduduru, 200m Odele Tega Peter, Obinna Metu Ogho-Oghene Egwero 400/4x400m C h i d i Okezie, Nathaniel Samson Oghenewegba, Noah Akwu, Orukpe Erayokan, Tobi Ogunmola, Robert Simmons 110m Hurdles Tyrone Akins Alex AlAmeen Martins Ogierakhi 400m Hurdles Ukaoma Miles Henry Okorie Amaechi Morton 800meters Hamadjam Soudi P r o b a t i o n 1,500meters Hamadjam Soudi (Probation) 5,000meters Ismaila Sadjo (Probation) Long jump Samson Idiata (Probation) Ezekiel Ewulo (Probation) Oladimeji Oluwatoyin (probation) Okpara Theddus Probation Triple jump Tosin Oke Olumide Olamigoke Probation Race walk Adeyemi Kazeem Javelin kure Samuel Adams Probation Friday Osayande (Probation) Shot Put Onwuka Eke Kalu (Probation)

Continues from BP governing body. Keshi was fired by the NFF on July 4 majorly on grounds that he applied for the then vacant Ivory Coast national team coaching job, as well as for inviting to the national team a player (Gabriel Okechukwu) adjudged not qualified for the Super Eagles.

Documents obtained from Keshi’s legal team, dated July 13, 2015, was acknowledged to have been received on July 15 by the NFF, and a deadline of 30 days was spelt out for all demands requested to be met.

Amongst other things, Continues from BP

Keshi’s legal team demanded a N1billion compensation from the NFF and a written apology circulated across the world as they claim their client’s contract was wrongfully terminated on frivolous grounds and his hard-earned name soiled.

“We demand the retraction of your (NFF) defamatory documents, a written apology to our client to be circulated internationally and the sum of N1,000,000,000.00 (One Billion Naira) only as damages for defamation,” the lawyers’ letter reads.

JP

fared better if the NFF had allowed Coach Edwin Okon take the team through the qualifiers.

“He should have been left alone to take the team through the Olympic qualifiers despite the team’s not too impressive performance in Canada.

They would have performed better against Equatorial Guinea,”Peters said.

Coach James Peters declared that one of the factors that worked against the team was the inexperience of the technical crew.

Peters told Sports Vanguard yesterday in Abuja that the team under the tutelage of Christopher Danjuma crumbled before their Equatorial Guinea counterparts because they lacked the capacity to

motivate the players to bring out their best.

According to him while it is right for the young coaches to be given the responsibility to coach national teams, it is also reasonable for the NFF to attach to them some experienced coaches to give them background assistance.

“It is good to have experienced old coaches to back them up, not necessarily to sit on the bench but to help them do some spying for them and design a tactic that will assist the team. This is something we have done in the past.

“They should forget pettiness and tribalism because someone told me during the World Cup in Brazil to go to my state to work as if Abuja is his own state. We thank God we are now in the era of sincerity and change.”

62 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 3, 2015 ---- 63

Oliseh shops for players in London *Iwobi

*Oliseh

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UPER Eagles coach, Sunday Okechukwu Oliseh has started shopping for the new players that will form the new that will prosecute both the World and Nations Cup qualifiers starting next month.

Oliseh told Prompt News Online at Kings cross Station, London, on his way back from Wembley Stadium where he watched the Community Shield between Arsenal and Chelsea to mark the beginning of the new Premiership Season.

“You know the qualifiers of both the World and the Nations Cup will start next month and I have already started shopping for new players that will form the nucleus of the team.

“Mind you, both Arsenal and Chelsea are parading Nigerians in their team and that is why I need to monitor them as per their performance. I don’t to sit down somewhere and be getting information from people at all. I need to watch them myself to really ascertain their form.

But unfortunately only Moses was in action for Chelsea”.

The former Super Eagles skipper further said work has already started in earnest in order to build the best team that will represent Nigeria in any major competition.

Cahill: Arsenal’ll push Chelsea for title

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*Ibe

Siasia: We missed unpardonable chances in Congo

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FTER Nigeria’s narrow win over Congo, coach Samson Siasia applauded his team for their gritty performance that moved them a step closer to Olympic qualification. The

Nigeria Under-23s advanced to the Olympic qualification play-offs on Sunday thanks to a 2-1 aggregate victory over Congo.

“Playing a match like this is always difficult,

Human Rights body criticises charitable foundation,” Messi for Gabon visit HRF’s president Thor

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IONEL Messi has been criticised for his decision to visit Gabon and lay the first stone at a future 2017 Africa Cup of Nations stadium by Human Rights Foundation (HRF).

“In providing PR services to Gabon’s Bongo family, Lionel Messi has seriously undermined the credibility of his own

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HELSEA defender Gary Cahill believes Arsenal will challengethe reigning Premier League holders for the title this season following the Gunners’ Community Shield victory.

“They’ve started well, they ’ve got a good squad and I think they’ll be one of many pushing at the top this season,’ he said.

“I’m sure everyone has that belief at the start of the season. People talk and talk, but the bottom line is when the season starts.

“We’re confident, we have a good squad and still have another game

Halvorssen said in a statement on the organisation’s website.

but then I knew our best tactics for this game was to go all out and attack, because if they scored a goal against us, we would be out of the race,” Siasia told The NFF. “My boys did what I told them, but then we missed a couple of clear chances that are unpardonable. However, we did the job and we are into the African U23 finals.”

on Wednesday [against Fiorentina], and more time to train before we start.

“We’ll be strong, but it’s a tough league and everyone else will be strong as well.”

*Cahill

Ibrahimovic is a PSG player for now —Galliani

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ILAN’s jointCEO Adriano Galliani says Zlatan Ibrahimovic ‘is a PSG player for now’, despite rumours of a transfer.

“He’s a PSG player for now,” Galliani said outside the team hotel.

“I don’t know anything else.”

*Siasia

New twist to Neymar’s tax case

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HE tax case in volving Barcelona and Neymar could be in for a new twist following changes to Spain’s Criminal Code.

According to Marca,

the twist stems from a reform of the country’s penal code, which came into force in June and exempts companies from criminal liability when the alleged crimes

are committed by their administrators, directors, managers and/or employees.

Consequently, this would see Barca spared from any punishment.

*Ibrahimovic

Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015

NFF responsible for Falcons crash — JP

BY JUDE OPARA, Abuja

A

NFF, Keshi set for legal fireworks T

HE stage is gradually getting set for former Super Eagles Coach, Stephen Keshi, to officially begin a legal tussle with the Nigeria Football

AFN selects 65 athletes for All African Games ...Okagbare leads list of 24 to Beijing 2015

Federation as it is now midway to the expiration of the deadline in the letter written to press for compensation from the country’s football Continues on Page 61

BY BEN EFE

A

THLETICS Federation of Nigeria yesterday released a list of 65 athletes for the 2015 All Africa Games billed for the Republic of Congo September 4-19. Also 24 athletes were selected for the 15 th World Championships billed for August 22-30 in Beijing, China.

The athletes were selected after the trials conducted in Warri, Delta State last weekend. And despite below standard performance by majority of the athletes at the All N i g e r i a Championships, officials are hopeful that the country will have a good outing at the two events.

“We expect a good outing most especially at the World Championships. The Continues on Page 61

former coach of the Super Falcons, James Peters has blamed the Nigeria Football Federation for the failure of the team to qualify for the next round of the 2016 Olympic qualifying series.

Peters who also blamed the team’s ouster by Equatorial Guinea on the inexperienced Christopher Danjumaled technical crew said the team would have Continues on Page 61

•Okagbare (inset Brume)

•Pinnick

QUICK CROSSWORD

TODAY'S

PUZZLE

FRIDAY'S ANSWERS

ACROSS 1 Shut (5) 5 Talented (6) 8 Enlist (5) 10 Show (6) 11 Parched (4) 14 Character (6) 15 Peaceful (7) 18 Vitality (3) 19 Vehicle (3) 21 Adroit (4) 23 Spree (5) 24 Needy (4) 27 Tease (3) 29 Favourite (3) 31 Baby-clothes (7) 32 Trader (6) 34 Thoroughfare (4) 35 Escaped (6) 38 Tree (5) 39 Guard (6) 40 God (5)

DOWN 2 Meadow (3) 3 Seek (6) 4 Finish (3) 5 Family (4) 6 Left (6) 7 Reiterate (6) 9 Regain (7) 12 Knock (3) 13 Cheat (4) 16 Singer (4) 17 Marine (5) 20 Denied (7) 22 Even (4) 24 Cushioned (6) 25 Gemstone (4) 26 Tell (6) 28 Obtain (6) 30 Number (3) 33 Peruse (4) 36 Guided (3) 37 Newt (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Ledger 5, Melt 8, Eased 9, Arc 10, Turn 11, Aged 12, Atone 13, Horrid 16, Lees 18, Emit 20, Ate 22, Set 23, Rip 24, Tier 25, Clip 28, Cuttle 30 Magic 32, Heat 33, Bask 34, Kin 35, Sited 36, Disc 37, Stance.

DOWN: 1, Loathe 2, Decorate 3, Entail 4, Fantastic 5, Member 6, Edge 7, Tidy 8, Era 14, Described 15, Sip 17, Eel 19, Mistaken 20, Aim 21, Erratic 26, Packet 27, Seance 29, Shed 30, Mass 31, Cad.

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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